Of Guard Dogs, Arrows and Self-Doubt

Just the other day I was reminded of a part of my life that is not the most pleasant to remember. It was just an innocent comment on one of my social networking groups that I read way too early in the morning – while my soft underbelly was still exposed and I still half asleep. There was absolutely no way this person could have possibly known and the comment wasn’t even to me or about me, but it flattened me. And, oddly, I am still feeling the effects of it (though to be fair, there are other contributing factors to this flattened feeling as well). And I’m hearing the “how can I possibly make all this work?” The, “I don’t have…I can’t see….I don’t know….what if I don’t…..” Under it all is the worry that maybe, just maybe, I’m not good enough and maybe, just maybe, that’s why everything I’m working on is on the edge of doing something but hasn’t actually done anything. Maybe, I’m not worthy.

Grrr…..!!!!

Where are these thoughts coming from???? After all, didn’t I just make it through the bombardment of everyone else giving out their warnings and their ‘can’t dos’ and their ‘why bothers’ and the like? Is it really possible that one comment that triggered one memory, painful though it is, could flatten me for days where an entire day full of negativity couldn’t?

Yep.

Why? Because those doubts that come from within are far more difficult to get over than the doubts that come from the lives of others. So, today, being rather sick of the flattened feeling, I’ve decided to look at it full on and see what can be done.

First I have to look at the memory and see what feelings are around it. While I won’t be sharing the actual experience here (soft underbelly and all that :) ), I can share the feelings it evoked as these are universal. What washed over me in reading the comment was anger, understanding, memories of shame and bone deep humiliation, fears of not having enough, fears of survival and keeping the roof over my head, feelings of being judged, unseen, alone, forsaken, of not knowing how the hell I was going to pull myself up, pain.

That one, fully innocent comment time travelled me back to that place in an instant. Wow. Memories are potent. This particular one caused me to give the command “shields up!” and pull out of that glorious ocean of creativity to plop down in the cracked desert of doubt and fear.

The thing is shields and walls are not bad to have. They’re there for a reason – protection. They’re wonderful devices. However, when they are no longer needed, they’re not so pleasant. They can get locked into place, especially when they’ve been needed for a prolonged period of time. When that happens they actually interfere with everything you wish to achieve in your life whether that’s weight loss, asking for a promotion, truly loving someone, starting your own business, approaching that agent, auditioning for that play, applying for the patent, or anything else.

A very wise person told me not too long ago to imagine that these walls are guard dogs. They have been trained to protect you and will continue to do so even if you no longer need them to – that is their reason for existence. “Sit down with them,” he told me, “and thank them for the job they’ve been doing. Give them cookies and treats a good scratch behind the ears, because, really they’ve done a fabulous job. If you no longer need the protection they’re giving you, give them a new job, give them something else to protect. Set them the task of clearing the way. They’ve taken care of you all this time and still want to be there for you.”

I was charmed by that because I love dogs and could easily see these walls suddenly become loving, guard dogs.

So, I sat down with this particular guard dog this morning and had a good chat, gave him a cookie and definitely a good scratch behind the ears and gave him some new tasks today. I told him that I needed him to protect my finances and my home by clearing the way for my projects to complete and be successful, I needed him to escort to my door people, experiences and knowledge that would help me move forward, I needed him to protect my creativity by keeping the pathway to my heart and spirit clear and free from weeds and predators and I needed him to protect who I am by reminding me to toss a ball for him now and again and walk with him through the beauty and miracle of nature and life.

I could actually see him wagging his tail. In my mind, this wall became Daed – a beloved furry four-pawed beastie whose passing left a very deep hole. A big, furry, black Akita, looking more like a black bear than a dog, with a beautiful heart of gold. Protective and loving - and seeing him, I felt something loosen inside and my throat relax.

Daed chewing on an obviously tasty bone. :)

Okay, wonderful. Now what can be done about the feelings “I don’t have…I can’t see….I don’t know….what if I don’t…..?”

Last week I picked up a bow and arrow for the first time since my sophomore year in academy (we were introduced to archery for about 2 or 3 weeks). I stood there, at the range, surrounded by all these people who knew what they were doing and wondered if maybe I should just watch this time around. Instead, I stepped to the line, went into position, nocked the arrow, pulled the string and let the arrow fly. It actually hit the target! And, the feeling inside was as if I had been doing archery all my life. It fit me.

