Let’s start with the facts:
FACT: This article was supposed to be written and published yesterday.
FACT: I had a legitimate excuse for missing my deadline.
FACT: I am the worst. And I can’t believe I missed getting this done in time.
One of those facts isn’t really true. Which one is it?
Well, for you it might feel obvious. But for me–inside my head–I’m not sure.
At least I wasn’t until I tried the technique Rachael Jayne Groover shared on the podcast this week.
The Real Facts
⭐ No one probably even realized that I normally send my articles on Tuesdays… and if they did, they would probably understand that sometimes life happens and things get delayed. My inbox certainly wasn’t crammed full of angry people who didn’t receive an email yesterday.
⭐ I had planned to write this article last week before we left for a quick trip to Denver to tour a college (for Kay) and visit my 98 year old grandmother. But a huge snowstorm in Denver caused canceled flights, re-booking of tickets, and all kinds of chaos. Once we were in Denver I soaked up family time rather than computer time.
⭐ I could write my articles weeks in advance. I know people who record podcasts up to 6 months before they release. I am not one of those people. I don’t want to be one of those people. I intentionally choose to not pre-load podcasts or articles. If you want to know why, just check out this footnote.1
⭐Can I control a snowstorm? Um, no. (not yet… maybe one day 😂) And, did I regret spending time focused on my family? Definitely not.
So why does that inner voice in my head tell me that I’m a terrible person for not getting this done on time?
Can you relate? Do you sometimes beat yourself up for things that are out of your control? Or things that aren’t perfect? Do you say terrible things to yourself that you would never say to a friend? (Truth: You actually wouldn’t say those things to someone you don’t even like!)
That voice in our head can be like a thousand tiny paper cuts all day long.
The Useless Battle
Have you tried to fight it? The voice in your head? Yep, me too. And all it leaves me is exhausted and frustrated.
What I found interesting about my conversation with Rachael Jayne, though, was this idea that fighting that inner voice just makes it stronger.
There’s a better way.
So, when I found myself on a plane flying home from Denver instead of trying to battle that inner voice in my head that told me I’d failed, I chose to use the technique RJ shared around the 23 minute mark of the podcast. And guess what?? It worked.
It’s funny how something so simple can have such a profound effect. Because the truth is: my whole day…my whole outlook…my whole way of looking at myself. All of it changed. Almost instantly.
And the truth of it is:
Sometimes we all need to receive a little grace–even if that grace is simply from ourselves.
I’ve been working on receiving in my life.
Receiving compliments (without sloughing them off)
Receiving love (without feeling like I need to DO in order to receive)
Receiving grace (because we all need grace)
About a year ago, I found a meditation that helped me open myself up a little bit more to receiving. I wish I could find the original to share with you, but I searched and searched but couldn’t find it.
So instead, I recorded my own version of it in hopes that it helps you too. You can listen to it right here:
**I know the word meditation might scare you off a bit. I used to feel that way too. We can call it a guided audio if that makes you more comfortable because that’s essentially what it is—a guided activity you do with your eyes closed.
Grab Your Bonus Freebie
Rachael Jayne has been kind enough to gift you a free copy of her book since you are a Not Rocket Science subscriber. If you listened to the podcast, you know I absolutely loved this book (which is why I insisted she had to come of the show!)
This bonus freebie isn’t for a free chapter - it’s the entire book! So make sure to go ahead and grab it.
Just a heads up: I think our Thursday Thread will be pushed back to Friday this week, so look for that to land in your inbox soon.
In the meantime, if you enjoyed today’s meditation, just hit reply and let me know.
I want to make sure that the bonus extras I offer aren’t always downloads - I want to mix it up… but I also want to give you what you think helps you the most.
But I always want to keep them simple and easy for you to use. After all, it’s Not Rocket Science.
This might surprise you because I’m all about batching and systems but I like to keep my content flexible so I can speak into what I’m experiencing in the moment. When I say: I was supposed to go to Denver last week… it's true. It really was last week.
In my opinion, that encourages me to be authentic in my communication and it lets me react to what’s happening right now in the world. I like that flexibility.