We Had a Major Win! Now Back To Work..
Major victory! Our second graphic novel (T's first) is listed as one of the top 10 of 2022. This is the kind of clue from the universe that you are heading in the right direction.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2022/11/17/best-graphic-novels/
Take a deep breath, flood myself with gratitude, give thanks to my mentors and allies…then center myself, and back to "chop wood, carry water."
Something I've started saying: success is a cat, not a dog. Dogs come when you call. Cats wait until you are busy doing something else, then comes and jumps in your lap.
So what is the work I need to do daily to stay on the Path, if success is just a side effect of doing what you do and being who you are?
Damned fine question
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The reason I've created and studied so many different models is that they are all aspects of what you might call the "Invisible mountain" we are climbing in life. Each describes a slightly different perspective gained from reaching altitude, like the blind men on the elephant each desribing something they touch. Get enough different models and overlap them, and an elephant emerges.
I've gained expertise in the three major arenas of life (and that's not ego, just a fact. In all of them I know people much better than me) and keep seeking the simplest approach that puts you on the path to mastery. The "Lifewriting" overall pattern of the Hero's Journey is a fabulous one, applicable to any arena of life. The Firedance Morning Ritual is a fantastic "Atomic" all-in-one activity that brings body, mind, and spirit together so that you can see, in real time, where you are. It is both diagnostic and developmental.
But in each of the three core arenas, I needed to start over again, and ask what is the minimum THERE?
In relationships it is the 'Blessing Dance" with Tananarive. If we do that, we are aligned beautifully.
In physical arenas, It shifts (and always has) is the "Five Minute Miracle" starting with just diaphragmatic breathing, but then adding small doses of martial arts, Five Tibetans (conveniently, there are five Tibetans, and five breathing breaks during the day. Convenient!). A small modification of Hanging Leg Lifts for the leg raises allows me to add intensity AND work pullling muscles. While I love doing more, with this as a minimum I've worked my entire body at a decent minimum.
In writing, it is the Lifewriting 6-Step we talk about (and I might be modifying that:
Write a sentence a day
Write 1-4 short stories a month
Finish and submit
Don't rewrite except to editorial request
Read 10X what you write
Repeat this process 100X
I am thinking HARD about that last step. Could I safely reduce that to 50? Frankly, I can't remember a student who made it that far before publishing. Most don't make is HALF that far. So…if I cut it to 50, and that represents one story a week (if they are SERIOUS) then you can pretty much guarantee publication in a year for the average person. That sounds pretty good. I'm going to try it on, because "100" is two years, and that sounds…painful for a lot of people.
But if I can honestly say that this is a year-long program to get you published, or take you to the next level of your career:
IS IT TRUE?
IS IT KIND?
IS IT USEFUL?
My rule is that I don't teach anything I haven't done. And I don’t sell any product or service I wouldn't PAY people to take if I was a billionaire. That doesn't pass the "Gramma Test"--would you recommend it to your own beloved grandmother? Your own child? Then you have a good product or service.
I THINK I can cut that to 50X. But I need more thought. That would be cool.
The Soulmate process: 50 dates? Huh.
The Firedance Program: 50 weeks to change body and mind?
All of that makes sense. I just have to be sure I'm not promising more than I can deliver to at least 80% of people. Preferably 99% IF THEY FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Now this is tricksy. If you can stay on almost ANY path with joy and commitment for a year, you change yourself. People suffering the loss of a husband or wife or parent or child need to suspend AND expectation of healing for the first year. Don't even think you'll begin. Let yourself grieve through every birthday and holiday. THEN you can begin.
A year will do it. Sounds like a long time when you're a kid, but as an adult, you should start grasping that it isn't very long. And that 12 months from now you can be a year older….or a year wiser, and on the path of mastery.
Remember: Mastery here defined is having the BASICS of your craft so that you can create spontaneously under pressure. Most masters I've studied also constantly learn, practice, and teach. Take this seriously in ANY arena of your life and the rest is just "chop wood, carry water" seeking a tiny improvement every week. Seriously. That's all there is.
Now, most of my life I've just paid attention to those basic three. But to get to the next level of success in Hollywood, I realized that HOLLYWOOD IS A CAT, NOT A DOG.
For me, anyway, I can't just charge and buffalo my way in. Never could.
SPOILERS FOR JORDAN PEELE’S MOVIES
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Jordan Peele is an extraordinary film-maker. He makes INTENSELY personal films, that also align with broader social concerns, and are wrapped in an entertaining package. IMO the subtext of "Get Out" was the racialized fear of wondering which white allies you can trust. Note that it had a flip side for white audiences: the fear, by potential allies, that communication has been so corrupted that even those with good intentions cannot reasonably expect trust. Because it had both elements, it became a phenomeonon, and actually advanced the dialogue on a critical arena. Brilliant, especially since it was wrapped in a simple, nasty story and leavened with Key and Peele black humor.
