January 2018 - Page 4 of 4 - HELLO, my name is Blog!

Woody once said that whenever he started to write his films that in his bedroom, he would think they were going to be the greatest things ever
made.

But then, once production was a go, he would start backing up the dump
truck of compromise. And by the end, when the movie was about to be released,
he would hope and pray that he wasn’t massively humiliated.

Because you can’t
vouch for the final product, he warns. You can hope people talk about it, but
you can’t promise that they’ll like it.

Proof positive, that everything we
create has two births.

First, as an idea in our head, where it’s flawless and
foolproof and innocent.

Second, as the real and tangible output of that idea in
the world, where it’s powerlessly exposed to the harsh, raw light of reality.

The challenge is surrendering to that gap. Accepting that whatever is in our
brains cannot be fully and perfectly realized on screen, on the page or on the
stage. And remembering that the work never comes out quite the way we think it
will.

But at the same time, not beating ourselves up for making compromises and
managing expectations and ceasing to engage in meaningless battles.

I used to
come down hard on myself when my book and music and film projects looked differently
in the real world than they did inside my heads. But I’m learning to accept
that as the purchase price of producing things.

Because there’s always
something lost in translation. Losing the full subtlety of meaning when we move
from conception to execution is part of the creative process.

And in fact,
that’s a good thing. It teaches us not to be so damn precious about everything.

It helps us pass beyond the limits of the tiny island universe of our minds.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Are you able to forgive yourself for backing up the dump truck of compromise?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

Buy my latest devotional!

A Year in Hot Yoga: 365 Daily Meditations for On and Off the Mat.

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Namaste.

When we begin experiencing an emotional crisis, we rarely have the time or temperament to figure out what to do with our feelings.

The moment is too overwhelming for rational thought.

And so, unless we have a solid plan in place, we resort to unhealthy ways of coping. We make things worse by falling back on old behaviors that we used in the past.

Like eating an entire box of chocolate donuts and passing out in front of television.

The first few times I had anxiety attacks, for example, I didn’t know what the hell was happening to me. All I knew was that something was horribly wrong and the voice inside my head started screaming:

Dude, I want out of how I’m feeling, right now.

Unfortunately, that usually resulted in me curling up into a ball and crying on the floor. Not a great plan.

But after many years of therapy and mediation and research and practice, I’ve learned how to build in counterbalances and plan for crisis in advance.

It all starts with recognizing the physiological warning signs. These might include sudden perspiration, skin flushing, constricted breathing and claustrophobic feelings that the room is caving in.

If more than one of those symptoms begins to manifest, I simply execute my plan. Not unlike a computer, my brain launches the anxiety reduction subroutine that includes breathing, affirmations, relaxing playlists, physical movement and a variety of other tools to help me soothe myself and feel calmer.

Within twenty minutes, all is right with the world again.

What plan do you execute when the pressure is on?

I have a friend with crippling hyperactivity disorder. She carries a coloring book and crayons in her purse. And sometimes, during the middle of dinner, she’ll pull it for five minutes to help her soothe anxiety and eliminate stress. She literally colors her way to peace and calm.

But she doesn’t think about it. She manages the process into a trusted external system. That way, it doesn’t take up residence in her psyche.

Proving, that with a crisis plan in place, we don’t have to think about what to do in the moment. We can simply launch the anxiety subroutine, let it tell us what to do and execute against it to help get our minds back to normal.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What are some of your favorite things to have handy to help soothe yourself and feel calmer?