August 1, 2019

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 myself and believing in you.  You don’t have to attend a meeting or read one of my blog posts for my belief in you to be justified. 

I am saving this space for you, always.  It is unconditional. 

Nine women, one at time pass quickly through my mind this morning, and I feel a lift of spirit that is difficult to describe.  It is very pleasant.  The ninth woman is myself and after I have pictured each of you and thought or simply felt one positive thing about you and then toward you, I contemplate myself.   Once I put myself into a state of gratitude and appreciation with a deep knowing that I believe in your ability to fulfill your dream, I can turn back to myself with a lighter attitude.   It is easier to push the self-critic aside and bring my self-coach to the top.  

I have learned that my biggest weakness is self-criticism.  Because I was taught that this was the RIGHT way to be and that self-castigation would be the correct way to be a good Christian and a good person, I have dealt with a lot of guilt that really isn’t mine.     Even though I have a deep faith today, I do not believe that it is right to tell anyone what their faith should be or what you have to believe in order to go to heaven or what name to call God.  Those who insist that the name “God” is the only right word are those that believe only English-speaking people know the right word for “God”.  I happen to believe that God existed before the English language.   (I bet you noticed my opinion beginning to take over my conversation.)  I can say that when I feel connected with a higher power, I am more at ease in my skin and I am much more confident in my life choices than when other humans are dictating God’s Laws to me.  It has been an important shift for me to change my picture of the vengeful God into a loving God.  It is not important to me whether or not you believe in God.  It is not important for me to know whether or not you believe in yourself. 

I catch myself starting to laugh because bits and pieces of old memories stand up together in horror because of the words I wrote in the previous paragraph.   I see faces and I hear words and I know that everything that was pounded into me was done by fearful and ignorant people who would now be praying vigorously for my soul.  I can see memories of myself acting in fear because of these teachings.  I start to cringe and make myself small again.  One reason for me to participate in the mastermind meeting is for me to express myself honestly and practice speaking my truth in a safe environment.  

I have learned that my fearful attention toward other people creates more fear.  My confident attention toward other people creates more confidence.  Instead of concentrating on what I do not want in my life, I have shifted my attention to what I do want.  I spend this 1^st Thursday morning-time gratefully reaching out to share my growth and my change as I build my new life. 

Today I get to look at what I’ve been doing to reach my goals.  My basic goal for this part of my dream is to reach a state of organization in my home and property.   It starts in my head with a vision of the way I want to feel.  I am making permanent changes in my life that affect my prosperity and happiness.   This has been going on for months.  Sometimes I think it should happen faster and then I remember that I’m looking for permanent change not a quick or temporary solution.  My daily practice supports my growth. My attention to the Mastermind concept encourages me to continue to rise into a larger existence that brings me great joy.

When I attempt to tell you of the specific challenges that I have conquered, I belittle myself immediately as I compare how small they are to what you might accomplish. I stop right this minute and say, “I am very sorry, Carmen, that I do this to you.  You are precious to me and I want to treat you kindly.”  (Here I take a minute to see you all in my mind’s eye and feel your belief in me.  Thank you!)

I feel that my life is coming along quite nicely.  I still have some financial fear that I continue to shift to God’s shoulders.  I believe that my needs will be met.  Mostly I believe that the word “needs” misrepresents the word “dreams”.   So, to say it the way I feel it, “I believe that my dreams will be met.”

I have committed myself to a new order and as it comes into place, I spend the time to become familiar with it.  I am abundantly creative at this time and ideas pile up in my mind as I sort through them.  I am enjoying a new level of sorting where like-ideas go into separate piles.  It makes organizing happen a lot faster.  It is clear that I am not in a race for time and every time I attempt to step up the pace I fall back into fatigue.  It seems that my best solutions are coming to me when I give myself plenty of rest. 

As I allow myself to FEEL my successes, I turn my thoughts back toward all of you.  I am proud of each one of you for the changes you have made to improve your circumstances even if you didn’t notice it until this very moment.  I am pleased that you follow your own chosen path and explore it with more joy than ever before.  I picture the 9 of us, P, KB, H & N, T, KM, M, J, & me, sitting around a large glass table with a multi-candled chandelier hanging over us.  We are all smiling with an inner joy that only comes from unconditional love and acceptance.  The concrete floor, Mr. Heater, unfinished walls, and a few cobwebs add depth and originality to our meeting.  Mr. Rockwell would have loved to paint us.

I love you all and I am confident that you are facing your challenges with a new attitude that gets results rather than forces them.

Sincerely, Carmen