Category: Synergies

Being Your Own Guru

I call myself The Write Synergies Guru. Why guru?  I made it up, though I have a genuine, if tenuous and academic, South Asian connection. I took Sanskrit at the University of Chicago for three years.

So did I choose this name just because of a connection with one of the most ancient, sacred languages?

For me, the key is in the term “sacred.” Because the work I do involves creating a sacred vessel around my clients and our conversations. Drawing from the deep and sacred roots of Sanskrit, I place myself firmly in a lineage of teachers whose work touches on the deep inner fire. Drawing out the soul of a client or their project and sharing it in words is a sacred trust.

I have taken “guru” as part of my public persona, not to attract mindless followers, but rather to invite into my circle and sacred space mindful,  visionary people who are committed to becoming ever-strengthened in their own mindfulness, awareness, and consciousness.  In essence, those who want to become their own gurus and their own best teachers, reaching out to exactly who or what they need as a resource in any given moment. They themselves become the sacred vessel.

But have I erred in taking this name? After all, many so-called gurus seem to have earned the bad rap they mostly receive these days. Guru means teacher in Sanskrit, or revered one, and that “revered” part is probably where things get dicey.  Teacher, by itself, is pretty innocuous as a title, even in Sanskrit.  That doesn’t give the term “guru” a free ride necessarily.  I guess you just have to be mindful and discerning in choosing the gurus you hang with.

On being your own Guru

The following quote gets at the essence of my point:  “You are your own teacher,” Mr. Gumucio said he was told. “You are responsible for your own experience.”  This quote came from the New York Times story at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/fashion/25yoga.html?ref=style via a twitter reference by @zenpeacekeeper.

That quote, “You are your own teacher…You are responsible for your own experience,” is really at the root of being your own guru. It means being aware and mindful of your own experiences and what you need.

So in creating this post,  I was intrigued to find my good friend Michael Toms at New Dimensions Radio has a show on exactly this topic: Michael has interviewed Jeff Brown taking about “finding your own inner guru.” You can check out the replay at http://www.newdimensions.org/flagship/3340/jeff-brown-finding-your-own-inner-guru/source: (It’s free till June 9. After that. it’s just $1.99 for an MP3.)  I am a donating member of the New Dimensions Global Broadcasting Council. Your support can help keep this national treasure of recorded wisdom going.

Write Synergies: What It Means — Blog Challenge Post 25

Write Synergies. It’s the name of this blog. (Oh yes, along with copywriting. We’re getting to that tomorrow…with the case of the missing keyword…Watch for it!)

Write Synergies: It’s the name of the book that’s under construction, the process, the sub-processes, even the author, who calls herself (for heaven’s sake) the Write Synergies Guru. More on gurus coming too.

Needing to write a blog post to explain what Write Synergies means indicates that the name isn’t ideal.  Maybe the people in the #blog30 challenge have been especially kind and have kept an open mind to explore such a non-keyword-named blog.  (thank you.)

As I pondered how to reinvent myself once again –to rename this body of work, at one coach’s suggestion — (I’ve been doing reinventing rather regularly. To hear about my lifelong commitment to reset, listen to my BlogTalkRadio interview with Nina Price on her show, Push the Reset Button.) — What happened?  A client said, “You know, that word synergies, it’s a perfect description of how it was, what happened, what you did, when you worked with me.” Whoa.

For the moment, I’m back to this word that no one understands–Synergies.

So, for the down and dirty explanation:  Synergies = Energies + Synthesis.  Synergies means energetically putting something together that’s greater than the sum of the parts. It encompasses the energies around bringing things together in new ways. (Remember the equation: thesis –>antithesis–>synthesis.)  It brings together the opposites to create something brand new.

Bottling up the synergies magic through and with words.
Those hidden (or not so hidden) synergies are what I help people uncover in their own creative vision.   Sometimes it’s something they didn’t even know was there.

The Write Synergies process supports conscious creators at any place along the spectrum of the creative process: in tapping their vision; in writing and polishing up their creations; with their copy, the message of the creation, so it connects;  in their communicating and outreach to their tribes; even in finding and connecting to the tribes…And to do that, I write. I listen and write. Write and listen.

For people looking for the courage to call themselves writers and authors, who want help, mentoring, support, inspiration, and encouragement in their own writing process, I serve as coach, teacher, and guide.

I write for people and about their projects and creations. We collaborate on writing so my conscious creator clients build the strong inner foundation that will support their outer work of bringing their creation, book, web site, newsletter, or healing venture fully into the world.

I use words, written words primarily, to help my people generate results greater than the sum of the parts. I help people bring their creations to life and to light. I listen and write souls (and their gifts) into authentic expression. (To do this, I have an extensive toolkit of expertise and experience. Again, a topic for another day.)

No matter where you are in a process of writing and conscious creation, you may need support, a sounding board, someone whose expertise resides in all the many manifestations of the written word.

