I am now writing my blog post.

Sat down this morning to bang out a blog post. That was the plan. But first I needed to open up my email account to check for messages. Then a quick peek at Facebook before another quick peek at LinkedIn.
Now why did I sit down? I shouldn't be sitting here. So much to do around the house. From my office chair I can see toys on the floor and a pile of laundry waiting to be folded. Ugh, the guilt. Oh hey! A friend I have been trying to make plans with is now available to chat with on FB. Better grab the chance before his chat window dies again. Okay, back to writing this post.
Just remembered I need to email my sister about getting together to house hunt this week. So proud of her. The Onion just posted a funny video link . . . I need to make a shopping list for Easter dinner. Where will I find the time to fit it all in? Wish I had more time to get this blog post done and then maybe work out. Some day I'll hire a housekeeper so I can spend my time on the projects I really want to spend time on; writing, working out, home cooking, scrapbooking . . .
Damn it I'm out of time. Will have to finish this blog later.

I'm ashamed to admit how many of my mornings have started like this and ended as afternoons with little accomplished of real consequence. Enough already. Self discipline - please be mine. Confidently I say
out loud - "I am now writing my blog post." Lets face it folks, we have tons of time if we could just summon the self discipline and focus to accomplish what is important to us.
Read a great post from zenhabits by Leo Babauta today called Create. I read zenhabits for many reasons. The author uses language easy to understand and gets to the point quickly. He has truly found his voice and uses it confidently so his words give me comfort. But what I love are the moments his message makes me, well, a bit uncomfortable. He doesn't throw down a challenge forcefully slamming his fist on the podium. He presents his philosophy with calm and cool collection. Nothing to fear here folks. Just a few subversive thoughts to contemplate. No, nothing to fear at all.
Unless of course . . . you're a big chicken.

Leo Babauat wrote the following about finding the time to create . . .
"I had no time to create Zen Habits, and yet today it stands, alive and breathing with pattering heart. I created the time, taking some from television watching, some from meetings, some from saying no to the endless requests on my time by co-workers and wellmeaning friends, some from other important projects that I put off. I put off important things to create time for The Most Important Thing. I said no to others I cared about to say yes to the thing I needed to make.
Say no to everything else. Put off what can be held at bay for the time being. And create time for what is necessary.
Make something. Bring new creative life into the world, change the lives of others, and in doing so, change yours.
You have the power to create time, and the will to create. Don’t squander it, my friend."

Can you guess where I became uncomfortable? Doubt I needed to highlight the phrase where fear set in. "I put off important things to create time for The Most Important Thing." He did WHAT? Bare in mind this man was raising 6 kids and training for a marathon when he began writing his blog. (If I had six kids I'd run too.) Saying no to people he cared about? Put off other important things? Sounds selfish does it not? If you are a mother it sounds down right against nature. Blasphemy! Anarchy!

Even now as I write I have to force myself back to this screen to finish my post again and again. I know my distraction is caused by two things 1) The instinct to take care of needs of others before myself and 2) Fear: fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of success.  Blocking out the pile of laundry, the cluttered kitchen counters, the FB notifications, etc. I push myself to create the time to create. Because the creation of something new, sharing your creativity in the form of your choosing is not selfish. If I may be so bold . . . I believe it is why we are here, on this planet. To create is the meaning of life.  It is a gift to the world. A gift that may change just one person or it may change the world.  Or it may change the world through that one person. We all have so much to share through our creativity. Choose your medium - there are a variety of choices in art, clay, paint, fabrics, music, the written word, nature, mechanics, culinary arts, knowledge, happiness, life, the options are endless. Choose your voice . . . .  Our creation inspires others (including our own children) to create and their creation will again inspire others and so on. So you see, creating time to create can not be selfish. Creating time to create is the deepest most personal way you can share your whole self, body and soul, with others.