Defining moments seem to happen at just the right time.

I had the most fortunate opportunity to spend three days in Portland, Oregon, at Profit Catalyst. I knew it would be amazing on so many levels but in a nutshell, it far exceeded any expectations. Far. It was a defining-moment-fest!

Spending intense quality time strategizing and socializing with a room full of smart, driven creative entrepreneurs – some of whom I am so proud to call my friends and some of whom I was glad to meet there for the first time – was lovely, and quite moving.

I’m still processing (and will be for some time) the strategic and emotional aspects from this concentrated time of working and learning in this high voltage, energizing, clarity-inducing, solid-plan-making environment.

On the last day of the event I had an idea.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to capture the energy of the room right now?

If you were there, it was unmistakeable. If you were watching the simulcast, it probably was also. If you knew nothing about it, you probably felt the vibrations of positive shift and change from wherever you were.

{Sidebar: In my design process and methodology, capturing feelings, emotions, thoughts, facts, is a significant part of what I do in order to represent someone or a concept, precisely.}

So, having been immersed in implementation thoughts for days, my idea took root right away.

I created six sentences (on a post it, shown below) and left the last part of the sentence, blank.

I went around to everyone in the room and collected stream of consciousness words to fill in the last words of each sentence that was prompted with, “At Profit Catalyst I ____.” I did this with the intention of designing around the words.

I then sorted and organized the words from 27 people by each of the 6 categories I created.

Power-full thoughts poured out.

Of course they did!

This poster (above) illustrates a thought from everyone in the room who participated.

Yes, this qualifies as being in collaboration mode!

You’ll notice: the thoughts read as individual statements, *and* for some added flavor I designed it so that the words also read in a continuous flow by following the color, or alternating color, down the column from north to south, and just about all the way from east to west across, and south to north, following the rhythm of the columns.

The thoughts collected are intertwined by design.

The parts often come together to represent the whole. Chances are high (my estimate: 100%, but let me know what you think?) that everyone who was present probably feels or can significantly relate to, each thought, as is often true in a good group dynamic. One thought often represents something swirling around in the consciousness.

While some answers were similar, no two people used the exact same words in any category nor the same words as anyone else did.

Fascinating, right?

What’s my point?

This is an actual illustration of what coming together yet holding your center looks like. And, how doing that creates a force that benefits you, your work, and everyone else around you, while facilitating flow.

And this particular defining moment is a testament to what happens when we show up, stay centered, do the work, and do it in the presence of thoughtful, like-minded, present-as-can-be people who care enough to do all of the above right alongside you.

So, what are you thinking now?

If you were at Profit Catalyst, I’d love for you to share your thoughts about seeing this poster come about from your thoughts and words.

What do you see?

What do you see now that you didn’t before?

What comes up for you seeing your own words?

What comes up for you now seeing everyone else’s words?

Do you feel a connection to everyone else’s words? Why?

What are you aware of now that you may not have seen before?

This is my *Ode to Increase* for you.

Thank you, all, for contributing your meaningful words and rolling with me so smoothly on the last day.

I wish you open space and ~ increase.

xo, M

It’s a deep ache.

As a creative entrepreneur it’s a long list of things that that could describe. But one of the deepest is that craving and ache to speak your mind clearly and express yourself in the way that suits your intention of the day and gets your best work done. There’s no doubt getting it done requires a checklist of things to square up upon awakening. After a good cardio workout, a rejuvenating yoga practice, a quick meditation, significant hydrating, and preparing a completely balanced breakfast (of course!), then comes reassuring your body mind that you’ve got what it takes, and what you need, to find your flow and lead your peeps as if you have no fears.

Thinking about facing the fear is unsettling.

Until you just do it. You sort through it or talk it out or think so much about it that you completely exhaust yourself.

Then it lifts.

And I know you can relate to that lift, that shrill of a moment when after all that you’ve put yourself through you realize: it’s really not that big of a fear after all, or, it’s just a distraction, or, worse, it’s just the echo of someone else’s words taking up space in your head.

There it is, the sun rising at daybreak: you realize that you’re not actually even afraid, that your calling to move to the front and be at your best is bigger than your fear could ever be.

The creative flow has been unleashed!

You remember who you are and start from there.

Creating and flowing at the high end needs space to enable momentum. And making space by clearing out fear is a quick ticket to finding more space and getting your best work done. It is much easier to hold your focus on creating clarity and quality when you consciously ignite from the place where you remember who you are, and not from the space of the real or imagined what ifs that pop up and expand when fear seeps into places it just doesn’t belong.

