Everyday Magic Archives - Allison Crow

Unwinding Direction into Wandering for a Season

allisoncrow — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:44:08 +0000

December 6th, Last year, my book was published. And that early morning, as I sat down at my desk, my husband asked, “What are you doing#8221;

“Going to writing practice.”

This had been my answer to his morning question every day for the previous few years – and had become an affectionate ritual for us.

“But you just published your book#8221; he said with perplexed eyes.

“It’s what I do; I write. I go to writing practice.”

It’s been almost a year since I didn’t have a BIG goal to light the way in writing practice. Some mornings my body wants an objective. My peers check in to the question “What are you working on today#8221; with things like:

“My manuscript”
“Chapter 7”
“An email to my client.”
“My dissertation”
“My prompt today is….”

. . .and there I am with my wandering writing. My answer is often, “I’m not sure; we’ll see where we end up.”

In a world that demands direction, I am wandering these days. I am unwinding my body and mind from the mandates of a specific way of being in life and (especially) business that no longer fits.

There are moments when the wandering delivers pure enchantment, and there are moments when panic sets in my body because I’m not forcing her in a goal-driven direction, even though I still have financial obligations to meet. I may be wandering, but I am in no way retired.

I have only an abrupt ending here because. . . I am wandering. The journey isn’t complete, so there is no summation or conclusion.

Here is a photo of me wandering Colorado in December 1995

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Life is Suffering – And Hummingbirds

allisoncrow — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:06:14 +0000

Life is suffering – AND.

Yup – both and again.

You know those plastic shit hummingbird feeders The ones that need to be cleaned every week because they can get moldy and kill the birds The ones that make a big sugary mess in your kitchen and all the way back out to the yard when changing over the water The ones that get brittle in the 100-degree plus temps and ultimately crack?

Here’s what works better.
Scorched wildflowers. Death in the garden.

This spring, the wildflower garden was all a/bloom – epic in her color and textures. And now, the heat has made a mess of tall-reaching-for-water-sticks with dead heads begging to be trimmed into something not so ugly……

And just like life – dead flower heads present an offering. We’re so prone to hate the suffering and the ugly, but the ugly brings seeds.

While you run with that metaphor, I will tell you literally who is thriving in the scorched earth of my dead wildflowers- the hummingbirds.

A few dozen every day, at all times of the day, are finding sustenance in something I regard as done, dead, and an eyesore.

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In a Romantic Relationship with My Desk Why Yes

allisoncrow — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 14:56:06 +0000

She’s lived in every home I’ve owned and briefly been loaned to each of my husbands as I experimented with other working spaces (does anyone remember my haunted antique lawyer d

esk?). She is back in my space, my studio, my office, and deeply in my heart at this moment.

Fall in love – like real love, be in a relationship with a block of wood and two clunky iron thingys that hold the wood for a desk?

Completely and utterly.

This morning she is strewn with remnants of my pencil case carried to the Elizabeth Gilbert Rob Bell thing in the woods of the Hudson Valley in NY. Three lip glosses claim their parallel space between the pens and paint brushes – all beloved and daily used tools of my creativity.

How do I know I’ve fallen in love with this inanimate – but is she really an inanimate object EVERY time I sit here, my whole body feels an openness and clear-like-fresh-spring-water LOVE. We’ve built this over time. My trust, once given freely from immaturity, now takes time to build, and this desk and I have some serious time on task BECOMING together. Tears well up and let me know I am alive and I feel. Maybe it’s the menopause, but I’m pretty sure it is the love and life and work and creation this desk, and I have shared.

Today she holds my book stacks and a freshly lit “Ancient Tome” candle made by my former client, Michelle.

Yesterday, she held me as I went super deep on 3 different coaching calls that I truly felt helped my clients. New rosemary mint hair oil to soothe my menopausal itchy scalp, 4 different eyeglass cleaners, and all the computers and technologies that

allow me to share my heart, show my work, and connect with you from the calm safety of my own home. How could I not be in love This desk and I have stories to tell.

And so we will.

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How did I do it Secrets to Making Your Dreams Happen.

allisoncrow — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 16:43:20 +0000

How Did I Do It?

Don’t let the photo fool you:

This was a big year for me. 3 MAJOR milestones accomplished.

In May, my pool was built- If you know me, this was my dream – not a family dream – so I agreed to make the money for it myself.

This week – The first week of December 2022 -I move from writer to published Author. I first had this dream crystallized in my heart at 23 – in Boulder, Colorado, when I came across Thomas Moore’s and Sark’s books.

Next week I finish L1 training in IFS – this gives me one technical “credential,” but what I’m really proud of speaks to HOW I did ALL of these things:

I invested in myself – and boy, if it were as easy as investing cash- wouldn’t that have been fun And yes, I’ve been my own “angel investor” for years. (I will acknowledge the literally inherited privilege of being white and educated and a small trust fund from my grandfather that helped me invest in my first home and pay off some of my school debt – these gifts were MONUMENTAL support). For many years, honestly, I debted – I borrowed and played a money shell game with myself. I stopped debiting to live or work (other than my home) in 2017.

Yes, I have invested in myself and my business – things that cost money: It’s almost obscene how much I spend on personal and professional and personal development and have for years:

Coaching, reading, classes, learning, therapy, art supplies, black writing pens and journals, and more coaching – business coaching, money coaching, book coaching, profit first coaching, money coaching, creative coaching, IFS coaching, sales coaching – that’s what I can think of off-hand.

I’ve invested in implementation support: Podcasting producer who also emotionally supports my creative mojo and flow – not only does she create great sound – she gets the ebb and flow of creativity and believes in me. I invest in admin support, and off and on over the years, I’ve experimented with marketing support. And, of course, I invest in the systems and tech required to run my business – so many subscriptions and little expenses here and there that add up.

