John Mayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiUVL4x3FaE

Gravity

Gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down

Oh I’ll never know what makes this man
With all the love that his heart can stand
Dream of ways to throw it all away

Oh Gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down

Oh twice as much ain’t twice as good
And can’t sustain like a one half could
It’s wanting more
That’s gonna send me to my knees
[repeat]

Oh gravity, stay the hell away from me
And gravity has taken better men than me (Now how can that be?)

Just keep me where the light is
Just keep me where the light is
Keep you all where the light is
Just keep us where the light is
Ohh… where the light is! [repeat]

“My Law”
Written by Tieme Ranapiri
and translated from Maori by Kere Graham.

The sun may be clouded, yet ever the sun
Will sweep on its course till the cycle is run.
When into chaos the system is hurled
Again shall the builder reshape a new world.

Your path may be clouded, uncertain your goal;
Move on – for your orbit is fixed to your soul.
And though it may lead into darkness of night
The torch of the builder shall give it new light.

You were. You will be! Know this while you are:
Your spirit has travelled both long and afar.
It came from the source, to the source it returns -
The spark which was lighted eternally burns.

It slept in a jewel. It leapt in a wave.
It roamed in the forest. It rose from the grave.
It took on strange garbs for long eons of years
And now in the soul of yourself it appears.

From body to body your spirit speeds on.
It seeks a new form when the old one has gone.
And the form that it finds is the fabric you wrought
On the loom of the mind from the fibre of thought.

As dew is drawn upwards, in rain to descend,
Your thoughts drift away and in destiny blend.
You cannot escape them, for petty or great,
Or evil or noble, they fashion your fate.

Somewhere on some planet, sometime and somehow
Your life will reflect your thoughts of your now.
My law is unerring, no blood can atone -
The structure you built you will live in – alone.

From cycle to cycle, through time and through space
Your lives with your longings will ever keep pace.
And all that you ask for, and all you desire
Must come at your bidding, as flame out of fire.

Once listen to that voice and all tumult is done -
Your life is the life of the Infinite One
In the hurrying race you are conscious of pause
With love for the purpose, and love for the cause.

You are your own devil, you are your own God
You fashioned the paths your footsteps have trod.
And no one can save you from error or sin
Until you have harked to the spirit within.

This is an inspiring example of creativity in action (and that’s what we entrepreneurs thrive on, right?) ;+)

So, when new parents in Finland wanted to share pictures of the baby with the family, mom decided to imagine what Mila might be dreaming of while she napped and then created a dreamlike scene around her using blankets and props, snapped a photo and put it on a blog.

Mom is a copywriter and concept designer and her ingenuity is obvious… Mila flies on magic carpets, hangs out on the laundry line, rides a leopard and is a bookworm, amongst other fantastic adventures that most babies don’t get to experience.

To see the photos of Mila’s daydreams:

http://www.milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

To see a 2-minute video (featuring Dad’s music):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoQVa86EvPA

Now, what can you do to create something new today??? :+)

To Cultivating Creativity ~~~

Lynn

Sunday mornings is when I like to catch up with myself and sometimes, like today, that can take me down interesting new paths of contemplation. For me, that means discovering facets of something and applying it in a way that can help entrepreneurs build their businesses. (I know… but I really do live this stuff!!!)

Anyway, on this particular fine Austin Sunday morning, I got into youtube videos (otherwise called the land o’ the lost!) and there was one that was, well, oddly thrilling…

So, do you remember the 1970’s rock song ‘Smoke On the Water’ by Deep Purple?

Now – imagine it Japanese style! Seriously – the formal red robes, full Japanese orchestra, the male chanters sitting lotus-style – the whole nine yards. Then add Russian sub-titles on top of all that…  I mean, holy COW! THAT is a unique rendition of an old classic!

And here’s what I learned from it:

* It’s possible to take something known and make it your own, turning it into something completely new.
* It’s interesting to do the unexpected. (I mean, come on… formal Japanese instruments plucking rock music?)
* There is universal appeal in anything human.

And each of these principles leads to success in entrepreneuring. Maybe they inspire you to think about your business in a new way too?

