Hey!
Well, I don’t know about you all, but this week truly got away from me. What did I even DO this week? Seriously.
Actually, looking back, I think my week was pretty nice. Maybe if I actually journaled, I would remember these things better.
I did some marketing, though not as much as I wanted to or feel like I should be doing.
It’s been really nice, so I got outside and walked a TON. I took 3 or 4 two hour long walks this week, and it felt FANTASTIC. On my walks, I either listen to Clubhouse talks like the Atlanta Voiceover Studio’s Monday ones or Brent Allen Hagel’s workouts, OR I listen to podcasts or audiobooks. This week, I’m enjoying Black-Out by Ragnar Jonasson (Icelandic crime novel).
I’m also watching Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, which I LOVE, because it goes right along with my belief system that everything is connected, as well as my general sense of whimsy.
I ALSO spent WAY too much time on TikTok, but it’s in the interest of research! I swear! I want to know what makes it tick (bad dad joke, but it’s true).
Sorry if I ticked you off, but dad jokes are one of my favorite subjects to tock about…
And I cleaned the crap out of my house. Like “pulled the dryer out from the utility closet to vacuum behind it” level shit. Like “got up on a ladder and wiped down the ceiling fan blades” shit. Yeah. When was the last time you did those things??? Me either. But this week, I just felt like it, so I did them.
Otherwise, it was lots of auditions, and a few jobs, as usual.
At the end of the week, I booked a nice, though very quick turnaround job, and spent most of the day Friday taking care of that. Then our water went out for 24 hours and I did very little on Saturday. I have trouble feeling even vaguely productive if I haven’t showered.
Nothing like a clean start to your day!
This week’s blog is a little different, I know. More off-the-cuff. Less instructional; a little more thoughtful. But trust me, I’m musing over my week for a reason…
Someone in my marketing group said the other day that she tries to allow rather than force, and that statement really went with my vibe of this week. Sometimes I have trouble remembering to allow myself to just be, and want to force things to happen.
This week was FAR from that, and things still happened! I got two emails from potential clients out of the blue, I got a lot of responses from the limited amount of marketing I did. I booked a job from a former client that I just randomly thought “I should reach out to them.”
There’s a balance to be struck in life between doing nothing and doing too much, and it comes down to a very eastern sort of mentality.
In my writing, I focus a lot on goals, and tasks, and getting things done. But that’s not the whole picture. I truly believe in that idea of allowing.
A lot of people fight this idea tooth and nail, and argue with me in my accountability groups. They don’t want to force things, but they think that “not forcing things” means taking almost no action at all.
Action is not forcing things.
Setting goals and doing tasks is not forcing things, at least up to a point.
There is a sweet spot of energy exertion, and the challenge is finding where that is for you.
Exert too little energy, and everything will feel difficult. Every action will be a struggle.
Exert too much energy, and you will start to feel burned out. Often, you will feel like you’re not getting anywhere, despite putting in a ton of effort.
Exert the right amount of energy, and it will lead to momentum that will help carry you toward your goals.
I don’t know about you, but I often forget about things for long periods of time, then I’ll have a thought about a person, or an idea, that will lead me to reach out. A simple thing, to say hello, or ask a question, or Google something.
But that simple little thing will often lead to far greater results than if I had been actively trying to make something happen.
Maybe you’re woo-woo like me and believe that the universe will support your efforts, but just need reminding now and then. Maybe you’re a Christian, and need the reminder to “let go and let God.”
In fact, the idea that “God helps those who help themselves” is not originally a Christian idea. It’s a LOT older than that—Ancient Greek, at least, potentially older—and is prevalent in a lot of cultures.
Meaning: Do something.
Just don’t do too much.
Don’t force your path…flow!
This is the essence of the idea of “wuwei” or “non-doing” from the Tao Te Ching. It’s not actually “doing nothing.” It’s being in harmony with the flow of energy in the world. It’s taking action in the right direction and not interfering with that flow.
So, if you find yourself not accomplishing anything, ask yourself:
Am I doing too much? Or too little?
If the answer is too much, slow down and go with the flow of the day a bit more. Allow yourself time to think. Breathe. Do yoga. Go for a walk. Garden. Or whatever else makes you happy and relaxed.
If the answer is too little, ask yourself: “What is one simple action that I can take toward my goal right now?”
One does not climb a mountain in a single leap.
The Grand Canyon wasn’t formed by one event, but by water eating away tiny rock particles over millions of years.
Yeah, none of the pictures I’ve found really do it justice…
Alright. That’s it. That’s what I’ve got today. I’m not going to force this one…I’m going to go outside and enjoy this gorgeous day while it’s happening!