Creating Enthusiasm

“When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.”

W. Clement Stone

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Calvin Coolidge

Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.”

Leonardo da Vinci

Yesterday I was challenged to write 50 more blogs in about 20 days.

Yesterday I was excited by that challenge. 

Yesterday I wrote two more.

Yesterday I felt full of enthusiasm, purpose and determination.

Today I woke up and thought, “What’s the point?” 

All my excitement was gone.  I felt like Solomon who wrote in Ecclesiastes, “Meaningless.  Meaningless.  Everything is meaningless.”

But I decided to do two things:

1.     I decided to sit down and write anyway.

2.     I decided to take these feelings and use them as today’s content.

This is one of my challenges when setting goals; my enthusiasm fades.  What was exciting and life giving suddenly becomes mundane and life draining.  I remember when I was in college and how excited I would be at the beginning of every semester or quarter.  At every new beginning I would say, “This time I’m really going to study!  I’m going to read all the material!  I’m going to study every day!  I’m going to get the highest grades I can!”

Within a couple of weeks however, I was repeating familiar habits.  Now in my defense, I was working two jobs and involved in my church, but looking back, I don’t see that as much of a defense.  I didn’t always give my best on my job either.  I often had a poor attitude and I was lazy. 

It’s no surprise that my laziness was not restricted to one area.  Sir Isaac Newton’s First Law of Physic states this:

An object at rest remains at rest unless acted upon by a force. An object in motion remains in motion, and at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by a force.

I was an object at rest.  I rested everywhere I could.  At school.  At work.  At

church.  And the best part of all, was that I could excuse my laziness by saying, “Oh, I’m so busy with all my commitments!” 

I don’t know if anyone believed this excuse.  I didn’t. 

An excuse is nothing but a lie with some facts conveniently rearranged to make it look better than it really is.  It’s true that I had other commitments, but –

1.     I chose those commitments.

2.     I chose not to do my best in any of them.

The only thing that gets a body at rest to move is force.  So, I was often forced by deadlines, lack of money or the threat of poor grades to get moving.  But by then it was too late and I wound up getting average grades and doing average work and making average amounts of money.

“Average” is not a nice word.  It’s really another word for failure with only a little amount of effort and perhaps a little luck thrown in.  Once in a while I got a B or even an A, but most of my grades were C’s with a few D’s thrown in for bad measure.

Now there were exceptions.  I did work hard sometimes.  I remember the best report card I got at UCSD, two B’s and an A.  Here’s what else I remember:

·      How good I felt about myself

·      All the good work those grades represented

·      Holding that report card on a warm Friday evening in early June as the sun was setting and the air was perfect

·      The song Reminiscing by the Little River Band playing on the radio

·      Smiling, inside and out

·      The complete peace and joy of that moment

·      Realizing I was ready for the challenge of taking four classes instead of three.

I also remember that I had done a lot of work to get to that moment, but I only remember a little of the work.   Mostly I remember how good I felt.

Here are the rewards I have had for giving my best effort:

·      Greater self-esteem

·      Peace

·      The work itself

·      Being able to set an example

·      And sometimes, just sometimes, I am compensated with grades or money or praise. 

"When I started writing this morning, I had no enthusiasm for it. None.  Sometimes we have little enthusiasm for our work.  I had to create my own enthusiasm by sitting down and writing.  The enthusiasm comes during the work, not before it.  There truly is no substitute for action.  None."

And despite the seeming difficulty, it’s easy.  I just have to Get Started and Keep Going.

A New Challenge

“The art of war teaches us not to rely on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.”

Sun Tzu – The Art of War

“I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.”

Anthony Robbins

“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything either as a blessing or a curse”

Carlos Castaneda

It is about 20 days until my birthday and I have accepted the challenge to have 150 blogs written before then.   When I first considered this, I thought it to be unrealistic.  And maybe it is.  It means I have to write 49 in 20 days; that’s more than two a day.  It’s almost impossible.  In addition to the amount of time it will take, I’m not sure if I have that many ideas or that much creativity.

