In workshops, a common challenge that seems to come up among participants is truly believing in themselves. While their vision may be great and their calling toward a particular goal or accomplishment powerful, there can still be doubt as to whether they can actually follow through and do it. Or they fear that what they accomplish still won’t be good enough. Yet in spite of their resistance to the calling, it won’t let go of them. Something inside keeps pushing them forward. The result is too often a lot of inner conflict that gets in the way of incredible manifestation.
Martha Graham, the famous dancer and choreographer and one of the foremost pioneers in modern dance once said to her colleague Agnes de Mille:
There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you.
No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
“Blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” I so completely get this. I’ve had my own share of doubts and fears about projects and following through with who I know I am called to be and what I am called to do. Yet when I surrender to that blessed unrest and let it lead my march, I do indeed feel incredibly alive, even when also shaking in my boots!
I believe that blessed unrest is the soul urging me on to live my soul mission. I’ve come to understand that the blessed unrest is not going to go away, so I might as well stop fighting it. I might as well surrender to it from the start and get moving. I save myself a lot of anguish when I just surrender straight away. And as soon as I surrender to the blessed unrest–surrender to my soul and its calling–synchronicities start to happen and momentum starts to build. Before I know it, I’m completely engaged in the manifestation of that next vision and the blessed unrest feels like a passion on fire.
Hear Martha Graham’s words. Pay attention to the blessed unrest within you. And when you find yourself resisting or trying to avoid that feeling, think again. Is the avoidance really serving you, or anyone else, for that matter? Let your blessed unrest turn into passion on fire and see what amazing things manifest.