Try: Telling Yourself a Pump-Up Story (with Soundtrack)

When I truly need mojo...I put on the Rocky 4 soundtrack. According to a highly unscientific poll I conducted (with friends and acquaintances born in the 70s), this Cold War Rocky made a strong impression on many people who continue even to the present day to dip into "Hearts on Fire" or "Burning Heart" as needed.

Rocky 4 was not high on subtlety.

Listening to Eye of the Tiger -- which was originally released in Rocky 3 and then "recycled" in Rocky 4, Wikipedia notes -- doesn't only make fans like me recall a heated Man vs Machine showdown, or an unparalleled training montage (and yes, you should watch all 7 minutes of this video):

It also harkens back to the story of a young and poor Sylvester Stallone trying to sell his script. A born underdog with a paralyzed face, Stallone managed to sell the script and himself to the studio.

(The backstory is up for debate. This 1979 New York Times profile tells one story. Snopes suggests there's another.)

I use the young Stallone chutzpah as a lever to help myself out of rejections and failures. I slap an abbreviated Rocky 4 onto Spotify -- there really are only 5 songs worth listening to -- and imagine myself running through the snows of Siberia. Yeah, I can face the job search again. If Rocky can chop massive firewood with a beard, I can do this.

Feel free to use Rocky as needed, or think back to a story that pushes you back into mojo. Preferably it includes music too. Then watch your fortunes turn around.

If this experiment works for you, hit the heart (no login required) to let others know they should give it a try! 

Try to: Stop Using Certain Phrases

It can take years to figure out the simplest things. It took me years to realize that there are certain sentence beginnings I’m simply not allowed to finish. It took me a long time to realize that those phrases are not good for my mental health.

When I was first figuring out this technique for myself, I would ask myself, “What sentences should I stop saying?”

Here’s an example. I used to use the phrase “If only…” all the time. Then I realized it was a toxic phrase for me.

If a sentence starts “If only…” I’m not allowed to finish it. It's simple.

Give it a try yourself. Think about which sentences lead you into unhealthy thinking, and make a simple rule for yourself that you will not use those words together. I know it sounds kind of silly but it actually works. I find myself often saying, “Oh, I can’t start a sentence that way.” It works!

Let us know if experiment worked for you by hitting the heart so others know they should give it a try!

Try: Changing Your Body Temperature

Henri Matisse, Seated Woman, Back Turned to the Open Window, 1922.

I've found that when I'm stuck in cyclical thinking, or just feeling stuck changing my body temperature actually makes a difference. A hot bath is one way to go, but lately I've been finding a cool breeze is often what I need most.

Try removing a layer of clothing or opening a window when you're stuck in your thoughts. It’s simple, but it actually helps bring you back into the moment. The goal is getting grounded. Changing your body temperature helps.

If this experiment works for you, hit the heart (no login required) to let others know they should give it a try!

Try: Using the Phrase "Don't Compare"

Since you're a human being and you're alive in 2017, I'm guessing you're aware of the "comparing yourself" problem. You know, the situation where a person wastes time worrying that their neighbor/friend/coworker has a better life / things more figured out / a better job than they do?

It's a cancerous thought problem, and this experiment is meant to tackle it head-on.

You're hearing this from the frontlines: it's possible to dent the "comparing" problem.

Change the habit.

I've lessened the amount that I compare myself to others in the past three years by building on my mental habit. At first it took brute force. Over time it has gotten easier and more natural. Here's how it works: If I feel my mind start to bend toward comparison, I literally say the following two words to myself,

DON'T COMPARE.

 I then think about how I couldn’t live like others even if I wanted to.

Keep it simple, build the muscle.

It can be very hard to put theoreticals into action. That's why this experiment really is just about saying these words aloud to yourself:

“Don’t compare.” “Don’t compare.”

I hope this experiment works for you! Sending you good, non-comparison thoughts.

If this experiment works for you, hit the heart (no login required) to let others know they should give it a try!

The Designer Who Traded His Camera Phone for a Pad of Paper

Shridhar Reddy Wanted To See More Clearly.

From a John Muir Laws tutorial.

Shridhar Reddy was a colleague of mine. We always had great conversations at lunch. Afterward, I’d often find a mysterious book on my desk on a wide array of topics — from Winnebagos to UX design to nature journaling.

Shridhar mentioned he had stopped taking photos and started drawing on his daily runs. I wanted to know more. The shift felt like it could help others. It signaled creative regeneration. I asked if I could interview him on the topic, and he generously agreed not only to answer my questions, but to share his illustrations as well.

Me: You’re a designer and you’re married to a designer, so it might follow that you’ve always been interested in illustration. Is that true?

