The best opportunity of my life...

Current project status:

1) "4189" (collaboration with Charles Johnson)

--story sold! Need to have Tananarive add

her notes, and make final tiny polishes.

Probably this weekend.

2) Devil's Wake (collaboration with my

wife, Tananarive Due). Have the galleys

sitting on my dining room table. Need

to examine the formatting. Probably

this afternoon.

3) "P.S." (initials of my screenplay). The

producer, who is currently working

on one of the year's most anticipated

films with one of the world's most

celebrated directors, loves my draft,

and is putting together notes right

now for the re-write. This is an

amazing opportunity, a chance to

model one of the best living screenwriters.

I KNOW they've had deep and

substantive conversations on the

creation of screenplays, and it

would be idiocy for me not to prepare

myself to absorb any wisdom I can

during this critical period.

What do I need to do to prepare myself

for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

1) raise my energy level to its highest state.

When energy is high, it is easiest to make

changes, as well as ignore the ego

voices in our heads.

2) Maintain behavioral flexibility. Lots

of yoga, as physical and emotional

flexibility have always, for me, been

correlated.

3) Concentrate on core values. What

is most important about this story,

and this moment in my career? To

hold to the core aspects without

being controlled by them is essential.

4) Optimal input. Reading Aristotle's

POETICS and Shakespeare daily.

Right now, I'm reading Macbeth, and

am having fun comparing thematics

with my previous read, HAMLET.

5) Clearing my schedule. I have to be

certain that I have the room necessary

to feel relaxed, centered, open, and

aware. From this position it will be

easiest to hear what I'm being told,

and respond to it gracefully.

6) Deal with the fear. This is a

growth opportunity, and whenever

there is real growth, the ego is

threatened, and will respond with

paralyzing fear if you aren't careful.

So I have to be centered enough to

interpret the emotion as excitement.

7) Remember that Goals X Faith X

Action X Gratitude = Results. A

zero in ANY category will crash

the entire system. This is one of

the moments I've trained for my

entire life. No matter what happens,

it is a heck of an opportunity to

learn, if nothing else. And if things

go well? The sky's the limit.

8) Get plenty of rest.

I'll keep you posted, every step

of the way...

Steve

###

For writing, I'm using the tools found

in theLIFEWRITING YEAR LONG

to prepare myself, and stay on track.

For general balance and centeredness,

as well as preparing myself to move

to the next level, the tools in the

101 PROGRAM are invaluable,

and MASTERING F.E.A.R. is

going to keep me from chewing

my fingernails to the elbow.

Both the 101 and LIFEWRITING

help with the critical aspect of

COLLABORATION, TEAM-BUILDING,

and MASTER-MIND groups.

You can compensate for any gaps

in your own ability or resources

with the right allies! Turn your

friends on to this newsletter, and

recruit them into your personal

Mastermind circle--critical to

your success.

Better rest? The WARRIOR SLEEP

program is peerless.

I really created these resources for

ME! You know...when you care,

really care, it never gets any easier!