I admit it. I like doing things well. There are a number of things in life which I do, indeed, do well. I also like the feeling of effortlessly doing these things well.  For example:

1) I am a potter and have been for 40 years. Throwing a pot on the wheel looks – and often feels – effortless. I don’t have to think about it. It flows.

2) I was an art teacher for 35 years – most of that time spent with elementary school students. The experience of interacting with, encouraging ,and expanding the imaginations of “my kids” was natural and innate and … effortless. We explored the “2 worlds of the art room” (see Week 4 blog entry) and had a wonderful time. It did not feel like work.

Now, I DO realize that neither of these examples materialized in full bloom without my having done LOTS of daily preparation and practice work. Yet, somehow, I expect myself to be able to be at that competency in 3 new, concurrent areas of my life! I have a business that I am trying to grow (making the leap from employee to entrepreneur), I’ve taken on a part-time job (that fits NICELY with my DMP, btw) working in an animal shelter, but the daily routine is not yet fluid and effortless. (It’s been a whole WEEK, shouldn’t it be? LOL). And then, of course, there’s the fabulous MKMMA experience of daily exercises, new neuro-pathways, peptide addictions, dharmas and heart’s desires …. nope, not effortless just yet!

Hence, the inner argument I have been having with myself – and the reason the Universe (aka Universal Mind) awakened me at 2:04am on Wed. The “sit” wasn’t enough – I hadn’t been paying close enough attention – so I was awakened and led through a conversation about NLP Stages of Learning! I was a part of the conversation, while also being an observer of the experience – feeling more than a BIT like a captive because my usual Haanel methods of clearing my mind of all thought (to get back to SLEEP please) were NOT working!! It was evident that The Universe was not going to let me return to sleep until I got the message. OK – I’m listening!

I understand these stages of learning. I was lead to identify where I was/am on the spectrum in each of my 3 situations. When I just don’t even know that I don’t know – that’s #1-  Unconscious Incompetence – I’ve mostly worked my way past this stage in my current conundrum. #2 is Conscious Incompetence – I do know that I don’t know stuff, which gives me a good starting point from which to LEARN and I’ve wallowed in this stage for a while in all 3 situations. #3 is Conscious Competence – I KNOW stuff (like the daily routines of the animal shelter job) but I have to consciously THINK about it all while I’m doing it, which makes my head hurt and makes it feel like work! Multiply that times 3 new experiences. # 4, then, is my goal … Unconscious Competence – that wonderful place where I glide; where effortlessness takes over.

Got it! I can go back to sleep now right? Nope. That was just the “what” and the “why” of the inner argument. “No sleep Deb, until you take the lessons of Haanel, Mandino and Januszewski and tell me how they HELP what you’re dealing with.” Nutshell version of the entire 87 minutes I was awake reads includes this: “In truth, one step at a time is not so difficult”, “OH MY GOSH! You are creating a NEW BLUEPRINT!!!!!!!!”, “Ask and ye shall receive”, “compounding effect”, “persistence”, “greet this day with love” (for the task, the opportunity, and for yourself), “I can be what I will to be.” “What’s your detailed plan of action? – small steps will be fine.” “Law of Forgiveness” “Give me some specifics and you can go back to sleep.”

Done. I sleep. I awake a different person. I am in awe. “Do it now.”