the dip – Seth Godin

I bought Seth Godin’s book , the dip — a little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick), in February 2010.

Back then, I was continuously beating myself up for not sticking to projects. Nowadays, I don’t beat myself up anymore. And I’m getting better and better at choosing what I really *feel* like doing. Seth was instrumental in helping me make that shift.

I was reminded of his book, today, when I read Rachel Dangermond’s post, CHARGE!!!!!!!!! retreat…… In it, she writes about how the things that aren’t adding value to her life are getting crossed off her list. And also about how she’s asking herself better questions.

Here, then, is an excerpt of the book’s jacket. Since the dip only has 80 pages — in a very small format — I don’t feel I’m divulging any important content.

The old saying is wrong — winners do quit and quitters do win.

Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun. Then it gets harder and less fun, until it hits a low point: really hard, and not much fun at all.

And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle.

Maybe you’re in a Dip — a temporary setback that you will overcome if you keep pushing. But maybe it’s really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.

According to bestselling author Seth Godin, what really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.

Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt — until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it. If you can become number one in your niche, you’ll get more than your fair share of profits, glory, and long-term security.

Losers, on the other hand, fall into two basic traps. Either they fail to stick out the Dip — they get to the moment of truth and then give up — or they never even find the right Dip to conquer.

Whether you’re a graphic designer, a sales rep, an athlete, or an aspiring CEO, this fun little book will help you figure out if you’re in a Dip that’s worthy of your time, effort, and talents. If you are, the dip will inspire you to hang tough. If not, it will help you find the courage to quit — so you can be number one at something else.

Seth Godin doesn’t claim to have all the answers. But he will teach you how to ask the right questions.

You can find Seth Godin online here.

Reality Won’t Destroy Me

I hadn’t written in quite a long while and then suddenly, here was Ray Bradbury telling me You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.

So this morning, my faithful Waterman and I chose to go back to writing our Morning Pages.

It was about time…

QUESTION: What does a girl do, on a Friday night, when she has no television, no internet, and when the only stations she catches on her radio are Radio-Canada Première chaîne, CBC Radio One, and CIME FM (antithesis of CHOM)?

ANSWER: She drives hundreds of cloves into oranges while listening to her collection of old CDs.

Once the arts-and-crafts part of the evening is over, she settles down on the couch with popcorn and grape juice to watch Christmas in Connecticut, a four-dollar-and-ninety-nine-cent-DVD she discovered soon after entering her local Canadian Tire store — where she was on a quest to find the perfect toilet bowl scrubbing brush —, a black and white movie, circa 1945, starring Barbara Stanwyck and the ever-so-handsome Dennis Morgan.

That’s it.

That’s what I did last night.

Because as of November 2, I now live in Mont-Tremblant / Saint-Jovite, where I’m not connected to Cogeco or to Sirius or to any other highly technological device. Actually, I still don’t know if I’ll ever end up being connected to the Twenty-First Century, but one thing I do know for sure is that I’m not afraid of 2012. Nope, not one bit afraid of the end of the world. For me, the end of the world happened this year. And I don’t feel like talking about it.

At the moment, I’m chilling. I’m relaxing.
I’m taking things as they come.

You see, I’ve decided — finally — that from now on,
everything will be all right,
everything will be okay,
everything will be fine.

Life is beautiful.
Oh yeah!

P.S.: I’m grateful for Van Houtte‘s internet connection.

P.P.S.: My tiny one-and-a-half apartment reeks of cloves. Good thing I didn’t decorate the whole bag of oranges. Sheesh…

P.P.P.S.: Thanks for reading my stuff after all these months. If you have the time, please leave a comment and tell me how you’re doing.
I LOVE YOU

Lunch with the Dalai Lama

Yesterday, I had supper with Louis-Ferdinand Céline.
Today, I had lunch with the Dalai Lama.
Lucky moi, eh?

You see, I’ve been living all by my lonesome self for 12 years now, and it’s become a habit of mine to read while I eat my meals.

Today, for instance, I had the honour to share my sandwich and salad with His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama via his book, How to See Yourself As You Really Are.

Here’s what the Dalai Lama has to say in the introduction:

My Perspective

When we rise in the morning and listen to the news or read the newspaper, we are confronted with the same sad stories — violence, wars, and disasters. It is clear that even in modern times precious life is not safe: I cannot recall a single daily news program without a report of crime somewhere. There is so much bad news nowadays, such an awareness of fear and tension, that any sensitive and compassionate being must question the “progress” we have made in our modern world.

