One of the absolute, greatest, most fantastic aspects of documenting life this way is that you get to relive the pleasure of all the good stuff, over and over and over again.But the other thing I discovered too, is that in knowing I want to document something, I actually invest a whole lot MORE enthusiasm into it as well. In my head, every experience is constantly being narrated, like a story, for someone else to be able to enjoy with me. To ignite their imaginations, stir their desires,and generate ideas for manufacturing their own versions to tell.
Because I'm imagining the re-telling of my story as I go, I get so much more involvede and engage on a much deeper level...and here's the beauty of life. Nothing makes me feel MORE ALIVE than being FULLY IN THE MOMENT! And digital technology has made it so much easier to do so, this way...and fro the "Show'n'Tell" later.
I have been a compulsive journaller-CHRONIC even, for as long as I can remember. I have MANY MANY journals, and of various types and natures. being so visual as well, I used to add doodles and diagrams to some, but that's been made so much easier with technology too. Still, i like the rawness and readiness of sketched things as well.
I have been SO fascinated with this practice,and so in love with doing it,I always felt it held a key to my future. I love making books, from scratch. I love telling stories in unorthodox ways, through wooden puzzles, ceramic pieces, quilts, a list of objects. ANYTHING, EVERYTHING
But I feel today like I've re-discovered something within myself with a gusto and GUTZ that have not before been equalled.An inferno has somehow been rekindled.
LIFE IN THE FIRE
And the hilarious part is, it looks just like ordinary life! I feel almost a bit hysterical with joy!For years, I've had people tell me that my life is so intersting, so creative, so fun. But, me dear, it's all in the telling!!It's all in the focus.If I went to the tropics and spoke of the beauty and serenity, the resonance i felt with lush rainforest and placid waters, I create one impression. If recounted the incessant bug biting, the massive spiders, the crocodiles and the sleezy Real estate dude...you'd get another.
IT'S ALL IN THE TELLING
Tell yourself the story you WANT TO HEAR.
I had some hard and pressing moments this week. Some frustrating and difficult moments...but look at what else there was!
Sunday:
CHOOSE YOUR EXPERIENCES
Remember, I've said that we can design MOMENTS. We can only live NOW, and the power of creation is in NOW.
GOD! I love this understanding and what it brings forth. I started filling my ongoing calendar with my desired NOWS.And those NOWS started to come in!!!I specifically wanted a roundedness of expereinces-across the board of life. Not just my business, and 'trying to make money', which was beginning to feel like it was wearing me out, coz i was striving in it. I do pretty well, but it can be so easy to sliude back into "ruts" of thinking.In this way, my calendar is a god send! Bringing balance and intention to my focus every day!So Monday was another exciting, life impacting day!!! :-)
Tuesday
My friend, CArol and I did something a bit different and went to Burleigh for coffee at 6:30 am! She was coming off a night shift, and I was entering another day...full of creative enthusiasm for my calendar, and thinking about the specialnmess of having a unique time to share with my friend as part of it.
MOMENTS...life is made up of Moments. And they are RARE and BEAUTIFUL treasures, if we tell their story right!We had two hours there, then she wwent home, and went about fulfilling my desires, via my calendar. I planned all week to spend today making up a magnificent, full colour detail version! It fed me all week.And I had the agant from the Crowne call with four more dates...just as I'd entered it in my calendar!
Of course, I went to work and made calls, and this creative endeavour kept me awake in between!
WednesdayWas overjoyed realising that I had the next two nights singing, instead of making calls, as result of my creative exploits. I say this with totoal conviction and absolute certainty, 'there is SO much CREATIVE POWER in designing NOWS'...the specifics of it, and the manifestation of it...exhilerating!!man, i am high and flying by now!
Thursday
SO, this evening I sing for the opening of a Bridal/evening wear store. I get paid, but I was also given a dress!! And on top of that, I sold three CDs. As part of my calendar 'month by design' I've given myself set hours to be uninterrupted and get work done on my workshops outlines, and related material-Business stuff. SO, I am feeling generally, much less frazzled.
Friday
I awoke SOOOOOOO happy that I could do EVERYTHING I wanted to do for My OWN life and business. And i realised it was the Second day in a row, and both those days make me more money than working for someone else. more than Double!! On both days.Still inspired with my calendar, and what it's done has filled with me with ideas for ways to highlight my week with Moments that are special and shared, fun and diverse. I decided I'd go to garage sales on saturday, as I hadn't since being back here (a year), and knew, even with only $10, I could have fun. It went into the calendar, and I followed my plan for the work I wanted to be doing that day.
Then I went to work at the Crowne, played the grand piano again...which has been in my focus and thinking. I feel grounded and earthed when I play piano. I don't get that with keyboards, or digital pianos. I need the earth percussion of timber and tactile stuff!! Oohhhh!! LOVE IT!
Went to bed, knowing I would have ANOTHER day to fill with my own designed pleasure. Does it get any better?(I will say...irritating thoughts like mosquitos, come incessantly, but as with my tropical illustration...it's the story I tell myself and the focus I keep, that matters)
Saturday
What a great day! Rache did the driving, and we took Matt to the Skatepark. En route back, we find a garage sale ( happens to be Matt's mate's place!) Stop in and I buy a small glass/timber lantern, and a wrought iron lamp. They were $5 each, and I should've bargained, but silly me, forgot! However, didn't feel like enough, so we drove around and did a full circle trying to find another...which was around the corner from the 1st!! Rache needs the driving practice anyway! And as I had change n my wallet, I allowed myself that leniency to continue to buy.This place was a great stop and I bought LOTS of stuff: 3 different types of books, to use for creative expression, lots of candles and holders, another really unique ashtray, and of course, my garage sale staple, a chunly wooden box with hinged lid...all for a total of $3.90!! I was ecstatic. ANd now, I could go home satisified :-).
I'd already planned some house work, as yet another attempt to clear away the residual dust of many dust storms, plus the landlord wanted to bring some prospectove buyers thru. As I vacuumed, I made the conscious decision not to rush. I didn't have to get anywhere fast, or finish so I could do anything else sooner. I decided JUST tobe in the moment. I vacuumed the three levels of my tower, mopped the tiles on every level, and also did some dusting and washing.
As i did all this, the idea of doing something with the things I'd bought occurred to me. That way, I'd fill the part of my calendar that was about family time, and put ADDED value to the experience of having something new to play with. i went to the store, bought vegs and chicken, came home, and cut and pared and planned. All the time soooooooo feeling GOOOOOD!
here's the 'floral salad" i made. I figured, as my kids were out and I had a rare time to 'play' and that we hardly ever get a nice 'sit down together' dinner any more, coz I'm working, it was a good time to do something special, and different and surprising.I spent the whole day knowing I would document it, and I had a BALL! From the moment I said I was gonna go to a garage sale and since...I've been narrating my life to and for anyone that wants to share it...coz I just have to share it!
So we had our Dinner:Garage Sale Style ...and if you go to my Facebook, you can get all the details...http://www.facebook.com/lisahshahcoz as I documented, I realised how much of all we were using had been acquired at previous garage sales!!This added even more to the moment for me!Seriously, the pleasure I gleaned from the day made it worth a year in my mind...gold
"thru wisdom a house is built,by understanding it is establishedby knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures...." yeah. :-)
but just to get you started...
ANd now...it's time fo rme to get started on SUNDAY! YAY!Play with my BIG version of my calendarhave an AWESOME day!!
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