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Creating Bridges: Spirituality & Philosophy:
Water For The Dry Sponge
Chronicles and Essays
By Shaun Brown:
Happy New You!
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by Shaun Brown |
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What’s new, besides turning the calendar to 2008? You are! You are a constant exfoliation of your last thought being propelled into the future manifesting as the newest you! Isn’t it exciting, that you can continually re-do yourself into infinity and beyond! Before I begin to share last months adventure, here is a quick tale that was told to me by someone in the rooms of AA. It helped me understand a new way of looking at things and I pass this on to you:
There were two brothers, running through a field on their grandpa’s farm. They both spied an old barn in the distance and rushed to the doorway, deciding to take a look inside. As they pulled back the creaky barn door and entered they discovered a big pile of shit sitting in the middle of one of the stalls. Immediately, one of the boys jumped in the pile and started scooping it away, flinging it everywhere with an eager pitch, continuing to dig deeper. The other boy looked in sheer amazement and yelled to his brother, “Hey! What are you doing?” The busy boy stopped scooping for a second, turned around and replied, “Well, with all of this shit, there must be a pony around here somewhere!” And thus my piece begins.
As I have progressed in the last ten years of teaching my life’s work, “How To Create A Successful Holistic Business,” my thoughts on success have also evolved. My credo is making a living, making a difference and staying in balance. By becoming a Spiritual human being I have learned that when our perceived strong points have been destroyed we have an opportunity to use our creativity. We can choose new options and become more flexible especially when working with others.
Upon waking in the morning I have a ritual that keeps me connected to Spirit. I write affirmations like, “I am surrounded by smart, loyal, likeminded friends and family.” As I affirm this I keep in mind that some people will come into my life and go just as fast. My ego mind wants to know if something was wrong when this happens. But I must remember that I set the above intent and must trust that it is so.
Another affirmation is, “I am a healthy, wealthy, successful creative type.” And because I affirm that, so I am, regardless of the days and times I feel insecure or don’t see much going on in my life when I think it should be. I do my morning affirmations and meditation, no matter what. It’s like being careful to just plant the seed and not keep coming back to dig it up and see if it’s growing, then trying to replant it again. Say it; know it; Let it go. Get busy with the tasks in front of you and let the Universe create your future in just the right package.
When I pray, I pray for peace and serenity and that my life is aligned with God’s Love. I try not to ask for specifics like things or controlled event outcomes. But, sometimes when I do here’s an example of what happens: I don’t teach a lot of workshops anymore; frankly I am on the other end of my career and looking at retirement. Or so I say. Writing has always been my passion from music to this column and this gift I have been given will continue. But the task of teaching workshops has been slowing down. So for the past while I have only taught two workshops yearly at the best massage school in N.Cal.
These meaty talkfest’s would produce large groups, each paying a lot of money to take the workshop. The students also came really prepared and focused, ready to learn. My workshops are action packed and filled with about six hours of material crammed into 4 hours. I have focused on the students getting it all at once. The books are also available as text and reference. At the end of the event, even though most are fried from mental stimulation, I get lots of hugs and thank you so much you have changed my life. These were welcomed gestures from the group and have always been the norm. This focused, well-intentioned, dynamic would soon be rethought.
Well, then I got the bright idea to talk with the school and see if they would make the class mandatory so that all of the students would be exposed to a business course in the hopes of raising the bar not only for them but for our entire holistic business community. A Business course is not required in California holistic institutions but we have recently learned that certification hours will be raised for massage license requirements. So mentioning the mandatory thing to the school was received as a great idea and they would get back to me.
About three weeks later the school called and said YES! They had a proposition for me. Instead of teaching two workshops a year how about teaching twelve? Of course I would become permanent staff and get paid $25 an hour. This was a fifth of what I usually made, per hour, for the last nine years but I figured what the heck, it’s only money. I’m really helping those students who would not have the innitiative to take a business course on their own and I’m connecting with a group of great holistic teachers and staff. This is just a win/win!
I was given the first three workshop dates and was looking forward to being a full time teacher on staff. It was the first W-2 form I had ever filled out since 1967 and I felt it was time to start diversifying my portfolio anyway. I was ready to move from CMT, my main income and day job, to full time instructor in the next few years.