Ironically, the most serious problems emanate from industrially advanced societies, where unprecedented literacy only seems to have fostered restlessness and discontent. There is no doubt about our collective progress in many areas — especially science and technology — but somehow our advances in knowledge are not sufficient. Basic human problems remain. We have not succeeded in bringing about peace, or in reducing overall suffering.

This situation brings me to the conclusion that there may be something seriously wrong with the way we conduct our affairs, which, if not checked in time, could have disastrous consequences for the future of humanity. Science and technology have contributed immensely to the overall development of humankind, to our material comfort and well-being as well as to our understanding of the world we live in. But if we put too much emphasis on these endeavors, we are in danger of losing those aspects of human knowledge that contribute to the development of an honest and altruistic personality.

Science and technology cannot replace the age-old spiritual values that have been largely responsible for the true progress of world civilization as we know it today. Not one can deny the material benefits of modern life, but we are still faced with suffering, fear, and tension — perhaps more now than ever before. So it is only sensible to try to strike a balance between material development on the one side and development of spiritual values on the other. In order to bring about a great change, we need to revive and strengthen our inner values.

I hope that you share my concern about the present worldwide moral crisis, and that you will join me in calling on all  humanitarians and religious practitioners who share this concern to contribute to making our societies more compassionate, just, and equitable. I say this not as a Buddhist or even as a Tibetan but simply as a human being. I also do not speak as an expert on international politics (though I unavoidably comment on these matters) but as a part of the Buddhist tradition, which like the traditions of other great world religions, is founded on the bedrock of concern for all beings. From this perspective, I share with you the following personal beliefs:

1. That universal concern is essential to solving global problems.
2. That love and compassion are the pillars of world peace.
3. That all world religions seek to advance world peace, as do all humanitarians of whatever ideology.
4. That each individual has a responsibility to shape institutions to serve the needs of the world.

* * *

Throughout the book, His Holiness offers step-by-step exercises to help us shatter our false assumptions and ideas… and see the world as it actually exists. So if you want to discover the reality behind appearances, put your 3D glasses on and read the book!

P.S. : I’m not too sure about No. 3 = that all world religions seek to advance world peace. How about you?

exCerpt du jour (1) – Erica Jong on Henry Miller

“exCerpt du jour” is a new series
all about… excerpts!

Excerpts from books, magazine and newspaper articles,
songs, poems, even excerpts from my personal journals.

So whenever I feel like sharing something that stirs me in some way,
I’ll have a “special box” to put it in.

Today’s excerpt is from
The Devil at Large — Erica Jong on Henry Miller.
Published in 1993

The book jacket describes it as being “part biography, part memoir, part critical study, part exploration of sexual politics in our times.” But for me it’s the story of a beautiful friendship, one that began in 1974 when Erica Jong, then the author of a relatively obscure first novel called Fear of Flying, received an enthusiastic fan letter from Henry Miller, then an old man of eighty-three. The friendship would last until Miller’s death in 1980.

I first read Devil at Large in May 1995 (jotted the date inside the book). Back then, having previously struggled through Miller’s infamous Tropic of Cancer and, of course,  knowing full well his reputation as  a misogynist and writer of smut, I was surprised to learn that he was actually a spiritual man. His “aha! moment” came in 1939 when he left Paris and settled in Greece, hoping to wait out the war there. Aged forty-seven, Henry was about to be transformed.

And so it is that Miller found in Greece the inspiration for his book The Colossus of Maroussi which brought about many discussions. Here’s what Jong has to say about Miller’s transition from lewdness to light:

Mary Dearborn acknowledges the beauty of Maroussi‘s prose, but she dismisses the book in a few lines: “His recounting of one spiritual experience after another tends to bore readers who are not taken up with mysticism.”

Of course, “mysticism” — the very word has become pejorative — is always boring to those who believe only in materialism. “Boring” is in itself a codeword for fear — as any psychoanalyst can tell you. There is a whole school of journalists and critics who will dismiss as “New Age claptrap” everything from Maroussi to Walden to the Tao Te Ching to Shirley MacLaine’s bestsellers as if there were no difference in quality or in kind.

Probably the fear of enlightenment is greater in some people than the attraction toward it, but some of us are drawn to it, while others stubbornly turn their backs, claiming the light does not exist. One cannot argue about the possibility of enlightenment any more than one can argue about the existence of god and goddess. It requires a leap of faith, an act of amazing grace. Miller made that leap of faith in Greece. Many of his chroniclers cannot follow him.

