North Star

What's your North Star, that which defines what is most important to you in life? If you don't have a clue, maybe it's weekend and you're chillin', ask yourself the following questions for insight:

1) If you could choose one word to describe your ultimate state, what would it be?
2) If you could transform one thing about yourself instantaneously, what would it be?
3) If you could choose one person dead or alive to emulate, who would it be and why?

North Stars are immovable and many times universal. Unlike goals, which can be set and exceeded, North Stars are ideals in which we continually strive toward. We're happiest when we're congruent with our North Stars. For instance, one of my personal North Stars is, "Only 43% of the world is free--do something meaningful with your freedom!" One of the ways I reach this North Star is to write. If I lose track of my North Star and work too much or clean too much and not set time aside to express my freedom of voice, I become a cranky pants. I'm divided inside, split off and not in alignment. It's like my North Star is clouded over. If I clear a few clouds away (with Meridian Tapping, etc.) and find my North Star again, I start heading in the right direction.

Ok, now comes the Inner Constellation Challenge: I want to hear your answers to the above questions. Anyone who accepts the IC Challenge will be entered in a monthly drawing for a no-charge private Skype session. Contact me using this form and type "IC Challenge North Star" in the message box. You're automatically in the monthly drawing occurring on the last day of every month. At that time, I will contact the lucky winner via email. Best of luck and keep your North Star in sight!

Oh, and one last thing. If you're a star-gazer like me and you wish to locate the North Star in the sky, try this link for a clear description on how to find Polaris, or the North Star. Google Sky Map is an awesome app as well.

What's Your North Star? Answer and Shine Bright....

I'm a writer who absolutely loves metaphor. One of my favorite Inner Constellation metaphors is the idea of North Star. In ancient days of navigation before the use of sophisticated equipment, routes to uncharted territories were plotted by first locating the--

North Star-that which is unmoving in the midst of the ever rotating star field. 

The body was the compass, using observation to identify the North Star before heading in the direction one wished to go. Let's check in with your Inner Constellation and ponder a few questions to help locate your personal North Star--that which is your highest ideal or priority for life. Your North Star will serve as your solid guide and orientation through the changing storms, clouds and winds of life:

1) What has value and meaning to you above all else?

When I ask this question about half of all people can answer it without hesitation. If you hesitate, keep asking:

2) How do you ultimately wish to respond to the challenges in life, we're talking your highest ideal state?
3) If you could choose one person dead or alive to emulate, who might it be and why?
4) What have been the most impressionable experiences in your life? What did you learn from them?

It can take some deep exploring to discover True North. Check out the North Star category on this blog to further your exploration. When answering question #1, many people will respond, "my kids," or "my sobriety," however, these will change and could even be gone one day, that would mean your North Star would fizzle out, no good. North Star is eternal, it's your essence, that which can not be taken away or destroyed. One of my greatest joys is exploring individual North Stars and then once identified, Charting Course to get a person heading in the direction they wish to go. Contact me if the above questions generate ideas or if you want to share your North Stars. In this way I can support you on your journey and be blessed in seeing you shine bright!

"Keep Your Eyes on the Prize---Hold on!"

On this lovely Spring day, let's dive deeper into a few nautical metaphors of the Inner Constellation work. One of my favorites is the idea of “North Star." The North Star is briefly summed up as your personal highest ideal, or motto for life. It guides you when the going gets tough, the waves are a churnin' and clouds come rolling in. First step in the IC practice is to identify your personal North Star (feel free to contact me if you'd benefit from some assistance in this area, it's one of my favorite topics:). Once your highest ideal is identified, the second step is keeping your North Star in sight so you're aware of incoming weather and don't get blown off course! One of my all time favorite ways to keep my North Star in sight is to do what I call, "Dropping Anchor."

Dropping Anchor is consciously stopping and reorienting oneself to that which is most important--your individual North Star. It allows a body to ride out any surrounding storms without getting blown off course. Here's "Dropping Anchor" in four easy steps.*

1) Focus on dropping your attention into the area of your heart
2) Breath evenly and comfortably in and out of the heart area as if it has its own respiration
3) Call to mind and appreciate all the times when you've experienced or expressed your North Star
4) Ask yourself, "what is one way to exercise my North Star today?"

My personal North Star is to establish love as the number one condition. Step 3 for me means envisioning all the people, places, and critters I care about and feeling this love, allowing it to seep in deep. Step 4 might include practicing patience with a particularly difficult person that day.