You are brave and you know it.

So what would you be doing if you were not afraid? And are you actually afraid? Of what?

I’d love for you to share your thoughts on how you’ve intentionally managed your fears. I’ll start. I move fears out of my way by designing visuals with words, like this poster. I capture thoughts, feelings, emotions by tuning out the noise and listening in to what is really going on. I process my thoughts emotionally, verbally, then visually. I design to send a message, inspire a shift, frame a response, and ignite momentum. The processing yields clarity and clears the space to move forward.

How are you at acknowledging your fearlessness?

Other than noticing a lot of fearlessness that needs to be acknowledged with what you’re doing, I’ve also noticed that we all almost always want the same things in the end. The messages we need find us at what appears to be the exact right time.

Leave a comment here so we can all acknowledge how you are fearless!

I encourage you to share this post with your fellow creatives. Isn’t it so synchronistic when you receive just the right message at just the right time?

The skies open and suddenly you’re on a major roll.

The Bottom Line: Reconnect with your fearlessness to rev up your productivity.

Pass it on!

xo, M

Dear Sweet Friends and Fellow Creatives,

I proudly present my new online space!

I’m so glad you’re here. After months of renovations and planning behind-the-scenes, I’m thrilled to announce the newly designed home of mfarinelladesign.com.

You are invited to come on in and check out the new place.

I’ll forewarn you, it’s kind of deep around here. But my sense is you prefer deep and meaningful spaces where you know and see value all around.

Here is what’s new:

1) The Blog

An Open Book has a whole new better-than-ever look and format.

2) About You

An all new place packed with info and inspiration about what I already know about you.

About You

Welcome: Is This You?

What’s Up With You?

What’s On Your Mind?

3) About Me

An all new space where you can learn more about Me. Hope you’ll learn some interesting new things and if we have not yet met, I’ll look forward to meeting you here.

My Biography

Awards & Recognition

My Design Methodology

Why Clients Work With Me

4) Services

I’ve been designing new ways to provide my most requested design services as well as new ways for us to work together. I will be launching several different Premium Design Packages and offerings, coming this summer.

5) Portfolio

A brand new sophisticated and clean format featuring special projects and an inside look into the small details, the big picture, my design methodology, and my very talented clients.

6) Praise

A place where my clients sing their hearts out about how their design has impacted their business and contributed to their success. They want you to know and they need to share their thoughts and feelings. You can hear it straight from them!

7) Facebook

If you love what’s happening here, join me there, Facebook/Michelle Farinella Design. Click on the little Facebook icon under the navigation bar above, give my page a Like, and then you’ll be in on anything that’s going on there.

8) Twitter

Last summer I joined Twitter, and it’s hard to imagine a time without it now. Feel welcome to follow along, @mfarinella. {Read more about how Twitter changed everything, here.}

9) Email

You know I love to hear from you by email. Click on the little envelope under the navigation bar and write away.

10) Inner Circle Mailing List

I’ll be sending out special invites and inside looks only to people who opt-in to my new mailing list. If you want to join the inner circle, enter your name in the space to the right. If you’re already on my list, I encourage you to signup again, because truthfully, it’s a whole new world over here.

Thank YOU!

I’m completely ecstatic about my new space and about the ways I’ve been innovating my offerings for you, my fellow creative entrepreneurs. I’ve spent quality time with you, and, I hear what you need, what you want, and what you are asking me for. Thank you to all of the special souls already in my inner circle (you know who you are!) for your best wishes and love and support over the last several months. I’m so grateful.

Welcome to a bright new era.

Looking forward to connecting with you soon,

Michelle

Today is a brisk spring day. The sweet song from my favorite cardinal is wafting through the open door.

I’ve been hard at work behind the scenes.

Where in the world have I been all winter?

What have I been up to?

What’s going on here!

A: Here. A lot. A lot of good stuff.

I’m updating my portfolio, and so much more. New books, covers, cookbooks, identities. New ideas, new structures, new offerings, new technology, new website and new blog (coming soon, standby).

Last summer I planted some seeds. I have been nursing them through this long winter. The seeds have safely rooted now.

Soon the spring sun will inspire new growth to blossom.

