On April 24th, 2016 I did the service talk, special music, and a workshop. Below is the recording of the music and service. Enjoy!
As 2015 comes to a close, I am looking at what I accomplished and what I want to achieve in 2016. With this introspection, I am also becoming aware of the trap of focusing on achievement, versus accomplishment.
Our society holds achievers in high esteem. In fact the definition of achievement is:
Something accomplished, especially by superior ability, special effort, great courage, etc.; a great or heroic deed (Dictionary.com).
I realize that I have spent a lot of my life focusing on achievement, and I find that it is rarely attainable, especially when the person who is judging whether or not I was successful is my greatest critic (me). So achievement has been illusory and arbitrary. I can see how I have been, and so many people are, paralyzed and don’t take action because of the risk of failure. And failure, from our warped perspective (based on popular culture), is anything less than grand achievement.
But as I have been focusing on living a Divinely guided life, I have come to understand that we are here to do things – to participate in this world. We are here to create and serve. So I have shifted my focus from achievement to what I want to accomplish. This focuses on the effort instead of the result. This allows the Universe to participate and allows me to focus on what is mine to do, and what is not mine to do. When I do this, the results are usually unexpected and miraculous.
I begin with connecting deeply to the Divine truth within myself to see what I want to create, what is needed from me, and/or wants to come through me in service and joy. From here I ask: what actions are needed to bring this into form? What do I need to accomplish to bring this creation into being? I then do it and trust the outcome.
When I focus on accomplishment, I can stay task oriented, grounded and just focus on doing my best (from the Four Agreements, taught by one of my favorite teachers, don Miguel Ruiz). Here is the definition of Accomplishment:
(Dictionary.com).
I have become a master of accomplishment in my life. I can say that without my ego getting to involved, as it is true. Whether or not what I have accomplished is bad, good, or considered a great achievement is irrelevant. The people I know who have truly achieved great things are those who have focused on the tasks at hand, and have gotten the job done. They have taken action, and thus have accomplished something. This is where the miracles happen.
One of the things I continue to do is help others accomplish wonderful things in their lives. Whether it is in partnership with a renewable energy business startup, or as a teacher and coach helping individuals find and unleash their intrepid creativity, I love to share the very practical tools of Divine Mastery for fulfilling accomplishment.
What are you planning to accomplish in 2016? How do you think about achievement in your life? Did this article help you? I would love to hear from you.
Blessing,
Diane Dandeneau
Diane Dandeneau is a startup consultant, artist, author, singer, songwriter, speaker, renewable energy specialist, and spiritual teacher. She helps people accomplish what they truly desire; creating the miraculous life they have come to live.
www.dianedandeneau.com
Good morning God. Today I’m focusing on surrendering and allowing.
I’m trying to understand what I truly want versus what I want to be different, as I still have some resistance to situations in my life. So, I come here and surrender my resistance to what is, and allow the unfolding of your plan. From here, I want to know what I truly desire and what is mine to do.
“Good morning my love. Thank you for coming here. This is the path to understanding and living from the truth, which is the only path to authentic happiness. As you let go of your hold on ideas about everything you make room for mine. You know nothing, remember? And You know which you I am speaking to. This is where humility is meaningful and useful. Let your ego self become humble and recognize that she alone knows nothing, understands nothing, and is useful only when guided by Me. This is the part of you that must surrender and allow. You don’t have to know/do anything. Now, sit here in this place with me and feel the peace and relief of letting go into profound humility.
From here you can become aware of the You that is Me. This is your authentic, powerful, wise, and joyful self. This is where your true desires live and the place where you know what you truly want to do.
So now, I am speaking to the Divine You, and as you ask yourself the question of what you truly desire and what is yours to do, what do you know?”
It gets pretty simple. What I want is love and peace. I need nothing, as I know who I truly am and that I have everything. So, as I need nothing, then my focus is completely on the service I want to give. But as I write this, the real question is, who needs me? Who can I best serve? So, this changes my own focus again. And as I write this, I can see what I do already know.
Yes, these are beautiful questions. And yes, you do know and can see as you surrender and allow.
