By LIZ MARCHI
One of the good things about a change in tempo is the sensibility of being in touch with one’s body. When you are striving to achieve, stress takes its toll on your body and your mind. While I am a big believer that there is good stress, I can remember lying down at night and suddenly realizing I ached all over. In the focus on my flurry of activity, I hadn’t even noticed.
January has brought extraordinary sleep this year. It’s wonderful. Of course the inversion and dark do impact our circadian rhythm. As I age, I cherish sleep. I am grateful every morning that my alarm doesn’t go off at 4:00am as it did for the better part of 20 years. I am grateful for the silence of the ranch in every season but especially in winter. If I awake in the night, I enjoy thinking about the past and remembering, my dreams are vivid and wonderful. Last night I dreamed about high school friends and my children when they were young. It was terrific. When I think about new ventures at this time in life, I am very conscious that I do not want to forgo this wonderful experience of good and adequate sleep.
The reality is when you are an entrepreneur working in a startup, you are all in. We strive for balance in our work but my experience is that balance happens over time. When you are a Mom, it’s 24/7 all in. I am deeply grateful for this time in my life of less intensity, more sleep, more time, slower decisions and focus.
My children can affirm that I can be a harsh judge. In fact, I am feeling a bit guilty (but not really) about writing in my bathrobe on Sunday. As I go through my 60’s, I am glad I worked hard and pushed my self and others. It has taken time, but a new horizon has emerged where each day is deeply appreciated.
This was a week where Jon and I attended two funerals, one for a child, one for a vet and found out a close friend has cancer. We are very accepting of where we are in this journey and ever more grateful for our family, friends and home.
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Liz Marchi lives on a ranch in Polson, Montana with her husband Jon. She is the Fund Coordinator for the Frontier Angel Fund and spends a lot of time thinking and learning about entrepreneurs, the economy and Montana’s unique place in the world. She has three daughters and a stepson and daughter and a grandchild. She graduated from Hollins College and is entering the final quarter of life…unless we go into overtime.