Oh, hello.

Hello to you!

Yes, it's been a while. A long while. I seem to have dropped out of sight - which would be a literal thing, wouldn't it, considering we're discussing blogs.

I have been practicing focusing on my writing... from a professional angle. I think I have posted about this previously (in Meanderings), about the Writers' Group session in which the question was posed - what does it mean to be a professional writer? 

And of course, I further took that to, do I WANT to be a professional writer? Am I happy when I am writing? The answer is, yes. Yup. Uh huh. Ja. Da. You betcha. Let's do it. Come on!

So, I have been practicing being a professional writer. Focusing my time. Scheduling my time. Honoring my time. And connecting with writing communities - on twitter, on FB, by newsletter and post.

In October, I did an excellent job of sticking to my time table. I have it in two parts - Structure and Writing. Interestingly, I haven't been getting much writing "writing" done... instead, my writing hours are occupied with fine-tuning Destiny Foretold - which means making sure I have a glossary set up, that I am spelling all the names the same, and that my time-line is meticulously tracked. This is important for two reasons - 1) there are two other books in the series and I need to be clear about what happens where; and 2) I am searching for agents. (hello, Agents!)

The search for agents is more involved than just sending a properly worded query letter - at least for me and my happiness. I realized (finally!) it's not just about someone liking my writing enough to help it expand. It's about connections. It's another version of finding my people.

I can do this. I am doing this. Yay me!

So, that's a quick glimpse into what I'm doing these days. Practicing professionalism. Next step, scheduling household matters around my writing. Blogging soon to follow. And maybe even the occasional Life in Runes. (Yay multiple streams of happiness!)

I imagine you're practicing your happiness on your own interesting journey of transformation and growth. If you're like me, it's a matter of remembering to breath. And knowing, each day is a new day with new choices.

I hope you're having a great day! I know I am.

-Lila

Newsletter - Virgo 2015

Hello to you!

I apologize for missing last month. It was a standard Lila pattern -- write it,  edit it, and never send it.  I plead a massive amount of processing.

But what were I processing,  you ask? 

Well, death and grief is at the top of the list, as I recently finished my volunteer training for Denver Hospice. The varied ways humans feel and express is a continued source of amazement for me.

Naturally, the training led to processing my personal griefs and deaths. We did an exercise - the time line of loss. And we listed, on this time line, all of our losses. Of course, at my awesomely enlightened age, I know that loss doesn't just include death. It includes all the changes we go through, and all the things - homes, cars, jobs - we attach too and eventually release.

In fact, it reminded me of Inside Out. (And if you haven't seen the movie, this is a bit of a spoiler.) When the main character went through something huge, something that required new tools to deal with, she ended up releasing a lot of her childhood attachments, crumbling foundations to rebuild something new and stronger. I think, as we grow and expand our experiences, we do the same, constantly. We build, redesign, tear down, rebuild, redecorate, release, rebuild… Perhaps all of us have a fantastical Escher-like construction inside to represent our most stable foundation.

So, to sum up, I've been processing loss and learning (most importantly?) there is no time-line for grief, and no exact pattern for grieving. And that loss affects more than just the relationship between me & the one who died. I've been finding a peace with a lot of changes in my life. Which, naturally, signaled an explosion of new things to process about myself.

What else I want for, with, and from my writing; the comfort of cargo pants; changing taste buds; that I have certain habits in new situations. And realizing I like my self-improvement process better than anyone else's. 

Which of course led to more processing about my personal truths, perspectives, goals for the future.

Obviously, the processing, and the growing hasn't stopped. It might never. But one of the things I processed about my writing is I really like it. So much, I'm now practicing how much time to give where. Meandering? Stories? So much to say, but what do I really, really want to share? And how?

Meanwhile, here's the next newsletter.

Let's hear it for adventures, the kind we look back on with a kind of dazed and hazy memory and scratch our heads and say, "I worked through that? I so rock."

I hope you have a great month!
-lila

Happiness is... Cancer 2015

Hello to you!

Another month. Another newsletter. We might actually have a trend!

After the whirlwind month of being outside of my home, I had a month of establishing new habits & patterns, practicing what works for me in the production department.

One thing I found is I have been shying away from the word "work". I mean, it has such difficult connotations. "I'm going to work" sounds like "Time to make the doughnuts." Trudge, trudge, trudge.

Also, shades of things perceived in my past, is what I do "real work"? Writing, counseling, being spiritual… doesn't that all fall into the slacker category? Like musician, actor, soccer mom, volunteer?

