Marcus Aurelius provides so much good advice, in this humble writer’s opinion, that I will provide a second helping, in the event that I am unable to blog over the weekend. This, also from Meditations:
“When you would have a cordial for your spirits, think of the good qualities of your friends: this one’s capability, that one’s self-effacement, another’s generosity, and so forth. There is no surer remedy for dejection than to see examples of the different virtues displayed in the characters of those around us, exhibiting themselves as plenteously as can be. Wherefore keep them ever before you.”
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Friday, 15 June 2007
Thursday, 7 June 2007
Day 43: Time Out
I did a lot more research yesterday about magazines to apply for a position on and have a favourite. I also may contact a journalist friend and get on a newspaper. It's all what publishers want even prior to publication in order to get a writer's name out there. This morning, I planned to take my friend - who is originally from Trinidad and nearly 80 - to the bank in her motorised chair but when we had got ready outside the gate, she realised she had forgotten to re-charge the power on it the previous evening, so we had to re-arrange for next week.
I know some people who read this blog are literary-minded, so if you wish to get a free download of highlights from the current Guardian Hay Festival, lasting an hour, go to http://www.arts.guardian.co.uk/hayonsky before July 18. You can also catch a daily Haycast at http://www.guardian.co.uk/hay2007
I am rushing to go to see my good schoolfriend sing with her band now, along with another good friend who is also a poet (or should I say poetess?) It is at a place in North London called Monkey Chews! At least the music will be better than the name! I have volunteered to help with our choir's jumble sale on Saturday as Ania will be there and it will be fun to preside over the hordes of public (the great unwashed! Hehe). What a lucky man I am to know so many lovely ladies!
I know some people who read this blog are literary-minded, so if you wish to get a free download of highlights from the current Guardian Hay Festival, lasting an hour, go to http://www.arts.guardian.co.uk/hayonsky before July 18. You can also catch a daily Haycast at http://www.guardian.co.uk/hay2007
I am rushing to go to see my good schoolfriend sing with her band now, along with another good friend who is also a poet (or should I say poetess?) It is at a place in North London called Monkey Chews! At least the music will be better than the name! I have volunteered to help with our choir's jumble sale on Saturday as Ania will be there and it will be fun to preside over the hordes of public (the great unwashed! Hehe). What a lucky man I am to know so many lovely ladies!
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
Day 41: The Power of Positive Thinking
Yesterday, my friend Ania - having already given me three wonderful presents last week - gave me another one: a beautiful dish with a picture of a fish on it. We met before choir as usual. Truly, I am blessed to have such a sweet soul as a friend.
Today, the news talked of the growing and very serious problem of the increasing numbers amongst the workforce (in this country; no doubt in the world too) suffering from mental health problems. The remedy is, of course, different in different cases, but I believe that we can all benefit by taking time out to replenish ourselves with positive thinking.
Norman Vincent Peale, in The Power of Positive Thinking, talks about the importance of being liked and of not isolating oneself, as an important way of providing a full and meaningful life. He goes on to list ways to get people to like you:
1. Learn to remember names. Inefficiency at this point may indicate that your interest is not sufficiently outgoing. A man's name is very important to him.
2. Be a comfortable person so there is no strain in being with you - be an old-shoe, old-hat kind of individual
3. Acquire the quality of relaxed easy-goingness so that things do not ruffle you.
4. Don't be egotistical. Guard against giving the impression that you know it all. Be natural and normally humble.
5. Cultivate the quality of being interesting so that people will want to be with you and get something of stimulating value from their association with you.
6. Study to get the 'scratchy' elements out of your personality, even those of which you may be unconscious.
7. Sincerely attempt to heal, on an honest Christian basis, every misunderstanding you have had or now have. Drain off your grievances.
8. Practise liking people until you learn to do so genuinely. Remember what Will Rogers said, "I never met a man I didn't like." Try to be that way.
9. Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulation upon anyone's achievement, or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment.
10. Get a deep spiritual experience so that you have something to give people that will help them to be stronger and meet life more effectively. Give strength to people and they will give affection to you.
Today, the news talked of the growing and very serious problem of the increasing numbers amongst the workforce (in this country; no doubt in the world too) suffering from mental health problems. The remedy is, of course, different in different cases, but I believe that we can all benefit by taking time out to replenish ourselves with positive thinking.
