As someone who listens to Tara Brach regularly, the first time I heard her quote Trappist monk Thomas Merton about the violence of activism and over-work, I was shocked. Like she’d thrown a bucket of cold water over me in her comforting voice. Surely this could not be right?
If you are familiar with Tara Brach’s podcasts, they are recordings of her talks and tend to be repetitive—the same jokes and anecdotes, but in endless different combinations. I just love listening to her, and over time the shock of this quote gave way to little tiny green shoots of “maybe this is right.”
Then this week I’ve been listening to a We Can Do Hard Things podcast episode entitled “Laziness does not exist.” I’ve been marinading in this slowly growing insight that doing too much is, well, innately violent.
So I’ve decided I’m going to do Sunday bites—short posts each Sunday, more like an image with a caption, and a longer Sunday Blog on the last Sunday of the month, to dig in a bit more deeply but also go more gently.
While I’ve got you, I’m excited to be a 2024 Katharine Susannah Prichard Fellow. I get to stay at the KSP Writers Centre from 13th to 25th May, inclusive.
For Perth peeps, I’m hosting a Shut Up and Write on Friday 24th May (for writers in any genre), followed by a Sundowner. Cheese, soup and cake will be on offer – BYO other goodies. There is a $5 entry fee, which will be donated to the KSP Writers Centre.
The picture shows Katharine Susannah Prichard looking out from the window, much like I will be from my cabin over the two weeks Fellowship. In between furious morning writing, of course.
I found this image on Nathan Hobby’s website – in case you haven’t read his excellent KSP Biography, the WA Premier’s Book of the Year 2023 The Red Witch, I highly recommend you get hold of it and read it!
May your week be mellow and full of naps.