Practicing The Art Of I Don’t Give A F*ck

When all else fails,
practice the art of I Don’t Give A F*ck.

Pray it into your limbs with each contraction
that comes with being reborn.

Say it with me now:
I Don’t Give A F*ck there’s so much pressure
it feels like my bones will break.

I Don’t Give A F*ck that I have no idea what’s coming
or where I’m going
or what this might all look like when it’s done.

I Don’t Give A F*ck this isn’t pretty or perfect.
I Don’t Give A F*ck if I fall flat on my face and fail.

I Do NOT Give A F*ck.
Drink up the power of that.
Feed it spoon by honeyed spoonful
to your Anxiety until her belly
grows ripe and round with it. 

I Don’t Give A F*ck
what I’m supposed to do.
I Don’t Give A F*ck.

Tattoo it on the inside of your arm
in case the world tempts you to forget,
because it will.

I Don’t Give A F*ck that my ass is too big.
I Don’t Give A F*ck about this have a job, pay the bills, subsistence living.
I Don’t Give A F*ck for the things I ought to have/want/be/do.

Wear a string of mantra beads.

Chant I Don’t Give A F*ck 108 times a day.

I guarantee you it will change your reality.

I Don’t Give A F*ck about anyone’s approval.
I Don’t Give A F*ck if you like me.
I Don’t Give A F*ck what’s expected of me
or what I expect of myself sometimes.
I Don’t Give A F*ck if I’m doing it right or wrong
or anything in between.

Every whispered, screamed, chanted, prayed
recitation of this phrase
builds resonance in your bones,
channels through your blood,
opens the storm shutters on your heart,
and lets a little of your worthy back in.

I Don’t Give A F*ck just might save your life.

It saves mine on the regular.
Say it again, loud as you dare,
I Don’t Give A F*ck.

previously published on The Urban Howl, September 2016

Shannon Crossman learned the hard way that untapped creative energy casts a helluva shadow, so she crafts her sanity with her hands daily. Nothing excites (or frustrates) her more than a blank page, fresh ball of yarn, or pile of foodstuffs – all waiting to be transformed into bits of deliciousness. Words are, and have always been, her way back home. She is a writer, artist, technical wizard, public speaker, witch, priestess, gluten-free baker, time-bender, and COO who happens to possess a degree in Transpersonal & Somatic Psychology. She’s a mama and grandma to a gaggle of wild girls who make her heart happy. When she’s out in the business world she’s figuring out how to make things faster, more efficient, and automating the hell out automating the hell out of sh*t. Shannon still believes in magic, craves the ocean like a land-locked mermaid, and dreams of a life without shoes.