Yo, it’s Luke!
Switching it up this week with a lil essay. It’s about a pattern I’ve noticed over the years, and I think you’ll recognize it too :)
Find more of my essays here.
Lean In.
There are these special moments in life. Moments that come up every day.
It’s mile 3 of your run when your legs go dead. It’s rep 8 on bench press when your triceps start to shake. It’s the split second eye contact with an intimate friend when you both see the elephant in the room, but neither of you wants to be the one to name it.
It's hearing great music at the bar when nobody's dancing. Or heading to the bathroom only to find two people already waiting there, now looking at you. It’s minute #15 on a difficult work task when you feel the itch to grab a quick snack.
It's the meditation when your mind just won't shut up, or the conversation where the small talk has run dry and the silence is starting to feel heavy.
In these moments, these moments of pure discomfort, we have a choice. We can take the exit ramp. Look away, slow down, or reach for the distraction. Let the tension break and go back to feeling "fine."
Or, we can sit with it. Feel it. Accept it. And (maybe) lean into it. Let our intuition take the wheel. Trust that if we stay in the pocket, we’ll thread the needle.
Every time I’ve chosen to lean in, I’ve found something better on the other side. A specific kind of curated, authentic confidence. The feeling of actually meeting your true self, rather than just running away from him.
I’ve also found something else: a deeper knowing. Not in the "I know best and make all the right decisions" sense, but more in the “with less noise on the surface, the magic of my subconscious starts to emerge” sense.
With less pro’s and cons, and more gut; less plans, and more improv — the answers naturally appear in front of me. I start to do exactly what the moment calls for: the right words find themselves in my lungs just before I speak; the next combination arises just after my partner finishes her spin. But if I’m second guessing, that knowing won’t come. I’m no longer part of the river. To flow, I must lean in.
I encourage you to lean in too.
- L
Thanks for wanting to know more today than you did yesterday! If you liked this edition, send it over to a friend who would like it too 🤝
Cheers,