Do you have any phrases that just irk you? Ones that people post on social media all the time and talk about like they’re facts and you think, “No! I don’t think that’s how it is”?

I’ve been noticing a bunch of popular quotes and phrases like that. Here’s one I’m seeing a lot right now, I think because we’re in January goal-setting season and counterculture is trying to slow that down.

Here it is: You’re a human BEING, not a human DOING.

While that sounds all nice and relaxing and everything, we’re not just here to chill out. Of course, we can force ourselves into feeling like an internal pressure cooker and that doesn’t serve anything either,but the truth is that we are both.

It’s exactly what yin and yang are all about. Sometimes you work, sometimes you rest. You don’t only work and you don’t only rest.

I see this phenomenon in manifesting theory too.

Some preach that you should envision what you desire and then just wait for it to come to you. Some think differently: that in order to manifest you have to do your part, meet the universe halfway so to speak. Many of us were taught as kids that if you want something you have to work hard for it and that’s all there is to it.

I like to think of it like this:

Be – Do – Be – Do – Be – Do – Be – Do – Be – Do

I even sing it to myself with a little tune. 

It helps me remember that I have work to accomplish in this world and it’s not going to do itself.

But I also need to leave space to just be and allow the universe to do her part too.

I am a human BEING, AND a human DOING.