So, to further our kinship relationship with the instinctual nature, it assists greatly if we understand stories as though we were inside of them, rather than as though they are outside of us. We enter a story through the door of inner hearing.*
Clarissa Pinkola Estés

You can probably find someone to do the job, play the parts, wear the uniform, show up mostly on time, and even smile now and then. But someone who can do the job AND CARES about the job…that’s a lot harder to find.**
Gabe Anderson

The inside story is your story,
It’s a wild story because it connects with who you are
and who you are becoming;
It’s a story of obsession, and
needs to be,
Else you’ll experience “story-creep” –
The thing that happens when you say “yes” to
too many things and too many people:
Trying to please everyone,
they end up pleasing no one.
To try to do everything
is to ensure you’ll do
nothing.^

The difficult part isn’t identifying the story –
Though this is hard enough because of what you’ll be handed
from all directions –
No, the difficult part is figuring out how to be focused on your story,
Every day, no matter what:
Your practice, your liturgy, your rituals.

In many cases, the real talent is being obsessed with the thing. What are you willing to focus on so wholeheartedly that you are happy to ignore nearly everything else?^^

*Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ Women Who Run With the Wolves;
**Gabe Anderson’s blog: Who Do You Want For the Job?;
^Ryan Holiday’s Discipline is Destiny;
^^James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter: The secret to creativity, how our challenges shape us, and the value of bad workouts.