Squishy Blueberry
Follow Squishy!
  • Home Base
  • Squishy's Photo Album
  • Squishy Speaks
  • The Blueberry Shop
  • Blueberry Planet
  • Author

My Leap of Faith

5/12/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Guest Blogger:
The Author, Amanda I. Greene

In 2011 I took a leap of faith, leaving my comfortable full-time job in the energy and environmental sector to pursue a ten year dream of bringing my children's book character, Squishy Blueberry, to life in a self-published book. “The Book” (and its website) was what I stubbornly clung to as the first step in creating my vision of D’inkling Publishing, an educational children's multimedia company. Leaving my full-time job to pursue my dream was not exactly a strategic decision in terms of planning and timing, but it was inevitable. Fortunately, nearly three years later I completed the first book of the series in March of this year!

A Detour To "Grow Up"

Squishy Blueberry first came into my life as my muse in 2002, after a three month trip to Israel and reading the Tao of Pooh. With the help of friends, I quickly realized that Squishy as a children's book character was my calling, encapsulating all that I found important and interesting in life. Yet at the time I didn't feel ready, and instead of pursuing my dream I went back to graduate school on a seven year career path in environment and energy policy (’04 – ’11). 

The environmental field was the closest thing I could imagine myself being heartfully committed to in the full time job world working for someone else, and it complemented my undergrad studies in chemistry, which was fun. I loved the work I did and the amazing leaders I met. Yet things weren’t lining up for me – due both to my own issues with self-confidence, as well as things outside my control such as clients retiring and divisions spinning off.  

I now look back at graduate school and post grad employment as a period of “growing up.” No matter what I did in this time, I would have been growing, learning and becoming my version of “ready” - ready to share my awe-tistic heart’s first dream, Squishy Blueberry, with the world.


At the same time – the question remains – could I have taken the leap earlier? Should I have? After all, I had a gnawing sense that I was hiding in my environmental career.  Perhaps by staying in my full time job I was actually delaying aspects of my personal growth. As many of us know, starting and thriving in our own business requires at least the same self esteem to succeed as working at someone else's company. But who really knows how things would have evolved if I'd leapt sooner? Perhaps it was perfect timing. 

Important Lessons

Understanding that the same things holding me back while working for someone else in a career that I enjoyed but wasn't a full expression of me, would still be there (and then some!) as an entrepreneur in my field of true calling, was an important lesson for me. YES, your greatest success lies in your heart’s true calling. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy once you do find it. If anything it will be condensed amounts of “harder,” but with the beauty of amazing life lessons and deeply fulfilling “work” experiences, pushing you to outside the edges of your comfort zone and into the worlds you previously only dreamed of. (This is inevitable in all areas of life, actually, no matter what we do. To live in new ways, ways that have previous been outside our realm of experience, we must change and let old behaviors go.)

I do not regret my detour, and still look at it as my growing up period while Squishy Blueberry was brewing underneath. And I did make some progress on the book during my seven year haitus with the help of some amazing authors (Steven Covey, Napoleon Hill, Eckhart Tolle) recommended to me by friends.  But I was moving at a snails pace.

When I finally left the comfort of my regular paycheck, it wasn’t simply because I didn’t have time for the book while working a full time job (though granted, full time work takes a lot of energy!) It was more that I didn’t trust myself to complete the book unless my survival depended on it. Now I do not believe that needs to be the case - it was just my way of lighting a fire under me to DO IT. Luckily, I was able to distill some important lessons from the experience of emotional and financial struggle I found myself in as I gave birth to the first Squishy Blueberry book - lessons that I can carry with me forward and share with others.

What Do I Mean By Growing Up?

Why didn’t I feel ready to bring Squishy Blueberry into the world back in 2002/3 when he first became my muse? The answer can be simplified to this: I needed to grow up. Because of the ideals of transparency and integrity I had about business and marketing, the complex vision of the company becoming an innovator in children’s entertainment, and the sensitive nature of the messages (to nurture self-esteem in children), I couldn’t just leap in before I had deep confidence in myself. 

In fact, I had no problem having confidence in Squishy Blueberry and D’inkling Publishing, because I knew they came from a place of pure inspiration, represented the things I love to do naturally, and were the culmination of much of my studies from teens through 20s in chemistry, philosophy, meditation, and personal development. I mean, how can you go wrong with that brew? 


Rather, it was myself I needed to believe in, in all sort of ways, including: my ability to execute the idea well; my ability to attract people with similar ideals who I felt 
"got" Squishy Blueberry; and, most essential, that I was worthy of not just surviving but thriving doing something I love.

What Was the Key?

In the three years I spent working on Squishy Blueberry, self-development became my ultimate focus in bringing my dreams to reality.  I am not talking about graduate school. I'm talking about self development books as well as personal coaches, both of which help us get passed those deep internal blocks to our own happiness. If you are not already what you consider "successful", or as successful as you'd like to be, you have a block. And although it's possible, it's unlikey the block is a mis-perception you can simply unthink overnight (although you might want to, and that may eventually be the goal). Forty days is the minimum they say it takes to replace an old thought with a new one that becomes second nature - and that's if you are focusing on it every day multiple times!