Norman Vincent Peale, in The Power of Positive Thinking, talks about the importance of being liked and of not isolating oneself, as an important way of providing a full and meaningful life. He goes on to list ways to get people to like you:
1. Learn to remember names. Inefficiency at this point may indicate that your interest is not sufficiently outgoing. A man's name is very important to him.
2. Be a comfortable person so there is no strain in being with you - be an old-shoe, old-hat kind of individual
3. Acquire the quality of relaxed easy-goingness so that things do not ruffle you.
4. Don't be egotistical. Guard against giving the impression that you know it all. Be natural and normally humble.
5. Cultivate the quality of being interesting so that people will want to be with you and get something of stimulating value from their association with you.
6. Study to get the 'scratchy' elements out of your personality, even those of which you may be unconscious.
7. Sincerely attempt to heal, on an honest Christian basis, every misunderstanding you have had or now have. Drain off your grievances.
8. Practise liking people until you learn to do so genuinely. Remember what Will Rogers said, "I never met a man I didn't like." Try to be that way.
9. Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulation upon anyone's achievement, or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment.
10. Get a deep spiritual experience so that you have something to give people that will help them to be stronger and meet life more effectively. Give strength to people and they will give affection to you.
Sunday, 3 June 2007
Day 38: Tractor Outlines and Big Inboxes
More tractor outlines today. I am trying to condense them to about half the size. As usual, I'm juggling a bunch of different things and must go back to my place now as tomorrow my friends return. It has been super peaceful here so writing and working on the computer has been smooth and easy. Not that it is not quiet where I live, it is just totally, library-quiet here. The sort of you-can-hear-a-pin-drop quiet that writers dream of. And the work continues always, pins dropping or not.
It is wonderful to have made new friends and contacts recently through this blog and I'm really grateful for the feedback that comes in. I have had several mentions on others' blogs and it is good to discover there is a community of bloggers, just as with writers and hypnotherapists. However, my reading plan has been put on the backburner for a while and yet I'm determined to meet my goal of a chapter a day, even if I have to read nine in one sitting later (which I will have to do! Or even ten).
I have another teleconference on Tuesday and choir on Monday so I need to do some preparing for those, too. Still, I've never been further away from bored in my life, that's the silver lining! And I haven't even checked my Orkut site messages. If anyone would like to have a website presence with a link to many millions of people, let me know and I can send you an invitation to Orkut. Although 80% or so of Brazilians have it, few in my country do; yet it's a fantastic way to make and stay in touch with friends with many thousands of professional and personal community groups within it. Needless to add, it's a valuable networking tool.
It is wonderful to have made new friends and contacts recently through this blog and I'm really grateful for the feedback that comes in. I have had several mentions on others' blogs and it is good to discover there is a community of bloggers, just as with writers and hypnotherapists. However, my reading plan has been put on the backburner for a while and yet I'm determined to meet my goal of a chapter a day, even if I have to read nine in one sitting later (which I will have to do! Or even ten).
I have another teleconference on Tuesday and choir on Monday so I need to do some preparing for those, too. Still, I've never been further away from bored in my life, that's the silver lining! And I haven't even checked my Orkut site messages. If anyone would like to have a website presence with a link to many millions of people, let me know and I can send you an invitation to Orkut. Although 80% or so of Brazilians have it, few in my country do; yet it's a fantastic way to make and stay in touch with friends with many thousands of professional and personal community groups within it. Needless to add, it's a valuable networking tool.
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
Day 33: Started writing articles
Last night I stayed up all night getting carried away with linking in my blog to the wider web community and found a great site that just now I spent forever trying to find you the address for! The internet is great but diversionary in the extreme! Anyway, it was something along the lines of blogging for dummies and had some very useful stuff for bloggers. I wrote an article for an online site and reviewed a bunch of stuff. Again, good to have done it, but it was time-consuming as I found myself reading messageboards and a lot of stuff that was captivating but not essential to read! My plan now is to see if I can get a regular contributor position on a magazine whilst continuing with the online reviewing and article-writing. As a result of all my work researching and writing on the net, my reading plan is delayed, so I hope to read solidly for four or five chapters today or tomorrow (from David Copperfield, Dickens's favourite child, you may remember) . My friend from choir is coming over soon so perhaps we'll watch a dvd or something. We had a day off last night so it will be good to catch up with her and gossip. I think I need a blog manager to do all the boring widget things for me and to fire this blog to the outer reaches of the known and unknown universe. However, just as writers don't usually relish having to do interviews and create a business-like media platform, when all they want to do is write, needs must! The sun has come out in London just now, after endless rain. Fabulous!
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