It's not Brain Surgery

     This past week I have been beside myself with excitement.  I get to interview a world-renowned neurosurgeon and researcher, an inventor of medical devices, a major philanthropist, and a promoter of peace, compassion, and altruism.  And it's all the same person!  I needed to research our guest and the credits to his name are jaw dropping.  This man is changing the world one patient at a time, one research project at a time, one blog at a time, one conference at a time.  The only thing he doesn't have is his own cooking show.  Someone of this reputation could leave me feeling like a slacker.  But there's a back story with another character.

     Our guest grew up in grueling poverty within a family that really could not raise him well.  The odds were stacked against him, and the future looked as tough and grim as the past and present.  Then one day he wandered into a local store.  A conversation ensued with the shopkeeper.  God only knows what the woman saw in him, but she asked him to come back and see her daily for the next six weeks.  She then proceeded to teach him the practice of compassion, meditation, gratitude, and positive thinking.  It him put him on a trajectory more incredible than he ever could have imagined. 
     This man, as inspiring as he is, might never have become this man were it not for this anonymous-to-us woman who owned a store and took the time simply to talk with him.  She deserves to share the accolades of his work and successes.  What this woman's story, brief though it is, says to me, is that we never know when we are going to be a role model for someone else.  We never know when something we say drops like a seed in fertile ground and becomes an orange tree. 
     People listen and watch us more than we know.  And this is especially true of children.  So let us be mindful of our words, our actions, our character.  We don't have to be a brain surgeon to make a difference in another's life.  But by simply being the best of who we are, we could help to create one.

Pax tecum.

Stranger than Fiction

     This is pretty much what I looked like when I read the email a few days ago.
     I had given up on an even part-time career in voice overs due to the never-ending equipment problems I was having in my home studio.  You can't market yourself if you can't trust your software.  Given that realization, I was ready to ask my web designer (Bob Tyrrell, he's the best!) to take down the site when this email came in:  
     I found you on the web and wondered if you'd be interested in a voice over job.  The budget is $XXX.  The script is attached.
     No fool, I, immediately I googled this company and the client they represented.  Both really exist and are quite legitimate.  But I was getting out of voice overs.  He may not want someone who's never done a gig before.  What happens when he finds out I no longer have working equipment,  maybe I should...shut up.  I wrote back with a yes.  This was one of those times when my higher self actually trumped my ego and propelled me into the fear of the unknown.
     What makes this so improbable is that NO ONE GOOGLES FOR VOICE OVER TALENT!  Even a fool knows there are studios and web brokers like voice123.com you contact to find someone.  I figured George was a rookie.  He wasn't.  I was warned by coaches and talent that people could be difficult to work with.  He wasn't.  I told him I no longer had my own studio and would have to record somewhere external.  He gave me more money.  He didn't do anything extravagant, he wasn't effusive in his dealings with me.  Simply, he was a pro with a good attitude.  And in my eyes, that made him trustworthy. 
     This meant I could share my good fortune with Jim, the owner and engineer of the studio I had in mind.  Things have been tough for him, as they are for the 99% in these economic times.  But he is a generous soul nonetheless.  He gave me a very fair price for his services saying, "I don't have to gouge someone to make a living.  I just want to be able to take care of myself and do a good job."  I knew I was in the right hands.
     Then George contacted me again.  The client wanted me to record a longer script for their website.  Could I give him a quote for that and record it at the same time as the other?  "Make sure it's fair for you," George admonished.  I gave him my fee, and he didn't flinch.  More money!  And more fun, since I loved the three-minute script.
     I rehearsed the copy, got feedback from John, and was able to improve my delivery.  I also made a point to remove all fear from my consciousness.  After all, I reasoned, this was a gift from God.  Why would I trash such an extraordinary gift with my anxieties?  What an insult!  Besides, it was an opportunity to be of service, a big value in my life.  So I went to the studio feeling at peace about my abilities yet jazzed about this opportunity.  Nothing goes perfectly.  I blew the first line on the first read.  But rather than get upset, I said, "Great!  Got that out of the way."  Then went on to give two nearly flawless reads.  The other scripts were just as carefree.  When it was all over, George said there would probably be more work for me, so he'll keep me on their roster.
     What an extraordinary gift this was!  Completely out of the blue.  And I was able to give some business to a terrific engineer as well.  When the check comes in, I will also be tithing to a couple of local food banks so that even more can share in my good fortune.  This is the stuff one only sees in the movies.  It can't possibly happen in real life.  But then again, life is stranger than fiction.  And why George chose to find a talent through Google, I may never know.  But am I grateful!
      I wish you many blessings this Thanksgiving week, and I hope you will share your gratitudes with others in the comment field below.  I'd love to hear your good news.  We all would!

Pax tecum.
    

