I typed my blog into some website analyzer and it generated a report about search engine optimization. Since there’s no end-game to this blog, most of the data was interesting but irrelevant… except it told me on average how often I post.
Every 19 hours.
It’s strange because I try to post every 24 hours. 19 hours is not that much more often.
It’s strange because I don’t crack under pressure– not usually.
It’s strange because there isn’t any pressure inherent in the analysis. No one is telling me how often to post, the program was just reporting how often I post while I’m being myself.
But apparently the analysis was equated in my mind as an obligation to post every 19 hours, because my head exploded.
Instead of letting the pressure of the number suffocate me, I decided to show my brain that the world would not explode if I deviated from the norm.
And look!
I’m still here. You’re still here. The sun still winked down on everyone this morning and went to bed a few hours ago.
It’s important not to take ourselves too seriously.
I’m important, of course. To me, and maybe to you.
You’re important, of course. To me, and hopefully to you.
But the sun still comes out to play if we don’t read that book, or post that post, or write that letter.
I’m not suggesting we stop getting things done, only that we stop putting ourselves under quite so much pressure and scrutiny.
Coal is pretty.
I may be coal, and pressure may be the only thing I need to turn into a diamond– but maybe being coal isn’t so bad?
In fact, maybe being coal is awesome.
I like staying busy and I’m known for packing 38 hours in a 24-hour-day, but there’s a difference between buzzing around because you want to and buzzing around because you feel bad about stopping. There’s a difference between the things we need to do, and the things only we can do, and the things we only think we need to do.
So my totally uninvited advice to you?
When you are buzzing around, worrying about things that don’t need worrying about, take a moment and remind yourself that the world won’t end.
Make yourself not do something.
Just stop.
Break your own pressure mold.
Be calm.
Be cool.
Be coal.
