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| Yoga in Times Square, June 2012 |
Sometimes inspiration comes from simply showing up. I can't count the times when I said, "Maybe I'll skip yoga today," but showed up and was so happy I did. There's something to be said for showing up.
So here I am showing up on my blog on a Tuesday evening at 5pm. I have a split shift today and need to make some dinner and take a shower before going back to school.
It's the end of the quarter and tonight I need to proctor an exam for my students. Fortunately, I've already made the copies of the test, so all I need to do is show up! It's one of those days.
The weather outside is gray again and truthfully all I want to do is crawl into bed and hide out until the sun comes out again, but I have things to do and people to meet. Besides, I know I always feel much better when I participate in life, even when I don't always feel up to doing anything.
Perhaps I have 'the end of the quarter blues'. It's really hard to be motivated today. There are so many new things I want to do and so many new directions I want to explore, but right now I've got responsibilities that I need to show up for.
I tend to be a dreamer. I love planning vacations and scheming new plans. Sometimes I get lost in all my ideas and forget that I have a life that I need to attend to.
So today I'm going to show up for the things I need to show up for. Sometimes that is the hardest part, but it always ends up being much better than I imagined it to be.
Off I go to shower, eat and head back to work.
Do you find that if you simply show up to events in your life, that things turn out much better than you imagined?
So true! Showing up for stuff we have to do is harder than showing up for stuff we love to do. What weird for me though is that even the stuff I love to do is hard to begin at times. I love doing art and a lot of times I just have a hard time "showing up" to do it. Once I start, it's usually easy to go for hours but why the difficulty in showing, up especially when it is something I love doing? Laziness? Fear? Lack of focus?
ReplyDeleteHI my dear friend Helena. Maybe it has to do with "trying to do something" rather than just doing it. With writing, I used to think I had to write something amazing, now I just write and find through the regular practice of writing, my best writing comes. So just the act of sitting down with my hands on the keyboard is enough. Just showing up is how things happen! I think it's a discipline.
DeleteOh, yes! I can't count the number of times I didn't want to do something, but after getting started, I was so glad I did. I'm like that with exercise, with going to church sometimes, with attending social events, etc.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to that Tina!
DeleteAbsolutely! Almost 100% of the time, once I show up, I have a good time, get something good accomplished, etc. I find that if I think about what I don't want to do too much, I can talk myself out of showing up every time. So, I kind of put my mind on auto-pilot and just do it without thinking. Works for me!
ReplyDeleteI also do that. I just take my thinking and head out of it and just do it!
DeleteVery often, yes. Being ready means you are able to receive.
ReplyDeleteSo very true!!!
DeleteIt really bothers me if I am late to anything at all so I am very puntual at all times. I just find it alleviates stress and is good manners :)
ReplyDeleteJust realized I completely misread the question at the end (that's why it wasn't jiving with the rest of the piece - I was wondering!). Haha my bad. Anywho, yes I almost always "make" myself go to something even if I don't want to because I almost always look back afterwards and say to myself "I'm glad I went to that".
ReplyDeleteNo problem, you just inspired me to write a post on being punctual ^_^! I "make' myself go too and it helps to have a friend who is going so we can hold each other accountable!
DeleteThis post reminds me that I need to stretch more.
ReplyDeleteThis does happen to me. At first I don't want to go, but then in the end I'm glad that I did.
Hi Stina,
DeleteYes, this is often the case!
Often the hardest part of a job is simply starting! Getting yourself on the field overcomes the inertia of doubt. But it's always good to have a game plan for once you're there. As a chess master once said: a bad plan is better than no plan! Thanks for commenting on my blog today! :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, just start and the rest will come, but if you never start, how will you know what you can do! Thanks for visiting!
DeleteOh, I know that feeling! In fact, I have it right now. I'm cozy in my robe with my tea. It's raining. Do I really want to get revved up and go to kung fu class? One way I psych myself up is to change "I have to" to "I get to." It helps me show up with a better attitude. And of course, once I'm there, just like you said, I'm always glad I went!
ReplyDeleteI'm often cozy with a robe and tea in the morning too. It's raining here too! This morning I got myself to yoga and am happy I went. I like you idea of saying, "I get to go!"
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