Navigating Around Unsolicited Advice September 17, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Mindfulness, People.comments closed
Following advice from others often is not the best way to get from where you are to where you want to be.
No one else knows exactly who you are at this moment in time ~ they can’t tell if you’re a rabbit wanting to be a duck . . . or a duck wanting to be a rabbit.
I’ll take that a step further. Most people don’t care whether you want to be a duck or a rabbit. They see you the way they choose to see you, through the distorted lens of their own experiences.
I joined a Water Aerobics class this week.
During the class, one of the participants (who had just met me) said, without preamble, “You should slow down, or you’re going to be sore tomorrow.”
I just smiled and nodded.
She wasn’t telling me a truism about ME. She was telling me something about her past experience with the aquatics class. Using her experience as the lens, she shared her insight into how I would feel on the morrow . . . if I were HER. Only I’m not.
I politely ignored her unsolicited advice and continued at a comfortable pace, confident that I was NOT overdoing it for my current level of fitness.
As it turns out, she was wrong . . . I felt great the next day. If I’d listened to her, and let her view of the world eclipse my own, I might have slowed down, stretched less, and otherwise minimized my benefit from the class.
When we look within for guidance, relying on our internal compass, we get exactly the advice we need ~ custom tailored for us by us:
Wikipedia ~ Compass (in Public Domain)
* We stop making wrong turns and running into dead ends based on the preferences of others.
* We remain alert and open to possibilities as they arise.
* Instead of getting stuck in ruts, or playing roles assigned to us by others, we move confidently toward a life that is a perfect fit.
* When necessary, we make subtle course corrections (or paradigm shifts) to steer from where we are to where we want to be.
* We begin to take advantage of opportunities tossed in our path.
From our position at the helm, we can easily navigate around unsolicited advice and steer in the direction of our dreams.
Follow what you love and it will take you where you want to go. ~ Natalie Goldberg
Related Article: Free Advice
Give Us This Day . . . Our Name In Lights September 17, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Blogging, Fiction, Word Play, Writing & Writers.comments closed
“That’s it. I’m done,” Sam said in a pleased tone.
“Done?” Sue asked. “With what?”
“My blog.” With one last glance at the words ~ his words ~ Sam flicked his long brown bangs out of his eyes, and pressed SEND.
Sue stared at him, “You wrote a blog?”
“I wrote a guest blog.”
“Why?”
“Why not? Blogs are in these days. Plus, I want to see my name in lights.”
“You do?”
“Sure. Fame is good.”
“I see,” Sue said, doubt in her voice. “Did you send it in yet?”
“I did. Just now.” Sam laughed an odd laugh, “It’s good. At least, I think it is. You want to read it?”
Sue shook her head, “Not now. Let me read it on the world wide web!”
“Cool,” Sam said with a nod. “Sounds like a plan.”
With a small smirk on his thin lips, he turned back to the screen to type his next guest blog post.
* * * * *
“At last!” Sam cried out, as his screen blinked at him.
On the couch, Sue looked up from the book in her lap, “At last, what?”
“My guest blog. I heard back from her . . . at last!”
Sue frowned, “What do you mean, at last? I thought you just sent it in.”
“Well, I did. But, it still seemed like a long time to wait.”
“So? How does it look?” Sue asked, as she placed her book face down on the couch, “Should I come and read it now?”
Sam held up his hand to stop her, “No. There’s no need.”
“No need? Why not?” Then, she saw the pained look on Sam’s face, and said in a soft tone, “Did she print your guest blog?”
Sam shook his head from side to side, “No. She wrote me a note.”
“Oh,” Sue said, then paused, “Well, what did she say?”
“Not much.”
“Come on. Tell me. What did she say?”
With a loud sigh, Sam stared at the words on his screen, then spoke in clipped tones, “She said, and I quote: Don’t quit your day job.”
Shocked, Sue flipped the bird at the screen, “What a bitch!“
Sam shrugged, “Well, it is her blog.”
“Right,” Sue reached for her book. “You’ll have to set up your own blog.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not? If at first you don’t . . . ”
“Don’t give me that shit, Sue. You know I can’t write ~ nouns, verbs, they’re all just a bunch of words to me.”
Then, with a quick flick of his wrist, he let her words fade to black.
* * * * *
Inspiration: Last February, WEbook held a One Syllable Writing Challenge, with these guidelines:
For this challenge, the only words available to your fingertips are those mono-syllable simpletons that make the English language great. Write a short scene (max 500 words) involving a minimum of two characters and at least one line of dialogue.
Everything else is up to you. Be creative. The best entries are those that seem liberated by the single syllable, rather than restricted by it.
Intrigued? Ready to give it a go?
Spirit Lights The Way 