Last summer I joined the online community of Twitter. Suffice it to say, that my experience on Twitter has proven to be super exciting. {Unbelievable!} For the record, Yes, I know what those of you who know me are thinking, “!!!”. Indeed it was me who resisted it. Yes, I did say I didn’t understand it, it felt too out there, and it seemed overwhelming. All of that was true at that time.

Then one summer night while having a conversation about espresso and consciousness and how each affects our work, my brother, Adriano, said he thought that Twitter represented the global collective consciousness and inside of that – the true consciousness of your choice, the one you create and hook into. {Holy Moly! Really?} Thanks for the stirring tip, dear brother!

Well gosh. If it’s about *consciousness* ~ I’m on it.

So I joined Twitter.

I learned to understand it. But, I was not prepared for what I would learn or find, or who I would meet, or what it would mean. Which is probably the exact reason why I took to it like I did.

Astounding things happen when we can fully release the burden of our own overbearing expectations.

Suddenly it had become something else, something with meaning and depth.

Nine months later I cannot imagine not knowing about the scope of consciousness and connection I discovered. I’ve met some amazing people. I have participated in opportunities that have opened me up to do what I do best. I’ve experienced how thoughts, communications, and relationships can be cultivated when you have to say what you mean in 140 characters or less.

Thank you for standing by as the evolution is, evolving.

The blog here has been my entry into the online community. I’ve adored every moment of it. {Other than early on when I was a complete nervous wreck about publishing my thoughts onto such a broad spectrum!}

It has been a huge part of my evolution to find my voice in a way that honors my highest creative purpose while creating a new frontier that can adapt to new ways and ultimately create a new environment to reach further and go deeper.

I am in the midst of a Big Evolve. I have spent the last months getting clear, and sharpening the focus on my lens.

To be clear: I am clearer and better than ever. Just in time, 2011 is a major evolutionary year for me.

This is the 18th year of my rich and illustrious career.

This May, the studio will celebrate its 13th year of Creative Service.

And, when August rolls in, the highly anticipated Michelle 4.0 will be released.

Looking forward to sharing more and more with you, soon.

1. You are wondering who, what, how you should be
2. You realize you might be a bit stuck
3. You feel disconnected from who you know you are
4. You feel invisible, or wish you could be
5. You are a loving being, but your heart feels closed
6. You numb the uncomfortable feelings
7. You struggle with belonging
8. You fear that you are not worthy
9. You wonder if you are good enough
10. You need to know you’re not alone
11. You want a guarantee before you do it
12. You want to open your heart, you really do

And ~ you want to live mindfully, authentically, and fully.

Then ~ you will appreciate this profound and poignant message.

“In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen – really seen.”

*Brené Brown, Ph.D, L.M.S.W., author of The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supoosed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Brené Brown is a leading expert on authenticity, shame, and courage.

She writes, “Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. It’s going to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.”

You are worthy of love and belonging.

I honor your wholeheartedness.

I honor your courage.

So the real question is: What’s so comfortable about your comfort zone? This evaluation is coming on the heels of last week’s topic of making some key changes in the pursuit of your happiness. Changes insomuch that you can answer Yes to the question, Are You Happy?. And to recap, answering No to that question means you may need to make some changes. (Read Are You Happy?)

Why is this comfort zone so uncomfortable!

If you think staying nestled in your comfort zone is safe, do you also tend to think that moving out of your zone will bring you discomfort? More than the amount you have now? Chances are it will and it does. But if the zone isn’t too comfortable then why not find a sweeter zone? This week I’m seeing this flaw in my own thinking. Why don’t I think that moving out of my comfort zone means I’ll be moving into another, new improved better comfort zone? It never occurred to me to consider that idea until I pushed through something this week that I never dreamed I’d do. Because it was, in my mind, way outside of my comfort zone. Yes, moving out of your comfort zone can be a crazy challenge. It’s uncomfortable. It’s so darn uncomfortable! Unknown, unfamiliar territory is only foreign until you acclimate to it. Getting real and taking action has some perks. You might even feel a rush of satisfaction and accomplishment just from stepping up and taking the risk to push passed your fear. And, you may feel relieved by the tiniest shift in your thinking and doing.

If you answer Yes to Are You in Your Comfort Zone? but answer No to Are You Happy? consider the concept that you may have to initiate a shift out of your presumed comfort zone. But, also consider that this can be a great thing that will move you closer to being more comfortable, and much happier. Taking action, one step at a time, to shift into unfamiliar territory just might come with the opportunity to create your new and improved happy, comfort zone.

