Have you ever noticed considering something new, different, exciting, interesting, even healing and beneficial for you…
….sometimes an inclination appears to put off trying it, or doing it, or finishing it?
You get introduced to a new dance class, someone invites you to an event, you drive by a big state-of-the-art new gym every day and wonder what its like inside, he tells you about changing his diet, you hear about The Work or a supportive kind of therapy, you’ve always wanted to learn a creative art form, you’d love to have that closet all cleaned out and new shelves….
All these ideas come along and you might think “that sounds great, I could use that, I’m sure it would be fun, it could change my life”.
And then you keep going about your business, your life, your day-to-day activity.
Without trying the thing you heard about.
Even though something inside said “yes”. A little tug inside saying “go that way”. An intuition. Attraction. Interest.
For a year now I’ve had a thought appear: go to yoga. I’ve googled yoga studios in my neighborhood. I love stretching. You stretch in yoga. It could help my hamstring.
Fairly frequently, someone comes to do The Work with me because of their procrastination. They know what to do, how to do it, and yet….they don’t.
Oh the mental torment that can rise up out of the non-doing.
You should stop doing what you’re doing and go complete that task. You should get this done. What’s wrong with you? Are you lazy? Is there something missing here? Why aren’t you movin, dang-it?! Just do it.
But let’s stop and take a look at this experience and see what can be discovered, without all that noisy judgment.
Because that mean voice, even when very critical, doesn’t really seem to make much difference….in case you haven’t noticed.
You should be doing that other thing, you should be doing it by now, you’re waiting too long.
Is that really true?
No. I’m not doing yoga (yet). Nor have I finished my book proposal that I said I’d have done by March. But I really can’t know that it should have been done by now.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that it shouldn’t be done by now. Because it isn’t! Ha ha.
Even if you said “yes” and you’re SURE you should have done that thing by today, this moment, when you’re reading this….
….answer this next question….
Who would you be without this belief?
Without thinking it’s true that you should have done “x” by now, or there is something WRONG because you haven’t?
Wow, it feels spacious. Empty. Open and accepting.
Without the thought that it is better to do it than not do it….there is simply this moment, with activity inside of it, and vast space permeating through everything, even thoughts.
“Spiritual people can be some of the most violent people you will ever meet. Mostly, they are violent to themselves. They violently try to control their minds, their emotions, and their bodies. They become upset with themselves and beat themselves up for not rising up to the conditioned mind’s idea of what it believes enlightenment to be. No one ever became free through such violence.” ~ Adyashanti
Noticing that the voice that lists what you should have accomplished by now, or done yesterday, or push yourself to do tomorrow, has a bossy tone.
Violence.
Turn the thoughts around about so-called procrastination. There is nothing that needs to be done by me right now, or before, or later. There is nothing required. There are no MUST DOs in this moment.
Here now is good enough, with or without action.
“If you want to understand stress, begin by realizing that you carry around with you your own set of preconceived notions of how things should be.” ~ Michael Singer
You, and me, and every living thing is here, good enough, right now…without having to add anything more, or finish a task.
“Only a huge ego could say that you’re supposed to be doing something that you’re not doing. If it’s required, just start moving toward it–get the job done. And if you can’t get the job done, it’s because it’s not required.” ~ Byron Katie
In this moment now, I feel so free about what I try or don’t try, no books necessary to read anymore in this moment, nothing expected to get done, no new thing important to add, no grabbing, no plans, no goals….
….and strange, there is writing happening, and a book getting finished, appointments being made, sweet client connections happening, applications being completed, gas tanks getting filled, grocery stores entered, water drunk, marketing plan created, kitchen swept…
All in a very great stillness. Nothing necessary.
Isn’t it exciting to have none of that stuff done yet, if it isn’t?
Much love, Grace