Still, I like the challenge.  A few years ago I committed to writing 100 resumes in an 8-week period.  I got only 80 done, but I did a lot more than had I set the goal for 50.  And in doing this, I sharpened my resume writing skills greatly.  So in twenty days, I should be an even more effective writer, whether or not I reach my goal.

My biggest issue, and probably the biggest issue for many people, is time management.  I am a notorious time waster.  I do not like this part of myself but I accept that it’s here.  This is the Enemy in me.  The Enemy wants to defeat me.  It wants to destroy me, literally.  That is the bad news.

Here are some distractions the Enemy can fire at anyone:

·      Sudden and inexplicable fatigue

·      A strong desire to do something you’d completely forgotten about until the moment you sat down to do your work

·      Online games

·      A favorite movie suddenly appearing on television, annoying commercials and all

·      Unexpected and unbidden emotions such as regret, lust, hatred, anger or even happiness so that one no longer feels the ability or the need to do one's work

·      The urge to call a friend you hadn’t thought of for days, weeks or months

·      Suddenly noticing how much cleaning needs to be done

·      Allowing others to interfere with your work

The good news is I am greater than the Enemy.  At this point, I will define exactly what the Enemy is.  There are two enemies.  One is external and the other is internal.  Neither one is visible.  For me, because of my spiritual beliefs, I believe one of them is Satan.  Literally. This is not a spiritual blog or a Christian blog and I’m not trying to convince or convert anyone.  I’m just sharing my beliefs and my experience because I believe there is a devil and he is out to destroy me.   If he cannot destroy me, at the very, very least, he will destroy my work or prevent me from doing it.  But the power of God is greater.  “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Having a spiritual enemy does not mean, however, that I can attribute every problem or misfortune to spiritual forces.  Sadly, the devil needs little help from me when it comes to making bad choices.  I’m often my own worst enemy.  If I were paid to waste time I couldn’t do a better job.  But this too is something I have power over.  I also have power over fear, sadness, anger, irritability or anything else that keeps me from doing my work.

The attacks of the Enemy are varied, constant and sometimes even vicious.  So how can I be unassailable?

1.              Create a routine.  Whatever it is I am called to do, I must do every day, as much as and as often as possible.  If I can create a schedule around my purpose then this is even better.  Early mornings, before everyone is up, is often best.

2.              Take care of myself.  I need to get enough sleep, food, water and exercise.

3.              Hold myself accountable to others.  This adds a helpful level of tension and accountability.

4.              Keep it a secret.  This may seem to contradict the previous suggestion, but sometimes announcing our goals “jinxes” them.  There’s nothing mystical about this.   They get “jinxed” because when I announce them too often, my subconscious believes I’ve completed my goal

5.              Make the goals measurable.  There are few clearer indicators of success than a measurable goal.

6.              Take action anyway.  No matter what, don’t let anything get in the way of being in Purpose.  Do something every single day

7.              Always be mindful.  At any given moment I can ask one of the most important questions of all:  Right now, am I in Purpose or am I out of it?

8.              When out of Purpose, get back into it as quickly as possible.  This is why I have more than one life long goal.  I can’t always pursue one goal.

Am I personally unassailable?  Not even close.  But despite the distractions that were thrown at me, even as I was writing this blog, I got it done.  I now have 48 to go to reach my goal.  Perhaps I’ll write another one before going to bed.  Or maybe early tomorrow morning.  Or both.  Whatever happens, I have to Get Started and Keep Going.

Superman and Purpose

“This looks like a job for Superman!”

From many comics, books, cartoons and movies starring Superman

“You're much stronger than you think you are. Trust me.”

Grant Morrison –All Star Superman

“It's not about where you were born. Or what powers you have. Or what you wear on your chest. ... It's about what you do... It's about action”.

