Look and you will find it --- what is unsought will go undetected
Sophocles
The Art of Mastery is about discerning what you want in your heart of hearts.
Giving voice to what you fear;
Seeking the truth underneath the fear and
Giving vision to what you truly want to create in your life.
As you look back on 2009, what did you want that you didn't create?
Is it something you want to go for again?
How will you be different this time?
As you look forward to 2010, what ONE thing do you want to create for your self, for others, and for the transformation of our world?
See it, name it, seek it....it's there for you to have.
Follow your LifeShocks for They will guide you on your journey.
The Practice of Processing Mastery class is on offer to you as you envision and plan your creation in 2010.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Practice of Mastery . . .
"Being radically response-able for the quality of your results, relationships and self-regard as you engage with the challenges of your life"
Adapted from the Art of Responsibility
Explore your practice of Response-ability.
How are you navigating the results you want ~
Are you consciously choosing and course correcting or
are you on automatic pilot?
Are you intentionally connecting in your relationships or
are you covertly separating?
Are you expanding your love-ability and joy or
are you contracting into numbness?
Think about it! Act on it!
It may be that simple ~ notice, tell the truth, choose, create, experience gratitude ~ The response is up to you.
How are you navigating the results you want ~
Are you consciously choosing and course correcting or
are you on automatic pilot?
Are you intentionally connecting in your relationships or
are you covertly separating?
Are you expanding your love-ability and joy or
are you contracting into numbness?
Think about it! Act on it!
It may be that simple ~ notice, tell the truth, choose, create, experience gratitude ~ The response is up to you.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
“A lot of things
make a difference.
Some things make
all the difference." K.Bradford Brown, Guidelines to Creativity
Did you make some new commitments for 2009? Or are you like my friend who is so tired of struggling to change her behavior that she decided to spare herself all that this year.
Most of us know what that’s like, don’t we? I made myself miserable for weeks struggling to stick to a food plan a few years ago. Give up sugar? Please! No caffeine? Sorry, I meet with clients at coffee shops, for heaven’s sake. And what about all the food at networking functions and family gatherings? It seemed hard wherever I turned.
In spite of the battle I’d had with it before, last year I committed to the same plan again. This time, though, I sailed through it with a sense of fun and creative challenge. It was easy!
What made the difference? I was 100% committed. All the way in.
I’ll bet you have experience with being 100% in, too. Once we’re all in we start looking for how to stay with it, how to make it work, what supports the goal. Quite simply, our purpose acts as a filter for where to put our attention. As long as we’re holding out at some level, we pay attention to other options, too, so there are more decision points, more temptation, and more struggle.
Practice: Where is your commitment in the 90’s (or less) rather than at 100%? What would it take for you to put the full focus of your commitment behind it? Find your 100% and see what happens!
make a difference.
Some things make
all the difference." K.Bradford Brown, Guidelines to Creativity
Did you make some new commitments for 2009? Or are you like my friend who is so tired of struggling to change her behavior that she decided to spare herself all that this year.
Most of us know what that’s like, don’t we? I made myself miserable for weeks struggling to stick to a food plan a few years ago. Give up sugar? Please! No caffeine? Sorry, I meet with clients at coffee shops, for heaven’s sake. And what about all the food at networking functions and family gatherings? It seemed hard wherever I turned.
In spite of the battle I’d had with it before, last year I committed to the same plan again. This time, though, I sailed through it with a sense of fun and creative challenge. It was easy!
What made the difference? I was 100% committed. All the way in.
I’ll bet you have experience with being 100% in, too. Once we’re all in we start looking for how to stay with it, how to make it work, what supports the goal. Quite simply, our purpose acts as a filter for where to put our attention. As long as we’re holding out at some level, we pay attention to other options, too, so there are more decision points, more temptation, and more struggle.
Practice: Where is your commitment in the 90’s (or less) rather than at 100%? What would it take for you to put the full focus of your commitment behind it? Find your 100% and see what happens!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Airports as a Vehicle for Spiritual and Social Transformation
Is there a better place and activity, other than a More to Life Weekend, than traveling through a busy airport to get your daily supply of LIFESHOCKS? I don’t think so!
