It's Okay To Be You
Hi Readers,
Another few weeks in between posts, but now I just decide to write when I want to write rather than when I feel I should write because I haven't done it for a while.
This one was prompted by a few things. Firstly, I have to be at home this morning as the air conditioner on the roof shat itself two weeks ago and today it is getting repaired. Hence I need to be here.
Secondly, I was listening to a podcast yesterday where the iconic Australian singer MarK Seymour was being interviewed. Well worth a listen on "The Howie Games" for anyone who may be interested!!
Anyway, when prodded about why he writes songs and where the inspiration comes from for his songs, he explained that often he just gets an idea that sits in his mind and it might be ages before he acts upon it. Sometimes there will be something that prompts him to revisit it, or gives him greater incentive as to how he could use it. I feel the same way with lots of the things I write about, but rather than leave them floating in the cavernous space between my ears I tend to scribble hem down on post-it notes which inevitably are all over the house and throughout the car. And then they get lost🤬
So this year I am being more organised and have an A4 pad on the kitchen bench where I regularly scribble down random thoughts to write about or just ditch the next day as while they might have seemed good at the time, a day later I'm thinking "What the ...??!!"
The post-it notes are still available at short notice, but I'm now collating everything into one place.
In my recent posts I mentioned how I am reading a book by the recently retired AFL player Travis Boak, one of the best books I have read. As I got to about 2/3 in I started to notice more and more little snippets that could be used as writing prompts, things that really struck a chord with me. When I find these I just fold the corner of the page so that I can find them later on. As you can see, the last few chapters have really given me some fodder!
As there is not much of the book left to read you can be sure that my radar is alerted to looking out for any other little gems that might just catch my attention, or trigger another writing prompt. Once I find that I am getting a lot of inspiration from a source I am so much more aware of looking out for further ideas.
Just as Mark Seymour gets an idea then feels the need to write about it, so does Travis Boak. He comes across a sentence or a thought then feels compelled to text one of his close friends to share his thoughts about it. I too have similar experiences where I'll text a close friend and share some insights about what I may have just read, and then maybe a few days later write an expanded post about it, just as I'm doing now.
But what struck me about both of them is that they both acknowledge that although so many others may read the same thing that piqued their interest, how they interpret it it can be vastly different. There is no one way, or "correct" way to understand something, it is totally up to each individual.
Which is why this post is titled "Its okay to be you"
Unfortunately though there can be times when conflict can occur between people purely because of the fact they disagree with how they respond to something.
Before you write me off completely, I am only referring to situations that aren't inflammatory, socially unacceptable or controversial. That's a different story.
For example...
I used this image at a conference once as my way of explaining my approach of encouraging the children to think openly and contribute different ideas. I was taken to task by someone in the group who argued that it was our job as teachers to give the children the same information and get them to develop the same understandings so that everyone was on the same page. They were entitled to their opinion just as much as I was entitled to mine. There was no animosity shared between us, just two conflicting viewpoints that were shared respectfully.
Just as I mentioned two other people who write things down to better explain themselves, I too feel that helps me to understand things more, something that I have alluded to in numerous posts.
People who know me will just think I'm delving into my passion for my beloved Richmond Football Club with this next way of explaining this. Just indulge me please!!
In the years 2017-2020 Richmond won 3 Premierships and were red hot for those 4 years, bringing untold joy to so many followers. It still gives me tingles when I remember those years!!!
Their success was due to so many factors, but one player in particular elevated himself to such high standards that even the most anti-Richmond person would begrudgingly acknowledge his prowess in that time.
I'm talking about Dustin Martin, a player who started journalling after each game, training session, and then at the start and end of each day. While most players might have been struggling to fill a page let alone a complete notebook, Martin was filling his notebooks up at a rapid rate to the point where it even surprised the people who were working with the club at the time and who had initiated the journalling approach. It might not have floated the boats of everyone, but it was a definite hit for Martin, and his form throughout those years speaks for itself. And when people hear about how much journalling he was doing there is often the response "I'd never expect that from him"
Another athlete who openly shares her passion for journalling is Australian High Jumper, Nicola Olyslagers.
I remember watching her in a competition last year and she was jumping off for the gold medal. Straight after a jump she went straight to her journal and scribbled down some thoughts before lining up to jump again. But what struck me was the look on her face. It wasn't pained or worried, it was calm and she was smiling, despite the fact that she was in a red hot contest with her opponent.
It must have helped as she won the World Indoor High Jump in 2024 👏
Readers, please don't think that I'm suggesting that as soon as you finish hanging out the washing today that you go and sit down in your kaftan, burn some incense and write about how the experience made you feel!! Far from it.
All I'm suggesting is that from time to time we give time to just think about how we are travelling with things in life. It might even be about how you hang out your washing, go for it, or it might be about the way that you treat a certain person for example.
You don't have to get out the crayons and paper, sometimes just a short reflection or thought about it suffices. A few seconds is all it takes.
For example, yesterday a driver sped up and cut me off just to get in front of me, a net gain of about 5m. My first reaction was "What a dick" and I sensed it made me uptight. Straight away I tried to see it for what it was, and I was in a better frame of mind. I didn't need to write about it, but as you can now see, I just did!
It's these little things that have us striving to change our imperfections. Often they are things that are seen through the eyes of others and might not be obvious to us until they are pointed out, or we somehow discover them to our own embarrassment and angst.
I know that has happened to me many times!!!
Other times they are things that we notice ourselves that others don't, just as I experienced in the car yesterday when I got uptight about someone moving too close to me in their car.
After reading through some recent notes and books and listening to various podcasts it has become clear to me that one of the biggest problems that we face is that we can struggle with identity. Each of the people that I read about had a high profile, but as time wore on they began to realise that they weren't portraying their real self. They were affected by the job they had, their profile, how much money they had, the car they drove, who they associated with or endorsed and that was what was defining them. That was their proof of success and they felt that if they achieved these things, then they were successful and loved.
But each one eventually began to realise as their careers waned towards the end that they needed to flip their thinking. They realised that they needed to be valued first and foremost, and whatever they achieved after that was not what defined them. Many had felt that if they excelled at what they did they would be seen as a better person, when in fact what they were after was to be seen as good person first and to let their deeds be judged separately.
How often do we hear high profile being described as "they are actually good people", as if it is unheard of to be high profile and be good in the same breath?
It seems to be a favourite sport in Australia to bring people down, the "tall poppy syndrome". I'll admit that I do it just as much as anyone else.
After listening to a few podcasts about well known people who we see on tv a fair bit, the interviewer was gushing in their praise of the person saying "On tv they come across as the nicest person you'd ever meet, and the same applies in real life", as if their tv/public persona is all an act. The opposite can also apply. There is a certain tv personality in Australia who comes across as mean and divisive, but everything else I've read or heard about him is that is just for tv, and that away from the cameras you would not meet a more genuine and caring person.
Readers, a bit of a wandering fluff today, but all prompted by some things I have come across lately that have prompted my thinking about "Who is the real you?", and that "It is okay to be you!!"
So, Be You!!!
Anyway, back to my incense and kaftan.
Until my next post,
Kumbyaa.....I mean Cheers😁
