Personal ads! They’re … personal! Very.
So my itty bitty personal ads made me realize that it’s time to make a regular practice of trying to feel okay asking for stuff.
Even when the asking thing feels weird and conflicted.
Ever since I posted the first one asking my perfect house to find me, which united me with Hoppy House, I have been a fan of the madness that is personal ads.
And now it’s my Sunday ritual for clarity and remembering and stuff like that. Yay, ritual!
Let’s do it.
Thing 1: Progress, baby.
Here’s what I want:
I have crazy work to do right now.
And some projects that need serious attention.
Ways this could work:
I have no idea but it kind of has to.
Possibilities:
- I will use The Game That Still Has No Name
- Or I could write about the Rally and how I want one
- Lots of Shiva Nata for unexpected and unlikely epiphanies
- It could stop being so damn hot for five minutes
- Surprise me.
My commitment.
To watch and wait and hope and stay connected to myself.
To ask smart questions.
To go back to bed when necessary.
Thing 2: Resolution to a sovereignty issue.
Here’s what I want:
This is a situation that demands from me a gracious, loving, sovereign response.
It is apparently time to step up and claim what is mine and be in my me-ness and my queen-ness.
It is also a somewhat challenging and slightly sticky situation.
And I need a way to be generous and supportive on the one hand, and firm and clear on the other.
Whatever action I end up taking needs to be very grounded, and also full of warmth. And, ideally, it is the perfect-for-everyone-involved solution.
Ways this could work:
Wow. No idea.
But it kind of has to.
I can do Dance of Shiva on it. I can take dictation while conversing with my various monsters.
I can book some sessions with Hiro, who knows all sorts of wise things about being sovereign, and who can work some pretty serious miracles.
I can ask for a perfect, simple solution.
My commitment.
To be receptive to the possibility that there are many ways in which this can be resolved, without having to Take A Stand.
To be willing to Take A Stand, should said stand need to be taken.
To meet everyone involved (including myself) with as much compassion and patience as I can muster.
To throw a tiny temper tantrum by myself, if necessary and as often as necessary.
To celebrate with berries when this thing is over.
Thing 3: For time to be on my side.
Here’s what I want:
There are several lovely projects treasure hunt missions that are wanting my attention this week.
I need things to kind of magically work out.
And the getting done part needs to coincide with the not going completely stark raving mad part.
Ways this could work:
One mission per day.
Designated time.
Rituals in. Rituals out.
Asking for help. Using the Deguiltified Chicken Board at the Kitchen Table.
Taking notes.
Breathing.
My commitment.
To notice what I need.
To remember to rest.
To dance up a storm. To take long walks.
To be in the zone when it’s there and to turn off when it is time for turning off.
To get better at trusting.
Progress report on past Very Personal Ads.
Just to update you on what’s happened since last time.
I asked for a word that was not Sabbatical and found it (Skabbatical!). And to get better at believing in the possibility of such a thing.
Huge progress. I spent two hours transcribing monster conversations as they happened in my head. And here’s what happened:
- None of those conversations were even slightly what I expected.
- I’ve resolved some Enormous Stucknesses: I’m okay with Skabbatical, I’m looking forward to working on my book, and if I can raise the money, I’m going to do a really nice Skabbatical, even if it takes me a while to plan it.
- My monsters are totally on my side. And way more than before. They weren’t even that mean. Or maybe: it’s the sovereignty thing. Maybe the stuff they say is just as harsh, but I’m not taking it as seriously.
- Knowing what you’re scared of makes it so easy to avoid it, plan for it, reframe it, change it. The monsters’ power is What-iffery. Get the information and they have no fear-hold on you.
- I kind of want to go on Monster Skabbatical, and just talk to monsters all day. Because it’s — weirdly — kind of fun. And it’s like Carolyn sessions: menapetzet all of my stucknesses. Yay!
And I wanted ease of integration back from Official Pirate Queen Holiday and that mostly happened. Well, what happened was that I didn’t get any work done. But yeah, transitions.
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!
What I’d rather not have:
- The word “manifest”.
- Shoulds. As in, “You should be doing it like this” or “That’s not the right way to ask for things — instead it should be like x, y and z”
- To be judged, psychoanalyzed or given advices.
Wishing love and good things for your Very Personal Ads! So glad for everyone doing this with me.
