Broccoli and Rock Stars: Learning to Rely on Your Intuition
If you have even the slightest desire to to be a writer, take up a habit of journaling or simply improve the way you write out your grocery list, you must immediately buy AND read Ann Lamott’s Bird by Bird.
I promise you, before you finish the first chapter (maybe even earlier, before you finish the introduction), Ms. Lamott will strike your soul that little nerve that tingles in your foot when it falls asleep, and makes you want to get up an dance it out. Only instead of dancing, you’ll want to write it out - write it all out.
After some struggles with my writing over the past few days, I pulled this off the shelf today, hoping for some inspiration. Ms. Lamott smacked me across the face with it. My wake-up call came from a chapter that falls right in the middle of Bird by Bird; it’s entitled “Broccoli.”
She discusses how an old Mel Brooks’ routine became a concept she uses to help remind her students to listen to their intuition. “Listen to your broccoli, and your broccoli will tell you how to eat it.”
It’s that voice little voice inside you, the one that you have learned to ignore more easily as you transitioned into “adulthood.”
You need your broccoli in order to write well, Lamott writes. Otherwise you’re going to sit down in the morning and have only your rational mind to guide you.
In taking a step closer to trusting my intuition, I took Anne’s advice, and developed my own metaphor to represent my broccoli.
My Rock Star
My Rock Star knows it all because she’s not a people pleaser. Can you even be a people pleaser with pink hair? Probably not, and that’s why the ponytail that sits high on her head and off to the right side rocks the hottest pink you’ve ever seen. My Rock Star lives in the moment, letting her passion lead the way. She has no trouble letting go and doesn’t worry about a missed note here and there.After all that’s why we’ve got producers and an editing room.
What’s a metaphor that suits your intuition?
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[...] is something that I’ve posted about in the past - Anne Lamott’s concept for rediscovering how to listen to your own intuition and silence [...]