Month: March 2018

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Buy Yourself Some Roses

My cat Sam is an active little cat, with long legs that propel him in a single bound over several pieces of furniture to his perch on the cat tree.  They also enable him to gallop wildly around the apartment, launching paper, ornaments and anything else once stationary, into space.

He is at once my inspiration and my critic.  His energy calls me to action, to create art, books and blog.  Sam then shows his gratitude by eating my works.

Always glad to see me after work, he covers me with kisses, nips and wads of white fur head to toe.  I ignore him to my peril; he is a four footed demolition crew, and if I dare to go to bed before he is ready, his mournful cries make one think he is dying a slow and painful death.

See my books A Pleasant Day with Sam and Another Pleasant Day With Sam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sam inspired me to create a new book, Buy Yourself Some Roses, about getting your dreams.  But I really learned how to get my dreams before Sams’ help when I decided to make time to do them.

But not just any old time.

I tried and failed a thousand times to schedule my free time to do what I love.  Scheduled so much I began to hate my free time!  I could not follow it long.  Frustration!

My first book, way back in 2005, was done in only 5-10 minutes each morning before I went to work.  I was amazed at how much drawing I could do in such a short increment of time.  Also surprising was how hard it was to limit myself to a few minutes (I was often then late for work. . .)

I have since learned from books like The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, that mornings are the best time to do your dreams.  So I began to allot one half hour to my art and one to physical exercise before doing anything else.

Since that decision, I have published 8 books in only 2 years and started this blog.  I suffered an injury (as noted in previous blogs) that derailed my exercise routine, but I am now back on track.

I know that right action combined with the right time will make your dreams reality.  Treat yourself as number one, the one that matters first in your busy days.  The one who deserves a dozen red roses.

Check out my new book to see for yourself.  Just ask Sam!

My cat will show you how easy it is to get your dreams.  Amazon.com

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A New World Order

We are on the verge of establishing a new way of doing everything on this planet.

And this will be done by women.

Any ideology, religion or whatever that subjugates women is doomed to become extinct.  These are the very platforms that have wreaked so much havoc in our world.  They need to be thrown out. Because everyone, everyone – man, woman, child, creature, planet – is bone weary of bloodshed, disrespect of body, person, creature and environment.  Fed up with constant destruction, denigration, poverty, pollution.

Women represent life, love, replenishment, rebuilding, rebirth, nurturing, justice.  Positive qualities that will ultimately save our sorry state.

Our space exploration program needs to find a habitable planet to send those who want to continually blow everything and everyone up to, so they can war until they are all spent. There is no place or time left for such bad behaviour here any more.

There is only one rule to live by.  The Golden Rule.  And women are golden.

Many have tried to corrupt us to become killers and destroyers, but they cannot ultimately succeed.  Our nature is not thus and the majority of us just aren’t buying it.  Women need to embrace the phenomenal inherent strength of their gender. Go forward and change this world into the paradise it was intended to be. Just look at what the Me Too movement has accomplished.  Empires destroyed.  Just from our collective voices.

The time for change is over due.  This is not to demoralize or emasculate men.  It is not to pit one religion against another, to wave banners, or select one political system over another.   This is to restore our world, which benefits all everywhere.  That is what needs to be done now.  A new world order.  Women are leading the way.  I suspect they always have.

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Life (and Death) is Messy

When my Mother died and I was a bit distressed about the details, my Brother gave me good advice “Death is messy.  Let it go.”

Well, so is life.

Low self esteem used to be a big issue, but a greater problem exists in our society – perfectionism.  The two may be related.

People want everything perfect, our standards impossibly high and for, what, exactly?

Does having the perfect anything bring happiness?  Joy?  Egads – satisfaction?!

Satisfaction comes from accepting what is, the flaws, those minor annoyances that make us human and our lives unique.  Perfection, if it can be attained, cannot be sustained.  Satisfaction comes from making do.

I know people who are miserable over millimeters.  They measure everything, demand symmetry that only micrometers could detect.  They live in fear and torment because life will not give them perfection.  But I ask, what does having everything perfect give you?  And do you think that anyone even remotely cares or notices?  Seriously now.  Life is very, very messy.