Follow
Funny how, when you talk with them long enough and deeply enough, monsters turn out to be not-monsters after all. 🙂
My VPA today:
I’m working on making my very first product, based on the Healing Internet Hangover class.
* I want the process of creating the product to be fun, lighthearted, filled with ease, flow, learning and growth.
* I want the perfect person to help me put it all together.
* And I want the product to be a healing and blessing for my right people.
My commitment:
* To take my time doing this. To meet the stuff that comes up for me with love and compassion.
* To remember that I learn best through play and fun, and to build these into the process.
* To ask for help when I need it, and to appreciate all the support I receive. To do a session with Havi around this.
* To co-create this with the Deva of Healing Internet Hangover.
* To use all my skills to make the process itself a healing and blessing for everyone involved. To document what I’m doing so I have a record of it for next time.
Wishing you all the magical fulfillment of your own VPA’s this week!
Love, Hiro
Thank you, Havi, for showing a way to interact with oneself. I don’t often join in the VPAs, but wow, I can see the power of this.
And today, I feel compelled to join, as a part of putting my energy into the shift.
What I Want: continued lightening of the dark places, continued easing up, balance. and understanding of this place I’ve been and where I am now. Maybe even clarity on how it begins and ends, so I can meet it with more grace next time.
Ways This Could Work: organically, asking questions and taking time to listen for the answers, finding new ways to shake up the routine, asking for help if help is needed…(whoa, say the monsters…that would be revealing, no revealing is allowed…this is obviously something I need to talk with them about)…
My Commitment: I will be patient. I will (try to) be honest with myself. I will journal it up so I have a reference point. To treat myself gently and lovingly. Not to judge.
much love,
emily
.-= Emily´s last post … She Erases Herself – A Poem =-.
I have only one this week:
Safety.
What I want: Specifically, I want a safe place to talk to someone about what I’m really feeling that won’t affect my ability to function outside that place. The last time I felt like I had that was when I had a therapist, and that was more than five years ago.
That’s not to say that I don’t feel like I have friends and family I can talk to. But they don’t serve the same purpose.
Ways this could work: I could hire a therapist, or I could find someone who was willing to act as therapist. Or I could make a group of like-minded people to give each other support in a round-table sort of way. Hm.
My commitment: I will remember that even though my friends and family don’t constitute a Safe Place, they’re still safe to talk to. And I will do my best to work with the monsters who are (even now) telling me I don’t deserve one and that Real Adults don’t need one.
.-= Chris Anthony´s last post … Case Study- Barb the Shoemaker =-.
What I want:
Resolution to this payment issue plus resolution on the correlating frustration and belief system that says, “there’s always someone out there who is going to complicate your life, things are NEVER easy”.
Ways this could work:
This person could completely forget that this is an issue because she’s too busy with other things and it could just ‘fade away’.
Another person who has told me he will take care of the money piece of it will do just that, and in a timely manner.
I can put on my crown and suddenly realize that everything is going to be just fine and all I need to do is relax about it and have a little faith.
My commitment:
To do some journaling and reflection on what I need and want from this situation so that when I talk about it I can do so without devolving into a ferocious, ice queen, sew-the-ground-with-salt goddess of destruction (which is really just about my stuff, not hers!).
To separate my stuff from her stuff and then try to meet some of my needs regarding my stuff.
To have some faith in others and in the universe in general.
To remember that just because I want to perceive this as being “she is against me!” it’s really more like “she’s just running around being herself and I happened to be in the way”, which means it really has nothing to do with me.
What I want:
Progress, especially on BIG project.
Ways this could work:
I could just randomly hit the flow and start producing.
I could suddenly understand what has been stuckified and then destuckify it and move with my life.
Shiva Nata, yoga, and othewise paying attention to my body as well as my mind and thereby feeling comfortable producing.
I don’t know. A solution I’d never even considered before.
My commitment:
To notice what I’m thinking and feeling and not be impressed by it so much.
To set aside time each day to at least stare at the thing, and not be freaked out if I’m not ‘writing’ or ‘marking’ because thinking still counts.
To celebrate the small victories and acknowledge the progress that does occur.
Havi, It sounds like you have an overwhelming amount of stuff to complete. I’m sending you wishes that all will go well.
