I’ve never really been able to describe what I do. I find myself naturally gliding through. Responding moment by moment to the environment. The energy. The questions.
I guess that generally does describe what I do. What I think is key to teaching and vital for learning. essential for leadership.
Deliberate yet emotionally responsive.
Ultimately thinking reflectively.
It’s hard to not get sucked into gimmicks. Buzz words. Fads.
Be reminded always of what works.
Why.
More.
Less.
Change.
Keep.
If there is one thing that has helped with all of this.
It’s been Art.
Again it’s hard to put into words the effect it has.
But it does have one. A huge one.
One that can only ever be explained qualitatively.
Again new territory for me coming from a subject that relies heavily on quantitive approaches.
So this stream of consciousness comes from time.
Time to take it all in.
Articulate it all.
I hope you all enjoy the journey to merging the worlds.
During our time at home my daughter and I started looking at words and considering their derivatives. Let me give you an example:
Rest – Restore
Resign- Resignation
Regulate – Regulation
While I’m sure when I return to work my English colleagues will assist in the term for this – it lead me to think about this pair.
Revolve – Revolution. It was also followed closely by the words “Sometimes the world doesn’t revolve entirely around you”
Interesting stuff?
Well it got me thinking about the way we see things impacting our lives. We all see through our own lenses.
He’s not interested in me because he’s ignoring me… well actually he’s worried about a lump that he found in his hand and is too scared to talk to anyone about it.
Why is she letting the kids just run wild over there? Doesn’t she know anyone else is around… er well she’s just found out that her husband has died and is trying to muster up the courage to talk to her children about it.
And then there’s the OMG he just cut me up on the roadDo they not know how to drive?… Well his son has just had an allergic reaction and has swollen up like a balloon and needs to get to A&E fast.
My point is we don’t know what is underneath the surface.
When we see with just our eyes we forget that there’s a whole load of other things going on with other people too.
The word revolve acts as a reminder to see thing differently.
Turning around. Making a shift.
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Wayne Dyer
Why did they say that to me…? becomes… what I wonder what they were thinking why they reacted like that.
We will never know the reasons so we have to act in good faith.
HOW CAN WE CHANGE THE WAY WE LOOK AT THINGS?
Pause.
Breathe.
Think.
Feel.
Respond.
As with anything. The best way to start is by working on ourselves.
It helps me to not get so hung up on the judgements.
Oh I made a mistake… so that must be bad.
Revolving.
Think about it. The Earth moves around the Sun. Slowly but surely. Different seasons. Different time zones are made. Night and day created.
Life is one cycle. Constant change.
In today’s work of art you will see me demonstrate that exact same thing
I make a mistake in creating it live. Well it’s not a mistake it just involves taking a moment to realign and see things differently. How can I best make use of this. How can I adapt it? Well you can see how I deal with it!
So this week you will need about 50 minutes of you time.
You will also need a pen or pencil, circular object and a plain piece of paper.
You can download your pattern sheet and template below
It’s the first thing I ask myself as I rouse in consciousness every morning as I get used to this new lock down lifestyle.
It’s definitely a strange time. As the schools broke up 4 weeks ago it’s been the first time in a long while that I’ve had the time to really sit and think about things.
Reliance has been on my mind this week.
Reliance – The unequivocal belief in someone or something.
At this time I have had to have self reliance.
What exactly am I capable?
What are my superpowers?
What is my true capacity for greatness?
How on earth am I going to get there?
Without the need for going out… shopping for no apparent reason… obliged to leave the house because the sun is out… inundated with a to do list as long as my arm… the expectation to meet family and friends….
Life has taken a different turn.
Acceptance has been the most important step in this. While self reliance has been at the forefront of the transformation. Acceptance and surrendering has been the path that has lead me to this place.
An entirely different perspective.
Putting faith in ME.
It’s like all the things I have been doing over the last few years has lead me to this point. It’s all been for now. Finally a time to use every tool I’ve been acquiring and put it into action.
Wake up – water & meditation
Move/ stretch- open up
Coffee & phone
Showered and dressed before 10am
Create something.
Feeling tired at 2pm -move again.
Communicate clearly.
8 hours of sleep.
Courage to learn/do something new.
Compassion – understand we’re all going through this.
So many opportunities. So many lessons.
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” ― Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays
Developing a mindfulness practice has been the greatest tool I could have ever accrued.
But as ever there is a need to challenge. Getting out of the comfort zone helps develop self Reliance. Knowing that you can cope with whatever appears in front of you will help strengthen this muscle.
So reliance is key.
Not just self reliance. But helping others to develop their reliance.
Their ability to, accept, surrender and then trust in themselves.
So today is all about the Mindful Art with Sy Stobart challenge.
Here’s how it works.
The courage to create 10 patterns from scratch. There’s no pre-made version of this – you’re watching me do this live.
You will need
-a piece of lined paper ( plain, squared or dotty is fine).
-A pen or a pencil
You can do this challenge alone. – find a quiet room. Play some lovely music. See if you can create 10 patterns.
You can follow along with me. Watch and press pause after every one.
You can watch for inspiration and then go it alone.
I’ve even created this PDF for you to print out and have next to you.
You can even use the print out to cut out and add to your journal, diary or take a picture and use them as a screen shot. Use them as a reminder of your self reliance.
As always I would love to see your recreations.
Comment below or post them on instagram, facebook or twitter using the hashtag #systobart
Thank you for your time.
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