Pre-Hurricane Preparations – A Basic List

When I was growing up in North Dakota, we had huge blizzards that would come through every winter. They would last for two or even three days, and be truly dangerous. The entire region would close down and “hunker in.”

My parents had standard blizzard preparations: Make sure the oil tank was full, so we wouldn’t run out of fuel oil. Make sure we had plenty of stored canned goods – including canned protein, such as a canned chicken, and a canned ham. And finally (for their own peace of mind and sanity), the “parental essentials”: cigarettes, brandy, and chocolate. (How else could a couple get through three days of being snowbound with five children in the house?)

Naturally, I grew up taking blizzard – and winter storm and hurricane – preparations seriously.

Several years ago, we had a major hurricane come through the NoVa area, and power went out (briefly). What was more unexpected: The area’s water supply was contaminated. For a few days, water was safe enough for bathing and washing clothes, but was not drinkable. (My housemates and I delivered some gallons of pure drinking water, from our well, to business colleagues whose water supply was disrupted.)

So – as I write – we have about 48 hours to go. Then Hurricane Irene is “for real” on our shores, NoVA, and moving north. And we all want to be safe and hunkered down.

As much for my own peace of mind – and to keep a calm, steady focus – I’m writing down my “hurricane/blizzard” steps. And I’ll post a few on Facebook as well.

Step 1: Get Clean

Because in our home, the water supply can be disrupted when the power goes out (well water), the “get clean” step helps us ALL feel better if we’re going to be without water for a while.

• Take a shower, wash your hair.
• Empty the garbage. Get the recycling out of the way (but not outside).
• Clean the cat pans.

Step 2: Clean Up the Outside

This can be done any time up until the “big winds” and the rain hits, but its always best to overestimate the power of the storm.

• Make sure that anything that could go “flying off with the wind” is pulled inside.

Step 3: Get All Contact Information Organized

Think worst case – cell phone towers disrupted, or your cell phone simply runs out of juice and the power is still out. Think back-ups.

• Write down all the contact info that you might possibly need during the storm – telephone numbers, email addresses – in case you wind up using someone else’s phone or computer.
• Let people know where you’ll be; cancel unnecessary meetings, or make firm arrangements to connect with someone BEFORE heading out to the meeting – either you or they could have storm-related interrupts.
• It’s obvious, but: Charge up everything! And if you have a charger that works in the car, as a back-up, get it into the car where it will be available when/if you need it.

Step 4: Lay in “Hurricane/Blizzard Supplies”

Once again – think worst case. Think a couple of days without power.

• Lay in a stock of easy-to-eat foods; nuts and raisens and chocolate, various pre-mades. Stock up on canned protein as well; even a can of tuna fish will help. Get extra pet food.
• Load up on “potable water” (the drinkable kind) and, just to be safe, some gallons of “non-potables” – for washing, toilet flushes. (Just in case.)
• The basics: flashlights and batteries. (Load and test.) If you have a little battery-powered radio, make sure your batteries are fresh and/or that you have extras. Candles and matches. Keep the flashlight with you once it’s dark, and put the candles AND matches (for each candle) strategically throughout the house.
• Make something that’s easy to eat and will last for a few days; a big crockpot of chili, or a spagetti with sauce. Something that will tide people over for a few meals if need be. Get the “go-withs” – cheese, chips, salad, whatever. Make a pan of brownies.
• Just before the storm hits, make a big thermos of whatever it is that you like as a “hot drink.” Who wants to go without hot coffee of tea for two days?

Step 5: Advanced Preps

This step is only for those who like to be truly prepared, but if you are, then:

• Get firewood, and dry tinder, and “fire starter” materials inside. Be ready to light a fire. Get your cooking grate set up, and identify which pots/pans you’re willing to “sacrifice” to be used over an open flame. (On a cooking/grilling grate, of course.)
• If you have a grill that can be brought into the (vented) garage, get that set up.
• Find and assess all “emergency supplies.” For example, we have propane-powered lights. Time to haul those out, test and check.

Step 6: Get Something Good to Read

Of course, if you’re going to be rained in or snowed in, it helps to have something to pass the time. My all-time favorite, of course, is a good read. Naturally, I’ll recommend Unveiling: The Inner Journey first. But I’ll recommend some others as well, and as soon as I can get a bit more time, will post some links on the next blogpost.

