Happy Thursday everyone! 
It was another jam packed week after what sounds like a challenging week for quite a few of us.
It was great to hear from you all both in this forum and via email and interesting that some of the resistance to the work was coming up for some of you. Cameron called it, but it is still worth the investigation personally.
On to the next chapter (and don't worry if you are a bit behind, just comment and reflect on the previous weeks as you work through it).
I am actually still working through this chapter but I wanted to highlight the similarities between the "honest changes" set off by morning pages and the practice of meditation.
Today I posted a piece on my main student blog about meditation and what to do when the "hard stuff" comes up (if you are interested you can read it here).
Morning pages, like meditation may bring you face to face with the difficult things in your life. I would love to hear if anyone has noticed this to any degree (even if you don't want to share the personal details).
One simple but important thing that comes up a lot in my own morning pages is how tired I have been over the last year and a half. Pushing myself to unrealistic work commitments and energy outputs caused me to have a health crisis a few years ago.
A few of you know this already, but there was a period of about 8 months where most of the joints in my limbs swelled up and I could barely walk. I was told by one Rheumatologist that I would probably be in a wheelchair within a year if I didn't go on some very strong prescription drugs.
I went to another doctor that I knew and trusted for a second opinion and she said to take the summer, try everything in my Chinese Medicine and holistic arsenal that I wanted so that if by the fall things hadn't improved I could feel good knowing I had looked at other options first.
After several months of a forced vacation from work (I was in the US and couldn't legally work at the time), 9 hours of sleep every night, lots of light walks and the wonderful care from my then fiance and some solid treatments from different practitioners, I did get better.
So the interesting thing coming up in my morning pages is that I have been pushing my limits more and more. I continue to take on projects even though most of my energy is consumed with being a full time parent.
It may be a simple insight, but ignoring it has a price I am not willing to pay. It is time to rework my schedule and save that precious energy.
Week 4 - Conversation Starters
As always feel free to comment on any of these things or share something about the chapter you found helpful, interesting, don't agree with or wouldn't use.
1. Are you keeping up with your Morning Pages and Artist Date? What have you been doing to support these commitments AND have you planned an extended Artist Date?
2. When you dug in, did you find any buried dreams?
3. Clearing the clutter in your life to make space for the new is one of my favourite ways to feel like I have more power and clarity. Did you make space by getting rid of anything in your closet?
4. Reading Deprivation, a scary thing or a welcome break?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