To watch the video yourself, go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1A9rYIVHyM

And then I’d love to know what you get from it when you have a minute to share…! ;+)

To Odd Thrills In Entrepreneuring ~~~

Lynn

P.S.: To watch Deep Purple play it themselves during a live concert, here’s another video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MSyFA84u48 (the song actually starts at 3:05 into the almost nine minute video). It’s a little different than the Japanese version!

Thanks to the one and only wonderful Perenna Fleming (www.theinsightfulsage.com), I came across an awesome and provocative bit of information that I just had to share with you… :+)

A message from Neale Donald Walsch :

My dear friends…

I’ve decided that I have to stop confusing the simple act of observation with negativity.

Some people, in an effort to not “put any negative energy into the space,” refuse to say anything about anybody or anything that could be construed as being negative in any way. And if anyone else says anything about any person, place, or thing that is not wholly positive, many people will criticize the speaker for “spreading negative energy.”

Soon, a certain dogmatism springs up around all this, and suddenly it becomes unacceptable in some “new age” circles to do anything but smile 16 hours a day and say nothing but positive things about everything. In these circles, when someone offers the least little comment, prediction, or description that is less than totally positive, someone else is sure to say, “Are you wanting to create that?”, or “Why are you creating that?”

(Example: “Gosh, I have a real headache this morning.” “Well, why are you creating that?”)

After a while, people feel so hogtied, they feel so straight-jacketed, that they’re afraid to say anything about anythinganything unless they can glow from head to toe with positivity.

I call this a New Age Bypass. It’s psychic surgery, on the psyche itself. It can also turn into a game of “make-crazy,” where people can’t even objectively describe something they’re seeing right in front of their face without running the risk of being labeled a “downer,” or a “negative thinker.”

(“The stock market certainly had a bad day.” “Well, aren’t you the downer…”)

Yet an Observation is not a Judgment, and a Description is not a Condemnation. We would benefit a great deal from noticing the difference.

It is perfectly okay to say “The rain is coming” when, in fact, you can smell it in the air. I remember a day a few years ago where I was at a huge picnic, with about 40 or 50 people attending, when one of the guests happened to say, “Looks like it’s going to rain.” His wife nearly had a conniption fit. “Don’t SAY that!” she snapped. “Are you trying to MAKE it rain?”

Now I understand perfectly well that we create our own reality, and I have read all the messages of Conversations with God and virtually every other New Spirituality text that is out there that says we do so with the triplet tools of thought, word, and deed. I know all about the As-You-Speak-It, So-Shall-It-Be school of thought on this subject. I belong to that school. But does that mean that we cannot even offer a simple observation, bereft of any judgment or announcement of preference, about what we are experiencing in our lives?

Of course not. Saying “oh-oh, it looks like rain” does not mean that you are at cause-and thus, at fault-when the rains come. It simply means that you are observing what is going on around you. It means that you are aware. And awareness is one of the greatest attributes that any person could develop.

The message here is: do not substitute passivity for discernment; do not–in the name of “positivity”–insert total blindness where once there was keen observation. Covering your ears does not make the wind howl any less, and putting your head in the sand does not make danger disappear.

The ability to observe the environment around us, the ability to discern one thing from another, is what comes with evolving to a higher level of consciousness. Observation is the act of seeing something; it is the simple act of witnessing without assessing. Discernment is the act of differentiation; it is the simple act of telling one thing from another.

Observation is a statement that says “what’s so.” Judgment is a statement that says “so what”? As sentient beings, humans have a desire to notice what is going on around them. Indeed, they have a responsibility to do so.

When you consciously and deliberately stop noticing something because you “don’t want to put negative energy into the space,” you forfeit your most precious gift as a creative being: the gift of deciding. You cannot decide what you want, you cannot consciously choose your own future, if you are refusing to look at what is true so far.

I’m going to keep on working to remove judgment and condemnation from my experience, but I shall never remove observation and discernment. The teaching is, “Judge not, and neither condemn,” it is not, “Observe not, and neither discern.”

Love and Hugs,
Neale.

I believe that our greatness waits for us; that is, if you are truly destined to be, achieve or have something, it may take some time to get to you, but it has your name on it – you won’t be able to avoid it and no one else can claim it. And right now, this moment, is when the path to your greatness is rolling out before you and asking you to take another step toward it. (I know that because you’re reading this…) ;+)

However, by following through on decisions that don’t feel quite right in the moment, which is a common affliction of the human race, we put off our boldest destiny all the time. And yet, we / you really can’t outrun y/our own magnificence. In fact, we actually create challenges along the way to grow ourselves by making ‘sideways’ decisions.

