Comments on: Make it Happen Monday: Self-Discovery over Self-Improvement

By: Heather Nielson

Heather Nielson — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:41:00 +0000

You’re so right Darryl, I love this! One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received was to be 130% me. We are who we are and the best thing we can do for ourselves and the world as the best version of ourselves.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:05:00 +0000

Hi Susan,

Thanks for your comments. Your professor sounds like he had the right idea and it’s great to see teachers with that kind of perspective. You sound like one incredible person.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:39:00 +0000

This is another take on something my college sculpture professor, Mr. DeLonga believed. He believed that children have perfect composition. They know the elements to go into a work of art and the colors to use and how to lay it out. What they lack is skill. With practice the motor control comes in and they are better able to get their vision on paper. They also experiment and don’t care that it isn’t “right.” It is as close to their vision as they can make it and are content. No starting a work then crumpling it up part way because it isn’t good enough.

He felt creativity is crushed in school art classes when you get graded on technique. He felt technique should be taught, but you should be allowed to practice and decide for yourself if the technique should be incorportated into the repertoire. If so and the joy of art isn’t crushed then you will pursue the practice to bring you up to master standard.

He saw his job as reintroducing the joy in art that may have been crushed or trained out of his students in junior and high schools.

One still has to conform for some jobs, but I’ve learned to conform there. In my own life, I’ve taken it to heart and after picking myself up after a set back I like to pursue things as an experiment to see where things go and get back to that essential self. Try it to see if I like it. Memories not stuff. Creative adventures can be had, not just in art, but in anything.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:46:00 +0000

Definitely. Thanks Bryan.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:45:00 +0000

I always love reading your comments, Joel. Thanks for another great one. I love that quote: “If you don’t believe in yourself no one else will, believe in yourself and astonish others”. I’ll remember that one.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:43:00 +0000

Nice….and thanks to @carltonhawkins:twitter for referring you over. I like the way you summed this up in your comment and appreciate you dropping by to check it out.

Darryl

By: Sara Hawkins

Sara Hawkins — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:59:00 +0000

There is always the opportunity to improve upon what currently exists. However, in that there needs to be the belief that another way is better than what currently exists. Why reinvent the wheel when what we need is a power meter to determine what the wheel is really doing? Hence discovery. Discovery allows us to find that which needs some extra attention and make changes – not necessarily improvements – but changes that will allow us to operate at our full potential.

Excellent post! I arrived here via a tweet from @CarltonHawkins:twitter

By: Joel Phillips

Joel Phillips — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:03:00 +0000

I was recently asked, after giving a speech about goal setting and overcoming personal obstacles at a motivational seminar, what’s the single most important thing I’ve discovered about myself on my journey so far? That was easy to answer, ”If you don’t believe in yourself no one else will, believe in yourself and astonish others”. Each day I struggle with believing in myself, as each day belief in myself is challenged. The road to self discovery is as rewarding as it is steep, jagged and unyielding, but believing in yourself will see you through the most dangerous and difficult passes, I promise. Thank you Darryl, for reminding me of the power I have within myself each week with Make it Happen Monday.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:07:00 +0000

I would think inner discovery has the potential to lead to outer change.