It's day 2 of my project to provide an antidote to the pessimism we find all around us, by exploring the ways that we can make our own luck.
My instinct is that we all are surrounded by a myriad of opportunities,and that the genius of luck is first, being able to see them, and second, being able to take advantage of them. I believe there are things we can do to make luck more likely, to help us make the most of the opportunities that are around us, even if the wider economy is in recession.
Each day will be themed around a letter of the alphabet, and today it's the letter "B".
B is for Belief, and B is also for Breathing Space
Henry Ford said " Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you're right."
Two members of my family have wildly different experiences and approaches to finding a space to park a car. One believes she'll get the parking space very close to where she needs it. She believes that it will be there, and drives to where she wants to be. A high percentage of the time, she succeeds.
Another family member is more pessimistic. He assumes he's unlikely to get a park right next to a popular event, or in the centre of town, because they will all have been taken by early-comers. One of two things often happens. First, he may park a distance from the venue, assuming it's the best he'll get, and then walk past empty spaces en route. Or, if he does drive close to the venue, his assumption that parks won't be available leads him to miss the parking spaces right under his nose until he's passed them. In Christchurch's one-way system, this often means that he's missed his opportunity to park and someone else gets the space.
The key difference: if you expect good things to happen, if you expect opportunities to be there (even in a recession) you're more likely to spot them when they do occur, and not just through the rear-view mirror.
Believing that luck is on your side, that you will have opportunities, is the first step.
B is for Belief, and it's also for Breath, and for Breathing Space.
Step two is creating some breathing space.
Taking a deep breath can instantly revive and recharge us, provide perspective, reduce anxiety, and even restore a sense of humour.
It's no accident that someone said "take time to smell the roses". In the act of inhaling we oxygenate our blood, feeding our brains and making them function more effectively.
It's also easy to get panicked, to think that more is better, to cram our days so full, to heap our expectations of ourselves so high that we don't have space to fit in new opportunities that come along.
I can't remember where I first heard the truism that "we need to make space in our lives for good things to come in"
Breathing space is vital to provide us with perspective and restore our energy, if we are to notice the opportunities around us, and make space to do something about it.
So today's lessons to bring luck then: Believe that opportunities are there. Take time every so often to detach from whatever you're doing to take a deep breath and look at what's around you. Create some breathing space, to recharge your batteries, and to make space in your life and work for good things to come in.
Do share any other thoughts you have. I'll be back tomorrow with thoughts on luck and the letter "C", which brings us Courage and also Charm.
Showing posts with label Artist's Way. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Artist's Way. Show all posts
10 November 2008
A to Z of Luck : A is for Artist Date
Do we make our own luck?
Today I am working on a short oration, for the NSANZ Christchurch Chapter Orator's contest. The topic: "Luck: you make your own". It's got me thinking:
Is there some invisible force called "luck" passing back and forth across the countryside, alighting here and there on fortunate people, skirting the unfortunate and pouring down like waterfall on a blessed few?
It is reported that Napoleon Bonaparte, in selecting his Generals, required that they be lucky men.Whether he thought this was an innate quality, or something they earned, or made themselves I don't know.
Some people chase luck like they seek the magic bullet – hoping against hope, waiting for the day that their luck will turn. In the meantime, they anaethetise their pains, avoid feeling by filling their time with celebrity gossip, drink, drug, food, or TV.
Others seem to be effortlessly lucky - with opportunities abounding all around.
My instinct is that we all are surrounded by a myriad of opportunities, every day, and that the genius of luck is first, being able to see them, and second, able to take advantage of them. And that there are a number of things we can do to make luck more likely.
As I played around with speech structures, I thought about the factors that influence luck. Three things stood out: being Early, having Faith that you will find what you need and behaving accordingly, and the freedom from guilt that comes with knowing you are up to date and have done your best.
Having come up with and E (Early), F(Faith) and G(Guilt-free) I kept going, and along with my Flat White coffee, realised I could go all the way from A to Z, on the subject of luck, and how to find it.
Much has been made of the recession, with gloom and doom about the economy in newspapers and on tv. As an antidote to the pessimism, I offer you the beginning of my A to Z of luck. There will be 26 instalments (one for each letter of the alphabet), and of course, that begins with the letter A.
A is for Artist's Date, and for Action:
The concept of the Artist Date, comes from the work of Julia Cameron, and her program The Artist’s Way. (It is also called a Time Out in The Artist's Way at Work, written by Julia, and Mark Bryan). It's a weekly, planned time-out where you take time to do something that feeds your inner artist or explorer.
It may be taking time to visit antique shops, to walk along the beach and collect shells for a collage, it could be a trip to a movie. Or maybe time spent baking and icing a cake.
Especially in these times, we need to make time to explore our passions, to connect with and feed our creative spirit. Paul Hawken advises
“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor”
A is also for Action – taking action on worries, making small changes, however imperfect, is more likely to lead to rewards. When we take action we get the feeling we have power over our circumstances.
So: to make luck for yourself: take time to take Action, and plan some Artist Date time to nurture your inspiration and creativity.
Tomorrow: the letter “B”
Today I am working on a short oration, for the NSANZ Christchurch Chapter Orator's contest. The topic: "Luck: you make your own". It's got me thinking:
Is there some invisible force called "luck" passing back and forth across the countryside, alighting here and there on fortunate people, skirting the unfortunate and pouring down like waterfall on a blessed few?
