Let's do this, '13!

 

I am already on fire this year and I'm so excited about lucky year '13! Big changes await on the horizon.

A special goddess guide has come into my online world this year, and her name is Leonie. Her philosophy on bringing out the goodness and shining potential in women is irresistible. So I became part of her circle. One of the many benefits to this is her Outstanding Incredible Year workbook and planner.

I've been slowly working through this puppy for the past few weeks. It's filled with planning pages, space for reflection, and my favorite, a closing ceremony for 2012. How can we move forward without reflecting on the lessons learned and giving space to release what's no longer needed?


Check it...

I'm ready to make my Action Book. This book can take any format you wish, but it is a place to write down specific steps toward achieving your goals. As I envisioned this book this morning, a funny voice inside my head said, "Wait--you think you can make a list of steps and follow through with them all on your own?" It got me thinking about a Creativity Group some friends and I had a few years back. We got so much done when we set clear goals with our partners and coaches. And now, who do I think I am, assuming I'll be able to write steps down in a book and actually do them on my own?

BUT...

 

 Why do we rely on other people to make sure our dreams come true?

Isn't it funny how tricky it can be to actually get things done? Aren't these goals OUR DREAMS? Don't we want our dreams to come true? Now I know that dreams are just made for bringing up our resistances, and that's what typically stands in the way of us shining brightly. But what if we took away our attachments for just a brief moment, and looked at that resistance as a treasure? A sign marker for Opportunity. We have all experienced that flood of pride and release that comes with accomplishing something large or difficult or just plain undesirable. Isn't the push worth the reward? 

Someone once asked me, "Have you ever regretted a time you took a big leap of faith?" I thought for a moment and had to admit that those times, while scary beforehand, had been important foundations to some of my greatest accomplishments.

What about you?

What actions will you take this year to make your dreams come true?

 

Joy

 

Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.

~ Eckhart Tolle

{artists unknown}

Writing with power! - Final reflections

After listening to my young writers share their work with each other on our final day together, a whirlwind of pride and elation surrounded me. After they left, I sat down to reflect on what had made the week so successful. For one, I had been blessed with an overwhelmingly sweet bunch of kids. But thinking more deeply--were there certain strategies I had used that I could be conscious to repeat in the future? As I contemplated, two ideas came to mind.

Creating Community
In one of our first morning discussions, I shared my hopes for their participation as writing community members. Setting the tone at the start provided the structure the kids were unknowingly looking for. Will my teacher be nice? Will other kids laugh at my work? Here were my four agreements:

1. Always do YOUR best. Don't worry about Other People's Best.
(following this was a conversation about comparing ourselves to others, learning styles, and self-acceptance)

2. Always be positive and encouraging to others and yourself.
(we can't forget ourselves in this one!)

3. Be brave. Dare yourself to try something new.
(this one ended up being the most important for many kids.)

4. Listen actively with your ears and your heart.
(My teaching partner, Megan, talks to her kids about "listening with your heart." You know the kid who's so quiet when they share that no one can hear a thing, and then the audience gets restless and the teacher gets frustrated? Listening with your heart means you give your kindest attention even if you have no idea what's being said. One day that person will be brave enough to speak up!)

The second strategy that came to mind was a personal reminder lesson:

Meet People at Their Level.

This is a motto I use for maintaining peace in my life. It comes from a Buddhist belief that we are all one. The angry woman at the supermarket is a part of me. The gleeful child skipping on the beach is a part of me. If we are to connect and support humankind, we must always approach each other with compassion, no matter what emotion is being portrayed at that moment. Using empathy to understand someone's current state allows us to bring each other back in to balance. While this idea has the potential for many, many pages of reflection, I'll keep it simple for now. Each child came in to our writing camp with their talents and their fears, preconceived notions and fueling excitement. As I sat down for a one-on-one conference, wrote comments in their notebooks, or invited them to share in front of them group, I took the briefest of moments to silently check in. Did Jon just need more time before finding the courage to speak? Was Mariya ready for a more in-depth critique to push her writing further? When Michael admitted to the group that he believed his mother would tell him his work wasn't good enough, was he asking for help? Did he have another motive for not wanting to take his work home?

I don't always have the answers to all the questions, but taking that moment to listen puts me on the right track. And if I continue with questions rather than statements (How do you feel about that? What could you say in that moment? Is there something you wish I would help you with?) I'm bound to find the missing key. I love connecting with people in this way, quietly and unassumingly. I love the opportunity to move someone from one frame of mind to another. It's probably one of the reasons I became a teacher. And I love when people do this for me--show me ways to see things in a new light and help me realize the limits I put on myself.

So let us go out into the world with listening hearts and the reminder to be gentle with ourselves, too! Does a successful moment of connection and communication come to mind for you? How do you meet people at their level?