Every time a challenge comes up, it’s simply an invitation to consider in what way your destiny is calling you to be more of who you are and claim your unique place in the fabric of time and space. It’s actually the challenges that give you something to push against to grow beyond your current state of being. And it’s the challenges that cause you to know your ‘super-X’ factor.

The ‘super-X’ factor is the volatile energy that is commonly known as Free Will, the one thing that you decide in the moment that changes everything and which cannot really be accounted for in advance. For example, if you have a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to something that caught you off-guard, you will have a different outcome than if you were in a state of proactive choice and aware surrender.

Through making choices and taking action you are creating your way to your greatness. Your future is changing as you move toward it, like a giant virtual kaleidoscope. And you are changed by the act of creation, which is why it’s so important that you be consciously present and aware of the state of your being. (By the way, this is what is commonly called ‘being in the flow’ and, when done right, can be both the most unsettling and the most grounding experience you can have at the same time.) ;=)

Within your particular kaleidoscope of life, there are points of light that are fixed for you to use in navigating to and becoming your best self. So, your greatness waits for you at these collection points of energy until you get to them and are willing to partake of them. (I imagine this as the equivalent of a gigantic cosmic virtual game where you can see yourself as a point of light on the field of life in relation to your greatness collection points.) ;+)

Depending on your route to getting to these points, which can be a more or less rigorous journey based on how you use your ‘super-X’ factor energy, you will be able to savor them in differing degrees.

As an energy-aware person who desires to make a living by who you are, you have to acknowledge that you have (are) greatness and then ‘be’ your way into it with every choice you make and action you take moment by moment. Consider what are you choosing for yourself right now… are you moving toward your magnificence? Or are you savoring it right where you are in this moment? OR, are you putting it off, avoiding it or maybe burning time in looking for your greatness where it is not? Whatever your process, trust that it’s the right one for you… there’s no way to do it wrong.

However, if you’d like it to feel better or go more smoothly, know that now is the time to wake up to your greatness. In my opinion, one of the fastest ways to get conscious is to package your greatness into something that other people can value and pay you for… people are looking for you to help them. The process of packaging your ‘secret sauce’ is what makes you get familiar with it, refine it to its most distilled essence and then honor yourself for being it.

So, what part of your greatness are you winding your way to now?

by John O’Donohue

May you have the grace and wisdom
To act kindly, learning
To distinguish between what is
Personal and what is not.

May you be hospitable to criticism.

May you never put yourself at the centre of things.

May you act not from arrogance but out of service.

May you work on yourself,
Building up and refining the ways of your mind.

May those who work for you know
You see and respect them.

May you learn to cultivate the art of presence
In order to engage with those who meet you.

When someone fails or disappoints you,
May the graciousness with which you engage
Be their stairway to renewal and refinement.

May you treasure the gifts of the mind
Through reading and creative thinking
So that you continue as a servant of the frontier
Where the new will draw its enrichment from the old,
And you never become functionary.

May you know the wisdom of deep listening,
The healing of wholesome words,
The encouragement of the appreciative gaze,
The decorum of held dignity,
The springtime edge of the bleak question.

May you have a mind that loves frontiers
So that you can evoke the bright fields
That lie beyond the view of the regular eye.

May you have good friends
To mirror your blind spots.

May leadership be for you
A true adventure of growth.

© John O’Donohue. All rights reserved. For more info, please see http://www.johnodonohue.com.

You may not remember this, but I had some large unexpected medical bills a few months back. I want to share with you now the results of that campaign, as well as the life-changing lessons I learned along the way, and how it all finally turned out this morning.

First – The Overview:

You might remember that I thought I was having a heart attack a few months ago. Being the good closet geek that I am, I googled what to do when I was having unusual symptoms at 2:30 am one August morning – all web suggestions were ‘get thee to the ER’. So I did. And the bills that came in for all the providers were staggering as an uninsured person.

