NYC: Empire State Building
My mind buzzed as if a whole hive of bees was in residence; I was reminded of the many poems of Emily Dickenson in which she mentions bees. The day had been a-humming along and my computer decided to hum along in its own rhythm. When I started this bit of writing, Mercury was in retrograde and all my internet mail capability seemed to be on its own wild ride. What was a girl to do? I shut down the annoying computer. I paused deliberately and I breathed. Only then, did I continue to work, writing with pen in hand.
It is often way too easy for me to become distracted from my work. I expect that being distrated can be the bane of a creative’s existance. Our brains see so many outlying projects which seem so enticing and delicious. Or, at least, these other projects do their best to lure us into thinking they should be the priority for that moment. Steven Pressfield, in his mighty little book, The War of Art, talks about the many faces of resistance. These voices, he says, are omnipresent, ready to lure and distract us from our real work and focus. I know these faces all too well. In fact, I would suggest that much of our busyness is really resistance calling and interfering with the process of the work at hand. Resistance, the dream sabateur, lures us into thinking and feeling as if we are accomplishing our work. But no, we are being led further and further away from the work and into the deep pit of busyness.
This morning I spent time working on correspondance with and for colleagues in a professional organization. Alas, because of computer messiness, the job took longer than expected. Thankfully, I was able to STOP, breathe, and leave it and move on with my real work, thus shifting my focus. The stopping and shifting is not easy; the pull to do otherwise is strong and a magnetic force in itself. In this case, I can thank a renegade computer for actually saving me from myself and pull of resistence.
Today, I suggest, pause and reflect on what magnet is pulling you away from your work or calling. As you pause, exhale your breath, let yourself be in the moment and then, make a choice to move towards that which feeds your soul and calling.