There’s nothing like a huge dose of inspiration to give a big boost of my passion into my life. The most recent sweet infusion, of course, being the Passion into Action conference here in our very own Grass Valley, California this past Saturday.

I was hooked from Minute One with the short video on the mission and vision of the organizers, See Jane Do. They call out ordinary Janes doing extraordinary things for the planet, and as far as I’m concerned, they are the first ones to honor.

The first keynote of the day was Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers. The Bioneers organization provides solutions-based education and social connectivity through conferences, local programs, and interviews. A fabulous speaker, she wove personal stories with history and inspiring quotes to bring intuition and personal growth onto the playing field with positive, creative change.

The final keynote was Linda Tarr-Whelan. Linda has been an advisor to top officials (for. ex. former President Clinton) in the United States and Europe on the role of women. The majority of the audience had no idea (and were appalled by the statistic) that the U.S.A. is ranked 83rd in its number of women elected officials (17%). Even a small change would make a huge impact with those numbers.

And now it’s time to roll up our sleeves. Ironically, though, my suggestion for many of the full-speed-ahead chargers is actually to slow down. Learn to connect with the gentle flow of sustainable personal energy. Yes, there’s a lot to do. Just think how much more effective we’ll be if we can stay focused and healthy; strong and flexible; determined and happy.

Let’s go forth, have fun, and make some waves!

Enjoy,

Shawn Tuttle
Chief Simplifier, Project Simplify
Co-editor, The Simplifier

P.S. – We had some unfortunate email glitches surrounding the last newsletter; apologies if you got a confusing confirmation request. And we’re not positive that everyone ended up getting the newsletter, so if you didn’t, you can check out our last issue here: The Simplifier #5.1 – New and Improved!. Thanks so much for your patience.

“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.”

-Hardy D. Jackson

Shawn’s siren song of simplification has been rippling out from the shores of more than one island these days. (But don’t worry, none of them have rocky coasts, we promise!) Thanks to See Jane Do and the Nevada City Advocate for offering additional info outlets, so we can lure more and more ships toward our simplification sands.

Role models-R-Us
http://projectsimplify.com/musings/role-models-r-us/
“The most difficult part of this shift isn’t agreeing that it’s necessary, or that it’s a good idea. Nor is it thinking of ways that we might do this in our own lives.  It’s having the awareness to catch ourselves from falling back into the self-defeating habits of pushing too hard, of judging others and ourselves, and of holding on too tightly to what we think is best.” (more)

Passion Into Action Interview 
http://tinyurl.com/passioninterview
Before Shawn was a featured presenter at the Passion Into Action conference, she gave this excellent pre-event interview, which is too jam-packed with goodness to easily excerpt. (more)

An addiction to sensation–turn off the radio! 
http://projectsimplify.com/musings/an-addiction-to-sensation-turn-off-the-radio/
“There I am on the mat reveling in the sensation of stretching muscles and the thought arose that I’ve been addicted to sensation. Rather than listening for the gentle nuances of the energy flow in body, I was focused on the bold and the loud.” (more)

How we change the world without Big Brother
http://www.nevadacityadvocate.com/community/3251.html
”Each and every time we catch ourselves in the moment – before our temper flares, before we raise our voice, before we judge a stranger, before we buy something disposable, before we say ‘it doesn’t affect me’ – we give ourselves the opportunity to override our self-preservation instinct.” (more)

I hired an assistant recently. Though when you’re talking about me, “assistant” doesn’t quite cover the reality of it. The actual job title is “Super-Assistant/Web Apprentice”, and here’s just a taste of the nearly-600-word ad I wrote for it:

“I am a freelance writer/editor/web site guy/social entrepreneur/activist who is also a burgeoning filmmaker/author/musician and more…

…If you can survive a year with me, you will know how to start and run your own business or non-profit, how to get in the newspaper or on national radio, how to create a movie (and a video production company) from scratch, how to make music, write a novel, launch a website, run a podcast, get a grant or venture capital or a sponsor, and at least 50 other skills that you can use to pursue your own ambitions. I will do everything in my power to make this the most challenging and rewarding job you’ve ever had.”

So I guess what I’m saying is that I’m getting ambitious again. :-) And my new assistant Kevin and I have been drawing up lists and charts and plans aplenty. (And a mind map that raises serious questions about the mind it is trying to map.)

I’m finally putting my money where my mouth has been for lo these many years, and I have just three things to say about it:

Look out, world!
Look out, Kevin!
Look out, me!