-image-Summer Reading

June 15, 2008 | Do Something, Already, Exercises and Experiments

I love books; I love books so much that I suffer from a perpetual bookshelf problem. That is, I never have enough book shelves for all of my books!

Not only do I voraciously love to buy and read books, but I (generally) feel a need to collect them. It doesn’t matter that I have read this book before; I must still keep it and own it. Owning books makes me feel happy - even if it does press upon my bookshelf space.

This year I’ve been forced to do a couple deep and hard purges to clear room on our poor overburdened shelves. I can’t tell you the sadness that comes from letting the well-loved (even if not recently read) books go. But, it had to be done. Now that the store is open (and I’ve moved most of my professional books there) I actually have space on my bookshelves (don’t worry, it won’t take me long to fill them back up).

Still, old habits die hard. I’m still catching myself weighing and measuring a book: was it good enough/liked enough to take up valuable space on my limited shelves? Hmm…

Recently I bought and read a novel that I enjoyed - I mean, it was well written - but I was a little disappointed in (I didn’t like the story, not the writing). I always pre-read my books (at least the beginning) before I pay good money for them, but you can’t always predict what you’ll think halfway through can you?

I finished the book a few weeks ago, but it’s still sitting on the floor by my bedside table. The other day it occurred to me that I hadn’t put it away yet because I didn’t really feel I wanted it on my precious bookshelves… what to do? I had paid good money for the book!

That’s when it came to me. I’ve decided to host a Summer Reading Swap!. I’m sure there are other bibliophiles out there who have perfectly good books that just didn’t measure up to their snuff, or maybe you just need to prune some space into your shelves too. So why don’t we trade books?

Here’s the rules:
You will sign up to trade 1-2 books of your choice (they must be in good enough condition to be read and books you feel are still worthy of reading). I will collect all the names and then post the swap information on the blog so you know who to send to. You and your partner will then swap books. That’s it!

No need to buy new books etc… etc… If you have more than two books you’d like to swap let me know and I’ll put your name in twice. Also, be sure to indicate if you aren’t willing to trade outside of the US/Canada.

Next Sunday (June 22nd) I’ll post the partners list, so you have one week to comment and let me know you’d like to participate in the summer reading swap. Looking forward to hearing from you!

I can hardly wait to read my new book!

-image-Wishing’s Final Day

June 11, 2008 | How to Change Your Life, Exercises and Experiments

Megan’s Final Three Wishes
1. I wish I was more aware of and in-tune with my growing psychic gift.
2. I wish I was still losing weight and feeling healthy.
3. I wish I was taking a painting class.

You’ll note that my phrasing of these wishes has been refined and altered since my initial wish list. I was trying to find the easiest way to sum up the core of what I really wanted without stumbling over too many adjectives. Also, a few days into the process I decided that I could roll two wishes (I wish I painted one painting a week and I wish I had a painting teacher.) into one… My theory was that some kind of weekly class would have me painting regularly (my true goal in the first wish) and mean I’d have found a new teacher.

Also, even though I feel that making a difference in the lives of, or teaching, women is my purpose in life I knew it would do no good to put down what I thought I “should” be putting down. If I was going to do the exercise properly I needed to be true to myself and record the things that were really most important to me right now. As much as I want to make a difference in women’s lives, I know these are the things that would make the most immediate difference in mine.

I feel like these wishes, as I’ve written them here, are the most true and effective wording I’ve used through out the whole process. That they are my real right now wishes. I’m truly glad I did the exercise because I’m positive those wouldn’t have been the three things I had written down if I had been told to simply state my top three wishes.

Sometimes we need time and repetition to peel through all the layers and discover the truth about what we need in this moment.

So, how’d the wishing exercise go for you? Did you find it insightful? Inspiring? I’d love to hear your final three if you feel brave enough to share.

-image-Why the Kung Fu Master Needs a New Friend

June 9, 2008 | How to Change Your Life, Exercises and Experiments

(If you are wondering what the heck the whole wishing thing is about, or would just like to get the instructions from the beginning just visit If Wishes Were Horses - An Assignment to get all the details!)

You see, I set out with the best of intentions to post my wishes each day and then life comes along and happens and now you had to wait a whole day (again) just to see the next list of wishes. I’m sure you forgive me though.

I thought maybe today I’d tell you why I’ve been wishing for the little Master to have a new friend.

You see, ever since we moved here a year ago the Kung Fu Master has been lacking in the friend department. Moving here meant leaving his neighborhood friends behind in a small village outside of town. The plan (I suppose - not that we thought it out) is that he’d make new neighborhood friends here. Well, that hasn’t happened.

The boys in our immediate neighborhood are more the “stand around looking cool while swearing and smoking” class of boy rather than the “go for a hike, climb a tree and ride our bikes” kind of boys that the Master is used to spending time with. It only took him three or four days to decide he didn’t want to be friends with the boys he was seeing hanging around our neighborhood. And without a major catalyst to force him on to broader territory to meet new people he settled for what he had. Boys at kung fu, occasional visits with the old pals, and himself the rest of the time.

This plan worked until kung fu was suspended (lack of space for lessons) in January. Two days after I started making the Wish List (on Day Three) the Kung Fu Master got into trouble. Seems he was lonely and bored (having me gone all the time was a bit of a shock to his system I think), and instead of telling someone he was lonely and bored he started getting himself into trouble.

