Knowing is only “half the battle” – doing is the other half (or extreme violence in the case of G.I. Joe).
I laid in bed this morning after my alarm went off, and started telling myself that I need to get up. But that only seemed to slow me down and make me want to stay in bed.
Finally I just did it, swung my legs over and sat up. Then I went and drank my shot of pickle juice, took my multi-vitamin, and drank a glass of water. I got my clothes together and went into the bathroom.
Part of adding more self-denial to my routine has been to only take a lukewarm shower, while I’m shaving and washing. It’s something I have to consciously make myself do – the other day I flipped the valve to where it usually is (hot) without thinking. It took me a second to catch up.
The cold water blast is getting easier to handle – talk about accepting discomfort. Making myself flip the valve to ice-cold then waiting for the blast with my head down.
Reading is going well, I remember why I enjoyed Way of the Peaceful Warrior so much. As well I’ve got my own (more limited) experiences and understandings that I’m bringing to the reading.
With my journaling I set an intention for the day to be more honest with myself and others. As part of that, I’ve admitted to myself that the primary reason I started doing these practices was simply as something to do and get accolades for it.
But in being honest with myself, I’m seeing that regardless of why I started doing the practices – they are having an impact on me. I do self-reflection and introspection daily, and I’m really thinking about things.
Yes, this blog is primarily me bragging, with hopes of turning it into something lucrative. But I also genuinely think that my honest experiences and point of view will resonate with at least some people, I simply need to learn how to communicate things in a more approachable way.
But then again, I’ve got Steven Pressfield’s words in my ears:
Nobody wants to read your shit!
But then I’m also reminded of his advice in the The War of Art that you’re entitled to labor, but not the fruits of your labor (they may come, they may not). The work is the important part. Learning to listen to the Muse, to be honest, and raw, then to transmute the inspiration into something – probably not amazing, but something.
I’m showing up, and I’m doing the work.
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