Monday, May 24, 2010

The Real Thing

I usually use the rain option on my sound machine for its consistent rhythm with no lulls, but I decided during a recent evening to check out the other optional sounds to see if there was another one I liked that was just as effective.

I chose the rain forest option to be met with the sound of what I would assume to be a variety of tropical birds. As I listened for a few minutes at the quality of the birds' tweets, which sounded very close to the real thing, I thought of my cat Sophie and wondered if she would notice.

Sure enough, within minutes, she had picked up the sound from whatever distant place she was located at within the other parts of the house and came to investigate. I sat down in my recliner to wait and watch for her reaction.

The recording of the birds had her ears twitching as she attempted to figure out where the sound was coming from. After all, there were no birds in the room she could see. She jumped onto the writing surface of my desk and then tiptoed around the edges of the attached shelf where the sound machine was located, sniffing and listening. She remained in the area for several minutes, even going behind the headboard of the bed to see if she could find something tangible that would be making the sound of birds in a rain forest.

She came back out to the desk, sniffed one more time, and then settled at the foot of our recliners to relax, with her ears still twitching to the sound of tweeting. It looked as if she had given up on finding the 'real thing', but wanted to stay close by just in case it showed up unannounced.

The Real Thing. Something genuine: the definition and evidence of Authenticity.
A Star Quality that makes us who we are and how we make a difference.

And we all have it.

Some of those star qualities lay dormant in our authentic selves yet to be discovered. Some are used every day and perhaps we don't even realize it.

The undiscovered chef who has a knack for detecting high quality in their cooking ingredients and is able to produce a gourmet meal satisfying to anyone's palette.

The master mechanic who can turn a clunker into a muscle machine that purrs.

The savvy stylist who can make all of her clients look and feel like a million bucks.

The hostess who knows how to organize and execute the most festive party that leaves a lasting memory with all who attend.

The master story teller who keeps listeners on the edge of their seat or has them laughing themselves to the point of tears.

The snappy dresser who can give The most masterful makeover, transforming average to eye popping.

The interior decorator with such an eye for color and design, all those who view are immediately wowed.

A smiling, cheerful cashier who makes sure you have all you need and makes an ordinary shopping day pleasurable.

A word smith with the ability to string together a line of words that leave a burning or exhilarating impression in the mind, not be forgotten.

Star quality. Authenticity. Is it something you actively pursue or does it lay dormant inside your deepest self, just waiting for expression and the chance to make the difference in a way only you can make in your world?

Each one who investigates their own star quality and pursues its expression to the fullest will be the ones who can change the world one person and one action at a time. And even be the catalyst toward helping someone else discover their own star quality.

What you do with yours, once you discover what it is, can bring immense satisfaction and purpose to your life. And you'll be the real thing. Your true authentic self.

Which is what we are all meant to be. Even the birds. :)

And, of course, Sophie would choose to watch the 'real' thing outside her window over a recording any day.

© by Dawn Herring

6 comments:

Donna Carrick said...

Oh good! I get to be the first to comment on your star quality post, Dawn! Thanks as always for the lovely words. My ears are twitching along with kitty's!! :-D
Donna

Belle said...

Lovely post - very inspiring. And I enjoyed the image of your cat wondering where the birds were!

Dawn Herring said...

Thanks as always, Donna, for reading and commenting. It always makes my day. :) Glad you liked the post. Your twitching comment has me laughing. :)

Dawn Herring said...

Belle,
I actually thought for a moment about the photo of Sophie on my blog and how fitting it would be with this post! Glad you enjoyed it. Inspiring is a wonderful word, thank you. :) Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. :)

Nik Barnabee said...

Thanks for reminding me that I have a sound program on a disk somewhere -- gonna go find it. I love listening to the ocean best of all, but the forest is great, too. I'll see if Scully & Max notice the birds ;-}

As for star quality ... I like to think my sense of humor has helped friends & others when they're down; not sure if that's a star quality, but it's me LOL. Nikki

Dawn Herring said...

Nik,
A sense of humor is definitely a star quality. Especially if it makes a positive difference in another's life. You can never know for sure how a good laugh can be a great release toward positive change. :) Thanks so much for sharing.
Dawn

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Three Steps Toward Accountability...to Yourself (as published in SFC Newsletter, Dec 08 edition)

Accountability: to give a reckoning or explanation for one’s actions, responsible.

When most people think of accountability, they often negatively associate it with answering to others, such as a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or, in most cases, a boss. As a writer, you are your own boss, which is one of the reasons that you need to be accountable to yourself. And it can be a positive experience rather than a negative one.

The first step in being accountable to yourself as a writer is setting goals for your writing and keeping track of projects you want to finish. Incurring a deadline for yourself can help
motivate you in this area. This step can also include daily writing goals. Some authors plan how many words or pages per day they will write.
I’ve set goals for myself as a writer by making them reachable and attainable. This year I have set a goal to write at least one scene for my novel per week and at least one other piece,
whether it be memoir or essay, per week. That can mean just making notes, writing a first draft, or revising a draft.
As long as your goals keep you moving forward and you’re making progress, then you know you’re headed in the right direction.

Once you have your goals set, the next step in accountability to yourself is writing down what you accomplish each day. You can use a daily calendar just for writing or keep track of your
daily accomplishments on your computer. I designed a custom monthly writing calendar. It helps me track what I write daily, whether or not I’ve met my goal for the week, and it has
space for ideas for future writing pieces. I also have a spot to keep track of books I’m reading for that month. I use abbreviations to keep the daily writing easier and to save space. As I review each completed month, I can go back to see what I’ve accomplished and keep track of when I wrote each piece.
Whether you use something pre-made or customize something for yourself, use whatever works for you and helps you stay accountable to yourself.

A third, and perhaps most important, aspect in accountability in your writing is taking care of yourself as a writer. Than can mean giving yourself space and not being hard on yourself if
you don’t reach your goals each day or each week.
Flexibility and refreshment are paramount to your health as a writer. It also frees up your creativity and can actually help you produce more quality writing in the long run.
I enjoy writing in my journal, reading fiction or memoir, and watching a good movie with my family. Taking a walk, listening to music, talking with your family members, and just taking time to sit and enjoy life are all ways you can be good to
yourself—and ultimately accountable—as a writer.

Learn to celebrate your accomplishments and your uniqueness as a writer. That’s one of the best ways to be accountable—to yourself!