Orrin Jason Bradford's Blog, page 20

Manifesto #9: Living Your Purpose

 Also known as:  Where the Rubber Meets the Road

When you've done the inner work to uncover your Inherited Purpose so you can begin to be responsible for it, and you've clarified your true, Divinely Inspired Life Purpose, you've set the stage for a profound and lasting transformation in your life. However, the work isn't done yet. In fact, the last piece can be the most challenging and ultimately most transformational of all; it's living true to your purpose.

There's an old coaching formula I learned from my first coach, Judy, over 20 years ago.  It goes like this:

I + A = G&D

I = Insights

G&D = Growth and Development

Of course, you may have already guessed that the "A" stands for Action. You see, uncovering your Inherited Purpose and clarifying your Divinely Inspired Life Purpose are major insights – mega-insights in that they have the potential to transform your entire life. But they are still just insights. And like Judy once told me, "Insights are like a pinch in the buttocks; momentarily interesting but hardly life transforming." Combine these insights with action, though, and you have true growth and development in your life.

Living a life on purpose is a process, a journey. Getting to the place where the people who know would say, "Yes, your life is a reflection of your true purpose," doesn't happen over night, but it can happen, and it doesn't need to take decades to be, be known and to start expressing your life purpose. It does take being in action and not getting distracted or derailed by your Inherited Purpose.

So, as we close out this special report, take a moment to write down the insights you've gleaned. Then, pick at least one of those insights and write out an action or two that you WILL take to begin to integrate the insight into your life.

A Bold, Audacious Action: If you feel you may be ready to clarify your life purpose using the Life On Purpose Process as your roadmap, there are several ways to experience the power of the Process. To learn more, take a cybervisit to Life On Purpose Institute.

Your Turn:  Questions?  Comments?  What insights are you having?  Let me hear from you.

Manifesto #8: The Composition of the Universe

We're continuing to explore the Life On Purpose Perspective and how it applies to being…especially being a visionary writer and author.  So, let's pick it up with a 'heady' question that may take you pack to 9th grade science class:

What is the simplest component of the physical part of the cosmos: the basic building block that we learned about in 9th grade science class?

It's atoms, right? And atoms come together to form molecules of matter, so fill in those blanks on the diagram above.

Now, let's look at the nonphysical side. On this side, there are not one but two components that come together to form a different kind of "molecule." So, what gives us our sense of ourselves, of who we are? What are those two basic building blocks of our being? Try this on:

•    Our thoughts

•    Our feelings (or emotions)

These two come together to forms molecules of meaning. Consider this perspective for just a moment. When you do, you may notice that, just like in our example above with the two people starting work, there are thoughts and feelings that empower us and enhance our lives and those that can disempower us and detract from life.

That leads us back to life purpose and a major point of this exercise. I'd like you to consider that we have not one but two purposes, in that we have two powerful life shaping forces in our life, as represented in our diagram by the two smaller circles to the left of the larger ones.

Circle 4 represents your true life purpose. I often refer to this as your Divinely Inspired Life Purpose because it helps remind me that the very foundation from which our true purpose arises is the attractive force of Universal Love. This foundation can also equate with one's relationship to God or a Higher Power, or one's spiritual nature or spirituality.

So, in Circle 4 write:

•    Love

•    D. I. L. P.

And this is who we truly are. We are "Divinely Inspired" spiritual beings brought to earth to have a physical experience. But we're not quite done yet.  What about Circle 5? Well, as we all know, we often have thoughts and feelings that aren't based in Universal Love, that don't give us a sense of abundance, and that don't give us the freedom to flow with life.

And that's our second purpose. What I refer to as the Inherited Purpose. This second powerful life shaping force isn't based in Universal Love, but is instead based in fear, a sense of lack, and a need to struggle in order to survive.

And here's the last main point for now:

The Inherited Purpose is the lie you've been telling yourself about yourself and about life for so long that you've come to believe it to be true…and it's not. It's a LIE.

The reason we call it the 'Inherited Purpose' is because it's developed so early in our life, during our formative years as a child, and it often feels like something we were born into, or inherited.

And it's also formed from "molecules of meaning," but these molecules are of a different nature from those of our true purpose. These molecules are based in fear, and a sense of lack, and they often lead to us struggling to make it in life. You see, for all of us as we go through these early formative years, stuff happens and people say things that have us feeling threatened or insecure. These can be major traumatic happenings like the loss of a parent, or a divorce, or a series of smaller incidences.

