Daily Dharma

“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

Photo by carf

Creativity awakens the mind and feeds the soul. Making something with your hands brings about a satisfaction like no other, and leaves your mark upon the world.

Today, create something.

You do not have to be a brilliant artist or eloquent writer to embrace the joy of creativity. You can create a simple, nourishing meal, a special place within your home, or a new process at work. The goal is to use your mind and your hands to bring about something new – and useful – to the world.

Not so long ago, humans had to create much of what they needed to survive. We built our homes, hunted for and prepared our food, and made our clothes. Today it’s possible to live an entire lifetime without making anything. We can buy a home, prepared meals, and find everything we might need for sale under a Wal-Mart roof.

That’s too bad, because for those of us who don’t create things for a living (as artists, craftsmen, or chefs), we miss out on the simple joy of using our minds and our hands to produce something tangible.

You Don’t Have to Be Picasso

Even if you don’t think of yourself as “creative”, you can create. You don’t need to transform a blank canvas into a masterful painting, or invent a flying car. You can create by following plans to build a model, by following a recipe to cook a meal, or by scribbling your thoughts in a journal.

You can create by organizing a party, by putting together a care package for somebody, or sometimes, just by doing your job.

For example, I used to work at Starbucks, and I found it to be a more soulful job than any I have held inside the corporate world. Every day I created drinks – albeit from a very stringent recipe – that brought a little bit of calm to people’s hectic days.

I find that the more you focus your energy on creating things – whether it is an artwork or a cup of coffee – the less you worry, and the more you relax. Maybe it can work for you, too.

Today’s Challenge

• Do something with your hands that results in a tangible item.
• Replace passive time – like watching TV – with time spent making something.
• Think about ways you could be more creative in your everyday life, whether it is cooking more, producing new ideas at work, or taking up a creative hobby.