Even Robert Ferguson, who is a somewhat less grudging and bitter critic of Henry than Mary Dearborn, says of Maroussi that “a second rebirth, coming so soon after the first one in Paris with Tropic of Cancer, might seem like one rebirth too many.” But spiritual experiences are cumulative. They gather like waves and result in breakthroughs. Creative life does not proceed by accumulating anthills of  “facts.” Rather there is a slow accretion of experience, of learning one’s craft, of growing spiritually, until suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, one soars to a new level. If you’ve experienced it, you believe it. If you haven’t, you disbelieve.

Of all Henry’s biographers, Jay Martin best comprehends Miller’s mission to free his readers. He records the sense of liberation and ease Miller felt in Greece. After the frenzy of the Paris years, where he wrote and wrote to empty himself of the bitterness of his past, he was finally able to draw a long breath of life and light. He returned to America a new person. In a sense, his soul had been shriven.

Perhaps Maroussi is played down by Miller’s biographers because it is “a book without sex,” as one of his Greek friends predicted. It doesn’t fit the Miller stereotype, so it is safer to ignore it than to acknowledge that Miller was multifaceted, both as a human being and as a writer. In this age of electronic sound bites and media stereotyping, few public figures are allowed complexity, compli- cation, or chiaroscuro ⁽¹⁾. Miller is seen as the antic goat, nothing more. How can we notice that his central book is full of sea and sun, not slime and sperm? It would make our precious point of view seem wrong! The truth is that Miller was on a spiritual journey his whole life — and Greece was at the heart of it.

…

Henry turned serene, almost seraphic in Greece, and all his friends noticed the change. He began his lifelong romance with the wisdom of the ages — yoga, Zen, the I Ching. His friend Ghika (whom he called Giks), the painter from Hydra, predicted that Greece would change Henry: “If you came to Greece as a Parisian bohemian, you have become a pilgrim,” he said. “Henceforth your writing must be different.” Maroussi was to prove Ghika right.

⁽¹⁾ Chiaroscuro: here’s the meaning… just in case you don’t know.
I sure didn’t!

Now off to the library I go…
to fetch The Colossus of Maroussi.

133 or Bust – Changing My Perceptions

Back in June, I told you about my goal:
to live till I’m 133 — MINIMUM!

Ever since then, I’ve been reciting Deepak Chopra’s age-defying mantra not only as soon as I wake up in the morning and right before I doze off at night, but numerous times throughout the day, be it while taking a walk, taking a break, taking a shower, or taking a leak.

Now that my brain is convinced I’m 49, I’m ready for the next step: to perceive my body not as a fixed, material thing, but as a flexible, dynamic bundle of consciousness.

In Grow Younger, Live Longer - 10 Steps to Reverse Aging, Chopra explains that in order to reverse the aging process, you must use the words energy, transformation, and intelligence as reinforcements to experience your body as it really is — a field of inexhaustible energy, in constant transformation, and as a physical expression of pure intelligence.

For this, you will start by visualizing your body
at a quantum level — use this illustration.

Once you have that image in your mind, consciously take a deep breath (do this several times each day), close your eyes, and mentally repeat the word Energy.

Similarly, when you eat your food, do it consciously and repeat the word Transformation, visualizing the light body in transformation.

Finally, every time you take a sip of water, silently repeat the word Intelligence and envision your light body as fluid and flexible.

It is said that as you repeat this ritual with breathing, eating, and drinking, you will be starting the process of restructuring your perception and the experience of your body from material to subtle.

Book excerpt:

Enlivening Energy (Prana)

Your vital energy animates both mind and body. Throughout the day, use the word Energy and experience the life force rejuvenating every cell, tissue, and organ in your body.

Think “Energy” whenever you:

• Walk through a garden.
• Go from indoors to outdoors.
• Practice breathing exercises.

Enlivening Transformation (Tejas)

The essential transformation force is the primordial fire of life. Throughout the day, use the word Transformation to enliven the transformational process that continuously converts energy from one form into another.

Think “Transformation” whenever you:

• Take a mouthful of food.
• Feel the sun on your body.
• Gaze into the stars at night.

Enlivening Intelligence (Ojas)

When intelligence is abundant and freely circulating in your body, all your physiological systems — cardiovascular, digestive, neurological, hormonal, and immune — function at their optimal level. Throughout the day, use the word Intelligence to enliven nourishment in every cell of your body.

Think “Intelligence” whenever you:

• Take a sip of water.
• Walk along a natural body of water.
• Drink fresh fruit juices or other healthy beverages.

Whenever you are performing a rhythmic activity — walking, jogging, swimming, riding your bicycle, or using a treadmill — silently repeat “Energy, Transformation, Intelligence… Energy, Transformation, Intelligence… ” or “Prana, Tejas, Ojas… Prana, Tejas, Ojas… ” with your full attention on your body.

