I’m trusting and following my heart and gut and inner wisdom (intuition, insight, instinct, impulse, inspiration) more and more these days and it feels Great. And I’ve been guided away from writing here, on the web.

I’m Out Here, on the Leading Edge, focusing my thoughts and feelings, energies and intentions, doing my Very Best, learning, growing, sharing, and Positively Expanding.  I’m playing with colorful and textural and symbolic mediums to create, and I’m writing the stories of the characters who have been developing in my consciousness and subconscious, and in my heart.  My desire is to uplift.

See you Around.

-Dorothy

A few weeks ago I was out for an afternoon walk at the park in Corte Madera. It was a lovely Spring day and there were lots of parents and children playing. A little boy was riding his scooter down a gentle incline, practicing his balance with both feet on the scooter. His Mom/adult friend was watching and enthusiastically cheering him on. As I walked by I had the urge to add my encouragement, then a part of me thought that he had plenty of that already and so I paused for a moment, self-censoring and second-guessing my natural instincts. Fortunately those instincts were (and are!) strong and overrode that restricting of the flow of positive energy which is my true nature (every being’s true nature.) The wise one within knows there’s never a good reason to hold back our positive energy.

I offered him a big smile of appreciation (for his youthful, playful, joyous be-ing) and said, “Good Job.” And as I walked on, still smiling at his delight in the moment, I heard him say with happiness and excitement, “She said ‘Good Job!’”, which seemed to please his Mom/adult friend, too. I was so touched that two nice words, a smile, and the positive energy offered with them would bring happiness to others. It was a small, yet very important, lesson in how much of an influence our thoughts/words/energy have on the world around us. I strongly desire to be a Positive Force in the world and so I am now even more conscious of the thoughts I think, the words I say, and the energy I cultivate and put forth. And I am getting better at recognizing when I am cutting myself off from the flow of infinite positive energy. Because I am aware of the joy it brings to my life and the lives of those I encounter on this journey, I am committed to cultivating it and radiating it.

J and I had the honor of meditating with/learning from Sri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj the other evening. Great thanks to Yoga of Sausalito for hosting the evening in their very comfortable/warm/welcoming studio. And great thanks to Sri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj (and those who assist him on his mission) for sharing his peaceful energy and timeless wisdom. And the music and chanting were Wonderful!

This is the beautiful message I am carrying forth from the experience:

Practice, practice, practice!

Dedication, Discipline, and Patience will yield the results you desire.

You are secure and regular, daily meditation practice will teach you, remind you, of this.

The real guru is the Divinity Within (the silent wisdom) which is experienced as inspiration.

I embarked on the Creative Pathfinder journey on September 3, 2010 – eight months ago! And I’ve so enjoyed the experience – every step on the “path” I’m finding/creating. I’ve said it before, but need to say it again: Mark McGuinness is smart, and wise, and insightful, and Creative, and most generous to share this course for Free. It’s worth a lot. I’ve benefited a great deal in these eight months of examining myself and learning methods and practices to increase my productivity and success.

Lesson 21
Topic = What Motivates Us?
Insights

• I have a hard time ranking the intrinsic motivations. Really they are all super important to me, but if I had to, this is how I would prioritize them: meaning; purpose; creative flow; interest; learning; challenge. This is helpful to know in terms of how to get and stay really motivated.

• Also good to consider that extrinsic motivators do play their role and help us along, too. For example, I particularly enjoy praise (positive feedback, etc) and appreciation.

• And it’s always worth keeping in mind that the hardest part usually is getting started. I find that once I “get into it” the momentum builds on itself.

The funny thing is, the work is usually quite enjoyable when you get going and intrinsic motivation takes over. But to get you going in the first place place, you sometimes need the extrinsic motivation of ‘deadline magic’.
-Mark McGuinness

Actions

• Keep reminding myself that meaning and purpose (my two biggest motivators) are found in the simplicity of living each moment to its fullest: being really Here and Now, being the best we can be (our Authentic Self), and offering our Positive Energy to the world around us, whatever we are doing, no matter how small it may seem. And also remind myself that every time I pick up a pen, paintbrush, pastel, marker, etc, and start moving, if I stick with it for awhile, I get into the creative flow (the third of my motivators) and what a nice place that is to be!

