I was recently drawn to the book: "Merv: Making the Good Life Last." Aside from the fact that Merv Griffin was a business genius, as one of my Second Life friends recently pointed out, I was struck by how Merv lived his life from a level of pure gut instinct. My mother loved Merv and watched his show every day. In a sense, I was raised with Merv, Dick Cavett and David Frost. But Merv and Cavett were her favorites.
I also bought Shirley MacLaine's latest book at the same time I bought Merv's book called: "Saging While Aging." And was also led to spontaneously order glossy business cards and had a strong inspiration to place an angel on them. These three events, buying Merv and Shirley's books plus creating these cards and ordering 1000 of them , all at the same time, seemed to be separate acts, having no relationship to the other. Yet I was experiencing doubt and overwhelm in the New Year.
Previously, in the months leading to the end of 2007, I awoke every day and did what I was spontaneously led to do, with a loose weekly to do list that included article and blog writing, creating e-books and new blogs, keeping close to my intuitive hunches and ideas about future product production. All of this was flowing well until the New Year hit. I suddenly felt a sense of aimlessness and doubt as to my business building strategies, which basically do not exist in any traditional, goal-planning model that most business guru's recommend. Besides thoroughly enjoying Merv's book, I came across a provocative statement that reinforced my approach to life: "No two days are alike.
Just like when I did my show, I get to improvise my life. One day I may get up and say, "I wonder how my race horses are doing?" then I'll go down to the stable and work with the horses for a few hours. The next day, I might think, "How's that marketing plan coming for the hotels?" And I'll get my staff together by phone and start working on that. "I call it 'Planned Spontaneity.' " Reading this paragraph brought me great relief. I saw it as a message from the Universe that my planned spontaneity has been working and I would now continue doing exactly what I am doing, with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and joy.
Shirley's book has a chapter devoted to synchronicity or meaningful coincidence. After reading the following paragraph, I saw the connection between Merv and Shirley's book and the purchase of my angel business cards. "People who continually experience meaningful coincidence and acknowledge them believe that synchronicity in all its forms is a kind of personal guidance--a kind of God-like direction that takes us into the future, and if we choose to follow the guidance, our personal destinies evolve and become clear. Joesph Campbell defined it as "following our truth" regardless of the consequences, making for ourselves the authentic life, then living the hero's journey according to our own values, which share little or nothing with popular values. If we follow our bliss, as Joesph Campbell said, we will be doing what we feel most inwardly qualified and inclined to do, regardless of social and material consequences.
" As long as I experience joy and flow and fun with my everyday business and writing pursuits, and stay as far away from what the media or "popular value" tells me to do, I will be happy, as I am now. As far as the business cards go, instead of asking a fellow traveler if she wants one of my business cards, I instead ask: "Do you want an angel blessing." And the beautiful card is my gift to them. So between Merv's insight about "planned spontaneity" and Shirley's insights about synchronicity, and the beautiful angel blessings, I feel as if I am on the right path. I do not have to turn back. Just trudge the road of Happy Destiny and allow my five senses awaken and notice all that is good in this life--and beyond.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and Destiny." Click here to find out how to order the e-book: http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com Check Out Kate's Blog: http://www.nursehealers.typepad.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
