Dare 2: dare you to learn something new every day

Watercolor, from The Dusty Caravan, inspired by Tom Waits
 

Okay, here's the speel from the second part of Kogan's book of dares for ecstatic living....Everytime you learn something, you rejuvenate yourself and add another dimension to your life. Don’t worry about how what you learn fits into your life; if something interests you, learn about it, invest some time in it, and color your life with what you learn from it. Learning is not just an occasional activity but a way of life, an attitude that keeps our eyes, ears, brains, and heart open to as many new experiences and ideas as possible.  Here are some of Kogan’s suggestions (am sure you can add plenty to the list).

• Read one magazine or newspaper article every day from sections that you usually skip.
• Sign up for a daily learning email. For example, check out www.wordsmith.org, where you can sign up to get a daily email with a new word and its definition.
• Take a different way home and check out new and unfamiliar places along the way.
• Whip up a recipe you've never tried to cook before.
• Learn a skill you've always wished you had...plenty of suggestions here!

Now the pics with this post give a clue to what I'm trying to learn...yes the guitar...nothing fancy, just the basic chords.  I think tho that I have a mental block about 'practise' that goes back to piano lessons in childhood. The guitar sits on a chair and seems to taunt me as I walk past 'practise! practise! you'll never learn unless you practise for at least an hour every day' and of course that all seems too hard so I don't do it.  So, here I am after two weeks and I can only play two chords if I'm looking at the instruction sheet. Never mind, suppose as long as I keep at it, by the end of the year I'll have to have progressed won't I?

1. bruce gray1 2. nataliya platova 3. nora karen 4. hesslerk

Dare 1: dare you to do something fun every day

 

Sometimes I’m completely devoid of inspiration for blog posts; so I put them off and off. Well I picked up a fun book at the library by Natasha Kogan titled ‘The Daring Female’s Guide to Ecstatic Living’ and thought ‘if I’m enjoying these ‘dares’, maybe blog readers will too’. Today’s post starts a series of these dares. Let me know what you think and whether or not you’ve taken any of them up.  Of course they don’t only apply to females…there’s no reason why guys wouldn’t find them useful as well.

 

The first dare -

Dare 1: Dare to find what makes you ecstatic, and do it for at least ten minutes a day

It doesn’t matter what you choose to do with your ecstatic moments, as long as it’s something you absolutely love and enjoy.  Here are some of Kogan’s suggestions (am sure you can add plenty to the list).

• Read your favourite book
• Sing along to your favourite music
• Take a bubble bath
• Sip a perfect latte
• Watch part of your all-time favourite movie.
• Play silly with your children/grandchildren/friends children
• Cook your favourite recipe
• Meditate
• Spend time with someone you love
• Call your best friend
• Stand on your head
• Practice your piano/guitar/violin
• Dance around your house

She adds plenty of other ideas but you get the drift. It’s so personal isn’t it. Reading this chapter reinforces for me how lucky I am – I confess that I do a number of nice things most days. I even have an 'emergency list' of things to do if I'm feeling low. These include sitting out in the garden, just sitting and observing, listing; ringing particular friends; going to the library; doing arty stuff; meditating. How about you?

Apparently the Pantone Color of the Year is Emerald so I've gathered a few interestingitems in this color (or close) for you to check out above. Go visit the stores for more inspiration 1. bowling ball fountain from Bee Jay Kay 2. RW2 Gallery (it's a shower curtain!) 3.  Merle Pace Arts photomontage 4.mask ceramic wall hanging by  Double Fox Studio