Q and A

We're just about a week away from starting Soul Coaching! It's wonderful to see the excitement building. I just know we're going to have a rockin' November!

As we come up to the beginning, I thought I'd make a space to answer any questions you might have. If there's something you want to ask, please leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer as best I can right here.

Questions & Answers

1. Can I still join in? Absolutely. Just click here and leave a comment with your name and a link to your blog.


2. Is there anything I can or should do before we begin? Click here for things you can do to prepare for our month of Soul Coaching.


3. What's the time commitment each day? It's up to you. The book provides 3 different levels of activity each day, the smallest taking as little as 15 minutes. Remember, this is meant to support you. You get to make the rules. Even setting the intention to make change in your life will start things shifting.


4. Did you use 2 journals? When I worked through Soul Coaching on my own, I used one journal. In fact, I simply used my current journal because I prefer to keep everything.
5. I did have a query re. time zones though. I'm in Australia so my November 1st starts in six hours so I'll be more or less a day ahead. Will that be okay, Jamie? Absolutely. I'll have a post for each day. Each of these will have a way for you to add a direct link to your post for that day's exploration. That way it should be easy for us to connect to everyone's post on a particular topic. It's so exciting that we have people participating all over the world. Even though we are separated by time and space, we'll be able to connect here, which is awesome!
6. I may be late sometimes, is it okay? Absolutely. Be gentle with yourself, and simply do the best you can. If you miss a day, you can choose to catch up and add your link to that day's post on this site or you can just jump back in where we are. As Denise says, "It is important to remind yourself that the goal of this program is personal growth, not just completing all the assignments...Trust that changes are occurring on a deep level." Whatever supports you is perfect.

Preparations

We're almost there! In less than 2 weeks we'll start blogging our way through Soul Coaching by Denise Linn.

Participating

If you've arrived here for the first time or have been lurking and wondering whether to participate, there's still time to join in. Just leave a comment here with your name and a link to your blog and I will add you to the list of participants.

Blogging the Experience

Each day I will post here about the day's focus. On that post, you will be able to share a direct link to your post on that topic. That way it should be easy for all of us to come explore each other's thoughts and reactions to a particular day's task. You can share as much or as little as you like of your experience on your blog.

Soul Coaching is a 28-day process but we will be using each of the 30 days in November to write about it.

• November 1: Post your response to the introduction or to any of the preparations you decided to do (see below) or what you hope to get out of the experience, whatever you need to start you off.
• November 2: Day 1 of Soul Coaching
• November 3: Day 2 of Soul Coaching...
• November 30: Wrap up.

NaBloPoMo: For anyone who wants to participate in National Blog Posting Month, this should give you a great structure to have something to post every day! To sign up for NaBloPoMo, click here, click on Blogrolls, click on November, and follow the instructions. There are prizes to be won over there if you truly do participate every day. I've also set up a Soul Coaching group over there.

Possible Preparations before November 1

I know many of you are raring to go and if you look at the intro, there are a few things you can do before November 1.

1. Get a journal (page 14, Denise actually recommends you use 2)

• You can finally use that pretty journal that's been waiting on your shelf
• You can pick up something inexpensive at the dollar store and find a creative way to make it your own
• You can simply use your blog as your journal as you share the journey with each of us.
• It's up to you

2. Make a sacred contract (page 16)

• Denise suggests we make a contract with ourselves affirming our intention for the 28 days of the program. Maybe this will be something you'll want to share on November 1.

3. Create an altar (page 17)

• Denise also recommends that you create a sacred space in your home prior to the beginning of the program. It does not have to be religious in nature. "It can be a highly personal representation of what is most important to you - your hopes and dreams and what you hold sacred." A photo of your altar would be an awesome thing to share on November 1!

Air Photos

The first week of Soul Coaching is Air Week - Clearing Your Mental Self. For each of the 7 air posts that will appear on this blog, I would love to share a participant's picture. If you would like to share a photo, please send it to me at starshyne(at)openthedoor(dot)ca. I will have room to share 7.

Questions

Please post any questions you may have in the comment section and I will respond to them as best I can.

And in the meantime...

If you're aching for more, you can listen to Denise's most recent radio program at Hay House radio here.

Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to the first ever The Next Chapter blog group. You are invited to join this journey through the wonderful Denise Linn's Soul Coaching, 28 Days to Discover Your Authentic Self. We will be starting November 1, 2008.

About The Next Chapter

The concept behind a book-blogging group is that a community of bloggers work their way through a book, sharing their experiences by posting on their own blog and by reading what other participants are sharing. You can choose to share as much or as little as you like.

We're starting out with Soul Coaching and my hope is that we will such a magnificent time full of connection and growth that The Next Chapter will become a regular place to blog through books on various creative and self-development topics.

About Our First Book: Soul Coaching by Denise Linn

From the dust jacket:

"Soul Coaching is a 4-week program dedicated to an in-depth clearing and
cleansing of the differents aspect of your life: mental, emotional, physical and
spiritual. By following the practical, carefully crafted steps presented here,
you'll find that you're able to uncover your authentic self.

This book is for you if you want to know:

• who you are
• why you're here
• what your mission is"

For more about Denise Linn, click here.

To Join In:

• Leave a comment on this post with your name, your blog's name and your blog address, and I will add you to the blogroll of participants. (If I've already put you on the blogroll and you'd rather be called by your first name or by your blog name just let me know and I'll change it)
• You will need a copy of the book. You may get it from your library or you can purchase it here in Canada and here in the US .
• You will need a blog. If you don't have one yet, you can set one up quickly and for free on Blogger.
• You might also want a journal, to have somewhere private to record your thoughts and feelings.

Soul Coaching is a 28-day process. You can start reading from the beginning to chapter 1 (up to page 18) as soon as you get the book. There are some preparations Denise recommends, so go ahead and do anything that appeals to you. We'll use November 1 to write about our experience of the introduction and preparations. And we'll use November 30 to wrap up and write about the final chapter, Quest. This means Soul Coaching will in fact be a 30-day adventure in November.

We're running at the same time as NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month. So, if you want to participate in that, this group will provide you with something to write about every day! If that commitment seems too intense, don't worry. Soul Coaching is a gentle process with options for more or less participation. You are always at the helm of deciding how much or how little you want to do.

A Note about Time: I see some people are wondering whether they will have time to participate. Every day there are suggestions for 3 levels of participation. Level 1 is as little as 15 minutes. It's really about bringing what you can and being gentle with yourself. If you miss a day, that's okay. If something doesn't appeal to you, that's okay too. You can continue where you are or go back to something you missed. Whatever doesn't serve you, let it go.

This Blog

This blog will host the blog roll of participants. It will be our homebase and I will post a little something every day to keep the energy going. I will be sharing my own personal explorations through the book on my blog, Starshyne Productions.

Your Photos

Soul Coaching takes us through a week of air, fire, water and earth. I would love to post a photo each day as inspiration. If you'd like to share a photo on one of the elements, please send it to thenextchapter at openthedoor dot ca. Please include your name, your blog address and the element. (Note: only participants' photos will be posted)

Badges

Put a badge on your blog to share that you're participating and to encourage others to join in. Thank you Suzie for creating these beauties. (If you need help with coding, send me an email and I'll send you the code)

I'm looking forward to blogging through Soul Coaching with you!