ReLeaf

How the Pressure Resolves

I’m always thrilled if I can name a feeling.
And this week I am feeling
Relief.

Or as I have come to think of it
Releaf.

Because it does have that feeling of new buds
On bare winter branches.
The green color.
The heart color in the rainbow of the chakras.

My personal relief had to do the h’s
Housing and health.
Possibilities and timelines too much for here.
But I am relieved.

Relief is not the sexiest feeling.
It has to do with negative space.
Relief isn’t the trophy
But it usually means
Staying in the game.
But staying in the game?
Let’s not underestimate it.

Relief can come from:
Doing the show for the first messy time.
Hearing back from someone.
Meeting a deadline.
Fitting into the pants.
The construction out your window finally ending.
Shavasana.
Getting there on time.

Relief is the structure you set up
That supports you as you power through.
It’s clear boundaries.
It’s consent culture.

The word relief
Comes from a word that means to lift.
To have a weight lifted.
That weight part caught my attention.
Welcome to Ozempic World.
We live with a cultural desire
To have the weight lifted.

And when I say The Weight
I mean The Wait.

And also I mean
every reason you try not to news too much.
The Weight of it all.
The heaviness.
Relief is not having to carry that.

Relief is being able to breathe.
Because you are not being crushed.

In the arts we don’t have relief pitchers.
It’s you.
You might have assistants, a team, an archive.
But it’s you carrying it.
Literally when we talk about actors
We say they carried a movie.
(Or they were supporting actors.)
Sure there are understudies but we all know how that works out.
Hahahah.

So one way to get relief
Is to become stronger.
Easier to carry a lot.

Other ways get relief?
Radical acceptance.
Changed perspective.
Laughing.

Sometimes asking
How is this being done for me - not to me
Can help.

Sometimes being willing to believe that someday
It will change is enough.

That’s why even thinking of those first tiny buds
Can feel like a weight lifted
The long grey of winter
Becomes a piece of paper
For the fresh ink
Of a new year
Relief is like that
It’s a fresh start.
Whatever season it comes in.

It’s possibility becoming actual.
It’s the moment after the exhale.
When there is room for something new.
Potential is potent.

And once there is room, the question: What now?
Is suddenly meaningful.

Isn’t just more.
Isn’t hoarding.

Is growth.

What’s next?

And it’s the question at the heart of Pick Your Next Project.
I’m releasing it as a free 9 day audio series
Starting 7/7.

The goal isn’t productivity.

It’s relief.

Relief from waiting to decide
Relief from circling the runway
Relief from wondering what’s next

The first step isn’t making the thing.

It’s choosing it.

Or listen right now on Hiro.

With Infinite Love and Gratitude,
Beth