I’m traveling in Thailand right now, and this morning during a Thai Foot Massage all sorts of epiphinies were popping up!
It felt like what you’ve described of the Dance of Shiva.
Thought you’d enjoy knowing that 🙂
Warmly,
Amy
.-= Amy Martin´s last post … Thai Graphic Design And The Romance Of Mister Donut =-.
I have been given the gift of peace and quiet today! It was an answer to an ask from long ago. Feeling most grateful and plan to use it to do some art journaling today.
All the best VPAers. Off to go play with art and writing because visual journals rock!
.-= Stacy´s last post … What Children Know =-.
@Stacy – art journaling! Have fun.
@Amy – mmmm that sounds marvelous. Thank you!
@Lindsay – oh yes the crown. And may you find the exact right version of your bad-ass side. Wishing good things for this.
@Chris – safety is huge, yes. Grown ups need it as much as anyone, I think. And I love how creative you got in the “ways this could work” bit.
@Emily – ooh, good monster information. Wishing you lightness and support with all of that.
@Hiro – kiss!
@everyone – sending so much love for your wishes and all that stuff you’re working on. 🙂
Happy VPA’ing to everyone.
What I want: For my interaction with a certain person to feel less strained. Or how about even pleasant? And let’s face it, to be less annoyed by this person.
Ways this could happen: Um, this person could change? Kidding. Sorta. Okay, something could shift for one of us. I could discover some compassion, for both of us. (Oh, I think I just did a teeny bit.) Things could just get easier, lighter, nicer. Or I could seriously consider extricating myself from the interaction. I’m willing to be surprised.
My commitment: To try the alignment ritual before our next chat, or the next time I’m feeling seriously irritated. To dabble in NVC with myself before the ritual. To be open to discovering patterns and insights.
.-= Briana´s last post … Postcard Cross Pollination =-.
Okay, here goes:
What I want: a clean house. By Saturday. After not cleaning seriously since, like, October.
Ways this could work:
– The weather could be nice this week so that I have the energy to clean after work.
– Everything else I need to do this week could go smoothly so that I don’t have to spend potential cleaning time de-stressing.
– I could be patient with myself and let myself have all the time and space I need in order to deal with this.
– Someone could reassure me that I am not a horrible person for having a messy house.
My commitment:
– To listen to my needs and issues around this area of my life
– To totally rock out during any and all cleaning sessions
@Havi, thank you. One of the reasons I valued my therapist was that she was completely disconnected from the rest of my life – I could speak freely there in the knowledge that it wouldn’t come back to haunt me. (Not that I was saying anything bad about anybody – just that there are certain subjects you can’t bring up in a context that includes those subjects.)
@Susan T: You are totally not a horrible person for having a messy house. You’re a perfectly normal person. I completely understand you wanting to clean it – trust me, with the zoo we have around here, having a semblance of order for thirty full seconds would be like Heaven – but there’s no moral failing implied in not having an Absolutely Immaculate Home.
(Besides, the people I know who do have Absolutely Immaculate Homes? Don’t do all the work themselves; they have cleaning crews who come in at least once a week.)
.-= Chris Anthony´s last post … Case Study- Barb the Shoemaker =-.
Happy hot VPA Sunday, everyone!
@Amy: Thai foot massage – how divine does that sound! I could do with one. Ideally in combination with – @Havi – less heat for at least the duration of the massage which would hopefully be more than 5 minutes. I am actually at this moment worried I might ruin my keybord with sweat dripping down from my wrists 🙂
Here is my VPA:
My lovely therapist set me a task. Some of the things in regards to this have started to make sense over the week and I am asking for positive continuation of this process.
I also want to get in touch with the daugther of my Mum’s deceased cousin who has (hopefully still has!) lots of old family documents that I suddenly feel I want to and need to see. The problem is that I have a number for her that is out of service and I am at a loss on how to reach her. She is getting divorced and remarried at pretty regular intervals, so I really don’t know how to track her down because we haven’t been in touch for about 15 years and there is no one from the side of her direct family my family is in contact with.
I am asking for patience with regards to my husband’s procrastination of things and phonecalls and emails.
How this can work:
For some of the stuff that is possibly related to the history of my family I could go to the Jewish Cemetery (which may be a good idea anyway in this heat because it is a magic place with lots of shade), visit the grave of my great-grandfather and just be still and wait for answers the spirit of that place my bring. (Oh dear, I know it is a PERSONAL add but can’t help thinking this probably sounds bizarre!)