When they happen we feel threatened, unsafe or insecure, and since we're naturally "meaning-making beings", we make up some meaning…oh, not on a conscious level but quietly in the background of our awareness. Before we know it, we've fabricated a story that explains or justifies all those things that have happened, not even realizing that the story is based in fear and lack. We also think that the story is true, but it's not. It's a lie. It's a fantasy.

But, in the same way that our true life purpose can shape our actions and results, our Inherited Purpose can shape the actions we see to take, and those actions will be consistent and in a dance with the lie, and will lead to results that are consistent with the story, which of course, only goes on to fortify and make the Inherited Purpose story that much more real.

Now for some good news: Uncovering the Inherited Purpose and bringing it from the background of our consciousness to the foreground is one of the most important steps in clarifying your true purpose and then living true to it. When you've distinguished your Inherited Purpose, you can then begin to have an Inherited Purpose rather than being had by it.

But there's one last piece of the 'clarity of purpose' puzzle – being able to live true to your purpose. Of course, that's for our next Bloginar session.

In the meantime, it's your turn.  What are you gleaning from the Bloginar.  Is it making sense? What would you add to the conversation?

This inquiring mind really wants to know so share your thoughts in the comment section.

Manifesto #7: Remember, We're Human BEINGS

Remember, we're working with this Life On Purpose Perspective Model:

Circle 3 represents the being aspect of life, so let's start by labeling it with these words:

•    Be

•    Being

•    Experience

•    Meaning

Now, here's an important point to consider:

Who we are, or more accurately, who we consider ourselves to be, has a direct influence on what we see possible to do.

This relationship of being and doing is represented by the other semicircle arrow.  To illustrate this important point, let's look at a simple example.

Let's say you're in the midst of starting a new job, but you're really only taking the job because you have bills to pay and a family to feed. You're not sure it is the job for you. In fact, you're pretty sure it isn't. You don't like the person you're going to be working for, the work environment seems rigid and depressing, and the work seems to be tedious and unrewarding. But, you're afraid if you don't take the job, you'll get even further into financial difficulties.

Can you see that 'who you're being', i.e. your attitude, beliefs, thoughts, and feelings about the job will influence your action and performance on the job which will then affect the results as well. It's a cascading effect.

Now, let's say there's another person who's about to start the same kind of job. But who this person is being regarding the job is an excited person.

She's looking forward to getting to know her co-workers, and while she realizes her boss might be a bit of a challenge, she's looking forward to finding ways to work with him and to be of service. Sure the work may be a little tedious at first, but she's confident that the better she does at the job the sooner she'll be able to move up to more satisfying duties. So, she comes to work excited, and with the intention to do her best in service to others.

Can you see that the actions she sees to take will be different, as will her performance and not surprising, also her results will be different. Wow, who we are has a lot to do with the quality of our life, doesn't it? You may be asking: "What does this all have to do with life purpose?". Well, let's go back to our diagram once more, and ask this question:

What informs us as to who we are or who we consider ourselves to be?  Said another way, if this realm of being is so important how can we access it in a way that will serve us in living a more purposeful and meaningful life?

Remember, I indicated that the aspects of doing and having occur in the physical part of our world, but as you can see from the diagram, the being aspect occurs in the nonphysical part of the cosmos. So hang in with me for a little longer, and I think this will all make sense. It may even result in a large 'aha' moment.

Manifesto #6: The Evolution of Life Purpose

While the question of what is one's life purpose is a timeless inquiry, I believe we're now at a point where our perspective of life purpose is evolving. This is a time of transition from the old, cultural perspective to a new perspective – the Life On Purpose Perspective.

The old cultural perspective says your life purpose is what you're supposed to do with your life. When you operate from this perspective and go to answer the question, "What then is my own personal life purpose?" many people identify their work as their life purpose. Others may identify some primary role in life as their life purpose. For women, this is often to be a good mother or a loyal spouse. For men, they may define their purpose as being a good provider or a good dad or husband.

But let's consider this term — life purpose — for a moment. Doesn't it make sense that your life purpose should encompass all of your life, not just certain segments of it? Another common outcome of operating from this cultural perspective is that we often end up with a life filled to overflowing with doing, doing, doing, and for many people they may find themselves 'doing more and more while enjoying it less and less.'

