4.2006 Studio News
Getting a Grip
-------------------------------------------------
Contents
4. Wrap-Up
------------------------------------------------------
April Studio
Ahh, Spring is here! And new life is unfolding with it. One sign: there’s an adorable baby donkey that mosies along with his parents on my morning running route on the North Shore Road. He’s got this soft, ruffled fur. Each time I see him, he’s walking better and looking more independent. His parents seem very proud. Another sign: in the past month, I’ve moved to the bottom floor of a fantastic house that I share with a great lady, her dog, and her cat. What a totally different experience it is to live here when you live somewhere you can feel like is your “home”. And with two pets to boot. I took the dog swimming in the ocean last Sunday; I’ve never done that before with my pets. It was awesome! Plus, having “lost” my Mac computer in the mail, my dear parents let me borrow enough to purchase a Mac laptop. It should (“should” being the keyword…) arrive by Fed-Ex tomorrow. Believe it or not, the OLD one showed up at the post office yesterday—three months later! Go figure! Ultimately, though, it’s ideal: with a PC at the office, a Mac desktop at the house, and a laptop for everywhere else, I’m set. I’ve been doing web work with a wonderful designer, Andy, as well as for the Simonsen’s, so I can honestly say I’m working and I’m busy and…I love it.
I talked with a childhood best friend, Simon Goetze, this past week for the first time in years. Catching up with an old school friend when you’re both now starting your careers is surreal and pretty darn cool. It was a good reminder, too, of how important it is to call up an old friend or take a moment to just talk to people. Which leads me to the inspiration for this month’s newsletter…
-----------------------------------------------------
Getting A Grip
As politics rumble, companies tumble, and technology expands, bills get higher, schedules get fuller and time goes faster. It’s too easy to get caught up in everyday life, feeling swamped with what’s due, where you need to be, who needs what…etc. Stress builds and tempers shorten. You realize—or worse, you don’t realize—that you’re spending most of your present life absorbed in the little things. You’re headed to the bank, 10 minutes before close, and you get cut off by some jerk with her phone stuck in her ear. You explode—how DARE she? What the he**!! You come home, can’t find anything appealing to eat, and grab some junk to suffice. You get a call that your appointment for tomorrow has been changed, and you get ticked off before worrying about how to fit it in at another time. You walk out to get your mail and step right in dog poo. Holy CRAP! You don’t deserve this!
Letting yourself spiral onward (or rather, downward) in this way without getting a grip will not only cause psychological, mental, spiritual, and physical harm—you’ll also become a real jerk to be around.
Growing up in a very rural community in West Virginia, I feel blessed to have an origin that emphasized slow paces, simple pleasures, and the gifts of nature. Traveling with my parents, I discovered St. John, an island with an off-beat, lackadaisical character and lots of National Park territory. In both of these places, one can learn a lot if she’s looking. Living where I do and having connected to some awesome individuals in my life thus far, there’s a few things I’m learning about priorities and stress management:
With tax deadlines approaching and things picking up as the winter wearing off, the opportunities for stress could increase this month…if you let them. But if you can stop, take a breath, and observe before getting too worked up, you could save yourself a lot of hassle. And maybe you could just say, “oh, whatever,” and know that it will work out somehow. Below are some tips I try to keep in mind when I need to get a grip:
Fight the Urge to Get Worked Up
--------------------------------------------------------------
April Links
One of my favorite magazines also has a resourceful website containing articles for organizing, simplifying, prioritizing, etc. I especially like this site because the tips are actually applicable to your daily life—it offers “real” solutions and ideas you can try at the moment.
This website is full of so much information, I’ve only brushed through parts of it. But it seems pretty neat, focusing on tips to simplify your schedule, your finances, your household, your relationships, etc. There’s many topics, so it may peak your interest as well:
Your Signature Path
Gaining New Perspectives On Life & Work
By Geoffrey M Bellman
An interesting book I came across online--I haven’t yet read but would like to. From Amazon.com, an editorial review:
Management consultant Geoffrey Bellman believes each of us is traveling a unique road that is fully navigable by our individual actions. In Your Signature Path: Gaining New Perspectives on Life and Work he presents a series of simple exercises intended to help us recognize the specific route we are taking as we move through our personal and professional circles--and alter its course if the direction does not truly match the one we want to follow.
To view it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576750043/sr=8-1/qid=1144338235/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-1551076-6518327?%5Fencoding=UTF8
-------------------------------------------------------
Wrap-Up
Be well.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, great! Please pass it along to others who might as well.
If you decide this is not your cup of tea, send a blank e-mail with UNSUBSCRIBE as the subject back to me.
If you have any comments, suggestions for future newsletters, questions, etc., please feel free to e-mail. Or, for further information about my design or illustration studio and services, please e-mail me or check out my websites.
art@asolaredesign.com
Asolare Design
http://www.asolaredesign.com
Chelsea Creates Illustration Studio
http://www.chelseacreates.com