Motivation. Mostly a Brain Foggy Feeling.
People generally have more control over their actions than their feelings.
But we can influence our feelings by taking action.
Take one small step. Move the body first and the mind will follow.
- James Clear
I have so little motivation these days and it’s weirder than that because it’s not ennui (mostly) and I’m not feeling hopeless (mostly) or that things don’t matter (mostly) but there’s a kind of brain foggy feeling I have like floating on a river in Arkansas in August and it’s moving so slowly slow and besides the sunburn you feel coming on–everything is really good (mostly).
So, here’s a photo of the wood bin for you and of course these things that inspired me recently:
Clothesline farm animals by Helga Stenzel - Yep, exactly what it sounds like only they’re more adorable than you can imagine. There are only a couple of photos but I think you’ll dig them too.
“There Are Days” - This poem by Kate Baer! Baer gets at a lot of gender issues very powerfully in this short poem. It begins: There are days I can’t believe we let the boys / with the new blue jeans and slick haircuts / decide the emotions of fourth grade girls.
Inge Ginsberg is your typical 96 year old, holocaust surviving, singer of a black metal band - So it’s true I’m drawn into Inge’s story because of these surprising juxtapositions, but really, it’s just so cool to see someone doing a thing they love with other people who love it too. This article has links to some of their music videos and there’s a short documentary about her idea to try out for “America’s Got Talent.” I was really interested in the way she describes what she considers to be heaven and hell at about 10:42 in the documentary.
“What To Do When You’re Feeling Lost” - Brad Stulberg writes about what inspired him about Rob Bell’s idea of understanding the cycle of orientation > disorientation > reorientation. I’m not feeling lost these days so much as I feel like I’m not sure what to do a lot of days. Even in the uncertainty of a pandemic, it’s helpful for me to remember we’re in a cycle and how to take advantage of where I am in that cycle.
“It’s Not About Routine, but About Practice” - I really got a lot out of this article because I easily get routine and practice confused and then when my routine fails, I feel like I’m not practicing… In other words, I often don’t allow myself, or give myself permission, to practice the things that truly bring joy to my life. Like writing, for example. This article helped me understand where I need to value practice differently and how routine can support this.