For the past 4 months, a group of us participated in a workshop centered around The Artist’s Way. This book helps to unblock creativity, recognize power as a creative being, and move in the directions we’ve desired.
This significantly impacted the way I look at myself and the world. I realized how I avoid situations that are fearful AND situations that are desirable. This seems like it’s not possible, that fear cannot block both desirous and avoidable experiences, but it can.
The way I found this out was through a process called morning pages. I would set a timer for 30 minutes, play some classical music, and type on my laptop or write in my journal. I did not do this every day but I nearly did, having an average of 5.5 days per week.
If you’re a journaler, you may understand this. I was not before this. I did write down my desires, tasks, and goals and move towards them. I did visualize these things and see myself completing them. And I did live in the future because of this.
Being futuristic is not necessarily a negative. But it can become a life-is-not-good-enough-the-way-it-is kind of vibe. And this leads to a mentality of lack. Instead of looking at where I’m at, what my fears are in my life, what I truly desire or what is truly an obstacle, I was focused on the things I thought would bring me happiness without even having a conversation with myself. Without this conversation, it was hard for me to recognize what I wanted. And as soon as I started having these conversations, my wants changed, my fears showed up, solutions to the fears became clear, and some desires came that were left in a closet years back, such as practicing brazilian jiujitsu. Also, the next step in purposeful living for my life became apparent.
Because I’ve chosen to place my attention on the things I want, I have personal vision. I see the integrated whole of how many parts of my life are working together. What this means 10 years down the road I don’t know. But the process is bringing contentment and knocking down prior barriers. And with this contentment will bring more opposition, bigger obstacles, and allow opportunity for light to shine in dark places in my mind and in my environment.