One line adventures? No thanks

So today, making sure I did not retreat in the face of adversity (see yesterdays post), I worked for 8hrs clearing a garden and earned £80 cash in hand. It felt good to work hard and I felt good about myself when those crisp notes came my way. I had truly risen to the level of my self image! Not quite as high as Sir Fred Goodwin, or the other gurus in banking currently queueing up for another set of bonus bonanza, but hey there is time………….if I can only get the right coaching.

Okay you say. Enough knocking those hapless head hunters of Twitter. After all, the wonderful world of text, facebook and yes Twitter all demand that we deal in soundbites and one liners. I do as much as anyone. However life is surely far too complex for our journey of self expression to stop there. That would be a little like hopping on a  roller coaster and saying it was the best adventure of your life.

No no no. The very best adventures require process, reflection time and the willingness to actually go on a journey of self discovery and yes self disclosure. That’s where the various art forms come in, of which writing and story telling is just one. A medium where self expression can go beyond the one line, and actually begin to do justice to the incredibly complex, demanding and utterly amazing lives we all live.

Over these last 10 years of my life I have been on some incredible adventures. Some have taken me across the world as with friends we have walked together into the Middle East. Others have taken me, twice, to China to adopt our two gorgeous girls. Another journey was one of the soul, as several years ago I came out from under the clouds of what I now realise was depression. Now its this on line adventure in true life story telling. who knows where this might end up?

All have been completely awesome journeys. None of them could ever, in a million years, be communicated in one line.

So not registered on our web site? Why nor log in now and begin the journey of creative writing, and telling something of your story. Just click here and you create your own personal on line writing space. Many have already, so why not you?

Thanks for reading this far. Your story counts.

Its hot……..I’ m off for a beer.

A world built on one liners

Picked this up off Twitter just now. “Never retreat in the face of difficulties. Advance as conditions permit. If conditions do not permit, create those conditions.” Now this is from a guy who has a couple of thousand people following his tweets (Yep that’s what they are called in the world of Twitter ) What a load of bollocks.

“If conditions do not permit, create those conditions………….” Say that to some single Mum struggling,stressed out to the hilt with screaming kids, or one of those who last week were bombed by some hidden drone somewhere in the heart of Afghanistan.

Sometimes these so called  ”go getting” life coaches live in a make belief world where one feeds off the other. A circular world of crass one liners. Total garbage. If our starting point in any adventure is the place of make belief, then guess what is going to follow.

So I quote some other life coach that populates the world of social networking sites. “You only rise to the level of your own self image.” Yet more bollocks. Yep I know there is truth in it, but if your self image is made in the world of fantasy then guess where you rise to………….cuckoo land I suspect. Plenty of ego charged head cases, full of their own self importance, have done untold damage through the generations…………..just look at the mindless generals who sent countless millions to their death in the 1st World War.

True adventurers don’t need this mind numbing nonsense. Honesty, a willingness to heed the sign posts of life, the encouragement of trusted friends-those who hold our story, and an openness to being wrong…………….what adventures beckon when those ingredients come together.

Those are the type of journeys and adventures that draw me; born out of weakness, adversity, a desire to change, and the possibilities of life that cause us all to truly wonder. Now stories like that take more than one line, don’t they?

Home is where the heart is

It was said of the early Celtic wanderers who established the monastic communities of Lindisfarne and Iona, that they carried home in their hearts. They had discovered a secret to adventuring. Know the place of safety that you can retreat to when the need comes. For them that was an inner place of contentment; of being fully known. There they found shelter.

I have never been mountaineering in any real way, but I understand enough to know that establishing a base camp is key to the success of the expedition. It’s the place where strength can be found again and injuries attended to.

We don’t have to go climbing mountains to know that in life we all need those safe places and those safe people. Routine, conformity, familiarity is by no means all bad. It might not be where creativity flourishes, but it is where the weary adventurer, in love and life, can find fresh strength and the wounds of the heart can be treated.

I am no life coach. But I do understand that these rhythms of the soul need to be respected. Being able to live life from the depth rather than the surface sustains great adventures and incredible journeys. Lose that and we quickly come apart at the seams. Home is where the heart is. Important not to lose touch with that.

Creativity of conformity?

Sir Ken Robinson said this ”If you are not prepared to be wrong you will never come up with anything original.” Great quote! He then, with great humour, explores the notion that education today kills the natural creativity and fearlessness of childhood, for the sake of conformity.

Excellent video to watch if you have 20 minutes. Click here to see.

Interestingly he is from Stratford-Upon-Avon. What a heritage to have if you want to explore these ideas.

If we want to go on any adventure then we have to face the possibility that this step into the unknown could well go horribly wrong. That’s the nature of risk. No I don’t mean simply climbing Everest or hang gliding off some impossibly high precipice. Adventure can begin by choosing to smile at some one, starting a conversation, giving a gift, doing a favour, and yes, even writing a poem or a story.

A solid guy once said that it’s a good thing to “live a quiet life, work with your hands and mind your own business.” Great advice, and something I often return to………….Think it’s also good to step out into the unknown, stick your nose where it hasn’t been before, and get out of our comfort zones.

I like that too. So creativity or conformity?

btw A guy just bought 50 of our launch books off me. Said he so believes in what Stories from the Street is looking to do he wanted to sow some stories into the lives of his friends and colleagues……………..Interestingly he is also from Stratford Upon Avon. Think he must be flowing in the same heritage.

Adventure

Over the last few days our household has been getting excited at the thought of a return to China. There seemed to be a flow of circumstances that were orchestrating to bring forward the opportunity for my 7yr old to visit the place of her birth; a small rural hamlet tucked away in the vastness of China. Carefully saving child benefit monies these last years has given us a platform from which such an adventure could be considered.

The idea was to travel out to Hong Kong then spend three weeks making our way north, via both Shanghai and Beijing, ending up in the Anhui province. Easter 2010 was the date we were working towards………….until Swine Flu struck.

No we haven’t got it. However at this moment travel for foreigners, in parts of rural China, is restricted. With winter coming the scenario is predicted to get worse.

Big disappointment. Feel a little starved of adventure at the moment so to start shaping such a journey was completely exciting. Some can live without adventure. I am often amazed, and even a little jealous, of those who seem content in what would to me be the most tedious of situations. It would be so much easier to live that way I am sure, but not for me.

The right amount of contentment is good for the soul. Too much and it becomes dangerous.

That sounded like an ancient Chinese proverb! However adventure, risk, the draw of the unknown stimulates and poses good questions of us all. Take that away and our lives can become a shadow of what they should be.

So what makes for a  good adventure? May post on this over the next few days. Good subject I think.