Write Synergies is an alchemical, transformative process that moves with you along the path of your heart and soul, to where you really want to go. I love being your guide, joining you on your creative journey.

And for my new friends from the 30-day blog challenge, #blog30 on Twitter, I want to acknowledge all the gifts and greatness of your expressions and messages in the conversations over this past month. Thank you. You are truly owning your greatness in the world with the unique manifestation of YOU!

Grow the Momentum of Your Creative Project–Blog Challenge Day 7

For conscious creators: thoughts to build the momentum for your creative project and nurture your vision and your creation. Experience the synergies born out of the momentum.

Tailored and edited for a public community,
these thoughts to build the momentum for your creative project
are adapted from a piece I wrote this week to encourage a friend.

So you, my conscious creator friend,
are in a total creative mode at the moment.
Your vision and creation are being nurtured.
You are cutting to the bone of living your purpose and giving your gifts.

Consider you are in a kind of birthing process.
It’s an inner path and inner process, the river you dive into alone.

And yet…

In this deep dive, realize that a lifeline to the surface is just a best safety practice.
Do you have people in your circle, community, or tribe?
If so, let them know, especially if you’ve been out of touch.

Keep your people apprised of the new energy and excitement.
You’re sharing part of your new creative cycle.
Make it a sort of a “stay tuned” message.
Bring them into the excitement.
Let them know something big is in process.

Take your time.
Remember if you rush out with your creative brainchild, there’s a risk:
That it will not be formed enough or strong enough to maintain its momentum.
So NOW, in this pre-birth process, is the moment to take the time you need.
Ask for the support you need — so that the new brainchild can grow to its fullest potential.

Know that followers of your message really love you, your energy, your presence.
Invite your community of friends and colleagues to the pre-party.

Invite and invest  your people into the process.
Request good thoughts, mental, emotional, and spiritual encouragement.
Create safe and sacred space around you, your creation, your community.
It works on the same principle as prayers and energy healing from a distance.
There is no distance. That’s just illusion.
Best of all, this creates a true two-way community —
as you invite people to support you in this exquisite time of creativity.

Strengthen the vessel of you.
Put into practice all the good intentions for all the good new habits. Do it!
The vessel of  you–body, mind, spirit– is your means for delivering the gifts of consciousness into the world.
From the inner path to the outer expression, it is like a birth process.

Ponder the apparent “gap” between the dream-creation you are nurturing —
and the challenge of bringing it whole, strong, healthy, and long-lived into the manifest world.

And ask for the help you need.
The momentum you add will generate still more synergies — a positive spiral.

Follow the 30 Day Blog Challenge on twitter:  #blog30

When Synergies Happen– Blog Challenge Day 5

Riffing off Debra Marrs‘ great blog post series (for #blog30)  about writers and procrastination, I noted:

I just realized that procrastination is rather like the shadow side of synergies. Instead of creating results greater than the sum of the parts, it’s not creating anything at all. (AKA stuck.)

What I’m noticing:  taking up Connie Ragan Green’s 30 day blogging  challenge, plus

–everything is connected. It’s  all conspiring to move me to a completely new place — a much bigger and more visible place.  All these connections are building, one on the other, and they are creating immense synergies between the book, the marketing, the clients, and the audience, and doing it all simultaneously.

This is the power and excitement of synergies. All these pieces of learning and being mentored are clicking together in a brand-new way to generate results greater than the sum of the parts.  It helps to be as intentional as possible and then just step into the flow and take action. But more than all the learning situations I’ve stepped into, it’s the 30 Day Blogging Challenge that is making such a difference. It’s giving me a container for sharing the insights and opening the space for new communities and interactions.

You might also want to stop by Debra’s blog for another installment about procrastination — a seriously crazy way to start your day that makes granola look really good.

Synergies for the hopelessly right-brained–Blog Challenge Day 2

It’s Day 2 of Connie Ragan Green’s Blog Challenge! (Find it on Twitter  at  #blog30).

Note to self: figure out the automatic publishing timer on WordPress.
This is the sort of thing that I figure left brain thinkers can do without a problem.

And it’s pre-income-tax weekend. For us, there’s a head start. College Financial Aid requirements mean getting our act together sooner rather than later. Still, what’s in my face this weekend, as a solo-preneur self-employed type, is getting the package of first quarter biz details summarized and over to the accountant, Victoria Zimelis, CPA. Hands down, the money  I spend on having someone who actually knows about taxes to take care of the forms is “priceless” as the commercial says.

There are benefits to giving the left side of the brain a bit of a workout every now and then — In this case, at least quarterly.

For writers, it’s generally considered that language is a left brain function, so maybe I’m not as hopeless as I initially thought.

So, what are your writing exercises for right-brain workouts versus left-brain workouts? Share your insights!

On Connections and Disconnections

Creating results greater than the sum of the parts (Synergies) implies that you are making connections.

