Since stopping full time work in 2010, my local library has become my most reliable go-to source for this kind of stimulation. The women who work there are uniformly smart, interesting, and nuanced in their thinking. And, naturally, they're all readers. Consequently, it's common for me to leave that library juiced by a conversation and/or fired up to read a book one of them has recommended. A short list of the winners I've gotten from them over the past nine years includes Friday Night Lights ( H.G. Bissinger - 1990), Tortilla Curtain (TC Boyle - 1995), and The Wave (Susan Casey - 2010).
Most recently, the inspiring conversation I had with two of the librarians led me to this excellent NY Times article about the empowering effect of the word "no".
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/smarter-living/why-you-should-learn-to-say-no-more-often.html
That same conversation also left me buzzing with at least three ideas for near-future blog posts. My library is like a church for this bookworm.
Meanwhile, I'm scheduled to do one of my music classes (Did the Song Change the World or the World Change the Song?) at the library next Tuesday - May 21 - at 6:00 p.m. If you're local, why not stop by? There's no charge for the class and, added benefit - a conversation with any of my pastors will satisfy that craving for an intellectual jolt. Promise.
I enjoyed the article from the NY Times and the suggestion of using "I don't" is a tactic I will look to use in situations.
ReplyDeleteUse of specific words can be motivating sometimes as well. At Gabriele Fitness in Berkeley Heights the trainers urge you to use the word "yet" at the end of sentences when you feel you may not be able to achieve a goal.
I can't do 10 pull-ups versus I can't do 10 pull-ups YET!
Chris; Thanks for your comment. I've found the words I say to myself to be an effective way to mitigate negativity. Also, as you pointed out, changing our self-talk can help us all approach our goals more realistically.
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