A podcast interview dropped the other day. It was a conversation I had with Dori Stewart on her show: Teacher Turned Entrepreneur.
This podcast was the first podcast I ever pitched. I had spent tons of time researching how to pitch to a host, preparing my e-mail, searching for the right matches and finding out everything I could about being a respectful guest.
I remember the day clearly. It was back in March. There was a bit of sweating, holding my breath and finally hitting send. I mean, who would want me on their podcast?
A few hours later while sitting in the lush public gardens near my home, I received a reply in my inbox, paraphrased below.
Hi Kim,
Thanks for reaching out. I'd love to feature you on the podcast. Here's a link to schedule time!
I was absolutely giddy with excitement. Was this real?
Now, I believe a few things may have been at play:
First, I did my homework and wrote a really solid pitch
I leveraged the power of relationships by reaching out to someone who had recently followed me on Instagram and whose messaging was aligned with my values
The universe met me the rest of the way by delivering a "yes" to my inbox when I needed to know if I was on the right path.
After that reply, I felt like I could get 99 "no" responses and still continue going. I rode high on that "yes" for a while with the statement of gratitude from this Buddhist phrase* I now hold close to me on an almost-daily basis...
Right now, it's like this.
I was having a Zoom chat with one of my clients the other day. We were talking about her book project, and I asked her when she was planning to start telling people she was writing a book. She let me know she needed a little more time. "Absolutely no pressure," I said. "But, I'm just curious. When do you think you will be ready? What do you think, for you, is the right time to let people know?" She knew where I was going with this. She gave me a knowing smile. Then she leaned in to the camera and - in what I'd like to imagine was a conspiratorial tone - replied. "You know what it is? I don't think I can say I'm officially writing a book yet, because I'm actually having fun." As you may have guessed, she was "officially" writing a book. She had, in fact, hired me to help her with said book. But, I immediately knew exactly what she meant. The narrative we've received is that writing a book is an arduous, miserable process fueled by buckets of coffee, filled with 4am writing sprints, and littered with loads of anxiety and self-doubt. Nothing like what she was experiencing. My tongue in cheek response? "What if you're the first person for whom the process of writing a book is actually fun?" We had a bit of a chuckle before digging in a bit more. And, perhaps she will be. Maybe she will be the first author to ever jump out of bed cheerily, sit down at her keyboard, singing as she writes, giddily skipping off to her publisher with a final draft (requiring zero edits) before heading to print. To be honest, it is possible. Since that call, she's told me of late night brainstorms, endless excitement and serendipitous encounters that have continued to affirm her path. For her:
Right now, it's like this. That being said, if she does end up having a hard day down the line, feels like throwing in the towel, begins bashing her computer at the wall in a desperate rage or begs me to remind her "just why the heck am I doing this in the first place?" ...well, that will all be OK, too. It won't mean she is on the wrong path or that she has any less conviction about telling her story. We will be able to draw upon these days right now, where everything is flowing, and remember that these days will come again. In the meantime, right now, it's like this.
What in the world do these two stories - about my podcast win and my optimistic client - have to do with one another?
My message here isn't simply to cross your fingers and hope for something to happen. After all, I worked hard for that dang YES. It's also not that everything that is worthwhile or you're meant to do is actually really easy or feels good if you just put yourself out there. After all, my client is working her tail off.
I guess what I'm trying to say is… when it comes to your writing (or your podcast pitching or perhaps anything in life) being able to be present with where you are in the process is a super helpful step to remembering that there are actually other parts of that process.
It's really freakin' cliché to say that the journey can be a rollercoaster.
But, here I am kind of saying it anyway.
Be present with each up and each down. Take the wins when you get them and celebrate them. And when it's hard, acknowledge that, too.
Enjoy that you're LOVING your writing right now and be gentle with yourself tomorrow when you're back to hating it.
No matter who you are, what you are doing, what you are feeling or where you'll go next; there is one thing that will always be unequivocally true.
Right now, it's like this.
--------
P.S. If you want to check out the podcast interview I did with Dori (it just dropped) you can listen here.
*P.P.S. The sentiment "Right now, it's like this" is a popular Buddhist phrase used by laypeople (like me) and meditation teachers alike (such as Vinny Ferraro who attributes the phrase's origin to Theravada teacher, Ajahn Sumedho). You can read a bit more about it here.
P.P.P.S. If you'd like to get my (infrequent) newsletter - and not a bunch of automated e-mails - straight to your inbox, you can sign up for my mailing list here. No Spam ever. That's just annoying. Unsubscribe any time.