It’s Thursday, and I’m heading off to Essex today to do something I’m very enthusiastic about – more details below. Please let me know what you think via twitter at @jamiesmartcom, on my Facebook page here, or in the comments section. At the end, I’ll tell you how you can get one of your #enthusiasms featured in a future edition.
1. A quote I love
One of my many favourite things is the Sherlock Holmes stories created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Last weekend, it suddenly hit me how a quote from one of the stories relates directly to the “subtractive” nature of the CLARITY model. As you get a deeper understanding of the principles behind clarity, numerous “outside-in” illusions about the cause of our experience are ruled out, and what remains is the liberating truth. Here it is, from The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier…
“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
2. A perplexingly wonderful poem
I was introduced to Hughes Mearns poem Antigonish by one of my favourite authors, the wonderful Robert Anton Wilson. It speaks eloquently to the illusory nature of Thought, and the human habit of innocently creating non-existent phantoms, then proceeding to defend ourselves against our own creations. I’ve reproduced the first few lines below, but you can read the whole poem here.
Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today,
I wish, I wish he'd go away…
3. An author whose work I adore
Speaking of the wonderful Robert Anton Wilson (praise Bob), it bears mentioning that he’s probably had more influence on my own style of writing than anyone else I can think of. His book Quantum Psychology is one of my all-time favourites, but the first Bob-book I ever read was the incredible Prometheus Rising, another five-star favourite. In fact, if you want to read QP, you might like to start with PR to loosen yourself up. Bob… wherever you are or aren’t, you’re still cracking me up, blowing my mind, and setting a fine example. Warning/Guarantee: Robert Anton Wilson has probably had more impact on my personal writing style than any other writer. Make sure you do the exercises! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prometheus-Rising-Robert-Anton-Wilson/dp/1561840564
4. An extremely peaceful part of the world
At the end of last year, I went out to Saltspring Island to spend some time with my friends and mentors, Jan and Chip Chipman, and to go to the school Chip runs with Elsie Spittle. I visited Saltspring a few times when I was a teenager – I lived just across the water in Victoria, BC, and my friends and I used to take the ferry over and ride out bikes round the island’s rolling hills. When I was there last year, I managed to get this picture of the sea plane landing behind the tug boat. I don’t have much of an eye when it comes to photography, but I was rather pleased with this one.
5. This week’s 3-minute miracle
When I heard the song Whodunnit from The Reindeer Section’s second album, Son of Evil Reindeer, it was love at first listen. Aidan Moffat’s vocal somehow manages to combine languid delivery and perfect timing to create something magical. Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGRvaFarn-U
That’s it for this week. If you have questions, suggestions or want to let me know what you’re enthusiastic about, just tweet one of yours and put my twitter name @jamiesmartcom and the #Enthusiasms hashtag in there so I can find it. If I’m enthusiastic about something you’re enthusiastic about, it might just get featured in a future TTE.
Big love
Jamie
PS. Over the past year, we’ve run four sold-out Coaching Package Power Conferences for professional coaches and 1:1 workers. You won’t have seen any advertising for these conferences – we’ve done it all under the radar on an “invitation only” basis – but at the last one we were joined by 120 people who are passionate about making a difference as Professional Coaches and Changeworkers.
And here’s a cool thing: 60 of the people joined us from 12 countries around the world via our new, leading-edge live-streaming facilities, while the other 60 joined us live in-person in London. The conference is focused on exactly what has to happen for you to migrate to a “coaching package” model so you can increase your income and make it more stable. The results our clients are getting are far beyond our expectations, so…
We’re running the next Coaching Package Power Conference on 28-29 May. Once again, we’ll have people joining us live in London, and via our live-streaming facilities. We’ll be sending out a call for applications in the next few weeks, but for now, we just want you to save the date and indicate your interest, so hit the link below if you want the chance to apply for a place when we open the doors in the next week or so.
