When Art Influences Art

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As I edit through the filter of my voice I smile.

The source of inspiration coming to mind in vivid color. 

I don’t know if this is because I have a photographic memory or if all creators vividly remember the inspiration that led to artistic release.

Consumable output.

In my case more often than not it’s a visual – an image – that inspires the written word.

Case In Point

From Bishop Pair

She had to admit, she was intrigued.  Senior cadets carried side arms that looked nothing like what she’d seen on Earth.  They also didn’t look like anything from any science fiction movie she’d ever seen.  They were much smaller and sleek in design.  Of course, she’d never seen one in use so she had no idea how they worked or performed but the confidence with which the senior cadets carried themselves left her guessing the weapons worked as they were meant.  To protect.

How I worded this was inspired by a visual from Patriot Games.

This scene – having been to Anapolis as well as the Citadel – translated in unique ways that allowed me to visualize military students through the eyes of one of their newest cadets.

Each time I read this scene images associated with the influence appear on what Jose Silva calls the mental screen.

The mind’s eye.

Life

When art influences art.

To Find Your Voice Ignore the Rules

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I’ve known I wanted to be a writer since I was 3.  What I didn’t know was the convoluted path it would take.  Even as I was praised as a storyteller, winning fiction writing awards beginning at 6 of years age, I was getting pushback, the harshest coming from a woman of influence – my paternal grandmother.

I now understand she was putting the burden of her need to live in reflected glory/accomplishment on my young shoulders.

My education drove very strict grammatical rules into my head.

Most of which didn’t and still doesn’t apply to published works.

I excelled.

Was reading college level at age 7 – tested 99th percentile in the country – qualified for the new Mensa for children program.

All of which did little to help with my dream of becoming a published storyteller.

Arbitrare This!

Oh – is arbitrare a word?

Fast Forward through a successful multi-decade career in tech to 2003.

Enter Fate!

A merger from hell led me to know that if it was ever going to be –

The Time to Write is Now!

I’d wanted this for as long as I could remember and yes – I remember being 3 and giving my mom a poem I’d written [to her] in gold crayon on a red construction paper heart I cut myself and declaring I was going to be a writer.

Yeah but

Back to 2003

Even as I was working to publish Kerry’s Game – I was working on a doctoral thesis in holstic medicine.

Another passion.

This necessitated I not only spend hours in the scary basement of the science library at Stanford

Hey – it’s dark and creepy in that corner!

It required I purchase a book on the accepted writing style and grammer for a doctoral thesis.

My Masters’ thesis didn’t require this.

Detour Ahead!

My literary plans were derailed by Fate when an adjunct professor who read my thesis encouraged me to turn it into a book.

Which I did.

And detoured further via EMF Sensitivity which led me to publish nonfiction first.

I had multiple individuals begging me to give them unfinished work which I refused to do – on ethical grounds among other reasons; as in it wasn’t finished.

Skipping around a bit – including the impact of Smashwords on the industry …

Once I  published and subsequently dealt with the fallout of that lifetime achievement award I returned to my original dream.

Published storyteller.

I invested in my dream.

Time and money.  LOTS of money

Classes and conferences and more time.  

I ran into rather interesting challenges.

No one told me not to quit my dayjob. Quite the opposite.

I received a hand-written letter from an editor at Tor-Forge explaining their slots for a particular paranormal fiction angle were currently filled and inviting me to submit more of my work for consideration.  

Aspiring published writer gold.

Fate intervened

Beyond the scope of this article.  

Then intervened again.

Cue Mark Coker founder of Smashwords.

The man who upended the industry I was just breaking into had watched his wife suffer the hoops of fire aspiring novelists are put through and decided to do something about it.

For details visit his site.

By the time I was listening to him speak at a conference in Anaheim I was self-pubished and on my way to a flourishing writing career.

My dream.

I didn’t feel an imposter.  That didn’t mean I wasn’t ill at ease. 

I was writing by someone else’s rules and the vernacular that went with those rules. I hadn’t found my voice.

Full Circle

It was while reading one of my favorite books [I’d written] that it came to me. I’d written my stories as if I was working for the Big 5 when I wasn’t!