So, let's consider another perspective: the Life On Purpose Perspective. It goes like this:

Your life purpose is the context, vessel or container into which your pour your life.

Said another way, consider that your life purpose is more about who you are as a spiritual being and what you came here to this life to be and to experience. Since this is a new perspective for many people, let's explore it in more depth by going through the following exercise together.

I have found that labeling the various circles of the diagram above helps to integrate this perspective into your thinking so please, play along with me.

Circle 1 represents the doing or action part of life, so write in these words:

•    Do

•    Doing

•    Action

And there's a relationship between that circle and circle 2 which represents the having aspect of life, so write in circle 2 these words:

•    Have

•    Having

•    Results

We often do things so that we can have things. For example, I went to seven years of college to earn a degree in veterinary medicine. This relationship is represented by the top semicircle arrow. Of course, as I've already alluded to, if we're not mindful we can easily slip into a vicious circle of doing…having… doing…having, etc. This can lead to a sense of 'doing more and more while enjoying life less and less.'

This vicious circle is often the product of the cultural perspective regarding your life purpose, and it's really easy to get trapped in the vicious circle, in part because it's so much a part of our culture. Our culture being the way we do things, especially in our Western society. Also, these two aspects of life occur in the physical part of our world, and it's pretty easy for us to stay aware of the physical aspect of life with our five senses.

However, there's simply a lot more to life than the physical aspect, so let's see how we can access a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.

That's what we'll explore next time.

Manifesto #5: Part Two: Clarity of Purpose: Don't Live Life Without It

(The following was originally written as a Life On Purpose Special Report entitled Clarity of Purpose: Don't Live Life without It. If you've happened to come across this report and read it, then I encourage you to read it again here as a review. I have revised it to have a slant for Visionary Writers.)

Here one reason I feel so strongly that knowing your life purpose will make a profound difference in all of your life including your life as a Visionary Writer:

"Seven in ten individuals without a clearly defined purpose felt unsettled about their lives, while almost seven in ten with a purpose felt satisfied."

This was the finding as reported in the book, I Just Want My Kids to Be Happy, by Aaron Cooper and Eric Keitel, M.Ed. That's a pretty dramatic difference, wouldn't you say?

This manifesto isn't intended to give you the 'how to' of clarifying your life purpose. That's all covered in my book, Life On Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life, that outlines in details a proven, systematic, spiritually based process that has assisted thousands of people in clarifying their life purpose and in designing their lives to be an authentic reflection of that purpose. Please see the appendix on purposeful resources for more information.

So, let's start by further distinguishing the three parts that make up "clarity of purpose." They are:

1.    Knowing your true, Divinely Inspired Life Purpose with crystal clarity. This means knowing your life purpose so well that if someone woke you at 3 o'clock in the morning and asked you what your life purpose is, you'd be able to tell them clearly and succinctly.

2.    Knowing with equal clarity the other life shaping force that so often keeps people from either knowing their life purpose or from living true to their purpose. In the Life On Purpose Process, I refer to this as the Inherited Purpose.  It's important to know this because one of the primary things that gives the Inherited Purpose so much of it's 'life shaping' power is that it operates most effectively in the background of our awareness. So, bringing it to the light of day is a key step in being able to choose whether to allow the fear and lack-based nature of the Inherited Purpose to shape your life or not.

3.    Having the tools and the commitment to use these tools to design a life that is a true and authentic reflection of your life purpose. Said another way, if the people who know you were to hear you share your life purpose with that person who intruded in on your sleep, they'd say, "Yes, that's his/her life purpose. I know because their life is a reflection of that purpose."

Let's look at #1 in more depth. Knowing your true life purpose starts with a shift in perspective in how you view what a life purpose is. Yep, that's next time.

By the way. Do you know other writers you feel would enjoy and benefit from the Manifesto Bloginar? Please share this with them. It's not too late for them to climb on board. The posts are archived.

Manifesto #4: The Role of Purpose & Passion in My Own Life

For the past two decades I've been conducting an experiment. Is it possible to create a new context for my life that I feel is "divinely inspired" and true to my deepest values, my sense of what's possible, and true to my soul and spirit? If it is possible, what will be the results? Will it enhance my life? Will I experience a true sense of purpose and meaning? Will I know at the end of the experiment that my life has mattered?