What have you done that you thought you could never do?

Were you happy that you did it after you took the leap?

It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz © 1975 United Feature Syndicate, Inc. and published by Random House.

Woodstock is resourceful. He constructs a beautiful nest, twig by twig.

Sally, well, let’s just remember that Sally is, passionate. She is in a bit of knot because her science teacher has asked her to bring in a ‘new exhibit’. Something from nature. Sally tends to express herself by dramatic release when she’s uncomfortable. She thinks her science teacher may be out to get her. After having this fit, and in spite of herself, she vows to reverse the situation by getting real, taking action. Sally often grabs the bull by the horns after she processes her emotions.

“But, I’ll show her. I won’t crack. I refuse to crack. I’ll get the best exhibit she’s ever seen.”

Sally has high expectations of herself. And others.

Woodstock goes out on an errand run and comes back to discover someone stole his nest.

Snoopy heeds the call of his distressed friend. Since he is the great detective he commits to solving this mysterious case for Woodstock.

Detective Snoopy runs all around town all through the night interrogating everyone about the missing nest. He interrogates Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Pig Pen, Peppermint Patty. He even dusts for fingerprints.

Eventually Snoopy follows a set of footprints to the school. He and Woodstock climb through the window. Inside the school they find a ‘Prehistoric Bird’s Nest’ in the science exhibit. The nest! What was lost is now found. Woodstock slept in his nest that night.

Back at the ranch, Sally discovers that her exhibit entry has been stolen. Now she has even more confirmation that not only is her teacher out to get her, but everybody is out to get her now! She wants her lawyer, her bookkeeper now!

Lucy conveniently steps in as the appointed judge to preside over this dispute. Sally represents herself and Snoopy represents Woodstock.

She insists that the nest was fair game and prehistoric so it was hers to take. ‘No self-respecting modern bird could have built it.’  Charlie Brown tries to talk some sense into her.

Sally would prefer that everyone agree with her perspective. She’s not having any of what Charlie is saying.

After lots of arguments back and forth Lucy’s judicial verdict is in. ‘Bird, it’s your nest. Keep it.’

Sally does not take this well. Sally is uncomfortable when it doesn’t go her way. ‘I’ll appeal! I’ll take this all the way to the supreme court!’

Now Sally has to find a new exhibit to bring into her science class. Charlie Brown is super helpful, he thinks about her dilemma all night. Charlie’s best idea involves using Snoopy as her science exhibit.

In class Sally introduces the great Russian doctor Ivan Petrovich Pavlov. ‘He studied our nervous system.’

She informs the class that Pavlov did a famous experiment that would prove a dog would drool if you rang a bell that promised him food. She recreates this famous experiment with Snoopy’s help.

‘As they say, all’s well that ends well. I got an A on my exhibit, Woodstock got his nest, and Snoopy got a little attention.’

Sally acknowledged her fear of being stretched too far out of her comfort zone by having a total fit. She screamed and yelled and shouted it out. She let out all of her frustration and ambivalence without reservation or judgement.

Then she took action.

Sometimes just making the decision in your mind to turn things around is all of the action you need to succeed at what you thought you could never ever do. And while you’re at it, check out if ‘succeeding’ really matters that much or if it’s more important to know that you can do it even when you thought you could never do it. Success comes in all shapes and shifts.

Simple little shifts add up. Consider that it’s only a mystery because it’s currently unfamiliar. Right now. And try to keep it real about what you’re choosing and why.

Keep stepping up. Keep showing up. Keep your focus on the goal not on the discomfort zone.

Once you break through the grip of fear you’ll feel empowered by your courage. Unstoppable!

How comfortable is your comfort zone?

What do you really have to lose by stepping up and shifting out of it?

This poster was designed by Alex Koplin and David Meiklejohn at h34dup.com. Thanks, guys, for the opportunity to share your awesome design.

Good design has an exquisite way of simplifying the most complex of concepts. I was touched by the stunning clarity of this poster this week so I thought I would share it with you.

I offer you the opportunity to answer:

Are You Happy?

If you are, keep doing whatever you’re doing.

If you are not, ask yourself, do you want to be happy?

If you do, then, change something.

If you don’t, then, well, keep doing whatever you’re doing.

Brilliant.

Like running through a cold sprinkler on a hot summer day.