Lesson 22
Topic = Rejection and Criticism
Insights

• Yes, when we “put our heart and soul” (even a small bit of it) into our work, it hurts when others don’t like/appreciate it. Also, we all just, at a fundamental level, want to be loved – that’s human nature, whether we’re aware of it or not.

• Similarly to homeopathic medicine, when we expose ourselves (in small doses) ,repeatedly, to what challenges us, we become stronger.

• It matters not that we fall down and get dirty. (We will – it’s a natural part of being human.) What matters is how we choose to respond. If we learn and grow from the experience then we are living our purpose.

Actions

• Meditate everyday! By tuning in to my Inner Light, my Highest Self, and connecting with the Abundantly Positive Energy of the Universe, I am strong, balanced, calm, clear, and confident. I’m planning to participate in The Chopra Center’s 21 Day Meditation Challenge.

Lesson 23
Topic = Difficult People

People are much more complex than the labels we stick on them.
-Mark McGuinness

Insights

• Not only do we generate potentially negative energy by labeling people, we also limit the possibilities for how we can interact with them. If we recognize them as multi-dimensional, ever-changing, infinite beings like ourselves (see last Lesson 22 ‘Actions’ re meditation…) we expand the possibilities tremendously.

• As usual, focusing on the specifics is worth every bit of effort. If we understand what we want from the other person, and why, and if we take the time to understand their perspectives and motivations (empathy serves us well), we can approach the situation with clarity and a big-picture view.

In Aikido, Harmony, and the Business of Living (Zanshin Press), Richard Moon calls the practice of being fully present and fully aware “Feel Where You Are.” If you are to truly listen, engage, and empathize with someone challenging you then you yourself must be completely aware of your situation and aware of their situation and all the subtle signals. One who is fully in the present cannot be caught off guard. “Feeling where you are,” says Moon, “refines awareness into attention.
-Garr Reynolds

Actions

• Give others respect and understanding by not labeling them, not assuming, just as I hope others will do for me.

• See last Lesson 22 ‘Actions’ re meditation…

Lesson 24
Topic = Fun and Informative Presentations
Insights

• The best presenters are great storytellers. They know why they are asking for their audiences attention and what the desired post-presentation actions are. And, they weave in interesting stories that illustrate their points, so the audience is entertained while being informed. While studying architecture, learned that even math can be fun (for an arts and literature type) to learn when taught by someone who is friendly, funny, entertaining, and engaging.

Actions

• Follow the ‘three key points + call to action = the structure of your presentation’ formula for fun and informative presentations.

Lesson 25
Topic = Managing Creatives
Insights

• As fellow creatives, even if we are in roles not traditionally seen as creative (IT project manager, etc..), we understand that freedom plays a big role in our ability to produce. If we are too limited by micromanagement, the flow of our ideas and thus our products/deliverables get restricted. And, every one of us has some creative fire within, even if it’s not regularly applied, or even recognized. So, even if our title is not “manager”, when we are managing and coordinating projects and the people involved in those projects, we’ll do well to encourage that creative fire and the brilliance it can produce by giving freedom of thought and action.

• Feedback! As a communications and project manager (by nature and profession), I cannot say enough about the value of feedback. The best managers I have had over the years were those who regularly shared their thoughts/feelings about my performance and work. I learn so much, we all do, when others take the time to share their perspectives with us. I also encourage you to actively seek it out as well, as even the most well-intentioned managers sometimes need to be asked. And, whenever you are giving feedback (either solicited or unsolicited), also see it as an opportunity to ask for feedback yourself.

Actions

• I’m a pretty good listener, but I know what it feels like when someone you are trying to share with is not totally focused on you – it feels like “why bother?” And we’re missing a lot of greatness when we are not really present in the moment with those around us. So, I commit to greater presence and attention when sharing with others. Oh ya, this is important in a management sense, because as we learned in Lesson 23 (when dealing with difficult situations), through understanding others we have a better chance of getting the desired outcomes.

