A Man with a Plan!

This week I took my dad to his eye doctor.  After having his cataract lenses cleaned, his vision is much better.  

And, the exciting news is that while his right eye isn't great, he now has 20/40 vision in his left eye.  My dad was excited to hear this.

"Twenty-twenty?" he says to his eye doctor.

"No, twenty-forty," the eye doctor tells him.

"Twenty-twenty?" my dad says.

"Twenty-forty," the doctor says, 

"Twenty-twenty" my dad says, obviously very proud of himself.

The doctor shakes his head and retreats to this charts.

I do believe this is creative visualization in action.  My dad thinks that if you just say twenty-twenty enough times, by golly--your eyesight will be twenty-twenty!

The first thing he did when I took him home was to get into his tractor mower, rev up the motor and get going.  Gotta get to work!  Gotta clear out the "Back Forty!"  (Okay, in this instance, we're talking about the three quarter acre.)

And he actually did mow a good portion of the back lawn.  Don't forget he's 97.  

He's a man with a plan!

Once the back lawn is completely mowed, he's going to enter the local road race.  

Just kidding. 

And yet, I wouldn't past him.  

Some people call this willpower.  Or perhaps gumption.  Some might say it's wishful thinking, or even magical thinking.  

Whatever it is, I believe it's the thing that's keeping him alive and involved and active and full of vim and vigor, and plans.  Lots of plans!

My father isn't a writer or a painter or a sculptor or dancer or musician, but honestly, he's the most creative person I've ever met.  And he doesn't even know it.  

Here's what I've learned from him:

1.  Anything is possible.   

2.  Every moment of your day is an opportunity to create.  

3.  Be a little stubborn when it comes to your dreams.

5. Repeat and repeat and repeat.

Like this--"Twenty-twenty!  Twenty-twenty!  Twenty-twenty!"

And then, like magic, your eye sight is twenty-twenty.

(Just kidding.)

But, who knows--you might find yourself mowing the lawn.

And so, my friends--this is your creative assignment for the week--mow your lawn!  Okay, that's a metaphor.  Really, what I want you to do is practice a little magical thinking when it comes to your art.  This is especially true if you are just beginning a new project.  You must say believe it and visualize it all the way through to the end and then dive in.  Put some fuel in the tank, rev up the motor and go out and mow--or paint or write or dance or make music.  The time is now.  And your 97 year old self will thank you.  And as my dad always says, "have fun!"

Love, 

Jamie