Create vs. Consume

Sometimes I’m in full-on creation mode, it’s all I think about!

From one thing to the next I just want to create: from baking to painting furniture, to redesigning a website, to writing these posts. It’s like I’m wrapped up in this river of possibility, the ideas flood in, and solutions are possible at every turn. Missing an ingredient? Improvise. Sick of that old wooden buffet? And I remember a can of Benjamin Moore in the basement. It’s such a magical place to be, it’s my happy place.

And sometimes, like right now, that place seems as far away as Neverland. I feel like a marionette being pulled and tugged, without any real resistance at all. I’m easily swayed, tired, and feeling like I haven’t achieved even a fraction of what I’m capable of. Beating myself up for not being further along. And I find myself in the opposite place of creation: consumption.

Endless scrolling, Netflix binging, and relentless reading leave me feeling like I have nothing more to create, nothing to offer, no one to impact. There’s too much out there already, no one cares, who am I?

The real power here is recognizing it, that I’m experiencing the opposite of my happy place.

And when I recognize it I’m able to surrender to it, pray about it, and hold firm to the long-term vision and my deep-why purpose. 

Because fighting this feeling will only make it worse… my strings will get tangled and I won’t know up from down. 

But if I just BE, stay focused on something bigger than me, trust the great creator who made me, and look for the lessons, I know I can make the most of this moment of rest.

“You are where your attention is.” —Jim Fortin

When I feel myself in this place of rest, I pay close attention to my attention. 

What am I consuming? Is it nourishing my soul or mixing up my mind? I am not my thoughts, I am the thinker of my thoughts. And I get to choose thoughts and decide in advance to place my attention on what’s highest and best for me, for my purpose, for my path. Which always means for the empowerment, encouragement, and inspiration of others. To be a servant leader.

My season of Consumption will be a whole lot shorter when I surrender to it without giving it power over me…. Knowing it is only a season and another is on its way.

If you’ve been stuck in a season long enough to lose sight of your long-term vision and my deep-why purpose, let’s have a chat and see if I can help you create a light… rekindle the spark that once was.

I'd love to hear from you!