Not a comment about Karma, but on the topic of expansion. I think it’s the most natural thing in the world, that every expansion is followed by a contraction before another expansion takes place. It’s like breathing. You breathe out, then you need to breathe in and again you breathe out. We don’t judge ourselves for having to breathe in, or get upset with ourselves because we aren’t continually breathing out. We just go with the natural course of our breath. It’s the same with creativity.
Adore this Ingrid, thank you so much for sharing these reflections! And you’re right, of course, we just go with the natural flow of our breath like we should go with the natural flow of our creativity without beating ourselves up for it… 💖🙏🏼
Wow - this is all very timely and shifted something for me. Thanks, Elin. 🙏🏼✨
I just hit one year of writing here on Substack and I’ve been kneading things out internally as to how I want my newsletter to shift - how I want to FEEL as I write/promote/show up here.
I think how I engage with the act of writing here will affect how my readers receive it. And you so succinctly weaved that all together here - the karma and energy of it all.
Thank you Allison for sharing this! I feel you so much on all of it and I’m sure you’ll find your way 💕 having the karma concept laid out in this way has helped me a lot as well as I too explore the continuation 🥰
Loved reading this Elin! I went into an ebb phase for a while over the summer, because so much was happening in my real life that needed my energy.
There is a definite karma of get what you give here and online in general. When I stopped being so active here, tho still showing up here and on Insta, and spent less time writing for my free audience my growth slowed dramatically. Of course this makes sense! I think too that after the honeymoon there comes the work of feeding what you want to grow and I’m happily back in a position I can put more in again. Life eh? 😄💛
I was just thinking to myself that I hadn't seen any of your pieces in a while, and then this popped up. Thank you for this. I don't know why but reading this felt like a reminder hug I didn't know I needed.
I could not agree more with your observation about getting out what you put in.
This has been a key part of my Substack strategy - not just to get something for myself, but to try and nurture a part of Substack that is a lovely place to be, so that I’m surrounded by lovely people! If that makes sense.
I was hugely influence by Claire Venus with her monthly recommendations updates (choosing a handful of new recommendations and actually crafting our written reasons).
Also, Philip Hofmacher on David McIlroy’s podcast sharing how he aims for 25 meaningful comments on Substack each day. It sounds easy to achieve, but I’ve been trying for about a week and it’s hard! But, I’d have to say my engagement on Notes is better since 🤷♀️
Thanks for sharing your experience and reflections on this too Holly! I’ve personally always found the “do x amount of y” difficult in the long run, because the days we “fail” we ultimately feel impacted and like “failures” even if it’s not at all the case…
What I’ve shifted through the years is to block those advices out and rather go for capacity based (and slightly gentler approaches) the recommendation/month is one great example by Claire where it’s not the full in pressure the entire month but more so you can focus on it when you wake up feeling “wow I could do that today”.
It’s a forever balancing act of finding the seasons when higher bar goals fit vs when to keep the bar really low.
YES to gentler approaches! Especially as parents, right? I personally love the idea of ‘do x amount of y’, but literally manage a few days then cast it aside because it just isn’t sustainable in this season I’m in right now. And then, as you say, I just end up feeling like a failure.
So I’m trying to just take elements and see if I can weave those into day to day life: like replying to comments in a meaningful way (i.e., actually having a conversation with someone), or making sure to sit down and do the writing I’ve been putting off.
It’s one of the things I love most about your writing on here: it’s so realistic about what can be like!
It’s so wild how the parallels play out with what you share and what I’m sensing Elin.
There’s been big eye openers around karma for me in recent weeks, in every sense, ignited by talks at my Vedic meditation group.
It used to be a word I would shudder at, now I know it as a benevolent force that asks us to shed what does it belong to our highest good (and others of course same-same 😉)
Not a comment about Karma, but on the topic of expansion. I think it’s the most natural thing in the world, that every expansion is followed by a contraction before another expansion takes place. It’s like breathing. You breathe out, then you need to breathe in and again you breathe out. We don’t judge ourselves for having to breathe in, or get upset with ourselves because we aren’t continually breathing out. We just go with the natural course of our breath. It’s the same with creativity.
