Letting The Magic In: Embracing Small Joys And Allowing Yourself to Just Be
Episode 34: Letting The Magic In
This episode explores the idea of being busy and how it changes throughout seasons of life. I share where I’m at this summer, my plans for the future, and what I’m excited about. This episode is a gentle reminder that small joys are always available to us.
Episode Details
Summary
In this episode, I’m reflecting on what busy means to me now and how that definition has changed over time. There was a season when I enjoyed moving quickly from one thing to the next, but lately I’ve been craving more transition time, more quiet, and more space to simply be.
I share how I’ve been observing the rhythm of my days and noticing what feels supportive versus overwhelming. As a creative person, I need room to daydream, explore ideas, and let inspiration arrive without pressure. Creating that space has already begun to shift something in me, and new possibilities are starting to form.
This episode also explores what it means to embrace summer in a way that feels true. Sometimes joy arrives through the smallest moments, like stopping for an ice cream cone on a warm day, watching the sunset, or taking an unexpected two-hour walk with Cauchy through the neighborhood.
I reflect on the excitement of upcoming plans, from a beach trip with my sister to the Flock fiber festival, and how meaningful it feels to see a dream of finding community through knitting come to life. I also share the tenderness that comes with approaching another football season without my dad and the way grief and joy continue to exist side by side.
This is an invitation to create enough space for life to surprise you. To release the pressure to fill every moment, stay present with what is here, and allow small moments of beauty, connection, and delight to find their way in.
This episode is for you if…
You’re in a season of change and are ready to redefine your life and what being busy means for you
You’re on a grief journey and navigating the complexity of all the emotions present with grief
You’re ready to let go of the hustle and create more space in your life to just be
You’re shifting into new possibilities and are looking for inspiration and companionship
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Welcome to The Shoreline, where we explore the tender in-between seasons of the human experience. My name is Kim, and I'm here to support you as you navigate your next becoming. Here, we don't fix, we listen. We don't rush, we allow. Hello, and welcome to today's episode. If you're new here, I'm so happy you've made your way to The Shoreline, and if you're returning, welcome back. I'm so glad that you're here. So last episode, I spoke about building a dream life and the difference between a dream life and a fantasy life as inspired by a podcast episode I listened to from a beautiful mess. And since that episode, I've been trying to create more space in my life, and I'm redefining what busy is. And I think that this is something that's really important for me. I think that I'm in a space where I just need more space. I spoke about this last episode where I just don't want to be running from thing to thing. I just, I need more time to just be. I think that when you are a creative, you need a lot of space to daydream, to kind of just noodle on things. And so thinking about that and how I want to build my future and kind of build a creative life and a creative career, I've been thinking about just my days and what busy means. And I've just been kind of taking note each day at the end of the day and thinking about like, okay, how did this day go? How many different things were on my calendar? Like, did it have enough space? Did it have too much space? Did I feel that sense of freedom to explore my ideas? And I feel like I'm starting to get a better gauge as to what busy means for me and how that's different from who I might have been in the past. I think that there was a time in life where I really enjoyed the hustle and I liked to jump from thing to thing. I didn't need a lot of transition time, and I liked having a lot of things on my calendar. And I find now that when there are too many little dots on my Apple calendar, on my phone, I start to feel overwhelmed. And it's just been something I've been thinking about and noticing, and I don't have any answers yet. I'm in more of just a time of observation. And of course, what busy means to me is going to look different than what busy means to you. And maybe you're in a season of wanting a lot of little dots on your calendar, or maybe you just don't have a lot of time freedom, and that's okay. We all are always shifting and evolving, and you're in the season that you're in, and it's beautiful. And so busy is really a subjective thing, and it's something that I think we can tune into season after season and redefine for ourselves. And right now, I'm just in a season of needing a little bit more