Making a Start

I used to be an all-or-nothing sort of person. I used to think there was no point even starting something if I couldn’t get it all done in the one day. Now that I am in my No Spring Chicken phase, I don’t worry about that anymore. These days, I am delighted with myself to even make a start on a job or a project. I understand now that so many things in my life are process-based, as opposed to goal-based. I’m also better at seizing any spare moments to write. It’s interesting what making a start on writing this blog has done for me, for instance. This morning I woke up with my head full of stuff I wanted to write. I think it’s called priming the pump: you create an internal expectation that you will be able to write, and the subconscious mind says “Yes, no worries, here’s a load of potential topics and ideas.” I’ve been using the Morning Pages exercise from the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron for years. The clean page feels like an old friend. With regard to the book I’ve just completed, it is about healing. I’ve spent the last twenty five years letting go of my own baggage and the last sixteen as a clinical hypnotherapist and healer helping people let go of theirs. I decided that I might as well write down what I found useful in case it might help other people on their journey.  As Shakespeare said, “Brevity is the soul of wit,” so it’s a short book – except for the title! It’s called “How to Love Yourself in Less Than Fifty Years.” I just couldn’t resist the temptation to have a gentle dig at anyone that claims “I can make you rich/famous/beautiful in a week.” Yes, an internal shift can happen overnight, but it takes time to settle down in the body, in the mind and in the mindset. So yesterday I made a start, and today is another step. Good enough for me!