What One Spiritual Teacher Said About Productivity
Hello ThereI am super honored you are reading this and don't take it lightly. We're continuing our discussion here of "anti-productivity". In this article:
Are You Slaving?I heard an amazing quote about productivity recently: "Measuring your existence by productivity is the mentality of a slave." - R.J. Spina Damn that hit hard. I've definitely seen that mentality in myself. After hearing that quote I had to reflect and see if some slaving is still in there. Even after all the internal program dissolving I've done over the years. It is. But very subtle. Here's one way it shows up for me. "My to do list is more important than my joy." That's what my mind tells me. But even if it isn't saying that out loud, I know that's what my mind believes because when I sit down at my desk my first question is: what is on my to-do list? That shows my priorities. If I want to live even more guided by my soul than I am now, my first question needs to be, what is my joy in this moment? That's aligned with how the universe works. Your joy is not a coincidence. Your joy (I'm talking about your heart's joy) is a message. From your soul. What we feel as joy in our bodies is us translating the energy from our soul about what would be the best path for us. The problem is, we just have so many beliefs sitting on top of it, so much conditioning that says our joy is not to be followed for any number of reasons. Because that's selfish and makes us a bad person, because joy can't support us, because it's nonsense, because it's not important, because it's not productive, because, you know, money. Following our joy is the most productive thing we can do. If our goal is to create a life we love. That's not the goal of our beliefs, however, which only want us to survive and be safe and not rejected by anyone. That explains why so many of us are NOT creating a life we love. So as long as we have beliefs inside, we are a little bit of a slave. To the programs we have been given, and therefore, to those that gave us the programs. It's not anyone's fault. It's just conditioning. The answer is simple: Don't listen to what you believe. How To Stop Slaving:Start by identifying what you believe. If you want to know what you believe about joy, look at your behaviors around joy. Your behaviors show you what you believe by what what you are willing to do, or not do. Do you act as if your joy is an non-negotiable? Or do never even think about it? Do you act as if joy is a priority message about what's best for you? Or do you act like it isn't even there? That's the main step here to break free: observe the true motivation behind your behaviors. See what is really moving you to action. It's almost always a surprise when you dig. So much of what drives us is a program that you actually don't want. The amazing thing is - I've glimpsed the perspective beyond this. When I've done the work to help these beliefs loosen, I've seen it is not an either/or situation. It's a both-and. Joy and "getting things done" and money are not separate. They are not opposed. Above the dualistic beliefs, they are one. And can easily be one in our lives, if we are willing to dig out what we believe and seek to create the life we love. I'm working on that in a new way. See below. Presence, Embodiment, and Play Will Solve All Your ProblemsPresence allows you to become aware of your truth in this moment. Your truth as in your guidance, intuition, and your emotions or whatever is holding you back and ruining your day (and most of your days). Embodiment allows you to work with and change that energy in the most direct, effective way so it can heal and dissolve. So you can get your life force and freedom back. So you have more awesome days. Play is the lightness that makes this "work" easier, more fun, and more doable. Emotional healing and dissolving our beliefs - it can get really damn uncomfortable. I mean, there's usually crying involved. But if you know how to be light with yourself no matter what you are feeling, if you know how to take the spirit of curiosity and play, it can actually go from ugly to hilarious pretty fast. Can you imagine? If healing our pain, finding our purpose, taking bold brave action, creating what we really want, could actually be fun? It can. Even if there is still a little crying. These three aspects, presence, embodiment, and play are actually all part of one tool. The most awesome personal development tool I have ever discovered. Personal Improv. Yeah, it needs a better name. Maybe you have a good idea? I started using this on myself, with incredible results. I started using this in some of my coaching sessions, with incredible results. You can "act out", play, and even laugh your way to healing and answering the big questions you have about yourself. I'm going to be writing a lot more about this. If all goes to plan this newsletter is going to get a new title. It's gonna be called Improv Solving and it's going to be fun. What about that name - Improv Solving - do you dig it? Love, David PS - When you're ready to grow beyond your limits - I've got some new ways of working:
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