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I Dreamed a Thousand Dreams
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Time for Books | My Life is a Cookbook

Design the life you love my life is a cookbook

You're reading Time for Books | My Life is a Cookbook.

Question is - what metaphor can you use for your life?

In our book for March, Design the Life You Love, Ayse Birsel tells us to compare it to a metaphor. But first, let's talk about POV - point of view.

Ayse quotes Shakespeare as saying, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

Many of us, as entrepreneurs, are taught this concept in workshops and training events. The idea that you are what you think you are. If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. It's easy to say, but a bit more complicated when trying to act it out. I'm thinking of the children's storybook, The Little Engine that Could, mostly because it's a fan favorite at our house.

 In Design the Life You Love, Ayse ask us to "shift" our POV. She begins by telling us to list our heroes. People we are inspired by. Real or fictional. She tells us, "These heroes tell us something about our values, beliefs, and the kind of life we want to live."

Here are my heroes and why I chose them:

Wonder Woman - she epitomizes the strong, intelligent, caring, super hero - a woman who doesn't take any bluff from anybody

My daughters, Chloe and Maggie - they're strong, intelligent, caring, and full of life and energy. They each teach me something about how young women think today, and how the world should not take them for granted.

Harriet Beecher Stowe - I am in awe of this talented 19th century woman. I quote her routinely. My favorite quote is, Women are the real architects of society.

Susan B. Anthony - A woman we ladies owe a great deal to. Without her, well, we'd still be picking for the vote, I think. 

Tom - my PIAT (partner in all things). Tom has been my rock now for going on 20 years. Not a long time, when you come to think of it. But, long enough to have taught me so much about staying true to my soul, and giving life a different POV, now and then. I wish everyone had a Tom. I hope you'll check out the link here, to his site, Old Dog Learning.

In our book, we are told to now go back and put OUR name in place of the heroes we wrote down. Ayse tells us WE are the heroes and it's time to recognize it.

And this leads into our metaphor. Of which, I shared at the start of this post - my life is a cookbook.

What kind of a cookbook you'll have to watch the video to find out. You may notice, if you've been watching these past few weeks, that I am learning the ins and outs of lighting and sound and all of the things that go into a good video. I'm not there yet, so I hope you will hang in with me. This is something I both enjoy and feel is needed in the world. Not just simple 'here's why I liked this book' but a discussion, a conversation, about the book.

It's your turn now. Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

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Enjoy on this brilliant Friday in March. 

 

Comments

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Yvonne DiVita

Oh Caren, it is hard, I know. But you, of all people, have so much to choose from! You must deconstruct (see other videos) before you can reonstruct, and then, write down your heroes. That will help.

If it doesn't come to you today, or tomorrow, that's fine. Keep writing about the good and the not so good and tap into your heart and soul. I know there is a writer in there so... what does she really crave to achieve?

Dakotasheltie

I am going to have to think about this, this is a rough one. I am going to have to watch this video again, I am embarrassed to say I can't think of a metaphor for my life. It is 10:53pm here right now and I am tired...I think I am going to watch this tomorrow when I am refreshed. I think it might be a sign of trouble that I can't think of one :(

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