Their rules. Their voice.

Smiling from the Aha! moment I began editing with the warm feeling of someone who has found their voice!

I can finally write as me as opposed to a representative of a corporate standards list.

Stay tuned!

Manifesting 101: To See or to Write

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Vision Board V Ideal Scene

Thought I’d do a follow-up to my post about the success I’ve had writing goals down – in one form or another – to increase the likelihood of achieving them.

I pointed out that if we aren’t meant to have something no amount of writing is going to change that.

In the post I mention working with Shakti Gawain’s Creative Visualization Workbook to focus on two goals

  • Romantic relationship
  • Writing career

I used the Ideal Scene exercise to write out a day in an imagined future when this person was already in my life.

Writing it as if I was writing a letter to a friend telling them all about this romantic partner.

I had incredible success.

It was as if I’d projected myself into the future and wrote a day in the life he was a part of.

I used the page where you do a form of Vision Boarding to put images – either drawn or cut from magazines – for my career goal.

Using images from magazines I focused this exercise on my goal of being a successful writer.

While I know the Ideal Scene was a resounding success I had to put the Vision Boarding effort through a couple of filters before seeing that it, too, was a resounding success.

It just happened differently than I was expecting.

In short.

Though I’d long said I wanted to be a successful novelist – and I had been writing fiction stories for years – after completing the exercises in the workbook I set the workbook aside then turned my efforts to more immediate concerns which included the job I had.  

I was not being paid to write.

Passionate about success in whatever I do, I put tremendous effort into succeeding.

At the job I was being paid for – an aspiring technical consultant.

I went on to become a very successful senior technical consultant with expertise in network interoperability and global supply chain management.

And the writing?

Here’s the interesting thing.  I spent part of the time at the first Fortune 500 tech company I worked at as a tech writer.  Not only did I write content for proposals and other technical publications, I created the graphics for those publications.  All of this set me up for success as an independent writer.

Though I had no idea at the time.

But Wait!  There’s More!

The Vision Boarding worked too!

I recently took stock of my my writing career and realized I’d achieved everything I set out to decades ago.  It just didn’t happen how I thought.

I never would have guessed that Smashwords would come along though once it did I knew the writing industry would never recover from the fallout tsunami.

While attending an RWA conference in Anaheim years after Smashwords and Amazon upended the industry I looked around to see I was ahead of the curve on the direction things were headed because my business acumen – along with an ability to see the way the wind was blowing -had set me up for success in the new publishing landscape.

Both skills were honed while working in the tech industry with its rapid and constant change.

And that Vision Board?

I achieved everything I pasted into that workbook.  Just not how I thought it would come about.

Perhaps the highest irony is that while I thought I would be traveling for writing – I put imagery that showed travel along with writing on that page in the workbook- it was the other way around.  I was traveling for business and took the opportunity to work on my craft when time allowed.

Which when something matters you find.

In Conclusion

I achieved every career goal I set out to but the biggest takeaway is that the Universe was in charge of how that happened.

And when.

As for the Ideal Scene and Vision Boarding, I would definitely recommend either or both methods as tools to help achieve goals.  Just be prepared it may take longer than you expect and will lead you along paths you might not otherwise have noticed.

Or planned on taking.

Be well!

Note: I met my husband through work so my focus on becoming a successful technical consultant – doing what I could with what I had at the time – paid off.

It helped me achieve multiple goals.

Manifesting 101: The Written Word

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Note:  Longer post but instructional in methods of achieving/manifesting goals.

What’s worked and what hasn’t – and why.

Catch Phrase:  It Works.

I didn’t come up with this title that simplistically yet perfectly illustrates the truth that writing goals down increases the likelihood they’ll be achieved.  

Someone long ago did us the favor.

The publication that bears the title outlines one of multiple methods I’ve utilized throughout the years to help me achieve goals.

Successfully.

What’s relevant is what the various methods I’ve used – successfully – have in common.

The written word.

But first, a little perspective.

Aka a little history.

Speak, See, Write.

Speak

The power of prayer.

My initial education – so far as I can remember – to an action that could help achieve goals – came in second grade.

When I was 7.

