Crop Rotation

Crop rotation. 

I’m certainly not a farmer, and I can barely even call myself a gardener except for a few herbs I’ve managed to keep alive. However, I remember learning about something called crop rotation in elementary school. 

Apparently, if you continue to grow the same crop year after year you run into problems. Soren Kierkegaard states it this way, “One cannot use the same field to grow the same crop indefinitely, eventually the soil must be refreshed by planting something new or simply taking a break.”

I think these simple words might explain my philosophy on life. I am definitely a crop rotator. I’ve never been able to do the same thing over an extended period of time without getting restless. Perhaps this comes from being raised as an Army brat. Each two to three years we would move to a new state or even a new country. 

Now I used to think that it would have been better for me to have been raised in a hometown. I used to think that having roots would have served me better. However, now in my sixth decade of life I’m not really so sure. 

I am very much like my father, in fact Chuck has always referred to me as Phil Cunningham in a woman’s body. Our shared interest in books, and history, art, and politics also includes our sense of adventure only found in the next new place. 

After Dad retired he made Vermont, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas his home. Predictably he moved about every two to three years. He returned to his home state once over the years, only to find himself back in Texas less than a year later. 

I can always tell when I’m ready for something new. I begin to feel restless and bored. If I’m not physically changing location I know I need to find something new and different to keep me engaged. It’s then I know that  it’s time to rotate the crops. 

In doing so life becomes interesting again, and I find myself content. Sometimes too allowing ourselves a season of rest is just what we need. After my father passed away I needed a season of rest after caring for his affairs for several years. I needed just to catch my breath. 

If your days are becoming just a little too predictable it might be time to rotate the crops. 

Commuting Through Life

Commuting through life. 

 My husband commuted between Frisco and downtown Dallas for over twenty years utilizing public transit. Although, he did not have to make the drive himself, he did spend over two hours a day on the road. Luckily, his commute has been shortened greatly since we have moved.

Recently, while reading the book, Messy-The Power Of Disorder to Transform Our Lives, by Tim Hartford,  I was intrigued by what he wrote about the repetitiveness of commuting. 

“...many of us are commuters and even the repetitiveness of the daily commute illustrates the power of randomness to unstick us when we don’t even know we’re stuck.”

It seems we may go through each day pretty much the same, and even more sad we may repeat the same year over and over. Just like that  familiar commute we don’t even realize that we are stuck, and should move on. 

 Hartford writes about a public transit strike in London that forced commuters to find a new way to work. Their problem solving skills and creativity were challenged as they searched for new ways to make the journey. 

Ironically, after the strike some of the commuters continued to use their new found way to work. Hartford writes, “All they needed was an unexpected shock to force them to seek out something better.”

As Hartford reminds us sometimes “the power of randomness” can benefit us in making changes that will improve the overall quality of our life. As easy as it is to remain the same, pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone shakes up our inclination to commute through life. 

Don’t assume that just because you’ve always done something one way, that there might not be a better way. Perhaps it’s time for a transit strike to force a much needed change in your life. 

Inspiration

Inspiration. 

“...inspiration is truly the springboard for creativity.”

Wired to Create

As a blogger who bases my writing on observation, I find that I’m constantly seeking inspiration. During those times I deem as dry spells I find that my creativity wanes. 

As much as I try to force that next posting it just doesn’t happen. 

In Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind by Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire they write about 10 Different Things Highly Creative People Do Differently. 

One of these is inspiration. Being open to inspiration generally results in experiencing it more frequently. This is usually preceded through being open to new experiences.

I have also found that being more aware of your surroundings can also result in inspiration. Looking at things with fresh eyes, and being playful in the connectedness of what you observe can be inspiring as well. 

Sometimes we can view ourselves as not being creative, but perhaps this is due more to not being inspired. Inspiration can be found in what we read, what we watch, what we hear, who we meet, and even what we smell or taste. 

If I don’t push myself to be actively involved in my day to day life, and allow myself to just go through the motions, I’ll find myself less inspired, and consequently less creative. 

