The Journal Archives – Not the Same River
I think I’ve been avoiding writing on this page – starting a new book of my life. I guess I was hoping I could time it right, so it felt like I was entering a new chapter of my life. But life doesn’t work like that – at least not mine. I don’t suddenly wake up one morning and watch all the pieces fall into place. I don’t wake up one morning and watch everything fall apart. It’s more like a river, a stream, always moving, but never quite the same. Each corner, each bend holds something new – a challenge, a lull, a pool, a storm, a tide, a waterfall, a twig, a branch, a rapid, calm…
You cannot step into the same river twice.
-Heraclitus
And today:
That was 13 ½ years ago. I haven’t read those words for a long time. Strange to read my own writing from years past – years full of change and growth, full of falling apart and falling into place, and so on, and so on. The river analogy is one which I continue returning to. It just works. Life – time and matter – are continuously moving and we are in that stream, either moving with it or against it, or temporarily at rest, while it moves around us. I’ve experienced the forward motion, the backward motion, and the unmoving states. And these past reflections on life offer me, now, a view of the waters I’ve traversed, my methods/approach on the journey, and what I have learned thus far.
Related Posts
- Mindfulness and Lovingkindness
- Science And Nonduality Conference – Impressions
- Falling Down, Waking Up
- A Manger in the Heart
- Learning to Meditate
Pretty Inside
A few months ago, I had one of those strange encounters with a stranger. The uncomfortable kind of strange, not the pleasant. But it ended up being one of those experiences that helps me to see some of the positive growth that is happening in my life. Personal growth can be hard to detect because it’s generally subtle, and we don’t have the benefit of distance and space, which makes us more aware of changes. It’s similar to how when we see someone all the time, we don’t notice the little changes happening in them (physically, etc), but if we don’t see them for awhile, we do notice. Interactions with other people can provide a mirror that shows us how we are changing. But we need inner clarity in order to separate the thoughts/feelings/opinions of others, from the reality of our being.
So, I was out for a walk, taking a “breather” from computer time. It was a nice walk, at a brisk pace and on my way home, downtown, I passed a guy, just kind of hanging around on the sidewalk. I’m not sure if he tried to make eye contact because my eyes were focused forward – I was “in the zone” as I tend to be while walking. As I passed him, he said, “Pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside. That’s what you are.” I was a little surprised, and disappointed, of course, and said softly, to myself, “That’s not very nice.”
As I continued walking, I thought about it and let myself really feel it. The nice thing is that it didn’t have much of an effect. It didn’t feel nice – it never feels nice to have someone send negativity your way – but I didn’t really take it personally. I checked in with myself and was able to remind myself that even though I’m far from perfect (inside and out), I am trying and I do care. I strive each day to be kind and loving and the best creature of the Universe I can be. I am actively working to share my true gifts and natural talents and positively contribute, to make the world a happier and healthier place. With that as my central approach to life, I can’t be too bad. He doesn’t know me so how can he know my heart, my intentions? And even if he did, I need to remain focused on my inner sense of balance, peace, calm, clarity, strength, light, and…beauty.
Other’s Opinion Are Less Important Than My Personal Guidance System.
-Abraham-Hicks
Being steady at the center (which I cultivate through positive daily practices such as meditation, yoga, creating, etc), I may sway with the breezes/winds/storms around me (coming from the people and situations I encounter) but my base and core are solid and healthy. That’s how I felt and that’s a good feeling. Strength and Balance: the more we have, the more we can share!
Later that evening, J and Karin and I went out to Spirit Rock for the Monday night meditation gathering. It was a cold night and Karin and I made tea to bring with us. During break, we went into the lobby to have some of our warm tea and she and I both had a good laugh (I had told her about my earlier encounter) reading my Yogi Tea bag:
There is a beauty in your presence. Show who you are.
I don’t take such coincidences lightly anymore. It was a little dose of Universal love, in support of the personal growth glimpsed earlier, and I accepted it with gratitude.
Related Posts
- Mindfulness and Lovingkindness
- What Do I Want to Grow?
- Falling Down, Waking Up
- Learning to Meditate
- Wednesday Eve Meditation – Removing the Layers
Creative Pathfinder- Learnings, Weeks 13-16
I’m actually on Week 20 of the course, but catching up w/ my reviews. These four lessons are all about one of the most important aspects of your business: money – marketing, selling, negotiating, and managing. This is valuable guidance so Thank-You, as always, to Mark McGuinness for offering it.
Lesson 13
Topic = Marketing in the Web
Insights
- When working on marketing, as an entrepreneur, it’s so important to “know thyself.” Because,
If you don’t know why people should be paying attention to you, it’s hard to persuade them to do so.
-Mark McGuinness
- Good headlines are what grab readers’ attention, and short, succinct, helpful paragraphs are what keep them reading.
- What I’m hearing time and time again is: in order to build a name for yourself/your business, to get people interested, it really helps to give away some things (of Real Value) for free. When I think about some of the products I’ve benefited from (like this course, and Chikara-Reiki-Do’s Sunday chat, for example), these are now trusted and respected resources, and the first places I will go when I want to make a purchase in their area of expertise. Free e-books are a popular, and effective, way for web businesses to give a “taste” of their offerings.
