Hi, Subscribers. How was last week? As your guide, I'm here to remind you that incorporating play into your daily routine can do wonders for your creativity, problem-solving skills, and overall well-being. It's not just about personal and professional growth but also about finding joy in the journey. Let’s set ourselves up for success and inspiration and remember to find joy in every step of our development.
It’s time for an accountability check-in. I was able to be present and aware more consistently this week. The issue with the car is not severe and can be dealt with at a later time. I enjoyed some time off this week and am hanging out with my sister. Despite a few wrong turns, the kids and I enjoyed seeing a concert together and were pleasantly surprised to learn that the frontman of this Australian band hails from Scotland. So many things make more sense as a result of this discovery. On my day off, I went to a grand opening event for a local art store and received some incredible swag! While there, I purchased some fabric paint for my next project. My niece loved the jacket I painted for her, so please continue to hold me accountable for my next painting project.
Yesterday, I double-booked my time once again. My friends were generous and accommodated me, but I wanted to get to the root cause. In this case, I didn’t have the trip to my sister’s place on my calendar. It is easy to get overwhelmed, so the focus for the upcoming week will be setting ourselves up for success when we are overwhelmed. I will be using The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott. We have some heavy hitters from the Major Arcana this week. These cards tell the story of one’s spiritual journey and are considered influential, generally more about greater external themes than everyday activities.
What is the challenge? The Mage reversed depicts a musician who practices the magical arts. In front of him is a cup, a sword, a pentacle, and a wand sitting atop the keyboard. There is a laptop with an infinity symbol screen saver and four list candles surrounding our pensive musician. It is challenging to get started or to know what you want to produce while struggling to manifest it. The infinity symbol ties back to the ouroboros on the previous card, meaning we are dealing with cycles. Are we stuck because we are trying to live up to external comparisons? “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken” is a quote from Oscar Wilde. I had to write down my ideal life during an earlier therapy session. While writing it, I thought I would never see this day. When the therapist reviewed it, we made connections that I was doing many of the things I wanted to do. The gap was not as large as I thought it was. In my Overcoming Overwhelm in Fifteen Minutes offering, I have participants write down everything they are trying to accomplish. It’s a great exercise to winnow down your next thing. Getting started is how you build momentum. According to Harry Dresden, a character from Jim Butcher’s “Dresden Files” series, magic involves intention, focus, and action. Dresden has to do research before putting a spell together. Maybe you are struggling because you define success as being too broad. Instead of having a clean house, for example, you can start by throwing away one thing. “Magic doesn’t fix anything. That’s what the person using it is for.” – Harry Dresden. There is no magic wand. What can you do at this moment? Give it a magical phrase, and let’s go! Winnington Binnington!
What can help us to overcome our inertia? The Emperor depicts an elderly male politician speaking at a podium while a storm rages in the background. I consider this to be the “just do it card.” We are not helpless, and sometimes our reasons are excuses. If your house was on fire, you can’t say, I’m tired and expect to live. You may not be able to save the house, but you can grab your important documents, or your loved ones and get out. If you spend the majority of the time thinking about how to fight the fire instead of taking decisive action, you may not weather that storm. I often say you are the boss of you. When you can’t control your external situation, you have a choice. If you only have bad choices, make the best one for you. The Emperor has his fist resting on the podium. As we discussed last week, what is the reality of the situation? Images of the meme of the dog in a fiery room drinking coffee come to mind. I am not encouraging you to stay in the fire because that is destructive. However, if you only save that cup of coffee, then take a moment to drink it and savor it because you are alive to drink future cups. Or, in less macabre terms, if you have a cup of coffee and a mountain of tasks, your first task is to drink the coffee. If your week was a meme, what would it be?
What is a way forward? The final card is the Six of Disks, Success. A person getting their shoes shined gives a very generous tip. Sometimes, we shine the shoes, and other times, we offer the tip. Our mindset defines success. My mom told us, “You have to kiss butt until you can kick butt.” If you shine the shoes, are you doing a good job? My kid was in ROTC; I swear, most of the time was spent shining shoes. He took pride in his work. My brother-in-law and I were discussing piano lessons. His mother is a teacher, and before working on playing a piece, she believes in getting the fundamentals down. Are you sitting correctly? Is your hand placement correct? If you do not have a strong foundation, your future success will not be sustainable. If you are getting your shoes shined, do you know what quality looks like? Are you kind and generous to your workers? Yes, you can shine your shoes, but do you want to, or could you do as good a job as the shoeshine person? Like the Mage, your inner world determines your outer world. You may not be ready for huge and complicated spells, but perhaps you can work on your sleight of hand. Pick a card; the choice is yours. Namaste
If you want to incorporate more play to help you deal with the heavy things, my current offerings are listed on my Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/thingstothinkabout. I also encourage you to share your experiences and strategies with the community. Your voice matters, and your journey can inspire others.