space, and I've noticed that since I've created more space for myself, there's, I can feel the energy shifting, and some new ideas and plans are forming as I think ahead into what I might want to do in the fall. I'm feeling just a sense of excitement, and there's one idea I've been exploring lately that's new that I'm just really energized by, and I really cannot wait to share it. So more to come on that. That's all I'll say for now. I think that you'll be really excited when I share, and I'm really looking forward to it. And it's just been fun to just daydream and explore something new and take the pressure off. I think that last week I also spoke about just feeling this pressure and kind of distilling my days down into a series of lists and how that kind of... It just takes the joy out of everything. And so lately I've been really trying to just embrace the spirit of summer. And I think as we head towards the end of July, I think that this time of year is just like peak summer energy to me, we are almost in Leo season. I feel like I always really come alive and I feel the most myself in Leo season. I think that's because my son is in Leo in the second house and it's just a really beautiful, fun, joyful time for me. So I'm really excited to feel the energy start to shift. And I really want to enjoy summer in a way that is aligning for me. Actually, yesterday, it's been really sunny and warm here in Seattle. And yesterday, I was walking home and because it's been so warm out, I randomly had a craving for ice cream, which doesn't really, it's really not my thing. I don't often crave it and I was really surprised by it. And I happened to be walking by in ice cream shop in my neighborhood, and I decided to stop in, and I got an ice cream cone and I was walking home and eating my ice cream and it just was like, and the weather was still really warm. There was like a gentle breeze and it was just like this beautiful, like picturesque moment of what it means to be summer. And I really just, I enjoyed it so much and I really took it in. It's such a nice summer memory to have in it. It was just, it was really nice. And so I'm excited to create more moments like that for myself and just really soak it all in, especially since summers are short here, they go by quickly. I've been enjoying the long days and the beautiful sunsets. And it's just, it's a really wonderful time of year in Seattle and in the Pacific Northwest. And I'm trying to just really cherish each and every moment. And I'm wondering if the nice weather and kind of this energetic shift around me is also like kind of supporting the new ideas that are forming. And it's like giving me this little bit of inspiration or energy. I don't even know, but there's definitely a shift happening. And I'm just really excited for what's to come. I really do feel like I'm approaching a new beginning. And yeah, I really, I just can't wait. And so that's where I'm at right now. I have a lot of fun plans on the horizon for the end of this month and August. So later this week, I'll be heading to the beach with my sister. We're going to camp for two nights, and I'm excited to see my dog Cauchy run on the beach. We're both beach girls, both Cauchy and me. And it's just my favorite thing. And I did have that moment, Cauchy's eight and a half now. And I had that moment that grief always brings me of like, how many more years are we going to get to do this? It's becoming a little tradition of ours to go to the beach. And I'm like, is this going to be the last time? Will we get two times, three times, five times? I don't know. And there was a little bit of sadness that came forward with it. But then I was like, you know what? I'm just going to enjoy this to the fullest extent that I can, because I don't know how many more beach trips that we'll get. That's what I know for certain, is that I don't know. And so why not just really take it all in and be super present and just make the most of this beach trip? So I'm really excited to do that. And then when I get back, there is a big fiber festival that happens in Seattle called Flock, where a lot of fiber artists, knitters, crocheters, weavers, yarn dyers, they all kind of gather, and there's classes, there's lectures. It's a really fun time. And last year, I was only able to go for like the end of the second day. And so my goal last year was, I really wanted to go to Flock and really experience it to the fullest. And last year, I told myself that I really wanted to make an effort to build a community in knitting and to make some friends who are in the knitting community so that I can go with my friends to Flock. And here we are almost a year later, and that's come to fruition. So I don't know exactly what my plans are, but I'm really excited to just go and hang out and knit and meet new people. And yeah, I think it's going to be really fun. So that's coming up. And then after that, I have a friend coming to visit. We're going