The Joy Prescription

Writers Join to Create

Recently, I was privileged once again to be a part of a community of writers. We gathered to share ideas and inspirations and support one another in our rather diverse avenues of expression, with the unifying thread of passion for the written word.

The setting itself is inspirational - in the middle of the university community in Nashville, we were nestled within the majestic architecture and glorious landscaping of the Scarritt-Bennett Center. Our mentors as well were a lovely mixture of gifts and personalities (i.e., Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Charlotte Rains-Dixon, and Janet Wallace)!

Most of us came with a perspective of writing as spiritual practice. My belief is that all writing is indeed spiritual in nature because it is all a part of the world, a natural expression of our experience here on earth.

In my own journey, I prayerfully continue to seek guidance for the next steps along my path. The guidance I receive has brought me back to this campus, time after time. No regrets. It is a delightfully unique experience every time. Some weekends are more prolific than others (i.e., in terms of actual words produced!), but all are incredibly valuable.

Thanks, my newest friends and my renewed friends, for being who you are and allowing our paths to cross! Here’s hoping it’s not the last time. And here's hoping our craft/art/passion continues!

Words Have Power - Add a melody and look out!

I like words. Whether they’re floating around on their own or attached to a singable melody, words are what tug at my mind, heart, and soul. Communication is my “thing,” as a psychotherapist/life coach. Finding words to describe what’s going on (or not going on) in one’s life, relationships, chosen vocation, family life, etc. can be illuminating…powerful in fact.

I posted a brief commentary recently about a delightful evening I experienced at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. It's a small venue that gives local (and not-so-local) songwriters an opportunity to showcase their talent. It's for the successful and for the up-and-coming songwriters as well. I had some heart-warming memories flash into my consciousness, remembering Writers' Nights I'd been a part of many, many years earlier...

That evening was inspiring in so many ways. I've been in the Nashville area for (cough-cough!) over thirty years now. I guess that might make me a Nashvillian by default! For some reason, however, I still connect myself to and identify with my Missouri roots. Hmmm.

I had another warm and fuzzy Nashville feeling take me by surprise at the end of this past December. My husband and I had joined the sold-out crowd for the last of Garth Brooks' nine performances benefiting flood victims from Nashville's devastating flood of May, 2010. Being in that audience of loyal fans, who sang nearly every word of every song, touched my heart in a way that was quite unexpected. While others were standing, swaying and joining in the massive "choir" of loyal fans, I sat, very still, overcome by the power of the experience. What moved me was how they'd memorized the words and enJOYed singing along, giving not-so-quiet homage to the successful singer/songwriter!

Nashville is a songwriters' town. Okay, maybe I finally get it. I used to be a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association (now it's expanded and added an "I" for International - NSAI) when I was still actively writing songs. What a cool group.

So Garth + the Bluebird Cafe = a renewed love for my now-claimed-hometown.  It's about time, I suppose, to claim Nashville... Music City USA...or maybe "Songwriters' City USA." I like it. 

And words. I like them. And words plus melody is a double wow. Amazing. Maybe it's time to rediscover the JOY of putting words and melody together.

Maybe it's time to write another song.

 

Juggling One's "Inbox" - A Balancing Act!

I don't even begin to say I'm a time management expert. I have my own unique method. Observers of me (myself included) might even say I'm rather random in my approach to life (as opposed to methodical!).

So, living in this new world (okay, it's not so new anymore!) of technology can be overwhelming for even the tech-iest among us. The "inbox." Ugh. I put quotes around it to stretch the word to meaning more than just email. We can even symbolically use the "inbox" to describe what we have to manage coming at us daily...hourly...and for "tweeters/twitter-ers" even minute-by-minute!

As a matter of fact, I even have been shown assorted ways of short-cutting the process of managing all those email messages. I have unsubscribed to countless things (many of which I never recalled subscribing to in the first place). I now still have three email accounts, plus facebook, plus linked-in. And I'm still tenuously inching up the learning curve for all of the above - as we speak.

When I first entered the world of email, I compared it to the Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street, in which Santa gets bags and bags of letters. It was as if I were receiving bags and bags of mail (just digital instead of in nice little licked and stamped envelopes) - all of which seemed equally important - and all of which seemed "worthy" of a response. Ugh.

