Setting up your program

There are four basic steps to set up your program:

You do not need to complete all four steps at one time. If you log out before you are finished setting up your program, Bloom will remind you where you left off next time you log back in. No matter where you stop, the welcome back page will contain a link that will bring you to the right page to continue setting up your program.

Step 1: Select/create items

You can select items from a list of nearly 200 suggested items which LLF resident members have used in the past in our own spiritual exercise programs, or use the "Create item" link to create your own custom item(s) for your program. Suggested items can be viewed by category or by search terms. Click here to see a list of the categories, with descriptions, which are used in the Bloom Growth Booster program.

Saving items for future use. Feel free to choose all items that interest you, even if you choose too many to include in your current program. When you schedule your items, you will activate the ones you want to do now, and you can keep all the other ones in a "waiting for activation" status. Only the ones you activate will become part of your current program. Later, whenever you wish to revise your program, you can de-activate or delete current items and activate ones you had saved for future use.

If you choose ALL the items that interest you now, you will not need to search for them again later!

Searching for suggested items. When you enter a search term in Bloom, Bloom will find items that contain the desired word or words EITHER in the name of the item or in the item description. For example, if you enter "responsible," Bloom will find four items that contain that word in either the item name or description:

Be RESPONSIBLE for energetic participation
It's not just what you do, it's how you do it that counts. That includes how much energy you bring to the activity. People who bring energy to life, bring life to life. And as long as energy is used appropriately and sensitively, almost any amount of energy is welcome, and the more the merrier. Therefore, we do well to consider our energy when we remember the idea, "It's not just what you do, it's how you do it." The energy and spirit that you bring to life is infectious, communicative, and uplifting for all. If you bring plenty of energy and spirit, you not only do the task, but you do it in such a way as to uplift, enliven, empower, and delight others. It is valuable to put emphasis not just on what you do, but on the energy with which you do it.

Don't indulge in withholding, secrecy, non-consultation around pressing concerns
The gift of intimacy, and its reality, is maintained by actually being intimate. It is eroded, if not destroyed, by not being intimate, especially in matters of significant consequence or concern. It is important that we tell our friends, and particularly our intimates, about things that are important to us, and not to withhold that kind of information from them. True, there are times to be diplomatic. And yes, there are times to protect someone by withholding certain information from them, when it would be of concern to them, but of no real use. But that excuse for withholding is used all too often, and generally negative motivations, rather than positive ones, are primarily RESPONSIBLE for withholding, particularly in people who have a chronic tendency to withhold. Thus, it is important to make sure that the living communication upon which real intimacy depends occurs on an ongoing basis, especially about the important things.

Take full responsibility for problems
There is a reflexive tendency of the human ego to offset personal responsibility by the use of blame. Typically, a person who is genuinely responsible for something, but at the same time is a little bit childish and averse to taking full responsibility, will say: "Maybe I did THIS, but the other person did THAT." This is a way to soften, offset, or otherwise get out of personal responsibility, either in part or totally. A healthier solution is simply to take full responsibility for oneself and let others do the same or not, as they see fit. It has always been the habit of individuals who are wisely self- RESPONSIBLE to simply acknowledge their own responsibility for things squarely and not worry about what anybody else does. In this way you can solve a problem in a spirit in which there is no compromise in taking full responsibility and accountability. A person grows smartly through understanding, at a very deep level, the simple fact of personal responsibility.

Don't be withdrawn, stew, or spend excessive time processing problems without consulting
Intimacy is maintained by actually being intimate. It is eroded, if not destroyed, by not being intimate especially in matters of significant consequence or concern. It is important that we tell our friends, and particularly our intimates, about things that are important to us, and not to withhold that kind of information from them. True, there are times to be diplomatic. True, there are times to protect someone by withholding certain information from them that could be of concern to them, but is of no real use for them to know. But that excuse is used all too often. Generally, negative motivations, rather than positive ones, are primarily RESPONSIBLE for withholding, particularly in people who have a chronic tendency to withhold. In the light of this, it is important to make sure that the living communication upon which real intimacy depends occurs on an ongoing basis, especially about the important things.

Do and Don't items. Note that Bloom uses "Do" and "Don't" items. A Do item is something that you want to do. For example, "Keep agreements with others" is a Do item. A Don't item is something you want to avoid. An example of a Don't item is "Don't be superficially enthusiastic or positive."

When you create a custom Don't item, it is best to phrase it beginning with the word "Don't." You should also specifically mark it as a "Don't" item in your program.

Step 2: Schedule program items

Activating items. All the items you created or selected in Step 1 are "waiting for activation." Review the list, choose which ones you wish to use in your current program, and activate those. Before you can activate a Do item, you must indicate how many times per day and on which days of the week you plan to do the item. Don't items are automatically added to your program every day (as a reminder not to do them!).

Personalizing items. You have the option to personalize any of your practice items (both suggested ones and custom ones) by adding a purpose you wish to focus on and/or one quality you wish to strengthen with the item. Simply click the Personalize tab on the item detail page and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 3: View and accept your schedule

Review your proposed program schedule. All Don't items are listed at the top of the page (these will be scheduled for every day of the week). Do items are shown on the days you choose for them in Step 2. At this point you can change your schedule or accept it and proceed.

Step 4: Print your program

The last step is to print your program for reference. There are two different formats available which, taken together, completely describe your program. The Program Details format lists the items you selected with their descriptions and any personalization you have added. The Program Calendar format is a one-week listing of your items grouped by day.

To finish the set up of your program, you must complete Step 4 by clicking one of the buttons on this page, even if you don't have access to a printer.

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