But if I take away the perceptions of work as an obligation, a prison, a cage of someone else's forging; and if I take away all the derogatory voices, "work" is simply a word.  Dictionary.com  defines it as: "exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. Productive or operative activity. Employment, as in some form of industry, especially as a means of earning one's livelihood."

Do I consider what I do all day to require exertion or effort? Yes. And discipline. And organization. And focused concentration. And… (okay, we got it!)

Am I producing something? Or accomplishing something? Of course.

  I have produced blogs, published books, written stories and songs and plays. I have read the runes for the public (LIR) and for clients. I have given classes on runes and Wiccan.

   I share perspectives & possibilities. Expand the universe. Champion Uniqueness. Advocate Equal Rights. Entertain. And, of course, find Happiness. (pretty nice accomplishments.)

Am I industrious? More and more every day.

Is this the means for earning my livelihood? Yes, please.

So, am I working? Yes.

Therefore, I can be paid. Yay me! Because money is good. I like money. Money is my friend.

I currently have two goals which require money:

   to attend the Threshold Gathering in Oregon in September;

   and to have my work feed me in actual terms as well as metaphysical ones.

So, I am asking for money. In exchange for my work. Here are the options available so far.

  The blogs Meanderings & Life in Runes have a button at the top that says Pay Now. This is a way to tip, thru Paypal, in $1 increments. If you've enjoyed my words, I invite you to express your feelings with an exchange of cash. Thank you.

  The books can be purchased online as well. You can find all the links on Storytelling - which I expect to expand, as I add more books, more versions, and the ability to order directly from me.

  I do offer personal rune readings, Happiness coaching, and classes. However, I'm still practicing how to present and deliver these through the website. So if you are interested please send an email to lilaallen@unicallen.com.

I'd say it's time for me to get back to work, but this is part of the work, so I'll say, “Time to take the next step!”

I'll leave us with this thought to ponder: What effort do you exert in order to produce something? How much of that effort is for your livelihood?  And, of course, as well as money, does this effort bring you happiness?

I said four... (as seen in Newsletter).

Yeah, no, you didn't miss a newsletter last month either. We're trying again, again. Yay me!

This has been a terribly interesting month; feel free to insert whatever adjectives in there you wish. I would say I've run the gamut of emotions and intentions. Happily, I have ended the month still desiring to do what I'm doing - and hopefully do more of it! Time (have I said this before?) to bring the focus to the writing again. Yay! Joy! Excitement!

So, let's see if we can get this to the presses!

I hope you're having as much fun as I am!
-Lila

Changing it up again

Dear Reader:

Still working it out.

Today I have decided to cut down the Life in Runes Reading to a weekly reading. There are still things I want to get added to my "to do", and I've been so inconsistent with the readings.

There was a crisis of faith yesterday, and when it came down to it, I still couldn't give one thing up. And I felt wretched because i haven't been writing as much as i want. Currently, I only have so many hours of good productive time - what with the choices and continue making. So I need to continue practicing happy constuction with that time.

So. Until I change my mind again, look for the weekly! reading. (And we're still plugging away at the "monthly" newsletter. *G*.)

I hope you have a great day!

-Lila

Four...

No, you did not miss the newsletter last month, or the month before. Last month I did manage to start setting up the newsletter; and then, you know, it was hours later and I had to go do something else. So we will try again this month.

Happily, I am practicing patience with the practice of practicing (tee hee). If it takes 30 days to establish a new habit, and I have over 30 years of habits to replace, well, I guess I’m doing pretty darn well. One step at a time.

What I seem to have learned about my method, or perhaps what I do best, is to just put it out there. Write it, organize it, reread it, and post it. The best thing about blogs and websites and self-published media is, it doesn't need to get past an editor. Sometimes just getting it out there is the hardest part - letting "I'm not sure" be "Good Enough!". 

Granted, I am the type who HAS to go back and fix a few things once I see it in "published" form, but, again, much easier to do in this kind of publication.

So, before I distract myself with more typing and less assembling of newsletter, I shall move on to the next step.

Thanks for being part of my happiness experience. I hope you're enjoying the ride! 

-L

In Five...

I finally have the monthly newsletter ready for it's first edition...  circulation?

Which of course means I've learned some very exciting (read excruciatingly tedious) new tools in coding, or designing, or whatever it's called these days when one tries to post stuff on the internet.

And of course I'm easily distracted by the links to this, that, and the other, and shouldn't this be purple instead of brown?  which means my newsletter is not out when it should be out, but it will be out soon.

As soon as I fix this one page on the website, to which the newsletter keeps referring...