By the end of the day, I was getting concerned that I was not going to have anything to “write home about” for today. You couldn’t exactly have a day in the Month of Inspiration that didn’t have inspiration.
(The truth is, you might have an uninspiring day in the Month of Inspiration, but it’s not because the inspiration wasn’t there. It’s because you weren’t open to it that day. Of course, this knowledge wasn’t really helping much at the time.)
Well, Day 25 was getting to be one of these days. I had shuffled a couple appointments around last-minute, because I felt I needed the extra time at home. I had not been feeling particularly motivated, despite there being a whole lot to do. And to really exacerbate the fact that these choices were really not working well for me, I showed up for an ice cream benefit on the wrong day!
It was around 8 p.m. when I walked away from the ice cream place and back the seven blocks to my car – with no ice cream but with a heavy feeling of failure instead. “Man, I really screwed up this day!” I thought. That I was living in the Month of Inspiration was the furthest thing from my mind.
Then I came upon a Mediterranean restaurant. It always smells good around this place, and this time was no exception. I popped in to see what homemade desserts they had today: baklawa, Turkish delights, and these squares that looked like stringy cotton candy. The girl behind the counter was very helpful and vouched that they were all delicious. Of course, I asked about the one I’d never seen before, the one she wouldn’t tell me the name of. They reminded me square versions of the Highland cows in Scotland, without the horns and the rural smell.
Pismaniye. (Here's what it looks like.) It has a more traditional name, but it’s harder to say. I got one vanilla square and one chocolate square to go. I didn’t even wait to get back to my car to start tearing into it. Delicious and mentally stimulating! I wondered the whole time how they made these things.
And that’s when it hit me. I had stopped thinking about how much of screw-up I had been today. I had stopped strategizing how I could fix it before I went to bed that night. I had gotten a do-over – and my inspiration for the day.
Tony Robbins says that in order to get past your misery, you have to start ahead of it. There’s nothing like something strange and delicious to help us get out of our own misery and re-connect us to the world. Do you feel like you need a reset button? What will be your strange and delicious “pasmaniye experience” today?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Overfeeding: Day 24
When we were kids, my brothers and I had a fish tank with some goldfish. The tank sat in the corner of the family room, by the entrance to a foyer. Every time we passed by the fish tank, which was every time we went to the bedrooms, we would naturally want to do something with the fish. As there is really only one thing to do with goldfish, the goldfish would get fed nearly every time one of us went by.
The goldfish never lived for very long in our house.
Our neighbors, on the other hand, kept their fish tank on a counter so the kids could see it but not get into it. Their fish got fed once a day, and eventually, their little goldfish grew into a gigantic goldfish that took over the tank. In fact, this fish from the 80’s was still alive when I visited for my ten-year high school reunion in 2000.
Sometimes, in our efforts toward self-improvement, we overfeed ourselves. This is where I am today, and as a result, I am in the middle of a serious bloat. I am poring over books and online articles, trying to delve further into “what my truth is” or “what my blocks are,” and of course, how to fix them. But there is a point at which we become saturated, overfed, and bloated, and just like after a good, heavy meal, we are full of good information, but just so much of it that it doesn’t make sense.
Some of us are information junkies, which isn’t a bad thing. But if you’ve ever gathered so much on a subject you enjoyed that it became unexciting, or reached a point that it didn’t feel like any of it was helping you make a decision or take action, then you know the information bloat that comes from being overfed.
So how do we resolve being overfed with information? Well, if I had overeaten at a meal, I would take a Mylanta. And if I didn’t have a Mylanta on hand, I would have to take a break from eating, take a walk, and pretty much give myself time to digest.
Being such a "doing" culture, it can be difficult to step away from a situation and give it time to resolve itself. Once we’ve done the feeding and watering, we now have to give ourselves time to grow. Out of frustration for results, we've been trained to get our hands in it again and do something. But that's like picking at a scab every day because you have to see if the cut is healing.
Let go - and let grow!
The goldfish never lived for very long in our house.
Our neighbors, on the other hand, kept their fish tank on a counter so the kids could see it but not get into it. Their fish got fed once a day, and eventually, their little goldfish grew into a gigantic goldfish that took over the tank. In fact, this fish from the 80’s was still alive when I visited for my ten-year high school reunion in 2000.
