If you know me, you are saying, “DUH! Jeanne, what could possibly have you writing about this? We all KNOW you are a creative! We see it in you all the time.”
To that I respond, “But I’ve just figured out what that really means!” And I want to tell you about the discovery.
So please, bear with me. Perhaps there is a message for you as well.
Last weekend, I was feeling blah. And the blah was infiltrating my preparation for Sunday morning and the music that I share at Unity of Appleton. For those of you who don’t know me, I sing, play a few instruments, and I am a songwriter. For about 5 years, I spent many hours each week pondering the upcoming Sunday message, growing my spiritual understanding around the topic, and often writing a song tailored to this new understanding. Recently, I not only haven’t been pondering the topics, I haven’t been writing songs. And “blah” was present but I didn’t know why.
I have been here before, a few years ago. And I took a long sabbatical from Sunday morning. At that time, I wasn’t sure but suspected that Unity simply wasn’t for me anymore. My belief system was intact and very much in alignment with Unity, but it seemed to be time for something different. Yet, after a year, I went back to Sunday mornings …
Fast forward to last Sunday and the “return of the blahs”.
I assumed it was time to be done with Unity – again. Hear this – if that statement is true, then this is a VERY MAJOR SHIFT in my life! This is a community I have belonged to for 17 years. The people are amazing. The experience on Sunday morning (regardless of what I imagine ahead of time) is uplifting. This is a place where I play with my music publicly on a regular basis. Letting this go would be VERY DIFFICULT!
So I paused.
I paused and talked it through with an unbiased friend, a fellow seeker of meaning in this lifetime. After my monologue, Wendy (thank you!) looked at me and said, “Jeanne, you are a creative!”
Oh! I am a creative! This means that the act of creating turns me on. Writing a new song, not singing an old one, excites me. Exploring a new topic, not getting a new spin on an old one, excites me. Writing a blog entry, not passively reading another's, excites me. I am a creative! I am most alive when I am creating.
What does this mean for me? It means that I need to be aware of and honor this truth about me. When I’m asked to do something, or participate in something, I need to consider how it will interact with my inner creator.
Is there an element of creativity?
Is it a passive activity that could be boring?
If so, does it mean so much to me that this doesn’t matter?
Or, is it not mine to do?
Here is an example. Following this discovery about me and creativity, I was asked to serve on a board as secretary. Now, I want to be of service to this organization. I have all the needed skills to do the work. The position would allow me to build many new relationships. Of course I should say “yes”, yes? No. Not this year anyway. I was a board secretary a few years back. I was pretty darn good at it too! But, the act of taking minutes at all meetings takes me out of the creativity game during the meetings and for the time it takes to do the work afterwards.
So, for today anyway, I need NOT add the type of service which doesn’t allow me to be fully in the creativity game. Someday? Probably. Today, NOT!
The end of that story? I also learned that the organization needed a webmaster. Can I do this? Yes! Is it service? Yes. Is there an element of creativity? Yes. Does it allow me to meet and get to know more people in the organization? Yes. Will I be free to interact creatively at meetings? Yes. Might this be a more appropriate type of involvement for Jeanne, the creative? Yes!
So why am I sharing this with you? Well, I have a belief that people are happier, more alive, more positive, more fulfilled, and contribute more when they know, understand, accept and act from the truth of their being.
I am NOT all things to all people.
I am NOT meant to do everything – even if I can do it!
Imagine if you and everyone around you were engaged in activities, relationships, service, even play that fully engaged you at depth? Imagine the energy in this world! Imagine the freedom, lightness, joy! Are you ready and willing to make choices for yourself that honor your truth? Consider then, asking yourself these questions when confronted with the next decision:
Am I capable?
Do what extent do I enjoy this activity?
What personal values does this serve?
What degree of passion do I experience in this activity?
What part of me would I need to withhold?
What would I need to release in order to add this? Is it a healthy trade-off?
Is now the right time?
If any of these questions are challenging because you struggle to identify values or passion or you haven’t yet claimed your talents and strengths, consider working with a life coach. This is core work in a coaching relationship and fundamental groundwork for living life powerfully!