Airports and travel in general are now my church, my number one location and source for personal and spiritual growth, the place where I get to practice Mastery, and grow spiritually moment to moment – whether I am ready or willing or NOT.
I was thinking to myself a few weeks ago, that I am not using the travel time I have wisely… it is often “wasted time," waiting in lines, walking from here to there, elbowing people out of the way, or simply reading the paper… not noticing. Instead, airports and travel, just as life, is all the time everywhere constantly nudging me to wake up - to bring myself and love to every situation.
I am running late, driving to the airport. Every light is red. The cars in front of me are driving extra slowly. I cannot miss this flight, important meeting, big contract. “I won’t take it” “I won’t take it.” I can take it. I will take it. Breathe. And for the hundredth time I promise God I will get here earlier if I can just make it to the flight on time and alive.
I jog up to the security line, which is usually small or non-existent at the Knoxville, McGhee Tyson airport, and it is winding down to the fountain midway down the hall. I won’t take it. I won’t take. I will take it. Breathe. 45 minutes until my flight leaves.
I make it to point in the process where you need to choose which security line and conveyor belt you will join. And, more importantly, which security agent you think is the fastest. In the process of becoming a now seasoned traveler, I have been wisely studying the agents. The first line, look at it, its going twice as fast. I confidently choose that line.
Ugh. One minute later, they change agents. A nervous agent takes the inspection seat, evidently new to the job and ready to be thorough. Now I am all for safety and fighting terrorism , but our line is not budging. An older man gets beeped as he goes through the x-ray. He needs to return, holding up the line. The agent continues being extra cautious, and takes three times the amount of time that the other agents take. I can’t take this. I won’t take this. I won’t. Breath. I can take this. I can take this. I am taking this. I will take this.
During every trip I take these days, life is helping me to grow. Each time I travel, life reminds me that my daily discipline of meditation is essential, providing me with a reservoir of patience and calm to take me through the day. These daily and weekly disciplines - processing, meditation, reflection, time with community to get and give support. When I do those, everything goes better, or perhaps they just go the way they go, but I am better.
The opportunity to practice Mastery is everywhere all the time. My favorite poet Rumi says: What time is it? It's time to pray. And that’s how I feel in airports, its always time to pray, to notice and be someone that brings helpfulness and humor and kindness rather than frustration or self-centeredness.
So, as you travel this holiday season, remember that the long line to get checked in, the security line that won’t move, the overworked and unpleasant airline employee – are all gifts and opportunities – just for you!
Is there a better place and activity, other than a More to Life Weekend, than traveling through a busy airport to get your daily supply of LIFESHOCKS? I don’t think so!
Airports and travel in general are now my church, my number one location and source for personal and spiritual growth, the place where I get to practice Mastery, and grow spiritually moment to moment – whether I am ready or willing or NOT.
I was thinking to myself a few weeks ago, that I am not using the travel time I have wisely… it is often “wasted time," waiting in lines, walking from here to there, elbowing people out of the way, or simply reading the paper… not noticing. Instead, airports and travel, just as life, is all the time everywhere constantly nudging me to wake up - to bring myself and love to every situation.
I am running late, driving to the airport. Every light is red. The cars in front of me are driving extra slowly. I cannot miss this flight, important meeting, big contract. “I won’t take it” “I won’t take it.” I can take it. I will take it. Breathe. And for the hundredth time I promise God I will get here earlier if I can just make it to the flight on time and alive.
I jog up to the security line, which is usually small or non-existent at the Knoxville, McGhee Tyson airport, and it is winding down to the fountain midway down the hall. I won’t take it. I won’t take. I will take it. Breathe. 45 minutes until my flight leaves.
I make it to point in the process where you need to choose which security line and conveyor belt you will join. And, more importantly, which security agent you think is the fastest. In the process of becoming a now seasoned traveler, I have been wisely studying the agents. The first line, look at it, its going twice as fast. I confidently choose that line.
