Creatorship

And then there was that small voice...

This vacation was special. No only was there the experience of being present, there was that small voice....

Now let me be clear, the trip was not perfect, at least not in the traditional sense that many think of it. There were glitches, but they always worked out.  And each time, I heard a small voice inside say "See you are being taken care of. "

The first time was our stay at Foss State Park in OK.  The site was delightful. The birds in the prairie field across from us were active and filled the air with songs. We went to bed under the stars looking up through our mesh roof.

During the night, the wind began blowing. It got to be so vigorous we had to put the tent fly on. We noticed our "front door" pad had blown away. A cursory look with our flashlights didn't find it.

When we got up the next morning, the sky looked ominous. After some discussion, we decided to break camp and eat on the road. We took one last look along the edge of the prairie field and there it was - our blue pad. We packed up and left. It was only after we got on the highway that the storm hit. And then I heard that voice...

The next day, after a long drive, we took a chance on going to a different park then we planned, without a reservation -  Bluewater Lake State Park, NM.  We arrived later then we would have liked but after looking around we found a spot that over looked this wonderful canyon. How perfect! After setting up camp as I was gazing over the canyon, I heard that voice...."you are being taken care of."

I heard the voice again in the Dead Horse Ranch State Park in AZ after we went to talk to our "neighbor" in the truck occupying the site across from us. He was playing music way too loud for quiet time. We felt pretty centered going over to talk with him. As we approached the truck, it became obvious he was a pretty stoned. We were still feeling centered and remarkably nonjudgmental. He roused himself, thanked us for letting him know and turned the radio off. And then there was the voice...

The voice came when the lost briefcase was found by the hotel staff and was retrieved by my sister and her husband. And it came again and again. "See, you are being taken care of, you are not alone."

That sense of being taken care of has stayed with me.  It's not about not having problems, but its knowing that some how it is all perfect and that I will be fine.

3945 miles later something changed.  I think it was me.

I don't know what happened...not really

Our days were spent driving, finding campsites, making dinner, and in the middle, staying at a hotel while we had a great visit with my sister and her husband in Prescott Valley, AZ. It sounds like any other vacation, except it wasn't.

My husband and I camped our way to AZ from OH using our wonderful Marmot tent, staying mostly at state parks. 

We decided to forgo radio, CDs,  books on tape... We set our intention to be present - something we'd both been practicing.

Presence can be understood many ways. One that works for me is Tolle's power of the present moment.  It's being aware of your body and what's around you. It is connecting to an energy inside. 

Well, 3945 miles later it became clear.

Something had changed for both of us.

Maybe it was that we got used to the quiet. Maybe we got used to being in our bodies (centered, anchored) vs. our heads. Maybe it was that we took things as they came with acceptance. Maybe it was because we were enjoying the incredibly beautiful land around us; the birds, the scenery, the spaciousness of it all.

Maybe we were just more aware and therefore, somehow more alive.

Whatever it was, we both found a place inside that was calm and peaceful. I felt nourished. It was a way of being I wanted to continue.

I had the experience of what life could be like living from presence.

....and still there was more.

(see next post)

...and where are you when the stars come out ?

"Ralph Waldo Emerson  once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course...We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God."    [People would camp out all over the world to see this wondrous event...wouldn't you?]

"Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television."*


 Here's to living in wonder! The earth is a treasure, may you experience it as such. We need less distraction and more genuine awe in our lives.  As Auntie Mame once said, "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death."


*Read the rest of Paul Hawken's 2009 Commencement Speech given at The University of Portland. 

It's not our father's medicine any more.....

Organizations of the future will undoubtedly incorporate new scientific learning into how they do business. It may happen slowly and organically over time or through the intentional work of a few visionaries.  For example, energy, our attitudes, thoughts and emotions will be given much more attention in the future. 

This sort of shift is monumental. A good example is how all this relates to healing and the changes that will be needed in the medical world as a result.

Get a taste by viewing the trailer on a new DVD movie "The Living Matrix" .

Breakthrough

I've been stuck in my work recently and found some great help in a paper by Michael Neill "The Supercoaches, Part Two" - the section on "Discovering your Commitments".  He is talking about his own breakthrough work  he did with the Hendricks on commitment.

