A-Muse-Ing Inspirations: Lesson 1

A-Muse-Ing Inspirations — by Jeanette M. Pintar

Lesson 1

Muse: v. Ponder, reflect, meditate, contemplate. Think; dream. Weigh, evaluate.
Muse: n. One of the nine Greek / Roman goddesses, who inspire poetry, music or drama.

I don’t proclaim to be a goddess but I do know something about inspiration. In every one of us lies a desire, a passion, a yearning, a calling of our souls to do something. That something varies according to individual, but we all have dreams. We all carry the thought, “What if I could really do that?” We all have that special project or accomplishment we want to fulfill.

The problem most of us face is… How? How do I make it happen? How do I keep at it? How do I find the time? How do I get the support I need? How do I learn to believe in myself?

I learned the answers to these questions almost a decade ago in a book called, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. Although it is written as a guidebook to bring out creativity, it’s really about bringing your dreams and heart’s desires into fruition. Even more so, it’s about recovering or discovering your authentic Self. It covers the doubts, fears, and pitfalls we all face as we try to fulfill our dreams, accomplish our goals, start and finish that special project and live a more passionate life.

Through the years, I’ve recommended this book to many people, and have found that applying its techniques along with a simple process of creating a plan, breaking it down into do-able tasks and picking one a week can actually transform our dreams into reality.

Normally, I offer a “coaching” type service covering the above process for a fee. But this year, through SFPNN, I’d like to offer the lesson plan FREE to anyone seriously interested in making their dreams come true. As it would be time-prohibitive, I will NOT be coaching you. However, I will give you weekly assignments via this column, that if followed, WILL TRANSFORM YOUR DREAMS INTO REALITY.

You, your dreams, and your authentic Self are an investment. The more you put into them, the more your will get out. You can choose to do all of the assignments, some of them, or none at all. My recommendation is to put as much of yourself into it as you can. In addition to your weekly assignment in SFPNN, find others who are working on a dream or goal and do a weekly check-in to create support and make yourself accountable for fulfilling your goals. If you don’t know where to find others to check-in with, check http://www.cherylrichardson.com . Ms Richardson is a very effective life coach and her website has its own programs, independent of SFPNN or A-Muse-Ing Inspirations, but it will be a good resource and you’ll be able to hook up with other like-minded people.

Now, if you’re ready to transform your dreams into reality, live a more fulfilling life, and uncover your creative and authentic self, here’s your first week’s assignment:

Week 1 Assignment:

Begin thinking about what you’d like to accomplish. What’s your dream? What would you like to achieve? What are the benefits of doing it? What do you envision? Write down as many of the details as possible.

Obtain the following tools:

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – Can be purchased at most bookstores or from Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0874776945/positivenewsnetw

A Day Planner or Scheduling Device – Find something that you will WANT to use. If nothing in the office supply stores looks inviting, try some of your local bookstores. I prefer day planners that offer a monthly over view and then a week at a glance with room for a to-do list. Get one that has a place for a small pad of paper and an address / phone book. You might have to buy a separate cover for it. If nothing appeals to you, get a notebook and stamp the dates in, leaving a page or two blank between each week. (Use this notebook when a “day planner” is referenced.)

A Scratch Pad – This is a small notebook or pad of paper to use in conjunction with your day planner to take notes, jot down thoughts and ideas, or just doodle on. It can be lined or plain, white or colored. Whatever you prefer. Just make sure it fits with your day planner.

A Journal – Whether it’s a really nice one with a fancy cover or quotes in the pages, or simply a notebook is your choice. Get something you will WANT to write in. You’ll be using it to write 3 pages of longhand a day. Also, the size of the pages is up to you. If you’re more comfortable writing on smaller pages, you’ll want to write more than 3 per day.

Some Nice Pens and Mechanical Pencils – Get a few black or blue ink pens, at least one colored pen of your choice, and some nice ever-sharp pencils. You’ll use these to write in your day planner, write your morning pages, underline quotes in The Artist’s Way, and work on your Master Plan. Add some colored pencils if you’d like.

Optional: Index Cards – You’ll be creating a Master Plan and breaking it down into do-able tasks. Some people like to put one task or a group of related tasks per index card and pick a card a week. You can also do this from a printed list on regular 81/2 x 11” paper.