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When Life Gets in the Way, Slow Down

Sometimes letting go of control is half the battle

Some days just demand that you stop what you’re doing and give in to what’s happening around you. Today was one of those days. I’m staying with my mom in New York this month and woke up early in the morning to the realization that the refrigerator stopped working. I thought I had mistakenly left the freezer drawer open last night, as carefully curated ice cream dripped across the kitchen floor - a saddened state for such a deliciously creamy black raspberry.

Soon after, a comedic series of small inconveniences took place; a key misplaced in the trunk of the car, garbage trucks blocking the road, and the list goes on.

My mom was in a rush to reach work on time – a new client would be coming in. And yet, rather than fight back against all the ways in which time was urging her to stay still, my mom chose to let go and accept that today was just not the day to choose struggle. She would be late.

How often has that happened in my life. A series of events takes place to slow me down, and my dual nature fights inside – keep pushing, keep working, keep trying vs. just letting it go and accepting what I cannot control. Knowing that now’s not the time to fight.

As I look at the process of launching The Courage Factory, I see the same well-worn battles. Choosing which days to fight hard and which days to accept that my creative juices just need a break.

I used to push. I’d drown myself in exhaustion. And now, I’ve gotten better at recognizing the signs that no matter how much energy I exert, I’m only running myself in circles. And so, I’ve learned to accept the days when things just won’t get done. When timelines will be pushed. And when I know my creative flow isn’t where it needs to be to check off the 25 things on today’s to do list.

By allowing myself to let go and accept the natural rhythm of the day, I trust that on the days when I am in flow, what I create will be brilliant. That my energy will match my desire to create and what I’m able to do in that time will be world’s above what comes out when my creativity is backed into a corner – as if it works on demand.

What do you do when the world puts obstacles in your way? Do you fight them? Or do you accept them and see what comes next?