Inspired by one of my blog heroes, Havi Brooks of The Fluent Self, I’m giving the Friday check-in ritual a try. Here’s a random run-down of what and how I’m doing NOW in my quest to follow my evolving Bliss and create the life I really, really want:
1) Feeling overwhelmed by the vast amount of information I want to absorb RIGHT NOW
I’ve discovered so many bloggers, so many heroes I want to learn from, and it is CRAZY-MAKING trying to follow and read/watch/listen to all of them! I feel like a continual failure at this…
…which tells me that perhaps my expectations are a wee bit too high.
Ultimately, I want to acknowledge gratitude for the discoveries I’ve made, and what I’m learning from them.
And I think this is a wonderful opportunity to remind myself of the virtues of PATIENCE.
2) Feeling overwhelmed by the attempt to gain control of my businesses
The universe sent an incredible gift my way about a month ago, in the form of a friend from my salsa dancing days, who reappeared and asked if I might be interested in doing some work for her.
Turns out she’s a phenomenal business coach (just voted Top Coach in California, in fact), and I’ve been helping her with copywriting and design, and it’s been GREAT.
And yesterday she invited me to a 6-hour Growth Club seminar to work on my business(es), which was also great, but I felt SO OVERWHELMED by everything I need to understand and do that it was, well, overwhelming.
Again, I’m going to focus on how grateful I am for this opportunity. But yikes! I’m facing some scary shit here, taking on big, new challenges.
Deep breath.
3) Feeling overhwhelmed by everything I want, and how far away it feels sometimes
The thing is, feelings are transitory, which is a beautiful thing, but I like it better when I’m feeling excited and validated and on the right path. Today I’m feeling, well, overwhelmed. And scared. And not entirely sure that I’m as good at what I do as I need to be in order to be able to create what I want.
I mean, I know I’m good at what I do.
But then I also doubt it.
I’m sure I’m the only one who has ever felt this way.
NOT!
So maybe this week’s lesson from the Universe is to remember that the doubts are not reality, and that I get to feel the fear and do it anyway.
Deep breath.
4) Feeling frustrated that I haven’t been creative in all the ways I really want to
BUT, the beautiful thing is that I have been creative in at least some ways every single day. And that’s something to celebrate and focus on.
5) Feeling grateful that I’m writing
Re: #4 above, the fact that I’m writing every day at least makes me feel that I am actively creating every day, and that’s a good thing.
I just want to make sure that the fact that I’m writing doesn’t mean I slack off on my other creative goals: my new line of artwork, my music, dancing, to name a few.
6) Feeling grateful for help, and new ideas
My ex-ex-bf sent me the most supportive, enthusiastic email, with a brilliant idea for using video on this blog. I’m letting the idea percolate, working on shaping in my mind what that will actually look like, and how I’ll make it happen.
I also had another idea I’m very excited about: I still have yet to create a sampler for my latest CD (to give out like business cards), mostly because I haven’t put in the time and effort to record my spoken intro and outro. Today it occurred to me to make my CD sampler into a Living A Creative Life/Renaissance Woman business card!
Of course! It’s so perfect: an interactive audio business card that not just shows who I am and what I do, but tells who I am and what I do.
Plus includes some examples in the form of my songs!
I don’t have the exact script figured out, but I’m excited about the idea.
Thank you, Universe!
It’s all about integrating my various facets into my overarching job title of Renaissance Woman. I’m clearly still wrapping my head around that one.
7) Noticing the Comparison Trap rearing its head… and saying no to it
I’m actually in the process of writing a post about the very subject of the Comparison Trap. Suffice it to say that I’m doing my best to follow my own advice: when I notice that I’m comparing myself to others, I remind myself that THERE’S NO COMPARISON!
(Watch for artwork very soon! The painting is done; I just have to add the calligraphy.)
No, I’ll never write like Havi, or Chris Guillebeau, or whomever. No, I don’t have the kind of success as a blogger that they do; I’m not where they are, and perhaps I never will be.
But that’s okay. I’m me, and I can only be me, and the best thing to do is embrace that, and charge forward.
Just be the most authentic me I possibly can.
8) Feeling pleased that I’ve discovered some policies and procedures that help, and am following them
One of the things that keeps me happy is getting some social time on a regular basis. Being an introvert, and a driven, bizarrely-interested-in-more-things-than-anyone-really-should-be kind of person at that, it’s very easy for me to hole up in my studio and not come out for days.
This is not healthy.
It also leads to a very unproductive outlook, and a tendency to stir-craziness and a general state of down-ness.
So I’ve come up with a policy: I need to make sure that at least every 3rd night I am out doing something social.
It’s like getting adequate exercise, but for the social part of the soul.
And I’m very proud of myself for sticking with this policy this week! Even when I felt a huge sense of urgency around completing work projects. So yay me!
Yes, I stayed up way too late to finish things after coming home from my social outings, but hey, you’ve got to start somewhere.
Which leads me to…
9) Feeling not so great about the getting-adequate-rest commitment
This is the one I fall down on the most. My average bedtime this week was approximately 2:00 am.
This is not good.
I was very productive, which is great, but the staying-up-late part is hard on me physically, and an area where I admit great weakness, and could use some help.
—
And at 9 items and over 1,000 words, I think that’s quite enough for now, thank you, so I’ll call it a wrap.
I hope your week has much to be grateful for too.
