A Preamble - Back at Work - A 2018 Epiphany

My eyes blinked open at 5:00 AM, adrenaline rushing. It is January 2nd, 2018, time to go back to work after the long Christmas break.

Last year was full of surprises. The Incredible Power of Inspiration: Creating the Life You Yearn For was released to a world-wide audience. It was my first book and I felt great pride in the accomplishment. I hoped it would change the lives of millions of people seeking to better themselves and live into the lives they deeply desire. I still hope my readers live with strong values, bold ideas, the ability to break out of old patterns of belief and to create their lives steeped in purpose and meaning. This is a beautiful life and, believe it or not, is filled with promise - which it is if you dare to believe it.

I dare to believe it.

Last year was also filled with disbelief as Donald Trump took the office of President of the United States and began to dismantle the fundamental tenets of our democracy. In less than prosaic prose Trump aligned himself with the Alt Right, imposed a travel ban against seven Muslim countries, declared war on freedom of the press, and stated he did not need to observe the constitutional principle of the balance of power. Trump could do anything as POTUS. The hits are still coming; the wool is still pulled tightly over his eyes and the eyes of his supporters. He plans to run for office in 2020.

I was deeply affected by many changes that were occurring across our United States, and the world. Someone on a news show remarked “This is not the United States I grew up in!” I felt the same way and asked myself a Big Question: Who Am I in the Matter of It All?

After my book was complete I went into a state of post-book-release quiet. For three months my chattering mind went silent. I would proudly tell people “I got Nothin’”. No ideas, no opinions, no promising thoughts, just the peaceful grace of mental silence. I might have wondered what I might do in 2018, but for the most part I wanted to take a mental holiday.

Last night, in the closing hours of the first day of 2018 I prepared my self for January 2nd, the day I planned to step once again into productivity. Rounding out my final hours of glorious post-book-release quiet I wondered how I would be able to step back into the world.

Then my eyes blinked open at 5:00 AM this morning, adrenaline pumping idea after idea into my ‘I got Nothin’ mind. This was the birthplace (and time) of my new year’s project. Here is the premise:

If, individually, we can live into inspiration and create the lives we yearn for, then collectively can we not tap into the same fundamental principles of inspiration and the creative process and live into the World we yearn for?

Groping around my dimly lit kitchen in the pre-hours of dawn I made a cup joe - rich Italian blend – and set myself to write this: the first in a series of articles addressing how we can - individually and collectively - create the world we yearn for.

I invite you to read each of the articles in this series and think about who you are in the matter of it all – in the matter of our world. As we progress, I would encourage a bit of time spent in self-reflection, then discussion of the topics with friends, colleagues, teachers, clergy and children. Explore! Adventure into the world of inspiration and then make some small contribution – big or small - to the goodness of mankind.

You matter … we matter … and I believe our moral, and perhaps physical, survival rests upon our shoulders.

Unapologetically onward - into 2018!

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Jenifer Zetlan, author of The Incredible Power of Inspiration: Creating the Life You Yearn For, is a behavioral scientist and motivational speaker who is committed to helping people live inspired lives. With advanced degrees in psychology and behavioral sciences from UCLA, she has led numerous seminars and classes in psychology, leadership and organization in University settings and throughout many Fortune 500 and non-profit organizations. She has also enjoyed successful careers in psychology, aerospace, and heath care.

Jenifer has been reading, studying and speaking in the areas of psychology, philosophy and spirituality for over 30 years. She is an ardent yoga practitioner and instructor in the Bay Area.