Jumping in

It’s August. In Austin. And, it’s hot. Not quite as hot as many recent summers, but it’s hot.

There are several ways to beat the heat. Do all of my outside chores or exercise early in the morning. Drive my air-conditioned car to and from air-conditioned buildings. Get out of town to somewhere cool. But one of the best ways is to cool off is in Barton Springs Pool.

Barton Springs is a magical man-made swimming pool filled by a natural spring. The pool maintains a constant temperature of about about  68°F year round. It’s the perfect antidote to a hot, dry, summer day in Texas.

Walking up to the pool feels better already. Seeing that clear blue-green water and hearing the splashes and hollers from all of those baptized by the chill, let’s me know what’s coming.

I find a spot on the grass to drop my stuff. I notice I’m breaking a pretty good sweat at this point. I walk up to the edge of the pool... and I wait. I want to get in. I’m hot, and I want to get in. But, I wait. Why? Because it’s going to be shockingly, screamingly cold. It will only be a few seconds before I acclimate, and then it will feel amazing. Floating on my back in the fresh, cool water with the sun beaming down on my face. Ahhhh... I’ve defied the heat. So, am I going to jump in? Maybe I’ll just sit here on the edge and dangle my feet in the water for a bit.

Unfortunately, I sometimes find myself in the same situation when I start a new painting. I’m excited about the possibility of what’s ahead. There’s new territory to explore. I know there will be things that I uncover and discover and I’ll be rewarded. But, I wait. Why do I resist what I know I want? What am I afraid of? I know that painting feels a whole lot better than not painting.

I still don’t have the answer to this, but what I’m learning is, I just have to jump in. Just start. Throw some paint on the board, swirl a brush around, write this blog post across it, anything. After I do that, I’m somehow “in”, and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

I’m curious how you experience Resistance, and how you overcome it. Please leave your comments here.

In anticipation,

Kerry