Let’s Make Some Beautiful Music Together
Photo by MacKay Savage via Flickr Creative Commons (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mckaysavage/)
Lucky me… I have the bird’s eye view on the Liberated Life Project community, also known as “Team Liberation.”
As of today, there are nearly 400 people signed up through this website, hundreds of others who come to read the posts here every week, and countless folks who stop by the LLP Facebook page.
I read all your comments, I get the emails you send, and a number of you I am lucky enough to have met in person. So I know something about you all that you may not know about each other.
Some of you are artists, some are writers, some are moms, some are healers, some are athletes; some of you have started businesses, some of you are traveling around the world, some of you are writing books.
All of you are wonderful.
Today, I’d like to give you a chance to share your voice here in this space and to be able to connect with each other.
Please use the comment section below if you feel inspired to add your voice in to this delicious mix that is brewing.
Let me offer you some questions as a starting point… but feel free to say anything that feels close to your heart right now.
- Where do you have freedom in your life?
- Where do you most want to cultivate freedom?
- What would most support you in your aspiration to live a more liberated life?
- What would you like to offer to this community of like-minded freedom seekers? (Maybe you’ve written an e-book, or you offer a service, or you’ve created a business or nonprofit…or anything else you’d like to let us know about)
And hey, I’ll get the ball rolling. One thing I’m very excited to share is an upcoming course to help you find ‘right livelihood.’ The course is based in the Liberated Life Project’s fundamental principle, freedom is an inside job, and starts on July 1st. Take a look here for more information.
Okay — it’s your turn! Please leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you and to discovering our shared passions and connections.
24 Comments
Maia, what a lovely idea for a post! I am sorry I am late to the party, but I’ve enjoyed reading the comments.
What I find most helpful: community and conversation with people cultivating freer, more joyful, more meaningful lives. It’s great to connect! Thank you for the work you do in this arena.
What I am most interested in: creating freedom from my habitual ways of seeing, thinking, feeling and acting. I am shaking things up a bit at a time.
What I’d like to offer: I am cultivating playfulness as a means to live a more creative and joyful life. I am in the process of creating good habits of playfulness to make me more mindful of and to replace older habits I would like to be less guided by. I’ve started a 4-week Play Challenge on my blog http://thebiglifeproject.com/2012/06/12/the-4-week-big-life-play-challenge/ . I invite anyone who wants freedom from overly task-focused, overly serious patterns to come play with us!
Congrats on all you’ve built so far here, Maia, and best of luck with your course. I am rooting for you! XO
June 13, 2012
Shelly, I LOVE the idea of a 4-week Play Challenge! I’m definitely checking that out. Thanks for sharing it here.
June 23, 2012
Dear Maia, Thank you for initiating this inspiring LLP project. I consider myself a very lucky person. I was able to “retire” at age 50 and do pretty much what I like. First I went back to school and earned a PhD in Mythology and Depth psychology, and now I facilitate pro-bono workshops on meditation and process-art painting, in my house and other neighborhood centers. It is a true joy to share with people of all ages and walks of life these tools of self-discovery and freedom which may not have been available to them otherwise.
I love painting and have spent a good part of my time in the past 15 years painting in my studio where time becomes boundless. I upload my work on Facebook where anyone can go and look at it in my various photo albums. I have sold a number of paintings via Facebook with the proceeds going to the charity of your choice, thus the title of that collection: “Dana Art.” Please go to my Facebook page and leave comments about my work. We all get informed and nourished in this exchange process. Maia, again thank you for starting this wonderful community. With love, Noelle
June 12, 2012
Dear Maia, I too am grateful and inspired by the community you are so diligently and lovingly nurturing… YAY! As I have been self-employed for 26 years, the freedom of choice regarding my time is a huge liberation/freedom I sometimes take for granted. It has taken me many years to appreciate that “inner liberation”, i.e., befriending and loving all parts of my self, is the most primary and important liberation. I have been focusing the past few years on cultivating freedom from distressing thoughts and feelings, recognizing, appreciating and allowing them to pass through awareness without re-running old tapes. At the core of all joy, all being present for Life is, (as Byron Katie says,) loving What Is; Loving, accepting, appreciating my Creator Self. From that comes all the creativity, fearlessness, clarity and energy to Be our best. Please keep sharing and inviting us in this community to “join in” living fully the Liberated Life! xxoxx
June 7, 2012
In the past year, I have been working to establish The Sad Cafe Community for wounded healers who are losing their sense of spirit and compassion in their work.