The nun explained God could help us achieve goals if we prayed to Him and told Him what we wanted.

She also explained we could ask – not pray to – our guardian angel for the same purpose, which only served to confuse the heck out of me.

Not to mention the confusion of praying to Mary for intercession through God or Jesus.

This method produced mixed results.

No wonder given all the confusion.

I didn’t dare ask for clarification lest the woman grab me by the arm, sink her nails into me, and shake me within an inch of my life.

And slapping me for daring to ask.

Such was the life of my early education.

Isn’t that special?

I asked my father who’d somehow survived 12 years of Catholic school – and some Catholic college to boot – to explain.  Unfortunately, his answer only served to deepen the confusion.

He prayed to the Holy Spirit.

He did his best to explain the holy trilogy but it didn’t settle matters.

I set it aside.

See

The power of visualization.

In spite of the confusion about prayer I never stopped speaking to God.

I was more than happy to frame the reference as Universe if/when appropriate.

During a particularly challenging part of my life…

Toxic Corporate Soup years

I asked God for help.

A big believer in the Midwest work ethic I asked to be pointed in the right direction after which I would be happy to do whatever work I needed to do.

Borders to the Rescue.

Next thing I know I’m at Borders Bookstore in Birmingham, Michigan.

I had a sudden strong urge to go to the one on Woodward.  

I walked in the door and mentally said “Okay, God.  I’m here.  What do You want me to see?”

I was led to a section and when I got there a book fell off the shelf onto the floor at my feet.

This kind of stuff has happened to me my entire life.  I’m always geeked about it but not surprised; nor are those who’ve spent any time around me.

It was Robert Stone’s Celestial 911.

But Wait!  There’s More!

I was inspired to drive to the other Borders.

Southfield.

Walking in I repeated the “What do you want me to see?” sentiment.

Mentally. 

After a fruitless search I was on my way out when something had me stop at the table of books parked near the door.  One book – a workbook – grabbed my attention.

Shakti Gawain’s Creative Visualization Workbook.

I bought it along with Mark Fisher’s The Instant Millionaire and left.

I dutifully followed the steps in Shakti’s workbook.

Cut out images, imagined the pink bubble sent out to the universe, and wrote – in pencil – my Ideal Scene.

At that time it was for a romantic partner.  

The image exercise was for a successful writing career.

Life intervenes.

My tech consulting career took off with incredible speed chaos and success.

Notice I didn’t say writing career?  Or romantic partner goal?

Write

The power of the written word.

In 1998 – engaged to the man who was the result of the one written exercise I’d completed – I reread Mark Fisher’s book.

Aaron and I had plans.

Believe it or not it didn’t occur to me that I’d successfully achieved a goal through writing.

As per Shakti’s comments I’d put the workbook with my Ideal Scene – written in pencil – in a box I hadn’t opened in 3 years.

I dutifully followed the instructions outlined in the millionaire’s fable but got less than stellar results.

More on that in a minute.

Intrigued by the concept of writing goals down to increase the chances of achieving them I went back to Borders – Ann Arbor this time – and found Write It Down Make it Happen.

Life Intervenes.

Aka chaos.

A wedding, sale of a house, new job across the country and incredible cultural and lifestyle changes later…

My efforts were lost in the chaos sauce for some time.

Until…

I opened a box to find Shakti Gawain’s Creative Visualization Workbook.  Pulling it out I thumbed through, noting the images I’d cut from magazines were now a parody of a lifelong desire to be a successful writer.

A parody that cut deep.

I was a technical consultant successful enough Hewlett-Packard relocated me across the country but not the published author I’d worked one of the exercises for.

Ideal Scene.

Nailing the goal.

As I read what I’d written in the Ideal Scene my jaw dropped.  I was married to a man who fit the description/scene I’d written exactly!

In every aspect! 

In the years since I’ve tried various methods of writing goals down.

With various levels of success.

My success stories are so exact as to defy chance.

Yes, I am acquainted with the scientific method.

Sooooooo…

The good stuff right?

What Works?  What Doesn’t?

The method I’ve had uncanny success with is writing out the Ideal Scene.

Uncanny as in getting everything I wrote out in the scene.

