Comments on: Freedom of itch http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:05:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Exploring Anarchism | The Alan Furth blog http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-13021 Exploring Anarchism | The Alan Furth blog Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:12:38 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-13021 [...] In fact, I started practicing Nei Kung two years before my Year of Nothing, and I now think it was the key trigger of a major inner-change process that I’m still going through but that reached a sort of climax during my Year of Nothing. During the early stages of the process, the more I practiced Nei Kung, the more I felt that splinter in my mind: A growing dissatisfaction with the city I was living in and the work I was doing. A feeling that both represented, somehow, something that was deeply wrong with the world. It was that sense of deep dissatisfaction that convinced me that I needed to move on. [...] [...] In fact, I started practicing Nei Kung two years before my Year of Nothing, and I now think it was the key trigger of a major inner-change process that I’m still going through but that reached a sort of climax during my Year of Nothing. During the early stages of the process, the more I practiced Nei Kung, the more I felt that splinter in my mind: A growing dissatisfaction with the city I was living in and the work I was doing. A feeling that both represented, somehow, something that was deeply wrong with the world. It was that sense of deep dissatisfaction that convinced me that I needed to move on. [...]

]]> By: Darren http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-11817 Darren Tue, 30 Nov 2010 05:50:36 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-11817 How's this for scratching an itch: I've stuttered all my life in varying degrees, sometimes a lot and other times not so much. I've allowed fear and shame to dictate my life. But lately I've made some admirable changes in my life, which are actually impressive only to me because many things I do now are what fluent people do every day. But now with a little victory behind me I want to scratch the biggest itch of all: I want to tackle the fear of man and I think public speaking is the best way to do that. How’s this for scratching an itch:

I’ve stuttered all my life in varying degrees, sometimes a lot and other times not so much. I’ve allowed fear and shame to dictate my life. But lately I’ve made some admirable changes in my life, which are actually impressive only to me because many things I do now are what fluent people do every day. But now with a little victory behind me I want to scratch the biggest itch of all: I want to tackle the fear of man and I think public speaking is the best way to do that.

]]> By: Learning from what is not http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-11169 Learning from what is not Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:43:11 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-11169 [...] after I took the plunge, quitting a business and lifestyle that were clashing with my most important values, and let myself [...] [...] after I took the plunge, quitting a business and lifestyle that were clashing with my most important values, and let myself [...]

]]> By: The Year of Nothing, Part 2 http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-11165 The Year of Nothing, Part 2 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:33:51 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-11165 [...] spending most of my waking hours doing something I didn’t find meaningful, eliminating the inherent cognitive dissonance, I started to Get [...] [...] spending most of my waking hours doing something I didn’t find meaningful, eliminating the inherent cognitive dissonance, I started to Get [...]

]]> By: The Year of Nothing, Part I : Alan Furth — The Blog http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-1026 The Year of Nothing, Part I : Alan Furth — The Blog Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:36:12 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-1026 [...] couple of weeks ago, I realized that it’s been a year since I quit the public relations industry and took the plunge into the process of self re-discovery and growth [...] [...] couple of weeks ago, I realized that it’s been a year since I quit the public relations industry and took the plunge into the process of self re-discovery and growth [...]

]]> By: T http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-66 T Fri, 29 May 2009 15:39:03 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-66 "So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." — Chris McCandless “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”
— Chris McCandless

]]> By: What does it mean to love our work? It’s not about success (Part I) - Alan Furth — The Blog http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-50 What does it mean to love our work? It’s not about success (Part I) - Alan Furth — The Blog Mon, 25 May 2009 21:38:32 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-50 [...] Also, when people conform to work they don’t love for a long enough period of time they become disconnected from their genuine convictions and interests  to a point where they feel cluel....  [...] [...] Also, when people conform to work they don’t love for a long enough period of time they become disconnected from their genuine convictions and interests  to a point where they feel cluel….  [...]

