I have been writing the manuscript of The Journey Before Us preparing for the presentation on Sept. 17 and 18--I have probably worked on it about 8 hours in the last two days.( And probably have about 8 hours to go before I will have it ready for our planning meeting on Friday.)
I find it is so much easier to begin things than continue and finish them.
But I want to continue and finish this. I believe in it.
What would be possible if I said "Yes!" to life as it is now--under these present circumstances?
Now is the continuing. The showing up and doing. How can we say Yes! to the future when we do not step up to saying Yes! to our today? So yes to slugging through. And yes to feeling like I am writing to myself--which I do anyway!! And yes to believing that life is improved by living each day. Not just thinking about living, but actually living it.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Beginning Again
I am beginning the Blog again. Doing a blog requires that I do so in a way that starts out in small steps and that grows. It is a slow process. I find that I am more of a MiracleGrow kind of girl. So I have been frustrated. But now I am beginning again.
And I am excited to do so!
So many exciting things have been happening with The Journey Before Us:
And I am excited to do so!
So many exciting things have been happening with The Journey Before Us:
- We completed the group for the high school women.
- A group of the Journey Women went on retreat in May.
- I had a conversation with a friend in NYC in April about the Journey's growth and vision.
- We have been having ongoing meetings about how to continue to let The Journey come alive and to get it into a published format.
- There is a new Journey Group scheduled for September 17 and 18.
I am going to use my own quote to encourage my "Beginning Again."
"What would be possible if I said "Yes!" to life as it is now--under these present circumstances?"
Beth Johnson
And as I Begin Again, in order to actually continue this process of developing a The Journey and the women it represents, I will be living the journey myself.
Follow us on our Facebook page: The Journey Before Us.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Listening to the Questions of Your Life
We started the Journey groups yesterday.
We started with the first Journey Stone: Listening to the Questions of Your Life. I forget each time how powerful listening to questions really is. How powerful just listening is.
I based the first Journey Stone on a quote by the author of The She Stories, Jane Surges:
The whole of your life is calling you.
What are your questions?
When we identify our questions, the answers mysteriously follow.
As I am leading The Journey this time, I am actually doing it, both before the group and during it. In this process, I am finding that though I believe in questions, what I really want is answers. As a therapist, I find I am accepting of my patients' questions, but listening to my own questions is hard.
It takes courage. I am finding I am more comfortable with answers...and being in the illusive position of "having" answers.
What is the whole of my life? When the whole of my life calls me, it means that I have to be willing to be open to failure and success, comfort and anxiety, joy and sorrow, knowing and unknowing. The integrity of it all. Not in another place or in another situation, but now, in this very moment.
More tomorrow.
We started with the first Journey Stone: Listening to the Questions of Your Life. I forget each time how powerful listening to questions really is. How powerful just listening is.
I based the first Journey Stone on a quote by the author of The She Stories, Jane Surges:
The whole of your life is calling you.
What are your questions?
When we identify our questions, the answers mysteriously follow.
As I am leading The Journey this time, I am actually doing it, both before the group and during it. In this process, I am finding that though I believe in questions, what I really want is answers. As a therapist, I find I am accepting of my patients' questions, but listening to my own questions is hard.
It takes courage. I am finding I am more comfortable with answers...and being in the illusive position of "having" answers.
What is the whole of my life? When the whole of my life calls me, it means that I have to be willing to be open to failure and success, comfort and anxiety, joy and sorrow, knowing and unknowing. The integrity of it all. Not in another place or in another situation, but now, in this very moment.
More tomorrow.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Tomorrow We Begin
Tomorrow we are beginning two Journey groups at a local high school,
As I was preparing for these groups, I met with several of the "Journey Girls," who have supported and participated in The Journey since its inception in 2003. Dozens of meetings have gone into this work. Several presentations have been offered. Over fiftey women have participated. I have led the workshop ten times--at least.
If I had to take a test over the content, I would get an A. (Sadly, always an important value to me.)
But as we prepared, it seemed like I couldn't remember what the program was about. I wrote it. I wrote about it. I presented it. I had meetings regarding it. But I felt like I didn't "get" it.
Then I realized what I was missing. I had never done it myself. I had no experience.
So, dear readers, of which I see only myself, I am doing it as we are beginning it.
And we begin tomorrow.
I will tell the tale.
As I was preparing for these groups, I met with several of the "Journey Girls," who have supported and participated in The Journey since its inception in 2003. Dozens of meetings have gone into this work. Several presentations have been offered. Over fiftey women have participated. I have led the workshop ten times--at least.
If I had to take a test over the content, I would get an A. (Sadly, always an important value to me.)
But as we prepared, it seemed like I couldn't remember what the program was about. I wrote it. I wrote about it. I presented it. I had meetings regarding it. But I felt like I didn't "get" it.
Then I realized what I was missing. I had never done it myself. I had no experience.
So, dear readers, of which I see only myself, I am doing it as we are beginning it.
And we begin tomorrow.
I will tell the tale.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Join Us
Welcome! The Journey Before Us is getting ready to launch!!
This month The Journey will begin in two local schools. Fifty women, so far, have participated in the development of this work. This year as The Journey is launched into the world, I will tell you the story of this work and how it is inextricably entwined within my own story.
Tomorrow the Journey Group will be getting together at Earth House in downtown Indianapolis to review the final presentation of the work and to prepare for its beginning in the "real world."
Hope you come with me on the Journey.
Beth Johnson
This month The Journey will begin in two local schools. Fifty women, so far, have participated in the development of this work. This year as The Journey is launched into the world, I will tell you the story of this work and how it is inextricably entwined within my own story.
Tomorrow the Journey Group will be getting together at Earth House in downtown Indianapolis to review the final presentation of the work and to prepare for its beginning in the "real world."
Hope you come with me on the Journey.
Beth Johnson
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