The Catch.

I can’t speak for the universe but I have a feeling you can write details til the cows come home – something I’ve seen in Pleasanton, California mind you – but if you aren’t meant to have something, you ain’t gettin’ it.

That being said, in my experience, you get exactly what you write out.

No more, no less.

Example.  

When I used the Ideal Scene method to manifest our home in the SF Bay Area, I laid out the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, wood floors, a fireplace, nice neighbors, nice property, all sorts of goodies.  I did, however, leave out the style.

I ended up with a ranch instead of the Victorian style I had been imagining.

The method I’ve had some – admittedly – weird results with comes from It Works.

It works – but it’s weird.

Example.

My first brush with this method was a version of it in the book by Mark Fisher.

Didn’t work for me.

The next version came after reading It Works.

Didn’t work for me.

More recently and after reading – and trying – several variances of the written word – I came to see there are opposing nuances at work.

Arguments for and against.

A Note About Scripting.

Scripting is a more recent term for the Ideal Scene exercise.

With varying degrees of methodology as per the author.

I’ve personally found most of these newer versions emotionally exhausting.

I’m a writer so the mental part is okay.

That doesn’t mean they haven’t succeeded.

Or rather – one method has – but more on that in a minute.

From what I can tell my biggest mistake using the method outlined in It Works is that I did not consistently read the list.

As per instructions.

More recently while in the midst of the pain of burnout I went back to this simple method of listing goals.

Though the wording had been tweaked per a more updated book on the subject.

This time I dutifully read the list multiple times a day.

For months.

I achieved everything on the list.

Some of which I have zero explanation for as it just happened.

Here’s the thing.  I eventually stopped reading the list each day because the more I read it the more I realized I didn’t have what it was I wanted.  So I let it go.

For 2 – 3 months.

The goals were achieved anyway.

How?  No idea other than it seems to be a blend of the It Works method with Shakti’s Ideal Scene method.

Conclusions.

What worked – or didn’t – for me.

I can’t tell other people what will work for them.  I can simply share what worked for me.

As others have done for me, both verbally and by publishing their stories.

I can say achieving goals is a journey that may take you along paths you never knew existed.

And which there is no way in hell you would have gone down if you knew what would happen along the way.

My most recent success – and one of the more difficult goals as it was related to health and well-being – came after reconsidering Scripting due to reading The Last Law of Attraction Book You’ll Ever Need.

After reading Andrew’s book I decided to give Scripting another go.

Capitalized because of what a pain it was for me.

Day after day I dutifully performed the task though it was mentally and emotionally painful.

I did not have the resources to be doing it but I was desperate to feel better.

What helped was that I’d signed up for Andrew’s emails.

The right words at the right time.

But then they stopped.

No idea why.

I was tempted to contact him about it but decided it was a test from the universe.  How serious was I?

I continued Scripting.

No idea how I had the emotional and/or mental strength to do so.

Desperation?

All I know is one recent day I was walking and realized that what I’d Scripted – in detail – a la Ideal Scene – six months previously had come to pass.  What’s key is I’d needed a certain level of results within four months.

I achieved that goal.

I can say this much.  I am grateful for Andrew and the people who have given him their time to do videos and share stories.

The right details at the right time.

Understanding and Awareness.

It wasn’t one method so much as the right method at the right time.

An answer to a prayer.

Visualizations were provided by me.

My goals.

Be well!

Post Note: More on why the career goal was deayed in upcoming post.

Manifesting 101: A Familiar Feeling

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I’ve mentioned how like so many of us the pandemic left me with severe burnout.

Career burnout.

As with many other variables that surround us now the truth is the pandemic accelerated something already in motion.  

Unless something changed my trajectory I would have hit a wall at some point.

As part of my recovery – and irrespective of the governor’s pandemic coping recommendations – I incorporated walking into my recovery plan.  

2 – 6 miles/day.

This wasn’t a burden as I’ve been an avid walker for decades.

Walked 26 miles less than a year after being paralyzed by a brain hemorrhage to raise money for March of Dimes.