We, of course, punished him, but then we asked why he’d done it in the first place. I had been wanting him to make a new friend, but I hadn’t realized how much he really needed said new friend - I also hadn’t realized how hard he found it to take the first steps alone. So, feeling something had to be done to provide him with new opportunities I took action. I signed him up for the YMCA and took him to an event that very night.

When he came back from his Youth Fit program he was practically bouncing he was so happy (in fact, I think he may have been literally bouncing, come to think of it). He’d had a good time; he felt energized; he got to try something new and, oh yeah, he met a “dude”. So now, the Master goes to the occasional event and he’s making friends with this other new and teenage thing called a “dude” - which is good.

Now the “I wish the Kung Fu Master had a new friend” wish can be crossed off the list. It’s already done.

Shortening the list doesn’t necessarily mean that you are removing a dream, hope, or desire. We aren’t trying to eliminate their possibility. No! In fact, even though the Kung Fu Master’s friend was doomed to come off before I reached the final three God saw fit to fulfill it anyway. (This story is also a good lesson on how sometimes the crap has to hit the fan - i.e. KFM getting in big trouble - to make room for the good things to come in. It’s good to bear that in mind because I guarantee “things getting harder” is going to be an early result of working to change your life.)

Like I said, just writing the things on the page imbues them with a power and makes them more likely to happen. God won’t consider your decision to short list that item early on as an indication that you don’t really want it - and you shouldn’t either. The only purpose of shortening the list is to help you focus and really pinpoint those things that are most important to you right now. It’s more a “What to do First” technique rather than a “What do I Not Want?” thing.

Don’t consider the seventeen things that get left by the way side write offs; work on your top three and keep your eyes open for opportunities to grab a hold of the other seventten should they happen to come along. I think you’ll be surprised how many of your original twenty are crossed off over the next few weeks!

Five Wishes on Day Five
1. I wish I was regularly presented with opportunities to change women’s lives.
2. I wish I was taking a painting class.
3. I wish the store consistently made $2500 a week.
4. I wish my psychic gift was active and growing.
5. I wish my body was balanced, healthy, and whole.

Technically today is Day Six of the wish making assignment and as such the wishes should be reduced to four. But, wouldn’t you know, I can be inconsistent (despite best intentions) in all things, and not just with you. It turns out that Day Six was the one day I was so busy I couldn’t find the time to journal and therefore didn’t reduce my wishes down. (See, turns out that it’s ok I missed yesterday’s post - it all evens out in the end.)

You on the other hand, should in fact be writing out four wishes for today. Tomorrow’s the last day of our wish making assignment so be prepared to wrestle it down to the final, passion-filled three wishes!

-image-Wishing Goes On…

June 7, 2008 | How to Change Your Life, Exercises and Experiments

Wishing on Day Three - only nine wishes now:
1. I wish I could be Jennifer Louden’s assistant for the Retreat weekend.
2. I wish the Kung Fu Master had a new friend.
3. I wish I had four new coaching clients.
4. I wish I had a new painting teacher.
5. I wish I blogged regularly.
6. I wish I had a great haircut.
7. I wish I was measurably changing lives.
8. I wish I painted one painting each week.
9. I wish my psychic gift was growing and active.

I know, it’s day four and this is day three’s list, my sincerest apologies. I hope my inability to post (I was without an internet connection yesterday) didn’t keep you from reducing your own list down to only nine wishes.

As your list gets smaller I’m sure you’ll find that your wishes are changing. Maybe you are dropping more than three of the old wishes and adding a new one, or today’s list may have something that was on your first list but not on yesterday’s! That’s ok. The whole point of reducing the lists is forcing yourself to choose and discover what it is you truly want in your life right now. The only rule about making your list is that it should reduce - everything else is up to you!

-image-Two Days of Wishing

June 5, 2008 | How to Change Your Life, Exercises and Experiments

If you are coming in on this assignment a little late I recommend you visit yesterday’s post so you can get the whole blurb and start from the beginning of the exercise. (Don’t forget to let me know if you decide to play along! I’d love to know how it’s working out for you.)

Day two means we have to whittle down our twenty wishes to only twelve. This is the biggest jump we make in one day and it actually seemed like a lot of wishes to have to leave behind. I found it really hard to do when I was thinking about it from the negative point of view: Which wishes do I not want?

It was a lot easier to do when I went from the positive: Which wishes do I absolutely need to keep? Which wishes excite me the most?

Here’s my Day Two Wishes
1. I wish I had four new coaching clients.
2. I wish I painted one painting each week.
3. I wish I blogged regularly (3x a week).
4. I wish I had a healthy, whole, and happy body.
5. I wish the Kung Fu Master had a new friend.
6. I wish Kung Fu had a location.
7. I wish I had a painting teacher.
8. I wish I had a wise advertising plan.
9. I wish I had a great haircut.
10. I wish I were changing people’s lives - measurably.
11. I wish I could see steady growth in the store.
12. I wish my energetic gifts were growing and I was gaining more control over them.

Speaking of the power of wishing, have you seen Jamie’s awesome WishCasting site? She’s created this fabulous place where you can share your wishes with the blogging world and we can come together and support each other in our wishes and dreams! I love it! Go check it out while you are in a wishing frame of mind.

To borrow Jamie’s patented wish supporting line, while you are placing your wishes this week I’d like to send a little support your way, so: As you wish for yourself, so I wish for you too!