Sage Woman Chronicles

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“A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are. Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you’re in and take advantage of it.” ~ Nikki Giovanni

I’m not quite sure where I am or what I’m thinking at the moment. This is a new state for me. Most of the time I have an opinion about everything, but I’ve been doing some deep reflection and even healing old wounds and thought patterns, which leaves me in a kind of limbo.

On the one hand it’s disconcerting. On the other I’m getting glimpses of a new me that I never dreamed existed. That’s a weird feeling after 69 years of feeling like I knew who I was. The only thing I know is that I want to keep moving forward into this new me. She seems interesting. I have no idea what she and I will be doing together in the future but hopefully spreading love and forgiveness will be part of it.

Barry and I watched Ken Burns new docu-series, The U.S. and the Holocaust, recently. After watching that we just sat with it for a while. The atrocities were so big. But what comes to me about that is that we, as a human race, need to experience all the horrors of human nature, even if it’s through stories like this one, before we can begin to heal and grow into better people. It’s kind of like the human race is at the teenage stage. We’re going through all kinds of growing pains. Hopefully we’ll get over the hump in the next few years and begin to act more like adults.

I guess that’s been my quest for the last few months, to grow into a better human being. I want to take out all the dark stuff that I thought I had dealt with, and address the fact that I held on to it thinking I couldn’t heal it, or that it was buried so deep I’d never have to think of it again. But the energy of the times won’t let me do that.

I have begun to do the Hawaiian prayer, Ho’oponopono every day. It’s deceptively simple: “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. I thank you.” When I do it and scan my body, mind, and spirit, I find more of those dark feelings I held onto, or didn’t even know I had. It’s a great feeling when, once acknowledged they dissipate. I feel lighter, more hopeful that, indeed things are getting better.

That’s all I have for you today. I’m off to do more work on editing the video segments for my online course.

Thanks so much for sticking with me as I try to figure out who I am, what it means to be a human being, and how we can turn away from fear and hatred, toward love.

Blessings,

The Space Between Time

Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.

Have you ever experienced life shattering events? Yeah, after the last few years, most of us have. In The Space Between Time, Jenna Holden gets slammed by her fiancé walking out, her mother’s untimely death, and losing her job all in one week. But she receives unexpected help when she finds her three-times great-grandmother’s journals and begins the adventure of a lifetime.

The Space Between Time is available in all ebook formats at Smashwords and for Kindle at Amazon, or you can find the ebook at iBooks or Barnes and Noble. If you prefer a physical copy, you can find a print-on-demand version at Amazon. Stay tuned for news when the audiobook version is published.

Lucinda is also the host of Story-Power a podcast where she and her guests discuss their creative endeavors, and/or the stories that have changed their lives. It’s available here on Sage Woman Chronicles and on Apple, Google, and Spotify podcast apps. Please rate and leave a review. It helps people find me.

Patreon

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast and Patreon communities so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. If you’re passionate about stories too, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower.

PodMatch

If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.

Little Steps to Creativity

Gina Clark is an artist, writer, and certified Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach who believes everyone — even the most logical people — can be creative with just a few small tweaks.

Kaizen-Muse uses small steps, mindfulness, and intuition to gradually build creative momentum without overwhelm. Gina is the founder of Gina Clark Creative, an online community that provides creative resources and coaching for people looking to ignite their creativity.

Gina especially loves to help her fellow left-brained creatives and analytical artists and believes that embracing your creativity is the ultimate act of self-care. Gina lives in Kenora, Ontario, Canada with her husband, 3 children, 2 cats, and a very active mini-Australian Shepherd.

Gina Clark’s Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest

Jill Badonsky The Muse Is In Website, Book, The 9 Modern Day Muses (And a Bodyguard) Third Edition

Dr. Robert Maurer, Ph.D, Amazon Author Page, Facebook

PodMatch

This episode is brought to you by PodMatch, the dating service for podcasters. They introduced me to Gina Clark, and I’m so glad they did. I hope you’ve enjoyed our conversation and remember that if you have a podcast or something to share with the world, check out PodMatch and tell them Lucinda sent you.

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“Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories.” ~ Roger C. Schank, Cognitive Scientist

That Time When It Hits You

Barbed Wire Fence at a Concentration Camp

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong directions; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” ~ J.K. Rowling

“This is your life. You are responsible for it. You will not live forever. Don’t wait.” ~ Natalie Goldberg

Do you remember that time when you realized that the hurtful situation that you blamed on someone else, was either partly, or all your fault? Remember that terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach? You knew you had to take responsibility for it and when you did, you grew up a little bit more. The process wasn’t easy but it was worth it.

I think that individuals are not the only ones who go through this kind of situation, groups, corporations, nations, and humanity as a whole go through it. I think we’re going through a time like that right now. Humanity as a whole is having to face up to some really hard truths. We can be cruel beyond belief. Sometimes we turn away and fail to do something for someone in need. We don’t want to share what we have with others. We don’t want change.

Barry and I finished watching the latest Ken Burns documentary series, The U.S. and the Holocaust last night. And even though I wasn’t alive during the Second World War, I’m feeling that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. The problem of discounting a whole group of people has not gone away. We’re still dealing with it. We still have that us and them mentality because we’re so afraid. I can’t really understand what we’re afraid of? To me, people are people. We may worship differently, or speak different languages, have different customs, but we all want the same things. We want to be heard and understood, we want to be loved and appreciated for who we are. Ken Burns told Stephen Colbert he hoped people understood after watching this documentary, that “We are one human race,” He’s right. I love what Morgan Freeman’s character says in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. An English child asks him, “Did God paint you?” To which Freeman replies, “For sure, because Allah loves infinite variety.”

