Month: May 2010

No kidding. It does, really.

As I write to you, my day is just beginning – a couple of hours earlier than usual (it’s 4:30 local time, and the time that you see for blogposts is Pacific – VERY misleading!).

Early, early morning – right about now – is my favorite time for writing to you. The “air” is quiet, so to speak. The hubbub and churn and people-density of the day has not yet started.

I love this quiet time. Because I’m an early-morning person, my mind is awake and clear – perhaps at its best in terms of insight coupled with intuition. (And a little bit of caffeine helps!)

At various times this year, I wasn’t even “playing by my own rules.” I’d wake up, and immerse myself in a project – still wrapped in a warm, fuzzy bathrobe. Yes to a cup of tea and feeding the cats. No to everything else. And then, I’d come out of “project immersion” to find that it was late morning – sometimes even early afternoon – and I was far from either looking or feeling my best for the day. And a very late recovery would ensue.

Now, one of my “secrets” to happiness (and even fame and prosperity!) is to “get gorgeous first.”

This means everything. I’m not kidding; I really do mean EVERYTHING. The full, all-out, pull-out-all-the-stops gorgeousness. Do everything you might do for a big date, or a great night out on the town. (OK, sometimes, even now, I skip setting my hair — but I’m even becoming more diligent about that!)

As an example, right now I’m not only showered and “dressed,” I’m taking “dressed” to its highest level. I’m wearing a long, coral-peach silk negligee – trimmed with lace that has just a tiny bit of sparkle. (And although I’ve had this gorgeous piece for a couple of years, today is the first day that I’m wearing it. I had been saving it for something “special.” Well, today is “special”! I’m writing to you, and that’s “special” enough, isn’t it?

I’m wearing my silky Chinese-brocade robe, best Manolo Blahnik mules, full cosmetics and jewelry, and whooshed all over with my very best perfume! And there’s no one in the house who is awake to enjoy this. Except that I’m writing to you – and for a private moment, between us right now, isn’t that reason enough to make this time very “extra-special”!

We’ve got a lovely Memorial Day weekend coming up. Why not take time – MAKE the time – for yourself? Whatever it is that you’ve got planned, look (and feel) as gorgeous as possible while doing your “whatever.”

Take a look at your to-do list, and see if there isn’t a way to simplify, or get some things off your list entirely. Add a little time for making yourself beautiful, and giving yourself a little pleasure. Allow your inner Goddess to emerge, and allow others the privilege of serving the Goddess – by serving you!

Remember, there is a world of difference between approaching others when you are stressed, harried, and groomed just enough for social civility – versus being a “Goddess;” someone who is so beautifully put together, and so calm and simply enjoying being in the present moment, that others simply want to be with you – because they’d like a little of what you have to rub off on them!

Live joyfully, my darling!

yours in dance – Alay’nya

Dear Ones —

By now, I trust, you are pretty good at reality-creating. Sometimes we call this “co-creation.” And if you haven’t done so already, please run (not walk) to your nearest Amazon website and order Jerry and Esther Hicks’ The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intention: The Art of Allowing.

Another very fabulous read is Machaelle’ Wright’s Behaving as if the God in All Life Mattered.

These are basics. And if you haven’t already read them, applied what they have on a regular basis, and experienced the positive results in your life, then you will be DELIGHTED when you actually “try these on!”

But now, I’d like to introduce you to a more refined and subtle aspect of reality-creation. This is tremendously important, and yet often overlooked – as our culture pushes us into such a “push-forward” mentality. As a result, we often find ourselves striving (and underneath that, a bit too anxious) when we do whatever it is that we are doing in our lives.

This is a particularly pernicious pitfall when we start doing reality creations – most of all on the “important stuff.”

We often feel that we need to push to get things done.

Instead, often the most important thing that we can do is to pull back a bit, and get ourselves in the right state as we create whatever it is that we are creating.

I write about this extensively in Unveiling. In fact, I devote several chapters to just this art!

