This weekend I will be attending the 2^nd annual conference of the Calgary Association of Professional Coaches. I’m presenting a 1-hour break out session called “Get Your Inner A.C.T. Together and Create The Practice of Your Dreams”.

I thought it would be interesting to give you a sneak peek at this “Inner A.C.T.” But, before I get into the “A.C.T.”, I want to set the stage …

I’ve been interested in what makes people tick for a long time. I particularly became interested in psychology when I struggled with Clinical Depression and then Manic Depressive Illness. I’ve read, and collected, hundreds of books on psychology, self-help, and neuroscience.

My passion as a coach and consultant is to use my learnings about the inner workings of the brain and mind to help my clients. I want to help you learn from my mistakes and from my successes and thereby have a less stressful, more successful, less painful life at home and in your business.

I titled this presentation “Your Inner A.C.T.” because I’ve learned over the years, and keep learning, that I and you need to pay closer attention to what’s going on inside us. We get bajillions of messages from “Out There” telling us what to do - “Buy Me”, “Wear Me”, and you’ll be happy and have success. So, my goal in my presentation is to reinforce the notion that we need to “look inside for answers”.

So, what then is this “Inner A.C.T.”? The acronym A.C.T. stands for 3 qualities that together form our Essence. Let’s take a look at them …

A - Authenticity

When you know the answer to the question “Who am I?” and act in a way that is fully congruent with that, then you display the quality Authenticity.

But, you ask, “how could I not know who I am?” Remember those external messages I talked about. From the time we are born, well meaning people tell us who they think we are, or should be. So, over time we forget what I call the Essential Self, the part of us that is our Soul. We forget “Who I Am”. Not only do we forget we often become afraid to express that true self.

I’m willing to bet that if I asked you who you are you’d respond automatically with a job title, with what you do. You might tell me “I’m a coach”. Or, “I’m a Doctor”.

I’m reading a wonderful book by my favourite Jungian analyst, Robert A. Johnson, called “Living Your Unlived Life”. Here’s the essence of an exercise he suggests to help us discover the answer to the question, “Who am I”. Find a supportive partner. Sit facing each other. Get relaxed and centered. Have your partner ask, “Who are you?” Respond with whatever comes to mind. When you run out of responses, take a moment to recoup. Then have your partner ask again, “Who are you?” Keep repeating these steps till you reach a sense of being, of essence.”

When you know your Authentic Self and when you are able to express that self in an Authentic way, you have the first key to the Essence of you.

C - Courage

The word Courage derives from the Latin word for Heart. For me it is in and through dialogue with our Heart that we answer the 2^nd essential question, “Why Am I Here”.

It is the Heart that is the centre of our Purpose. And, it is to the Heart that we need to look both to get clear on our Purpose and to restore, rejuvenate our Courage.

Why do we need Courage? Because it is a challenge to be Authentic, to walk our talk, to FULLY express our Essence.

So, we need to turn to our Hearts regularly.

Later this month (as soon as I master Scanning 101) I will make a PDF copy of an article I wrote on Courage called “Finding and Nurturing The Courage To Change.” I’ll let you know when it’s available.

Also, if you really want to do business from the Heart I (pardon the pun) heartily recommend you cruise on over to Mark Silver’s Heart of Business website (www.HeartOfBusiness.com) and get your self on his newsletter list. I know of no better source for Heart-centred business wisdom.

T - Talent

            When I first started thinking about this notion the T-word Tenacity came to mind. And, while I do know form my own experience that it will take Tenacity to live a life of Authenticity, Tenacity didn’t quite fit with what I was trying to convey.

I believe that fully understanding what makes us unique is about knowing the answer to 3 questions. We’ve already addressed 2: “Who am I” and “Why am I here?”

          The 3^rd question is “What am I Given?” and relates to the Mind and to the inborn gifts or Talents we receive.