Lesson 26
Topic = Measuring Success
Insights

• Regular self reflection and assessment allow us to see where we’ve been, how we’ve been doing, and how that measures up to the goals we’ve set for ourselves.

• Yes, let’s say it again: money is a positive resource if we are using it to do good (and doing good includes taking Great care of ourselves and feeling Great all the time.) The more we prosper, the more good we can do!

• What we focus our energy on is what we get. So if we desire to be a positive force in the world, we need to actively envision and work towards that.

Maybe you want to save the world, or at least part of it. Or maybe you want to delight and amaze it, which is just as valid. But if you don’t make it a priority, you risk falling short.
-Mark McGuinness

• I so, so, so appreciate Mark’s shining light on an area that many of us fail to give attention to: recognizing “the positive difference we are already making to others and the world at large.” This is a positive use of our energy and attention. As we acknowledge, and celebrate, the good we are doing each day, we are inspired to do more good! I also appreciate Mark encompassing animals, plants, the environment, and the Universe in the web which we are connected to. And lastly, I would like to enthusiastically agree that even the smallest gestures/actions/reactions can have a large and positive impact, frequently rippling out far beyond what we imagine.

Actions

• Some of the primary goals I am actively working on?: more collaborating, connecting, and positively contributing.

• Continuing to cultivate Mindfulness. Being Awake and Aware and trusting my gut/instinct/inner wisdom and the Universe to guide me along this brilliant path.

• Find meaning and purpose in the choices I make and the actions I take each day which positively contribute to the world around me and the universe as a whole. What a perfect note to end the course on!

The first time I heard of Anne Lamott was eight or so years ago, back in Michigan, when I read the “secret of life” which she had found on a xeroxed photo of Koko the gorilla. It was my email signature for a long time and I still find it one of the best pieces of advice out there: “The law of the American jungle: Remain calm and share your bananas.” Though she did not conceive of that Universal guidance, it resonated with her and she dropped that same smooth pebble into the collective consciousness to ripple outward and help many more of us smile and “get it” a little bit more. And that, I’ve learned in the years past, is a true gift of Anne’s.

She was at Book Passage the other night, the last night of her book tour for ‘Imperfect Birds’. This is the third in the series which started with ‘Rosie’, which I stumbled upon at the library last fall and adored. It reminded me of how a good novel can be like a supportive companion on the winding path of life. The depth and soul of characters like Rosie, her Mom, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s best friend, Ray, help me feel less alone in my complexity and nuance. In my hunger for wisdom and guidance, I’d left fiction behind, with rare exceptions, more than a few years ago. I am so thankful for the renewed love of fictional worlds. They kept me warm and rooted during the cold stormy days of this winter just past (hooray Spring!)

Anne is about as down-to-earth as it gets. The kind of woman you immediately feel like you’ve known for years. Yes, partly from reading her words, knowing pieces of her story, but also because her energy is just so damn Real. I know she’s beloved throughout Marin, her lifelong home, and now I understand more vividly why. At Spirit Rock just before Thanksgiving, Jack Kornfield quoted “his dear friend Anne Lamott” on the challenge of going Deep Within. It was something like this,

“My mind is a scary place to be. I try not to go there alone too often…”

Of course, she does go there (and through to the Spirit) alone on a regular basis. That’s the source of her beautiful characters and her kind and generous spirit.

Like any smart writer, I own ‘Bird by Bird’ now, which I fittingly picked up here in Marin. I’m savoring it, bit by bit, picking it up when I need a new dose of Anne’s medicine for the trials of life, which she reminds us, with wit and mirth, are a necessary part of the journey. My favorite dose so far is for coping with those in our life who do not see/feel how their abundance and success can sometimes, when we are going through one of those trials, make us feel a little less worthy. I haven’t had use for the phrase yet, but have almost pulled it out a few times and smile whenever I think of it.

“I had been around someone from the South that summer who was always exclaiming “Isn’t that great?” – only she made it almost rhyme with “bright.” So when my friend would call with her latest good news, always presented humbly like some born-again-Christian Miss America contestant, I’d say, “Isn’t that gright, huh? Isn’t that gright?”

