I have been depressed for so long I can’t remember what it feels like to be inspired. I crave, art, sparkling conversation, spiritual connections, romance and community. I seem to be the only one preventing myself from being happy. You are a poet and a mentor and I wonder if you have any ideas about transcending the mundane and finding one’s self in the midst of this confusing and contradictory world we live in. All my physical needs are being met but my soul wants and needs more. Where can I look to find it? I wish you could bottle inspiration like you can perfume.
Sadly Uninspired
Dear One,
ReplyDeleteBeing inspired is a living, breathing act of constant conscious choice Mediocrity is the bane of inspired living. Remembering and honoring what is important to you is crucial. After all you came here to learn to love being yourself. You do this by creating the daily events and activities of living that please you and advance your self- actualization.
Einstein said the best sort of research was play. Suppose your true dream is to be a plain air painter. To do this you need props, paints, an easel, and a place outseide with a beautiful view to paint. Make a day at least once every 2 weeks where you pack up all the necessary ingredients including lunch, head out to a lovely spot with the paints and view and picnic. Let yourself flow into that which you love.
Flow describes the spontaneous effortless experience one has when there is a close match between skill and a high level of challenge. Flow happens when a person is completely involved in the task and knows moment by moment what the next steps will be. For example, when one is playing music and knows what note comes next. The goal and the feed back are instant. Children have this flow when they are learning to talk and walk but lose it when they go to school and their goals and work levels are chosen for them.
A study by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi over a nine-year period involving the random selection of 1000 students explored activities and their affects. Students reported in about 30 times a week adding up to 30, 000 reports. Each time the pager went off students wrote down what they were doing, stating if it was more like play, more like work, or neither like play or work. About 30% of the time they reported that it was like work, 30% of the time was like play, and 30% of the time it neither like work or play. Ten percent of the time they reported that it was like doing both work and play. A follow up study concluded that students who often reported that what they were doing was like work and play were more likely to go to college or make a successful transition to work (Scherer, 2003).
Students who reported that it was more like work did well in high school and rationalized that although they were not enjoying the moment, they would benefit in the future. Students who reported that it was like play did not think of the activity as important to their future. Students reported it was like both work and play only ten percent of the time, and some never reported this.
In the US and Europe about 15% of people questioned do not remember ever having a flow experience and about 15% claim they have the experience every day. Concentration and focus are the main aspects of the flow experience. Students rate the study of history poorly, and anything to do with computers as high on the flow level. Flow is easiest to experience when one is challenged, has clear goals, and gets clear feed back (Scherer, 2003).
So, my dear friend, my advice is to make playful work at activities that delight but challenge you. Make this your number one creative goal and see if you can get lost being in the flow of doing what you love to do best.
Send Photos!
Love sappho