September 18, 2006
September 18, 2006 Issue #31
Welcome to the newsletter where playing more and stressing less is taken seriously. It's written with the intention to support you in living a life with more passion and play and less worry and work.IN THIS ISSUE...
The Ultimate Yes
Escape From Cubicle Nation
East Mountain South
Kick-Ass Coaching Program
has 6 spots left!
Tin Foil Follies
Ways to Play Today:
Start Your Day Differently
Wash Your Neighbor's Car
Something to Ponder:
What do you say "Yes!" to?
"Love is the permission to be."
~Unknown
My Playground
The article, the message, the thing to make you go hmmm...
~The Ultimate Yes~
When I stumbled across the above quote, it got me thinking about how love really does give us the permission to be exactly who we want to be. We can be giddy and grandiose. We can be spontaneous and somewhat irrational. We can be passionate and patient. We can be lighthearted and lust-filled. Love also gives us permission to be who we really don't want to be. We can be selfish and suspicious. We can be unfaithful and unkind. We can be hurtful and horrid. If love gives you the permission to be anything, how do you want to be? How do you let love influence and inspire who you are and those around you?
Yesterday will be a day I'll remember for the rest of my life. I got married.
As I write this newsletter, my wedding day is still about a week away, however by the time you read this I will have already said "I do". It shouldn't come as a surprise that love is what is foremost in my heart and on my mind this month. What surprises me is taking a good look at how much love has changed me and my world in the last few years. I say this because my history in the romance and relationship department has been rather rocky at times. A couple of long-term relationships, a previous engagement and a few delicious dalliances were not exactly what I had in mind when it came to finding the love of my life. Sure, I experienced plenty of passion, but I also struggled with the concept of commitment big time.
Being in love while being in doubt is truly one of the most heart-wrenching situations to be in. I've been there enough times to know it is not fun and it is not a place I'd encourage anyone to spend significant time in. One would think that after experiencing constant feelings of guilt, frustration and regret, I'd realize that commitment was indeed lacking. Apparently, I was a bit daft in recognizing the truth. It's taken me years to admit that the real reason why I didn’t have the kind of relationship I wanted was because I wasn't a committed partner. Ouch! A lot of pain and struggle could have been avoided had I taken a look in the mirror sooner than I did.
The Place of Passion & Commitment - My Wedding Site
Ah yes...commitment; that grand and glorious thing that says, "I choose you over and over again." So how do you know when you're truly committed to someone or something that you're passionate about? What is it that lets you know it is an Ultimate Yes? It certainly seems appropriate to talk about passion and commitment when one is about to be married, but what about all the other times? How might you and your life be different if you were to consider passion and commitment as the two necessary ingredients to have whenever any decision is made? Read on to discover how to determine when someone or something is an Ultimate Yes for you.
5 Ways to Innately Know it's an Ultimate Yes
1) The passion runs deep
It's an Ultimate Yes when you experience joy, excitement and utter delight on a consistent basis. There is profound love, but also profound adoration. Your passion is sustainable not only because you acknowledge it, but because you're actively engaged in it.
2) It's more than a want, it's a need
An Ultimate Yes is more than just a desire. It is a personal demand that you willingly look forward to serving. You can probably survive without it, but you don't like to imagine it not ever being a part of your life.
3) It makes you feel alive
Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, an Ultimate Yes generates feelings of contentment, certainty and bliss. You might even find it challenging to find the words to describe your emotions.
4) You believe in it
Whether or not you have the desired relationship, job or thing in your life right now, you unequivocally trust that whatever it is that you want will show up. I'm usually not one to quote the Bible, but Hebrews 11:1 was spot on with this passage; "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Doubt doesn't discourage an Ultimate Yes.
5) It contributes to your understanding & growth
An Ultimate Yes makes you a better human being because you're not just satisfying your own curiosity and desires, but you're contributing to others as well. There is much wisdom to be shared when you're living an Ultimate Yes. It inspires those around you to discover and live theirs.