Manifesto in the Making

Instead of writing a manifesto on the philosophy of happiness I decided to make a list of things that make me happy, and a list of things that don’t. So simple it’s frustrating, right?

The point of this exercise would be to illuminate what is causing the answer to this question to lean more No than Yes. From there, figure out what it is that I can change about what is making me unhappy, and literally implement that change. Surprisingly, I already felt better once I remembered to remember that I actually can make new choices on demand. What a relief to tap into that freedom. Have you ever forgotten that you can make a new choice?

As it turns out, I also love listmaking in terms of tracking productivity and finding clarity. Plus, crossing an item off of a list can lead to a sense of accomplishment that can instantly activate momentum.

Perhaps you could benefit from creating a list of what makes your heart sing vs what does not? I highly recommend this exercise. Try it while you are having your afternoon coffee. You might feel a lot better laying it all out, discovering what that something is that you can change. This one awareness can stop the spiraling in its tracks. And imagine the exponential liberation you could feel once you realize what you can change today because you are in charge of it.

Here are a handful of thoughts to consider in the pursuit of your Happy.

1. Start With the Obvious

Take note of how little it takes to make you happy. Then take note of how gargantuan the space between you and your happiness can sometimes feel. What can you do about this huge space, right now? Do one little thing to make you happy today, without planning it out. Small. Teensy. It could close up the widening space faster than you think. Happy here you come.

2. Remember Who You Are

Stop comparing yourself to other people who you think are experiencing perpetual nirvana. The more time spent fantasizing that everyone in the world is happy except for you, the more time you are wasting, and the more you are feeding the unhappiness by introducing all kinds of untruths. You are already awesome, remember it. Focus on your greatest contribution to it all since only you can contribute that. We all need what you’re bringing to the table. We all need you to be who you are.

3. Give It a Rest

Spinning into frustration, disappointment, despair, and anxiety for too long can be exhausting and draining. Express yourself about it. Get it all out when it feels too heavy. Then get some rest. Start tomorrow rested and rejuved. Approach the early morning rested and from the place of taking action. Rest fosters clear action, which produces movement, which leads to you moving in the right direction. You can so do this.

4. Own Yourself

Whatever it is you did or said, or didn’t do right, own it. Then forgive yourself. There is no point to going on and on about what you could have done better if only. It’s done. You probably had a very good reason at that time for doing it that way. Right now is where it’s at. Be accountable. Do the best you can because that’s what you do. Move along and get your stuff done.

5. Make a New Choice

Do not get caught up repeating actions that you already know don’t work. If you are feeling stuck, check out the possibility that you are trying to prove yourself right insomuch as that whatever-it-is is absolutely all wrong. Really? Choice is the tour guide in this pursuit of Happy. Make a new, deliberate choice. Then make another. It is the shortest distance to finding the way to your new answer:

“Yes, why YES, I am Happy.”

Take the leap. Change something.

You have a chance to do it better today than you did it yesterday. Take the chance. Rock it. Then tell us all about how you rocked it. Rocking it yields more rocking it.

You’re totally worth it. You deserve to say, “Yes”.

What can you change?

And are you happy now?

Look with your eyes, see with your mind.

But, you will be happy to know: I am back. It took a bit to figure out what was happening, and to calmly regroup. Of course, recovering and regrouping seemed disproportionately longer time-wise than sliding down into the hole. One minute to slide vs four weeks to come back around. Note to self: listen up.

On my visit to the land of overwhelm, I learned a lot about creating, reading, delivering, and receiving information. My research was online; of course it was. We all know this, there is an unimaginable amount of content available to us all at the slightest touch. The slightest touch and you could be on your way to finding and knowing almost anything. It is nothing short of outrageously amazing. But how do the senses adapt to the volume of information and the speed at which it is available? For example, in the land of overwhelm, I felt the pull to refresh my memory on how old I was when I sat outside on the curb for four hours playing in the sweet summer grass waiting for the President of United States to drive by in the motorcade. It took me an entire 1:06 minutes to find the answer to my question. (It was the summer I turned 5, and here it is: http://tiny.cc/dshg7)

I learned a lot from this semi-conscious experiment. I plan to be significantly more proactive about visiting, or rather, not visiting the land of overwhelm. I vow to listen to all of my senses no matter how brave and adventurous I feel at that moment. I plan to set better parameters for receiving information and to protect my sensitive senses. I’ll keep you posted, it’s a daily practice.

