Take the win

I fought the septic tank

Are you in emergency mode unnecessarily?

It’s Saturday evening. I’ve got a river to swim in, and boundaries to maintain. I was (of course) going to do this (write) sooner.

Does that ever happen to you? Your plan gets derailed? Do you feel the irritation rise and then make it mean something about you that is not very nice?

I get it – some issues require urgency and you’re the center of your circumstances so you’re an easy target. Some things, you just can’t stop till you’re done. Next thing you know you’ve got your face and entire arm in a septic tank.

(Me - this afternoon)

So this is going to be a short substack because right now, that’s a good bargain. This week, I ran a 1-1 retreat with a very successful banker from New York.

My guy needed a reset. He got one.

The 1-1 immersion days were full, like, 7am meditation, coffee and breakfast, walk, physical practice, lunch, coaching, afternoon hike, dinner, meditation, sleep. I cooked all our meals. I did it with love – the whole thing.

I’ve been texting with my guy today and he’s full of vigor and momentum. Writing this Substack got postponed, for good reason.

This morning, I taught my online class, made lunch, took the dog into the woods for a little jaunt, made an espresso, and was about to sit down to write.

I’ll just put the cooler back in the basement.

The mechanical room floor was wet, the outtake drain overflowing. I spent the afternoon learning the ins and outs of my septic system to a degree I’d never imagined.

I was, at one point, elbow deep in actual poo.

The concrete tank covers are heavy and the outer seals are a bear to get off. I used a shovel to pry the concrete one, and an ice pick for avalanche arrests for the other. I was able to get the pick in the small top hole without breaking the plastic.

It’s the hottest day of the year. I got approximately 39 fly bites.

I was able to find a stick in my burn pile, ax the spiky, dry twigs off the sides, and stab through the blockage in the outflow pipe in the first tank.

There are emergencies that require that you do not stop until you have gotten to the other side of the problem. Not everything is like that.

This Substack is not like that.

Not everything is as important as we make it out to be. Excess importance creates a pendulum of shame and strain you just don’t need.

Sometimes, you can accurately assess when you are just making something too big – could be a disagreement with a friend or partner, or a small task you could save for tomorrow while giving yourself space to sleep well tonight.

I did well this week, and the Yellowstone retreat is sold out. I’m going to feel good about this short piece that has a solid message and go take a dip in the Yellowstone at sunset with my beloved fiancée.

It’s possible you’re a little addicted to shame – really hard on yourself because in a twisted way it lets you off the hook from what you’ve decided are your failures. You repeat this little dance with the devil over and over; not doing something, hating yourself for it.

Treat emergencies like the urgencies they are.

Also allow yourself recovery, rest, and joy. Take the win.