Your New Statement of Solution

close-lookSeth Godin suggests that we can attract new prospects simply by rewording our statement of the problem and providing a new statement of solution.  I began to consider how I would apply that to my own business.
 

People don’t buy unless they recognize their need

If I don’t know that I have a problem, I certainly won’t seek out a solution. For instance, a proffered telecourse described some of the characteristics of an introvert, a label I had never applied to myself.  However, words like “loner” and “needs big personal space” resonated with me.  Those descriptive phrases helped me recognize myself as a potential participant in the course and the solution the course offered helped me realize that the course could help me learn to modify those tendencies. How can you restate the need or want you meet so people will recognize themselves?
 

Your headline must indicate who you serve and tell what problem you solve

As a consumer, I have to be able to recognize myself in the headline.  I personally am not going to read more if the headline speaks to young people who want to learn to salsa because I’m not young and the salsa is not of interest to me.  But I will read more if a specific need is met, like a product that helps me see the need for a strong opt in offer and how to craft one  or understanding why I should write my landing page first  Why did you create this product or service in the first place?  What was the need or desire that you saw that you meet? How can you reword it so people know it is meant for them?
 

What’s in it for me?

The most common error we make in our content is to talk about ourselves – our process in developing a product, the reason we created it.  The hard fact is that people don’t care about us; they don’t care how we created it or how many pages or classes it contains.  They care about what’s in it for them.  Tell them what’s in it for them in your headline and in your landing page content.  Talk about the recognizable results they will achieve.
 

A new statement of their problem

Write down what you see as the problem you will solve or the needs you will meet in as many ways as you can imagine.  Approach it from the emotional comfort it will produce, the physical results to be gained, and the personal growth it fosters.   Brainstorm 10 or 12 statements of the problem. Then choose the statements that have the most emotional appeal to include in your content.  People identify through their emotions.
 
I prefer to state problems in the positive but the negative approach does work.  For instance rather than a headline that says, “Do your knees hurt when you go down stairs?” I’d rather hear, “Think how great it will be to take long walks with your dog again.” Tell me what results I will achieve. If I learn to format my book for an ereader will I be more attracted to your offer if you show me how easy it is to format for an ereader or that that process can make me more money? That’s two different reasons for wanting to engage. Know the needs and desires of your target community. If I buy your product, what is it going to do for my business? What’s in it for me?
 

A new statement of the solution

Now write 10 to 12 new statements of the solution.  Is the solution to invest in a new software program or is it to learn a few simple, repeatable steps for creating compelling content?  the solution an easy way to craft an ebook or does it offer ideas on how to hire a ghostwriter?  What results can I expect if I purchase your product or service? What solution to my problem do you offer?
 

The product promise

For every product or service I write a product promise.  “At the end of this… (book, course, video, coaching series) you will… (what?).”  Before I even begin creating my product, I have to know what results I want my participant to achieve. What is the compelling need or burning desire that I am answering?  The product promise for this article is that “at the end of this article you will understand the need to express the problem you solve with your product or service in a way that emotionally connects with your prospect so that you can improve your results when you look for new ways to express the statement of solution.”
 

Rethink your landing page. 

Look at your landing page from the viewpoint of the first time visitor.  Will they recognize themselves as the exact type of person this site addresses?  Is the problem that you solve one that they have? Is the need that you fulfill a need they have? Is the solution doable? Do the results seem achievable? Get empathetic.  Put yourself in their place.  How would you feel?  Would you be drawn to the person who offers this solution?
 
How can you more effectively state the problem you solve and the solution you offer?
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© 2012 Cara Lumen

  

Creative Freedom vs. Sticking with the Plan

Have-a-planDoes having a plan squelch your creativity?  On one hand, I love to submerge myself in the creative muse.  On the other hand, if I don’t have a plan I’ll end up taking an entirely different journey than the one I intended. Having a well thought out targeted result in mind before you start writing will help achieve the results you want even as you allow your creative muse free rein. 
 

