A-Muse-Ing Inspirations: --- by Jeanette M

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

Lesson 13

How’s your Master Plan working for you? What task did you do last week? Is it time to add more or remove a few?

One of the most important parts of pursuing our dreams is customizing them as we go. Things never work exactly as planned. For some, this is a good excuse to give up all together. Don’t allow changes to persuade you to give up!

Every challenge is a chance for you to see how badly you want your dreams to come true. Every “NO” brings you one step closer to a yes. When you find out what doesn’t work, it’s crucial to ask questions so you can discover what does work and adapt your plans (and your Master Plan) accordingly.

Are you staying motivated in the pursuit of your dreams? Are you using the touchstones you applied to your Master Plan? Did you actually find touch stones, things to help your visualize, and put them with your Master Plan? If not, look for some now and find a way to keep them with your Master Plan.

What makes a good touchstone? Anything that will invoke your passion for your dream! It might be a photo, a picture from a magazine, a drawing, or something else indicative of your dream being successfully fulfilled.

If you dream is to operate a successful African Fabric store, attach a swatch of your favorite African Cloth. Touch it, soak in the texture and colors. Let them intoxicate your senses and your desire.

Want to run a coffee shop or work as a Master Blender for Starbucks or Caribou Coffee? Put some of your favorite beans in a baggie and attach it to your plan. Take a whiff every time you pick a task and let the aroma inspire you.

Keeping yourself inspired on the journey is as important as the journey itself! Do what you need to in order to keep yourself moving in the directions of your dreams. Do what it takes to stay motivated, excited, enthusiastic and passionate. It’s a continuous process, and a very necessary one at that.

Did you get any insights about your own life while reading about blocks to your dreams and U-turns in Chapter 9 of The Artist’s Way? How did it feel reviewing things from this perspective? Did you allow yourself to grieve for the things you let get away? Did you nurture and forgive yourself with new understanding and compassion? Did you work on blasting away your current blocks? Was there anything in this chapter that really hit home for you?

How are those Morning Pages coming? Have you gone back and read any of them? Are you still writing? If not, it’s a great time to return to the page. All that stuff swimming around in your head is keeping you from focusing on your dreams in a positive way. Allow yourself some brain-drain and ask for a little insight as you write. It will come to you.

Can you believe you’ve been at this for 13 weeks already? Just look at the progress you’ve made so far! Isn’t it amazing what taking baby steps can do when you keep putting one foot in front of the other? Way to go, my friend, way to go!

Now let’s move on to this week’s assignment!

Week 13 Assignment

Use your day planner! Begin by scheduling the following:

Read The Artist’s Way--Chapter 10: Recovering A Sense of Self-Protection, Pgs 163 - 178 Pay close attention to your reactions as you read about various blocks including workaholism, fame, competition and the desire to become “a master” on the first attempt.

As you read, look for the main points and underline anything that speaks to you or sounds like it would make a good quote. (If you’re afraid to mess up your book, use pencil, you can erase it later.)

Pick and do at least 3 of the 5 exercises at the end of the chapter. If possible, try to do all five. These are designed to help you move forward through your own blocks and set personal boundaries to protect the pursuit of your dreams, as well as work your way toward healing.

Do the Check-In on Page 178.

Schedule, plan and take a date with yourself. Make it something entertaining, fun, relaxing. Make it something you look forward to. Guard your date, make it sacred. You deserve it. Your dreams deserve it.

Write 3 pages of long-hand in your journal daily. Don’t be surprised if all of a sudden you find yourself coming up with excuses why you can’t write. Write anyway. If you don’t have time in the morning, take your journal to work with you and write at lunch time. Or stop in the park and write before you go home. Write before bed if you need to. Just make sure you keep writing. If you need some inspiration to write, read a section of The Artist’s Way (or another book that pertains to your dreams) and then write. You’ll be surprised at how much this evokes from your Spirit and mind.

Pick a task from your Master Plan and do it! It’s time to have some fun! What task would you like to do this week? What looks enticing? What looks dreadful? Why not try one of each? Make sure you break down the bigger things into smaller tasks so they’re not as overwhelming! If something looks dreadful to you, chances are it can be broken down into several “baby steps” that will not pose as much of a threat if taken on one by one. Now hop to it!

* * *

http://www.sfpnn.com/a-muse-ing_inspirations.htm
Muse@sfpnn.com