Love, God”
Dear One, I’m so happy to invite you how to learn to Talk to God AND Get the Answers: HERE.
Please feel free to comment below.
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Copyright, Diane Dandeneau, 2015
The Author of the upcoming book: The Year of Awakening through the Journals with God A journey from depression, addiction and heartbreak to Self realization, empowerment and love
I recently had the great honor of having my original artwork printed on the posters, programs, and T-shirts of the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. As I walked into the festival, I stopped to visit with my dear friend Linette DeSano, who has a booth at the festival every year, and said to her, “Hey Linette, I’m so happy to be here, but I didn’t think to get organized to bring any cards or my jewelry to sell.” With a self-deprecating whine I said, “I need to get my act together!”
She looked at me and said, “Why don’t you go home and get your stuff and bring it back? You can sell it here”.
In that moment I had a realization. I said, “Hey, together, we’ve got an act!”
It was great to have postcards about my art available, as well as to have Linette sell some of my Unione Symbol pendants, making the weekend even more fruitful for me. But what excited me even more was the opportunity to again experience to reality of, “Together, we’ve got an act.”
I must admit I’m somewhat of a loner. I love to paint, generally alone. I love to write music, almost always alone. And I love to hike and bike, also often alone. But, over the past few years I have come to appreciate doing things with others and experiencing the extraordinary possibilities of working together with other people.
One of the greatest experiences of my life was creating a CD with some amazing musicians from my community in Lyons, and then performing with them at my CD release concert. That was truly the definition of, “Together, we’ve got an act.”
Another project I am currently involved with is the Clarifier Project in Lyons, Colorado. This is a mosaic art sculpture that has taken over 10 years to complete, with many hundreds of people working literally thousands of hours. This has been truly an experience of a community coming together with some amazing leadership to create an act of pure beauty and magic.
The Clarifier Project came about as a few local artists saw the old abandoned local water treatment plant as a canvas instead of an eyesore. They began to solicit support and donations and got the town to give the building to a local art group, Confluence Community Arts (CoCoA), to bring the project into being. This project has become a beautiful example of how a few people with vision, commitment and know-how, can create a place for the entire community to participate – adding not only labor, but also opportunities to be creative within the project.
The project itself has a very long and powerful history, and I’m not going to begin to share it here. Please visit their website: http://clarifierproject.net/.
These are some high points of my life, but the true realization that we need each other came when I was trapped on literally an island with others in my community by a the devastating flood of September 12th, 2013. We truly needed each other to survive. I also found after the flood that I needed the help that came from friends, family and yes, the government.
It has been two years since the flood and there are many people who are still struggling to get their lives back together. Some people want to come home. Others have gone on with their lives, and don’t want any more changes. This has created conflict and division in our community.
I understand this perspective, as it comes from fear. People don’t want to loose what they have (perceived or real). There are many problems that we need to collectively address. We fear what we don’t know, and so we build walls to keep us safe. And then we distance ourselves from those who are different or may need us to give up something, and thus create the experience of separation.
But this is not how we are going to bring about critical solutions. To address all the problems in the world and turn them into opportunities, we need to unite. Not working together is self-defeating and self-sabotaging. I’m optimistic as I see this shift as part of an awakening in consciousness that is happening everywhere. When we expand our ability to be open-minded and open-hearted, we can see that creating separation is just an illusion. “They” become “We”, and we are all in this together.
I know everyone is valuable and everyone is needed. Everyone has a part to play and everyone has a gift. And when and where we realize it, we become the beneficiaries of those gifts. I am so grateful for everyone in my life and on this planet. As I have become more interested in collaboration and co-creation over my old habits of doing it alone, my life is definitely richer.
I am optimistic that this world can get its act together, because “together, we’ve got an act!”
Diane Dandeneau is a spiritual teacher, recording and fine artist, author and activist. She is the author of the book, Journey to the Soul, Connecting to the Truth of Who You Are Through Journaling, and the upcoming book, The Year of Awakening. She provides private coaching and group programs, teaching people how to Talk to God AND Get the Answers for Living a Divinely Guided Life.
