Time after time

"I don't have any time."

I hear this a lot. Heck, I probably say it a lot too. Somehow, someway, I find myself always taking on multiple balls to juggle, most of which are fairly important and requires intense increments of time. Yet, I smile when I take the moment to reflect on this because I realize I do this to myself. I do this on purpose! And even better, it makes me happy.

Huh? I choose to be in these situations taking on multiple roles and responsibilities packing my hours because if I didn't, I'd probably be bored. More importantly, I seem better at managing multiple balls than I am at managing one. There's something about the other balls, that allows the learnings I gain from one to be used to help another. I think it's like how we can figure things out when we're not thinking about it. Or, how we seem to get clues from our dreams. My multiple balls allows me to subconsciously figure out solutions that I would not be able to figure out if I only had one ball in the air. Now, how cool is that?

Back to the original question - how do you find time?
Although I've committed far more hours lately to my multiple projects, I still seem to be relatively sane, happy, and capable. The question should not be "how do you find time" but "are you happy spending your hours in the activities you do". You'll find that if the answer is "yes", time does not seem to be a problem.

Slowing down to smell the roses

I said an extra special Thank You to a co-worker yesterday.

I called her and when I didn't reach her, I left her a voicemail telling her that I really appreciated all the effort she put into getting something done for me as quickly as she did.

She sent me a quick email saying "You're welcome". She then went on to dismiss what she did by saying essentially that it was just her job and it was "all in a day's work".

I could not let her do this to herself. Never ever underestimate your abilities or your impact to someone else! I reminded her that I knew everyone has a lot on the go, and that the extra effort she mustered up to get things done was extremely appreciated. Yes, it is her job, but she could just as easily have given me many reasons why she couldn't get it done.

You know what happened? I think I made her day. Plus, I made my day too. I can't explain why I felt so great about it - perhaps it was simply in seeing the impact I was making on her mood and then the ensuing extra effort she put into the rest of the day. It was fabulous. I felt as though I made a difference. We need to do that every day.

Let's compliment 2 people every day of our lives. Think about how great you'll make them feel, and how great you'll feel too.

Let me start: Thank you for the taking the time to read my post! What do you think? Agree, Disagree? Any suggestions for making someone's day?

I want a box of crayons

Do you remember when
...you believed just about anything was possible?
...it was okay to colour a cow any colour of the rainbow?
...it was okay to have a wild imagination?

I tell myself that all the adults in my son's life will teach him about rules and how to follow them. Heck - I encourage a lot of rule following too. However, I also actively encourage his creativity (and mine) by engaging in the silliness and imagination that will hopefully help him retain this skill well into adulthood.

I see my peers having so much difficulty letting go of the rules - instead, they focus on the details of the what, where, why and how that would prevent success. If we focus on failure and how it won't work - how will we figure out the new formula for success? It is only in bending or breaking the rules, that the real creativity occurs. More often than not, we'll realize the answer was right under our noses and the only thing required to see it, was a box of crayons to jolt us into some rule-free thinking.

"Honey, let's continue drawing the adventures of Spooky-Piggy and Bungie-Man - what kind of trouble do you think they got into today?"

Reading, Writing, Arithmetic

I took advice from someone I trusted when I really didn't know what to do. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do, and the logic seemed to be there. In hindsight, I realize everybody's thoughts and beliefs are dependent on their perceptions of the world which can have a lot to do with their particular strengths.

In this particular case, the advice I got was in high school and choosing courses. "To keep your options open, take your 3 maths and 3 sciences and then go to university and figure out what you want to do". This advice was excellent from someone who is technical - in fact, an engineer-to-be who's strengths are in the math and sciences. However, for me, this advice actually made my path take longer. I struggled with 3 math courses I had a lot of difficulty with, and in fact, just took years longer to arrive at likely the same or similar place if I had taken some other courses that had been available.

I understand now why I took 2 english courses (in addition to 3 maths and 3 sciences). I always knew why I took music (for the pure enjoyment), but I explained away english as a 'required course' to help me get accepted into university. I understand now why I feel so compelled to write and efforts to dismiss it are only met with returned and renewed efforts to write again at a later date. This 'frivolous' endeavour that is under-valued in my culture just won't go away even if I were to wish it away. Efforts to sweep it under the rug are useless and instead of using added energy to dismiss it, we should embrace it.

Thinking about something you really enjoy doing - is there a really good reason why you can't or shouldn't do it? What is really stopping you from doing what you love to do? Is it a barrier you, or your family, or society put up? Is it real or perceived? We need to stop looking at limitations, and reasons why we can't. It is only in believing that it is possible, that we begin to see that limitations are not always real. Walls are scalable. And sometimes, you can even walk around them.

I hear too many people saying "If only", "I wish I could", "I only do this because I have to". These are thoughts from people who do not believe they have a choice. Our path is in understanding what we really want, and dreaming of how to achieve it.

A day in the life of work

I'm trying to get creative. I've been put into a difficult situation where I'm feeling a touch of desperation as I try madly to figure out how to make the year. Of course time is running out. Yet I'm extremely calm, collected, and having a lot of fun talking to people to try to get some creative juices running. What's even more amusing is that the people I'm talking to do not necessarily seem to enjoy my sense of well-being. Afterall, they are on the same boat with me, and they do not understand why I'm not screaming at the top of my lungs at the unfairness of it all (as I willingly did in the past).

They are instead upset with the situation and dwell a touch too long on the issues and problems at hand.

Now when I say 'too long', what exactly does that mean? I guess what I really mean is it's too long for me. Afterall, what is the point in dwelling? Does it make me feel good? Does it help me figure out how to fix things? Does it point me in the right direction? Or does it only make me feel sorry for myself and my situation and allow me to wallow in further self-pity. If my goal is to pity myself, then I guess I'd be doing well (?!!!) - but if my goal is to find ways to make the year (irrespective of the issues that are well outside of my control), then I need to focus my energy on finding ways. It is only in focusing on the end-goal that we are able to achieve it.

If we focus on self-pity, we will achieve self-pity.

My creative juices have been running many metres per second. What's even better is I'm getting so many other fabulous ideas as I talk to others about the ideas. The ideas begin to change, and be molded and become more refined and I'm left with art-forms in the making. I watch in awe at the process and the results, and I can not help but feel enlightened.

I have found an elixer of some sort. Ask me later what it is for. I'm not quite sure yet, but it holds magic and truth that I can not deny.

And so it begins

It really started years ago. I can't recall when, or what, or why, but I do know that this has been a multi-year culmination of experiences and thoughts that have led me here today. As I continue to refine my thoughts and begin to form a plan, I realize I need to start writing again and so here I am on September 1st, 2007... and it all seems so right and the natural thing to do!

Can you feel my excitement? Can you feel my enthusiasm? It's as if the fog is lifting and the clarity and answers are right there in front of me. And in my old body and mind, I would have said "Why did it take so long?", while my new self embraces it and am simply thrilled and happy to simply be and know it now.

I re-read passages I wrote from 2 years ago and I am in awe as I now have answers to questions I never thought I would be able to answer. Questions such as:

"Why do I keep having the same problems over and over again?

"Why can't I seem to figure out the solution?"

"Who am I meant to be?"

"Why can't I seem to figure this out?"

Yet here I am, and I feel as though I'm seeing for the first time. Breathing for the first time. Believing for the first time. And succeeding.

I'm in awe because I am starting to answer my questions.