CREATIVE SUCCESS NEWSLETTER, NUMBER 15-AUGUST, 2001
The Positive Choices Series

HAPPY FALL! I'm enjoying meeting so many of you at my booksignings and
workshops these past two months, with more to come. Thank you for your
wonderful emails about both The Power of Positive Choices and The 12
Secrets of Highly Creative Women. 12 Secrets was featured in a wonderful
article called "Advancing from Crisis to Creativity" as part of the
Investor's Business Daily "10 Secrets to Success" series on August 20th.
Part of this series is a regular column on creativity and innovation
written by Linda Stockman-Vines. Linda is an excellent writer and very
clever. Check it out!!

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POSITIVE CHOICES STEP THREE: S IS FOR SUBTRACTION

Now that you have chosen your Priorities and identified new
Opportunities for personal, professional, and creative growth, it's time
to leverage one of the most important steps in the Positive Choices
Program: The Power of Subtraction. As you cannot be it all, have it all
or do it all, at the same time, Subtraction is an essential factor in
your success. It is so timely for us to be contemplating Subtraction in
September, as the fall is a time of renewed activities and
responsibilities. So before you sign up for or agree to any new tasks,
STOP. Remember and honor your Priorities and the Opportunities that you
want to add to your life to reduce stress and feel fulfilled. In order
to make the time for what you truly want that allows you to express your
true self in the world, you must make the space for it.

So do a life scan-what things or activities or people or projects or
beliefs must be Subtracted? That is your task for this month. Even small
Subtractions can be powerful. Most recently, I've let go of redesigning
the front garden, cutting out dozens of magazine articles that then need
to be filed, and belonging to groups that don't nurture me. What do you
need to let go of to feel free enough to pursue your goals? Making
Positive Choices in your life is not being Selfish. When you honor and
care for yourself, everyone around you benefits as the undercurrent of
resentment is gone. Yes, you may need to share the importance of your
Priorities and your selected Opportunities with the key people in your
life and ask for their support. If you don't currently have the
financial resources to Subtract a task, such as house cleaning, enlist
the support of others, experiment with barters, and use your creative
powers to remedy the situation. Maybe having everyone take their shoes
off when they get home, or a family "dance and pick up the house" ritual
to favorite music before dinner will do the trick. You have a right to
claim the space in your life to support your vision of what you want.

CHALLENGE
****************

1) Make a list of all of your NEGATIVE "time stealers". Now these are
not your Priorities like spending time with your family or meditating.
Which of your "time stealers" rob you of the largest number of hours of
your time?

2) When we feel out of control with our time and our lives, we can get
burned out and resentful. Take your temperature-are your resentful, and
of whom and what in particular? Do you need to negotiate with your boss,
your spouse, your parents, your friends, to streamline your life?
Subtracting unresolved issues can be liberating and give you back time
AND peace of mind.

3) Commit to a list of Subtractions for September and begin to let go of
them. Reward yourself by luxuriating in more time for an Opportunity.
Enjoy!

SURVEY SAYS...PART TWO
**********************************
Thanks to all of you who completed the survey that Carol Frenier and I
put together. Carol is author of the important book Business and the
Feminine Principle, who was featured in 12 Secrets. We created the
survey to take the pulse of what learning opportunities and support
systems are truly working for you and what Additions you want and in
what form. This survey will be a catalyst for a discussion among those
of you who volunteered to be part of my Advisory Board. This month, we
will share with you the final results.

MENTORS
*************
Specific people mentioned were Jeanne Baxtresser, Dick Bolles, Richard
Carlson, Dalai Llama, Cliff Hakim, Gail McMeekin, Catherine Ponder,
Anita Roddick, Sahana Roman, Keith Underwood, and cherished mentor of
mine, Andrea Szmyt, who died suddenly last year.

BOOKS
**********
The themes for books that support positive risk-taking were: stories of
people who had "done it", stories of inspiration, self-help, creativity
and leadership, Eastern philosophy and martial arts, brain chemistry,
relationship-building models, imagination, mythology and Jungian
thought, psychic phenomena, spirituality, authenticity that goes below
the surface of networking, poetry, and futurism.

CONNECTIONS
*******************
There was a real emphasis on "meaningful group experiences" as a
catalyst for growth. This included groups that create teams to tackle
hard questions in settings that inspire spirited dialogue, rituals to
heal the old, small on-going support groups with like-minded people,
women's circles, small group learning with a spiritual teacher,
conferences with meaningful content in a beautiful setting,
participation in the great mystery of life groups, workshops on
transitions, email groups, and personal activities in a group, such as
martial arts or music. There was a dual emphasis on small LOCAL groups
combined with LARGER gatherings of new people on either a national or
international scale. We seem to need both to feel supported.

WHAT'S MISSING?
**********************
Support groups for entrepreneurs, women who want to balance, work and
family, places to go to share personal struggles authentically, real
time Master Mind groups, same sex groups, community groups, neighborhood
groups, support groups for people dealing with aging parents, year round
community groups that play while working, groups with like minded
others, and being with people who are more advanced or further along the
path of enlightenment.

CONCLUSIONS
*******************
In this study group, there is a strong interest in matters spiritual and
creative as well as engaging in growth-inducing activities either as an
individual or in a meaningful group of others. There is a longing for
strong support groups on a local level and connection to a larger group
of like-minded others. We leave you with this inquiry: What will support
you in your quest to create local groups on the topics of your choice
and what forms of coming together as a larger group are most appealing
to you? Simply press "Reply" and your answers will be tabulated and
shared in a later edition of Creative Success. Carol and I both thank
you for contributing this exploration.

UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS

12 Secrets Events
*********************
November 6
Northeast Human Resources Association Conference in Providence, RI
10:15 AM Presentation on Creativity with Lynne Levesque
781-235-2900 or email: info@nehra.com

Positive Choices Events
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September 15
Barnes and Noble Books in Hyannis, MA
Positive Choices Workshop and book signing at 11 AM.

September 18
Borders at the Galleria Mall in Cambridge, MA
Positive Choices Workshop and book signing at 7:30 PM

September 29
Armchair Books in E. Dennis, MA
Positive Choices Workshop and book signing at the E. Dennis Library on
23 Center St. from 2-4 PM

October 4
Barnes and Noble Books Writer's Night
Location to be announced

Hope you can join us at one of these events and network with
other proactive people!

Did you love the book, The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women?
Let others know what you think by writing a review on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573241415/qid=
999213573/sr=8-1/ref=aps_sr_b_1_1/103-4761415-9131807

Creatively yours,
Gail McMeekin