I’m asking myself hard questions, why don’t we love infinite variety? Why do white people think they are superior to other “races”? What makes us think we have more of God’s favor? What makes us so hard hearted?

I know, not all white people are hard hearted, not all people of color are blameless. But I just wonder what makes us want to hurt others and what can I do to help us grow up and accept each other as wondrous beings? I’m not sure what I can do. But I’m going to continue to “Sit with the question,” as Owen Wilson’s character says in Marry Me, “until I get an answer.”

Maybe Story-Power, this blog, and the course I’m creating about using stories as a personal growth tool, are part of the answer. I certainly hope humanity is waking up. I hope we’re letting go of fear and becoming more open minded and open hearted. I guess we’ll see.

I hope things are going well in your world. Welcome to my new followers. Please feel free to make a comment or a like.

Blessings,

The Space Between Time

Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.

Patreon

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast and Patreon communities so I’d have an excuse to talk story. You may have seen my Story-Power posts here. If you’re passionate about stories too, and want to talk about your favorite stories, come join me at either SageWoman.life, or patreon.com/StoryPower.

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The Downside of Being Self-Employed

I love being self-employed, and yet, I have to admit that sometimes I get an idea for a new project and go headlong into creating it before I have the last one completed, or at least up and running smoothly.

In April I started a Patreon Community. Then I went on a three week vacation before I had fully learned how to manage my channel. When I got back I did a bit of work promoting it, but then I got the fantastic idea to create an online class.

I have to admit, I’m having a hard time juggling those two projects in addition to my blog and podcast duties.

It wouldn’t be so bad if I had an assistant who could help me keep up with social media promotion of all I do, but I’m a one person workforce and that’s not good.

Even so, I am excited about both my Patreon Community and the new class I’m creating. It’s titled “Saving the World One Story at a Time.” It’s going to be on Ûdemy. I’m doing the set up of my landing page already and have some episodes video taped, though I may have to do that again. I sent a test video and there were a couple of minor issues, which are easy to fix, but still, I don’t want the problems they pointed out on any of the video lesson segments.

Maybe I get bored once something is running smoothly. After two years of producing Story-Power, I’m glad I have a year’s worth of recordings ready to edit. I can take a long break from recording and learn new things with both Patreon and the Ûdemy class.

I just edited and scheduled the next Story-Power episode with Gina Clark, a Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach. After listening to our conversation again, I realized that once you let go of the fears that often come up around being creative, it’s a little like a drug. You want to keep creating. For me though, I’ve got to learn to slow down, finish one project, or at least get it running smoothly and then move on to the next fun thing.

I’ll let you know when I have the final trailer for the class ready. I’ll add it here so you can give your evaluations. And if the course sounds good to you and you want to take it, I’ll give you a coupon to take it for free once it’s live. The only thing I ask, is that you give me a star rating and a review so other potential students will know whether they want to take the class or not. Thanks in advance.

I hope you are getting to do something fun and creative this weekend.

Blessings,

The Space Between Time

Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.

Patreon

PodMatch

Thoughts on Duty

Queen Elizabeth II is dead and a word most used about her was that she was devoted to her duty.

I’ve been thinking about duty off and on since the whole brouhaha created when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their royal DUTIES. As an American, I can understand wanting to navigate their own lives rather than have their every move scrutinized and dare I say criticized, by the press, and dictated to them by the institution of the Monarchy.

On the other hand, I guess we all have our roles to play in this world. Even commoners have certain things we think of as duties, like work, and taking care of the house, children, and family members. Yet we can make choices from a wide range of possibilities. But sometimes our outer duty bumps up against a need to take care of ourselves before we take care of others. We, at least, are able to call for help when we need it. There is usually someone else who can take up the slack until we can find a better balance. I’m not sure it’s like that for Royals. Looking at it from the outside, they have a strict set of rules they must abide by. I’m not sure that’s fair.

I can only imagine the weight of having tremendous responsibility thrust upon you because of your birth into a royal family. What must it have been like for young Elizabeth when her uncle, Prince Edward abdicated his duty to become king and her father became the next in line? All of a sudden that meant at some point she would become the ruling monarch? And what was it like to be insulated from the everyday lives of her subjects? I wonder if she ever felt despair that she couldn’t live a life free from being the figure head everyone looked to for comfort and stability?

I didn’t know Queen Elizabeth II, of course. Maybe her personality was perfectly suited for such a role. These questions come from my curiosity about the lives of other people. My life is easy compared to hers. I get to navigate my own path without much interference, or even notice from others. Everyone seems to think they have the right to comment on everything her family says and does. I’m so glad I don’t have to live with that kind of pressure.

I guess what I’m really wondering, is the old idea of duty an outdated thing? Does it seem that the tension between duty to self and duty to others is growing bigger? And what is the true meaning of duty anyway? Is it an obligation or a task chosen with joy and love?

Today is the 21st anniversary of the attack on the U.S. via the World Trade Center and The Pentagon. I think of the many people who felt a strong duty to help save as many people as they could and if they couldn’t save them, to at least recover their bodies for their families. I ask myself, is there any difference between those men and women and Queen Elizabeth II?

I’ll leave my thoughts there because I don’t have any answers. These are just my musings at this momentous time.

To give some perspective, Elizabeth became Queen a little over a year before I was born, so even though I’m not British, she was a kind of constant in the background of my life. I wonder what’s going to happen as King Charles III takes over. Will the idea of Monarchy change? I’ll be interested to see what happens.

I hope you are all doing well and taking good care of yourselves during these difficult times. I’m a big proponent of the idea that the things I learn, and how I care for myself, affects everyone else because we’re all connected.

To my new followers, thanks for joining me. I appreciate your comments and likes.

The Space Between Time

Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.

Patreon

PodMatch