Yet right now, let’s not pull from Unveiling – let’s look at an earlier work that describes reality-creating, and has come from one of the most widely-read authors of our time: Napoleon Hill.

You may already know – and be very familiar with – his famous classic, Think and Grow Rich.

But Napoleon wrote several books. One of his most important, and perhaps less-well-known, is Grow Rich! With Peace of Mind. He wrote this in his later years, after he had not only learned and taught the lessons that he received by observing the wealthiest men of the century, but also after reflecting on how his own psyche (and that of many others, such as you and I) interacted with the basic “Grow Rich” principles.

He gained a sort of meta-knowledge; a higher level of understanding.

And he shared his late-life wisdom with us.

So now, let me share a secret with you. This is one that Napoleon used, and one that I’ve used, and so have many others.

It is simply this: When you create something, you have to be in the “same state” as that which you desire to create in order to create the instance of it.

Sounds cumbersome. Maybe sounds a little weird. But let me try to explain.

If you’re desiring to create wealth, you have to create wealth from the experience of already being wealthy!

If you’re desiring to create relationship success, you have to create it fromt he perspective of already being in fabulous relationships!

Napoleon himself gives a practical example. In Chapter 8, “How to Transmute Sex Energy Into Achievement Power,” he writes:

“When I reread the manuscript I saw that it lacked something.”

He knew, from his previous studies – because every single book that he has ever written has contained a whole chapter on transmuting sex energy – that the quality of transmuted sex energy was exactly what his first drafts were lacking.

He got into “state.” That is, he accessed his core, vital, raw sexual energy – and poured it into a second draft. As he put it, “I rewrote it from start to finish” and the result was “electrifying.”

As he summed it up, “Anything you do can be electrifying and positive and profitable when it is infused with sex emotion.” (Italics his.)

He makes it clear that this is not the same as the act of physical sex. (With or without a partner.) It is the sexual energy, the emotion of that energy, that he is drawing upon and pouring into his creation.

We do this, of course, when we dance. And we certainly know when a dancer is pouring her “sex juice” into a dance, and when she is not!

I’ve used this teaching many times when writing Unveiling.

In fact, I used it today.

I started the day off in normal, rational-cognitive mode. It began with brewing a cup of tea, and having a good, solid exercise session before I sat down with my Day Planner and my “to-do” lists. (Which were, as they are for most of us, way too long!)

And I knew that something was “off.”

It was the “sex juice” factor.

I was starting a new work-week, and I was starting it dry. Dull, Dreary. Totally and completely lacking in “oomph.”

The only solution was to “reboot.”

I changed from exercise gear into a silky robe. Instead of pulling my hair back in a clip, I fluffed it a bit and pulled it into a nice, neat coiffure. I added jewelry, perfume, sexy shoes. I put on some more lipstick. (Yes, I do wear lipstick – even at home, and even for a morning workout. Practice makes perfect!)

I was feeling a little silly by the time I got this far, but I continued. Instead of using my “normal” coffee cup, I found and washed out my fanciest of fancy china, and served myself coffee in china on a silver tray. I found and polished my favorite silver spoon. I made a breakfast treat of fresh fruit in yogurt, and instead of grabbing a bowl from the cupboard, I sought out a pretty little oversized brandy snifter that I knew was around here someplace.

In short, I made everything, including myself, extra-special. I added oomph!

And yes, I was feeling a bit silly – although I had a big, silly grin on my face by this time as well! And I was enjoying myself so much more – and almost laughing at myself and everything around me.

My mood began to lighten up. Instead of feeling tight-wired and focused and intense, I began to loosen up and find the lightness and humor in things.

And from this state – one much more positive and juicy – I began to re-experiment with some contacts database software, and to follow-up on connections with people that I’d just met, and NOW – still feeling fun and juicy – and having had a lovely lunch that a fellow household member just made – I’m ready to take on Unveiling!

Try this – or your own version of the same thing – and post a comment on your results!

Much joy to you, dear sisters — yours in dance – A.

Dear Ones –

I’ve found Julie Rahm’s “America’s Mindset Mechanic” blog to be very useful – LOVE the “plumb bob” analogy!

