| IN THIS ISSUE | | WELCOME | The President Picks up Poop!
| Do You Have a Creative Itch?
| A Little Inspiration
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Happy June to everyone! This is really one of my favorite months- it's my birthday month; I still get that , "school's out" feeling of freedom; the evenings are pleasantly cool and longer; you can catch lightening bugs in a jar; and best of all, I can wear sandals. (I REALLY hate wearing shoes.)
Once again I am leaving Philadelphia for the summer to share 9 weeks with my father at the Chautauqua Institution in Western NY. This was such a special treat for both of us last year that we decided we had to do it again. He is 93 and as long as he is able, I'll be there with him. Learn more about this marvelous learning opportunity and vacation destination on the website.
Beside all the wonderful things to do there, it is also a place where I've done a lot of writing since I was a young girl and I am planning to do so again this summer.
*** You can help with my survey ***
I'm working on a book about living an inspired life after 50 and would like to get a better feel for your attitude and thoughts about the second half of your life.
Is it exciting to anticipate or scary as Hell?
Are you prepared or just drifting along?
I've put together a short survey (only 9 questions) and would appreciate getting as many responses as possible. Whether you are 40 or 69 or anywhere in between, your thoughts are relevant to the topic.
Please Click Here to take survey. It is anonymous - even I won't know where the answers come from - and I will be sharing the results in the July newsletter so you'll know how your thoughts compare to others.
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Please forward this copy of the newsletter to friends and family who might enjoy it, and feel free to email me with any questions or comments.
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The President Picks up Poop!
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I have been very busy lately getting my six - week workshops scheduled for the fall. Suddenly the little calendar at the bottom of my screen was saying June 5th and I realized I hadn't started on this article that is generally published today. Nor did I have a clue what I would write about this month.
The phone rang and I saw that it was a good friend and fellow solo-preneur. Lisa is an esthetician who provides her clients with 90- minute facials that include aromatherapy, soothing music, hand and neck massages, warm towels, and an escape from the world. (If you live around Wayne, PA, email me and I'll get you connected!)
When I said I needed inspiration for an article, she told me how inspired she was by the Bryan Williams show about the Obama family and their lives in the White House that aired this week.
The President introduced some of his staff and explained that he knew too well that many of them work very long days in order to allow him some personal time with his family in the evenings. He frequently sits down to eat dinner with Michelle and the girls - an event that is important to all of them.
Then he added that his time with Bo, the first dog, is around 9:30 at night when he takes her out for a walk. He described the thrill of being out in the yard where he can see the White House all lit up and everything that represents for him. But then he becomes just another dog walker as he picks up the poop!
The lessons to be drawn here are endless (and some are pretty funny), but here's my take. How we choose to spend our time should be reflecting our values and the things that have priority in our lives.
The First Family has said from day one that their top priority is to maintain as normal a lifestyle as possible, and to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground amidst all the hype and media attention. It doesn't get much more normal than walking the dog and picking up the poop!
How is your use of time and energy expressing your values and priorities? A good exercise is to keep a diary of how you spend every 15 minute segment of your day for about a week. It might be very enlightening.....
I know you can find 30 minutes a day to:
exercise,
volunteer somewhere,
spend more time with a family member,
research a business idea,
touch base with long-lost friends.
If the President of the United States can make time to walk the dog, you can certainly make time to change or improve just one small part of your life, don't you think?
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Do You Have a Creative Itch?
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I know I do. Down in my "hobby room" there are storage boxes full of fabrics for future art quilts, sets of pastels, oil crayons, and markers of every hue and tint, pads of sketch and water color paper in every size, and books galore on weaving, sewing, knitting, painting, drawing, and how-to's for creative businesses.
There's a table loom that's never been warped, skeins of yarn still in their wrappers, forms for pillows of all shapes in their plastic bags and a cabinet of little drawers full of buttons, feathers, beads, lace and bangles that are going to find their way to some fun wearable projects one day.
Every time I see a gallery of fabric art I get really itchy! I've designed a piece on paper and have bought the materials but I've never started it.
Why? Because it is an unknown process - I can picture the finished product but I'm unsure how to start. And because I don't think of myself as a fabric artist. And because the demands of daily life make a lot more noise. And because even though it itches, I haven't made it a priority.
But mostly it's because I think I have to put everything else aside and devote myself to learning this art all at one time - like for the next six months or so- and the result has to be museum quality!
I'm pretty sure most of you can relate. Maybe you have a musical instrument tucked away somewhere, or a box of notes, poems or story plot lines you've started hiding under the bed.
Enter my friend Ken Robert. Ken is a really creative guy - one of those whose imagination runs in overdrive. He's spent several years trying to figure out how he can use his creative energy productively and he has started a new website to share his musings and the lessons he's learning.
Here's an excerpt from his post "How to be Mildly Creative"
"I also thought that creativity, especially creative writing, was something otherworldly and mystical. Over and over I read about the importance of creating a sacred space, whatever that is. Light candles, burn incense, drink some herbal tea, listen to Gregorian chant . . .
But all this advice left me feeling frazzled and largely beneath the task. Sure, I could generate dozens of ideas, but I couldn't bring myself to work on a single one. I was too keyed up and the whole process seemed too holy."
He goes on to suggest ways to start, and a mindset to adopt that will allow your creativity to emerge slowly and surely - MILDLY as he calls it. He is allowing his readers to watch him literally learn to draw, play the guitar and write prose and poetry.
If you have itched to dabble at anything, Ken will be an inspiration to take that first little step in a Mildly Creative way. Listen in on his conversation if you've always wanted to try_____________. (Fill in the blank)
Ken's website
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"Comparing your business potential or art to those who have already established themselves is cruel and pointless. Nobody starts out as a gold medalist. Nobody begins at the Grammys. "
( This Time I Dance! By Tama J. Kieves p. 156)
"A tree that can fill the span of a man's arms grows from a downey tip;
a terrace nine stories high arises from clods of earth;
a journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one's feet." Lao Tzu
My e-mail box is always open if you just need to chat..
lifeworkdesigner at me dot com
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