"Being creative is much easier than trying to meditate or spend time just being quiet. Then they get their inspiration and their connection to self and they can be in that flow and get their ideas, their inspiration, their juices flowing."
Patti Clark has dedicated her more than 30-year career helping women - from teenage girls to empty nesters - undergo life transitions. Her book, This Way Up, is a culmination of her life's work and helps women discover a life filled with enthusiasm, creativity, and joy. Women spend so much energy caring for others, or working for others' approval, that we disconnect from our inner selves. If you've ever felt lost or confused about your purpose, this episode is a must-listen!
In this episode, we discuss Patti's book, the career renaissance that may come with an empty nest, being in touch with your deepest sense of self, the role that internal fear plays in our lives, the cycle of numbing, finding our flow, the effect of creative projects, paying attention to our distractions, the plague of "hurry disease", the benefits of doing tasks more mindfully rather than busily, Patti's career path from getting a Master's degree to teaching English & traveling around the world to creating FIGJAM workshops for women (Fresh Inspiration Gives Joy and Meaning) to writing a book, and more!
"We have to nurture ourselves. We have to take care of ourselves...we have to love ourselves first, and we as women often have a hard time doing that. We usually put ourselves last."
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Patti Clark is the author of The Way Up.
- Her book is a story of healing and helping women recover from life transitions.
- Life transitions are changes in a woman’s life e.g. kids going to college, divorce or a parents passing away.
- The first half of the book is the story of a woman finding a richer life and the second half is a 12 week journaling course to help other women do the same.
- Patti originally did a masters in teaching and then travelled the world with her husband for 5 years, teaching in Japan.
- They settled in New Zealand and Patti helped create social help workshops for teenagers and mothers.
- The workshops for women are called FIGJAM; Fresh Inspiration Gives Joy and Meaning.
- Women are often caretakers who can get lost in the lives of others and lose their sense of self.
- Women need to find a passion within themselves without focusing on an outside source.
- Finding a passion doesn’t need to happen after a transition, this can be encouraged in children.
- Finding what brings you joy will ultimately bring you more career success in the long run.
- Many women find doing a creative activity a lot easier than meditation and it has the same effect.
- The “flow” is when you’re so deeply connected to a task that you become immersed and connected to your highest sense of self.
- You can’t reach this flow if you continually numb yourself with wine or TV.
- Women often suffer from the “hurry disease” and the need to keep busy.
- Really focusing on a task can make you feel uplifted; this is different than happiness.
Advice:
- Don’t look forward to your empty nest as a chance to have a career renaissance as this is shifting your care for your children in care for a career.
- Take time to find yourself and connect with what brings you joy.
- Don’t use a job to keep yourself busy or to fill pain.
- Try gardening, music or sewing to find your flow.
- Take time off and give your brain some rest.
- You will enjoy a task more if you do it mindfully.
Learn more:
- www.thiswayupbook.com