This photo of mine popped up on my ipad “reminder reels” this morning and inspired most of my day. Funny how that ipad started doing these reels recently and knew just what I needed to boost me.
It has been a long almost 1 year under quarantine with the other world craziness piled on. I have felt unmotivated stuck and like a ton of bricks has been laying on me since October. At times it has felt paralyzing leaving me with zero energy to get myself out of the funk.
January 2021 has been filled with an almost daily newsflash that more friends and family now have COVID. Last week every single day someone died from COVID and today a dear friend had to remove her brother from life support due to a different health issue.
All of this is too much for us to handle ……………………. I have been feeling motivated to make better jabs at getting unstuck and this photo brought me back to an idea I was working on back in October.
When I saw it I saw the healing our hearts need right now. I took this photo on my first ever Sarasota trip almost 2 years ago. 2019 was a year of travel, exploration, growth and lots of doing. The Marietta Museum was a hidden gem on that trip. Whimsy art and the colors can’t help but make you smile. I am not even sure why I snapped the photo because hearts are not really a favorite design motif of mine. But something about it hit and out came the ipad (aka my digital notebook) to snap a photo. That day I saw a sphere with hearts, but it was nothing more than objects. Maybe because I had so many other things going on during that trip (it was a jam packed 2 days) and there were other pieces of art that really caught my eye and spoke to me.
In a way I am glad I waited until today to connect to the piece. I love the light and how the earth as the globe popped out. I love the way the dots on the hearts and extra light and love. It became magical and today I did 4 times more than the amount of creative and unsticking things I had planned.
I am taking all those digital classes I signed up for 2 years ago now. I started that 2 weeks ago and have been adding more. I never did get around to doing the classes in 2020 even though we were stuck at home. My work schedule was kind of the same for 2020 even with our customers being closed, etc. there is still work to be done .
I read parts of 3 different books today, did physical exercise, did some painting. worked on my work catalog and other work, made the Super Bowl art as part of my practice digital class.
A big think I did for myself was re-read Fear is My Home Boy by Judi Holler, and I am doing her Vibe and Thribe workbooks on the second reading.
I also joined the Jamie Kern Lima Believe IT Book Launch team. I read the advance digital version of her book and joined the Facebook Group…………… so many of the members are posting about their own deep struggles. I think I am most inspired by them. On Feb 22 thee is an official launch party all day workshop with the biggest motivational people out there including Sara Blakely and Mel Robbins……………. not my usual thing I would pick but I do know that moving out of my comfort zone (or normal in this case) is always what I need to get my mojo back.
I am motivated and always working on something and get stuff done, It is a great output level that is high quality, but I am looking for that special push to make it extra and unique.
I am realizing right this second that part of the stuck feeling is because my go to motivational things are off limits because of the COVID world. Normally I would take a day or 2 or 3 and go somewhere and see new things to be inspired. I went to Sarasota in August which was great and motivated me. In 2019 I drove from FL to Dallas to Santa Fe, Las Vegas and back, went to NC, Hilton Head, and Savannah a lot. NYC and Long Island a few times and even VT, over 20,000 miles that year all driving.
My commitment is now to figuring out a way to shake up my globe to stay unstuck.
Reader, I hope my photo and story inspires you a little……………. one of my reads today was Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. yes the lady who wrote Eat, Prey, Love. She writes about how that best selling book is a love or hate it for many and how it wasn’t written for the reader, it was written for her because she needed to get that story out of herself ………… hmmm that is exactly what I did hear……. I have never read the book or watched the movie, though I am searching for a free way to watch it or will rent it from Prime.
Big Magic was a recommendation from Judi Holler. I adore her. I loved the book so much when I first read it and have followed her on insta ever since. She even writes to stand out like a Flamingo (another reason for me to bond with her. ) As I was reading Judi’s book again she mentioned Big Magic and how that was the thing that motivated her to write her own book……….so of course I ordered the book and had an instant motivational infusion. I may not write the book yet, but these ladies get points for moving me forward on the game board of LIFE and shaking up my globe.
And remember the timing is never perfect. If you are waiting for it to all be perfect, you will be waiting forever. Take the leap of faith and just do it! So far we have survived everything
I will end this with a Suzanne Sommers motivational nugget “Look at the worst things in your life as your opportunities!”
xo Tracy Lynne
The Lovely Spotted Flamingo 