A Work in Prog-Mess by LA Bourgeois
Let’s welcome back LA Bourgeois as she shares with us “A Work in Prog-Mess.” Enjoy!
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“I’m a work in prog-mess.”
When I heard this phrase in an episode of Ted Lasso, I pointed at the screen and squealed, “YES! That’s me! I am a work in prog-mess!”
“I’m a mess!” I used to say whenever my hope for perfection got lost in a tangle of uncomfortable emotions or sticky situations or yarn.
The knots and tangles of yarn were objectively messy, but my thoughts around those other discomforting spaces were filled with the judgment of a thousand perfect angels swinging above my head singing, “You’re a mess! You’re a mess! You’ll never be perfect as us, you mess!”
(Though how perfect can they be with such a bad song?)
That “I’m a mess” thought arises when we feel we’ve done something stupid, like saying “Fine, and you?” to the cashier before they’ve had the chance to ask how your day is going.
Or when we’ve done something wrong, like arriving late to an important gathering because the cup of tea that was supposed to calm your nerves instead went down the entire length of your dress so you had to change and now you want to sneak in but the only seats left are at the front of the room.
Or when we’ve failed ourselves by not showing up to write one morning (after writing for five mornings in a row) because the night-long hot flashes left us awake in soggy sheets thinking, “I’m a sticky, drippy, messy TOAD!”
But here’s the thing.
The situation is a mess.
The surroundings are a mess.
The emotions are messy.
You are not a mess. You are continually working on yourself, to make yourself better in whatever way you choose. To be nice to the harried cashier. To support your friend at their important event. To help an acquaintance untangle their skein so they can enjoy knit-night.
To show up for your creativity as much as you can.
Consider how you’ve succeeded in those messy moments described above.
The cashier smiles because you’ve been a bit of a clown, and also because they know you cared enough to chat with them.
Your friend sees you right there in the front row, supporting them at their important event. Plus, you’ve got the best view in the house!
Look back at your week and all the work you’ve done. You actually deserve a little time off, you busy bee! Take a self-care day. Enjoy a cool bath or drink your morning beverage in the cool breeze on the back porch. Let your mind work on your writing while your body rests.
All of these amazing results come from moments where you were embarrassed or harried or just plain tired.
What would it feel like to see the positive aspect of your messiness?
What if you relaxed your expectations of yourself by 5%?
Or maybe you could imagine releasing your expectations of perfection for just 15 seconds?
What if, in those situations, you acted as if you could embrace the positive part of this messy reality?
You are a work in prog-mess.
And that’s all the perfection any of us can hope for.
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ABOUT LA BOURGEOIS
LA (as in tra-la-la) Bourgeois is a Kaizen-Muse Certified Creativity Coach and author who helps clients embrace the joy of their creative work and thrive while doing it.
Get more of her creativity ideas and techniques by subscribing to her newsletter at https://subscribepage.io/unlockyourcreativity.
