Conversations about my favorite beads and lampwork bead makers, jewelry artists, indie and documentary films, gardening, food, Isaac Newton, Pinterest, and The Desire Map, all part of my continuing journey to become a better bead artist and super human being.
In December, 2012, I began reading The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte. I first noticed Danielle in 2009 when she was writing a blog called White Hot Truth. That title perfectly describes the authenticity with which Danielle speaks. From there she introduced Your Big Beautiful Book Plan, then The Fire Starter Sessions, and now she has gifted the world (sounds mushy I know but the love I feel for her work warrants mushiness!) with The Desire Map.
The Desire Map is a holistic approach to planning your life. It guides
you to identify your core desired feelings, and to use those feelings as
the drivers of what you want to do, have and experience in your life.
It turns goal-setting inside out.
The Desire Map is a multimedia program. It comes with a PRINTED book
(it’s embossed, even!) a downloadable book, audio book, a series of
audio contemplations; a private, online Desire Map space; an app, and 12
weeks of weekly inspiration to help people make desire-mapping a true
practice.
If you haven't already read my posts about the Desire Map, let me share with you that it is a new way of thinking for me; it is a way of making decisions and "goals with soul". The premise is that we are conditioned to make decisions and goals based on what we think we will feel when we achieve them. The Desire Map makes one aware that they can feel that way right now; it helps me realize that what I think I will feel later, I can feel now, if I make "how I want to feel now" a priority. Instead of waiting to feel whole and complete I can feel that way now and along the way to my goals, by doing the things that make me feel that way.
Here; I'll let Danielle tell you
Friday, May 24, is Danielle's birthday. Her gift to you is a "pay what you can" day for The Desire Map program. With the program you receive a paper copy of the book and access online to the digital download, music play lists, weekly support emails from Danielle, and some other nice goodies. There is even a support group on Facebook that you can check out right now; you don't have to own The Desire Map to join the group (it is a public group) so check it out here. You can also play this audio; it is a reading by Danielle of her introductory chapter of the book!
Don't worry that it's a gimmick (it's not.) Don't worry that you will be obligated to buy more (everything you need is in one package.) Don't worry that what you can pay is not enough (it is.) You know you found this post today for a reason; believe in it.
Wouldn't it feel good to feel good about everything you decide to do? Decide to accept Danielle's gift and get your blessing; pay what you can. CLICK HERE to get your blessing.
JWho do you know, that you do not know? Who are the walking
dead among you? Who are the people you see, but have never spoken, not even a
word, to? Who are the people you have never acknowledged the presence of with
even a gesture? These are the walking dead; we must bring them into the light
and life that we call society. We must let them know that they are seen. YOU
CAN make a difference in the life of another by spending a single second to
smile, to lift your head, to lift your hand, to lift your voice, to acknowledge
only the sight of anothers’ existence on this planet; you have an infinite
supply of this kind of energy, your heart does not have to be in it, however it
will surely be infected. You have ENOUGH to give; you will not, CAN NOT, run out
of it.
Our society is one that presently runs on a scarcity
mentality. The wealthiest of our society don’t want to “go over the fiscal
cliff” because it means they will have less, as if there isn’t enough. The
employed in society now must have the skills of many to keep their job, because
there aren’t enough jobs to go around. The employers in our society must hire
fewer employees, and demand more from them, because there isn’t enough money to
accomplish all they want to do and stay in business. Students must work at home
and forsake their childhood because they must be competitive in order to get an
education in order to be successful in the work place of the future. Teachers
must forsaketeaching the pleasures of
discovery because they are being measured by the quantity of knowledge their
students gain, rather than the quality of their teaching. And this
competitiveness goes down to the youngest of ages; measurement of the human
condition begins at birth with an apgar score.
Strange Fruit by WarUnderground.DeviantArt.com
Darwin’s survival of the fittest is a knowledge that fails
our society because we fail to appropriately define what is fit; we are afraid
that if everyone is “fit” we will run out of anything, and everything. Yet,
many in our society question the natural selection determined by the actions of
people we “didn’t see coming.” The so-called mass murderers of our society are
people who have been unseen, under-served, over worked, and have a
self-perception that they are “nothing”. I truly feel the key to solving the
problem of mass shootings lies in that perception.
