Ready or not…

Last year when my son was eight, we found ourselves in the grip of some very compelling grief; I would try to help bring perspective and compassion into any and every discussion or emotion. This was especially true in the face of our personal tragedy, particularly when a person you love dearly passes away. “How could this happen?” “Why did God take her away?” These and similar thoughts would surface.

In those tricky times, I would help my son recall former times when he had been absolutely sure he would never get over something, never forgive, and never forget. He was usually amazed and sometimes could barely recall the incidents. Of course, some were still big (like the little boy who squashed a frog, riding his bike), but most had become softer with time. It’s good to know that you can have an open heart and not be crushed by it. It’s challenging enough for an adult to weather the huge storms with faith and trust; it’s much more (times a god-zillion) with less experience from which to draw (as children). In life, the road will bend, and it’s good to be prepared for it.

Most of us believe in our eternal nature and sense our oneness with all that is. We trust in ongoing well-being and have the capacity to understand our children’s (or other family and friends) sorrow and strongly hold the light for him or her. It’s an extraordinary thing to be human and to be more than that as well. Take the time to be ready for the big challenges in life by maintaining your spiritual practice; meditation, prayer, yoga…whatever that looks like for you. When the tears come…and they will, let them flow through you like a clear stream and know God is always right where you are.

Namaste,

When you are on a journey to evolve, create, build, and manifest…no matter how passionate you are, you will inevitably experience times when you feel like you are in over your head and everything is working against you. Don’t give up! Know that this is part of the journey…this is the time to dig deep. Keep going…

Namaste,

Have you ever noticed that some days you are happy and some days you just aren’t? That’s because happiness, for many, is based on the world of outer and external circumstances. It usually goes something like this… “If I have what I want and things are going well, then I’m happy; and if I don’t, then I unhappy.” Sound familiar? If it does, it’s because your happiness is ego-based and therefore, very fleeting at best.

Now, the essence of pureJoy is something completely different. Joy is a permanent reality. Pure Joy is our Divine nature and grows from within. It’s a quality with which we are birthed into this life.

Stop for a minute and think about the giggles of little babies and the laughter of small children. It’s pure and organic and sometimes just for no reason at all. In fact, according to research, children laugh over three hundred times a day (adults only fifteen). Children (and we once all were) are organically joy-full from within simply because they are pure love. All they know to Be is their authentic selves; no pretenses, no falsehoods.

Love and Joy always go hand-in-hand. That is why when you are doing what brings you pure joy, you completely lose track of time and an hour can seem like a mere minute.

When your soul aligns with what feels right from the inside, you experience moments of childlike joy. The question remains, how often are you consciously aligning with things that bring you the essence of pure joy? Are you in a personal relationship that nurtures your soul? Do you surround yourself with people of like or elevated mind? Are you in alignment with your Divinity and doing your life-work; work that brings tremendous value to yourself and to the lives of others? Are you nurturing your body with life-sustaining, live food and healthy movement? If not, what steps can you take today to begin within?

Keep your center of Joy. Guard it like it is a precious gem. Don’t allow the drudgery of the everyday human experience to infect the essence of your pure Joy. Each and every day, practice dancing joy-fully through life. Set a clear intention to engage in something that brings you pureJoy today!

I’d love to know if you enjoyed today’s message. If you did, please leave a comment below and share how you define pure Joy below. And if so moved, feel free to share this post on Facebook and Twitter. In Joy and appreciation of You…

Namaste,

There is a Divine Power at the core of every person’s being, a Presence that knows neither lack, limitation, fear, or illness, worry, nor imperfection. But, because we are all created as unique individuals, we each have the capability to build walls of negative thought between ourselves and this truth.

The wall which keeps you from your highest good is built of mental blocks, cemented together by fear, disappointment, and disbelief, blended in the mortar of negative experience. To destroy this wall and fully transmute its energy, you must learn to become consciously aware of the Divine Presence and the Divine Power that lives within you; you are one with this Presence.

You must have unshakable faith that Good is at the seat of everything, regardless of its seeming absence. But this Good must be recognized. Since there is but one Mind, One Spirit and this Spirit lives within you and in every person and everything, then everywhere you are…Spirit will be.

With this recognition, this One Spirit, which manifest Itself in and through all, precedes you and paves your way. Your faith is placed in something greater; And with positive expectancy , as certain as the principles of mathematics, ever present like the air you breathe, and operating like the law of gravity, the path of your experience will be made plain, straight, easy, and abundantly joyful.

Namaste,

Namaste,

Many people dream to create a bigger, better, grander, more prosperous life. But, one of the most POWER-FULL things that I’ve learned about growing your creative dreams is that it takes a village. Creative dream growth requires creative dream management and management requires delegating and outsourcing (in some instances), especially if your dream involves birthing it forth into public view.

In my past life, management was my profession and I was excellent at it for a very long time. But, management was what I was trained to do. Creativity is what flows through my veins organically. So, guess which one I prefer? If you guessed “creativity,” you are 100% absolutely correct! But, as much as I love to create, what I know for sure is that creative growth without a solid system to support that growth is a recipe for overwhelm, stress and failure.

