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Fab Find Friday – 5.18.12: Illumination + Art

May 18, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Paige Bradley – Expansion

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Pragmatic as I can sometimes be, I like to live in a world of magic and wonder. I crave deep mystery and moments when the veil becomes thin. The let’s-move-things-forward part of me wants to think I can direct the world around me, but my spirit NEEDS to experience the awe-inducing beauty and togetherness of life and images, sounds, and words that EXPAND my perception to touch something my fingers can’t quite find. This week I came across a variety of art that tickled this part of me. Enjoy!

1. Blog + Pictures: Riveting Story Behind that Striking Sculpture. Paige’s Bradley’s sculpture (above) comes out of a really interesting story. Read on to find out and see more beautiful images of her piece.

2. Blog + Pictures: Illuminating the Cracks Beneath the Earth. Post that’s mostly pictures of artist and photographer Lee Eunyeol’s series called Starry Night. Beautiful, magical.

3. Comic Blog: Why Nikola Tesla Was the Greatest Geek Who Ever Lived. Tesla was a genius extraordinaire and much of what he created led to the illuminated world we live in now. This comic blog is a bit of history lesson, but if you’re curious about the amazingness that was Tesla and how you may have been led to think Edison, not Tesla, created electricity, you will enjoy reading this.

Here are a few more illuminated images. Notice the feelings and sense of wonder that come alive in you when you look at them…

Lantern festival in Chiang Mei, Thailand

Sun kissed wedding party

Lightning

Palpable light emanating from this beautiful Mosque in Iran.

Pleiades Deep Field

May this weekend’s solar eclipse fill you with illuminated wonder, expanded perspective, and de-LIGHT!

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Categories: Art, Follow Your Heart

Experience is the Best Teacher

May 14, 2012 · Leave a Comment

We all spend A LOT of time in our heads trying to figure things out when so much of the direction and answer is being given to us by life.

And you don’t need to be exceptionally evolved or in a deep meditative state to see how life is attempting to guide you. Just take a look around at your life right here and now and ask yourself: What is life attempting to show and teach me?

For instance…

Are you having a hard time making a decision with too many voices in your head besides your own because you don’t give yourself time to reflect and listen? Are you being driven by FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) instead of what would make you feel truly nourished? Do you fear that what you want won’t happen because you’re being impatient instead of going with the flow of life? I could go on but you see the point:

There isn’t something else any of us are supposed to be doing besides engaging in the here and now with as much presence and deliberate participation as possible. But to do this, we need to make a switch to get OUT of our heads and the endless trap of trying to figure it out, and see everyday as a sacred messenger, gift, teacher, lesson we can learn from and practice applying to our life right now.

Think about what you’ve learned so far today. It wasn’t just a bunch of situations you got through that led you to getting online. It was a series of experiences all speaking to you, guiding you, inviting you, and giving you opportunities to express your awareness and learn …and then… you got online and found your way to this post. Don’t you think that’s more than coincidence? Don’t you think that perhaps Life guided you to this particular post at this exact moment because it wants you to hear THIS message right now?

A huge part of great relationships is great communication. And a major factor of this is being a good listener. The kind of listener who’s listening so intently to the other that you can say back to them what they just said to you and they confirm that’s it. We all like it when the people in our lives listen to us this deeply. Yet do we listen this intently to life? Could we actually say back to life right now what it has said to us so far today?

You may have a voice in you that says “I can’t figure that out. Life is big. There are lots of things going on. I can’t track all of it.” True. You can’t track ALL of it. But you can track some of it. And if there are things you miss, you can trust that life will keep giving you those messages until you do recognize them. Or, perhaps your message from life right now is to become more skillful at reading the signs and acknowledging what IS happening – to pick up the phone, so to speak. Or, perhaps you need to look at the stories and beliefs you have going that diminish your sense of empowerment and willingness.

I don’t know what your work is. These are just possibilities that popped to mind. But if you take a moment to evaluate what you’re feeling, what’s happening, and what sort of feedback you’re getting from life right NOW, you WILL know what you’re being guided to see and develop. Sometimes it takes a moment of quiet reflection, some journaling, or a walk around your neighborhood to lighten up your energy and change your perspective, but that’s no different than in a conversation when you have to pause to take in what someone just said to you so you can say it back to them and understand their meaning.

Personally, yesterday I had a lesson about where I fall into a pit with victim, how I feel when I do that, and what results I get. I then saw how to pull myself out of it without abandoning that part of me, listen to what she’s asking for, and bring it to the creator part of me who can address it. Today I’m practicing putting this into place. I’m sure I will have successes and challenges and I can take what I learn from today’s experience into tomorrow.

“Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.”   -Deepak Chopra (And I would expand this to say everything and every relationship!)