Dear Ones —

Picking up with the discussion about our Levels, which I introduced a few days ago — we return to a simple and practical example: How do we keep current with our “connections,” especially the new ones? Most especially, how do we handle the piles and stacks of business cards that so many of us have?

I left this topic with you three blog-posts ago, as a bit of a “cliffhanger.” I meant to share with you, in the next post, the insight that I received that “pivoted” how I treated the whole matter of business cards and people-connects. One reason for the little time-delay was that I wanted to first put the insight into action. (And yes, I DID spend the next two days on just that – putting the insight into practice.)

I still wanted some input from a “coach,” though – someone who was much better in this area than I was. And as good fortune (or active co-creation) would have it – this is exactly what I got, just last night, from my dear friend Debra. (And I hope to introduce you to her soon!)

Debra is an expert at people-relations. More than that, she is very much “on top of her game.” So I simply couldn’t find a better person to not only coach me, but to provide an excellent real-life example of how to handle her growing volume of “people-relations.” So, let me share with you both what I learned as “insight.” Then, in the next blog-post, I’ll pass on what I learned last night from Debra as “practical guidance.”

THe “insight” is simple. (And this is where we have the conversation about Levels.) We all have “papers” in our lives. These may be letters that need response, papers to file, receipts to enter into spreadsheets and then file, or – that most infamous collection of “papers” – business cards. Very often, for many of us, these pile up. These piles quickly become intimidating, because each little piece of paper can require a great deal of attention, energy, and plain, simple work.

Business cards are the toughest – because we KNOW what it is that we REALLY want to do with them: We want to get the data into both our smart phone AND our main computer database (the one that we use for managing our distribution lists and “big” data storage). Then, we want to get a nice “connection” note off to the person that we just met, and file the card into some sort of paper back-up file. One little-tiny card can require a big gob of time.

So here it is: If we’re just thinking about that business card (or that handful, or stack of business cards) on the simple, physical level, then the effort involved in “processing” that card seems disproportionately large. I – and maybe you – have all too often looked at the little cards and said, “Important – but I’ll get to them tomorrow.” And tomorrow becomes the next day, and the next.

The challenge is that the little piece of paper is so very small. And the effort involved is really kind of BIG.

But this is at the simple, physical level – Level 1.

The insight that I received is to treat handling business cards as a multi-level process, just as with dance.

Level 1 is handling the simple mechanics of the card. Do the data base entry (and the duplicate into the smart phone, or the synch-up – if you are so technically savvy.) Write the follow up note, and file the card away – with a notation on the card that both data entry and follow-up were done.

Level 2 is getting over my resistance about putting the time into this (when there are so many other things to be done!).

Level 3 is where the insight begins.

I realized that each business card was a token for a new, potential relationship. (This is using an artificial intelligence / cognitive science term.) The card wasn’t the relationship itself – but it could stand in for the new connection.

I realized that while I was processing the card physically, I could also build the relationship energetically. While doing all the details of data entry, I could bring mindful attention and awareness to the new person, and create the intention of building a new relationship. I could, in fact, create the energy-link between us as I was filling in the remembered details from our conversation, and wrote a little email follow-up.

Being mindful and attending to our energy-connection is Level 3 work. Creating the intention, and charging it through our action of annotating and writing, is Level 4.

Thus, we can transform something that might be a time-consuming “chore” into an energy-process that builds a closer connection on many levels.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I met several wonderful new people at an event last night – and it’s time to enter in those new business cards!

Dear All —

Can’t wait to share the exciting news!

Anna G. (see her comment on blog just prior to this) is coming back to the Northern Virginia area on a regular basis – every two to three weeks – to take care of her existing and new clients.

Anna is absolutely one of the VERY BEST healing, intuitive massage therapists that I have EVER known! It is a privilege and joy to work with her.

Connect with Anna via posting on this blog, and she can respond to your posting – and/or – send me an email at alaynya at alayna dot com – and I will forward to her!

