SHAPE

To give SHAPE to anything be it a concrete structure like a sculptor or a building or a painting or an abstract concept like planning for the future, visualizing the coming trends or ideating the focus is on discovering the hidden, creating something new and allowing something to sprout and grow. What is unique about giving SHAPE to anything is the evolution that we actively or passively participate in which allows us to See How Artistic Plans Emerge.  It is possible that we may not entirely approve of or appreciate the end product but we cannot deny that it is the outcome of a plan that has borne fruit even if the fruits are sour or unpalatable for us.

Fashion trends epitomize this contrast between artistic talents that have maniacal following and equally vocal detractors who denounce the trends. The important lesson here is that shape is what emerges and the outcome does not have to appeal to all. The contrast between the old world poetry with its emphasis’ on rhyme, meter and beat is a far cry from the modern poetry that has shock value abstractness and disharmony as the backbone on which verses emerge.  Modern abstract paintings too follow a similar trend with interpretations holding the key to unraveling the shape that one can extrapolate from the realms of creativity. 

However, the shape of things to come have a major bearing on the habits, the following, the trends and lifestyle that people will succumb too. The wide range of mobile phones epitomizes this need for style to percolate into every niche that emerges in the market space. The bizarre fashion scene, the opulent life style of the rich and the famous, the emergence of new cults and the changing communication styles be it proliferation of the SMS language or the bastardisation of the original language with a mix of other regional languages are pointers to the SHAPE of things to come. 

This does not mean that we cannot have our own control over the shape of things that matter in our life. To begin with, we can work on giving shape to our hopes, aspirations and dreams. Goal setting is the key to this. In the beginning our ideas would be hazy, utopian, seem to be pipe dreams and occasional seem to be of demonic proportions. Other times we fail to let our imagination soar, get stuck in our little cocoons of limited aspirations and fear of failure often puts the brakes on allowing ourselves to think big and pursue our passions. Only if you can visualize it can you hope to attain it. Goal setting will provide the initial momentum to get going. However to give concrete shape to ones aspirations and dreams requires Hard work, Persistence and Self belief. Hard work will fuel the momentum, persistence will provide the encouragement no matter what the odds and self belief measures the progress that brings one closer to ones goals. Reaching the goal also helps SHAPE your character, your destiny and your dreams and then you can See How Artistic Plans Emerge to color up your life.

Action Points:

1. Revisit your childhood and attempt to do the following

• Make a paper boat
• Make an aero plane with paper
• Spin a top by looping the string around it and chucking the top
• Draw a scenery
• Get some clay and attempt your own clay models

1. Work on giving shape to the following

• Your financial goals
• Your career goals
• Your family goals
• Your health related goals
• Your leisure goals
• Your passion related goals

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

SHAPE

When we attempt to give a form or structure to anything we fancy be it a drawing, a sculpture, writing, communicating or even our thoughts and reflections we are in effect giving it a SHAPE which enables us to See How A Pattern Emerges. In order to ensure that we can shape our future and script our success it is important to understand how one should go about the process of shaping our dreams and turning them into reality.

Visualization holds the key to us being able to format a shape first in the mind, then on paper and finally in the end result. To visualize one needs to tap into all the senses, be vivid in our imagination, indulge in letting our mind run amok and rein in the diverse responses and collate it to get the first rough cut. The trick in visualization is to suspend judgment and not to filter our thoughts with any form of logical or so called rational filter. Instead just let your imagination run wild and explore all options, create magical moments and fantasies and capture and concoct the most improbable scenario. When there are numbers one can be choosy so the focus is on generating the quantity and then sort out and isolate what we truly believe in or hope to harness fully. Eg. Write down 10 social problems that you are deeply concerned about as a citizen.

Transcribing on paper is the perhaps the toughest part of the process of giving shape to our ideas, dreams, visualization and strategies. There are two possibilities at the time of transcribing on paper; the first is the plethora of ideas and the second is a complete lack of ideas. The latter leaves us with little option but to choose from the limited options. It is when we have plenty of options that we get caught between what to choose and what to leave out. Here we need to use a combination of filters to distill the best option. First is the filter of simple logic and screen for the option that is most likely to be a winner. The second filter is the filter of practicality and this could mean scanning resource availability, time constraints, criticality and acceptability. The third filter surprisingly is an antithesis because it works on the principal of gut feeling and instinct. Eg From the above 10 social problems that you have listed pick one concern and write a letter to the editor of the newspaper on the same. Whilst writing bear in mind the following questions.. What will your focus be on? Why should the letter b published by the newspaper? What is the impact your letter to should make on the reader?

Can you see a pattern emerging during the process of your efforts? Visualize a target board used in archery where there is a small bull’s eye circle with bigger and bigger circles around it. When you begin to transcribe on paper you begin with the biggest circle as your reference point and then you narrow it down slowly to reach the bulls eyes. However one hits the bulls eye only when attempts the shots. Similarly execution is the final step in shaping success. One will need to constantly rework and redraw until the bull’s eye is clearly visible and that is when one needs to take the plunge and execute the plans. It is when one commits that one can begin to give SHAPE to ones hopes, dreams, desires and passions and it is then that one can See How A Pattern Emerges triumphantly.

Action Points:

1. Draw a target board used in archery from memory. Color code it too. Next look up the net and view an image and compare it with your own effort. Do you experience a sense o pride in your effort? On need not be a skilled artist to do the exercise, yet one can easily get a sense of achievement on doing the exercise.
2. Attempt to solve the following. Let your imagination run riot and then rein it in if you want to solve it.

 (The first one is given as an example for you to understand.)
24 H in a D = 24 hours in a Day
2E and 1N on a F =
S is B (Hint it is a well known phrase) =
5 T on a F =
3 W on a T =
B B B S & T T L S =
(Answers will be given in the next post )

 

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/