]]> By: Non-conformism and love-oriented work resource round-up - Alan Furth — The Blog http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Non-conformism and love-oriented work resource round-up - Alan Furth — The Blog Fri, 15 May 2009 13:15:04 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-38 [...] Freedom of itch, an essay by yours truly on becoming aware of our conformist behavior, breaking away from it and finding the work we love. It narrates my personal story while going through this process during late 2008. [...] [...] Freedom of itch, an essay by yours truly on becoming aware of our conformist behavior, breaking away from it and finding the work we love. It narrates my personal story while going through this process during late 2008. [...]

]]> By: Working long hours can kill you… or resurrect you! - Alan Furth — The Blog http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Working long hours can kill you… or resurrect you! - Alan Furth — The Blog Fri, 15 May 2009 12:36:42 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-37 [...] I’ll summarize its key points here, but after reading this post, I highly recommend you to read the essay [...] [...] I’ll summarize its key points here, but after reading this post, I highly recommend you to read the essay [...]

]]> By: Alan Furth http://www.alanfurth.com/freedom-of-itch/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Alan Furth Mon, 04 May 2009 19:43:24 +0000 http://alanfurth.com/?p=32#comment-31 What follows is an amazing e-mail exchange I had with A., a world champion athlete and extremely talented painter. I wanted to share with you her story because it shows that even super achievers of A's caliber can sometimes hit a motivational plateau, feel that they lost connection with their innermost passions... and still have a positive, non-conformist attitude! Upon her request, I didn't disclose A's name. ------------------ original message ------------------ from: A. subject: Thank you for your story sent: Apr 22nd Ciao Alan, I will first say, you are a good writer, keep going! I had been the type of person who had always gone after everything I thought I wanted. I have achieved many things in my life, including a #1 world ranked athlete, anything I put my mind to, I could materialize. I never once thought the work to get there would be easy, and loved the challenge of the work, whatever it may be. Now I have become stagnant, I have lost all the immense passion my soul was consumed in. Throughout my life, I had been a beacon of light to everyone around me, I have had admires tell me I had helped them achieve their passions. But now, I find myself in the dark... I have no true idea of what I want to do with my life, hopeful to find what I want from my life. I am seriously thinking of moving to another country, when I return to the US in September, possibly Panama? I am searching for that place that will help me to get my passion back, as I have gone through everything here looking for the reason it has left me, I have gone to all extents, even checking my hormone levels, its not depression, its just a complete feeling of nothing, stagnace of mind, body and soul. Can we be so outgoing at a young age, that we run out of passion? We reach middle age and, there is nothing left? I have freakishly lost the desire to be great at anything, which is sad, I truly do have many great talents. I have never been a conformist, in fact when I was 26, I painted "Never Conform, Confirm You Wont" over the stairs leading to my loft, very different from the usual things people scroll in their homes... I have been clearing my mind, I am not letting this stagnance get to me, as it has in the recent past, I am beginning to look forward, instead of everything I have lost. Possibly this is what they call a mid-life crisis? ------------------ original message ------------------ from: Alan Furth subject: re:Thank you for your story sent: Apr 22nd Woah! A., thank you for you message. You know, I still hadn't heard a story of such a super-achiever in the situation you are at right now. May I ask you which sport you were world No.1 at? I admire your capacity to still look ahead with optimism and be sure that you will get the romantic passion for life back. My humble advice, from my own journey, is to definitely start by assessin what you are doing now. Changing countries can definitely help a lot, but it is the areas of work and love that we usually have to make the most radicall changes if we are to break the apathetic plateaus we inevitably sometimes fall into. Are you happy with your work? Are you happy with your relationships? Those are the very crucial questions! And thanks a lot for your encouragement of my writing fever. It really is my dream to become a full-time writer and make a living out of it! ------------------ original message ------------------ from: A. subject: re:re:Thank you for your story sent: Apr 22nd Ciao Alan, I was a rodeo bareback bronc rider, I rode professionally for 3 years, I retired in 1997 after too many concussions (10), and my right hand was broken very badly, with plates and screws in it. I traveled about 200 days a year, it was incredible, I also had great sponsorship, more than most world champion men. I was a actress/stunt woman for 15 years, I retired from the entertainment industry completely in early 2003. I never was a Hollywood type, so when I retired, I never looked back. I am still physically active, I play polo now, that is what I will be doing here in Italy for 3 months... I am very casual about polo, I could care less to become really good, which is also not my usual temperment from my younger years, I always had to be the best at everything, although, I think its not so bad that all that extreme competitiveness is gone... Now I focus on just having fun. I don't know of any other super achievers who are in my present situation either... It has been a battle to understand what has happened with me??? The sad thing, I am not really doing anything right now, its like my life is on hold. I keep thinking there must be a reason, and something is coming to my life that requires me to be free from everything, work, romantic relationship, ready to pick up and go in a moments notice, I just wish that moment would come sooner than later. It drives me a little crazy, not having anything that makes me want to get up in the morning, some sort of project, even if it were not making me any money. I have never done anything in my life because of money, its always been money came to me through my passions. I have taken a huge hit in this financial crisis, due to my broker, he did very bad things for me... It is still a shock to find well over a million dollars gone, first its shock, then anger, depression, then you sort it all out and move forward... One of the worst parts of this, I can no longer afford to be as charitable as I was:( I am blessed with amazing friendships, I have incredible people in my life, who I love and, I know they love me. I have no blood family, which I am use to, I grew up that way, so I have friends who are as close as blood relations. Romantically, there is nothing in my life right now, but it honestly doesn't bother me, romance has never been a problem for me, nor have I been with men who have done bad things to me, so I have no baggage in that area, I still love men and, understand them well;-) I find nature my spiritual guide, it is the most important thing in my life. I am a fine art painter, I mainly paint the sky, the atmospher. Very Sad! I do not have the inspiration to paint right now... Everything I paint sells. I have 7 incredible canvases waiting for me in Italy, I finally received them the morning before I broke my right clavicle into 5 pieces that afternoon. I have not painted now for a year... Smile! A. Ciao A., I am frankly blown away by your story, and well, by... you! hahaha... seriously, what the hell?! rodeo-bareback-bronc-rider and painter? And I thought I was the incarnation of duality, being a Gemini and all... I totally hear you when you say that you are sure you have no clue what to do next, but feel deep inside that you "keep thinking that there must be a reason, and something is coming to my life that requires me to be free from everything, work, romantic relationship, ready to pick up and go in a moments notice." I could have written that last October right before taking off from Dubai. In my experience it's the healthiest thing to do, as the liberation process starts stirring our creative juices again. Be always attentive to little signs, little synchronicity events that will point towards the right direction... they will help you elucidate what your next step will be! What follows is an amazing e-mail exchange I had with A., a world champion athlete and extremely talented painter. I wanted to share with you her story because it shows that even super achievers of A’s caliber can sometimes hit a motivational plateau, feel that they lost connection with their innermost passions… and still have a positive, non-conformist attitude! Upon her request, I didn’t disclose A’s name.

