Shift - A Game About Love, Fear and Life

Eight Step Process

EXPECTATIONS

* My expectations have been set high.  I expect long days, tense moments, and trying times.  I also expect laughter, support, and ultimately, success.

* WANTS

o I want a conscious effort at creativity from everyone - an effort to not do things just like everybody else.  To make this OUR own.

o Fun.  When possible.  Remember to play.  Be goofy.  Be comfortable. 

o I want the world to see shift as we do.

o I want us to have such a wonderful company that everyone wants to work for us because they see that work doesn’t have to be a negative thing.

 o I want us all to reach our full potential and to find things that others do well an encourage us to continue in those areas within shift.

* NEEDS (I think I have more needs than wants, is that bad?)

 o I need understanding, or an effort toward just that.  I need to be open and safe and I really would like to be loved.

 o I need honesty.  Even if it hurts, it hurts more when we aren’t honest.  Make an open door policy and communication will flow both ways.

o An effort to be positive and build each other up. Sometimes simple reminders do good things without us even realizing.

o Notice ahead of time if schedules are changing.  It lets us all plan accordingly and things then tend to go smoother and happier.

o Balance.

* FEARS  (hmm, did I roll doubt?)

* I have a secret fear that my giant leap of faith will be just that - and though failure is not an option - that others will not see shift as we do.

* Umm, that we get sick of each other?  ( I don’t really see that being an issue?!)

* I’m afraid I’ll get sick of the commute?

* I have a fear that my job will become my life and I won’t seek to live a full, well-rounded life outside of shift.

PURPOSE

* My purpose, as I see it as the creative director for shift, is just that, to direct us in creativity.  I see that not only being aesthetically, but also in our language.  I believe in creativity as a way of life - and standing out not to be different, but standing out not to be the same.  I see my purpose coming through strongest in the area of art.  Coming up with needed images, layouts, and really, anything that will be printed I suppose.  But I see my purpose in helping with universal language and a different type of "self-help" - not the traditional at least.  But really, I see my purpose being wherever I am needed.  Creativity reaches into every area of shift.  (and as the ultimate sparkplug - I hope to create a spark within those around me!)

GOALS

* To help shift reach our sales goals by set times.

* To help shift reach a wide array of people - and to continue to think of new groups who could use the message of the game.  (To have reached five large groups by Valentines Day, and hopefully tap into a new one every two months.)

* To do the best possible job I can - balance life.  (daily - by keeping my priorities straight - I must put my own needs first)

* To see personal growth in my design skills, writing skills, sales strategy and as a person overall. (check in every 6 months and acknowledge my growth!)

* To bring the best out in everyone around me - help everyone reach their potential. (daily!)

OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

* I need food - if I start getting cranky, put some food in my mouth, and if water doesn’t help, try some caffeine. 

* I need at least one good laugh every two hours.

* I need celebration at little victories.

* I need to see change in order to keep moving forward.

COMMITMENT

* I, Kristen Werning, commit to myself, my purpose, and to shift.

I get the feeling that Peter Jennings never had anxiety attacks. It seems he was just consumed with the pursuit of truth and would work 26 hrs a day if he could to share the world’s stories with others.

I want to be Peter Jennings today. I’m getting fed up with letting my mind control my breathing, my moods, and my days.  Feeling overwhelmed is just a matter of choice, right? 

Kinda scary these days.  I’m wondering where to allocate my time first.  Getting ready to go to print? revising the business plan and seeking investments? starting to sell?

This morning, I decided it’d cost nothing to just write positive visions all over. It’s interesting that when I write things, they usually happen. SO- Shift will recieve an anonymous donation by the end of the month. Words are powerful. You never know. . .

All this is is just another opportunity to check in and see if I’m creating a life of balance and if I’m putting myself first.  I WILL CREATE SPACE. If we have to, I will take another week or two to perfect the content and get everything in order.

Think I’ll wrap up this tirade with some acknowledgments for what we are doing right.  This week was our first week to implement YOGA mornings. Joyce and Kristen came over a bit early on Monday and Wednesday and we read our lessons from the Course and I led us in some Iyengar, Ashtanga and Pilates.  We finished in corpse pose, shavasana.  I find that last position, where I’m just laying sprawled on my back, feeling the earth support me, is when I get a little teary eyed.  I find myself going through what I’m grateful for.  Did you hear that? Here I was laying down on the floor with my coworkers with our eyes closed- first thing on a Monday morning!  It was fantastic. 