- Getting on the radar of influentials will grow your reach organically. Just like I ask those who visit my sites to take a moment and comment/share, I need to (and am beginning to) reach out and connect with those whose sites I visit/learn from/enjoy. Energy flows both ways!
Actions
- Read Brian Clark’s ebook, ‘Authority Rules: the 10 Rock Solid Elements of Effective Online Marketing’.
In order to get the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior online, you need to become an authority that others cite (link to) in their online content. Which means, of course, you need a content-rich website that demonstrates your authority in the first place.
-Brian Clark
- Read the Copyblogger pieces on Content Marketing and Headline Writing. Start structuring my content in more attention-catching and easily digestible ways.
- Publish more! Get that editorial calendar up and running again and follow it. Since last month’s BABS (Bay Area Bloggers Society) meeting, Suzanna Stinnett’s white board daily calendar method has been a recurring vision for me. I’m very visual so a physical daily schedule I can write on in colorful markers, and look at whenever my eyes need a break from the computer, sounds appealing and fun! (I’ve got my eye on a nice one at Staples.)
- Keep working on the first e-book concept (in conjunction with the new site which we’re developing.)
- Offer to write a guest blog post.
Lesson 14
Topic = Selling, What and Why
Insights
- When we are clear about our interests and passions, and align our work accordingly, it is much easier to stay motivated and committed.
…before you start worrying about products and services, benefits and features, offers and objections, stop and ask yourself: “Why am I doing this? Who am I here to help? What problem can I solve for them?”
-Mark McGuinness
- Discovering our purpose comes through combining those interests and passions with problems we see around us and want to solve.
What I am interested in/enjoy + What is meaningful + People/Problems needing help= My Purpose
- Whether we’re an employee, entrepreneur,or artist, we all need to sell our products/services/brand in order to generate income. Knowing our audience/clients/customers, really listening to them, and understanding their needs/desires (through asking plenty of questions), is essential to the sales process.
- Know the features of your products/services but then move beyond that and emphasize and illustrate the benefits. Mark suggests a good way to do that, by asking these questions:
What’s in it for them?
Why should they care?
- In order to sell, we have to make an offer and give people an easy way to make a purchase. Don’t expect it to happen automatically
Actions
- Regularly remind myself of the problems I am solving and people I am helping.
- Problems I am solving:
Ineffective/poor/unproductive/negative/lacking: communication and project management/coordination/facilitation
People not recognizing their personal power and ability to be holistically healthy and happy, not opening up and embracing their best and brightest potential.
- People I am helping:
Individuals/groups/orgs/teams/communities who will benefit from my communications/project management and personal empowerment assistance
Lesson 15
Topic = Negotiating Through Life
Insights
- We are continuously negotiating in life, not just at work but also with friends, family, and the people we encounter in a given day. The better we understand the process, the more we get what we want, And make other people happy too.
- It is always important to have multiple options - the power of choice. Viewing the situation from the other sides/perspectives, and with an open mind, can open up new options.
- Know the value of your products and services. This involves researching the market and distinguishing yourself.
- Look for common ground, areas of agreement, and start there.
The key to a successful negotiation is to ferret out everyone’s interests so you can maximize the outcome for everyone. This is easier said than done, since most people hold their interests close to the vest, believing this gives them a stronger negotiating position. But oftentimes this strategy is misguided, because in actuality what you want might be right in line with what the other party wants.
-Tina Seelig
Action
- Keep all these pointers in mind as I negotiate through life.
Lesson 16
Topic = Healthy Cash Flow
Insights
- In order for cash to flow positively, you must have an effective means of keeping track of it. The more you understand the sources and trends of its inward and outward flow, the better you can manage it.
- I agree with Sarah Selwall (guest author for this lesson) that a monthly review/reconciling session is a very good idea. I have a recurring appointment for that on my google calendar, the last Sunday of the month. During that time I add all monthly business expenses to my spreadsheet. (Once a week, also on Sundays, I process the week’s receipts and file them accordingly.) I find it much easier to manage at that frequency.
- And I also heartily agree that being organized with receipts (I use an accordion folder with slots for each month, separating business and personal receipts) cuts down on headaches when you review/reconcile.
- By analyzing the flow (where’s the money coming from, where’s it going, etc, etc) we can develop smart action plans.
- Taking control of our finances via a well-organized, efficient, user-friendly system, and clear goals and action steps, gives us the power to be financially healthy and strong.
Goals are the fundamental building blocks of success, not just in personal finance, but in every area of life. Without goals, you are living reactively, letting life push you around. With goals, you can live a proactive life, steering toward a destination. When you have an end in mind, it’s easier to see when you’ve made a wrong turn. You know where your path is supposed to lead.
-J.D. Roth
Actions
- Continue researching/trying out financial management software/tools and transition to a system which integrates with my bank accounts and incorporates analysis, which my .xls spreadsheet does not. (I use Mint and really like it as a cloud based tool, but I need to play around with it more for tracking business specific expenses. Another issue is there’s no invoicing option…)
