Liz Marchi: Sleep

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.

Liz Marchi on Sleep 2

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.

Liz Marchi on Sleep

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Liz-MarchiLiz 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.