Too much going out

Where the mind goes, so goes the Qi.

This is a foundational principle of some schools of Qigong - the Eastern meditative practice. One uses mental focus to guide Qi through the pathways and organs in the body.

If I focus on my heart, Qi goes there. Or my feet or my right knee.

Not all my Qi. Just a delegation. The stronger the mental focus, the larger the delegation.

Since there is a free exchange of Qi between the body and the outside world, if I focus my attention on another person or object, my Qi goes there too.

If you're feeling tired, depressed, uninspired, or dispossessed (of oomph), it might be time for an audit:

Have I been sending too much of my Qi away? How much time have I been spending with my attention outside my body and the present moment? And what has been the intensity of that mental focus?

It might be that too much Qi is going out and a reallocation is in order.

Number 100

This is the 100th post.

Author and entrepreneur Seth Godin, who has one of the most successful blogs in the world, recently hit 10,000.

At 3 posts a week, it would take me approximately 63 years to reach 10,000. Possible, but highly improbable.

Seth writes 7 days a week, and I look forward to reading his post first thing every morning. I would miss it if it didn't show up in my inbox.

Seth says he would write his blog even if no one read it. I understand that. Writing helps me investigate my world and clarify my thoughts better than any other activity I know.

I often wonder if I should be writing daily. I would get more writing practice. I would build a stronger habit. And it can be easier to keep creative energy flowing when I work on a project consistently rather than intermittently.

Lord knows there's a bevy of advice on writing, blogging, and marketing that recommends (minimum) daily engagement (or, more generally, an overall "crush it 24/7" mentality).

But, the thing is, no project (or cause or career) exists in a bubble. It's just one piece of a whole life. When deciding how much to engage, one mustn't forget the broader context.

Often times, I think we get bamboozled into committing to "best practices" on one, maybe two, projects at the expense of a balanced, intentional, and well-supplied life.

There's only so much time in a day and juice in a body. And whether you're saving the whales, democracy, or just yourself and your tribe, it's going to require several more pieces of you than just your work on a single project. Make space. At the very least, your health and clarity of mind are needed for the long haul.

"What's my whole life for?" might be a good question to ask before choosing your projects and how much to engage with them.

[Seth seems to get this. That's one of the reasons I have liked reading him for the past 15 years.]

Sadness is on me

Language affects how we understand the world and function in it.

In the indigenous language of Ireland (Irish-Gaelic), one does not say "I am sad" but rather "Sadness is on me" (“Tá brón orm”).

Instead of "I am afraid", one says "Fear is on me" ("Tá eagla orm").

Emotions are a temporary passenger.