Last week was my first 100-mile bike ride. It was also my first time putting together an athletic event. When my friend @RobertTakla, said he was riding a century in every state and asked me to find him one in TN, I was happy to do so. When there weren’t any that fit his desire for a flat course, I decided to put one together. What surprised me what how much fun it was being #creative, coming up with a route, a T-Shirt design, timing, stops, etc. etc. It was #exciting even if I felt silly. Unlike a couple of years ago, I won’t let my critical thinking stop me from doing what inspires me. Instead of telling myself I didn’t have time or couldn’t design a T-shirt, I did a simple one, involved my kids and felt like a kid doing it. And the ride was a #success! Robert said it was the best he had done and 5 of us had a great time together. We have set the 2nd Annual Brentwood to Bell Buckle Honeysuckle Hundred for May 20th, 2023. I am excited about creating it and hope you can come join us.
In her great book, Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert demonstrates that #ideas, or #inspirations, will come to you and if you don’t act on them, they will move on looking for another partner to bring them into reality. I have missed most such inspirations in my life, even to the point where I said, I am not creative, I am just a #doer. She says to do whatever pulls you, whatever is within you, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense. When she was hitting a dry spell in her writing career, she bought a home in NJ and decided to put in a great flower garden. In researching that, she found she had a grandfather that was involved in the global tulip trade and after she had her garden in, the next book she wrote was a mystery about a tulip trader. Follow your inspiration, even if it seems silly.
From the gospel of St. Thomas, “If you bring forth what is within you, what is within you will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what is within you will destroy you.” This resonates with me. There is so much #addiction and #avoidance today and for me, it was/is largely about hiding from what is within me. It seems too small or too big or will be seen as silly by others, but by avoiding it, hiding from it, it will destroy me as my work addiction almost did.
What is inside you? What is your inspiration? What idea is showing up on your doorstep looking to be brought into fruition? These maybe the most important #questions. I have come much closer to the answers by my #spiritualwalk with daily #meditation, #prayer, and #journaling for over two years now. I am getting much more comfortable #bringingforth what is within me even if it “doesn’t seem to make sense.” And this “silly little bike ride” is one of them and it brings me #joy and #connection and that’s #enough.
What’s working for you? What are you bringing forth?
Have a great weekend,
Art