the Bend Your Reality Project

photo credit: Joel Bedford

I have always wanted to meditate.  I read many self-help books that suggest meditation as part of everyone’s spiritual practice.  However, my attempts to sit still whilst thinking nothing proved to futile.  I could no more get my mind to shut up than I could shepard a herd of cats.  Frustrated with my lack of progress, I stopped.  Until I heard of a new meditation programme that promised I could meditate like a  zen monk

Huh?  And how, exactly, was I going to do that?  I couldn’t get my mind to sit still; it was as restless as a four-year old child on a sugar high.  How was I going to achieve that impossible goal?

Enter Holosync

In late 2008, I found Holosync.  I read and read the website at least seven times before I ordered the free demo.  I was impressed enough with the demo to order the first programme in the Holosync series, Awakening Prologue.  The Holosync programme uses binural beats to slow down the brainwaves to the Alpha levels where, it’s believed, that the mind is in a more resourceful and relaxed state.  Free of the clutter and shatter of the wakening state; aka, the Beta level.

And, I’ve got to say, that I am loving it.

First of all, my busy bee of a mind can buzz all over the place without me resisting it, and I still feel myself gradually relaxing to the point that I feel my mind let go.  Brilliant!  And wicked, besides!

That was about 2 years ago, and I have progressed to the next level, Awakening Level One.  Which is also wonderful!

However, I am not writing this post as an endorsement for Holosync.  Because I believe that Holosync is not for everyone.  Any more than any other system of meditation is for everyone.

Whether you choose to work in your garden, take walks on the beach, surf in the early morning hours, or just take a walkabout round the neighbourhood.  Meditation takes as many forms as there are people populating the Earth.

Please do not feel the need to force yourself to sit in the lotus position for hours while chanting some mantra, if you don’t feel any joy at all doing it.  Meditation is supposed to be restful.  And if you are not feeling relaxed and peaceful then you are practicing a form of meditation that’s not for you.  I encourage you to cease and desist right now, if you like.  Explore and discover other form that might appeal to you more.  Transcendental Meditation, Holosync, Mindfulness meditation, or Japa meditation (a form of mantra-based mediation) are all great starting points.

You can even tool about in your garage, fixing things if it quiets your mind and lets you hear the voice of your spirit, intuition, or Inner Authority.  Or whatever you desire to call it.

The point is, that meditation has many wellness benefits that are helpful on all levels from the physical to the spiritual.

7 Reasons to Meditate

1. Decreases the negative effects of stress. In a University of Massachusetts study, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D recorded the brain waves of  employees of a Madison, Wisconsin high tech firm.  These employees were highly stressed.  The employees were split randomly into two groups with 25 of them being trained to meditate for eight weeks.  Whilst the other group of 16 were left alone as the control group.  The participants had their brains scanned three time during the experiment; in the beginning of the study, at the eight week mark (the end of the study), and four months after that.  The researchers discovered that the mediators were calmer and happier.  (Psychology Today, April 2003, Colin Allen).
2. Leads to greater physical relaxation. Did you know that when you are in a state of enhanced stress all of the blood in the body tend to flow towards the arms, legs, heart and lungs; whilst a bit less to the digestive system? This is because the body believes there is danger, and you need to run away when in danger.
3. Decreases muscle tension. A reduction in muscle tension means more blood and oxygen flow to the muscles, making them more relaxed.  And creating a happier body experiencing less pain due to muscle tightness.  And when the muscles relax so do the joints, ligaments, and bones.
   
4. Lowers heart rate. Meditation slows down the brain waves Alpha (the relaxed brain waves) from Beta (the more stress-inducing waves, depending on how high the Beta waves are).  Lower heart rates (in healthy people) can result in less adrenaline and cortisone hormones in the blood stream.  With less of these hormones in the system, you don’t over eat to medicate yourself.  Or run down your immune system.  And a lower heart rate (in healthy people) can be beneficial to the cardiovascular system; for example, an athlete in peak physical condition (such as Lance Armstrong) can have a resting heart rate of 47 beats per minute.  This is helpful because it means that the heart doesn’t have to work so hard to circulate blood, nutrients, and oxygen to the body.
   