As the weeks turned to months and the miles piled up I noticed something peculiar.  I felt certain felings at the same locations along the route.  What made it peculiar is that the feelings were associated with places I’d lived throughout the years; places that in some cases couldn’t be more different than where I am now.

Not just in terms of climate.

Tuning into the feelings allowed me to see that each evoked a memory of what I loved about the place associated with the feeling.

Wouldn’t It Be Cool?

I’ve written previously that along the path of my life I’ve uttered those words only to find that I manifested what came next in that phrase.  This is especially true when it comes to where I live.  What I came to see over months of introspection while walking is that where I live is actually a mix of several locations tied together by that phrase.

Wouldn’t it be cool…?

To illustrate I’ll describe the essence of what I liked at a handful of the locations.

Grandmother’s House.

No wolf included.

My paternal grandparents lived in an affluent neighborhood near Lake St. Clair.  I loved spending the night at their house not just to see the lake and all the mansions in the area but because it was quiet.

We lived on a busy road.

Many a night as I lay in bed and allowed the silence to wrap around me like a warm blanket I thought “Wouldn’t it be cool to live in a place that was this quiet at night so you could sleep in peace?”

It’s a scenario I’ve had off and on depending where I was living.  

Dorms aren’t the quietest places, nor is living across from a US Mail processing center.

Warm breezes.

With palm trees that bend at 45 degree angles during a hurricane – oh my!

There is an area not far along the path I walk that always evokes the feeling of when I lived in Florida. 

Regardless of the temperature or whether it’s pouring rain – even snow.

The feeling disspiates a short distance later, limiting it to a very specific area.

The area has nothing in common from what I can tell with where I lived in Florida.

Shelter From the Storm

Living with a British family.

My parents split when I was 13 and for a time my mom brother and I were homeless.  Though we eventually got a place to rent we spent time living in my maternal grandmother’s basement and before that, living with the family of the British surgeon who took out my tonsils years earlier.

The man who began my tutelage in holistic medicine after seeing my passion for it while we lived with his family.

I like to think he’d be proud of me for following up with formalized education.

When I walked to school alongside his kids I would look at the nice homes and think Wouldn’t it be cool to live in a place like this?  I don’t know what it is about that specific area along the path I walk but every time I walk by it I am brought back to those days walking to school.

What’s odd is those days spent walking were in the dead of a Michigan winter.

January February and part of March.

I get these feelings each time I walk by, regardless of the season, or temperature.

Even in 80 degree heat!

Eureka!

The role of feelings in manifesting.

This morning it occured to me that what I’d manifested wasn’t an image so much as a feeling.  Each of the locations I thought Wouldn’t it be cool…? were places I felt happy.

Places of refuge in otherwise chaotic times.

Places of peace and security.

The Outlier.

Florida.

Florida was a mixed bag.

It was while living here my parents decided to split up.

In the years since I’ve periodically thought  it would be cool to live in Florida again but the circumstances never matched.  I got the next best thing, however…Southern California!

It was weather and palm trees I missed most!

In the past year I read a number of books on manifesting that cover the importance of feelings in manifesting and while I understood intellectually I had trouble forcing feelings I didn’t feel.

A number of the books offer suggestions on how to evoke a feeling but I was unable to get any of them to consistently work for me.

It was while tuning into this new awareness while walking this morning – that each of those Wouldn’t it be cool…? locations was a place of security and peace – that I came to see something else.  Those are feelings that are part of who I am by nature.

Nature Vs. Nurture.

Painful Memories.

I’ve been in situations where I was forced into survival mode.

Situations where I was living or working.

What’s interesting to note is that until I was out of college I had no control over my living conditions.  As for working – before landing in a toxic corporate soup I’d always had good jobs.

Doing work I enjoyed in good environments with people I liked.

In hindsight I came to see that in order to survive that horrendous toxic soup I was in I had to go on the defensive and look out for myself, which goes totally against my nature.

I’d known from the time I was a child I wanted to be a doctor, not exactly a selfish calling.

Being in such an environment – toxic – makes it that much more difficult to dredge up feelings long enough to manifest something positive.  

Like escape.

Difficult but not impossible.