Keep the fairly hermit-ey mode going.
Having a sudden idea how to contact my distant cousin.
Letting go of my husband’s stuff and let him handle his stuff the way he does it.
My committment:
Do all of the above.
First, I adore this site. I’ve been trying to both biggify and destuckify, and I wish I’d found you sooner!
Second, I love the VPA’s. So I’ll give it a shot:
I’d like to close the book contract that I’ve had open during all my life craziness the past two years. Which means I need to rock the plot outline revisions and rewrite the draft and turn the whole thing in.
How this could work:
I am not sure. Open to pretty much anything. I’m hoping some kind of magical brainstorm will hit me. If money shows up somehow, am also considering shiva nata… like the sound of it. Finally, may have some suggestions from my writing group that hit just right or combine to create even better final outcome.
My commitment:
Keep brainstorming and poking away at character motivations and maybe writing a little won’t-be-in-the-book draft.
Hi Havi:
I’m new to your blog, and I have to say that I love your style and the way you playfully explain things. It’s fantastic!
This particular post struck a chord with me because, well, I have historically been so very awful at asking for things. So I’m going to give this a try, because what the heck–it can’t hurt a thing, and could potentially make a huge positive difference.
So here goes: Two biggies. I know that the ads are supposed to be for small things, but I’m going big to start out.
1. Physical healing. I have a thing called dermatomyositis that really sucks. And I’d be jazzed if it just went away. My doctor could come up with a cure, or it could be healed miraculously. And when I’m healed, I commit to make the most of my restored physical wholeness by taking better care of my body, and by helping others as much as possible whenever possible.
2. Debt evaporation. Kind of related to number 1, I have a large and varied collection of outstanding medical bills that I could use some help paying. I could suddenly get a bonus from work for the exact amount. Or maybe the IRS could discover some huge error in decimal placement that would result in a nice refund. (Okay, I’ll only speculate on things that are actually possible How about an anonymous deposit to my bank account for the exact amount. Or simply a raise–or establishing a second source of income–that would ease the chore of payment. When this comes to pass I commit to be thankful, and to help someone in a similar situation if I ever am given the means.
So next time I’ll come up with some smaller wants, now that the biggies are out there.
Thanks for blogging your blog and posting your posts and writing your… uh… writes. :o)
Back!
Missed Week #53, as I was too busy living it, and recovering from the glorious fun that I asked for in Week #52. So hey, voodoo is working, and sh*t! (And that is my UPDATE.)
THIS WEEK:
What I want: Seamless productivity. No more, no less. (It’s plenty. And I have plenty I need to get productive about.)
Ways this might work: Hm. As it’s been awhile, difficult to remember. As it hasn’t worked in a while, difficult to project. Possibly things falling into place more easily than usual—traffic, inspiration, quiet at the right times. I leave it to you, Universe!
My commitment: Simpler, if not easier. Better/healthier input (more water, less toxins; more books, less liteffluvia). Sleep as much as possible. Nei Kung, daily. Writing my sked, checking my boxes.
.-= communicatrix´s last post … Frrrrriday Rrrrroundup- =-.
Hellooooooo fellow VPAers! It’s been way too long since I swam in the magic pool with y’all. And I think today is a good day for it.
I have what I will call a Situation. A Situation with another person that requires confidence and courage. And an appreciation of how ridiculous life can be. It is a good Situation – just one that requires me to act bravely and in unprecedented ways.
I would like the Situation to move.
Ways this could happen? I could act on it by sending that email, as I’ve been intending. Which could land just right, at the perfect moment, and be received in the spirit in which I intended.
I’m committed to keeping a sense of humor about it. And being brave, as needed. And remembering to wear my crown and keep my back straight.
.-= Amna´s last post … Leaving the tribe is purely optional =-.
@Susan T: Totally: you are not a horrible person for having a messy house. Tending toward chaos is the natural order of things (requiring attention and energy to return to organization.) You just took the first step: paid attention.
My wants: a) sleep b) progress – given that I will have space (physical and mental) to accommodate contemplating wee tiny things
Ways this could work: herbal sleep aids, proximal cooling and/or rain, focus, things falling into place, asking for help.