It seems easy to recognize Talent in others, particularly when it’s obvious like Mozart’s or Tiger Wood’s. But, often we deny our own Talent. How often when praised for being exceptionally good at something, have you said, “Oh. That’s nothing. Anybody can do that!”

Knowing your God given Talent is important. But, even more important is employing it - Authentically.

There you have it. My notion of the 3 keys to Essence.

Let me know what you think. Send me an e-mail or comment here on my blog!

I joke that my mid-life crisis started when I was 35 and it’s not over yet!

Actually, though, as I revealed in my special Unsticking^TM Teleclinic last week, my life has been on a Transitional path since March 1985. That’s when I hit the wall big time and decided to reinvent my life. I simply had no idea that finding and LIVING my true Calling would take quite so long. And, be full of so many transitions.

When I turned 60 last September I made myself 2 promises: 1) I would no longer do work I didn’t want to do, and 2) I wouldn’t work with people that I didn’t want to.

Those 2 commitments have created interesting changes in my practice. The ‘good’ ones are the nifty, new clients I’ve met since then, the challenging new work that has come my way, and the increases in my income. What hasn’t been so neat are some of the emotions that have accompanied this Transition.

Let me explain, in the hopes you can relate.

We have this fantasy that change will be smooth and easy. OK, maybe that’s MY fantasy.

Seriously though, I’ve noticed that many of my creative, eclectic clients are by nature OPTIMISTIC about the future. Dreamers one and all we create plans that are based on nothing going wrong. Then when the car dies, the snow storm wipes out the power for 2 days, or we get sick, we find ourselves waaaaaaaaaaay behind!

Oh, and let’s not forget about the jim jams. That’s a fancy word for the emotional reactions that surface during a transition.

That’s what’s been happening to me of late. Sure, rationally I can blame my lack of productivity on the chaos caused when the engine in the SUV crapped out. Or, the interruptions and noise created by the renovations going on in the home office. And, the problems created when my we site move took 2 weeks instead of 3 days.

True, those things are aggravating, but that’s not really what’s really kept me STUCK!

Have you noticed this? The more you want your dreams and the closer you get to them, the MORE VULNERABLE you feel.

Sure been happening to me lately. I feel very tender, raw. So, if a client doesn’t immediately respond I start feeling paranoid, “Did I say something wrong?”

You see, transitions are times that take us back in some ways to our childhood self. Times when we didn’t have a lot of power or influence. Times when there were bogey men. Times when some of us were abused.

And, all those feelings get resurrected when the roller coaster of transition drops down the hill into depression.

So, what can we do when Transition time makes us feel vulnerable, scared, and overwhelmed?

Here are some things I’m doing:

1. Talking It Through

Even Introverts need to talk it over. Find a good friend, usually a woman cause most women can provide the emotional listening you need. My best friend Brenda and I talk for hours every week, particularly when either of us is struggling. And, believe that’s most every week cause both of us are working hard to grow up.

2. Write It Out

I’ve been stuck writing. Thank God I found and wonderful writing coach and healer who has been guiding me through some very powerful writing exercises. Thanks to Debora Seidman of www.WritingThePrayerOfYourLife.com I’ve started to write again. Now, all the uck is coming out - but so is the good stuff! Trust me. Writing is one of the most powerful things you can do to sort out and get through a transition.

3. Get Support!

I keep saying this because it’s true and because it works! When I’m struggling I pick up the phone and call my coach. He has me back on track in less than 30 minutes. Lately, I talk to him once a week. So, get the support you need - GET A COACH!

I’m happy to report that my website has been moved to a new host. That means you can tune in to THE Unsticking Coach for more on what I’m learning about change and transition.

This issue: I explore the Power of Calling and look at some strategies
for getting in touch with your Calling.

CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED!

The online Career/Life/Work
Newsletter

For Writers and other Creative
Professionals

From Lyle T. Lachmuth

Professional Coach
& Writer

www.TheUnstickingCoach.com   

Want
to subscribe to the ezine. Just fill in your information in the boxes over on the left and Voila!

