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The Storyspinner Wheel
Because there be Treasure on the other side of these Dragons
So I’m putting an exhibit together for my local science museum to explain a little bit about this incredibly complicated Storyspinning game. The first question you might ask is:
Why does it need to be complicated?
I ask myself that all the time.
In a time of increasing complexity, we need things that are simple and easy to understand. Things that don’t add more of a cognitive pull on our overextended mental resources, right?
So I set about trying to fix the complications. Streamline the various steps and stages of the Storyspinners Journey into something simple. By the way, the Storyspinners Journey is the Hero’s Journey with a twist. The Hero’s Journey is a journey you take alone. Instead this is a journey we take together. A subtle but important distinction that is woven throughout our Storyspinning Steps.
Step 0. The Egg Step is always to STOP.
Part of the complexity of our world is that we are always being called to choose our path. Constantly being summoned into new and more adventures. Stopping is important in the art of simplifying. Here we stop to weigh Life’s new offering to us against our answers to the two crossroads questions:
Who am I? And where am I?
Who are we? This is the various costumes we assume in this human life. Our identity, our skills and abilities, our relationships, our capacities to learn and grow all play into the choices that fit us best and make for the easier path.
And the Where are we? Recognize that you are in this particular place along your path helps to choose the simpler path. This pause allows us to really get clear about who we are and where we are so we can take the next step.
Step 1. Look (and listen). The path of the Hero’s Journey is one of the rugged individual questing out into the world to bring back treasure to the tribe. It’s the basis for most movies and books. It is a deeply resonate thread within us and it has brought us this world of technological wonder that is before us.
Often the hero chooses the adventure as more of an outer decision than an inner one. There is little conscious collaboration with the Invisible World.
Compare that to the Storyspinners Journey. When we collaborate with the unseen — the energies that reside within us, the world we inhabit, and the universe our world inhabits — there is an abundance of energy available to us. Looking and listening helps us to choose a path that works with those energies, rather than against them. Now we can answer the question: Where do I want to go? We have consulted Life before making our choice to heed the call to adventure. We are already not taking this journey alone.
Does this simplify? Yes. Swimming upstream is hard work. Collaborating with the flow of Life is the easier choice.
Step 2. See. Next we get out our Map and imagine the path from where we are to where we want to go. We are imaginally and strategically planning our journey. This is an important step too. Certainly not as simple as just heading out, but ultimately it is going to make for an easier journey to our destination. Imagine the path. What actions will you take? When will you take them? Map it out.
Step 3. Act. We are ready to head out from the Invisible World of Inspired Ideas with our Map of imagined future actions into our actual adventure. Expressing who we are on this adventure will be the fuel that moves us forward and helps us to navigate the territory.
Too often we turn back from our most inspired destinations because we allow an old version of ourselves to navigate. Instead we can begin to act-as-if we are already the person who has arrived at our destination. Our Map is not the territory we will travel. We allow this future version of ourselves to help us navigate the unplanned opportunities, obstacles, and detours that arise along the path.
Complicated? Yes. But the path of growth and change does require us to grow and change. And this step is the place that we do the growing. We keep a firm concept in our Heart and Mind of the person we are becoming. We use this as our Compass to guide us.
Step 4. Ask. We invite others along for the journey. Not just our inner cast of characters. There are people all around you who want to help. Consider the possibility that all Life is here to love and support you. Inviting in your allies, asking for help, is another challenging step because it is vulnerable work. Not everyone you invite in will be ready to take this adventure with you. But many will. The ones who can really help. Trusting the process of who accepts your invitation and who does not is a big part of this step.
Complicated? Relationships are complicated, true. But asking for help is actually very very simple. It is our own expectations and resistances in this realm that get us into trouble. Old conditioning from the Hero’s Journey. Remember that we are on the Storyspinners Journey and we are on it together.
Step 5. Do. The final step that rolls into many steps is fittingly immortalized by a maker of running shoes. Just do it. Start walking (or running) towards your destination. Take action. Especially authentic action, but all action will keep you moving. And movement will cure fear. Your navigator and allies will help you stay on course, and so will Life. Move. Do. Head out in the direction of your most inspired destination.
The (Simpler?)Path of the Storyspinner Journey
There will be monsters and magic and treasure along your path. The journey is the destination. And you will embark on them every day, week, month, and year of your life. Again and again.
Life is complicated because we are complicated. We are multidimensional invisible beings having a Visible World adventure. Make it fun. Live your best story to create a better life and a better world for us all.
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