Today, my morning
meditation was about repetition. The invaluable conditioning of a
practice… of doing something over and over, day after day after day, through
the heights of experience, and the depths of unwillingness. When it’s fun and when it sucks. When it’s exactly what you want to do,
and when there’s 700 things you’d rather do.
 |
| Trista <3 |
The only way to build endurance.
The only road to mastery.
I haven’t written in a few
weeks. I’ve excused my way out
of.
I’ve denied myself of its
therapeutic properties. I’ve
chosen other activities, other habits, other life-loving exercises, and I’ve
neglected my weekly writing practice. And so today when I
finally decided to sit down and write again, I had nothing to say. In my previous 13 weeks of this here blog
project, I’ve been devoted to my repetitive writing process with a no-ifs-ands-or-buts-about-it
commitment akin to brushing my teeth.
This whole “nothing to say” thing hadn’t yet been an issue. And it surprised me... each n’
every time.
 |
| Aaron <3 |
 |
| Michelle <3 |
But because of the simple fact that I had been
conditioning myself, my weekly writing idea began to rhythmically emerge just
when I was ready to start something new. And when it came, I got on it…
as right away as I could swing it. Each day after my initial purge
into the word document, I revisit my work-in-progress, build upon it, and get
it to a point that feels... releasable. Sometimes it takes a week,
sometimes two days – as there’s continuity in the process itself, I know now to
honor the fact that each piece is unique in its evolution.
So here I am. Back on it,
writing about not being on it, wondering what it takes to stay on it. To remain committed. To have no excuses in devoting myself to
something that brings me no financial reward, but makes my heart feel whole and
my life feel jubilantly purposeful.
Anyone committed to some kind of ongoing practice I’m sure can humbly
attest to the fact that it ain’t easy… and that sometimes it hurts like hell. But as it goes, it’s usually only painful
in the beginning. Eventually, the
floodgates open and (sometimes gently, sometimes furiously) the flow of holy
good stuff unleashes.
Because it’s The Grind. And not The Grind of the Man. Of the 9-5 office job that takes up too much of your life, as
a trade-off to feed and shelter yourself.
Oooooh no. This Grind nourishes
you directly. It slowly but
surely, day-by-day, builds the foundation required to live a life that’s full
and meaningful. It’s The Grind that builds strength, resilience,
discipline, commitment and consistency.
It’s The Grind that pays
homage to the precious time we have here.
It’s The Grind of Goodness.
And it’s about this
feeling. This feeling of fullness I have right now, that comes from sitting
down to do the thing that transports me to my high place. And even though it took a whole lot of
internal kicking and screaming to get here, I’ve arrived, and I’m back. I’m BACK on The Grind.
 |
| Dante <3
So hey, if you fall, be
easy with yourself. Because we all
know that it’s not the fall that counts, but how long it takes to get back
up. To remount that little red bicycle
sans training wheels with scuffed up knees and a chipped tooth, and ride our
way back home.
|
(pictured above are some of my gorgeous besties, whom all, incidentally have daily grinds).
