"What do I desire now?"

Hi All,

Around once every year to two years I know it's time to go in to a deep contemplation and ask myself the question "What do I desire now?" One morning last week I stepped in to a gentle "life review" to consider what I most wanted to create in my relationships, achieve in my work space and how I could keep shaping my lifestyle along the lines that I'd find most fulfilling.  Writing these thoughts down (and translating them as positive affirmations) has been a potent way for me to gain some clarity in the past. I've had to be really careful about what I've wished for!

This time I though I'd try something different and use my Tabella cards, gazing in to each of the Tabella images to stimulate reactions that could offer me some clues along this journey. Knowing that I purposefully worked in just about every trigger and theme that I could think of gave me confidence that they could assist me to gain a wider perspective.

Here is just one of the affirmations that spontaneously sprang forth that day when I realised that I had something to say about the 'Amphitheatre' card (by Sonya Dorant).  It is perhaps the most relevant to my work with Tabella:

" I will take Tabella on to a more brightly lit stage and not be dazzled by the lights and unfamiliar environment, but will look out and see that we are all equal. People's attendance and listening is also an active process (as is my listening) and so the dynamic is still one of sharing and I can invite feedback from others to affirm this."

It was one of a number of small breakthrough insights for me, because I came to realise how important for me the concept of an equal exchange in my dealings with others is - that I could open more fully to creating this and clear some blockages.

I noticed that by using the Tabella cards I wasn't trying to force my thinking down certain pathways and in a sense, dictate to the Universe what I wanted.  In fact, what came out were a bunch of seemingly unrelated ideas that will, no doubt, jiggle themselves about in my consciousness over time; forming links and patterns where appropriate.  The cards lent a certain structure but kept my process open and flowing.

I feel that children also enjoy being asked "What do you really want now?" I have typically been bowled over at first, yet touched, when someone has asked me this. It has said to me that my interests were truly at the heart of their question and in the front of their minds.  I will choose my moment so that it doesn't come out sounding contrived and hear what my youngest girl has to say about this.  I would probably do well to top up the credit card in advance!

Love,

Melina

Six years in the making and the cards are finally on their way out to the world!

It was a stop-start process, with battles fought with my 'inner demons', challenging my self-belief.  Truth be told, I was hoping that a commercial publisher would sweep in on his white horse so that I didn't have to lead and project-manage at every step.  Although I aroused the interest of some larger publishers, the project fell a little too outside of the box to sit comfortably on their 'lists'.

Yet, now that I can see the integrity with which the cards, guidebook, packaging and website has come together (thanks to the all people who have poured love and remarkable skill into Tabella), I am glad that I didn't hand my baby over.  It is true that no-one would love and nurture her the same way that I could.

For anyone who is standing on a similar ledge, I would encourage you to hold on to your dreams because your persistence and patience will pay off.  My drawn out time-frames served to enhance the cards.  It allowed the right people to emerge at the right time and for me to come back and review work at intervals, gaining greater perspective during my 'pregnant pauses'.

Back to the work-bench for me but I will drop in again soon! xo

P.S.  Here's a photo of my brother and nephews playing Tabella for the first time.  They choose to play the game 'Play It Forward' a few times over.  I jumped in and I have to say that it was tricky keeping up with their fast-paced, action-packed adventures.  Characters were slaughtered by the likes of showers of 'diamond-axes' falling from the sky, then brought back to life in various incarnations.  The boys soon found favourite cards in the deck that they conspired to retrieve in each game or trade for.