Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
« Attitude | Main | Extreme what? »
Such choice, such pleasure!
Extreme ironing - the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt.
If I were a cat, I'm sure my tail would often wag. At times of indecision, when a cat is confronted by choice of two great things to do, they swish their tail from side to side. They're so funny.
Sometimes I too am confronted by such choice, and rather glad not to have a tail. For instance, I could go to my darkroom and print up some photos, or go out with the cameras for an hour or two, or do some violin practice, or just sit happily relaxing for a while, the choices can be overwhelming. What shall I do? Enjoy myself, I might say.... But I'll enjoy myself doing any of these activities and many more! The nature of these do not allow for multitasking, but anyway, we've found that multitasking is not necessarily doing two things at once, but alternating from one to another so quickly in our minds that we 'believe' that we're doing two at once. But the time taken to switch topics or thoughts take up more time than if we did them separately and probably more efficiently! See Multi-tasking.
So does it matter what we do? There may be many factors to consider....do I need to get photographs printed for my next meeting, am I prepared for my next violin lesson, do I need new pictures for a project? But unless there are commitments to others (and not to let them or myself down!) then really does it matter? I think not.
As I see it, if I'm enjoying myself, then that's all that matters. What is life about otherwise? Health and happiness.....that's it. But I can enjoy myself in many different ways. If we do two enjoyable things at once, do we get double enjoyment? Is eating two ice-creams at the same time double the fun? Probably! Shall I eat real dairy ice-cream and listen to my favourite CD while reading a great novel? Is this triple enjoyment or one-third enjoyment of each? Probably not, doing two separate activities at the same time is unlikely to achieve the same level of satisfaction than if they were done separately. By putting our whole attention to the pleasure in hand, we are likely to be more fulfilled, gain more depth of sensory experience and reap benefits of greater value than otherwise. Why not enjoy one thing to the full, then another to the full afterwards? This must be sequential double-pleasure!
Variety is the spice of life, as they say, so alternating between activities can bring refreshment and stimulate further achievement and satisfaction of the different activities. When I've done my violin playing, then I'm fresh and eager to do something photographic, or cook, or give an Alexander lesson. Each activity can utilise a different aspect of our nature, interest and abilities. I consider my photographic 'work' (it's not work really, but I apply myself to it with the same dedication) as satisfying my artistic and technical interests, playing the violin is musical artistic endeavours (and so challenging I could kill myself sometimes, but that would defeat the purpose), book writing and blogging satisfies my wish to write, and the Alexander Technique is refreshing and stimulating on a physical and mental level as well as promoting health. I can, and do use the Alexander Technique to help me perform my violin playing, so this could be considered multitasking but I see it as helping me perform to my best at all my endeavours.
Itzhak Perlman has two violins, one being a 1741 Stradivarius and the other a 1743 Guarneri del Gesù. He plays the del Gesù during the summer months and when winter comes round he gets out the Strad. He says "It's like getting a new violin twice a year. In the summer, when I take out my Guarneri, I get so excited because I forgot how beautiful it is. Then in the winter I put it away and take out my Strad and think, "Oh, man! Isn't this great?" So I always have these happy experiences to look forward to."
So does it matter what we do? Probably not. Does it matter if we do anything? Well that depends on your interest in life. But as I see it, having occupations to which we can apply ourselves to, gives us an outlet for our abilities, challenging and stretching us and giving a sense of achievement. Switching off from one to do another can refresh us to the extent that we will return to it in a better frame of mind later and probably will get more out of it than if we just do it constantly.
What's your passion?