My committment: Shiva, yoga, journals, sleep when the opportunity arises. Patience with myself – achieving
Want A may interfere with Want B 😉 and trusting the universe to work it all out.
How can it be so long since I wrote a VPA? Madness.
This week, I have a huge thing to ask for.
What I want
To go to Portland to attend Havi’s free Shiva Nata workshop for Playground donors, this Friday 16 July.
What I need help with
1. Money. I have none to spare. I need to raise about $450 for flights, plus a bit for childcare while I’m gone.
2. Logistics. I’m in California, 5000 miles from home and support network. We’re here because my husband is on a work trip, and he can’t take Friday off work. We have two young sons, who despite many excellent qualities are not easy to leave with other people. I need some things to fall into place for me.
Ways this might work
Money
* People could read this very comment and head over to my Secret Portland Fund page, and find that they like the sound of something I’m selling there.
* Havi could tweet a link to the same page.
* I could find a bucket of gold in the street. Or gemstones. I’m not fussy. As long as I can find a competent fence, or persuade the airline to take payment in minerals.
Logistics
* Some local childcare leads could turn up easily, when I start looking tomorrow, and we could meet someone lovely, with whom the boys would be delighted to stay while I’m away and their daddy is at work.
* My husband’s employer could declare a company-wide holiday on Friday, in honour of the Shiva Nata workshop.
My commitment
* To keep talking about this, anywhere I feel safe enough.
* To recognise that even if I don’t make it to Portland, by asking, I’ve already won.
* To make the things that people buy, with love and gratitude in every stitch (that will be the easy part!).
.-= Léan Ní Chuilleanáin´s last post … A Girl’s Best Friend =-.
All the best to everyone’s VPA’s!
Last week, I asked to find the remaining Right People for my new postcard service. I found some of them, but the thing I learned after Shiva Nata one day is that my focus right now needs to be on the celebration end of things.
So ..
What I want: to cultivate an attitude of appreciation and celebration, for things that have already come in, for things that will come in, and for life in general.
Ways this could happen: I could have a mini celebration to celebrate life in general and everything that has happened already. I could remember my new celebration ritual when something does come in. Other than that, I am open to possibility.
My commitment: To do all of the above, give myself a break when I forget, and to remain open and curious.
.-= Elizabeth´s last post … ode to joy- volume 27 =-.
Mmm…berries…
Ok, here’s what I want. I’ve been trying to think of a way to simplify the onerous task of labeling my yarn and fiber so it takes me less time, and I’d like to integrate that with an inventory system that’s better than what I’ve got now (staring at everything at the end of the year and figuring out how many pounds of each yarn and fiber type there are. Oy.), and I’ve found many POS systems involving barcode scanners and label printers and receipt printers, but they all cost a LOT of money. Yikes. I don’t mind spending a BIT of money to save a lot of time, since I’ll be able to use that time to dye more stuff and make more money. But spending tons of money is not practical. I need cheap. I don’t have a store where I’m ringing up sales every day. I want to get to the point where I’m doing about one fiber show a month on average, and I want to make my life easier, because my hair is too short to tear out.
Ways this could work. Um…well, I already did a bunch of googling and searching on Ravelry, but it made my head hurt. I’m kind of hoping someone will just plop a solution in my lap. Help?
Sigh…I’m going to go eat some berries.
.-= Riin´s last post … Yep- I’m up to stuff =-.
Oh monsters can be so LOUD!
What I want;
I would like my monsters to be able to feel okay about letting go of the old thing I do to bring in extra money, and instead help motivate me in the new things I do make extra money. I would like this to be a smooth transition, and not to have it be all scary and stuff because my bank account feels like it’s on empty when it really isn’t. I would like to feel as safe in the finance department as I feel in the moving on to the new thing department. Because moving on to the new thing makes me feel free and light and open and creative and I have missed that.
Ways this could happen;
extra money could start falling from the sky? I could be okay with less extra money for a while. I could have an influx of new private clients and students for classes. Mr. Awesome could get lots of overtime on his work trip. I could have several people interested in my “learn to groom your own dog so I don’t have to” classes. I could sell some items in my house that are taking up all my extra space to make more space for extra money? (Ahhhh.) I could have successful flower arranging classes are totally awesome. I could discover that I really am a prin-cess and I have oodles of extra money in my mattress and pillows and attic. I could know that it is all okay, and will work out for the best.
