Choosing Thanks!

A peer posted this link on facebook and I fell in love! I like it for several reasons: First of all, what a refreshing little concept! How would giving ourselves the challenge of writing a thank-you note daily focus our perception and alter our perspective on the world? What would we see differently and how would our attitude adjust to the change?

I think, sometimes, that most of mine would end up in the sarcasm realm, which isn't as pure or as helpful, but sometimes helps me dispel some gloom through mild, passive agressive humor.

For instance:

Dear Indellible Sharpie Stain:

Thanks for being the newest addition to my otherwise unflawed and awesome couch! It was so considerate of you to arrive right before I'm hosting a big baby shower! I love how you aren't at all shy and chose to place yourself conspicuosly right in the center of the middle cushion! No hiding in a descreet corner for you!

And you know what? Some other types of stains come and go but you? You're here to stay, and I guess that makes you reliable. Thanks new navy blue sharpie stain, for being you!

XOXO, Beth!

Secondly: I love the voice she writes in. With these very short and whimsical little notes she really painst a whole picture and I just love jumping into her world! I need to learn a thing or two about brevity and this might be the way to do it! My above example, for instance, was already longer than most of hers!

Third: Julia had the idea, and I agree, that this kind of endeavor could be useful in the classroom as an excercise, and maybe it would be for everyday life as well! This ties back into my first reason for loving it though: perspective. I'm enamored with the ide of re-focusing our habitual reactions to life. I did the same thing when I first got hooked on post secret. I spent alot of time imagining what my own post card secrets would be and looklike, and then also spent alot of time dreaming up what secrets OTHER people around me might send to Frank Warren, and then I endeavored to lesson plan around them and do creative writing involving them and so voila! Creative juices all aflow!

So THX THX THX to Leah and her infectious little thankyounotes!


Another re-focusing tool, another way to examine your habitual behavior, hold it up to the light and really see it for what it is, comes from that lovely luncheon with Julia and that is: CHOICE. After reading that book about choice, which I can't remember right now but promise to get the link soon, (lol, found it!) Julia decided to start a "Choice Journal" to force herself to examine how many choices she makes a day, big and small, what kind of choices, important or otherwise, and how much time she spends trying to make the choice, quick decision or agonizing process.

It was wild to see that when you actually write things down and give a name to what you're facing how clear the choice can seem.

For instance for me yesterday:

Continue to be bothered by\fight Carol's re-blocking of every-single-scene-i've-directed
-OR-
Let go of the turf-war and collect my pay at the end of the week.

Now that seems fairly obvious. But sometimes it isn't because another way to look at it is:

Allow Carol to confuse and frustrate the students with new blocking just three days before opening night
-OR-
Put myself between Carol's barking and the kids in order to help them get what they need to be ready for friday

Hmm right? It's so groovy how P.O.V. changes the story, changes the outcome, and changes how we feel about ourselves and others.

I'm not certain HELL WEEK is the week for me to start my own choice journal but holy moly do I intend on keeping a running mental list whenever possible.

Yesterday was very, very challenging and I had to make alot of tough choices, not the least of which was whether or not to get involved in a BIG meltdown at rehearsal. Between My very good friend and my boss\person who is answering all those calls from potential employers. YUP. And my friend was in the RIGHT, mostly, and the director was in the WRONG, mostly, but you all know life isn't black-and-white and boy those shades of grey were fucking awkward!

I CHOSE not to alienate either one, and managed to do so without feeling yucky (Being incredibly IRISH I usually can's be around an altercation without firmly and fervently aligning with one side and burning bridges entirely with the other). I stuck by my friend but I continued to work in a friendly and professional manner with my boss. Though it might have gotten dicey had my boss asked me outright which one was in the right, because, well, my boss wouldn't have liked the answer but there is no way I could have lied about it.

so THE SHOW MUST GO ON as they say in my line of work. And indeed it shall. Thanks, in no small part, to those of us who volunteer our time to come in and help it run smoothly. Boy am I glad I don't have to be in that office this morning.

Now for another choice:

do some dishes\do some cleaning since this place is a mess and it really needs help!
-OR-
do some writing since I missed my laptop and my characters soooooo much yesterday?

Sometimes the choice is clear but you just go the way you want to go anyway!