Do you have any tricks on how you protect your senses? What do you find works well when your senses tell you to slow it down? Do you listen to your senses?

How do you respond to the overwhelm?

The First Book of the Human Senses by Gene Liberty, Illustrated by Robert F. Tidd, © 1968 written and illustrated by Jeanne Bendick, published by Franklin Watts, Inc. (*The credits on the front cover, shown, are different from the credits on the title page; interesting.)

“Always, every minute, without even thinking, you are asking yourself questions and answering them.”

“What do I see? What do I hear? What’s that smell? Does this taste good?”

“Suppose you had to learn everything about the world, all by yourself, right from the beginning. Suppose you had no one to help you and no books to tell you. How would you learn what the world was like?”

“You would use your senses. You would look, listen, smell, taste, touch.”

These are your senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch. “Sight and hearing, smell, taste, and feeling are your outer senses. They tell you what’s happening in the world around you, outside your body. You have inner senses, too. They signal messages from inside your body.”

“You are always looking at things, even if you don’t always notice what you are looking at. You look with your eyes, but you see with your mind.”

“Millions of nerve endings in the retina send messages through your optic nerves to your brain. Your brain turns the picture right side up again.”

“When you hear sound, you are hearing the air move.”

“Sometimes after you’ve smelled something for a while, you can’t smell it anymore. That’s because your sense of smell gets tired faster than your other senses.” Who knew.

“Many of your senses are connected. You can’t taste very well without smelling.”

“Your sense of balance is a big help here. However you move, it tries to keep you right side up.”

“Sometimes your brain doesn’t want to understand the message it’s getting.” (My favorite line in this book for sure.)

“When you don’t use your senses and your mind, it’s like living in a tunnel. When you do use them, everything you do is more exciting and more fun. You’re living in the whole world.”

This book is actually 72 pages of complex information presented in a realistic and informative way. It breaks down the science of the senses by focusing on the feelings and associations. This book surfaced at just the right time, and is now in the Top 10 of this classic book collection.

The More You Know

As you may know, the books featured on this blog come from my library of archived books from circa 1970. They are timeless and classic, and when I rediscovered them, I found a burning desire to share them with you.

While in the land of overwhelm, I discovered several more boxes of these books. The actual amount of books is into the hundreds now. I hope you will appreciate seeing them as they come up.

(For new readers, this is how it all began: http://tiny.cc/xnb2y)

So you know: I randomly read at the least a dozen or so books at one time. During the week, I listen and observe conversations, energy, moods, attitudes, and then match that finding up with a book from the collection in some way. It’s organic and flowing in concept. Even I am amazed at how the observation each week leads me to the right title. At times, I also feature a book design or project that I am working on or have worked on for the same reason, I sense it is the right time and it works for that week.

The planning and writing about the particular topic comes once I see (and sense) a connection to what’s happening or going on all around, not just for me. Ultimately, whatever topic evolves, represents some idea, thought, or concept that may be helpful to read about.

I know that whatever I read, I appreciate knowing that the author gets it. My hope is that you would feel like someone out there gets it, whatever it is that week. You are not alone, and just that one realization can go a long way in turning a day around.

I appreciate you, my readers, and the time you take to read my blog. I promise to do my best to make your read here worthwhile. I know you all have busy lives, and that you, too, are probably attempting to find your way around the information overloads circling all around us.

If you feel like sharing what would make your experience on this blog even better, I would welcome your thoughts. It is my goal to keep improving ~ better and better every day.

Please feel welcome to write or call. I love to hear from you all.

I wish you and all of your senses, a calm one.

Blog Announcement

The blog announcement goes out once a month to announce new entries. The September blog announcement did not go out, and I will combine October with November and send one then. Hooray for being back on track soon, let’s hope.

Twitter

If you would like to know when a new entry is posted, or would like to know what I am up to, you can follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/@mfarinella.

New Reader

If you are a new reader and would like to sign on to the monthly notice, I would love to have you join in. Click here to sign on: http://tiny.cc/p84lh

Imagine the peace of being attuned to the current.

Are you skilled at swimming with the breaking waves, with and in the direction of the current? Do you get carried away by the waves and wonder with awe where you will end up? Do you feel a natural inner inclination to push against the current because you sense you might end up in the wrong place if you let go into it? How strong are you when the harsh and turbulent waves roll in? Does being strong get defined by the amount of energy involved in holding on, or in the amount required to let go? Do you stand your own ground, inside your own endless strength, avoiding exhaustion, and without ever compromising the state of your balance no matter what comes crashing down?