Flawless.  What do you have that is flawless, except in your own eyes?  It is by your own standards.  To you your car is a piece of junk, to another it is like gold.  Your spouse is a chump, to another, Adonis or Aphrodite.

There are flaws and sometimes blatant mistakes in all I create.  Errors in perspective, colours, proportions in my art.  Spelling, grammar, punctuation in my writing.  I do the best I can, I am not deliberately sloppy, but I am human.  Many creatives are using computers to make flawless drawings, mesmerizing photo’s and films, and it is all good, but a tad sterile.  Don’t we all love the bloopers?  The vapour trails in a sky in a film about cavemen?  3D printers are awesome, but I’d rather have something made by hand.  The flawed item has a bit of its’ creator in it.

Which, by the way, we are.

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Joy List

What do you do when a project you enjoyed is done?  When the book is published, the house built, the vacation over, you got your degree?

Well, you start another!

Better yet, have several fun things waiting for your attention.

I don’t have much celebration time upon completing a fun project.  I have several more waiting in line for me, some have been languishing for years!  So I have a cup of tea and start the next thing.

Don’t presume I am a type A person, or I am super busy.  I have plenty of down time and I am rather phlegmatic.  But anything I enjoy I can spend long periods of time at (including doing nothing).  Yesterday I spent 8 hours preparing and publishing our latest book, with only a few pee breaks.  When you love what you do this is nothing.  8 hours is 5 minutes.  Joyless activities are 5 minutes equals 8 hours.

Joy is my reason for living.  I don’t have any purpose or meaning beyond that.

Laugh, sing, make some noise – enjoy your life!

I wish I had that philosophy 40 years ago, but I do now and am striving to make Joy a full time habit and get back those lost years.  There are a lot of meaningless, tedious things I still need to get rid of.  So I encourage you to make joy your priority and don’t waste another minute.  Even if joy is a cat on your lap purring your time away.  Don’t you believe for a second that your life needs to be full of things you have to do that you loathe.  It does not!  I have lived this lie long enough!  Have to, should do, must do . . . ugh!

Have a joy list, those are the only projects worth pursuing.  When you finish one, there’s more joy waiting for you.  Isn’t that a great way to live?

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Pat Ltd.

Well, it finally happened.

That sore knee I’ve been experiencing since last summer locked solid at the worst possible time.  Our office was being renovated and that entailed a lot of heavy lifting, moving, cleaning and leg bending, only my leg wouldn’t bend.  At all.  And, oh, was it painful!

X-rays revealed nothing, so I dragged my leg, literally, to a physiotherapist.  Without going into details, in an hour I was walking and bending my knee.  Following his exercise instructions I am now 70% better in only 3 weeks.

The whole point of this story is not that I am stubborn, loathe going to doctors, and would like a bit of sympathy (although it is all true). I discovered something new about my favourite subject – taking action.  I harp on this topic and yet am so obviously guilty of not doing it at times, or at least, not doing the right action.

There is never any absolute certainty as to what is the right action to take until after the fact. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Some things call loudly for no action, let sleeping dogs lie, as it were.  I pretty much know when that happens, although sometimes I can’t stop myself.

My knee reminded me that I am guilty of assumptions and errors in judgement, and I have false, unfounded limiting beliefs.  Heavy stuff.  And, oh yeah, I’m just a human.

I accepted an unacceptable situation and did not take action because:

  • I’m getting old
  • This is normal for my age
  • I am paying for all the running, cycling, ballet, gymnastics etc. I did in my youth (and all other unmentionable, but fun activities)
  • I am gradually just going to totally seize up
  • I’ll never be able to do physical things again
  • Physiotherapists are not real doctors and can’t help me

Wrong on all counts!  Turns out my ‘real’ doctor had not a clue what was wrong with me, except to suggest physiotherapy.  The sports medicine Physiotherapist took one look at me, knew exactly what it was and how to fix.  There was some yelling involved.

I am grateful for the painful experience.

I did not realize I had so many limiting beliefs until they were tested.  Not only can I now walk, use stairs, and have graduated from the school of funny walks, but all the things I used to enjoy are once again, possibilities.  Sometimes it is good to be wrong about stuff.

When I get discouraged I can read about this experience and perhaps challenge myself to discover and overcome newly revealed limiting beliefs.  That is, take action.

Or not.