How Getting Out of My Bubble Unleashed Creativity
If you asked me to sit down and write a book today, I'm not sure I'm in the mindspace to do it. It isn't that I don't have anything to write about, but I'm not feeling quite as creative at present. It's probably because I'm a bit back in my bubble in Seattle and everything feels so tactical, so list based, so urgen. People have asked me recently when I started to write [One Life to Lead] and I told them that about 30% of it was written when I was living in Costa Rica in 2019. At that time, my family and I made a life shift to get in control of the life we wanted to create and living abroad was high energy for us. I remember that feeling of freedom living in Costa Rica and I reflect on how it unlocked so much creativity for me. Here is my assessment of why living outside my bubble was the right environment to begin writing:
1. I Felt Free
For me, freedom meant that I was exactly where I needed to be in that moment. There was nothing I was longing for in the future and nothing I was regretting in the past. I was present and the only thing that mattered was getting energy from what I was doing. Freedom had nothing to do with financial success but everything to do with a belief that my constraints are self imposed. The feeling of freedom made the space for me to create
2. Patterns Emerged
When I could observe myself and the history of my actions across all kinds of different situations, I could see patterns emerging. Patterns are really behaviors or ways that I was reacting to situations, both business and personal. Being in Costa Rica gave me some space to divorce myself from my actions and observe them with curiosity. I was able to see trends and those trends helped me prioritize the main points in One Life to Lead.
3. I Felt a Deep Sense of Gratitude
In my bubble I am admittedly a little more selfish. I have stuff I need to get done by a certain time and it's a little bit about me. I am aware of this about myself. But when I started writing One Life to Lead, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everyone that had influenced my life for both good and ill. I wrote for others as much as I wrote for myself. I wanted to create something that amplified a message that was beyond my story but could (and did) include the stories of other leaders grappling with similar situations.
4. I Was Able to Follow Trails
In my bubble I really want to just get to an answer and move on. Oh, there's a problem? Okay, let's solve it as efficiently as possible. But things were different in Costa Rica when I started writing. I didn't try to get to an answer. Sure, I had played with the axcioms of principles and genius zone and energy for a long time but had never spent enough time truly absorbing the depth of impact they could have on my "being" vs my typical "doing". So I was patient and curious and didn't try to finish too quickly. I let these topics hang out and simmer for a bit to see where they would take me.
5. I Wasn't Measuring Myself
My bubble, like yours I'm sure, is filled with a lot of people that are pretty awesome (at least I think so). And sometimes I get that tinge of jealousy where I measure myself against them and self loathe for a bit on why I haven't achieve A, B, or C. It happens. I'm aware of it. But when I was outside the bubble, I really didn't think about the measurement. I thought about the NOW. I thought about what gives me energy at this moment in time. I felt warmth toward the success of others. I didn't judge myself. I was exactly where I needed to be.
We all have our bubble! It's kind of suffocating sometimes but it doesn't have to be. The opportunity is to maintain your sense of wonder and openness and creativity, even when you're in the bubble. That's the work ahead. And the bubble was also importat to get me from free wheeling writing to actually getting a book completed and published. There is no good or bad, but just being aware of where you are in the moment is what matters most.