For part of January, our broadband was down. The disconnection seemed profound at the time. For more than a week, I was more distracted by the disconnect than even the distractions of being connected. I managed to do work by cobbling together time with my laptop at various outlets with WiFi, cafes, the library, until finally home base was back live. So there’s deep gratitude for the connection, but also awareness of just how hooked I am to this world of online connections.

Worried about the disconnect, it seemed overwhelming to give myself over to creating, to the projects that begged for attention. This made me aware of online connection as a kind of addiction.  Here are several lessons that arose from the disconnect:

  • Be aware of, and wary of, your addictions.
  • Learn the backup systems and have several options in place.
  • Call for help sooner.
  • Don’t worry if you can’t connect. You’re probably not missing much anyway.
  • Step out into the real world and do analogue for awhile as a refreshing break.
  • Make your connections in other ways. Remember face to face?

Shortly after our outage, I had the great fortune of taking a yoga session for “the seasoned body” with a master teacher and friend. The reconnections that the class sparked within were amazing. How disconnected I had been from my own body, even though it is the vessel for doing things in this world. Going through the stretches, releases, and alignments, I suddenly felt like I’d rediscovered a connection, a vein of creative flow.  The body disconnect was not even something that I noticed!

As my friends and mentors, Judith and Jim say, “Because it’s all in the connection.” That’s their email signature, and a profound statement of the soft sell marketing approach that is also their signature.

As I write this on the newly designed blog (the old theme seemed to have a vulnerability and a page of mine was hacked/hijacked), I am happily connected and also reaching out to make connections. It’s better than being disconnected.  But that said, it seems like the last lesson needs to be: Make the occasional conscious  decision to disconnect so that you can give yourself over to the creative projects and manifesting the gifts and greatness that are the living embodiment of “Living Your Legacy!”

Life as Kaleidoscope

Life as Kaleidoscope: Beauty in Motion

Remember those magical tubes filled with beads and bits of glass with mirrors that multiplied the images?  As a kid, you probably looked through a cardboard tube with plastic bits, but there are high-end kaleidoscopes with brass tubes and gems.  It doesn’t matter really what the outer materials are, because the magic is in the constantly shifting array of patterns and beauty.  It’s all ephemeral. No view through the eyepiece is ever quite the same. No patterns repeat.

Isn’t life a lot like the kaleidoscope?  Some days it feels like the patterns are changing so fast, it’s as if a giant is shaking the whole thing and no pattern  is allowed to coalesce.  Certainly some people repeat nightmare images and patterns.  But to  get really present and conscious, it is possible to see the beauty.  Sometimes it’s just one small beautiful thing: sunlight glinting on the water, the dappled pattern of leaves in sun and shadow, sand under the toes, the perfume of a perfect rose.  Even among all the confusion and constant change, can’t you find some beauty too?  Close your eyes; breathe in deeply and exhale. Repeat for several breaths, then open your eyes.  See with these new eyes, renewed by your breath.

For one day, for one hour of one day, for one minute of one hour, focus your lens and your vision on all the beauty that is in your world: The pooch or kitty, the plant, the song, the lasagna, the mountain.  Try focusing on the shifting beautiful gifts within your sights.  Part of the beauty is in the constantly shifting patterns, just like the kaleidoscope.  But when you pull back and see your whole life’s patterns, you’ll see the synergies that grow from considering all that is beautiful in the shifting bits of precious images that are your life.  Acknowledge the beauty of your kaleidoscopic life.

For extra credit, look inside yourself to see the beauty there too.

Are these synergies for you?

Interested in results greater than the sum of the parts?  Then maybe Write Synergies Copywriting is a resource for you.  You’re a person comfortable playing in the world of words.  When you see “synergies,” you aren’t intimidated. You’re fascinated.  You’re excited about the possibilities.  You see tantalizing opportunities.  You want to connect the dots for that bigger picture–and bigger results for your projects.

Words, writing, telling the authentic story of yourself and your project is crucial to making the connections with your perfect audience of clients/customers/readers.  If you are ready for owning and expressing your authenticity and your greatness, then consider Write Synergies Copywriting as an oasis and Bobbye Middendorf as your coach and marketing partner.

Write Synergies Copywriting will help you draw together all the disparate threads that make up your creative project so that you express your fullness, the joyful whole of who you are and what you are about.  You’ll express the heart and soul of this amazing creation (book, project, venture) that you’ve poured your creative passions into.  Maybe you’re entering here at a door marked “copywriting,” but that’s just one room in a house big enough to encompass your authenticity and give voice to the heart of your creative endeavor.

The American Heritage Dictionary says synergy comes from the Greek.  “From Greek sunergi, cooperation, from sunergos, working together. sun-, syn- + ergon, work;”  See it here.

If you resonate with synergies like these, then consider: Is it time to work together?