Sometimes we have to get out of our own way.
I am not someone who easily acknowledges my own accomplishments, wisdom, or luck. My mind is constantly planning and thinking, What's next? How can I grow? How can I expand?
While I believe that ambition is a valuable quality, I also think it's important to step aside and simply enjoy life as it is. We tell ourselves we're enjoying life, but often we're living somewhere between the past, the present, and the future. We're reflecting on what happened, managing what's happening now, and strategizing what comes next—all at the same time.
It's a daily practice to look at the day for what it is and ask myself, What can I accomplish today while still remaining present in this moment? Not a week from now. Not a month from now. Not six months from now.
Goals are important, but sometimes success and opportunity come from spontaneity. They come from doing things that nourish your soul rather than constantly optimizing every moment. Planning has its place, but life becomes rigid when everything is calculated. Not everything valuable can be controlled.
So I ask you this: In what ways can you get out of your own way?
How can you release some of the pressure you put on yourself? How can you become still enough to receive whatever life is offering you?
One way I'm practicing this is by becoming comfortable with stillness.
When I've finished my obligations for the day—completed my work, exercised, meditated, journaled, spent quality time with my pets, and checked in with friends and family—I no longer feel the need to fill every remaining hour with productivity.
Instead, I listen.
Do I want to dance in my closet to Purple Yellow Red and Blue by Portugal. The Man and Passion Pit? (A great song, by the way—one of my summer favorites.) Or do I want to curl up on the couch and read a book?
I'm learning to trust that both are enough.
I've found that being truly present often means accepting stillness instead of resisting it. Some of my happiest memories come from getting completely lost in a painting studio—playing with colors, sketching, dancing, and losing track of time without worrying about what I should or shouldn't be doing.
Surrender.
That's what I'm trying to learn.
And perhaps the challenge is that surrender cannot be forced. The moment we try to master it, we've already turned it into another goal.
So here I am, sharing these thoughts as part of that practice.