Consistency is a bitch.
Let’s look at blogging and newsletters. If you’re a business owner in any sense, if you’re a writer, if you’re a coach . . . you’re supposed to ritualistically crank out illuminating advice every week ad infinitum.
You do it, or you’re supposed to hire someone to sound like you and do it and give advice on personal growth. Or astrology. Or Real Estate. Or healthy eating. Or your personal brand or vision. Advice, advice, advice. Insight. Scintillating ah-ha-provoking pieces of literature.
But this is what I see happening instead: Bright stars with amazing messages push out a month or three of amazing blogs or newsletters, then go quiet.
Really quiet.
I know how they’re feeling: They’re wondering if anyone has noticed that they emptied out. They wonder if their precious audience, who read their stories and illuminations, are all scattering to the winds.
Right now, I’m struggling to think up three new fascinating topics for my podcast. And I just can’t. I’m 500 episodes deep. That’s 500+ topics. What more can I say? What haven’t I said dozens of times?
A teacher, a true teacher, does in fact say the same thing 100s of times. We mine our jewels in incredible hardship (often) then we begin to plant them along the road for others to pick up. We plant the same seeds over and over.
Wisdom isn’t cheap. It’s not a weekly marketing email.
We offer our wisdom, then we offer it again. And eventually, we have to stop and wait for more wisdom to incubate itself inside us. Unfortunately, this isn’t how the capitalist world is set up. In that world, there’s always someone peddling a product, or an idea. Keep up.
Self-development is different. Or at least it should be.
I know why I unsubscribe to so many self-growth and business-growth type emails: they become all surfacy. “Buy this and be that.” I can feel how gradually uninspired they are-how the person behind them is reaching to get to some truth, but they don’t give me THEM , the real them.
They want me to buy into them, but they don’t let me see into them.
The words become empty.
We need to know that there is a “THERE there,” behind the message, always. You can’t just sell me on the Pepsi, you have to tell me how you made it, what good things are in it, what inspired you to make it, and how you almost gave it up. I want your story. I want you.
That’s why when I come out with a new Flowdream or program, like MoneyFlow, I share it freely and deeply, and tell why I made it and what it does. Then I move on.
Which brings me back to this article. I’m going to be incubating my pearls for a while. You’ll hear from me in fits and starts. I’ll be here in your inbox, then gone. I’ll pop up when I’ve discovered something gooshy and fantastic, but then in between you need to let me rest. I’m not a corporation, even though I made one.
After all, a corporation will give you the relentless hammer of marketing.
Yet real personal growth gives you insight, true insight, only as it reveals itself.
So I’m done feeling behind, guilty, and bad for not keeping up a grind of Facebook posts, emails and blogs. I’d rather be real and get real.
You can let go of so many daily obligations that you’ve made real in your mind.
Don’t over-pour from your well. Hold some back, let some ideas simmer, and don’t be afraid to toss consistency to the winds. Go silent when you need to. And open up in full flower when you’re ready.
What are you feeling pushed to do right now? Are you tired of the hamster wheel? Tell me about it in the comments below.
XO,
Hi Miss Summer. My name is Ashley. I clicked on this article expecting something different, but furthermore it was very terrific! I gave to the flowdream podcast a while back. This past summer (2017) actually, and i loved it so much and planned on listening more, but i just got too preoccupied and shortly the podcast faded in my memory. But i never forgot it! Consistency…. CONSISTENCY! The main reason why i clicked on this blog. I just listened to your two most recent podcasts today. I had to re-download the app. I had a dream and something about the dream told me to give your podcast another listen. I won’t get into that now. But I was blown away! So many juicy truths. I loved hearing your story about your rebellious past. I wished i was like that. Instead of being thrown in the winds of being easily, approachable and therefore somewhat popular in my youth. Thats the thing. I’m developing myself and reading many books right now and I’ve noticed- or fear some things- That i have no core values and cannot make up my mind what success means to me. But thats for another day. What I’m trying to say is i am NOT consistant. Hence me clikcing on this article. I have responsibilities in my life like everyone else, but i have to attend to my own needs right now. I feel like I’m pushing myself to do something i feel would overwhelm me in the end. It IS a new year ahead of us. It’s time for a change. I feel like easing up on these responsibilities i put on myself to do to be this perfect person i set out to be. And being myself. Healing myself. Working on myself. I just don’t know if its the right thing to do. But guess what, it FEELS like the right thing. I need to confirm things in myself. Thansk for this blog and your work. I love what you do. Hope to hear from you soon!
