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We act as though comfort and luxury were
the chief requirements of life when all that we need to be really happy is
something to be enthusiastic about.
~ Charles Kingsley
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ANOTHER INCONVENIENT TRUTH
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 Ever since I read Food Rules, I've been paying
attention to Michael Pollan. Not only is he in possession of a great deal of
common sense, he's also an eloquent writer. Pollan really got my attention,
however, when he pointed out to Oprah that much of our bad eating habits are
the result of a relentless marketing campaign to sell us on convenience.
Thinking about that, I flashed back to all the tv
commercials, around since my childhood, where chirpy mothers happily served up
a tv dinner or whipped up dessert from a box. Once we bought into this
Convenience is Better mentality, the way
was paved for fast food restaurants to blanket the landscape. Cooking
your own food was as outdated as growing it yourself.
It's not just our bodies that are suffering from this trend.
It's spilled over into other areas of our lives as well. I once had a neighbor
whose live-in boyfriend was lazy and
boring. One day, she confessed to me that she found him uninteresting, but
justified staying with him because, "He's convenient." You pick a bank because
it's convenient, I thought, not a partner.
Since hearing Pollan talk about convenience, I realized that
if that becomes a top priority it can ultimately be very costly. Instead of challenge, which is necessary if
we're going to grow, we end up with fast food for our minds.
I was thinking about this yesterday when Liz deNesnera called to share her
enthusiasm for Eat Pray Love which she'd picked up in an airport
and began reading on her way to Santa Fe where she was attending a retreat.
After we talked about the book, I asked about the retreat. Liz said, "It was an event
for twelve women voiceover artists, but it was so much more than that."
That made me smile, because I've learned that retreats are always
so much more than that. And there's nothing convenient about them. Almost
always, travel is involved, the pet sitter needs to be hired, clients alerted,
and mail delivery stopped. That's only the preliminary to getting yourself
there since many such events are held in lovely off-the-beaten path places
making travel more challenging than convenient.
This morning, Rebecca Gallo sent out a mailing that almost
echoed Liz's Santa Fe experience. Rebecca wanted to update the people she'd met
at last fall's Follow Through Camp. She wrote, "It took some
time, but I'm finally going to teach a course at a Lifetime Learning Institute
this spring called, You Can't Take It With You - And Your Kids Don't Want It
Either. As you may recall, that title came from the Follow
Through Camp."
Lest you think I'm advocating a return to pioneer times, let
me assure you, I'm not. There are all sorts of conveniences that I'm keeping in
my life, but I'm also looking at them with a fresh eye. I don't want to opt for
convenience when it leads to avoiding a
challenge.
It's really about priorities and knowing what kind of life
you truly want to create. As someone suggested
clean the bathroom quickly so you can read to your kids slowly.
Or avoid fast food for your mind and body so you're up for a
challenge.
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A CHALLENGING OPPORTUNITY
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 For the past year or so, one of my projects has been to
create inspiring events in beautiful places. This is not simply a business
decision, however. When I look at the turning points in my own life, those
times when I took a giant step forward, I can link every one with the learning
adventure that preceded it.
When Terri Belford first suggested creating a retreat in
magical Sedona, AZ, I was eager to be involved. Not only is it one of my new favorite places, I'm as enthusiastic as
she is about bringing more meaning into our work and lives. Spending time with
a small group of creative thinkers in a gorgeous locale can produce incredible
results.
I'll let you in on a little secret about retreats: whatever
the plan is, the actual experience is bigger than that. (If you've participated
in a good one, you already know that.) New projects get launched quickly. Ideas
that we've been dragging around get discarded. We connect with potential
collaborators and find a new cheering squad. We find the courage to challenge
ourselves to have more, do more, be more.
So if Inspired Livelihood is something you
want to put at the heart of your business, join Terri Belford, Alice Barry and
me on April 16 and 17 in the red rocks of Sedona.
You can read a description of this event at
http://joyfullyjobless.com.
And if you want to be certain of having a spot in this
retreat, don't wait to register. We're keeping the group small and we've
already started to fill up. Early Bird enrollment ends March 15.
Inspired Livelihood
http://joyfullyjobless.com/sedona.html |
| SAVE THIS DATE |
Last week I told you about going to Austin, TX to find a venue for a really exciting event that's being planned for October 15 & 16. I'm not ready to spill the
beans yet, but pencil it in if you think you'd like to join a lively group to
celebrate the joyfully jobless life.
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Buona fortuna,
Barbara Winter
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