HOT LINKS

On
March 1^st I joined some of my fellow bloggers to engage in a little
thought experiment conceived and launched by Mr. BlogWild!
Andy Wibbels. Follow along as I experiment with The Power of Intention and
manifesting my Callings at my post series, "The Secret Movie 30 Day
Challenge."

=========================================

THE POWER OF CALLING

          As part of trying to understand my Neutral Zone experience,
I reread William Bridges, "Transitions:
Making Sense of Life’s Changes," particularly focusing on the chapter about
The Neutral Zone. I was struck by his comment that once you’ve entered "the Zone"
you can’t go back to where you were, even
if you want to. Why? Because just being in the Neutral Zone - even briefly
- forever changes who you are.

Last
week my former, fearless leader called me up to ask why I was quitting my
contract. I explained why. And, then he dangled a ‘carrot’.

Well,
I was tempted -. for about 30 minutes. Then I made a career limiting phone call
back to him. I explained that I "didn’t’
trust his offer because I felt like he was just trying to sell me.’ He didn’t
seem to like that feedback. Well no biggie, because in the course of pondering
his carrot I really did realize I didn’t want to go back.

But,
where did I want to go?

Have
you ever ‘forgotten’ your Calling? Or, denied it? Or, ignored it? Or, pushed it
away?

I
sure have. But, during my sojourn in the Neutral Zone IT has been making itself
heard. And, I finally listened, resulting in the decision to have fun with my
pseudo-scientific exploration of The Power of Intention, "The Secret Movie 30 Day
Challenge."

Today,
I want to share some of the lessons I’ve learned about The Power of Calling.

What Is a Calling? 

I
am most familiar with the notion of Calling as described by my Christian Fundamentalist
doctrine. For me, growing up, The Calling was about being summoned by God to
serve "Him" as an evangelizer.

But,
as Gregg Levoy notes in his seminal work, "Callings:
Finding and Following an Authentic Life", many traditions have "calls".
Usually these precede prayer, initiations, spiritual healings, or major life
events and serve to summon adherents to, as Levoy notes, "a new level of awareness, into a sacred frame of mind, into communion
with that which is bigger than themselves… Primarily this force announces the
need for change; the response for it calls is an awakening of some kind." 

How Do Callings Show Up? 

I’ve
always experienced Callings as a wee voice speaking to me, combined with a ‘feeling’,
a ‘pressure’ like a hand on me, pulling me, prodding me, and guiding me.

So,
I was pleasantly surprised to discover other ways in which a Calling shows up.

One
is Passion. Levoy tells the story of Mark Dubois whose passion for the
Stanislaus River in
Northern California lead
him to found Friends of the River and then chain himself to a rock near the
river to prevent politicians from flooding the river past a level they had
promised wouldn’t be exceeded. Boy! That’s PASSION - and a hell of a Calling!

Through
the stories of others, Levoy shows how Callings can show up in Dreams. WHOA! I
said when I read that. I hadn’t thought of my dreams as a source of Calling,
yet have had very intense, TELLING dreams.

Finally,
Levoy explores how the Body can be a source of Callings. DOUBLE WHOA! I’ve known
for sometime that my body lets me know clearly and painfully when I am off
track. But, I had never really thought about its direct connection to Calling.
I’ve found Louise Hay’s little masterpiece, "Heal
Your Body" is a great place to look for the meaning of bodily symptoms. For
example, problems with our teeth are indicative of struggles with decision. And,
colds are signs of confusion. Sounds weird, but I know it’s been true for me!

How Can You Invoke Your Calling? 

A
word of caution first: DO NOT make any attempts to invoke your Calling unless
you are READY to go where it takes you!

I’m
learning that one big time!

I
put out an Intention to get clarity on what I’ve described as my Second
Calling. I’ve known for years that I’m Called to be a Teacher (read: Coach,
Trainer, Educator,

Mentor).
But, for the last 3 and a bit years I’ve had this ‘feeling’ that there’s something
more, or something else - my Second Calling.