Here are a few tips from my toolbox to help you grow your creative dreams:

1.       Pray

Spirit, Divine Intelligence, God is the source of all your good. Take all of your questions, ideas, confusion, and concerns to God. God’s IS infinite creativity and only wants to see you happy, healthy and prospering. Simply ask and it will be given unto you. Then, notice God’s gifts in the form of repetitive thoughts, dreams, visions, feelings, ideas, synergistic people (earth angels), and synchronistic events.

2.       Examine How You Like to Live and Work

If you prefer working autonomously (and at your own pace), you may be uncomfortable with growth that will require you to hire or work with a team. This is very important to know. Be prepared to make adjustments as you feel necessary. 

3.       Invent Your Dream Work Environment

Visualize…Visualize…Visualize!

• What does your work space look like (i.e., furniture, paint, equipment, window and floor coverings, and accessories…it’s all in the details)?
• Where is your dream work environment located (i.e., home, mobile, brick-and-mortar)?
• Do other people share this space with you? If yes, describe them, for how long, and what they do?
• What is your dream schedule?
• How do you feel working in your dream space? List the qualities.

4.       Active or Evolve Your Inner Manager

Determine how active your inner manager is. Decide whether you are primarily (or preferable) a creative genius or if you can enjoyable combine management with growing your creative dreams. Once you know how active your inner manager is, you will know how to proceed with gaining additional management support.

If management is not your strong suit, get informed! Study how to be an effective project manager. This means learning to put time-efficient strategies into place so that your creative process flows easily and effortlessly. If necessary, hire a mentor to teach you basic business and current marketing strategies so that you can grow your creative dreams more skillfully.

Basic systems (to bring your creative dreams public):

• Cost of materials and supplies to produce your creative dreams
• Cost of basic business tools (i.e., URL, domain hosting, email marketing, logo, web/blog design, plug-ins, video production, social media marketing, etc…)
• Cost of education (i.e., life coach, mentor, classes, and etc.)
• Location (i.e., home, mobile or, external brick and mortar location)
• Creative process time
• Blogging schedule (if applicable)
• Network management (i.e., Newsletter, E-zine, and/or E-mail schedule)
• Marketing
• Social Media management
• Product or Service Launch
• What it will take to be able to pay yourself*  

5.       Make an “Assistance List”

Ask yourself, “If I had an assistant, what would I want them to do?”Then, jot down things that you are willing to delegate each time you think of something that you don’t personally need (or want) to handle.

Of equal importance… If you decide to hire an assistant, make a VERY detailed list of the characteristics and skills that you would like your new assistant to possess. Your creative dreams will prosper beautifully from these choices.

6.       Assemble Your Dream Team

We can create more through community than we can alone. Assemble the kind of team that works best for you. Define what you want and how you work best then, surround yourself with honest, loyal, dedicated, qualified, equally-creative people who will support the advancement of your creative dreams.

Make a list of who your dream team consist of…

• Virtual Assistant
• Social Media Manager/Consultant
• Financial Guru
• Life/Business Coach
• Spiritual Life Coach
• Nutritionist/Personal Chef
• Yogi/Personal Trainer
• …the sky is the limit

And, don’t forget to list how you will interact with your new dream team…

• When, where, and how often will you meet?
• How are your team meetings set up? (i.e., face-to-face, virtual, destinations)
• Who will plan and schedule?

7.        Accelerate Your Creative Dreams

Attend classes, conferences and events to network with others of like-mind to expand your creative dreams. Or, set up an online think-tank to share your experiences and exchange insight, ideas, tools, resources, and contacts with other creative people.

8.        Ground Yourself

We live in a “success blessed” society where success is intrinsically associated with being “good.” And as you evolve and grow your creative dreams, interesting shifts can occur and they may not always be positive.

Remember to continually surrender your creative dreams to the highest good of all involved and place your focus on service. When your pure intention is authentically to serve others, it keeps your ego at bay.

9.       Exhibit Unshakeable Faith

With the understanding that everything is Divinely ordered, have faith in the inevitability of your highest good manifesting.

Creative growth requires faith, prayer, change, focus, persistence, and a crystal-clear management strategy. Nurture your creative dreams carefully, tend to them well, and this growth will serve you and your creative dreams prosperously for years to come!

So, what are your creative dreams? Is your intention crystal clear? Do you feel that you have the proper systems in place to support the growth of your creative dreams? I would love to read your thoughts. Share them with me in the comments section below. And if you enjoyed this post, please share it with your social media network by clicking the buttons below for Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. I appreciate You!

Namaste,

P.S. Here are a few resources I believe you will appreciate:

• Sell Yourself without Selling Your Soul - Susan Harrow - book
• Promote Your Creativity - website
• Assistu.com - website
• Dream Big – Lisa Hammond - book

Sometimes people have to hit rock bottom to arrive at the point of surrender; it happens. But there is a greater choice to be made. That is, to make surrendering a regular part of your life. When we practice spiritually surrendering, we acknowledge that there is a power greater and wiser than ourselves; and this power, Divine Intelligence knows exactly how to solve our problems.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h open your arms, releasing your cares, worries, and concerns – giving it all to Spirit, and welcome the divine gifts that are waiting to be revealed.

Namaste,

Namaste,