very personal adsPersonal ads. They’re … personal! Very.

Each week I write these VPAs to practice asking for what I want. And to get clarity on what that really is, even when asking feels conflicted.

I always get useful information about my relationship with various aspects of the ask. Join in if you like!

We’re at ninety nine consecutive weeks of Very Personal Ads! That is spectacular. Help me come up with a way to celebrate next week?

Thing 1: implementation!

Here’s what I want:

I had about seventeen hundred great ideas this week and now stuff needs to happen with them.

Or at least with one of them.

Ways this could work:

Lots of Shiva Nata.

Review my notes.

Long walks to clear my head.

Using the Deguiltified Chicken Board at my Kitchen Table program.

My commitment.

To ask loving, curious questions.

To dance it up!

And to take lots of notes. Revue!

Thing 2: I want to help someone and I don’t know how.

Here’s what I want:

Right now there’s this hard situation of watching someone I like struggle, knowing that this person doesn’t have anyone to advocate for her cause.

I want to help and am not sure what would be useful.

Ways this could work:

Maybe I don’t have to know that part yet.

Maybe I can call H and see what she knows.

Maybe after some shivanautical flailing, the right approach will come to me.

My commitment.

To think loving thoughts. To sit with this challenge and do some brainstorming.

To wish for perfect, simple solutions for everyone involved.

Thing 3: FOCUS.

Here’s what I want:

I have a bunch of half-written things that need more love and attention.

Adventures-in-progress.

It would be great if this could be the week where the zone comes back.

Ways this could work:

It just could.

And then the usual ways of course.

My commitment.

To dance it up, to play, to walk, to breathe, to stretch, to keep moving.

Thing 4: un-obsessing an obsession

Here’s what I want:

This thing I keep thinking about is constantly being thought about, and it’s not helping anyone.

It’s time to start untangling and separating.

Ways this could work:

Finding the essence of the desire, so that I can fill up on the qualities instead of being pulled into the wanting.

Talking to Slightly Future Me and asking her for advice on how to shift perspective.

Finding the good and the useful about this situation.

My commitment.

I’m going to take this one into my Shiva Nata practice to find out what the patterns are.

And I’m going to try and be patient with myself. There’s a lot going on here, and I don’t need to resolve all of it at once.

I’m trying to remember that there’s time.

Progress report on past Very Personal Ads.

Just to update you on what’s happened since last time.

Let’s see. I wanted recovery time and to consolidate my new Rally systems.

And both of those sort of happened and also sort of didn’t. Progress was made, but maybe not as much as I’d hoped for.

On the other hand, I did spend quite a bit of time this week working on new ways of doing things that should indirectly help with both of these. I’m going to re-wish these!

Then I wanted support with risk-taking, and it’s happening! I also wanted large bulletin boards and ended up getting the First Mate to make me some (thanks, Ingrid!).

And I said my giant gwish (the one about doing agility and coordination trainings for the Timbers) OUT LOUD. And that was a big deal.

Comment zen. Here’s what I’d love today.

Your own personal ads, small or large. Things you’ve asked for. Or are asking for. Or would like to ask for. Or updates on last time!

Things I’d rather not have:

The word “manifest”. To be told how I should be asking for things. To be judged, psychoanalyzed or given unsolicited advice.

Much love for your gwishes! So happy to have you doing this with me.

The Fluent Self