Until then, if you ORDER NOW, Amazon will deliver your copy Friday morning – or Saturday morning – and you’ll have a fab read for the weekend!

As of today, Unveiling: The Inner Journey has been available for a tad over a month. In fact, a month ago, today, was Amustela’s Jewels show at Vespucci Italian Restaurant in Fairfax – a great show, and the first public release of Unveiling.

Just the day before, Nicole Cutts, who organizes women’s Vision Quest Retreats and other life-transforming success-coaching and events for women, hosted a private party with a dozen of her close friends – all “Powerful Women.” I had a chance to make a first introduction of Unveiling then – what fun!

Since then, I’ve had a chance to do book signings at Star*Nuts Gourmet Cafe in McLean, at McLean 1910, and at Anahid Sofian’s 5-Day Workshop Intensive in NYC. (I was there for this last Saturday’s session, taught by Eva Cernik – great insights into developing drum solos!)

And just last night, was at the benefit held to support our dear Shadiyah, which was hosted by our much-loved Gerson Kuhr, aka “The Fitness Pharaoh”. I was tremendously impressed by the dancers Monday eve, especially our dear Caleena Tarantino, who did an awe-inspiring dance, and our very special Nimeera, who came in for the (nearly) last dance of the night, and managed to outlast the musicians – who were at their finest and into really long sets! Impressive, both of you!

In the midst of all of this – actually near the beginning – I had a chance to meet (very serendipitously) Carole Jackson, author of Color Me Beautiful, which I reference twice in Unveiling. Carole kindly gifted me with a copy of her now-famous book, and bought a copy of Unveiling for herself. (Thank you, Carole!)

So right now, I’m applying the “Color Me Beautiful” principles. I’m an Autumn, and have a gorgeous royal blue silk charmeuse skirt with matching silk cami. Gorgeous pieces, wrong colors. Trying now to take them into a more “teal” direction, with a dye bath I’ve just mixed up. (And am blogging and FB’ing between turning the fabric pieces so they get consistent color.)

Getting our colors right is a really important step. I write about it in a couple of different chapters in Unveiling.

First McLean-Area Book Signing for Unveiling: The Inner Journey

McLean-based author Alay’nya will offer the first free, open-to-the-public book signing of her newly-released Unveiling: The Inner Journey at Star*Nuts Gourmet Cafe on Saturday, August 6th, from 3-5PM.

The book signing will include a mini-reading, and Alay’nya’s famed “60-Second Geek-to-Gorgeous” Transformation,” which will help any woman look as though she has gained an inch in height, lost 10 years and 10 pounds, and added a sublime element of “gorgeousness” to her personal “arsenal of allure”!

Unveiling: The Inner Journey is available through Amazon.com, and also through CreateSpace.com. For those who want a signed copy, but who cannot make it to a McLean-area signing, signed, dated, and numbered copies are available from Cleo’s Closet.

The Master Teachers of Unveiling: The Inner Journey

Beginning today, I’m introducing – and thanking – the “personae dramatis” of Unveiling: The Inner Journey; the “cast of characters” who’ve made it all possible.

Each person whom I’ll acknowledge – in today’s and several forthcoming posts – actually is mentioned in the “Acknowledgements” of Unveiling. So continuing with the “personae dramatis” analogy; each of these persons will be “cast” (Master Teachers, Wise Men and Wise Women, Heroes, Heroines, and Healers, and many others), or they will be the “support team” – the production crew, the people who helped make it all happen. So just as you read a stream of rolling credits at the end of a movie, we’ll have “rolling credits” for Unveiling, starting today.

unveiling inner journey

The two Master Teachers whom I reference the most throughout Unveiling are Anahid Sofian and Elena Lentini, both based in New York City.

And now, since one of the great joys and privileges of running my own blog (and company) is that I can plug those whom I believe deserve extra-special attention: Anahid is hosting her 5-day intensive in New York City later this August, from Weds., August 17 – Sunday, August 21st.

