Liz Gilbert. The best advice in my life

I got it from a woman-artist is much older than me.

I was twenty-something, I complained to her that do not have time to be creative: I have three job life horror as difficult, I live with a bunch of neighbors, I have a lot to do, I want to write and that didn't distract me, but time is not always enough. She listened to me, paused and asked:

— What are you willing to give up to live the life which supposedly dream?

The key was the word "allegedly".





Everything inside me reacted. I am terribly offended. What do you mean "supposedly dream"? I? We all know that writing for me is the most important thing in life.

She said

— Why do you pretend that writing is the most important because in life if your whole life belongs to the other cases and purposes?

While I was taking breath, she again attacked:

— Let's say you have three jobs. What is your favorite TV show?"

— "The Sopranos".

— Today you're canceling your subscription to cable TV. It turns out, you have time to follow the life of the Sopranos, but don't have time to live yours?

I was silent.

— What kind of bar you go with friends? Forget his name. What's your favorite magazine? All, you any more do not read it.

I like her advice. They are not the illusion called "you can have anything you want." Can't. What you do every day is your life. If your dream has no place in your daily occurence, then there is something more important.

The only way to understand yourself is to stop deceiving ourselves. A day has twenty-four hours. What is important to me and what isn't? Just answer this question, we can save you time and effort to become someone. To become a.

 

BECOME A NOUN AND A VERB

 

In the book "Big magic," I write about what to protect their creative powers, you must first determine that relates to my creative intentions.

Recently I was invited to your podcast Brand FFPs (Mark Nepo). Mark is a poet. He said, "Be not a noun but a verb". I wish he told me this before I even wrote a book about creativity! I would include this quote in the book and told me that I think about it.

What I think of her? We usually define our creative intentions of a noun. I'm a writer. But more importantly to become a verb: I write. It means to focus less on themselves and more on their actions.

What your life force? It is infinitely valuable, a limited edition, the sacred human power. What you spend it today?

Don't be a writer. Write!
Don't be an artist. Create!


Probably, this contradicts the fact that I own hands wrote in the book "Big Magic". But mark is right: it's less about what you call yourself and what you are doing. Let the world call you as he pleases.

I'm not one dozen years of writing, has not yet allowed himself to be called a writer. I'm not one dozen of years called myself a writer before the rest started to call me the same.

I don't need anyone's permission to be a writer.
I chose a noun for things that waste your time.

 

THE SUCCESS OF THE BOOK "EAT, PRAY, LOVE"

 

To be honest, I have no idea what is the success of the book "Eat, pray, love".

I guess we'll never know. This is an obvious phenomenon on a macro level to figure out the rest of his nature (and to repeat the success without changing conditions).

I put in the work as much effort and passion as in the other books. They have such success was not. It's hard to say why.

Perhaps the secret formula for success does not exist. Only my version is the following: to share with other people freedom, it makes sense to describe your route to freedom.

I wasn't going to write a book that helps women. My goal was to help one confused woman: yourself. To understand themselves and find the way forward, I decided to write a book. I got the book, and help other women.

Probably, it is impossible to share the freedom, if you don't. My whole book is about why it was not, why it is needed and how I was able to find her.





HOW TO LEARN TO RISK?

 

I say that I dare a lot of things and inspire others. But I also ask the question: what about those who are afraid to risk? Not everyone can become a freelance journalist and travel the world. How to decide to take the risk?

I think sometimes the risk from indecision to risk is higher than from refusing to take risks. My friend Rob bell says: "there is No security there. We're all adults, so let's just say tomorrow is not guaranteed anyone."

To be human is extremely dangerous. Fly through the universe on the globe where with you anything can happen in every second. But it means to be human.

Sometimes it is impossible to risk, because it is not strength. But sometimes you have to take risks, although I did not intend.

But to abandon the risk — in itself a very big risk. It's a risk to live life in a state of defence, to seize every opportunity to see the world, meet unusual people. Life generally consists of only one risk. Nothing is predestined. Solid opportunities and risks.

Before you take a chance, I seriously ask myself: what else is there?
And if other options did not suit me, I risk.
Usually they are much LAMER than risky business.

 

IT IS TIME OF FREEDOM

 

The second of October I wrote on Facebook: "Tired to prove his goodness. It was time of freedom."

In my experience, women have a desire to be pleasant, good, comfortable. More precisely, we have the desire to prove that we are. First of all we prove ourselves.

And prove nothing.

Let's be honest, hardly anyone of us wants to openly harm or maim people. Except that a sociopath. But now we're not talking about him.

We are free to do what we want. What brings us freedom, joy, inspiration. Where there is no intention to cause harm. Of course, someone we probably will be stepping on the tail. And we will be. But we have no intention to harm.

No need to strive to be the best version of yourself.

Do not need to consider their decisions and actions under a microscope from twenty different points of view, figuring out, "well I did" and how it looked.

All the power saved can be spent on Hobbies: to admire, to create, to wonder, to get involved, to think, to grow, to rejoice.

Freedom to pay attention to what I can affect.
Freedom is today and for the next hour.


Freedom is the people with whom I want to be there.
Freedom is the thing through which I feel alive.


That is my freedom.

 

THE MEANING OF THE WORD "SELFISH"

 

Women who had the courage to spend time on yourself, sometimes called selfish.

In Mandarin (Mandarin) language, the word "selfish" has two meanings.

  • The first is to do what brings you profit.
  • Second, to be greedy and accumulate things.
 

In our Western understanding of the word "selfishness" is, unfortunately, unites these two quite different meanings.

Where did we get this crazy idea — carried away important to me, I hurt others?

Don't be afraid to do what is good to you. People don't become monsters, getting carried away is important, exciting, interesting things.

On the contrary. They have the strength and desire to benefit others. But only in that order.

 

SISYPHUS MUST BE IMAGINED HAPPY

 

Often come to me young writers. I suggest they ask themselves the question:

Would you write if nobody read it?

If the answer is positive, one will sense.
If not — they will find a lot of sorrows. If the value of only how to take the surrounding text, without sorrows will come.

Camus wrote: "Sisyphus must be imagined happy."

Any artist, writer, anyone who creates something — spends a lot of power to roll your stone up the hill. The next morning the stone again lies at the foot. It all starts again. Every day!

The question is not how to choose life without the stones and mountains — the question is, what kind of stone you like so that you accept it to roll up the hill. What stone is yours?

If you still have the whole day to roll a stone uphill, it makes sense to choose a stone more interesting.

Then I'd rather roll his stone up the hill, than to crack open a can of beer in front of the TV. So I have an interesting stone!

If you ask me to choose between day stalled writing and any other successful classes, I'll choose writing. Because I like my stone.

I ask young writers: and your stone interesting?

And if so — great. You can do it.

And if not — go somewhere else. Interesting.published

 

Author: Liz Gilbert

 

Also interesting: Liz Gilbert: the Case of life is what makes us alive

Liz Gilbert: We perfect in its imperfection

 



Source: anotherindianwinter.ru/post/153332700993/liz-advice-qa

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