As I read, I understood that we are all committed to something, even when we think we aren't. It is just that what we are committed to may not be what we want.

I played with this idea, asking myself, "by staying stuck, what am I committed to?"  I just sat with the question and wrote down what I got without judging it. I let the statements flow, checking to see how they felt in my body. At one point I could feel a shift, a release.  I knew these statements captured my commitments to being stuck. For example,

I am committed to figuring it out all by myself

Ah, this was old stuff re-surfacing; my version of protecting myself from rejection. But my current work was demanding more of me. It was an opportunity to grow and be more conscious.

Then, in meditation, I sat with the statements and the vulnerability I felt in acknowledging them.   I asked my Higher Self, "OK what am I willing to commit to now?" I expected a laundry list. The simple answer I received was TRUST.

I commit to trusting God, myself and others.

Again, I could feel the energy shift inside. I am lighter.  

"The future is more beautiful than all the pasts." Teilhard de Chardin

P.S. I noticed while writing this post that the commitment exercise came to me through a friend just when I needed it; almost as if to reinforce "what's not to trust? "  <major grin>

Hanging on at the speed of light...

Technology is changing so rapidly its hard to keep up. When is it time to let go of old ways of doing things; old ways of thinking?

I've a Mac Computer, an old Palm and a back-up paper calendar. I like seeing my schedule laid out on paper in case my computer should crash. Yet this system is complex. I have to enter appointments into my palm, sync with my computer and then transfer them into my paper calendar. Recently I forgot to transfer an appointment and, well I missed the appointment.  I, who prides herself on reliability, lost it.

This happened at the same time I was exploring ordering a netbook for traveling to keep up with emails, blogs etc.  I felt overwhelmed.  I have a Mac  and an old PC laptop that gets used to patch my husband's networked PC through to the printer. Is a netbook a waste of money? Do I need to keep up when I'm out of town?  Does it matter if I'll have hundreds of emails when I get back?  Would I keep both PCs? Maybe I should dump my phone and get an iphone?

Melt down!!!!

Then, this morning I got it. It's what I've been been espousing to clients for a long time.

Define the end you want and the needs you are trying to meet. Center yourself (get coherent), let yourself know what your next step is. Do it!  Repeat as necessary.

What I want is to keep up with email/blogs when I'm out of town. My need is to be relaxed and not stress myself out. I like my phone. Soooo, I ordered a netbook and packed away my paper calendar.

Here's to going at the speed of light .... one baby step at a time.

when it is getting hard...

"It's only failure when you no longer pursue it. Until then it's learning."

 Paula Butterfield, a friend and very wise colleague

At times, work seems hard.  I don't always have the energy or know the next step to move things forward. Talking to Paula about this, she reminded me "not knowing" isn't failure.  Being frustrated isn't failure. Even seeing myself in old patterns isn't failure. Not trying, giving in, or letting the overwhelmed feeling lead me to quit .... just might be. 

So, I'm recommitting to moving forward, to keep writing, to meditate more so I'm not trying to do it all on my own steam. It is spring... and that is a time of rebirth. The sun warms my body and my heart. And I am grateful!

The difference between a wish and intention?

'Cheryl [Richardson, life coach and author] says the biggest difference between the two [ a wish and an intention]  is how they originate. "A wish is often coming from what isn't working in your life. Like, 'I wish I would win the lottery because I'm in debt. I wish I would meet a partner because I'm lonely and I don't feel comfortable living alone.'"

"An intention is a soul goal, not a head goal," she says. "My prayer is always, 'If this is in the highest and best interest for me and those around me, then please allow it to happen.' And that sort of is a humble way of saying it's not just about me and what my head thinks because I'm a physical being and I'm having a physical experience. It is also about me and this greater energy, this greater creative force, and that's where an intention is set from."

Martha [Beck] says she has an even simpler way of knowing whether something is a wish or an intention. "What I found is that if you really want something, it makes you feel physically stronger," she says. "And if you think you want it but you don't really want it, it makes you feel physically weaker." '

 from Oprahs' website: http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/spirit/inspiration/20080627_tows_lawofattraction/12

When I set my intention I focus on what I want (as opposed to what I don't want or a "should" or an "ought to"). When the wording is "right", It has a clarity that feels good to me.  It does make me feel physically stronger. 