Geoff Johns – Superman in Infinite Crisis

Although I’ve shared this story before and although it isn’t mine, I’m reminded of the following story by Steven Pressfield in Do the Work.  After a tortuous, solitary, several-day effort, Pressfield finally finished his first novel and went to see a friend.  When he told the friend what he had finally accomplished, the friend said, “Congratulations.  Now go start the next one.”

After writing 100 blogs, I feel like that’s what the Muse is saying to me:  Go start the next one.

What?

No victory lap?   No dance?   No party?

They’re not necessary.  I shared my victory with the people I wanted to share it with and now it’s time to Get Started and Keep Going.

Usually I put that phrase at the end of each blog, but it’s good to remind myself constantly.  Here are some other things I want to remember constantly

1.     Time is short.

2.     Doing the work is its own victory.

3.     I have gifts.  They didn’t come from me and I’m obligated to share them with my world or the world.

4.     It doesn’t matter how or even if my gifts are received, only that I share them.

A thought just occurred to me. 

I have often said that everyone has gifts.  That’s my optimism at work.  But what if that’s not true?  What if there really are people who are ordinary and quiet and who don’t accomplish much with their lives?  Now I truly doubt this, but let’s just pretend it’s the truth.  If it is, then I am even more obligated to share my gifts.  Because I have been uniquely selected for some special purpose and I have been given special abilities.  Using the superhero as an analogy, what would be the point of having super powers if I didn’t use them to help others? 

As pointed out in Kill Bill 2, most superheroes are normal people and their heroic selves are a different identity.  For example, Spider-Man is really Peter Parker and Batman is really Bruce Wayne.  This is not true of Superman, however.  Superman is really Superman and his false identity is the mild-mannered Clark Kent.   (Clark Kent is a writer, by the way.)   Jerry Siegel’s original interpretation of Kent is as a milquetoast, someone afraid to stand up for himself or anyone else.  This behavior, of course, infuriated Lois Lane, the woman he loved. 

What if Superman chose to remain hidden as Clark Kent?  Perhaps he would do some good, but nowhere near the good he could do as Superman.  He wouldn’t accomplish any of the deeds he did in his real identity. He wouldn’t have been able to serve the world as effectively.  He also wouldn’t have made the friends he made or had the experiences he had if he had stayed hidden.  He wouldn’t have been able to protect “ordinary people.”

Now, if there are ordinary people, people with no gifts or abilities, then part of my obligation is to serve them or bring them relief.  Not everyone can act, but most of enjoy watching actors on television or the movies.  Yet somehow I think of Jesus when he said, “I did not come to bring peace, but to bring a sword.”  My gifts are not meant to comfort but to inspire.  They are meant to remind others that they too have an obligation to stop hiding.  If my being in action makes others uncomfortable, then that’s a good thing.

Or perhaps my obligation is to serve others who need motivation to use their gifts so that they do not stay ordinary or hidden.  I don’t know.

I really don’t believe that there are any ordinary people, but I believe that there are people who choose to act ordinary.  I am choosing not to be ordinary.

Another thought just occurred to me.  Being in my Purpose over the last five months may be why I no longer feel the compulsion to go to the comic book store every week.  I don’t need to read about the heroics of fictional characters.  I am, in reality, doing my own heroics.  I may not be, “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound,” but I can use the powers I have.  I can, I should and I want to. 

I can Get Started and I can Keep Going, like Superman, but maybe a little better.

100!

“If you want it

You already got it

If you thought it,

It better be what you want…”

Madonna – Four Minutes

“A little luck helps, but it’s your choices that matter.”

Heard on What’s Next, an educational video game

“You always have to give 100%, because if you don’t someone, somewhere will give 100% and they will beat you when you meet.”

Ed Macauley

So here it is – my 100^th blog entry.  Wow!  I didn’t see this coming.  When I wrote the first blog at the end of December, I had no idea this would happen.  Although I often talk of vision and goals, I had no vision or goal when I sat down to write, nothing concrete anyway; I just wanted to feel better.  I was feeling pretty unhappy and I just wanted the pain to go away.

