At times, we have moments when our minds blank. We’re about to answer a question or respond to a prompt, and *poof* we can’t recall what we were about to say.

How interesting.

There are countless programs and techniques designed to help us clear our minds. But when it happens unexpectedly — and quite naturally — it’s unsettling.

Perhaps we can learn to greet these blank moments with a smile. “Ah. There you are. The nothingness I was seeking.”

The timing may be off. But the empty space can be a welcome relief if we allow it.

A current diversity training program suggests avoiding slang, metaphors, and idioms. These don’t always resonate across cultures. For instance, sports metaphors don’t work with every audience.

(The program made some good, valid points.)

The training recommended exchanging metaphors, slang, and jargon with more universal and inclusive language — across the board.

That’s right: the script used the phrase, “across the board,” which is a term that originated in betting on horse races.

It was an amusing oversight.

Sometimes we’re so wet, we don’t even feel the water.

Today could be the start of an inflection point. A change. A shift.

In real time, inflection points don’t offer a lot of advance notice. We can see the arc later, but in the moment, they just kind of happen.

Even so, the hand on the rudder is ours. We choose how to influence the turns. We have the option to lean in a particular direction. The shift in balance is one that can begin internally.

Is today the beginning such a change? Time will tell.

There are all sorts of little games we can play. Many end up being meaningless.

Like being first in line. Or having a nicer garden than your neighbor. Or getting a front-row seat.

But there are other games we can play, too. Games with family, friends, and children. Games filled with joy and laughter. Like keeping a balloon from hitting the floor. Or seeing who can balance something the longest. Or who can make the silliest sound.

Life is filled with games. Which we choose to play — and which we choose to care about — colors our experience in not insignificant ways.

Set a minimum.

When time is short and your energy is fading, you’ll rally toward the goal. You’ll fight for the minimum. You’ll make sure to cross that lowest threshold. It’s the least you can do — rather, the least you’ll allow yourself to do.

Because the default minimum is nothing. Zero. And we can do better than zero.

Often we’ll do much more than that. But first, we have to set the bar.

Billie Eilish understands how inspiration works. She reminds us that we discover our own voice by experimenting with what we think sounds good. We don’t begin from the ground, but from the shoulders of those we admire. We don’t aim to copy, but we most definitely allow ourselves to be imprinted by the work that inspires us.

Here’s how she puts it. Billie Eilish (lightly edited) from her interview with Stephen Colbert. (The original is here.)

“I started recording when I was 13 and — you gotta take time to get to know yourself. At first, I was singing the way that I knew how to sing and the way that I felt like it sounded good. And with inspiration from my favorite singers and songs and artists, and I think over time, I learned who I was and how I actually wanted to sound and what was genuine. That’s why I think it's really important that people are more forgiving of inspiration because I think that we live in a world where everyone wants to have everything be perfectly original and no one’s ever done it ever in their lives. And absolutely, you don’t want to copy anyone — but you have to let yourself be inspired. And … when I hear a song or I see an artist do something or … some younger artist comes out and they have a song that sounds like mine or their voice sounds like mine, people are like, “[in protest],” and I’m just kind of like, “Dude. Let them — it’s okay. Let them figure it out. They’re inspired and inspiration is going to turn into more inspiration is going to turn into more inspiration. And you gotta let yourself do that.”

So go. Learn who you are by starting with what you love. Be inspired.

If you ever question your ability to make something beautiful, you’re not alone. If you ever wonder whether you’re capable of doing good work, you’re not alone. If you ever worry that your work isn’t what it could be or what it should be, you’re not alone.

We all have these moments.

The makers, the creators, the famous and the unrecognized. No one is immune.

The difference is — some choose to do it anyway. Some choose to face their fears saying, “And yet …”

Some work through the questions by living the questions.

Inasmuch as we can make work with confidence, we can make work with doubts too.

And we’ll be better for it.

