strong offer friday
Work, play, learn with me.
First, what is a strong offer?
A strong offer is an offer of yourself (your love, your talent, your art) without comparing yourself to others, without attachment to how that offer will be received, without a story attached to the offer, and with detachment from the outcome. Your “job” is to make the offer, and if you spend your time apologizing for your work or making excuses for it, you’re off course from your job. Whatever has taken the place of your work has become your work. So if checking Amazon page rankings is what you’re spending your time doing, that has become your job, not writing. So, create and offer, create and offer, create and offer. That’s your job. And mine.
My strong offers
Writing
Your Daily Rock is my newest book (Nov 2014). Designed to provide a daily meditation, it is on many a bedside table, including my own. I am using it in 2015 as the grounding for my days. With questions for the morning and evening of each day, and a quote and story to guide that day’s mindfulness practice, it is a great companion for your new year. On Monday, January 5th, I will celebrate the 10th anniversary of this blog by giving away 10 copies of Your Daily Rock. You can enter to win a copy here. Winners will be chosen at noon (Eastern) on Monday and notified by email and on this blog.
My book on navigating grief of all kinds, The Geography of Loss, also came out in 2014. At the time, I was in the midst of a business process that was unrelenting, so I didn’t get to talk much about this book, which I consider one of my best. We all experience loss–and need to know we are not alone in that experience. This book is my best thinking on loss, and the three steps I believe can help us greatly in moments of loss and grief: Embrace what is, Honor what was, Love what will be.
Speaking and Teaching
Starts Jan 26 – 8-Week Online Class: All New VerbTribe for Writers. You want to write, but you’re not writing. This will get you started–and keep you going. Join the 250+ alumni of VerbTribe. This new class provides personalized feedback, weekly calls, and more. To be a writer, you must write.37days Book Club – It’s not too late to join my virtual book club! In 2015, we are reading the work of women writers. Once a month (second Wednesday from 8-9pm Eastern), we gather by phone to have a conversation about what we’ve read – like a community book club, except from the comfort of our own homes. Only $1/month to help defray cost of our meeting software. Bring your own snacks and favorite tea, join us in your jammies, and talk about novels, nonfiction, essays, and more.
September 24-27 – Asilomar, Pacific Grove, CA: Life is a Verb Camp – This annual gathering focuses on courage, creativity, and community. Here’s what people are saying about Camp!
Feb 20-21 – Raleigh, NC: The Gathering: The Many Voices of God at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Raleigh NC – “The Voice of Grief and Loss”
April 9 – Verona, NY: Opening Keynote, New York State Association for the Education of Young Children – “Love, Live, Let Go, and Make a Difference: Four Practices for Transforming Your Life and Work”
July 14-19 – Kripalu, Stockbridge, MA: Life is a Verb: Six Practices for Living and Working More Mindfully, a 5-day retreat. Engage your brain, body, and creative spirit through
- Art processes focused on discovery, not product
- Guided discussions on mindfulness and intentional choices
- Ways to see the extraordinary in the ordinary again
- Six practices for mindful living and how to embed them into your life.