Lissa Rankin's Blog, page 32
May 4, 2011
Grab Bag Religion - How Buddha's My Homeboy, Quan Yin ROCKS, & Jesus Is My Favorite
I was raised with three Methodist ministers in the family, and I grew up attending church twice a week and spitting out Protestant doctrine like a good little straight-A Sunday Schooler. Then as I grew up, I sort of lost my religion. After all, how could I even call myself a Christian if I don't believe that an afterlife is reserved exclusively for those who have made Jesus Christ their personal Lord and Savior? So God and I kept chatting, and I never lost my love for Jesus, but I pretty much started boycotting church -- every time I attended, someone was preaching the sort of intolerance and closed-mindedness that made me want to take someone out with an Uzi. And that definitely violates those commandments.
So I wound up spiritual, but not religious.
May 3, 2011
SARK, Loving Boundaries & The Cosmic Tit
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of taking a three hour walk along the San Francisco waterfront with the legendary artist/author/visionary SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) and talking about her fabulous Dream Boogie workshop (more on that below). As two PAWs (her word for "Powerful Ass Women") sharing stories, we were relating our challenges with fame.
I was telling her I had a hard time establishing boundaries between myself and my fans, and I had a tendency to over-nurture at the expense of my own health, peace, relationships, and sanity. After giving a lecture on the public speaking circuit, I'd be exhausted and depleted, and yet, when someone who followed me on Owning Pink or had read my book approached me after my talk, I'd drop everything to hug her, answer her litany of questions, and coach her towards a happier life. And then I'd break down because, as outgoing as I am, at my core, I'm an introvert. Being around other people drains me. I replenish my energy by being alone.
Susan said, "You're like me -- the cosmic tit."
May 2, 2011
Speak Your Truth: I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar
Last night, I heard the news that Osama bin Laden had been assassinated. The very first thought that popped into my mind was, "Ding dong the witch is dead. Rejoice, munchkins!" Then a brief 10 seconds later, it was followed by a heaviness in my heart. Everyone all over the US was celebrating. Twitter was all atwitter with gleeful cheering. Facebook was one big PAR-TEE. There were parties in the streets.
And yet, I found myself crying, not because the world isn't better off without bin Laden in it, but because our reaction as a society breaks my heart.
Speaking my truth
So I wrote this post. And I tweeted it on Twitter. And I posted it on a Facebook. And I quoted Gandhi saying, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
And then people started un-liking me on Facebook. And un-following me on Twitter. And I started getting hate mail. And that just made me cry more.
Are You Getting In Your Own Way? A Quiz
Most of my coaching clients seek out my services because they have big dreams and they're struggling to achieve them. Or they have no clue what their big dreams are -- and they want to connect with them.
But when I dig right down to the nitty gritty, what I almost always find is not that they can't dream big. It's not that they aren't smart enough or powerful enough or creative enough or pretty enough or talented enough to achieve their goals. No.
What lies between my clients and their big dreams? It's not money. It's not their parents. It's not their lack of education. It's themselves.
They are getting in their own way.
May 1, 2011
Osama bin Laden Killed. Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead -- Or Not?
I just found out from CNN that a senior U.S. official says Osama bin Laden was killed by the U.S. forces in a mansion outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Apparently, President Obama is gearing up for a press conference to tell us more.
I'm sitting here on my sofa working on my book, and I wonder whether this will be one of those moments I always remember -- like the day the first Space Shuttle exploded or the day Princess Di died, or the day 9/11 happened.
This ghost of evil has been spiriting around caves for a decade now, and just before 9/11's anniversary, he's gone. The almighty United States triumphs again.
April 29, 2011
Quit Your Job, Find Your Calling
Do You Long to Quit Your Job?
You hate your job. You despise your job, actually. You get sick to your stomach every Monday morning and the sense of dread doesn't let up until TGIF Happy Hour. Okay, maybe you don't TOTALLY hate your job. There is that cute guy in billing, you did work hard to get where you are so far, and the money is decent, even though you deserve more. But you can't let go of that feeling that there's something more.
You fantasize about quitting. You create elaborate scenarios in your head that involve telling your boss to take this job and shove it where the sun don't shine. You visualize cleaning out your office, walking out the front door, unshackling your chains, and throwing debris up in the air as you start break dancing to the perfect soundtrack that rocks you right into the life your dying to live -- which is any life except this one.
April 28, 2011
Vaginas Crash Owning Pink
So yesterday was Owning Pink's two year birthday (WOOT!). And yet, we couldn't get on the site to plan our big PAR-TEE because the site was crashing all of Tuesday afternoon, then night, then well into our anniversary Wednesday...
Why?
Vaginas.
Yes. Vaginas.
April 27, 2011
Owning Pink Turns 2 Today!
I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, realizing that it's been two years since I launched Owning Pink. It's like looking at your baby and realizing she's not a baby anymore, and even though she's become this incredible person, you have these tender feelings for her early years.
When I first started Owning Pink on April 27, 2009, I held to this Field of Dreams belief that, "If you build it, they will come" -- but part of me was terrified. What if I built it -- and then nobody showed up? It would be like throwing yourself a birthday party, only to wind up alone, stuffing yourself full of birthday cake to try to sedate that desire within you that just wants to be loved.
But I took out a loan and leapt into my big dreams by hiring Joy Mazzola, Owning Pink's first employee, and together, we set our intentions for Owning Pink by writing in magic marker on the wall of my home office, "We want Owning Pink to invite people to go to that place of pain, knowing they will be loved, safe, and nurtured." In other words, we wanted to help people heal, only we didn't quite realize that's what we were doing back then.
We Built It, And You Came
April 26, 2011
Lean Into The Fear
When I was a child, my mother broke both arms while skiing, and I spent a couple of months bathing her, since she couldn't get her casts wet. So as much as I adore skiing, I'm always a wee bit hesitant.
When I was training to become a surgeon, my teachers warned me never to do anything that might jeopardize my hands. "Your hands are your life," they would say. So I always heard their words whenever I was tempted to throw my hand into a closing elevator to catch it. And last week when the wind was blowing through my hair as I cruised down a ski slope, the same words echoed.
Now, I'm no longer doing surgery, but my hands are still my livelihood. I make my living largely from writing, and the memory of those two casts on Mom's arms still haunts me. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a lingering fear whispers evil nothings.
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