Day 1: (P)ermission to be awesome
Unofficially, a little over six hours of sleep last night. Many dreams filled my head as I awoke, yet a swirl mostly…images fade along with the remaining sale and the day has arrived. I can’t shake the anxiety of this project - the preparation along with mixed aspects of a busy life. Parenting and teens, dog at the vet, travel plans, money in the bank all came into a stress that is part of real life, everyday life. These stressors won’t be going away, which is my own wise awareness. Life is messy and comes with its own pressure valves, and tension gauges to be maintained. This project is partially about addressing a maintenance for life, a life that includes daily practices of creativity, not unlike a daily practice of yoga, or swimming, or jogging, or the like. In these pages, in this book, I’m wanting to address those who come across these pages with curiosity. But more importantly, it is a place for me to express how creative I am, my accomplishments, successes and the uniqueness that is Pete Ophoven - student, writer, teacher, parent, husband and lover, business owner, and tech whiz bang.
I want to say we are all amazing, beautiful creative creatures but that isn’t my job, that’s your job - the reader, the witnesser of your own life. I need to begin with me, like the saying, “put the oxygen mask on myself first…” so, here is where I validate myself. Share my gratitude and love for my work and acknowledge hard work that is worthwhile. I want to say I’m lucky, for it feels like it. Yet it isn’t luck when I’ve made choices my whole life to be a student, to stay curious, to find grace and try and be graceful.
‘To love and open my heart - even when it’s shedding tears of sorrow’.
Certainly there is a notion of luck…yet it feels like luck and magic are terms wielded by those who don’t understand or who are open to the wonders of what is possible.
If we allow fear to dominate the phenomena of our existence then how can we be continually wowed by the novelty of what we have yet to witness.
I am here, partially to bear witness to the vastness of the human potential that is yet to be revealed. I have assigned myself the role of creativity evangelist - whose mission is to profligate the message.
We are all creative.
This is a movement I’m making and I’m making my “moves” doing my part. I’m unwilling to wait for someone to tell me what to do…and rather aware that part of this journey is to own with integrity and agency the will that comes from my own actions. Instead of trying to do something cool and amazing, why not just let it ‘be’ cool and amazing.
“I give you permissions today Pete to be awesome, and find moments of joy whilst being creative - having compassion for others on their journey…and for seeing with novel eyes today. You will not take anything or anyone for granted - especially yourself…and let’s see what wonders can come from a single day.”
Mindfulness Practice:
It was soft and warm and comforting to just sit and breathe. I focused on my breath, in and out deeply. I naturally noticed where there is tension and put a little breath there to ease whatever discomfort I was noticing. I visualized my body, from the toes to my head…inch by inch, a body scan, at first - moving up my body. It relaxed me for sure. When I made it to my mid-section, I noticed my mind wandered to the rest of the day, and all sorts of to-do items. I noticed my thinking - and just told my mind we will get to them, “not to worry”, and then I returned to my meditation, and visualization. Once I reached my brain (head) I visualized the two hemispheres of my brain connected in the deep center. I visualized electrical currents traveling between these two regions through this single point and expanded it, opening up and expanding the capacity for the two sides to grow and become more… I furthered this to include the whole neural network, neurons expanding and making connections growing and glowing.
It wasn’t long after - that the time was up…15-minutes. I thanked myself. There is no better self-affirming practice than to simply thank ones-self.
Idea Quota Day:
When I think of ideas- rather than new ones, I am reminded of old ones that seem to rise to the surface.
The Tree of Life (Solar Trees)
Water Taxi Service between West Seattle and Downtown
Electric Bicycles (Stationary Bicycles in schools to generate power)
What if every stationary bicycle everywhere was hooked to powerful batteries?
Humans as power centers
Maybe we are meant to be the power center for the planet
Solar powered generated strollers
Heat collecting tennis shoes
GPS mapping tennis shoes
Bio-yoga mats
Sleep tracking pillows
Data collecting pens (writing in journal - stores it into the computer)
Flow App - measures when a person enters the state of ‘flow’
Boredom tracking
Mind wandering Tracking
Story collections
Humor or laugh tracking
Smile tracking
GPS on pet collars
Today’s creativity challenge was to walk Wildwood Alley Trolley Line Trail. Wow, what an interesting first day. I’m a bit overwhelmed by the undertaking yet am confident I will find a groove. There were several little magic moments today and a general feeling of excitement and joy. I’m busied by the many items to get through, website, social media, email and posts - it’s a full time job posting and preparations. All that being said, I sure enjoyed going on the adventure walk today.
Incubation Question:
I’m curious why the human brain has evolved to have two hemispheres?