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| Packing for Idol last year... |
Nothing makes me want to clean up the house more than
watching an episode of “Hoarders.”
It motivates me to leap off the couch and start sorting everything
in sight. Bills will be paid,
files will be put away and things will be donated and thrown out. I can scan a room and organize spaces –
seeing what can be better arranged or eliminated. After that, it’s just a matter of following through with the
work of actually doing it.
Other clutter is not so easily cleared away. While looking for a quote on
persistence last week, I came across this one from Steve Jobs:
Your time is limited, so
don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results
of other people’s thinking. Don’t
let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to
follow your heart and intuition.
They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
WELL ALRIGHTY THEN! This is worth listening to! Here’s the thing though – it is not so easy. I think to do this effectively requires
some quiet time. There are times
when it would be tempting to make a decision – just to prove someone else’s
opinion wrong. On the other hand,
there are times when someone whom we know cares about us and whose views we
greatly respect – and even ask for –
gives us an opinion that confuses us because it just doesn’t seem
right. How about when we like an
opinion simply because it represents an easy way to handle something when we know the right thing to do is different? Wait… this is the “noise” he was talking about, isn’t it.
“In a moment of decision, the
best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
- Theodore
Roosevelt
Let’s not get lost here. All the self-help books seem to have a section on
meditation, reflection, journaling or some other type of quiet time. Writing the album was a great exercise
in freedom for me. In order to
write it we had to sit there and listen to our inner thoughts – be aware of the
things that motivated us. Then we
wrote about those things. I loved
it! The whole process represents
amazing freedom of thought. The
end quote that appears in the CD booklet encapsulates the idea:
“There is a vitality, a life
force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and
because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will
never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine
how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other
expressions. It is your business
to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in
yourself or your work. You have to
keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open… No artist is
pleased. [There is] no
satisfaction whatever at any time.
There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that
keeps us marching and makes us more alive…”
- Martha
Graham
Fine. As I
continue to clean up and clear out things, in preparation for the next chapter
of my life, I’ll try to listen to myself more. Decisions have to be made. Let’s get a move on it.
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The world awaits...
photo by Danielle Graham |
