Today’s Pop Culture Lesson…
When so many things, and so many people are pulling at you with demands, opinions, and expectations, it can be hard to remember this bit of brilliance from the long ago dreamy heartthrob Ricky Nelson in his song Garden Party. He “learned [his] lesson well” when he sang: “Y’cant please everyone so y’got to please yourself.”
This song was going though my head this morning as I was thinking that I should be posting more writing-related content on social media (because how can you expect people to “know, like, and trust” you if you’re not sharing your smarts and business bonafides on the regular? And I hadn’t written a blog post in ages, and shouldn’t I be doing that too?
I find it much easier to say no to another Zoom gathering with friends, or saying yes to wearing glitter eyeliner, or eating Rice Krispies for lunch than rejecting all the different (and sometimes conflicting) things that I’ve been taught in all my years of having this Little Business that Could.
I’ve absorbed a lot of shoulds that make it harder to just do. the. things. in my business. Just as, as a woman in this culture, I’ve absorbed a lot of shoulds about how I should eat (“Oh, I just couldn’t have dessert/seconds/cheese on that; I’m so full!” she says, as she picks at her green salad with low-fat dressing on it.), what I should weigh (Less, of course. Always less.), and what I should wear (things that are “age appropriate” instead of some of the sundresses I’ve owned since my 40s).
And I know I’m not the only one.
How many of us tie ourselves up in knots to be the person we think we’re supposed to be? Yes, I do this break-free/self-care/know thyself stuff as part of my work, but it can still be a daily practice for me.
So, those are my 2¢ today. The day is new, there’s stuff pushing and pulling at us as it always does, but it’s our lives and we can do what we want. (Ooh, look now I’m semi-quoting the poet-philosophers The Animals!) (That’s cause there‘s so much to be learned from pop-culture!)
Seriously, do your thing. I’m going to keep trying to do mine. Hope you have a fabulous day.
This post is yet another example of how even when you think there’s nothing to write about, you can always find something to write about. Try playing some old favorite music and pull a favorite lyric, or write about who or what the song makes you think of … where you first heard it, and what it means to you. I’ll bet you’ll find loads to write about.
