Something I learned from my favorite book about writing (On Writing by Stephen King) is that our minds and our imaginations, while not one in the same, are related and recycle themselves. I made note of the insight when I read the book, but have only learned how true it is in the last few weeks.
As I've mentioned here, we've had a lot going on recently. Good, exciting things. I filmed a segment with CNN this week about The Letter Project (I am still in shock), spoke at an awesome women's night (I highly recommend future events to ATL friends!) and have a few other big things in the works.
My brain feels a little bit like a monkey, swinging from one tree to the next, never stopping to touch the ground. I have a mean case of writer's block, as evidenced by the lack of posts. I also realized I've got a case of reflection block (which is a term I am making up). When I don't take time to slow down, I'm less reflective. My emotions are tied up, my joy a little dulled, my passion a little diluted, my tears refusing to flow. My vulnerable places are harder to reach. I'm harder to reach, in a lot of ways.
It got me thinking about how many of us accidentally numb with busyness.
How many of us wind up in the same place by Thursday night as I found myself in this morning? How many of us approach our weeks with heads-down attitudes, just trying to make it to the weekend, only to learn that, by Friday, we're mentally and emotionally worn out? We're fried by Friday, if you will.
I can't help but wonder if we could avoid this place a little more with less mental numbing. What if we put down our phones when we were in line at the airport or walking to the bathroom at work? What if we talked to the person in line behind us at the grocery check out, instead of scrolling through Instragram? What if we looked up, instead of down, watching the lives around us instead of the lives on our phones?
It's not just about our phones, I realize. I can't blame Apple for everything (though I would like to talk to them about my battery life). It's about learning to engage with the world a little more. It's about learning to use numbing agents a less and allow one another into the raw, vulnerable places of our lives.
It's about practicing self-care on the daily. Learning to let ourselves rest when we need rest. Unwind when we need to unwind. And trusting that the most raw, vulnerable places are worth exploring, even when they feel too painful to look in the eye.
PS: If you're new to the ideas of vulnerability and numbing, I highly recommend this short clip with Brené Brown and Oprah. Can't get enough of these two!