I try and write something for you every Wednesday. I think I’ve done it continuously for a few years now, except for one week which I missed. I hope you find something you enjoy, something that inspires, something to make you think.
It certainly does a lot for me. Having a non-negotiable deadline gives me so much – just to sit down with no excuses and produce something.
It shows me that creation is not just inspiration, but discipline too.
As Chuck Close, the artist, once said: “Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work.”
Having a gentle discipline, in my life at least, means I don’t rely on doing only when I feel good or inspired. That is so fickle. If I showed up only when I felt like it, nothing of worth would ever get done. Getting to work means magic has a chance to happen.
Will magic happen every time?
No, no way. But it will happen more often.
I’ll also improve and get better – and that is the case everywhere in my life. My writing, Ascension meditation practice, relationships, kayaking … everywhere and in everything where I’m learning and growing, showing up is the key.
Just doing it, you could say, is often where we fall short. We prepare, we get ready, we don’t feel like it today … that is the way our minds go.
So if there’s anything you want to do?
Start doing it.
Ask for help.
Keep going!
You will get there. It's inevitable.
I’ve also been exploring the other side of the coin – the side of not showing up, of walking away.
We’ve talked about this recently –
How in every sphere of our lives, struggling and efforting is not useful. Taking a break, going easy on the discipline, just saying no today can be an essential choice to make, especially when strain and control come in.
I nearly did that with today’s words. I’ve had a bunch of broken nights with baby Zach and for the life of me it was all I could do to not slump on the keyboard this morning.
So taking it easy for a couple of hours this morning was just the tonic. And look what happened … words! Whether they’re any good, I’ll leave that for you to decide. But sometimes done is better than not.
I guess what I’m saying is, hold yourself to a standard but know when to give yourself a break too.
Balance, never either/or. A gentle discipline, awesome. A willingness to break your own rules? Also can be just the thing.
Now, of course, sometimes you can’t walk away … but you can adjust your struggle levels.
“Do what you love” – super important advice – and yet, we also need to get good at “Loving what we do”, regardless of what it is that we’re doing.
Sometimes we can pick and choose, many times we can’t. The ability to adjust our own interest and/or strain in a given task or surroundings is an important skill. And sometimes accepting you can’t run at full speed today, despite deadlines and demands, can be all you need just to do enough given what you have.
Love what you do, do what you love.
When do you do what?
I don’t think there is a definitive rule, ever. The way forward always depends.
We come back to knowing yourself and the moment very well. With this awareness you can tune in and really see what any given moment needs.
This ability to listen, to really be wise comes from letting the mud settle.
Being clear and conscious happens in a heart-beat (“Are you awake and alive, now?”), but really finds its groove through an inner practice.
Hence the consistent practice of something like Ascension is worth so much. It’s a serious investment. There you re-discover wisdom and balance. There you find all you need to make a great life.
For me, it all comes back to this:
Go within or go without. Go within to go beyond.
Go well,
Arjuna