Shridhar: Yes. I actually was very attracted to my then-girlfriend because she was such a good illustrator. Growing up in India art, illustration and design were far in the periphery of approved educational pursuits. It was neither encouraged or even known as a hobby then.

Our Bay, illustrated by Shridhar Reddy.

When I graduated from design school in rather late in life, I had this gnawing complex that I couldn’t really be a good designer because I couldn’t draw and sketch like I saw some of my American class-mates do. Worse, thanks to a rather fatalistic attitude inherited from my culture, I also was convinced that I wasn’t quite “born” with that talent, therefore there seemed no point in learning how to draw. It took about a decade of living in America, before I finally realized that any limitation of skill was completely in my head.

Harbin Hot Springs. Illustration by Shridhar Reddy

Therefore, when I walked in to Argo cafe in Chicago on a first date to to meet a girl who is now my wife, I was absolutely struck to find her at a table doodling away in a little black moleskine. She showed me the sketches, and I saw a sunny little glimpse of our future. Surely, she could teach me to draw?

Me: Are you good at drawing? Be impartial. Most people think they’re terrible at it, but most people aren’t designers.

The Memory of Trees. Illustrated by Shridhar Reddy.

Shridhar: Honestly, I think I am mediocre, with a good chance at getting better. It is merely a matter of practice based on good inspiration and some tutelage.

If there is one fact about drawing that I would want anyone to know — it is that we are all equally good at drawing. It is our formal education system and our circle of friends/teachers/coworkers who ultimately might be the biggest inhibitors of our drawing. It has been lamented over and over that all kids are equally good at it until their middle school years and those that got good at it were those that continued drawing through their high school years in an unstructured way. The rest — just quit.

Me: How did you first come across the idea of nature illustration?

Shridhar: Landscape photography was my first introduction to the visual arts. It was a perfect complement to my motorcycle travels and i ventured forth with a camera tucked into my motorcycle luggage into many exotic landscapes that beckoned. However, photography is also equipment intensive, with a never-ending wish list of gear and gadgets. Over time, I noticed myself shooting too many photographs, too quickly, in too little time. I was not really absorbing the scene around me, just hoping for a few keepers, a time-stamp rather than a moment. It was the equivalent of fast-food.

It was after giving up on photography for a few years that I noticed an urge to get back into nature, but with the intent of simply recording it into my memory, and not the camera’s. I was delighted that by doing a quick water color sketch of a scene I was completely free from many of the rules of photography (light, color, composition). Here was a way to invent my own landscape, and yet never forget the landscape that I was in at that moment.

Me: You told me a little about John Muir Laws, whose gif I’ve put at the top of this piece. What is special about him?

Shridhar: John Muir Laws (may his tribe increase) is a rare individual in this day and age — his entire life’s mission is to spread the skill of nature journaling as a way to celebrate and preserve nature. He is a born teacher — no skill is too small for him to explain, and no subject is too difficult for him to deconstruct. Like a magician explaining his wizardry, he breaks down sketching into small, finite, easily learned and practiced skills. And of course, all of his teaching is free for anyone who comes to his lectures and nature walks.

From John Muir Laws’ incredible website.

Me: How does drawing differ from photography (apart from the obvious)?

Shridhar: Both are art forms, but for me, the differences that matter are:

1. Temporal: A photograph takes less than a second to take. A sketch takes a minimum of 20–30 minutes. When you spend that much time with a single subject, you are guaranteed to never forget it ever. To this day, I walk around the park in my neighborhood and greet some trees like old friends because I sketched them.

“When you spend that much time with a single subject, you are guaranteed to never forget it ever.”

2. Word and image: Photographs force words out of the image. At best, words survive as a caption and a line of description beneath. But with sketching, text is easily an integral part of the picture. I freely scribble my thoughts. They are a living part of my design. Sometimes as a scrawled texture, other times as a bold statement or quotation — therefore, a living journal of what i see and what i feel.

“[Thoughts] are a living part of my design.”

Me: Do you think this is something you’ll be able to continue and if so, what do you think will keep you going with it? What brings you back to nature illustration?

Shridhar: I definitely hope to continue this new found skill. As with many skills, it is essential to find the right sources of inspiration, the right venue to share it with and the right teacher/people to keep the inspiration loop tight.

Nature illustration is only a form of sketching. It could be any kind of sketching that i will be doing. A project that I am currently working on is to sketch all of my son’s favorite toys. Another project is to draw all the trees in McLaren park that grab my attention everyday. Yet another project is the idea of the 10 minute landscape painting on small sizes. There is no end to how many reasons there are to pull out the paper and pencil.

