Changes ‘a Foot

I wanted to tell my readers about the changes here at The Positive Slant.  On the surface, here, there aren’t many. I will continue to post as usual on spiritual refractions once or twice a week, as I have.

You may have noticed the new name, The Positive Slant On the Path.  For the last few months, I have been slipping in posts on the spiritual refractions in writing.  I am now positing those essays on a  new Blog called, The Positive Slant On Writing, Observations on the Spiritual Refractions in Every Day Writing.  This fuses my two passions of personal/spiritual growth and writing.  It is by and large for writers, or aspiring writers. I will be posting once or twice a week to this Blog.

From now on, at The Positive Slant On the Path, posts will be strictly spiritual refractions. Over the years, I have strayed from time-to-time from this course to other areas. In order to keep this Blog focused,  I’ve created a few more Blogs for my other interests.

In association with my new website, The Word Tech, I offer a series of Blogs From the Files. Over the years, as a writer, I have collected a lot of material.  I will be posting regular rewrites of some of this material in From the Files – Rants and Raves.  Long time readers of this Blog will recall my frequent forays into movie reviews.  There are plenty more where that came from!  New reviews of films, TV series, books and music will appear in the this Blog every week, along with the occasional rant on life, politics and the earth.

For lighter fare, you might try From the Files – Scenes and Musings.  These are light-hearted essays on a wide variety of topics.  I plan, soon, to add From the Files – The Word Tech’s Tool Box Magazine.  This will feature articles and essays on more practical aspects of life, like organization, how-to articles and tips. Keep an eye out for From the Files – Fiction.  A collection of short stories on music and magic. Sample them all, pick your favorites and sign up or check back often.  New posts and expanded categories will be added regularly. So don’t miss a thing!

Along with my new Word Tech persona, I have a Blog called The Positive Slant On Business. It will bring Observations on the Ways of Doing Business with more Soul and Heart.  I plan to have longer posts, once a month. You can check out The Word Tech website.

My other website, UpWrite Words, (currently under construction) will be a clearinghouse for ever-changing spiritual resources that you might be interested in. It will also feature news of UpWrite Words publications, including my novel, The Easy Road, for sale on the site shortly. This story, set in the music business, is about a 30-something accountant who struggles with his passion for music and the life he has built for himself.  New additions will be updated frequently.  I’ll let you know when it’s ready.

In the meantime, I hope you will continue to enjoy reading my posts On the Path and find yourself uplifted from the positive slant.  My next post will be back on track!

Where Did You Get the Notion?

Please click here to read the Love Letter on my website, UpWrite Words.

Stop Kicking Yourself

I’ve posted a Love Letter on my web site today.  Check it out here.

Evidence You Can’t

Today I posted a new Love Letter to my web site, UpWrite Words, about when it’s okay to say you can’t do something.  Check it out here.

Spirit and Form

From the book and workbook, “Living In the Light,” by Shakti Gawain

Shakti defines spirit and form like this, “Our Spirit is the creative energy of the universe which moves through us to manifest in the world.  Our Form is our physical body, our mind and our personality – the medium through which our spirit moves.”

The problem is that what they seek is often in conflict. The spirit wants expression, change, a bigger life, while the form wants safety and security, and for things to remain the same. Shakti says this explains how we can be conscious and strong one day and lost and panicking the next.

So many of us spend most of our lives feeling lost and dissatisfied, no matter what we have. Shakti tells us it’s because of “our lack of connection to our spirit.”  Our spirit and form are working against each other. Often, the only time we can regain that connection is when we give up and surrender. That’s the point where we can bring these two into alignment.

You can have it either way.  You can focus on your spirit and keep it from ever having to be dragged down by the form. (Frankly, the form keeps us alive and functioning, so you can’t really do that for long.)  If it’s all about form, you carry that burden of “I can’t get no satisfaction.”

Shakti wants us to “recognize and feel” both sides.  Secondly, we need to love and accept these seemingly opposite sides of ourselves.  “It’s frustrating,” Shakti warns, “to see that your form can’t do all your spirit wants to yet. But it’s important to appreciate it as it is now and allow the integration to take place at its own pace.”  Sigh.  Well, that’s life, isn’t it?

Like all of this, it’s about listening to your inner voice and following its guidance.  This will build trust.  “The more the form surrenders to and moves with the spirit, the more enlightened and empowered it will become.”  There’s that surrender again!

Up comes this notion about will – that will is not about gritting teeth and moving forward.  But more about knowing and allowing.  Watch what happens when you’re too afraid to follow your intuition. Try to tell the truth about what you can and can’t do.  But don’t forget to be easy on yourself. The more you can keep judgements out of it, the easier it will be to see when you are following the right voice. That will build  trust  in your ability to hear and heed guidance and your willingness to follow it.

Exercise 9 is another 3 column exercise in the workbook.
In the first column, is What I Desire to Do – what your soul longs to do, like take a wonderful vacation to an exotic place, or save the environment, or be a famous singer.  Then list what you are doing now to make this happen.  In the third column, come up with a step you can take toward expressing this desire.