Sometimes, in our efforts toward self-improvement, we overfeed ourselves. This is where I am today, and as a result, I am in the middle of a serious bloat. I am poring over books and online articles, trying to delve further into “what my truth is” or “what my blocks are,” and of course, how to fix them. But there is a point at which we become saturated, overfed, and bloated, and just like after a good, heavy meal, we are full of good information, but just so much of it that it doesn’t make sense.
Some of us are information junkies, which isn’t a bad thing. But if you’ve ever gathered so much on a subject you enjoyed that it became unexciting, or reached a point that it didn’t feel like any of it was helping you make a decision or take action, then you know the information bloat that comes from being overfed.
So how do we resolve being overfed with information? Well, if I had overeaten at a meal, I would take a Mylanta. And if I didn’t have a Mylanta on hand, I would have to take a break from eating, take a walk, and pretty much give myself time to digest.
Being such a "doing" culture, it can be difficult to step away from a situation and give it time to resolve itself. Once we’ve done the feeding and watering, we now have to give ourselves time to grow. Out of frustration for results, we've been trained to get our hands in it again and do something. But that's like picking at a scab every day because you have to see if the cut is healing.
Let go - and let grow!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Idea Machines: Day 23
Are you an idea machine?
If you're not sure? Here’s how you can tell.
In the course of your amazing life, have you…
If you're not sure? Here’s how you can tell.
In the course of your amazing life, have you…
- Done the dishes?
- Done laundry? Folded clothes?
- Showered or bathed?
- Brushed your teeth and washed your face? (Please everyone say yes to this one!)
- Cooked a meal?
- Sewn or knitted?
- Driven to work or to school?
- Taken a walk?
- Cleaned your house?
If you do any of these things on a regular basis, then you are an Idea Machine. If you don’t believe me, then take note of what it is you are doing the next time you remember something that you forgot, remember the name of that math teacher you had in high school, or notice that a song is stuck in your head. You were likely doing one of these mundane activities.
Daily living doesn’t seem like the beautiful Eden we think creativity comes from. But daily living can actually set the stage for creative ideas to spring up. Once you get out of the mind that edits, you are an Idea Machine; you just may not have realized there was a higher purpose for doing that yardwork or commuting.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Celebrate Creativity: Days 21 & 22
Celebration seemed to be the theme this weekend: Not just celebrate, but celebrate always!
My weekend exactly? Friends getting together for a made-up holiday, a film about the artist in everyone, museums, and a prayer gathering.
This weekend changed my understanding of creativity as a private endeavor. But it is because of creativity that we all become connected and connected more deeply. These celebrations came from the creation of circumstances - not the waiting-around-for-the-right-circumstances.
If you don't think you have a reason to celebrate, then look closer - or make one up! This weekend's "F Day" was proof enough that people will come celebrate with you simply because you asked them.
Share that joy in your heart, and watch it multiply.
My weekend exactly? Friends getting together for a made-up holiday, a film about the artist in everyone, museums, and a prayer gathering.
This weekend changed my understanding of creativity as a private endeavor. But it is because of creativity that we all become connected and connected more deeply. These celebrations came from the creation of circumstances - not the waiting-around-for-the-right-circumstances.
If you don't think you have a reason to celebrate, then look closer - or make one up! This weekend's "F Day" was proof enough that people will come celebrate with you simply because you asked them.
Share that joy in your heart, and watch it multiply.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Labels: Day 20
Some time ago, I was catching up with a friend over coffee, after a long separation. In typical fashion, I would take the conversation into an interesting tangent, then she would, and after a few turns of this, we would backtrack to figure out what it was we were initially talking about. It's a fun game, if you ask me, and I'm used to just riding my innertube down the rapids of a conversation, to whatever interesting places it wants to take us.
I understand that not everyone can have that kind of conversation, and I try to be respectful of that. (Some readers won't believe this, but I myself have reined plenty of discussions in to a task at hand, as necessary.) However, I didn't realize my unique disposition could box me in until a label came out: "So you're ADD too! Just like me!"