I believe if you listen to your internal guidance when setting intention,  it will be "soul" driven. Learning to set a clear intention takes practice. It also takes practice to notice any conflicting beliefs/assumptions or fears that are are getting in the way.  My thoughts, emotions and actions are all key in the manifestation process. Mixed beliefs/thoughts/emotions get mixed results.

How do you work with intention?

Note: Picture was taken of a plant, not a feather,  at the Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati, OH

and what are you doing?

My friend Mary Bast recently asked me what I was doing.

This is what I said:

"I'm working on a new concept and, at least for now, I'm calling it  'creatorship.'

The world is changing.  We need a new way of thinking about how we work, get results and interact with people that more accurately describes what is really happening.

I've moved away from ‘leadership’ because it focuses on the few. It incorrectly implies leaders make things happen, that influence is unidirectional and that the rest of the organization/community play no significant role. Leadership is a reflection of the mechanistic thinking that has dominated the 19th and 20th centuries. Our language and our concepts need updating.

Creatorship is based on 21st century research. There are three main tenets: 1) Your intention directly affects your results; 2) You live in, and are dependent on, systems, and 3) You become (evolve your thinking and effect your energy) in relationship with others, nature and your environment

It's time to think differently about what is important. As we learn to think differently, we’ll perceive what happens differently and different solutions and possibilities will open up. This is particularly important around what we’ve defined as leadership.

For example, If you like what a ‘leader’ is proposing, you are choosing to support that person because you resonate with his/her ideas or are afraid of consequences or maybe just want someone else to make the decisions. In any case, you are playing a significant role, whether or not you're conscious of it! There is no letting yourself off the hook by blaming/or crediting the leader.

Creatorship is about stepping into your real power. It's about using intention on a daily basis. It's about learning to think in systems. And, it is learning to skillfully ‘get on the same page’ with others in the system so you can expand your perception, engage in meaningful discussion, and find common ground to move forward on.

The challenges of the 21st century are many. We need to use what we are learning to create a new level of thinking. Creatorship is a way to start."

   OK... Mary also asked me to write a half page capturing what I said to her.  So, that's the reason for this post. I look forward any comments, questions or links to kindred spirits.

Coming off a seven day fast

I've just finished a seven day Master Cleanse (or the Lemonade Diet) as a way to give myself a jump start for the New Year. What did I learn?

1) Cravings are in my head. Hunger is in my belly.  When I start craving food if I check in with my stomach, I'm usually not hungry. Rather it is the images and smells I can conjure up from memory that are driving me. 

2) If I wait and go do something else, the craving will pass. 

3) I learned from Oprah's show recently that another good thing to do is ask the question "What am I really hungry for?"  For me it turned out that sometimes I just wanted a break from the work I was doing or, I needed to do something with my hands instead of my brain.

Fasting brings awareness of how use you food in your life.

Now it turns out for me, coming off the cleanse is harder than doing the cleanse. Once I start to eat food again, I can conjure up delicious tasting pizzas, cheese sandwiches (always things high in fat I've noticed) that I must have.  NOW!

What is my strategy to avoid the "pigging out phase" I'm so vulnerable to? 

Eat consciously!

Jo in her blog suggests the following:

"Savour your food.  I know we were told to eat more slowly as kids.  That’s important, I believe.  I mean enjoy what you are eating.  Eat what you enjoy and really savour it.  Celebrate each mouthful.  Enjoy the taste, the texture, the smell, the colour, the combinations." 

I love her word "savour' because when I'm in an eating frenzy mood I am usually

• multi-tasking (reading, watching TV) and not paying attention to what I'm eating, or
• just tired and trying to get energy (I should just nap)

In either case I am certainly not savoring the food.

So I am practicing savoring my food, and so far so good.

Are you interested in a fasting?   Here are some other cleanses to consider In addition to the Master Cleanse.

Rebel Belle is doing the Raw Diva Detox (free on line).

If you want to do a more intense cleanse, there is Dr. Shulze's Cleansing programs. I did his 30 day detox after I was diagnosed with breast cancer in '94. It is good but not for the weak of heart nor at a time you have a tough work schedule.