This is an odd experience to write about, perhaps because I spent most of my life trying to get here. I have the unique experience of being a visionary. I am intimately connected to the creative source/a creative force/ the great collective mind or what ever you want to call it. In fact I am so connected and so often inspired that I must manage myself to take time out with music or TV (used sparingly, like alcohol) or the plethora of beach reading mysteries, psi-fi/fantasy warrior romance flavor of the moment authors. I have been in this space for about 3.5 years, so since I turned 40.
It’s at times overwhelming, due to the number of ideas I have that I know will not be produced in my lifetime, nor even commented on by me. I have legal pad after legal pad of ideas for everything from blog articles to books to products and services. I frequently give them away. My coach~ Yes I have a coach, AND any executive coach who does not utilize a coach for themselves should NEVER BE HIRED in my humble opinion~ any way, my coach says I am the most prolific person she has ever met. Much of the work we do revolves around clearing my head,my spirit and heart of emotional and mental/psychological barriers that would impede my “work”, and look to discern which projects are wanted and needed to come to fruition now.
I blame Julia Cameron in the most grateful way, as well as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; the authors of “The Artists Way” and “Flow: The psychology of Optimal Experience” respectively. I read Mihaly’s work in my early 20’s and began practicing the Artists Way when I was in my mid 20’s. This coupled with an intense period of study in transformational thinking, and a voracious reading habit all led me to create my own program for personal productivity: The Master Plan. I became an expert at 2 things: planning my work & working my plan, and keeping my mind clear, present and focused in the face of anything. My ability to do that coupled with a newly developed healthy interest in self-care has provided me with the reserves to be consistently creative. In short I am attuned, much like a radio signal is honed in on a specific channel; resulting in my ability to get in the FLOW and produce effortlessly. Not all of what I produce is great or effective, and much of it is extremely useful. I experience being blessed and that’s about all I can ask for really.
I wonder how much of this is related to ALS. How much of my unrelenting focus can be attributed to having a REAL deadline. Though I have no idea when I’ll die, I do have the experience of ~ do it now! before it’s all gone! DIE BIG as George Carlin would say… AND I find I am not depressed or saddened by this when I’m alone ~ it’s usually when I get present to the impact of my death on others that I am emotional. The thing is it doesn’t occur like a burden or a PRESS or any unnatural push to get things accomplished… it really occurs like living in the flow, being connected to the UNIVERSE and knowing my part.
This is the key, knowing my part and being clear in my purpose. As a friend of my client Catherine used to say; “There’s your work and there’s God’s work. You can’t do everything, just do your part well.” In my experience, once you know your part the rest comes easy. It took me 40 years to get clear on my part to play, interestingly enough the experience of life is a lot like playing… all the time.
