Anastasia on vacation

Back next week

Hope your Passover and Easter holidays were joyous.

Happening to One Another

Game #3 was played yesterday.

Actually it was a pre—Game #3. We needed to do some preliminary team building yesterday so we created an interim process to accommodate that necessity.

This is an intense and powerful process I/we are bringing out of the moth balls (old New Horizons, pre-Anastasia going blind) into an updated form, the Climbing The Mountain of Awe Game.

We must proceed cautiously so we accomplish the awe we are after. And, avoid the pitfalls; diversity spawning polarization rather than transcending it.

It is a tricky affair to achieve this.

I am appreciating the power of our process as it derives from our old format, more and more.

So we had an interim Game #3 yesterday.

Today that experience (which was wonderfully successful) brought a quote to my mind.

From Eric Berne, M.D., the architect of Transactional Analysis, my home-base psychological modality of my psychotherapy practice, in “What Do You Say After You Say Hello?

Berne poses the book’s title question: “What do you say after you say hello?”

Answering his own question in the book’s introduction, Berne explains it thus:

This single question… “really contains within itself all the basic questions of human living and the fundamental problems of the social science.”

The answer to the question is essentially that after we say hello, we happen to one another.

“Happening to one another” means that we see the other person as a wonderful phenomenon.

Obviously this is not a high speed, internet –favorable activity.

Nonethess, if people did take the face-to-face time, slow down, even at a Starbucks, people possibly could happen to one another.

How could we not transcend the polarization that diversity can create, if we follow this path?

Berne illustrates his point, telling a little story about the genuine smile of the Fiji Islanders, “one of the rare jewels of the world.”

“It starts slowly. It illuminates the whole face... and it fades with secret slowness as it passes by."

Only the smiles of an “uncorrupted mother and infant greeting each other” compares,. Berne suggests.

(“What Do You Say After You Say Hello?’, Grove Press, pages 3 and 4.)

Our new GAME group team is developing this “happening to one another.”

We will reach awe, if we hold our course.

Maybe slowly. But certainly.

I Had No Idea

More on our Climbing The Mountain Of Awe Game.

It’s a challenging process, this new GAME of our’s.

Only for the most dedicated peace-builders.

We have to concentrate on the intent; reaching the peak, collectively, of an experience of awe.

• Win-win;
• Synergy;
• Thinking outside of the box on social action options.

I’ve been living the GAME as a lifestyle for close to thirty-five years.

So the methodology comes naturally to me. That is why I feel competent to offer myself as a guide for this climb.

Lorrie, my honorary daughter, has been living that climb, too, for more than a decade and a half.

For Sue and our other beginners at “playing the game”, it offers a new language and approach to collective peace-building.

So do you know what happened?

Of course, you don’t!

I discovered that I need to start pulling my three unpublished manuscripts out of the old storage chest as guidebooks.

Interesting, eh?

Even in not-final editing form, these three books (in progress, a very long time) explain in detail with, cutting edge perspectives, how you can, also, make the ascent.

Snake bite protection plans, the most special feature!

(Remember snake bite protection from early on when I was first telling you about preparing to climb the Mountain Of Awe?)

Information is now online on how to purchase a copy of your own signed, limited edition of the first of my three unpublished manuscripts:

Surviving Addictions:

On The Origins And Cure of Adrenalin Addictions

I had no idea people would be needing a copy of my guidebooks for themselves, At least not so soon.

How silly of me, especially with the caliber and the experience of climbers my leaders team have.

What fun lies ahead.

(Information on and the foundation quiz from book #3, “Exploring Your Dark Side: The Adventure Of A Lifetime,” can also be found online.)

Let’s see what will happen next as we climb our Mountain of Awe.

GAME #3. Thursday, April 14.

“Climbing The Mountain Of Awe”

An interactive GAME of empowerment and transformation

Game #2.

We played our new GAME again last Thursday.

