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 There
are few activities more important than small "sanity breaks" throughout
your day. Unless we step back, we can’t see the whole painting.
We’re constantly and anxiously chasing the next five minutes. We
lose perspective. Details overwhelm us. There is a vast difference
between being present to the moment and being possessed by it. Stepping
back can be as simple as taking several deep breaths and clearing
your mind or sitting down for quiet contemplation and meditation.
Take a walk, a swim, relax in a natural setting--tune in, be still
and the rest will follow.
Is creativity really that important?
Creativity is very important and the most precious places to be
inventive are in your home life and in your work. If you’re inspired,
life will seldom disappoint you, but when it does, you’ll be able
to take a resourceful approach to problem solving. Using creativity
in organizing your day or your child’s day can turn an ordinary
activity into a memorable experience. Creativity includes having
the ability to look at options A, B and C and to leave room for
D and E to emerge. It’s letting life surprise and intrigue you.
It means having a can-do rather than a can’t-do mindset.
I’ve
been beating myself up lately and bemoaning the lack of accomplishments
in my life. How can I stop this?
Accomplish
something. Choose something that’s doable for you, whether it’s
cleaning out a closet, giving a dinner party or refinishing an old
piece of furniture. Then see how you feel after it’s completed.
Can you experience pleasure and a sense of accomplishment or is
nothing ever good enough? If you’re never satisfied with your achievements,
ask yourself why you may sabotage your own pleasure. Take a piece
of paper and write down any random thought or feeling that keeps
you from taking pleasure in accomplishment.
Start simple. If you can learn to feel good about minor achievements,
the major ones may fall into place. Approach this with two views:
the short-term things you wish to achieve and the three- to five-year
plan. Let there be some synergy between them so that things you
do in the short-term feed the long-term and vice versa. And let
some of your short-term endeavors be simple ones, such as cooking
a lovely dinner or growing an herb garden. Then see how much you
can actually experience a sense of accomplishment and allow yourself
pleasure.
More Q&A's From Tian
July 17,2000
Finding happiness
Avoiding choices based
on fear
Anxiety about life
July
03,2000
Discussing spirituality
and death
Dealing with divorce
June 26,2000
Sharing prayer
Feeling empty
Self knowledge
June 19,2000
Enlightenment
Connecting with the
soul
June 12,2000
Conquering fear
Self image
Buddhism
June 5,2000
Inner wisdom
Grouchy and impatient
Self Improvement
Blushing
Meditation
Choosing the right
friends
May 22,2000
Being in the moment
A spiritual path
A haunting past
Spirituality in a
relationship
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