This is where memories of better times can really help and if you need a bit of bolstering to hold onto that memory you can add the following to keep the happiness going

  • music 
  • movies 
  • friends 

Music is strongly tied to memories so I made sure what I listened to in difficult times brought comfort and joy.

Whenever I longed for Southern California I would plop in Tequila Sunrise.

Or the soundtrack.

Spending time walking with friends at Kensington Metropark after a long day in toxic soup was a balm for the soul.

Both for time spent with friends and time spent in nature.

Though I find it curious that there’s such a patchwork of different energies in one place I’m gratified to know they are tied together by a wonderful bit of truth.  Each is a manifestation of positive happy energy.  

My energy.

I encourage people to find ways to keep positive feelings front and center as often as possible.

Regardless of what life is dealing them.

Walking can definitely be a part of that effort.

Be well!

Tapping into Creativity: When Life Imitates Art

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Experience has taught the more I pay attention to synchronicities the more I experience them.

Today was no different.

Over past weeks I’ve been focused on elizabethmaxim.com’s refresh.  

The site needed to serve readers and visitors in a format that supported my vision.  

Determined not to rush the process – though I was eager to get to work –  I spent time while walking 4 – 6 miles/day thinking through what’s worked in the past, what hasn’t, and where I’m going with my career after time off.

Time spent healing from severe burnout.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

The Universe Steps In

No sooner did I start embracing the vision when synchronicities began popping up like mushrooms in a Pacific Northwest autum.  

Each in its way helpful to my efforts.

  • Meaningful and relevant conversations with perfect strangers who always seemed to be where I needed them when I needed them.
  • Coming across articles that would fill out future blog posts.
  • Discovering much of what I needed I already had

Recognzing each “coincidence” as a gift I acknowledged by thanking the universe.  

I took each as a sign post I was on the right track.

Hey!  

The Universe Turns Up the Volume.

A recent headline caught my attention but, busy working on the refresh effort, I set it aside for later consumption.  

Later = Today.

Hey Yourself!  This Is In My Series!

This is the premise for my series!

The article –  Your Consciousness Can Connect With the Whole Universe, Scientists Say – appeared in Popular Mechanics.

Unfortunately, it’s restricted to Pro Members though I got access through Apple News service.

There are specific lines from the article that stand out because they match the premise of my Metatron’s Army series.

Considerations – including scientific – I’ve had for decades.

From the article:

  • Normal states of consciousness might be what we consider quite ordinary—knowing you exist, for example. But when you have a heightened state of consciousness, it’s because you’re dealing with quantum-level consciousness that is capable of being in all places at the same time, he explains.

He being Stuart Hameroff, MD.

  • When we imagine “what if …?” scenarios, we’re actually getting information about versions of ourselves in other universes who are also navigating the same strange attractor—others’ “cars” on the track. This also accounts for our sense of consciousness, of free will, and of being connected with a greater universe.

Timothy Palmer, Ph.D., mathematical physicist at Oxford

My What If …?  My Work

These are not only existential challenges facing protagonist Christine Baker, they are challenges explained to her by a character using almost the exact analogy.

Definitely the principle. 

Just as in my series, scientists working on consciousness research use geometry to explore concepts mysterious and difficult to quantify.

Metatron.

Associated with the concept of sacred geometry, I utilize Metatron’s Cube as a plot device to explore awareness on multiple levels.

Across multiple universes.

From the back of Positional Play

To Guide and Protect.  When a mysterious carving reveals the identity of a powerful being who can prevent an apocalyptic future, Christine sets out to unlock the secrets of his cube in time to prevent the end of everything.

I invite you to explore the world of Metatron’s Army.

Just in time for Halloween: Life as a Costume Party!

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Hope everyone is enjoying life if not the weekend.  Had a lightbulb moment and wanted to share.

It’s up my holistic – aka body mind spirit – alley.

But first

Making progress figuring out “next steps” in website/career update.

Feeling more at peace with it. But – it takes time.

As usual [for me] the universe is directing the energy – but – it’s coming round that the energy will be pulled in – put to good use.

I’m feeling better!

I wanted to share the perspective that popped into mind.

Perspective is everything!

Many of us are searching – in one form or another – for ourselves.

