Friday, October 16, 2009

The Joy Diet Ingredient of the Week: Creativity

It has been a good week for me and The Joy Diet. I had a blast coming up with creative and off-the-wall ideas for achieving my heart's desires. That being said, one particular suggestion in this chapter stopped me in my tracks.

Martha Beck suggests "Perseverate on Your Enemies." Perseverate mean to "mentally focus on one topic to the point of obsession" and here's why:

"It could well be that the reason your thoughts revolve around this enemy is that you're looking in a kind of mirror, one that shows you all the things you think you must not be."

This idea isn't new to me. In fact, I've learned over the last year or so to pay close attention to the people who piss me off, the people I find myself judging most harshly, that there is something important about me and my beliefs being reflected there. (Thank you, Brene Brown.) Taking this view and thinking things through the way Beck suggests has not stopped me from fuming when the self important PTO moms park in the handicap spot at the school, but I did spend a good bit of time thinking about what I might be seeing in the mirror.

My thoughts of

Who does she think she is?

What makes her think her needs are so important?

Why does she think the rules don't apply to her?

have led me to thoughts like this:

How often do I downplay my needs (especially my creative needs) as less important than the needs of others?

What could I achieve if I decided the rules I've imposed on myself no longer apply?

My best and most creative thoughts have come out of this one idea this week. Sometimes the thing that stops you in your tracks, that seems the most impossible, is the very thing you most need to hear.


Stop by Jamie Ridler's The Next Chapter to see more reflections on this week's Joy Diet ingredient.

20 comments:

  1. Sounds good. But for me this worked not a single bit. Maybe you could help me. (see my blog)

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  2. Turning your thoughts like this reminds me of Byron Katie's *work*. I resist doing the work. And what I resist, persists. :/

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  3. Yes, very much reminds me of Byron's The Work! True... I hadn't thought about that with the perseverate idea -- though that is the one I worked the most this week. Interesting stuff!
    miracles,
    k-

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  4. Great post today...I can so relate! I too find myself annoyed when others don't feel they need to follow the rules, never thought about how it reflects on my self imposed rules. hmmm...

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  5. I like the example you used and how you turned it around. This is not something I can do. As I wish to be the opposite of the one I dislike.

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  6. Well I guess enemies works for some people and not for others. It's good to see a diversity of experiences with it. I resisted it, but it doesn't mean that somewhere down the line I won't give it another try. It's interesting to see how many buttons that one pushed. So many fellow dieters have written about it. I tried it but didn't write about it...

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  7. Totally relate, there is this one person at the moment that totally annoys me. I know the true reason is that we are similar in many ways... just in the ways that I don't like about myself...

    This book intriques me more and more!

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  8. I like how you chose to use that perservate piece...I let that one go. Life is too short to be focusing on the negatives...I went with what was positive for me.

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  9. How right you are. Think of yourself for once. Thanks for posting.

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  10. Thanks for sharing your week with creativity, I like how you turned it around, I struggled with this chapter, maybe I was not ready. See you next week.

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  11. I think it is so beautiful that you are so honest, with yourself and with us! How wonderful that you were able to see through your own resistance... I think your post is woven with courage and immense wisdom. :)

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  12. Perseverate on Your Enemies is a hot topic this week. Yes there is something that bugs us about those kinds of people. Perhaps you are right...We need to do a little more sticking up for ourselves.

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  13. Self imposed rules - something I do all of the time. I am going to have to think more about how these rules are controlling my life. Thank you for giving me something very important to think about.

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  14. I love your quote "My best and most creative thoughts have come out of this one idea this week. Sometimes the thing that stops you in your tracks, that seems the most impossible, is the very thing you most need to hear."

    Wonderful!

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  15. Laura - I have had the same experience with perseverating on my enemies. I didn't post about this part of the chapter but it's something I was introduced to years ago and I use it all the time. I love this phrase: "Sometimes the thing that stops you in your tracks, that seems the most impossible, is the very thing you most need to hear."

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  16. Yes, exactly!!! I get what you're saying and have also spent much time focusing on people that bug me because they do hold the clues to our own shadow side...

    Thanks also for popping into my "Creativity" post!

    Kathy C.
    http://SoulReaderBlog.blogspot.com

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  17. Great thoughts! You sound like your lit on fire. Here's to you and keep it going.

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  18. As others have said, the last point you made really hit a heart string and has provided me with something to reflect on. Thank you so much for sharing your week with creativity.

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