5. Gives your immune system a boost. The immune system get repressed sometimes when we maintain overly stressful states of being for long periods of time.  This sometimes the reason why you might be prone to catch a cold more easily when you are experiencing more stress.
   
6. Produces beneficial changes in brain activity, harmonising the endocrine and nervous systems. This is because the brain switches over from the busy right frontal cortex to the calmer left frontal cortex resulting in calmer and happier brains and emotional states.  When you are relaxed and calm, your body’s systems tend to work more in harmony than in more stress-inducing states.
   
7. Increases creativity, focus, and concentration. Have you ever been fixing a car, planting in a garden, walking along the beach or your neighbourhood and noticed all the really wicked ideas that occur to you during these times?  While the mind is occupied consciously doing another activity, your subconscious mind gets a chance to come out, talk to you and play.

10 Minutes Per Day to Increased Creativity, Focus, and Concentration, etc..

As you can see, you don’t have to retreat to a Buddhist monastery and devote 30 years of your life to the solitary pursuit of enlightenment while meditating facing a bare wall.  You can just go to your garden or other sacred place (even if it’s your favourite meditation chair) and reap the benefits of meditation.

It only takes about 10 minutes per day to enjoy increased creativity, focus, and concentration.  You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain by taking the first step.

Start right where you are.  Go out in the garden.  Go to the beach.  Get out in nature and take a walk.  Let your mind clear.  And I’ll see you right back here to tell me what you got out of meditating.

Let me know about your meditating experiences in the comments.

Vibelicious comments: Be excellent to each other.  Only kind and respectful comments are welcome.

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photo credit: WTL photos

Whoa…It’s here.  2010.

If I had been told that 2009 would be a great year for me, I wouldn’t be have been surprised at all.

Okay, I would’ve been a little surprised.  2008 was an okay year for me; 2007 was wildly chaotic and I couldn’t wait to see the end of it.

But…2009 was wild in a good way.

The Good Stuff

1. I got a new job working at a massage therapy clinic.  And left my old job in a chiropractor’s office which was draining me.
2. I moved to Santa Monica, California.  Yay, I always wanted to live here.
3. I became certified by the state of California as a massage therapist.
4. I wrote an e-book (not available yet as I am going through the editing process).
5. I entered the National Novel Writing Contest 2009 (didn’t finish, but I managed to write through the 3oth day).
6. I became a ShivaNaut; I am doing Shiva Nata every day.
7. I became a licensed driver.  Hooray!
8. I began a programme to change through changing my handwriting.   Updates to come.
   
9. I finally got a bed to sleep on instead of a futon, an air mattress, the floor, or my massage table.
10. I started this website!  I post every Tuesday and Friday. Hopefully!
11. I learned how to create a website on the WordPress publishing platform.
12. I began Awakening Level 1 in the Holosync meditation programme.
    
13. I lost weight this year; I am now 8.3 stone (roughly about 116 lbs.)
    

The Bad Stuff

I didn’t leave my last job as gracefully as I would have liked.  Instead of telling him the truth; I was burnt out from working very long hours without lunch or a break.  I wanted to make a clean break from him and step into my new job which I had the option of going full-time.

I had to take money out of my savings in order to afford the move into Santa Monica, California.  So now I have to rebuild my savings.  Not from scratch, but I do have to rebuild it.

I chose to let go of some very painful relationships, including that of a once dear friend.  I chose to let go of these relationships because I had grown away from these friends (and, in some cases, family) and being with people whom I had nothing in common with was painfully toxic.

What I Learned

I learned that mistakes are more than okay.  In fact, they are necessary to growing, expanding, and exploring.

I learned to like myself the way I am.  As I am.

