staying "in tension" until our intentions are clear so our arrow flies straight and doesn't do one of those wobbly, bobbly freefalls

If we were archers -

we would gather our energy.

We would pull back our bow.

We would take aim.

We would hold our bow "in tension".

This holding position is important to landing our arrow where we intend it to go; to hit our mark.

(of course, if we are in some kind of life and death battle with that arrow then I guess we just let it fly and hope for the best, but most situations we makers are facing today are not quite so dire)

The same way an archer's "in tension" allows her arrow to hit her target, our own intentions release our energy where we need it to go.

Intentions are not wishes; they are not hopes - wanting to do something is 180 degrees from intending to do it.

Intention releases the potential that makes things happen.

That's why we need to get crystal with what it is we are intending with our maker businesses. Asking ourself, "what is my intention with this?" helps us get clear.

Sometimes our intention is clear but we are held up for some reason.

It is like we have our bow drawn and we are focused on the target, but suddenly the dog barks, the phone rings, the guy next door starts blasting Adele and you know we have to stop and listen to that.

The archer stays focused and holds herself "in tension" through all the noise.

(and sometimes this noise can last a while and sometimes life sends us noise to test our intentions and see how badly we want something or sometimes the noise could be there to delay us because there is something better for us later)

Of course, we always get to choose because it is our life after all - and there is no one thing we just have to do, in reality life has back up plans for our back up plans lined up for us.

Because once that arrow is released, it is released, there is no grabbing it midair

(unless you have some super power that I would be totally jealous to find out about)

and straightening that baby out.

Better to stay "in tension" and get clear (I know our shoulders hurt, but we are strong, WE CAN DO THIS) than send out a wobbler and stab ourselves in the foot.

* the headhunter tee from blackbirdtees

a sneak peek at my new cork necklace line for spring (aka lessons from the slow lane)

I couldn't resist snapping a few quick shots of my new cuties. I will be offering them to customers in a couple weeks and at the trade shows this summer. They are super cute in person - I have a professional photographer taking pics of these and my new locket line next week, so will post more then!

our bodies; our business - as within, so without

I know that to change our outer world we have to change our inner world first.

Peace within leads to peace without. Abundance within leads to abundance without.

I know this.

(sometimes this knowing is like the knowing about exercise, I know what to do, but I don't always do it)

It is all about our mindset.

It's as simple (and as challenging) as that.

The universe literally rearranges itself to reflect our reality.

The same applies to our bodies. I sometimes have neck, shoulder, arm and hand problems

(and stomach lately - although I looked at a chart of the human body to see what is in the places that hurt and have determined that there is nothing there, well, I'm sure there is blood and veins and miles and miles of rolled up intestines - but the chart just shows empty parts - maybe the empty places hurt - which of course could be a metaphysical truth for me, or maybe I need some dietary adjustments ... or most likely both)

My weekend eating schedule goes kind of like this -

me - what time is it? are you hungry yet?

hubs - it's 3:00 - well .... you just ate a pint of guacamole, 2 york peppermint patties, a package of garlic pita chips and 2 butterscotch krimpets. I got full just watching you.

me - *crickets*

me - what time is it?

hubs- 3:05

me - are you hungry yet?

Our bodies are a mirror of our deep, often unconscious, feelings and beliefs.

I once read that people with a strong need to shoulder responsibility build themselves big shoulders and we have enough sloping shoulder family members with no intention or desire to carry any burdens for me to believe this.

After reading Louise Hay many years ago, I never have a pain in the neck without asking myself "who am I allowing to be a pain in the neck? or how am I being a pain in the neck to myself" and see where I need to re-empower myself.

Indigestion - what can't I assimilate?, pain - what am I aching for?, stiffness - what am I being inflexible about?

I have mostly always been dealing with problems on the right side of my body (men, the future, business), but recently my left side (women, the past, home) has been experiencing strange phenomenon

(not the extra-terrestrial kind, I don't think, although I am obsessed with Ancient Aliens - the tv show, so any phenomenon having alien history does not seem that far fetched to me at the moment)

like rashes

(strangely in the shape of California; some days Idaho)

and of course this makes perfect sense for my life at the moment, but it did get me thinking about the right side of our bodies and our businesses.

