“The Magnificent”

I just love the word, ‘Magnificent.’ Say it, and listen as it tumbles through the air like an Olympic acrobat and sticks a landing in your consciousness. I once attended a workshop on breaking through your emotional blocks to live a more fulfilling life, and the facilitator asked us to hold the ‘possibility’ of living a magnificent life in the forefront of our minds. Then he asked us to picture what that ‘magnificence’ looked like. At first I thought about the usual stuff – nice house, loving family, successful work – and then I started seeing the faces of all the amazing role models I’ve known, and realized that Magnificence isn’t about what you have, it’s about who you are.

“Magnificence is The Starry Night of your indomitable spirit, the swirling baseline of your miraculous consciousness, and the luminous sky of your creative potential. You, my friend, are The Magnificent!”

Continue reading ““The Magnificent””

“ShadowPlay”

I thought ‘WorldPlay’ would complete the ‘Mystery Train’ of thought that’s been powering the last two posts, but this week there’s a tunnel ahead, and within it’s sheltering darkness there are deeply personal truths waiting for us to discover. What do these truths say about us? And what secrets do they hold? This is where ‘ShadowPlay’ comes in, to teach us the Art of Playing in Shadow.

D esire is a series of psychic signs that burn with unrequited longing, and guide us toward the people, places, or ideas that reveal the shadow side of our identity. It’s also a warning: ‘Danger: Minefield;’ and an invitation: ‘Enter Here.’ When we choose to walk this path, we trip the emotional and psychological mines that contain the explosive truths about ourselves; and if we feel our way through them, they flense our illusions, and give us the wisdom & courage to reclaim our power.

Continue reading ““ShadowPlay””

“WorldPlay”

L ast week’s post started with a cup of dark roast, and a steaming “Mystery Train”; and this week I’m jumping back in to unpack the concept of ‘Play’. If you’ve read my ‘Be Magnificently Simple‘ post, you know I see emotion as the body’s way of signaling us that there’s ‘digging to be done & treasure to be found,’ so I’m honoring that urge by re-entering the great big creative Sandbox for some well deserved ‘WorldPlay: The Art of Playing Yourself,’ a playful spinoff of last week’s “Mystery Train.”

Y ou’ve probably guessed by now that I love playing in all kinds of Sandboxes, and basking in the imaginative freedom they offer. I even like the feel of the grains of memory & experience stuck between my toes, because they remind me that every human canvas needs a little grit to give it depth and resilience. But the best thing about Sandboxes is that they’re everywhere you look, and if you’re playing yourself’ like a Pro, you’re creating Sandboxes at home, work, and everywhere you go: That’s the essence of WorldPlay.

Continue reading ““WorldPlay””

“Mystery Train”

T his morning I woke up groggy from my staccato dream life, and French pressed a heady cup o’ Alma de Tierra as the orange sun rose over the valley. I wondered when the next post would pop into my head, and as I poured the dark brew into my cup, I saw the image of a train emerge from the steam: a ‘Mystery Train,‘ then Paul Butterfield & The Band started rocking in the back of my mind.

B efore I share more, let me give you a hint about what this post is all about. The ‘Mystery Train’ is memory, an immortal line of carriages full of all the people you’ve ever met, never met, thought of, know now, and will meet again – and they’re all just waiting for you to sit down for a chat. So climb onboard and settle in for a little ride on the Mystery Train, as we’ll explore the roots of story, character, and experience.

Continue reading ““Mystery Train””