In the entire day I hit outside the target maybe three times and, yes, I hit the target next to mine twice (LOL) but not once did I hit the ground nor overshoot. The vast majority of the times I aimed and shot, I hit the target and while, never the bull’s-eye, I came pretty close to it with almost every arrow. At the end of the practice a man wearing a white wrist guard (signifying that he had received the Order of the Grey Goose – the highest achievement in archery in the *SCA and recognized within the world of archery as mastery) approached me and said “I am told that you are new to archery. I’ve been watching you and think you may very well be a natural. You’ve got amazing focus. I’d like to see you come back for real training.”

One of the things I took from that day was maintaining focus. Allowing everything else to drop away, relaxing, and seeing only where I’m going each time I stepped to the line. I may not always know what I’m doing but I see my target and I am focused on it. Even when I miss the target or even find myself inexplicably aimed at someone else’s target, I step up to the line, focus on my target again and shoot. Every time I do I get closer to the bull’s-eye.

And I learned that when you are attempting something and you stay focused on it, those that can help you are watching and will step forward to help you when you are ready.

How do you get past the “I don’t have…I can’t see….I don’t know….what if I don’t…..?” You step to the line, see your target, nock your arrow, pull back the string, let everything else drop away, breathe, and with a peaceful, poised focus, you let your arrow fly. And, if you miss the bull’s-eye or even the target itself, you retrieve your arrows, step to the line, see your target, nock your arrow….

All else follows. Breathe.

*Society for Creative Anachronism

The Encampment of Discouragement

I have spent most of the morning hearing: "It is nearly impossible...," "Beware of...," "More than likely you will never...," "Unless you are already (fill in the blank), you should not expect..." Each statement an arrow aiming to pierce my armour and kill off my belief in what I am doing.

I was seeking information on publishing a book of haiku poetry. I already knew that poetry is a hard-sell because of the unfortunate fact that it is a niche market - there are many more people who would prefer to read the latest summer sensation than would read poetry. I'm not against the summer reads - I would be happy to have one published and sold and am working on a novel or two. But, I think there's room for writing such as poetry. In fact, I think it's vitally important as it holds the art of the times in words and just as film will never take the place of a beautiful painting we know that both are needed and valued.

I began to feel discouragement set up camp just outside and march in formation attempting to intimidate me enough to give up before I even try. While thoughts of drowning myself in chocolate called to me, I began also to think about something more useful - defenses to this discouragement. What do I have at my disposal that can simply make it possible to walk right by the camp of discouragement unharmed???


Belief

This is something I’ve already blogged on – you have to know that what you are doing has value and value it accordingly yourself. That belief needs to be nourished to the point of becoming a knowing that infuses your very bones.


Tenacity

I remember years ago there was a drawing that many found charming (though I can’t find the artist to give credit to). It was called Never Give Up and was a cartoon of an Egret trying, unsuccessfully, to swallow a frog. The attempt was unsuccessful because the frog, already having his legs inside the egret’s mouth, had wrapped his arms/hands around the egret’s neck and wouldn’t let go. This is tenacity.

Whatever you wish to succeed in, never give up on. Inherent talent, training, diplomas, money – all of these will fail before tenacity will. Many talented people give in to discouragement and are never heard from. If you have that determination to be heard, all that you need will eventually be yours and you will succeed.


Take out the Trash

I heard a ton of negative things today. But, I also found some useful information. One of the sites I looked at gave the warnings, yes, but also gave helpful guidelines and very useful links. It was a welcome voice of knowledge amongst the battery of “no”-ledge (sorry, cheesy I know but I couldn’t resist. :) ).

It is important to learn what is useful and what is simply not. Usually what are not useful are those things that would destroy your dreams and discourage your attempts. What are useful are those things that will move you forward. What does not help you, throw out. What does help you, keep and use and build on.

Already, in reminding myself of these things as I’m reminding you, I can see the entrance to the path that will have me safely navigating around the encampment of discouragement.

And I am struck with a final thought (not to worry, it didn’t hurt me… ;) ) on getting past discouragement. Well, it’s a question really. Do you believe you are worthy of success?

Awakening Creativity - Part 3

Welcome to part three of a 10 part series exploring the ways in which we can awaken our inherent creative force and free those stuck places that block our efforts.



Show Up

Most writers are familiar with the phrase “butt in seat.” This isn’t a punishment given for going to look out the window or for going to the store or out with friends. It is not a “get your butt back here and sit down and do not leave until I say so.” Ew – even writing that last little bit made me all tense and resistant. Contrary to the negative energy of that last statement, the phrase “butt in seat” is actually a positive reminder…for anyone in any field.