I was taken a little aback. "ADD" (Attention Deficit Disorder) sounded so awfully limiting, and I didn't think she had ADD, and I hadn't thought of myself as having ADD. Granted, I was an adult past my school years by the time ADD was identified as such. It was as if I had been blackballed from society. Is this what hyperactive kids have to deal with, before they've even learned the coping skills for outside prejudices and limitations? How long had this woman lived stuck under the adhesive of a label? (ADD was just one in the litany of her personal issues at the time.)
This is what labels do. Labels and stereotypes.
Well, on to my response: "I've never been diagnosed with ADD, but if that's what they call this, I've got it to work for me!"
Just because something's different doesn't mean it needs a limiting label. What's different isn't necessarily a problem that needs a label so it can be "fixed." I'm not a clinician, but can't some disorders just be a different order?
I'm not making a plea for mass chaos: trained human reasoning requires that new information be categorized first in relation to previous knowledge. But be aware of the labels you hear, or maybe even subconsciously use, regarding others and especially regarding yourself. If I internalized every label or stereotype that applied to me, I might not leave the house. (Which was indeed the case, back in the day.)
As for my friend, I believe she is living "beyond the label" now - and thriving because of it, whether or not she realizes what she's done for herself. Her communications with me are so positive now. The only label I might suggest we wear today is "Handle with Care"!
I understand that not everyone can have that kind of conversation, and I try to be respectful of that. (Some readers won't believe this, but I myself have reined plenty of discussions in to a task at hand, as necessary.) However, I didn't realize my unique disposition could box me in until a label came out: "So you're ADD too! Just like me!"
I was taken a little aback. "ADD" (Attention Deficit Disorder) sounded so awfully limiting, and I didn't think she had ADD, and I hadn't thought of myself as having ADD. Granted, I was an adult past my school years by the time ADD was identified as such. It was as if I had been blackballed from society. Is this what hyperactive kids have to deal with, before they've even learned the coping skills for outside prejudices and limitations? How long had this woman lived stuck under the adhesive of a label? (ADD was just one in the litany of her personal issues at the time.)
This is what labels do. Labels and stereotypes.
Well, on to my response: "I've never been diagnosed with ADD, but if that's what they call this, I've got it to work for me!"
Just because something's different doesn't mean it needs a limiting label. What's different isn't necessarily a problem that needs a label so it can be "fixed." I'm not a clinician, but can't some disorders just be a different order?
I'm not making a plea for mass chaos: trained human reasoning requires that new information be categorized first in relation to previous knowledge. But be aware of the labels you hear, or maybe even subconsciously use, regarding others and especially regarding yourself. If I internalized every label or stereotype that applied to me, I might not leave the house. (Which was indeed the case, back in the day.)
As for my friend, I believe she is living "beyond the label" now - and thriving because of it, whether or not she realizes what she's done for herself. Her communications with me are so positive now. The only label I might suggest we wear today is "Handle with Care"!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Bated Breath: Day 19
I love that feeling of anticipation: when you know something’s coming and you know it’s going to be good. In fact, today I considered – in a moment of conversation, in which I waited for a response with bated breath – that I could live from one bated breath to the next. Except that that could be setting the scene for one to pass out!
We’ve all felt it before: the feeling of your stomach tightening, the breath you can hardly take in, the smile that you can’t fight from pulling on your mouth.
Under other circumstances, these reactions might be considered the onset of an anxiety attack. But excitement and anticipation are the stuff of dreams: not really knowing how something you care about could turn out, but feeling so strongly inside how amazing it could be. When your heart is full of this warmth, your body gets giddy, as if all the good things are already happening - and you’re just there to watch it unfold.
It’s this kind of anticipation that, in regular doses, is an experience of real joy.
Wouldn’t it be something to have a day that is a series of giddy surprises, like getting mysterious presents throughout the day? You wake up and find a present for you out on the coffee table in the morning. And then there’s another gift for you on your desk when you come back from lunch. Oh, and another little gift on your dashboard that you get to open in your car before you leave the office. There’s one on your doorstep as you enter the house. And one set on your bed before you sleep at night. You never know where or when the little presents are going to pop up! And when you close your eyes, you smile, wondering what gift will be in the living room in the morning… .
If we can choose our attitude – and we can – I would choose this one. I would choose anticipation. And maybe that’s what the Month of Inspiration is all about: living from one moment to the next, excited about what is about to unfold.