Share Your Light, Not Your Oil

     Frequently I find myself thinking of service versus income.  As strange as that may seem to you, it is a real dilemma for me...and others as I have discovered.  We want to live a life of service, and while many can use our help, they haven't the means to pay for it.  So we do things for free or way below the amount needed to sustain ourselves.  We want to believe this is right, but it feels draining.  And yet to focus on how to make income feels as though we are putting the emphasis on the wrong driver. 
     But I may have had a breakthrough.  Recently I listened to a truly inspirational recording of a workshop about fulfilling our purpose.  In essence, it is imperative to live our purpose for the love of it, for the love of others, so everything can happen in the best way possible.  Otherwise things will be off kilter.  One participant asked where you draw the line between unselfish love and being a doormat or martyr.  "Yes!" I shouted to the laptop.  "That's what I want to know, too!"  The speaker, Chet Manchester, then gave this quote:  "Share your light, not your oil."
     When we really are fulfilling our purpose, God or the Highest Good is working through us, and that light is what we share.  But when we give too much of our time or energy, when we begin to feel exhausted, we can be sure we are giving of our oil because our divine nature has mingled with our ego.  We give from our need to feel valued, or an overdeveloped sense of guilt or responsibility.  We grow to resent others or hurt ourselves, and then there is no way to sustain our light.  You know what this feels like: someone sucking the marrow out of your bones.  Or indeed, you feel like you are the one dependent upon another's energy to feed you.  To be absolutely clear, we all occasionally need the help of others.  And that is indeed a blessing because giving and receiving keep the divine energy in a gorgeous, meandering flow.  It's what makes the world go round.  But when need becomes a lifestyle choice it's time to take note and do something different both for our sake and that of others.
     Coincidentally I was sharing this with an acquaintance who said something powerful.  Quoting Bible, she noted that Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  "You notice he didn't say more than yourself.  There has to be an equal respect between yourself and another."  I had never considered that before.  Mutuality requires appropriate boundaries.  Just as floodgates can open and close for the best use of water power, so “yes” and “no” do likewise.  Hearing “no” in response to a request, I must consider that another person or a wider perspective may better serve my need.  Saying “no” may be your way of teaching another how to fish.
     So keep your wick trimmed and your lamp full.  Then shine on, glorious Light.  Shine on!

Pax tecum.
    

Don't Curb Your Enthusiasm

I found a great book I wasn't supposed to be interested in.  Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice by Dennis Kimbro and Napoleon Hill.  Normally I would regard the title as boooooooogus, but years ago one of my favorite colleagues, himself Black and an ex-offender, told me how it inspired him.  Seeing it available for one mere dollar at Written Words Bookstore (www.writtenwordsbookstore.com.  Did you all catch the shout out?), I decided to buy it.  I've been reading a lot about money these days.  And I am thinking about it as part of our life force and how our history and psychology mingle with it.  How do we create abundance?  How do we create deprivation?  What stories do we tell ourselves regarding it? 


I'm not halfway through this very short and readable paperback and the main idea is hitting me like a piano falling on my head.  Be enthusiastic about your idea!  LOVE your idea.  Sleep, eat, and breathe your idea.  Hold it to your bosom like a newborn baby and keep nurturing it.  

The Black authors say they wrote this book for Black Americans who struggle with success.  But this middle-aged White chick struggles with it as well.  The stories we tell ourselves, they say, determine how hard we will work, whom we will attract to help us, and if we keep our eyes and ears open for opportunities.  The stories can keep us moving through the long, dark nights into the light of day or stuck at an entrance, trying to find the way in.  I have not been telling myself very good stories.  "Why would anyone want to pay for a course on silence?  That's just an absurd notion!"  "Why would anyone come to a working class neighborhood for a silent retreat?  God knows there are far more beautiful places for that."  More significant is "Why does my passion for this persist?  I must be crazy."  Enough!


Many of us now desire a different lifestyle.  Either 9 to 5 no longer appeals to us, or it no longer wants us.  We are now creating new forms of work that spring from our unique gifts, gifts that aren't always conventional.  It is tough, often lonely, confusing, and we make mistakes (Boy, do I hate that part).  We need buddies to help us through all of this.  Not just networking groups--buddies.  People we know and trust, who care about us, and remind us of why we're doing what we do.  We need to share better stories to get to success.  We need to keep each others' enthusiasm burning brightly.

So here's my challenge to you:  All of you, if you would, please--PLEASE--declare to the rest of us what you are enthusiastic about.  What do you want to achieve?  How can we help each other?  If you've already achieved a dream or two, what did you learn?  What got you scared?  What made you brave?  Would you like to be a mentor?  Come back to this post often and see who's responding to YOU.  Pass this blog post on to others who might be interested.  If you want to make a private connection, let me know; I can play go-between, providing email addresses or phone numbers.  Maybe there's some face to face opportunities in the offing.  Anything could happen.  I created this blog to create community.  Come join in! 


Wow!  I'm feeling really enthusiastic about this!!!


Pax tecum.