A plan sets boundaries

 
When I create a new information product, I write the landing page first . That helps me make major decisions about the scope of the project and the results I want to achieve.  It gives me an opportunity to decide who I am writing to, what they need and want to know and what results I want to achieve with this product.
 

A plan eliminates idea clutter

 
When I make the defining choice of writing an ebook on creating an opt in offer   that choice immediately focuses the project.  It eliminates a big portion of the idea clutter that was present when I began the project. It tells me I’m not going to write about the mini-ecourse in that book. I’ll save that for another book. I’m not going to make a telecourse or a video from this idea, I’m going to write one book on a specific topic for a specific audience.  Any idea that is not going in that direction is set aside for another project.
 

 A plan identifies the most important points

 
An outline is vital.  When you start to craft your information product put yourself in the Beginner’s Mind.  What do they need to know first, then second?  What do you want your readers to understand by the end of this project?  How do you help them achieve the promised results? What topic needs a fuller explanation, what do they already know?  Keep your ideas in outline form as long as possible so you can recognize the organic flow of the content and make certain it takes your reader on the journey you want them to experience.
 

A plan helps you get measurable results

 
When you help people get measurable results they begin to understand that you know what you are talking about and that you can help them.  In every project, you need to take your participant through a series of steps that lead to a measurable end result.  You need to point out the results they have gotten so they recognize their progress. What measurable results do you want from this project?
 

A plan can expand your own understanding

 
A plan helps you capture and organize your ideas.  It helps you clarify what you think and what you want to teach.  As you explore what you want to offer your community you may see the need for a series that takes them step-by-step through a process. As you create your plan you will see how some ideas can become ebooks or a videos or telecourses.  You may explore your core concepts by writing great Cornerstone Content. A plan offers you a place to store ideas that don’t fit into this project while allowing you to keep them safely in mind for the next project.  A plan is about making choices and choices clarify your intention and focus the result.
 

A plan keeps you from feeling overwhelmed

Once you have a plan you can work on it in segments – one chapter at a time, one article at a time, one teleclass at a time.  Working in smaller chunks keeps you from feeling overwhelmed.  Your plan will keep you on target.
 

A plan helps you stay creatively focused

As you create your interactive elements, as you add stories to your content, as you come up with more ideas, your plan will help you made relevant choices. A plan makes you look at the end results you plan to create and choose or discard each idea based on its value to that ultimate goal.
 

A plan can simplify

When you make an outline, it’s easy to see whether you have too much information for the format you have chosen.  A plan allows you to break an idea up into a series, or make a beginning and intermediate level of a teleclass series, or write a series of ebooks. 
 

Your product promise

For every project, write a product promise.  What you do want to deliver to the consumer of this product?  Your product promise guides your plan, it focuses you outline and colors the content. The product promise for this article is “At the end of this article you will understand that creating a solid plan does not take away from your creative freedom, it allow you to communicate in a meaningful manner that will change lives.”
 
Start with your product promise and design a great plan.
 

© 2012 Cara Lumen 

Where Are You Looking?

close-lookWhere you look to see how you are doing or where you want to go is very revealing.  How you reference your progress dictates the outcome you will generate. 
 

Are you looking ahead?

Are you caught up in the “what if’s?”  What is the worst that can happen?  How can we be prepared for this situation or that situation?  Do you start looking ahead with fear or apprehension?  Are you not trying things because you fear the outcome?  Looking ahead can stop you in your tracks.
 

Are you looking to the side?

Are you busy comparing yourself to others?  Do you feel unsuccessful because someone you know seems to be doing better? Are you in a constant race with your peers to “get ahead”?  The only race you are running is with yourself.  You might get some ideas from others that you can adapt to your own unique style, but that very uniqueness will always keep you doing it your way, like no one else can. Don’t look for comparisons; enjoy being yourself.
 

Are you looking behind?

We often use how far we have come to measure our progress.  Sometimes that can feel good and other times not so much.  If you haven’t progressed, you will be discouraged.  If you have progressed, you might feel overwhelmed.  Look in the present to see if you are still doing what resonates.
 