After a while, your habitual way of experiencing your body will change because your perceptions will have shifted.

You may think this is all a big hassle, but it’s not. It quickly becomes a fun habit — at least it has for me. Reciting the affirmations about being 49 puts a smile on my face and gives me an instant energy boost.

Another advantage is that the more I fill my mind with images and affirmations about staying young, fit, and healthy, the less there is room for negative thoughts.

Come on, give it a try.
Say it with me…

Every day in every way, I am increasing
my mental and physical capacity.

My Biostat is set at a healthy ___ years of age.

I look and feel a healthy ___ years YOUNG.

I am reversing my biological age:
By changing my perception of my body,
its aging, and time.

Hey… you look younger already!

LAW OF ATTRACTION: 133 or Bust!

In 1991, on the eve of turning 41,
I decided I was going to live till
I’m 133 — MINIMUM.

A healthy 133 years young…
in mind, body, and soul.

Along with being vegetarian, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and laughing in the face of adversity, I thought I’d add a little Law of Attraction to my daily routine to help keep my mojo workin’ for another 74 years.

Before I move on with my plan, here’s a reality check: I already have a ravaged face.

That’s because of the rock’n'roll life I’ve led, the roads of depression I’ve traveled, the sun I’m addicted to, and the load of crummy genes I inherited from my now-deceased mother.

At the moment, the wrinkles around my mouth are the ones that bother me the most. But I’m sure it won’t be long till they blend right in with the ones that are slashing my mug, from my forehead to my chin.

Another thing that makes me look older is my hair.

I got my first grey hair when I was 12; by the age of 28, my mane had turned to salt and pepper; nowadays, well, it’s mostly grey… a very light grey (see photos).

In 2006, sick and tired of my dusty locks which, back then, came down below my shoulder blades, I had my hair coloured a nice golden brown. Two weeks later, realizing that the grey would always pop back to ruin the look, I bought a clipper and shaved it all off.

In September 2008, deep in the throes of another capillary crisis, I had plum-coloured streaks brushed in. After going through the same process in December and once more last March, I have since chosen to drop the streaks and get used to my natural look. Instead of reaching for the clipper, I’m patiently waiting for the streaks to either fade out, grow out, or fall out.

So when I say I want to live till I’m 133,
esthetics are evidently not a priority.

My new motto:
GREY ROCKS!
WRINKLES RULE!

From now on, my mental and physical health, my strength, my endurance, my flexibility, and my humour-slash-happiness are what I intend to focus on in order to stay in top shape.

Enter Deepak…

According to Chopra’s teachings in his book Grow Younger, Live Longer – 10 Steps to Reverse Aging, the “normal” experience of the body and its aging is a conditioned response — a habit of thinking and behaviour.

By changing my habits of
thinking and behaviour,
I can change the experience of
my body and its aging.

Excerpt:

SETTING YOUR BIOSTAT

Close your eyes. Become aware of your breath, releasing any tension you may be holding in your body.

Now, choose an age within the last fifteen years
that you would like to be in biological terms.
(Note: I’ll be 59 this year, so I chose 49.)

This means you would like to have the physical and mental capacity of a healthy person at that age, that you would like your biomarkers to reflect that particular age, that you would like to feel and look that particular age.

Just as a thermostat adjusts the temperature in a room to a particular set point, so, too, your Biostat will orchestrate your psychology and biology around the biological age you have chosen.

This will happen through the following mechanisms:

1. Your intention to stay at a particular Biostat will directly influence your body of energy, transformation, and intelligence. This is because intention influences your biochemistry through its infinite organizing power. This is the principle of teleology, which states that intended outcomes orchestrate the biological mechanisms to fulfill themselves.
2. Keeping your Biostat in your awareness will influence your thinking, your moods, and you behaviour, and reinforce your intention to maintain your biology at that set point. Once you have identified your set point, begin affirming it five times a day.

We suggest practicing the following ritual upon awakening, before breakfast, before lunch, before dinner, and at bedtime. On each of these occasions, close your eyes and mentally repeat to yourself each of the following phrases at least three times:

Every day in every way, I am increasing
my mental and physical capacity.

My Biostat is set at a healthy __ years of age.

I look and feel a healthy __ years old.

Within a few days of performing this ritual, you will actually begin to think and act from the level of your Biostat. All your habits will be influenced, but even more important, your perception of your biological age and your experience of it will begin to shift. You will start to believe in your Biostat and its organizing power, and your new belief will shape your new biology.

Believe me,
IT WORKS.

Give it a try and let me know how you feel.
KEEP ON ROCKING IN THE FREE WORLD