Tea with Linda - COMMITMENT

Tea with Linda - COMMITMENT

Linda Kavelin Popov, Co-Founder of TVP, May 2024.

I always wanted to be a dancer, but God had other plans. My first sentence was, “I want to dance.” I was totally committed and serious as a student of Martha Graham’s modern dance method from an early age. When polio struck me at eleven, I was lucky to survive. I learned to walk again, but dancing was beyond me. Then, in my thirties, I discovered I was no longer hopeless at sports. Living on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the tennis capital of the U.S., I watched Yvonne Goolagong, the Australian star tennis pro, and thought wistfully, I’d like to try that. To my surprise and delight, I found that I was good at it, and it taught me the power of commitment. Committing fully to a stroke without hesitation or doubt, hitting the sweet spot that produced a perfect “pock,” and completely following through was deeply satisfying. 

This teachable moment has guided me throughout life ever since. I wrote my first book in my forties. To write a book, one has to make a start, trusting that its message, structure, and voice will unfold. Then, keep at it until it’s finished. I’ve had a ritual whenever finishing each of the seven books – to repeat a phrase my brother John used to say. “It’s good enough for show biz!” Meaning, stop tweaking and over-editing. It’s done! There are a few key elements of commitment that come to mind. 

First, discern your 'yeses'. What calls you at this season? What would give you joy? As Sufi poet Rumi says. “Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”

Second, keep pace with Grace. Be realistic in what you ask of yourself, staying within the protection of your health and energy boundaries. By the way, boundaries expand when you do something satisfying to your soul. Writing is such an intense experience that I can only focus for about two hours a day, giving my full commitment to that page, even a single idea, wherever it takes me. Little by little, with constancy and commitment, your project will take shape. What is your yes at this season in your life? What are you ready and willing to commit to wholeheartedly? 

Perhaps most important of all, let trust in the assistance of Grace and confidence in yourself be the wind in your sails, the follow-through in your stroke. Detach from self-doubt and excessive humility. Who are you to accomplish this? Who will care what you have to say? Dare to find out. If you have pure intent and passion for your purpose, with the help of the angels of Creativity and Commitment, you’ll be unstoppable!