Why should we take time to Drop Anchor? I find it particularly rejuvenating and helpful to start and end my day with this practice to set me on the right course, it's also a fabulous practice when I've been knocked off course. Most beneficially, Dropping Anchor allows me to realign and move forward rather than look back into unproductive territory.

Mavis Staples understood the importance of being internally guided by one's North Star when she sung the following lyrics to bolster her fellow freedom fighters during the civil rights movement:

"Ain't no man on earth control,

the weight of glory on a human soul.

Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on....

When you see a man walk free,

it makes you dream of jubilee.

Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on."

On this beautiful end of May day, I hope the practice of Dropping Anchor prepares you to propel forward into the waters that await. Keep your eyes on the prize....  

*steps 1,2,3 adapted from Heartmath® Quick CoherenceTechnique®

Olympians' North Stars

This summer's Olympics are in full swing and whenever I listen to athletes' interviews, I hear "North Stars" abound, the first step in my Inner Constellation work with people. The idea of North Star is a metaphor I've coined to represent that which is one's fundamental priority or supreme motivator in life above all else. The Olympians give supreme examples of North Stars:

• "I always do my best."
• "No matter how bad it may look, I never give up."
• "I want to have fun in everything I do." (Dana Vollmer, a swimmer who won her first gold metal in the 100 meter Fly and broke a world record!)
• "It's important that I always challenge myself."
• "I appreciate everything I've ever earned or been given."

North Stars help us know where we're going before we push off to sea, keeping us on track, and here's the most important thing--North Stars are immovable, unlike goals, which are often confused with the North Star metaphor. Goals are often set and exceeded, or sometimes, unattainable, such as: I want to win gold in the 100 meter Fly, or, I want to be strong and resilient. If you sink like a brick when you jump in the pool (like me:) or you're suffering from an autoimmune disease, these goals may not be reachable. North Stars, on the other hand, are always attainable, "I do my personal best....I never give up....fun is my top priority....I appreciate and give thanks. The immovable and often universal North Stars, when held in sight, have incredible power to direct and focus our lives, so we always know what's most important during the crazy distractions of life. Goals support our North Stars and are the action steps that make up "Chart Your Course", the second step in my Inner Constellation work with people. If the idea of North Star is appealing to you, consider checking out my Inner Constellation Compendium which gives more detail about this beautiful metaphor. 

In ancient days of star navigation, a person found his or her way in uncharted territory by first locating the North Star. Find your North Star and you will always have an internal compass. From North Star, the course can be mapped and arrival certainly promised--as long as True North is kept in sight. 

Sparkly North Star Practice for the New Year

Here's a New Year contemplation for you--what means the most to you above all else? If you've partnered with me in a private session, you know this is the foremost question we answer. Why? Because it drives our thoughts and ultimately forms our actions. The answer to this question is what I've coined, one's North Star. Once we identify our North Stars--ie, that which is most important to us--then we practice strengthening these beautiful sign posts and using them to guide us through the challenges and joys of life.

In order to embody our personal North Stars there's a practice I call North Star Tapping that I'd like to offer as a practice for the new year. Here it is in a few easy-to-try steps:

• N  -  NOW
  
  Check in with resistance felt in this present moment: not past, not future, but right NOW.
  
  
• O -  O to 10
  
  Assign a number from 0 to 10 to any resistance in the body, mind or emotions, with 0 being       nothing to 10 being strong. This is referred to as the SUD number (Subjective Units of             Disturbance).
  
  

• R - RESISTANCE
  
  Target your resistance with Meridian Tapping (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go to my website and watch the media provided, scroll down to the Tapping Points Guide or contact me for a session).
  
  
• T - TEMPER
  
  "Temper" is to dilute or soften by the influence of something else. Our influencing factor is       Meridian Tapping--tap the points until you get your SUD number down to a 5 or below.             Temper your resistance, you got this....come'on, you're almost there. If you're at a SUD 5 or       lower, jump to the final step....
  
  
• H - HONE IN
  
  To "hone in" literally means to sharpen or make more precise. Hone in your North Star by         working it into your set up statement (say WHAT? If you're not familiar with this IC language, contact me or go to my Inner Constellation website and scroll down for a Meridian Tapping Point guide). So the set up might look like this: "Even though I'm at this (substitute SUD number), I choose (insert North Star)."

One of my personal North Stars is compassion as the number one condition. So, for me, my set up statement looks something like this:

"Even though I'm at this 5, I choose to practice compassion...."

