Archive for April, 2012

April 30th, 2012

Getting Back Control of Your Life

{photo by The Inspiring Bee}

In life, there is no room for bench warmers. There is no tree with which to hide, no tunnel to escape from, no magic invisibility cloak to help you vanish into thin air.

Perhaps that’s why we lean towards books and movies of fantasy and fiction. When life gets hard, we can’t just disappear for a moment, retreat within and return when we’re strong again. So we watch wistfully wishing we could momentarily catch our breath.

When life gets hard and we’re weary from the fight, the desire to “sit this one out” is great. How do you keep going about your day, maintaining work, chores, your daily tasks when a huge surmounting issue is weighing heavily on your shoulders?

I’ve worn that heavy cape. I’ve felt the crushing pull of not knowing, where you have two choices and neither are ones you would choose. And in that fear, I know that there is only one thing that can help me get through it.

Dig a hole through that tunnel. Find a way to walk through the fear on your own terms. If illness, loss, or some other impending doom is on your way, don’t avoid it, or succumb to the grief the way we’d suffocate under a wave. But find a way to feel like you have control.

For me, this means writing. Only in the process of writing can I completely lose myself to the words. I can forget whatever fear I’m about to face. I can let go of worry. I can forget about the worst scenario. Surfing the internet won’t help. Talking to others may not help. Sometimes the only thing you can do is to let go into the thing you truly love and find joy in this moment.

If you’re in the process of facing yours fears and you’re sick with worry, I hope you will carve a space for your gentle soul. Find a place where you can cry, where you can feel the wind on your face, where you can hold yourself with love and light and remember that regardless of the darkest shadows that want to linger, weight on you and drain you, you can CHOOSE how you will live your life. It may be a small choice. It may be choosing to walk instead of drive or draw instead of write. But if we can find a way to take control of what we feel we have no control of, we will again find the strength and courage to keep going.

 

CategoryDealing with Fear | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
April 24th, 2012

What Lies Are Holding You Back?

{photo by The Inspiring Bee}

For me, it was:

“You’re not creative.

You’re not talented enough.

No one’s going to really believe you’re a writer.

Writer’s don’t make $.

You’re nothing special.

There are millions of people more talented than you so why try?”

Deep in the dark, dusty corners of my mind was a slew of non-confronted falsities that were not only taking up some important real estate, but were insidiously controlling my life.

I realized to get beyond it, I would need to tackle each one. And not just with sprinkles of positivity, but gut-wrenching courage, anger, and a fiery attitude. If could not change completely get rid of the voice that brought me down, I sure as hell would not let it control my life.

Maybe you’re battling your own lifetime of lies. Well today is the day you decide to stop listening to them!

  • Do not spend any more time, energy or money on believing in something that is not your own truth.
  • Do not give away your power to “friends,” relatives, co-workers, acquaintances who wither in your light.
  • Do not focus on what you can’t do.
  • Stop believing that you need a guarantee to go forward with your dreams.

The only difference between you and your successful colleague is that they ventured out and tried.

Free yourself from the lies that you’ve been told about what’s possible for your life.

Embrace who you are wholeheartedly and dare to risk that every thing you’ve been told about how ___ (fat, dumb, ugly, stupid, untalented, etc.) you are, is untrue.

Create your own reality.

Define your own life.

Then join us reformed souls on the other side.

{If you want to learn how I found an extraordinary moment while in traffic, check out my latest article for Beliefnet Health, “Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary.”}

CategoryDaily Inspirations | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
April 16th, 2012

Surpassing the Status Quo

{flickr photo by ArtJonak}

In an effort to be accepted, even loved, we often dumb down ourselves so others don’t feel intimidated or less than in our presence. Over time this builds as inner resentment, anger and a lifetime of being “good enough.” It’s sad that we feel the need to be ordinary to feel liked. It’s even sadder that we’re willing to give up our own power for the power of others.

But we do that every time we choose to hold back, take opportunities below our skill level or to accept a life that just doesn’t feel right.

Recently, I too was shaken up. I realized that my own past struggles came from a very deep place of self-doubt and fear of success. If you’ve been spending more time on the computer, on your cell phone or doing anything that distracts you from your true purpose, we’re in the same boat.

Sometimes we settle because we’re afraid of what’s next. Sometimes we stop trying because we’re tired or burnt out. In the end, we will be responsible for the life we lived. Will we reflect back on the moments wasted watching mindless television and living an ordinary life-never really ruffling any feathers but at the same time never quite reaching our dreams? Or will we finally wake up to the life that we’ve been born to live?

