Chop Wood, Carry Water
I have been thinking about my 2010 theme, dreams and goals for the last few weeks. Actually I started thinking about them the day I quit my job in November. I’ve come to realize that thinking about something for too long just creates more confusion, not clarity and sometimes you have to listen and not think.
Last night I pulled out my 2007 ‘success’ binder. It contains a lot my notes from 2007, 2008 and a journal summary for 2001-2006. It’s pretty thick. It holds printed pages, hand written pages, index cards with notes, post-its, and pictures.
Not much has changed in the last nine years. The fact that my vision of what I want to do (work for myself) and how I want to try and combine all my many interests (most of which have not changed) is very close to the same things I want today reassures me that I am on the right path.
You could say if I knew what I wanted in 2001, why is it still 2010 and they haven’t manifested in my life yet?
The vision was there, although a little fuzzy, and the desire was there, but not the confidence or clarity. What has changed in the last decade is me. I have taken the time to get to know myself better and to feel more comfortable and at ease with my self. I’ve had a wide range of professional experiences and experienced a certain level of success. This has given me confidence, helped identify and hone my natural talents and abilities and taught me about the many things I do not want to do and the things I am not good at.
Another benefit of the past few years was that I could show up, do my job, get paid and still do my side stuff. I lived in two worlds. In the one world I was a loyal, hard working employee, wife, daughter, friend, etc. In the other world I was a dreamer, writer, spiritual seeker, healer and all things most people in my family and immediate circle of friends, co-workers and acquaintances did not ‘get’ or understand.
Over the last few months (after quitting my job) I have felt enormous pressure to give up the ‘woowoo’ personal world and get ‘crunching’ on building my business and generating cash flow.
This is where I hit a brick wall and fall down. I feel as if I am split in half, being pulled in two opposing directions – the internal world related to personal and spiritual growth and the external world of making a living, building a business and meeting family obligations. I’ve always felt split in two, but in the past I could make it work most of the time and live in both worlds. Now I am trying to create one harmonious world where work, play, self and other obligations all wrap together like a beautiful DNA double helix.
Whenever I feel like this the Buddhist saying “chop wood, carry water” floats to the surface and I am reminded that personal and spiritual growth doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It grows out of and in the midst of daily living. And, living includes making a living, building a business and balancing the needs of others with my own needs.
I still have some work to do to bring all of these thoughts and ideas together, but I feel calmer. I am remembering to take it one step at a time, one day at a time, and to embrace the philosophy of “chop wood, carry water”.
The theme I chose for 2010 earlier this year was “grow into my vision”. But, I think my mantra for 2010 will be “chop wood, carry water”.
Sandy, I’ve been out of the loop for a couple of weeks now and because of my interest in Buddhism, when I made my way over here from Facebook this post naturally caught my eye. I’m going to bookmark it. I may return to it when I develop that same sense of being torn. It’s nice to know one isn’t alone, but that isn’t all I know. I know you can do it — one pile, one pail at a time.
Chop wood, carry water, hm? For 2 weeks, starting Christmas day this year, our septic system froze, creating the need to reduce the amount of water going down the drain. Pans were placed in the sinks, and pails were used to run water to temperature before showers and dishes. These buckets and pans were carried outside and chucked on the ground.
Meanwhile, down to one income, I decided to heat the house with the cast iron stove. Although I didn’t have to chop, I did haul wood in several times a day.
While these actions did not produce an income, nor did they make the problems go away, they did created an atmosphere where I felt more in control of my situation. The daily grind of hauling wood and chucking water made for 2 weeks of strength of purpose.
Most entrepeneurs have to do tasks that they don’t want to do, especially in the beginning, while setting up their businesses. I think the key though, is to follow your passions, and let them shine through. Keep the tasks you aren’t good at or don’t care for to as small a part of the work day as possible, and outsource as many of those you can as soon as you can afford to. It was a real revelation to me to realize that there are people who love to do many of the things I don’t, and vice versa.
Expressing your uniqueness, and not following the crowd, is what makes one stand out in their field. It’s more fulfilling, and I believe, will be more profitable, in more ways than just money. This is what I am planning to do myself this year as I begin my own business. I base this on studying numerous people in lots of different career fields. I believe that we naturally have interests, talents, and the desire to learn about
what excites us inside. Too many of us stifle those. We can help the most people in the world, and be the happiest ourselves, when we let that out in our daily living.
I always get it wrong and try to chop water, carry wood. Oh, well.
Keep at it Sandy!
I agree with Ken. The Law of Attraction is weak UNTIL… both decision and action are taken. Only then, in my opinion, will one begin to “attract” what one wants. Decisions and actions with a good slice of persistence is indeed the reason for many successes and accomplishments.
Let the chopping continue, one chop at a time!
Gilles
http://www.TheWisdomSpeakers.com
Can I confess something? I don’t believe in the Law of Attraction. I believe in the benefits of a positive attitude. I believe in the power inherent in making decisions and taking action. I just don’t think thoughts have much of an impact on the external, physical universe. Chop wood, carry water. That’s how things become manifest. Chop and carry, dear sister, chop and carry.
Great post. I like the idea of a success binder – it conjures up all sorts of wonderful images for me.
It’s all a matter of identity – who are you choosing to be? It sounds to me like you’re shifting towards who you are, and as you do, the world will shift to match. It can do no less.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Barbara Winter and Sandy Dempsey, Terri Belford. Terri Belford said: Waht a perfect Mantra (and article) @SandyDfromNJ: My 2010 mantra "Chop Wood, Carry Water" http://is.gd/6KbaT [...]