When I was active in the theatre, the last word I would tell myself before walking on stage to perform, was “breathe.” I would be back stage waiting for my cue, shaking, nervous, not even sure if I could remember the words but as soon as I said “breathe” all was well. This was a short-form reminder for me to let go, relax, be in the moment, enjoy, let it flow, etc. It came from years of practicing yoga and learning what “on the breath” meant. Simply saying “breathe” would put me in that relaxed, flowing state and I could hit the stage in full character, relaxed and happy to be there (no matter the part I played). The only time I ever forgot a word and broke character was the one time I forgot to breathe (and, oh yes, I remember that moment…).

“Butt in seat” is a quick three word reminder for what is needed if a writer or anyone else is to succeed in anything we wish to do in life and excel in. In essence it means that in order to get the book written, our butts have to be in our seats writing – at least at some point. No matter how many wonderful ideas and dreams we have, the book will not write itself and send itself to the agents/publishers. If you are not a writer, you can adjust it to your meaning but the essence is still the same.

For quite awhile now, my first CD has been almost complete. Every time I go into the studio, I’m sure I’m going to walk out with a finished CD ready to be replicated and released to the world (to great acclaim, of course ;) ). Each time I have walked out of the studio with another copy of the CD but not the finished copy, my heart aches just that much more and I feel discouraged. To me, there is absolutely no reason it should not be completed by this point and I’ve been working on it for just over a year now. Granted, I have discovered that it is not that uncommon for a CD to take up to a year to produce and finalize (makes me understand and accept even more the pricing of the CDs and not appreciate even more those who would pirate the music) but still there is a feeling that this CD is being dragged out longer than it should for whatever reason.

This last time when I walked out with a still unfinished CD, I wanted to quit. When I got home, I set aside the CD and simply refused to think about it for awhile. Then, just yesterday, I slipped into a reverie and found myself daydreaming of being interviewed (c’mon, don’t tell me you haven’t done this…. ;) and if not, why not? :o) ) and we were talking about my first CD and how it came to be and what I learned from the process and then we moved on to talking about my other CDs and a couple of my books. When I came out of that daydream, I distinctly heard, from the back of my mind, the phrase “butt in seat.” I smiled realizing that at least somewhere I still believed in this CD and in future ones as well as believing in what I write. Yes, the CD is taking a long time - too long - and sometimes I really want to give up. Yes, the empty pages taunting me from an uncompleted book annoy the heck out of me when I can’t find the next few words to get me going again. But this I know…if I do not show up and put my butt in the seat and write or play or record or edit, NOTHING will happen - EVER.

So, everyday, I sit down and stare at my computer screen and some days I write only a word or two and other days words flow all day long. I continue going to the studio knowing that at some point the CD will be complete. I set aside the voices of discouragement, fear and exhaustion. I research outlets for both my books and my CDs. I listen and read, revise and edit, find inspiration and sit with it, dream and work, express gratitude - everyday.

Show up. Breathe. Butt in seat. There you go. :)

The Unexpected Gift in Delays

I guess this almost goes along with yesterday’s blog. Yesterday I procrastinated and wrote. Today, I am supposed to be at the studio taking care of the last tiny bits of finishing touches on my CD but that didn’t happen. Not procrastination, really, but definitely a delay in scheduled plans.


The owner of the studio, Mike, called to reschedule because his daughter’s dog was at the vets and he would be the one that would be called to pick the doggy up sometime today and so he has, understandably, cleared his calendar. Apparently Boris, a large older black dog with a young soul, threw up quite badly last week and then went into seizure. Poor pooch has finally been diagnosed with epilepsy after a long weekend of tests and more seizures. Mike said that Boris was very scared after the seizures and very visibly shaken. So, for anyone reading this, pause a moment and send healing, comforting thoughts to Boris so that he can rest, adjust, heal and feel safe at the same time.

Obviously, Boris’ illness is not the gift I am referring to here. This unexpected time on my hands led me to visit Alki Beach in West Seattle. It’s a special place to me and the moment I left the car and breathed in the air from the Sound, all tension dropped away.

I went for a walk, shifting sand and pebbles out of my sandals at each step. I placed my hand in the waves, as I always do, and offered thanks to the water for its beauty, for its kinship, for its life. An eagle flew by and the blessing of that moment was felt in my soul. Wishing stones abounded as did heart shaped stones and sea glass. And, at my feet, a starfish lay empty of life – its new home in the night sky.

