I know taking the time to do these creative dream updates EVERY WEEK is deeply, deeply helpful.
And now that we’re doing these updates inside the Circle so everyone has a chance to participate, I’ve been thinking about the format of the updates and how to set it up so it’s easy enough to stay in the habit of doing it and also so that we’re doing it in the most helpful way.
The purposes of the updates:
- so you don’t drop the many (many!) ideas and insights you find along the path
- so you’re clear on WHICH ideas to act on RIGHT NOW
- marking the path so you notice sooner if you’re just going in circles (more common than you’d think, on the Creative Dream Path)
- acknowledging the many (many!) steps you’ve taken, which makes it much easier to contemplate how many steps are still in front of you
- holding yourself accountable to your dream
- reflecting on what’s happened as a way of learning from it and as a way of noticing things you didn’t notice while it was happening
- documenting the process of bringing one dream to life show you all sorts of clues about how to work with other dreams
- sweet sweet sweet delicious clarity about where you are and where you want to be and how you want to get there (this changes a lot more often than you’d think, holding onto clarity is difficult but important)
I’ve come up with these Creative Journal Prompts For Staying On Track With Your Dreams
It’s in two parts.
Part 1 is for when you’re setting out, so it’s your first update.?
But it’s also good to revisit it every week to see if it’s changing, because if it doesn’t fill you with delight to say what you want and why you want it – something has changed and you need to adjust.
Checking in with these three statements every week and making any necessary adjustments so that you remain filled with delight about this will keep your dream process calibrated in the right direction.
My dream is:
I want it because:
When I have it I will feel:
Part 2 is 4 questions to ask yourself every week, plus a mission statement.
What happened in the last week?
How do I feel about this?
What do I need now?
What does my dream need now?
Taking all of this into account, my next mission is:
Remember that moving forward is not always the answer.
In fact, there is no “forward” on the Creative Dream Path.? The path does not exist until you build it.? You build in the direction that feels right in the moment.
Most Creative Dream Paths go in spirals and if you’re not grounded and present in your process, you’ll think you’re going backwards.
So for my update this week I’m starting at the beginning.
My dream is: I can no longer say that my dream is to have 800 members in the Circle this year, because that doesn’t fill me with delight right now.? But it was the perfect starting point for this adventure in learning how to grow my capacity as a teacher.
What fills me with delight now: growing the Circle in a grounded and sustainable and DELIGHTFUL way.
To be more specific about what feels grounded and sustainable and delight to me right now: at least 30 new members each month, but not more than 50.? One or two per day is perfect.
I want it because: I’m so in love with everything I have learned about making dreams real and it really really makes me happy to share it.? I love the way people’s lives start to change once they join the Circle.? I love how it spreads HAPPINESS.? I am so happy I could burst at the thought that I am bringing this amazing thing to the world.
It feels like perfect alignment with purpose and heart and creativity and spirit.? It’s what I’m here to do.
Of course, the same could be said about my coaching practice.? But coaching takes a LOT of energy and running the Circle does not take as much.? So another thing I love about the Circle is that I can run the Circle without working full time.? This feels important not because I want to work part time (I love my work too much for that) but because I want the option to be able to do that if something happens and I need some time off.? I live alone and don’t have anyone to help with the bills (and am not interested in changing that), so building this kind of stability into my business feels important for the long term.
When I have it I will feel: This one is interesting, because right now I do have it.? 1-2 people join the Circle most days.? And right now I am super happy.? What I want is to sustain this over time and become more grounded in it.? Then I will feel more grounded and stable as the Guardian of Dreams.
And on to this week’s update:
What happened in the last week?
As I said in part 1, there are 1-2 new people joining the Circle most days and I really like this!? Before it was more larger clusters right before a new class started and I do much prefer have this small, steady stream.? It gives me a chance to get to know them a bit (if they choose to be chatty on the Circle website, lots of people prefer to stay quiet and that’s fine too!).
We started the Inspiration Cards class and it’s going even better than I’d hoped.? Members are having these delightfully healing experiences encountering the World of Inspiration and I am having so much fun hearing what they’re all up to.
I don’t think I can explain enough how much I love this group of people and their dreams.
The big thing that happened in the past week is my new customer service software.? I wrote here about boundaries and changes.? The past few months I’ve been increasingly overwhelmed with the amount of stuff coming at me.? Now I feel like I have room to breathe (and play! and create!) again.? It’s all sunshine and rainbows and setting things up in ways that support me in doing the work I am here to do.
How do I feel about this?
Everything feels on track and happy.? A part of me wants to hold onto the original dream I had for 800 members this year.? That part of me is small and young and thinks that it’s not ok to change her mind.
Wise me knew all along that I can set my intention and do my part but I do not control the timing.? Wise me knows that the work I did earlier this year of stretching into my goal was important inner work and will serve me well and that I am not giving up on anything, I’m moving in the direction my heart is sending me in.
Slow, steady growth is my style. I feel really comfortable and supported and happy.
What do I need now?
I’m feeling comfortable and supported and happy.? A lot of this is the new class I’m working on, the Love Your Life Creative Journal Class.? To create the container for the class, I start working with the energies of it ahead of time. Working directly with loving your life and being happy now is pretty amazing.
So all I need for next week is to keep doing what I’ve been doing.
What does my dream need now?
My dream is a sparkling stream running through a forest.? It’s happy and bubbling.? But it’s got this one boulder it would like to be removed.
Hmmm. What is the boulder?? (that part I’m just going to share in my update inside the Circle)
Removing the boulder won’t make the stream stream faster or anything it will just help it stream steadier.
Taking all of this into account, my next mission is:
Keep exploring the boulder and find out more about what it means and what I need to do to remove it.? Keep working/playing with the Love Your Life Creative Journal Class.
Wow, that feels light and do-able.
