As I’ve been talking about in the last 2 posts (see Happy New Year! and Ideal Scene and Goal Setting), I’ve been working on my ideal scene and outlining and writing my goals for what I want my life to look like in 5 years. In writing my goals I’ve added the phrase, “In an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way…” as Marc Allen suggested, in his book The Greatest Secret of All – Moving Beyond Abundance to a Life of True Fulfillment and from his source, Catherine Ponder. I’ve printed it out so I can now edit and rewrite it until I get it the way I want it. In addition to what I’ve been doing with envisioning my ideal scene and writing goals, I thought I would give you a progress report on Plain Talk and Ordinary Wisdom. I have only been writing this blog a little over a month (began Nov 26th ’07) and I wanted not only to give you content by writing a post 5 days a week but quality posts by sharing a piece of me as well. So, here goes. As of today, I’ve had a total of 171 visitors, 332 page views and 9 RSS feed subscribers. It’s a start and it may be a small beginning but I’m encouraged with these stats and have all of you to thank for the support and comments.

I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned not only about myself but how great a community of people is out there interested in what I have to say. I’ve been following Andrew on his project weight loss at Personal Hack and watching all the support he’s receiving. I’ve been reading all the blog carnivals and the vast amount of postings on so many interesting topics. I can’t begin to list them all (I have a blog roll on my site if you want to check out some of these carnivals). My head is swimming with all the techno info and the “how to’s”. I love Patricia Singleton’s posts on Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker and Karen Lynch has just put out her Live the Power Unlimited II – Vol 11 Carnival edition which includes a posting by Dr. Martin Russell on “Self Help Sleeping Pills – The Campaign” that I’m sure will help a lot of people having that problem. But what strikes me with all of this is that I’m discovering a whole new world of incredible people sharing their stories and assisting with the knowledge they have learned. In the olden days you used to see this kind of help when there was a barn building. Everyone in the community would help in some way to be a part of that project. The energy was so contagious and compassionate.

I remember a story from my grandparents that express the feeling I’m trying to convey for this new found community. My grandparents lived in Virginia on the Eastern Shore near the Chesapeake Bay and there was fishing all the time. As the story goes, a long time ago fishermen went out to the shore early in the morning to lay out their nets. In the evening, they would go back out and haul in their seine (nets) bringing in whatever fish they caught. One evening, when they went out to the shore and began hauling in the seine, it was loaded down with fish. There were so many fish it was hard to contain. So, as they hauled at sunset they started singing spiritual songs and word got around to the people in town of what was happening. So, almost everyone came down to the shoreline to watch. Can you imagine the scene with hundreds of people sitting on the banks of the shoreline, the sun going down and watching and listening to the singing of those southern spirituals as the fisherman hauled in their catch? To me, it was similar to biblical times when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and fished with the disciples.

Thank you everyone out there – internet community – for viewing and commenting and putting my posts on your carnivals and for bookmarking and stumbling my blog. I feel a sense of unity and community from you and it encourages me to learn more and contribute back to you something that maybe in some small way can be as helpful to you as it has been to me.

From the kitchen table – Pat
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Photo by Jason Antony at www.sxc.hu.home
It’s a New Year! 2008 is now here! Hallelujah! It’s a time to let the old go and look to new beginnings. I am excited for what this New Year will bring. In fact, I was reflecting on this and it seems like I felt a definite shift last night when 2007 gave up its reign to 2008. I felt all the challenges I struggled with the whole year finally release and cut loose when the New Year came in. It was like a weight lifted from me. It didn’t seem to matter whether I learned the lesson or not; in the shift it was gone. What do you hold for a vision for 2008? Will you finally see the fruits of what you’ve believed for?

I’ve started reading a book by Marc Allen entitled, The Greatest Secret of All – Moving Beyond Abundance to a Life of True Fulfillment. He talks about when he turned thirty and in need of some major changes in his life. He thought about what he wanted out of life and began to apply some ideas in new ways that changed his life. He decided to sit down and write on paper what he imagined to be his Ideal Scene and what became for him his first secret of manifestation:

“The first step to discovering
the secret of manifestation
is to write your ideal scene on paper,
your dream life five years in the future.
Begin with the end in mind,
and keep it in mind.”

I’ve been thinking about this as part of my reflection of 2007 and 2008 and the possibilities. I haven’t quite got a handle on this yet and need more time to feel and get the picture of my ideal scene 5 years from now. When you dare to think of the ideal kind of life you could have, if you could have anything at all, what would that look like – what would it feel like? How bad do I want this ideal life and what am I willing to do? Marc Allen wasn’t following a self-help book or course. He was following the need in his heart at the time of his life when he needed the greatest change and this was the first step he intuitively was led to do. Just like you and me he had the tapes going off in his head like, “You? Who are you trying to kid? You have no money, and you need money to make money!”

I think 2008 is calling us to stop playing around with the principles we’ve heard and accepted and be serious with our lives and shine. What about you? Is the New Year calling out to you on a different level – something that is life changing? What will you do with it – or will it be another year that will come and go? I want to challenge you like myself to make this New Year different than all the rest.

Blessings and peace to all of you this New Year’s Day and all of 2008!

From the kitchen table – Pat
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It takes courage to be real and authentic. It takes courage to live the life you have chosen and to not step to the same steps as others around you. As I was writing this post, I was reminded, again, of something I had been putting off. It was to send an e-mail sharing with someone an experience I had over 25 years ago. I had been avoiding it because I didn’t want to face another rejection or someone making light of it or excusing it away as had happened so many times before. But, when I sat down and started on the first couple sentences of this post, I was reminded to send this e-mail again and I decided to just do it.

I’m not sure that really qualifies as courage in light of people all around the world standing up and putting their lives on the line for a cause they believe in. But, on the gentler side, courage is living this life everyday. It’s courage getting up every morning when that alarm goes off to go to work to bring in an income. It’s courage when a mother is tending to a sick child and hasn’t gotten much sleep. It takes courage just driving down the freeway. And, it’s courage when you’re willing to get in touch with yourself and give up old habits and old beliefs that are no longer serving you.

People all over are courageous in the large ways and in the small ways. It may not make headlines but, in the little things, the love and attention you bring to it are no small miracle.

It takes courage to face some of the challenges brought our way and to grow and learn from the experience of just being alive. I believe that when we’re met with a challenge we’re also given the ability, knowledge and strength to see it through. Some of us may wonder how some do it. When they connect to their source, it all seems to be a little bit easier. There’s hope. There’s a way.

I’m reminded of a poem written by Oriah Mountain Dreamer called, “The Invitation”. Maybe you’ve read it. She was going through a difficult time and went to a party seeking someone she could talk to on a deeper level. She was looking for someone that would be genuine. She was disappointed and came home late that night and sat down at a table and wrote this poem. Sometimes, we want people to be real and that’s what this poem expresses – the hunger to connect with someone who is also seeking value and worth.

Give yourselves credit for what you do on a daily basis. It takes courage and I’m sure that whatever life hands to you, you’ll be there in a heartbeat to answer the call.

From the kitchen table – Pat

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