Couple creativity with imagination and you will begin, “seeing new possibilities in life.” I’m finding that when life feels interesting to me, I am a happier person. Kaufman and Gregoire remind us that, “Inspired people also tend to enjoy increased well-being in life.”

How inspired are you?

Boredom

Boredom. 

I’ve read that allowing children to become bored is not actually a bad thing. It does make sense, because most of the time when you are bored you seek out something to do. Being bored from time to time is probably not a bad thing, but what if you live a boring life?

What I’ve found is that different people have different levels of tolerance for boredom. Some people can work a boring job knowing that the time or money it affords them after work is what is important to them. 

Some people on the other hand cannot even fathom the idea of spending each day working in a job they find boring. Although, teaching could be challenging at times, it rarely ever was boring. 

Brian Eno, musician and creator, believes, “The enemy of creative work is boredom actually, and the friend is alertness.”

Although, boredom can spur us on I find sometime it just results in inertia. Especially, when you stop paying attention to your life. When you find yourself falling into the same old patterns, and stop being aware of your surroundings your creativity wanes. 

Now why is creativity so important, and how can it be manifested? We are creative beings at our core striving to express ourselves. Unfortunately we have a tendency to think of creativity only in the realm of the arts. 

We couldn’t be more wrong. Each time we see a problem, and come up with a way to fix it we are being creative. My husband amazes me at how he solves problems around the house. Even more so when we owned our farm, the way he used the materials at hand to fix something that had broken, since a trip to the store was not always possible. 

One of my favorite movie scenes comes from Apollo XIII where the scientists on Earth are given a box of random items found on the spacecraft, and are tasked with figuring out a way to bring the stranded ship home. 

Each time we are challenged to use what we have to solve a problem we are being creative. This might be substituting an ingredient in cooking, creating a grain silo out of an oatmeal box for your tractor loving grandson, or even stretching a dollar to do something fun. 

I have always been drawn toward creativity, and found that to be especially true during my teaching career. My classroom was a daily venue to let my creativity shine. I especially encouraged my students to be creative as well, and was regularly amazed by them. 

As Eno reminds us just being alert will allow our natural creativity to come through. If you have been guilty of saying you don’t  have a creative bone in your body, think again. We are made in the image  of our creator, and if you have any doubts about His creativity just look out the window at sunset to see His masterful work. 

Errors

Errors. 

Brian Eno creator of the Eno Oblique Strategy Cards writes, “Honor thy errors as hidden attentions.”

We spend a lot of time trying not to get things wrong. Early on in our school career we learn an “A” is preferable to an “F.” We work hard to achieve that high grade, or we may stop trying when we find it impossible. 

We are conditioned to feel bad when we make mistakes. We feel embarrassment or shame if we do something wrong. Some learn to pace their life in the lane that brings least error. Others color outside the lines, and thumb their noses at the establishment. 

I think perhaps most people fall somewhere in between. Except, I don’t think many people feel comfortable with error, all the same. We like getting things right. We bask in the glow of approval. 

However, sometimes the only way we can make it to right is through getting it wrong. After failing time and time again in attempting to invent the light bulb, Thomas Edison said proudly, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Interestingly enough things like the Post-It Note, Silly Putty, Teflon, and the fun toy of our youth, the Slinky were all created by mistake. 

Instead, of being quick to beat ourselves up over our errors, just as Eno has also said being alert to those errors might result in seeing something in a new way. In fact, choosing to treat ourselves in an overall kinder fashion may be the real lesson here. 

Be open to what our mistakes might tell us. Who knows the next new thing might just be waiting to be discovered. 

What Motivates You?

What motivates you?

One of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin, writes about using rewards to motivate you toward reaching your goals.  What I discovered, though, was that for me rewards really have little value. I never really understood why, until the other day. 

While listening to a podcast featuring Jon Acuff he spoke about knowing what motivated you. You were basically either motivated by reward or by fear, or what he referred to as consequence. 

