Choose Courage
This week has felt like a self-imposed marathon. Not out on the trails, but inside at my computer. The symptoms were familiar: intense focus, muscle tension and then that satisfying sense of having accomplished something meaningful. Now, though, it’s time to stretch, breathe and shift back toward a gentler rhythm. Luckily, this coming week promises to be social, restorative and just what I need.
This project began a long time ago. I have slowly chipped away at every detail. But right before opening the doors, a mountain of last-minute tasks landed on my lap (no surprise there). Planning and doing are my realm. But once I reach that threshold—time to launch—I often stop. I don’t tell anyone. I don’t pause to celebrate. I don’t let it sink in that it’s done. I simply move on to the next project. The result? That creation never gets the attention it deserves; it fades before anyone really sees it.
In my book Calmly Centered, I wrote about cycles in terms of seasons:
Winter: dreaming
Spring: planning
Summer: activating
Late Summer: harvesting and receiving
Autumn: letting go and returning to the dreamtime
These cycles apply to a year, a day, a creative project, a garden, of course nature and even a painting. We can get stuck in any phase.
I know where I tend to get hung up: right at the doorway between planning and revealing. I could list a dozen reasons why but they’re all lame excuses when I see them plainly. Once I own that, I lighten up and ask myself: do I want to keep repeating that pattern, or pivot into a new way forward?
Pivoting takes courage. It means letting vulnerability in and accepting the possibility of failing. It means the little critical voice will likely show up, but over time I’ve learned to listen instead for a deeper, more integrated voice. It means stretching the brain, which is great, for when it is in new territory it forges new neural pathways, opens possibilities and new ways of thinking. Any anxiety can often be shifted to excitement through the breath and ‘writing’ a new story around it. So there is good, solid evidence for the value of pivoting.
So here’s what I’m doing: I’m unveiling my wearable art line. Pieces where function meets soul, stories meld into fabric, and life’s wildness becomes something you can wear.
Nice, deep breath …
Please check it out → Wearable Art by Suzanne Brokaw
May your courage take you to new places filled with loving support, graceful beauty and bountiful joy.
This is a post from my Substack site. If you’d like to read my weekly reflections, do check it out. You may subscribe for free to receive new posts directly to you inbox (each Sunday). Suzanne’s Substack - Staying Wild, Being Free.
