Monthly Archives: May 2015

DSC_1009-Edit

Does your life suck?  Or maybe not all of it sucks, maybe only one aspect sucks.  It doesn't matter:  suckage is suckage, whether it is your entire life or just one part of it.  If you have some suckage going on in your life, the only thing you need to do to begin to change that is acknowledge that you want to change it.

That's it.

The traditional wording of the First Step speaks to powerlessness.  I prefer to look at it this way:  my life sucks and I want to change it.  Then I begin to envision what I want to change it to.  There is no shame here, no blame, and certainly not a lack of power.  It's about focus, and training our minds, and this is the beginning of that process.

This is the beginning of the empowering process that allows us to totally take personal responsibility for our lives.

If this scares you, welcome to my world.  It scared me too.  No longer could I blame the circumstances of my life on God, or someone else, or them, or even alcohol.  Scary, but also a doorway into a life I never dreamed possible.

Someone once told me in a class that if my dreams and visions did not scare me, they weren't big enough.

Life sucked, and at that time my dreams and visions were very small:  start life over again with a new way of living that did not include alcohol and drugs.  It wasn't a matter of hanging my head in shame for being an alcoholic.  It was a matter of refocusing my attention to what I wanted to occur in my life.  I wanted to live differently.

If you want to live differently, then you have made a beginning.  Acknowledge that.  Then begin the process of dreaming big.  Do not deter  your focus from the prize.  Take your focus off a life that sucks and place it on that which you wish to be and do.

I'd love to hear about your journey!

photo

I didn't know whether to kiss the UPS man when he delivered the very first Author's copy of my book a few minutes ago, or chastise him for being an hour later than normal.  In any case, it's a moot point, because he left it on my porch and left, taking that little decision right out of my hands.

And so I sit here, with this baby in my hands, and it is perfect!  It is beautiful, and there are no smudges in the printing, no crooked pages, everything is simply perfect.

One of my mentors told me a couple of days ago that producing a book was very much like birthing a baby, and I had to agree that she was right, although I had not quite looked at it in that fashion until she mentioned it.

I've given birth.

I never dreamed of this, never.  Some of us have plans for our lives, some of us just sort of go with the flow.  For the longest time I was very happy to think that I would be chasing around ladies in white dresses (as a wedding photographer) until I could no longer physically do so.  Then some things happened, I got the opportunity to go back to school and get my Masters Degree and start a new career, and somewhere along the line in school I knew I wanted to begin writing books.  This is the first, there will be more.

I promise, I won't post too many more blogs about the process of writing and producing the book.  While I will be posting about the book signing schedule, mostly I plan to elaborate, and open for discussion, the topics in the book, beginning with....well....the beginning.

So if you have questions, or comments, or thoughts, I'd love to hear about them!  In the meantime, I will just add that you can purchase your copy via my publisher, Balboa Press, or on Amazon.  And soon I will have more copies that you can purchase, with an autograph, if you are local!

#newthought12steps

image

If you are an artist, you know that there are as many ways to interpret something as there are people. It doesn't change the thing, it simply enlarges it, makes it more accessible.  I happen to enjoy painting photographs, it is something that gives me a lot of joy.  I took the photo of the pansy and it was nice.  I'm sure a lot of people like photos of pansies.  But when I painted it, it became alive for me.  I enjoy this image much more!

Perhaps it is that way for you when we begin to talk about the steps.  The capitalized male religious words, the dreaded powerlessness.  Well, just like the photo of the pansy, there are many different ways to translate those words.

The concepts are strong, powerful, and will enrich your life if you live them.  This has been true for me.  But I am not powerless, never was.  And I don't believe in a separate "out there" male God, I never have.  So I had to come up with a way to navigate the steps so that I could get the gifts they offer, and that is what this book is about.

New Thought is not about disavowing any belief systems; rather it is a way of thinking that allows for happy and joy filled lives.  We teach in New Thought that there is much wisdom in ancient writings.  But sometimes getting through that language is a bit of a bear.  That's where the translation comes in, and where the term New Thought comes in.  New Thought is a new way of thinking and teaching about ancient wisdom.  While the original AA textbook isn't all that ancient, the wisdom there is indeed powerful, but again, if the language prevents you from accessing it, then maybe "A New Thought Journey Through the 12 Steps" is for you.

image image

 

i am so pleased to announce that the book is now ready for purchase, in both printed and e-version!  Cost is 8.99 for the soft cover and 3.99 for the e-version, and you can get your copy at Balboa Press or Amazon.  Subscribe to this blog to be updated on book signings,  notices about workshops and production of the companion workbook.  I will also be posting frequently about the material in the book.  I look forward to hearing your comments.