Then we short cut our set up statement to a word or two. For me, this one word reminder is "compassion," as we tap on each point. As we go through the points we might wish to expand on our North Stars, "...I choose to practice compassion by____________________." Just tap and fill in the blank, let the brainstorm begin!

Even though we have resistance in the form of pain, or an emotional challenge, or whatever we've identified, we can still practice our North Stars. And in fact, when we do temper our resistance and embody our North Stars they become brighter and keep us on course.

Whatever is given energy, gets stronger. What do you wish to strengthen this upcoming New Year 2017? I would love to hear your answers, Bright Shining Ones, and partner with you to make it a reality in your life and the lives of your community and loved ones. May our North Stars shine bright in 2017!

Ways to a Bright Inner Constellation

Today I had the entire day off with great intentions that quickly became sidetracked (Damn, that Wimbledon!). Finally, at 6:40 in the evening, I'm sitting down to do the much anticipated--write to you all. I know you can relate to becoming distracted and pulled in multiple directions. The day was not coincidental, however, and I find myself drawing on the framework of my Inner Constellation practice:

1) Find True North - in ancient days of star navigation sailors found their ways in uncharted territory by locating the North Star. What's your North Star, that which is most fundamental in life? If my North Star is becoming a professional tennis player (not!), watching six hours of Wimbledon might have been a great first step, in addition to getting off the couch and playing a few sets myself! This brings us to number 2....

2) Chart Your Course - what tools keep you headed in the direction of your North Star? For me, tools like EFT, hypnosis, exercise and writing keep me on track. For more on this step, consider reading the blog articles in the category entitled "Chart Your Course," which has lots of meaty information that might prove useful.

3) Arrival - similar to a sailor heading in the direction of the North Star, arrival occurs in each small step, not miles out in the future. I'll let you in on a secret, one of my North Stars is compassion. How did I practice compassion while watching Wimbledon? Hmm, let me stretch a bit....I made two collage cards, one for friends of mine and another for my sister and her new husband. Um, I cuddled with my cat and husband, made us a Lasagna (we worked up an appetite watching the tennis). I could keep stretching, but you get my point. Each moment holds potential.

I don't feel so bad sitting around watching Wimbledon all day! If you wish to dive deeper into the above three, my website goes into more detail (the green box entitled, "Meet Karla,"). Also, in the next few days I'll write articles highlighting each step: Find True North, Chart Your Course, and Arrival. This is my personal "Chart Your Course" promise to keep me from viewing too much Wimbledon! You might notice that the blog is set up with these three themes in mind. TTFN, Wimbledon is back on--JK.

64-year-old Woman Completes 110 Mile Swim Without Shark Cage!!!

Is this just plain crazy or North Star driven, or...perhaps both?! As of this morning, Diana Nyad, is the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the assistance of a shark cage. When she came ashore, she was greeted by supporters surrounding her in waist-high water while cheering her on.

Before walking to an ambulance of her own accord Nyad said:

I have three messages. One is, we should never, ever give up. Two is, you're never too old to chase your dream. Three is, it (swimming) looks like a solitary sport, but it is a team.

It was Nyad's fifth attempt to what she said would be her last try to complete the 110 mile swim. The other times she was forced to stop due to boat trouble, storms, unfavorable currents and jellyfish stings. So, I know if you're like me, you might be recalling that scene from the movie, "Jaws," when the toothy-maw came up from the deep to close around the oblivious swimmer flailing on the surface (gives me shudders, still!). How did the team keep the sharks away? The answer has an Inner Constellation flavor (no pun intended)...Nyad's support team carried equipment which generated a faint electrical field around her, specifically designed to deter Jaws and his buddies. I would definitively agree it takes a team! Here's another little piece of Inner Constellation metaphor--the boat also dragged a line in the water to keep her on course.

OK, so my vote is, Diana Nyad is no crazy lady, rather she's a lady crazed by her North Star. This 64-year-old woman did not allow the obstacles in life (you know: mechanical difficulties, poisonous stings, suck-you-down currents and sharks!) to knock her off course. Might we take inspiration from her life example when confronted with our own challenges to staying the course and keeping our sights on our North Stars? For more information on Diana Nyad's amazing story click here.

If you're unsure of your North Star, or if you know your North Star and wish to launch out on a more solidified course, consider contacting me for a no-charge 20 minute coaching session. Beginning dialogue with you and your North Star is my absolute favorite way to spend 20 minutes in the course of a day! I would be honored to become part of your support team.

