Mastermind Blog

Good morning! Today I have challenged myself to put our mission and goal into a few simple paragraphs. The Mastermind Group Mission Statement We are not defined by our circumstances and we believe in each other unconditionally without criticism, helpful tips, tricks, or advice. The Mastermind Group Meeting Guidelines When we hold meetings in person we use a method that allows everyone a chance to speak on their progress and after each speech we applaud their efforts and notice their success.  We divide the minutes in the meeting by the people at the meeting to decide a time limit for each person.  A person can choose to just listen. Progress can include telling about a great speaker, book, or event that you attended, a goal you set and achieved, a life changing personal epiphany, or a photo of your favorite rose in bloom.  This group is about your growth and understanding, not your sister, or your hated neighbor.  If however, you have creat...

Carmen to Carmen, Nose to nose Can I take my own blows? Can I duck and parry each critical remark or thought I make to myself? Can I hug myself? Can I see my own beauty? Can I see the light in my own eyes? If I can't win this fight with me, maybe I will compromise. Sometimes it can be my way and others it can be my way! Carmen to Carmen Nose to nose.

I look in the mirror and I am unhappy with the way I look.  I look at my stomach and I am unhappy with the way it is.  I look at my house and I am unhappy with the arrangement.  I look at the yard and am seeing that it needs to be mowed and the belt is broken on my lawn mower.  It will take about 10-16 hours to mow everything with the push mower.  This thought makes me unhappy.  The leaking roof in the summer kitchen makes me unhappy.  I look at the piles of logs that have been gifted to me and am seeing my trail blocked and a lot of work which makes me unhappy.  I see my broken motorcycle and I am disappointed in myself. Thirty minutes of noticing all of these things can cause me to feel unhappy, especially if I know that people will see my mess and say judgmental things or question my ability to do the jobs in the future. It takes less than thirty minutes to turn all of that around and see what I have been blessed with.  I start by visu...

Love is a simple word with a complex existence.  It means something to everyone, from loving food to loving our mother.  Without love our existence is barren.    We all love something even if we are grouchy.   We all love something even if we have buried it so deep that we can't express it.   Gratitude falls right into line behind love.  Gratitude unlocks the door to our love.  With gratitude our love can magnify whatever we put our attention on.  On the days when we struggle to express or feel love, we can find something to be grateful for on purpose .  If you flushed a toilet today you can express gratitude for running water.  If you are struggling to be grateful for flushing a toilet, imagine squatting over a hole to do your business.  Maybe that hole is tile-lined and maybe there is a huge tub of water with a dipping pot so that you might throw water at yourself to clean up.  Your American great-...

I found a loose sheet of paper today.  It is a few very short notes on one of our mastermind meetings.  They are almost as powerful for me this morning as hearing them the night of the meeting. Notes from Holly's speech: Loving our way back. Comparison is the thief of joy. Forgive them their disconnect. Note from Phyllis's speech: Forgiving yourself enough to love yourself.

What does this mastermind meeting do for me? The idea behind “mastermind meetings” is to bring several minds together to create new ideas or solve old problems.   There are more versions of mastermind meetings than I can wrap my mind around.   When I began my quest for “partners in believing”, I stayed very close to home and chose only women who were already my friends.   I know for a fact that each woman I chose was perfect for being a “partner in believing”, but my long-term vision doesn’t limit us to my little meetings.   Every single one of you has a circle of family and friends who benefit from your ideas and way of living. Every positive action you take toward another person, yourself, or a situation, reverberates exponentially around you.   Each person who is affected by you also spreads that energy exponentially around them. No matter what is going on in my life, the first Thursday of the month brings my attention back to believing in m...