Swimming with SARK’s Boogie Books

At the heart of the Dream Boogie with SARK Class, are the Boogie Books. Each week, after the live tele-class, we can go to the Boogie Beans site and easily download the book for the week.  These are 12 to 13 page books designed from the playful and colorful mind of SARK. They are a joy to behold and chock full of fun things to do! 

You can see what she calls her sillybus on the web site.  But here’s my take: In Week 1, SARK helps us to define our dream, get clearer on it. For Week 2, we discover what’s in our way, seeing the bigger picture. Week 3 is all about energy management and finding the energy we need to make our dream happen.  Week Four talks about getting things done, including the amazing Micro Movements.  The next week, Week 5 teaches us how to get the support and help we need to make our dreams happen.  In Week 6, we are learning to create balance, not forgetting to build a wonderful life aside our dream. Week 7 talks of commitment and its power to keep you going. Week 8 discusses how to go the distance with your dream.

I’ll give you a glimpse into the Boogie Book from “Adventurous Week Three – The World of Yes – Creating the Proof of Your Dream.” As the tele-classes closes with a prayer, song or story from SARK, the books open with an “Inspiring Invocation.”  Here is SARK’s message for Week Three: “May our courage be activated and strengthened by more consciously applied yesses.  May we let lose the wonders inside us, and be thrilled at what’s in there.”

The Boogie Books always open with a discussion that is an adjunct to the class material, not a repeat. SARK tells us about ways to bring more Yes Energy to our dreams.

Each week we get “Own Work” which is SARK’s version of Homework.  We need to do one thing in each of the categories of Visualizing, Intending, Sharing, and Doing.  Really, not much at all.  And SARK gives us fun ideas for each one.  This week, she suggests, for Visualizing, to make a list of your own Activators – those things that boost your energy and remind you why you’re going for your dream.  For Sharing, she asks us to share some of our ideas about Micro Movements on the Forum. For Doing, there is a Positive Challenge in each Boogie Book.  This week it’s about making a map of your dream with pictures that represent what you want.  Lists of why you’re excited about it and what you can do when you feel stuck. You might put on there the micro movement wheel of steps to take, people to call when you need inspiration . . .  A fun project.

For Intending, SARK suggests doing the Dream Digging questions in each Book. These are several thought-provoking questions about the subject at hand.  It always ends with an Intake: Three things my dream Needs from me; Three things I need from my Dream. The Dream Digging Questions are always my favorites.  Some examples: What role does energy play in my life?  What is my energy style?  How am I managing my energy?  What can I do to expand my energy?  What are some things that contract energy?  SARK says to take your time.  Do nothing in between questions, ponder them a bit, be easy with them. I’ve come away with something important from every session with the Dream Digging questions.  And the beauty is, the books are mine to keep forever and ever!  I can always come back to them.

It doesn’t end there, either.  Next comes a Boogie Buddy Challenge.  This week’s is to share evidence of your dream coming true, what you’ve done to move it ahead.  See if your Boogie Buddies can see things you’ve missed.  Find a way to celebrate together, everyone’s accomplishments, the movement you’ve all made.

There is also, included with every Book, a Dream Download. A piece of some of SARK’s inspiring art.  This week is a pinwheel that you can print out, put a pin in and use as a reminder to stir up your energy.

Finally, there are Radiant Resources in the back of each Boogie Book.  Books, web sites and things that can give further illumination to the topic at hand.  Her book suggestions in Week Three include Shakti Gawain’s “Creative Visualization” and Henry Miller’s “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird.”  Web sites like Martha Beck, the Goddess of Coaches and Barbarasher.com one of the best writers on the topic of creating your life in a sane way.

Time is running out to join the Fall Session of Dream Boogie with SARK.  Do it now!

Julia Cameron, Recovering a Sense of Identity

The undisputed Queen of delightful growth exercises is Julia Cameron.  We are in Week 2 of the classic, “The Artist’s Way – a Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity.”  Anyone who does creative activities (or would like to) should read this book and follow the exercises at least once.  It is a 12-week recovery program.  Each week is jam-packed with interesting, thought-provoking and varied activities.  Going through the entire program is an amazing and eye-opening experience.  Ask anyone who’s done it.

Week Two is called “Recovering a Sense of Identity.”  Julia explains it, “This week addresses self-definition as a major component of creative recovery.”  She starts out talking about “Going Sane.”  As you start to change you might feel strange.  “At first flush,” Julia says, “going sane feels just like going crazy.”  Most reassuring to know!  The chapter goes on to talk about the people in your life who may be hurting your growth. Julia warns us, “Be particularly alert to any suggestion that you have become selfish or different.”  We need to keep reminding ourselves, even in the face of resistance from inside or out, that: “The Great Creator has gifted us with creativity.  Our gift back is our use of it.”  Along the way there are wonderful quotes from some very inspirational people like Brenda Ueland, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Shakti Gawain, Henry Miller and Eddie Cantor.

The next section talks about the “Crazymakers.”  People who can take over your life, Julia describes them, “They do things like break deals and destroy schedules, expect special treatment, spend your time and/or your money.”  We all know these kinds of people.  The kind that suck you up and very often spit you out.

Next we have to deal with Skepticism.  Those doubts that creep up inside of us.  About a Creator helping us or even about our own dear selves. Julia explains it so well, “. . .  our reluctance to take seriously the possibility that the universe just might be cooperating with our new and expanded plans. . . .   We still feel too much like frauds to handle some success. When it comes, we want to go.”  We need to just keep opening our minds to it.  Over and over again, as a practice.

Attention is such a beautiful and powerful thing. Where we put attention is where things grow.  “The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.”  We pay attention to the things we care about, the things we choose to put our attention on.  When that comes from a clear place in us, it is truly delightful!  “The reward for attention,” Julia goes on to say is “is always healing.”

She ends the chapter with box of “Rules for the Road.”  In it she finishes the statement, “In order to be an artist, I must:” and adds 10 tactics, like “Set small and gentle goals and meet them.”  She ends with a suggestion to make a sign for yourself which reads, “Great Creator, I will take care of the quantity.  You take care of the quality.”  A freeing statement that allows you to let go of the outcome and focus your attention, give your care to what’s important, what you have the most control over.

As for the exercises, I can only offer a sampling. Many of the exercises are linked or built on previous ones. Or tied with the regular routine she asks of you.  Every day you are to write Morning Pages.  And once a week go on what she calls an Artist’s Date – where you make plans and take your artist somewhere fun.  A place where your artist can come out and play. Like a museum.  Or even something different like bowling.  Just for fun, for a different perspective.

Here are a few of the fun things she asks of you:

*  Where does your time go? List your five major activities this week.  How much time did you give to each one? Which were what you wanted to do and which were shoulds? How much of your time is spent helping others and ignoring your own desires?  Have any of your well-meaning friends triggered doubts in you?

I’ve been playing with this lately. I do a diary every day. Some days I can pull it right from my agenda for the day, but on others, everything gets changed.  It’s important for me to see the things I’ve accomplished.  I had this idea, working with The Coach By the Lake, to go over my diary and color code to find out where I’m spending most of my time. Noting what did I really want to do – my highest priority items and how much time I spent on lower priorities.  I think it’s most helpful to get a picture of how you’re spending your time.

*  Another exercise is to list 20 things you enjoy doing.  Barbara Sher has a similar exercise.  It’s so much fun to do!  The reality lies in the next step where you are to put down next to the item when the last time was you did it.  That can be sobering! But you end up with a good list for Artist’s Dates and an awareness of some enjoyable activities you can start to add back in your life.

*  Julia goes on to suggest that from this list you might find two things that you could put on your weekly schedule and do.  She reminds us that it can be done in a small time frames, instead of giving up because you don’t have a big enough space for it.

*  I like the Life Pie.  It’s almost like the Wheel of Life.  Check out CoachByTheLake.com where you can link to a Wheel of Life you can create.  The by hand version looks like this: Draw a circle.  Divide it into six pieces and label the pieces: Spiritual, Exercises, Play, Work, Friends, Romance, Adventure (or whatever you please).  Place a dot in each slice indicating what degree you feel fulfilled in this area.  Outer rim indicates great fulfilment, inner is not so great.  Connect the dots.  This will show you where you are lopsided.  Again we’re gaining insight into which areas need more attention.

*  Finally, we’re going to list 10 changes we’d like to make.  It’s called “Ten Tiny Changes,” but she says they can go from “the significant to the small.”  I like the idea of listing the tiny things you could do that would have an effect.  Like a Game Changer Goal that you could accomplish quickly and easily and see results.  Julia asks us to pick one of those items and get it done in a week.