The truth about choices is this:
Often one precludes another
Time spent “here” means it isn’t spent “there”, at least not now.
It has been about seven weeks since I began an experiment: modify my schedule by moving most appointments to the afternoon in order to free up mornings, Monday-Friday. In that time frame, I have the option of playing two hours of weather-dependent Pickleball with an additional hour of travel and clean-up.
Here’s what I didn’t wholly account for when I made this choice: when I write, it is in the morning after stillness and centering and before appointments. That has been my generative time for years. These last weeks, that window has been traded in for Pickleball. Perhaps you’ve noticed that not much has been written since June?
I sit today in full awareness that I traded in my creative writer for physical play somewhat unintentionally. Sure, I didn’t plan to blog as much this summer — but I didn’t anticipate losing the “voice”. Yet, it definitely took a hiatus!
It’s good to shift things up now and then. And it is vital to notice the impact of such changes. A choice to move forward in any direction may have a counter-intuitive, even paradoxical “backward move” before the leap ahead we hoped for.
For me, not writing, but rather – playing – filling up the delighted bin – making time to “smell the roses” – seems to have stunted creativity. But just maybe it was needed in order to fill an empty well.
What will sprout from this summer of play?
What roots have begun to grow underground?
What if I pull them up too soon?