Listening to this 9 minute Sounds True audio from Michael Bernard Beckwith inspired me to get off my couch and get back to work on my work-in-progress. Hope it will inspire you to begin the process of working on your life. It’s not an easy nor a glamorous task, but the only one necessary to live the life of your dreams.

 

CategoryDaily Inspirations | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
April 13th, 2012

Creative Friday: A Mix Bag

Like some of you, I’ve been here and there and everywhere lately. I haven’t had a ton of time to devote to my art. But I hope to pick it back up soon.

I have done a few fun things this week, however. I blogged about one thing that soothe’s my soul on Beliefnet and I’ve also created a free e-book of 8 creative crafts I’ve done over the years. It’s just a handy dandy little guide with how-tos and photos on everything I’ve concocted from faux flower balls to frames made out of pencils. Most of them are fast, easy and all are inexpensive. It’s free and fun and just something I’ve created for the few of you who have been so loyal, kind and sweet to me over the years I’ve tried to maintain this blog.

Just fill out the contact form on the right and I’ll email you the pdf.

Thank you all for supporting me and encouraging me to keep writing!

Hope you like it and please feel free to share to your loved ones. Have a great Friday the 13th!

CategoryCreativity | Comment1 Comment »

Tags:
April 9th, 2012

What to Do If You’re Feeling Burnt Out

I’ve been feeling burnt out lately. Actually, I didn’t even know that’s what it was until I read Fried: Why You Burn Out and How to Revive by Joan Borysenko. All I know was that it was getting hard and harder to blog lately. And I was also losing my creative drive. Hence, the lack of Creative Friday posts lately.

After digging into that book, I learned that being burnt out affects each of us in different ways. We become emotionally exhaustive, disengaged, cynical, feel diminished, isolate and lose sight of why we’re doing what we’re doing in the first place.

While I hadn’t experienced the full total experience of burning out, I definitely was creeping up to the edge. This Easter weekend, I vowed things had to change and fast!

In Julia Cameron’s infamous book, The Artist’s Way, Cameron says:

“Our artist child can best be enticed to work by treating work as play.”

Insert light bulb here. All work and no play was draining my creative fountain and I needed a break ASAP. Oh boy did I wish I had taken my own advice sooner. But better late than never right?

This weekend on an impulse, my husband and I took a much needed one day trip to Monterey.

Inspiring sunset

It was an important reminder that in order to meld meaning into our ordinary day-to-day lives we need to take a break, play and open our eyes to the possibility and magic taking place all around us each and every day.

Spring blossoms

{photos by The Inspiring Bee}

What’s inspiring you lately?

It’s hard not to feel grateful when you see a mommy seal with her new pup.

*The labels people give us can define who we are, if we’re not aware of it. Find out how what others tell you can have a negative impact on your life over on my new Beliefnet Health blog, Happy Haven.

CategoryDaily Inspirations | CommentNo Comments »

Tags:
April 2nd, 2012

How Much of an Impact Do You Really Have in the World?

Your True Purpose

There will come a time when you doubt your influence and significance in life. Maybe in your twenties you thought you were invincible and believed that you had the power to change the world.

In your thirties, your dreams began to shift a bit. You scaled them down as other things and people took priority.

Somewhere along the way you began to lose sight of your dreams. You now worry that you may never fulfill your purpose. And that regardless of any fame or recognition you’ve gotten over the life of your career, the most important thing is having a sense of purpose and meaning. But you’re not even sure you managed to do that.

Here’s what I think. I think you deserve a pass. Just for today, consider the impact you have by just being here.

Don’t believe me?

Ask your kids, your friends, your partner, what you do for them that makes them happy and what they love most about you. It won’t be your job promotion, your book hitting the best seller list or anything else you think you need to have in order to have a meaningful life.

My grandfather, for example, had one of the biggest influence on my life. Not because he worked three jobs on the plantation to support his family. In fact, on paper he didn’t do anything grand or momentous except for the fact that he loved his family and he loved me. He had a very simple, ordinary life.

Sometimes we get too hard on ourselves for not “making it in life.” We’re not all meant to be millionaires, best-selling authors, and spiritual gurus. What we are meant to do is to truly be who we are.

Just by the act of being authentic we free ourselves and others to be the loving, influential beings we are all meant to be.

For today, try learning to wear a garment of gratitude instead of hard cold armor. Try it and in doing so, watch as the meaning, and influence you’ve always wanted doesn’t just flow into your life effortlessly.

CategoryBeing Authentic, Finding Your Purpose | CommentNo Comments »

Tags: