Oh, my God. What if you wake up some day, and you're 65 or 75, and you never got your novel or memoir written; or you didn't go swimming in warm pools or oceans because your thighs were jiggly or you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It's going to break your heart. Don't let this happen - Anne Lamott
Inspired by Anne Lamott and her wonderful missive above, along with her touching and honest TED talk '12 truths I learned from life and writing', here are some truths of my own:
1. Breath is the key to life. We all know this, but how often do we think about it, marvel at it, appreciate it, deepen it and really feel it? It can be a balm, a blast of energy or a wave to ride to the other side. Magic.
2. Movement is medicine. If it could be put in a pill it would be. It doesn't need to be complicated. It doesn't require special outfits or equipment. The human body is a marvel of engineering, of pulleys and joints and connections that are designed to work. A little bit every day is better than a lot every now and then. Despite what we do to them, they mostly rebound and keep going for a pretty long time. How amazing that we get to live in the body of a human, rather than a leech!
3. Listening is like a superpower. So is asking the right questions. Sometimes the best question is 'Do you need a hug or a hammer?', meaning is this a moment for me to listen in a caring, non-judgemental way or do you need help fixing this issue? I find it very hard not to try and fix everything all of the time; turns out I am a hard-hugging hammer in progress.
4. It is not the job of my thighs to look pretty or acceptable to others. They simply have to do the job of being a part of my legs, holding me up, and climbing up and down things. Instagram and Facebook please stop trying to sell me tools to 'fix my thighs'. They are not broken.
Check out these gorgeous legs! Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
5. Avoid the shoulds. Seek out the wants, the needs, the desires.
6. Love isn't hard. Love is simplicity. Love is being seen. Love is being listened to. Love is listening. Love is thinking before you speak. Love is a look. Love can be a thing we chase but it is when you stop moving, get settled and grounded in yourself that love has the greatest chance of catching up with you.
7. A trusting pet sleeping in your lap is like a shot of serenity.
8. Nature is the ultimate healer of the mind, the soul and the heart. Nature reminds us that we are but the tiniest speck of dust in an unimaginably huge cosmic world. So stop worrying about the things that don't matter. And honestly, most things don't matter.
9. If you are lucky enough to have at least one friend you can say absolutely anything to, can spend endless hours with, who has seen you at your lowest and your greatest, who knows all your secrets, who you would call out to with your very last breath - hang onto them. What a gift. They are the reason champagne was invented 🥂
10. If you have a dream, an inkling, something tickling the back of your mind - give it a go. Start small. Try not to let the fear of failure, or what others might say get in the way. It might be trying something new, like yoga or painting or writing or acting. It's only your first time once, and who knows what might happen if you keep going? Plan that exhibition, write that first draft, try out for auditions, book that retreat! Every step is progress in a new direction.
I am sure you have many truths of your own. I would love to see them in the comments. And if you want a place to hang out with like-minded women and have these sorts of conversations, to share and connect and move and create and explore, join me in class or on retreat in May. It will be magic.
With love,
Amanda ❤️
xx
Comments