How do you negotiate the roaring waves that crash and turn? Do you swim and move into them and with them? Do you dig your heels in and get thrown around because of your inflexibility? Or your fear. Do you wish that the ocean had no waves whatsoever, that it was a placid little wave-less lake?

Can you find a way to not feel pushed around when the ocean waves appear overpowering? What if you found the fierce momentum and shifting brought in by the high tides to be an integral aspect of creating important pockets and moments of intense energy that reset the state of balance? And what if these moments of intense energy cleared the path for you to steady your stance and improve your inner and outer balance?

Can you achieve a greater state of balance by skillfully learning to negotiate the waves without resisting them or being jostled around by them?

Can you steer yourself steady while you watch the sea come in?

I Saw the Sea Come In by Alvin Tresselt, Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, © 1954 and published by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., Inc. New York.

“Early in the morning, while the soft gray fog still hung in the sky, the little boy went down to the sea.” He brought his pail and shovel. He wore a white hat.

The boy walked down the slippery sand dune towards the sea “just as a new tide started its journey up the broad white beach.” He was first on the beach.

On the beach he found a sandpiper, a crab, sandhoppers, and clams.

The boy could only see mist and fog but he felt adventurous and wanted to find the end of the beach.

“And the little boy set off down the lonely white beach, while minute by minute, wave by wave, the new tide crest up the sandy shore.”

He was all alone on the beach and kept thinking that nobody had ever been there before him, that he was the first one. He found conch shells, starfish, and hermit crabs and collected them in his green pail.

The tide kept rising higher and higher. The sun came out and boats with sails dotted the blue water while big umbrellas dotted the sandy beach.

The tide kept moving in. The boy built a sand castle with high towers to stop the sea. But the sea rose higher. Higher than the walls of the sand castle.

The high tide waves swept over the beach. The people were forced to pick up their umbrellas and move away from the tide.

The boy ran through the foamy water of the tide. With a long feather collected on his walk he wrote his name in the damp sand in front of the rising water.

It’s good to remember who you are when things feel turbulent.

“I was here first! I was the very first one. I saw the sea come in!”

This is one title in a series of books known as the Dandelion Library. This book is divided in half, literally, as you can see above. The reader flips and turns the book to read the other story.

Well, now just this very book format is an example of flipping and turning with the waves of momentum while not getting too attached to any one direction or standard way of rolling with it.

You are probably stronger than you give yourself credit for when it comes to negotiating high tides and the challenges that turbulent waves bring.

Hold on to that strength. Take it with you, wave by wave, and you will find your balance. Maybe even your optimal state of balance.

How have you noticed that you are already skillfully maintaining your balance?

How can you acknowledge that you are stronger than you thought you were?

Why: She chose to live, not to dwell.

The quest for reason and meaning can be quite unrelenting. An arduous and intense search that can run wild, askew even, if not consistently and delicately regulated. If the reason lies within, and the mind is too cluttered, overworked, and perpetually over-stimulated, it could become a long search. If the desired answer is expected to arrive from another external source, and the mind is much too cluttered, overworked, and over-stimulated, the answer could still appear to be invisible no matter how sought after. Why do whys come in all shapes and sizes? Why do some whys swirl around and around and then dissipate? Why do other whys build up until they eventually become the eye of the why storm? Why do some whys come and go with little effort while other whys never surface?

In the case that the why has no definitive, satisfying, or logical answer available, perhaps the intended relief can only flow when a deep level of inner acceptance is tapped. The acceptance that what is, just is. Acceptance, that not every why has an answer or a meaning. It just is.

Why is understanding why so darn helpful? Is it an innate longing for sensible reason? For clarity, purpose, and justification? Is it a passageway to reassurance and confidence? But why?

How hard do you work at it to find out why?

How do you move into acceptance when you realize that there is no why?

Demeter and Persephone, Retold and Illustrated by Connie Northern, Text and illustrations © 2006 by Connie Northern, published by Mondo Publishing, New York. Cover and Book Design by Michelle Farinella Design.

In ancient Greek mythology there are many stories of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. ”Long ago, when the world was young, there was a goddess named Demeter who so loved the earth and its people that she did not dwell in Olympus with the other gods and goddesses. She chose to live among the people on the earth.”

