From the Founder of Acupuncture Clinic of Boulder

A few years back, I listened to a Tim Ferriss podcast. He was interviewing Anne Lamott, the writer of Bird by Bird. It is a book on creative writing, but really it’s a book about life.

I don’t remember much of the interview except how the title came about. At the age of ten, Anne’s brother had a report to write on birds. He’d had three months to finish it and had procrastinated until the night before it was due. He was distraught, paralyzed by the fear he wouldn’t finish it, and his father said, “buddy, just take it bird by bird“. It stuck with me, and whenever I feel I am in a pickle or have a goal to reach, I say to myself, “bird by bird, you’ll get there”. After years of borrowing that quote, I finally bought the book.

Anne LaMott teaches about writing, by describing, in detail, the physical attributes behaviors and emotions of several characters. She paints a picture of a room, a person, or an object so much so that you feel you are at the location, can smell the pie, or know the person.

In the way famous people are awarded honorary degrees from prestigious colleges, Anne LaMott could be an honorary acupuncturist. The practice of Chinese medicine is rooted in observation – the color of a person’s skin, the lines on their face, their posture, how loud or soft their voice is, the actual sound and tone of their voice, their odor. All of these observations, along with listening, asking questions, and palpation help us arrive at a diagnosis and treatment. This is the detail in which she fills her pages.

Tragic, heroic, positive or negative, every person has a story and if we choose to listen and observe, we can light up our lives, be engaged, listen, and live actively, making choices that lead us to the things we want.

Everyone has an important and meaningful story. Often in life, there are obstacles that get in the way of our success. Some of these are in our head and some of them are problems to be solved. The first key to being successful is to make a commitment to finish what you start, whether it is solving a problem at work, painting a room in your house, or committing to working on your health.

Your story is important, and you can write your future. Just take it bird by bird.