Brains, Buddies, and Butterflies

This newsletter brought to you by the letter "B"

Author

Laura Paisley Beck
October 23, 2024

Welcome to Wednesday, Wonderful Humans!

As I prepare for a morning baking fortune cookies for my afternoon workshop, reflect on the people in my recent activity history, and fight my own inner demons, I write this newsletter to offer you hope, inspiration, and a few helpful activities to get you through to next week. I know I’m not alone, feeling the electric buzz of change in the air.

In this newsletter:

Table of Contents

Your brilliant brain controls all functions of your beautiful body, interprets information from the outside world, and defines who we are as unique individuals. Your brain is responsible for how you respond to others and function in this weird, wild, wondrous world.

Brilliant Brains - They’re Worth Celebrating!

The brain is a wondrous muscle with all these different parts and functions! And as we fall into our routines and defaults, we accidentally forget to exercise one side over the other, or trap thinking in the limbic system area of the temporal lobe.

And let’s face it, it’s all too easy to get stuck in fright, flight, or freeze as we near the election. That’s why is more crucial than ever to be mindful of our messaging.

Fear not! On October 29th, my workshop for Madison Women in Tech, called “Writing for the Web: How to Celebrate Your Brilliant Brain,” will offer fun and engaging exercises for your whole brain. Your beautiful, creative, amazing, brilliant brain!

ALL are welcome to this in person event at 100State, Madison, WI.

Think of the influencers, clients, prospects, partners, and other people in your world as orbiting in your solar system. When we think of who is affecting our gravitational pull towards our mission and vision, it makes decisions about our time and energy much easier.

Buddies and Bullies - Who is in Your Solar System?

Uff da! Tell me if any of this resonates with you:

  • Some connections elevate your reason for existence - you can’t help but create more exciting ideas together (stars)

  • Some connections feel like a total energy suck, luring you into a void without purpose (black holes)

  • Some entities shine bright from far away, and you feel drawn to them if not a bit intimidated by their awesomeness (planets)

  • Some entities actively repel you, like reverse magnetism, yet they seem to be constantly bumping into you (asteroids)

  • Some connections fuel your power source and push you into positive action (suns/moons)

  • Some connections drain you, slow you down, or even pull you off mission (dark matter)

It’s time to realign your relationship solar system.

When you think of who you admire, who inspires you, who shares your values, mission, and vision, those are the stars, suns, moons and planets you want in your solar system.

Those blackholes, asteroids, and dark matter need to get out of your business. If this makes you feel guilty (because you’re a people pleaser and enabler like me), think of it this way: you can’t invite everyone in or there will be chaos.

I have a strategic approach to helping clients with this in my Mission Magnetosphere consulting offer. The Relationship Solar System is Phase Two of five, because if this isn’t addressed in the beginning, your messaging and marketing strategy strays off course. Who wants to waste all that time and energy? Not me!

If you’re interested in learning more about how I guide inclusive businesses through business and marketing strategies in Mission Magnetosphere…

Burning Butterflies - Therapy for Those Plagued with an Inner Critic

Short story: after my mom died and I was in Porto, Portugal, mourning, art therapist Jodi Rose Gonzales suggested I create a somatic container. The idea was to put thoughts that no longer served me into a container, outside my head, outside me.

I was in Porto. How would I create such a thing? Then I remembered I packed sticky notes in the pocket of my journal. Then I looked up how to make origami butterflies out of sticky notes and this practice was born. It works. This is how:

  • write what the inner critic is saying on a sticky note (it immediately sounds wrong, mean, stupid…)

  • hug yourself and tell yourself the truth (which is usually the complete opposite)

  • fold that note into a butterfly

  • hold the butterfly in your hands with upper wings pointing towards you and blow it away

  • repeat as necessary

Then I gather the butterflies in a basket and burn them on Fridays. I call this my burning butterflies therapy. It works. Try it. And feel free to share how it helped you with me. I’d love to hear those catharsis stories. ✨🦋✨

One More “B” Word: Books

Laura Paisley Beck and Sarah Geincke at the latest 100State Art Gallery Night. That was a successful night selling Licensed to Sell!

While I continue to battle with Goodreads to accept that I am, indeed, the author of Licensed to Sell (talk about time suck), it would be much appreciated if you think about who you know would appreciate this “original work of genius.”

How to best support me and the book:

Thank you for being so wonderful,

Laura Paisley Beck