One of my clients / friends decided to launch a donation campaign to help defray those costs; the original goal was to raise funds to pay for the ER facility fee, ER physician fee, cardiologist fee and labwork. Within the first week, enough was raised to handle all the ancillary fees and the first payment to the hospital. Altogether, the final total of $2200 was gifted by both people I knew and who I had yet to meet (which boggled my mind, to be honest – the generosity of human spirit in action is a humbling experience, especially when it came my way). ;+) I had been a professional fund raiser way back when in my corporate career days, but this gave a whole new understanding of philanthropy in an up close and personal kind of way.

Second – My Big A-Ha (or, The First Insight…):

I went wayyyyy beyond my comfort zone by asking for what I needed, to share my vulnerability with people and trust that I would not be judged for it. I had significant reservations about the whole thing. And I can’t say that I didn’t have a couple of unexpected responses from people, but it was then that I learned how glad I am to have had the physical experience to listen to the voice of my inner fears made tangible so that I could conquer them by looking at the truth of it. And 99.5% of the responses were overwhelmingly positive and supportive as people shared with me their own experiences.

People said that they now had courage to ask for what they needed themselves through my example, that they were going to be more responsible with their health, and that they were inspired to go beyond their own comfort zone as a giver to receive help and support from the people who love them. All amazing and wonderful bits of personal stories, which were heart-felt and most appreciated to hear… what a gift.

Third – An Overdue Growth Opportunity:

I learned to receive. This may sound deceptively simple as a summation, but it was – and continues to be – something that has rocked my world. A big part of my personality rested on my ability to be the giver, to be ‘the rock’, and to not be ‘needy’ as I could always manage, to get by, that other people needed support much more than I did. I always figured I could handle ‘it’ on my own, and I did for a long time. Then my world cracked open, and I nearly didn’t have a choice. It took a physical scare of this magnitude to show me the power of compassion for myself and to allow others to give to me. This is something for which the people who donated to my cause, as my teachers, have left an indelible mark upon me forevermore with the spirit of support and generosity.

Fourth - I Had to Get It Again…:

In every lesson, there’s an opportunity to slip even when you know what you know. That is, after the initial push of the donation campaign in September, and I had paid what I could on the bill, things quieted down. I needed to handle what was left of the outstanding balance (now about $5500). People encouraged me to file for financial assistance with the hospital, but I didn’t think there was any possibility there so I didn’t for a couple of months. By October, I realized that I was again doing my old patterns – handling it all on my own, bravely (maybe stupidly) against the odds trying to figure out a way to get this balance handled as quickly as possible.

Finally, a friend visiting me for a week convinced me to file the paperwork with the hospital, to do it different, to show up in a new way with myself and to ask for support in a new way (notice a pattern here?). So I did. And, despite my follow-through on that filing process, I was told there wouldn’t be an answer for at least 90 days. On top of that, I wasn’t pregnant, terminally ill, a single mother, a minority, disabled or on assistance from any other agencies (darn it), which they told me would have been helpful to make a determination in my favor. I had the misfortune of being basically of whole mind and body, caught between the cracks of a system that has inefficiencies built into it in order to make it work. It wasn’t a happy time for me to take in the enormity of what that meant for me personally.

Fifth – My Biggest ‘Takeaway’ From It All:  

The Universe always has my back. Today, as I was sorting out my year-end bookkeeping, as I was assessing where I am this year vs. last year (and noting this particular balance owing on the books), I got word that the provider review was complete. Against all expectation, the outcome of the situation is that the hospital forgave my entire remaining balance! My new balance is zero.

I have to say it was an emotional experience for me on so many levels. I’m so grateful that this resolution occurred during December, the last month of the year (and the last month of a 9 year for me, in case you know numerology). And all of this has occurred during a month where I set a personal intention to ‘quantum leap’ myself… that process alone has been insightful, transformational and something that I believe will become the foundation of the next level of my work with clients. It IS possible to quantum leap! It’s not for the faint of heart, but that is another conversation… ;+)

My point here is to share with you my gratitude for my powerful teachers for me this year, to thank all who showed up in my world for their generosity and support, and to let the world know how much I honor their lasting contribution in my world. And, honestly, to flat out celebrate with big joy and gratitude the inspiring outcome of what I initially thought was a situation of trauma and despair as it has now shown itself to be – a multi-faceted experiential gem of discovery, gratitude and connection.

