Improv Wisdom Writing Class
Thursday 13 March 2014
Class #4
Reflections
1. How to lovely to think that no one need wait a minute; we can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straightaway…. And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness! – The Diary of Anne Frank
2. To improvise is to create order out of chaos. –Improv Wisdom, 56
3. Start anywhere, follow it everywhere = At the beginning, we don’t have to know where we’re going. We don’t have to have an organization ahead of time. We don’t have to have approval, funding, expertise or answers. We just have to get started. — Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze
4. Until one is committed
There is hesitancy
The chance to draw back
Always ineffectiveness
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation)
There is one elementary truth
The ignorance of which
Kills countless ideas and splendid plans
That the moment one definitely commits oneself Then providence moves too
All sorts of things occur to help one
Which would never otherwise have occurred
A whole stream of events issues from the decision
Raising in one’s favor
All manner of unforeseen incidents & meetings & material assistance Which no man could have dreamt would have come his way
I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”
–W.H. Murray
Discussion
Share your thoughts about any of the reflections.
Writing Practice/1
Go for 18 minutes: Start anywhere
Sharing
Break
Writing Practice/2
Choose one of the following and go for 15 minutes:
The idea of me giving a public talk is …
List and describe five projects you’d like to start or have begun but not finished
Is there a great pile of something in your life waiting for your attention and action?
You’ve been invited to give a speech about something you find important. Use Patricia’s advice to write the speech as a series of questions to yourself
Open Forum
Where and how can we practice this maxim in our daily life?
Exercise for the week ahead
Pick one project and apply tonight’s maxim to it. Don’t try to figure it all out… start someplace. Keep notes in your notebook.
Next Week
Maxim 5–Be average.
