Warming Back Up…

After almost 10 days of backpacking and camping I’m finally getting back into my routines. I found it extremely difficult to write consistently and have complete thoughts while I was moving around and out of my element. These undeveloped thoughts are proof my brain is trying to settle back in…

“I don’t think there’s ever a right time to do something, but I do think there is a wrong time.”

Being Different

It’s really hard to do something different when everyone around you acts as one. You feel like what you want to do must be wrong, because if it wasn’t, everyone else would be doing it too. So it creates doubt in your mind, and gives credence to the resistance. Push on anyway. Believe that you’ll make believers of the doubters, and leave behind the resistors.

Try Something New

There isn’t one thing in this world that you can’t get better at through repetition. Even if you’re not trying to improve, the mere act of performing a task over and over will yield better results each time. Just by practicing, you’ll be better than before. It doesn’t mean you’ll be the greatest, world renowned, or the subject matter expert in your field, but you can improve just by trying. The only reason we’re not any good at something is because we haven’t tried enough. We tried, got poor results or feedback, and stopped. The only reason we’re scared of trying something new is because we’ve never done it before. New equals change, which equals scary. But think back to something that you had to do, even though maybe you didn’t want to. Like starting a new job or getting promoted into a new role. Moving somewhere new and unfamiliar. The first time you showed up for a class. Then think about how over time, with repetition, all of those things got easier, and you forgot about the anxiety and resistance you felt. Repetition gives way to confidence, and confidence washes away anxiety.

Everybody has some arena in their life where they’re comfortable throwing caution to the wind and trying something new. For me, it’s exercise. I’ve been exercising for over 20 years, so when a new physical challenge presents itself, I have zero hesitation in throwing myself into the fire. Two decades of experience has made it easy for me to take chances, and given me the confidence to know that I can and will perform. For my fiancee, it’s anything that has to do with gardening, growing vegetables and flowers. She’s been at it for 30 years, so she has no hesitation in planting something here, just to move it over there. Or seeding something she’s never grown before. Or planting something just because there was an empty spot. Three decades of experience has given her the confidence to know that she’ll figure it out, and the insight to know that even if she doesn’t, life goes on. The key is to trick yourself into carrying that mindset into unfamiliar ground, when trying something new that feels uncomfortable. To somehow look back on the beginning of your journey, whether that’s exercise for me or growing for Jen, and remember that at one time that was new and scary, and now it’s the thing you love.

Create A Mess

To make something beautiful in life requires a willingness to make a mess. And I think cooking provides the best example of this. If you’ve ever tried to cook while keeping a clean kitchen, then you know what an impossible and unfulfilling task that is. I cooked that way for many years before finally surrendering to the mess, and I’ve tried to carry that same surrender into other parts of my life. Surrendering required understanding that a mess was unavoidable, knowing that I could clean it up, and a belief that, despite what it looks like, something worthwhile would come out of the other side.

Rest When You’re Tired

As a society there’s a taboo around being tired. You’re not allowed. That’s one of the reasons why drinking is so popular. So many times I’ve heard people say, “I’ll rally once I start drinking,” or “I’ll be fine once I have a drink.” That’s why drugs and energy drinks are so popular, because the feeling of being tired is unacceptable in our culture, and looked down upon, and is therefore met with aggressive resistance. Meanwhile, the only thing that cures tired is good sleep, and anything else, like drinking, drugs, energy drinks, and caffeine, just prevent good sleep and further deepen the hole, creating the desire to reach for more drinks, drugs, energy, and caffeine. It’s ok to have a long day, a long week, a tough month, and just be tired. Tired is not a form of weakness, something to hide from, or put a mask on, or be ashamed of. We all feel tired from time to time. And when we’re tired, we should just be tired, and get some rest.