Everyday is the lesson, the teacher, the guide. But we have to stop the habit of unconsciously going through the motions and then believing that we don’t know what’s going on or what to do. These are all default settings that have us believing we’re helpless and separate from life – neither of which are true. These are also the patterns that keep us repeating the past instead of seeing the patterns, learning from them, experimenting with making new choices, getting new results, and moving forward.

What is life saying to you today? Hm…

If you feel brave, post it in the comments. I’ll bet your sharing will inspire others!

Onwards with the adventure!

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Categories: Freedom, Love yourself, Opening

Fab Find Friday – 5.11.12: Expanded Imagination

May 11, 2012 · Leave a Comment

What I found this week covers wide ground but all of them spark in me a sense of e x p a n d e d imagination. Enjoy!

1. Video: Man Barely Able to Stand Becomes an Inspiration to All. If you ever have a part of you that thinks you can’t do it, who tries to talk you into not even trying, who wants you to believe you don’t have the power to make a difference in your own life, take 5 minutes to watch this and get inspired.

2. NPR interview with Maurice Sendack. Maurice Sendcack, author of Where the Wild Things Are, among many other books, died this week. This NPR interview with him is entertaining as is this quote:

3. Video: Graffiti Fine Art – Official Extended Preview. What if the city you live in was covered with massively colorful graffiti mural art fusing street art with fine art? In Sao Paulo, Brazil this is happening. This 4+ minute video is a documentary style interview film of artists speaking about their perspective of what’s happening in Sao Paolo as well as an awesome tour of art that’s being created there.

4. Video: Bee Dancer: Bee Queen. Like bees? Like the bright buzzing energy they bring into your garden, life, and honey pot? Me too. Well, all I will say about this video is I have NEVER seen anything quite like this woman and her relationship with bees. I doubt you have either. Watch and see.

5. Book: A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfield. Lately I’ve been picking up and re-reading books that have touched me over the years. This is one of them. Jack is a wonderful teacher of heart-felt mindfulness who skillfully weaves stories into his teaching that make his points land in your memory. If you live in the Bay Area, I highly recommend going to Spirit Rock to one of his events. In this book he’s talking about living a meaningful life – one that has heart. It’s the sort of book that I want to underline just about every single line. Here’s a passage I read yesterday that stuck out as it applies to every decision we make, every moment of our lives.

Don Juan, in his teachings to Carlos Castaneda, put it this way:

Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself and yourself alone one question. This question is one that only a very old man asks. My benefactor told me about it once when I was young and my blood was too vigorous for me to understand it. Now I do understand it. I will tell you what it is: Does this path have heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn’t, it is of no use.

Happy Friday – may your path have heart!

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Categories: Book recommendations, Fab Find Friday, Videos

Fab Find Friday – 5.4.12: Tips to Rock Your Small Business Mojo

May 4, 2012 · 2 Comments

This week is for those of you who do run or want to run a small business. Perhaps you consider yourself an entrepreneur, solo-preneur, healer, visionary, or artist? I’m sure you want to feel awesome at it (and hopefully you do!!), but perhaps you sometimes feel like you’re winging it, flying by the seat of your pants, wishing you had a bit more focus and know-how? Join the club! I think everyone who runs their own business feels like that from time to time. Hopefully some of the below will give you a know-how boost!

1. Blog: Slow Marketing. I LOVE Tad Hargrave (aka. Marketing for Hippies)’s approach to marketing and this may be one of the best articles on marketing I’ve read. Rang SO true!

2. Blog: You Have to Fight to Be a Success. What she means here is that you have to fight your distracting monkey-mind habits and choose to apply yourself in a way that brings about the success you seek! The woman who wrote this fabulous post is a photographer. But substitute any other activity you do and ask yourself: Does this sound like me? If so, read this post – it’s quite inspiring!

“Should I start a new photography business? What would I enjoy doing the most? I have to clean the house. I can’t afford a studio. I could create a boudoir portfolio! I could shoot my neighbor! I need to look into trains to Vancouver. I don’t know any make-up artists. What about starting a website? Blogging every day is hard. I could blog twice a week? I have to calibrate my monitor. I wonder what the temperature in Aruba is right now? I need to buy more blueberries. Who just texted me? I’m going to the store.”

3. Video: Do you run a business with a partner… or want to? Jasmine Star is a blogger + wedding photographer who runs her business with her partner, JD. In this video she shares a few points of how they do this harmoniously that can be extrapolated to a variety of businesses. Brace yourself if you’re feeling mellow, she’s a super energized fire sign but 7 years ago she had never used a digital camera and now she’s one of the top wedding photographers in the country, so she’s clearly learned a thing or two about how to run a business.

4. Blog: 5 Small Business Mistakes to Avoid from Lori McNee’s Fine Art Tips. And, of course, this gives you 5 Things to keep in mind and DO. Lori’s site and her regular posts on Twitter and Facebook are filled with lots of info for artists, as well as small business entrepreneurs, re: branding, social media, marketing, and helpful business practices.

