A-Muse-Ing Inspirations: — by Jeanette M. Pintar
Lesson 15
How many tasks from your Master List did you do last week?
Do you have people in place who you know you can trust to support and encourage you with your dreams?
Have you made the commitment to yourself to keep going?
Did you create a special place to do your journaling and other spiritual practices?
In “Recovering a Sense of Autonomy,” Julia Cameron points out how centering ourselves physically can help us get centered spiritually. She likens exercise to a “moving meditation.” I find this to be true. Something as simple as a twenty minute walk not only removes the stress and tension from the body, but allows insight and inspiration to fill the mind.
What kind of exercise regimen do you have? If none, try to put one in place this week. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, long, or tedious. Pick something enjoyable and make it part of your day. Walking, riding a bike, rowing in a canoe, swimming, rollerblading, tossing a ball or Frisbee, what else can you think of?
Ms. Cameron also points out the fact that we need to create and do our art (follow our dreams) for the purpose and experience of doing them… Not just for the money or to be profitable. We must allow ourselves to try something new, to experiment, to take risks and create just to create. Often in allowing ourselves to try, even if it takes a few unsuccessful attempts, the end product will be profitable in some aspect, whether financially, emotionally, spiritually, physically, creatively, or just for the fun of it! Regardless of the monetary value, we must value both ourselves and our creative endeavors.
Do you find yourself placing greater importance on your dreams now that you are actually working on them? Have you allowed yourself to expand your possibilities? In the pursuit of your dreams have you come across new opportunities you didn’t realize existed? When you open one door in the pursuit of your soul’s desires, you’ll soon discover many more open unexpectedly. Don’t be afraid to look inside. You might discover something exciting!
Now let’s move on to this week’s assignment!
Week 15 Assignment
Use your day planner! Begin by scheduling the following:
Create and begin a light exercise
routine. (If you’re not exercising already.) Make it something simple, something
enjoyable. When you do it and for how
long is entirely up to you. Check out all your options and experiment a
little to discover what will work best for you.
Read The
Artist’s Way — Chapter 12:
Recovering A Sense of Faith, Pgs 193 – 201. Note the importance of mystery,
imagination, and the serious commitment we must make to allowing ourselves to
play, create, and pursue our dreams.
Also, pay close attention to how we need to muster up our strength for
escape velocity fro
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 10 exercises at the end of the chapter. You can do more! The more you put into doing this, the more of yourself – and your dreams — you will get out of it. You’re almost to the end of this book and doing the exercises that have you check your own progress can provide great insight! Take some time to do them.
Do the Check-In on Page 201.
Schedule, plan and take a date with yourself. If you’ve run out of ideas, ask others if they know of any fun places around town. Or pick up a brochure from the Visitor’s Center. Check out a book about your city and discover all the things you haven’t yet. Get a bunch of index cards and write down one idea for a date with yourself on each card. Draw from the deck.
Write 3 pages of long-hand in your journal daily. Just sit down and let the pen flow across the page. Don’t edit. Don’t fix it. Just write and write and write until you have 3 full pages. It’s best to write in the mornings, but if you can’t do it then, do it whenever you can. By now you should be in the habit of journaling. Keep at it!
Pick a task from your Master Plan and do it! Just one little thing will take you that much closer to your dreams. What will you do this week?
If you need to expand your list, do so! This is part of the plan! Take a peek to see how far you’ve come in the past 15 weeks! You’re making progress and that’s something to celebrate. Drink a toast to yourself. Feel free to use water with lemon or fresh squeezed fruit juice instead of alcohol. J
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— © Jeanette M. Pintar
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Muse@sfpnn.com