Happy Birthday Joan of Arc!

Yesterday, January 6, was Joan of Arc's birthday. She was born exactly 600 years ago in the year 1412. As I slacked on the blog post (sorry yesterday was crazy), the country of France wildly celebrated Joan's birthday anniversary. If you're up for a bit of a history lesson, check out my Joan of Arc website where you can take a journey through images of France and get a feel for her accomplishments. If you wish to read an engaging first-person account of Joan from a mystic's perspective, check out my ebook on Amazon or my website devoted to my Joan writings. This exceptional girl has been a strong influence in my personal and professional Inner Constellation work and here's why:

1) Joan valued personal freedom above all else ('freedom' was her North Star)
2) She identified anything encroaching upon this basic human right and overcame it (i.e. foreign invaders entering her country)

I decided to highlight Joan in this month's Freedom Series and as January unfolds, explore her North Star--that of freedom. Here are some questions I'll be considering, great ones for the new year, 2012:

1) What does it mean to be free both in actuality and symbolically?
2) How do we identify and knock down obstacles to complete freedom?
3) What does it mean to be strongly rooted in the North Star of freedom in spite of opposition?
4) In what ways is Joan's North Star continuing to shine around the globe, especially in places like the Middle East and countries continuing to fight for this most basic of human rights?

Whew, that should keep me busy! I would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you were born, like Joan, in a country fighting to keep the North Star of freedom shining.

Bendin' Ur Spoon!

I’m not usually into the cute pictures of critters doing silly things, but this one reminded me of myself--trying to fend off the dome of smoke billowing over my California mountains! I live about 60 miles from the Yosemite Rim Fire as the crow flies, and since it began twelve days ago, my town has been under smoke so thick that many days we haven’t seen the sun. Last night I had a rough night of sleep, coughing through most of the night, and I woke this morning with a tight, constricted chest that I promptly relieved with my two favorite tools: Meridian Tapping and Heartmath technologies. As I was doing my self-care, to my utter delight, the sun peeped out and, then, shone brilliantly! I jumped up and went outside to see the bluest skies since the fire began. I grabbed my running shoes and headed out the door.

As I was moving around in the mostly clear Tahoe blue, I began pondering the metaphors I use with my clients:

• North Star – one’s un-moving, highest motto for life or one’s personal ideal
• Clouds – whatever obstructs seeing or orienting to one’s North Star

When clouds (or smoke) set in and obstruct our North Stars, what can we do to resource our highest ideals (compassion, generosity, gratitude, etc.), in spite of the fact that we’re not feeling it? One of my favorite daily practices when the clouds (or smoke) set in is to resource a past feeling. In other words use the power of your mind to “Bend Ur Spoon.”

You know, it’s a toss-up whether our brains are receivers of consciousness or transmitters of consciousness. Quantum Physicists have no definitive answer one way or the other. Studies actually show that one’s ability to bend reality is probable. So, resourcing one’s North Star when the clouds (or smoke) roll in means, imagining a time when you've experienced your ideal state. By doing so, you part the clouds and your North Star becomes visible.

In my above example of struggling with the affects of the Yosemite Rim Fire, when skies cleared, I got out there and resourced, resourced, resourced: I sucked in deep the clean air, I marveled at the robin-egg-blue sky, I greeted the Stellar’s Jays and Woodpeckers (wildlife was out resourcing too), I looked far in the distance and gave thanks that I could see the sturdy, green pine trees. I was running around like Snow White! Side note: nature is my favorite place to "resource" for it innately and constantly rejuvenates--no matter the destruction, Momma comes back to balance, always. 

With the fire 30% contained and an anticipatory containment date of September 10, I can expect more smoke will come rolling in; however, I am resourced--I have “Bent My Spoon,” and I've established a resource state to access in the future. I am soooooooo appreciative of clean, fresh air.

So is Yogini. When I arrived back home and opened up the sliding glass door, she was in 7^th Heaven and ran through the house whirling and kicking up her chubby heels! Try Bendin' Ur Spoon--it’s the best!!

Maya Angelou North Star of Courage

Good morning, Dear IC bloggers. I've had a most interesting morning so far, woke very early in a magical mood and pondered a realization for me--Dreamtime is a portal to "Heaven," a place I rest in consciously at night, pay visits to my loved ones and spiritual ancestors, rejuvenate and often wake with clear insight. I journaled a bit, writing the following IC blessing* for today:

Gossamer
©2014 Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com
Part night’s translucent veil, float on gauzy wings,

received by land of metaphor

as silkworms spin silver ropes

pulling you ashore.


