Gaia: CAMP HAPPINESS: "Getting to Better by 2012"

Re: Excited about this Group...

http://pause.gaia.com — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:46:52 GMT

oh, I've led them to this very page with a link :-)

Re: Traveling ...

http://siona.gaia.com — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:56:31 GMT

Oh, Naumadd. Thank you so much for this recommendation! I love that particular feature of Flickr, too, but I hadn't really thought of it in reference to travel. What a beautiful perspective.

Do you use those images to inspire your own creativity? You're a wonderful writer, and I'd love to see whether you might come up with some sort of 'game' for us involving Flickr-explorations. :)

Re: The first 'assignment.'

http://siona.gaia.com — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:37:45 GMT

Game would be wonderful! That's a brilliant idea. I think it helps me, at least, dream more broadly; if this is "just" a game there really are no limits. Thank you. :)

Re: The first 'assignment.'

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:33:36 GMT

RE: The word "assignment"..... Siona, I agree. I am going to be using the term "Game" from now on, and will open a new board for this. Assignment is definitely old paradigm, game is more playful, open, spontaneous. In my writing workshops, I always called the provocations "games." So thanks for bringing this up right at the get go here, and watch for a new Board titled "Games." I will be gathering all of these on a special site on Typepad, so that someone new coming in can find all of them in one place, and choose which to respond to.

On your other point, I had the same experience, as I have always been big on "visioning" and setting goals, but projecting ahead to 2012, and taking the challenge of SIGNIFICANTLY (AS IN 10x) BETTER, stopped me cold for a few minutes. Then, I got very very honest with myself, and allowed myself to write down what that 10X better would look like for me, and it was a revelatory moment, to be sure. When I really faced it, and embraced what I really want, I had tears streaming down my face, and I realized how much I want the 10X better that I now see for myself. Perhaps you discovered the same thing: This question, especially with the 10X factor, and three and a half years to achieve these goals, can put you in touch with the very deepest longings, aspirations, needs and convictions that you hold for your life. And when you cover an array of subjects, it gets very powerful: relationship, career, money, home, true calling, creativity, bliss.

Tough, but profoundly healing when we just get, and stay in touch with what our Soul is telling us in a thousand ways. Great comment! Siona! How about "Games"? If that can be better, I will change it, but that is what I am going with for now. "Assignments" was just a place holder!

POSTING FROM YOUR JOURNAL

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:22:04 GMT

Martha asks about "posting from the journey journal" into our Group space here. My response:

Hi!

As to any posts from your journal of the journey, this is totally
optional. The imp;ortant thing is your comfort zone and sense of
privacy -so just trust your intuition. this is deeply personal work,
and there are times when it will feel just fine to post, and other
times when something has CONFIDENTIAL stamped all over it! You well
may find that your reflections on the process, your insights, and other
writing lend themselves to further development as poems, etc.

Blessings!

The first 'assignment.'

http://siona.gaia.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:58:04 GMT

(I think we need a better word than assignment, though. The first hint? Clue? Invitation?)

I received the message on Easter and immediately dove into my already well-worn journal. I found it, oddly much more difficult than I thought I would; I've done those imagining-the-future projects before and hadn't had much trouble, but this one was strangely a struggle. An enjoyable struggle, to be sure, but a struggle nonetheless. I had a hard time mostly because I couldn't really think of how I'd want to change things, or, given a magic wand, what I'd want to wish for. It was a bit humbling.

I loved the exercise, though, and I'll be continuing to explore. Thank you deeply for the prompt. :)

Re: Excited about this Group...

http://siona.gaia.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:52:18 GMT

Oh, of course not! As long as you reference SARK (I'm sure she'd appreciate it) it's fine with me. :)

Re: Excited about this Group...

http://pause.gaia.com — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:59:03 GMT

hope you don't mind but i am sharing this pic with a few people! love it.

