"The Art of Possibility" (Roz Stone Zander and Ben Zander)

There are some changes that I've made recently that are easier to deal with than others. Woke up at 06:30 today, after a lovely, long, dream-filled sleep, and, even though I didn't have any morning appointments and could've slept much later, I knew that I was awake for the day. Thought of going for a run, but heard some rain (about five drops!), so decided to stay in bed and journal. I've been journalling since 1977, and it's very much a part of who I am.

Did some 'processing' in my journal, working through issues of loss, change and new beginnings, then decided to browse through one of my favourite books, "The Art of Possibility", by psychologist Rosamund Stone Zander and her husband, Benjamin Zander (conductor of Boston Philharmonic Orchestra), for some inspiration for the day.

Found my bookmark at a chapter called "Being a contribution" and read just two pages, and on those pages alone, found a few gems that I'd like to quote today, for my own inspiration (and maybe yours, too?).

In this part of the book, Benjamin Zander goes to an Old Age Home to address a group of residents. At first, just one lady turns up and sits quite far from the front. He encourages her to sit further forward and she initially resists. They joke a bit, and he gets her attention by saying, "Who knows,..., if you change your seat, maybe something new will happen today." She replies good-naturedly, that at age 83 that's crazy, but does indeed move - ONE row forward!

I like the metaphor. Most of us want BIG change in our lives, but are scared of making big changes. I like the idea of making SMALL changes, and seeing how that feels, how life shifts, seeing what else arises, because, you know what: something always does!

There's an over-used saying: "You can't keep doing the same thing in the same way and expect a different outcome." It's become a cliche, but think about it! It's so true! In every part of my life, I could apply this - my adult relationships, my relationships with my children, my work environment, my management style, my friendships, my music, and of course my personal journey towards a healthier me, physically, spiritually, financially, etc. I could try changing just one thing, and anticipate a new outcome.

On that same page of the book, Ben Zander talks about his late father's decision to leave Germany for England, even though his mother and aunts decided to stay - a decision which cost them their lives in a concentration camp. His response, when asked why he isn't angry, is: "I discovered a person cannot live a full life under the shadow of bitterness."

Now that's a lesson to me. I've closed the chapter on something I invested myself in for almost a decade, and it would be so easy to wallow in bitterness, regret. But what am I moving towards? What do I want for my life? I'm moving towards a happier set of circumstances, with more clarity and purpose, more balance and reciprocity, less ambiguity, less wasting of precious time. With that in mind, I have to consciously shake off my tendency to wallow in self-pity, and MOVE ON! I don't want that baggage in my new life. Time is my best friend.

In conclusion, a final quotation from the book. In speaking about his dad's ability to endear people with his wise words, Ben recalls something his dad used to say, giving a refreshing spin on how to handle the storms of life, when they do come: "There's no such thing as bad weather,..., only inappropriate clothing."

(Can you see why I love this book? I plan to keep re-reading it for the rest of my life. It's helped me through some difficult times. I'm reading it for the 8th time, and it's always in my handbag - just in case I find myself in a queue!)
The picture I've just added was taken at Sao Paulo Airport, last year. My strong belief that ANYTHING is possible, saw me going to my dream country representing our school!