A brief run-down of the topics that she’ll teach (with two special guest teachers) is:

• Zill drills & techniques,
• Oriental “port de bras” (positioning of arms; VERY important and too few teachers give a structured foundation in this; Anahid is one of the very best),
• Classical Arabic dance (Awalim),
• Drum solo strategies,
• The “Art of the Veil” (an Anahid-specialty; I love how she introduces and builds on various “veil patterns”,
• Turkish cabaret karshilama, and
• Classical & contemporary Persian ballet (taught by Special Guest teacher Sharzad Khorsandi).

Guest teachers will include Eva Cernik (whom I adore, and who is also mentioned in Unveiling), and Sharzad Khorsandi (Persian style) – I think she’s teaching on Saturday(?).

There will be a gala performance event Friday evening, August 19th, at the Lafayette Grill in downtown Manhattan.

The price for the entire 5-day intensive is only $375, and daily rates (space permitting) are available.

For more information on Anahid’s workshop, go to the Anahid’s website or contact her via email; sofiana (at) tiac (dot) net.

Unveiling: The Inner Journey Released July 19, 2011

Dear Ones –

Fabulous, fantastic good news!

Unveiling: The Inner Journey is finally here. And you can get order your copy today through any of three different e-stores:

• For a signed, dated, and early-numbered copy: Order through Cleo’s Closet,
• For fast delivery directly from the “print shop”: Order through CreateSpace,
• For easiest ordering – with a vendor whom you know and trust: Order through Amazon, by going to the image below.

unveiling inner journey

“We’re Worth the Effort” – Lessons from Unveiling

A lot of Unveiling is about deconstructing – and re-constructing – our lives. The two go hand in hand. For example, when we clean out our closets, or even a drawer, we “de-construct” a situation of messiness or chaos, or we move out those things that no longer fit. Then, we’re open to bringing in something new; something that suits who we are just a little bit more. We can’t do one without the other.

Author’s Sidenote: There are some who try. One gentleman was very concerned about keeping the “what he had” in his company, even while he moved out to conquer new ground. He didn’t want to let go of any aspect of his personality, or his creation. Not a healthy attitude, and not (really) a healthy person. You’ll read about him in the Introduction to Unveiling; he’s “Mr. Jack.” (He’s “30-second Jack,” to be specific. And yes, the reference means exactly what you think it does. Just read the Intro.)

Back to the Main Topic: The biggest practice that we can undertake, as we start to develop ourselve from within, is to regard ourselves as being sacred and holy. (See Chapter 17: “We’re Worth the Effort.”) And this literally does mean “sacred” – in the sense of being “set apart.” (Go look up the etymology of “sacred” – it refers to the sacrum – which is the central element of all of our dance techniques – and also is the generative word for other words – such as sacrifice.)

We also become “holy”; whole-unto-ourselves.

This is a powerful root life-practice.

And we implement it in very simple, straightforward practical terms.

Right now, it is Friday afternoon, almost 4PM. I’ve been cleaning house all day; all the myriad little chores in closing out the work-week, and getting ready for the Sabbath. I try to keep Saturday as a “Sabbath,” not so much out of a religious orientation, but because I’ve learned the necessity of regular, scheduled down-time. And Saturday has become my day.

And to approach our Sabbaths with a calm, clear mind – a peaceful state of being – it helps if our surroundings are clean and clear. So I’ve spent the morning, with two housemates, deep-cleaning and “fluffing” the downstairs dining areas. Now, I’m taking a quick break from doing laundry, cleaning out the sewing/design area, and completing lots of little pre-Sabbath chores. Even down to making a pot of chili, so that there’s good food to eat and I don’t have to worry about finding something when I’m hungry.

All these “little things” mount up.

Bit by bit, I’m circling around and nibbling the edges of the “paperwork giant” that sits on the table near my desk; the overwhelming, intimidating pile of “get-back-to’s.” Even that is getting diminished.

All of these “little steps” are a part of creating my life, just as you create your own life.

And the way in which we best create our lives is to treat ourselves as something very special; as the beautiful, glowing jewel in the heart of the lotus. We imagine everything in and about our lives as a gorgeous Faberge egg, and we are the central jewel, nestled within, and shown off in all our gorgeous splendor!