If we're lucky enough, we might be given the opportunity at the end of our lives to ponder the life we've led. We might consider our successes, our regrets, our great loves and our great losses. Perhaps we would wish that we had said "Yes!" more often to the people and to the things in our lives that we loved. Take a closer look in the mirror. Ask yourself what you're passionate AND committed to in your life and then give yourself permission to love and be loved. Live the Ultimate Yeses of your life. Yesterday, as I stood on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in Cannon Beach, Oregon and said my wedding vows to James, I will have said "Yes!" to one of mine.
Check it Out
Personal Recommendations for books, music, websites and all resources fun!
EscapeFromCubicleNation
If you've ever harbored dreams of being an entrepreneur rather than an employee, this website is for you. Actually, this is an amazing blog my friend, Pam Slim created a year ago that now has thousands of people reading it. Why is it generating lots of buzz? First, take a look at the front page of today's newspaper. There's a good chance you'll see a story about a local or national company having to cut back its workforce. Big name corporations are laying off people big time these days and long-term employment no longer means squat. Pam's posts offer valuable information and inspiration on how to go from being a corporate cube dweller to being your own brilliant and successful boss. Having worked in the corporate world for many years and having owned her own business for the last ten, Pam's experience and enthusiasm for becoming a self-employed professional is spot on. She's smart, she's funny and most importantly, she's real. She can dish out expert marketing advice while at the same time share personal stories about being recently married and a mom to a 17 month-old. Her advice is wise, her wit can be wicked and she always provides plenty of resources to websites and blogs of other people who have excelled as entrepreneurs. It's a big decision to leave the relative comfort and security of a corporate job and venture out on your own. If you've been considering that idea or if reading this has caused you to pause and ponder your possibilities, consider reading Pam's blog. You'll have plenty more to ponder about afterwards.
East Mountain South
A couple of years ago as I was cruising in my car belting out tunes to the radio, I heard a song for the first time that caused my heart to skip a beat. I didn't know who the artist was or what the song's title was, but the lyrics spoke to me in a big and lovely way. I found out the name of the song and the name of the band and it just so happens that it is the song I will have walked down the beach to marry the love of my life to. I engaged in some random googling a week before my wedding and found the band's old website. It was both a sweet and sad discovery to learn of Kat and Peter's story. Unfortunately, they called it quits about a year ago, but fortunately for me and James they created the song "You Dance" before they disbanded. You can have a listen to four of their songs online. Just to the right of the menu is their player. Scroll to the third song and you'll hear a more upbeat version of "You Dance", our wedding song. It appears as though you can no longer purchase their music online, but a
Portland, Oregon radio station
might still have "Kink Live Seven" cds available for sale.
What's Up at Playful Spirit?
Planning a wedding and getting married this month has kept me all aflutter. I waited 37 years and would have waited 37 more in order to marry the man of my dreams. I'm certainly glad he and I both decided to show up now instead of much later otherwise I would have been a first-time bride at 74. Now there's an interesting book title.
After I return from my honeymoon (we're going to Europe for three weeks!) the Kick-Ass Coaching Program begins a week later on November 1. There are six spots left so if you're really ready to take on your life in a very big and fun way this fall, you need to register before I get on that plane October 2nd. If you're a new subscriber or if you need a little reminder about what the Kick-Ass Program is about, here's the dish:
During the month of November, ten people and I will be creating more of what we want and less of what we don't in our lives. Every day for 30 days, program participants (I'll be playing too!) will receive a "Way of the Day" via email. Arriving first thing in the morning, the "Way" is an informational and inspirational tip, technique or tool that you will put to work in your life that day. The Kick-Ass part is you get to determine how much or how little you want to work the day's "Way". The other Kick-Ass part is by the end of the month you will have 30 different "Ways" that you can use in the future any time you or your life need a kick in the...you get my point, yes?