Searching for meaning, searching for what our Divine Purpose is, searching for the winning Powerball numbers…

Got a bit of insight as to why it’s been so difficult for some of us to find ourselves

Imagine…

Showing up to a costume party where you’re trying to see if you can figure out who’s who only to find you don’t even recognize yourself

because…

Your soul is housed in a damn good costume!

Maybe too good ya?

Good things coming!

Eager to share!

Stay tuned!

Manifesting 101: So, You Want a Shortcut

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I haven’t fallen over a cliff, I’ve been focusing on that much needed self-care and while I have a blog post in draft, I do have a meaningful anecdote to share.

The Universe and a human were walking side by side, the human  deciding whether or not to trust the message they were getting about next steps.

This person has been dealing with a few challenges but did ask for guidance.

Omipotent and therefore able to pick up on the concern, the Universe says, “I’m leading you by the hand down the path and it isn’t a path of thorns.”

The human is considering the words thoughtfully when the Universe continues

“Of course, I can’t be held responsible if you decide to take a path you think is a shortcut only to find it’s a path lined with thorny shrubs.”

Reminds me of a time when Aaron and I were hiking in Sedona and I indicated what looked to be a shortcut.  Aaron subsequently spent close to a half hour carefully picking cactus needles from  my hair, shoulder blade, back, and waist.

Thank God for blue jeans!

Post in draft coming soon.

Be well!

Manifesting 101: Accept What Goes With It

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Note: Longer post.

Hoping everyone had a good weekend.  As I was walking this morning I recalled another aspect of manifesting worth sharing:

Accepting what goes with obtaining the goal.  

Incidentally, this is different than be careful what you wish for.

I find it fun to illustrate with examples.

After all, experience is a great way to get perspective.

When I was starting along my journey in corporate I became aware of the role technical consultant.

I was working in HR at the time, as a PSA.

I spoke with my manager – one of three I had at the time – and she agreed it would be a good fit as a career goal.  She proceeded to help me find a job in the department that would get me to the next step.

I was welcomed warmly by the technical consultants in the group who were more than happy to help me along the path to my goal.

Everyone knew it would take years of work to get from Point A to Point B and many were eager to guide me along the way.

One of the more attractive aspects of the role was the autonomy the position seemed to afford.

Self-directed and independent, I don’t thrive under micromanagement or bureaucracy.

As I got to the later stages of my non-traditional path …

Big time on-the-job training!

I came to see that there wasn’t as much autonomy as I perceived

Think TPS reports.

And there was a flip side to the autonomy.  

This is being a consultant?

Lonely time!

My job required a lot of travel and for the most part I was thrilled with the idea.  

I love traveling to different places and interacting with people from various walks of life.

What I wasn’t prepared for – nor comfortable with – was all the time I would be spending by myself.

I was self-conscious and felt a lot of eyes on me when I checked into hotels in sometimes rural areas, sat down by myself in a restaurant, or walked into a classroom room of my “peers.”

I was younger than most by 10-15 years.  I was single wheras most were married with kids.  I was uusally the lone female in the predominantly male industry.

A colleague who wanted to see me succeed gave me rather blunt words when I discussed the issue with him.

You’d better get used to it.

He explained that being a technical consultant meant spending hours on a plane and a lot of nights and weekends in hotels eating room service while watching ESPN.  

He suggested as an avid reader I just pull out a book and read while I eat.

Making it mine.

Over time I got used to the not-so-glamorous side of being a technical consultant.  More, outgoing and naturally curious, I engaged other travelers in conversation.

Most, also feeling lonely, were more than happy to talk about what they were doing.

Majority wanted to tell me about their families and how much they missed them.

Especially international travelers who, either because of kids’ school or the family budget couldn’t bring their families with them.

I always learned something new from these engaging conversations.

One of the more interesting ones was speaking with a Congressional Representative from the Navajo Nation who was sitting next to me on a flight to DC, his tray strewn with paperwork.  He was more than happy to take a break to explain his role and what he was presenting to Congress the next day.

This is the big gathering?

One of the more anticipated events in our company was an annual training where consultants from all over the world gathered near corporate HQ for a week of intense hands-on training.

