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Posted: November 6th, 2007 at 1:14am By: Janet Conner
"Before we begin" is an excerpt from the upcoming book from Conari Press, "Writing Down the Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within."
There is a Voice inside you. There is a Voice inside everyone. Whether you hear it or not, the Voice is there. Whether you acknowledge it or not, the Voice is there. Whether you ask it for help or ignore its guidance, the Voice is still there. Waiting. Waiting for you to stop, if just for a moment, and listen. The Voice is always there watching out for you, encouraging you, loving you. This book is about connecting with that Voice.
I'll let you in on a sweet little secret right here on the very first page: It's easy. And why shouldn't it be? The Voice doesn't want to make this difficult. It isn't trying to hide from you. Quite the opposite: It is seeking you. It knows the rich conversation that awaits you both. It knows what you need and longs to give it to you. So it stays close at hand, in your heart, your mind, your soul. The Voice is right there, barely below the surface, waiting for you to pick up your pen and penetrate that thin wall of consciousness that keeps you apart.
But why the pen? Why writing? After all, there are other ways to connect. There are powerful spiritual and religious traditions like meditation, prayer and ritual. There are rich body-mind-spirit practices such as massage, Reiki, yoga and Tai Chi. For some, long-distance swimming or running are transcendental experiences. My son swears he finds the greatest peace and does his best thinking riding his motorcycle late at night when he's the only one on the road. All these things are good. And all of them work.
Nothing in "Writing Down the Soul" is intended to supplant or alter the practices you use or the beliefs you hold. Soul writing doesn't replace anything; it enriches everything. Writing focuses your attention so clearly on the wisdom within that you cannot help but feel guided and loved. A young woman in a "Writing Down the Soul" workshop expressed her surprise when she discovered how little effort was required to make that connection: "This is so easy. You don't have to listen to a CD or buy a program, or change your beliefs, or fix your diet, or anything. Just show up. Really that's it, just show up. Everyone would love this."
She's right. This kind of writing is easy. There's no one standing over your shoulder judging your grammar or punctuation, or determining if anything you've said makes a lick of sense. It's easy, but make no mistake, the practice of pouring your soul onto paper is profound. And, in the way of all things profound, it can — and will — change your life. Before you turn another page, consider this carefully: If you like your world the way it is; if you don't want to (or need to) improve your emotional, spiritual or financial life; if you are content with your relationships, your family, your work and your home, put this book down! Don't read another word. I mean it.
Because once you open that door in your soul, you can't quite close it again. You can't pretend that you don't know where the door is or how easy it is to walk through. Once you start engaging in rich, deep conversation with something higher, bigger, deeper and wiser than yourself, you'll find yourself saying things you've never said before, asking questions you've never asked before, and contemplating ideas you've never considered before. Once you open yourself to divine direction, you will receive guidance, but — fair warning — it may not be the guidance you expect. Once you start asking for more, you will start receiving more — more ideas, more intuition, more inspiration, more wisdom, more opportunities, more challenges and more questions. Always, there are more questions. Because the answers, as you are about to discover, live inside the questions.
And miracles. Let's not forget miracles. Ask and you shall receive. Every spiritual tradition tells us that asking and receiving is the law of the universe, and the Voice is oh so happy to comply. Pick up a pen with the intention of connecting with that extraordinary Voice within and your life will start rumbling, shifting and moving. Awakening, as if from a long sleep, you will see your world differently, and you'll find yourself changing, subtly at first, and then, as your trust in the wisdom of the Voice builds, you'll find you have the inner strength and confidence to create your own brave new world.
Sound a bit scary? Well, the best ideas are. We all want safety, but safety, it turns out, is a paradox. To feel really safe, you first have to step out into the unknown, experience the fear, and discover that all is well. I can tell you for 10 pages or 10 hours that you are safe and loved, but until you feel it — feel it in the deepest place in your soul — you don't know it and certainly don't believe it. You have to step out into that space between here and there, between "Who I am" and "Who I could be," between "What I have" and "What I want." Nothing new can happen until you step into that empty space. Like Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," you have to thrust one foot forward into empty air and put it down firmly, trusting that something somehow will prevent you from falling. And something will. Something will remind you to be not afraid. Something will encourage you to explore the possibilities. Something will talk you through the scary parts, and something will definitely celebrate your joys. From here on, the Voice will guide you. It will let you know that you are safe and loved.
Are you ready to begin? Then, by virtue of intention, you are now officially "A Writer of the Soul." Welcome to the profound practice of entering your soul and recording the messages you find there. Let the conversation begin.
— — —
Janet Conner, S.E. (Spiritual Explorer), is the creator of the Spiritual Geography map and book series. She is currently working on a new book, "Writing Down the Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within," for Conari Press. The Spiritual Geography books are available through Amazon or Spiritual Geography. Contact Janet at {email janetconner@tampabay.rr.com}janetconner@tampabay.rr.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Janet Conner.