So maybe the next time we have a right side problem or injury or ache or pain we can ask ourselves how this might relate to our business and what might have come up to be released?

(after writing this I very quickly stubbed my big toe, hard, my right toe and of course this has me thinking about how I am getting in the way of my business or what I am allowing to get in my way, and of course, this is alot to think about so I will just make myself a small large bowl of guacamole and put on my thinking cap)

* sending blessings print by the amazing lori portka

fighting Etsy exhaustion part lV - bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free - wait, is that me or the Statue of Liberty - it's hard to know- we both wear flip flops in the winter, have a sore right arm and really need to sit down

8. Do less

Figure out what isn't working and get rid of it.

80% of your money almost certainly comes from 20% of your makings - what can you streamline? what can you dump?

Multi-tasking is yesterday's news - it doesn't work. What we need is to set an intention and focus on it like a laser beam. Even if it is just so we can experience the energy of completion - that's powerful stuff.

We know the power of niche thinking with our physical makings and then we scatter our mental and physical energy all over the place and exhaust ourselves.

And we need to pay attention to what we are telling our subconscious minds when we hold on to stuff that isn't working.

9. Change how we do things, not what we are doing

Sometimes things are actually working, but we get so tired and overwhelmed we think we have a product problem when what we have is a process problem.

(many creative babies have been thrown out with the dirty bath water - stuff gets dirty, life is messy - change the water, not the baby - unless of course that baby really needs changing - but that's what dads are for)

10. Get clear on what we want

I had a friend tell me about a big opportunity not that long ago and I said "God, I wish I wanted to do that" because I knew I should want to do it, but I was just too damn tired at that moment to even want it.

Once we have put a little bit of space between us and "tired" we need to get clear on what we want - not doing things because we should want to do them will open up a huge space in our lives to fill with the stuff we really do want.

And if we reach the point where we are just too tired to want anything, except maybe a nap and a Nook - well, this is just not the time to divide the "should wants" from the "wants" - take the nap, read your Nook and decide later.

Now the very best model of how to sell things on Etsy (in my humble opinion) is the make it once and sell it again and again model.

(think photographs, illustrations, ebooks, advertising on our blogs, knitting patterns - you get the idea)

There are ways to bring some of this into any maker model though and I'm going to talk about that next week (or possibly the week after - when the giveaway will be back, too - yay! - since I have a couple large orders to get out next week and may take a blog break)

As a David update for anyone following his saga - he is still living with us, most of hubby's family has fallen away (possibly all of his family- we will see who cancels next week) and the truth is - although part of me is resentful about it - I totally get that they have been through this before and it is exhausting.

Hubby knows a wonderful young man who also suffers with schizophrenia and is on some great medication (a new medication that he says no longer makes him feel like he is inside a shell) coming to dinner this weekend. We are hoping to edge the conversation toward David seeing this man's doctor because David has refused all mental health help. I have been advised by someone from psychiatric services that it's not illegal to be "crazy" - that we can't force someone to seek help unless they are clearly a danger and I certainly don't want to live in a world where just anyone can be called crazy and locked up

(because I would clearly be living in a world that consisted of a padded cell and some kind of rash-generating restraints if a mental health professional got hold of my blog - I think I should make some of my posts self-destruct - ha!)

but to require someone with a disease that causes the brain to not be able to recognize the disease exists to "seek" help is crazier than schizophrenia.

In the meantime we are using words like brain trauma (since David has had multiple) and ADD to try and coax him to a psychiatrist. It is like walking on eggshells a firey bed of hot coals since his ability to instantly be aggravated and angry and avoid conversations he doesn't want to have is unequaled - also his memory for what happened in the early 80's, before he got sick and before he started drinking.

(since I can't remember what happened last week or last night this is totally amazing to me and has me looking for an 80's trivial pursuit championship we can get him involved with).

Have a wonderful weekend everyone - spend a little time doing less!

*loving this no one else could fill your shoes tee from Jordan Grace Owens