If you follow my writing or the Depth Not Width blog, you probably noticed the last couple of weeks I’ve been pretty quiet. My consistent stream of weekly thoughts and insights did not run dry but was momentarily diverted as I took some time to tend to other things. The funniest thing about that? The day after I wrote a blog for OrangeBall Insights on the importance of consistency, I became the inconsistent one.
The world has a funny way of putting you in your place from time to time.
My time away from writing was spent on the things that mattered most for the last couple of weeks. I’ve put my energy into my wife and kids, the business I help lead, my soon-to-be eighty-year-old mom who I love dearly, and prep for the men’s Bible study I’m teaching. I hit a point, with all of those balls in the air, where something had to give. Knowing that, and having to prioritize what was most important in this short season, I set my writing aside.
Here’s what I’ve come to realize over the past few weeks…
- What’s most important today may shift tomorrow. That’s not to say it’s no longer relevant, but based on the limited amount and time and energy we have it might have to move lower on the list. Writing is a piece of me, a personal outlet, and a way for me to give something back to the world. Setting it aside briefly didn’t diminish its importance – it merely meant that other things required my attention and energy. And now, as my responsibilities have shifted, I can start writing again.
- Having outlets is healthy. For me, I enjoy writing. It feels good, it’s a way for me to sift through all the thoughts in my head, and it stimulates my creativity. I’ve missed writing and sharing, and sitting here now feels right to me. It fills my cup. That’s a huge takeaway. We all need one or two things in our lives that we do for ourselves to fill our own cups. Maybe it’s time at the gym, maybe it’s walking the dog, maybe it’s riding your motorcycle, doing puzzles, or fishing. Whatever it is for you, filling your own cup is vital to being healthy.
- Quit beating yourself up. For the past two weeks, writing this blog has hung over my head. It wasn’t done, I didn’t have time, and as the evangelist of consistency, I was a hypocrite. And then came the moment when I decided it was all ok. “Consistency” had become a code word for “perfection,” and perfection doesn’t exist. We need to give ourselves some room to fail, embrace our imperfection, and simply do our best whatever our best looks like today.
It’s been freeing to not write for a few weeks, to let it go, and come back. I feel rejuvenated and reinvigorated. Thanks for your patience, and let’s dig back into creating the kind of depth in our lives that really matters!
The Takeaway
Show yourself a little grace, enjoy being perfectly imperfect, and chase the things that fill your cup!