Trust30 – #20 – Holding Fast
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." is a great line from Emerson. If there's no enthusiasm in what you do, it won't be remarkable and certainly won't connect with people on an emotional basis. But, if you put that magic energy into all of your work, you can create something that touches people on a deeper level. How can you bring MORE enthusiasm into your work? What do you have to think or believe about your work to be totally excited about it? Answer it now.
(Author: Mars Dorian)
Passion. Passion waxes and wanes. Enthusiasm waxes and wanes. How do we protect, nurture and develop our enthusiasm, our focus, and our passion for the work? How do we develop hope? Some might say "By doing the work," but I don't think that's enough. It's necessary, but it's not enough to sustain under the corrosive influence of Resistance. I don't know. I'm definitely not an expert on this, it's something I struggle with all the time. But since I discover what I think by writing, here's a chance for us all to find out what I think might be a good idea on this front. Especially since I had an idea that literally stopped me in my tracks yesterday. I've been working on figuring out the logistics of how to pull it off ever since, and am hitting the first waves of Resistance.
I don't want this to die. I want this to kick ungodly amounts of butt. How do I do that?
The first thing is to sharpen my focus. I want to create as vivid a mental picture in my head as I possibly can of the goal. That helps me define when I'm getting closer, helps me figure out what steps I need to take in order to get there, and how I'll know when I'm done. If it helps, I should probably write down the who, what, where, when, and how. That helps from a logistical and tactical perspective. What about the emotional aspect? What about the drive, the enthusiasm, the passion? Hope comes from why. What I really want to say here is that capital-H Hope has to come from a place of truth. I can't substantiate that statement. I can't prove it by pointing at empirical data. It feels right. But the only way to prove this one is by trying to live it. Try new things, seek new uplifting experiences, right? This is an ongoing process.
I think that I also need something that's an emotional touchstone. Inspiration comes from various places, and one of the places that I look to for inspiration is music. I think back to my writing, and one of the things that helped me when I wrote my first NaNoWriMo novel (the sci-fi/Shaw Bros kung-fu mashup) is music. I had a playlist of songs that I used to get my head and my heart into the writing space. And that's important. The kind of good work that I want to do is going to require that my head and heart be aligned, and moving together. I know that I'm going to run into obstacles on the new project, and may hit discouragement and disappointment. So I understand up front the need to manage my own emotional state to do this work, and good music will help me do that.
There's also a physical energy component to enthusiasm. It's difficult to be enthusiastic if you're worn out. A certain amount of physical exercise (yes, I know) and taking care of one's self is going to be a component.
Mental. Emotional. Physical. That's a good start, I think.
Social? Is it a good idea to share your enthusiasm with other people, with the thought that enthusiasm begets enthusiasm? Maybe. If you have a supportive family, or other people who inspire you, hang out with them. Cultivate good relationships.
Spiritual? For those of us who believe and practice a religion, we can seek for the guidance, inspiration and help of a higher power. Prayer helps. (Also, scripture can be a really fascinating source of story inspiration.)
What am I missing?
