Week 15 – Forward Into 2011

The Sunday night webcast was a wonderful way to start the new year. I took a few minutes afterward to mentally review some of the changes I have seen in my own life and think about the actions we’ve taken as a class that have brought about those changes. An outsider may see the repetitive exercises, the promises to self, the flash cards, etc. as juvenile, but I see the effect they are having on me, the positive daily reinforcement of sound principles and forward thinking. I like the way one of my Masterkey classmates, Shannon Aldana, has stated it. She calls what we’ve been doing, are doing, and will continue to do “inner housecleaning.” I also see it as a reinforcement of Philippians 4:8 (NIV), “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

I sometimes feel a little overwhelmed. On the one hand, we are going slowly, examining things thoroughly, applying them carefully to our lives. On the other hand, if feels as though a whirlwind has swept me up and the forward momentum is out of my control. I hope the lessons stay posted for quite a while after the class is completed because I want to go back to the beginning and start again as though I’ve not studied this before. I know I’ll see new things that were overlooked in the initial steps, and at the very least I’ll reinforce what I’ve learned. In fact, I would love to have video copies of the webcasts so that I can review them no less than once a year, reinforcing over and over the things I’ve learned so they stay fresh and relevant. I don’t know yet if that’s in the plans for the future but….hint, hint, hint.

Week 14 – A Look Back

We didn’t have a webcast this week as this was the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day. It was a great time for reflection, looking back over the progress I’ve made since the beginning of the Mastermind course. I’ve come a long way, but I have a long way to go. I look forward to the remainder of the course and the adventure of growth and awakening that awaits me.

The day before I left to return to Houston my brother-in-law informed me that he was going to have to get rid of his mother’s computer.  It’s a good computer, but her health is failing and she is no longer able to use it.  Guess what?  I have a laptop and a desktop.  I started my trip to Houston with no computer and have ended the year blessed with two.  And since I use an automatic back-up service, all of my files, including my Master Key notes, can be restored.  I am blessed indeed!

Week 13 – Christmas Week

This week got off to a bad start. It actually started Wednesday when my computer crashed. Bad timing, but a great opportunity to exercise faith. That was easier said than done because I know where my bank account stands, but I worked hard at it. And it didn’t help that I was traveling Sunday and didn’t not get into the hotel in time to join the webcast. I had to borrow a computer to catch up when the replay was posted.

As in most families, holiday visits are a joyous yet tense time as family dynamics come into play. I have one relative whose delight seems to be in intimating me, and she knows exactly which buttons to push. It didn’t work this year. I know who I am, what I can accomplish, and the dreams and desires that are motivating me. At first she seemed frustrated when I refused to give in to the attempts at intimidation, then bowed to the inevitable and backed off. I had a great visit from that point forward.

And….my daughter told me she would give me an extra laptop of hers when we get back home. Faith realized.

Week 12

Wow! This week was an eye opener. In order to come up with a list of accomplishments, I had to review most of my life. Things that in the past I just considered “life” turned out to actually be accomplishments. I had to look at things, and my life, in a whole new light, and I must admit I was rather surprised. It was a good feeling to see how much I’ve actually accomplished and to give myself credit for those accomplishments. I think all of us MKMMAers should give ourselves a pat on the back, because I’m sure I’m not the only one who had my eyes opened.

Faith/Visualization – Week 11

The early weeks of this course brought me into conflict due to past teachings. During the late ’70s/early ’80s, there was a religious teaching known as “name it and claim it” which, according to those who taught against it, was basically an attempt to force God to give a person what (s)he wanted. Those same people spoke out against the “new age” teachings of visualization or guided imagery.  We didn’t have an internet to aid in research, so it seemed you got the two extremes of teaching. At that time, my middle name should have been “avoidance,” because that was my method of dealing with things that I didn’t understand or that created conflict within. So that’s how I dealt with those teachings….I avoided them.

Fast forward 30-40 years, and here I am basically facing “name it and claim it” and visualization/guided imagery. Fortunately I’ve matured since then, and it is easy to see that there is a middle ground to the extreme teaching. When applied correctly, as we are being taught, these are simply tools to help strengthen our faith.

I had long ago reconciled the extreme teachings and found the middle ground and the truth behind the distortions. I understood that when I pray in faith believing I see things that are not as though they are…..visualization. Applying the cards, the postings on the mirror, the repetitious affirmations, etc., are simply ways of keeping those images before us of the thing for which we are believing. I guess that could be called guided imagery. And I suppose repeating my DMPs daily is practicing “name it and claim it.” So I don’t know why the momentary discomfort, other than that the subconscious was rising up to try to fight the new teachings I was absorbing.

