TheCowsSayHello
TheCowsSayHelloIssue 5 October 2006
Good lordy. What happened to October... Quick... Gather the cows around. We need to get this newsletter out today....
The Cows Say Hello goodbye OCTOBER
The Cows Say Hello NA NA NO NO ! YES IT'S NANOWRIMO TIME!
Sharpen your pencils.
Limber up your typing fingers.
NaNoWriMo begins 1st November!!
There is no dilly dallying, if you have a book in you that you’ve been putting off for years, it’s time to head over to www.nanowrimo.org and register for the 2006 National Novel Writing Month.
It begins on Wednesday, 1st November, and you will have 30 days to
write your 50,000 words of novel greatness (or great novelty).
The emphasis here is on quantity not quality, so dig out your cliched dialogue, tired metaphors and clunky foreshadowing. It’s time to have some fun.
I’m looking for my editor now.
The Cows Say Hello SCHOOL REUNION! SQUEAL!
I went to my 20 Year High School Reunion earlier this month. Unlike all those popular notions of school reunions being places of feeling worthless and insignificant (because you finally realise that you’ve done sweet f.a. for the last 20 years), I had a ball.
If you ever want to see the world through your teenage eyes then take a trip on the reunion train. It’s the most amazing experience. Not only did I see all my former classmates as they were - and in their full potential as teenagers - but I saw myself through their eyes. And there was so much love and acceptance. These were the people who had already witnessed me at my best - and worst.
At
17 I expected to have a full and exciting life. I didn’t know what it
would look like, but I had worked out a few things that I thought would
be cool. Twenty years later I was faced with the hopes and dreams of my
17-year-old self, and the hopes and dreams of my classmates.
I hated school. I resented every moment that it kept me from the “real world”. I longed for a life among “like minded people” and yet what I found on reunioning is that I shared so much with these people that the “like minded people” I sought were already in my midst. I was so focused on our differences that I missed what we actually had in common.
It's something I'm still learning.
The Cows Say Hello QUOTE
"What I do is me, that is why I came."
- Gerard Manley Hopkins
The Cows Say Hello COME ON, GET HAPPY
Apparently, most people don’t know what makes them happy.
Sure
they can rattle off things that give them moments of pleasure, but that
enduring sense of well-being? Nup. We’ll have to get back to that
one. Let’s go buy another plasma tv.
So where did all this happy talk come from. Well, I’ve been
writing an article on Flow and reading the work of Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi (see herefor
a brief synopsis of Flow) … and his extensive research on
optimal experience suggested that while the majority of people were
happy when "doing things", they weren't very clear on what made them
happy.
More recently, happiness seems to be popping up in surveys everywhere. In fact one was just misquoted (or misrepresented) in this weekend’s paper. Weekend Australian columnist Stephen Matchett tells us that “a recent survey suggested that most Australians want the Government to help us to be happy”. Now this isn’t sourced but the most recent survey by The Australia Institute on Australian Attitudes to Happiness and Well-Being did ask questions about happiness and the government, so I’m assuming this is the survey Mr Matchett refers to.
However, if you read the report you would realise that the survey
question was heavily loaded toward anyone being left of good
ol’Attila responding in the affirmative when asked “A
government’s prime objective should be achieving the greatest
happiness of the people, not the greatest wealth.” Agree or
disagree. Personally,
I’d like the government to look after those things that give us
a safe, just and peaceful society with our physical needs met. And
leave the happiness to us thanks.
The good news is that there are people looking beyond consumerism for their happiness and
well-being. At last count, The Wellbeing Manifesto had just over 7000
signatures so there is hope. I love this thing. It’s saying, hey
we must look beyond economic growth… because it sure as heck
hasn’t made us happier. The Manifesto has nine areas that it believes a
government could and should enact policies to improve well-being.
The Wellbeing Manifesto
Read more at www.wellbeingmanifesto.net
Here at The COWs Institute, we’ve been working on our own
manifesto. We have been conducting focus groups across the paddock and
have found that The COWs Happiness Manifesto consists of four areas:
The COWs Happiness Manifesto
I was lobbying against the last one… but the Cows are rather persuasive.
As a compromise, they have let me post my Manifesto For Life on the big Silky Oak for all creatures to see. It consists of:
TW's Big Four: Manifesto for Life
The Cows were a little concerned that I’d left out things like
soul and fulfilling work, but I sort of think they are covered by the
Big Four. And as I said to them: "It's a work in progress". That floors
them every time.
The Cows Say Hello FILIM
Ssshhhhhh! It's The Secret!
After a number of highly credible recommendations, I finally checked out The Secret from the local video store.
I can see why people like it.
I was definitely feeling much more elevated in spirit after watching it (or was that the caffeine and sugar?). And it’s not that it says anything new, it’s basically a 90 minute film about the Law of Attraction - that is, you get what you focus on.
And while I’m hesitant to say anything but wonderful things about this film - for fear of what super magneto force it may inflict upon the butterflies and rainforests of the world - but I cannot stay silent any longer.
I cringed for the first 20 minutes of this film.
The words “low rent version of What the
Bleep” and “a cast of snake oil sellers” were perhaps
even bandied around. There. I’ve said it. The universe can do
with me as it chooses but the emperor ain't wearing any clothes folks.
That said, if you need lifting up and aren’t bothered by cheesy,
made-for-tv production, this would probably be a nice alternative to
the latest chick flick.
What are you focusing on? And what are you attracting?
Sensei Sez: Words from the
wise kitty [in haiku]
[Haiku makes more sense if you download the pic]
The Cows Say HOOROO COBBERS
Until
next month...
have a great time
Trish
ps the cows say hello!
The Cows Say Hello is published somewhat monthly by Trish Weston.
The Cows Say Hello’s objective is to share a little bit of the hoopla of amazing stuff that comes into my world as I'm out here talkin to the cows.
The Cows Say Hello is written and collated by Trish Weston. Everything in it is her opinion, with a smattering of facts to make it hold together. If you have any suggestions or comments please feel free to email trish AT worklifedesign DOT com DOT au
If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe, just go to the webpage... http://www.worklifedesign.com.au/ezines.htm
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Copyright 2006
You may copy, forward or distribute The Cows Say Hello if this
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included.
moo