Thank-you, Anne, for sharing your truths so freely. I have benefited from them and they are tucked away in my mind/heart/spirit so it’s not such a scary place to be; companions on

that…”lifelong search for shards of light.”

This quartet of lessons from Mark McGuinness takes us through the fundamentals of protecting and sharing our intellectual property, recognizing and utilizing our many non-monetary assets, and knowing our self.

Lesson 17

Topic = Protect Your Work, Respect Their Work

Insights

• As a creator, putting your work “out there” to be experienced/enjoyed (and purchased!), it behooves you to know your ownership rights in relationship to that work, your intellectual property.

…since ideas and their execution are the basis of your creative and commercial success, you can’t afford to be ignorant about intellectual property.

-Mark McGuinness

• Likewise, when we use the work of others, incorporating it into our own work (e.g. quotes, photos, video/audio clips, etc), we need to know what is legal/fair use. Mark lists some good resources and I highly recommend Creative Commons for learning about and engaging in smart sharing/collaborating. Their video section is a fun place to start learning.

Actions

• Get CC licenses up on all our sites (this action item is long overdue.)

Lesson 18

Topic = Share!

Insights

• Now that you’re well educated about protecting your creative work, it’s time to start sharing. Giving freely of products and services that will help/inform/entertain others is both generous and savvy. It’s a way for people (potential clients/customers/connections) to get a taste/feel for what you have to offer, and begin learning the value of your work. This course is a grand example of that.

Actions

• See Lesson 17 Action.

Our tools give everyone from individual creators to large companies and institutions a simple, standardized way to keep their copyright while allowing certain uses of their work — a “some rights reserved” approach to copyright…

-from CreativeCommons.org/about

Lesson 19

Topic = We Have Many Assets

Insights

• This point – that we each possess many valuable assets, besides just the financial – is really worth understanding. Recognizing the value of our network, reputation, popularity, credibility, time, attention, opportunities, and web presence means we can leverage and enhance these assets for the success and growth of our business, which will increase that other valuable asset, money.

• These assets are all interconnected and complimentary. For example, if we invest our time and attention into sharing our work freely (see Lesson 18), assuming the work is helpful/insightful/entertaining, our network/reputation/popularity/credibility/opportunities will grow over time. Aha!

In a sense, all of the other currencies — including money — are designed to create more of this one. If you have money, a great reputation and network, valuable intellectual property, and control over your own time and attention, you’re in a great position to create new opportunities.

-Mark McGuinness

Actions

• The worksheet for this lesson is full of good questions for assessing the current status/value of your assets. I’ll be referring regularly to my answers to leverage and enhance these assets.

• Invest more time in networking. Current goal = 2+ hours a week. Long term goal = 5+ hours a week.

• Continue building credibility through studying, training, learning, practicing, doing, giving.

• Continue the healthy daily life practices to improve my attention: meditation, mindfulness, eating well, deep breathing, yoga/movement/walks/exercise, getting Out and experiencing the New.

• Recognize the many opportunities that are available to me Right Now, see the value of each step on the path, and keep walking!

Lesson 20

Topic = Know Thyself

Insights

• We talked about it in Lesson 13 in relation to marketing, where it was really more about knowing your work (products/services.) Here we go deeper.

I can say with great conviction that the more we understand what makes us tick/hum/dance, how we approach and interact with the world, and what we do best, the greater our happiness and success will be.

• It’s OK, healthy even, to be at peace with what we are not good at. That frees up energy to apply to our natural talents. What am I not good at?: statistics/accounting, aerobics/complex dance moves, and competitions (mostly because I don’t like them.)

• Celebrate and embrace your talents! Combined with interests and opportunities, they are your pathways to Great Work (thanks to Scott Belsky for that formula.)

Actions

• See Lesson 19 Actions. Just as the healthy daily life practices of meditation and mindfulness help us to improve attention they also help us know who we really are. And not only does that make us more comfortable in our own skin, it makes our interactions more comfortable too. And I for one am all for more comfort, inner and outer!

