I *Heart* Seth Godin

Seth Godin’s new book was released today.  It hasn’t arrived at our library yet but when it does, I will be first to get it because I’ve had a hold on that book for months.

If I could sit down and talk to anyone in the world over coffee, I would have to choose Seth Godin and I’m not the only one.  Seth Godin writes the most popular marketing blog on the web, is the author of 10 bestselling books and was named "the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age" by Business Week.  Seth’s complete bio can be found here.

Seth is one of those original thinkers who always seems to be ahead of the pack with his inspiring ideas.

Recently, while driving home after work, I caught a podcast interview with Seth Godin on CBC radio.  It was so interesting, I hardly remember the drive home.  I watched his TED talks while at home so as not to endanger other drivers.

“My definition of art contains three elements:

1. Art is made by a human being.
2. Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else.
3. Art is a gift. You can sell the souvenir, the canvas, the recording... but the idea itself is free, and the generosity is a critical part of making art.

By my definition, most art has nothing to do with oil paint or marble. Art is what we're doing when we do our best work.” ~Seth Godin

Are you creating art?  Why not?

 

Project 365 Week Three

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” — Thornton Wilder

Template by Biograffiti Digital Paper by Kitty Designs

Do you want to see other examples of Project 365? Head on over to The Mom Creative blog for Project Life Tuesday.

The List

 

Today is the day we are supposed to open our sealed envelopes and revisit our lists. I’ve been avoiding that pristine envelope all day.  If I open it, it’s real.  I’ve enjoyed the forgetting …

Dreaming of Spring

 

The unseasonably mild weather is causing me to dream of spring, a dangerous prospect when so many cold months remain before us.

Rewind

 When I tell people I blog, their reaction is usually, “Oh, you blog … really … what’s it all about?”

Well, people, this is the introduction I should have written when I first started my blog and it is my blog so if I choose to post my introduction out of sequence, who is to say any different?

Over the past two and a half years I have lost 130 lbs.  I had been overweight for more than 15 years and very unhappy with myself.  As I shed the pounds, I started to feel like there wasn't anything I could not accomplish but I was still plagued with a feeling of dissatisfaction with myself and with my life.  This further led to feelings of guilt since my family is blessed with excellent health, my husband and I both have good jobs, a nice house, etc. Why was I still feeling perpetually sad and discouraged?

Honestly, I still don't know the answer to that question but I am working hard to find out. I want to know what makes me happy and I want to explore it in a mindful way.  I am consciously seeking out like-minded people to discuss this topic with because I don't think I am alone. In fact, I know I am not.  I am reading books and blogs, listening to podcasts and anything else I can think of. At the same time, I am trying to implement the things I am learning and blog about them.  I don't want to reach the end of my life, whenever that comes, and wish that I could get a "do-over".

One of the things I have discovered is that I am a creative person (maybe we all are) and I do derive a lot of happiness and satisfaction from creative pursuits. I love writing, photography, art, scrapbooking (both digital and paper), and design.  My dream is to be able to incorporate creativity into my life in a big way.  I am not sure what form that would take. I haven't fleshed out any ideas yet.  I think I am still at the beginning stages of this process. It's funny because I want to work on "my dreams" but honestly I haven't even allowed myself the time to just be still and develop an idea of what they may be.

365 Project Week Two

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

Template by Biograffiti Digital Paper by Kitty Designs

Do you want to see other examples of Project 365? Head on over to The Mom Creative blog for Project Life Tuesday.

Technorati Tags: Project 365,Project Life Tuesday,gratitude

Nostalgia

As I get older, I tend to think about the past a lot.  A feeling of nostalgia sweeps over me and it is just so bittersweet. I berate myself for not appreciating different periods of my life or for not taking advantage of freedom and opportunity. I find myself wishing that I could live parts of my life over again or talk to people who have passed away to tell them how much I loved them.  I miss friends who have moved on.

I was mentally involved in just a such a little walk down memory lane when a sudden realization came over me.  At that exact moment, I wasn’t present, I wasn’t appreciating my life or making the most of it and some day in the future I would look back and wish I had.  There is a lesson in nostalgia and it is this:  Make the most of every day and every moment of every day. If you do, when you look back on your life, you will do so without regret, only joy.

It may seem simplistic and it’s been said many times by others who are far more eloquent than I am but in that moment, in that very moment, I understood. I felt the lesson, instead of just hearing it and it generated a profound feeling of resolve within me.  I don’t want to look back on the life I am living right now with the same bittersweet feelings of nostalgia and regret that I view my childhood with.

It is up to me to figure out what I am meant to be doing right now, and embrace it with my whole heart.  What are you meant to be doing right now?  Are you doing it?

Technorati Tags: nostalgia,joy,life lessons