If you’ve read more than a few of my posts you know that I have lots of ‘things’ – things that irk me, things that make me cringe, things that I love, things that I cannot live without.

Some of those things are substantial, essential tasks and duties.  Some of those things are pretty much inconsequential and arbitrary and are only problems IN MY MIND BECAUSE I LET THEM BECOME SUCH.

Scary, isn’t it, just how much anxiety our minds can create over such unimportant nonsense?  Of course, we only think it’s nonsense AFTER we’ve dealt with it and jumped the hurdles and smothered the demons.

Author Karen Karbo has penned the soon-to-be-released (like, tomorrow) book Julia Child Rules: Lessons on Savoring Life.  Since I’m a huge Julia Child fan (and who isn’t?), I figured I would join in this challenge when my friend and author Elizabeth Hilts suggested it.

I chose to Live Like Julia by following Rule #7 : solving the problem right in front of you.

I took to task and started thinking about the problems I had to tackle first in reaching my ultimate goal of hosting cooking workshops/demo classes at The Farm.  Believe me, I have a huge list… I always have a huge list, and this list is usually what stops me dead in my tracks.

Then I got to thinking.  What if the problem isn’t right in front of you, but, instead, is INSIDE you?  What if YOU are the problem?  It was then that I decided that I am my own worst enemy.

It’s been said before, by professionals and amateurs alike, that I over-think, over-analyze, and over-manage myself into a tizzy and render myself paralyzed by anxiety.  Yeah, no kidding.  They say knowing is half the battle?  They’re full of crap.  Just like I know I shouldn’t have ice cream for dinner, I know I shouldn’t let one little detail derail me from achieving success.

And yet it happens.

I was fortunate enough to read the Live Like Julia chapter pertaining to Rule #7 prior to the book’s release.  Karen Karbo captured the essence of Julia Child and reminded me just how long it took Mrs. Child to achieve her goal of publishing Mastering the Art of French Cooking and how many obstacles were in her path.

I’ve got plenty of obstacles in my way, including farm work that makes my hands look like this from April through the end of October.

However, because of this challenge, I’ve decided it’s time to get out of my own freaking way and let things happen.  Sometimes it’s not so much what we DO that accomplishes things, it’s what we DON’T do (in this case, I’m NOT letting small, stupid details mess things up) and thanks to Karen Karbo and Julia Child, I’m forging ahead and doing the opposite of what I’ve done up until this point (a la George Costanza?).

Sometimes I think the universe smacks us in the head with ideas or opportunities.  One such smack for me was several Facebook postings advertising a Hawk Painting Workshop.  It seemed as though every time I logged on I saw yet another post and every time I did my darnedest to ignore the obvious.  I’ve always had a keen eye at spotting these beautiful birds of prey, and spiritually I believe they are a symbol of intuition, focus and clear vision.  I’ve always had basic artistic talents, so why not attend?

Why NOT?  I had a full page list why not….

One day in August I said “eff it” and I signed up.  The experience was scary since I was heading to an unfamiliar place 45 minutes away (I did get lost and had to turn around to find the address, being one of the few who live life without GPS).  Actually, the experience itself was wonderful – it was the anxiety and the unknown leading up to the experience that scared me.

{Look what I did!  Who knew?!?!}

But it was so good and I enjoyed myself so much that I attended the September workshop as well.  The floodgates had opened and there I was with an opportunity to create an experience for others that I would love for myself.  With the help of Jen Ferdinandsen, artist and healer, it’s Game On!

Without much thought as to the details, and with a few back-and-forth Facebook messages, the Painting on the Farm workshop was born.  I have a deadline now  – no more procrastinating and letting stupid little things sideline me.  The workshop will be held on Saturday November 2nd and I’ve got a menu to prepare since I’m making lunch for our guests.  It may be the only workshop that Jen and I have here on the farm, or it may be the start of a series of workshops.  Who knows?  I do know that it’s HUGE to have simply taken a step forward.

It’s taken a long time to get here, just like it took Julia Child nearly 2 decades from start to finish to have both volumes of her classic cookbook published.  But I’m getting there nonetheless.  Thank you, Karen Karbo for giving me the little push I needed and thank you Julia Child for always being an inspiration both in the kitchen and in life.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.  The time will pass anyway.”  – Earl Nightingale