Becoming a writer of visionary fiction and non-fiction has been an integral part of this experiment, as was co-founding Life On Purpose Institute with my wife in 1996, being a coach to assist others to create their own life on purpose experiment, and training other Life On Purpose Coaches.

Since selling my veterinary practice in the late 80′s to pursue a career as a writer and life coach, I've published over 350 magazine articles in such publications as Family Fun, Boys' Life, Body and Soul (then New Age Journal), Yoga Journal, Utne Reader and Better Homes and Garden, to mention just a few. Many of these have been part of my pet writing project:

Project Purpose: to write and publish articles about people whose lives are dedicated to a bold and inspiring purpose or vision.

As of this date, I have also written and published four nonfiction books, four "Special Reports" (shorter "novella size" nonfiction books) and a young adult fantasy book with an adult science fiction techno-thriller due out very soon (Nov. 11, 2011). If you're interested, you can learn more about these on my Amazon Author's Page.

But enough about me already.  Let's jump into what I believe you will find to be one of the most important and unique aspects of this manifesto and my take on the life of a Visionary Writer — the roles of purpose, passion and play, also known as "Clarity of Purpose."

That's next time, so stay tuned.

Some Visions Taking Longer to Materialize

NOTE: I know I just started the Visionary Writers Bloginar this week, and already I see I didn't factor in what to do when breaking news happens, or when I just get an idea I really want to share about? Well, I'll try to keep these 'we break into your regular program for this special report' moments to a minimum but here's one I can't pass up about a true visionary author.

For those have followed visionary writing in the form of science fiction and fantasy, Philip K. Dick is legendary.  He's also a perfect example how some visions take longer to materialize.  Case in point, this was recently made public via Courthouse News Service:

Heirs of science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick claim the writers, producers and distributors of the movie "The Adjustment Bureau" cheated them of millions of dollars in royalties.

The movie, released this year and based on Dick's story, "Adjustment Team," grossed $128 million at the box office and cost just $62 million to make, and has brought in another $10 million from DVD sales, according to the complaint.

Now, there are several different reactions you might have to this news report, but here's a few points that I came away with when I looked beyond the legal case itself, like:

Since Dick died in 1982, 10 of his stories have been made into feature films, including "The Adjustment Bureau," "Blade Runner," and "Minority Report." Dick's short story, "Adjustment Team" was published in Orbit Science Fiction magazine in 1954.

Did you catch that?  Dick's story that was turned into a movie in 2011 and grossed $128 million was originally written in 1954 – when I was 5 years old — that's 57 years after it was published.  And here I was thinking that science fiction stories have a short 'shelf life.'  I've been concerned that my soon to be published Seeds of New Birth took me twenty years to publish.  Not anymore.

And did you notice that "The Adjustment Bureau" is one of ten stories by Dick that have been made into feature films?  So, maybe as a visionary writer you're not writing for yourself as much as you're writing for your children, or grandchildren or great…well you get my point.

 

Manifesto for Visonary Writers #3

 Let Me Introduce Myself

To give you a better idea who I am and why I'm writing this manifesto, let me share a few things about myself.

I became an avid reader of fantasy and science fiction as an eleven-year-old boy when my next-door neighbor, who was a children's librarian, took pity on my single-parent mom. Bored out of my gourd one summer with no one to play with but good 'ol mom, I drove my mother crazy until Mrs. Crabtree brought home a stack of books she knew would hook a young boy and give my mom some relief. It worked. I've been hooked ever since, and it was my introduction to visionary fiction disguised as fantasy and science fiction.

Over time I began to think, as I'm sure many of you reading this manifesto have done, "boy wouldn't it be great to be able to one day, someday write my own stories that would entertain and enlighten others?"  Of course, no matter how many times I looked on the calendar I could never find 'someday,' until Fate stepped in.

Before becoming a writer and life coach, I was a veterinarian with my own small-animal practice in High Point, North Carolina. In 1984, I began hearing about a new computer called the Macintosh. Being an Apple computer enthusiast, I decided one Saturday to visit the local Apple store and check out this new toy. Twenty minutes later, thanks to a nice (and very attractive) sales lady (no her name wasn't Fate), I strolled out with my own Macintosh, a printer, and a new credit card with the entire purchase on the account.