“Flowers that I’d bought for Jess 10 days ago.”

Me: Last question. Do you think I should try it? Seriously, my drawing skills are jokily bad. Like worse than my daughter at age 3 bad. What could I get out of it?

Shridhar: You practice meditation, right? Then you are ready to start drawing. It is by far the easiest and most rewarding form of meditation. The parallels between the two practices are striking — an intimate space, a mind focused intently for 20–25 minutes, the body relaxed and aware and at peace. The only difference is that at the end of a sketching session, you have a visual record of your practice on paper. Imagine flipping that journal and re-living each meditation?!

From Danny Gregory’s published art journal.

I highly recommend any of Danny Gregory’s books on drawing. He doesn’t teach drawing, but convinces you to try it. I leave it to him to convince you that the last thing you need to think of is how your drawing looks. What matters is that you felt compelled enough to mark paper with pen. Do it for a few minutes daily, and you have a practice, and not too much time later, you will surprise yourself that you actually happen to like what you sketched. And oddly enough, it doesn’t matter then either.

Me: I am inspired by you and this practice. Thank you for sharing it with me and others, Shridhar!

Try to: Say 100 Things You Are Grateful For

This comes from the ancient Jewish practice of Mussar, the study of character-building. I first learned about Mussar from Tiffany Schlain (Webby Award founder) when I saw a film she created as part of a 2014 project she entitled Character Day.

The Making of a Mensch from The Moxie Institute. The 100 Blessings concept starts at 4:53.

The idea is very simple. From the film's transcript:

For example, say you want to increase your sense of gratitude, which there's so much research today saying that if you feel more grateful you're gonna be healthier you're gonna have more mental strength and you're gonna sleep better.

There's a practice on gratitude based on the Jewish tradition of a hundred blessings a day. My good friend Armas first taught me about it. Every day you say say a hundred blessings. Everything from waking up first thing in the morning to the big moments to the little moments. Even when you go to the bathroom (that's the Jewish way).

100 blessings every day. Do I say them? I try.

At the end of the day as you're going to sleep instead of looking at your screen close your eyes and think about all those moments all those things are grateful for.

I love the image they chose to represent the imagining of the Day's gratitudes at sleep.

If this experiment works for you, hit the heart (no login required) to let others know they should give it a try!

Try: Mixing A Nature Soundtrack

Shack rain, calm fire, and beach rushing water, though unlikely, could be your actual soundtrack.

I like Moodil because you can wait for the bad weather in your head to pass by creating your own mood-perfect nature soundtrack.

I tend to like the meadow nighttime sounds (as shown by the moon and stars) along with a calm fire and thunderstorm. But who cares what I like? Experiment your way into a relaxed background while cooking, working, or falling asleep.

I use the desktop version but Moodil is an app, so it's meant to be used on phones.

If this experiment works for you, hit the heart (no login required) to let others know they should give it a try!

Guide to the Language of Beautiful Voyager

Think of this as a wiki.

Some of these terms came from Meredith (founder of BV), some from articles or tv shows, and many from the BV Slack group. Understanding the lingo helps understand the concepts, so that's why we're creating one place to be able to refer to it all.

Beautiful Voyager = Anyone who joins Bevoya.com in any way. It could be by putting a lighthouse on the map, joining our Slack group, or just checking in regularly. 

Overthinker = You think deeply about the world. A responsible researcher, you're seek answers. You've been told you "think too much." You're sensitive and empathic. Physical pain is a sign that thinking has become overthinking. 

Vulnerability Hangover = The rush of regret you feel after sharing your weakness with others or the lingering awkwardness you feel after trying something new that revealed a hidden or surprising weakness.

Wondy-win = The daily wins that make us stronger. Wondy is short for wonderful.

Mapagize = When two people apologize at the same time because they are people pleasers.

Pickle = BV code word for something we don't like. Usage - "That comment is a real PICKLE." Useful as replacement to swearing.

Dead Sea Scroll (DSS) = the phenomenon when you spend hours upon hours, scrolling through social media. Social media is the dead sea. And scrolling is the scroll.

Wave the Flag! = BV slogan for when you need to talk or let something off your chest. Usually, people come onto Slack and shoot a flag emoji. Then, the community comes together!

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) =  An umbrella term used by the mental health industry for a host of underlying anxieties. If you have GAD, you might be a perfectionist who is concerned about details and wants to please others. 

The Wave =  A concept Meredith uses to describe the physiological experience of anxiety. Riding the wave is key to feeling better.

Special thank you to wordsmith Mina Demian. 

If you'd like to edit the wiki, let me know and I'll give you a login.