It is reported that Napoleon Bonaparte, in selecting his Generals, required that they be lucky men.Whether he thought this was an innate quality, or something they earned, or made themselves I don't know.
Some people chase luck like they seek the magic bullet – hoping against hope, waiting for the day that their luck will turn. In the meantime, they anaethetise their pains, avoid feeling by filling their time with celebrity gossip, drink, drug, food, or TV.
Others seem to be effortlessly lucky - with opportunities abounding all around.
My instinct is that we all are surrounded by a myriad of opportunities, every day, and that the genius of luck is first, being able to see them, and second, able to take advantage of them. And that there are a number of things we can do to make luck more likely.
As I played around with speech structures, I thought about the factors that influence luck. Three things stood out: being Early, having Faith that you will find what you need and behaving accordingly, and the freedom from guilt that comes with knowing you are up to date and have done your best.
Having come up with and E (Early), F(Faith) and G(Guilt-free) I kept going, and along with my Flat White coffee, realised I could go all the way from A to Z, on the subject of luck, and how to find it.
Much has been made of the recession, with gloom and doom about the economy in newspapers and on tv. As an antidote to the pessimism, I offer you the beginning of my A to Z of luck. There will be 26 instalments (one for each letter of the alphabet), and of course, that begins with the letter A.
A is for Artist's Date, and for Action:
The concept of the Artist Date, comes from the work of Julia Cameron, and her program The Artist’s Way. (It is also called a Time Out in The Artist's Way at Work, written by Julia, and Mark Bryan). It's a weekly, planned time-out where you take time to do something that feeds your inner artist or explorer.
It may be taking time to visit antique shops, to walk along the beach and collect shells for a collage, it could be a trip to a movie. Or maybe time spent baking and icing a cake.
Especially in these times, we need to make time to explore our passions, to connect with and feed our creative spirit. Paul Hawken advises
“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor”
A is also for Action – taking action on worries, making small changes, however imperfect, is more likely to lead to rewards. When we take action we get the feeling we have power over our circumstances.
So: to make luck for yourself: take time to take Action, and plan some Artist Date time to nurture your inspiration and creativity.
Tomorrow: the letter “B”
30 October 2008
NaNoWriMo is nearly here!
NaNoWriMo is nearly here! If the acronym is unfamiliar then you may not have heard about "National Novel Writing Month", in which participants write a 175 page (50,000 word) novel by midnight, November 30.
The concept has been round for at least 10 years, and has been adapted to become NaDisWriMo - for people wanting to finished academic dissertations.
For me, I'm going non-fiction. Inspired by my friend Wendy Davie's success in producing her first book - The Accidental Organiser, I'm going to aim to follow in her footsteps, and produce a draft of a book - or at least write 50,000 words.
The WriMo concept is a great one, and fits in really well with Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan's Artist's Way and Artist's Way at Work principles (in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the idea was borne of an Artist's Way course).
I also plan to establish a new "Creative Cluster" in Christchurch for people who want to work the Artist's Way together, in the New Year.
Care to join me?
The concept has been round for at least 10 years, and has been adapted to become NaDisWriMo - for people wanting to finished academic dissertations.
For me, I'm going non-fiction. Inspired by my friend Wendy Davie's success in producing her first book - The Accidental Organiser, I'm going to aim to follow in her footsteps, and produce a draft of a book - or at least write 50,000 words.
The WriMo concept is a great one, and fits in really well with Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan's Artist's Way and Artist's Way at Work principles (in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the idea was borne of an Artist's Way course).
I also plan to establish a new "Creative Cluster" in Christchurch for people who want to work the Artist's Way together, in the New Year.
Care to join me?
20 June 2008
Meet Up for Christchurch Creative Class
Calling Christchurch Creative People
Midwinter Meet Up
Dux de Lux downstairs bar
Sunday 22 June 2008, 4-7pm
Midwinter Meet Up
Dux de Lux downstairs bar
Sunday 22 June 2008, 4-7pm
Calling all you Writers, Artists, Actors, Designers, Entrepreneurs and Creative Types (and those of you who wish you were)
Join me at the Dux at 4pm on Sunday for conversation, inspiration and a glass or two of what you fancy.
Why come?
• To meet up with other interesting and creative people
• To celebrate the shortest day and return of the sun
• To find out about The Artist’s Way * course for uncovering and rediscovering your creativity
• To link up with others who want to be creative for mutual support and encouragement.
Why do this now?
It’s winter, and the nights are long. I’ve talked about the Artist’s Way to so many people in recent weeks, that it seemed a good idea to invite them all together. Added to that, it would be great for all the interesting people I know to meet other interesting people. I’ve no idea how many will turn up, but if it works, I’ll make it a regular monthly thing – a chance for creative and artistic people to meet others for networking, support, stimulation and inspiration.
Forward this to others who may be interested – and let me know if you can make it - Rachel at LikeToTheLark dot com, or text 021 02759023
* About the Artist’s Way: Julia Cameron wrote the course to help artists, writers and other creative people to get through creative blocks. You can follow it yourself – just buy or borrow the book, but I’ve found it really helps to be part of a “Creative Cluster” of people. I’m hoping that people who come will meet other like-minded people to form Clusters with. I’m already in one, and it’s great. The book costs around $32.50 from Scorpio books - they have some on order.
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