Sunday, February 27, 2005

 

choosing your perspective

life is strange. here i sit -- looking out at the rocky mountains (from my best friend's balcony in boulder, co) and in the tree in front of me is a plastic bag - snarled, torn and stuck high in the branches. as the wind blows it drifts about and makes that crinkly plastic bag sound. and i realize, i get to choose. i can focus on this dirty plastic bag or i can soak up the beautiful mountains. i can put my attention on the beauty and grandeur the mountains evoke, or the environmental decay and human irresponsibility the plastic bag represents. it really is my choice.

of course, there are times in life when we need to grieve, to be sad, frustrated or angry. i'm not advocating avoidance, or pretending the plastic bag isn't really there or that we don't need to do something about environmental degredation. but it seems to me that even those things can be done with your mind fixed on all the beautiful reality around you. that you can hold onto what is good while facing head on what you hate most.

it's like the difference between thinking of a funeral as a time to mourn the loss of a loved one vs. a time to celebrate that loved ones life. more and more i want to choose my perspective, to decide to focus on what is beautiful, amazing and just plain cool all around me. i want to stop worrying if everyone else is having a good time, and just decide to have one myself.

and it's interesting how once you notice that you have this choice of perspective -- the plastic bag almost becomes part of the beautiful picture. as it fills with air and flops around in the wind, i suddenly notice it says "giving our best" on it. life is strange, and lovely.

# posted by kirsten johnson @ 10:35 AM 2 comments

Friday, February 18, 2005

 

wanna play?

remember when you were a little kid and your biggest priority was having enough time to play? what each of us liked to play varied based on our interests, but all of us loved to play. and secretly, or not so secretly, i think we all still do. unfortunately, as time goes on and we "grow up" we get the message that playing isn't important, that we don't have time, or simply that we're "too old for it."

jenny ward, disagrees with the idea that a person can be too old to play. she calls herself a play activist and i love her dedication to fun & play! in her recent article playful living she reminds us that:

Deep down inside, we are all craving to color outside the lines, or “mess” up without labeling ourselves failures. Perfectionism bruises the soul. Play allows your heart and soul to come out and dance. When I work with clients, I encourage them to erase “SHOULD, RIGHT, RESPONSIBLE and PERFECT” from the dictionaries called our minds. These words have very powerful intentions that have been passed down from generation to generation.“You should be this, you should do this, you better do that”, all over our society, placing tons of ideals and expectations on our plates.

I was tired of being told that I need to grow up and be responsible. Instead of “going with it” I chose to step outside that box and create a new way of being responsible. Instead of struggling I wanted to celebrate. Instead of being “the best” I chose to be happy. Life became a playground, offering new slides to climb up and new jungle gyms to easefully explore. PLAY became a way of life, not something on my “to do” list. In our world I notice that most adults are waiting until they are 65 in order to play. I don’t want to wait.

play is the brilliant method of learning that engages all of our senses as we creatively and freshly approach new people and things. not only is being playful fun, it allows us to learn while we relax, explore and challenge our bodies and minds.

what did you love to play when you were young? try making a list, and then start doing these things again. find a few minutes to dance every day, or hop on your bike and ride to the park, or call up a friend and ask them if they wanna play. try it and see what happens. and as always, i'd love to hear the thinking and learning you encounter along the way.

play big,
-kirsten


# posted by kirsten johnson @ 9:14 PM 3 comments

Thursday, February 10, 2005

 

what do you really want?

recently, i had a huge ephiphany about my life. i don't really want my career to be at the center of it. wow. this may sound simple to some of you...of course our friends, family and having fun are more important than our career...but for me this was revolutionary (and i imagine i'm not alone on this one). i reached this realization by being asked over and over again, what do you really want?

it's a question worth asking yourself, what do you really want?

imagine the shift it could make in your life if you really knew. for me, the decision to put my family, friends and having fun before my career has affected a multitude of things, from determining how many hours i want to work a week to what i spend my brain power strategizing about.

and think about it, why wouldn't you ask yourself this question. this is your life, right here, right now. what we really want, is well, what we really want. so why wouldn't we go after it? and i'll admit things do get in the way, we are constantly bombarded with things to do, people to see, and places to be. but if you take the time to slow down and answer this question...all of your decisions about what things to do, which people to see, and what places you want to be in, could suddenly be guided by what you really want.

so, try it. ask a friend and then have them ask you, or ask yourself and journal about your answers.

and when you are asking, trying putting the emphasis on different words in the sentence each time you ask..what do i really want? what do i really want? what do i really want?

most importantly have fun! and whatever you come up with, i'd love to read your answers, so feel free to post 'em here!

dream big,
-kirsten


# posted by kirsten johnson @ 9:15 AM 1 comments

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