“You Know The Truth By The Way It Feels.” ~ KL Rohilla
Like all animals, I believe humans are born with instincts. Those instincts get beaten out of us so we will conform, so we will sit quietly for desks for at least 12 years and sometimes 16, so we will forget what we loved as children and get on the conveyor belt of consumerism.
It’s fine to have things, to collect things, to buy things. But when it becomes a substitute for living, it becomes a problem.
Back in 2002, when I was laid off after 9-11 from a corporate job, I had time to clean out my bathroom closet. Good lord, the stuff I found in there made me wince in embarrassment. I had 2 or 3 and sometimes even 4 of things. I didn’t realize I already had one of something and ended up just buying more.
That bathroom cleanse woke me up to the time I spend buying stuff that I not only didn’t need but already had.
Instead, I took up kayaking, something I always wanted to do and did that for the summer. Then I took some writing classes and more painting.
All of those things got me back to my own instincts: What did I like and what did I want to do with my own life?
There are folks out there who will tell you not to trust your instincts, that it is bad and will lead you somewhere terrible. Instead you should ask yourself a series of questions. But where do those questions come from? Someone else, of course. Someone who supposedly knows more about you than you. But how can they know you better than you? They can’t but they will try to convince you that their way is better than your own way.
I would still argue that those are fake instincts you were encouraged to layer over your real instincts. And that real instincts take us where we want to go. We’ve just had those instincts trained out of us out to the point we can’t feel them anymore.
The good news is that you can get them back by taking tiny little steps.
Take some time to figure out what it is you like and love in life. Start small at first so you don’t scare yourself. For example, take out a piece of paper and write at the top: things I like, things I love and things I go crazy over. See what shows up on your list. Then pick one and figure out a way — using your own instincts – to get there. There are many ways to get from A to B and most of them are not in a straight line, they will be curved or angled or oscillating.
Try some of them on for size! The more you get used to following your own inner instincts (compass) the easier it will be to get where you want to go. Is it possible you will follow your instincts and feel you made a mistake. Maybe. Ask yourself, is it really a mistake or is it an exploration? Because exploration is awesome, fun and suspenseful.
We seem to have taken adventure out of our lives along with instincts, wanting everything to be known ahead of time. Is that really how you want to live your life? With no surprises? With no thrills? It certainly may seem like the safer route but in the end it may be the least safe of all when you get to the end and look at the overall arc of it.
Book Writing Contest and other book events.
It is harder to put together a writing contest than I expected. Have finalized most of that and will be releasing information soon. The due date is moved to October so everyone who is interested in entering will be able to do so.
Here’s to feeling more alive!
Giulietta