b-a-n-a-n-a-s | flowing with the crazy parts of life - amanda frances | thought leader + best selling author + money queen

Quotes of the Week:

Life, at its best, is a flowing, changing process in which nothing is fixed. – Carl Rogers (my homeboy)

What you resists, persists. – Carl Jung

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward… – Lao Tzu

The Goods (I’m trying to decide what to call this part of the blog. Suggestions?):

I am a big Make-It-Happen kind of girl. When I had moved to Dallas and didn’t want to work for someone else, I found a way to do what I wanted working for myself – twice. When I didn’t feel like I was expressing myself creatively – I built a blog the same day it occurred to me to have one. Once I think I know what’s missing or not working in my life, I act. I am really good at getting things done when I have a burst of inspiration and am uber excited to do something. I love to flow with positive momentum. I sometimes have the kind of excitement toward a big new idea that kind of scares people. And I love it. I love to be in that kind of flow.

Life however, is a fluid thing. There is the other side of the roller coaster of life that I am not so fond of. The daily-ness of life bores me to tears. You know, the stupid things that you just have to do every day to be a responsible adult – like I hate those things. I know it sounds crazy, but for example, I hate to wash my hair. It’s so annoying to me that I’m going to do it and just have to do it again really soon. So, I’m a regular at the blow-out bar across the street from my house and single-handedly support the dry-shampoo industry. I go way out of my way to keep things from being boring. Boredom feels like meaninglessness. And for me, meaninglessness feels like death. There is nothing I hate more. When it comes to blow outs and dry shampoo, my plan is working (because what’s better in life than blow outs and dry shampoo?), but in other ways — it’s not. Because, life will always have some boringness to it. Having an exciting business also means filing boring taxes. Having a fun blog also means remembering to do WordPress updates. Life requires maintenance. And I resist this part of life – like to a degree that doesn’t always serve me.

For you, it’s likely not meaninglessness that drives you crazy. You might feel crazy when you feel like you have no control in a situation or when a circumstance prevents you from feeling comfortable or settled. Some people feel this kind of discomfort when they feel really vulnerable.

Everyone has their area(s).

And what I’m learning is that I don’t have to resist/fight/be pissed-the-hell-off-at the things that don’t feel so good. I don’t have to get freaked out and internally shout, “WHY GOD!?!? Why, do I have to write this dumb boring paper or do this stupid meaningless errand?? WHY?!” I can instead experience my feelings, accept them, and be in the discomfort. What we resists, persists. What we accept/experience, often softens and looses intensity.

It’s like in yoga. You know how in when you are in a really difficult pose and your inner dialog is like, “Omg. This hurts. Why is this instructor stupid? She is so dumb. So-in-so-doesn’t make us hold this pose this long.” When I think that way the pain just feels so much more intense and the pose lasts forever and I hate everything. But when I am in that pose and it’s effing hard to hold it but I just breath and focus on my breath and hang out with my discomfort… then the discomfort fades, and I feel awesome and next thing you know it’s time for the next pose.

I am kind of realizing that that is what I am supposed to do with the things in life that freak me out. For me, that’s boredom and meaninglessness. And I am learning to breathe into it. Accept it. Flow with it. Know that life is fluid and what ever I am having to do right then won’t last much longer. And just be okay with it.

And this applies to what ever areas are hard for you… cause life inevitably has some meaningless, vulnerable, out of control, uncomfortable parts — and resisting them, only intensifies your negative feelings.

I’m learning that I can bring all my happiness and positive energy and excitement to all of the parts of my life – even the ones I am mad at and don’t love. If change is neither good or bad (which I believe it isn’t) and if life is in a constantly is a state of movement (I believe it is) than my only options is to truly be present in ALL the parts of my life. From the mundane to the revolutionary, and everything in between.

What areas of your life are driving you bananas? Are you fighting it? Resisting it? Being pissed at it? (Ps: There is a difference between being angry with the intention of letting it go and clinging to your anger. You know the difference.)

Try praying and releasing. Try forgiving and letting go. Try knowing it won’t last much longer.

And whatever area you are thinking this doesn’t apply to – that’s probably the area you need to practice this in. (Life just kind of works that way.)

Don’t know where to start? Ask to be guided in how to be peaceful and present in the parts of life that are hard for you.

And know what ever it is that is driving you crazy, won’t last much longer.

Pics of the week: