Greetings!

Today I leave on a cruise to the Caribbean to work with writers and Movers & Shakers.  Then, I’m home for the summer before heading to Toronto in September for the next Movers & Shakers workshop, as well as the I Can Do It in London.  Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our June telegathering with Mama Gena, on Monday, June 28th.  It’s sure to be wild!  You can view the full schedule here.

Have a wonderful week…

Love,

Cheryl

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Topic of the Week

The Outsider

This week I’m writing to you from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where I’m about to set sail on our first Movers & Shakers cruise to the Caribbean.  As I looked through past newsletters for one to republish, I found this piece I had written on my return from teaching the Writer’s Workshop on my very first cruise.  I hope it speaks to you this week…

The cruise was wonderful.  It was my maiden voyage on a large ship and I have to admit that I had reservations.  But, once we were out on the open ocean I knew things would be just fine.  Give me fresh air, sunshine, good friends, and an up-close-and-personal connection to the sea, and I’m a happy gal.

I love teaching and was thrilled to have a class full of sincere and purposeful writers who were excited and hungry to learn about the journey of book publishing.  There are always important moments during an intensive workshop that highlight a universal theme.  One of our moments occurred halfway through the class when a brave woman shared that the subject of her book was a departure from the more traditional life she grew up in.  The thought of publishing her work for the world to see ignited the pain she felt as an outsider in her family – the unconventional one in a world of convention.  Her honesty and vulnerability touched us all and gave me a chance to talk about what I see as the benefit of being the outsider.

In all my years of speaking and teaching, I’ve found that those who are most successful at living true and meaningful lives generally come from backgrounds where they don’t fit in.  There’s a good chance you know what I mean.  You may have felt like an odd duck in your family, a flower in a garden of vegetables at work, or the one person who seemed to be dropped into the middle of school by alien beings.  If you did (or do), you’re in good company.  Most people who are doing the work to live conscious and authentic lives feel that way.

At one point during the workshop, I invited a surprise guest, Wayne Dyer, to join us to talk about his writing process.  No sooner was his butt in the chair, when he explained that the key to his success was his willingness to buck the system and follow a path traveled by few.  He was adamant that had he operated within an established norm, he would not have written more than 30 books – books that are published in more than 45 countries today.

Later in the week, I invited Julie Barr, a talented comedian who was performing on the cruise, to speak about her creative process.  Talk about out-of-the-box.  Her success as a performer and comedic artist was evident in her willingness to offer a straight and hilarious conversation about what it takes to write and perform stand-up comedy.  Boy, did we laugh!

The courage and personal strength required to navigate the rough patches that inevitably come with feeling like an outsider, are the very qualities you’ll need to withstand the pressure when society tries to pull you back into compliance from your position of originality.  I like to think of the outsider experience as a “polishing school,” a training program that allows great thinkers and doers to develop what it takes to shine, as they break new ground or conduct some kind of change-agent activity in the world.

The very act of living an authentic life requires you to risk being unusual, different, or strange.  It’s the opposite of trying to fit in.  Whether you dress or live in a unique way, bend the rules with your own creative slant on life, or follow a curvaceous path that meanders around social norms, the reward lies in knowing that you’re living a real and honest life.  Is there anything better?

If you feel like an outsider, welcome.  Take this week’s challenge and get a little more comfortable in that great, unique skin of yours…

Take Action Challenge

Look for one way, each day this week, to practice finding inner peace in the outer lane of life.  Dress a little different, use words that are more reflective of your true nature, or offer an opinion that tilts the boat a bit.  Be willing to be you.  It’s the best (and only) was to cruise through life ☺.

This week’s video is a powerful reminder that you can do anything!  You can find it here.  Thanks Susan!