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About the Site Designer: Shelly Durrell
It's only fair that you know a little bit about me and my background. Like you, I have had my share of ups and downs in my life, but through it all, I've ended up living a Great Life. I am one of those people who said "Someday I will write a book," and I did (Healing the Fisher King: Spiritual Lessons with Parzival, Gump, the Grail, and Star Wars). The book won five awards. I became a Kung Fu teacher (Sifu) in the Wah Lum Tam Tui Northern Praying Mantis System and also a teacher of Tai Chi and other Internal Martial Arts, teaching for over 24 years. I've organized shows, demonstrations, and seminars, allowing me to travel the world for these promotions. I've done rim-to-rim hikes of the Grand Canyon. A few years ago I moved to Vegas, allowing me to trek to Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon a few times of the year. I continue to learn, grow, and seek out new adventures, which is my definition of a Great Life. I hope my website will help you enjoy your life and find your personal adventures.
    — Shelly —
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There is something bigger than fact: the underlying spirit, all it stands for, the mood, the vastness, the wildness.

— Emily Carr —


Even if we achieve success in the projects we do, it is not a Great Life if our Spirit is in a negative mode as we work those projects.

As part of The STARS System, your Spirit will be constantly monitored throughout your project. It is easy to push feelings aside as you are deep into a project. But this will cause several problems. First, ignoring a negative feeling may mean you are missing the truth of a situation. If your gut is telling you that someone is trouble, you may have tapped into a real problem. By stopping to acknowledge that feeling, and the source of the feeling, you will be able to take better action and help your project. Second, by not choosing a positive Spirit, you will be blocking your creativity and your energy, as well as those also working with you.

Projects have three main areas of evaluation, which are covered more in the Applying the STARS System section. Here are main phases of evaluating your Spirit.

  1. At the Beginning of a Project.
    On The STARS System Design Overview Sheet This file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can get from the Third Party Downloads panel at your left., there is a space for Beginning Spirit. You should fill in your overall beginning feelings about the project.

    Are you excited, or is this something you feel forced to do? If you have a negative feeling, you need to find the right motivation and right attitude to help you through the project. Is your motivation to earn extra money for a trip with your family, or are you working on your Fitness level and need to lose 20 pounds to be healthy? Write a note about that motivation.

    If your Spirit is high, remember that feeling for when the times get difficult, so you can return to those original good feelings. You can also make a note of how you imagine you will feel when the project is completed. This will be a good contrast to compare against your final notes.

  2. During each task.
    On The STARS System Stage Task List This file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can get from the Third Party Downloads panel at your left., you will be making a Spirit note about each task as you are working on it. This is just a very short note to help you grasp the reality of a situation.

    If your task is to interview a local government employee, and you feel a pit in your stomach, you need to understand the source of that feeling so you can take proper action. Do you feel uneasy because you don't like the person? Then you must make a conscious note not to display that so you can get a proper interview. Or do you like that person, and realize that you don't feel confident? Then practice your questions in front of a mirror until you know that you can speak confidently.

    If you find yourself just needing a little pick-me-up during a task, turn to your list of My Favorite Things you created in the Where You Are section. Pick some of those favorite songs, or get a DVD of a favorite film to help get your Spirit up. And it would not be a bad idea to make those favorite lists a little longer so you have more choices.

    By being attune your Spirit while you are working on tasks, you can work more effectively and more engaged than if you just plowed through the task.

  3. At the end of a Stage or Project.
    At the end of a Stage or Project, you will be filling out The STARS System Stage and Project Evaluation Sheet This file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can get from the Third Party Downloads panel at your left.. In addition to technical notes, it is important to note your feelings at that finishing point.

    If the stage was a success, but you are not happy about it, it may be that you are or were involved in a project that you should not be involved with. That will be a warning that in the future you may wish to bypass a similar project. Or perhaps you weren't paid as much as you liked, but you know your work helped people. Your Spirit may be up and may give you directions of things you may wish to do in the future.

    Your Spirit serves you by telling you the truth about your situation and gives you the strength to do and be the best you can.

 

— Shelly —