Since
March 1^st I’ve been working my Intention through reading, prayer,
Inner Dialogue, and invoking Dreams. And, stuff has started to show up. But,
not the stuff I expected or at least not quite what I’ve expected.

You
see for awhile I’ve had this inkling that my Calling might be a call to be a
Healer. And, to work with victims of childhood abuse. But, so far, what’s shown
up is not quite that. For example, I have a client, a Clinical Social Worker,
who just yesterday invited me to co present with her at a provincial conference
of Social Workers. The topic: Promoting Your Social Work Practice. On the
surface that has nothing to do with helping wounded people.

But,
as my client pointed out, many professionals who are Called to be counsellors and
therapists have been wounded as children. Those wounds, and the work they’ve
done to overcome them, make them superb healers - and crappy self-promoters.
The act of trying to write copy, articles, and to do anything to EXPRESS
themselves OUT in the world evokes FEAR. They get STUCK big time.

And,
that’s where The Unsticking Coach comes into the picture. Why? Because I have
been there, done that, got the T-shirt, coffee mug, and scratches to show for
it. My Purpose is Life is to help people "professionals
rediscover and courageously express their unique gifts". That’s my Calling!
My Passion! Using My Gift of Words to teach others how to get unstuck.

So,
when you’re ready, pursue your passion(s), get out the crayons, invoke your
dreams, play inspirational music, and get ready to experience The Power of
Calling.

Let’s
sum up: I believe "God", "The Universe", "Your Higher Power", has Called each
of us. You CAN definitely ignore your Calling - but believe me it WILL HURT to
do so. Or, you can Invoke your Calling and experience The Power of Calling. The
choice is yours. 

Until
next time,

Lyle Lachmuth MS
(Organization Development)

The Unsticking Coach^(TM)

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

PRIVACY POLICY:  I will not rent, trade, or
sell your name and contact information to anyone, at any time, for any reason!

CAVEAT:
CREATIVE CAREERS UNLEASHED and its publisher, are not engaged in providing
therapy. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only.

CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety only, including
copyright, legal, and contact information and only with live links intact.

Copyright 2007 Lyle T. Lachmuth, All Rights
Reserved 

This issue: A dispatch from the Neutral Zone - how transition messes
with your plans and some thoughts on what helps and hurts.   

CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED!

The online Career/Life/Work
Newsletter

For Creative, Eclectic,
Multitalented Professionals

From Lyle T. Lachmuth

Professional Genre
Buster^(TM) 

www.TheUnstickingCoach.com 

Want
to subscribe? See that pretty graphic on the left? Fill in your name and e-mail , press the button, and Bob’s Your Uncle! 

==============================================

DISPATCH FROM THE
NEUTRAL ZONE! 

HOW TO CREATE
IRRESITABLE COPY

Do you HATE those sales
pages that scream with YELLOW!

How about learning copywriting that
works from a guy who: a) really knows his stuff, b) because he’s been a
freelance writer, and c) is a gentle supportive teacher and coach?

Take a look at this
brand N*E*W offering from my copy writing muse, Barry Morris.

Click here for Creating Irresistible Copy

========================================= 

DISPATCH FROM THE
NEUTRAL ZONE!

          As I said last time, The Neutral
Zone ain’t so Neutral.

          I share the following not because I want sympathy, sweets,
or chocolates - I do – but with the hope that these experiences

          Here’s some things I’ve noticed as I’ve stumbled, leapt,
shambled, zipped, through the past two weeks:

1) About THE
Experience

How
do you know you’re in Transition?

a) Emotions Ramp Up: Seriously, Transition shows up emotionally
and psychologically for everyone! However, how YOU manifest that shift
might be different from how someone else does. Traditionally we ’see’ women and
‘creatives’ as emotional, even moody. That’s because most women and most Creative
professionals are in touch with their emotions and feelings. If you’re a
Creative professional, emotions are what inspire you, shape your ‘art’, drive
you — and drive you crazy!

