Last two session in WK. 8 of Finding Water-Julia Cameron

Keeping on 4

Today Julia Cameron shares is one of those days, “just-to-be-gotten-through days” Even the Vendor at the corner newsstand, normally an inveterate flirt, is subdued.  Today is a day just for keeping on.

Personal thought…. I’ve realized through watching my children growing up that you have to teach them this skill…yes I see it as a skill.  Not every day all day look is going to be high energy and hunky dory.  That there are things that can happen and change our moods and then there just is a day that feels sluggish and you just have to know that This all too Shall pass and it’s not going to stay this way always it can’t, and why it can’t is because of change…it will always happen whether we like it or not.  So what do you do? You teach them to do self-care and be kind and gentle and know it won’t last.

Have you had any experiences like this before?

Fear of Success 5

If you’ve come this far with the all the books of the Artist Way, at least two before and not this one you know we are repeating some topic again, as of the fear of success.

We are used to soldiering on. We are accustomed to doing our work against the odds and against the tide. When the tide turns, when the odds are suddenly in our favor, we need to find our sea legs. It finally has happened it is our turn to bat.

In making transition from bystander to player, it helps if we take with us some of our daily routines.  Morning pages, walks, artists dates etc. helps us stay ground.

Personal thought… The morning pages are ever so much more important at this point of the game for me. I know I still need to face my own reality, dare I say face my truth about the situation. 

On the days when we are just soldiering on, it seems impossible that any project could come to fruition too fast. Haven’t we already been waiting “forever”? But breaks when they come seem to come just as we can barely handle them.

Now that the light is green, the terrain seems threatening. Stick with what’s been working I say. Keep up the Morning pages, the walking and especially the artist date.

Personal thoughts…. I know when I was up there in WI for the week teaching the workshop. It was perfect, I could barely believe it and I almost felt guilty for how smooth it all when. I made sure I did my morning pages and walked almost every day that walk was a wonderful gift to myself like Julia shares it’s the dose of regular life that I was needing to keep me ground even in the good times.

I was just sharing with a person the other day and how when going thought tough times working with the basic, like staying in the now and living in this day and knowing that changes happens and that it will pass whatever is going on that is hard to handle…so too is it true for me at least is the good times or the lucky breaks. I still need grounding, a place that I can get a dose of regular life.  No matter how good it is I still need to live in the now and living in this day. 

There is nothing like success to bring on a misery-inducing bout of self-centered fears. Julia share at this point she tries to move from her head to her heart. By reaching out she would call a friend that might be in a tighter situation and be a good listener to them. This was a way for her also to get a dose of regular life that there are still going to be life and we have to learn how to life it.  And the best reminder is we are all in this together.

After reading this all it will be a challenge to see how this week plays out and relates to uncovering a sense of truth. I know I will be interested in hearing how you all understand this.