In that same year, I had to leave my job because of depression and a diagnosis of kidney cancer. I had surgery March 14 and just had a clear 3-month checkup. I’ll be using a wheelchair by the end of this month due to being born with spina bifida. These health issues have made it even more clear that my life needs to change. I need to create a life that sustains me and my partner while allowing me to use who I am to help heal others. It’s been a struggle, and I’m starting to lose heart.
Right now I’m attempting to pull together a collaborative e-book intended for wounded women healers who are seeking ways to continue serving with spirit. Every spiritual perspective is welcome. This is where my heart and passion is right now.
Feel free to check my website at http://thesadcafecommunity.wordpress.com, friend me on Facebook at Lana Equality Phillips, and join the e-book group at Serving With Spirit. If you don’t have Facebook, my e-mail is gentlespirit512@gmail.com.
Blessings and love to you all.
June 6, 2012
Dear Lana, Sending love and honoring your courageous spirit! Your heart is not lost… maybe it (and your body and mind) just need a bit of a rest/restoration, time to heal. Be gentle with you. You are magnificent! – Aysha
June 7, 2012
I love this blog and you, Maia! I’ve mentioned to you before that your LLP helped me move through major transition last year where I lost everything and everyone dear to me, including my J.O.B. and keeps me supported now as I keep moving through the transition. I am now getting closer to sharing my story and writing, writing, writing more about it all. (A book? Whaaat?) THAT is what is helping to create and cultivate more freedom in my life. My inner and outer life are more aligned than ever before thanks to yoga, meditation, writing, and finding “right livelihood.” Loving my liberated life! (have I said that before?!)
June 6, 2012
Where do I have freedom in my life? Only in the qualities of attention and appreciation that I bring to it. I hear the question as, ‘where do I have responsibility…’. Where I have choice, or where, control, aren’t nearly as interesting or satisfying as the freedom to appreciate anything.
Where do I most want to cultivate freedom? In creativity. In responsive engagement answering needs, and asking what wants to be.
What would most support me in my aspiration to live a more liberated life? Paying attention to those who have already modeled the steps I myself need to take. Modeling the steps I’ve made for those who might require such an example.
What would I like to offer to this community of like-minded freedom seekers? My attention, because thereby I can manifest what the other answers refer to.
June 6, 2012
Kerry, thank you for your very, very thoughtful responses to the questions I offered. I have a lot of appreciation for the depth of your thinking and your generous offer of attention to all of us who are on this path. Gratitude <>
June 7, 2012
Right now I have freedom in just about every area of my life. I sold my home and most of my stuff and my family and I have no intention of replacing any of it any time soon. We have the freedom to live where ever we want, and have made mindful decisions around that. I’m learning to fully embrace the temporary nature of this world and to more easily tap into what I believe is a universal consciousness.
What I want to give to the world is encouragement to accept ourselves where we’re at and know that we can choose happiness even on dark days.
June 6, 2012
Britt, I’ve loved following your journey to freedom and happiness via your great blog… and I know firsthand about one of your ‘giving ups’ when you donated your car to a family in need. Amazing how letting go creates so much more liberatory space… thank you for being a ‘liberated life’ poster girl!