I sent it off to my IC folks and proceeded to Facebook to post, where I discovered Maya Angelou, one of my favorite poets and memoirist had passed away early this morning. I paused, looked back on the words I had journaled about dreamtime being a portal to Heaven, reread "Gossamer," and just smiled and filled up with gratitude. Maya Angelou continues to speak, continues to influence me--Energy never dies, it just changes form (IC Truth #2). Maya was a lady who understood the concept of North Star and being committed to a personal guiding light. One of my favorite quotes from her is about the North Star of Courage, she said, "Courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." Maya lived her North Star growing up in the South during a time of tremendous racial tension and change. 

Maya, your life was sweet-water on a fire, you were the river flowing around the obstructions of injustice. Thank you for your bright light and the muse you have become, may your passing be gentle. 

"The trick is, just relax your legs...I read it on Wikihow!"

Watching the movie, Identity Thief, I took deep belly laughs for a solid two hours. Not only was it engaging but it had a sweet and precious ending. To set the stage, it co-stars one of my favorite actresses, Melissa McCarthy (starred in Bridesmaids as Meghan, "I met a dolphin down there. And I swear to God, that dolphin looked not at me, but into my soul!"). She's quirky, spunky and kind of injured inside--but that doesn't get her down. She's resourceful, and right at the height of her resourcefulness, she takes a pretty good tumble. Won't go into details, cause I don't want to spoil the flick for you, but it's kind of a slow motion moment, an "Oh, gosh, is she going to be OK," moment, and just as your heart is missing a beat...well I promised not to spoil it--this line comes out of her sassy mouth:

"The trick is, just relax your legs. I read it on Wikihow!" 

She got me thinking about flow, and how necessary it is to maintain healthy flow for well-being, both physical and mental. Think about the times your body has felt twinges, what do you do? Me, I try my darnedest to stop, listen to what my body is saying--"Yo, I'm giving you a warning, pay attention here!" and meridian tap. It's even harder to maintain flow when a moving object is coming toward you at high velocity, as in the case of our dear Identify Thief.

So, then, let's progress from the body to the mind--now that chattering monkey is even harder to dress up in the Sunday bests and convince it to behave itself! Whoa, I think I just channeled Melissa McCarthy. 

What to do with the unruly monkey mind? You've got to tame it, baby, kind of like Big Chuck at the Foxhole! Sorry. Alright, where were we? Oh, right the monkey mind and maintaining a state of flow--start the day oriented to what's important to you, AKA the North Star--that which is your highest ideal or priority in life, and do not stray! Do you hear me? Do not stray! Um, OK, easier said than done. However, I have a little secret, and it's called North Star tapping. 

First step in maintaining constant flow is identifying bodily discomforts, cause if you can't be comfortable in your skin, it's more challenging to be comfortable anywhere else. So, first things first, target aches and pains with Meridian Tapping until your number is a SUD 4 or lower and then, shift to tapping in your North Star. If you don't know what I'm talking about, contact me for a session and let's get started on taking care of bodily discomforts, identifying your North Star and creating a steady state of flow. I even have an Inner Constellation Flow Chart that provides a guide for self-directed practice.

When you're running from The Law, you never know when you need to keep your flow a flowin', but what I've got to share, you won't be reading on no Wikihow!

"Sail on Silver Girl...."

Life can be distracting. Or better put, I can get easily distracted by life! This weekend I had yet to settle in to write as I had promised myself and instead was proceeding through my “to do” list. The little voice in my head (probably the good angel) said, “There will always be something else to do.” As the truth of these words digested, I noticed, “writing” had never made it to my “to-do” list. OK, point well-taken. I laid down the list and picked up my journal. I began pondering priorities or as described in my Inner Constellation work—North Stars.  Where do I keep my sights in spite of all other distractions jockeying for my attention? What keeps me on course and heading in the right direction? I can feel my North Star a changing, and that’s not a bad thing if I’m conscious of the change. One of my North Stars is compassion.  This priority has taken center stage for awhile, however my focus goes even deeper. My present North Star is best described as freedom: where as compassion is a condition of the heart, freedom is a state of mind. What am I allowing to come between me and absolute freedom? Where are my resistances or hard edges? For me all these questions are best answered by working with the energy stirred up…oh, and poetry of course:)

Land Gives Way to Water

Walk on solid ground,
over shifts and fractures where ever they are found.
North Star the gentle guide,
Inner Constellation the map to confide.
Only by stopping and becoming still will I arrive upon the shore—
a subtle, streaming boundary
between me and thee.
Star-studded surface reflects the choice
to enter in, shed the skin,
ride silver-rooted waters.

Jaycee Lee Dugard

If you watched the ABC interview with Jaycee Dugard a few days ago, perhaps like me, you’ve been thinking about this remarkable woman. Specifically, I find myself pondering the North Star she held in sight during her eighteen years of captivity—hope in seeing her mother again. As the interview began, Jaycee touched a delicate silver pinecone necklace that hung around her neck, saying it represented two vivid reminders. Physically, the pinecone was the last object she remembered touching before she was lifted bodily into her captor’s car, and metaphorically, that “there is hope after something tragic.” Her life gives witness to one of my favorite processes—energy changing form or transformation.

Jaycee spoke of another anchor to her North Star of hope, the moon. While in captivity, she looked out her tiny barred window at the moon and thought of the conversations with her mom. They used to debate which stage was most beautiful, full or crescent. Days before she was reunited with her mother, both women recalled looking at the moon and thinking of each another.

Holding onto hope was Jaycee’s mother’s North Star as well. She relentlessly believed in her daughter’s return and upon its arrival eighteen long-years later, embraced her and the two children fathered by her abductor. I was glued to the interview, wondering how on earth they survived such tragedy. Jaycee spoke candidly when she was asked about the shame of what she suffered, “Why not look at it, stare it down.” This brave, brave woman knows the wisdom of not turning away from suffering. I thought of the gift of energy therapy and the physical techniques used to release stored trauma from the body. I wondered what she did to move such energy through and foster healing. About this time, the film crew filmed Jaycee riding a horse, with spine straight and a joyful smile on her face.

Jaycee spoke another clue to surviving her ordeal—remembering her identity. Her abductors blotted out her given name and had called her Alyssa. On August 27, 2009, when two police women followed their intuition and asked an estranged-looking girl her name, she said she could not speak it but could write it down—Jaycee Lee Dugard. At the end of the interview, Jaycee’s clear, arresting blue eyes communicated beyond words the significance of acknowledging her true identity, “...it was like breaking an evil spell.”

We are celestial, boundless, an entire universe. Remember this in darkest night; nay, shine in spite of it! Thank you, Jaycee Lee Dugard, for embodying the ideals of Inner Constellation; you are a shining star.

The Call to Right Relationship (Pun Intended)

Happy Summer Solstice, IC Peeps! Hopefully you took advantage of every summery minute of the longest day of the year yesterday. I did, I went fishin'! Well, I was actually supporting from the shore while my beloved did a bit of catching and releasing.

While out there on the river banks, I got to thinking of relationships. Relationship seems to be the number one North Star a client brings into session: how to acquire the perfect one, how to get rid of a pesky one, how to be a better companion, spouse, parent, etc. Interestingly, as I began pondering this North Star, I had two wise counsels pop up, one was a story in the newspaper about five-time Olympic medalist, Bode Miller. The article sums up Bode's no-holds-barred skiing style applied to fatherhood and his desire to learn how to be the best parent possible. He's ga-ga over his little girl, Dacey. She's his North Star, beyond skiing, beyond metals, beyond anything. I believe Bode understands one of life's most important keys: prioritizing. In the age of twitter, facebook and over 40 texts a day on average (100+ for teens), a person is, um, let's say a bit distracted. This brings us to wise counsel number two...a graduation ceremony I just returned from, where retired Senator, Dean Florez, gave an address entitled, "Power Down and Power Up," expounding on the rapid rise in mobile phone use while engaged in face to face time with others. The numbers were astounding. I drove home pondering a second relationship key, building off priority: attentiveness. When I analyzed my own relationships, I recommitted to making my interactions with people my #1 priority and the sole focus of my undivided attention. This already includes volume off and fasting from my cell phone, affectionately named, "Smarty Pants," when I'm with others. I also take once a week, all day Saturday fasts, it's heavenly. So much so, that if I just happen to drop Smarty Pants in the toilet while texting, I might just go ahead and flush her down the drain! 

But, back to the call to right relationship (pun intended), my keys are: prioritizing and attentiveness. Let's hear yours. It's been a while since an IC challenge. I want to hear your keys, and in so doing, you'll be entered to win a free, gifted Skype session. Read the details of the IC challenge and let me know your secrets to right relations with loved ones (non-cellular please:).  

