Julie Daley: Making Time for What Matters

Today's post is the sixth in my guest post series: Making Time for What Matters. Be sure to read the pieces by Tiffany Moore, Rachel Cole, Rachelle Mee-Chapman, Emily McKhann, and Peter Deitz too!

Julie Daley is a coach, teacher, writer, and healer. Since 2003, she has led hundreds of people from all walks of life to take an inward journey of the creative heart, the source within each of us that guides us to answers, healing, and personal evolution. Her own journey began in 2001, when she realized that her 17-year career as a systems analyst, and her new Computer Science and Design degree from Stanford could not distract what wanted to come forth in her. Two deeply traumatic experiences called her to listen to a stirring intuitive voice.  As she followed this voice, she left her career, and became a certified Creativity in Business teacher, a course from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and received coaching certification from The Coaches Training Institute and the International Federation of Coaches. You can learn more about Julie at www.unabashedlyfemale.com and follow her on Twitter at @JulieDaley. If you live in the Bay Area, Julie will be teaching The Art of Being Unabashedly Female at Teahouse Studio October 6-November 10.

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Writing this post has been an illuminating process. From the outside, it seems like a fairly straightforward idea…how I make time for what matters. But, as I sat with the question of what really matters to me, I realized, over time, that what matters isn’t anything I do, it is who I am being, and how I relate to life when I do whatever it is I do.

Below are qualities of being that bring me peace and a resonance with life as it unfolds.

Simple – The busier life gets, the more my soul yearns for simple: less stuff in my life and being with things in a conscious way. When I feel the word "simple" my body relaxes, my breath deepens, my heart opens.

Connected – I’ve spent much of my life as an introvert – perhaps by design, but also by conditioning. What matters to me now is how I am relating to life itself, whether it be family or friends, work colleagues, or the whole of life.


Receiving – Becoming more open and vulnerable has been one of the most challenging (and rewarding) shifts in my way of being in the world. As Hilary Hart writes, “Asking for help is not a solution. It is a state of being.”

Creatively Expressed – There is a channel of creativity that flows directly through each and every one of us. When I’ve expressed what wants to be expressed, I feel peace; when I block it, I feel frustrated, stuck, and sometimes feel a kind of depression. This expression comes through me in many forms: coaching clients, dancing, photography, writing prose and poetry, business, and being with friends and family.

Healthy – This is a broad, broad topic, as it speaks to health of body, mind, and soul. I tend to have a strong voice in my personality that loves to eat sweets, drink strong coffee, and be somewhat sloth-like. What I’ve discovered, though, is that good health feels much more quiet and satisfied than giving in to any craving ever could. This one is a challenge to live all the time, for sure.

Fiery – Much as I’ve tried to deny it, I have a fiery side, and the more I get in touch with it, the more whole and alive I feel. Some might call it passion. For me, it shows up most when I’m dancing, teaching and making love.

Real – I am discovering what this really means. To love, and to be loved, is probably the hardest part of being real. Being real doesn't mean just dumping my stuff on others; instead, it really begins with being true to myself - telling myself the truth, then living that truth. Yet it's the only way to integrity as a human being, and for me, this is real love for self.

In my experience, I've noticed that when I am being these qualities, life seems to shift and change to bring experiences that ripen me. I become more rich and full. I have less desire to have the big hit of highs, and am discovering that my life is filled with what matters most.

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How do you make time for what matters?

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