And even though I’ve written about this (See Chapter 17 in Unveiling), and am now even blogging and telling others about this (see this morning’s FB post), I still need to apply what I’ve learned and written to myself. Hence today’s little “mini-journey,” being carried out as a house-cleaning.

Think simple, practical, and specific. Respond to what bothers you the most; a pile of unanswered letters, a dresser top that needs to be cleaned and re-arranged, extra clothes that need to be taken out of the closet and dropped off at Goodwill. Respond to your inner nudgings, and note what you’re doing in your journal or day-planner.

A few months from now, a year from now, you’ll look back – especially if you keep your journal to prod your memory – and marvel at how much cleaner, lighter, and overall juicier your life has become – and how the people, things, and events in your life are working so beautifully well for you!

And if you haven’t ordered your copy of Unveiling yet, go to www.createspace.com/900001121, and order your copy with the fastest delivery method possible. Join me in going through it. I have a “Seasonal Study Guide” posted, and am using it myself; go to http://www.theunveilingjourney.com/seasonal_study_guide.htm. We’re in the middle of Chapter 18 (“The Ritual – And Why We Need It”) and Chapter 19 (“A Sacred Time, A Sacred Space”). Read along with me, and comment on this blog!

It’s not yet 5AM. But the news is so good that I can’t wait to share it with you.

Yesterday, for the first time (in the history of the universe!), Unveiling: The Inner Journey became available on the web. You can now order it directly from CreateSpace, the production house within Amazon. To do this, go directly to the Unveiling page in the CreateSpace e-store. This is a regular e-store; you can place your order, select your timeframe for delivery (slow = cheap, fast = expensive), and have your own Unveiling as soon as you desire!

And if you have PRE-ORDERED, please bear with me – I’ve ordered my copies to send to you (some will be sent through Cleo’s Closet), and you’ll get them as soon as we can get them into the mail.

But truly and finally, you now have options. You can be one of the first to get your hands on the book that will, ultimately, sweep the world.

Consider how we woman have evolved in our thinking:

• Relationships: Early 1990’s – 2000’s – We all read John Grey’s Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. (This book sold over 13M copies, worldwide). We were focused on men, and our relationships with them. In addition to Men are from Mars, we read books like Feldhahn’s (2004) For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men.
• Empowerment: Mid-1990’s – Late 2000’s – We read Steve Covey’s Seven Habits (1989, over 15M copies sold), and stayed with the “how to live our lives successfully” theme through Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret (2006, several M copies sold).
• Wisdom: 2010’s onward – We’ve already read Dr. Christiane Northrup’s Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, Suzanne Somers’ books (think The Sexy Years), and even The Female Brain, by Dr. Louann Brizendine. Each of these has sold over 1M copies, and have been working their way steadily higher. By now, we understand men (and relationships). We have become “empowered”; we are living our lives “successfully” and we’ve even mastered the “Secrets.”

What we’re reaching for now is a new level of “wisdom.” We know about our bodies. We know how our hormones change, and even how our lives change. We understand that the transition point, beginning sometime in our mid-to-late 40’s, is not just about menopause and the children leaving home. Instead, it is a time of growing, deepening, and ripening. And, it is a time for accessing a potent new form of energy, our “vital energy” or ch’i. (We may no longer have the bouncy sexiness of youth, but we can and do access something very new and different!)

What we want, what we need in our lives right now, is a sense of inner wisdom and direction. A means for “setting a course” for the next stage of our life-journey.

When we were younger, it was easier to “set course.” We “got our degree.” We married (or not), had children (or not), and followed a fairly typical, well-known path of career and family.

But as a friend said to me, “It’s not ‘What’s next?,’ but rather: ‘What now?’”

Really, What NOW?”

Is there a roadmap? Is there guidance? Is there a “path to follow” once we start having enough time in our lives to actually do some inner digging and “follow” something?

It turns out that a “roadmap for wisdom” really exists! And for all that I’m a scientist and inventor (my “day” trade; I have four patents to my credit), I didn’t “invent” this.

In fact, I didn’t even “discover” it.

If anything, I was led to rediscovering the secrets.

And yes, there really ARE secrets.

What I learned, in the course of researching, writing, and (the “big” secrets came late!) even rewriting Unveiling – was that there really was (and still is, I’ve just unearthed it) an ancient pathway for self-knowledge.

