Better Days - Being vs. Doing

Are you a human doing or or human being? If I asked “who are you” what would you say? I encourage a deep exploration of these questions. And in this blog I share three offerings by others on a similar theme. Being is enough. Enjoyment is natural. Not lazy. Not time wasting. Our focus on striving, doing, producing, and listening to the nagging voice in our head is not making us happy or healthy. Are we here to produce and then die? Or are we here to be, to live, to love. 

Notice how we value ourselves and others, how we measure our own and others worth. I believe these kinds of conversations help us awaken to the lie we have all been programed to believe, despite our observations and lived experiences. The lie that productivity equals value and worthiness. 

So I offer a quick summary of three related conversations of sort. A book, a podcast and a YouTube video. My summary may be enough for you. But if you feel called to click the links to listen, watch, or read, great! Trust your first instinct. Maybe it is not now. Maybe it is down the road, perhaps even through a different offering that comes across your path. But I love to share what I have loved! I have no connection what-so-ever to these folks. I simply loved what they are sharing.


The book
“The Superego thoughts are the ones that sound like worry - questioning how you’ll be perceived, reminding you for the thirtieth time today what’s on your to-do list, rehearsing an imaginary dialogue with a friend or perceived enemy, as well as the thoughts that call you names or otherwise imply that you’re not good enough.” from Better Days by Neal Allen, pg. 178.

In a nut shell, the book is about learning to distinguish between our ego and our true (heart based) self and what to do with that new awareness. What I really appreciated about Better Days by Neal Allen, which just came out this year, is that it uses simple, short, digestible chapters with stories and some humor thrown in plus just a couple of practices.  Through this short book, anyone can discover the difference between the mind and the super ego, as Neal calls it, and what to do when it is running the show (shaming you, telling you negative and untrue things about yourself…). Your ego was needed as a child growing up learning to safely navigate this world. But you are an adult now and can take control! There is also a reading group guide offered at the end of the book filled mostly with questions a reader might ask followed by Allen’s answers. 
(No link to offer - find it where ever you enjoy books - library, audio, online or local book store.)


The podcast 
This was a gem. I enjoy Glennon’s vulnerability, humor and wit. I fell in love with her guest in this podcast, Devon Price. Young yet wise. The idea that we feel we have to work ourselves to the point of serious health issues, and even then try to push through instead of taking them as the warning sign they are, is so common. Taking time to rest, do things that we enjoy, that bring us fulfillment and recharge our batteries, is not laziness. It is a necessary part of a good life yet we have gotten away from that in our efforts to “be productive” to earn, to provide, to prove our worth and feel valued. We often look outside ourselves tor validation, when the only way we can truly know it and is truly worth anything, is finding where value lives within ourselves.  Other than all the ads (ugh) this is an fab hour, worth a listen!  Click this apple podcast link or visit your favorite podcast depot and search for the title below…
Glennon Doyle’s “We can do hard things” episode 303 titled “Laziness Does Not Exist with Devon Price” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things/id1564530722?i=1000653526239


On YouTube
“Doing is Expensive Being is Free” with Aaron Abke and Kyle Cease.

Non-doership is not the same as doing nothing. It speaks to taking inspired action, going with the flow of life (not pushing the river, as Dr. Sue Morter likes to say). It is not about sitting on the coach in binge watching your favorite show or spending hours lost in social media. That could happen when someone is in big burn out, hitting a wall or very ill. That state wont last forever though. We are creative beings and we like to do things! We have bought into the notion that to be productive and contributing partners or citizens we need to work hard, even at things we hate, to produce tangible wealth or income. Rather than what really matters. Such as creating beauty and joy, being kind, and sharing our hearts with one another, whether that be through a job, helping someone in need, cleaning up a city street, planting a community garden, donating time at a soup kitchen, creating art, growing food etc. It can be found in endeavors that excite you - such as the paid work you do, or what you create and share - blogs, a book, art, services, tools, materials, products, designs etc.

Being vs. doing is about being in your heart, embodying your hearts desires, and tuning in to what your body, heart, gut, higher self, the Universe… is saying to you. Another great hour to spend (they do speak about an in-person event they are planning this June, but there is much here to enjoy with not too much time spent speaking about the event itself. 
YouTube Link: HERE

In closing, I believe we are here to awaken to our true divine nature while being in this physical dimension after so much time forgetting or ignoring our natural desire for joy (like when we were a kid!). We value productivity over enjoying life itself. If you don’t have time for joy, time to get off the hamster wheel. 

Sending love, light and abundance your way and radiating it out into the world through all that I do!  Thanks for reading, and BEING human! ❤️

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