Stand by Me

http://bkempner.gaia.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 22:06:23 GMT

This awesome video inspires me to hope that there just might be enough people out there who are sufficiently far out front of the political establishment and media to give this old orb a turn for the better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A_ma2h0idk&feature=PlayList&p=49C850F826407D1B&index=0&playnext=1
Compare and contrast with upcoming tea bag parties.

POSTCARD: Getting Started

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:07:45 GMT

[CAMP HAPPINESS: "Getting to Better by 2012"] POSTCARD from Camp Happiness!

Easter Greetings!

Thank you so much for joining this Gaia Group, “Getting to 10X Better by 2012.”

I am just finishing a short “Hitchhiker's Guide to Getting to 10X Better by 2012” and you will have it soon.

This is just a big warm welcome, because it is Easter, and Easter is a time of new life, new beginnings,and new journeys. Many of you have written to me stating your interest in creating significant transformation in your life at this time. I can promise you that the Heroic Journey Process, along with many other marvelous sources to support you, will make it possible for you to get to at least 10X better, and beyond, if you are serious, diligent, and dedicated to visioning and implementing positive change in your life.

First Assignment: Get a journal that makes you feel good, and get ready to do some “riting” (as in a rite, a sacred act). And get ready to play. Everything I offer as a “riting” game is optional, but to the extent that you do the work, you will see results. It is that simple.

NOW, spend some time visioning your life on December 21, 2012, as you want to be three and a half years from now. Imagine not only BETTER, but 10X BETTER. Take all the time you need, no one is looking, but this writing game will define your journey and your CALL. One way to do this, to make it fun, is to pretend that you are writing a BookJacket Biography about yourself (who you will be in the future) - in this case, write in the third person.

This is your “new story,” the story which will inspire, guide and inform you as you move forward, so be as honest as you can be. If you wish to share from your work in progress, there is a section for doing this called REFLECTIONS, but any sharing will always be optional and up to you.

Spend as much time as you need to come up with a “new story” that is thrilling, motivating, edgy, daring, and most of all WHAT YOU REALLY WANT. One of the best business books in the '90's was written by Stan Davis, and titled “Future Perfect,” and he recommends this approach for companies: Figure out where you want to be, and then start planning and acting today, as though you are already there. In other words, work from the standpoint of perfection as you currently can envision it for yourself.

This will get you started. In the CAMPFIRE section, please feel welcome to ask questions about what I suggest, and I will answer them there.

Again, Ask: “What will my life be like if it is at least 10X better in three and a half years?”

Welcome to The Journey! Welcome to Camp Happiness! Happy Easter!

Happiness (aka Alex Noble)

************************************************************************

And here is an Easter Greeting for you…:)
Posted on Apr 12th, 2009 by Happiness

And what is the purpose of Art, if not the perfection of love? For love is our primal cause, our ultimate destination. Love is our ancient memory of unity, harmony and grace. It is our burden, our adventure, our deep intuition of completeness. It is love that invites us to become timeless and enter in to the Mysteries. It is love that is our calling, our quest, and our Grail. It is love that shows us eternity in the flower, and unfolds the Kingdom of Heaven in each of our hearts. It is love alone which fuels Creation, and enchants order from chaos and old night. Love is our first, final and forever gift, the destiny we can never escape, our connection to holiness and the cosmos. For we are made of the stuff and substance of love’s dreams. We are not forgotten, fallen angels, but unforgettable light-bearing stars.

Alex Noble

J.S. Bach - Easter Oratorio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvK0wNNFPz4

Photo from Virtual Camp Happiness @ Second Life by Happiness Merryman

This message has been sent from CAMP HAPPINESS: “Getting to Better by 2012”. You can change your subscription settings here.

