Waking Up to Life!

I went to a 1 1/2 day workshop at a friend's house, with Marj Barlow facilitating and teaching. She is a counselor and someone who used to live in Corpus Christi and attend All Saints Episcopal Church. I fondly recall her teaching Sunday School classes about finding our strengths and building upon them, based upon Now, Discover Your Strengths, which has a test in it to determine them. I remember I sent a book to each of my children for this purpose!

The workshop was essentially about becoming more aware of oneself, especially as a woman. Marj recommended various books related to self-help (growth). She echoes writers such as Cynthia Bourgeault, Richard Rohr, Ken Wilber, and Beatrice Bruteau in saying that faithful meditation is the way to become more aware and grow our consciousness, especially so that the human race will grow beyond its current point.

Marj compared the seven chakras to goddesses, indicating that each is within us. I believe much of this is in Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives by Jean Shinoda Bolen, which I have not read. It sounds interesting.

She loves the books by Gay Hendricks, who advocates conscious living and loving. Marj emphasized The Big Leap and A Year of Living Consciously (a collection of Hendricks' quotes), though I have not read these either or any other books by Gay Hendricks. Marj recommends other books, with their main points listed, on her blog.

From these sources and from her own experience, Marj said her Formula for Success is:

1. Self-image: my mental view of myself
2. System of support: my environment and relationships
3. Expectations: broaden them!
4. Time: how we manage our time and energy. We create time NOW.
5. Emotions: what I experience now is my choice

Another way of expressing this was her cute way of saying UP Your Life!

• Show up
• Listen up
• Open up
• Grow up
• Lighten up
• Wise up
• Link up
• Offer up

It was a time well spent, with other women supporting each other.

You can learn more about what Marj Barlow believes and teaches by going here and clicking on the various links.