They restructured the catalogue to fit the business workshop and touted my wares and expertise to all new students enrolling. Little did I know that my specific request to the Gods had not only come true but would become a bone of contention in my throat and a lesson in problem solving.
I arrived early, as usual, for the first workshop in the group of three. I always suit up and look professional, my materials are in order and I am psychically prepared to bring my students into a higher range of awareness and success in their business. The course was slated for 9am, a little early for me but I made adjustments. I start my classes usually two to three minutes after the hour because I am also teaching that being on time is an important aspect of any profession.
Three of the students were there before nine, but most of them arrived about five after. Ten after one of the staff came in and took role and then three or four students plopped in their seats around nine fifteen. The being late part was not only non-professional but I realized that the cadence, set up by the school, was way more relaxed then I thought it should have been. So we started late and I worried that the material wouldn’t be finished on time. One of the rules at the school was~ ten minute breaks for every hour. I was used to little breaks and a 20-30 minute lunch because the class usually insisted on not stopping.
The school had put my power point presentation into their system so it was a breeze just clicking a button for each slide instead of flipping transparences on an overhead projector. There were about 30 students in this class and other than the lateness of most I still had high hopes for the group.
Well, as I leveraged information I started noticing that folks had become antsy in their seats. After the first several minutes the majority of the class had a glazed-over look of disinterest. Two in the back constantly talked thru the whole workshop while one was text messaging (I really felt that I was getting in her way by teaching), another was sleeping. My hope, expectations and self-esteem had started dimming.
Early on I had extended an invitation to ask questions and, yes folks, there really are stupid ones. One bored student tossed an irrelevant one at me like a dagger. It was as if I was just there to burn up four hours of her life-force. To my shock and horror I was watching the perfect storm. It struck me that 90% of these students didn’t want to be there! Duh. Sometimes, I can be a little slow on the uptake! Perhaps I should have queried advice from my Astrologer before starting that day. Now what?
There was a small glimmer of light peeking through the clouds though, as I noticed three in the front row, taking copious notes and enthralled at my every word. These would be the successful ones and the ones that would have taken my class and paid big bucks to be there. So, defaulting back to what I have always known, I continued with the agenda of the past and was rushing to make sure all of the information was still given.
Occasionally, I have been known to cuss with passion, saying shit or Jesus when trying to keep the students interested by telling a funny joke experience and being very animated. This didn’t happen often but it certainly did with this class because I was trying to keep them awake and entertained. One joke consisted of a tale about a very bad-business, massage therapist dripping sweat on my back in session. I used the term, “Fuck!” in a laughing way. Ok, the level of my ability to influence anyone at that point reached sub prime.
The pentacle of affliction occurred when a young man, from the back of the room, came up to the front of the class where I was, brushed me aside, bending over a desk to the left of me he started shuffling things around. I realized that even a kindergartener knows not to do that to the teacher, so I thought he might be mentally challenged and gave him no attention by ignoring the action. Most of my notes, thermos and teaching stuff were on that desk two feet from me but I didn’t want to give credence to the situation. In the back of my mind I was saying, “WHAT THE FUCK!” This day was turning out to feel like I was a third grade substitute teacher and in an instant, my sorrow and compassion went out to all of those who really had that job.
Things got worse, when not two minutes later this kid of 18, the mentally challenged one, came blasting back up in front of the room, brushed me aside and started rustling around the stuff on the table again! (I can’t make this stuff up folks) I finally stopped the lecture, which happened to be on boundaries, and stepped toward him. I said, ”Can I help you? Is there something that you need?” He looked at me and said, “I’m just trying to sharpen my pencil.” Thinking to myself, “Would you mind if I just chocked the shit out of you?” I took a breath and said, “Well can you go back to your seat and borrow a pen from someone until we finish?” He went back and sat down and at that moment I realized that he was not mentally challenged. Maybe needing a lot of counseling but all of his faculties were present if he had chosen to use them.
The vibe was tense and flat to say the least. All accept my three star students in the front that worked through the chaos of the four-hour struggle. Thinking to myself, these would be the ones that would be successful, and let it go. I was able to get through the class and let them leave 10 minutes early~exhausted but none the worse for ware. The storm had passed. I had done the best that I could given the variables of a strange new landscape.
