Consistency
The struggle to maintain consistency in life is truly bewildering. It has been over a year since I made my first post here, and I must admit, I feel a hint of embarrassment that it has taken me this long to share my second newsletter. Nevertheless, life persists, regardless of our pace.
On a more positive note, my prolonged contemplation has led me back to this moment, where I find myself pondering the disruptive nature of chronic illness, such as sickle cell. Like many others, I wrestle with maintaining consistent habits and pursuing my varied interests. This struggle is compounded by the unpredictability of sickle cell crises, which thrust me into a state of temporal limbo, characterized by excruciating pain and the necessity of opioids for relief. Progress often feels like regression in the face of such challenges, akin to the eternal struggle of Sisyphus pushing his boulder uphill. In these moments, recovery becomes a turbulent journey, requiring physical and mental resilience that I honestly found to be lacking recently. It is so important to grant oneself grace during these periods of recuperation, though admittedly easier said than done
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Ryan Holiday's quote, "Talking about doing the thing and doing the thing vie for the same resources. Allocate your energy appropriately," struck a chord with me. I've recognized many moments where I've allowed analysis paralysis to anchor me in place, hindering progress in various aspects of my life. However, this realization has also been liberating, as it highlights the importance of action over mere discussion. Applying this principle to areas of my life where action has been lacking, including this newsletter, is a crucial step forward. The fear of negative judgment, while natural, should not discourage me from embracing growth and evolution.
In conclusion, while the path towards consistency may be fraught with challenges, it is essential to persevere and adapt. By cultivating resilience, embracing action, and granting ourselves grace, we can navigate life's ebbs and flows with greater confidence and purpose. I am sure there are many who can break it down better but I just thought I would add my own observations to the discussion.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts. It was a brilliant breakdown of the desire to maintain consistency and the paralysis caused by the unpredictability of life in general and the very personal life struggles you experience. The fact that you allocated your energy to doing the action and had some energy left over to talk about doing it is also very admirable. Can't wait to read more of your posts 😊
The Pen is strong with this one 🪶 What makes good writing is not so much fancy words or styltic blabla, but rather vulnerability, rhythm, and message. All of those can be found here. And the message is universal, I do not have sickle cell, but I can identify with the struggle to keep consistency and the struggles in my life that cause unpredictability. Often I take so much energy trying to control the uncontrollable, rather I’ll give myself grace, and when I can move to action rather than contemplate how and why.
This I my favourite line : “The fear of negative judgment, while natural, should not discourage me from embracing growth and evolution.” 🙏🏾