Heart Work (And Every Little Thing You Do)

It has been a hot minute, Joy in The City Readers. Months have gone by since I wrote you, but, in the words of Celie from The Color Purple to her beloved Nettie, “…always, whatever I am doing, I am writing you.” See, only you serious Color Purple fans out there know that line!

But I digress!

The past few months have been dedicated to lots of heart work. I began a new work schedule, I’ve been knee deep in wedding planning (woot! woot!), I began to interview people for a solo show I am developing (more on that), and I wrote a play that is being workshopped in November!  That ‘writing a play’ thing is huge. It was a long time coming. Finally the story just fell out of me, then came the actors, and now there’s a director, and in November there will be an audience. Dreams do come true.

That may seem to be all external work, but really all of it is heart work.  As a matter of fact, these days the division between external work and internal productivity is feeling more and more non-existent.

You know what heart work is, right? It’s that quiet work that is always going on beneath the surface. For the spiritual among us, it could be called “the prayer that you are always walking.” Or you can call it the dialogue that exists between your mind and your heart, or the work that never really ceases, the commitment to your inner compass...you get the point.

Every bit of work we put into our personal growth, stuff that we don’t usually put on display—things like speaking our truth even when it is scary, journaling, meditating, doing something courageous everyday, being present with our emotions even when they make us uncomfortable—has the potential to grow into a piece of external work that you are proud of.

Seems obvious as all hell, but it isn’t always. I know plenty of people who live this quiet work. Sometimes not much seems to be going on at the surface, but the wheels are always turning. They are dedicated to growth, not to attention, not to the thrill of endless facebook posts (no judgment, but you know what I’m talking about), or creating an image of success. They do the heart work and then sometimes the other stuff follows. 

Today’s post is for those people.

Speaking of those people, a recent piece of the heart work  for me was about creating community. The more I get honest about how things work and don’t work for me, the more I have been able to get honest about my need for a community.

Here’s what happened a few weeks ago.

I was reading a book that was hard for me to process. It was ironic. I understood exactly what the book meant, every word that I read hit close to home. But every time I picked it up, I got knots in my stomach. Soon, I realized what was going on. What I was reading was holding a mirror up that I wasn’t quite ready to look in. It was a tough pill to swallow. But I’ve always believed the adage that the book you are holding is the one you are meant to be reading, so I knew that I couldn’t give up. But it was still so hard!

So I decided to send an email to some women friends, some who I am very close with and have known for years and others that are newer friends that I’d like to establish a deeper relationship with.

I asked for help.

The email told about my journey reading the book and asked if any of them would be willing to accompany me on the ride, as in start a reading circle where we read together and discuss our findings. Almost everyone replied saying that they need something like this in their life and that they would be glad to read the book with me. We begin the circle starting next week. 

It was scary for me to send that email asking for this community, but I did. We have to speak our truth and ask for what we need. Sending that email was a small step. It was scary, but I don’t think it was earth shattering. It was a quiet piece of heart work that has the potential to do so much for the personal growth of all the people involved.

I’m convinced that that’s how lots of things are. Sometimes work is done quietly, and the result is enormous. Sure, a small circle of women reading a book may not be the biggest deal in the world, but I know it can make a world of difference, at least in this corner of the universe.

So there you have it. Heart work. What is your heart work? What small quiet things are you doing to remind your inner voice that you still hear it and that you aren’t afraid to take a risk and answer its call? 

If you listen to this voice long enough, and continue your heart work, whatever it may be, I know unthinkable surprises are bound to happen.