Being a professional means you show up every day. You let your ego aside for a second and do the work no matter what it takes.

When I show up, I don’t always feel confident. Sometimes I’m scared, sometimes I’m tired. But like a gardener, I water my plants every day.

It’s not always nice. You sometimes have to force yourself to sit down. You feel resistance tensing your entire body. But you still get started. It doesn’t matter if you produce shitty work that day. What matters is that you show up even if you don’t feel like it. You are committed to the process.

If you are looking for an external reward, look elsewhere. Because the professional does the work for the sake of it. No trumpets or singing hallelujahs. At 5AM, when you sit down and get to work, no one else is there to encourage you. It’s only you and your craft, face to face.

Resistance manifests through fear or doubt. Who am I to do this? I am not capable. What will people think of me? Yes, we all think these things.

But you keep going, keep going until the timer is out and it’s time to rest. Sometimes you’re hit with divine inspiration, sometimes not at all. Again, that’s not what matters.

The professional shows up knowing this. He knows he might create nothing amazing that day but he continues to practice his craft.

The craft requires you to face the shadows lurking inside your mind. It’s not creating that is terrifying, it’s sitting down every single day. It’s easy to do something when you feel like it. Much harder when you are tormented by emotions.

Sure, the professional takes care of himself. Without balanced energy, he knows he’ll get overcome by fear and that his muse will never show up. But he also knows how to move forward even when he feels terrified. He works on his emotions and heals them with love for his craft.

The professional brings unparalleled value to the world, especially when he creates from the heart. It scares him to bits but it also fills him with joy. The most authentic version of himself radiates through his craft.

The professional harvests flow, bliss, and love. What else can he ask for? Creativity is a blessing and showing up is a spiritual act. An act of connection to the divine, to the higher self within us.

As a professional, you aren’t fooling around anymore. You are seriously playing the game of life. You embrace every day like it were your last. You show up with all you’ve got and fight your inner battles.

It takes courage and sometimes you get hurt. But that’s the way of the professional. It’s a beautiful role to play but it’s also a lifetime commitment. Once you start, you never finish.