I learned that I am not the grudge-holding, critical, judgmental person my mini-me (my conscious mind) has always told me I was.  I am patient, and it takes me longer to get truly annoyed with people and situations than I thought.

I learned I am more open and flexible than I had once thought possible.

What’s All of This Mean?

Through all the bad parts and good parts,  I changed alot.  I grew alot.  I took alot of risks.  I made alot of mistakes.  I use the word alot, alot. At least right here I do.

The point here is:  I was willing to turn up.  Sometimes the results I desired exceeded my expectations.  Sometimes they didn’t; in which case, I tried a new approach and watched the results.

Now you… what was your 2009 like?  Was it a great year for you?  A bad year?  Either way, what did you learn?

Vibelicious comments:  what did you learn from 2009?

Kind and loving comments appreciated.  Rude, mean comments will be deleted no exceptions!

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photo credit: alicepopkorn

Every once in while I need to remind myself where I am in life when I feel confused.  Or worse.  Just out of control.  (N.O.W. means No Opportunity Wasted.  Go here for more information.)

Questions like:

Am I closer to my passions?  Or farther away? start ringing through my mind.  After all, we are at the end of another year.

For me, this was a year of change, growth, exploration, and discovery.  Sometimes scary.  Sometimes filled with great joy.  But always worth the journey.

Right now, I feel like a butterfly working mightily to escape from its cocoon in spring.

When a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, it’s a weak, shriveled up thing.  The butterfly is unable to fly because its wings are still not completely formed.  As it does the exhausting work of ripping its way out of the chrysalis, it flexes its wings, strengthening them.; making our little friend strong enough to survive in the physical world.  Anyone watching the butterfly during this process may be tempted to help by removing the butterfly.  This would be a fatal for the butterfly. It would die.

At times, I feel like I am dying.  I feel out of control and lost.  It’s all I can do to not be pulled under by life.  In these moments, all those nasty negative recrimination thoughts rise up out of the depths of my subconscious:

“You shouldn’t have spent so much money.”

“Yeah, you’ve been here before.  Doesn’t mean you can get out of this situation this time.”

“You should be safe and secure.  That’s what’s really important.”

I have to remind myself that what’s really important isn’t that I have made mistakes that I now have to dig myself out of.  The important thing is that I know that these situations are temporary, and will change.  Nothing stays the same forever.  I draw comfort from the knowledge that in any moment I can choose a different choice.  This empowers me as well.

Now, what does this have to do with a N.O.W. list?

Good question!

My N.O.W. list reminds me that I have a whole lot of life left to live.  And I can choose in favour of those things that bring me the greatest joy, adventure, and magick into my life.

I think everyone should have a N.O.W. list!

Take a look at mine below.

1.   visit Antarctica

2.   tour the world with my own soul revue

3.   visit Machu Picchu

4.   visit Minonian Crete and the ancient goddess sites

5.   go jet boating & white water rafting in New Zealand

6.   opening my own reiki academy online

7.   touring the world with my own alt. soul band

8.   being a world famous transformational speaker

9. go to the Oneness University in India to be a deeksha giver

10. swim with sharks

11. go skydiving

12. compose & self-produce my debut album

13. visit  Stonehenge

14. learn to snowboard

15. adopt a eurasian baby girl

16. have an animal sanctuary

17. visit the Egyptian pyramids and the Sphinx

18. start a philanthropic organisation devoted to helping people live their dreams

19. tithe 25% or better of my gross monthly income

20.live in New Zealand for a year

21. write and self-publish a book of my own poetry

22. write and self-publish a modern day fable

23. teach workshops and seminars on the law of attraction

24. have a spiritual website a la Hay House Radio

25. have a Hay House Radio programme

26 .have own transformational PBS programme

27. marry husband/soulmate

28. make $150,000 net income from four streams of income in 2009/2010

29.learn to sing an opera aria

30. learn to play the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s song catalogue

