STEPPING OUT OF THE IDEAS POOL, WITH SELFISH WRITING.
Writing helps me understand. It has value to me. Why resistance then? And why sometimes the best way to value something is to start doing it and keep doing it.
I have an ongoing battle with breaking through. I often have these moments of frustration and boredom with life. I think it may be influenced by my ADHD (which I only found out about 3 years ago) but I also know it’s something most people experience from time to time.
I’ve learnt so much via mindfulness, hypnotherapy, relaxation skills training, CBT and plant medicine. This doesn’t stop things from popping up. Life will always have challenges but knowing these learnings and skills makes it so easier and quicker to breakthrough.
I’ve started writing about these experiences so I (and maybe you) can learnt from them…
There’s a pleasure in paddling in the ideas pool. It’s shallow, it’s warm.
You can dip into stuff without starting, without risk.
I like nothing more than sitting in a cafe with a notebook and my much loved Pilot Vanishing Point Pen journaling ideas. But when I don’t feel satisfied, I don’t do anything I just get another coffee.
I want to write more deeply. I want to use writing to encourage me to slow down and understand things in a different way. As I explore life, mindfulness, hypnotherapy and growth, writing helps me to unpack thoughts and experiences. I’ve heard it called ‘selfish writing’. You write because you get something from it.
So I’ve started writing and it turns out it’s not that easy to do something that 1. is for yourself and 2. are putting it ‘out there’. It’s amazing what hang ups show up. It’s worth it just to become aware of your resistance patterns.
It’s too easy to judge something before you’ve even started. It’s easy to get hung up on what the end result should look like. It’s easy to give up.
It’s also easy to get stuck in that planning place where I never start working. Instead of actually starting a project that I know will benefit me, I’ll try to come up with the perfect plan. As if the perfect plan to take away any doubt.
I'm acting as if I find the perfect plan, some kind of warm water of clarity will flow over my body and mind.. the warm bath of the comfort zone.
It's the same thing I do with courses. Instead of practicing the skills I already have, I look for more courses. With a course you get guided along the way, you get your hand held.
It makes me think.. is this type of resistance and doubt showing up for me elsewhere in my life? Is there is more potential for growth?
Often in hypnotherapy we see generalisation, a client makes a breakthrough with some issue and they start applying the skills they have learnt to other areas of their life. This may be something for me to explore and write more on later.
Another important learning from my hypnotherapy/CBT training is this..
Sometimes the best way to value something is to start doing it and keep doing it.
Sometimes it’s the only way! Behavioural change is a powerful component of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). By changing behaviours, by doing something different you will change how you feel about that behaviour.
To find value in something that benefits you, start doing it.
If you get something out of being in the water then go swimming.
Take this post for example, I’ve started and now I’m drawn to it. I’m enjoying creating. I wouldn’t have had that satisfaction if I hadn’t started.
So from today onwards I start swimming. I will write around 500 words, 5 days a week and I will write it here.
Chris