Monthly Archive for June, 2009

Virtual Pets

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on June 2, 2009
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It was the strangest thing.  A couple weeks ago, I  had a sudden hankering to have a pet on a key chain.

These were a small fad somewhere in the 90’s.  I had a fish.  He wasn’t all that lovable.  As long as I checked in on him, and fed him every day, he would swim back and forth and goggle his eyes at me.  Eventually, of course, I missed a day and he died.

That was it - end of pet fish, device made useless, one hundred percent loss for a single day’s inattention.

Most of my life is more forgiving.  In fact, I’ve made adjustments so that there is very little I have to do every day.

Try this little experiment.  Read the first of the statements below, and then check how it feels for you.  Then move on to the second statement, and check it.  Take your time experiencing the whole list.

I have to feed my virtual fish every day.
I want to feed my virtual fish every day.
I choose to feed my virtual fish every day.
I commit to feeding my virtual fish every day.
I feed my virtual fish every day.

For me, there are varying emotional responses to the first four, and the last one is neutral.  What did you find?

It’s worth trying this again with an action that you would like to have in your life.  For example, suppose you want to write.  Then the list would be:

I have to write every day.
I want to write every day.
I choose to write every day.
I commit to writing every day.
I write every day.

What is your list?  How did you respond to it?  I’d be glad to hear your comments - email them to me at anna@annaparadox.com.

As for my sudden desire for a virtual pet - I think it was a message that a little more daily care would do me good.  Even though I don’t have to do them, I continue to build daily practices that support me.

And in the meanwhile, I have been treating the Zen Garden in Plants vs. Zombies like a virtual pet.

Small Steps

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on June 2, 2009
in Small Steps
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“That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Neil Armstrong, as he placed the first footprint on the Moon.

This issue’s Small Step for Space:  Go look at the stars.

Summer is coming again.  Take advantage of the warmer nights to look up and recapture the wonder of the sky.

Writing Tip

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on June 2, 2009
in Writing Tips
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Most of my coaching practice now focuses on writers.  So, to help my readers who write, I am adding a writing tip to this newsletter.

Here’s the first tip:  When working on a multi-session writing project, try ending each session in the middle of a sentence.  This will usually make it easy to start again when you return.

Book Recommendation

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on June 2, 2009
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Tales of the Dying Earth by Jack Vance

Have you read this yet?  This is perfect summer reading.  A thick volume of beguiling tales — despite the setting at the declining future of our planet, the follies of the characters and the playfulness of the language make this a light and entertaining companion for travel or long evenings at home.  The character Cugel is a classic, and probably the archetype of the protagonist rogue — not as clever as he thinks himself, and almost without scruples, he still manages to work his way around villains more mean than himself.  Jack Vance creates a world more startling than many visions of the future by extrapolating not only our best impulses but also our eccentricities.  I highly recommend exploring this and his other books.