Filled with these vignettes of life and death and wishes and hopes I wandered into Starbucks, ordered some Zen tea and sat at a table with a window looking out over the Sound and watched the world as I wrote and wrote and wrote.

This is the unexpected gift. I needed this morning, this day. I am so impatient to finish my CD but, this day was for me and I didn’t know it until Mike called and cancelled. My soul needed to speak today and it has been pouring out in writing much the same way as the water pours out onto the sand – wave after wave brimming with salt and brine and stone and…life.

The Simple, Needed Art of Procrastination

Today is a perfect writing day for me.  I'm not sure why but I love rainy days for writing.  I'm currently sitting on my bed looking out on a Monet world seen through windows drizzled in rain.  I see trees just beginning to bud and leaf out, a grey sky and puddle people being formed in the gullies below.  Puddle people?  Oh, they're the bubbles running in gullies, streets and puddles created by hard, full rain.  They look like umbrellas floating on the water keeping dry the little people underneath - perhaps a faerie or two.

What I am "supposed" to be doing is giving my dog a bath and then cleaning the bathroom.  But, I'm really not that keen on it (who is?).  So, I'm sitting, sipping coffee, listening to the shooshing traffic, the rain, the wind and a few seagulls calling and...I'm writing. 

Sure, maybe procrastination isn't something you want to have as part of your life on a permanent daily basis, but every-once-in-awhile, it's a wonderful tool to pull out and use.  It's like a magic wand waved over time that changes it into something you hadn't expected.  It's a great tool for writers or musicians or any other creative type in any field.  And, it works both ways.

Today, procrastination in doing housework and a lazy-ish rainy day is creating the perfect setting for writing - something I haven't done much of lately.  On another day, it might be exactly the opposite.  Writer's block may be broken through or fingers that won't find notes on the piano may be re-infused with melody after a good long scrub in the kitchen (or making cookies or bread) or going for a walk.  I find that sometimes it's in the moments of procrastination that I hear that small voice finally solving the character or plot issue.  On a walk I might notice how the wind is playing through the trees and I will catch that moment that gives the perfect hint of notes or atmospheric quality I've been looking for in a new piece of music. 

And housework?  Nothing is going to fall down if I don't clean the bathroom right now.  Our daily responsibilities are not always as huge and as critical as we think (outside of the obvious - children, our beloveds, living expenses, etc) and time can be taken now and again.  In fact, time should be taken on a regular basis for procrastinating on the things we "should" do and taking delight in the things that make us sing inside.  The places we really belong are the places that really need tending. 

So, my secret delight is in procrastinating on puppy and bathroom cleaning (I can assure you Tavish is not complaining about missing his bath.... :) ) and basking in a perfect rainy day for writing.

Rain Song

Mists curl around air

Walking in the trees I dream

The song of the rain

Tavish, however, is not so sure about the rain.... :)

Believe

I was reading a blog of one of my friends and found that somehow inside I had become a bit wistful.  At first I couldn't figure out why but then as I put away my laptop to get some breakfast I heard a thought in my head:  He writes the way I used to write. 

That prompted a conversation between myself and, well, myself.

"What does that mean?  He's no less a writer than you."

"I wouldn't be wistful if I thought I were a better writer than him.  So that's not what is underneath."

"Well, what is it then?"

Images of essays written over the years, a few written during some of the most difficult times in my life, drifted into my memory like paper floating on a breeze showing bits of writing here and there and drifting away again.

"I used to write with ease.  I used to write with observation and a sense of magic.  I found the mystery and the whimsy and the satisfaction.  Now, I seem to have to have a point to write.  There must be some purpose, some conclusion, some, well, almost lesson in what I have to say.  When did that happen?"

"I suppose it doesn't really matter when but what now?  I still wish to write with a sense of purpose but I don't think I really want to have to have a point every time.  Sometimes I wanna write with a sense of magic and mystery and wonder - just because." 

Tummy growling I went downstairs and settled in with a bowl of hot buckwheat cereal and sat with my thoughts which were no longer answering back and forth but simply being.

I've no real conclusion here [yay!!! :o) ] but I think I'll start sharing some of the essays from before here and there and give myself permission to write like that again.  :) 

Magic, mystery, wonder, fun, whimsy....

