23. Remember It's A Process

I learned a neat trick from The Structure of Magic 1 about how to check when something we think of as a noun is better thought of as a process. The trick is to check and see if it fits with these words “an ongoing ____”. For instance, you cannot say “an ongoing book” but you can say “an ongoing decision”. Both words “book” and “decision” are nouns but one has more to tell us. When we think of something as an event, like a decision, it can seem like there is nothing we can do about it, but when we remember it is a process, and change our language to show it is a process, we realize we have more control over it than we thought.

Here are some words that we change into events that are processes:

Job: Instead of thinking of a job as a fixed position (a noun), consider it as "an ongoing career development". This change in perspective moves our focus to continuous learning and growth.

Marriage: Viewing marriage not just as a legal bond (a noun) but as "an ongoing partnership" shows the dynamic aspects of maintaining and nurturing the relationship over time.

Health: Instead of seeing health as a state at any one time (a noun), thinking of it as "an ongoing wellness journey" can help us better engage with healthy practices.

Finances: Rather than considering finances as a status (a noun), understanding them as "ongoing financial management" can help us be more proactive and strategic about how we manage our money.

What other words could you add to this list?