The present holds the key

The ego wants us to plan.  We want control.  We want to make stuff happen.  But the best place to look for your next step is in the moment.  Keep your mind open and unstructured.  Become more aware of the signs and signals the Universe offers that show you new possibilities. How you feel in the moment, the opportunities and circumstances you find yourself in, the internal changes you have made as you live your life are powerful guidelines to the steps you could take next. See how you feel in the moment.  .  Notice what new ideas and opportunities have appeared. Focus on the problems you can actually impact.  Act on what you are internally urged to do in that moment.  Keep your eye on the qualities you want to have prominent in your life like love, kindness, serenity, contentment and make choices that honor your values like honesty, truthfulness, and service to others.
 
Don’t look ahead in anticipation.  Don’t look beside in comparison. Don’t look behind to measure progress.  Look inside, right now and move forward from there.
 
© 2012 Cara Lumen

  

Where Do You Get Your Self Esteem?

Instead of looking for self-esteem in what you own, look for it in what you do.
 
My friend has several home improvement projects in mind and was worried about which one to choose and what it would cost. I asked her “Why are these choices important to you?” and she said, “I need them to boost my self esteem.” Where do you get your self-esteem? 
 

Self-esteem comes from within

It’s not about the power suit or the great hair cut – those may be confidence builders, but self-esteem is about what you think about yourself.  It’s about how much you love yourself, how good a person you try to be.  Self-esteem comes with how you conduct yourself. It comes from the choices you make and how you show up in your world.  Your feelings of self-worth come from within.  Your self-respect comes only from how you perceive yourself. Can you look in your mirror and say, “I love you.”? 
 

Don’t be fooled by the outer trimmings

Have you ever met someone who presented a good image but wasn’t a very nice person to know?  All the trappings in the world won’t make that person more likeable.  Are all pretty people likeable?  Are all unattractive people unlikeable?  Of course not.  It’s what’s within that counts.  The size of your house or the quality of your clothes are just trimmings.  The important “you” is in your smile, your kind eyes and your appreciative laughter.  How is your inside showing up on the outside? 
 

How can you increase your self-worth?

Money, or the lack of it, can be a great leveler.  I know a community of retired senior women who live their lives with very little money. Their apartments are all the same size; their incomes are all about the same as in not very much, so they are valued for their friendships, their common interests and their contributions to their community.  What they do or don’t own is totally irrelevant to who they are. You can improve your feelings of self-worth by acknowledging the gifts of others, by helping those around you, by being kind and helpful, and by acknowledging the gifts of their being that every person brings to you. 
 

How do you show up in your world?

If the Universe started giving out gold stars, it wouldn’t be for the furniture in your house or the clothes on your back.  It would be for what you do for others, how you respond to them, how you support them, how you laugh and love with them.
 
You are perfect just the way you are and who you are and what you do is much more important to others than the paint job on your house.
 
© 2012 Cara Lumen

 

What If You Simply Moved It From Here to There?

magicianI just learned an important lesson about the value of looking at what you have from different angles.  On the physical plane, it involved the interchange of three pieces of furniture.  In my business, it applies to ideas I already have and how I might reposition them.

Do you already have what you need?

I wanted a microwave cart.  It would free up counter space and make my kitchen a lot more efficient.  I looked on line and I looked in stores.  I kept focusing on the fact that I wanted a microwave cart. 

One day I looked more consciously at what I already had.  Within minutes, I had the solution.  It involved rearranging three pieces of furniture. A baker’s rack that held the television became the microwave stand.  The bookcase that had been in the kitchen moved to the living room to hold the plants that had been on the third table involved in this swap. Then I moved that plant table to hold the television.  And presto I had a new look and a new level of efficiency. I was very proud of myself.  I had solved my problem without spending any money.  And I had my “new” microwave cart.

What do you have in place in your home or in your business or even in your life that you simply need to move to a new location or put to a different use?

Move one thing and see what it opens up.