• Re-engage some of my dormant talents, specifically drawing and writing poetry. For many years they came naturally to me, but those creative channels have gotten somewhat blocked and I want to get into that FLOW again.

• Review on my MBTI profile and reflect on how to best honor and utilize my natural tendencies.

• Start learning about the Enneagram, something which has interested me for years.

I’ve been interested in the process of visually representing our thoughts for quite awhile now. Back in my twenties I found out about The Grove consultancy in SF and thought that would be pretty cool work: enabling “organizations, teams and individuals to visualize and implement change.” Plus, I love color so any practice that involves using a lot of it gets me interested. They don’t call themselves “mind mappers”, I don’t even see any comparisons to mind mapping on their site, and they’ve got their own unique techniques and tools, but essentially they’re mapping the mind. I have not pursued it as a career, but the “thinking visually” seed was planted.

More recently, one of my favorite sources of guidance on creativity and productivity, Mark McGuinness, has mentioned it in his Creative Pathfinder course, as a tool for getting the abundance of ideas we creatives tend to have out of our head, where we can make sure they are captured (and filed away for future reference) and play around with them (rearranging, seeing connections, etc…) And shortly after I met Peter Russell (and was impressed by his flow of thought), I discovered that he worked with Tony Buzan (the originator of mind mapping), in the 70s, to teach the process, and continues to use it for much of his work.

Lists rein in the free-ranging movement of the brain, reducing it to stasis and establishing narrow neural pathways of thought that increasingly reduce the probability of creativity and recall. The reason why lists do this is that they act in direct opposition to the associative nature of the brain. As an idea is set down it is “finished with”, divorced from the ideas which precede or follow it…once you have understood the infinite associative nature of your brain, you are in a position to help it help itself.
-Tony Buzan and Barry Buzan, ‘The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential

Suzanna Stinnett, who leads the Bay Area Bloggers (BABS) group that J and I are part of, is a creative inspiration (productive, innovative, and generous) for me and she’s a regular mind mapper too. She brought one of her current, in process, maps to last months meeting and it lit a little fire within me, to get mapping. I particularly like her approach which incorporates visual elements beyond just words, color, and direction symbols (arrows, etc.) She’s using collage, sketches/paintings, sticky notes, even doodles, which I see as expansive for our minds, and therefore our life!

My maps show me what I am struggling with, what I need to focus on, and where the joy is.
-Suzanna Stinnett

In my late twenties I started really struggling with issues of holistic health and happiness and my creative flow started to dry up. It’s been a challenging journey towards awareness, clarity, and abundant, vibrant energy. Through a variety of positive practices I am connecting more regularly with the happy, healthy state of Being which is the essence of each of us, and my creative energy is flowing more freely. Still a lot of releasing, unblocking, letting go and opening to do, but that’s what it’s all about – the process of life.

So my first mind map (started in October and expanded in January) is quite basic (in technique/style.) It’s a big picture view – ’Elements of my Happy, Healthy, Productive, Prosperous, Creative, Connected, and Positively Contributing Life’ – which contains four major elements:

• Daily Practice

• Great Work

• Learning

• Connecting/Collaborating/Sharing

I felt myself pretty tightly controlling the flow of ideas while creating it, so as I continue playing with mind maps I will be encouraging myself to Let Go and let the flow of thoughts/ideas/hand be free and un-edited. It’s the same thing I’m really working on in my writing (fiction in particular) – to basically tell the inner critic to take a hike because what I have to offer is worthwhile. That’s not to say that everything I’m producing is going to entertain/inform/inspire/guide others. That’s not the point. The point, I believe, is to honor our best and brightest potential, our inner wisdom and unique “voice”, by Letting It Flow. And as we get comfortable with that, through healthy regular practices (like meditation, movement, breathing, drawing/painting, writing, mind mapping, etc), our creations grow and evolve and we find the work that is meant for sharing.