And it was hard to tell the excellent from the mediocre. Fortunately, my friends and family at least have slowed down on forwarding every cute little thing since then. Whew. But as the world of life online explodes, it continually morphs into other dimensions and demands.

Awww, I long for a book to hold in my hand to slowly, gently, tenderly savor and then to pause and contemplate its wisdom. Awwwww. Okay, I know I can turn it all off. Or can I?

But, more important to this discussion I do believe is balance. Balance. What a word. A very important word for us all if we're going to manage to survive and thrive in this rapidly changing world. Sometimes I'll suggest to clients to close their eyes and visual the statue representing "blind justice." See the scales - notice how they're often not balanced - and imagining them returning to being evenly balanced. I'm adding a couple of photos I took in Chattanooga, TN of statues that caught my eye that show other images of "balancing."

We are all human - finding our balance is a minute-by-minute adventure. It's worth the effort. Breathe. Close your eyes. Balance. Breathe. Then open them and tackle your inbox. And then maybe pause and read a book. One I highly recommend is The Prescription for JOY (wink! wink!). I'm getting great feedback so far. If you're one who already has a copy, share it with your friends. Or better yet, have them get their own copy!

What pleases me to my tippy-toes is that folks are saying it's like sitting with me at the kitchen table, as we share a cup of coffee together. Now we can both close our eyes and imagine those scales...and think "balance."

The delight of the written (and sung) word!

Hello everyone! I'm coming down from a "natural high" - just got back from singing with a "garage band" my husband and I have been playing with for a few years now. That was definitely a "high" - it's a blast to be with some other baby-boomers and singing like we're wild and crazy rock-n-rollers! Fun.

And, even before that, I was experiencing another variety of a natural "high" at a retreat for writers. It's held a couple of times a year at the Scarritt-Bennett Center  in Nashville, Tennessee, a magical conference center in the heart of Music City. I have a special love for Scarritt AND a definite affinity for being with other folks who are in love with the written word.

I discovered this wonderful writers' retreat in 2008. I've been a "regular" ever since. I began by working on my "Prescription for Joy" book in 2008 (now complete!). I've also worked on a book about my journey with my mother before she died in 2009. This time, however, I was organizing, researching, and evolving in my efforts at accepting the new social media revolution! Ugh. Honestly, that's my first reaction...ugh. I'll admit I'm a tad bit resistant - not terribly resistant - just a little.

Others who attended had different goals. It's always fascinating to see what a range of interests and motivations bring folks to a group like this! And, just as amazingly, we found a way to befriend one another through our common theme of manipulating the written word. Since I was mostly working on social networking and internet-related "stuff," I didn't have anything I'd composed to share with the others at our final session. Instead, I sang a parody I'd written I called "It's a Strange World." I wrote the parody in response to the very "world" I was lost in for the duration of the weekend! Strange, it truly is - strange.

Wherever we find it - with whomever we find it - we MUST find something in which we delight! It's a must. Thanks, Scarritt Bennett for caring enough for writers (of every kind!) to provide such a delightful opportunity! We're grateful!

 

Who are the turkeys now?

I had a discussion a couple of days ago with a dear friend. We live over 300 miles apart and often communicate via email. But this time, we were actually talking by phone. We were sharing some frustrations and concerns about what modern day technology seems to be doing to our “kids” (and I use that VERY loosely – i.e., from about age 10-30!).

The catalyst to our discussion was what happened to Bill Nye, the Science Guy, who reportedly passed out in front of a bunch of students at USC. Here’s a link to a "Yahoo News" blog that is titled: “If the Science Guy passes out and nobody tweets it, did it happen?”

What was significant was not so much that the poor guy passed out on the way to the podium. Instead what is disturbing is what happened in response (or didn’t happen, depending on your viewpoint!). “It appears that the students in attendance, rather than getting up from their seats to rush to Nye's aid, instead pulled out their mobile devices to post information about Nye's loss of consciousness.”