What do you need next?  Where does it fit?  What is its new function?

Let’s say your next step is that you want to learn to give a telecourse.  That’s the function – for you to learn how to create, market and present a compelling telecourse.  What do you already teach/coach/know that can be turned into a short course that will add value to your community while it allows you the opportunity to learn how to create a compelling teleclass?  Keep it simple.  Start with a one or two session course.  Schedule it.  Write the landing page. Create it. Make your Power Points. Create your handouts.  Set up your shopping cart. If you keep it small, you’ll learn the steps without being overwhelmed by the process. Keep your initial objective in mind. You want to learn to create, promote and teach a powerful telecourse.

What do you need to reposition?

As I moved my three pieces of furniture, I had a lot of put-abouts and books to rearrange. When you make a new choice take that opportunity to rethink and reposition everything you keep. Do you need to present an idea in a different format?  If you give a telecourse, do you have time to write another ebook?  What blog posts need to become videos or ebooks or part of a course? 

Do you need to take a big idea and chunk it down into smaller pieces?  Do you need to figure out something by writing a blog post about it?  Do you need to reposition one product for different markets?  What tweak can you make in what you already have going on that will create something new?

Give an idea a different function 

Just as my baker’s rack went from holding my television to providing a new home for my microwave, you can make some important changes simply by changing the function of an idea or product. You can write an ebook as an opt in offer then expand it into a series of ebooks.  You can write a telecourse and then expand to an advanced course on the same topic. One of my teleclasses expanded into an eight-book ebook series.  You can take information you teach and turn it into coaching handouts.  You can write articles and make videos that teach a specific step.  Look around.  How can you fill a current need simply by moving something from here to there?

© 2012 Cara Lumen

 

Become Your Own Teacher

red-laptopLearning is about understanding a concept well enough to apply it to your own life..  Learning is about growth. It’s about deepening our understanding, owning what we learn and using it to make our lives more meaningful. We are our own teachers.  We choose the curriculum that takes us where we want to go. 
 

Let your passion be your guide

I would love to be home schooled today.  I would be free to explore whatever excites me. I would be free to develop my unique talents. I could spend as much time as I wanted delving into any subject that stirred my passion.  I could learn as much as I wanted to, or as little as I wanted to.  Someone, somewhere on the internet is teaching what you want to know.
 

Apply that knowledge to your life and business

There is usually a specific purpose in your search for knowledge.  You want to make some changes in your own life.  You want to learn a new skill. You want to create more value for your target community.  You want to find a way to become more involved in a cause you believe in.  When I learn a new skill, I often turn it into a book to share with others. My blog posts reflect my curiosity, my discoveries and my passion. Apply what you learn and share it with others.
 

Let the insights find you

All sorts of things spark my imagination. As I read the blog posts of others, I am often inspired to explore a topic more deeply.  I write my interpretation of the topic.  I explore my experiences with an idea.  I create a new approach to creating something that I then teach others. Knowledge is everywhere.  It is in the conversations we have, the idea we develop and the need to know more that is with us always.
 

What do you need to learn next?

Search for both motivational and practical learning opportunities.  Do I need to improve my writing skills or do I need to learn how to format an e book?  If I want to teach a telecourse, what do I want participants to learn and how do I want to deliver it? Do I have to learn the back end of a webinar software or do I need to focus on my delivery technique?  Build on what you already know and learn the skills and concepts that take you to the next level.
 

Create your own learning plan

Divide your time into large three-month segments and set one major learning goal for each quarter.  Then outline what you want to learn every week and how you might go about doing that.  It may be that you need to learn sound editing software or how to publish your book on ereaders. It may be that you need to learn how to give a better talk or make your own videos. You can always improve a skill set.  It may be that you need to do more research on a topic you want to master. Whatever steps you need to take to complete your project, schedule them and learn what you need to create the result you want to achieve.
 

Uncover new resources

If you look, you will find it. There are tons of free telecourses on line. Sign up for those that teach you what you need to know next. Thoughtful bloggers supply insights on both practical and philosophical concepts.  Find a few bloggers and follow them. Spend a portion of your day reading more on your topic of interest from sources.
 