Ugh. One minute later, they change agents. A nervous agent takes the inspection seat, evidently new to the job and ready to be thorough. Now I am all for safety and fighting terrorism , but our line is not budging. An older man gets beeped as he goes through the x-ray. He needs to return, holding up the line. The agent continues being extra cautious, and takes three times the amount of time that the other agents take. I can’t take this. I won’t take this. I won’t. Breath. I can take this. I can take this. I am taking this. I will take this.
During every trip I take these days, life is helping me to grow. Each time I travel, life reminds me that my daily discipline of meditation is essential, providing me with a reservoir of patience and calm to take me through the day. These daily and weekly disciplines - processing, meditation, reflection, time with community to get and give support. When I do those, everything goes better, or perhaps they just go the way they go, but I am better.
The opportunity to practice Mastery is everywhere all the time. My favorite poet Rumi says: What time is it? It's time to pray. And that’s how I feel in airports, its always time to pray, to notice and be someone that brings helpfulness and humor and kindness rather than frustration or self-centeredness.
So, as you travel this holiday season, remember that the long line to get checked in, the security line that won’t move, the overworked and unpleasant airline employee – are all gifts and opportunities – just for you!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Gratitude as a spiritual discipline
"Develop spiritual
disciplines that maintain an awakened state."
What would happen if you chose to be grateful...period? No matter what.
"Happiness begins
with our choice to say 'yes'
to whatever Life gave us,
whether we wanted it
or not." Brad Brown, Guide Lines to Feelings
Practice: This week, celebrate Thanksgiving by choosing to be grateful no matter what. Chances are you will notice more of what delights you, more of what is beautiful, more of what touches you. There will also be those times that you don't really want what Life is giving you. Then what?
Remember the five practices in the connecting space "above the line"? Notice, tell the truth, choose, create, and then...gratitude.
Happy Thanks Giving!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Willingness to choose service that provides "negative" Lifeshocks
The Courageous Conversation
"To be courgeous means at bottom to be heartfelt. The word courage in English comes from the French word cuer, heart. Life is a creative, intimate and upredictable conversation if it is nothing else, spoken or unspoken, and our life and our work are both the result of the particular way we hold that passionate conversation."
David Whyte, Crossing the Unknown Sea, Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity.
Living Mastery is being willing to have courageous conversations even if your voice shakes and your knees tremble; to provide the truth of what you see, what you hear and what you think, all in the context of being For the other, For Life, and For yourself. Is that not what courageous love really is afterall; being willing to provide the Lifeshock that may serve to awaken and transform.
PRACTICE
Look and listen for your opportunities to have a courageous conversation with a loved one, a co-worker, a dear friend. What have you been holding back? What are you afraid might happen if you said that....
Find your truest, most noble intention and go forward Warrior.
"To be courgeous means at bottom to be heartfelt. The word courage in English comes from the French word cuer, heart. Life is a creative, intimate and upredictable conversation if it is nothing else, spoken or unspoken, and our life and our work are both the result of the particular way we hold that passionate conversation."
David Whyte, Crossing the Unknown Sea, Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity.
Living Mastery is being willing to have courageous conversations even if your voice shakes and your knees tremble; to provide the truth of what you see, what you hear and what you think, all in the context of being For the other, For Life, and For yourself. Is that not what courageous love really is afterall; being willing to provide the Lifeshock that may serve to awaken and transform.
PRACTICE
Look and listen for your opportunities to have a courageous conversation with a loved one, a co-worker, a dear friend. What have you been holding back? What are you afraid might happen if you said that....
Find your truest, most noble intention and go forward Warrior.
"Wanting the best for you
is wanting the best
for me"
Brad Brown, Guidelines to Love
Monday, September 22, 2008
Ability to contribute without reserve or resistance
I can't
I wont'
I have to.
You should,
I should
I shouldn't.
Why?
I would like to, but . .
sure signs
of a warrior
who has
lost
his way.
Brad Brown, Mental Touchstones for the Warrior of the Spirit
Practice:
Who and where are you shoulding?
Who and where are you being For someone and For yourself?
Which one feels more resistant, tight, constricting; or open, easy, light?
Will you find your lightness? It can be a simple choice....really.
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