I even woke up this morning with one of the little plastic buggers in my hair.

What I’m loving about Seth’s book he has taken the ideas that I’ve been passionate about for lots o’ years and brought them together – linked them in a very linchpin way – to create a manifesto for how to thrive in this flat world and make the world a much better place.

It’s a kick-in-the-butt for becoming an artist who gives freely to her / his world, and thus, becomes indispensable.

Reading his book is like getting a letter from someone very, very smart that says,

“Dear Jen,

What you care about – what you get out of bed to do everyday – really does matter and really does make a difference.

Carry on.”

I know, I’m 47 and not supposed to need outside validation but c’mon, we who live on the fringes of the mainstream world like to know where not always so weird.

My favorite part of the book so far – the part that made it hard to sleep last night - is on page 135 where Seth reveals why he has been able to create so much since 1999 – 12 books, a successful Internet company, top 25 blog, a ton of brilliant speeches, another Internet company.

“I ship. I don’t get in the way of muse, I fight the resistance, and I ship. I do this by not doing an enormous number of tasks that are perfect stalling devices, ideal ways of introducing the resistance into our lives.

“A workaholic brings fear into the equation. She works all the time to be sure everything is all right, and she experiences resistance all the time. She satisfies the raging fear of her lizard brain by being at the job site all the time, just to be sure.”

I’d add, you don’t just distract yourself by staying at the job site. You distract yourself, sometimes for years and years, from what you really care about (just read some of the comments on the Win a Retreat post) in a multitude of very creative ways. I call these distractions shadow comforts or time monsters, but whatever you label them, the end result is the same:

Another year passes and the genius  inside you shrinks and you settle for being less alive, less engaged

Seth goes on to say he does nothing to distract himself from the work – absolutely no busy work between bouts with the work.

“I can’t avoid the work because I’m not distracting myself with anything but the work. This is the hallmark of the productive artist.”

“It takes crazy discipline to do nothing between projects. That means you have to face a blank wall and you can’t look busy. It means you are alone with your thoughts, and it means that a new project, perhaps a great project, will appear pretty soon, because your restless energy can’t permit you to only sit and do nothing.”

Crazy discipline that you too can create.

Meditation helps.

Speaking to yourself kindly helps.

Labeling your fears helps.

Talking to your fears helps.

Setting conditions of safisfication help.

Having a like minded community to witness you helps.

Taking periodic retreats to refuel helps.

And if you are saying to yourself,

“Yeah right, Seth’s rich and famous, he doesn’t have to ferry kids or make meals or get known by commenting on people’s blogs, he doesn’t have to meet with clients or invoice or network and I haven’t even started on my taxes.”

Seth would say that’s the lizard brain talking.

Granted, Seth has resources many of us don’t. But you know? Buy that story and you’re colluding with your lizard brain.

How long are we going to hide behind busy work and other people’s needs and not “ship” (as in get out the door) our own creative genius?”

What if today you took the time and energy you spend defending why you can’t do your creative work, add to that the time you spend doing stuff for others that they can do for themselves, and see what you have on hand. I’ll bet it’s enough to get  your mo-jo started.

A final word from Seth:

“Letting silence into your day gives the daemon [muse] a chance to be heard from.”

Yes, indeed!

How about joining me for some staring-at-the-blank-wall time today – and every day?  I’ll report in the comment section how it’s going for me – I hope you will, too. I’m going to challenge the Comfort Cafe to do this with me. Let’s see what we come up with.

Each time a comment comes in, I’m blown away by how articulate and creative you each are – and how much you really really need a retreat.

I cry as I read your stories, cry at the loss, the need, the scary money struggles – and the self-denial.

I also punch the air with “Yes, you get it!” You get how powerfully healing and life saving retreats are.

I cry and I marvel.

Like when I read Carolyn’s story:

I lead retreats, I don’t do retreats. That is a sad and embarrassing thing to say. I am no different than every woman that has commented thus far or who has ever attended, or wanted to attend one of my retreats.

We say:  “I don’t have the time,”  (but we all know that isn’t true), I don’t have the money, (have you checked the price of a beverage at Starbucks lately), “I think I’ll wait until next time, maybe one that fits me better” (There’s never a retreat that will fit you perfectly if you’re looking for perfect). My list of so-called obstacles is the same as everyone else’s.

And yet, for me, I MUST go on retreat. I don’t think I even have the opportunity to say no any longer. I MUST find the way to that place of retreat where I know I will find peace, and quiet and rejuvenation.

I’ve been laid up now for months and months. And as I lay in bed with nothing to do but think, I’m not rejuvenated. I’m full of worry, I’m full of chatter in my head. What I KNOW is that when I go on retreat I give myself permission to let go. It’s a place where I’m challenged to truly be still. Being still in retreat is very active. Being still is a very deliberate choice.

Going on a retreat will give me the space to enter into that magical place of BEING that I’m longing for. So that I too can come away excited about life, MY life, and to let Joy flow out.

Wow, Carolyn, thank you.

The way I read the contest entries, two things are stopping you: money and permission.

I figure that is what gets in the way of you buying my books, hiring me as a coach, joining the Comfort Cafe.

So for those of you denying yourself the big Virtual Retreat or one of my one day retreats or just a book – for those of you, lost in a fog of “someday” or a story there is not time, take action on your own behalf this weekend (by Sunday night) – buy the retreat, register for a one day retreat, buy a book, and

I will donate 50% to Haitian relief efforts.

So for the Virtual Retreat, that’s $54.

For a one day retreat, that’s $55

For a book, it’s about $5.

For the Comfort Cafe, I’ll donate one month, $19.

Please enter this in the coupon code to help us track: HELPHAITI.

Because when you do something truly nurturing for your soul– something that takes courage and time and effort – you gain the ability to make the world a better place.

So here’s a literal example of that.  Take action on your own behalf and I’ll pay it forward.

In service to your greatest good and most alive self.