Be a life-long learner

There are discouraging statistics about the number of people who don’t read books as adults and who don’t learn anything new after they leave school. You’re not one of those people because you are reading this article.  You are a life-long learner.  You are curious. You are an independent thinker. You are constantly exploring new concepts. You keep up with change even if it takes a bit of extra study.  Be curious.  Be aware.  Be thoughtful.
 

Apply what you learn

Learn what you need and want to know and then apply it. Apply it creatively. Apply it instinctively.  Apply it organically.  Teach others to use what you have learned and help them achieve their own unique results.
 

Learn what you need and want to know

Go exploring. Let your intellectual travels open up new paths you’ve never been on before.  Take your own unique collection of knowledge and make something special to offer others.  Write your own curriculum.  Revel in what you learn and go out and share your excitement with others. You are your own teacher.  Be a good one.
 

© 2012 Cara Lumen 

Can You Create a More Minimalist Office?

close-lookThere is a peace and serenity that comes with letting go. Every time I rethink my space and toss out stuff, it feels like a fresh start. I will never be a true minimalist but I have been reading a few blogs on minimalism and wondered how I might adapt some of those principles to my life. 

We use only 10% of what we have on hand

 Ten percent is not very much.  Look around your offce.  Look around your home.  If you took everything out of it, what would you bring back in? I have downsized twice in the last two years and found there were several reasons I was holding onto things.

I might need it sometime

This was the major reason I stored things.  What if I wanted to oil paint again even though it’s been 15 years since I used them?  I’ve been a big binder person; every time I started a new project, I put it in to half-inch binder.  But just how many binders does a girl need?  I gave away a bunch.  I looked at my books when it was time to pay by the pound to move them cross-country and gave away all but the most useful or meaningful.  I recently gave away more books that were no longer relevant to my business. Then there is my pantry where I stopped buying things that were on sale just in case I needed them.  Now my pantry is lean and ready to go with foods I enjoy.  Clothes are a huge space-taker.  If you didn’t wear it this season, pass it forward.  I have some wonderful scarves that sit in my drawer that someone else might enjoy. My office supplies are in a chest but some of the drawers are empty. I can rethink what I want to keep and reorganize it more efficiently. One minimalist said that even if you gave away something you eventually needed it would only coast you $20 to replace it. Look carefully at what you are hanging on to and see what you are willing to let go. 

My children might need it sometime

It took me a while to figure this one out. My children probably don’t want my stuff anyway; they have plenty of their own.  I have asked each of them if there is anything they want and they have each picked out a few memento type things. The rest can go.  This was hard when I realized that no one would like my stuff like I do.  Get over it.  Enjoy what you have and trust it to end up in the right hands whenever you choose to give it away. 

They are records of my life and I want to be remembered

The pay-by-the-pound move got rid of some of this personal journey stuff for me but I recently went through my nostalgic collection and found I was now ready to toss a good portion of it.  My plan is to go through that collection again in a year to see how my life has changed and what I am ready to release. The memories will still be there even if the memento is gone.

Take a hard look at what you need now

For the projects that I’m doing right now I need only my computer.  I’m coaching and writing ebooks so everything is digital. I read online and the library is free. I went through my one file cabinet and tossed things. That made room for storing some of the things I was keeping around my desk.  Give me a computer and a chair and I’m happy.  I still use a few of my binders to keep important papers in but I no longer use them for projects, those stay in my computer.  I passed along some business books I should have read, wanted to read but never did.  I also realized I don’t have to have quite so many plants around me.

I have kept room on my desk for inspiration.  A small Buddha statue reminds me to stay serene and in service.  A big light box crystal holds the energy of my work place.  When you have too much stuff around you can’t see any of it. With the release of the no longer applicable business books, I cleared two shelves which now contain the figurines and crystals that had previously been lined up in a clutter in front of those books.  They are now displayed so I can better see and appreciate them.