Adore this Ingrid, thank you so much for sharing these reflections! And you’re right, of course, we just go with the natural flow of our breath like we should go with the natural flow of our creativity without beating ourselves up for it… 💖🙏🏼
This is such a wonderful comment, Ingrid! Expansion and contraction of breath reflecting through life
Thank you, Polina.
So true!
And also, I love the photo at the end.... “Congrats for getting out of bed - you deserve a book!” 💖
Isn’t it brilliant?! I saw it in front of a bookshop today in Luxembourg and I had to snap the pic 😍
Wow - this is all very timely and shifted something for me. Thanks, Elin. 🙏🏼✨
I just hit one year of writing here on Substack and I’ve been kneading things out internally as to how I want my newsletter to shift - how I want to FEEL as I write/promote/show up here.
I think how I engage with the act of writing here will affect how my readers receive it. And you so succinctly weaved that all together here - the karma and energy of it all.
Thanks 💕
Thank you Allison for sharing this! I feel you so much on all of it and I’m sure you’ll find your way 💕 having the karma concept laid out in this way has helped me a lot as well as I too explore the continuation 🥰
Loved reading this Elin! I went into an ebb phase for a while over the summer, because so much was happening in my real life that needed my energy.
There is a definite karma of get what you give here and online in general. When I stopped being so active here, tho still showing up here and on Insta, and spent less time writing for my free audience my growth slowed dramatically. Of course this makes sense! I think too that after the honeymoon there comes the work of feeding what you want to grow and I’m happily back in a position I can put more in again. Life eh? 😄💛
Yes life indeed! Thank you so much for coming over again and we’ll see what the next flow will bring shall we 🥰🥰🥰
I was just thinking to myself that I hadn't seen any of your pieces in a while, and then this popped up. Thank you for this. I don't know why but reading this felt like a reminder hug I didn't know I needed.
Thank you so much Carla 🥰 hugs!
I could not agree more with your observation about getting out what you put in.
This has been a key part of my Substack strategy - not just to get something for myself, but to try and nurture a part of Substack that is a lovely place to be, so that I’m surrounded by lovely people! If that makes sense.
I was hugely influence by Claire Venus with her monthly recommendations updates (choosing a handful of new recommendations and actually crafting our written reasons).
Also, Philip Hofmacher on David McIlroy’s podcast sharing how he aims for 25 meaningful comments on Substack each day. It sounds easy to achieve, but I’ve been trying for about a week and it’s hard! But, I’d have to say my engagement on Notes is better since 🤷♀️
Thanks for sharing your experience and reflections on this too Holly! I’ve personally always found the “do x amount of y” difficult in the long run, because the days we “fail” we ultimately feel impacted and like “failures” even if it’s not at all the case…
What I’ve shifted through the years is to block those advices out and rather go for capacity based (and slightly gentler approaches) the recommendation/month is one great example by Claire where it’s not the full in pressure the entire month but more so you can focus on it when you wake up feeling “wow I could do that today”.
It’s a forever balancing act of finding the seasons when higher bar goals fit vs when to keep the bar really low.
You’re doing a great job 🥰
YES to gentler approaches! Especially as parents, right? I personally love the idea of ‘do x amount of y’, but literally manage a few days then cast it aside because it just isn’t sustainable in this season I’m in right now. And then, as you say, I just end up feeling like a failure.
So I’m trying to just take elements and see if I can weave those into day to day life: like replying to comments in a meaningful way (i.e., actually having a conversation with someone), or making sure to sit down and do the writing I’ve been putting off.
It’s one of the things I love most about your writing on here: it’s so realistic about what can be like!
It’s so wild how the parallels play out with what you share and what I’m sensing Elin.
There’s been big eye openers around karma for me in recent weeks, in every sense, ignited by talks at my Vedic meditation group.
It used to be a word I would shudder at, now I know it as a benevolent force that asks us to shed what does it belong to our highest good (and others of course same-same 😉)
PS so many brilliant points here, thank you 🙏🏽
Thanks so much Sarina! Always treasure your presence and we may very well be connected in more ways than one 🥰✨