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, A New Earth, and Think & Grow Rich, which I read before I left my full time job, were just the beginning of the amount of learning I had before me as I embarked on my dream of bringing Squishy Blueberry to life. Additional books/authors include: A Woman's Worth (Marianne Williamson), The Big Leap (Gay Hendricks), Leveraging the Universe (Mike Dooley), Wallace Wattles, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Esther Hicks. And there are many many more. 

The books alone were invaluable to me, and are a very small investment for the amount of internal confidence and power they can unleash, especially when read repeatedly. I also tried out several women's coaching programs focused on releasing false beliefs and developing self worth in order to live the life of our dreams. These programs range from free (e.g. introductory videos by many coaches), to a few hundred dollars for several week long group tele-classes, to thousands for more one-on-one attention.  They are much deeper than any traditional therapy I had received through mainstream channels and were the kind of help for which I had been searching for over a decade. Not just to help me with my career, but in order to truly live!

Each Journey is Unique

This was my personal journey, and it's not surprising I had to go through so much "therapy" on my way to publishing my book. This kind of developmental education is a huge part of what I (and many others!) perceive is missing from our education system - the area of developing self worth and emotional intelligence. And the earlier the child learns it the better, I believe - not just for the sake of the child, for the future of our world.

And the journey is never done. There is always a next step, in business and in our own personal development. I still have a long path before me. And I am not against working for someone else, say doing technical editing (something I love to do). But I will do so knowing that it is ultimately an investment in myself and my dreams, which gives it a whole new level of meaning.
0 Comments

Parent-Child: Who's Teaching Who?

5/9/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Guest Blogger:
Gentle Blue

Boy do we have some good news for you. Well, it's not exactly news. It's more of an idea that was inspired from a quote we heard which sparked a new, refreshing perspective. The quote was something along the lines of: "perhaps it is the child that teaches the parent." 

Spiritual View

This resonated as having truth in it. Naturally we learn from children in our observations, particularly about things we have forgotten, like being in the moment and enjoying the simple things in life. How they just are who they are, less inhibited than we find ourselves, is awe-inspiring. They don't even know they are doing it. Plus, they have an entirely different perspective than us simply by virtue of being another person - so there's a lot to learn there. And parenthood itself is a whole new experience and one is constantly learning new things every day, including the color of poo after eating sweet potatoes (so I hear!)
But you were once young and embodied a lot of the same things your child does now - in the moment, more free, etc. And this child is going to grow up and very likely forget many of the same things you did.  So what is the difference? Who is teaching who? 

Traditional Model

I believe we are all familiar with the traditional teacher/student relationship between a parent and child. The child indeed learns A LOT from their parents. How to talk, how to dress, how to cook and clean. As adults we have experiences from years of living, much of it wisdom, much of it arbitrary beliefs about the world, which are are our perspective (not necessarily reality). These beliefs may or may not be adopted by the child; but in a sense, it's a starting point for them to consider and branch off from. 

We also model behavior, such as paying bills on time or biting nails under pressure. This is a form of learning that is great when it's something you want to teach, and not so great when it's something you still do but don't want to condone in your child.  It seems that the best we can do is to be the best version of ourselves we know how to be, communicate honestly, and be as aware as possible as far as teaching by example goes.

It's in the Genes, Darwin!

PictureGraphic from www.apologeticspress.org
Although your children have your DNA and have been heavily influenced by you and carry the generational patterns of your ancestors like you, they are NOT YOU. Their DNA is a combination of you and your partner, and (most likely) then some! The simplest way to describe what we recently started to see is that your children are another "iteration" of you, your partner, and the magic that happens in the combination. There may be some things your child will always go to you for advice about, things they have a more difficult time integrating than you. But there are also things your child will be more advanced in than you. After all, they had the opportunity to learn from you from a very young age, including from your mistakes!

Relax, You're Doing Just Fine

Our message to you related to this idea of "new iterations" is that you can take some of the pressure off of knowing everything your child asks about. They may be wiser than you in certain developmental ways in their adulthood. And that's because they have the privilege of learning from your DNA and it's combination with your partner's. DNA is information, and as it gets combined with another's it becomes a new iteration, and an entity of its own.

So your child may have wisdom about deep life questions that you still struggle with, and that does not make you "less than." You gave them their starting place, they are another branch of your ancestry and family wisdom. You do not need to feel shame if you find yourself learning from your children later in life more than teaching them. You do not need to feel inadequate if you don't know the answers to all the questions they ask. They have a new understanding based on the gifts they were given by you that isn't dependent on their age, but rather the development of your ancestral line, continually evolving into the new and yet unknown.
0 Comments

Who/What are Our Greatest Inspirations?

5/8/2014

0 Comments

 
Recently we were asked by a friend and mentor to write something about our inspirations for our writing, particularly those from childhood. So here is a list, not just of the childhood ones, but also of inspirational authors, movies and teachers that we found as we got older.