I have reconciled the conflict. I have faith; I practice visual and guided imagery. As a result, I will be able to fulfill the dreams God has placed in my heart and to become successful in order that I can finance those dreams. I daily see before me the “evidence of things not seen” as I continue to learn and grow.

Week 10 – Love in Action

I have really enjoyed the second scroll.  I like to pat myself on the back and think I’m pretty good at this “love thing.”  Well, this week I’ve really had an opportunity to put it into practice, and I discovered I’m not as good at it as I thought.

I’m fairly new to network marketing and not yet making money at it, so I work for a company sitting with elderly people in order to supplement my retirement funds.  Most of the time I enjoy it, but this week has really, really given me the opportunity to put love to work.

I started with a new client on Tuesday.  She’s originally from the Ukraine and has a very heavy accent, and she loves to talk – and talk, and talk, and talk.  She talks nonstop!  And that’s AFTER she’s turned the TV to volume 70.  (I didn’t know they would go that high.)  I never knew listening could be so tiring.

At the end of the first day I was complaining on the phone to my mom about the non-ending verbal assault on my ears.  After we ended the conversation, I realized that I have the perfect opportunity to apply the scroll we’ve been studying and practice really loving my new client.  I’m not totally there yet, but it’s getting easier.  I say this with humor, but also in all seriousness; if I can love my Ukrainian talker, I can love anybody.

“I will greet this day with love in my heart.”

Week 9 – By George! I Think She’s Got It!

I think I’m finally there….or at least getting there.  Am I the only one finding it easier to really believe I can succeed at this?

If anyone had told me I would look forward to reading the same thing over and over, I would have told them they are crazy.  I love to read fiction, but I rarely re-read a book, and if I do re-read it, it’s far enough down the road that I remember very little about it; therefore, it’s almost like reading a new book.  (Yes, it’s called immature, escapism reading, and I have very little time for it now that I’m with MKMMA. :p )  So how is it that I find myself looking forward to re-reading, especially the scrolls?  It’s amazing how you can read the same thing over and over and see something new every day.

The good news is that all of the re-reading is reinforcing what we’re being taught.  That’s why the quote from My Fair Lady.  I think I’m getting there.  No, I KNOW I’m getting there.

Week 8 – Ouch!

I’m late posting for week 8, which is par for the course for this week. It’s been a tough one. I just thought some of the earlier weeks were hard! But suddenly I found myself digging in my heels. Can we say stubborn?

I fully understand the necessity for everything we’re doing, the way it reinforces the lessons we’re learning and helps drive everything into our subconscious. Unfortunately my subconscious mind hasn’t quite gotten it yet and began to balk at everything. So week 8 evolved down to a forcible completion of the assignments.

It doesn’t help that while I understand that Facebook and Twitter can be big assets, they are not something I enjoy; therefore, I have to make myself post in Twitter occasionally. I was really surprised to discover that some people had thought one or two of my Twitter posts good enough to repost. To those who did, thank you. It made my effort to find quotes that spoke to me worthwhile.

Week 7 – No Negative Thoughts?

I thought I had this one aced.  I’m a very optimistic person, and felt that I could honestly say I rarely have negative thoughts, so I seriously doubted that I would have to start over.  Well, I was in for a big surprise.

I was looking back over my day, smugly reassuring myself that I had experienced no negative thoughts.  Then I remembered a conversation earlier that day with my daughter.  She has a friend who is rather unusual, and we were laughing at something she had said, not with humor, but basically making fun of her for one of her weird ideas.  Maybe you wouldn’t consider that a negative thought, but I decided that because I do not frequently experience negativity, for me it was negative.  So, I wiped away the smugness and started over.

Then I ran into a personal situation that brought fear of the future.   Fear?  Yes, I became aware that fear is a negative thought.  That’s when I realized that negative thoughts invade my life much more often that I thought.  I may not get upset easily at others, think bad things about others (or myself), but negativity comes in many guises.  I began to examine myself more closely for awareness of areas that, for me, are negative thoughts.  It made a difference in the way I view things, and I found out that I had to keep starting over.  It was a most humbling experience.

Week 6 – Confidently Confused

I know, I know.  Confidently confused sounds like a contradiction of terms, but that’s the way I feel right now. I have confidence that the master key system works, but there’s so much going on in my mind that I also feel confused….and sometimes overwhelmed. I can’t even really put my feelings into words. But…..I’m not quitting, not giving up. I have a feeling this is one of those times when all of a sudden everything just drops into place and suddenly I’ll “get it.” I’m waiting for that time. ‘Til then, guess I’ll just keep plugging along.