My job has simply been to find the pieces and re-assemble them.

It’s been a lot like finding an ancient artifact, or a magnificent statue, that had been broken into bits. My job was discovery: find pieces, see how they fit together.

A segue: The lifetime of work that I’ve had up until now – as a scientist, a researcher and an inventor, and even my personal studies in a wide range of “esoteric” disciplines (from chemistry to alchemy, from T’ai Chi to yoga to Oriental dance; the list goes on), have all formed the “substrate” that let me do this. If I hadn’t spent years of study, in such a wide range of areas, I wouldn’t have recognized the “pieces” when I started to pick them up. It would be like walking through an area with lots of fossils. Only a trained eye can discern that a piece of rock is a fossil, not just a hunk of stone. And only a specially-trained paleontologist would know that she (or he) was looking at a brand new fossil, versus the many expected ones in an area.

Similarly, by the time that I was wrapping up Unveiling, I had enough scientific background (and background in other areas) to know that when I found a new clue, I was on to something interesting. Something very unexpected, and a whole new set of insights. We can say that the initial insights came as hunches, or perhaps a form of “guidance.” However they came about, they took a lot of work to follow up; to trace sources and verify. Writing this book was a lot like doing field archeology – albeit in written form!

This is why Unveiling took fourteen years, just to produce a rough draft. And then two years of nearly full-time work, just to go from raw draft to finished manuscript. (Two years, including some major “re-discoveries.” The extra research, the writing, the “making sense of it all” and putting it into Unveiling; all this took time.)

So, dear one, Unveiling is not about “belly dance.” Rather, it is about who we are as women; our becoming; our emerging into a very new stage of our lives.

And after fourteen years of writing, two more of further research, re-writing, and editing, and after four major proofing rounds, and two rounds of cover art – it’s finally here.

You can order your copy today, and be reading it by this weekend. Go to the Unveiling page in the CreateSpace e-store. And settle in for the best summer read that you’ve ever had, ever!

For Introverted Authors – The Transition from Writing to Connecting with People – In Person, and on the Web

To all my friends, business colleague, and even random strangers with whom I strike up conversations – I encourage everyone who has a “knowledge resource” to write, publish, and somehow make their “knowledge resource” available as a “product.” There are many reasons for this, and I’ve discussed them in previous blogposts. (You may want to see some of my postings from both this blog and my other, “scientific/technical/business” world.)

In short, whether you write a book, produce a DVD, or offer any kind of unique knowledge – the one where YOU are the expert – I encourage you (and all others “like” you) – to make a stand-alone product.

With a “product” standing behind you, you become more recognized as an “expert.” Also, your “product” becomes a “personal surrogate.” It can train many others on your behalf; this means that you can reach many people, much more effectively over time. People all over the world – those who could never make it to your regular classes, private coaching sessions, or even your occasional workshops, can order your product, or download your DVD, and connect directly with you.

You reach more people. And you shorten their learning curve.

These are two huge benefits – for them and for you.

However, there is a huge upfront cost involved. In order to produce a product, of any sort, you have to pull back from connecting with people and doing your “regular business,” and focus on product creation. You can get a lot of this done at night, on weekends, during vacations, and during various other “slow times” in your life.

But there comes a time, when in order to guarantee – to yourself more than anyone else – you must pull back from your “regular life” and focus exclusively on product creation. This can be a short timeframe – a few weeks, perhaps. Or it can be months. Or, it can take years.

A “big product” takes a long time for completion.

It’s like growing a garden. If you grow a simple “salad garden,” you’ll have a bumper crop of lettuce, radishes, and baby carrots within 60 days. And it’s easy; plant, water, harvest. But healthy though salads are, we do not live on salads alone!

We need heartier fare as well. Even from a farmer’s garden, we need things like fruits and nuts.

And fruits and nuts grow on trees.

Trees take a much longer time to grow than lettuces. The time-to-produce (or “product development time”) is measured in years, not months or weekends.

So to build a more powerful, more effective product, takes comparably more time.

All logical so far, and no surprise to any of you.

But I’m working my way up to the crucial, main point.