Sometimes we resonate with others, sometimes not. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with the quality of our tone. It might just be that we’re on a different frequency.

Incompatibility doesn’t mean one party is wrong. It just means the two are not right for each other.

And that might be forever. Or it might just be for right now.

A simple reflection:

The world is our host. What gift do your bring upon your arrival?

When a root-bound plant is transplanted, the roots need to be untangled. For it to take to new soil, the dense root ball has to be freed.

Likewise, when we’re unseated from our own constraints, it can take a little modulation for us to begin growing and thriving once more. The shift alone is not sufficient; we have to stretch as well.

Follow what you love. Let your practice be born of what captures your interest. You have to start with your own creative desires.

Sometimes what you pursue will align with what others seek. Not what everyone seeks, but what some people seek. Other times, it will be lonely.

Alternatively, you can notice what’s popular and do that. But be ready to shift quickly; tastes change unexpectedly.

Better to listen to the creative impulse that starts from within; that’s a well that may take different forms, but it never runs dry.

“Dad, what time is it?”
“Henry, you’re sitting right in front of a clock.”
“I know. The power went out. I’m setting the clock to the right time.”

It was a good reminder: understand the situation before you judge or comment.

Context first.

Not that your wishes may come true — but rather that what comes true is consonant with the life you hope to live.

Because wishes are guesses, and sometimes we guess poorly.

Because we don’t always see the bigger picture. We don’t always understand what the ripples touch. We guess locally and experience globally.

Poor guesses aside, may your life be richer and fuller than the wishes you imagine.

Occasionally, we ask the opinion of others just to confirm what we already know. We seek confirmation, and we’re prepared to reject alternate views.

Do you like this shirt? Does this painting composition work? Should I say yes to this opportunity?

Sometimes we just need to hear someone agreeing with us. Or to experience the internal resistance when someone disagrees.

These brief interactions are like a performance — the last bit of settling before we fully commit to what we already believe. They’re a trial run to see how the external world responds to our internal positions.

A little testing helps us to know.

Perhaps you’re preparing for a future event. Practicing, rehearsing, getting ready. This extended dress rehearsal is you doing the work of making sure you show up at peak performance.

All the while — amidst these preparations — today is not a dress rehearsal. Today is today; your one opportunity.

So live it. It’s the real thing. And in less than twenty-four hours, it will be gone forever.

Events surely dot the horizon, but the grand event that is today welcomes you. Even more: it invites your unique participation.

Two slightly different angles:

“I stuck to the practice and it didn’t work.”
versus
“I gave up on the practice because it wasn’t working.”

The positions are not quite the same.

How often do we blame lack of results when really, we’re tired of making the necessary effort?

Live out your dreams.

But make sure they’re your dreams.

Because sometimes we find ourselves trying to live out someone else’s dreams.

Make sure you’re living yours.

And encourage others to live out their dreams. That is, their own dreams — not yours, or even your own dreams for them.

Our dreams are our own to live out.

The question is, “Are you available?”

But what this really means is:

Can you commit to a specific date?
Can you prioritize this over other important things?
Do you have adequate time and energy to prepare?
Can you bring your best self?

Because saying yes is saying yes to the prep work.

That is, saying yes to one thing is saying yes to many things.

It’s remarkable what a change in posture and some intentional deep breaths can do. And these tools are available to us all the time at zero cost.

The world is saturated with pharmacological options and advice for lifestyle changes. And indeed, these can be necessary.

But let’s remember some of the simple things too.

Breathe well and be well.

“Yet” is a powerful word. It signals change. It embraces possibility.

“I didn’t achieve my goal … yet.”

“I don’t know how … yet.”

But there’s another tag that can be just as powerful: “... and I’m OK with that.”

This other phrase is not about giving up or aiming low. Rather, it’s about being at peace with what is.

While we strive to be our best, we don’t exist to be full-time optimizers, problem-solvers, and growth-mindset adherents.

Sometimes our humble task is to just be OK with the present moment.