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"Before we begin" is an excerpt from the upcoming book from Conari Press, "Writing Down the Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within."
There is a Voice inside you. There is a Voice inside everyone. Whether you hear it or not, the Voice is there. Whether you acknowledge it or not, the Voice is there. Whether you ask it for help or ignore its guidance, the Voice is still there. Waiting. Waiting for you to stop, if just for a moment, and listen. The Voice is always there watching out for you, encouraging you, loving you. This book is about connecting with that Voice.
I'll let you in on a sweet little secret right here on the very first page: It's easy. And why shouldn't it be? The Voice doesn't want to make this difficult. It isn't trying to hide from you. Quite the opposite: It is seeking you. It knows the rich conversation that awaits you both. It knows what you need and longs to give it to you. So it stays close at hand, in your heart, your mind, your soul. The Voice is right there, barely below the surface, waiting for you to pick up your pen and penetrate that thin wall of consciousness that keeps you apart.
But why the pen? Why writing? After all, there are other ways to connect. There are powerful spiritual and religious traditions like meditation, prayer and ritual. There are rich body-mind-spirit practices such as massage, Reiki, yoga and Tai Chi. For some, long-distance swimming or running are transcendental experiences. My son swears he finds the greatest peace and does his best thinking riding his motorcycle late at night when he's the only one on the road. All these things are good. And all of them work.
Nothing in "Writing Down the Soul" is intended to supplant or alter the practices you use or the beliefs you hold. Soul writing doesn't replace anything; it enriches everything. Writing focuses your attention so clearly on the wisdom within that you cannot help but feel guided and loved. A young woman in a "Writing Down the Soul" workshop expressed her surprise when she discovered how little effort was required to make that connection: "This is so easy. You don't have to listen to a CD or buy a program, or change your beliefs, or fix your diet, or anything. Just show up. Really that's it, just show up. Everyone would love this."
She's right. This kind of writing is easy. There's no one standing over your shoulder judging your grammar or punctuation, or determining if anything you've said makes a lick of sense. It's easy, but make no mistake, the practice of pouring your soul onto paper is profound. And, in the way of all things profound, it can — and will — change your life. Before you turn another page, consider this carefully: If you like your world the way it is; if you don't want to (or need to) improve your emotional, spiritual or financial life; if you are content with your relationships, your family, your work and your home, put this book down! Don't read another word. I mean it.
Because once you open that door in your soul, you can't quite close it again. You can't pretend that you don't know where the door is or how easy it is to walk through. Once you start engaging in rich, deep conversation with something higher, bigger, deeper and wiser than yourself, you'll find yourself saying things you've never said before, asking questions you've never asked before, and contemplating ideas you've never considered before. Once you open yourself to divine direction, you will receive guidance, but — fair warning — it may not be the guidance you expect. Once you start asking for more, you will start receiving more — more ideas, more intuition, more inspiration, more wisdom, more opportunities, more challenges and more questions. Always, there are more questions. Because the answers, as you are about to discover, live inside the questions.
And miracles. Let's not forget miracles. Ask and you shall receive. Every spiritual tradition tells us that asking and receiving is the law of the universe, and the Voice is oh so happy to comply. Pick up a pen with the intention of connecting with that extraordinary Voice within and your life will start rumbling, shifting and moving. Awakening, as if from a long sleep, you will see your world differently, and you'll find yourself changing, subtly at first, and then, as your trust in the wisdom of the Voice builds, you'll find you have the inner strength and confidence to create your own brave new world.
Sound a bit scary? Well, the best ideas are. We all want safety, but safety, it turns out, is a paradox. To feel really safe, you first have to step out into the unknown, experience the fear, and discover that all is well. I can tell you for 10 pages or 10 hours that you are safe and loved, but until you feel it — feel it in the deepest place in your soul — you don't know it and certainly don't believe it. You have to step out into that space between here and there, between "Who I am" and "Who I could be," between "What I have" and "What I want." Nothing new can happen until you step into that empty space. Like Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," you have to thrust one foot forward into empty air and put it down firmly, trusting that something somehow will prevent you from falling. And something will. Something will remind you to be not afraid. Something will encourage you to explore the possibilities. Something will talk you through the scary parts, and something will definitely celebrate your joys. From here on, the Voice will guide you. It will let you know that you are safe and loved.
Are you ready to begin? Then, by virtue of intention, you are now officially "A Writer of the Soul." Welcome to the profound practice of entering your soul and recording the messages you find there. Let the conversation begin.
— — —
Janet Conner, S.E. (Spiritual Explorer), is the creator of the Spiritual Geography map and book series. She is currently working on a new book, "Writing Down the Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within," for Conari Press. The Spiritual Geography books are available through Amazon or Spiritual Geography. Contact Janet at {email janetconner@tampabay.rr.com}janetconner@tampabay.rr.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Janet Conner.
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