I think some guidance from the masters will help me develop this new skill and plan to start with these two books:

-The Brain Book: Know Your Own Mind and How to Use It

-The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential

October 2, 1997:
In this entry I quote The Astrologer’s Manual by Landis Knight Green:
In Buddhist and Hindu Philosophy the conscious sense of purpose is called dharma, the law for living and developing one’s own character through fulfilling the right duties.  A person’s entire horoscope is a key to understanding and defining these duties; however, it is the Sun that dictates the exact nature or heart of this conscious and mature relatedness.  The planets which form aspects to the sun show exactly how this is carried out.  Naturally, this refers mainly to a person who has developed self-awareness to a degree where he can determine many of the conditions of his present, as well as future, life.  In the I Ching, he is called a “Superior Man.”  Astrology, as it is being discussed here, would have little meaning for someone who is not assiduously seeking the truth about his being.

The solar individual is enlightened to the degree that he can utilize, direct, and project his energies and his will precisely there that life has the greatest meaning and value.
-L.K. Green

The conscious person (solar self) is even more receptive (lunar self) so that he can continue to learn the laws of life that make his survival easier while he develops himself spiritually.

October 5, 1997:
I want to ponder what is happening w/ my existence and how to react to it.  And, more importantly I think, what I want to happen and how to work towards that.  I feel like my life is 90%  (mas o menos) me struggling against the tide.

What are the lessons I need to learn?

In The Wisdom of Insecurity by Allen Watts, he talks about how we are all searching for comfort and stability, but that those things are illusions, so we are really just fighting off life.  Is that true?  To a certain extent I believe it is, but where is that line between building a solid foundation and being able to sway and bend with the wind.  If only I could solve maybe one mystery, maybe I’d get some confidence which would give me more energy to keep striving.

Today:
I am very happy, and grateful, to report that there is little struggle in my life these days.  Still plenty of challenges, yes, but I have learned (by much trial and error) that struggling against them is a waste of energy and serves no purpose.  I do a lot of “swaying and bending with the wind” while at the same time making that foundation ever more solid and stable.  I don’t think there is “a line” between the two.

Through meditation, mindfulness, reflection, observation, exploration, study, and practice, I have come to see that the foundation is our infinite soul and the more we are aware of it and honor/care for it, the more it will keep us steady in the worst of storms and serve as firm ground for our personal evolution.

I’m beginning to believe that the insecurity Alan Watts is referring to is a result of our clinging to and grasping (things, people, events, expectations, etc), not wanting to accept the inevitable changes of life.  But, with a strong foundation, supple body/mind/energy/spirit, and awareness of the infinitely fluid rhythm of life, we can begin to embrace it in all it’s magically mysterious glory.  So that’s what I’m going for these days, thirteen and a half years later.

November 3, 1997:
Life seems so short to me sometimes, oftentimes, so I want to jump in and swim and be carried by the stream – without checking to see how cold the water is or if there’s a big rapid or waterfall ahead or a rock or branch in my path.  I get bruised a lot.  Cuts and scrapes are inevitable, cracking my head open kinda sucks, for awhile.  If only I could figure out how to really apply this metaphor to my life.  Just because the water is warm when you jump in doesn’t mean it stays that way.  Life is not static.  I’m not sitting in tide pools very often (I don’t like pollywogs sucking on my toes.)  And how do I know if there’s a strong current up ahead – I can only see about 2 feet in front of me.  And, even if there is , is it worth the risk if I really want to get there and there’s no way around?  These are questions I can’t answer so I usually/sometimes decide that the only way to know is to find out.

Today:
Life is not short!  At the same time, though, each moment is passing, replaced by a new one.  The more richly we experience our Now, the more satisfying our life will be.  That river metaphor is a bit muddy but I do think that we all must find a balance, that works for us, of being safe and grounded and diving into the rough waters and getting banged up a bit.

I’m feeling pretty good about my balance these days.

January 4, 1998:
I’ve been feeling that I’ve been sacrificing and avoiding focusing on my inner reality and my future goals and dreams and my healthy.  Well, I would like those to be my new focuses – I believe they are way more important to true peace and balance than the exterior realities (distractions and diversions a lot of the time) and they have been sorely neglected for a long time now.  If the Universe is listening, I say a little prayer to be thankful for all I have and to ask for the strength to make these changes in my life and stick to my goals.

Today:
Thanks for listening!