It’s 5:20am
I arose more than two hours ago intended to write & publish this ‘follow up’ to yesterday’s post in which I reflect on the remaining questions posed by my friend last week:
What have I learned?
Where do I think this is taking me?
From whom do I still need to learn?
What do I know?
Whom do I need to teach?
Interestingly, I found myself with pen & journal in hand writing labyrinth style on the next four blank pages. Although it’s tempting to scan, record, and share those pieces rather than respond in narrative style to the questions at hand, I’ve decided to let my fingers move on the keyboard. I hope my ‘harsh inner editor’ will leave me alone for a while. I want to type as freely as I write by hand … and give her this time off.
What have I learned? (in no particular order)
1. I love to learn and take great pleasure in personal growth.
2. I push myself without realizing it and frequently discount, ignore, and/or trivialize my accomplishments by moving quickly to the next task or pursuing the next goal.
3. Taking time to C e L e B r A t E along the way could be an interesting & useful habit to cultivate.
4. When I decide to learn something, I put my whole self into it and persist in the face of adversity until success is achieved.
5. I’m a recovering perfectionist.
6. I’m sometimes my own worst enemy.
7. I’m not competitive, nor do I easily work with or delegate to others because I feel as if I must do things on my own … perhaps to prove my worth?
8. Methinks I’d like to cultivate and employ collaborative skills as I move forward because I’d like to focus my attention on what I love and let others help me with tasks I don’t enjoy but which need attention.
9. Through the long-term practice of writing in a variety of forms (from poetry to prose, Q&A, the Labryinth, blogging, and whatever comes next), I’ve learned to know & trust myself.
10. I can write, share, and speak my truth with confidence from within … finally.
11. I listen to & learn from others without losing or giving up myself to ‘fit in’ and be accepted.
12. I possess knowledge, skills, and experiences that are unique to me and needed in the world today.
13. I’m creative and innovative … I think ‘outside the box’ and make ‘connections’ others might not.
14. I believe in a benevolent and supportive Universe where ‘beliefs’ manifest in marvelously unexpected ways.
15. Shifting my ‘beliefs’ in small yet deliberate ways by asking questions and looking for evidence … celebrating surprise & cultivating wonder makes room for miracles to occur and allows for ‘change’ to be more conscious.
Where do I think this is taking me?
I’m not sure of an actual destination or goal, but I suspect it’s taking me wherever I want to go next and has something to do with the following (in no particular order):
1. listening to and acting on my inner guidance with increasing confidence & authority
2. sharing stories honestly with authenticity & vulnerability
3. trusting the synchronicity of human experience to do the rest (as in ‘the heavy lifting’ allowing me to relax)
4. sowing seeds (like Johnny Appleseed) without necessarily ‘hanging around’ to watch the seedlings take root, grow, blossom, and yield fruit as the orchard matures
5. recognizing that just as growth happens when essential elements (soil, air, water & sunlight) work together over time … meditation, prayer, EFT, etc. along with ‘a little willingness’ can bring about mental & emotional, physical & spiritual shifts facilitating growth and ‘conscious evolution’ …
6. continuing to write daily … sharing whatever feels appropriate at the time
7. building relationships with others engaged in similar endeavors with the intention of bringing about ‘awakenings’ leading to authentic action contributing to a better world based on ‘inclusion’ rather than exclusion
From whom do I still need to learn?
First & foremost Spirit … that Divine presence accessible to us all from within
… next from people I admire and ‘resonate’ with who are doing their work successfully in the world themselves like:
Isabel Parlett, the Soundbite Shaman
Mark Silver at the Heart of Business
Hiro Boga of Rule Your World
Jennifer Louden of Savor and Serve the World
Jennifer Lee of Right Brained Business
Samantha Bennett of the Organized Artist Company
who can help me learn how to ‘market & monetize’ my gifts, skills, and talents with integrity in ways that serve the world while supporting myself
and finally … others on the journey just like me including authors I’ve mentioned previously and those I’ve yet to encounter, along individuals I’ve connected with in this ‘virtual’ realm and people I meet in my local environment.
It’s 7:15am … I’ve taken a few ‘walk around’ breaks and chased an opossum away from Ms. Kitty’s food bowl repeatedly. I’m going to stop here to take a walk with Molly (after checking email & Facebook quickly), and tomorrow I’ll address the final two questions in my next post:
What do I know?
Whom do I need to teach?