My Macintosh was one of the first 1,000 machines off the assembly line, and only two programs were available for it —MacPaint and MacWrite. It didn't take long for me to realize it's next to impossible to draw anything useful with a mouse. Fun, yes. Useful, no. By Monday morning, with a good case of buyer's remorse setting in, I became frantic to find some way to justify this irrational and spontaneous buying spree.

Finally, I decided the Macintosh was a sign. After all, I had been telling myself for years that one day I would try my hand at writing, right? After glancing at the calendar and my charge card bill, I realized that day had arrived.

I set about writing my first article, a short piece about the reasons for spaying your cat, which I promptly sent off to Purrrrr! (I remember to this day that the title of the magazine is spelled with five R's), a newsletter for cat lovers published in Maine. A month or so later, I received my first check in the mail for $50. I was thrilled and delighted. Next, I wrote a long short story, "Dog's Best Friend," a science fiction story loosely taken from my experiences with the then new Parvovirus. I dashed it off to a small science fiction magazine for young adults, which promptly sent me back an acceptance.

Wow! I was batting two for two. My impression was that this writing thing was going to be a breeze. I started envisioning a life of leisure, sitting on the deck of my mountain hideaway, typing a couple hours each day on my next best seller.

"Dog's Best Friend" gave me my first exposure to the difference between "paid on acceptance" and "paid on publication." The magazine had accepted my short story as "paid on publication," which meant that, although they had accepted my story, I would not get paid until they printed it. After waiting eighteen months with no check, despite numerous letters reminding them of their promise, I grew impatient. By this time I had become a regular contributor to Purrrrr! They published all the articles I sent to them and paid me right away. So, I figured, I would just take "Dog's Best Friend" back and get it published somewhere else, probably for more money than I had been offered. That's what I did.

That was more than twenty years ago, and "Dog's Best Friend" has yet to find its way into print. During the same time span, I also learned that the business of writing isn't always quite as easy as those early beginner's luck experiences suggested.

At the same time, I've discovered a lot about what works and what doesn't in the process of become a Visionary Writer of nonfiction and fiction.

Next Time: The Role of Purpose & Passion in My Own Life

Manifesto for Visionary Writers #2

Who is This Manifesto Written For?

I've given this question quite a bit of thought and here are some of the qualities and attributes of the people I feel I'm here to serve with this manifesto.  As you read over them see how many of them resonate with you.  If most of them apply, read on, if not, you can go ahead and pass on the rest of this. (But feel free to pass it along to any of your friends who you feel fit these qualities.)

 You want your life to matter.  Now, I know you might be saying, "Well, doesn't everyone?" And yes, at some level I believe that's true.  However, I also know that there are many people who have bought into the erroneous belief that their life doesn't matter, and have become exceedingly resigned about it.  This manifesto isn't for resigned people.  It's for those who still yearn to have a life that matters.
As a part of a life that matters, you want to make a difference in the world and to serve contribute to your fellow human being.
You're committed to living a life on purpose.  Now, you may or may not yet know with real clarity what your life purpose is, but you know you have one and that you want your life to reflect your purpose as much as possible.  Another way I like to say this is that you're consciously on the Purposeful Path with the final destination (if there is such a thing as a final destination) being your own flavor of a life on purpose.
 One of the ways you want your life to matter, a significant way you want to contribute and make a difference, and how you want to express your life purpose is as a writer, but not just any kind of writer.  You want to be inspired by what you write, and you want others to be inspired by it when they read it. You want to be a Visionary Writer. Oh, you might not yet know how to go about being or becoming a Visionary Writer, but that doesn't stop you from yearning for it.
 You're ready, willing, and able to learn whatever you can and then take the actions consistent with what you learn to turn this desire/dream into a reality.

You may notice that I've not said anything yet about how old you need to be, or what your current career or work is, or even how much or little experience you have as a writer. That's because these factors play little if any part in what this manifesto is about.

It really doesn't matter how young or old you are.  If you're old enough to be reading and comprehending at least some of what is in this manifesto, you're the right age.  In other words, just like it's never too early or too late to become crystal clear about your life purpose, it's also never too early or late to choose to express that purpose as a Visionary Writer.

It also doesn't really matter what you're currently doing to put food on your table and keep a roof over your head.  Oh sure, having a decent education certainly will help, but it's not required, if the desire is strong enough because with the desire you'll create ways to get the education.