That’s
the ‘crazy times’ part of Transition. Transition sneaks ‘under your Radar’. You
feel out of sorts, not ‘normal’. But, you don’t know what’s wrong. You’re edgy.
Things that normally wouldn’t bother you now irritate you!

You
might start snapping at people. You might have trouble sleeping. You could
start craving sweets, especially chocolate. All this makes you feel ‘crazy’.

b) You Feel
Confused, Uncertain

I’ll
paraphrase Kermit the Frog, "its not easy
being creative!" You want to be unique and special - not "in the box". But,
at that same time you crave recognition and approval. You want people to like
your stuff - well enough that they buy it and, better yet, pay you well for it.

That
polarity is tough enough to manage when you’re feeling centred and grounded -
‘normal’. But, when you’re in transition and you’re feeling emotional and
vulnerable you can lose your way. WHO AM I? becomes a big deal. You question
everything you do. You doubt yourself. You worry, excessively, about what
others think of you. All of a sudden those great dreams you had look
impossible, stupid, or dumb!

c) You Feel
Tired, Discouraged, Deflated, even Depressed

All
those emotions and thoughts running around in your head tire you out! And, it
doesn’t help that you’re not sleeping right or eating properly. You’re NOT,
RIGHT!

Your
body and mind rebel even more. You run out of juice. Discouragement sets up
house. Your brain starts to manufacture dark thoughts. LIFE SUCKS! 

2) What
Doesn’t Work

- Ignoring Your Feelings: It would be great to ignore those feelings. Go
ahead and stuff them. But, it won’t work. Stuff ‘em and they will erupt. 

- Whine Therapy: Also know as B-tching or complaining. Okay, you need to a little. BUT,
spending days and weeks moaning, groaning, and carping WILL NOT help! It just
keeps you STUCK in the same feelings and emotions. TRUST ME, I’ve done it! IT
doesn’t work.  

- Worrying:
I forget who said this, "Most of the time
we spend time worrying about stuff that never happens." Sure you can spend
time chewing on your thoughts. It seems like you’re doing something. You are!
You’re wasting your bloody time and energy!

3) What
Helps!

- Support:
I you don’t have a Support network. CREATE one. DO IT NOW! Just the other day I
realized that one of the challenges of my current transition was the fact that
I had ‘lost’ my best support buddy. My business partner is massively busy,
engaged in a very large project and unavailable for consultation. So, when I
had that DUH experience: "Crud! I’ve lost
my most important professional sounding board"; I went out and found a new
coach and hired her to be my "shadow consultant". Man what a relief

What
support do you need? Do you need a coach? An advisory board? A "shadow
consultant"? A therapist? Get what you need!

- Time Outs:
Be kind to yourself. YES, I know all that stuff you WANT and NEED to do ISN’T
getting done as fast as you want. So, the last thing you need to do is slow
down, right! WRONG!

It’s
the MOST important thing you can do. Step back. Kick back. Slow down. Go for a
walk. Get a massage. Take a long hot bath. Relax. Nurture yourself and your
creativity.

Believe
me: when you are rested, relaxed, and calm you will be twenty times more
focused and productive!

- Forgiveness: Creatives like you aspire to greatness. You want to make a
difference. You want to be KNOWN. You want to impact the world. You want to be
remembered.

But,
your world is upside down. It can be so easy to crap on yourself and be mean to
yourself. DON’T DO IT! Forgive yourself for being what you are a creative HUMAN
BEING!

Let’s
sum up: When you commit to a Big Change you can expect to experience the roller
coaster ride called Transition. The good news: if you get support, take time to
nurture yourself, and forgive your mistakes the Transition will be far less
painful. 

===============================================

GENRE BUSTING^(TM) - Unleash Your Talents and Create the
Career and Life of Your Dreams!

