“It’s good to be nervous. It means you give a shit.” -Adam Sandler as Stanley Sugarman in the movie HUSTLE
“Pressure is a privilege.” -Robert D’Avanzo
Don’t sweat it if you feel nervous. It’s a good thing. It means you care,. There’s no way you won’t feel nervous. It’s what you do with those nerves that will define you. One thing that helps is gratitude. Be grateful for the nerves. They equal energy. Which then converts to fuel and focus for the task at hand.
Do sweat it if you’re not nervous. It might be time for a change.
Great news…No matter what happens, no matter how badly things go off the rails, you can choose to just, simply, begin again.
That’s probably the biggest takeaway from any kind of meditation practice or trying to be present.
Distracted by thoughts? Can’t focus on your breath? No worries. Be aware. Begin again.
Had a plan for the day, but life doesn’t seem to be cooperating? All good. Be aware of where you’re at. Begin again.
On stage, trying to tell the story of the play, trying to be a good scene partner, but you feel unfocused and your mind drifting? No sweat. Pause. Look at your partner. Reconnect to your want. Begin again.
It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. Begin again.
How much time do you spend reacting? Answering emails and texts, dealing with other people’s concerns (especially work), putting out fires, helping out with friend and family obligations, doing things you might not want to do but either have to do or feel like you have to do, etc…just maintaining the status quo?
How much time do you spend creating?
One of the hardest things to do about pursuing a goal or manifesting a passion project or doing anything new is carving out actual time and space to do it. You must make it a priority and schedule it on your calendar. Otherwise it simply won’t get done and you will stay in the same reactive rut.
Another way to think about this is maker vs. manager time. Two excellent essays on the subject:
“If you build it, they will come,” is an oft-repeated mantra first popularized in the movie FIELD OF DREAMS. (The actual line is “If you build it, he will come.”)
If you build it,…
Not think it.
Not plan it.
Not pray it.
Not hope it.
Not wish it.
And definitely not talk about it.
BUILD It.
Which involves a decision and then a corresponding action. Doing the work.
Only when you’ve made the commitment, put your ass on the line, thrown your hat over the wall, rolled up your sleeves, and started building, will anyone else ever come follow.
Envy (noun): A feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck.
Envy (verb): A desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to someone else.
“Envy is pain at the sight of another’s good fortune, stirred by ‘those who have what we ought to have.” -Aristotle
“Envy is one of the most potent causes of unhappiness.” -Bertrand Russell
Joseph Campbell talked about following your bliss and I’m suggesting you follow your…envy?
Say, what?
Okay, maybe not follow your envy. After all, it is one of the seven deadly sins. How about get curious with your envy. Bring awareness and investigate your feelings towards it. Thoroughly examine what it is specifically you are envious about.
Can you get past all the “bad”, superficial envy we’re warned about (fame, fortune, power, etc…)? The envy that will never fulfill or bring lasting joy? Can you remove the husk and get down to the heart of your envy? Perhaps you’re envious of the actual work someone’s doing. The process. Their day to day. Maybe you think to yourself, “I’d like to do that.” Not have something. Do something.
Okay, that’s interesting.
Maybe, just maybe, by getting curious about your envy and narrowing it down to the actual work itself, you might just have found a passion project. Somewhere to put your focus. And even more good news…if you’re willing to do the work–the hard, sometimes un-fun yet necessary, producing and leadership work–you can actually do it. It is within your control You can create for yourself and others an incredible and meaningful experience.
One that someone else, someday, might just be envious about too.
Who’s your ideal reader or audience member? That single person you’d love to be able to pull aside and have a deep, intimate conversation with. One on one. To share with them everything you’re thinking about, everything that excites you and scares you and saddens you and brings you joy. Most of all, to share with them everything you’ve learned about the world and the human condition. In hopes that they too can have great experiences. And maybe avoid some painful ones.
Maybe that reader is yourself.
Either way, go make your art for that one person.
P.S. – I caught a mistake in yesterday’s blog post. The last line now reads, “Here’s the thing…you won’t do any of these things until the pain of not doing something exceeds the pain (and fear) of switching things up.” Apologies if it was confusing.
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