Follow Your Heart

... and do it.

I do a lot of listening these days. Other than on my podcast, I don’t really talk that much about God and the Bible and faith and all the things.

What I mean by that, is that I turn down a lot of “speaking engagements” and other various invites. I get invited onto podcasts at least once a month, I’ve been invited to speak at in-person and virtual conferences, asked to contribute to books, etc, etc, etc.

It’s humbling and I’m beyond grateful to be considered for such platforms - the thought that a person or organization or podcast or whatever would think I have something helpful to share with their listeners … I’m so grateful.

BUT.

Here’s the thing: I turn down 99% of the invites.

Why?

It’s not because I’m ungrateful or because I have “better things to do”. Nor do I want people to stop asking me. Not at all. It’s just that I’m in this place in my life where I’ve come to realize that I’ve spent well over 25 years preparing to speak and share and write and teach and preach AND have spent so much time actually speaking, sharing, writing, teaching, and preaching …

Seminary.

Internships.

Leadership positions.

Blogging.

Writing books.

Vlogging.

Podcasting.

Preaching.

… I’ve spent so many years PREPARING to talk and so many years ACTUALLY TALKING - I’m tired of listening to myself, HA!

I keep doing the podcast because it’s the one place where I feel like using my voice isn’t exhausting AND it’s balanced out with lots of listening where the guest and I go back and forth with one another and I learn from perspectives that might be different from my own; but the other stuff - the guest appearances, the speaking engagements, etc … I’m just tired.

I’m tired of thinking up content to speak about.

I’m tired of putting together messages.

I’m tired of lesson plans.

I’m tired of racking my brain about how to present this idea or that idea.

I’m tired of thinking up new ideas to explain and new ways to explain them.

Seminary was great and working in churches had it’s moments of bringing my heart alive, but it all involved so much talking and sharing and teaching and preaching and explaining and I guess lately I’ve been thinking about why I feel so inclined to turn down speaking engagements and invites and things and I think the reason is because I’ve spent well over 25 years talking and preparing to talk and I’m this season of life now where I want to listen.

That’s why I love the What If Project podcast so much - I love talking to people from different backgrounds and hearing their stories. Last month, for instance, I talked to a Sorceress.

WHAT.

Yeah, I talked to Sara Mastros who is a Sorceress who teaches witchcraft, tarot, and various other things and I learned SO much - so much that I would never have been exposed to in church, seminary, etc. and SO much I would have never discovered had I gone into the conversation looking to share my ideas, push back on her ideas, present my own agenda, engage in a debate, etc.

In fact, I told her up front - I’m here to learn from you. She was admittingly a little hesitant to talk to me because I label myself as a “Christian” and Christians have caused her much grief (AND the world much grief, as well - something we spoke about in the episode), but I told her, “I’m not here to argue with you, I’m not here to debate you, I’m not here to try and get you to believe anything - I genuinely want to hear your story and learn from a perspective that is very different from my own”. I was a bit nervous at the beginning, but once we got into the conversation my nerves settled down and I found myself writing down so many interesting things she was sharing as my brain was spinning in all sorts of directions.

Yes - listening. In a world where EVERYONE is making noise and EVERYONE is striving to be heard and known and seen … I just want to sit, to rest, to listen, to observe, and turn inward for a bit to engage with my soul, my inner child, the parts of me that have been neglected in the years and years and years I’ve spent speaking and trying to be heard.

Anyways, I don’t know why I had the urge to share this with y’all today, but I did. I’ve had a lot of people suggest that I do this or do that in order to “get my name out there” and “get my ideas on other platforms”, but it all just seems so irrelevant to me these days.

Getting my name out there.

Building a platform.

Sharing on other people’s platforms.

… It used to be a major focus for me, but (for now, at least) it no longer is.

Hm.

Yeah.

Something about sitting here, listening to stories and ideas, letting you all listen to those stories and ideas through the podcast, doing some writing, making colorful and fun art … it’s what brings my heart peace these days.

Which reminds me - you don’t have to do what everyone else thinks you should do.

You know that, right?

Just because so and so who is a successful blogger or author or musician or whatever thinks that you should do this or that doesn’t mean you need to - you are free to follow your heart to the places in the world that bring it the most life even if it doesn’t bring you the most money or fame or whatever.

All the social media gurus say TikTok is the place to be, but TikTok is draining for me and so I deleted my account with 5,000+ followers. Twitter? I had 20,000 followers, but deleted it. On paper that seems dumb, but in my heart it felt right.

Follow your heart.

Today is my mom’s birthday (happy birthday, mom!) and that’s been her wisdom to me my whole life. Whether I wanted to be a Reformed Theologian (I wanted to at one time!), a church planter, a podcaster, challenge systems and establishments, leave church altogether, write books, pick up art after 25 years … my mom has always been the first to say, “follow your heart and do it!”.

So there’s my wisdom for you today, if it applies - follow your heart.

Much love,

• Glenn || SUPPORT THE PODCAST

PS - here’s the latest piece of art I made, a “Pinky and the Brain” commission for a friend. The Art Studio is currently DOWN on the website because I’m adding a few updates with a key announcement coming next month - stay tuned! In the meantime, do you have a piece of art you’d like me to make? Let me know (reply to this email) and we can work out the details of what you want, pricing, shipping, etc.