A Quick Sunday Read About Friction
An inking to tickle your thoughts and your words
Hey there!
Sometimes I find it a challenge to share things, particularly when they’re parts of the story you haven’t shared widely before. My goal is to get better at this. Can you relate to this?
This is one of those moments. :) A few months ago, I was featured in Canvas Rebel Magazine. Here it is.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.
A Quick Word - Words have power. Use them well.
This week's word: Friction
I recently caught pieces of an interview on NPR about the notion of friction. I don’t remember who was interviewed but it got me thinking. The discussion was around friction in the workplace, what happens to morale and productivity when it gets out of hand or isn’t addressed, and how it can also be used to turn things around.
Friction. What a productive word.
It's a noun that means "the force that makes it difficult for one object to slide along the surface of another or to move through it." Or "disagreement or dislike caused by people having different opinions." “dissension or conflict between people, nations, etc., because of differing ideas, wishes, etc.”
It also means, "contention, antagonism, class, dissidence, discord."
Friction was first recorded in 1575–85; from Latin frictiōn-, stem of frictiō “a rubbing,” from frict(us) “rubbed” (past participle of fricāre “to rub”) + -iō -ion.
It got me thinking about how friction is also a good thing. How it can add fuel and spark and energy to something. How it offers an invitation for a deeper discussion or a confirmation to walk away from something that isn’t right.
"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.”— Confucious
Friction can offer the opportunity for reflection, for paying attention to the truths that cause or calm it.
"In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony."— Eve Burrows
Kindness and compassion soften the edges of friction and provide an opening for conversations from the heart.
“Change means movement. Movement means friction.”— Oscar Wilde
This friction when utilized positively becomes momentum. This friction can lead to missions that change lives, write legislation, and move nations. Friction that stirs from the soul.
It also offers an opportunity for consideration of things that truly matter.
Take a few moments this week to ponder how you meet and deal with friction.
Journal Prompt
Prompt: Contemplate a current friction in your life. How can you treat it as positive movement and momentum?
Want to go deeper into your life? Consider embarking on a journaling quest:
The Art of Journaling to Transform Your Life & Live Your Purpose
A Quick Share
Here are a few things I thought worth sharing this week:
A quote I’m pondering from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “Teachings on Love” he attributes to Buddha: “When your mind is filled with love, send it in one direction, then a second, a third, and a fourth, then above, then below. Identify with everything, without hatred, resentment, anger, or enmity. This mind love is very wide. It grows immeasurably and eventually is able to embrace the whole world. Practice the same way with your mind filled with compassion, then joy, then equanimity.” ― Given the state of the world and how we feel rocked by it, this gave me a moment of hope, of peace, of something I can do quietly and fervently to help raise the vibration. Imagine if we all did this?
Love, love, love this season of “Hacks” on HBOMax. Funny and poignant with relationship dynamics that are at once hard to watch and satisfying because the writers capture the universality we can relate to, even in at times outlandish circumstances. It’s my favorite season so far.
A creative journey starts with one step.
What do you want to create?
Perhaps a Creative Jam Session is the key to opening the portal to your highest imagination.
Now's the time for your Projects, Passion, and Purpose™! Book a year of creativity with me and you'll be amazed at what you accomplish.
You can also bring me on as a writer. Need help with a story, treatment, screenplay, bio, website, outline, newsletter, or profile? I’m your ghost. :)
Email me to chat about it. cindy@cindyyantis.com.
I hope you have a great week filled with productive friction. And, kindness.
Keep creating, abundantly,