Stop buying stuff

See if you can do without something.  See if you have a substitute for it.  See if you can borrow it for this one project.. Ask yourself how often you will use it.  See if you have room for it. And most of all if you bring something new in let something else go.

Cultivate the serene mind

As I sit here with my clean, uncluttered desk the tension drops away.  There are no stacks of notes for me to remember or record or do.  There is basically me and my computer and my mind.  That works for me every time.

What can you let go of that will bring peace and serenity into your workplace?

© 2012 Cara Lumen 

Are You a Gift Person?

agreementHave you ever thought of a person as a gift?  A gift person is one who comes into your life and leaves you with an awareness or insight that enriches or motivates or helps you change direction. They are everywhere.  We just need to notice them.
 

A gift person could be a long-standing friend

The most obvious gift person will be someone close to you.  You are aware of how much you value their friendship and you know you can count on them. I have three major friends I count on to help me sort myself out.  I go to them for different reasons.  One is my philosophical/spiritual friend, another is my business related reflector, and another is for physical plane and practical assistance.  I go to them in my time of need and I hope I am there for them in the ways they need me to be.  You don’t need different friends for different reasons, but sometimes having a friend who can take you deeper into one particular aspect of a problem is helpful.
 

A gift person is often unexpected

Your paths cross. This could be a brief encounter or a lengthy one.  A new person comes into your life and opens up some new paths you want to explore. A new client of mine is an aromatherapist and as I help her expand her business, I want to know more about the energetic uses of essential oils.  Her path and interest has influenced mine. Whose path has changed your direction?
 
You are thanked.  A gift person acknowledges others.  She mentions the small moments of service, the laughter that was shared, or the work that was accomplished together.  Acknowledgement from a client will help me see how I am in service to them.  It helps me provide more of that same benefit to others. When did you last thank someone?  When did someone thank you?
 
A new insight occurs. A gift may come from something you observe.  I was fascinated to hear the differing versions a group of us had about a person who had passed away.   I realized that we are seen differently at various points of our life depending on the needs of the person we interact with and what we are able to give back at the time. As I grow older, it made me more forgiving of some of my past choices. What new insights have circumstances provided for you?
 
You are given an opportunity. I take my highly honed organization ability for granted.  I actively apply it in my business. But I have been inordinately pleased with the sense of service that I received while volunteering a basic skill in a group that really needed what I had to offer.  Look for places to share yourself that you have not explored before.
 
A gift person could be a brief encounter when you most need it. A woman in the complex where I live complimented me about an article I had written for our newsletter.  It was unexpected and I was touched by it.  It encouraged me to keep writing for that publication. See what unsolicited compliments you can deliver today.
 
I used to keep an Acknowledgement Book.  When someone said something positive about me I wrote it down, along with the date and who said it.  Whenever I got down in the dumps, I would read those messages I had been given and perhaps couldn’t accept at the time.  Sometimes I was amazed at what they saw in me, it often was more than I could see in myself.  Now my acknowledgments are in my computer many in the form of testimonials I have received over the years.  Are your positive comments in someone else’s Acknowledgement Book?
 

A gift person can be someone whose words you read

I am continually challenged and changed by Abraham-Hicks and Mike DoolySeth Godin and Sonja Simone inspire me to do better work.  And I have a collection of meaningful phrases I have read in the fiction books I read.  A gift can come from a news story, or a talk, or a blog post someone chooses to share.  We are surrounded by gifts coming at us from all directions. What we write, what we say and how we show up are part of our gifts. 
 

Are you a gift person?

Sometime a gift person just listens.  Sometimes a gift person simply shows up as who they are in the moment. Sometimes a gift person is someone you don’t know but who writes something that changes your life.  The idea of a gift person came from the book “Evensong” by Gail Godwin. She is a magnificent writer and as I read I am writing down phrases that express my own feelings and deepened my awareness of my own process and path.  Sometimes you don’t have any idea that you have been a gift person. 
 