31. make $1 million in 2013

32. start own online record company and marketing websites for DIY artists

33.speak Korean, Portuguese ( Portugal ), Mandarin Chinese, Italian, Spanish, French, Swedish

34. learn one Shakespearean monologue/soliloquy

35. recite the Raven by Edgar Allen Poe by heart

36. learn to dance the tango

37. learn chinese calligraphy

38. learn to play bass guitar, drums

39. learn to play the piano and keyboards

40. learn to play the Hammond b3 and b6 organs

41. learn to play a twelve string flamenco guitar

42. learn to play flamenco guitar

43. visit Bora Bora and Tongo

44. visit the Taj Majal

45. visit Thailand   to study at Wat Po at Bangkok

46. visit Vietnam

47. continue a four time a week pilates practice

48. dye my hair bright plum

49. forgive the past

50. have a vintage guitar and accessory collection worth over $20 million

51. get a scuba diving license

52. learn to skateboard

53. learn to draw people and objects

54. learn to sail

55. have a one-woman exhibition of my artwork at three or more prestigious art galleries and sell my work for $2,500+

56. write and direct a horror/thriller movie

57. meet Shawn White

58. meet Laura Day

59. meet Barbara Sher

60.  meet Tony Alva

61. meet the Red Hot Chili Peppers

62. meet J.K. Rowling

63. meet Diana Wynne Jones

64. meet Denise Linn

65. P J Harvey

66. be a member of B.B King’s band as his lead guitar player a year

76. meet Deepak Chopra

77. meet the dailai lama

78. meet the “hugging saint” of India

79. learn to write renku

80. a new york times best-selling author of books for child of all ages

81.meet oprah winfrey

82. have full time alternative healing and wellness studio

83. release an indie soul album

84. release a prog/soul concept album

85. meet maya angelou

86. meet toni morrison

87. have dinner at the white house with president barack obama

88. create a vedic garden like Findhorn

89. compose and self-produce my debut album

90. visit Ireland

91. visit Sartorini , Greece

92. study reiki in Japan

93. study zen shiatsu in Japan

94. become a certified reflexologist

95. become a certified thai massage therapist

96. study myofascial release techniques

97. open my own massage, bodywork and pilates studios in Santa Monica and Redondo Beach/Hermosa Beach , CA

98. become the massage therapist to the stars with such celebrity clients as Halle Berry , Brad Pitt , Angeline Jolie , Matt Damon , Ben Affleck , Jennifer Garner to name a few

99. visit Costa Rica

100. meet Quincy Jones

101. meet Stevie Wonder

102. meet Aretha Franklin

103. meet Etta James

104. commit to eating 75% raw food

105. swim with dolphins

This list has been revised several times since it was oringinally written.

This list is by no means comprehensive.  As I grow and change, so does this list.  Often, I delete some things and add others.   Things that were once important to me become less so over time.

And that’s just right with me.  I would grow bored with my life if I (and it) stayed just the same.  What about you?

Vibelicious comments:  what’s on your No Opportunity Wasted list?

Remember to be excellent to each other!

Resources: http://www.noopportunitywasted.com/

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photo credit: seanmcgrath

As I was riding the bus this morning, lost in thought, I suddenly remembered a picture I had seen once called Snake Eyes (with Nicolas Cage); it’s the oft-told story of a corrupt cop who has a change of heart once he becomes entangled in a conspiracy to commit murder.

I was reminded that, at the end of the film, Cage’s character’s life into ruin despite the fact that he had chosen to do the right thing.

The correlation I made to my own spiritual journey through life was that, more often than not, when we change even a little bit of ourselves our lives usually will look like a mess to us and to everyone around us.

It’s virtually impossible to keep your reality the same while changing yourself. I have made hundreds of futile attempts to do so. All of them have been in vain. No matter how hard we try, we can’t reach for new possibilities and hold on to what we have for dear life.

So what can we do?

Surrender.

I define surrender as remaining present with your feelings and emotions in the present.  Right where you are now.  It is a process, not a destination.  It’s allowing what going on inside you mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually to okay without the need to judge whether your feelings, thoughts, actions are socially appropriate to others.

