Here is an artist who learned to navigate his Disquiet and help others travel theirs.Naomi Wolf’s father believes everyone has an innate artistry

By Tee Hun Ching, books for the soul:

WHEN American author and feminist thinker Naomi Wolf decided to build a treehouse for her daughter Rosa, her father Leonard paid frequent visits to their house in upstate New York.Over those six months, they talked as they worked, discussing Leonard’s favorite poems and the lessons they held.

Now in his 80s, the well-regarded poet and teacher believes creative freedom is the key to happiness.

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I remember the early days of a major period of Disquiet in my life. I felt like a zombie in a job I had. I wanted to go in a new direction but I felt trapped. I had a young family and it felt risky.

I also felt pretty wrung out. I wasn’t getting to the gym, I never had time to be in the outdoors (which really recharges me) and I could not remember when I did something just to relax.
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ETD # 19 How to know what to say and when to say it

You can listen to this episode by clicking on the prompt above. To learn how you can automatically get new episodes for free to download to your MP3 player or computer, check out the sidebar to the right. Hint: Many of my listeners enjoy burning several on a CD and listening to them in their car.

“I only told the truth. I did the right thing. Now he’s all upset. He just doesn’t want to hear the truth. He can’t handle the truth. Now what do I do?”

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Security is mostly a superstition.
It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of man as a whole
experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than
outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

~Helen Keller

Do you play it safe? I know I often do. Planning for all contingencies, working to avoid unforeseen disasters and being always vigilant are things I have learned to do well. I think these were natural inclinations and abilities I had that I sharpened over the years.

In earlier times, they balanced nicely with a strong desire for adventure. On occasion, they literally saved my life as well as others. But over the years, I slowly started playing it safe and tried to minimize risks. Looking back and after a lot of work on this, I now believe this playing it safe was very related to my not engaging my own Disquiet. I can remember times of feeling paralyzed by not knowing what to do because I was trying to minimize risk.

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Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you were working, you just weren’t showing up all that great? I have. I’ve worked on projects where I felt cursed. The best of me just couldn’t surface. It was like doing everything with one hand tied behind my back and my shoes on backwards.

Or where all of a sudden you felt like you were the only one left on the planet after some sci-fi disaster turned everyone else into zombies? I have. There are times when I feel like no one really understood me.  I felt small and ineffectual.

I believe this is what happens when we don’t have enough of the people and things in our lives that reflect back to us the best part of ourselves. There is nothing like engaging in great creative brainstorming sessions with colleagues who really value your talents. Or hanging with friends who just get you and you can feel that deep in your gut.
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The different levels of the tragedy in Virginia are so deep, I have yet to be able to fully see and feel them.  I was touched in the lightest connection to it as the parent of kids who have friends attending and who could have been there for a long weekend visit. 

And then we were connected to the other side of the tragedy with them having friends at the same high school as the shooter.  A very light connection but it felt in my heart like touching a hi-voltage line.  So I can’t comprehend the loss for the parents and loved ones.

After the immediate near-panic trying to determine they were safe, the beginnings of the waves of horror started rolling in.  The incredible losses…the terrible suffering….the brokeness of a soul who acted as he did…..

I really don’t know what to write here but I had to mark it.  With deep sorrow.    

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