to go to a comedy show and hang out, and that'll be really fun. So a lot's on the horizon. And then with the end of August and beginning of September approaching, it'll be time for football to start. And with that, there's grief that comes up. It'll be the second season without my dad. And I'm curious to see what that will feel like. And I don't know how I'll feel or what that will be like. I know the beginning of last season was really hard, and it did get easier with every game. And so I'm just really excited to go back to that space as well and to see how I've grown and changed and what my relationship is to football, how I'll feel connected to my dad through all of it. And so that feels really, really exciting. It's something I'm looking forward to as well. So there's a lot on the horizon, and I'm feeling just really uplifted and energized. I feel like there's, with cancer season coming to an end, with the Mercury retrograde lifting, it feels like a weight is almost lifting off of me. It's a little bit easier just to be up and moving and living, and life is feeling slightly less heavy. And I'm really excited about that. And, you know, that's not to say that there's not grief. Even today, my mom called me, and we were talking about my dad, and it actually was really nice. It made me so happy that we could kind of talk about the things that he loved. My mom shared a memory of my dad, and we laughed about it, and that felt even lighter and happier. And like, the grief is always there. Like, I still miss him all the time. There's not a part of my day that I don't miss him, but it makes me so happy to be able to talk about him and connect with my mom and my sister and other people who knew my dad. And I just want his presence to be around me, and that makes me so happy. So that felt really, really good to be able to share with her and to have that experience. And I hope that as we continue to move forward, we'll be able to share more stories. And of course, we will miss him and we do miss him, but also relish in his energy and the memories he created with us and the presence that he had. And yeah, even that just feels like a really important milestone and a moment that I'll really cherish and that I feel so grateful for. So feeling lots of feelings, but definitely the theme is that I am feeling lighter and more energized and I'm excited. And yeah, yesterday, Cauchy and I went on a long walk. I had intended, because it's so warm out, I try to get out in the morning before it's too hot for her. She has really thick black fur, and I'm always mindful of walking on the sidewalks, where it'll get really hot on her paws. So I try to get out early, or I'll wait until the end of the day and go on a later walk. But yesterday, we decided or I decided to go out early. I think she was also ready and staring at me. And my intention was just to go on a shorter walk, just around our immediate neighborhood. But Cauchy had other plans, and we walked down to this area, close-ish to my house, where there's a beautiful botanical garden. There's these really cool nests where the blue herons will, they all kind of gather and nest together. There's water, you can see seals sometimes, you can see salmon. So we walked over there, and we took our time coming back. It ended up being like a two-hour walk, and it was not what I had intended at all, but it was so fun and so magical. And again, I just felt so grateful for the experience. I had gotten a coffee and a pastry from my little corner store, and I was able to take that with us and just sat in the grass with Cauchy and had my pastry, drank my coffee, and it was just so magical. And yeah, just an unexpected delight in my day, and it really just set the tone. I didn't even bring headphones with me. I was just super present. Cauchy was super present, and it was just truly a 10 out of 10 experience. And so I'm hoping for more moments like that and little bits of magic and delight making their way to me. And so that's what I have for you today. I hope that you can let the magic in as well and find moments where you can be super present and find some gratitude for where you're at. And yeah, that's where I'll leave you today. If you want to dive deeper into your own inner landscape or you're navigating a big transition and aren't sure what's next, or even if you're just looking for support as you try to let the magic into your life, I offer guidance and support through the Shoreline private coaching sessions. So in those sessions, you'll meet with me one-on-one every week for six months with support available in between sessions. If that's something you're curious about or you're interested in, you can find more information or schedule time to chat with me on my website. All of that will also be in the show notes for you as well. So there you are, my friend. I hope that you take good care while the waves carry you closer and know that your next version is already waiting on the shore.
