Flowers Opening
I got a little afraid of spreading my wings and venturing forth after my Detox regime this past spring. I think I was a wee bit overtaken by getting exactly what I had asked for. It was not what I was expecting and that was surprising. My mind was a bit sluggish after removing all kinds of sweets or brain food from my diet.
I set out to recapture and lay claim to my creative energies and I just needed some plain old fashioned inspiration to move me forward.
Several fellow bloggers sent me the link to a TED lecture by Dr. Robinson, and I got it in my newsletter group also. I usually follow the rule of 3, so when I found this book reported on Abundance-blog Marelisa- online I tracked down my own personal copy and began.
I do very much like books about how other folks have succeeded or found their right path. This book was a nice stepping stone pace from one persons discovery to the next and it is quite a serious look at the way schools are zapping out the creativity of the students. The basics in education do not offer enough exposure to the vast array of passions one might pursue in life and can often make individuals feel inadequate, mediocre and even a produce a sense of failure.
- The Element is the meeting point between natural aptitude and personal passion.
- The Element has two main features, and there are two conditions for being in it. The features are aptitude and passion. The conditions are attitude and opportunity. The sequence goes something like this: I get it; I love it; I want it; Where is it?
I have often heard the Element referred to as being in the zone. I was in one of my zones when I was officiating the last wedding and I often get in zone when I am writing. My good coach thinks I must also arrive there when I am cooking and I am often there when I am teaching on the college level – almost anything.
Two important ideas that were highlighted in this book for me were that sometimes finding your tribe or a mentor is the best way to discovering one’s passion. I think this is crucial for many children and I must not be alone in this thinking because there are certainly teachers who step out of the rank and file to assist a child in finding a niche or tribe and even that something special that makes everything come alive.
The second idea I resonated with is Robinson’s concept of the PRO-AM. This is a person who has a profession and celebrates the passion with an amateur status. They treat their passion with the same respect as their profession and probably work just as hard, they just choose not to make it their vocation.
All of the stories of the big name folks and even the plainer folks were great and one could identify with each situation. I think this book can spark one’s creativity and that it would be a good book for even young adult readers to assist them in making choices that become mentoring to their passions.
I thought I would share the link to the TED video because it can intrigue a spark too.
Do you think you know your Element? How did you get there, just by accident, via a mentor or were you driven there early in life? Did someone offer you guidance that helped you take off? How do you spark your creativity?
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