What happens when we do hard things…
3 chapters…
01.
I haven’t paused enough today. I’ve been in my office at the computer, banging away all day, apart from a short lunch break, and even though I know what happens when I don’t pause and don’t take breaks (my energy drains and I’m less effective) I’ve done it again today. Why? Because I’ve got stuff to do, already! I mean, just let me get on with what I need to do! I need to tick those items off the list, okay! Do you realise how much is involved in publishing a book? A lot, Jodie! A hell of a lot! And the more we do, then the more we get done, and then the more we feel we can do this, like really do this. Can you hear my parts working hard out of care, sure, but also out of fear? Yep, so can I.
02.
Fortunately, I’m now upstairs. It’s 5.01pm, close to the golden hour at this time of year, when the setting sun from the west, casts a golden glow over the hills here in the east, and it’s truly glorious, magical. Right now, there’s a swathe of clouds marching westward, maybe to meet the sun, and a half moon crouched just above the clouds. The gum trees are wrestling with the wind and a band of cockatoos are white specs on the other side of the valley. Oh, and my cats are patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for their dinner. They’ve been waiting since 3.30pm, mind you, on their own time clock. And I’m taking a moment to pause and reflect on…
03.
…what it’s like when you create something and then put it out in the world. They are two very different processes. Creating the thing is markedly different to sharing the thing. I’ve launched a lot of programs and products over my career but I haven’t done it in awhile and I’d forgotten how you can feel…Expectant. Hopeful. Vulnerable. Scared. Doubtful. Hopeful again. And although I wanted to be completely zen about the book club launch, I wasn’t. And that’s okay, actually. Because I stayed super aware through it all, which meant that when I got to other side, something significant had happened. I’d learnt even more about myself. I’d grown. I’d expanded. And that’s what this lifetime is about, really. Learning. Growing. Expanding. That couldn’t have happened if I’d just created the thing but hadn’t shared it. That would have led to less learning, less growth, less expansion. So hard, yes, but totally worth it, which is quite annoying, actually, because it means I’ll have to do it again. Create and then share. Rather than just create. Damn.
3 endnotes…
I know it’s a bit cruel to subscribe to Ottolenghi emails because everything looks so freaking delicious. But I had to share this trifecta of chocolate recipes that landed in my inbox recently. Check out Ottolenghi Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Guinness Cakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream, and Baked Chocolate Ganache with Spicy Hazelnuts and Orange Oil. The only dilemma is which one to try first!
Jonathon Haidt is an American social psychologist who has been studying the impact of smart phones on teens. He’s traced the skyrocketing use of phones with skyrocketing mental health issues. His new book, The Anxious Generation, outlines his research but it’s also a call to arms. He wants parents, educators and kids themselves to start a social movement focused on no smart phones before high school, no social media before 16, phone-free schools and more free, outdoor play. Check out his work here.
The book club is underway! And what a wonderful group of peeps we’ve got, enjoying the book chapters, picking their outfit of the week and taking the quizzes. Absolute last chance to join. Doors close at the end of this weekend. More info here.