Volume X, Issue 25
December 1, 2021
Word of the Week: failure
Dear ,
Happy December! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. Richard and I hosted most of our family, which this year came to fourteen people. It was sheer joy to stop, every so often, close my eyes, and just listen to the voices of these people I love, together in community for the first time in two years.
My failure? I didn't snap a single photo, I was so engrossed in the moment the entire time. Ah well. As Benjamin Zander would say, How fascinating! (A taste of this week's featured writing.)
Or as Jacob A. Riis has said, "Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they're really not. They're companions—the hero and the sidekick." (I loved coming across this one in my TAG, I'M
IT! journal recently.)
Or as Thomas Edison famously said, in response to a question about his "missteps," "I have not failed 10,000 times I've successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work." (Smithsonian Magazine)
How well it serves us as human beings, as well as writers, to develop a curious, playful, self-affirming, adventurous relationship with failure and mistakes. Are you in? Scroll on down for some inspiring words from The Art of
Possibility, and this week's prompt.
Love and light,
Maureen
THE TAG, I'M IT! 65th Birthday Celebration Sale
ENDS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5TH!
I'm extending my birthday discount on the year-long TAG, I'M IT! (on sale for $16.65) AND three-month TAG, I'M IT! (on sale for $6.50) for just a few more days, through December 5th, just because I don't want you, or any friends and family you'd like to gift a copy, too, to miss out. I know this practice is not for everyone, but I can attest—after recording the best of each day, and my true best intentions for the next, for two full months straight now (full disclosure: there were times I did more than one day at a time, to catch up)—that it has really made a difference
in the quality of my life. Don't believe me, though. I am the author, after all. You can click on the links and read what others have said in their reviews.
Both the year-long TAG, I'M IT! and the three-month TAG, I'M IT! offer—in no
more than five to fifteen minutes—a simple way to recap and celebrate the very best of each day of your life. The practice of writing out your “T’s” (things you’re thankful for), “A’s” (actions you can acknowledge yourself for), and “G’s” (gifts you’re grateful for) is a transformative one, especially combined with the final step, I’M IT!, in which you intentionally choose three do-able, most-important-to-you actions you’ll take the next day.
The TAG, I'M IT! journal grounds you in two important habits: keeping your focus on appreciating and celebrating the good in your life and intentionally accomplishing what matters most to you. You’ll also create a record of your most meaningful, happiest events and experiences.
Start your journal—or restart, if needed—whenever you like. (Though a new year, or a birthday, is a perfect time.)
An introduction with tips and ideas will help you make this practice your own. Soon, you’ll notice that you’re living your days with more joy, presence, purpose, and intention.
--------------------------------------------------------
How Do I Say Goodbye? and Praying You Goodbye
I created the process shared in these two books in June of 2002, shortly after my mother died, as a way to mindfully mourn this loss—and celebrate her life. I shared it with a beloved friend, the Reverend Rebecca Taylor, when she lost her father, and she encouraged me to make it available to others. Here it is, in two versions, both of which
offer quotes, reflections, prompts, and space to write about your loved one, as well as beautiful photographs by Wendy H. Gill that enhance each part of the process. Either version makes a thoughtful condolence gift for a friend or family member.
How Do I Say Goodbye? is for those of any faith, with quotes from many different sources to accompany the process. It can be purchased on Amazon here.
Praying You Goodbye is specifically for Christians, with accompanying quotes from Scripture chosen by Reverend Rebecca Taylor. It can be purchased on Amazon here.
More WordPlay opportunities here.
WordPlay Featured
Writing
an excerpt from
by
Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
Here is page 31 of a book I return to again and again for its wise stories. Though Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, is speaking of young musicians here, these words
apply to writers of all ages, too.
The risk the music [and writing, and life itself] invites us to take becomes a joyous adventure only when we stretch beyond our known capacities, while gladly affirming that we may fail. And if we make a mistake, we can mentally raise our arms and say, “How fascinating!” and reroute our attention to the higher purpose at hand. (page 103)
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt
This is WordPlay—so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's "failure."
PRACTICE:
HOW FASCINATING! Embrace mistakes as growth opportunities. Whenever you make a mistake (or fail), lift your arms straight up in the air, smile, and say “How fascinating!” As yourself, “How am I ‘stretching beyond my known capacities’?” And “What is ‘the higher purpose at hand’?” Then, “reroute [y]our attention” to that higher purpose.
PROMPT:
Write about a failure or mistake that taught you or a character an important lesson, enlarged your capacity, and/or led to a greater result. This could be a performance, a product (like a book or a specific piece of writing), a deepened relationship—anything meaningful to you or your character.
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into
Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn—and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours!
|
|
|
|