There is enough time.  There is enough space. I think that my purpose in creating Shift was to create a model for us to live in every area of our lives. Since the game asks how are we showing up in our relationships, in our work and with ourselves, it only makes sense that as providers of this message, we ask ourselves the same questions and do our best to answer them by staying on purpose, remembering what is real and seeking only that which supports us.

The game has its own momentum now and yes, we are all being carried along.   Yet, it’s up to each of us to choose those things that ground us, our family, our partners, dance, art, meditation, laughing, yoga, or even our little doggies and make time for them.  We have all been mandated to put ourselves first. Think I’m going home now to make changes to the content while I lay outside in the yard and soak up some sun. 

That’s what my body wants today and I’m putting me first.

When Joyce started working with us, I thought it was time for us to all do an 8 step process so we could get clear on what each of was expecting from this relationship. The 8 step process assists in getting clarity around the purpose for a relationship and how the people in it need to operate to make their vision happen.  Here’s what I wrote for mine:

8 Step- GAME 8/9/05

Expectations
- That this be my saving grace, the thing that supports me financially for my life.
- That I contribute to society.
- That I can create enough space to live a life of balance.
- That we strategically get the game to produce revenue in a way that allows me to fund the company on my own or receive funding for a minimal amt of equity.  
- That I seek and request support and take notice of opportunities.
- That my essence is transferred into a magnificent, beautiful product that speaks to my soul, radiates energy, and is available in stores by Nov. 1, 2005.
- That I positively empower those that I hire to bring all that they can to the project.

Wants (become goals)
- I want to be able to live comfortably- cover my expenses while working on the business.  
- Feel passionate about what I learn, like who I’m working with, and help others. Have fun, learn, make $, flexible for the game and support my soul.
- To have some flexibility, work 1 or 2 days a week on my own so I can spend time thinking, and being creative. Be able to take a 3 or 4 day weekend if needed and eventually be able to leave for 2 or 3 weeks to visit Australia etc. and have the business continue to run smoothly.
- To keep a balanced life where I am spiritually, physically and financially fit.
- To make time for fun- dancing, concerts being outside!
- To create a supportive environment where I can work with others to expedite the completion of the game and the products to come.
- Structure. A defined schedule of deliverables and a way to be held accountable.

Needs (become op inst.)
- Need to feel financially secure by being able to pay salaries and have enough working capital to easily commit to expenditures that grow the business.
- Need to constantly reaffirm my truth so that I can co create from a loving place.
- To feel like I’m accomplishing something.
- To feel like I’m connected to others.
- To take time to be alone with just me and my thoughts- ideally walking.

Fears
- That I will never complete the game and that I will be perceived as a failure.
- That someone else will get a similar product to market first.
- That I will run out of money.
- That no one will buy it- I actually don’t really believe this.
- That people figure out that I’m just making it up and don’t know anything.
- That people say they like it just to make me feel good.

Purpose
To give as many people as possible the knowledge that they are at choice so that they can remember their truth and make their decisions from love.

Goals- these are for 2005
- Send the game to print with an initial run by August 25th, 2005.
- Sell the first 2000 through a smart distribution mix in time to make changes, find mistakes, and have the next run ready for our New Year’s push.  
- To create a workable schedule for Joyce, Kristen and myself. Meet 2 days a week, Mon. wed, yoga and CIM lesson.
- (the rest of this was a laundry list of day to day stuff that might not be as interesting)

Operating Instructions
* Maintain game budget and keep an account of all accounts payable.
* Make time for my relationship by blocking off dates with my man. One night a week and one weekend day per weekend as us time.
* Have employees be flexible, yet accountable- pay them based on what and when.
* Qualify all time commitments and say no to those that do not support my getting the game to market in some form.
* Read course every morning.
* Take a bath once a week. Pamper myself, read etc. twice a week. Go dancing twice a month. Make nikki time.
* Make small, measurable goals so that I feel accomplished and acknowledge those accomplishments.
* Create time to clearly define weekly goals on Fridays and send them out before Monday meetings.   
* Step back and just Be.
* Acknowledge successes as they come.
* Create the game in its highest form. Let spirit speak.
* LOVE MYSELF FIRST
* Create space for joy and fun.

