Every day on the way to my daughter’s school, we pass by three horses in a field.
When my little one was younger, we’d stop on special mornings and hold out chunks of bright-orange carrot on our open palms. The horses ambled to the fence where we stood, blinking long horse eyelashes and eating our simple treats with their big, horsey teeth.
Friends, that’s about all I know about horses.
But once I heard a helpful thought from a horsewoman I know, and it’s a tip I think you’ll find useful, too.
“You’re always training a horse,” she told me. “Everything you do? You’re either reinforcing or undoing your work with him. Pay attention. Pay close attention, because everything matters.”
Everything matters? Whoa, Nellie!
The space you choose to do your writing or painting in? It matters.
The way you wake up and start your day? It matters.
The stories you tell yourself when you screw up the courage to try something new, they matter.
The way you talk about your creative work — to yourself and others — matters.
The way you set your goals matters.
If you’re working to craft a more passionate, meaningful life, you can’t afford to sling harsh judgments or old stories at yourself at every turn. (You’re undoing your creative trajectory every time you do.)
If you know you need to make a change, but aren’t yet sure what to focus on or do differently, you can’t berate yourself or isolate yourself for not knowing. You’re strangling your fledgling creative spark, if you do.
Every single thing matters.
Which is an empowering thought, if you think about. Every single day is packed with opportunity to nurture your creative spark and reinforce your creative trajectory.
How cool is that?
I strongly suggest you take a moment and do a little writing on this topic. Ask yourself:
- How do I undermine my aspirations for a more creative life? In what ways do I un-train myself?
- What’s one outdated habit I can begin to release, starting now?
Freedom and focus await!
With love from your coach,
