I was delighted by the arrival of my friend Wendy in our morning writing group on Zoom — the Pyjama Cats. We ended up talking instead of writing. But it was truly a gift.
We spoke about the beginnings and renewal that January offers; I have marvelled at her adventures on YouTube, where she shares her creative process and painting. I love her ‘Now, Go Make Art’ call to action.
She told me about Italki.com, where she found a teacher to help her with her French language skills. My head just about exploded. I had written and posted about improving my French only days before. Do I believe the universe brings us the things we commit to and ask for? Yes, I do.
I also shared my work on creating a ‘Fucketlist’ — a list of things I want to experience before I die. I would say ‘goals,’ but I know that focusing only on the goal robs me of savouring the process. The process, the struggle, discoveries and triumph are part of getting there. Like this moment—a simple boost of joy in connecting to something I ‘asked’ for.
One of the things I put on my list was to ‘ask for help more.’ I feel weak, embarrassed, and vulnerable, asking for help — in any form. My rigid individuality robs me of opportunities to leverage the generosity, wisdom and energy of others.
If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.
I want to go far and fast at different times. Like anything in my tool belt, I must recognize when to go fast and when I must prepare to go far with the help of others. It’s not an either-or.
So, today was a wonderful exchange of gifts. I shared Fucketlist.io with Wendy, and she shared the details for Italki.com, which I have already explored. It will get me started with a conversation partner. There are no doubt other options out there too. I am encouraged!
PS. The deadline of January 2027 is there to help propel action. We tend to think our lives will carry on forever and that we have ‘lots of time’ to do what we want to accomplish. The task was to think about how long it would take to complete this list and then cut it in half.
“ ‘ask for help more. “ I so relate. Operating from an expectation of perfection on the first try (no help needed, thank you very much) only produced frustration and failure. “Practice makes perfect!” How novel.
With enough of those pipe dreams turned to rubbish, I was certain God was my enemy and needed to expose my incompetence. Thanks once again, Linda, for a great refresher course. Old dogs can sometimes learn new tricks.
“I shared Fucketlist.io” - thank you Linda! I’ve now joined - love the concept. 👍