September 7, 2010

liberation

some of you may read ann marie... some may not.  she's one of my daily reads but her post today hit me right between the eyes.  you know of my love of lists.  one of the tasks she completed this weekend in organizing her life was a "liberating list."  this list consisted of things she decided that she did not need to clutter her life.  KER-POW!!  bulleye right?

what could you release right now - what has weighed you down with false guilt, false pressure and other myriad (have you noticed that is a favorite word for me?) things that we put upon ourselves.  let's do it right now - hit me with it.  what will you give up that will "liberate" you today? 

me? you will notice that most of mine deal with larger things rather that small...but it's a good start.
  • the presure that i've put on myself about my photography - seriously - i think that is part of why i haven't shot a lot lately is because i have put serious parameters on myself about not repeating the same old themes, copying other ideas, or coming up with completely new ideas.
  • false guilt about so many things that were beyond my control.  for example - still, after all of these years i've carried the guilt of living away while my parents were sick.  i know i've talked about it before - and intellectually i know that both parents understood my job and the whatevers ... but .... but... (and i know there is nothing that would have changed anything if i did live here during that time.)
  • the pressure to be crafty-er ... and all the things that i want to do ... i just don't always have the time to do.  i will no longer buy craft projects that remain half-done and resolve to finish projects, no matter how long they take, i will not buy new craft stuff.  this applies to the stockings i didn't finish last year and the new journals i want to make.  (this one will be hard)
  • i will remind myself that i am human and that i make mistakes.  not to use this as an excuse but to use this as a reminder when i put too much pressure - so much pressure that i become paralyzed into wrong decisions, no decisions or sloppy decisions. 
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today on my ipod - sleeping to dream (jason mraz), hideaway (the weepies), sweet caroline (neil diamond), hard to handle (the black crows), only the young (journey), you get what you give (the new radicals), lie to me (jonny lang), blue car (greg brown), through the floor (edwin mccain), fire and rain (james taylor)

23 comments:

  1. i love what you wrote...and the sharing of your feelings.
    and i can relate...

    so to you, i give a hug....and a nod and a wow, we are so hard on ourselves. women just come by this naturally. damnit.

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  2. FABULOUS post!
    Oh, I was SO mad at BLOGGER last night as I had written you a lengthy comment...pressed Post Comment...and it scrubbed it...
    Yeah, it was close to midnight here...
    Anyway, you are my daily read, and many of your comments and lists are SO inspiring.
    ANOTHER HUGE hug to you!
    Char.x

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  3. Fabulous post! I'm with you on the first one! I've not been photographing "for pleasure" as much. I've gotten frsutrated by the "cliqueyness" of flickr & other places & feeling like I don't measure up. I need to let go of that. I photograph because it is who & what i am - & for my pleasure & because god gifted me with a certain "eye'. Go girl!

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  4. Thank you for the great comment on my post today. I really appreciate your words. I'm going do even more thinking about my goals and make sure my choices for the coming year(s) are balanced and healthy for my life.

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  5. oh dear. this could not have come at a better time. i need to let go of so many things, and to stop feeling guilty about others. it is such a balancing act between guilt/motivation/productivity/happiness. it is a struggle sometimes!

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  6. Char...beautiful words that touch my soul...
    yes...we need to let go...and be...
    you are wonderful~

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  7. I think I'll take your lead. No more pressure about pleasing everyone. Photography worries. Limitless limitations in a life that should be enjoyed.
    Brenda

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  8. a very inspirational thought -- ty:)

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  9. What I need to let go of is trying to rescue my youngest son. Part of me doesn't want to let go of this, but it's weighing me down. Down down down. And the only thing that he's taking from it all is the fact that his parents will rescue him.

    I guess I wanted my parents to rescue me. And they really didn't.

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  10. It's always wonderful when you share your life changing ideas and plans. They are inspiring and I feel them with my heart. You are talented, and wise, and an amazing photographer.
    I am lucky to call someone with your talents and warm heart friend.

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  11. I can share this list with you, I feel exactly the same. Great post Char

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  12. Great post Char, I agree with Beth, we can all be so hard on ourselves. nice list, I have to think about mine, be well. love your photography.

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  13. Hi Char! Love this blog post and I love the new look of the blog. It's been too long since I've visited you and I think the place looks beautiful :) This post gives me a lot to think about too. When I figure out my list, I'll let you know.

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  14. I can relate to some of these same pressures...those chains that hold us down and those things we cannot give up, only to give-in to the guilt of it all...
    Thought Provoking...

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  15. Amen, sistah! I try entirely too hard to recreate someone else's style of photography, instead of listening to my own voice...

    and I'm also letting go of my feeling of being not thin enough, not pretty enough, not stylish enough, not young enough... whew! That's going to be a tough one... :)

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  16. ...Your post has certainly gotten me thinking Char...there are so many things I need to let go of too...from trying to be the "Martha Stewart" of cooking, housekeeping, and entertaining...to trying to be the ideal grandparent...to wanting to have a blog that is interesting

    ...we really are too hard on ourselves....

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  17. It's really all about being yourself, authentically, authoritatively. Isn't it? Thanks for this reminder.

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  18. This is very powerful...and one of the best ideas for a list I have ever seen! It goes against almost every other kind of list I can think of. Instead of have-to's, it's a way to let go of some of that. Brilliant!!!!
    Oh, I am so going to make a list like this.
    Thank you for the inspiration!

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  19. hi char ..even old ladies like me need liberation lists!! i thoroughly enjoyed reading your inspiring thoughts as well as ann maries. i appreciate your posts that really make me re evaluate

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  20. Hmmmm... I'm going to have to think about this. And, what a great task. Just off the top of my head I have hmmmm.... Nothing.

    What I keep coming up with is to actually get the stuff done so that it won't weigh on me any more. Maybe I have a hard time letting go?

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  21. beautiful words, and a beautiful post. i have added her to my blog reader ... and will be thinking about writing a list tonight :o)

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i feel as if each comment was between us as we sat and sipped something warm....i love to hear what you're thinking.