A week had passed and I was in the store looking for a purse to go with my new shoes. This was sort of a celebratory expense as I wanted to look good for my future students. I got a call from the owner of the school. A great guy, been in business for many years. I had taught at his school for three years and had even done some marketing consultation for him. We knew each other pretty well and both considered each to come from high integrity. Thank God I had laid that foundation because it would be the only reason this phone call would not have degenerated to the statement, “You’re fired.”
When I saw his caller ID on my cell phone I thought how great it would be to talk to him about my new venture and start collecting the accolades he had to offer. As I answered the call he started out with, “Hi shaun, I wanted to go over a few things that the class felt were real problems regarding your teaching abilities and attitude in the last workshop.” Right there, in the purse isle at Penny’s in the mall, my heart sank to the carpet. I quickly looked for a cubby hole to hide in and hear the rest of the phone conversation in private.
He proceeded to tell me that the general consensus of the class was that I was curt, abusive to a student, didn’t give them their 10 minute breaks and oh yes, I embarrassed some by using the “F” word. Hmmm, my first thought to that was~ I guess some people don’t get cable. I also thought this wasn’t a good time to say that.
My blood pressure raised as he continued with his subtle tongue-lashing. Being the mature adult that I am, didn’t feel the need to defend myself. All except for mentioning the mentally challenged student. I did tell that story suggesting to the owner that he would not have done that to him nor has that behavior ever been ok. The owners reply was, “Oh him, well that I understand.” Owning the inappropriate use of the word fuck; owning that I had become surly and only interested in making sure they got every drop of information; the only reason I was not fired was my past perfect, never any complaints from students, behavior.
So in life it is always good to look at my part when the shit hits the fan even though my first reaction was to jump back and be right. As he talked on I listened and in my mind accepted the prostrate posture of a peasant begging for their life. My ego was deflated in an instant and I had become a mortal right there in the purse isle at Penney’s.
Sulking from the mall looking for my car, reviewing my newfound prospectus, I remembered the old saying~ be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. I sat on the bench of pity for a week and prayed for guidance. How would I get out of this tangle I had asked for so fervently?
The answer came as it always does~ my Inner Voice said, “Be creative! You can do it, now that you got your wish just make some adjustments.” To be honest I had also just also ordered a ton of books and I didn’t want them to end up in my garage. They were to be sold in their bookstore. So I decided to retool the content tossing out everything but the core information of the course. This cut the time by 45 minutes. It also increased my hourly wage by 30%! I would make sure they had at least a 10-minute break each hour~go ahead take your time. I lowered my expectations and decided to relax. If they wanted further information they could buy the book. And one more important change~no cussing.
Making amends to those you have harmed is important especially if you will be seeing your victims at a party or such. And you will. So I sent an email to the school asking them to send the students an email from me. It stated to them that in no way was my intention to be curt or cruel but that I had lost sight, trying to give them as much information as possible, of their learning experience. The school sent letters, all was well. That is called cleaning up your side of the street.
Not to get into too much more detail, lets just say workshop number two went very smoothly. Breaks were on time or longer, the potty mouth was history, education was merely a suggestion as well as the books being available for reference~ and there it was. It was a great success, I got the usual hugs and thanks so much you have changed my life AND I sold a ton of books that day. Now this workshop has become a cakewalk. Who would have guessed?
So, we try to ask the Universe for guidance, and sometimes we can’t help but want to take charge. Be careful what you wish for, be humble at the outcome, the Universe will adjust your self-imposed challenges and show you the way out IF you ask. Just remember when you’re in a pile of shit~ always look for the pony!
May this be our best year ever in spite of ourselves!
Love, shaun
BeWellPublicatons.com
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Shaun Brown,
Author, Speaker,
Columnist
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Shaun Brown has been self employed most of her adult life. She has an AA degree in General Business and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Sacramento, in Communications.
Her main focus of education is in advertising, promotion and production. Ms. Brown began writing music 1971 and has continued to unfold as a writer in many other directions since that time.
Her best selling book is based on the course: "Create A Successful Holistic Business." She has authored two books on the subject and is actively involved in teaching workshops in N. California. Her holistic business articles are published in several national holistic magazines, and she has a successful holistic practice in Orangevale, California.
To find out more about Shaun’s books and workshops visit her on-line at
www.BeWellPublicatons.
com.
BeWell!
Shaun Brown
BeWellPublications.com
916) 988-4322
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