Demeter was a goddess. She had power over plants and seeds. With her power and will seeds grew and sprouted and the grain and fruit of the earth were abundant. “Whenever she would walk on newly-plowed fields, grain and grapevines would spring up. Flowers bloomed in her footsteps.”

Demeter was gentle and generous. The people were grateful to her for their abundance. In her presence fruit and grain were plenty. The people symbolically referred to her as a cornucopia.

Demeter loved the earth and the people. But more than anything else, she loved her daughter, Persephone. Persephone was a lovely girl. People loved her and offered her fragrant herbs. Flowers grew whenever Persephone’s feet touched the ground. She was the daughter of a goddess.

One day Persephone went to the fields with her friends to gather fruits and flowers under ancient trees. She spotted a flower, a narcissus, and wandered far away from her friends to where it was blossoming.

Meanwhile, Hades, the god of the underworld, watched Persephone wandering among the flowers and instantly wanted her to be his wife. Hades went to Zeus, ruler of all the gods, and asked permission to take Persephone as his wife. Zeus complied. Hades moved quickly to find Persephone to be his bride.

Suddenly the earth under Persephone’s feet shook and a chariot pulled by powerful horses came out of a crevasse in the rocks in front of her. Hades, in the chariot, pulled Persephone into the chariot and returned with her to his home deep in the underworld.

Persephone’s world closed over her and she vanished into a darkness. The darkness filled her heart and she wept. “The mountain peaks and the deep waters echoed her cries, and her mother, Demeter, heard the sound.”

Demeter ran into the fields and soared over mountains and oceans looking for her lost daughter for nine days.

She could hear her daughter’s cries for help echo through the air but could not find who had taken her. Demeter sought help from Hecate, another goddess. Eventually Helios informs her that her brother Zeus had given Persephone to Hades to be his wife and that now Persephone was living in the underworld as the queen of the dead.

Demeter was heartbroken, and furious with Zeus and the other gods. She refused to eat or drink.

“Demeter was so angry with Zeus and the other gods, she devised a plan of revenge.” She would allow nothing to sprout or bloom. She would create a devastating famine so that all the people would starve and have no bounty to offer the gods. Zeus understood he must now find a solution for her grief.

Zeus sent Iris, the rainbow, to summon Demeter to Olympus. She refused to go with her. He sent many other gods to summon her but she refused to go until she was reunited with her daughter.

Demeter was in pain and focused on revenge. She would not bless the earth. Fields withered and died, people went hungry. Demeter’s suffering created more suffering. Zeus finally sent Hermes, messenger of the gods, to tell Hades he must return Persephone to her mother.

Hades knew the right thing to do was to return Persephone, but he wished to keep his bride. He knew that if she ate just a morsel of food in the underworld, she would have to remain there. He gave the hungry Persephone a pomegranate. Persephone ate three sweet seeds of the fruit.

“Immediately Hades took Persephone into his chariot and drove out of the darkness up into the light and air. Once again Persephone could see the sky, the trees and grass, the rivers and oceans. Her heart was filled with joy at the sight and at the thought of seeing her mother again.”

Demeter and Persephone were overjoyed to be reunited. Demeter could sense that Persephone was different. She asked her if she had eaten anything while in the underworld. When Demeter realized that Persephone had eaten three seeds, she knew her daughter would have to spend three months of every year underground as queen of the underworld. One month per each seed.

Although she was devastated that she would be separated from her daughter for three months a year, she was relieved that she did not completely lose her. She allowed sprouts and seeds to grow and bloom again. But, every year when Persephone returns to the underworld, the earth is barren and Demeter allows nothing to grow. When Persephone returns, the warmth and life returns to the soil, as well as to her mother’s heart.

“So this is how the seasons were born–spring, when growth begins with new shoots and blossoms; summer, when fruit and grain ripen in the fields; autumn, when fruits and grains are harvested; and winter, when the earth is cold and barren while Demeter patiently waits for Persephone’s return.”

When searching for the answer to your why, it is tempting to look everywhere under the sun for it. Perhaps one day we will find the treasure called, ‘This Is How: To Find Your Why’.

Sometimes the why can be found, sometimes not so much. Sometimes we can find the meaning we are looking for internally, sometimes externally, sometimes both, sometimes not at all.

Sometimes it may even be helpful to read some select greek mythology while you’re figuring out how not to dwell.

When your search for the why unfolds, and your answer is, it just is, how can you tap into your deep well of acceptance?