Tuesday, June 2, 2009

fear or trust?

Writing...I've discovered, has much in common with resolving weight issues. You can proceed from the fear that unless you force yourself to do it, you won't. Or you can proceed from the belief that you want to do it, and will, but that doing it may sometimes look like not doing it. One way is as difficult as the other; both require perseverance and commitment. The way you choose depends on how you want to live. You can fear yourself or you can trust yourself.


Geneen Roth

Doing it may sometimes look like not doing it...you can fear yourself or you can trust yourself.

Love this quote. Right now, life looks like not writing. Life looks like not exercising. Life looks like not losing weight. I cannot begin to tell you the panic this creates internally.

I want to learn this trust. This ability to rest in knowing that I will write. That I will work out. That I will get my weight back into normal limits. I want to trust that I will parent well, love my husband well, pay my bills on time, get the laundry done... all without having to force myself out of the fear that I won't do it otherwise.

The way you choose depends on how you want to live. I do not want to live in this kind of fear any longer. But to say that seems as ludicrous, as unnatural as a fish saying I do not want to live in water any longer. Striving has been akin to breathing--how does one suddenly not breathe?

2 comments:

  1. oo, ah, yes. our culture battles this fear v trust thing in lots of ways. politics, evangelism, everyday advertising... hmm, i guess that is the basic difference in the two kingdoms of this world.

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  2. I struggle with this also. Right now I'm doing better on several areas but since I'm facing a marketing task with the writing, there is a sense of fear and internal pressure (I hate the whole query process, the only good thing is that I don't have to 'sell' myself or 'network' in person).

    But I love this quote. I am more productive when I take the trusting path, even if it doesn't look as good and my weight goes in the good direction.
    KP

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