—————— original message ——————

from: A.
subject: Thank you for your story
sent: Apr 22nd

Ciao Alan,

I will first say, you are a good writer, keep going!

I had been the type of person who had always gone after everything I thought I wanted. I have achieved many things in my life, including a #1 world ranked athlete, anything I put my mind to, I could materialize. I never once thought the work to get there would be easy, and loved the challenge of the work, whatever it may be.

Now I have become stagnant, I have lost all the immense passion my soul was consumed in. Throughout my life, I had been a beacon of light to everyone around me, I have had admires tell me I had helped them achieve their passions. But now, I find myself in the dark… I have no true idea of what I want to do with my life, hopeful to find what I want from my life.

I am seriously thinking of moving to another country, when I return to the US in September, possibly Panama? I am searching for that place that will help me to get my passion back, as I have gone through everything here looking for the reason it has left me, I have gone to all extents, even checking my hormone levels, its not depression, its just a complete feeling of nothing, stagnace of mind, body and soul.

Can we be so outgoing at a young age, that we run out of passion? We reach middle age and, there is nothing left? I have freakishly lost the desire to be great at anything, which is sad, I truly do have many great talents. I have never been a conformist, in fact when I was 26, I painted “Never Conform, Confirm You Wont” over the stairs leading to my loft, very different from the usual things people scroll in their homes…

I have been clearing my mind, I am not letting this stagnance get to me, as it has in the recent past, I am beginning to look forward, instead of everything I have lost. Possibly this is what they call a mid-life crisis?