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Welcome to The Shoreline, where we explore the tender in-between seasons of the human experience. My name is Kim, and I'm here to support you as you navigate your next becoming. Here, we don't fix, we listen, we don't rush, we allow. Hello, and welcome to today's episode. If you're new here, I'm so happy you've made your way to The Shoreline, and if you're returning, welcome back. I'm so glad that you're here. So last episode, I spoke about just how I've been reflecting back and thinking about how I built my jewelry company and the first bit of my career, and where I'm at now, and how that methodology and the way that I built my jewelry company is not what is going to bring me success and fulfillment as I rebuild my life and my career and dive deeper into The Shoreline. And I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and just thinking about my vision for my future and what I want to build. And I actually rediscovered a podcast that I really enjoyed. I've been following the blog, A Beautiful Mess, for a long time, and they kind of fell off my radar for a while. But then they recently started podcasting again, and I stumbled upon their podcast, and I listened to the episode called Designing Your Dream Life. And it was really a helpful listen. In the podcast, one of the hosts said, Your dream life is not a fantasy life. And that really struck me. It's something that really stuck with me, and it got me thinking, like, am I chasing a fantasy, or am I trying to build something that feels like a dream and is also real? And I think what they meant by that was just that a dream life is, it's real. There are going to be ups and downs. It's not going to be perfect, but it is something that will be deeply fulfilling and bring you lots of joy and happiness. And I was thinking about this idea of a fantasy life and how when I'm dreaming and thinking about the future and visioning, I think it's really easy to paint a picture of like, oh, if I get X, Y, and Z, then everything will be perfect. I'll be happy. I'll be living my dream. And I think that distinction between dream life and fantasy life is really beneficial. And so after listening to this podcast, I did some journaling and I just asked myself what does my dream life look like? And I just made a list of all of the things that it would include. And then when I looked at the list, I realized that more than half of it already existed. And that really shifted my perspective. Because I think especially I've mentioned lately, I've been going through a lot of grief, I've been feeling kind of down, I was in a funk, and my relationship to joy has kind of changed with my grief. And I've just been kind of going through it. And when I looked at the list that I made and I realized that a lot of the components of my dream life actually are part of my life now, it felt really nice and it really shifted how I thought about my life. It was kind of like, okay, like what of these things that aren't part of my life right now? Which ones are the most important? And like, what's really missing? What's keeping me from feeling like I'm living my dream life? So that's where I kind of landed. And I've been thinking about that a lot of like, what am I craving? What do I want? And what do I feel like is missing? And I'm not saying like I need every day to be perfect and happy. I think what I'm really looking for is deep fulfillment and satisfaction at the end of my days. And I know I've been talking about human design a lot, but I find human design to be really useful in when I'm trying to kind of self-reflect and understand myself on a deeper level. And this need for fulfillment and satisfaction really is built into my chart. My energy type in human design is a generator, and that's one of the key characteristics of being a generator. It's like you really want to feel like you used up all of your energy in the day, and you spent time doing things that excite you and fulfill you. And it's like that feeling of like wanting to go to bed, feeling like you lived really well that day. And especially because I've been in kind of a funk, I've been going through grief, I feel like a lot of the days, like I'm just letting time pass and I'm getting swept up in routines, and I'm present in some ways, but I feel like I'm not really living. It's like the difference between living and just existing and kind of going through the motions. And I feel like lately, I've been just kind of going through the motions and thinking about what I don't have, especially when it comes to my writing and my creativity and just kind of feeling like, oh my gosh, am I ever gonna finish my novel? I don't even feel like writing right now. And thinking of it as something I have to do rather than something I get to do. And I think that perspective shift is so crucial. And it's such a part of this idea of living a dream life, of wanting to wake up excited to start the day and to say, I get to do all of these things instead of like, oh my gosh, I have this list of things that I have to get done today. And it just kind of, for me, it really just takes the fun and the joy out of it. It's so funny because I love a to do list. I make lists. I have tons of notes in my phone are just lists of everything. And when I do that, when I think of my days in terms of a checklist, it really does, it kind of takes the magic out of, like, the day for me, it feels like, oh, like, it's just going to go according to this checklist, and I'm going to go from thing to thing without any surprise or delight. And it can start to feel really heavy. And so I've been thinking about that and thinking about, like, the structure of my days and my weeks and what's important to me. And I just, I think more than anything, I keep coming back to this idea of wanting a lot of space in my days. And it's something that I'm really trying to come to terms with, especially in American culture and how the hustle and working hard and being busy, it's like so pushed on us. And it's really hard to choose to live a different way and to let go of that, especially when you've spent so much time wanting to feel like the approval. And I'm someone who's wanted that. I've been a people pleaser and it's like, I want to feel like I'm part of that hustle culture. But it really is, it's taking away something that is really important to me, which is my time freedom. I want time and space in my day for magic, for unexpected little