“You can do it all, but not all by yourself.” Cynthia’s Credo for success

This is my story of an “epic fail,” with a possible happy ending.

During twenty years of an hour-long commute on the twisty coast highway, I listened to thousands of hours of audio programs. Spiritual teachers kept me awake and seeking. Business and personal development gurus saved me from operating in non-profit mode, just as I was starting a private practice. Sharing their wisdom in college classes and workshops, I was inspired to create my own recording of a favorite guided journey, one that incorporated them all: creative problem solving, health, environment, finance, metaphysics, and the pursuit of meaningful dreams. I proceeded up a very steep learning curve, and hit a ceiling. And so I invited partners.

I was mentored in production by Annie Raitt (may she be thriving in the hereafter). Theresa Whitehill, graphic artist and poet extraordinaire, fine-tuned the words and package, and introduced me to Julie Higgins for cover art. I was coached in voice recording by Spencer Brewer, a world-class composer and musician. The product, Embracing True Prosperity, was beautiful, with original music and engineering by Spencer, along with high-end art and graphics.

I ordered 1000 copies of an “encased-in-too-much-plastic” (wait for it) AUDIOCASSETTE TAPE. This was the end of 1999. The next year they stopped putting tape players in most cars; boomboxes ran CDs; and no distributor would touch it. I still have five carefully sealed boxes in the garage. I don’t keep them for sentimental or practical reasons: I just don’t know how to dispose of them without confounding the sanctity of the environment. (Epic fail on so many levels….)

Fast forward twenty years to a different project. Blackstone Audio published the audiobook version of The Courage to Trust. I offhandedly floated the hapless “tape story” past their marketing guru. She said she would listen to it, possibly as a way to provide a little credibility boost or buzz for the CD sales. Twenty-four hours later she emailed that she had shared it with marketing and they wanted to re-produce and distribute it. It seems that during Covid, their catalog was seeing a spike in interest in self-help and guided visualizations. Could I please get all the licensing, permissions, and graphic material together? Scurry scurry scurry. It was my joy to revisit my original dream team, who were encouraging and enthusiastic. Experts who support others’ creativity are a special breed, and I celebrate them every day. It’s good to want do it all, but we can’t do it all by ourselves.

The punchline? I have a brand-new version of an old-but-not-dated idea now available in useable formats: soon in CD and already available on Audible.com. At a deep level I always believed in it, struggled to share it, but even giving it away was daunting. I could not have republished it alone, nor without having risked the revelation of my failure: that was my step alone to take. But the upwelling of interest, respect, and support from Blackstone Audio made it happen in 2021, just as the original players made it so in 1999. I consider this in the “mini-miracle” category of experiences. I don't know how it will sell, but sometimes it makes sense to “Just.Say.Yes!”

So many people die leaving unpublished manuscripts, or promising ideas for a business or service that could make the world a brighter place. The truth is that most projects require sharing ideas, inviting feedback/criticism, and asking for help. Scary stuff. Brings up all manner of shame. As a therapist and coach, I love being the first witness and cheerleader to cautious unveilings for new ways of earning, living, creating.

What about you? Do you have a dream that you have never shared, or buried because it was the wrong time? Does your mind’s eye keep returning to it? Take heart! Believe that any idea can have value, and all previous efforts are incubating it. Dare to show it to the world. Deliberately invite rejection. Only then can the mentors and partners you need find you.

Click here to purchase my book, the courage to trust.

Click here to purchase the audiobook of the courage to trust.

Click here to purchase my 90-minute guided visualization, embracing true prosperity.

Co-Creating