We’ve all felt it before: the feeling of your stomach tightening, the breath you can hardly take in, the smile that you can’t fight from pulling on your mouth.
Under other circumstances, these reactions might be considered the onset of an anxiety attack. But excitement and anticipation are the stuff of dreams: not really knowing how something you care about could turn out, but feeling so strongly inside how amazing it could be. When your heart is full of this warmth, your body gets giddy, as if all the good things are already happening - and you’re just there to watch it unfold.
It’s this kind of anticipation that, in regular doses, is an experience of real joy.
Wouldn’t it be something to have a day that is a series of giddy surprises, like getting mysterious presents throughout the day? You wake up and find a present for you out on the coffee table in the morning. And then there’s another gift for you on your desk when you come back from lunch. Oh, and another little gift on your dashboard that you get to open in your car before you leave the office. There’s one on your doorstep as you enter the house. And one set on your bed before you sleep at night. You never know where or when the little presents are going to pop up! And when you close your eyes, you smile, wondering what gift will be in the living room in the morning… .
If we can choose our attitude – and we can – I would choose this one. I would choose anticipation. And maybe that’s what the Month of Inspiration is all about: living from one moment to the next, excited about what is about to unfold.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
AOI's in the MOI: Day 18
That is, "Agents of Inspiration in the Month of Inspiration."
Have you ever noticed how everything that comes out of certain people’s mouth is just inspiring to you, makes you want to do more, makes you want to be more? They can make you feel like you’re capable of everything you’re doing now or anything you want to do in the future.
That’s an Agent of Inspiration. And I have found lots of them in recent days.
I’ve met many of my AOI Team in the same team put together by our business coach. We all work with the same business coach, and naturally, he’s a pretty inspiring person. Whether they realize it or not, these are people who inspire me, because they are pursuing their calling in the world, and I can only hope that I inspire others in the same way too.
Then I met another Agent today at yoga class. Movies and stories can be Agents of Inspiration as well. So an agent could be alive in-person, in memory, or even fictitious!
The most recent, surprisingly-inspirational movie that I saw was “Zack & Miri Make a Porno.” Once you get past the title, the movie is really about a guy who found love once he found his gift for making movies and bringing people together. Without knowing it, he was inspiring other people by being inspired himself.
Another movie that has always inspired me is “Amelie.” I saw it again a few weeks ago – this time on DVD. I hadn’t seen it since seeing it in the theater many years ago. With the DVD-watching experience, I got to learn about the writer/director’s inspiration and how the artistic cinematography was accomplished. “Amelie” itself is a story about a shy woman stepping up into her own, how it brought a grace to the people around her, and in turn, gave her the grace to accept love for herself.
Who are those people who help you step up into your own, or help you be brave and true to yourself in a moment? Make this day their day in the Month of Inspiration!
Have you ever noticed how everything that comes out of certain people’s mouth is just inspiring to you, makes you want to do more, makes you want to be more? They can make you feel like you’re capable of everything you’re doing now or anything you want to do in the future.
That’s an Agent of Inspiration. And I have found lots of them in recent days.
I’ve met many of my AOI Team in the same team put together by our business coach. We all work with the same business coach, and naturally, he’s a pretty inspiring person. Whether they realize it or not, these are people who inspire me, because they are pursuing their calling in the world, and I can only hope that I inspire others in the same way too.
Then I met another Agent today at yoga class. Movies and stories can be Agents of Inspiration as well. So an agent could be alive in-person, in memory, or even fictitious!
The most recent, surprisingly-inspirational movie that I saw was “Zack & Miri Make a Porno.” Once you get past the title, the movie is really about a guy who found love once he found his gift for making movies and bringing people together. Without knowing it, he was inspiring other people by being inspired himself.
Another movie that has always inspired me is “Amelie.” I saw it again a few weeks ago – this time on DVD. I hadn’t seen it since seeing it in the theater many years ago. With the DVD-watching experience, I got to learn about the writer/director’s inspiration and how the artistic cinematography was accomplished. “Amelie” itself is a story about a shy woman stepping up into her own, how it brought a grace to the people around her, and in turn, gave her the grace to accept love for herself.
