#148 – Who distracts you from you?
Say you sit down to write a book (or get ready to train for your first marathon, set up your email list, do the financial modeling for the business you want to start).
It's something you desire with all your heart. But as soon you sit down, you remember that there's some food in the fridge that may have gone bad. Of course, that needs to be taken care of immediately (never mind that it's been sitting there for weeks). Now that you're in the fridge, you realize there are more foods that may have gone bad, so you meticulously study every container, trying to remember when you put it there. You notice that the shelves could use a little cleaning. And, sponge in hand, why not do a deep cleaning?
When you come out of your fridge-cleaning frenzy two hours have gone by and you have a call with a potential client. Once again, life got in the way and you didn't have time to write (or run, or gather emails, or crunch numbers).
Life – really?
Isn't it more true that the urgency to not write came from your mind, curtesy of the ghostly chorus line singing and dancing inside?
- "What difference will two hours cleaning the fridge today make? You can always write tomorrow." The Ghost of Time Indifference.
- "What difference will your book make in the world? There already too many books." The Ghost of Idea Deflection.
- "Why a book and not a screenplay? You need to think this through and do some research before you start." The Ghost of Not Following Up.
- "Writing isn't your strong suit, remember? Remember in fifth grade, when the teacher said your story was shallow?" The Ghost of Clinging to Useless Possessions.
- "You have to write the best book in the history of books. And then your fifth grade teacher's jaw will drop and, seeing what an amazing writer you are, she'll bow to you in reverence." The Ghost of Need to Prove.
- "You? Write a book? Who do you think you are?" Your Ego.
See the pattern? You distract you from you, from your deep desires, your aspirations. You buy into those useless messages instead of listening to your inspiration. Why?
Maybe because you still don't know they aren't really you.
What will be available to you once you start listening to you instead of your Ego?
Love,
Carolina
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