It occurs to me that wanting the pain to go away is why some people inflict pain on others, kill themselves, or become addicted to something legal or illegal.  It’s also the reason why people write, paint, dance, teach, sing, start a business or charity, or do something that is creative, interesting and important.  Everyone wants the pain to go away.

In my previous blog I said that pain is not necessary to create; self-discipline is.  But pain comes to each of us and each of us has a choice to use that pain or let pain use us.  That’s really all there is. 

I can lose my temper or I can walk away. 

I can overeat or I can take a walk.

I can gossip or I can stay quiet.

I can paint or I can watch TV.

I can work a little harder or I can browse the Internet.

I can wake up a few minutes earlier or I can hit the snooze button.

I can pray or I can judge.

I can fail and try again or I can fail and quit.

I can be my true self or I can try to please others.

There are two problems when trying to make good choices.  The first is that the good choices are usually harder.  Or they seem that way.  They actually aren’t; they just seem that way.  Bad choices are actually harder because they contain bad consequences.   But bad choices often look so good.  Thirty minutes extra sleep sounds much nicer than exercising or writing in the morning.

The second problem with good choices is that we are confronted with them constantly.  Constantly.  Constantly!!  We don’t even know we’re in a war for our souls and so we drive 80 miles an hour, or criticize our children or cheat on our taxes or take shortcuts at work or school.  When I’m confronted with a good choice, then I’m usually confronted with a bad choice, too.  And bad choices just seem easier. 

And sometimes the choices that aren’t good aren’t bad either; they’re just not good.  For example, there is nothing inherently bad in watching TV; it’s just not usually the best way to spend my time.  So maybe that’s what I’m looking for and what I need – the best choices.  

Voltaire said, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”  Current translations including Jim Collins, author of Good to Great say, “Good is the enemy of the great.”

I want to be great.  Not necessarily rich or famous, though I wouldn’t mind that either.  No, I want to be great at what I do, at whatever I’m doing and especially at what I’m called to do.

And that takes focus, humility gratitude and mindfulness.  And it takes time.  So the more time I put into the things I’m called to do, the greater chance I have at being great at them.  The more I give 100%, the greater chance I have of writing another 100 blogs.

And as I’ve said before, in this way, though I am unique, I am not special.  Anyone can be great.  Greatness is not a status.  Greatness is a choice.  And to make that choice, all I have to do is

Get Started and Keep Going.

Pain Is Not Necessary

“Action is eloquence.”

  William Shakespeare

“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”

Oprah Winfrey

"I would say that I'm not scared. Everyone has the ability to hurt. It's the choice that matters.”

Yvonne Woon –  Dead Beautiful

In case I wasn’t clear in my previous blog, let me be clear now in regard to the subject of pain and art.  The message is this: 

Pain is not a prerequisite to creativity.

Artists, of any kind, do not have to suffer.

(By artist, I mean anyone who is expressing his or her gifts to the world in any form at all.  This includes writers, teachers, dancers, improv comedy instructors, entrepreneurs, therapists, singers, painters, construction workers, accountants, coffee merchants, lawyers, doctors and tribal leaders.  I’m talking about anyone who realizes that he or she has a gift that is meant to help create a less painful world.  I’m talking about just about every human being on earth.)

Pain is a result of being in a fallen world.

Pain does not help anyone.

God did not create the world, plants, animals, people or galaxies, because He was in pain.  He created as an act of love.  He did it because it was fun and He loves beauty and order and color.  He did it because He is an artist.

I don't need to know when something is wrong in my life.  It's usually obvious.

What motivates us, truly motivates us, is action.

Pain does not help.

But a correct response to pain does.

Everyone is in pain.

About 7 billion people are in some kind of pain. 

But only a few will choose the correct response to their pain.

Others will accept, tolerate or make an identity out of their pain.  This is wrong and completely unhelpful and it’s why the world is in such a mess.  Most people have an incorrect response to pain.

