Team

There are times when I want to build brand new things with a team but you know what, teamwork is hard work. People show up with their own desires, passions, and goodness, they also show up with their hurts and learned behaviors. With that being said, as a team, you’re there to work together to support everyone’s uprising. That’s how you win and that’s how you keep winning. There’s no better way to make big positive change in an ever changing world than to support those around you.

Which leads to this, you gotta know how to support those around you. What makes you feel supported isn’t always what makes others feel supported. But it’s always best to start with knowing yourself. What makes you feel supported and what makes you feel unsupported. Once you know those things about yourself share them with the team so they can rise with you. And then when it’s their turn to say “oh wow that really makes me feel supported” or “oh wow I’m not really feeling supported when you do that,” you’ll know this isn’t a personal attack against you. We all have our own unique stories which is why it’s more than ok, it’s imperative, to say these things to our teammates.

Question Time
What are some things that make you feel supported? What are some things make you feel unsupported?

I feel deeply supported when people respect my time. (Like my heart flutters a little bit. lol probably because I was a stay at home mom and I didn’t really get “time” as strangely as that sounds.) Which means I feel unsupported when people don’t respect/value my time.

I feel unsupported when I don’t set/commit to intentional time for myself but boy does my heart feel full of support when I DO set/commit to intentional time for myself!!

Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.

Patrick Lencioni

Challenge and Progress

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

George Bernard Shaw

It feels good to finish things that both challenge me and add progress. Forward momentum is part of being alive. The challenging part is learning to enjoy the process. Before I started writing novels, I didn’t understand the importance of taking things slow. Now that I see how long it takes me to write a freakin novel, everything else gets finished much quicker. So it’s not so bad. It’s frustrating that my novel isn’t finished but it’s nice that there’s other things I can finish and feel proud about.

Give Yourself Permission

I did a 15 minute meditation this evening. I also had the house to myself so it was convenient. Today was a weird day but I’m glad I got to have some time to myself to sit and just be. No judging. No trying to change things. It feels good to let things go. After I finished my meditation, I took a moment to enjoy my tea before the family returned home.

I haven’t been meditating as much while trying to manage everything. I’m glad I could give that time to myself. It can feel sometimes that it’s not worth it. That I might as well do something else. But when I get to stop for a moment and give myself permission to just be, it feels better than surfing the web for a moment.

Grow into Something

I learned to knit a scarf today! It’s exciting to see it slowly grow into something other than a ball of yarn. I’m taking my time to master the tension and fixing my mistakes without having to start it all over. It’s fun. I popped on some weird youtube videos and knitted the day away.

Have you tried anything new lately?

Words to Support Words?

I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Despite what Mr. Emerson may feel, I appreciate a good quote. There’s a quote for everything. All I have to do is think about how I felt or what actions stood out the most to me, and find one word to describe it. Then I add the word to Quotes about [insert description word here].

What kind of tricks do you use to keep yourself writing?

Jayne Press

What’s it all about

“The mission of Jayne.Press is to inspire growth and respect real life content within New England. Jayne.Press will continue to find ways to increase in community, create a place for individuals to write real life experiences using creative ways to advance inner growth, and provide an outlet from mundane lifestyles. Jayne.press will continue to evolve along with readership.”

Wow these are some big missions. I’m going to tackle all of these but I think I work best unconventionally. Time to revisit and rethink this. Back to the drawing board!!

Abundance Affirmation

I am one with the Power that created me. I am totally open and receptive to the abundant flow of prosperity that the Universe offers. All my needs and desires are met before I even ask. I am Divinely guided and protected, and I make choices that are beneficial for me. I rejoice in other’s successes, knowing there is plenty for us all.

Louise Hay

I read this and had to share it. Sharing is caring. I am a fan of throwing affirmations in my mix of good habits. They bring it all together and seal the deal for me. I used to search and search for affirmations from outside of me. Once I took full responsibility for my desires, everything chilled out. I felt loved, and it came easy. Do you know why, because I learned to talk through my vulnerabilities. I learned to listen to my limited thinking and how to replace it with new affirmations. It changed me.

Have you benefited from affirmations?

…”Little Minds Shrink”…

I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.

Leonardo da Vinci

What powerful words. Big brains smile in trouble! Gather strength from distress!! Grow brave by reflection!! If I had to pick one of these as my biggest challenge, it would be reflection. This blogging thing at the end of the day. Trying to reflect and learn from my day everyday is hard af for me. I try my best to find quotes that reflect my experience from that day but there are also times I just pick a random quote and run with it.

For today, this quote is encouraging to me mostly for the second part.

..”they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.”

There’s so much freedom in this statement. An approving conscience. My own principles. I’ll take it. It may take the extra work to reflect daily on a basis but if this sense of freedom is where daily reflection brings me, I’ll do it.

Which one is most challenging for you?

You Should Understand

As a writer, you should not judge, you should understand.

Ernest Hemingway

As a writer, it is my job to understand humans as they are. If I place even one person under a microscope, I lose the context of their entire being. I remove them from their experiences, their feelings, their dreams, and place them in my own world. A world (your world) that they know nothing about.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s situations where making a judgement call in needed. I’m not referring to the type of judgements where life and death are at stake or business calls. I’m talking making judgements that would otherwise not affect your day to day living.

Why is it important that writers understand?

When we take time to understand those around us with an open heart/mind, we can write authentic characters. We can even guide our characters out of darkness and into the light, something we may not have access to in reality. BUUT what’s more important than getting a good story is that we can truly connect with our fellow humans on a much deeper level. What other reason to write than to make sure those around us feel less alone?

Imagination

The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

There is freedom in imagination. The trouble comes trying to bring your imagination to reality as a creator. I do feel most times when we bring our imaginations to reality it takes away from the fantasy of it all. It gets lost in translation and since reality has its limits, we often have to cut out the stuff that made it what it was. Don’t get me wrong sometimes things translate into reality flawlessly and you forever change the way people see their own reality. What an honor that can be. At the end of the day, imagination is where I find freedom. My craft is doing my best to bring those snapshots to into this world the best way I can while leaving some for myself.