The example he gave was about saving for retirement. He said for some using the carrot of saving for all the fun things you could do in retirement worked, while for others cautioning them about the possibility of running out of money was a more motivating reason to save.

Suddenly, it made sense why rewards just don’t seem to work for me. Obviously, I’m wired more to respond to consequences. I think my practical nature, and rule following way make me want to do things simply because they are the right thing to do. 

Now, this doesn’t always mean I am successful, but knowing what the consequences are does often time keep me on track. I don’t walk at the gym each morning to earn a massage. Rather, my hope is that by continuing to stay active I will be able to get around better in my eighties. 

I don’t reward myself with a treat for making my bed most mornings, but rather I like the feel of a made bed when I crawl into each night. Eating healthy foods seems counter productive to reward it with dessert. Once I rewarded myself with a trip to the bookstore after meeting a weight loss milestone. To be honest, although I did enjoy the new book, it really didn’t motivate me to stay on track the next week. 

So as Gretchen Rubin likes to remind us knowing our true nature can lead to a happier life. I’ll know in the future that rewards just don’t work for me, and I’ll do better to reframe things around the consequences they may bring. 

Unfamiliar Ground

Unfamiliar ground. 

“The friend  of creative work is alertness and nothing focuses your attention like stepping onto unfamiliar ground.”

Brian Eno

I heard a phrase the other day, “The winter doldrums,” and I must admit I’ve been in the thick of them. Thank goodness for spring, and daylight, and warmer weather. My soul feels like it needs to come up for air. 

The paradox of being me is the struggle between the known and the familiar, and the need for novelty. I am drawn to routine and comfort, but over time find myself completely bored. This is why I changed grade levels so often over my teaching career. 

Lately, I’ve found myself feeling kind of blah longing for the “interesting” days of apartment living. As I reflected on what made life so interesting to me during that time period I realized everything was new. Not just the apartment itself, but the whole lifestyle including the area. 

Two years later I’ve got the “area” down pat, and have found myself falling into the familiarity of routine. This always seems to be the kiss of death for me, and my creativity. As I struggle for inspiration and ideas for my blog I find myself coming up dry. 

Recently I picked up a book at the library so contrary to my natural tendency that I was surprised it caught my attention. Messy The Power of Disorder to Transform our Lives by Tim Hartford intrigued me in a world of tidying up and minimalism. Shouldn’t it make more sense to live a less distracted life?

In fact, later this month I will be attending an author talk by my favorite author, Gretchen Rubin as she discusses her latest book, Outer Order, Inner Calm. Truthfully, I’ve adopted her mantra over the last ten years finding it calming. 

Except, as I have begun to read Messy I’m beginning to wonder if my incessant need for order may be interfering with my incessant need to be creative. 

 Brian Eno the subject of the first chapter, and his Oblique Strategy Cards is known for forcing disorder in an ordered world pushing the envelope of creativity. A study cited in the book found that scientist who “keep changing the subject...stay productive.”

For me the key to keeping life interesting is “unfamiliar ground.” In order to remain creative I must like a shark, “keep moving.” I’m excited that Daylight Savings time has returned, and I’m ready to chart some uncharted territory. How about you?

“Not all who wander are lost.”

J.R.R. Tolkien

When Art Kept Me Off the Honor Roll

When art kept me off the honor roll. 

I’ve always been drawn to art, but I quickly associated art with being able to draw, something I wasn’t naturally good at.

However, throughout elementary school and junior high I loved each of my art classes. My ninth grade year I signed up for art as an elective. It was the first year that it was not a required part of the curriculum.

I enjoyed my class, and tried my best. As with all classes art required a grade. My grades usually were a B which overall was fine with me until the one time I almost made the A Honor Roll. 

I was thrilled to have made an A in all my classes, that is except art. My standard B stood out like a sore thumb among a row of A’s. It seemed crazy to me that art was what was keeping me off the honor roll. 

I felt helpless because art wasn’t as easy as studying for a test, and yet at the same time it was probably my favorite class. After that year I never took art again until it was required in college. By that time I had accepted the fact that because I couldn’t draw very well I was obviously not artistic.

