Not Knowing
March 29, 2007As a consequence of implementing GTD this year–and largely sorting out my inbox–I’ve been reflecting quite a lot on some of my mid-to-long term goals. And this post inspired me to commit some of my thoughts here.
As regular readers would know by now, I’ve always had difficulty defining exactly what it is I do and more and more my blog seems to reflect the whole ‘generalist’ meme.
What is probably not as evident, but which is nevertheless just as important to me is the perennial question: what it is I want to do?
The challenge that being a ‘generalist’ brings with it is the difficulty of choice. How can I define something if I don’t know what I want? And as Pick the Brain puts it … “reality is complicated” and I don’t want to commit too soon.
There is a school of thought that says at some point you must decide, or otherwise ‘fail’. I’ve been counselled on a number of occasions from respected friends and mentors that at some point in time, I will have to choose a specific path to follow (read: to specialise?).
In his book Zen and the Art of Making a Living, Laurence G. Boldt cleaverly presents a system of four archetypes designed to help one tap into universal energies to re-write the script of your life. The Hero represents the Seeker of the Grail-The Decider of Roads. He suggests that “… to chose a life direction is the Hero’s greatest choice.”
Now on the surface this seems to indicate that one needs to make a clear decision, but is this necessarily so?:
The Hero is comfortable with not knowing, and yet he/she is not willing to tolerate confusion. His comfort with not knowing gets him going on the Quest; his unwillingness to tolerate confusion keeps the Hero going until he/she arrives at answers that are true for him/her.
There is one thing that is clear — I don’t, and never will, fit neatly into a predefined path. And as Pick the Brain puts it “maybe the most interesting people follow a path all their own.” It’s all about the journey, not the destination!
links for 2007-03-28
March 28, 2007-
… intelligent teenagers often listen to heavy metal music to cope with the pressures associated with being talented, according to research. Researchers found that, far from being a sign of delinquency and poor academic ability, many adolescent “metalhe
Back to Bright and a few (necessary?) diversions
March 15, 2007
We were fortunate enough to head back to back to Bright over the recent long-weekend. Bright is such a great little spot to visit–very quaint and laid back–even when it is bustling with long-weekend crowds. It’s always an enjoyable place to stay. It was also nice to see people returning to the area after the recent bushfires. Warning, slight diversion (rant) ahead.
<rant>It’s a real shame that the character of the town appears to be under threat from a proposed Coles mall, which will be as big as 40% of Bright’s current retail floor-space. Not that I have any real vested interest, but I think that the charm of the town lies in keeping its local feel and not selling out to ‘commercial’ interests. In my opinion, the community has more to lose than gain by allowing the development to proceed. I’m not sure what can be done, but the campaign struck a chord with me. Perhaps this post will raise some awareness? Opponents of the development have a website: savebright.com if you’re interested.</rant>
And whilst I’m off the path, another slight diversion …
Simplicity. I’ve always loved camping, and never really understood my affinity for the great outdoors, particularly as I was bought up as a city kid. I suppose to some extent that a love of nature is innate, but I think I can now sum it up in one word–simplicity. I just love the simplicity of it: making a cup of tea with a Billy; cooking the evening meal on a hotplate; sleeping under a starry sky; not being in a hurry to go anywhere or do anything. Simple. Uncomplicated. Straightforward.
My writing style for this post seems to reflect my week—lots of ups and downs and ins and outs–a bit of a roller coaster ride really! Thanks for coming on the ride, hopefully you’re not too nauseas.
Memorable Quotes - William Blake
March 15, 2007I must create a system or be enslav’d by another man’s.
– William Blake
links for 2007-03-07
March 7, 2007-
will collaboration revolutionize the way that business is conducted in the 21st century?
-
Hyper-efficient driving! It’s interesting to watch the innovation arising from the necessity of becoming more fuel efficient.