This is crucially important for all artists to understand.  Because if I believe I need pain to be motivated, I will create pain for myself and for others.  I will also allow others to hurt me and keep me off course.

And that's just wrong.

Pain will inevitably come in this fallen world.

Respond correctly to it.

But don't look for it or thank it.

Pain is your enemy.

Satan is your enemy.   (Yes, there is a Satan.  He’s real and he wants to destroy you.  I’m not going to shy away from that truth.)

Laziness is your enemy.

Procrastination is your enemy.

Fear is your enemy.

Apathy is your enemy.

Distraction is your enemy.

Self-pity is your enemy.

Rage is your enemy.

Hatred is your enemy.

Even happiness can be an enemy.

The only way that all of the above are not enemies is if we use them as tools.

Otherwise, these are all enemies of the artist who does not respond correctly.

Everyone is an artist, but most people are artists who respond incorrectly.

            The only correct response from the artist is to take action.  Positive, consistent and determined action – this is the only right response. 

In other words, the only correct responses to pain are to Get Started and to Keep Going.

The Joy of Sorrow. The Sorrow of Joy.

“Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.”

"The first and best victory is to conquer self."

Plato

“Your happiness is a gift because it literally brings out the best in you.”

Robert Holden

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways."

—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Life is not always easy.  In fact, it’s rarely easy.  There is, however, an advantage to sorrow, a great advantage, that creative people especially know.  It is the ability to take pain and turn it into art.  By art, I mean painting, drawing, dance, service, job-improvement, teaching, philanthropy, writing or relationships.  The beauty of pain is that it can cause me to focus on what really matters.  It can cause me to look at my behavior and make changes.  In fact, many creative endeavors come from a place of pain.  This blog did.

I don’t want pain.  I don’t welcome it or look for it.  I don’t consciously try to create pain for others or for myself.  Still, pain will come.  Difficulties will arise.  They may come from something I did or from something that was done to me.  They usually come as unhappy surprises, and this adds another level of difficulty.  The joy of sorrow is that I can take my pain and turn it into something powerful.  No other living beings can do this.  Only humans. 

As a comic book reader, I know that many of the most popular superheroes were borne out of tragedy, usually a death in the family and/or being orphaned.  In a more realistic story, Mitchell Siegel, 60, was killed in a robbery either from a heart attack or by being shot in the chest.  His son, Jerry Siegel, it was said, used that tragedy to create a bulletproof man who has been known throughout the world for over 75 years – Superman.

One of the first comics I ever remember seeing was a Superman comic when I was about 5 years old.  My mom said no.  But I got some later, a lot more.  And I’ve been reading comic books ever since.  They have brought me a great measure of happiness and satisfaction.  Today there are literally thousand of superheroes and comic books.  There are writers and artists.  There are also comic strips, cartoons, television shows, movies, plays, conventions, toys, and books. Millions of stories have been told.  Thousands of jobs have been created and millions of dollars have been made. Comic books have helped children enjoy reading.  (I was one of those children.)  They gave American soldiers in Viet Nam a way to pass the time. 
The artist, Joe Shuster said,

“In this drawing we just let our imagination run wild. We visualized superman toys, games, and a radio show - that was before TV - and Superman movies. We even visualized Superman billboards. And it's all come true.”

And all of this was birthed from one tragedy.

Well, no.  That’s not completely correct.  All of it was birthed from one man’s response to that tragedy.  Jerry Siegel could have responded with bitterness, despair or rage.  He could have used his pain to end his own life far more effectively, quickly (or slowly) than his father’s life was ended.  Instead, he took his pain and created the foundation for something great.

None of us is immune to tragedy.  Tragedy is awful.  Tragedy is often pointless, senseless and unnecessary.  The worst part of tragedy is that it often serves no purpose.  But Purpose can come out of tragedy.  In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen says,

But for a man with a deep-rooted faith in the value and meaning of life, every experience holds a new promise, every encounter carries a new insight, and every event brings a new message.  But these promises, insights and messages have to be made visible.

