Pushing the rock up hill

Hi there!

This week I’m changing up my normal format and deferring the next creator convo a week. In its place, I wanted to share a brief update and get your opinion on something. (Poll at the end!)

If you recall from my last email, we just managed our way through graduation week and the surrounding chaos of schedule and family, etc. We were looking forward to resuming normalcy after Memorial Day. However, the very next morning we had an accident where one of our cars was totaled and it consumed the week with workarounds and hard decisions. We’re very thankful nobody was hurt, and that it was the older of our two vehicles.

After this 2 week cortisol spike, I’m taking a beat to change up today’s email a touch. And as part of that I wanted to check in with you.

This marks my 10th straight newsletter since I started. As of now I have 4 more recorded conversations that still need edited. Over the last few weeks I’ve found myself torn between whether the anchor is the convo, or my writing piece. That’s what I’d love your opinion on at the end. Last week was great—I got some replies that caterpillar soup felt very on the nose for some other folks as well.

As far as newsletters go, I also saw two opinions this week that would tell me I’m doing this all wrong either way. One guy said he didn’t ever start publishing his until he got 1k subscribers by hyping it on social media. Someone else said that your subscribers want (no, need) to hear from you every single day.

Well, whatever. We’re 16 subscribers strong here with me going week to week on a real-time approach. I want you to know I’m grateful and don’t take your participation lightly. I truly hope you’ve enjoyed or gotten something out of them.

I also appreciate the concept of building in public, and this is just what it looks like right now. So I figured while I’m accepting it, I’ll also continue to share it.

Ok, thanks for indulging my spontaneity:) Here’s the rest-

If you’re keeping score at home, the points seem to keep landing on the WTF side of the board. Mass layoffs keep coming from tone deaf CEOs at profitable companies. The AI backlash seems to be getting… interesting. From there, take your pic of war, genocide, disenfranchisement, plus whatever of your own personal issues are surely stacked on top of it.

Something feels like it’s going on just below our feet and over our heads. Like it’s either going to give way under us or come crashing down from above. I can count on one hand the number of people in my life who are doing “well” right now (maybe one finger). So chances are you might fall in this same camp.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on consciousness and the centered self for a few years now. One of the themes I keep coming across is that we individually bring our past sum of experiences into each moment we move through. Two people side by side could experience the same physical event (watching a sunset, petting a dog, etc) and have absolute and totally different emotional experiences as a result. It all depends what they are carrying from their personal context.

A key concept is that, contrary to how it feels inside, we are not our emotions. Or our thoughts. Each of us as an aware spiritual being are simply experiencing those things as we move through life. I’ve been revisiting a lot of my own past experiences lately, and realizing why things feel so heavy at present. Fear was one of my primary emotions growing up. Fear of things out of my control. Fear of making the wrong decision when something was in my control. Fear of not having enough. Fear of having it but losing it. Fear of them... this... that.

The biggest problem with fear is it can easily paralyze. Especially when our noses are being rubbed shoved in it daily. It’s the worst and most counterproductive thing that can happen because we just remain stuck there.

Unless… we dig deep and find the capacity to put one foot forward. And then the other, even if slowly. Unfortunately it’s always in the direction of discomfort or literal pain. Because it has to be.

I like the word “ascent” Michael Singer (quote up top). It gives directionality to the effort. But even more simple, the way I’ve been hearing it plainly across numerous sources is “action”. Moving beyond stuck, or waiting, or watching and into movement.

Sometimes it is the hardest gd thing to do. Things were so heavy personally the past few weeks it was like a magnetic force had me pinned to a bed or couch on some days.

But then at other times I catch a ride on energy that can propel me into immediate action.

I am increasingly drawn to this notion that we are always and actively creating our future. Not just any future, but our future. The one we’ve aligned our self to. With the goals we set. The steps we take. The risks we allow. The rejection we open ourselves to. All of those are necessary actions in our creation.

Action is the differentiation ground right now. Many get caught in analysis paralysis. Many get stuck navel gazing. Others go straight to head-in-sand. But those who can persevere and keep creating circumstances for “luck” to happen are the ones who tend to find it.

For me, simply finishing this email is action #1 of my morning. Then I've got hundreds of options stacked behind it (which by itself can also be a problem) for what can come next. The thing about action is that we're always taking it, but how and where we're applying it is what really changes.

If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, anxious, unmotivated - you're definitely not alone. My encouragement to you is to find the steps of actions you can take where you reclaim your power—even if small.

While watching a soccer documentary a few days ago, I heard a commentator make the statement "Winning is a directional energy. When you have it, it's easy to keep getting more. When you don't have it, it requires more grit and determination."

I imagine we're all feeling that sentiment more than ever in our bodies and psyche. But the fact remains that our actions are ours, and they are what propel us from the place we exist now into something better.

I'm rooting for you today as you go into your own circumstances. You have the winning energy deep inside you, I promise. My hope for you (and focus for me) is to keep putting actions in motion that move you forward. One foot at a time is fine—but movement is key.

-Justin

If you have anything else worth sharing, please just reply after you click your option above and let me know. Thanks!