Have a lovely, joyous, and blessed day!

yours in dance – Alay’nya

Dear One —

I love meeting new people. (And old favorites, as well!) I love exchanging business cards. I love the buzz, the excitement, of creating that in-the-moment connection with someone. (Does this describe you, so far? If so, read on!)

I also love creating new ideas, new dreams and visions, and bringing them into being.

Where I am so regrettably weak is in the “little details.” Tracking expenses, keeping up my travel autolog, and – you guessed it – following up with these wonderful, esciting people once I’ve met them.

As all busiess consultants and “relationship gurus” will tell us, following up is the most important thing once we’ve met someone. We all know this. I know it. But putting this into practice is the hard part.

The “gotcha” for me is the tedium factor of processing little bits of paper; something that I’ll put off when I’m in high-creative mode (such as writing a book, coming up with a new invention, or developing a business plan.) The tedium-factor is also because one single little business card – properly done – really is a LOT of work. It’s even more work than the initial meeting with someone!

As a result, I have stacks of business cards. They’re all over. I have cards from the last two weeks clipped together. The ones from a few weeks prior are clipped together, and pushed back to an “in-box” which, I tell myself, will be a high priority. (Very soon now. Any day.) And the ones from even further back are in baggies, somewhat organized by event or general interest area, and further stored in bags or baskets. Not a pretty sight on an energetic or emotional level, not to mention keeping the office well-organized.

Does this sound familiar to you?

Most of us – unless we are VERY self-disciplined, and have great focus and intention – let this little matter of business cards and follow-ups simply slide. And then we lose those valuable, delicate new relationship-beginnings.

I love the insight provided to us by Machaelle Wright, whose work in Perelandra has put her in touch with the various Nature Devas. In her communications with them, they share that a garden is something that is a joint creation between human and nature. Also – most significantly – a garden need not be grown in soil. There are such things as “soilless gardens” – companies, or organizations of any kind. Anything that we create with intention and purpose.

This is a bit of a digression, but with a reason.

If we envision building our relationships as akin to creating a garden, then each new relationship – represented by each “business card” – is like a tender, delicate seedling. We can either plant it carefully and nourish it. Or we can take the effort that we’ve already made – in obtaining the seedling-beginning – and let it wither and die through lack of attention.

So much for analogy. And truly, we know this already.

The challenge that I’ve faced, lately, is that as I come out of being intensively focused on the creative process (writing, rewriting, and now editing and refining) of Unveiling, it’s time to start connecting with people once again.

These stacks and piles and bags of business cards demand attention.

And yet – I’ve cringed at the thought of going through all the work – the “tedium” of the data entry, all the little emails to generate, etc. It just seemed like too much work.

So last week, facing these stacks of cards, I felt that it was simply too much. And did the only thing reasonable. I turned this over to my “Higher Power” (God, however you would describe this One.) And took a nap. And when I got up, I had the insight – the guidance – that I needed in order to handle these business cards – and the “seedling relationships” – the right way.

(To be continued …)

Dear Ones —

Our entire process is about transformation. This is not just “reinventing” ourselves at a superficial level – this is more than a makeover! Rather, it is going deep into the core of our beings for a “whole life transformation.”

Right now, I’m developing curriculum (Levels 1 – 4) that will help us use dance as a powerful vehicle – as a body/mind/psyche/spirit integration pathway – that will help us do just that!

At the same time, we can all use some practical, helpful “tools” in our lives. So let me introduce my dear friend, Julie Rahm, America’s Mindset Mechanic. Julie can help you “Tune into your dreams, tune up your energy, and tune out the ‘white noise’ in your life!”

I’ve known Julie for years. When we were both following “corporate” pathways, she was consistently excellent. Now, she’s consistently fabulous – and can help us all achieve our dreams!

You may want to follow Julie on America’s Mindset Mechanic Blog site – I’ve found some great ideas there! While I’ve known the principles for a while, Julie’s got a great way of helping us “tune up” our application of these same principles. It’s like taking our car (our high-performance minds) into the shop for a little – really – “tuning up!”