“Does it work?” That’s the first question. The second question is, “how do we make it work better?”These two questions, patiently repeated, lead to incremental improvement and an understanding of reality. The opposite approach is, “because I said so.” Reality might not care what you want.*
Seth Godin

*Seth Godin’s blog: “Does it work?”

We think we want the answers. But really what we want are the problems.*
Gabe Anderson

Give me sober activism anytime, rather than rose-tined fatalism.**
Viktor Frankl

Answers are like home,
Questions, problems, are like journeys –
We need both, but the snag can be that
we stay in when we need to get out more.^

*Gabe Anderson’s blog: Hanayama;
**Viktor Frankl’s Yes to Life;
^Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote about how we are born with two contradictory sets of instructions: conservative and expansive; the first requires little encouragement, not so the second – where curiosity and creativity dwell.

Wonder is the heaviest element in the periodic table. Even a tiny speck of it stops time.*
Diane Ackerman

The whole point of finitude is that it gets easier to spend more of your time on worthwhile and life-enriching activities once you’re no longer trying to do all of them, or do them perfectly, or do them with the secret agenda of achieving a feeling of security or control.**
Oliver Burkeman

My father never owned a watch,
He immersed himself in work he loved, punctuated by mealtimes;
On the other hand, much of my working life has been
ruled by my watch.

We don’t have all the time in the world, but
doing something we love and that opens us to wonder –
Whether it be the natural world, things to discover, or people –
Has a strange affect on time –
To know ourselves and be ourselves is an important part of this.

In one sense, I don’t have a lot of time left,
And I’ve certainly wasted a lot of time, but,
Just like you,
I can affect time by developing my wonder,
Immersing myself in timelessness, which
at its best, will
always include others in some way,
And we have a whole new year to play with this.

I must change my life so that I can live it, not wait for it.^

*Jonah Paquette’s Awestruck;
**Oliver Burkeman’s Meditations for Mortals;
^Susan Sontag, from James Clear’s newsletter: 3-2-1: On the power of quiet moments, how to make good habits easy, and starting the year with enthusiasm.

the opposite of contemplation is not action – it is reaction*
Richard Rohr

The great tragedy of speed as an answer to complexities and responsibilities of existence is that very soon we cannot recognise anything or anyone who is not travelling at the same velocity as we are.**
David Whyte

Without a contemplative practice, we are
more likely to react than respond, and
initiating – the option no one thought of – is
even further beyond our reach;
The enemy of contemplation is speed,
Including busyness that has us
missing so much, perhaps
even the things we should be about
instead of what we are doing.

Contemplation begins alone,
Then involves others, and must always be
translated into imaginative action;
The great thing is that contemplation doesn’t
cost us a penny, and we have a whole new year
to try it out,
Perhaps writing a journal,
Or maybe walking, or
being still in nature, or
a gallery or some blank space –
Whatever works,
Have fun experimenting.

*Richard Rohr’s Immortal Diamond;
**David Whyte’s Crossing the Unknown Sea.

Much of our lives we are trying to connect the dots, to pierce the heart of reality to see what is good, true, and beautiful for us. We want something lasting and transcendent.*
Richard Rohr

The vast majority of characters … rarely question how deeply they’ve gone into life, how much wider they might go, if they’ll ever experience themselves to the fullest.**
Robert McKee

Whilst being charged with
curiosity and reflection,
It is possible that the word consider connects to
examining the stars for navigation or
astrological guidance –
An exploration of ourselves, of others,
of our world will not only guide us to a
fuller life, but will also change us on the way.

We firstly do consideration before we feel it:
What will we read?
Who will we meet?
When shall we be quiet?
How shall we write out our thoughts?
Where shall we walk?
How will we practise openness?

A brand new shiny year to play:
Happy New Year.

*Richard Rohr’s Immortal Diamond;
**Robert McKee’s Character.

Incrementalism is a little-by-little, inch-by-inch, slowly-but-surely, entirely unceremonious affair. Incrementalism is a hard sell, except that it’s effective.*
Katherine Morgan Schafler

Faith is not a state of mind, but an action in the world, a movement towards the world.**
Christian Wiman

Faith is the human’s modus operandi,
Anticipating, imagining, bringing into
being, existing between what is and
what can be, between
need and desire –
the world’s need, our desire;
Some speak of the leap of faith, but others,
Wiser than me, have
finessed faith, employing incrementalism as
their favoured mode and measure of progress.^

What might be possible if I pursue something of
intrigue or importance to me over the following
365 days –
The only hindrance is myself.

*Katherine Morgan Schafler’s The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control;
**Krista Tippett’s Becoming Wise;
^Incrementalism is not taking forever, nor is it putting something off for another day.

All he wants to do is draw. He is, thank goodness, unstoppable.*
Jenny Uglow

Grit has two components: passion and perseverance … Enthusiasm is common.  Endurance is rare.**
Angela Duckworth

Okay, so we may have to
do other things to ensure an income, but,
What is the one thing you want to do –
Heart, soul, mind, and strength – and
nothing is ever going to stop you?

I’d like to hear more.

*Jenny Uglow’s The Quentin Blake Book;
**Angela Duckworth’s Grit.

genius (n) from Latin genius “guardian deity or spirit which watches over each person from birth; spirit, incarnation; wit, talent; originally “generative power” (or “inborn nature”), from PIE *gen(e)-yo-, from root *gene- “give birth, beget,” with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups.

Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success.*
Ernest Shackleton

We each have a genius –
Please don’t try to compare it
with someone else’s,
That only messes with your heart and mind –
The point is to share it as only you can,
This thing that makes the world a better place,
At least one person’s world.

The other side of it is that the only way to fully
articulate our genius is to push ourselves,
Probably not by heading to the Antarctic, but
maybe working a little longer, not being so recompense-intent,
Missing out on some TV, not worrying what others think,
Facing our demons.

*Maria Popova’s Figuring.

What is your thread?*
William Sieghart

Life is an expression of bliss.**
Joseph Campbell

Thread is William Stafford‘s word for
bliss, and bliss is Joseph Campbell’s word for
the thing we must do, our “all-important,” so that,
If we tried to remove it, we’d be tearing away
the very core of our being.

There are plenty of things in life that
can demand or distract our attention, or connection
to the thread, especially
when the going gets tough – this is when our
daily rituals and practices that embody our thread
come to our aid, so never forget to
go to your rituals.

*William Sieghart’s The Poetry Pharmacy;
**Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey.

[Good’s] existence is the unmistakable sign that we are spirit creatures, attracted by excellence and made for the good.*
Iris Murdoch

*Iris Murdoch’s The Sovereignty of Good.