Cleaning my “personal filter”…
Today I was reminded of how important it is to keep our “personal filter” clean. By that I mean the layer of attitudes and beliefs that shapes the way we look at the world, and ultimately our experience of it. It was a small and subtle reminder, and I’m glad I was paying attention. In my experience if you don’t respond to the gentle nudges you end up needing a more forceful push to get you back on track.
I went to Chapters to check out a couple of books I’d seen recommended on the Etsy blog. Normally I avoid the big monster stores, and I do feel bad for all the small independent bookstores that Chapters has no doubt done in… still, it’s the one mega store I can’t resist (for those of you not in Canada, Chapters is our version of Barnes and Noble). I’ve been known to spend hours browsing there and it’s one of the most relaxing places in the world for me.
I spent a few minutes in the knitting section, added a few books to my mental wishlist, and then a search for books dealing with creativity lead me to the global business section to look for a book called “Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity” by Hugh MacLeod (you can read the first 1/4 for free on the author’s site). I was on my lunch break from work and my time was limited, so I just skimmed through the book. As I put it back on the shelf a few other books caught my eye – “Tribes” by Seth Godin and “The Think Big Manifesto” by Michael Port, to name just a couple that I remember. The point wasn’t which books they were. What’s important is the feeling of optimism and enthusiasm I got, just from flipping through them.
If I had to sum up the driving force in my life at the moment it would be a desire to create and define my world on my terms, not according to what “society” dictates, to push my boundaries and to place more value on expression and authenticity than on security and fitting in. I realized today that there’s this huge resource, a wealth of encouraging and inspirational material out there to to help me with the doubts and struggles I encounter while doing this. All I have to do is make the effort to find it.
What you surround yourself with and what you take in really makes a difference in your state of mind, your confidence, your attitude. When I feel like I’m doing it all on my own it’s nice to remember that there is a source of support and reassurance. It’s no wonder people get disheartened when from every angle we’re surrounded by crises – whether economic, environmental, health-related, or otherwise. This is not to say that these problems aren’t real and important, but how can we even begin to tackle them when we’re scared into paralysis? I’m making a decision to seek out and listen to messages that promote action, motivation and purpose!
I would LOVE any recommendations of books, websites, films, etc. that you find inspirational. Please feel free to leave a comment below to share your suggestions and thoughts!
