Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Design!

image by betterbydesign.org

The word from my heart pocket is Design.

The word design popped into my brain last night as I was going to sleep. I knew I would remember it in the morning because the thought of it pleased me so much. Even the word - Design - is cool. It's a verb and I love verbs. It looks great when you write it/print it/play with it. So many opportunities with design. I decided to search the internet for a video on design. I watched a lot of good ones but chose the one that follows for one specific reason: It's fun.

Here it is:  http://tinyurl.com/kogtxt

I could watch TED.com all day long. I have to avoid the T on my keyboard because ED.com will literally type itself. I like it because it's innovative and interesting and entertaining, beautiful and intelligent and inspirational and fun! It's meaningful to me and I learn from it. Those are the same qualities that appeal to me in my daily life. I unconsciously use them to decorate my surroundings, choose where I eat, what books I read, movies I watch, vacation experiences and what I choose for work. This makes me happy. These are the design qualities that make my life satisfying. These are the linchpins that propel me through my days.

There still exists in the world, struggle and sorrow and fearfulness and doubt. That is because there is a lot of unconscious designing going on. 

What if we were aware, more conscious in our design?

What if, like every designer, we made a list of the qualities needed in our lifestyle design? What's not functioning the way we like it? How do we want it to look? What does it need to be maintained? What are the elements of design that need to be changed? What do we need more of?

We start with drawings, pictures/images to help us visualize. We write it out and talk about it and read to get thoughts from others. What is the goal with our design? Happily ever after sounds good. It's what we strive for, right? The idea of that kind of pleasure might feel uncomfortable to some. It doesn't have to feel that way. We can include kindness and compassion and goodness in our design. It is pleasurable to evoke those feelings and share them with our world. We imagine our lifestyle design and once we have it clearly in our minds, we begin to live it.

We change what doesn't work. We retain what does. We explore and try new approaches. we act reasonably ... or not, depending on our point of view. We laugh at ourselves. We fall down. We pull ourselves together. We take baby steps. We experience quantum leaps. Design requires focus. Design wants playfulness, too.

Here's a tip: Discipline in design leads to freedom. Design is a verb, remember? It take E-squared, Effort and Energy. When we combine imagination with energy, we design with great satisfaction. It is the process that is pleasurable and when we experience this, Designer, be aware: Design is habit-forming and will take over your life.