Who are those people who help you step up into your own, or help you be brave and true to yourself in a moment? Make this day their day in the Month of Inspiration!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Law of Averages: Day 15 in the MOI
It is said that you are the average of your five best friends. That is, if you take your five best friends and if you were to average out everything about them - their incomes, their ambition, their senses of compassion, their temperaments, etc. - that average is probably you.
Now before you go looking for the numerical quantification of this stuff so you can prove the formula wrong or right, stop and think of your five best friends and then think about yourself. You'll get a sense that your character is amazingly close to theirs - for better or for worse - and that's really the whole point of this highly subjective formula. "Birds of a feather flock together," in more proverbial terms.
I think of my own friends' compassion for others, their devotion to family, their calm, think-it-through dispositions, and their commitment to excellence in whatever they do, and I really like being the average among them. I hope you appreciate the binding characteristics between you and your friends too!
Sure, we could all honor our creative natures more, we could all loosen up a little, we could use a bit of dare every now and then, but all-in-all, what we do and don't have between each other leaves little to have to explain - and leaves so much to love!
Now before you go looking for the numerical quantification of this stuff so you can prove the formula wrong or right, stop and think of your five best friends and then think about yourself. You'll get a sense that your character is amazingly close to theirs - for better or for worse - and that's really the whole point of this highly subjective formula. "Birds of a feather flock together," in more proverbial terms.
I think of my own friends' compassion for others, their devotion to family, their calm, think-it-through dispositions, and their commitment to excellence in whatever they do, and I really like being the average among them. I hope you appreciate the binding characteristics between you and your friends too!
Sure, we could all honor our creative natures more, we could all loosen up a little, we could use a bit of dare every now and then, but all-in-all, what we do and don't have between each other leaves little to have to explain - and leaves so much to love!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
"They": Day 14 in the MOI
Have you ever acknowledged a nameless “they”? If you’ve ever made these statements or something similar, then you have:
- “Well, they don’t let us do that anymore.”
- “What would they think of this?!”
- “I can’t do this, because they need me to be here instead.”
Sometimes, the they that we refer to are people in our lives who depend on us, such as children or other family. And sometimes, they is a boss, a corporation, or organization. Sometimes, our they is God.
And sometimes, we refer to a they whom we don’t even know or have a name for.
How often do we stop and ask who it was we were doing something for – particularly, if it was causing us unhappiness or pain?
Who the h3ll are THEY?
For example: “They say that disciplined people are more successful.” But who are they who said this and how do they define success? Do they necessarily define success for me?
Once we recognize who they are, we learn to separate what they believe and what we believe, and how much of them we feel we own – or owe.
They usually aren’t a source of inspiration. But knowing who they are helps us recognize where our inspiration doesn’t come from, which is a step closer to knowing where your inspiration does come from.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Mediterranean Food: Day 9 in the MOI
I have been craving gyro for several days now, and the kafta kabob and chicken pita we had today were really not as good as we've had in the past. (Greek Patio restaurant in North Phoenix - I wouldn't recommend the place: slow service, mediocre food, ancient ketchup packets put into your to-go order.)
So how could this be inspiring? Well, I took action on fixing a craving and took a gamble on a place we hadn't tried before. I met another daring woman who was having a vodka tonic at 11:30 a.m. and a full meal with taboule and baklava. She had never had baklava before, and she was trying new stuff too.
On the drive back, I spotted a gyro stand. The gyro craving hasn't yet been satisfied, so the stand is definitely a possibility for next time.
So how could this be inspiring? Well, I took action on fixing a craving and took a gamble on a place we hadn't tried before. I met another daring woman who was having a vodka tonic at 11:30 a.m. and a full meal with taboule and baklava. She had never had baklava before, and she was trying new stuff too.
On the drive back, I spotted a gyro stand. The gyro craving hasn't yet been satisfied, so the stand is definitely a possibility for next time.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Forgiveness: Day 8 in the MOI
I haven't been keeping up on my little blog articles. The project is as much a commitment to myself as it is to anything else, and well, I wasn't fulfilling what I set out to do. As is my nature, I started taking on the guilt of falling short and letting myself down much quicker than I was able to evaluate why I wasn't putting in the regular time into a project I was enamored with.