Commitment
     I, Nicole Casanova, am committed to working this plan so that I may experience a life of balance and see my vision become a reality.  NC 8/9/05

Oh I have to write.  This is so incredibly hard.  So we’re doing our first blind play test and it’s with my boyfriend’s friends.  No one has seen what I’m working on and I’m basically putting myself out there big time.  His friends are fantastic… yet they’re just not really the target market and that’s why it will be so great to get their feedback… because it will be honest and surely, critical.  This is a group of hard core climbers- some the best in the world. These are people that will not see a doctor when they fall 100 feet and shatter their ankle because they believe they can walk it off.  As a rule, they don’t do anything preventative.  And I’m making them play a self help game. 

I think they thought they were coming over for dinner and beers, not self exploration… It’s possible they want to kill me for wasting their Tuesday night but I’m safe in his room.

However, when it comes to a group of people that know themselves, they actually really do. I don’t know too many sports that are more dependent on mind control than climbing.  These are people that make themselves believe that they can do something. At times they have to convince themselves that they are superhuman just to make it to the next hold. Unlike my decisions, theirs come with pretty severe consequences. Basically they either believe it or they take the pain.

So, I’m in another room and unfortunately, I can actually hear them as they play.  This is our first of 15 blind play tests where we are looking to see if people can play based on the way the rules are set up. We’ve probably tested 70 plus times over the last 3 years but I was present at every one and although it would be fun to play with everyone, it’s not possible for me to facilitate every game.  We are video taping (I think they thought I was crazy when I made them sign a release) and although I’ll see all this later… I’m sitting in the next room hearing their experience.  Uggh.

It is so incredibly hard to pull my identity out of the game.  Although this is in some ways my baby and I’ve been pregnant for a long, long time, I need to disassociate myself from it.  My boyfriend’s friends don’t really know me and they might be hating this game, but I must remind myself, it doesn’t mean they think I suck or hate me…  Or even if they go home tonight judging me saying- “dude, what do you think of his girl? Kind of out there, huh?” it doesn’t mean that that’s my truth.

I’m actually quite proud of my willingness to hear criticism and have been amazed at how when I’ve played the game in life things have cruised.  Last September I went to San Francisco to play with “the peeps” (these are the people I used to study A Course in Miracles with).  These are people that have explored all the Universal principles and have spent the last many years of their lives doing their best to walk their talk. 

Last September the game was incredibly complex. It had been incredibly complex for the better part of two years because we had the coolest game dynamics.  Problem was, they were so cool that no one could figure them out. So I walked in to play test with the Peeps and the first thing they said was, “Where’s the Love and the Fear?”  I had spent forever trying to come up with language that didn’t offend people. I had had so much resistance to those two words, Love and Fear, that I had done everything from look into Kanji symbols to try and make up new words to make them less threatening.  Eventually I settled on the state of Oh No! and Oh Yeah!.

My peeps pointed out the fallacy in my thinking.  I had said the following, “Love and Fear are too threatening. I want to trick people into having the experience of witnessing their thoughts and seeing that they create their reality. To do that, I need to dumb it down so the masses can have an experience of it too.”  Whew, they set me straight!

It was perfect. They said quite succinctly, “Spirit need not trick anyone.”  They said, “Create it in its highest form and it will attract on its own merit.” I actually cried during that play test and since September, we have designed an entirely new game whose objective is to move from Fear to Love… Everything is different- the game dynamics, the look and feel, the language… everything.

Just walked out there for a sec cause the tape stopped and someone said, “Hey let’s play Scrabble.”  My little ego wants to keep me locked away in here all night and not ask them to fill out their evaluation forms.  I know the game is not for everyone…and as I told Kristen the other day when she asked if I thought Shift would save the world, my hope is that Shift gets one person to think differently.  And when I think of it that way, it seems totally doable. If just one person plays and starts to see how they’re thinking… or sees they’re coming from Fear and decides to see the situation differently, then we’ve succeeded.  So tonight I’ll keep with that thought and remind myself that even if this isn’t their deal… they’ve been laughing all night… and for that I am relieved…aaahhh…