No. 29 - On the Power of Structure

Congratulations! Whether you had children heading back into the classroom, returned to school yourself, or were simply caught in the general turmoil of the week (back-to-school traffic, anyone?), give yourself a pat on the back. You made it through the first week of new routines and the growing busyness at work as everyone comes back from summer holidays. For us, the week passed in a comfortable flurry of activity. What I love most is the back into routine. There is something to be said for a little structure, wouldn’t you agree?

Serenity

As we move into fall (just two weeks away!), the shorter days seem to simultaneously pull us into a cozier, more contemplative state, while also adding a bit of chaos as life’s activities ramp up. Ever more, do we need to find moments of serenity to help let go of the busyness of the day. Taking a few moments to pause and breathe, perhaps accompanied by a well-structured cup of tea, is a simple way to find calm in the chaos. There are 1,440 minutes in your day; I venture you can spare five for yourself. With any luck, a little TranquiliTEA will come your way.

Perseverance

As you know, tea is my first love, but did you know it’s my second career? My first was as a consulting engineer. I have a few diplomas on the wall, which culminated in a PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics (yes, I know actual rocket scientists!). Let me tell you, tea got me through many long days in the lab.

I specialized in materials—the “stuff” that things are made of—and one book I loved during that time was Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down. True to its title, the book explains how structures stay standing, from how trees and bridges stand elegantly for decades to why boats float and dams hold water. Everything we rely on is structured in a very particular way.

Take trees, for example. Next time you snap a twig, notice that it breaks on the side being pushed together. That’s the tree’s weakness—it’s terrible at bending inward. So, trees grow with a structure that keeps them in a state of constant tension, allowing them to bend with the wind instead of breaking. A tree’s structure helps it survive the storm. Similarly, by building structure into our lives, we can be like trees—able to bend without breaking and recover with ease before the next storm arrives.

Well-being

Nature has handed us a foundation, a basic structure upon which to build our day, month, season, year, and lifetime. The sun rises and sets, the days grow longer and shorter, and the wheel of the year keeps turning. Realizing the life we deeply desire will not appear spontaneously, that we must bring it into existence through focused effort and action, we begin by creating the structure that supports all that effort—the structure of our well-being.

What do you need to do as the sun rises to have the energy and vitality to carry you through the day? For me, it’s movement, reflection, and a few lovely cups of tea. If you have control over your day, take note of when you’re most creative, productive, focused, relaxed, etc.. Can you structure your tasks around these peak performance periods? Even a small change to your day might reap significant benefits. Then, as the sun begins to set, with the ultimate objective of rest and rejuvenation, what structure helps you wind down? Perhaps, it’s a walk with the dog or reserving twenty minutes with a book and a soothing cup of tea. On this beautiful end-of-summer day, I invite you to take a few moments to consider adding structure to your day, so you can bend like the tree and recover, standing gracefully for many years to come.

One more thing...

"The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation."
- Saint Augustine

Until next time,
Steep Calm.
Bree