June 7, 2012
Maia, you always seem to be offering wonderful, inspiring things! Thank you. I’ve just finished a hospital chaplain residency program and I’m ready to invent the next steps. I have freedom in my life in lots of ways which usually comes from not being attached or identified too much with thinking which is why a personal mindfulness practice is so very important to me. My practice and question right now is “What will support open-heartedness?” I think I will make this the corner stone of my marketing plan and will use this question to help guide me to the next steps. I would like to offer anyone the support to not let fear stop you (and me!) and to live BIG and generously!
June 6, 2012
Wonderful question, Susan… and a wonderful offering you’ve made to our community. Staying open-hearted is the key!
June 7, 2012
I am so glad that I was drawn to this community!
In the last six months, I have undergone a dramatic life change..my external shifted to meet my newly aligned internal. Which means that I literally moved from a boat on the ocean to land, released my full-time offline job to work solely online, and cut my long flowing hair short (releasing extraneous layers)…and I practice energy work, so metaphysically all of this is still settling and manifesting in expansive ways I couldn’t even have imagined.
So, I have freedom, but it is new, and I am currently celebrating it, while hesitantly embracing the new-ness of it all. And I find it is ultra-important to be surrounded by life enriching/spirit enlivening, so I am cultivating connections that spark my moxie and spunk instead of fuel my residual doubts and fears.
I recently created a collaborative complimentary ebook “Cultivating Your Voice” (here is the link if you would like a copy: http://facetsofjoy.com/cultivating-your-voice-a-complimentary-ebook/ ) and what I have to offer is clarity, gratitude, and presence…which is what I graciously receive as well 🙂
June 5, 2012
Great to have you here, Joy! What a tremendous amount of transformation you’ve been going through.
Thanks so much for sharing a link to your e-book here — I look forward to reading it!
June 7, 2012
Maia, I’m so pleased I met you last year. I love your project and it helps keep me focused on the things that are important to me and I feel really matter.
As for me, where I feel most free in my life is in the personal relationships I’ve cultivated over time, my exploration in yoga where I continue to explore my limitations without expectation and in my openness to new experiences and adventure. Where I feel most restricted is around paid employment. Perhaps it’s just a millimeter shift that’s required, but I lack the perspective to see it. Being among like-minded people who are striving for their own liberation supports me tremendously.
I am an awesome cheerleader, so if anyone needs cheering on, let me know!
June 5, 2012
Jill, thank you for your kind words — you are an excellent cheerleader, and every community needs one of those!
Yoga is a wonderful vehicle for exploring the outer limits of freedom. And yes, re: livelihood, it really does help to be around others who are doing some amazing things with their work lives. Keep hanging out here and we’ll find inspiration in each other!
June 6, 2012
Thanks Maia!
June 14, 2012
Always wonderful to see you here, June! And I hope it’s okay if I tell LLP readers something else about you — June is a gifted Reiki master who offers treatments from her home in Oak Park, IL (a suburb of Chicago). She may even offer phone treatments… June, let us know about that! Here’s more info about June and this healing work: http://www.zlmc.org/reiki-healing.html
June 5, 2012
Congratulations Maia on a beautiful job nurturing and growing the Liberated Life Project! I am working on being spacious with any challenge that comes up in my life. Aloha!
June 5, 2012
This month I chose to live the life I want … I’m applying for colleges for my 2nd Master’s degree.
June 5, 2012
Way to go, Michael!
June 5, 2012
Thanks for the emails. Today I am thankful that I am debt free and have some options and resources to improve my self esteem and help in my health goals. I am in the midst of a return to university study and as I reach the end of this semester I am actually feeling that the I can do more than a few things at once and this is very liberating. Soon I will be free from a work environment that has not been very good for my self confidence or challenged me in healthy ways.
June 5, 2012
Jilha, good for you for taking the big step of returning to your studies at a university and creating new possibilities for yourself. And how fantastic to be debt-free… I know that from my own life as well. I paid off more than $30,000 of credit card debt a couple of years ago and I can’t tell you what a weight that lifted off my shoulders. Still working on student loan debt, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel now.
June 5, 2012