Childhood Influences:

~~~BOOKS & AUTHORS~~~
Lord of the Rings - I had one of those small illustrated books that come with a tiny record where they ring a bell to turn the page. Imagine the Hobbit and the three Lord of the Rings books being distilled into 20 illustrated pages! 
Dr. Seuss Books - This is one of my biggest influences ever for rhyming and making up new words. Wocket In My Pocket, The Lorax, Horton Hear's a Who (and Hatches an Egg!), Bartholomew and the Oobleck, Yertle the Turtle.
Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster) - Wow! The creativity in this book! Selling words and letters! After Helen Keller, this was the second book I re-read.
Shel Silverstein - More inspiration for rhyming. The popularity of Where the Sidewalk Ends gave me faith that my short silly rhyming poems have an audience.
Helen Keller - the book (not sure who the author is). This was the first book I remember re-reading and inspired me to learn the alphabet in sign language.
Lewis Carol - Alice in Wonderland. I didn't actually read it until my teens, but I had seen the Disney version as a child. Like Mary Poppins, it's hard to not be inspired creatively by this book/movie. 
AA Milne - Winnie the Pooh - this is one we didn't develop great appreciation for until adulthood, but it definitely was something I enjoyed as a child and inevitably was influenced by.
Calvin & Hobbes (Bill Waterson) - We LOVE Calvin and Hobbes and how it takes us back to childhood. We love how they comment on such deep societal issues with a sense of humor.
~~~MOVIES~~~
Dumbo - This was one of the only cartoons we owned in my younger years, so I saw it many times - that may be why I remember it so well. I find the magic feather imagery and the power of belief so inspiring. Plus Dumbo is so ridiculously cute!
Puff the Magic Dragon - the bitter sweet story of Jackie Paper who grows up and leaves his imaginary friend behind.
Charlotte's Web - I remember this one because I cried at the end. I also love the beauty of spiders and webs…animals talking with insects, and the imagery of the egg sac hatching hundreds of babies.
The Fox and the Hound - the story of friendship and growing up. Ie found the part where they became enemies so tragic that I didn't remember it ended happy until I saw it again many years later.
The Secret of Nimh - the visuals, magic and depth in the movie and the beautiful jewel. The wise owl and Nickodimos.
Mary Poppins - who doesn't get inspired by Mary Poppins? This actually wasn't one of the most memorable films for me as a child, but I remember in my teens when I asked my dad what his favorite movie was, he said "Mary Poppins." I was so surprised. When I saw it years later when I could better appreciate some of the messages that it became one of my all time favorites!
~~~TV SHOWS~~~
Sesame Street - I especially loved the Big Bird - Snuffleupagous dynamic back in the 70s early 80s. Also, 1 -2 -3 - 4 -5 - 6 -7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12!
The Muppet Show - The fun parodies!
Monty Python - Silliness abounds! The School for Silly Walks, Spot the Looney!

Influences Later in Life:

~~~BOOKS & AUTHORS~~~
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter books were everything I would have loved to read about as child and then play make-believe in the magic world with my brothers . Soooo fun to read. And gave me confidence that people with silly names are attractive to read about!
Books that really moved me and stayed in my mind - 100 Years of Solitude, Anna Karenina, The Bone People. 
The Hobbit - I finally read the whole book and the Lord of the Rings trilogy when I  when I heard the movies were coming out. It is such an amazing adventure and world that Tolkien creates.
Educational Authors: Louise Hay, Steven Covey, Napoleon Hill, Eckhart Tolle, Dalai Lama, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Marianne Williamson, Gay Hendricks, Mike Dooley, Esther Hicks. 
~~~MOVIES~~~
Lion King - This was the first Disney movie I saw as an adult, and afterwards I saw Disney in a completely new light - teaching important lessons to children. 
Star Wars - Yes, I first saw this movie (and Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) as a child, and I loved it - and it influence my make believe play time with my brothers. However, I never would have said it was an all time favorite until I picked up on the imagery found in Yoda and Obi Wan Kanobi much later. Interestingly, when I was a child my favorite character was Boba Fet because of his cool outfit and all the tools he had.
What the Bleep Do We Know? - Documentary merging science and magic!
Recent Favorites: What About Bob?, Into the Wild, Moonrise Kingdom, Saving Mr. Banks, Frozen
~~~TV SHOWS~~~
South Park - The amount of social commentary they fit into each minute of the show continues to wow us. We think perhaps the violence is palatable in this show because it is viewed through children's eyes who do not at all condone what is going on around them. We also are inspired by the simplicity of the animation.
Other favorites: The Simpsons, Monk, Psych, The Mentalist
Picture
0 Comments

    Squishy Speaks

    is an expression of my Inner Child, reminding me to have fun and make room for play, while teaching me lessons I did not integrate from Kindergarten about the imagination and believing in myself.
    Picture

    Archives

    August 2020
    May 2019
    October 2018
    June 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    April 2013


    Categories

    All


    Picture

     

     


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.