Living Life Fully

STAR Foundation Newsletter
 

Dear STAR Friends,

In 1976, I led my first STAR group with seven brave clients from the clinic where I was working in Palo Alto. The format was one night a week for 13 weeks in the group room. My own reader from when I did STAR came to be staff. Together we did all the reading, the feeling sessions, the sharing—everything! Sometimes when I look back at those first few STAR groups, I am amazed at how much I have learned since then and how much STAR has grown and evolved. From one night a week for 13 weeks, we have changed to an intensive residential program, added the birthwork, and expanded the information on the mind and the spirit. In response to people’s time constraints, we have also retooled the residential program from 21 days to 17 days to our current 10-day sessions. Clearly we had to drop out many processes in order to accommodate a schedule that is shorter and less expensive.

“Life” is an action word and so are human beings, always with potential to learn and evolve. Looking back, I can see how many of my most difficult times gave me valuable lessons and guidance. It is easier when we view problems as something to transform into gifts that raise consciousness and make more room in our lives for peace and play. One of my mantras to STAR staff is Trust your process. Some very profound healings have come from doing just that.

Several STAR people have read a book titled The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. It is wonderful—and again reminds me that living in present time is the only way to live “above the line” in your experience. Once again: life is an action word. Neurotics would like to believe that someday, somehow they will get everything figured out and be in some safe never-changing place—boring! That place may be safe and comfortable, but isn’t much fun and certainly offers no opportunity for growth, expansion, and living life fully

For me, doing STAR all these years has been filled with learning, risking, changing, and living “above the line.” When people ask me when I plan to retire, I say “Are you kidding—why would I want to miss this?”

Since I first penned these thoughts, Sandra has resigned. We will miss her, and we greatly appreciate her contribution to STAR; however, the work we do will continue to serve people’s healing, as it has always done. As I said above, life is an action word and so is STAR—we will continue growing and evolving just as we all do individually.

Have a beautiful summer. Smell the roses and be in the moment.

Barbara