When I considered my guilty feelings, I noticed that I was feeling sorry for a lot of other stuff too - just little things, here and there. It was time to start over! It was time to forgive myself.
Forgiveness is not something that is earned, but something that is freely given. It is the moment we allow ourselves to start again.
When I considered my guilty feelings, I noticed that I was feeling sorry for a lot of other stuff too - just little things, here and there. It was time to start over! It was time to forgive myself.
Forgiveness is not something that is earned, but something that is freely given. It is the moment we allow ourselves to start again.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Dreams: Day 7 (of 28) in the Month of Inspiration
I've been waking up dreaming for the past couple mornings. And I don't usually dream or remember them. The first two mornings of dreams, I tried to remember them and jot something down. But this morning, I was so delighted that there was another dream, I didn't bother trying to keep notes.
The dreams have not been earth-shattering or anything relating to my present life, and I wouldn't call them inspired. But I'm enamored that it's even happening in such a consistent manner.
The dreams have not been earth-shattering or anything relating to my present life, and I wouldn't call them inspired. But I'm enamored that it's even happening in such a consistent manner.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Return Visits: Day 6 (of 28) in the Month of Inspiration
As the week ended, we all returned home from all the places we were running around to during the week. Back to family, back to expressions of love that are familiar and secure.
We come back to rest, after a week of scurrying - perhaps chasing or trying to tame the world. We return to the places that don't need our control, to the places that maybe change slower than the rest of the world.
We catch our breath.
We come back to rest, after a week of scurrying - perhaps chasing or trying to tame the world. We return to the places that don't need our control, to the places that maybe change slower than the rest of the world.
We catch our breath.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Afternoon Delight: Day 5 (of 28) in the Month of Inspiration
It's not what you think.
More meeting with people - some whom I hadn't caught up with in nearly a year, others whom I hadn't caught up with in nearly ten days. Either way, when it's time to spend on a relationship, it's just that time!
This p.m., over teas, Thai food, and wine, was like a series of moments bundled together. Moments falling into order just as they were supposed to. Moments in engaged conversation, moments alone, moments running errands, moments of creative work. Whatever needed to get done today got done, and whatever needed to be said got said. Time spent on anything seemed neither too short nor too long, but just enough.
A relief, and still so effortless! I usually feel as if I am chasing myself down, chasing the clock, shocked that "It's already what time?!" or blown away that a certain task took so much longer than I had expected. None of that today - a day I had a schedule.
Each moment feels well-used, purposeful, and unwasted. Perhaps it is the dawn of a new collaboration between the once-elusive Clock and myself. Indeed, I was ON-TIME to every appointment today and yesterday. And not "on-time" in my usual sense of "arriving within 15 minutes." Timely without a sense of rushing or pushing or even trying.
Perhaps in inspired time, we are taking delight in everything, and we lose nothing to the thief named Worry. In worry, we feel need to direct time in order to avoid time slots that are empty or spent in irrelevance. In inspiration, there is nothing wasted or superfluous; everything is important in that moment, including my being there, and that awareness somehow distills what is relevant out of every pocket of time. I am working on an image that illustrates this best, and the analogy keeps falling short.
I am absolutely "gushy" over this new relationship between Time and me. It might be too soon to tell, but could it be love?
More meeting with people - some whom I hadn't caught up with in nearly a year, others whom I hadn't caught up with in nearly ten days. Either way, when it's time to spend on a relationship, it's just that time!
This p.m., over teas, Thai food, and wine, was like a series of moments bundled together. Moments falling into order just as they were supposed to. Moments in engaged conversation, moments alone, moments running errands, moments of creative work. Whatever needed to get done today got done, and whatever needed to be said got said. Time spent on anything seemed neither too short nor too long, but just enough.
A relief, and still so effortless! I usually feel as if I am chasing myself down, chasing the clock, shocked that "It's already what time?!" or blown away that a certain task took so much longer than I had expected. None of that today - a day I had a schedule.
Each moment feels well-used, purposeful, and unwasted. Perhaps it is the dawn of a new collaboration between the once-elusive Clock and myself. Indeed, I was ON-TIME to every appointment today and yesterday. And not "on-time" in my usual sense of "arriving within 15 minutes." Timely without a sense of rushing or pushing or even trying.
