American Express-ions

I just adore this commercial! Not only is it funny how the extraordinary can be found in the ordinary, (or the expressive in the everyday) but, to me, it shows that whatever filter we have in our mind is what we observe out in the world. In otherwords, whatever we are looking for in life is what we'll find. (I confess I have looked for expressive faces in everyday settings and items after seeing this commercial...they're not that easy to find. But possible.) If we look for expressive faces in everyday settings in life....we will find them. Perhaps we're in a crappy mood, we may notice only crappy things around us. Is life really that simple that we can choose whatever it is we observe out in the world? I'm struggling so hard not to use the term "law of attraction." How about "intentional observation filtering?"We are bombarded with so many sense-attracting stimuli out there that the mind has to choose which perspective to allow in, while filtering the rest out. That's why I love this commercial. It reminds us how simple it is to find entertainment and humor right under our nose! Comedians and creatives are masters at this! Have you found what you're looking for out there...or does it start inside?

It's All About the Process

When I was 19, I lived in NYC. Therefore art and culture were right in my front yard! On one of those down days, I was able to take myself to the Museum of Modern Art to get my spark back. The first piece of art I saw when I entered the museum exhibit was a HUGE canvas painted totally white. So what do you think my reaction was? "How did that make it into a museum! I could get a four year old to make a totally white painting. I don't "get" how that piece was considered museum-worthy."

It wasn't until later on in life, while I was coaching, that I "got" that painting. And this is true of art of all types, from writing to any form of creation. It's all about the process more than the result.

Think about that. What if? What if the artist who painted that white painting created it while hanging upside down in a pit of snakes, trying to believe in the light of their painting? What if they painted that painting with a special paint of recycled sock lint saved from their dryer for the last 30 years? What if they used one of their body parts or a bottle of kaopectate as the brush for the paint? It's all about the process of how it was done over the result. How more than what.

I once heard a knitter complain that the project offered in a workshop I was giving wasn't worth the price of the workshop. Interesting how that was perceived. The workshop was about learning the process of knitting enough to take the skills with you through life, not about the project. Sure, you could buy a similar item in Walmart for a few bucks, but you wouldn't learn the process and skills you'd learn to make endless projects.

So, in this crazy multi-task era I encourage contemplation on enjoying and being totally present during the process...really involving every cell in each detail of the creative process. Let go of the results.

This may be a metaphor of honoring the process of a creative endeavor, but how can you apply it to all you do in life? How would focusing on being passionate about the process and letting go of the outcome change how we live life?

Any thoughts or stories to share?

Can Humans Really Do That?

Did you have a stressful day today? Well, you could be doing this for a living!

An Unfinished Song

Our lives speak loudly about our beliefs. We're all walking belief systems. Our belief system is exposed in how we express to and in the world, how we choose to appear in public and be in private. Our beliefs show in our choices of what to put in the collage of people, situations, and items we accept in our environment. Beliefs show in how we spend our days and live our lives, how we treat others and how we treat ourselves, what we want people to know or not know about us. The energy each and every one of us gives off (whether we're aware of it or not) is our calling card. It can attract or repel like either side of a magnet.

As the layers of MJs life keep unfolding and a few of the many secrets he took with him to the grave reveal themselves, I am not only honoring the King of Pop who had a painful life, yet gave and gave and gave the exact thing he needed most...but I am recognizing what a teacher he was and continues to be even moreso in his passing!

When I look at Michael Jackson, the teacher, I learn that a great teacher inspires others to keep learning and trying new things. A great teacher innovates and reframes old ways of doing things that keeps them fresh and new. An excellent teacher raises their own bar and never stops learning. I can't leave out that the best teachers will expose their mistakes, so others will learn from them too.

I understand Neverland Ranch has too many bad feelings connected to it to be the location of a museum to honor the legend, but is there another place symbolic of MJ to resurrect a museum called Forever and Everland? Could there be a new theatre with a museum attached dedicated to the greatest entertainer ever? Maybe even rename the Staples Center? Maybe that's a layer still waiting to unfurl.

It's so sad that his song ended right in the middle before the much awaited crescendo, but because this song went unfinished I hope it inspires us to look at and perhaps rewrite our own songs and put more feeling into the composition and each note we still have left.

From Heart to Hands

I am teaching an art jouraling workshop that combines mixed media skills with Dream Coaching. I love how the images, colors, textures and materials tell us what they want to be! If we let them speak, they will tell us what we most need to hear.

Here is my page on our coaching focus of "Integrity." The main character of this page shows us how when we embrace something that is not true to our heart and purpose, it will hurt us...and we may not even know it because it's too close to us.

I hope the words in this entry don't sound too preachy. They are what my Inner Guide (or Inner Therapist---great to have in a recession) tells me about the subject of Integrity. The mail order catalog pictures that begged to be cut out came together to tell me:
"Don't embrace things that aren't true to who you are. Be true to yourself. Be discerning."

Then from the Integrity experiences I had that week, Inner Wisdom told me,
"Don't sell out or settle for less than you deserve. When you know what you want you gain clarity. Clarity brings results. If you put your creative expressions "out there" accept that judgment is part of the process. Just don't let outer world judgment stifle your dreams."

