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"
A
S L O N G A S Y O U
L I V E , K E E P L E A R N I N G
H O W T O L I V E "
Seneca
"
Y O U R V I S I O N
B E C O M E S C L E A R O N L Y
W H E N Y O U C A N L O O K
I N T O Y O U R
O W N H E A R T ."
Carl Jung
" T H I N G S W H I C H
M A T T E R M O S T M U S T
N E V E R B E A T T H E
M E R C Y O F T H I N G S
W H I C H M A T T E R
L E A S T .
"
Unknown
"A L L T H A T W E A R E
I S
T H E R E S U L T O F W H A T
W E H A V E T H O U G H T ."
Buddha
"
D W E L L A S N E A R A S
P O S S I B L E T O T H E
C H A N N E L I N W H I C H
Y O U R L I F E F L O W S . "
Henry
David Thoreau
"
A M I N D T O O A C T I V E
I S N O M I N D A T A L L "
Theodore
Roethke
"
T O D O G R E A T W O R K
A M A N M U S T B E V E R Y
I D L E A S W E L L A S
V E R Y I N D U S T R I O U S. "
Samuel
Butler
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There
seems to be a popular notion that "Being" is good and "Doing" is bad.
I believe the romance about "Being" is actually quite harmful. Since
most of us are doers, this inevitably leads to guilt and negative self-judgements.
It is reasonable to want to include time in our lives to just be ourselves
without goals or schedules to drive us. Frequently in our North American
culture even the times designated for rest and relaxation become programmed
and outcome-driven.
I notice that I have slowed my pace since I no longer work at a nine
to five job and I am not actively parenting anymore. I am also better
able to say no to things I don't want to do. However, I am still tempted
to pack too much activity into my life. The result, of course, is that
I get tired and anxious. I fall back into my old multi-tasking ways
and fail to enjoy any of the captivating projects I have chosen for
myself.
I am a person with many interests. I enthusiastically engage in projects
and activities. Ideas excite me. All of this sounds good, right? I think
it is as long as I maintain my intention, focus and will regarding priority
endeavours. When I lose focus, I am apt to take on more than I can comfortably
manage.
I have been trying to make sense of my own tendency to keep myself very
busy. I think I am starting to develop a different perspective on my
"Doing." The key is related to the clear articulation of my values.
I started noticing my own behaviour as I worked with parents of adolescents
who were struggling with too many activities not enough family time
and difficulty communicating with their children. As I was asking the
parents to evaluate their daily activities in relationship to their
values, I began to better understand this concept as it applies to my
own life.
Here is the essence of my new understanding: I am not a bad person because
I am a "Doer." However, my behaviour can be self-defeating when I don't
maintain a careful eye on what is most important to me. When I am able
to preserve some balance in my activities, I actually have plenty of
time for "Being".
The reason this is so important to me right now is that I am about to
embark on an important new project. It will require time, attention
and commitment. Briefly, the project is entitled, "Inside the Dress."
It is a process that will culminate in an exhibition at the McMullen
Gallery in 2005. My colleagues, Jean Brandel, Judy Villett and Jayne
Willoughby-Scott and I conceived the idea as a means of creating an
opportunity to work deeply. The process will take more than a year to
complete. We envision the result of collective personal work will be
a remarkable exhibition.
I will tell you more about the process as we go along. In the meantime,
I am ready to begin. Although I promised not to sing, I may just whistle
while I work!
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