Good morning from Punta del Este. I’m still in Uruguay and I have to say I’m really feeling it here. There’s something in the air that is inspiring me, intriguing me, nourishing me, and I’m really enjoying it. Today is Wednesday and, as you may or may not know, Wednesdays we ask questions.Today’s question is inspired by a little snippet of a poem by D. H. Lawrence. It says Who is that knocking at my door? Who is that knocking at my door? To someone to do me harm? No, it is the three strange angels. Admit them, admit them, admit them.

Today’s question is about vulnerability and that’s not vulnerability in the sense of how you feel with other people when we are maybe overwhelmed, or as David Whyte the poet philosopher says bullied by life circumstances. It’s do you allow yourself to feel vulnerable when you’re alone, when you’re safe? Vulnerability in the sense of being open to the world in ways that feel a little frightening to begin with.

So the question is this. What does a creative vulnerability look and feel like to you right now? It’s almost like saying what is that creative endeavor that event or that possibility that both intrigues you and frightens you a little bit? Another way to say that might be what do you secretly want to move towards? What is it that’s trying to speak to you that you’re trying to ignore?

I guess that’s a creative vulnerability in the sense that we’re talking about becoming someone different, leaving something behind and becoming a new version of yourself. I guess another way I would think about that is what is it that scares you? What is that other part of yourself that’s calling you that perhaps your strategic mind is telling you to ignore?

It’s funny because at one point in the lecture series he was talking about the strategic mind, and fear and courage. He said of course the strategic mind is telling you not to do something. It’s trying to keep you safe. That’s its job from an evolutionary point of view. That’s why our strategic mind is so good at undermining our sense of courage and our sense of self.

So yeah, what is it that’s calling you? What does creative vulnerability look and feel like for you right now? What is it that you’ve been trying to ignore that you really would like to move towards. Sit with that for a minute. Who is that knocking at my door? Who is that knocking at my door? T’is someone to do me harm. No, it is the three strange angels. Admit them, admit them, admit them.

When you are alone and safe and allowing yourself to feel vulnerable to the world, open to the world in ways that feel a little frightened to begin with, what does that look like for you? What is that knock you’re trying to ignore? I’ll leave you with that to noodle today.

Until next time, from my heart to yours.