To Build a Sacred Place

My friend Annette pointed out this video of Bill Moyer interviewing Joseph Campbell about a having a sacred space. It's only 2 minutes, so pause and watch it.

I'd seen this larger interview years and years ago, and I was happy to revisit this clip, because it's so worth reminding us: a sacred place isn't necessarily something religious. It's something else entirely.

To Build a Sacred Place

I have morning rituals that I've written about before. One that I didn't mention is that I never ever look at news in any form (especially not via social networks) until at least after lunch (if at all). But after rewatching Campbell, I think I want to put a bit more "construction" into building my sacred place.

The purpose of the idea is to create a mindset around yourself that takes all the external forces out of the picture for a moment and encourages you to be your actual from-within self for a while. You without filters. You without the fear of what other people are thinking. You before someone else influences you in any way, good or bad.

This is powerful. And it takes more than "avoid the news" to get yourself into that state. Because we spend a lot of our days reflecting on others and reacting. We react to our family. We react to our bosses, our peers, our customers. We spend so much energy aligning our "fit" to other people. It's easy to lose ourself in the experience.

"I can endure no more, I demand you remember who you are." - Eminem, I Need a Doctor

The Call Is Coming From INSIDE

I'm working on a new project (not ready to talk about it yet) but the concept was about what to do after you've had a win. After you've been successful. Especially in the idea business, we hit with something, and people know us in relationship to that, and then we often fall into a valley. We're either living on the old thing or flailing looking four our next big idea.

As part of this, it's upon me to realize that I need more "sacred space" time. Because that's one way that I'll be able to respond and help the world at large is to dig back into the things that make me happy and the things that give me good energy and let me get into that famous "flow" state written about by Csikszentmihalyi.

We need to be in our sacred place for that. And if you saw in the video, it doesn't have to be a physical space as much as it has to be a mindset. It requires an hour, though. You have to value your time such that you give yourself a full hour in that state to get the benefit. Can you find ONE whole hour in a day for you?

If not, that might be why everything isn't lining up.

What is Your Sacred Place? Where is It?

What does any of this evoke in you? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Where do you feel like you're in a space that's yours and not connected to the outside pulls and drives? How do you feel when you're there? And can you visit regularly?

Chris...