✨ There Is No Shelf Life for Insight ✨

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🌿 A reflection on creative worth, momentum, and sharing what still matters.

Have you ever created something you're proud of, only to let it fade into the background? That moment when you decide your work has passed its prime—even though its value remains unchanged?

Summer mornings by the lake have become my sacred ritual. I wake with the sun, tiptoeing past sleeping pets before donning my protective "moon boots" against the morning dew and perhaps Gary the garden snake. With green tea in hand and books tucked into my basket, I step outside to breathe in gratitude for this beautiful, safe place. These solitary moments connect me with both the natural world and the wisdom of authors whose words accompany me each day.

While reflecting on my dock this morning, I realized it's been exactly one year since I published my book. Though the writing process never felt like work—I sometimes miss it—I've stopped promoting it, telling myself the momentum is gone. But why? Has the value of those words diminished, or am I simply afraid of how they'll be received? When we create art of any kind, we engage in a vulnerable act. Yet keeping our work hidden might actually be selfish. If I worry about what others think of my creation, that's just ego talking. I can't control whether you like my book, but I can offer it wholeheartedly, aligned with my values.

This morning brought clarity: there is no shelf life for insight. Good ideas don't expire. They remain valuable whether discovered today or years from now. I invite you to consider what you've created that deserves to be celebrated and shared again. What wisdom have you kept to yourself that others might benefit from? Join me in honoring our creations without fear of judgment, because authentic expression never goes stale.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey there, one of my very favorite things to do in
the summer is to wake up withthe sun.
It feels like a lifetime agonow, when I preferred dusk to
dawn like the night owl comingto life as the sun started to
set.
But these days, if I'm lucky,when I arrive downstairs I can

(00:25):
manage to tiptoe past mysleeping fur babies without
waking them.
I quietly close the pocket doorbehind me and slip on what look
like moon boots, perfect forthe morning dew.
The grass is always wet at thishour and I still have just a

(00:46):
little fear that Gary the gartersnake might be sunning on the
step, and somehow my funnylittle boots make me feel just a
little safer.
On the crook of my left arm Isling a basket where I keep my
glasses and a couple of booksI'm reading, leaving my left
hand free to hold my cup ofgreen tea.
I grab my baseball cap andsunglasses, open the door and,

(01:14):
though I do this almost everysummer morning when I step into
the garden, it feels like it'sthe first time I breathe in the
gratitude of living in such abeautiful, safe place.
It's a sacred, solitary ritualcommuning with the lake and

(01:35):
welcoming the day, and it's herethat I draw wisdom not only
from the infinite nature that'sall around me, but also from the
wonderful authors that I read.
It's a place of wonder anddelight on the outside and in.
Learning is such an importantpart of my practice, and I often

(01:57):
highlight passages that standout or that I'd like to revisit.
I even add the initials ofclients or of people in my life
who I think might really benefitfrom hearing some of these
things.
This morning, while sitting onthe dock in my usual spot for
reflection and gratitude, itoccurred to me that it was
almost exactly a year ago that Ipublished my own book.

(02:21):
I devoted so much time towriting my little book and
getting it world ready, butnever once did it feel like work
.
In fact, sometimes I findmyself missing the process.
It felt good to complete it forsure.
Well, at least deem it finishedenough to share, because, well,

(02:42):
let's face it, in creativeendeavors nothing is ever really
done, is it Still?
When I go to bed at night andsee it on my bedside table, I
smile inside, not because I didit, but because I can go to
sleep knowing that what Iproduced was an honest

(03:03):
reflection of who I am Honest,imperfect and unafraid of
open-ended answers.
I sipped my green tea and lookedat the books in my basket, both
of which were well-worn,earmarked, initialed and
underscored with yellowhighlights.

(03:25):
Like most of the books I read,these have been taken on and off
the shelf and offered freshperspectives each and every time
I pick them up to reference orread again.
I thought about the term shelflife life, which means the
length of time for which an itemremains usable, fit for

(03:48):
consumption or saleable.
One year ago, when my book wasjust released, I felt energized
and excited about getting it outinto the world, but these days,
the only story I'm creating isthe one in my head.
These days, the only story I'mcreating is the one in my head,

(04:10):
the one that's telling me themomentum for my book is gone.
But when the moment has passed,is it too late to celebrate and
elevate?
It?
Is forward motion always linear, like the books in my basket.
The value of my own book hasnot changed.
So why, then, have I stoppedpromoting the work that I shared

(04:35):
into the world one year ago?
Do I believe that it's run outof gas because it isn't good
enough?
Have I moved on because Ibelieve the shine has faded.
Hmm, I started to think aboutall the people who have read my
book and shared their responses.
I thought even more about allthe folks who haven't had the

(04:58):
chance to read it because, well,they don't even know it exists.
Like my morning ritual, writinga book or creating art of any
kind is a sacred, solitary actand it's vulnerable.
But unless shared, couldn'tthat actually be considered

(05:19):
selfish?
If I'm worrying about what youthink about me and my work, well
, that's ego, isn't it?
Do I want to go to sleep atnight knowing that my fear of
what others think is preventingme from honoring my value to
share, that my fear of whatothers think is preventing me

(05:40):
from honoring my value to share?
Am I holding back by not sharingthe beautiful words that
readers have offered me, wordsthat might invite new readers in
?
Why do I hesitate to highlightthose voices when I so readily
share the passages that move mein other books?
You know I can't controlwhether or not you like me or my

(06:02):
book or anything that I say orcreate, but I can draw awareness
around what I've done and whatI want to share and I can make a
wholehearted offering to youthat is aligned with my values,
an open invitation for you todecide, because I've decided

(06:25):
there is no shelf life forinsight.
I'm Lisa Hopkins.
Thanks so much for listening.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone, and remember to live in the
moment.