As I think about it now, it makes me sad that for so long I believed the lies I told myself. In fact, my freshman year of college while taking a design class I seriously considered studying interior design. I found that I seemed to do quite well in a more abstract art form. The elements of design were all something that I could do. 

One day we viewed a movie about careers in art. As I watched intently I learned that interior design required sketching ability. My lie surfaced once again, and I never considered the career as a possibility for me. Isn’t it ironic that today so much of interior design is done using a computer?

To be honest, I don’t have a burning desire to start a new career at this point in my life, but in thinking about this it makes me wonder how often we buy into a lie or half-lie about ourselves? What I didn’t know then in my short fourteen years of life was that drawing is a skill that can be taught. 

I may never have been a Rembrandt, but that would not have been required. Today, I still find myself drawn to art, and I see the same desire in my three year old grandson. He doesn’t yet know to worry about whether something is “good” or “bad.” He just knows that he loves to draw tractors, and color each one using his Twistables.

Don’t let some misplaced lie hold you back from doing what your heart knows to be true. 

The Number Two Pencil

The number two pencil. 

My three year old grandson is showing a real affinity and talent for drawing. His fine motor skills constantly amaze me as he colors within the lines, and holds a pencil like a grown-up. 

He can often be found at the kitchen table drawing and coloring all the while with his tongue sticking out in concentration. After seeing some of his drawings, Chuck asked me to pick up a set of number two pencils and a pencil sharpener to take to him the next time we visited. 

On my trip to Walmart as I perused the pencil aisle I remember hearing that the quintessential pencil to have was the famous Ticonderoga brand. I was able to locate the presharpened beauties, but only in a thirty pack. 

Now I thought thirty pencils might be a little bit of overkill, but I figured I could use some at my house. Recently, it seemed every time I went looking for a pencil all I could find was a dull, stubbed-nose version.  The thought of actually having some good pencils around the house made me smile. 

Since I was breaking up the set I decided to see if I could find a pencil holder for the pencils and the sharpener. I happened upon the perfect pencil holder for a little boy. It was black, and resembled a creature of some sort with two wiggly eyes. But best of all when you unzipped it the zipper itself resembled a row of teeth. 

As expected the budding artist was thrilled with both the pencils and the case. The sharpener actually came with an eraser attached to the top so that too was a hit. Creatively the little guy spent quite a bit of time making shapes out of the pencils themselves as he arranged them into triangles and squares. The teacher in me couldn’t help but assist with his favorite shape-the hexagon. 

A few weeks later he was visiting our house with his parents when he noticed a Ticonderoga pencil sitting on my nightstand. Immediately he picked it up, and announced to his Mom that, “Mimi has one of my pencils!” Now not to be remembered as a thief, I quickly reassured him that I had bought a big pack of pencils to share between the two of us. 

I must admit that kid sure keeps me laughing and I have to remember that very little gets past his watchful eye. 

Fresh Start

Fresh start. 

“Every morning is a fresh start. Wake up with a thankful heart.”

Kristen Butler

I love this! Sometimes it’s challenging to keep an attitude of gratitude. I sometimes need a reminder to be content with the blessings that are hidden in the ordinary. 

Each morning I awake I am blessed to have another day. How I choose to face that day is totally up to me. If I’m feeling discouraged I want to remember that some days are like that, but not allow the feeling to linger too long.  

If I’m needing motivation I pray I come across something like Kristen Butler’s words to encouage and inspire me to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness. It is easy to get caught up in all that is missing in life, rather than focusing on the many blessings. 

I am blessed in every way and I don’t ever want to lose sight of that. I’m hoping that this post might be a reminder to you as well to not lose sight of gratefulness.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

1 Chronicles 16:34

What’s That?

What’s that?

The littlest grandson doesn’t often get written about on this blog. He’s just now walking and beginning to really interact with his world so I anticipate that will be changing quickly. 

Although he is a man of few words at this point, it has become apparent that he is curious by nature. In fact, his curiosity often gets him in trouble as he attempts to literally scale anything in his way. 