Is this easy?  Of course not.  Surrendering to the present isn’t easy at all.  Each and every day I choose to work on it.  I never surrender perfectly (if such a thing is possible).  And that isn’t important anyway.

What is important is allowing yourself to feel what you feel in the moment regardless of whether or not you, or others around you, like it.

Once you are able to be where you are when you are, you open yourself up to becoming more mindful; with mindfulness comes the ability to let go of things that no longer work, and move forwards towards things that are good for you.

Here are a few tips for surrendering to the now:

1). Get out in to nature. Being able to opt-out of your current reality for even a few minutes a day could help you de-stress enough to think more clearly.

2). Have fun. Every once in a while, step off the treadmill that is reality, and have some fun.  See a funny film.  Have a giggle with friends.  Do something you enjoy for at least ten minutes a day.

3). Be with people you love. If you are going to spend eight hours plus a day with people you really have no connection with, it’s important to balance that with time spent with people you do have a connection with.

4). Don’t take reality or yourself so seriously. This is a difficult one to do consistently.  I admit that I have challenges with this.  Sometimes I am just too angry or hurt to laugh.  Or sometimes I find myself buying into the illusion that I am a helpless victim of life, and must accept what little I get and be grateful for it.  Such perceptions can be grim indeed.  But remembering that nothing is permanent in this world keeps me from sinking into a morass of self-pity.

With the suggestions above, I can go with the flow more.  Be open.  And allow the Creative Force and time to work with me and for me.  Instead of against me.  I have the freedom to surrender, knowing that tomorrow brings with it the opportunity for new choices, new possibilities that did not exist before.  That is something that both and inspires and motivates me to keep trudging forward even when things appear bleak or scary.

How about you?

What changes have you resisted?  And what occurred when you allowed yourself to surrender and “go with the flow?” How do your reality change afterward?

Feel free to share your insights.

Peace & Healing, fellow travelers!

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photo credit: brendan.lally.

I’m always amazed when Halloween comes round.  It seems as if the year has just begun with all its promises and possibility intact.

Yes, I know that the New Year is observed in January.  However, the New Year I am observing is the pagan one.  At this time of the year, I begin looking forward to what new harvests I would like to plant;  at the same time, I begin the liberating, but sometimes uncomfortable, process of uncluttering my life and finishing up old projects.

I always look forward with alot of excitement like a child anticipating all the Christmas gifts s/he will be getting.  So without further ado, here’s my list of the five creative things for the new year.

Sideways, before I give you the list, let me give you my one and only guideline: 1). creative things can be big or small; the only person they have to satisfy is you.

Why 5?  Five seems manageable to me; prevents too much overthinking and hyper-analysing amd free us up to just declare our desires.  And eventually take action towards them.

Okay, moving onward…

My 5  Creative Things List

1). learn to ride a bike.  This has been a subject of shame for me since I was twelve and just couldn’t learn to balance on a bicycle properly.

2). learn to draw.  I would love to draw anything, and expand beyond the limits of the belief that says I can’t draw and can’t ever learn to draw.

3). learn to play blues guitar.  I love music and the blues is the foundation for practically every form of music in the Western world.

4). learn to skateboard.  This one would allow me to get over my fears of physically being hurt, and allow me to embrace my inner daredevil!  Besides, skate boarding is really cool to me.

5). get my first tattoo.  My idea is to get one of the Tibetan Om symbol.  I’ve always wanted a tattoo, but was afraid to get one  due to finances and pain.  But since I am a certified hypnotherapist, I’ve sorted out that I can simply numb the area with hypnosis.

Now you.  What 5 creative things would you be excited to accomplish?

Feel free to leave your answers in the comments section below.

Until next time, fellow travelers!

