Magic Lessons

So I had a lot of time in the car last week making my trek up to Wisconsin to see my mama. This means that after I belted out a few of my favorite tunes, I hunkered down for some podcasts. My fav these days is Magic Lessons, courtesy of one of the authors on my shortlist of “people I’d love to have a beer with someday” – Elizabeth Gilbert.

She has a new season of podcasts, but I had to finish up season one in which she interviewed another awesome storyteller – Brené Brown.

Sohere’s why I loved this episode. You know that saying, ‘What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?’ Good one, yes? Gets the dreaming self fired up. But here’s the twist from Brene…

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO FAIL? What would you still pour your love and creative juice into even though you don’t know the outcome and it could be bad. Really bad.

Without missing a beat I thought, ‘I’d write my story.’ Which I’m actually doing. Actively. Daily. But sort of always with that little niggle of wondering if it will work and be accepted and read and successful and make any money and bring any opportunities and…

But truth be told…if I’m really honest…yeah, I’d like a little kickback from it all, but that’s not the point. The truth is that it’s gotta be out there regardless of outcome. My gut will literally not rest for an eternity if I don’t do it. It’s consuming me 24/7 – while I write at my little attic desk, but also while I walk the dog and sleep and talk with my friends and binge watch Arrested Development…24/7. And if I miss more than a day of bringing it together, I feel ‘off’ and sick and crabby and a little lost.

So…let go of outcome. Let go of fail or not fail. And so all of those wonderings and niggles and worries are just sitting next to me at my desk now, but they’re not writing with me anymore. They’re just hanging out tapping me on the arm every now and again and I’m shrugging them back to their spot. Not now.

Because why do we do anything creative that comes from our gut organically? Why am I getting gritty and sharing this story with the world? Why jump off the ledge into the abyss of the next creative endeavor?

“DO IT FOR THE AIR TIME. NOT TO STICK THE LANDING.” ~ Brene Brown

My hang gliding images abound. The views are amazing!!! Onward!

Thanks to both of them. Gosh, we were pals in the car. I hope they felt the love and laughter from my end!

You can find the episode to which I’m referring by visiting this link and choosing Season 1, Episode 12 from July 25, 2016 – Brene Brown on Big Strong Magic.