Revenge, MineCraft
Emma chose the above song for this morning's blog, as she's playing MineCraft at the moment that's no surprise there, lol.
I was going to post this blog earlier, but then got busy with Zach and Emma, cheffing up breakfast. This blog is somewhat different today. I think I'll lead into it by saying one of the many things I love about my daughter-in-law Erin is that she loves books and reads as much as I do. She always has wonderful books lying about to pick up and read. One of the books, is also one that I have somewhere, Simple Abundance, A Daybook of Comfort and Joy written by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
Having said all of that to ask, do you ever randomly pick up a book and silently ask a question, then select a page to see what the answer is? I do this a lot and am always surprised by what I find as it's usually spot on. I did this late afternoon, yesterday, picking up the above mentioned book and opening to the entry July 26.
I thought I would share this as so very many of my friends, as well as myself, who work, have children, pets and other responsibilities are always feeling tugged in so many varied directions at once. There's no time to get everything accomplished that needs to be accomplished and then we feel guilty for having to choose priorities over certain things that are equally important but that are further down on the list of things to do.
Here's what I opened to:
Discovering What You'd Like To Do, If You Ever Had The Time.
Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music-- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful sounds and interesting people. Forget yourself. - Henry Miller
In the beginning spending regular time alone just to collect your thoughts will seem like indulgence enough. Spending time alone to nurture your authentic vision, to express yourself creatively, to enjoy a person pursuit that brings you contentment and pleasure will seem-- well, impossible. Incredulous. Impractical. Inconceivable. Out of the question.
"Right. In another life," is the usual response, along with audible sighs and the rolling of eyes when I broach the subject in my workshops. Then wistful looks appear.
"You mean have fun."
"You mean by myself?"
"Yes, by yourself. Fun. What would you do if you ever had the time?"
"Fun?"
You can see where this leads. Most women I meet have a hard time holding up their end of the conversation when fun is the topic. Let the discourse be on diaper rash or Einstein's Theory of Relativity and we can hold our own. But fun for it's own sake? The plain truth is that somewhere between family and careers during the last twenty years, most of us have misplaced an essential part of ourselves. Once we begin embarking on solitary sojourns to get reacquainted with our authentic selves, we usually discover that something is missing.
It's called zest. Exuberance. Joi de vivre, as the French would say, or "the love of life." The great delight that comes when the pieces of our particular puzzle finally fit. the heartfelt happiness we derive when something bring us keen pleasure. Something uniquely our own. They used to call this magical thing a hobby. We loose what little leisure time we have available through attrition.
Today, give in to your need for "moodling." And while you're dawdling and puttering, consider what rewarding reveries you've put aside that brought you pleasure in the past. "How I think about my work is indistinguishable from the way I think about my needlepoint or cooking: here is the project I'm involved in. It is play. In this sense all my life is spent in play-- sewing or needlepoint, or picking flowers or writing, or buying groceries," says writer Diane Johnson. Once you commit to bringing more of a sense of play into your daily round with authentic personal pursuits, life will begin to take on a harmonious lilt.
This morning I, again, opened this book with a question. I am sensing a theme of sorts. I randomly opened to July 27. The entry title is Solitary pleasures.
Alone, alone. Oh! We have been warned about solitary vices. Have solitary pleasures ever been adequately praised? Do many people know they exist? - Jessamyn West
Remember, once upon a time, when we all knew how to play? We're going to have to travel back to when we were younger to look for clues. Did you love to play alone when you were 10? What were your favorite extracurricular activities in high school and during college? Nothing in our past lives is wasted. Nothing that once made us feel happy and fulfilled is ever lost. There's a golden thread that runs through each of our lives. We just need to rediscover this thread before the joy of living completely unravels.
Why not have a brainstorming session on paper to excavate your buried bliss? Write out a quick list of ten solitary pleasures. Don't give this a lot of thought, but don't be dismayed if it takes you a few minutes to come up with something.
Need some help? Well, what was your favorite childhood game? Your favorite sport? Your favorite movie as a kid? Your favorite book? Comic strip? Your favorite singer? Your favorite singer or musical group? What was the best time you ever had as a youngster? As a teenager? As an adult? Can you remember? Can you re-create the memory?
If you could instantly acquire three additional skills, what would they be-- playing the piano? figure skating? taking really great photographs? What three outrageous things would you try if no one about it-- belly dancing? clowning? hot-air ballooning? What three daring things sound intriguing, even if you'd probably never attempt them-- stand-up comedy? mountain climbing? scuba diving? What three all-expense paid vacation appeal to you-- an archeological dig in Egypt? a ride on the Orient Express? a visit to the Paris haute couture collections? Do you like to work with your hands-- needlecraft? bookbinding? gardening? Or does the visual appeal to you-- framing pictures? working in stained glass? creating shadow boxes?
Get the idea? There's a fabulous world out there just waiting to be explored. We simply have to be willing to experiment. A hobby affords us a marvelous opportunity to awaken our natural talents. It does require a little bit of effort. First of all we have to figure out what we'd like to do to shake the doldrums. Then we have to carve out time to do it. Alice James, the sister of Henry and William James, believed that in life, "Truly nothing is to be expected but the unexpected." By seeking and finding a solitary pleasure that would make you jump out of bed each morning to pursue it, you'll discover just how right she was.
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