Perhaps in inspired time, we are taking delight in everything, and we lose nothing to the thief named Worry. In worry, we feel need to direct time in order to avoid time slots that are empty or spent in irrelevance. In inspiration, there is nothing wasted or superfluous; everything is important in that moment, including my being there, and that awareness somehow distills what is relevant out of every pocket of time. I am working on an image that illustrates this best, and the analogy keeps falling short.
I am absolutely "gushy" over this new relationship between Time and me. It might be too soon to tell, but could it be love?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Say Hello to Adventure: Day 4 (of 28) in the Month of Inspiration
My first day in Golf class, and I realized that I haven't actively tapped into my sense of adventure. I'm a little rusty! Sure, golf isn't the adventure most people think of, but it's a new experience for me, and that's what adventure is all about.
Another adventure that I'd forgotten was perusing the 99-Cent Store. Naturally, I got fixated on the office supplies. There's some nicer office supplies at the 99-Cent Store than I remember in the past: actual brands like Sanford, Pentel, and Papermate. Even Post-It by 3M (vs. something like "Stikky Notes"). Aisles and aisles of stuff just overflowing from the shelves and bins. It was a store that could make you feel like the world was abundant.
So even old experiences can become new adventures when placed in a fresh context. The real adventure is just in the rush of absorbing all the new sights and sounds. And when you're in it, you get to choose between letting the wave come over you and around you or taking a step that would involve you further - like making conversation with a stranger. I used to think this showed great skill, but in truth, adventure affirms our great potential for courage and challenge.
Either way, simple adventures shake up routine and force us to adapt, even when we get to choose our level of engagement. So starting an adventure is wonderful in itself. And "adventure" is just a choice we can make in the face of transition.
Another adventure that I'd forgotten was perusing the 99-Cent Store. Naturally, I got fixated on the office supplies. There's some nicer office supplies at the 99-Cent Store than I remember in the past: actual brands like Sanford, Pentel, and Papermate. Even Post-It by 3M (vs. something like "Stikky Notes"). Aisles and aisles of stuff just overflowing from the shelves and bins. It was a store that could make you feel like the world was abundant.
So even old experiences can become new adventures when placed in a fresh context. The real adventure is just in the rush of absorbing all the new sights and sounds. And when you're in it, you get to choose between letting the wave come over you and around you or taking a step that would involve you further - like making conversation with a stranger. I used to think this showed great skill, but in truth, adventure affirms our great potential for courage and challenge.
Either way, simple adventures shake up routine and force us to adapt, even when we get to choose our level of engagement. So starting an adventure is wonderful in itself. And "adventure" is just a choice we can make in the face of transition.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Meeting People: Day 3 (of 28) in the Month of Inspiration
The people I met with today really brought up my spirits! Two encounters were entirely spur-of-the-moment, and I'm so glad it worked out the way it did. And to think we sometimes shy away from this stuff because it's too much drama or too much work or we're worn out or we're not good company.
When we let go how good we think we need to be before we can be in the company of our friends, we realize that "good-ness" has nothing to do with it. Imagine that? I don't need to qualify for a friendship. Simultaneously, I was supported and I provided support. Who knows how much? How can it really be measured and why bother anyhow? But there would have been none of it if either of us were not there.
If you are looking for a divine intervention, stop looking at the skies for a flash of light. Look no further than the call or email or text of a friend that seems random or out-of-the-blue. Who do you think told them to get a hold of you?
When we let go how good we think we need to be before we can be in the company of our friends, we realize that "good-ness" has nothing to do with it. Imagine that? I don't need to qualify for a friendship. Simultaneously, I was supported and I provided support. Who knows how much? How can it really be measured and why bother anyhow? But there would have been none of it if either of us were not there.
If you are looking for a divine intervention, stop looking at the skies for a flash of light. Look no further than the call or email or text of a friend that seems random or out-of-the-blue. Who do you think told them to get a hold of you?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Makeup: Day 2 (of 28) in the Month of Inspiration
Makeup is one of those things I don't use very often. For nearly every turn I have taken in the corporate realm, I have started off wearing a "full face" of makeup on a daily basis, and after the first year, I try to back off of it until I'm down to tinted moisturizer and face powder. Even just pressed powder in the parking lot, if I can get away with it.