adventures, for creativity and to write. And in order to really create from a true and authentic place, it requires just space and quiet and no other input. And that really goes against kind of this hustle culture and how fast the world is moving, especially now with technology and how we have access to so much information all the time. It can be really hard to like disconnect and disengage from that. And it activates that kind of fear of like missing out on something or being behind. But thinking about my dream life and thinking about what's important to me, it really has changed how I'm looking at my days and what I want to do and how I want to structure my days and weeks and use my time. And it's really put into perspective that this spaciousness is important to me. And so I've been sitting with that and thinking like, OK, can I stand and be so grounded in that belief and that desire that I can kind of let go of any sort of judgment that might come up from it? In a sea of busyness, can I be the one to stand out and say, I'm not that busy? Or to really, to not feel bad about having space in my days and to use my time the way that I want, and to trust that I'm on the path that's right for me. And so I think especially with it being summer, and especially where I live in Seattle, summer is a very hectic time. I think everyone is trying to soak up as much sun as they can to be out and about and going on trips and being outside. And I've noticed in myself that I'm getting really overwhelmed and overstimulated very quickly. And I have to be really selective about what I say yes to. And I find that I really want to just spend my time at home. I have a beautiful home. I'm surrounded by animals who I love. I have the best view of the water and the mountains and a wonderful deck and backyard. And there's really no other place I'd rather be right now. And I've noticed that when I'm out in the world and people ask me if I have any trips planned or what I'm doing for the summer, I start to feel a little self-conscious about my lack of plans. But I'm actually really happy about it. I feel like I'm living the way that I'm meant to and I'm using my time the way that I want to that aligns with where I'm at right now. And I think that especially when you're on a grief journey, the world is really overstimulating. And when you're going through deep personal transformation and when your inner world is so alive and you're processing a lot, like being out in the world can be just a lot and overstimulating. And I've noticed when I've been in other in between seasons and going through a lot of transformation, I've needed a lot more time and space to myself. I feel like that's just part of the journey, part of the process. And that's where I'm at right now. I feel like I just want to be home. I'm a homebody. I love it because I'm living in my dream home. Like I've created this dream for myself, and now I get to be here. And it's something that I really should be cherishing and not feeling self-conscious about, because there's nothing wrong with spending my time that way. And I just have been feeling this external pressure to want to, I don't even know what it is, but I just feel a little bit self-conscious about like my lack of travel plans, and especially because I used to really travel quite a bit. And I think it's okay to say like, that's not where I'm at right now. And so that's where I'm at. I'm really trying to just ground into my truth and to just own it. And I feel like the more that I'm able to connect to what is true and authentic for me, the easier it is to share from that place. And I feel like that feeling of being self-conscious will just kind of melt away. I think it really just, that discomfort, it just takes time to work through. And this transition is still new for me. But yeah, that's where I'm at. And the parts of my dream life, the things on the list that haven't come to fruition yet, I'm actively working towards them. I think writing is a big one. And last episode, I spoke about how kind of diving into resources and wanting to like better myself was not really the way forward. And this week, I've been thinking about how I can best support myself. And I think that what I'm really craving is just more structure in that regard. And finding that balance between having quiet and spaciousness and also just consistency and structure. And so I'm still just kind of in the phase of like reflecting and seeing what I'm drawn to and kind of experimenting with how I spend my time and what times of day I want to write and what feels supportive versus what feels draining. And so when I have answers, I'll share them with you, but I really don't right now. And I'm hoping that, you know, as we get closer to fall, maybe there will be an energetic shift and I'll just feel naturally more drawn to wanting to write more. And I'm really just trying to enjoy summer and take the space when I have it and nurture my ideas and just see what comes of it all. So, that's where I'm at for you. And that's what I have for you today. I want you to know if you are feeling like you want to dive deeper into your own inner landscape, or you're navigating a big transition, or going through big transformation, and you're not sure what's next. I offer guidance and support through the Shoreline private coaching sessions. In those coaching sessions, you'll meet with me one on one every week for six months with support available in between sessions. If that's something you're curious about or interested in, you can find more information or schedule a time to chat with me on my website. The website is in the show notes. And so I hope you take good care while the waves carry you closer and know that your next version is already waiting on the shore.
If you’re feeling stuck in the foggy middle and exhausted from having to always “figure it out” alone, I want to invite you to…
Explore The Shoreline Private Sessions to find aligned support as you navigate a significant life transition
Use this FREE intention setting worksheet to help you find your north star
Read this blog post to learn how to shift the energy of your day in one simple step
Listen to this visualization when you want to tap into daydream energy and invite more peace and calm into your life
Kim Kogane is a writer and intuitive guide helping you navigate the tender in-between seasons. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her dog, Cauchy, and three cats. Learn more about Kim.
