Don’t give up when you feel down about your work. [..] Everyone experiences doubts (*) and frustrations (*) and lows along the way – I think what sets some people apart is the ability to keep the faith (*), pick themselves up, find new ways forward (*) and move on.via Say Thank You: Ciara Leeming 's Dos and Don'ts (*) at Colin Pantall blog (*).
William Deresiewicz on Introspection:
Introspection means talking to yourself, and one of the best ways of talking to yourself is by talking to another person. One other person you can trust, one other person to whom you can unfold your soul. One other person you feel safe enough with to allow you to acknowledge things—to acknowledge things to yourself — that you otherwise can’t. Doubts you aren’t supposed to have, questions you aren’t supposed to ask. Feelings or opinions that would get you laughed at by the group or reprimanded by the authorities.This is what we call thinking out loud, discovering what you believe in the course of articulating it.
via Solitude and Leadership by William Deresiewicz.
Paul Coelho on Decisions:
The warrior of the light is terrified when faced with important decisions.via The moment to decide by Paul Coelho."That is too great for you," says one friend. "Go on, be brave," says another. And his doubts only increase.
After some days of anxiety, he withdraws into a corner of his tent, where he usually sits to mediate and pray. He sees himself in the future. He sees the people who will benefit and lose out because of his actions. He does not wish to cause unnecessary suffering, but nor will he abandon the path.
So the warrior allows the decision to appear. If he must say yes, then he shall bravely say it. If he must say no, then he shall say so without fear.
[Another first day of the rest of my life]
Spencer Lum on being a Beginner and Fear:
When you’re a beginner, the fear isn’t there, because the judgement isn’t there. You can play to your heart’s contentvia email by Spencer Lum.
Ever the Beginner. And maybe that is what you hide behind to justify your own Self Doubts and lack of apparent confidence in yourself.
[An aside] Another time to Let Go of Fear is when All is Lost (or Won). And it can be rewarding and exhilarating when you do.
Garry Winogrand on Art, Success and Failure:
the most successful art is almost on the verge of failurevia Coffee and Workprints: A Workshop With Garry Winogrand by Mason Resnick.
A favourite quote, from the many I've collected here over the years. I like it because it is so true in Art and Photography, but also Paddling and Life.
I am reminded of it every now and then in my own life, through my photography and paddling experiences. And today was one of those days ...
The Sun rose over the City skyline as we did our Thursday morning high intensity session in two, six person outrigger canoes. We do short interval efforts (level 4, level 4+) over repeat efforts of 8, 4, 2 and 1 minute. It's at a pace and intensity that can be maintained for these short time periods which is a bit higher than our race pace intensity (level 3) which we maintain for much longer periods.
We are pushing ourselves at Level 4 and the rhythm in the canoe is often not quite as nice as it would be at level 3 or 2. Our effort and technique is on the edge, on "the verge of failure or breaking down".
As I reflect over a 10 year paddling career, I have found that the best Training Sessions and Races have been the ones where everything is just a little out of control and uncomfortable. It's like a being on a knife edge or the edge of a precipices. It's that boundary between the known and unknown, good and bad, success and failure, and courage and fear (thanks Kayleene). And ultimately, the fault line between our past and future (thanks for that one Chantel).
It can be stressful and can feel like a feisty prickly relationship. A disonnance. And often questions and self-doubts rise to the surface.
When you are on the edge, you are pushing yourself to the limit of your abilities and beyond. And, with that comes the risk that you push too far and fail, or you just find that easy comfort zone and also fail through a lost effort and opportunity.
Disappointment may come with the failure, but if you reflect and abstract a learning, then you are more experienced and capable for the next effort. And often, as Trent Parke succinctly notes:
mistakes and accidents usually lead to the best discoveries.You are learning, broadening your experiences and creating the future opportunity for "successful art", if you keep caring and trying.
I love that feeling of "being on the edge of failure". Instead of fighting it, try to find it and some comfort in the uncomfort, and in the knowledge that this is, as Spencer Lum astutely notes:
where all the good stuff happensAs Jenny said, Give it a try, step outside of your comfort zone. You might be surprised where it can take you ...