                                          One of my bears: Sorbet

Awakening Creativity - Part Two

Welcome to part two of a 10 part series exploring the ways in which we can awaken our inherent creativity and free those stuck places that block our efforts.


The Quiet Place – Welcoming the Still, Small Voice

One of the reasons I’ve had difficulty in focusing and working on my books or creating music recently is the addition of a huge plasma TV into my home. What a nice little distraction it’s become. I’ve never been much for TV but, let me tell you, when I’m stuck in the world of writer’s block or there are simply difficult areas to deal with that I’d rather not deal with, it’s magnificent (such lovely shows and, really, I only watch the shows I can learn from…). It’s also deadly to the creative person.

Well, TV, itself, isn’t deadly - it’s the inner choice to allow things to distract you from the difficult places that is deadly. These distractions can hide inside many different things: our jobs, family, friends, finances, classes, spiritual journeys/quests, good deeds (these last two are often the most insidious because they’re sneaky – it’s wonderful to seek out a deeper spiritual life and do kind things for others or the environment, but when these become your hiding place, they have the effect of stunting the gifts given to you to use). Whatever we use to hide from ourselves and our light is a distraction.

Stillness - a most difficult thing to reach for. It is much, much easier to fill our time with noise and activity. Stillness takes courage and discipline. But, with it comes so many gifts. The first of which is silence. Our world is so noisy and most of the noise comes from within ourselves. When we are quiet inside it is amazing how quiet the world seems. Cultivating stillness gives us a break from the noise of machines, traffic, offices, technology and most importantly, our own thoughts. Oh! It feels so good when your mind is still and your body is quiet. There is a deep letting go that could be a bit unnerving at first but then it just feels so very right.

Out of that stillness comes the second gift. We get the opportunity to observe ourselves and in the process we learn about who we are at a core level. Again, this can be a little scary but worth it. When we are still and quiet there is nobody there but us. We listen until our thoughts run out and then there is just us. And, slowly, as we face ourselves we experience a third gift – hearing that still, small voice.

It has been called the voice of God, inspiration, our muse, our intuition, That Which Is, our Higher Selves, our guides, our angels and so on. Whatever name is used, it comes from the deepest places of ourselves and cannot be heard unless we are quiet and still. It is this voice that speaks to us of our light, our power, our love, our creativity – our way in this world and how to make it so. It reminds us of what we feel we were born to do and promises support and answers along the way. As we learn to listen, that gentle voice will become stronger and much easier to hear throughout even the noisiest and busiest of days. And as we hear it, trust it and act with it, our paths will be made clear and our creativity stronger.

How do we become still in a world that asks for everything to be completed long before we’ve even had a chance to begin it? We create that stillness and discipline ourselves to sit through the uncomfortable moments, the outside comments, the whines of our egos that are afraid to let go like an overly tired child insisting on staying up way beyond her bedtime.

Set aside time each day for quiet stillness and contemplative listening. If you have never done this before, begin with 5 minutes a day, then move to 10 and then to 15 and on up to 30. If you can allow longer periods then, by all means, do so. If you don’t have time even for 30 minutes, aim for at least 15-20 minutes.

Find a quiet place. If you have a family, this might be difficult. Have your partner ease this by taking care of the kids for a short time (or choose a time when they are in bed or out). If you can, turn off all phones, TVs, radios, etc.

Make yourself comfortable. Sit cross-legged or lay on your back on the floor or sit in a straight backed chair (to help promote proper breathing posture), feet flat on the ground, arms uncrossed.

The easiest way is to simply breathe deeply from your relaxed belly – breathing from your nose if possible. Release your thoughts. If you have thoughts, know them to be natural and release them again. Don’t worry about those thoughts – worrying will create more thoughts. Just let them go. If you find this difficult, focus wholly on your breathing and use an easy mantra (repeated statement) such as: I breathe in peace (love, creativity, light, etc), I breathe out stress (excuses, thoughts, anger, etc) or simply count your breathing with a 1 for an inhale and 2 for an exhale (1, 2, 1, 2…). Repetition of simple phrases or counting will slow your thoughts down until all you hear is the phrase or numbers (you may also find that repeated phrasing can help focus the mind on a desired outcome). Eventually you can drop the words to find absolute silence.

At the beginning the voice can seem like the faintest of stars seen only from the corner of your eyes disappearing when you look directly at it or seek to find it. The still, small voice can be heard only if you simply and easily listen rather than strain to hear (straining causes more thoughts and frustration and will block the hearing). If you don’t hear anything for awhile, don’t worry about it, it may take time. In the meantime you are gaining those other gifts from silence.