Some of us have the tenacity, the focus, and pure, sheer endurance and will-to-succeed that it takes to produce a major product, such as a book.

But during this time of “product creation,” something happens. We become – necessarily, and through an absolute requirement of focusing on getting the product done – very introverted.

We do what we have to do to succeed, and this means pulling back from many social interactions.

The result is that we move into a prolonged introverted state; a state-of-mind that is characterized by intense focus on a single objective. Think of it as becoming “laser-like.”

Very, very effective for getting a book written.

And absolutely horrible for getting out, connecting with people, marketing, schmoozing, networking, staying active on Facebook and other social media — and all the other things associated with promoting (whether you’re promoting yourself, or your book).

So — this is exactly the situation in which I’m finding myself right now.

And a main, MAJOR reason that I write this blog is NOT JUST to share the actual “Unveiling message,” but to share with you what it is like to actual DO the process. Not just write a book, but now, to transition from writing to marketing.

And this is a “sea change.” It’s HUGE.

It’s going from introversion to extroversion.

It’s going from tight, laser-like, mono-manaical focus to extremely broad spectrum.

But what it is NOT (I’m learning this right now) is going from long-range rifle to “buckshot.” Going from product-completion to marketing is NOT going into a “scattershot” mode.

Instead, the NEW approach has to yield maximal results for your time.

There are secrets to this, and I’m devoting much of my time to learning, and implementing them.

And I’ll share them with you, from time to time.

And of course, I’ll continue to reveal – and discuss with you online – the “secrets of Unveiling”!

To your health, wealth, happiness, and personal fulfillment in every way –
my very best wishes —

yours – Alay’nya

Using Your Unveiling Archetypes to Clarify and Build Your Franklin-Covey Day Planner (TM) Roles

For years, I’ve been a fan of the Franklin Covey Day Planner (FCDP) system. I’ve found it especially useful when I’ve juggled (as many of us have) multiple roles, competing priorities, and “to-do lists” that simply run off the page.

In particular, I’ve enjoyed the synergy – within the FCDP system – of using the Day Planner itself, the Monthly Priorities right after each monthly calendar page (it takes me an extra page, front and back, to list all my “priorities” and “tasks” – but at least they’re on paper, and not jamming up my mind), and the “Weekly Compass Cards.”

It’s this last tool that is particularly significant. This is because the “Weekly Compass Cards” ask us to look at each of our “roles” in life (wife, mother, team leader at work, etc.), and identify a few “most significant” tasks supporting that role for the week ahead.

Connecting our “roles” with our “priorities” and “tasks” gives us a lot of clarity and self-definition. It’s a way of creating some boundaries – and a bit of focus – for each of the roles which we inhabit.

What I’ve found particularly useful is to take this one step further.

In Unveiling, I identify six core archetypes. These are the six different “power modes” that we can – and should – access and integrate to achieve maximum personal effectiveness. In fact, identifying, knowing, and cultivating each of these distinct “modes” is the first challenge on our mature adult life-journey. Integrating these roles or modes is something that we do as a personal “capstone project” – the culmination of this stage of adult personal growth. (We generally do this sometime in our mid- to late-forties.)

Here’s where it gets interesting. Each of our archetypal roles puts us into a different state. We are in very different states when we are in our Hathor (playful, sensual, fun-loving) role, versus when we are being an Emperor (building and maintaining structures and order). In practical terms, we are in very different states when we are preparing to go out on a fun date, or for an outing with our girlfriends, than when we are doing a monthly progress report at work.

Now, these archetypal roles are not something that I’ve made up. Rather, they were identified hundreds – and possibly thousands – of years ago, by the seers and sages who developed the ancient Kabbalah, or “Tree of Life.” There is a huge mystical underpinning to the Kabbalah, which I won’t address here. Suffice to say – these different archetypes are very formally derived; they’re not picked at random. And there’s a connection between them and the Major Arcana of the Tarot (which I develop substantially in Unveiling) and also with the Jungian Psychological Types, which most of us understand via the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, or MBTI. (So if you think of yourself as an “Introvert” or an “Extrovert,” you owe that thought to the MBTI. If you understand yourself to be someone who would rather “Feel” than “Think” your way through a life situtaion, ditto.)