Don't wonder 'What if?' - Jenny P
Joanne and I would like to thank Pacific Dragons (*) for Honouring Jenny’s Memory (*) with the Annual Presentation of the Inspire Award (*) – this being the 3rd time it has been presented since she left us (*) on Tue 30 Jun 2009.We Remember Jenny - The Time of Your Life..
We congratulate Tony Pound ("Mouse") the 2012 Inspire Award Recipient.
We know Jenny would be smiling from above and would no doubt be wondering, like the rest of us here "How’s Mouse's Mother's Chooks" are.
We also like the direction of the award has taken.
Being an Annual Award it becomes something of an Anniversary for Joanne and I to celebrate and remember Jenny's life, as the Club and its Members recognise the Achievements of one it's member - Mouse for the 2011/2012 season.
We hope it is also an opportunity for all of us to remember and honour those that have been close to us and have influenced our own lives but are no longer with us.
We also hope it is a time to acknowledge those close to us who are facing their own challenges in life. We hope Jenny's life can be an example as to how to live a fulfilling life with a life-threatening illness as well as provide some hope, belief and inspiration to face the challenges and changes that lay ahead.
So, as it is with all Anniversaries, it is a time reflect on the year just passed and to celebrate on what has been achieved and so tonight we celebrate Mouse's Achievements since coming to the club two seasons ago.
I think, more importantly, for Anniversaries, it is a time to look to the future and set new goals.
This can be challenging as often the path is full of obstacles as well as self-doubts. It almost always requires change, which can be step into the unknown. This is all risky business and the fear of failure and making mistakes can quickly put a stop to all good intentions.
I think those people who inspire us often overcome these obstacles and fears, with the common theme in all of their actions, being the word Belief (*), which is something Jenny had plenty of.
Belief gives us a purpose and intent as we strive towards a goal.
A photographer I follow recently wrote [Alex Coghe (*)] about belief in the context of photography, but it can be applied to all aspects of our lives. It is succinct and goes:"If you believe, you are stronger and the light will reward you."Basedy on my own life experiences I know this to be true [A longer version here (*)].
We congratulate you all on another great year with Pacific Dragons.
Finally, we thank you and the Club for the Amazing Experiences that are created for us and we share together. For you see as Seth Godin wrote:"The experiences we create [and share] are the moments that define us."We look forward to the season ahead and we hope you are having .."The Time of Your Life."
Give me the courage, tenacity & positivity to change that which I can... (with a smile on my face!) (15 Jun 2009)Labels: Belief, Inspire Award, Pacific Dragons, Sat 21 Jul 2012, Remembering Jenny, Jenny Petterson, Sandhill Warrior, Change
Give me the serenity, humility & tolerance to accept that which I cannot... (16 Jun 2009)
And give me the wisdom, humbleness & strength to know the difference. (17 Jun 2009)
Sandhill Warrior (Rob Rowland-Smith)
Paulo Coelho says, "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation."From Paulo Coelho-isms (Dedicated to my friend, Ellen Joy) (*) via Five Years in Paulo Coelho’s blog (*) and Five Years in Paulo Coelho’s blog (*).
I'm not fatalistic, and I still believe that we make our choices. Nothing is pre-destined to the point where we're no longer required to act on anything. But I believe that signs guide us to the right path, so that we can achieve our dreams sooner.
These signs are found within us, in the stillness of our hearts, in the deepest recesses of our being.
To actually see them, and recognize them for what they are, we have to clear ourselves of all doubts, fears, and worries. We've got to remove the trappings that stay stuck inside us. We've got to know who we really are and what we're really meant to do. It's a painful task, but it will be even more painful to go through life not knowing our life's purpose, our life's worth.
Listen to your heart. Just try.
(I've always been a mind-over-heart person, but the moment I listened to my heart everything just fell into place. "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.")
The greatest performance (*) enhancer is self-belief (*).He expands
Wiping away those doubts (*) of uncertainty (*), of losing, the fear (*) of getting beaten. Gone - GONE! - are those limiting thoughts (*), replaced by the phrase made famous by the first black president of the United States: 'Yes We Can' (*).via Guest blog: The greatest performance enhancer is... (*) by Scott McGory (*).
The unstoppable force of self-belief (*) is so often the missing ingredient in an athlete's journey (*) along the road to success (*). [..] The strongest weapon in any sporting endeavor is the mind (*).
