Naked ladies. A long row of them are standing tall on thin stems topped with elegant pink blooms, leafless and proud next to the bordering ground cover of purple lantanas along my driveway. Naked ladies, what a funny and appropriate name for the pink amaryllis lilies in my garden.
Earlier in the spring, long blade-like leaves crowded in the same space the lilies now command. The leaves died off, and for months there was nothing but dirt, then suddenly within a week, a parade of lovely lilies are now lining my driveway.
I think writing and life is like that. I feverishly produce lots of words, and then I drag myself away from the computer. And in life, I do the same thing: I work madly and then often with a giant force of willpower, I step back to allow the events to unfold. After what seems like months, actually only hours or a day, but with a due date time takes on a different dimension, I come back to the words and my life, voilà! I see a pattern, a thread that had mysteriously embedded itself in the greenery, and now I'm ready to tease out the theme and make the garden bloom with a meaningful story.
But I should back up; there must be a bulb or a seed for the leaves to grow from. It is the same for writing and life. Inside of me is an idea that has found fertile soil, and with nurture it springs forth vibrant and ready to claim its place in the sun. It is something that I am passionate about, that I am yearning to share. The fruitful ground is my computer and my life where my thoughts can be made visible. I am eager to give away the insights and wisdom I've learned from painful experience and wise experts so that others can avoid the misery on their way to love, happiness and success. Why should others have to suffer needlessly? I've already paid the price with my ordeals on the way to inner peace, love, joy and prosperity.
After the initial outpouring of expression, a pause sets in -- sometimes it is natural and other times I have to create the interruption. Like the lily, writing and our innermost desires need to have a quiet interlude between the leaves in spring and the eventual summer blooming of flowers.
The words and my life circumstances look different when I come back to them; they are like the tender flower stalks emerging from the earth. I clear away the dead leaves of excess words and thoughts, water and fertilize the idea buds, and soon there is a neat procession of words and actions that tell the tale I've been holding inside. Glorious, delicate and strong at the same time, good writing, life and naked ladies are like that.
Marilyn Tam grew up as an abused and neglected child in Hong Kong. She found her life purpose at age 11 when she found out as bad as her life was; she was much better off than her classmate, Rebecca. Wanting to help others and to right the wrongs, she left home as a teen to come to America alone to study. She became a business leader (CEO Of Aveda, president of Reebok and vice president of Nike) and global humanitarian. She shares in her latest book, "The Happiness Choice" how you can live a life of happiness, health and success. It's her way of giving back to the world for all the blessings she's received. "The Happiness Choice" tells the stories and insights from Marilyn and many experts, including, Jack Canfield, Joan Borysenko, Harville Hendrix, Arielle Ford and others on how to live the life of your dreams. The book was #3 top business book in March (800 CEO Read), and won the Silver Medal in the Global eBook Awards 2013 in the Inspirational/Visionary category. Her radio show, The Happiness Choice on FMG Network is broadcast globally to over 30 million listeners.
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Marilyn Tam is an international selling author, speaker, entrepreneur, humanitarian and former CEO of Aveda, President of Reebok Apparel Products & Retail Group and VP of Nike, CEO of Marilyn Tam & Company and the Founder and Executive Director of Us Foundation.
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