We are still rehearsing, but we are beginning to catch our stride.

Next step: beginning to develop a bi-weekly GAME group.

Already our GAME is becoming infectious, at least for me!  I am so grateful to my volunteers who are making this possible. And, following my lead.

Someday, I hope you will get a chance to play when we come to your area. We are developing a GAME team to work with me in doing the GAME. That means that maybe "someday" might not be so far away. 

Renewal of the GAME is probably the single best thing anyone could help me do.

I have felt almost completely cut off from a community where I could feel whole since I lost my eyesight.  My gratitude to my volunteers is immense.

Next week we add one new member, ZOP Sistah, Sandi.

If she wants to be on our team, she's in! 

She's got all the qualifications we are looking for in GAME team members; absolutely -- reliably -- true to those first four pledges of our ten (six more to post when the time is right).  And, plenty of chutzpah to go along with it.

That's my Sandi; kindness, generosity, courage and endurance, for starters.

Someday, hopefully, this GAME team will be so adept that I -- Anastasia The Storyteller -- can become obsolete.

More to come.

Anastasia

Today the weeping cherry is in bloom and the magnolia is heading that way.

Forsythia, too, but I don't really like it very well.

A Passion For Truth Part II: What It Means To Be Without Guile

Commentary From Anastasia

I have friends – lots of them – who are abundant in guilelessness. Some of them have even become my “peace buddies.”

That means whenever we meet, we do our best to be together in ways that lift up one another (and, of course, enhance our individual and collective environments.)

My “peace buddies” make my heart sing.

Being with them feels refreshing and inspiring. And, as safe and secure as it gets for humans. Sometimes, we can even get to “awe” right on the spot. (Not always as “awe” is a powerful mountain to climb.)

No matter what activity, project, adventure or challenge my “peace buddies” and I encounter -- and -- no matter the obstacles, we always come through them with elegant solutions.

These friends – consistently – meet the criteria needed to climb and reach the peak of the Mountain of Awe; striving to do their best with those 14 best peace builders' qualities – and –reliably transparent and accountable for their snakey behaviors.

We meet me with the intention of having hours to live at an optimum level, honoring the values we hold most dear. We’ve learned through many trials by fire - and continue to learn - the value of having respect for the manner in which we make our climb, not on whether or not we reach the peak, today, tomorrow or some other time.

My personal small "zone of peace" circle of most consistent and skillful “peace buddies are -

• My tree hugging zop sistah, Sue (*zop sistah – charter member of the Divine Small "Zones Of Peace" Sisterhood, circa September 11, 2008).
• Sandi (*zop sistah – charter member of the Divine Small "Zones Of Peace" Sisterhood, circa September 11, 2008).
• Lorrie. honorary daughter, whose success at overcoming hurdles makes me proud. (More on Lorrie later.)

And Gloria and Alisia --- and --- and -----

And plenty of male “peace buddies”too.

As they bring in some challenges that are a bit gender distinct along with their special unique gifts, I will introduce them later.

All of us have become adept at finding “elegant solutions,” no matter what! And, building small “zones of peace” everywhere we go.

Keep watching as this team of Small “ Zones Of Peace” core leaders, friends and family expand their, personal and collective, skills, along with me, in our new “Climbing The Mountain Of Awe” GAME.

Next rehearsal and training date tomorrow, Thursday, March 31!

And, remember Support our burgeoning efforts by visiting our Elegant Solutions LED online store. Purchase your LED bulbs there.

Help us light up the world one bulb at a time.

We really do need your support! And, your growing interest and participation in our endeavors.

A Passion For Truth Part I: What It Means To Be Without Guile

I have a story today (in two parts) on "guilelessness" that I've had on hold for awhile. I offer it now as it fits neatly in with my Anastasia The Storyteller article for today on "A Passion For Truth".

