The Bless the Mess
"Never-Ending Story"
So how did this "mondobizarre" idea get started? Where did Bless the Mess come from? Read on for more information about our never-ending story and how our co-creative journey began!
Summer 2020 - The Journey Begins
Our personal and collective journeys began in the summer of 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic with the 90-Day Author Challenge in June hosted by Park Point Press of the Center for Spiritual Living and The Summer Academy of Writing in July with Marc Allen of New World Library.
These two amazing training programs delivered via Facebook groups inspired us to create a resource that would help the world go from surviving to thriving or Sur-Thriving as we call it. That is how the “Bless the Mess Sur-Thrival Journal” was birthed and evolved into the Ultimate Mindful Sur-Thrival System.
We felt so inspired by these seminars, hosted by Dennis Merritt Jones, Marc Allen, and SARK, we decided to seek positive, uplifting solutions we could use and possibly share with others who were also coping with the challenging new normal. While we began working with our own personal situations, because of our service orientation, our focus quickly shifted to ways we could help families and the community Sur-Thrive. Read on for the first few chapters of the never-ending story!
In July of 2020, Leslie attended the Debbie Drum and Amy Harrop workbook creator course, which helped further define the creative vision for the “Bless the Mess Mindfulness Sur-Thrival Journal” and future mindfulness card decks.
To help further define the journal, Leslie and Charles decided to create 4 distinct categories to help people Bless the Mess:
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Abundance and Prosperity
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Health and Well-Being
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Raising Consciousness
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Empowerment and Enlightenment
As a result of their efforts and collaboration – the “Bless the Mess Sur-Thrival Mindfulness Journal” was born, and the initial version of the journal was published on Amazon in August of 2020.
However, the journey didn’t stop there!
To Infinity and Beyond..
After attending another wonderful event hosted by Rosie Battista, the Queen of Card Decks in August 2020, Leslie was inspired to create a companion card deck to the journal. That is how the first little gem, the "Bless the Mess Affirmation Card Deck" was born!
This little gem was meant as a tool to help showcase the 53 affirmations from the Bless the Mess journal.
Our co-creative process didn’t stop there, however, as Leslie and Charles continued to collaborate and co-create an even bigger vision – creating a larger card deck that includes ALL 53 mindful Sur-Thrival exercises and all of the affirmations! It was a BIG vision.
As a result of these efforts, the "Bless the Mess Sur-Thrival Exercises and Affirmation Card Deck" was born – however, it was really much bigger than a mere card deck – it was a system!
That is when our vision got even bigger, and the "Ultimate Mindful Sur-Thrival System" was born! https://www.planetblessed.org/ultimate-mindful-sur-thrival-system
The journey continued with an idea to repurpose content that Leslie had previously published on Amazon, “The 21-Day Mindfulness Challenge for Managing PTSD: 21 Mindfulness Exercises to Ease Post-Traumatic Stress” and thus the "Mindful Sur-Thrival Guide for Managing Post-Traumatic Stress and Anxiety Card Deck" was born.
Charles then had an even bigger idea, or shall we say a smaller idea! He was determined to create a pocket-sized guidebook utilizing the Bless the Mess card deck in a booklet form so people could utilize the exercises and affirmations while waiting in a health provider's office, stuck in traffic, or in any potentially stressful or time-wasting situation.
That idea soon became the "Ultimate Mindful Sur-Thrival Guide for Managing C.R.A.P. in Your Life! Coping Resourcefully with Aggravating and Annoying People, Problems, and Places!"
Our Ultimate Bless the Mess Journey didn’t end there, however! Leslie then decided to repurpose some more content, intentions for awakening the SMART Body she had included in 2 books that were previously self-published on Amazon:
That is how the "DNA is NOT Destiny Card Deck" was born showcasing 52 beautiful healing intentions to awaken and activate the SMART Body, the body’s innate intelligence. The content from the books was then divided into 7 unique categories aligned with the 7 chakras for ease of use.
And the journey didn’t stop there, because Charles and Leslie are always creating something else. For example, the forthcoming "Ultimate YOU 2.0 Course" was created as a way to help expand the knowledge provided in the Bless the Mess Mindfulness Sur-Thrival card deck and journal. The course is being evolved into an online version initially and it will then be delivered in live seminars and workshops when we can gather together safely in the community once again, Completion of this project and an app will be among the priority components of our crowdfunding and sponsorship campaigns.
To Infinity and Beyond..
Establishing a nonprofit organization to further our vision and PlanetBlessed.org
The Planetblessed.org domain was created in September of 2020 {and we are presently preparing to file articles of incorporation for the new NPO.} The mission is simple:
Promoting Personal and Planetary Sustainability and Sharing Mindfulness Resources to Help Individuals and Communities Sur-Thrive in Challenging Times.
The site has grown immensely since then, and it now contains 17 + pages that are meant to spotlight the work Leslie and Charles are so lovingly creating.
Some of the projects Leslie and Charles are still working on include:
Community and Mindfulness Non-Profit 5013C – CenterSpace
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Strategic personal and community economic development.
S.P.A.R.K.
SPARK: Products, Programs and Services to Help you Sur-Thrive in a Challenging New World, Promote Personal and Planetary Sustainability, Awaken to Your True Identity, Realize Your Ultimate Potential and Know Yourself.
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Sur-Thrive in a Challenging New World
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Promote Personal and Planetary Sustainability
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Awaken to Your True Identify
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Realize Your Ultimate Potential
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Know yourself, who you are, and why you are here.
To Infinity and Beyond..
How is our content different you might ask?
All of the beautiful content Leslie and Charles co-create is essentially channeled from “spirit” within meditation.
Both Charles and Leslie are committed to walking a spiritual path. Much if not all of the content was created through this divine flow, spiritual intention and connection. Leslie and Charles are honored they were chosen to receive and co-create these beautiful inspiring resources together.
Like the Yin and the Yang, Leslie and Charles are often at opposite ends of the spectrum, playfully arguing their points. Charles likes to THINK BIG, and Leslie prefers a simpler path, often striving to narrow the scope down. This creative complexity almost always only serves to make the products, programs, and services even richer!
We are continuing to collaborate in related ventures including nonprofits such as UltimateYOUniversity, the University for Successful Living (where our programs and publications will be shared) and cause-oriented companies such as the Collaborative Infopreneurship Network Benefit Corporation through which we will publish many if not most of our content.
Leslie and Charles are committed to Universal StewardHeirShip (Spirit * Service * Stewardship * Sustainability), they are continuing to bring the creative vision forth, and there are always new products in development. Stay tuned for never-ending discoveries and sharing as Infinite Possibilities continue to be revealed and realized through our collaborative co-creative journey!