Scarcity

Are you ever afraid of not having enough, not knowing enough, not BEING enough? I know I am. I felt this way when I sat down to draft a blog post today. There is fear that often times decides to join my thoughts. The fear is: “There is a limited amount of creativity available to me and one day in the not too distant future, I am going to reach the end and I’ll no longer be able to write, share yoga, or make new things.” 

When I allow this fear to run amuck, it feels like I’ve poured every ounce of energy out every time I attempt to make something; whether it’s an art project, a yoga practice, or a writing session. It feels like being stuck in once place and not able to breathe freely or move fluidly. 

Here’s the thing though, this thought is just that- a thought. It’s not a fact. I realize this when I feel good and nourish an abundance mindset. I realize there are endless resources for sparking creativity. There’s a bottomless pool of consciousness, in which we all can dip into. The same consciousness that Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou, and Rumi all connected with. All of the people that have inspired me, you, and other creatives have visited this vast ocean of awareness. 

Here’s a remedy for the feeling of “stuckness” that I’ve found helpful. Ask yourself, “Why do I feel this way? Where are the roots of these stagnance feelings located? Am I allowing fear to be the driver?” When I ask myself these questions, I find it telling to set a timer for 15 minutes and write down in a journal everything that comes into my brain. Put it on the page, friends!! You can tear out what you write down, burn it or throw it out if you write anything you don’t want to re-read. Sometimes it’s helpful to purge circulating thoughts before they gain too much momentum, and this is one way to accomplish the feat. 

Many times after doing this exercise I come to the same understanding: stagnance is an illusion. I’ll never truly be standing still, stuck in the same spot. Even when I feel that way, it’s just because I need the experience of breaking out of a new shell. I’ve come to expect these feelings will visit. Now, I can greet them with a smile of recognition as I look forward to the next level of openness.

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