Traveling ...

http://rickybarnes1960.gaia.com — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:40:48 GMT

I've spent hundreds of hours simply clicking the RELOAD button at Flickr's 7-Days Interestingness Explore Page. Earlier in my life I was very much the world traveler. It is the stuff of which I'm made and, as I may have mentioned in my profile, I'm a nomad in spirit and by choice. Being physically limited, my options for world travel these days are severely limited, but the nomad in me will not and will not be allowed to fade. I now travel by way of my art, through books and the internet and, I can assure you, my wanderer's spirit is very much fed to overflowing - most especially by my wanderings at the Flickr page I mentioned and through those images it provokes in words. For me, every day of wandering those images is an adventure into the lives, the spirits, the minds and hearts spilled and spilling there. Through a vivid imagination and an intense sense of empathy, I live those places, those moments, those spirits as surely as I do my own.

Traveling inspires me - not matter what form it takes.

Goodreads for all!

http://maharaja113.gaia.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:14:10 GMT

Hello everyone! On Happi's recommendation I just want to alert you all to a website that I've found tremendously useful: it's called Goodreads, and it's a great resource for a) keeping track of your reading, b) connecting with other book lovers with similar interests, and c) connecting with at least some of the writers you read. It would be a little difficult for me to send out a mass invitation, so I'll just post the URL and you can check it out at your convenience. You can find me there under my real name, Kevin Rogers. (Likewise for Facebook, those of you who have a page there.) One small word of caution: it's a small site, and occasionally runs a little slowly. But since it's for bookworms, and bookworms are never in a hurry, no one seems to mind. *lol* And the URL is (drumroll please):

http://www.goodreads.com/

How very clever. *lol* Have a wonderful day, all! Namaste.

Stumbling to better

http://bkempner.gaia.com — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:35:01 GMT

Earlier this year, Death and I had a staring match. He blinked. This time. He'll be back.

I had an emergency triple bypass after suffering a minor heart attack. A few days after I was released from the hospital, I was rushed back after the wires holding my sternum together started unraveling. I underwent a second operation. After both procedures, I spent around half the time in intensive care than the doctors predicted. A reluctant versifier, I composed a lot of poetry in my head. I can't recall a word of it now, but it saved my sanity.

Over the long weeks of convalescence, I tried to locate meaning from my experience. It was useless to ask "Why me?" because the only possible answer was "Why not me?" Was I being given a second chance to correct my mistakes? Who or what was giving me that chance? Did I even need a meaning?

I intend to use this episode as a launch pad to create the best work of my life. I intend to help my friends discover that spark of greatness that resides within themselves.

Will I get to better in 2012? I certainly hope so, but first and foremost I plan to be there, and for now, at least, that seems sufficient.

Morning Has Broken (Cat Stevens)

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:58:27 GMT

morning fills with light
the shadows, where did they go?
my path is clear now

alex noble

photo by alex noble. music by cat stevens

Excited about this Group...

http://siona.gaia.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:15:48 GMT

Forgive me if this isn't the right place to post; my heart just went galloping straight into the play area and so I got tugged along after. I think this Group is going to be such fun, and so important, and such a great reminder to take things a little more lightly.

I'm going to share a piece from SARK, which I think is very, very much in the spirit of this Group. Click below. :)

Rumi Love Poems (Sharacard)

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:29:27 GMT

Rumi on love....:)

Pattern of the Heroes Journey in The Matrix

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:55:19 GMT

Every successful movie contains the basic elements of the Heroes Journey in some form. Here are some examples from The Matrix.

Quotes from Joseph Campbell

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:29:36 GMT

These beautiful quotations from the work of Joseph Campbell offer support and encouragement for "following your bliss." Bliss is the only life worth living!

The CALL

http://camphappiness.gaia.com — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:48:28 GMT

The Heroic Journey always begins with a CALL. To say "I want to get to Better in my life by 2012" is a CALL. Please reflect on the ways you wish to create "Better" in your life over the next 2 and a half years. Feel welcome to post your CALL here or in the Reflections Section, below. Remember, sharing is always optional! It is helpful to create a special journal to record your ideas, actions, and progress.