I want to be a gift person.  I want my words to be thoughtful.  I want my presence to be inspiriting; I want my kindness to be felt.  Go out and be a gift person today.
 
© 2012 Cara Lumen

 

How to Let a New Idea Unfold

magicianI’m forming a new idea.  It’s swirling around in my imagination.  Bits and pieces show up but the overall form is not yet clear.  It is still emerging.  I’m not forcing it. I’m allowing it to show up when and how it needs to.  I’m allowing this new idea to unfold.
 
In the past, I would have grabbed those ideas and immediately put them into a form. I even have developed a great system for organizing ideas. However, what’s happening for me right now is the realization that this is not the time to be specific.  I have an unformed idea that is slowing coming in and I don’t know what it’s going to look like. I need to be patient.
 

Don’t do it the old way

Since I don’t have an objective for whatever this is, I cannot choose a specific purpose for this idea. I don’t know what it will do or who it will serve. I am listening to my inner self, noticing the signs and signals that keep showing up and testing how I feel about them. I have no target community in mind because I don’t know what the purpose of this idea is yet.  There is no business goal because I have no clue how it will fit into my business or if it even will. I’m simply being and allowing and recording what shows up.
 

Don’t organize your ideas too soon

It is super easy for me to see a pattern in nearly everything but I’m trying not to look for a specific structure in this one.  I know only that I am being prompted to write a series of philosophical articles. This is not new for me but I have not done it for ten years.  In the process of this unfolding, I have intuitively chosen some esoteric books to review for concepts to explore.  I pulled a ton of ideas from the collection of inspiring quotes that I have saved for myself over the years, and looked back over the philosophical articles I have written in the past.  If “philosophical” is the only clue I have for the purpose of whatever this is, what does that mean to me?  Right now, I’m simply putting these ideas in one document.  I’m resisting the urge to organize them too soon. To label and sort these ideas will be to stop the flow of the emergence of the whole.
 

Allow the idea to reveal itself

If I start putting labels and categories on whatever is emerging too soon, I will limit it with my human mind.  I might look at one piece and make a decision about what the whole is about when it really is only one piece of the overall concept. When I allow it to unfold and simply be with what shows up it remains in my unconscious mind where it can make unlimited connections that I am unable to make with my physical mind.  On a personal level, I have many questions about how to live this next portion of my life (I’m 79) and I want some answers. That specific desire may be prompting the emergence of whatever this is.  I’m in search mode, not teach mode. If I slap on my physical plane reasoning too soon I will miss the revelations that are coming.
 

Record your ideas as you go

The one thing I do know to do is to record each discovery as it appears and keep all the ideas together. I may take time to explore what organically shows up or I may just write down the basic concept. The connection and sequence of these ideas will show up when it does.  For now, I can only put dates on what I discover as a record of my journey in case that is part of the sequence. This segment is certainly part of what is emerging but where does it fit into the overall concept? Meanwhile, I will figure out ways to personally apply these emerging ideas and see how they work.
 

Don’t be so eager to share your idea

Whenever I learn something that excites me, my tendency is to turn around and teach it.  However, since I’m allowing this to unfold and don’t know where I’m going yet, I will keep it for myself for now.  I will write for discovery, for my own guidance and decision making process.  At some point, I will understand the whole, the purpose of whatever this is and that will allow me to find ways to effectively share it with others.
 

Why will you share this idea?

As I allow this idea to unfold, I’m not looking to reach and teach a specific target community (although there is one waiting for this message).  I have no reason to add it to my business other than I am curious where this exploration will take me personally. I will write these ideas down but only to stimulate thought and curiosity in others. There, I just found my purpose for whatever this concept turns out to be – to stimulate thought and curiosity in others.  As I post these parts and pieces as they emerge perhaps the comments of those who are drawn to it will move us all forward. I will allow the whole to unfold. 
 

How will you share this idea?