"US" was in the same way, more about class than race. "As you gain success, you risk leaving your original tribe behind. Are you a sell-out? Will they hate you? Can we ascend to wealth and power without considering their needs or remembering where we came from?" Again, there is enough universality there that it was another blockbuster.
"NOPE" is a slightly different question. It was NOT basically about race or class. It was about Hollywood. Imagine Hollywood as an alien that eats dreams and shits out money and power. Look directly at it, and it will eat you alive and screaming. This is EXACTLY like the Yogic attitude about "Siddhis"--powers of mind and spirit that accompany deep meditation. Things like charisma, and sexual desirability. But how many "gurus" have been tripped up by chasing after money and sex? They started out as serious teachers, but the students who mistook the teacher for the path ("if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him") tempted them, the gurus, after a lifetime of asceticism took the bait and stepped off the path. Oops.
"Attaining success in Hollywood is like climbing a gigantic mountain of cow flop, in order to pluck one perfect rose from the summit. And you find when you’ve made that hideous climb … you’ve lost the sense of smell."--Charles Beaumont (quoted by Harlan Ellison.
Imagine a starving artist who is highly original. One day they finally produce a song, painting, book, movie that hits the zeitgeist. They are lauded and rewarded, well-paid and well-laid. "Just give us another one of THOSE and we'll keep rewarding you!"
And the artist, understandably, goes for the goodies. Stepping off the path. And doing more of "that." And becoming a hack.
Need another metaphor? Imagine a boxing champion. Born poor (most were) they see a single path to success. They sacrifice EVERYTHING to the service of the one thing they believe will take them and their families out of poverty. In Mike Tyson's words, you "become a slave to your goals." (and wow. THERE'S a phrase.)
What happens? If they are successful, NOW they are offered the world: the wealth, fame, drugs, sex…all the things they denied to get them there. And if they go for the goodies, they step off the path, and their career falls apart. They are too comfortable. They lost "The Eye of the Tiger" so to speak.
Look around you. How many times have you seen this play out?
"Nope" was Jordan Peele asking how he can avoid being eaten by the Hollywood monster. And no, Hollywood isn't worse than other industries. Its just that because it is a dream factory, we get fooled into thinking it must be BETTER than other industries. Nope. It is just a big machine, grinding up dreams, producing commercial product. We don't blame other industries for doing this.
The solution was right there in the phrase "there is work to be done." Do the work. Chop wood, carry water. Do the best you can do right now, every day, in this moment, being true to yourself, but allowing your allies and mentors to keep their eye on how much money you're making, letting them poke you in a direction, but ALWAYS asking
IS IT TRUE?
IS IT KIND?
IS IT USEFUL?
Both to your audiences, your allies, and that child within you.
Clearly a difficult balance. But CRITICAL IF YOU ARE BLAZING YOUR OWN PATH. Want to work at MacDonald's? Just show up and work. Follow orders about the little sliver of the overall process you inhabit.
Want to MANAGE a MacDonald's? Better be operating one level up, see the entire system and be able to orchestrate. The conductor doesn't carry a tuba, but gets paid more. Unfair? Nonsense. They have to maintain the higher view.
Want to CREATE A FRANCHISE like MacDonalds? Ah. NOW you are talking about the level of creativity. Perhaps even artistry, if you are actually to love what you are doing. Ben and Jerry's strikes me as an example of an enormous franchise with an actual human heart beating at the core. Higher level still.
Whew. I'm gushing this morning, because I wanted to get this out.
If I rest on my laurels, OR I try to replicate success at the cost of my heart, I will fail. I HAVE to work directly (chop wood carry water) to produce and constantly improve my goods and services, some of which will, if I continue to improve, be excellent enough to sell, gain an audience, win notice awards and money.
But I can't say "Hey! Let's do Keeper 2!" unless I can think of an original, exciting story that is so honest and powerful that the first book just feels like background material. THIS is the real story. That was just the root.
And since that moment has not come, all I can do is just do today's work, to the best of my ability.
Performing my generalized centering (Firedance) and its specific expressions in the three major arenas ("atomic" actions--the smallest steps which, over the stretch of a year, will transform me, take me beyond the current horizon.)
If I know what mastery is, and recognize it in myself and others, all I have to do is apply that to any specific arena, define the transformative "atomic minimum."
Then I simply do today's work today. Keep track. And ask myself "did I do it? Every day? Yes? Great. No? What stopped me."
Learn. Model success. Grow. Get back on the horse.
The 5MM allows you to error-check FIVE TIMES A DAY. Boys and girls, that is enough to micro-manage your life…but the other 23 hours and 55 minutes of the day you can just flow.
The 5MM, the Morning Ritual, are the "Dog"--under conscious control. But the relationships, the sales, the victories, the breakthroughs…those are 'Cats" that come when you are busy playing with the Dog.
I'm mixing so many metaphors here, just trying to convey something that cannot QUITE be put into words.
I sure hope you can grasp the meaning therein.
Namaste
Steve