Most importantly, thank you for your contribution to my journey in whatever way that turned out to be… Know that you and your generosity is blessed daily. And that it is being paid forward… thank you for being in my world. ;+)

Sending you and yours wishes for abundance and radiant blessings throughout this holiday season and beyond ~~~

Lynn

 In June 2008, I decided to do something I’d never done… create a community of like-spirited entrepreneurs who would get together twice a month by phone for the sole reason of giving each other support, learning the shortcuts and honoring their energy in business. This was the longest commitment I’d made in my business (I’m a catalyst – I do what I do – I get in – I get out!). I didn’t know how long it would last, but month by month, it became a staple of creating more of what we want in our lives and businesses through this connection point.

We talked about energy issues, how to do technical stuff, what to say when talking about our businesses, and the sticking points that kept us looped into old patterns. We talked about energy vampires, and clearing our energy to stay centered, and how our soul talks to us through what we’re doing daily. And it’s been my honor to shepherd our hearty band through a lot of growing. I’m in gratitude for the courage, commitment and candor that the members of the Catalyst Club have shared with me for the last year and a half. To every member of the Club who has ever been, thank you for being.

One of our esteemed members, Mike, wrote a poem that sums up our collective experience beautifully. I just had to share it… (it touches my heart every time I read it… thank you, Mike).

The Catalyst Club

Once there was a catalyst

Who aimed to bring us all more bliss

She formed a club that met by air

And guided us to feel and dare

She closed her eyes and tuned within

To bring to us more yang and yin

Her woo poured out and gave a psychic lift

Allowing us to make a shift

We made some friends and clicked on ning

We shared our highs and tried to bring

Our hearts into our working day

And smoothed our way with feng shui

We talked and cried and found our soul

And let it flow to make our business whole

The club that lived only in space

Has filled its members with God’s grace.

MRN

11/20/09

It’s a transition and a celebration of what’s to come. With gratitude and appreciation for what’s been up until now, here’s to the Catalyst Club and beyond… ~~~

You already know everything you need to know, whenever you need to know it. The challenge is that you either don’t have conscious access to it, you don’t know how to interpret the messages, or you don’t know how to apply what you know. However, many (if not most) people run around seeking their answers from the outside, looking to others for direction and asking for validation about who they are and how they are showing up in the world.

There’s a difference between knowing what you know and building your skills, just as there is a difference between know what you know and being willing to receive guidance on how to best focus that knowledge.

Make no mistake – I’m not advocating that people don’t connect with each other or participate in a community or work with a mentor. That’s exactly the point… when you rely on the intuitive genius of your being, you will have greater discernment about who to share your time and energy with and what to spend it on as well as being aware of who is in best vibrational resonance with you. This is about listening to your own wisdom to make better choices and investments of your precious energy.

The intuitive genius of your being is your personal antenna for assessing your world. It’s your inner compass, your personal navigator and your own fail-safe system for awareness. Your intuitive genius within won’t let you make a mistake, if you listen and speak the language of your soul.

Three Things You Can Do Today

1. Engage with life and then listen. It’s when you are in motion, dancing with life and meeting other people that you get more information. Just as a weather vane can’t do its job if there is no wind, the intuitive genius of your being needs life energy to stay vibrant. The difference is rather than seeking to find yourself where you are not (outside yourself, in other people), you are focused on the insights you are receiving from your intuitive genius.

2. Learn your language. Go back to the past for examples of how your intuitive genius has given you information previously. You may discover the last time X happened, Y is the message you got and maybe didn’t listen to it so Z was the result. For example, you wanted to take a particular route when driving but it just felt ‘off’ so you took that route anyway and found yourself in a traffic jam that you could have avoided. There are myriads of examples in your own life where you could have listened to a message but you might not have recognized it, blew it off or thought you were making it up. Learn the language of your intuitive genius so you can apply it to what’s happening in your life and business right now.

3. Consider the present. What’s sticking you or holding you back or something that you don’t want to deal with? Where are you waiting for someone to give you an answer that you already know? Are you waiting for permission instead of simply doing what you know needs to be done? There are messages waiting for you right now about your world that can help you make better decisions. Check in with the present to start receiving your insights.

Tap into the power of the intuitive genius of your being to shift your world. No longer will you need others to tell you what you already know; instead, you’ll be living from it.