Berries would be great!
VPA…
A way to continue to survive financially so that I can continue forward progress on my LBB (little bitty business.)
Ways that this could work:
–Someone could actually hire me. It could happen, it has happened before.
–A key investor type person that I am talking with this week could actually want to invest a little (not the usual 5M) in my LBB without taking over the whole thing.
–I could figure out something to sell for quick cash.
–I could receive a large sum of money in the mail or on my doorstep…or a small sum of money in the mail or on my doorstep.
–I could start and finish a prototype that a business has requested and they could love it and order some and then I could make some and then they would pay me.
–Someone will come along side me and think that my (ad)venture is so neat that they want to be a part of it.
Things I am committed to doing to make it happen:
–Constant yoga and reflection
–Walking and reflection
–Making prototype to submit to business
–Applying for jobs
–Meeting with the powerful ones who can invest in my LBB and bringing my “A” game
–Continuing to move forward with the work of the business
–Living courageously and not in fear
Aaagh!
Ehem… What I mean to say is, this week’s VPA would be for a bit of clarity, preferably with a good dose of not-stressing.
VPA #1; Clarity for my thing
I’ve hit a bit of a cross-roads with my business, a place where I feel I need to make a choice, and figure out where I’m going to focus my energy and attention. The problem is that I don’t really want to choose the left OR the right path, but would really like to take both. Simultaneously.
So I need to figure out which direction to take.
Ways this could work;
I could pick a path, and be ok with letting the other one go
I could figure out a way to blaze a path down both trails at the same time… preferably in a way that does NOT make me absolutely crazy and burnt out.
I could receive a sign telling me which path to take, and then I could have faith in the sign.
Someone could just tell me what to do, and for the first time ever I could actually do what I’m told and be good with it.
My commitment;
To be open to possibilities
To play with my options
To journal and see what comes to me
To try to not stress, but also accept that it’s sort of in my nature to quibble and waffle and stress…
VPA #2; Clarity in choosing to try to do this really cool thing, or to let it go until another time.
I have this potential opportunity to do something that could be absolutely AMAZING for my business. I think that it would be a huge boost in the building of my thing. Trying to do it could make the money stuff really scary for a while. But it could also bring me money. But it might not.
What I want;
To be able to decide whether or not to do this thing, and then to be firm and satisfied with my decision.
Ways this could work;
I could mysteriously receive a sum of money which would take away all of my fears and doubts, in which case I could just do the thing and be good.
I could decide that this is the right thing to do, regardless of the money worries, and just make it happen.
I could decide that this is not the right time for it, and be good with that decision.
My commitment;
To look into a couple of potential opportunities which could bring about the mysterious money receiving.
To bounce ideas off members of my support circle… which will either lead to new ideas, or at least help me vent my stress so that I can think somewhat more clearly.
To nap when I need to, so that I can think more clearly.
.-= Heidi´s last post … Discovering where the line ends and Sovereignty begins =-.
Thing 1
What I want:
A quick and painles resolution to a stupid situation that has been nagging me since December. Almost there. If things don’t turn out as I wish, to be grateful not to have this ick in the background.
And related – learn how to protect myself from similar situations.
My commitment:
To internalize the NVC part about anger. Get over judging the other person (even though they really are the most horrible kind of people that ever lived -JK).
Refocus on what I need. Ask for it clearly and without anger. Stand firm. Let go of the rest.
Thing 2
What I want:
To continue producing and doing calmly and consistently as I integrate whatever new knowledge I am learning.
Use that knowledge to get some stuff done. (Ferfoxake)
and a little less goofing off please?
My commitment:
to protect my morning time (don’t schedule on top of it)
Shiva Nata
writing
big paper collages with maps to my destination
bridging exercises
Thing 3
What I want:
systems – the kind that will actually work for me and I will continue to do for an extended period of time.
Something that actually gives me some ease around every day so that I am certain of what needs to be done. And things get done almost effortlessly.
Also, this system has to acommodate some pretty unreasonable working conditions – I work in a public place with strangers all around me who interrupt me constantly – my system has to be cool with that.
My commitment:
play and experiment
pull out all the pieces that are there now and ask them how they feel about working together.