Are
you a creative, eclectic, multitalented professional who wants to wear more
that one hat?

Do
you feel like ‘they’ are trying to force fit your unique talents into a one-dimensional
box?

Do
you think your talents are being wasted in a dead-end career?

Do
you yearn for a fulfilling career and a rewarding life?

Would
you like to know exactly how to design and live the career and life of your
dreams?

Then
it’s time to do some GENRE BUSTING^(TM)

Please
JOIN ME starting Tuesday, May 1^st,
2007 for "Genre Busting^(TM) - How to Design, Create, and Live Your
C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E. Career!"

Genre
Busting^(TM) will be a multi-week program designed especially for you the creative,
eclectic, and multitalented professional. The program details are still being
finalized but here’s what I can reveal:

When
you participate in this ground breaking NEW program you will:

- Discover your Top
3 Career Fields,   

- Learn what your Personality Type reveals about careers
that fit

   you,   

- Uncover your Career
Values & use them to tailor your career plan,   

- Rediscover your hidden
talents and skills,   

- Create a comprehensive,
detailed career & life plan tailored to your unique talents and needs,
and  

- At the end of the program, be well down the road to making your C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E. career a reality.

To
receive ongoing information on the Genre Busting^(TM) program. Send a blank email
to genrebusting [at] aweber [dot] com 

Until
next time,

Lyle Lachmuth MS
(Organization Development)

The Unsticking Coach^(TM)   

Your Talents > Your
Career >> Your Life >>> Your Way! ^(TM)

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

PRIVACY POLICY:  I will not rent, trade, or
sell your name and contact information to anyone, at any time, for any reason!

CAVEAT:
CREATIVE CAREERS UNLEASHED and its publisher, are not engaged in providing
therapy. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only.

CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety only, including
copyright, legal, and contact information and only with live links intact.

Copyright 2007 Lyle T. Lachmuth, All Rights
Reserved

This issue: I explore the experience of Going Sane and share some ‘learnings’.
 

CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED!

The online Career/Life/Practice
Development Newsletter

For Creative, Eclectic,
Multitalented Independents

From Lyle T. Lachmuth

The Unsticking Coach^(TM) 

Please forward this newsletter to creative,
multitalented, and eclectic professionals in your network.

Want to subscribe? Send a blank email to ccu-ezine [at] aweber.com   

==============================================

GOING SANE!

WANT TO LEARN TO BLOG? IT’S
TIME FOR YOU TO EASY BAKE IT!

          If you’ve always wanted to learn how to Blog, then now’s
the time!

          The maestro, Andy Wibbels - author of the Amazon
best-seller BlogWild! - is back in the kitchen whipping up a new Easy Bake
Weblogs class.

          Tune in, today, January 31^st for a Preview Call
to learn just how easy it is to start blogging with Typepad.

          Click here for details: Easy
Bake Weblogs. 

========================================= 

GOING SANE

          The time: March 2006.

          I was working flat out doing a consulting contract that
paid well but that required me to perform tasks that didn’t suit my personality
preference. It’s not that I can’t do detailed work or sequence, track, and
manage many small tasks. I can. It’s just that doing a lot of that kind of work
and doing it constantly is very demanding and stressful for me.

          I had been at it for 15 months and one day I said to
myself, "I’ve got to quit this. I can’t
do this anymore.  It’s wearing me out." But,
I didn’t quit. I kept going. Two months later my body/mind shut down!

          My Fibromyalgia came on gang busters and I was in
excruciating pain for days on end - sometimes 6 days a week. I had no choice
but to quit! I simply could not do the work.

          Fast forward 8 months. I’ve managed to survive 4 months of
hellish pain and finally get better by focusing on growing my coaching business
and working with an Energy Coach. I reasoned that if I was going to experience pain
anyway, I might as well do what I loved so I got some joy in life.

