This morning I got up to early morning summer sun at my little Seattle cottage (back from Breitenbush) and felt the joyful excitement of many upcoming events in inquiry. I watered the tomatoes and the corn I’m growing and looked at the gorgeous bright sky, breathing deeply.
Then I came inside and I opened my laptop and started downloading all the emails I missed and messages and communications while off in the woods teaching retreat.
Someone wrote to me about Summer Camp for The Mind. It doesn’t seem like the time written for Mondays on your website is correct. What are the call-in hours exactly?
Another person wrote to me about a broken link for the Being With Byron Katie event. Can I register for your Seattle event plus reserve a bedroom? But what if my friend and I just go home every night, can we do it that way, too? Do we seriously have to stay silent the whole time?
Someone else facebooked about the Opening Day for Summer Camp for The Mind on July 5th–isn’t it supposed to be free? It doesn’t say so on your website, I wanted to try it first and then sign up for all of Summer Camp if I liked it.
Another person emailed saying she never got my reply (I’ve had email-sending cooties off and on for months) about coming for her personal 3 hour mini retreat mid-July.
I then got awesome news about my Year of Inquiry program starting in September and how it may be approved for many credits with the Institute for The Work if I make a few changes.
Fifteen hours later.
Hey! Don’t look at me like I’m a Workaholic! I’ve got a business to run here! (Say it in a New York accent slightly shouting).
I wasn’t working EVERY minute on the computer. Jeez.
I went to the grocery store and buy yummy blueberries and strawberries and yogurt and bananas and cheese and nectarines and other delicious summery things! That took 30 minutes!
I also went to the gym. Oh. Er.
I’m a little embarrassed to say, I took my computer with me and kept working while there. Yes, of course it’s possible to do that!
What?!! Did you just roll your eyes?
And I also taught the last session of the lovely current Eating Peace Core Teleclass (another session starting September 8th by the way, stay tuned). So I was actually with live people in inquiry, connected and NOT fixing tech stuff, replying to people, creating facebook events or updating website pages.
Don’t look at me like that.
This is all very, very, very important.
Sigh.
Who would I be without the belief I need to do it all, like….NOW? That I should respond to every single person who’s had questions for me? That I must stay on task and who cares if it’s a sunny day in Seattle and the thought whispered by of swimming in the sweet-tasting lake nearby?
I’d stop.
I’d finish this Grace Note, open my calendar and write in it for tomorrow “swimming break” between morning clients and evening clients.
I’d notice how much fun I actually had today, figuring a bunch of stuff out very efficiently.
I’d also notice balance is nice. Balance is gentle.
Who would I be without the belief that anything is required?
Simply chuggin’ along, hearing silence underneath All This, taking a very deep breath, very happy and satisfied and excited with all that was accomplished today. Hearing the quiet darkness of a summer night float down.
Now, noticing an incoming text from my son. Stopping. Time to call him.
Slowing down, slowing down.
Remembering with astonishment how nothing is required.
And so much can happen, anyway.
Time to stop. I almost forgot. Plus even when I didn’t stop, night came.
“The Master does his job and then stops. He understands that the universe is forever out of control, and that trying to dominate events goes against the current of the Tao. Because he believes in himself, he doesn’t try to convince others. Because he is content with himself, he doesn’t need others’ approval. Because he accepts himself, the whole world accepts him.” ~ Tao Te Ching #30
Much love,
Grace