Send some thing to bed
Buddy system – each THING has a buddy. They play off each other and get done together. That means no one gets left behind.
And last of all – anyone know of a nice group of grad students in Berkeley with an affordable room to rent? Preference for a nice view and a porch and not up too high a hill? If so, let me know.
I wrote a VPA yesterday, but then hit the wrong key on my computer, accidentally deleting my comment instead of posting it. Here’s the short version:
What I want: To move through this week in the company of my new invisible, imaginary hired bodyguards, Joy and Peace, and to learn what it’s like to have them available to me at all times.
How this can happen: Plenty of self-care, self-awareness, self-reflection and self-nurturing.
My commitment: Daily journaling and Shiva Nata, to clear a path for insights and new ideas. Setting aside time to reflect on what it might be like to have Joy and Peace always at my side, available to me whenever I call on them.
I’m especially interested in this VPA because it came through me very rapidly, almost without conscious thought. It’s not what I was expecting to ask for at all this week, so I am mightily curious!
Much love and luck to everyone’s VPAs this week.
.-= Kathleen Avins´s last post … The trouble with “middle vision” =-.
VPA 1: more financial security. Things are financially OK right now, but I’d like to be able to put a little bit into the savings every month rather than them staying level or even decreasing.
Ways this might happen:
– I might tighten up my budget even more (but it is already pretty tight!).
– I might magically acquire a sum of money.
– I might get some cycling or life modelling work for a temporary cash injection (but I’d like something more permanent).
– I might find another income stream — preferably a passive one.
– I might sell more articles!
– I might sell more stories.
– Something else I haven’t yet thought of might come up — perhaps another exciting or fun work offer.
My commitment:
– Keep checking the life modelling society pages for work.
– Keep sending out at least 2 article pitches a week.
– Remain open to other possibilities.
– Think about what I might be able to sell via my webpage.
– Consider selling some stuff on Etsy.
VPA 2: clarity about an ongoing & difficult decision.
Ways this might work:
– Magic enlightenment.
– I might realise something that makes a big difference in how I see the situation.
– I might find a different way of seeing the situation.
– I might get clearer about what I want from my life right now & in the future, and that might shine more of a light on things.
My commitment:
– Shiva Nata & journalling every morning.
– To allow myself the time and space to think about this (it’s a big decision, & it’s a difficult one, and it’s OK that I’m finding it so).
– To allow myself to be scared and ambivalent.
– To talk to the relevant people about how it might work and what it might mean, and about my fears and concerns.
VPA 3 (I am optimistic this week!): getting the things done that I want to do this week.
How this might work:
– I might get really focussed over the next few days.
– I might check in with myself and create some rituals to help that focus.
– I might remind myself of what I want to do and why I want to do it.
– I might drink some coffee!
My commitment:
– Think about rituals to surround my work of different sorts.
– Journalling about why I’m doing what I’m doing.
– Journalling / Shiva Nata about why my resistance is there and what it’s hiding. Talk to that monster?
– Practically speaking: leave Leechblock in place so I stay away from certain sites at least in the morning!
good luck and good wishes for everyone else’s VPAs.
.-= Juliet´s last post … time- like the ever-rolling stream =-.
I need to add a Tuesday morning VPA:
I was asked last night if I could turn up at a job this morning to help out for the few weeks. It is a disorganized place with a boss who waits just before everything breaks down to hire more staff. Usually in July people at that place work 31 days without a single day off. I did that two summers and decided not to do it again. And still said yes, I will turn up this morning because I love the other colleagues.
So here is what I want:
I am doing them a favour to turn up instantly but I am not prepared to work these crazy hours, even if it is only for a few weeks. I had a few things planned that I am absolutely not prepared to cancel and I know that I under the circumstances in the office I function max. 8 hours a day but not 12 to 14. So I want to be very clear that I am ready to help but only under certain conditions. I want a talk with the boss in a couple of hours with an outcome the way I want it: 7-8 hours a day, early starts, leaving at 4.30. And if this doesn’t work I am not doing it.
How this can work: Remind myself of the madness of the past summers and that I don’t want that again. Remind myself that until last night I didn’t know I was going to be asked so it came like an attack and I have every right to make my point clear this morning.
My committment: Not putting myself in an inferior but in a sovereign position.