I remember a coaching instructor once told us, "Experiences don't happen TO us....they happen FOR us." It's an easy thing to forget during an experience, but let some time go by and it holds true every time. Do you have any being true to yourself integrity stories to share? Please do.

The Gift That Speaks Beyond Words

One afternoon, the UPS man brought a package to my door. It was unexpected. When I opened the package at first I laughed....then I cried! One of my very gifted coaching clients and dear friends, Carolyn, without a word, went into her art studio and created this personal painting for me. With her busy life, this is the highest of compliments!

The reason I laughed when I saw the painting was because we had done a Shamanistic meditation and we both came up with personal symbols from this meditation. These are my symbols! Carolyn captured them perfectly! The reason I cried was that she did it in such a clever visual and surprising way...and without a word, sent it my way and let it tell me visually what words can't even express.

The unicorn represents my inner child who wants me to support others in expressing their creative selves. The gift the unicorn brought me was magical cheese that glitters. This represents what we nurture ourselves with. The inspirational food/fuel that keeps us living our purpose. The glitter is the magic that happens when those who have been stifled in some way are allowed to express. I am currently teaching a year long workshop that combines Dream Coaching with art journaling. The expression I witness coming out of those involved is touching and more magical than a glittery cheese gift from a unicorn!

I cringe when I hear $ucce$$-oriented marketers on telecalls dropping numbers of how many figure incomes they make or how many zeros are at the end of the price tag for hiring them, which is usually followed by "you can do it, too, if you buy my this and that." Is that what serving people is about? Eckhart Tolle says that success isn't out there in the future. It's how we are being right NOW.

I consider this painting and the message it sends to me, in its touching, creative, stillness and originality to make me the richest woman on the planet. Thank you, Carolyn! I hope this is just the beginning of tapping into the miraculous way your heart speaks through your art!

Where There's Action...There's Manifestation

The opposite of victim is action.

The opposite of stagnation is action.

The opposite of boredom is action.

The opposite of complaining is action.

None of these feelings/behaviors are wrong...they are getting our attention, so we move to action.

Action is a powerful 6-letter word.

I once heard a coaching instructor tell us, "Dreams without action are just dreams."

Action is the behavior that moves us forward.

Now that Tax Day is over...we can get back into action.

How many of you can admit you remember the TV show, "Where the Action Is?"

Explore action this month.

Tell me what happens.

Running on Life's Treadmill

I remember hearing a fellow coaching student on a telecall mentioning she felt like a head with her chicken chopped off! I truly believe she intended to mix up the usual cliche phrase to give it a fresher perspective of chaos. It was my intention to capture that head with our chicken chopped off feeling in this collage. Do you know this feeling? You may well know it if your day is loaded with endless errands and chores and to dos. It's an acceptable part of this era to be endlessly busy.

This is my collage for March. I am posting it in April because March was too busy. What this tells me is that it's time to make a point to make time each day for the things I'm passionate about...the things I'm on the planet to express. It's so easy to put our time for our passions on hold with all this era expects of us. This month I am going to MAKE time for my passions. I don't want to feel like this headless runner running to the next situation...like a pinball in a pinball machine, hitting one obstacle and bouncing to the next obstacle just to stay in the game.

What passions have you put on hold because this multi-task era lifestyle has caused us to be a head with our chicken chopped off? What passion will you re-commit to putting back into action on a consistent basis? Put your stake in the ground by writing it here. Write it down, make it happen is a magical formula that works.

Ketchup Time

I've coined a term for a certain situation in life that I use time and time again. I call it "Ketchup Time." It's that period of time after a trip away from home where you just aren't ready to jump into life's routine, rituals and schedule as of yet. You have clothing to unpack, souvenirs and trip finds to put away or give to friends and dirty clothing to wash. All the little odds and ends required for this trip have to be put away, the suitcase has to be emptied and stored and everything has to be put back in its proper room, drawer, closet, home, etc. And if this isn't enough, you have to read all that mail you had held and act on some of it depending on how long you've been away. You have to hear all your landline phone messages and take care of all the crises that occured because you weren't home to hold the universe together. And then.....if you didn't take your laptop with you on the trip....the deluge of emails from the people and businesses you contact daily are awaiting response. Some may even think you're upset with them because you haven't responded in a while. And when that's all complete....pick up kitty from those who have been taking care of him. And don't forget you have to get groceries and restock the refrigerator and cupboards that are empty from your absence!
My friends, clients, customers and business contacts all know what Ketchup Time is. I have also tried not celebrating Ketchup Time and actually went to a Toastmasters meeting the next day with jet lag and hardly remember a thing I said or did at that meeting! Because I give myself Ketchup Time, I also give all the people I know who go on trips Ketchup Time. It's just a given. I don't bother them for 3 days after they return from any trip.
I had a coaching instructor who taught us to pay attention to how we pack for a trip, as it reveals a lot about us. Since packing and unpacking are not a favorite art of mine, and there is always the forget-to-bring-one-item-on-each-trip law of packing that a dear coaching friend told me about, I much enjoy observing how I approach the whole packing event. Do I pack each item lovingly? Or is it a chore?
I recently celebrated a much longer Ketchup Time than usual as I attended a Teesha and Tracy Moore Art Journal Retreat (see my other blog about that blissful event) that required the most unusual items (due to the creative recycling of everyday objects it requires and the art supplies.) I had no problem with the Eye of Knute and ladybug wings required, but Seattle Airport certainly didn't trust the objects I transported home and ransacked the whole suitcase with careful attention to the gel medium we used to stick art to the page and make it glossy. Ransacking takes longer to sort and put away, adding to my Ketchup Time.
I know often life doesn't allow Ketchup Time and many have to jump back into life not as prepared as they'd like. But, it is a practice that helps keep stress away and anything that does that is welcome in my life. Do you have any Ketchup or Non-Ketchup Time stories....or any packing/unpacking stories.....or any baggage security line stories to share? Please do! They are always so entertaining.