5. Does you business include writing a blog? If so, here are TWO great resources for you specifically on structuring your blog. The first is My Blog. Etiquette. Growth and a Whole Year for you by Sue Bryce where she talks about the simple formula she used in her writing that, I’m sure along with a lot of other marketing – but still, took her site visits from 4,938/mo. to 77,565/mo. in one year. The second resource is Darren Rowse’s site ProBlogger. It is, as far as I’ve found, THE resource just about every blogger uses to become a more skillful blogger. Tons of information on just about every facet of blogging, web design, social media, etc. and very easy to read.

I hope at least one of these links gave you some inspiration and insight to approach what you’re doing with greater skill! If you still have questions or feel a bit alone/challenged/unclear with putting changes into place, drop me a line as a big part of what I do is Business Coaching for small business entrepreneurs and artists (as well as Holistic Life Coaching). And, I’m doing a Special through 5/16 so now’s a great time to drop me a line! I even do a free 15 minute phone consultation so we can make sure what you’re seeking and what I have to offer is a match. You can read more about this fab Spring Special here and contact me here.

Happy Friday! May you feel Awesome about yourself and your business!!

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Categories: Fab Find Friday, Marketing + Business, Videos

The Fastest Way THERE is to Slow Down

May 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment

Tortoise and the Hare from Aesop’s Fables

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Last week I said I was going to write three posts and instead I wrote two. The third was written, but it’s what happened after the second post that led me to not post the third, pause, and instead write the one you’re reading now.

Allow me to explain.

My view is that Life is our teacher. Always guiding, steering, adjusting. Rev. Michael Beckwith says:

Spirit can’t provide a correction if you have no direction. When we set a direction through the power of intention, the Universe will give us feedback. The fundamental goodness of the Universe will step in & expand our view. Even if we take a misstep, it doesn’t matter. Our sincerity will draw to us a correction that will set us firmly on our path. Set a direction & Spirit will provide the correction!

My direction was to write about being organized. It’s a good topic. In fact, I’d say it’s in the top 5 things I see that aide or block creative focus and flow in myself and those I work with. And it built on the previous two posts. But that will have to wait for another time because this past week’s “correction” has me inspired to talk about SLOWING DOWN.

Anxiety is our friend

After I hit publish on last Tuesday’s blog, a huge electric ball of anxiety erupted in me. One of my theories is that anxiety (or calm) reveals the distance between our conscious operating self and the other parts of us. When all of us is moving forward in a harmonious way, we feel calm, focused, and are able to carry on with ease. But when one or more parts of us are in disagreement, are digging their heels in, have fears the driving parts of us want to deny, then anxiety kicks in telling us that our inner band of cohesion is being stretched. If we persist, anxiety increases. If we want to feel calm, we have to come back to center.

Sometimes I forget that in moving forward, in being creative, in being more in the world and connected to people through blogging, art, teaching, services, social media. and doing online and in the world things – not all of me likes it or feels ready for it. Huge parts of me are. But really key parts of me are still developing, still ripening. They find business and computer time tedious, they’re scared of being seen, they feel like they’re breaking agreements I unconsciously made before I knew how to speak.

Creative action gets our energy pumping. It’s like Drain-O on our systems and brings to the surface parts of us that had been tucked away. It’s such a gift because what had been hidden and stuck is now moving and available for integration.

Usually, we run from anxiety. We feel it coming, we sense what’s underneath it, we try to manage or avoid it, and distract ourselves from feeling it – not that it ever works. But it’s one of the best friends we’ve got – it’s showing us which way to go: in.

The way forward is in

Our cultural imprint shapes our association with the statement If You Want It, You’ve Got to Earn it. The assumption is to work harder, longer, and make something HAPPEN. And, sure, we do need to engage our lives more fully. Working, both the act of it and experiencing the fruits of it, makes us feel good about ourselves. And doing what we say we’ll do strengthens our trust in ourselves which hugely impacts our ability to trust and enjoy all aspects of life.

But since our real mission in these beautiful lives we’re living is to WAKE UP, then it’s not only about engaging the plot level creation “to-do” list. It’s also about engaging much more fully in our internal work. Our embracing our shadow work. Our personal responsibility work. Our peeling back the layers and loving what is work. Our expanding our ability to accept and allow work. Our dis-identifying with ego and remembering who we are work.

Given how we’ve been conditioned, we’re programmed to feel (and possibly deny that we feel) fear at the idea of slowing down and of going in. My immediate ego response, and perhaps your’s to, is that internal work is fine and all but it’s time consuming and it would be better for me to get stuff done, otherwise I won’t get there.

What I’ve noticed though is that the more I am able to see anxiety’s presence as a gift and take it as a message to slow down and go within, the less resistant and tight I feel, the more in harmony with myself I feel, and the more I attract to me what I seek because I am more a vibrational match for it. And, I feel more freed up to create, express, and be seen because the parts of me that are freaked out about it all aren’t feeling isolated and screaming at me for attention.