Martin Luther King ~ North Star of Equality Shines Bright

It's been a long time since writing in the "Freedom Series" category of this blog, and I know--I've highlighted MLK before but by far he's one of my favorites, so I'm extolling his praises again! I'm presently reading his book: Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community and this story struck me as clearly defining a major driving force in MLK's life, his aspiration or in Inner Constellation language~his North Star:

...a group of us packed into four automobiles and made our way to that desolate spot on Hwy 51 where James Meredith had been shot the day before. So began the second stage of the Meredith Mississippi Freedom March. As we walked down the meandering highway in the sweltering heat, there was much talk and many questions were raised. 

"I'm not for that  nonviolence stuff any more," shouted one of the younger activists.

"If one of these damn white Mississippi crackers touches me, I'm gonna knock the hell out of him," shouted another.

Later on a discussion of the composition of the march came up.

"This should be an all-black march," said one marcher. "We don't need any more white phonies and liberals invading our movement. This is our march."

Once during the afternoon we stopped to sing, "We Shall Overcome." The voices rang out with all the traditional fervor, the glad thunder and gentle strength that had always characterized the singing of this noble song. But when we came to the stanza which speaks of "black and white together," the voices of a few of the marchers were muted. I asked them later why they refused to sing that verse. The retort was:

"This is a new day, we don't sing those words any more. In fact, the whole song should be discarded. Not 'We Shall Overcome,' but 'We Shall Overrun.'"

As I listened to all these comments, the words fell on my ears like strange music from a foreign land. My hearing was not attuned to the sound of such bitterness. I guess I should not have been surprised....I should have been reminded that disappointment produces despair and despair produces bitterness, and that the one thing certain about bitterness is its blindness. Bitterness has not the capacity to make the distinction between some and all." *

Equality shines bright in our hero Martin Luther King, Jr. May we, as his continuation, strive toward a freedom that sees not gender, race, sexual preference, financial status, class, political party or any other contrived divisions but rather practices this sole desire ~ for all beings everywhere to live unmolested and in peace.

Happy MLK day everyone. 


   * Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? on sale for $7.68 (Amazon) consider adding this classic to your North Star library

Joy to the Fishes in the Deep Blue Sea....

This week, I was introduced to an 86 year old Japanese man who owns and runs a sushi restaurant in Tokyo and has been creating and serving sushi for over 75 years. His name is Jiro Ono and he clearly understands the Inner Constellation concept of North Star (one's top priority, or motto for life). After being kicked out of his home at the age of nine, he learned very quickly how to swim versus sink. Young Jiro began a quest to make his one desire--making sushi, a reality. Sushi was an exorbitant commodity but this didn't stop young Jiro. He admitted that most of his inspiration came in dreams where he would be preparing sushi but changing the traditional time-honored recipes. He would wake with all kinds of ideas pouring out of him. Serving up the fishes in the deep blue sea became his life and Jiro still follows his North Star, "improve always on your craft." Here were some of Jiro's most remarkable nuggets of North Star wisdom:

* One must discover his or her specific craft, and once it's known, cultivate the skills necessary to be the best possible. For instance, to be a chef one must develop taste, smell, cooking instinct and intuition. Some skills are innate and natural but most must be developed and honed. 

* Always doing what you're told doesn't mean you'll succeed in life.

* Don't worry about money, instead offer only the best possible ingredients (metaphorically speaking, always offer your best, don't let money motivate your decisions)

* Always look above and beyond yourself (said by Jiro's son, taught to him by his father)

Jiro trains his apprentices for ten years before they're promoted to the position of preparing and serving the sushi. He spoke often of becoming a shokunin, or master craftsman or artisan. Yet this Japanese word has a much deeper meaning, as explained by Tasio Odate:

"...not only having technical skills, but also an attitude and social consciousness....The shokunin has a social obligation to work his/her best for the general welfare of the people. The obligation is both spiritual and material...."

If you wish to experience a truly inspirational man, watch Jiro Ono's story, "Jiro Dreams of Sushi."

"Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me!"

"Like a Bridge Over Troubled Waters..."

Three practices are essential to me when charting my course for the North Star. I think of them as bridges enabling me to cross troubled (sometimes raging!) waters:

1) Body Practice
2) Mind Practice
3) Spirit Practice

Today I'm hankering to look at Spirit Practice. A simple definition of Spirit Practice is stillness: meditation, mantra, breath work, prayer, hypnosis, journaling, EFT, anything that provides a daily dose of peace, quite and contemplation. Spirit Practice is time reserved to connect and align to your North Star. The type of stillness varies according to the individual, but daily practice is most essential. I think of stillness as two parts, a time set a side to process and a time set aside to listen. For many people, creating is a Spirit Practice: writing, painting, dancing, cooking, singing--you get my point. Creating is one supreme example of harnessing life-affirming energy. One of my mom's spirit practices is gardening. She goes out into her flower beds and realigns when life is chaotic around her.

What's your Spirit Practice? Ooooo, I feel an Inner Constellation Challenge coming on: I want to hear about your Spirit Practice. Contact me here with "IC Challenge Spirit Practice" in the message box and you're entered in the monthly drawing for a no-charge Skype session. If you need reminding of the IC Challenge, check out details. Consider experimenting with a daily Spirit Practice and you'll be on your way to reaching your North Star...

"Sail on Silver Girl, Sail on by, your time has come to shine...."

Diligence Practiced Beautifully

It’s a miraculous process that when we place our attention on something (become mindful), the opportunities to practice present. January Inner Constellation theme is diligence, and yesterday I had the awesome experience of witnessing a student with a disability overcome a challenge in the class room, exhibiting determination that was heroic. The student is legally blind and we made adjustments such as his and my positioning, marker color, the size of my writing and a plan for how to convey visual communication among students. I was grateful for the lesson he modeled —how to set up conditions for success.

I left the classroom asking myself how I set up conditions for success, so I’m able to practice my North Star of compassion and keep love alive?  Self-care is a huge condition for success in addition to having time, not rushing so I can notice opportunities to practice my North Star.  I asked a question of a colleague yesterday that brought tears to his eyes, “How are you nourishing yourself?” He’s struggling to take care of two immediate family members suffering with terminal cancers. We take care of the InnerConstellation so we can generate the compassion it takes to notice the suffering in others and help alleviate and bring joy into their lives. Without a personal practice, it’s easy to be swept away by strong emotions, the to-do list, and general pace of life.

Diligence and setting up conditions for success translates into “Chart Your Course,” in Inner Constellation language. Every moment we have the opportunity to orient toward our North Stars or go in other directions. How will you “Chart Your Course,” in the direction you wish to go? A huge compass for me is my community of practice (Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community), cherished friends who are dedicated to peace, understanding and love. Even just one solid person in your life can provide the support needed to move in a beautiful direction. I would love to hear about your practice of diligence this month of January, please feel free to contact me so we can build our community of practice. 

Chart Your Course, Sail True North

Once you've discovered your North Star, you’re able to move toward that guiding light. Now, you’re ready to Chart Your Course. What will be the tools to keep you heading in the right direction and alert you if you're off course? The Chart Your Course category of the blog explores personal tools of refinement that emphasis body, mind and spirit practices in addition to my personal favorite--Meridian Tapping. 

If you go to my website and scroll down, you will see a beautiful tapping points guide that you can resource to learn Meridian Tapping as a self-administered technique. If you need the additional support of a trained and certified practitioner, please contact me to start solidifying your North Star and Charting Your Course by using your body as your guide and compass.

See the Things Worth Seeing

The Inner Constellation January theme of diligence is winding down. I'm reflecting on this lovely, fast-paced world of many options, and I don't know about you guys, but--it's easy to be pulled away: phone notifications, daily maintenance, work and life commitments...how do we stay on course?

I'm convinced one answer to this question is--everyday (every moment!) practice what matters. Practice love, compassion, understanding (whatever your North Stars may be) in the hurry scurry whirling world. Begin with yourself, be gentle, stop, breathe; the ripple effect will impact others. Then, to stop the spinning, take time for stillness. Find the calm center, where we remind ourselves, and nourish what matters most. In essence, one might say--REORIENT.

Ha! Look up, open wide those beautiful eyes, locate that North Star and breathe, baby. Grab the jump rope, call your grandma, skip to work after your lunch break, hold someone's hand....diligently turn yourself North, my friend. And, if you're feeling brave and committed, find other star gazers (like Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community) and diligently pursue happiness and True North together. Community committed to higher purpose will keep you grounded, together and less likely to spin off into another galaxy! 

True North is shining bright, and available every day, in every way to navigate you through the storms and joys of life! If you would like Mon-Fri email inspirations as my gift to you, guidance in discovering what matters most, or tools for an individual or community practice, please contact me.