I have been listening to my favorite podcasts and reading good books.
There is a common thread statement in regards to creativity that I think is very important to remember.
One of my favorite all-time comedians, Eddie Izzard, once said, "There's a thing about trying too hard, which I think is in all forms, which is if you really try to do things really well, you can get to a less good place, than if you just let go and let it fly. Especially in creativity."
And this has really blown my thought on my life journey. My entire upbringing was led by strong, vibrant examples of showing that hard work really pays off. My mom and dad. My grandparents. My strong examples growing up and teaching me that you have to work hard to get what you want out of life. You have to fight for everything to make it in this world. And I worked hard to get those A's on my report card...and there was money attached to each of those A' as a bonus form my grandparents. I worked hard to build my resume so that I could feel justified as a theater director and actor and to justify my career in the arts for my family. That I was indeed talented, and creative, and could make a living doing what I loved. And you know what I got out of this?
Stellar success and accolades and admiration and zero true happiness inside. Just more work and drive and more stress and more headaches. I was miserable. I was not able to relish in my accomplishments, because I was on to the next hurdle. I was longing for true love. Where was my Prince Charming...yet oblivious to the fact that my schedule was so cram packed that I couldn't even find the glass slipper much less try it on to see if it fit.
But my friends, what if there was another thought process that works also?
As I research different topics for this blog, as well as for a fall conference I am hosting this fall in Little Rock for all of Arkansas' speech, theater, dance, Forensics, and Debate instructors, I am finding such interesting concepts that I just need to admit...I wanna try out and see if they works...
From the website, Positively Perfect, the reader is encouraged to try to just let everything go and see what comes back to you. What if, instead of pushing and pulling and struggling and grinding our way through this racetrack of life, we just plain decided to let it go and were willing to allow life to just happen, surrendering our freak control aspects of our life and just let a bigger thing control...A Let Go, Let God type of mentality. What would happen?
I can tell you what my brain is actually doing right now just typing this statement...it is saying WTF??????
"You have been a control freak for most of your life and tried to chart your own course for so long, how in the heck are you gonna navigate through this?" I come at this naturally and am not going to say any more or name names, for fear of egg on my face.
Often times, I have read, if you are willing to give up the reins, the universe does take over and leads you into new directions. I have also found that this is not a complete handover. Articles have said that you are not to be ambivalent and just allow whatever comes your way. It is important to find the happy medium, I think. It is definitely okay to have goals and dreams and hopes for what you want to achieve in this world. You just have to find the happy medium. Positively Perfect states, "The trick is that we need to find the balance between effort and ease."
Dr. Bethany Butzer, in her article Stop Trying So Hard" states, " I push and push and push and feel like a fish going upstream and I don't feel like I am getting anywhere. The trick is that I have become accustomed to catching myself. It is time to switch gears, go with the current, and go downstream... and it is during those times that I turn to yoga, meditation, or getting outside into nature, one day at a time that I'm learning how to surrender my life to a power greater than myself and trust that I will always be guided in the right direction."
She continues, "This next week, I encourage you to let go of the wheel and experiment with divine cruise control."
Many times, the sheer grip of our control buttons and grip of our life's steering wheel is the exact problem, friends. You gotta let go of the tension and loosen your grip on things and know that you will not be let down. Many times, trying to force your car in the "RIGHT" direction gets in the way. Perhaps it gets in the way of what is best for us? Perhaps it gets in the way of a better outcome that we didn't even know was there? Perhaps it steers us in a different direction that was there all along but we were blinded to seeing because of our tunnel vision?
Friends, there are forces greater than what we can ever imagine there to support us and lift us up or turn our heads and say...Perhaps you should try this way?
And that is okay.
That is letting go and letting God, or whatever spiritual presence you believe in.
And you know what, I am gonna give this a try and get back to you.
I think this is amazing...