As you lean to be still, face yourself and listen, your creativity will shine brighter and brighter until it will simply pour out naturally in everything you do. You will be calmer, stronger, healthier (oh, yes, meditation slows the resting heart rate, lowers the blood pressure, eases insomnia, lowers stress and stress hormones, etc), more focused, happier, and most definitely more creative.

Awakening Creativity – Part One

Welcome to part one of a 10 part series exploring the ways in which we can open to being creative and freeing those stuck places that block our efforts. These are not written in any order as they can be worked on one at a time or several at a time and…you will probably find yourself going back to many of them again and again (and maybe even yet again. :) ).

So, grab your sandwiches, your hiking boots, your honey pot and flag and let’s go (don’t know why but Christopher Robin and Pooh Bear’s Expotition to the North Pole is in my head as I think of this series. :) ).

Yes, It’s Important

While these are not written in any order I have to say that this one may very well need to be first and it is one you’ll come back to repeatedly. It’s one I’ve been remembering at this moment and have had to come back to again.

It is so easy to discount creative efforts. We are surrounded by the drive to achieve something tangible and often that tangible gain must be visible immediately (usually in the form of money). Those who have strong skills in business or computers and science are considered useful while those in the more creative fields are thought of as interesting people with good “soft skills” and don’t seem to be valued as much. I think it’s interesting that, without creativity, there would be no businesses, no computers or technology, no science, etc so I do find the disparity in value to be a bit of an enigma. It baffles me.

This is not a diatribe on business practices or society’s perceived ills but rather to make the observation.  This way of thinking could very well be why it’s difficult for us, as individuals, to value our own creative spark; to hear that part of our soul which longs to bring forth something whether that’s a beautiful painting, a new book or a new type of robot that seems near sentient. It’s easy to fall into the rather dark place of devaluing our own contributions as creative people.

Now, it is incredibly rare for me to say “you must” but, get ready for it…you must not fall into that place. If you do, learn something to take with you on your way out. :) Your creativity is important. Your endeavors to bring something new to the world are very much needed. Never let anyone tell you that you are being lazy, that you need to “wake up to reality and suck it up,” get a “real” job, etc. Even if you work in a “real” job, if you are a creative person your TRUE Real job is in that creativity. Value it that way.

Right now, I am at home writing a variety of books and in the studio finishing my first CD. I’m not yet bringing much in the way of income into my life. I live with someone who currently has two good paying jobs – one full-time and one part-time. The weight of the financial burden falls on the other. Many times I find myself darkened by guilt over this and I hear myself say “I need a real job.” The truth is I wouldn’t mind at least a part-time “real” job to ease my own finances and to ease the burden of the other (though I work to minimize that burden every way I can) but, lately, it has gone beyond that. I found myself way off track because of that guilt and lost in the daily living stuff – always behind on everything I needed to get done, feeling the pressure to contribute meaningfully NOW, and upset by that to the point of not getting anything done at all. Well, you know whose “fault” that is? Mine. My priorities got lost because I let them not because of anything this incredible person in my life did or said. So, after giving myself a good talking to and taking responsibility, I remembered gratitude, remembered my priorities and why I left the “real” job to take on my Real job, and remembered the key to that: treating my job with as much love, discipline and value as anyone else’s job. I go to work just like everyone else though my offices might look different than someone else’s. As for my paychecks…they’re on their way. I love my job. :)

If you wish to live a creative life, whether you continue working in a field that may not suit you (and that may be necessary for awhile) or not, know that your creativity is as important and valuable as anyone else’s job. Set up your day so that you go to work (at a job you actually enjoy ;) ) and treat it that way. Approach what you do with love. We value what we love; we take care of what we love; we take time for what we love.

If you believe that you are meant to be a writer or musician, actor, artist, entrepreneur, inventor, etc allow yourself to truly soak in that belief. This means expressing it, disciplining yourself to make time for it (and, yes, it will take discipline – it’s so easy to be sidetracked) even if the only time you have is two hours in the middle of the night once a week, closing your ears to those who would say you cannot or that you are being irresponsible and lazy, and taking full responsibility for your choices, actions, thoughts and beliefs.

Yes, it is important. Your Real job is important. You were born to bring to the world who you really are. Realizing that, valuing it and remembering it again and again is your first step. The rest will follow.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anaïs Nin