Ask Rajni

Day 65

“You have to go on and be crazy. Craziness is like heaven.”

– Jimi Hendrix

Since I started this blog, I’ve been thinking about the style of writing I want to stick to, to express my voice. I’ve always had a desire to have an advice column, but I wasn’t in the writing field, so I never pursued it. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the go-to-girl for friends and family when they want to know how to do something out of their wheelhouse, or want advice on how to deal with a situation, or how to treat an ailment. I know a lot because I read a lot. I’m a bit of a hoarder, a digital hoarder of information, fonts, images and things like that. I collect some material objects too, like pretty bags, unusual vases and jars, and some other stuff, but that’s a discussion for another day.

My BFF scolded me earlier because I didn’t go to the doctor to treat my malaise. I know it’ll pass, and all I need is some R&R, lots of water and a bit of essential oil, and I told him so. Frustrated that I didn’t heed his advice, he said “Who should I ask for advice on what you should do? You’re the one I ask when I want to know how to deal with something like this.” I told him to listen to the person he normally goes to. 😉

I’ve been planning to put my thoughts onto affirmation cards for a while now. Of course, I have the fonts, background images and my own quotes all ready to go, but I just haven’t had the time to do it. So today, I finally took the time to make them. As I was working, I kept thinking waste not want not – all of my leisure reading and hoarding, not to mention my 20+ year career in IT Project management, has come in handy in building Kurilane. Then I started thinking about how that’s a bigger message, one I’ve talked about before.

Everything you ever do is part of the master plan that leads you to your next step, and ultimately to your destination. Baby steps…you’ll get there, even when you don’t know exactly where you’re trying to go.

I’ve read many biographies of people who started their careers doing one thing, and ended up becoming known for something entirely different, but their earlier skills and experiences helped in their ultimate success in the new field.

Peter Roget has one such amusing story. He is best known for creating the original thesaurus, but he didn’t do that until he was 73-years-old, it’s never too late. Before compiling his ‘list of all the things ever’ that he’d been working on since childhood because it was the only thing that calmed him down, he was an accomplished doctor, lecturer and inventor. He was a respected man of science, but he was also a bit nuts like the rest of his family, or as it was known to people who weren’t in his family, “crazier than a shit house rat.” His knowledge, writing skills, and collection of lists all led to the creation of one of his major contributions to the world.

Many successful people in all fields were thought to be nuts for thinking that their idea or craft would succeed. They failed miserably before they succeeded, and now they’re called visionaries. You might have heard of them, here’s a small sample – Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Socrates, Thomas Edison, Charlie Chaplin, Charles Schultz, Monet, The Beatles, and Michael Jordan.

Even if you’re not bat shit like Peter Roget, embrace your own personal brand of crazy, it’s your gift to share with the world, and who knows, it just might feel like heaven! Here’s a bit of my crazy in the form of inspiring quotes, or easily viewable lists of sorts Rajni’s Wisdom, and if you want my advice…just Ask Rajni. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!