One of my favorite writers on the internet (and elsewhere), Maya Frost, did an interview on her blog with author Susan Sarah [Ed: I goofed on the first name…] Susanka, who wrote The Not So Big House and The Not So Big Life.
Something struck me in the interview, the likes of which I have read many times before:
Maya: Sarah, you mention in this book that even though you wrote the Not So Big House books before this one, you really crafted the concept of the Not So Big Life idea first.
Sarah: Yes, that’s true. In fact, I couldn’t have written the NSB House books without first recognizing what I needed in my life which was the time to pursue my writing. I was working as a managing partner of an architecture firm with 45 employees. I had a lot going on, I was very busy, and one day it became obvious to me that no amount of financial success would fill the void I felt in terms of not having the time to pursue what was most meaningful, what was calling me.
And so, I decided to carve out time for “a meeting” with myself every Tuesday and Thursday morning so that I could write. It seemed crazy at the time–how could I possibly spend several hours twice a week on writing when I had so much work to do? How would the partners and employees react? But once I made the decision to do that, everything shifted to support what I had stated I wanted. [Editor: Emphasis mine.]
What Susan said resonated with me, because two years ago I made a similar choice- to dedicate one client appointment every working day to work on my book. And that book has been a critical foundation in my business, and a source of inspiration and pride and accomplishment for me.
And yet, two years later, I have even more of a deluge of demands on my time, not only from Heart of Business, but from life in general, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. What heroic choice awaits me, that I haven’t made yet?
The point is: I’m in control of how I spend my time. I know this is forehead-slappingly obvious, and the point is made over and over again, but I suspect the kind of ‘control’ that most of us have on our time, is similar to an addicts control over whether he/she does chooses their addiction or not.
What this means is that the heroic choice to take control of life and how we spend it is:
- A day-by-day choice;
- A heroic choice every time we make it.
It’s a heroic choice for an addict to choose “Not today, I’m not (drinking, shooting up, etc, etc.) today.”
For us as business owners, it’s a heroic choice: “Not today, I’m not (checking email more than once, surfing the web randomly, etc, etc.) today.”
Susan Sarah may have decided to dedicate those hours to her book just once, but she had to recommit to that choice every Tuesday and Thursday, when demands piled up on her. I’m sure it was tempting to fall off the wagon, and maybe she did. But she stayed on the wagon enough to publish two books now.
It’s easy to vastly underestimate the amount of will-power and strength of commitment it can take simply to choose to live an inspired life, a life full of conscious choices.
I’m willing to bet that, as you’re reading this, you already know what your heroic choice is. Are you willing to commit to it, the way Susan Sarah did? She had 45 employees pounding at her door, and yet she made the heroic choice.
What’s the heroic choice staring you in the face?
12 Responses
Thank you, Mark, for a terrific blog and references to our websites. A friendly correction – although ‘Susan’ frequently makes an appearance, her name in real life is Sarah Susanka, and she has written a total of seven books since 1998 when she released The Not So Big House.
Hi Barlynne,
I can’t believe I goofed on her name like that. I mean, sure it’s easy to just repeat her last name, but what was I thinking? Anyway, I corrected it immediately- thank you for the friendly correction.
As far as my wife Holly and I, one heroic choice we are facing is hiring our first bona fide employee, for whom we will be starting a search and application process this coming week. It’s easy to continue to limp along the way things have always been, not getting enough support, and scary to contemplate taking on theresponsibility of having someone on our payroll, but that’s clearly what’s being asked of us. And I’m excited and nervous.
And, how about you? What heroic choices await you?
Mark,
Thank you so much for writing about this interview! I think Sarah (ha–to add to the confusion, it turns that out her assistant’s name is Suzanne…)has so much to share and I’m delighted that I was able to interview her.
Next up: an interview with Dr. Jeff Brantley, author of Calming Your Anxious Mind and a new series of books called Five Good Minutes about ways to get calm and focused in only five minutes a day. Really! Watch for that on the blog at http://www.MassageYourMind.wordpress.com
Thanks again, Mark. I so appreciate your wonderful work.
Hugs,
Maya
Absolute, Maya- how could I not? You pulled me in. I’ll keep an eye out for your next interview…
You’ve already made your heroic choice- by moving to a different country! Amazing…
Mark, I’ve seen at least one book get published with the author’s name spelled wrong… it happens.
The whole notion of making an appointment with yourself to write is such a key concept. As you know, I ghostwrite books, and I’m working on a book or booklet of my own for http://www.writingwithvision.com. If I don’t schedule writing time for myself, and honor it, it simply doesn’t get done… and sometimes it is heroic to take time away from clients to do my own writing… but worth it every single time.
A
A blog entry, okay… but published! Oy!
It is a key concept- and I can’t wait to see your book, Anne. I know it’s gonna be a knock-out!
Terrific blog! I came upon it via the NSB site and have been “listening in” ever since!!! I would love nothing more than to spend my life writing, but I’m having a hard time finding my way. Life is funny that way, huh?!?
Thank you for your inspiration though…you might be surprised to know how much it has helped me today.
Sincerely,
Gen
http://www.genandsteve.blogspot.com
p.s. I spelled her name wrong (I also put Susan) on my blog too!!!! Join the club 😉
Gen- thanks! I’m so glad it helped- and it’s nice to know you’ve been listening in. And yes, thanks for soothing my wounds over the miss-spelled name. Ah well, life…
So, I’m wondering: what is your heroic choice, that rose out of your inspiration here?
Okay, so there’s a good chance no one will even read this considering the posting was back in September, but I’m going to write to you anyway. Well, I’m toying with a career change. This is the first time I’ve even spoken of it much less written about it. So I guess that’s my heroic choice for the moment. I’ve been in marketing/advertising for 20 + years. 15 months ago I became a single mother of twin boys, and everything has changed. All my senses are alive in a way I haven’t experienced maybe since I was a child. And I want all the components of my life to feel like they belong in this new experience. I’m considering opening an organic children’s clothing store. So scary. What in the world am I thinking. How could I possibly do this. The idea of making heroic choices feels like the center of the target for me. That’s how I want to live. How I want my boys to experience life. Thanks for this powerful phrase that is sure to bounce around in my head and show up in my conversations for much time to come. And thanks for letting me voice where I am. Who knows.
Hi Martha,
I definitely read your post, and I’m touched that you chose to write about your heroic choice here.
What my heart is feeling is that simply considering the choice you are making, to seriously consider it, and look at it, and speak it aloud, is pretty darn heroic. It’s so much “safer” to keep these thoughts and dreams locked away.
Once you let it out, as you have, you can either move forward with it, or it’s also free to morph and change into whatever manifestation Source is wanting to put through you.
For me the key phrase in situations like these when I have no idea what the future holds is allowing myself the “willingness to be surprised.”
Very exciting! I’m so glad you stopped by and spoke it to the world.