It has been a long while since I have been here. It seems that being on the phone works so much better than on email or online.
Anyways, I was in the inquiry of "What would I give my life to?" if money and nothing else were a concern. This is what I came up with: all people's well-being transformed beyond what they think is possible where people, organizations, and countries are all working for the common good by 2035.
One of the ways that will be manifested will be in the integration of Tae Kwon Do, Qigong, adventure, and consultation.
Now, there is coming up with the funding to take the course that would train me in delivering that powerfully. What I have been doing is attempting to figure out how to pay for it on my own rather than asking people to invest in me and the vision I am creating in the world. Oddly, I have absolutely no power in asking for money. It is like I can't even speak the request.
Mary
For the first time, I was actually afraid to take a belt test. My belt tests at GA Tech were much harder. In this test, there were many lessons learned. I will not include all the examples that correlate to the lessons. The lessons can be applied to life as well as the test.
First lesson: Share with as many people as possible that you are testing especially if you are nervous about doing it. I emailed 200-300 people an invitation. The night before, I wanted to back out, but didn't because I knew people would want to know. I also didn't know how many people would come who did not RSVP.
I also became sick the morning of the test. Normally, I would become 10 times more ill by engaging in physical activity. I did not back out because so many people knew.
Second lesson: Playing the game is more important than whether or not I prevail. There were many circumstances to overcome just to be able to test - being sick, time, learning some forms as little as two days beforehand, etc.
Third lesson: Move to your own rythym if moving with the rythym of others does not work.
Fourth lesson: When the mind is quiet and still there is ease of movement. There are no obstacles. Without a quiet and still mind, there is pain and confusion. Breaking boards was a great example. Boards that are normally not a problem to break, were a problem when I was thinking. Forms and kicking combinations were a problem when thinking. When I did not think, a piece of one board flew across the room and sparring was easy.
Fifth lesson: When you practice anything for six months it becomes a part of who you are.
Yesterday was the climax of my frustration with regards to a leadership accountability I have. The problem wasn't time, it wasn't too many activities that I am engaged in, or anything else like that. The problem was that I did not have a future that was big enough for me to aspire to. In those moments when I have a future that is big enough, anywhere in life, it is like I am drawn to action and I am inspired.
The second part of the frustration was that I had a broken agreement to lead classrooms for a leadership program in Feb. because I choose to coach another leadership program first.
So, I am creating what classroom leader is and will be for me. That is perfect because this weekend, I also have an essay to write expressing what my future is as a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
It would be tempting to now create and design every aspect of my life this weekend; however, I am going to take it one step at a time.
The past 7-8 months have been pretty incredibly busy. And, no I have not created my Tae Kwon Do Center yet! And that is okay.
There came a point when I became very unsettled. I know that I can create and invent my life, but what if I never discovered my life's purpose? What if I was never fully satisfied? There I was like a ping-pong ball engaging in other people's projects because I thought I should, and their project is inspiring. I was also battling between doing that which calls to me and going only after money. I was leaning more towards chasing money.
At some point, a series of synchronous events led me to a series of books starting with the book "Living With Joy". Joy, something I wasn't sure I had any longer. I was to discover otherwise once I started to speak to people and once I started to eliminate the clutter of activities that I thought I should be doing. Note: I said should rather than love. :) There are a few things that I enjoy in life: Tae Kwon Do, writing, travelling, adventure/exploration, hiking, talking to people (the fulfilling conversations, not the empty conversations of gossip, weather and the like).
Over the next week and a half, I will be testing for my 3rd degree black belt. I will continue to be intensely studying this next week and a half, and I will be writing an essay of my future as a black belt. That is perfect because I was planning to create an invent that in December. :) And, in the meantime, I will continue reading the book "Living with Joy" and doing the meditations.
In following my joy, I will take one step at a time. Sometimes the light of our path only shines that far ahead.
Last week, I became very aware that anything is possible. That there is no shortage of resources if they are allowed in.
I also became aware that there would be tremendous power in playing the same game as my coachees, beyond the coaching game: creating a game (i.e. endeavor) for the pure joy of it, creating something new, and building prosperity in the process.
The first step in creating a wonderful game, the Tae Kwon Do Center, was taken last night.
The Center will focus on the whole person (mind, body, spirit). It will be a place for people of all ages with the intention of being able to unleash their full potential as a human being.
Given that I am engaged in a number of things, I do not have the time to be the one that teaches the classes. The challenge will be creating and building the team that will run the school. That is not the way that I know Tae Kwon Do schools to be started.
I will post here on the progress of the project in between the posts about transforming people's relationship to prosperity. :)
In keeping with the topic of "prosperity consciousness", I want to add a couple of specific examples of what is possible.
We can really ask ourselves if it is possible to love what we do, have a huge vision for what we are up to, and make money at it.
In the past year, I have seen it happen. Whether it has been through a few volunteer coaching sessions or a professional coaching session, I have been fortunate to give coaching to people who have a huge vision and are fulfilling upon becoming millionaires.
In each case, the person tapped into their networks or the networks of others. Each person gave up the idea that they could not be a millionaire and fulfill on a vision that brought them joy. And, in each case, the person built their success upon the lessons of their failures and the failures of others.
In one very specific case, I had the opportunity to pro-actively engage in my network on behalf of a real estate investor who has a huge vision that goes beyond real estate investing.
We generated an abundance of people who would be willing to be a money partner provided the numbers of a multi-million dollar deal worked.
Generating the abundance of resources that could finance the investor's deal, in a short period of time, was amazing. There was another component that I found to be incredible.
I had the opportunity to get in touch with people I had not spoken to in months. In some cases, I was in communication with someone where I thought the relationship was permanently damaged. The game was just too big to be stopped by circumstances and what I thought I might happen. The end result was that there was a profound joy in the act of creating the resources for the deal and connecting with people. A whole new sense of freedom became available, and a whole new sense of what is possible became available.
I became very aware that money is not the root cause of what prevents people from realizing their dreams, following their bliss, or having their passions realized. There are so many resources out there that we can use. All we have to do is ask and honor people.
Prosperity
November 2008 
maryteam2
Access: Public
