I spent the whole (most) of Tuesday writing.
I felt my energy ever increasing.
I had things planned- but this – this couldn’t be paused, this was the life death matter, sorry better said it was LIFE MATTER, it was full of life.
I took the step and opened my bare chest and opened my arms wide and fell onto the crowd.
I posted on Instagram about this blog. Before that I only invited people that I trusted not to judge me to like my Facebook page where i share my daily stories. I only shared it people who I know will love me and celebrate me for who I am. That felt safe.
On Instagram, everybody could read me. It was not a protected place. It felt weird, it felt like I was exposing myself. But then again, the parts I exposed were nothing to be hidden, they needed to be seen.
I have to admins that I did not share every story on Instagram. I “sugar-cut” the parts to make it easier on the eyes, the hearts, the minds.
I did not do it for my newsletter. I shared the most real, the sharpest story.
I had this challenge about the blog. I thought about you, who read this. I write pages-long. How can someone read that long? Is there someone who reads that long?
I decided to make it a bit easier. I put some titles and added an introduction on top.
The other challenge I had was about the newsletter. I promised I would send the post everyday by email but how could I send pages long post in the newsletter? I also did not like to send the beginning and add a link saying read the rest here. It did not feel authentic. This email should be a letter, a heartfelt letter to the receiver. I decided to share one story that touched me. And so I sent my first newsletter.
I got a reply at midnight from a friend which felt like a love letter! My sharing has found a home, was heard, was felt. And my friend was so generous to share her love to me. It filled me with joy. How blessed I am! I am thankful for words to enable this heart to heart connection.
While I was writing, Fabio also had a new passion: ukulele. He spent the day learning how to play ukulele and he was indeed playing at the end of the day. He had told me he had to work but then ukulele took all the place in his agenda. I reminded him what he told me but I could also see how much joy he was getting from it, and isn’t joy important? I think it is! And I think by filling up on joy he will probably be approaching any other thing he does with more love and energy!
But how did the ukulele come to his life in the first place? He said it was because of a conversation we had last weekend in the picnic with Sezgin and other friends. Sezgin had told us that playing ukulele was much easier than guitar. It planted a seed in Fabio’s head and it grew into this idea and now into this new passion. The funny thing is my role model Amanda Palmer has also a thing about Ukulele. She plays ukulele in her ninja gigs, she has even made an album playing ukulele. The worlds collide. The thoughts influence others. Maybe this also can remind you how you can influence other people by talking with them, sharing your ideas and your passion. It can make someone start a new hobby, explore a new career path or enjoy life more.
I finished writing quite late and I still felt ecstasy. I had my first podcast interview tomorrow with my heart-sister Mihaela and wanted to prep myself and also catch on the material on The Podcasting Fellowship.
I took a photo so I can post Gary Vaynerchuk style using #hustle.
I watched a video call where Seth Godin answered questions of the students. One question was from a meditation teacher who was considering offering short guided meditations on podcast and wanted to pick Seth’s brain. Seth said we are professionals, we get paid for our work. We are happy to talk about how we do our work for free, share our ideas for free, have a conversation for free but we get paid to do work. He then touched another side of the coin. He said there is nothing new that you will teach about meditation. When you put a product online, a ready work, then it belongs to the world – in the long term. It is your gift. Your real offer – what you get paid for is the real time you, your holding the space for others, your looking in the eye, your support, your answers, the connection you create. That resonated with me.
What also caught my attention was the attitude of Seth Godin.
He took time to acknowledge everyone who created this platform, thanked them, celebrated them, called them the champions. When he answered a question it sounded a lot like he was thinking out aloud for you and he reminded you of your power. If he had an experience he shared it just as it is – with good and bad sides of himself. And he was very open, he was listening deeply, he was seeing people. I found him very generous, open, loving. I loved that.
The next day was a big day for me.
Podcasting day and Amanda Palmer concert. I will write about that more!
I close with the words of Seth Godin:
“Approaching the limits
Not the limit of our skills.
Not the limit of our knowledge.
Not the limit of our physical capacity
It’s almost always the limits of our internal narrative. Our guts. Our willingness to be kind, to believe, to care enough to leap.
We can’t do anything about the limitations of physics, and we can never do enough to change the limitations of our culture. But we can begin today on changing the internal limits we place on ourselves.
Yes, it’s your turn.”