Check. This. Out.
It turns out that ‘Doing Hard Things’ amounts to no more and no less than: honouring my Inner Being’s will, intention, calling and intuition… above and beyond honouring others’ will, intention, calling and intuition (aka demands and expectations).
Woah! Isn’t that amazing?! Doesn’t that explain a lot?! And isn’t it ironic that we should drag our feet and procrastinate and bridle over…. doing the very thing that serves our inner being?!
But consider – you do a Hard Thing (eg. say no to something) – and you often think there’ll be come back, judgement or criticism – like the world may end! Why? Because that’s exactly how we been trained to believe! We’ve been programmed over time by society to think that if we follow our inner guidance it’s basically going to be ‘game over‘. It starts in school where (unless you’re at eg Steiner) the whole fricking meta-curriculum centres around pressurising children to give up their will for the will of a.n.other. We use fear (of failing exams, punishment, future unemployment, social shaming) to make the point. And we pathologise those who resist: ADHD / ESBD / ASD. We also sideline or exclude those who won’t play ball.
But funnily enough, I don’t think the Inner Being is even actually such a ‘wild card’! I don’t think it is anything for society to fear, unless it’s the case that having docile, compliant, fearful, self-less beings serves ‘another’ purpose…?!
But looks at this.
My IB’s will apparently includes:
- cleaving to our routines and rituals
- order
- feeling strong and supple (vs smaller/less of me)
- being prepared (like a good scout)
And yet, I feel driven to react to everyone else first… Yesterday I was exhausted by the end of the day. I didn’t actually do the hardest thing, which was keep to the order of priorities on my list. I allowed others’ to pop in and hijack my time and attention.
A really good Hard Thing to achieve would be to set my order of activities, and stick to it. Come what may.
Sounds like an excellent proposition – one that will serve you well.
I’m hoping that if it serves me well, it will serve others well. Right?
Start by serving yourself and you’ll be far better able to serve others effectively. Keep it calm. Keep it settled.
Thank you.
I am setting and sticking to my own order of activities – calm and settled, come what may