Since I started working for myself, I have spent more days makeup-free. And the intention behind ditching the makeup has always been that I don't think it's good for my skin anyway, and I hate developing dependencies - such as expecting my made-up face every time I saw my reflection. I am blessed with decent skin, but I have had bouts of ruining it, over nerves and such. The skin must breathe, I believe, and makeup doesn't let it do that.
Makeup is now reserved as part of my psyching-up routine for special occasions and meetings. A little blush, lipstick, and eyeliner help me aesthetically reflect my inner liveliness to others. It's a shame men don't have something like that, but manly men don't want to look lively anyway, do they?
Since I started working for myself, I have spent more days makeup-free. And the intention behind ditching the makeup has always been that I don't think it's good for my skin anyway, and I hate developing dependencies - such as expecting my made-up face every time I saw my reflection. I am blessed with decent skin, but I have had bouts of ruining it, over nerves and such. The skin must breathe, I believe, and makeup doesn't let it do that.
Makeup is now reserved as part of my psyching-up routine for special occasions and meetings. A little blush, lipstick, and eyeliner help me aesthetically reflect my inner liveliness to others. It's a shame men don't have something like that, but manly men don't want to look lively anyway, do they?
28 Days of Inspiration
Yesterday, I began a special experiment in my life, called 28 Days of Inspiration. For ease of counting, I'm seeing how my life changes when I look for something inspiring each day during the month of February. How my life will change, I have no idea. I am not even purposely looking to change (or not change) anything.
As usual, I just want to see what happens.
Yesterday, I was just getting over a cold and I had been cooped up at home for four days before. The Cardinals and Steelers played in the Super Bowl XLIII yesterday. So where did I find inspiration yesaterday? Well, these two items really kind of distracted me. But I was looking too deeply into it and wanting too much for Day 1. You know how you'd like a new project to start off with a bang and be so definitive that you didn't really need the other 27 days? Well, that's where I found myself by the end of the evening, asking myself, "Have I done nothing that was inspiring today? Did I encounter the Big Moment and totally miss it?"
Well, I was trying too hard. Nothing typical.
Inspiration arrives in moments of simplicity and relaxation. I was blessed to be healing at home, unpressured. It was the best I had felt since having first gotten sick, and sure, it was just a cold. But I had clearly taken my basic health for granted. After a month of eating whatever I wanted (mostly sugar) and neglecting even a daily morning walk (Alright, it's been more than a month), my body finally called me on it, and asked me to be more aware. I hadn't been blessing it any longer; I was barely living aware of it.
So my inspiration for Day 1 was my cold - my sickness, my dis-ease. It has established a good time to hit the reset button. Wanting to heal up by holistic means, I have cut out most sugary foods. The cookies are gone. I am still eating, but more soup, vegetables, and chicken.
It's true: There is no try.
As usual, I just want to see what happens.
Yesterday, I was just getting over a cold and I had been cooped up at home for four days before. The Cardinals and Steelers played in the Super Bowl XLIII yesterday. So where did I find inspiration yesaterday? Well, these two items really kind of distracted me. But I was looking too deeply into it and wanting too much for Day 1. You know how you'd like a new project to start off with a bang and be so definitive that you didn't really need the other 27 days? Well, that's where I found myself by the end of the evening, asking myself, "Have I done nothing that was inspiring today? Did I encounter the Big Moment and totally miss it?"
Well, I was trying too hard. Nothing typical.
Inspiration arrives in moments of simplicity and relaxation. I was blessed to be healing at home, unpressured. It was the best I had felt since having first gotten sick, and sure, it was just a cold. But I had clearly taken my basic health for granted. After a month of eating whatever I wanted (mostly sugar) and neglecting even a daily morning walk (Alright, it's been more than a month), my body finally called me on it, and asked me to be more aware. I hadn't been blessing it any longer; I was barely living aware of it.
So my inspiration for Day 1 was my cold - my sickness, my dis-ease. It has established a good time to hit the reset button. Wanting to heal up by holistic means, I have cut out most sugary foods. The cookies are gone. I am still eating, but more soup, vegetables, and chicken.
It's true: There is no try.
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