Still, as I said, I don’t like pain and when it comes, it comes uninvited.  I prefer joy.  Sorrow propels me, but joy motivates me.  To this end, I do everything I can to be happy and to have a happy life.  When I’m happy, I’m more motivated and my mind is clearer.  In fact, I often write to get rid of my sorrow.

The only problem with happiness is that sometimes when I’m in too good a mood, I’m not as motivated to do my work. 

This is where self-discipline comes in.  We all know what it feels like to not want to do our work when we feel bad, but we forget that happiness can distract us, too.  So, again, the important thing is self-discipline.  If I can discipline myself to write every day, then I can be master of both joy and sorrow.  I can be master of both joy and sorrow.

James Allen says it best:

"Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life."

So, to stay in control of my emotions, I must stay in control of my actions.  I need to keep my Purpose and goals in front of me constantly.  The more I Get Started and Keep Going, the happier I will be, because I will realize that there is something that's just as good as happiness and that’s the satisfaction of having done my best.

Difficult Choices

“A peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one.”

Rita Mae Brown

“Flowers don't worry about how they're going to bloom.  They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.” 

Jim Carrey

There have been changes in both my professional and personal lives lately and I’m not always sure how to respond.  My life sometimes seems to be at the mercy and control of others and that’s not a pleasant feeling.  I do my best but that still doesn’t mean I will get what I want or need.  (I’m speaking about my professional life here.)

            What does one do when all the choices seem difficult and risky?  I don’t think there are always easy answers, but I recommend the following:

1.              Know what you want.  This is why I have 3x5 cards that I carry with me and look at them constantly.  Doing this helps me to make clearer decisions.  This is why I’m working on my blog right now instead of doing other things.  It’s not that those other things are bad or wrong, but writing is part of my Purpose.  So the decision is easy.

2.              Do your best.  When I do my best, then I don’t have to look back with regret or remorse.  Although my best is different at different times and from day to day, doing my best is all I can do. 

3.              Don’t try to please everyone.  Not everyone is going to like my best.  In adult education, I don’t reach everyone.  Some students leave no matter what I do.  In the past I have bent over backwards to please one student, usually the loudest or most aggressive, only to realize that student wouldn’t stay fully engaged or would leave no matter what I did.  My favorite example of this is a student I had years ago.  I was teaching a math class and she loudly exclaimed in front to the whole class that she didn’t understand the work and that I, as her teacher, needed to give her more practice at home.  So during my break I hastily made a several-page practice packet for her and the rest of the class.  When the class reconvened the next week, I saw that she had not done one problem!  That was a valuable lesson for me.

4.              Make corrections when necessary.   Part of doing my best is to accept that I could have done something differently or, yes, better.  My best is still my best, but if I get new information later, then my best will be different next time.

5.              Don’t look for a formula. There is no “answer” to every problem.  Sometimes God is silent.  Sometimes one life goal conflicts with another.   Sometimes I please one person and upset another.  Sometimes I’m in a “no-win” situation.   Sometimes life just isn’t fair.  When teaching ethics I learned that ethics is not about right versus wrong, but rather, which choice is the most right or the least wrong.  For example, do I work more hours to provide for my family or do I spend more time with my family and reduce my ability to provide?

6.              Don’t expect to completely please yourself.  I understand that some choices I have made did not leave me completely happy.  That’s okay if I did my best.   If I had made the opposite choice, I wouldn’t have been completely happy either.  Don’t look for happiness or complete resolution.   Just allow it to be a learning process.  A perfect life is not possible, but a very good life is.

7.              Make a decision that will make you happy.  I’m not talking about the outcome here, but the decision itself.  I can’t control the outcome anyway.

I think that’s it.  I’ll be honest.  This blog was for me.  As I try to navigate my life, I have to accept that life isn’t always fair.  But it can be good.  I can make it the best by doing my best.  I can take my lesson from the flower and open up and turn toward the light.  All I have to do is Get Started and Keep Going.