Hmmm. What does this say about us and our special little communication devices? Have they become more important than human interaction? Some may say that it is human interaction…tweeting or texting. I don’t know that I can give it quite that much credit. I do see some value. There are times when just sending a brief message to my daughter or husband seems to serve a purpose. However, my concern (and that of my friend) is that we are somehow trying to substitute this strange form of communication for good “old-fashioned” real human-to-human interaction (or at minimum voice-to-voice!).

My friend, who often tends to be the cynical one, was making excuses for folks. I, on the other hand, who usually gives folks the benefit of the doubt, declared, “We’ve just gotten lazy!” She wanted to say we are depressed (as a people…as a “society”), maybe lethargic versus lazy. Okay…maybe. Could be.

Some of my favorite words are “c” words – three of my top favorites are: committed, conscious, and conscientious. Maybe when we aren’t filled with the “triple c’s,” we are a bit lazy… or at minimum have become complacent. Neither is good to me, or frankly, acceptable.

We have a whole planet of people and other living things that are dependent on us all being c.c.c’d in order to keep ourselves AND our planet healthy. A lot to ask? Perhaps there’s a bit a reframing required. We seem to be able to take time to research, acquire, and learn to use the latest piece of technology; and yet, we choose not to put the effort into learning how to make positive changes in the world.

Oops, I may be preaching. Sorry. But that’s because of a “p” word I love – passion. I’m passionate about us human beings and passionate about our planet (hmm, another “p” word!). Perhaps, instead of being lost in our self-focused world, as we seem to be so many hours in a day, we could take even a few minutes to shift our focus to others. That could truly make a difference. And in anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, let’s check the phones, Blackberries, I-phones, smartphones (whatever!) at the door – or maybe leave them in the back bedroom with your coat! Take a break! If you’re fortunate to be with loved ones, enJOY that time of real good human contact. Soak it up. Maybe you’ll want “second helpings” of that instead of turkey this year.

Friends, friends, and more friends

Maybe this morning I'll indulge myself in fussing a little (versus trying to inspire about some worldwide concern!). No, I'm not going to fuss about having friends. Never in a million years would I do that! I love friends. I often call myself a "flaming extravert"! However, the whole social networking thing - I think - has the potential for getting WAY out of control (I don't like that "c" word very much either, by the way!).

Yes, I realize the 20-somethings (and a gazillion more by now) are very attached to the newest modes of communications. I finally gave in and opened a Facebook account of my own, feeling almost forced into it! I still haven't tried to look at my own daughter's account. After all, she basically banned me from it - "it's just not right," she proclaimed" - i.e., for mom to have a Facebook account!

One of my biggest concerns is our distractions. We are so distracted. And stiff! Sitting with a computer (on our lap...on a table...in the palm of our hand), focused on a screen (big or small) takes us off into another zone - away from...everything else! For parents, it may be taking time away from healthy human interaction with your kids, your spouse, yourself.

I'm a perfect example - I'm not on the computer nearly as much as a lot of folks. However, once I escape into the "zone" of cyberland, it's easy to get lost. Blink your eyes and an hour is gone.

I don't have kids tugging at me anymore, so I'm not neglecting any little ones. But there are delightful things in this world that we're missing. And the information we're communicating often is - excuse the word - trivial.

And, sorry, I don't "tweet." (I wonder if anyone would find this little blog in cyberland 100 years from now - would they even know what "tweet" meant? Do I - really?) Of course, there is good in everything! However, a big concern I have with instant, fast-food communication is that we're watering down everything. AND, an even bigger concern is that the whole thing will end up like the game we used to play as kids. Anyone remember "telephone" where you'd sit in a circle, whisper a prescribed phrase in the next person's ear...on and on around the circle, only to discover the phrase ended up nothing like the original phrase! It had begun as "truth" and ended up nothing like the original. What if what was sent originally wasn't even "truth" but was perceived as such? By the time it spread throughout the universe it is assumed to be truth. Ouch.

Back to friends. I like friends. I love friends. I have a lot of dear friends and love to spend time with them - especially in person and/or over the telephone. Remember the telephone? Remember when we used to speak into it and hear a voice on the other end. Cool concept. Real voices. I like it. Real faces. I like it even more.

Here's to hanging onto some of those delightful encounters! I pray we don't forget how to do it!