0vercoming Obstacles
Something happened during the writing of my blog article about a New Marketing Mindset, in the series I’ve been writing on the unexpected gifts of this global pandemic.
I screeched to a halt.
On one hand, I enjoyed writing the article.
But it took me out of my comfort zone.
It took me back to a time when I was in corporate marketing, a time I had left behind a long time ago.
That wasn’t what I really saw myself as writing as I started this website.
It was out of character.
It stretched me.
I wasn’t sure I liked it.
I don’t know whether I was out of alignment, worrying too much about what people thought as I wrote it, or whether I felt insecure about the fact that I hadn’t been in marketing for so long, but I lost my groove.
It took me a few days to get my flow back in my writing.
The reason I’m telling you this is because the same thing is happening to me right now.
I am working on the article about working from home and again, I’m feeling grumpy.
I’m starting to think there’s a connection.
On one hand, I’m enjoying writing and researching the article.
I like the topic.
I’m a big believer in the merits of working from home, and it’s a big part of my own story.
But on the other hand, it also feels like I am trying on a costume, an old one I used to wear.
We all have many hats we can wear.
I used to make myself wrong when I would do things that made me feel like this, judging myself on the belief that there is a “right” or “wrong” path for each of us.
But lately, I’ve been trying to let to of all of the judgement and just get curious.
I think when we jump to conclusions without getting curious, we’re often wrong.
So, I’ve noticed that when I spend too much time writing corporate-type articles, I get cranky.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
It’s certainly material I can write.
It’s definitely stuff I think about a lot.
Even though I closed my PR gig a long time ago, I still think and read a lot about marketing and the corporate world.
But is it calling my name?
Is it something I am so passionate about that I could do forever?
To be honest, no.
But I’m not going to pull those articles off my site.
Because I’m learning.
The reason I started this site was to be authentic about my own journey of connecting with, nurturing and sharing my unique gift, and writing about it, in case it it might help others as well.
If our “gift” is the unique energy we have that no one else has in the world, then it goes without saying that we can bring that energy to anything we do–corporate work, spiritual work, parenting and our marriages.
Connecting With Our Gift
So, my first question is, am I connecting with my unique gift as I write all my articles not just some of them?
In the past, I might have thought perhaps I had a “mission” and there were only certain types of articles I was “supposed” to write.
But now I’m pretty sure that’s not the way things work.
Life is a lot more expansive and complicated than that.
As I continue writing the article about working from home, I’m going to pay attention, and notice if there is anything I can do during the writing process to change things up so I feel more connected with my unique energy as I write.
That’s my plan.
Nurturing Our Gift
The second question is about nurturing our gift.
What circumstances, environments and types of activities make us feel good, and help us to nurture our gifts, and which ones don’t so much?
That’s where these articles fall, I think.
As much as I enjoyed writing them, I’m pretty sure writing too much about marketing, management and corporate issues won’t make me feel good over the long-term.
I can’t sustain it for long periods of time.
At first, I like writing about them, especially because they really pertain to our unique gifts and how we share them in the world.
But then after a while, writing articles like these burns me out.
This is good information because burn out is a sign that we are not nurtured or filled up. Finding my sweet spot of how much is too much is my next challenge.
Sharing Our Gift
Then there’s the idea of sharing our gift.
Is the way I’m writing these articles helping me to share who I really am, my unique essence, the gifts I have to offer that no one else does or ever will?
That’s another good question I’ll have to keep asking myself as I continue writing.
What I’ve Learned
And so, here are three lessons I’m learning from this cranky moment:
- When you experience a bad mood, get curious.
- Don’t make yourself wrong, just pay attention.
- Set an overarching intention (like mine of trying to connect with, nurture, and share my unique energy as I do what I do). See if that helps to change things up.
Here are three questions I’m going to start asking:
- How am I connecting to my unique energy in this moment?
- Is doing this filling me up, or does it run the risk of burning me out over the long-term?
- How am I sharing my unique energy, my gift, that essence that is unique to me and me alone in what I am doing?
If this at all resonates with you today, as you are juggling all the many things you do, let me know.
I’d love to hear your insights.
“Acquire the habit of checking in with yourself. Several times a day, just take a beat, and ask yourself how you are feeling.”
~Julia Cameron
When we feel cranky, sometimes it’s just a reminder to be curious.
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More Articles Like This
A Powerful Technique for Working With Difficult Emotions
How to Move Through a Bad Mood
Why I Hate The Phrase “Life Purpose”
You also may enjoy the other articles in this blog series on the unexpected gifts from Covid-19
7 Lessons Almost Dying Taught Me About Living (and why that gives me hope about Covid-19)
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Thank you for supporting me on this journey.
Sending you lots of love,
Laurie
Copyright © 2020, Laurie Smith, All rights reserved. Photo credit: Monti Thipsorn/Shutterstock