My daughter has resorted to laying the kitchen chairs down just to keep him from climbing atop the kitchen table. Wall anchors have been utilized to keep furniture and the television securely in place. What is interesting about all this is that his older brother seemed to be more content unscrewing a child sized screw from his toy toolbox rather than climbing out of his crib at the same age. 

This past weekend we got to babysit the youngest while his older brother attended a rodeo with his parents, and aunt and uncle. It was almost bedtime when they left so Chuck and I did not have long to entertain the littlest one. 

What I found most endearing was the way he would toddle around the house pointing his finger, and asking clearly, “What’s that?” I would provide the information requested, and he would move on to the next thing. He seemed quite fascinated with the coffee maker, and asked several times specifically about its name. 

He is such a quiet, sweet natured boy who loves to be held, and sports a dimple when he smiles. I’m excited to see that his curious nature is promoting him to ask more about his world. Although, I have to wonder how many just turned one year olds’ first words are questions?

Sprinkle Donuts

Sprinkle donuts. 

Kids and adults view food completely differently. 

Adults may have acquired a taste for broccoli over the years, but kids know the truth. When given the chance choose the sprinkle donut. 

Yesterday Chuck made a quick run to the local donut shop to pick up breakfast for everyone. My oldest grandson put in his order for a chocolate sprinkle donut. No regrets, no shame. 

Now I reluctantly allowed myself a small, dry cake donut. Perhaps somewhere in my imagination I thought it might be a little healthier for me. This is out of habit after years of judging food as good or bad. 

When Chuck got home, and opened the box of donuts the little one did something remarkable. He literally jumped for joy into Chuck’s arms all the while squealing with delight. After all, his sprinkle donut had arrived. 

He then hugged his Papa, and thanked him for the donut. Of course, the whole thing was sweeter than a sprinkle donut ever hoped to be. 

A few minutes later when I sat down to eat my breakfast I noticed that my grandson had basically sucked the top off the donut. Not a sprinkle or a trace of chocolate was left behind. Basically a dry, plain donut, you know kind of like what I had ordered.

Time and time again I am amazed at the lessons this little one has to teach me. His pure joy in the moment made me realize that there is a place for sprinkle donuts in my life. 

The H Word

The H word. 

Hate is a word that you hear frequently these days. In fact, you hear it so much that after a while it almost loses its meaning. 

Often when I’m trying to better understand something I go back to the dictionary definition just to remind myself. 

Interestingly as I looked up the word hate I came across these two versions of the definition:

“ Feel intense or passionate dislike.”

Now I may say I hate liver, but in reality that pales in comparison to hating cruelty toward the weak. This definition to me seems quite relative depending on what you consider intense or passionate. In fact, the connotation of the word passionate is not always viewed in a negative light. 

“Intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear or anger; extreme dislike or disgust.”

Now this definition to me seems to better describe hate. Hate to me is a very extreme emotion. In fact, I would think that it would take a lot to get someone to the point of hate. Of course, there are some people who just seem to revel in hatefulness, which is very sad. 

However, today I’m not really talking about that kind of hate. What I’m discovering as I read comments made about political and religious differences is that when someone disagrees with another often times they are quick to throw out the word hate. 

Now this just doesn’t seem logical to me. If you and I have a difference of opinion it’s probably not because I hate you. Our personal beliefs are based on many different things, and true hate is probably not one of them. 

Growing up, prior to social media, the rule of thumb was not to discuss religion and politics. I wonder why that was? Perhaps, because these two areas of conversation can incite strong feelings, and decorum might just insist that respect for others feeling and beliefs may be more important than what you feel the need to say at the moment. 

To be honest it makes me sad to see how much vitriol there seems to be in the world today. I wish we felt more comfortable sharing our beliefs with each other without being so mean. We can learn more about each other, and perhaps find a way to bridge our differences if we reach out with respect. 

Now truthfully I’ve not always followed my own advice, but I’d rather be an ambassador of civil discourse whenever I can.