The Present of Presence

What better gift can you give to yourself and everyone else than the present of presence?

A few years back, I was driving my daughter and I to Washington DC. It's a 5 hour trip from where I live. Two hours into the drive it hit me! I left the coffee maker on back home!!!! It was one of those older coffeemakers that didn't turn itself off after a certain time frame. Suddenly, my relaxing get-away was filled with fearful illusions of the house being burnt to a cinder by the time I returned home.


I turned the car around and headed home because when weighing the options, there were none. I had to do what I could to fix my oversight. It was either face the consequences or complete the trip to DC and be in endless stress thinking about having a smoldering cinder of a home to return to after the trip.


To make a long story short....when we got home...the coffee pot was in the dishwasher ready to be washed! Did I feel stupid? Yes! BUT! Whenever we go through a crisis or uncomfortable situation....it's not all negative. It's not a reason to endlessly beat ourselves up. I do believe in feeling the pain or grief in a situation and not avoiding it. But then, there's a time frame on feeling your feelings. Then it's time to rise above them.


After our pitstop at home, we got back in the car and made our way to DC. The whole drive, instead of beating myself up, I thought about an Eckhart Tolle philosophy. BE PRESENT. Had I been present when I turned off the coffee maker and put the coffee carafe in the dishwasher it would've saved a lot of time and energy. And yes, I could've left a key with a neighbor like most people do....that's a whole other blog entry to go into later.


What was the real lesson here? Awareness. This brings me to a universal issue....


I watch the behavioral trends of the eras and find them so entertaining. In this century, the way of the world is to multi-task, do too many things at once, have this techno gadget and that one. A lot is expected of us and we can't do enough or be enough...often resulting in burn-out and illness. There is little time for silence and presence. When I ask clients to schedule in some nothing time....some rebel, feeling it would be a waste of time because nothing is getting done. But, nothing time is for presence. It's the exact silence and time stand-still needed for hearing the wisdom within! It's a required part of the balance of life.


Had I been present when cleaning up the coffee maker and not allowing my mind to be in the future, going over all my packing plans for the trip, I would've been aware of what I was doing in the moment.


How is this a huger lesson? Eckhart Tolle suggests we get so present when we are in our daily situations that we are aware of every cell of our being engaged in each action. This makes doing dishes a Zen experience!!!! Instead of dish-washing being a drudgery...or even toilet scrubbing....it's an experience of feeling every cell of your body engaged in action! Good writers and speakers know to utilize all their senses when describing their story. Why don't we all live this way? This certainly was something overlooked in the school system. To be present.


I believe this recession is bringing awareness to what is not working in our lives. A lot of the traditional ways of doing things are starving for change! Painful situations always get our attention and that is exactly what the recession is doing...opening our awareness to being creative and making our lives work for us. There is no one cookie cutter way to do things. That mentality just isn't working. Awareness is the first step to change. We are now personalizing the way we live our lives because we were each created to do things in our own unique way to make the world a better place. If we could all start by honoring ourselves, being deeply present in each thing we do, then life becomes an entertaining adventure. We would love and appreciate...even being totally present in cleaning a coffee carafe!


As a coachsultant, I support my clients to stand strong in honoring their unique gifts. I adore watching my clients get excited about discovering how powerful and important their life journey truly is! Each one of us is vitally important. That's why we were chosen to exist! It's not just the celebrities or the famous who are important. It's each one of us. I know some incredible people who couldn't give a *#&*%* about fame and fortune. These are my heros.


A first step to having a life you love is to be present and aware in the moment. So, give yourself the present of presence. Try doing all you do with every cell of your body. Feel every sense in all you do. Experience how life was truly meant to be lived! There are a lot of people out there doing more more more to fit in with the trend of society to focus on too many things at a time and not give quality time to any one thing. These people are truly missing out on the simple and absolutely free of charge (a true bargain during a recession!) awareness of being totally present.


By the way, the trip in DC turned out to be better than ever because we both decided to be totally present in all we did, so it was a sensual and vivid experience. We even understood the confusing subway system by remaining present. Message injested, lesson learned!


Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to take out a block of time to be totally present in even the most mundane of chores. Then come back here and let us know how that felt. Share with us your gift of presence!