I do not want this esoteric idea to be limited by the physical plane. The minute I decide that this is a telecourse or an ebook I put a limit on what it looks like, how long it is, how it will be offered and its specific purpose. I want to be patient and allow myself to be shown what it should be. I am willing for it to be an eclectic format.  Some ideas may need to be videos, some blog posts, and others may move into ebooks. I don’t know.  The content will tell me. I will wait and let it unfold.
 

Who needs this idea?

At this moment, I have no idea who needs this other than me.  I need to think these concepts out. I need to write for my own understanding. I need to explore what resonates to me.  I’m going to ignore all my marketing training and let it unfold organically.  What I need to understand someone else does too and they will find me. The energy and passion I feel for this discovery will attract those who need this message.
 

This is a process of discovery

I have no plan. I have no purpose.  I have only the stillness and a need within myself for some guidance.  I’m looking for new awareness, perhaps new projects, maybe new friends.  I have an undefined need and it is being answered – one disclosure at a time.
 
When an unformed idea nudges, take your time.  Let it tell you what shape it should be when it is ready.  Be a steward of your idea and let if unfold in its own time.

© 2012 Cara Lumen 

Can You Live An Unhurried Day?

take-it-easyLeo Babauta of www.zenhabits.com writes “In my life I have deliberately cultivated a workday that is flexible, simplified, slow, mindful, creative” and I wondered what that would feel like, how I could experience that.
 

Set aside contemplative time

 
Mindfully starting your day with inner work sets the stage.  I do Falun Gong followed by Transcendental Meditation and a passage from “Opening Doors Within” by Eileen Cady.  When I get to my computer I read the daily quote from www.abraham-hicks.com  and www.tut.com  And sometimes I sit down and write a post like this in which I try to figure out what changes I can make in my awareness that will deepen my spiritual connection with the Universe.
 

Journal for awareness

 
I journal on my computer but in the past I wrote by hand.  There is something so serene about hand writing your thoughts, particularly if you are mindful of the way you form your letters and how your ideas emerge on the paper. Writing helps you bring your ideas into a tangible form.  For me the ultimate act of creation is capturing an idea and helping it take shape.  Sometimes I journal at the end of the day.  I reflect on how I felt, what I contributed, what I learned, whose lives I touched and opportunities I took or didn’t take.  Acknowledgement and gratitude are important and journaling is a good place to record them.
 

Simply be

 
I purchased a new frame for a poster I have always loved to look at. It had been behind a door for many months waiting patiently for me to get the frame.  When it was finally up in its new place I simply sat and enjoyed it.  I looked around my home and savored the arrangements I have made and the objects I have collected.  When my cat came to cuddle on my lap I added that affection to my awareness.  It’s nourishing to simply be.  I have a bird feeder beside the window where I sit at my computer that brings me fascinating visitors.  I take time to watch their interaction.  I have a willow tree that dances in the wind and the sky is like having my own artist create masterpieces for me as the sun descends or a storm comes or the fluffy clouds parade around the sky.  Take time to simply be with what is.
 

Read the signs and signals

 
Sometimes I want guidance.  I have an opportunity to consider or a choice to make so I ask the universe for signs.  These show up as ah ha moments.  They show up as new opportunities. They show up as a sentence I read in a blog post.  I’ve been getting a steady series of signs to move more deeply into the spiritual aspect of my work.  They keep coming and I keep listening.  Now I’m acting on them.  Follow your heart when you make your choices.
 

Capture the opportunities

 
In your unhurried day you do have to act.  It’s not about how much you accomplish, it’s about what you actually achieve, how you move yourself forward, what lives you touch or will touch by what you do with your time.  Is what you are doing aligned with your vision?  Does it help you change lives?  Is it an idea that will serve others?  Each day chose to act on only three things that will move you closer to your goal.  Take your journey one thoughtful step at a time.
 
A workday that is “flexible, simplified, slow, mindful, creative.” When we keep that desire in mind and move with conscious awareness throughout our day we will find ourselves both productive and nourished.  I would like that.
 
When you slow down you savor. When you savor you are nourished.  Do you know how to live an unhurried day?
 
© 2012 Cara Lumen