So now, I’m confessing, I am addicted to self-help books. I finally realized this, when I had signed up for the eCourse “Ten days to better blogging” or something, then didn’t do my homework and saw that I hadn’t done my homework on the following self-help thingies too:
- the “The Vein of Gold”-programm
- “Take Time for Your Life”
- “Trust Your Vibes: Secret Tools for Six-Sensory Living”
- some assignments from Christine Kane
The Vein of Gold-programm I have been trying to do since – let me think – 1999. Yep, that’s about right. I started it twice, and have done five of the tasks so far. I’m on page 65. The book has 368 pages. So, seven times six, it might take me the next 42 years to complete this. I have to say in my favor that one of the tasks involved writing down the story of my life. The document has a total of 118 pages and 47,724 words. In between the starting and the finishing of this task I wrote three versions of my dissertation, got pregnant and had a child. “Vein of Gold” is a book by Julia Cameron to help you unblock your creativity.
This extraordinary book of learning through doing features inspiring teachings on the creative process and more than hundred imaginative, involving, and energizing tasks. Each task engages the readers in “inner play”, leading to authentic growth, renewal, and healing.
Read that, “more than a hundred” tasks. Um.
The “Take time for your life”-book by Cheryl Richardson I took up on the suggestion of Christine. I thought, polishing my time-management-skills might be good for me, since I’m struggling a little bit with the “make time for my music”-part. And reading is always fun. I took off on the first weeks assignments, then had to set it aside. Ah, looking through my journal I can say, the last task I attempted was “look for a coaching group”. On July 3. But of this year, that’s quite a relief. As far as I recall, I tried to join a Life Makeover Group in my vicinity twice. No reply. And while I’d appreciate having like-minded people around, I’m not willing to start a group of my own.
“Trust your vibes”: Oh, I love Sonia Choquette’s books about as much as Julia Cameron’s. But I never really worked with one. Recently I have been listening to her radio show, and thought it would be a good thing to pull the book out again, and maybe do one or two of the exercises. So far, I’m at the start of part 3 of 9. It’s a little easier to do than the other two programs since it doesn’t require the completion of certain tasks before going further.
The one “assignment” by Christine I have been wanting to do for this month is the monthly goal-setting. Though I never did it “right”, it helped a lot in July. Well, there is quite a bit of month still left…
I really like self-help books and some of them have helped me tremendously. Like “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” and “Why Weight?: A Guide to Ending Compulsive Eating” by Geneen Roth. But sometimes I think that they are still another form of procrastination and of thinking too much. What Sonia Choquette calls “mental constipation”. Sometimes I feel that I’m – as Leanne Ely once put it – trying to read myself thin. Only I’m trying to read myself spiritual, creative and efficient.
As always I’m ambivalent on this. Doing the exercises helps. But they are not a means of their own. They’re meant to help me to do something specific. So, when I don’t do the specific thing because the self-help exercises are taking up all my time and energy …
Okay, here’s my plan:
- Forget about “Vein of Gold” for the moment. It has been sitting on the shelf for months now, it can sit there a little longer.
- Go to the next chapter of “Take time for your life” without having found a community. Do the next task on the list.
- Next weekend read the next chapter of “Trust your vibes”.
- Today, write down my monthly goals for October any way I can. Skip the “Do it right.”-attitude.
- Do assignment 1 and 3 of the “10 days to a better blog”-course. Skip number two.
Sometimes I wonder, if everybody tends to heap herself with tasks and projects all the time. Or is it only me?
You don’t have my book, “Under Achieving: how to set your bar so low, you can’t help but succeed”? Well, I could write it.
I definitely identify with what you wrote. I have a dusty shelf of books too, but in my case, I didn’t have a specific goal in mind. Just an underdeveloped persona.
Sounds like you hit upon it with “I think that they are still another form of procrastination and of thinking too much.”
Best of luck with your plan!
You don’t have my book, “Under Achieving: how to set your bar so low, you can’t help but succeed”? Well, I could write it.
I definitely identify with what you wrote. I have a dusty shelf of books too, but in my case, I didn’t have a specific goal in mind. Just an underdeveloped persona.
Sounds like you hit upon it with “I think that they are still another form of procrastination and of thinking too much.”
Best of luck with your plan!
Well, my problem usually is not setting the bar too low but way too high. And then not doing anything about it, and then wondering why nothing happens.
After I wrote this post I found someone writing that all successful people are striving to better themselves and have stacks of motivational audio tapes around the house and in their cars. So it seems it’s not only me. Nonetheless I have to slim things down.
Well, my problem usually is not setting the bar too low but way too high. And then not doing anything about it, and then wondering why nothing happens.
After I wrote this post I found someone writing that all successful people are striving to better themselves and have stacks of motivational audio tapes around the house and in their cars. So it seems it’s not only me. Nonetheless I have to slim things down.
Oi, achei teu blog pelo google tá bem interessante gostei desse post. Quando der dá uma passada pelo meu blog, é sobre camisetas personalizadas, mostra passo a passo como criar uma camiseta personalizada bem maneira. Até mais.
Oi rodrigo. Obrigada pelo commente. Espero que não foi somente pela publicidade. Si voçê não saber o seu technorati rank não aumenta com mais “comment links”. Até mais.
Hi rodrigo. Thanks for your comment. I hope you didn’t do it for advertising only. In case you didn’t know, your technorati ranking doesn’t increase by leaving links in comments. See you soon.
Susanne,
These are wonderful. Thank you for sharing them here. I really will have to get over to Gary’s blog more often.
What is you opinion about / suggestion for people who do not recognize or acknowledge the value of creativity? I think this may be my biggest obstacle.
Sorry if you have written about this previously, but I am brain dead lately.
now that is just “cool as shit”. I love it! It amazes me how creative people can be, and she has a lovely, lovely voice. She should do those “go to sleep” tapes for little kids….
very cool!
Wow. I would love to see it. Our Internet connection will not allow me to view.
“Her words, about the wind taking bits and pieces of her to the sea, reflect what happens when ‘bits’ (smoke, ashes) of the cremated person are carried on the wind to the sea around the Temple.”
I am speechless with admiration.
I really liked the video and I think it is wonderful that your husband is blogging. I guess you are an inspiration for each other. I look forward to seeing more of the projects!