Really really love this Summer. I feel like I’ve been given a gift that I’m always able to say exactly the right thing for my friends and family when they are struggling with a fear or issue. I tap into the root of what’s going on with them, and I help them see the path to their greatest joy through it and uplift them to their highest purpose. I know that sounds pretty arrogant of me, but I really do believe it’s a gift and I’m told that all the time. However, SOMEtimes, I just feel blank. I’ll get a phone call, answer it to hear some new (or old) crisis going on, and I just feel like I don’t have any more to give in that moment. I’m drained, my well is temporarily dried up! Hahaha that is a perfect analogy. I find myself grasping for something, trying to connect to some higher wisdom when really I just want to tell them I’m not in that space and I’m gonna have to call them back. Huh. What a novel concept! Or, I could just listen, and not feel like I have to give anything more than that. That sounds pretty revolutionary, too. Anyways, I can’t imagine what it’s like to do such work for a living, it sounds both amazing and incredibly challenging. I’m so grateful for your podcast, i hope you don’t burn out on it all together! I truly don’t care if you repeat yourself, I tune in because listening to you helps me realign to my higher self, and that’s where I want to be. Thank you for all you do!
<3 I am in a very similar place…. having grown tired of that hamster wheel and having become so very bored with everything, I have recently gone within and silent to do some deep work, knowing I will resurface with pearls of insight and wisdom.. We treasure you, Summer, and your pearls of wisdom and insight. We are indeed better for knowing you! thank you for sharing your gifts and for realizing that you must honor that incubation time.. See ya on the flippity flip, sweetheart!
🙂
I have to admit, I am awed by your output and insights. And trust me, I don’t need an email that is simply marketing in my inbox either. But you raised an interesting point within your post: I’m not a corporation, even though I made one. So I’m curious if you might want to share this space (not weekly, but occasionally) with your team, your diamonds, with your partners/muses. Creativity, insights or ideas often grow from the sparks of others. Obviously, this may cause MORE work, but letting your community support you may give you more than you expect. Stay off the hamster wheel and enjoy the last bit of the season.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Summer… I shared with my subscriber list upfront that they wouldn’t be receiving a ‘regular’ email from me, because if I haven’t got something noteworthy to say it’s best I wait until I do. The other thing I find is people are so busy and have so many emails that many can be overlooked unless they’re seeking certain advice. I’m actually finding that when I’ve been absent for a while, my subscribers are more likely to read it to find out what I’ve been up to. Creatives need time to replenish, restore, and reinvigorate… yay to ‘Down with Consistency’. xo
Thank you so much for letting me give myself permission to relax. The problem for me is that I want to do it before inspiration is robbed by too much time having passed that had to answer the call of duty of real-life esponsibilities but you’re right. The pressure is only truly self-produced/induced. That pressure can steal your joy of the writing process, the reason you picked up your pen and put words on paper (Btw, I’m so old-school. I feel comfortable writing with a stylus on my Note 4 using Graffiti, a stroke recognition app from my Palm Pilot days to compose. However, the keyboard comes out after I’ve transferred it to computer when I’m ready to hack/slash after I put my editing cap on.)
If you need a topic, an extension of your head & heart voices would be great. I was just listening to it and with the gathering of ideas for the past 4 years now, yours included that is taking me to a decision for my next step.
By the way, I created a flowdream in real-time for my character’s husband last night during some online RP in Secret World Legends for a Chaos Magick Ritual (Jule is a Wiccan priestess who has been my muse for 11 yrs who is also a badass sorceress). It was only done in text format but I hope with the chatlog, I can narrate it to record in my character’s voice, who is also the muse who brought me to discover you several years ago. It was a success! Being able to not have the character but also the actor to feel that positive flow of energy and raise his & his character’s vibrational energy was simply awesome.
Thanks for sharing and looking forward to your next post. No need to rush greatness. 😉
Myri
Thank you Summer for revealing the true nature of creativity, and for revealing yourself as a real human being. “Should” does not belong in creative space. I am perfect with an imperfect flow, as long as it is allowed to have freedom. Release your pearls when they are ready.
I will look forward to and savor your future insights because I know the space they come from – your heart.
You are simply the best Summer! As always your insights cut right to the core of what people are feeling and thinking and you make so much sense. Thank you for being you and for what you bring to the world!
I have definitely learned that there is a “beautiful reveal” in personal growth that you don’t want to rush. The insights are so much deeper and richer if you let them seep in little by little vs. immediate as we all want them to be.