There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)
“If I’m such a legend, why am I so lonely?” ~Judy Garland
I decided a long time ago my alter ego was ‘Dorothy’ from the Wizard of Oz. As I grew, I found one dog that would be my only dog and three men with exactly the issues of the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man. Like Dorothy, I attached the most to the Scarecrow. I love a man with brains. I have always loved red shoes. They don’t have to be sparkly, just red. And I have never stopped believing love is the answer to every question. And again, like Dorothy, I have recently encountered wickedness and overcome it with love.
While this may sound like an over simplification, that’s exactly the point. Life is complicated, hectic, erratic, and staccato for just about everybody. Applying a simple principle to every aspect is one way to achieve a sense of “I can do this.” We all have moments and days and hours and weeks where we think, “I’ll will never get this done.” By adopting a simple mantra or basic idea such as love, truth, or beauty, our lives and our brains will relax because we have a built in coping mechanism. No matter what the question is, having a base foundation to approach everything is comforting and provides tranquility and strength. When you have one or two primary ideals and you strive to achieve every goal with them in mind, then everything has some degree of positive outcome.
It’s similar to the “Six degrees of Kevin Bacon” theory or game. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation. The idea for the game came from Bacon claiming he had worked with everyone in Hollywood. To play, you name people, places, etc. to connect with Kevin Bacon in no more than six steps. It is taken from the theory of six degrees of separation popularized by Hungarian author F. Karinthy who called it a chain. We are all connected, goes the theory, by no more than six steps or degrees or concepts. It’s a small world.
To adopt and apply a simple life principle such as beauty literally colors your perspective so be careful not to pull the wool over your own eyes. Be realistic, but regardless of the trouble, try to see how your guiding life principle can eventually be applied and see if your reactions and stress levels diminish. No matter how ugly, find a quiet moment to see the better, hopeful side of the situation.
Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.
And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.
http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer
http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb
http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.
Be well, write well.
Copyright Joy Held 2011. All rights reserved.