Desiring "More"

Hello. This is a request. A time for reflection, a self-call-to-arms and a time that I'm calling out YOU.  Yes, you, my beautiful friend. This is about desire. But not the type that you think... it's something more deeply ingrained in our hearts. 
 
The last few months of my life have easily been the hardest I have ever faced (and weathered!) Lando moved, and suddenly I found myself engaged but totally "single." There have been more life trails than I care to share about, and through all of this I've been left with a need for "more." I put "more" in quotes because some days I know what that looks like and then my plans change, and other days I don't know what it is at all. I'm scattered and unfocused and want to get my life/life goals on track but have no hard examples of what that looks like. Sure it's easy to sit in my therapists office saying "I need an accountability partner,"  when I really wanted to say scream "I need someone to SHOW me how to do this!"

Then a few days ago, I remembered about The Desire Map. I'm not sure how to describe it, so I'll take an excerpt from the site:

"You want it and you want it bad. Aspiring. Hoping. Plotting. Recurring. Reaching. Bubbling beneath your surface. You crave it — and it craves you. 

So you make a plan to get it. A to-do list. The bucket list. Quarterly objectives. Strategy. Accountability. The goal. Except . . .

You’re not chasing the goal itself, you’re actually chasing a feeling.
We have the procedures of achievement upside down. We go after the stuff we want to have, get, accomplish, and experience outside of ourselves. And we hope, yearn, pray that we’ll be fulfilled when we get there. It’s backwards. It’s outside in. And it’s running us in circles.

What if, first, we got clear on how we actually wanted to feel in our life, and then we laid out our intentions? What if your most desired feelings consciously informed how you plan your day, your year, your career, your holidays — your life?

You know what will happen with that kind of inner clarity and outer action? You’ll feel the way you want to feel more often than not. Decisions will be easier to make: You’ll know what to say no, thank you to and what to say hell yes! to. I bet you’ll complain less. You’ll be more optimistic, more open-hearted. It will be easier for you to return to your center in the midst of a challenge — I promise.

You will do much less proving, and way more living.

And you will have more to give to the world.

For starters."

 The author is Danielle LaPorte, and from what I've gathered, she holds nothing back, and isn't afraid to be blunt. (I guess those are kind of the same thing?)  All across social media, she delivers daily #TruthBombs including this gem: "Turn you longing into a calling." And about a million more that I can't choose from/directly share.

I digress...I'm hoping to start going through the book, "The Desire Map." There's an app that Danielle LaPorte has released called Conversation Starters, and it's for a group to be able to go through the book with a good basis of structure. I love the idea of small groups, but for whatever reason, I can't seem to get stuck to one. I don't know if I'm lazy, scared of vulnerability, or find ways to convince myself that I have very little in common with the other members. (I think with the two small groups I've been a part of recently, all three of those are true, ESPECIALLY the last one.)

 I love the idea of going through "The Desire Map" with women who are close to my age/life situation and are willing to be vulnerable and honest. I think many times, as Christian women specifically, we are too scared to let our souls show. Among my 20-something friends, I am seeing more heartfelt yearnings...the yearn to travel; love bigger than ever; be more compassionate; learn more about ourselves and how God created us to help others. "The Desire Map" shows us just how to do all of those things, and stay focused and sane throughout the journey.

So, who wants in?

The website suggests book clubs as a way to get started. Using the Conversation Starters app, the workbook, Danielle's free audio files and/or just the book.  Meetings at a home, via Google Hangout (Or Skype, whatever), Barnes & Noble, anywhere! The book is $22.00, the workbook comes in packs of

3 @ $30.00 (or $12.00/book), and the journal is $12.50. I'm not sure about group discounts, but I'm hoping to get more information about that!

I feel pretty strongly that "The Desire Map" is what will help us all get what we want. 

Oh, and, if you're into Celebrity Testimonials, Shailene Woodley says: "She reps the sisterhood thing and women’s empowerment… The Desire Map [is] basically charting the things that you want in life, and not just sitting back and saying, “I’m going to manifest this…here’s how,” but actively doing something to manifest your dream."  So yeah. there's that.

Ps: Remember Lauren Dubinsky? Founder of The Good Women Project? Yeah, she's how I first found out about "The Desire Map." So really, that recommendation is worth the perusal.

Join me?

(From daniellelaporte.com)

A Year of Living Dangerously (Different)

I'm turning 25 next week. 

I'm feeling a lot of mixed emotions about this, but more immediately, I need your help.

As Year Twenty-Five approaches, I've decided to do "A Year of Living Dangerously (Different)." Everyday from October 3, 2013 until October 3, 2014, I will try something new or different, and then write a short blog response about it. I'm not planning anything crazy like jumping out of an airplane, but I'd love to travel, try new food, and be kinder to strangers.

So, I'm looking for your suggestions. 365 things is a large list, and as much as I'd love to come up with all of them on my own...I can't. Comment here, on my Facebook, or my Twitter, or in person. If you think of anything, at any time, just shoot me a message!

Thanks!
Shine Bright!
-s.

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/3216879853/)

Words on pages.

No intro today, I'm just going to launch into my BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

A few years ago, I had the idea of writing my life story. I have unique circumstances, amazing friends, and I'm in theatre; Could make for an interesting read, right? Last year I started writing snippets down of things I'd like to include in my "memoirs." (Thanks, Tim for planting THAT idea in my head...) Some of them were just events that were happening at the time (remember that time I directed and choreographed a full-length musical? yeah), and a few things from my childhood.

My mom has always wondered if I was going to document my adoption story, and I think that's a great idea. Another friend asked if I would think about co-writing a book with my mom about how a white mother can be educated on how to deal with black hair. My response: "I could go on for DAYS about that topic...maybe!"

But it wasn't until yesterday, as there were crazy things happening on a status I posted that I was reminded of a weekend in college that traumatized me to the core. It was then that I decided:

I'm going to write a book. 

Yup. A book.  

I have no idea why, I have no clue how to start, I have other things I should be doing, but I'm going do this anyway.

So this is where you come in. If you have anything you want me to include, or questions/situations I should address in this book, please please please suggest them to me! I can promise you that some of what will be written in my book will be questioned by people, but ultimately, I want to write about things that will interest my family, friends (internet and real life!) and blog followers. I'd also ask for your positive support, prayers, and fun things (bubbles, water balloons, surprise trips to Starbucks, etc...) as I partake on this scary journey.

There is no time limit on your offerings. I can be reached here in my ask box to the right, Facebook, and on Twitter: @StarleishaG 

So. There it is.
Happy Tuesday, everyone! Deep breaths, and try to stay cool!
-S.