In addition to the daily email goodie, the program consists of two 30 minute coaching calls and unlimited email coaching during the month. What that means is you'll pretty much have 24/7 access to me for 30 days. No, I won't return your emails at 3am in the morning, but I will get back to you within 24 hours of you sending me a note. One more kick-ass part...the entire month's program is only $299. Last, but not least (and then I'm done with my marketing bit) if you want to do this and yet you've hesitated calling or emailing me, now is the time to get off the fence. If you want maximum results in minimal time and you're ready to play full-out for 30 days, you now have just 14 days to say "Yes!" and register. Send me an email or gimme a call. Operators are not standing by, but I'd love to hear from you!
Whoo-hoo! My blogs, Life of Play and The Ultimate Yes are finally up and running. They are still works in progress, but please check out the couple of posts I've written so far and leave a comment if you'd like. While Life of Play will lean more towards my ponderings about love, laughter and anything else I find amusing about life, The Ultimate Yes will be all about you. Huh? Yep, that blog is the beginning of my contribution to others and the world. Will it eventually be a book? Yes. Will I offer very cool, inspirational and fun products? Yes. Will I do public speaking and facilitate workshops and retreats about it? Absolutely. Like I said in last month's newsletter, I'm ready to play BIGGER than I ever have before and I'm so excited you'll be here to read about and witness the unfolding of my life's work.
Thank you for being a Lighten Up subscriber. I hope my musings each month somehow make a small difference in your life. Knowing that you read my newsletter makes a huge difference in mine.
Giggles & Guffaws
An amusing story, joke, anecdote or picture to tickle your funnybone
Yep, it's a Bachelorette Party.
Ways to Play Today
Why not...start your day differently?
If you're like most people, you probably have a fairly-established morning routine. It might look something like this; wake to the sound of an alarm clock, stumble into the shower, get dressed, grab breakfast and out the door you go. Or it might look like this; wake up when your body is fully rested, take a long, luxurious bubble-bath, slip into your comfiest clothes and then make a scrumptious morning meal. The first scenario is probably a more likely one than the second and it's unfortunate that perhaps you and millions of other folk begin their day in a not-so-pleasant way. Your ideal morning may not be entirely possible to have right now, but you can shake up how you wake up by implementing small changes. Be roused from your slumber to music rather than to an annoying buzz. Get up ten minutes earlier so you can sit down to breakfast rather than catching it in your car. If you normally read the paper or watch T.V., resist the print and the tube for a day. If you usually drink coffee, try tea. A few simple changes might just be enough for you to notice and experience a very different kind of day.
Why not...wash your neighbor's car?
I'm all for random, anonymous acts of kindness, but before you apply some soapy suds to your neighbor's driving duds, it would probably be best to ask for their permission first. Despite your best intentions, they may be quite touchy about letting you touch their beloved BMW or Beetle. Don't mistake your neighbor's initial surprise for a "no". Assure them you have no hidden agenda. It won't be necessary to bake you an apple pie nor will they need to watch your pets while you're on vacation. If they give you the go ahead, destroy the dirt from your neighbor's car and then stay motivated enough to clean your own. Scrub away, I say!
Something to Ponder
Questions designed to stimulate your thinking AND encourage you to take action towards what you want.
What are you passionate about and committed to in your life?
How will you know when you are living an Ultimate Yes?
Care to share what these questions stir up in you? Need some support around finding and following an Ultimate Yes?
Send me an e-mail.
I welcome your thoughts and will respond to all e-mails received.
If you want to find out more about the work I do as a facilitator, writer and coach check out Playful Spirit Make sure you come back and visit every so often as you never know what kind of resources and fun stuff I'll be playing around with and adding to the website.
Thanks for reading this issue of Lighten Up! If you enjoyed it, please pass it along to your friends, your family, your co-workers...You get the idea. Until next month, consider what you are both passionate about and committed to in your life. Allow yourself to let whatever and whomever you love, love you back. Be well, be happy and play more.
See you on October 23rd!
Lisa
~Playful Spirit's mission is to empower women and men to acknowledge and express their unique gifts in the world. We help people rediscover their passion, purpose & sense of play.~
lisa@playful-spirit.com www.playful-spirit.com