When one feels they have nothing left to lose, they are
expressing the perception of the ultimate scarcity; they have run out, emptied,
their reasons for living. They have been pushed out, stolen from, ignored, and
neglected by a society that has taken their most important resource…significance.
So they go out in a way that forces society to recognize them. They have
immeasurable faith that this recognition will happen; they don’t need to be on
this Earth to verify that recognition. Society would like to believe that mass
murderers kill themselves out of shame for their actions; perhaps the truth is
that these murderers want to shame society for forcing them into a position to
take their own place in a significant way. Many would describe this attitude as
“entitled.”
“Entitlement” is a word brought to the forefront of the 2012 presidential elections. Mitt Romney is described to have said “47%” that feel “entitled” to
handouts as the bane of society and the reason for our economic problems; this
implies that we don’t have enough to respond to those who are “entitled”. After
the election, the word “entitlement” was applied, by the very same people who
created it as a negative thing, as a positive word in order to protect the
material wealth of those who would be effected by the “fiscal cliff.”
There is
one thing we are all entitled to as individuals, and that thing is to breathe.
There is one thing we are all entitled to as members of society, and that thing
is significance; we all matter.
I want to get back
to the point and what we can do about it. The point is that we ignore people
because we perceive that we don’t have enough time, money, energy, opportunity, or whatever, to
do otherwise; we have a mindset of scarcity. Perhaps, what we don’t understand
is that what we need to give is actually a very minuscule amount. Think about
what it is or has been in your own life that made you feel significant at any
given moment; think about what your life would be like if you had NEVER
received any recognition from another person.
I suppose one might say, “I’ve
given myself the recognition I need in order to move forward to gain what I
want.” I’d like to offer the story of the Christmas Carol; what would have
happened if Mr. Scrooge had continued to believe that he never needed anyone
and that no one should need him? We are a society; society is nothing without
connection between its parts. If we continue to be selfish with our recognition
of others, we will no longer be a society. What happens when everyone feels
entitled to be so self-ish? The answer is right there in front of you today, in
the news.
Perhaps the “Zombie Apocalypse” is already upon us; Zombies
want one thing, for themselves, with absolutely no concern for any other…they
want to eat. Zombie’s have the ultimate scarcity mentality. And as the
individual Zombies bite and spread the disease, we can counter that by
individually changing our mentality to one of abundance. Redefine what is
important and essential for life. Redefine life. Redefine love. Redefine
happiness. If these things are only conceptual, then we have an infinite amount
of resources to redefine these concepts over, and over throughout time.
I want to change the world. I want to change the world. I
want to change the world. I want to change the world’s perception of its most important
renewable resource: acknowledgement. We can not run out of acknowledgment,
which can take many forms, but in order to be realized it MUST be given. I’ll
repeat, it MUST be G I V E N!
We acknowledge individuals and that is how a
society is born. We acknowledge with a physical gesture; we cannot run out of
the ability to acknowledge. But to “mine” that resource we must GIVE it. We do
not feel acknowledged unless someone spends the energy to give it to us. We do
not feel loved unless someone spends the energy to give love. We do not feel
significant if no one spends the energy to acknowledge us.
I want to change the world. I want to change the world. I
want to change the world. I want people to acknowledge others. I want people to
identify, and convert, the walking dead. I want people to inoculate the walking
dead with acknowledgement. I want to advocate for the walking dead.
My New Year’s resolution for 2013: I declare that I will
advocate for the walking dead in our schools, in our work places, in our
community, in all areas of society. I declare that I will build an army of
advocates. I want to feel infectious. I want to feel abundant. I want to feel
acknowledged and acknowledging. I know this is HUGE HUGE HUGE; this desire is on
a GLOBAL scale. I also have an inner dialogue that says my desires are global
because I’m afraid to feel, and feeling from one to another is unbearably
painful. But I have enough, I am enough, both globally and individually. I am
complete, and expanding, like the universe.
I am crying at this moment. I am feeling such a power in my
heart and chest and mind. The words echoing, without cease, “That’s exactly
what I want to do, that’s exactly what I want to do”. And though it is a “to do”
it is driven by the feeling I get when I think about doing it. The feeling is
almost indescribable, but it has a physical effect. My heart is tight, and
tears just come without thinking. I put my face in my hands as if in grateful
prayer; finally, there is a desire without doubt, unmotivated by a feeling of
lack or scarcity or comparison.
