Pushing Through

Most of the time inspiration comes only after having put in time and effort.  But once in a while, and only once in a while, some kind of motivation or inspiration comes and if I am wise, I seize that moment and get to work. 

I haven’t written a blog in a long time.  I told my Muse that I was afraid for that very reason.  What if I’ve forgotten how to write? What if I have nothing new or interesting to say?  What’s the point then?  The point is that every once in a while I get tired of my inactivity.  The fear of not doing something is greater than the fear of doing something, even if I do it badly.  So here I sit, after a very long time, just seeing what comes up. Again, the point is not to be Shakespeare or Hemingway or Steven Pressfield, but simply to put something down on paper (or on a screen).  Why am I doing this when I haven’t done it for a long time? For the same reason I did it before: love.  Love for my Muse. Love for myself. And love for anyone who reads this and might be facing a big task that looks overwhelming or a lot of small tasks that are annoying.  Love for anyone who is facing similar struggles with his or her art or move or project or homework. 

Sometimes the best answer to inertia or fear is to simply push through. No. Not push through.  Blast through.  Just go without thinking. Think about what needs to be done, but not the results, good or bad.  Just focus on the work. Why does this work?  Because fear is almost always based on the future (usually an imaginary future, at that). But when I focus on what I need to do at this moment, then there is no future. There is only this moment. There is the joy of getting it done. There is relief.  There is a rise in endorphins and self-confidence.  There is joy. Generally, after pushing through I feel more relaxed during the day and I sleep better at night. 

Although I still recommend planning and scheduling and creating daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals, sometimes we just have to push through.  It’s not a method I recommend using on a regular basis. To depend on this is unsafe and usually produces mediocre or rushed results. I’ve heard it said that the idea of people doing their best work under pressure is only a myth.  But once in a while it is best to just push through. Especially for those big tasks we hate.

I just pushed through now.  I just finished another blog. It may not be the best blog I’ve ever written (or maybe it is…), but at least I got it done. And not because I hate it, but because I love it. I’m tired now, but I got it done.  I will sleep well. I already feel a little bit better about myself.  I was able to Get Started and Keep Going.  I pushed through.  For my Muse. For myself. For you