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Male or female, every one of us needs each of the six core archetypes. But we individually and uniquely combine these archetypes in different ways in order to fulfill our life roles.

For example, one of my evolving roles is to be a salonniere. This is a combination of three archetypes; Hathor (pleasure, for myself and others, particularly intellectual stimulation), Isis (nurturing – by bringing people together and providing a warm and convivial environment), and Magician (a “masculine” archetype – creating “magic,” or making something from nothing). Organizing Salon involves connecting with people via phone, email, and regular surface mail, as well as a host of organizational tasks. But because the focus is on a particular kind of experience, all the relevant tasks get grouped into supporting a certain role, and I can characterize that role as invoking three different archetypes.

In another role, I am strictly in one of my Amazon modes. And not just any, ordinary Amazon mode, but specifically in my Emperor mode. When we’re in our Emperor mode, we are rational, logical, and task-oriented, with a goal of building or maintaining structures and systems. These can be managing a project at work, planning all the children’s activities for the summer, organizing a church event, or as simple as balancing our checkbook or making up a grocery shopping list. The key to our Emperor role is: rational, task-focused, and project-completion focused, with an emphasis on building or maintaining structures.

This helps me put all of my “life maintenance” tasks under a single role, whether they are financial, logistic, communications, or even computer-cleanup. They all support building the “structure” of daily life.

The challenge – for each of us – is to identify our seven dominant roles. (More than that and our minds start to wobble.) Then, to figure out which of our core archetypes we are invoking in each role. Then we can do a more complete – and satisfying – job of identifying which priorities and tasks we have within each role.

A year ago, I didn’t need to use the FCDP system quite so much. To the exclusion of almost everything else, except the barest level of survival and life-maintenance, I had only one role: I was a writer. My entire life was focused on writing (and re-writing), editing (and re-editing), proofing (and you get the idea …) Unveiling.

Well, now Unveiling is done. It should be available to you within two weeks. (And you can pre-order now, through Cleo’s Closet – the ONLY way that you’ll confidently get signed, dated, and numbered copies – I think the numbering is around 130 right now, and growing fast.)

Instead of focusing on just one role (writing), I now have many roles – marketing, teaching, preparing talks, fundraising for various non-profits, organizing and hosting salon – and oh yes, research and writing. And performing. (More on that shortly.)

Transitioning from a “one-role” mindset to a “many roles” mindset is a big job. I’ve started using the FCDP in earnest once again. But to clarify my different roles, for the first time, I’ve had access to the Unveiling archetypes, and they’re helping me make more sense of which role requires what kind of energy or “modality.”

I spent last Sunday morning working through my roles-and-archetypes association. It felt a bit strange at first, but made sense after a while.

This morning, I started filling out my Weekly Compass Card for the this week, as well as the monthly Priorities and Tasks for July. Using the archetypes to help clarify what tasks go with which roles is helping a lot! (And yes, I’m using a bit of white-out as I move things around, but the mental organization is helping me to create more structure, more order, and more sense – being very Emperor about how I’ll fit some Hathor (pleasure), Isis (nurturing), and High Priestess (prayer and meditation) time into my life!

First Printing of Unveiling: The Inner Journey

Darlings, this is the most amazing, wonderful, and incredible thing!

I’m holding a glass of wine in one hand, and Unveiling: The Inner Journey, in my other. (And typing with a third hand, of course. Don’t we all?)

We broke out a bottle of bubbly yesterday, when it arrived. And we all had a good look; the important things are working. Such as, the text and the cover art point in the same direction. The interior text layout is gorgeous; the print is relatively large-size, there’s lots of spacing between the paragraphs and the lines; overall it is very easy on the eyes and easy to read. (That was intentional. And it’s worth making the book fatter, if it’s easier to read as a result.)

So we can all read this when we come home, tired from work, and want a good, soothing, nurturing “comfort read.”

The cover still needs a bit of a go-round. Perhaps another week to get all of this sorted out.

But fabulously, the very first “review copy” has now been printed, and it is a wonderful, lovely feeling to just open it up at random, and feel enveloped and soothed by what is inside.

As soon as I can get this to settle a bit, will post some more content to blogsite, and there’s a way that I can put a preview on CreateSpace. Will let you know when that happens!