Day 31 — “Show Up”; The Way of the Super Froth Bear — Part 3

Blogtober — Day 31. “It’s almost done!”

Today I am completing my final writing blog for Blogtober.

The theme will be the third part of ‘The Way of The Super Froth Bear… “Show Up!”

And yet yesterday, I failed to show up to write… yes I missed my second day of writing for the month of October. Ended my 14 day writing streak on 750words.com. I even manufactured the opportunity to write after work as I requested an earlier knock off so I could come home and do a late night write for the third consecutive night.

Then The Mandalorian streaming on Disney+ was released… and Jacquie and I have been waiting for that for a long time!! We love Baby Yoda dude!! So goddamn cute.. and we love the Star Wars universe.

So I didn’t show up to write… but I did show up for my partner, and after a massive day of work, Jacquie I’m sure worked 12–13 hours, it was a welcome sit down, gather, and enjoy something we both have been looking forward to prior to bed.

Now at 7:10am, on October the 31st, 2020, I sit down and show up once more.

This is my earliest free write for the month of Blogtober too… and the write where I’ve had the least amount of sleep.

The thing is..

I feel really, really great!!

Last night I finally taped my mouth while sleeping to encourage nasal breathing and aid in my sleep. I ordered some surgical tape from Amazon, the kind James Nestor writes about in his book with Anders Olsson, Breath, and only put a Hitler sized moustache piece of tape on the middle of my lips. It’s been something my best mate Jay has been talking about for years… and something I tried but the face mask shaped strips wouldn’t stick to my beard… and I couldn’t yawn which I love to do prior to sleeping.

So now, as I write about showing up as the final component of The Way of the Super Froth Bear, I’m both stoked and proud I showed up by buying the tape, putting the scissors and tape next to my bed. I’m grateful for the wisdom and encouragement from my mate and wise authors. And I’m experiencing the benefits of breathing through my nose only during sleep.

Mouth Taping for Better Sleep

As it’s getting hotter and more humid in Cairns, Tropical Far North Queensland, Australia, the air conditioner at night is back on… nothing kills my sleep more than it being very hot and humid. The thing with air conditioned rooms is I wake up with horrible dry mouth, and breath, and my lungs feel sapped… I feel sapped of energy… plus with the windows closed we lose that fresh air and CO2 can build up.. not ideal at all.

To continue this riff on Showing Up, as I showed up to Power Up this morning, during my 20 minutes of resonance breathwork, I pondered whether Show Up should be first in the motto… Show Up to Power Up and Team Up?

It makes sense… whereas I initially thought Power Up first, and then once in a powerful state, Team Up with others who’ve done the same… and then Show Up to the world… and that would be a public Showing Up…. whereas a Private showing up would be that initial Showing Up to Power Up…

We need to show up to ourselves and for ourselves first.

Whether showing up means to sit down and breath for 10–20 minutes each morning, or to free write on 750words, drink Magnesium, foam roll to release muscles, do body weight exercises, and send social gratitude messages to people I’m appreciative and grateful for…. those things fill the soul… those things fill MY soul… they power me up… so without first showing up to myself, how can I team up with others?

Perhaps it’s all the same, and, along the lines of that famous Warthog, Pumba once quipped, “What’s a motto with chu?!” Does it really motto what order they are in? The key is I’ve found a way of life which is simple: it only has three parts to it. Even those with the worst attention or working memory can learn and memorise Power Up, Team Up, Show Up!! Plus, it’s all up. It also makes logical sense to it.

Just like Wake Up, Grow Up, and Show Up from mentor and friend Jamie Wheal. Jamie has also riffed on Timothy Leary’s “Turn on, tune in, drop out”… whereas Jamie put it “Turn off, tune out, and drop in!” Words to live by right?! Similarly the thinking practice of, “Is it good? It is truthful? Is it beautiful?” Good. Truth. Beauty. Simple. Elegant. Broad. Deep. No frills or fluff required.

Another from Jamie Wheal… Ecstasis (without the crave). Catharsis (without the cringe). Communitas (without the cult). A fly-wheel of the Home Grown Human. Again, simple, elegant. Powerful.

Today I have only touched on Showing Up, and yet as the great Woody Allen once remarked, “Success is 80% showing up.”

That’s pretty much it… and yet how often do I at least recoil and avoid doing the hard public thing when I’m not feeling like it? Often because I’ve also failed to show up for myself privately and avoided or doing a lukewarm Power Up. If I’d powerfully powered up and showed up fully I’d be in the state of froth and be so keen to Team Up and get out there amongst it that wild horses couldn’t stop me.

So, as I move on from Blogtober, what has come through me as a new way of living is The Way of The Super Froth Bear… born and breathed into life by the SuperBetter incubator, envisioned by my loved ones and friends who have nurtured Mr Sexy Bear these past few years… and yet Super Froth Bear was always deep inside…

Now he’s found his way… oh what adventures he’ll have!!! Oh the things he’ll see.

I hope to see you somewhere along the way also. That’d be swell.