This was not motivated by trying to “do” the Desire Map; the Desire Map has “sparked” a current that was present and
flowing. The Desire Map is like a storm that floods the stream in my soul that
has been faithfully flowing since the existence of time in this Universe. This
is Joy, on such a ridiculous and literally insane level, almost embarrassing,
threatening to release the horsemen of self-consciousness and self-deprecation
that would corral the creatures of my heart into the pen of normalcy,
acceptability, and predictability. At this very moment, I realize that one of
those creatures has been rescued by the Desire Map, rearing to the rescue; that
creature is safety, and it is freed like the Black Stallion, and it will return
to the corral again and again until all my creatures are free.
Good morning. Made my first Christmas cookies yesterday. Thanks mom for the cookie cutter; perfect for Raspberry Linzers!
Two things came up for me this morning while checking into Facebook: 1) I don't like it, I don't like it A LOT when people use The Desire Map page to promote their commercial endeavors 2) I don't speak up when I am offended, a lot of the time, because I feel the need to question my judgment (not it's accuracy, just that I should have a judgment against another.) Both of these things seem related, so I'm just going to ramble on and see what comes of my feelings.
TheWritersGuideToEpublishing.com
There is a person who posts "answers" without bothering to read the post. I judge them, and I'm annoyed by their "expert" tone. I feel that they are inauthentic and just trying to get noticed rather than really caring about the person they are advising. I ask myself, "Who is X?! Are they part of Danielle's team? How can they be so disrespectful?!"
SmallGroupOfThoughtfulPeople.com
At some point, rather soon in the process, I ask myself, "Why does this bother me so much? Am I recognizing myself and something I don't like about myself?" I know a lot of people find "authority" when I speak, and honestly I'm not comfortable with that. I don't want to come off like I'm irrefutable; I want to be refute. I'm just thinking out loud and working it out for myself even as I speak. Yes, I start with a kernel of knowledge, but I never feel I'm absolutely right, and would much rather have the conversation that could alter my opinion and knowledge. I'm about teaching and learning, and the most important thing any of us can teach or learn is critical thinking.
And now I must ask myself, "Why am I not comfortable with being "right" or an "authority"? I know a lot about why, but don't want to get that close to the truth at this moment. And why do I feel the need to question my wholeness if I judge another? It's human to be judgmental, and sometimes that judgment protects me. But I want to be more than "just human." And, perhaps, there is a possibility that by not be open about my judgments I am stopping another from a lesson to be learned. Am I arrogant and selfish at heart, and knowing it I go to extremes to show the opposite? Or perhaps I am humble and generous, and knowing it I do not always express myself? I guess that is up to me and what I want to make it mean about myself.
Oracle Card by Jodie Harvala & Crew
How do I want to feel, when I express my opinions that might hurt others, or come across as authoritative? When do I want to be authoritative? How do I want to feel when I am authoritative? No, that question is about how others receive my authority; powerful is a motivating feeling for authoritative. Do I want to be powerful, do I want to FEEL powerful? Do I want to have power over others?
So now, I'll let those words marinate in the rest of my day. I'm actually going to start a Cellini spiral, and I've reduced my expectations of perfection and decided to just find a single color of bead that I like and find a pallet that uses it on Design Seeds, and choose the rest of my beads from there.
I'm also going to make a pair of earrings that match this ring I made as a gift for a friend who has been true and loving.
Rock Recipes
I'm also going to make these cookies, which I imagine I've had before and when I had them loooooong ago, I loved them.
Waiting for the "Storm" to come that should have been here in the wee
hours and shows no signs of coming until the moment I really don't want
it to! (I just reread this; it was initially a literal statement! Here's the perfect picture!)
Waiting for the Storm, Enigma-theory DeviantArt.com
Friday, May 24, is Danielle's birthday. Her gift to you is a "pay what you can" day for The Desire Map program. With the program you receive a paper copy of the book and access online to the digital download, music play lists, weekly support emails from Danielle, and some other nice goodies. There is even a support group on Facebook that you can check out right now; you don't have to own The Desire Map to join the group (it is a public group) so check it out here. You can also play this audio; it is a reading by Danielle of her introductory chapter of the book!