          I believe that, in large measure, it was my commitment to
DO MY WORK that resulted in the significant reduction in my pain levels and in
my being able to get back to working.

          It’s now November and my coaching business has been growing
steadily. I have several new challenging, exciting, and fun clients. I’m
working on a new group coaching program. And, I’m still doing a bit of contract
work in Change Management. Work that is far less stressful than before and that
up until now has been very enjoyable and rewarding for me. Then one day it
happens!

          I hear THE voice, "It’s
time to quit. I don’t enjoy this work any more. My heart’s not in it!"

          I
resolve that THIS time it will be different. I’m going to make a conscious
decision to quit, a conscious plan to leave. I’m not going to be forced to quit
by pain. I’m going to be in control.

          Ha. Ha.

          I really believed that if I was conscious about my
decision, that if I Consciously planned and made the transition it would be pain free. Well, it has been and it hasn’t.

          I should know
better. After all, I’ve specialized in coaching and consulting on TRANSITIONS.
I knew the theory. I’d experienced significant life, work, and career
transitions. Yet, blissfully I expected this change to be different.

          Lesson #1: Transitions
Are Different

 My first mistake was thinking that what I was about
to do was simply make a change. Not so. I was about to embark on a Transition. "What’s the difference", you ask.

          I think of the difference this way. Change is about the
alteration you want to make, e.g. I wanted to change the content and focus of
My Work. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Transition is about the journey of change.

          Somehow I hadn’t seen that I was really planning to make a
major transformation in my life. I thought it was a small change but it was a
BIG change. And, whenever you plan a major transformation, you’re ‘planning’ on
going through a Transition - like it or not.

          The Journey of Transition has 3 phases: 1) Letting Go of
the Old, 2) Moving through, what noted Transition expert William Bridges calls, the Neutral Zone,
and 3) Embracing Your New Beginning.

          Bridges so called Neutral Zone is anything but Neutral.
This is the time when moods become exaggerated; when you feel like you’re going
crazy but in reality are Going Sane as Julia Cameron calls it; and when you discover
. . .

Lesson #2: Control is a Myth 

          Okay, I admit it! I really thought I’d be In Control. As a
Recovering Control Freak I’ve worked hard to really, really KNOW that Control
is a Myth. I’ve had many, many lessons from the Universe that we really can’t
Control much of anything. Yet somehow I fooled myself into believing that
somehow I could direct, manage, control this Change Process.

          Daily I’m getting reminders that I can’t.

          And, that’s the beauty and joy of Transitions.

          We Envision the Outcome. We Set the Intention. We make the
Commitment, and, then the Universe takes Control - setting the path and putting
her plan in place.

          All I know is that I am somewhere in that bloody Neutral
Zone - what I prefer to call The Desert or Crazy Time! One day feeling giddy
and on top of the world. The next: depressed, discouraged, and despondent.

          Definitely NOT in Control!

          Lesson #3:
Commitment Is More Important Than Ever

          It’s 2 a.m. I’m awake. And, discouraged as hell!

          Everything is dark. My life feels like sh-t. It feels like
nothing is going according to plan. This change wasn’t supposed to be so
freaking painful!

          I just want to chuck it all! Go back to what I was doing.
Or, maybe become a shelf stocker at Safeway! At least that way I’d feel useful.

          It’s Crazy Time.

          And, it’s time to remember my Commitment.

          I DID commit to this change. It WAS me. Not somebody else
who embarked on this path. I can’t blame anyone else for being here.

          And, I MUST remember that my Commitment was to see this
through. Even if the path and experience isn’t what I PLANNED.

          That’s right. When you’re in the middle of that Transition,
it’s time to revisit your Commitment. Time to recommit. Time to stick with it. Even
though it feels like getting the hell out makes a lot more sense.

Let’s
sum up: When you commit to a Big Change you can expect to experience the roller
coaster ride called Transition. The good news: the Roller Coaster feels out of
control but its not. And, the ride does come to an end!

==============================================

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