After 3 days soaking up the creative vibe of Sydney and being surrounded by 500 inspired writers, i am back in Brisbane waiting to attend a John De martini workshop. Sitting in my favourite coffee shop it is time to review what the lessons were.

Just being in Sydney’s inner city was a great reminder to always stay focussed on one’s dreams. Neat piles of boxes with a single mattress dotted the streets, the life time collections of homeless people invisible to those who had lost their own dreams yet continued to pretend their lives were working. No eye contact, a suspicious side glance when some one said hello or smiled. Suits and high heals driven to conform, to fit in as their creativity lay dying on the footpath or office floor.

Cities are the deathtrap of the soul, walking through the parks, people were active, playing sport or simply sitting in the sun connecting. Somewhere within, their soul reached for something real, a connection to the world, to feel the sun renewing their souls, before sinking slowly back into the shadows.

Beautiful old buildings butted up up against artist disasters, back allies full of rubbish as the ants wore their $500 shoes. The shapes, the sounds, all unnatural, all symbols of goals slowly destroying the dreamers soul.

I loved walking the streets, watching the people, reading the stories their bodies had recorded of their journey, the dreams and the lost opportunities.

Inside the sacred space the writers blended as one, merged into a creative think tank, some would leave with dreams left on the seats. Others, inspired to reach that little deeper, the drive to soar above the mediocrity that wandered the city streets.

A Hay House Writers Workshop is not for the faint hearted, there is a ruthless cutting edge underlying the feel good vibe. Hay House is no different in many ways to all other business, it is all about the money, the profit. They care about their speakers and their is a family feel to being around these people.

The message was clear, If it is meant to be, It is up to ME!!! rung load and clear. If anyone is going to make it as a writer, or anything else for that matter, they have to do the work, learn to market and create a following. Writing is the easy part, finding the tools to create the market is harder for most writers. I have seen many times very average practitioners make it while the experts the truly great practitioners languish because they did not play the game of deception (marketing) very well. There was a room full of great writers, stories to move the world, that may never be seen, because the writer did not understand the business of selling.

My lessons from the weekend are very much like life lessons;

Focus on the end result and never waver
Feel good all the time
Do the very best one can in every area of our lives
Be careful who we listen to
Be willing to learn, willing to change
There are things we do not know we do not know.
The why is more important than the hows
Everyone has a story in them the world needs to hear
We can do it, those people on stage reflect back to us the qualities and attributes the have hidden within.

I loved being around so many inspired, creative, driven people, it made my soul soar. The speakers were honest direct and from the heart. Dreams were shattered on this weekend for some, lifted for others. Some still seek the well worn path of being published, others have realised the game and will play it their way and have the powers to be come cap in hand to them.

The Hay House Writers workshop in Sydney was so much fun on so many levels, it clarified the way forward for many. Publishing is an impersonal money driven business like most of the old world business. If you are saleable with a great following you have a chance to being picked up.

Is it time to throw off the shadows of self doubt and let the fire in your heart fuel your passion and create that masterpiece that the world is waiting for, in whatever area of your life drives you to create.

The world needs more people living inspired lives.