Of course, you'll be ahead of the game if you have developed some skills as a writer, but this manifesto and everything that follows after it will really be more focusing on the being and becoming a Visionary Writer.  Sure, I'll share some of the tools and techniques I've learned over the past twenty-five years about the "art and craft" of writing, but that's not really where the emphasis will be, in large part because there are many other resources for this kind of information.  I'll point you to these resources including to other people who I feel have some real value to share and who really 'get it' — like for starters, Robin Sullivan of the Write2Publish blog.  She shares a wealth of information, especially about a vital component of being a Visionary Writer — how to promote and market yourself without coming across like a real jerk.  (Yes, I'm still learning from her. )

Here are some of the points where we'll be focusing this manifesto:

 What does it take to be and become a Visionary Writer?
 What role does purpose, passion and play have in being a Visionary Writer?
 What is one proven avenue you can take to become a Visionary Writer that will allow you to make a difference while also earning income — a way to "earn while you learn" that I think many emerging Visionary Writers haven't considered but that has worked well for me.
The importance of having a proven, systematic process for developing yourself as a Visionary Writer.

Okay, your turn again.  Who or what are some of your favorite writing resources? No, you don't get "brownie points" for listing me. (Well, not many brownie points.)  How well do you fit the qualities and attributes covered in today's post?  Don't worry if you don't fit all of them.  What else would you like to share at this point in our journey?

Next Time:  Let Me Introduce Myself

 

My Manifesto for Visionary Writers – Bloginar Kickoff

Part One:  What You Can Expect To Get Out of this Manifesto

"I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you might nudge the world a little or make a poem that children will speak for you when you are dead" — Tom Stoppard

This manifesto is a statement and a stand for a possibility and a vision:

That, while,  it is possible to express your true life purpose in many different ways, one of the most powerful, effective, engaging and fun ways to "nudge the world a little" (or even a lot)  — to create a World On Purpose — is with the written word. In the process you become not only a visionary but a Visionary Writer.

This manifesto is for people who really get this.  You may be an experienced writer with years or even decades under your belt, or you may be an aspiring writer just starting out who really want to "get it right as you write."  It's likely you're one of those people has said at some point, "I just have to write — it's a part of who I am."  Yet, at the same time, you may not consider yourself a "born writer."  I know I sure don't.  I barely scrapped by my English Composition classes in school, and it wasn't until I was in my late thirties that I caught the writing bug.

You see, after over a decade and a half of living my own life on purpose, I'm clear that anything you do in life will be greatly enhanced if you take the time to 'pour' it into the context or container of your true life purpose. (We'll explore more about what I mean by that in this manifesto), but at the same time there are some things that simply appear to be more "in the beam" of your purpose. This manifesto (and web site) are for people for whom writing is one of those "in the beam" activities.

The Pure Joy of Expressing Your Life Purpose

Many of the ways you may choose to express your life purpose will be acted upon for the pure joy of expressing your true Self, including, perhaps, much of your writing efforts.  At the same time, I imagine a lot of you "Visionary Writers On Purpose" would love to be able to design your life so that a significant or even primary way in which you sustain yourself, not only spiritually but also physically and financially is through your writing.

If that's true for you, you've come to the write place…I mean the right place. Well, actually I mean both.

One of the primary purposes of www.wbradfordswift.com is to explore how writing can be one of the ways of expressing yourself that is, not only emotionally, mentally, and spiritually fulfilling, but also financially. This manifesto is the start of this exploration.

What the H_ _ _ is a Bloginar?

Well, it's a word I thought I made up until I Goggled it and found others had also made it up. So, let me explain what I mean by it since this manifesto will first be offered in the form of a "Bloginar" — a series of blog posts that starts with this one appearing on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. The Bloginar will continue every Tuesday, Thursday  and Saturdays until the manifesto is complete — probably sometime in the first week of December.

I strongly encourage and am actively seeking your contribution through making comments in the form of questions that you may have about the topic, observations you'd like to share, and insights of what you glean from the experience.  I will then take the best of all of it and compile it into My Manifesto for Visionary Writers — Creating a World On Purpose with the Written Word that will then be available for download as a PDF document sometime before the end of the year.

So, here's your first chance.  Why not take 30 seconds to leave a comment, question, observation and/or insight.  Ready…set…go.

Next Time: Who is This Manifesto Written For?