I was surprised to find that I am taking steps toward many of the things I desire.  This is probably thanks to Dream Boogie.  Others I feel okay about not pursuing right now – like building my dream house.  I continue to envision it and think about having it, but it doesn’t feel like the time to start drawing up plans.  I don’t need an Aston Martin at this particular place and time, either.  If I have the time, I might do a little online research to be sure it’s the DB9 I want and maybe choose my color.  I could find a picture of it to hang on my wall.  But, otherwise, I think it can sit for the time being.

One of my desires is to have my writing touch lots of hearts.  I hope that I’m doing that by posting to this Blog and searching for more readers.

There are also some heroes (and heroines) that I would like to meet someday.  I am, as it turns out, actively seeking them out through my business, UpWrite Words.  As for my dream of being a published author? Check. I work on that regularly as I prepare a book proposal.

This exercise made me feel good about the ways I’m working to integrate my form and spirit.

Can you list 10 things you desire to do?

Keep On Keeping On

From the book, Wishcraft by Barbara Sher.

Wishcraft 11, Proceeding

Would Barbara Sher leave you hanging?  Absolutely not.  How do you continue once you’ve reached this stage?  It’s about the day-to-day actions that move you toward your dream.

Barbara has a very specific agenda to follow.  A Sunday Night Planning Session to get ready for the coming week. You can do this with your Buddy.  (We do ours on Saturday.)  It’s about looking back at what you did and thinking ahead to what you need to do in the coming days.  Because of the work you’ve done over the previous week, your First Steps may change.  You may have had a Brainstorming Session or a Barn Raising party and have new information, new people to contact, new activities to complete.
  
Fill out your weekly calendar and share with your Buddy the things you plan to accomplish in the next week.  And make sure any appointments are on your calendar.  You can talk about any problems you’re encountering (or write them down.)  Barbara suggests a little Hard Times, if necessary.  It’s always easier with a Buddy.

Every day, Barbara suggests, fill in your Action Feelings Journal.  I keep a diary of what I do each day and have added how I feel to it.  I am certainly seeing that I often get more done on the days I don’t feel good.  I’m not sure what’s up with that.  Maybe it’s about making up for it.  Or trying to get out of feeling bad: If I accomplish a few things I will feel better. And I do.  I like to think that I do better work on the days that I feel good, but I can plow through a lot of little nitty things when I’m not.

I have to admit, I don’t actually write it out, but I do think a lot more now about what I need to do tonight in order to prepare for tomorrow. 

In her inimitable fashion, Barbara asks that we reward ourselves each and every day.  I love that! “Give yourself something nice,” she says. It can be as simple as a cup of herb tea or, if you did exceptionally well this week (or this day), think of something bigger.

Finally, as you’re drifting off to sleep, think about yourself in your Ideal Environment and sleep with that.  What a beautiful way to go to dreamland!

The morning routine consists of getting up a little earlier (ugh!)  Just a little to look at your planning chart and see where today’s action fits into the whole.  That might be worth getting up earlier for.

In the Epilogue, Barbara asks us to learn to live with our successes. “Each small step you accomplish is going to feel like success.”  And remember, “Winning is a process, not a product.”  The more you can enjoy the day-to-day activities (releasing the outcome) the happier you will be!

She leaves us with three tips to keep on keeping on.

1) Hooray for Me! Give yourself praise along the way.  It is the best way to keep going.

2) Fake It.  With every step you take there will be new challenges.  Many teachers have taught us to “fake it until you make it.”  It’s a corny phrase, but it really works.  Barbara also offers us a mantra: .  “I will not, repeat, will not sabotage myself, no matter how much I may want to!” Recently, I’ve been seeing how I thwart myself by telling myself I’m too tired or I need that extra helping . . .  The truth is: I don’t.  She gives us two ways to help fake it.  Use a Hard Times before you do something that’s scary and one after.  Also, dress the part. Wear the clothes that say Success. If you don’t feel like doing something, dressing the part will often help to motivate you.

3) Until You Get Used to It – keep moving forward.  Imagine something even better to pull you ahead.  “Each destination you reach only opens out into wider horizons, new and undiscovered countries for you to explore.”  Let that energy propel you forward!

Wishcraft is a phenomenal book that just gets better with each reading.  It holds up extremely well.  If you had a new copy in your hand, it wouldn’t occur to you that it’s 30 years old!  The only thing I found that might give it away is the process of logging resources.  It’s so much easier now! If you want to get up and get going, this is the book to read. 

Barbara has several other books including “Refuse to Choose” and “Live the Life You Love.”  Check our some of her web sites through my web site,  www.UpWriteWords.com  under “Connections.” Among other things, you'[ll see how you how she’s brought logging resources into the 21st Century.

Her blogs are as follows:
http://theresistancewhisperer.blogspot.com/
http://scannersrefusetochoose.blogspot.com/
http://lifeofawriterspeaker.blogspot.com/ (This is a more personal blog.)

Barbara Sher has much to give.  Listen to her.  On these blogs you’ll find information on an amazing teaching offer.  Act now!  You only have until January 15th to respond.