My book tour is starting in New York City. I’m wearing a cool boho sweater, new leather skirt, and killer pair of boots, carrying a hipster bag that holds the galleys, the PR launch plan, whatever, just cool author documents, and I’m looking sophisticated yet stylish. My curls are frizz-free. None of my three children have called or texted me with emergency carpool issues, homework assignments, or we-are-out-of-sliced-turkey catastrophes, which is good because I live in L. A. and am currently in a taxicab in New York City on the way to lunch with my smart, savvy yet heartfelt editor. Our discussion focuses on the fabulosity of the book launch. The novel has struck a chord. Advocating for parents of challenging children is my heartfelt purpose. Sharing how I lost my mind and found it again and listening to others makes me feel alive. My darling husband’s got the fort covered at home. My career is effortlessly moving forward. Every morning I wake up and think, Yahoo, this is fun!
That’s my Living Vision. I am writing it as if it is real. A few months back, I joined a project team with three of my former spiritual psychology classmates. We called it the Mastermind Group and our goal was to move our heartfelt dreams into physical world reality. Maybe Masterheart would have been a more appropriate name (note to self: text group and suggest name change). It happened at a great time for me because I’d just parted ways with my first literary agent. I say first because clearly there will be a second. My second agent is totally committed to my novel and memoir and my career as an author, essayist, advocate, and voice for the modern mom. This agent and I have a simpatico that goes far beyond words; I can even imagine thanking her in the opening pages of my book:
Thank you to _________ , without whom this book would not have come into this world. We have a simpatico that goes far beyond words.
Aside: I just started reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (Liz, if you’re out there, thank you—I’m saying yes to the ideas that won’t go away so they don’t go away and attach themselves to some other author/essayist/advocate—thanks for the heads up on that one) and The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer. The Wayne Dyer book just jumped off my bookshelf and landed at my feet so I took that as a sign to read this now. They are both inspiring.
I always add, This or something better for the highest good of all concerned at the bottom of my Living Visions. If it is better for me to indie publish and start my book tour in L.A., I’m good with that, too. The point of this exercise is to focus. That’s why I originally joined the mastermind group. I was too busy going in too many different directions.
I feel passionate about all of my endeavors but this whirling dervish way of living keeps me from moving
forward—it’s my resistance. My resistance calls itself “overwhelm.” Some people think overwhelm and busy-ness are the same but, for me, they’re related but different. With “overwhelm,” I know deep down I am sabotaging myself by keeping myself from focusing. But, with busyness, I can pretend I’m so busy doing all of my work; when, really, it’s just overwhelm in another outfit. The fact is, if I’m doing all of my work, then none of my work gets done. In the end, it all comes down to focus.
A singular focus gets the job done. A singular focus burns a hole in the dining room table. It doesn’t just generate steam. Steam is cool and fun and you can show it to everyone and it can fill a room, but, in the end, it’s just steam. It dissipates, evaporates, and disappears. But a hole in the dining room table? That lasts. And that’s my intention: full burn.
I land a book deal. I develop a team of people who “get” me as a writer and human being. They are super committed to the book. We see it published. It resonates deeply with readers. The buzz is amazing and easy, like a plane on autopilot it just flies. I move on to the next project. And so on. The buzz just grows. Ease and grace. Ease and grace. Ease and grace. And gratitude.
I wasn’t able to stay in my mastermind group but their support was awesome. They reminded me to focus. I am declaring right now that I am going for full burn. My group reminded me not to be fooled into thinking I’m going it alone, to remember the “co” in “co-creation.” (We’re a bunch of spiritual psychology grads so we speak Universe to each other. For that reason and so many other reasons, I love these masterminds.)
My intention is to co-create an awesome author career.
Stay tuned for next week as I invite the Universe to be my partner.