Most of these expenses have paid off – some have been monumental failures – expensive lessons.

I don’t spend lots of money on material luxuries, clothes, hair, lashes, nails – I do get good skincare and cheap makeup from the grocery store – but I don’t give a rat’s ass about a new car or highlights anymore.

But here is how I have really invested in myself even more than MONEY: TIME ON TASK. All the coaching and learning without implementation is just entertainment. I am a grand experimenter – and if YOU want to make your dreams come true, then be a daily experimenter – Time on task, over and over.

What I really invest in is Time on task:

Time spent doing my nourishing habits (reading, writing, moving my body, journaling, parts work, drinking water, etc.).

Time spent sharing my heart and showing my work – thinking and doing things that hopefully serve my audience and clients.

Time Practicing my skills in real-time – not waiting until things are perfect. (The hours – and I mean HOURS I spent coaching my ass off and doing IFS as a coach, client and student have been more effective than any class or training).

Time resting and recovering and NOT working.

Time learning how to allocate and track my money. This year I’m taking my books back from my bookkeeper to master the daily nuances of my finances- more Time spent ahead).

Time serving clients, Time making offers.

Time doing the learning and then DOING what I learn.

Time writing – every single day. Making it just what I do.

Time healing my nervous system

Time doing boring stuff – no one sees over and over and over and over.

and, yes, time-wasting (playing dumb video games, watching tv, trolling on Twitter, to name a few). Time to recover from all the time I invest doing Time on task stuff.

You don’t have to bet on yourself the exact ways I do. You don’t have to invest in yourself the way I do. But Oprah isn’t coming. Life isn’t the “Field of Dreams – where if you build it, they will come.

You do have to choose your actions, attitude, and investments – bet on yourself. No one else’s bet will be stronger, and one day you will look up and see your long tail of accomplishments and be deeply proud. If you want that for you, I want that for you – but wanting isn’t enough. So put the Time on task.

Love, Allison

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Just Hit Publish

allisoncrow — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 15:26:38 +0000

If you knew how much you sharing your heart and showing your work impacted people in the best way- you might share more.

But a part of you wants the validation and instant feel-good. I get it. Trust me.

When you create and release something, even imperfect, into the world—- it grabs the wind and goes. You don’t have control over that.

Creativity is life.

You want the result without the creative practice.

Here’s what’s funny. My last recorded podcast (other than today’s episode) was on 8/28- the day I had a heart attack.

Zero episodes in the last six weeks.

Up 24%.

Just hit send/post/publish.

Ps. Today is the final episode of The Better Life Better Work Show. Tune in to that episode today, and next week our new show begins.

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You are a Gardener Not a Machine

allisoncrow — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 15:58:22 +0000

Oh, how the world wants to press us into the idea that we can behave and perform like a machine in life and business. You, my DEAR… and you are a dear one. You are a gardener, not a machine.

This is your reminder to cultivate, to piddle, to work with the seasons and weather you encounter. This is your reminder that sometimes the beauty is slow, and other times it is fast.

If I could encourage you to plant the seeds if anything in your garden – it would be #selftrust. It would be #personalpower from within.

The IFS qualities of SELF are the best fertilizer:
Calmness
Curiosity
Compassion
Connectedness
Confidence
Creativity
Courage
Clarity

What are you cultivating???
??????????

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A prayer for miracles for us all:

allisoncrow — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 15:13:05 +0000

A prayer for miracles for us all:

Connect on Facebook

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BLBW Episode 31: The Equivalent of a Free Hug

allisoncrow — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 21:22:40 +0000

I’ve been totally in to and reading Matt Kahn’s book, ‘Whatever Arises, Love That‘ the last few months. And some of the mantras and healing prayers there not only blow my mind but have truly transformed my life by lifting curses and spells of my mind that I have been under. I can’t NOT share some of this magic with you and I highly recommend this book. Both on Audible and in hardback.

Thanks for spreading the word about The Better Life Better Work Show. And of course, I love your Social Media Mentions and Shares with #BetterLifeBetterWork @allison_crow on Instagram. @allicrow on twitter and Allison Crow on Facebook.

And, if you’d like to be a master student of Better Life and Better Work, I invite you to join me in the Soul-Full Success School for Life and Biz ~ My exquisite membership community where connection, coaching, teaching and most of all, YOU, matter.

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Happy Hour Sessions: Let’s talk about your imagination – Shizzle I learned this week.

allisoncrow — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 20:42:38 +0000

Happy Hour Sessions: Let’s talk about your imagination – Shizzle I learned this week.

Connect on Facebook

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Will You Be A Wizard or A Muggle?

allisoncrow — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 02:29:05 +0000

There are a few players in your mind. Let’s call one the Wizard- the bad ass, the possibilitarian, the dreamer, the divine voice of truth, the believer – the true YOU.

And the other is a Muggle. A rather critical and shaming sob- a fuckwad really, who tries to make you believe that his voice is true – he’s just trying to keep you safe and protected and yada, yada, yada…. well, because he is not aware of your wizardly magic abilities.

You see, the wizard can absorb any loss, and bounce back from any failure knowing it was a magical lesson. The wizard uses her mind to envision herself as already BEing the she of her dreams. And she moves about her life and work and relationships AS-IF (vs the muggle who moves about in drama, fear and dread).

Remember your Wizardry, my love. And remember that whatever you choose- BOTH are extremely powerful creators. Yes, even the Muggle creates her world…. but usually ends up creating ?.

Be the wizard you are ?

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