It is shared in honor of my New Horizons Small "Zones of Peace" Project right arm, Sue deVeer*, who is slowly but surely recovering from a recent (January, 2011) major, emergency surgery. First, the definition and some tips:

Guilelessness: Without hidden agendas, guile or cunning, especially deceitfulness. Ability to be straightforward in all situations and circumstances.

Tip #1: To build small “zones of peace” -- turn hidden agendas to the good by seeking a higher consciousness with yourself and others.

Tip #2: Read Abrahma Joshua Hescel's "A Passion For Truth" (discussed on Anastasia The Storyteller) for a beautiful, scholarly (Jewish) discourse on our very human challenges to find the balancing point between forthright honesty and compassion.

Tip #3: Create a conversation with those people you respect and trust (people who are a part of your developing small "zones of peace") on the subject of guilelessness.

Tip #4: Remember in your conversations that is ok to not be perfect about being "guileless." Just keep striving to do those fourteen building small "zones of peace' things (#4 of our Ten Pledges).

“My Sue” is a shining example of "guilelessness."

Some of her secrets are:

• Get all things on the table (i.e. the power of “naming”).
• Where differences exist – negotiate, keep on keeping on until you find that elegant solution* to your practical problems.
• Seek out and develop “peace buddies” – (peace buddies are people with whom to climb your Mountain of Awe).

* Sue is the “Curriculum Development Director of the New Horizons Small “Zones of Peace” Project and, obviously one of my best “peace buddies.” One of her areas of expertise is consensus building. She is the one who, among many of her other gifts to our organization, offered us the term “elegant solutions". Isn’t that elegant!

Part II, maybe tomorrow, weather permitting. Actually I will probably be away for a few days. But please come back soon. I will, too, with Part II. And, soon with another report on developments for our "Climbing The Mountain of Awe” GAME" which will have rehearsal #2 on Thursday afternoon.

Snail's Pace? No! No! Not So!

It’s March 21, the Spring Equinox -- and -- almost a month since my last posting here.

Regarding that point – The word, as I got it from our New Horizons’ blog designer, coach and maximally generous board member, Lisa Boyer, went a bit like this

 “So few blogs, posted so inconsistently, is no way to build your internet following.

Whoops.

She was wisely warning me about the consequences of the small number of blog postings that I’d offered this past month.

But what could I do? I wondered after our chat.

“Making violence obsolete” as a topic was a tough act to follow as was also, "The Spirit of the Egyptian Revolution" on my “Anastasia, The Storyteller” blog.

Awe-struck by the success of the Egyptian, non-violent protesters, I was speechless.

Or, to put it in language relevant to today’s world – blogless – I dare say.

Until today that is.

Please, I ask of you -- forgive my inattention. And, please, do not go away.

(However, if you checked out “Anastasia The Storyteller,” there were, at least, four new postings there during this time, should you be interested. Of course, I hope you would be interested. Did I see you over there? Or not? Please post comments.)

And, please, do not think for a moment that no blog posting here means nothing is going on at New Horizons that is worthy of a peace-builders interest.

Au contraire!

In real time, our “Climbing The Mountain of Awe” GAME is on our daily drawing board, taking lots of concentration, planning and teamwork.

(Check it out as developments unfold.)

Our GAME template is now, being tried out and refined.

Here is one, small update on this current NH/Small “Zones of Peace” activities that, hopefully, you will be more fully privy to before too long.

Our first rehearsal GAME was played on Wednesday, March 9.

It was a challenge that took us back to the drawing board.

Our next Awe GAME rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday, March 31.

Visit us again, soon, for reports on our progress.

And, I pledge to do my best to get out some word or another on our progress, realistically allowing for current local and worldwide upheavals.

But, admit it, if you feel left out as we move forward with our design, intent on creating the impact we are after; replicating the awe of our “Saving Centennial” project. We will do our best and just have to see what we SEE.

Seeking this as our baseline might just be part of my adventure of a lifetime that will take all of my lifetime.

Anastasia
In the mountains with 70 degree weather today.