Two weeks ago I began a course in The Artist's Way at Colorado Free University. The Artist's Way is a 12-week program designed to help artists get unblocked. One of the first realizations that came to me was that we need to begin with what we love. In other words, we need to follow our bliss. I took a look at the different things I was doing as part of my career as a self-employed writer, teacher, and entrepreneur. I discovered there are some things I'm extremely passionate about. My greatest passions are writing, teaching, compassionate communication, and helping people fulfill their dreams. Some of the other activities were more about making money, and although I don't intend to eliminate them from my repertoire, I decided not to put more of my energy in those directions. I will focus more of my resources toward the activities I truly love. This led me to an idea for combining compassionate communication with creativity. In compassionate communication, a language process developed by Marshall Rosenberg in his book Non-Violent Communication: A Language of Life, there is a very specific way that we begin to think and communication with ourselves and with other. The basic process is: Observations, Feelings, Needs, and Requests. We learn to make observations without judgements or evaluations. "Just the facts." We learn a vocabulary for identifying and expressing feelings. We learn a vocabulary for our needs. And then we learn how to make requests. Through this process, we can communicate more authentically and therefore be more true to ourselves.

My Favorite Plane

Check this out. 

Fun & Play

Recently, as I was exploring some difficulties around issues of self-discipline, I've sought out a variety of strategies for overcoming self-sabotage.  However, I discovered that one of the primary reasons I was sabotaging myself, and not having the level of productivity I would have liked, was because I hadn't met my need for fun and play.

A Day in the Life of a Goddess

Have you ever asked yourself, What do the gods and goddesses do all day?  The Greeks imagined that they were sitting upon Mount Olympus, watching the humans, doling out favors or punishments.  But when I arrive at my friend Jessica Notkin’s house and ask how things are going, she has a litany of complaints about the struggles of creating a world.  In the business we’re in — storytelling, novel-writing, and RPG (role playing games) — world-building is one of the primary activities we partake in.

When I listen to her talk about it, it’s clear to me that she’s  a goddess creating a world.  It’s not an easy job.  You have to create planets, universes, languages, people, and sometimes give them supernatural or magical powers.  Wow!  It’s a lot of work!

We spend our days creating people and building worlds, just like someone else spent their days building our world and creating us.  Like children playing house, some day we’ll grow up to be just like our Divine Mother and Father.

Her world at Willow Quill will be available in 2014.

What if Beauty, Magic, and Mystery Were Enough?

I’ve been waiting for a very special moment which will occur on May 22nd. Transiting Jupiter, my time lord for this year, at my mid-heaven in 9th house Pisces, will make an exact square to my natal Jupiter in the 12th house. The ninth house rules religion, belief systems, and philosophy. The 12th house rules mysticism and the arts. At the same time, Saturn, ruler of discipline, is at the nadir of my chart, opposing transiting Jupiter and squaring my natal Jupiter, while the Sun, my time lord for the month has just entered the 12th house, and Uranus is also at the mid-heaven.

So, what does all this mean? I have been trying to figure that out. Of course, my ego said, “Oh I’m going to get a publisher for my latest novel!” Because Jupiter and the 9th house also rule publication, and yet I’m not making any moves, other than writing. I’m not sending out submissions or anything. What has captivated me lately is reading all of Carlos Castaneda’s books for the fifth time.

A friend suggested that perhaps the May 22nd alignments are not about getting published, but they are about a shift in my belief systems. In other words, I might finally get what don Juan is saying in a way I’ve never been able to get before.

It’s kind of scary. It would be so much easier to think it relates to matters of this world, you know capitalistic America, get published, be somebody, get rich and famous, influence people’s minds with my fabulous writing. We’re trained from birth to want that kind of success. But what if it’s really about the expansion of my consciousness. And what if the answer I get is that publication is not really what matters. Oh crap.

It’s scary to think the answer is to let go of caring whether or not the world validates my writing. I’m getting so many messages telling me this, including what my friend Tama Kieves said today, “It has to come from within, not from without.”

And don Juan saying, “In order to succeed at anything, it must be done gently, with a great deal of effort, but without stress or obsession.” I totally get what he’s saying. Put forth a great deal of effort, but do so gently without stress or obsession. It is not a contradiction. I have done most of my writing that way, because something in me was called to write, so I wrote, not because I thought it would be a great way to become rich and famous. Actually it’s not a very effective way to become rich and famous, yet I’d still like that. It’s hard to let go of that desire. So I’ll do what a friend always tells me to do. I won’t try to let go of it, I’ll just sit and observe my attachment.

I do love the sorcerers world as described by don Juan and Castaneda. It is such a beautiful, magnificent, mysterious, magical, and awesome world. What if that were enough?

Your Living Challenge

Don Juan said, "A warrior takes his lot, whatever it may be, and accepts it in ultimate humbleness. He accepts in humbleness what he is, not as grounds for regret, but as a living challenge." (Tales of Power)

I've been thinking about that lately, wondering what my challenge is. The thing that keeps popping into my mind is "self-discipline." I'm always telling myself that I don't have enough self-discipline. If I did, I would be able to produce so much more: write more, publish more, lead more workshops, exercise more, save the world, etc.

But on the other hand, the fact that I have a low tolerance for stress and lack of freedom has been my saving grace in a way. That part of my personality won't allow me to stay imprisoned in situations that weaken me, rather than empowering me.

He also said, "If one is to succeed in anything, the success must come gently, with a great deal of effort, but with no stress or obsession."

That's a very fine line, but I'm sure it's possible. One thing I understand is that the self-discipline is for me. It's not so I can prove myself worthy in the eyes of other human beings. I think that's where I get mixed up. Often when I write something, I get obsessed with getting published because I want to feel that I am worthy in the eyes of other people (or at least in the eyes of the publishing industry). This is where the stress and obsession come from.

It's difficult to let go of this obsession, but I think I may have to, just like I let go of my fear of poverty and then discovered that the monster named Fear DePoverty was nothing more than a chimera. I've never in my life been poor. So by letting go of that fear (and the stress and obsession), I gained both freedom and wealth.

At the moment, this is my challenge: developing greater self-discipline without sliding over the line into stress and obsession.

What is your living challenge?

We Are All Warrior-Sorcerers

Simply put, freedom and money are not connected. You might see a person with both, or a person with neither, but that's irrelevant. Just like the cell phone and lip gloss are not connected, even though a lot of people who use cell phones wear lip gloss.

I'm looking for new challenges, new horizons. I made a list of things I attracted into my life and achieved over the past 5 years (not a comprehensive list, but pretty good). Then a list of things I want to achieve over the coming five years.

It's all about Lila, the play of the Divine. In other words, the goals are not about feeding the little self, or the little ego (which can never be satisfied). It's about being a channel for Spirit/the Goddess/Lila. I truly believe that if we all made our choices based on love rather than fear, this world would be such a different place, I can hardly even imagine it. And why not? I do not believe Earth is a place we come in order to suffer.

Alan Watts says we should admire those people who create their own hells and then get lost in them, believing they are reality. He says, "Wow! Those are some incredibly brave souls."

I totally get what he's saying. I told Adam that he is in the Underworld, hanging by his ankles. It's his initiation, and whenever he's ready to be done with it, he is the one with the keys to set himself free. I am truly in awe of the power we have to create our reality.

And as Denis Waitley said, "A good life is just as much work and struggle as a bad life; it all depends on which one you would rather put your efforts on."