Flowing into February
As I prepare to publish my first book, there’s been a lot of mixed emotions coming up. After writing a blog a few weeks ago, I had many people inquire about how I find balance amongst the different businesses I operate. After two years of trial and error, the best answer I have for that question is: flow.
Have you ever experienced a time in your life when no matter how hard you tried to make something happen, it wouldn’t? It wasn’t that you were unprepared or weren’t “ready” for what you wanted to accomplish, but there seemed to be a force working against you? I’ve felt that quite often in life, and up until last year, I’d push back. I would move mountains trying to make something happen. On the off chance that I was able to do the task, the results produced were not good.
It’s important to know that when you feel this resistance, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not meant to happen to you; it merely means the timing is off.
I am now a firm believer of flow. When you decide to do something, devise a plan and work toward it. If it’s what you’re meant to be doing, things will align: events go smoothly, people are put on your path to help guide you, and as you work, you feel at ease…you are aligned.
I wrote my book, Let’s Sit Down and Meditate, in twenty minutes. It isn’t a thoughtless piece of literature; it’s a well-constructed, step-by-step guide on how to meditate. The reason I was able to transfer the book from thought to written form so quickly and easily was because I allowed it to marinate in my mind for months until I was ready to share the message with others. With every bone in my body, I know how important it is for young children to practice meditation. Most teachers are not given sufficient time to teach their students how to regulate emotions and deal with inevitable life stressors.
We often overcomplicate meditation. We have expectations around meditation that do not live up to our actual experience. It can feel like we are getting nowhere fast when we are new at meditating because it can feel like nothing is happening. To address this issue, I practiced breaking down meditation for months so that all of my students know—whether they are two or one hundred and two—if you can breathe, you can meditate. As a prior special education teacher, I know the importance of explicit instruction, so at the end of each PiP class, I’d engage in a conversation with my students to recap what mediation is and what they thought of the experience. Having this conversation regularly helped me adjust my instructions and simplify the lesson accordingly.
Towards the end of August 2019, one of my campers who had recently turned three, shared with the class, “meditation is our superpower. We always have it with us and it makes everything feel better.” I hit a major career milestone in that moment. The kids understood mediation! I knew that I was ready to sit down and write my book.
A week later, while my partner was overseas on a business trip and our home was peacefully quiet, I opened my journal and wrote Let’s Sit Down and Meditate. It flowed. I didn’t force myself to write it; I felt compelled to write it. I wasn’t distracted; I was focused. I didn’t hesitate or second guess my words and grammar; I was sure of it. The book flowed because it was ready to.
Since writing the book, there’s been a tremendous amount of work and love poured into having it illustrated, getting it ready for publication, and devising a marketing plan. Although it’s been labor intensive and stressful at times, people have shown up in ways I can’t explain to provide a skill, a connection, or the support I’ve needed to carry on in the process.
In light of February, a new beginning, I want to share this story and encourage you to lean into whatever is flowing in your life right now. If you feel resistance to something important, it may be time to reexamine it, or perhaps it’s time to change course and seek a different path. Things will align when you least expect it, in a way you least expect it. For me, things are aligning February 2020… the month I will publish my first book.
Thanks for following along!
Katie, @somethingkatie
P.S. — click here to learn more about its release date, launch party, book signings, and for access to free enrichment resources that correspond with Let’s Sit Down and Meditate!