—————— original message ——————

from: Alan Furth
subject: re:Thank you for your story
sent: Apr 22nd

Woah! A., thank you for you message. You know, I still hadn’t heard a story of such a super-achiever in the situation you are at right now. May I ask you which sport you were world No.1 at?

I admire your capacity to still look ahead with optimism and be sure that you will get the romantic passion for life back. My humble advice, from my own journey, is to definitely start by assessin what you are doing now. Changing countries can definitely help a lot, but it is the areas of work and love that we usually have to make the most radicall changes if we are to break the apathetic plateaus we inevitably sometimes fall into.

Are you happy with your work? Are you happy with your relationships? Those are the very crucial questions!

And thanks a lot for your encouragement of my writing fever. It really is my dream to become a full-time writer and make a living out of it!

—————— original message ——————

from: A.
subject: re:re:Thank you for your story
sent: Apr 22nd

Ciao Alan,

I was a rodeo bareback bronc rider, I rode professionally for 3 years, I retired in 1997 after too many concussions (10), and my right hand was broken very badly, with plates and screws in it. I traveled about 200 days a year, it was incredible, I also had great sponsorship, more than most world champion men. I was a actress/stunt woman for 15 years, I retired from the entertainment industry completely in early 2003. I never was a Hollywood type, so when I retired, I never looked back. I am still physically active, I play polo now, that is what I will be doing here in Italy for 3 months… I am very casual about polo, I could care less to become really good, which is also not my usual temperment from my younger years, I always had to be the best at everything, although, I think its not so bad that all that extreme competitiveness is gone… Now I focus on just having fun.

I don’t know of any other super achievers who are in my present situation either… It has been a battle to understand what has happened with me??? The sad thing, I am not really doing anything right now, its like my life is on hold. I keep thinking there must be a reason, and something is coming to my life that requires me to be free from everything, work, romantic relationship, ready to pick up and go in a moments notice, I just wish that moment would come sooner than later.

It drives me a little crazy, not having anything that makes me want to get up in the morning, some sort of project, even if it were not making me any money. I have never done anything in my life because of money, its always been money came to me through my passions. I have taken a huge hit in this financial crisis, due to my broker, he did very bad things for me… It is still a shock to find well over a million dollars gone, first its shock, then anger, depression, then you sort it all out and move forward… One of the worst parts of this, I can no longer afford to be as charitable as I was:(

I am blessed with amazing friendships, I have incredible people in my life, who I love and, I know they love me. I have no blood family, which I am use to, I grew up that way, so I have friends who are as close as blood relations. Romantically, there is nothing in my life right now, but it honestly doesn’t bother me, romance has never been a problem for me, nor have I been with men who have done bad things to me, so I have no baggage in that area, I still love men and, understand them well;-)

I find nature my spiritual guide, it is the most important thing in my life. I am a fine art painter, I mainly paint the sky, the atmospher. Very Sad! I do not have the inspiration to paint right now… Everything I paint sells. I have 7 incredible canvases waiting for me in Italy, I finally received them the morning before I broke my right clavicle into 5 pieces that afternoon. I have not painted now for a year…

Smile!
A.

Ciao A.,

I am frankly blown away by your story, and well, by… you! hahaha… seriously, what the hell?! rodeo-bareback-bronc-rider and painter? And I thought I was the incarnation of duality, being a Gemini and all…

I totally hear you when you say that you are sure you have no clue what to do next, but feel deep inside that you “keep thinking that there must be a reason, and something is coming to my life that requires me to be free from everything, work, romantic relationship, ready to pick up and go in a moments notice.”

I could have written that last October right before taking off from Dubai. In my experience it’s the healthiest thing to do, as the liberation process starts stirring our creative juices again. Be always attentive to little signs, little synchronicity events that will point towards the right direction… they will help you elucidate what your next step will be!

]]>