And beaucoup networking.

The experienced consultants, not wanting to leave for one reason or another, proposed I go. However, my job classification meant No way! so a bit of negotiating was done.  I could go on the condition I attend specific courses or breakouts, write a report, and give a presentation upon my return.

But I was not allowed to rent a car and a number of stipend limitations were put on me.

It was a thrill and I was excited.  And challenged.

I was carded when I tried to order wine alongside a senior colleague from another state and when I gave the bartender my Michigan driver’s license, he proceeded to accuse me of having a fake ID.  I told him to go ahead and call the cops if he thought that – as my face flamed from embarassment – I’d drawn a lot of attention amongst the group of peers – all men. 

 One of the senior consultants – a soft spoken gentleman from Atlanta in his late 50s – managed to convince the bartender I had a legitimate license and he should sell the glass of wine to me.  

Oy!

I dutifully took notes while attending various sessions and emailed the report ahead of my return flight so the consultants could read it before my presentation the coming Monday.

They read it over the weekend.

One of the first things I said when I stood up was how incredulous I was that grown professionals could act the way some of the consultants had acted during training.

They argued – sometimes endlessly – over the smallest detail – and became quite passionate when learning that certain features promised by marketing weren’t going to make it into an upcoming release.

When I mentioned the frustration of watching a breakout session devolve into a rat hole my colleagues began to laugh and clap.  Confused, I said, “You think this is funny?” to which they replied, “No, this is what it is to be a consultant!”

I’d passed a test and was soon given more opportunities to further myself along the path toward the goal; a path littered with challenges as I learned the less-than-glamorous side of being a technical consultant.

Including learning after I completed all the requirements there was no headcount for me to get that promised promotion.

Perseverence.

I eventually succeeeded then surpassed the goals I’d set for myself.

I can look back on an incredible and successful years’ long career as a technical consultant.  

What stands out – a good reminder as I walk the path to current goals – is that there are unknowns one has to accept to go the distance and many of these unknowns are unanticipated hurdles.

They go along for the journey to success.

Be well!

Manifesting 101: Just When I Needed It

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I’m beginning to wonder if the universe can read my mind.

I was taught God knows what’s in our hearts.

This morning was rougher than usual.  As I was out enjoying the sunshine I considered what I might do to boost my spirits.  No sooner had the thought completed when an older gentleman walking in the opposite direction said, “They say this means we’ll live longer.  It better or I’m going to have something to say to them!”

Whoever they are – ha ha.

His comment made me laugh.

Domino Effect.

It reminded me of something one of my uncles might say about some topic or other and thinking about them and their sometimes grumpy old man manner made me smile the kind of smile that takes over your whole body.

It was just what I needed when I needed it.

I immediately thanked God for the laugh and the smile.

As I walked along thinking how the guy seemed to have appeared out of nowhere I was reminded of a similar situation.

One I blogged about years back.

We were living in San Diego and I was feeling down about the whole EMF Sensitivity challenge.

I hadn’t yet put the pieces of the solution together.

I set out on a walk to clear my head.  Suddenly an older gentleman relatively well-dressed appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

He was well-dressed but he was also a vagabond.

He gave me a smile, opened his arms, and said, “There’s someone who needs a hug.”

Boy did I ever.

I let this older man envelop me in his gift – care and compassion freely given – and thanked him.

The hug was brief and respectful.

I went on my way thinking how amazing it was the man appeared like an angel just when I needed it.

As I continued on my walk this morning I focused on another incident where I got what I needed when I needed it – without asking.

Just Thinking.

The other night I was wondering about the health benefits of walking.

Those outside the well-known, such as cardiovascular.

I had questions about potential benefits, but other than wondering, I did nothing to get the answers.  The next afternoon I came across the following article.

It just popped on my screen after I logged out of email.

I never said one word about my question, nor had I been reading articles about walking. I’d only thought about the question.

The article contained the answer to the unasked question.

Jung’s Synchronicities.

I’ve decided this series of “coincidences” is part of the overall process of manifesting goals.  You put the [intention] energy out there and the universe finds a way.  

The trick is to recognize it for what it is.

And be sure to thank the sender!

Be well!