Growth is in bridging the gap

Mindset

In the last eight months or so, I have been trying to keep my mind blank – not letting it spiral, race into all the anxieties that lurk inside my head. Those anxieties that are further exacerbated by the media‘s coverage of anything and everything happening in our world today.

In order to keep my mind blank lately, I’ve pulled back from my personal writing/journaling because in my regular journaling, I’ve found it easy for me to wallow in my own anxieties on a loop – dwelling and expanding on the negative that I’m getting out of my head in my regular writings.

There’s often a spirit of hope in those writings, but regularly revisiting, and going down the negative rabbit hole of, my anxieties has made me realize that my regular writing of these topics was actually keeping me buried in those unwanted feelings.

So I stopped writing as much as I used to. I stopped reading books as much as I used to. I’ve been trying to give myself some space, to mentally rebalance and adapt to a new approach that seems required to navigate how the world has changed over the last few years – my own world and the world at large.

The pace of life is fast these days, and I personally don’t process things that quickly, so I've mentally, internally humbled myself, by trying not to be so future focused, which can often cause much of my anxiety.

By giving myself space like this, it’s forced me to be in whatever present moment I’m in vs. thinking about and worrying about an unknown future, then writing and reflecting on those anxieties that future-thinking causes. This is how it becomes a loop for me – fear-of-the-future unknown (what ifs) cause anxiety then I reflect on those past thoughts about the anxiety that future-thinking caused. You can likely see how this can be problematic.

Enter: Future-thinking fear

Later, reflecting back on my past future-thinking fear, revisiting and dwelling too long on the original future-thinking fear that kicked this off.

Between the initial future-thinking fear and reflecting back on those feelings at a later point in time, I fail to embrace the present. That’s the gap.

By not examining the current moment with gratitude about what’s working and going well right now, I’m depriving myself of a remedy that can break the negative loop cycle I put myself in.

That gap has been the reason for my own self induced writing pause. It’s not now, nor has it ever been, my intention to make this pause permanent – quite frankly I don’t think I’m capable of that kind of permanence. 

However, exploring the gap is good. I’ve been self-aware of my own needs, which improves my current, future self-awareness, helping me to show up better for myself and others in my life. Knowledge and experience breed, self-confidence, and self-confidence is permission that you’re worthy of positive things in your life, which breeds empathy, gratitude, and generosity in how you show up for others. That’s how we positively changed the world by investing in ourselves.

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Music/Creative

Upcoming show:

My buddy, Dave Tamkin, asked me to do a set at his show on Thursday March 5 at the Harmony Bar & Grill in Madison, WI. The show starts around 6pm. Learn more in this Instagram post.

I’ve started hosting Open Mic Night at Imaginary Tea in Waunakee, WI. Check it out on the third Thursday of the month beginning at 7pm.

Here’s the latest upcycled guitar design that sold from my nickVguitars Etsy shop.

The Humble Truth guitar - a nylon string guitar with rustic Nashville songwriting vibes.

You can read the full story behind it in this Instagram post.

Latest music and concept album:

Check out my latest 7-song EP called “Our Own Devices.”

There’s a whole concept and theme to the album that is certainly relevant to our modern human condition. Read about the album, listen for free, and read the song lyrics on Bandcamp.

If you have interest in financially supporting this album/message feel free to purchase the music at nickventurella.bandcamp.com.

The album is currently available on all major streaming platforms.

Outro

Stay positive, stay healthy, be kind.

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Be well,
-Nick

Nick Venturella Endeavors LLC
NickVenturella.com

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