SitePractice Naikan to Feel the Freelancing Love
Last year I wrote an article on the Japanese form of therapy called Naikan (which is still waiting to be slotted for publication at a certain national health magazine!), and I learned so much that can be applied to freelancing.
To practice Naikan, you ask yourself three questions while focusing on a particular person and/or time period:
* What has this person given to me?
* What have I given to this person?
* What problems or inconveniences have I caused this person?
If I do Naikan reflection on a source I interviewed for a query, it might go like this: “Today Jane Doe took half an hour out of her day to talk with me. She must also have spent time out of her work day preparing for the interview, and she also answered my follow-up e-mail. In return, I gave Jane the promise of potential publicity. As for trouble I caused Jane, her cell phone died in the middle of the interview and she had to call me back from her landline, which I’m sure was inconvenient. She also lost at least a half-hour out of her work day, meaning she lost some income.”
If I do Naikan reflection on a certain time period, such as a two-hour period when I was writing, the answer to question number one might sound like this: “I was writing on a computer that was made by many people at Apple. Someone mined metal for the case, someone designed the computer, someone created the software, and other people created the packaging. The computer is powered by electricity from people who work at the utilities company. My husband helped me pick out and pay for this computer, and I pay for the utilities to power the computer with money that other people paid me.”
If I do Naikan practice when I’m feeling like the world is against poor writerly me, I see that I and my career are actually being supported by thousands of people, animals, and things. Try it yourself: Now doesn’t that feel good? [lf]
4 Responses to “Practice Naikan to Feel the Freelancing Love”
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alicia
Said this on September 3rd, 2007 at 11:11am:Another blogger and I teamed up and did a “Naikan Challenge” a couple of months ago. Very interesting practice with just as interesting mental results.
LindaFormichelli
Said this on September 9th, 2007 at 3:53pm:Alicia, how interesting! I wonder if it helped you feel more positive about the freelancing life (or your life in general)?
alicia
Said this on September 10th, 2007 at 6:01am:It’s definitely a positive experience, I believe. Even after the very first time I did it, I had a…I don’t know how else to describe it but say it was a “complete” understanding of my actions, how they affect others, how others are involved, etc. and so forth. And especially for freelancing, it also gave me a better sense of awareness when it comes to just how inconvenient it is, say, if I need more time on a project and don’t let the client know soon enough.
I hope others will try it, too!
Wylie Goodman
Said this on November 17th, 2008 at 7:50pm:I’m a psychologist in New York who integrates Naikan and Morita therapies in my work with clients. I would be very interested in learning what happens with your article. Please feel free to keep me posted.
Dr. Goodman