My biggest win from the last 12 weeks is definitely found in the fact that I feel more present and more intentional as I move through my days. I catch myself about to say yes to something that I don’t want to do. And find myself saying no as a reflex only to reconsider upon reflection. And I find myself a little sad about things that I cannot fit in that I really want to. I cannot do everything and I am choosing to make those choices with my heart and not my head.

Both The Artist’s Way and It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again conclude Week 12 with the topic of Faith.

As a coach, I believe that all people are complete and whole and capable of acting on their own behalf. That we all know, on some level, what to do and what choices to make. And, at some point during the last 11 weeks, it has been reaffirmed that things just seem to work out – I now have tremendous faith in that. Joseph Campbell is quoted as having said “Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before.” Sounds like synchronicity to me.

I am very excited about this week’s topics – Adventure and Autonomy - and just finishing a long overdue adventure – 5 days off to visit friends. Julia Cameron often speaks of synchronicity in her pages. This trip was planned months ago and how interesting is it that it coincides with this week’s topics. Both speak to breaking day to day habits and getting out of our comfort zones. When we seek to discover what we don’t know we don’t know – well – that’s where creativity lives! 

Self-protection is an interesting topic and, for me, it relates back to last week’s topic of motion. I have frequently kept myself busy to avoid doing something – I fall squarely in the workaholic camp or least I did in my past life.

And vitality – wow. I can only say that the way that I live my life now means that I have more energy for the things that I love than I have it 20 years. It amazing how living in alignment with my own core values has freed my to just be. And that contentment is not at all exhausting.

Week 9 – we’re ¾ of the way through this program. I started a new notebook which shows how much I have written to date and the plan is to spend the week thinking about motion and compassion in my own life. What projects and activities need me to take specific actions? And then, showing myself some Love over not doing any of that up until now.

With joy we are open to new experiences and new possibilities. And really – if happiness is not one of our goals – what on earth are we doing? If there is no joy in your day, perhaps it’s time to look for it – seek out ways to bring it to the surface. We can find whatever we are open to discovering.  

The strength that she speaks of is really the effort required to begin creating after, often years after, you’ve been told that you cannot write or paint or sing or whatever.  It is strength to ignore the inner critic and the often noisier external ones.

At issue with connection is the right attitude to create. For me it’s about mindset. The topic is framed differently this time as I read about Perfectionism (basically a refusal to let myself move ahead) and Jealousy (which is typically a mask for fear).

According to the American Psychological Association it “resilience the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands

Often, when we approach some new challenge or goal, we consider, and are sometimes sabotaged by, thoughts of “I’m too old”, “I don’t have enough time”, “I don’t have the skills”, I don’t have the capital… inventing any number of obstacles that prove that we are simply not enough or do not have enough. 

Humility - This for me is the courage to suck at something new! Seriously – I have been motivated to try so many new things over the last 5 years.  Previously I spent my life thinking that I needed to bring answers and not admit when I did not know something. I was so closed off from the spontaneity and joy of life that I did not know how to recognize it. 

This week’s topics are Honesty and Possibility. Getting honest is not always easy. For me, the world is full of possibility.

Finding your purpose can take a little time. Consider what you love and what is important to you. Imagine your best possible self and think about that you are grateful for. I think that core values exercises are a great place to start. Integrity, for me, is living in alignment with my core values.