Peace & Healing

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It occurred to me yesterday after reading a particularly powerful post by Danielle LaPorte at WhiteHotTruth.com (read it here), that I have always been ashamed by how I want to feel about my visions.  I have mucked-up many a wonderful vision with self destructive stories.  Problem was, I believed these stories.

Okay. Pause.

Here’s a story. Yay!

I am a musician, and my greatest dream was to be a rock star with the tour buses, adoring fans, number one songs, the works.  I want fame and fortune.  And I wanted them larger than life.

Why?

Beacause I wanted to feel special.  Celebrities are treated special; they get gifts when they go to the oscars; people queue up ten deep to take their picture; people ask for the autograph; others hang on to their every word.

My first mistake was reading the new age books that implied that wanting to feel special or be treated special meant that I was an unevolved lemming who obviously doesn’t know what’s truly important.  What’s important is that we are all the same on a spiritual level (sayeth the New Age gurus); and, therefore, we should all strive to be equal (the same) on this plane of existence, too. Anyone who sees themselves as special is clearly a negative influence and should be stoned (okay, I’m making up the last part) for furthering the illusion of isolation and separation.

Whew!

So who wants to be a bad person?  Not me!

Back to the present.  Here’s the fire starting questions that began my current healing journey.

Is it wrong to feel a certain way?  If so, says who?  More to the point, how can I begin to be okay with wanting to feel a certain way and see where that takes me?

Is it wrong to want to feel special? I ask myself.  A better question would be: what would make me feel special?

First of all, when I answer that question, what comes to mind is that 1). people who listen to me because I am an expert, 2). I would be centre stage at events and workshops, 3). I’d be paid very well by clients who value what I do, 4). I’d also have the freedom to do what I love without compromise or apology.

I’m tired of feeling guilty for wanting to feel a certain way.  I want to give myself the freedom to embrace these so-called guilty feelings and desires to see where they lead.  I’ve tried the alternative, and it doesn’t work for me.  It may not be easy to follow this path with heart.  However, I know that if I continue on I can expect to heal, expand, and grow.  Perhaps there is a divine reason.

I’m ready.  How about you?

Peace & Healing, fellow travelers!

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Nonlinear Goal Setting

Just recently, as in today, I just read a great post about Nonlinear Goal Setting.


In the past, I would set a goal in affirmative language set in the present time with a target date on it.  Like this:

I am so happy and grateful as I walk across the stage to give a key note speech at the Whole Health Expo by October 1, 2012.

Or what have you…

However, as I have learned through trial and error such a goal setting technique doesn’t work for me for long terms goals as above. Just short term goals.

The reason?  I find it difficult to sustain the feelings of excitement (that I initially feel) when I set the goal.  As a matter of fact, sometimes the feelings of excitement and enthusiasm wane, leaving me feeling as if I’m doing the process wrong.

(The New Age Gurus would claim that the goal is the wrong goal if I can’t sustain feelings of excitement about it for long periods of time.  A point of view I think is absolute bollocks! Don’t these people know anything about human beings at all!)

But, as I was saying…

This process  leads to feelings of frustration followed by the self-flagellation and recrimination cycle.  In this cycle I resolve to do better next time by “trying harder.”  Really applying myself this time.  Of course, this leads to more feelings of anger, frustration then the cycle repeats continuously.

Dreams That Come From The Heart

The challenge with linear goal setting is that it’s a left-brained logical process that doesn’t involve much creativity or intuition (which come from the hear and are nonlinear)..  It’s very outward-looking and external.  And it’s based on the beliefs that there is 1). something inherently wrong with you that needs fixing.  2). a solution to that “problem” that’s outside of you. 3). a step by step linear process that  will result in happiness and achievement.

A soul could spend years in this “mind-prison” running this way and that, chasing after this goal.  Then that goal.  Constantly changing course until you feel exhausted yet no closer to your goals.

Sometimes I felt like a donkey chasing a carrot on the end of a stick!

I put in too much effort and saw not alot of result.  All I had to show for it were feelings of frustration, shame, blame, etc.

Is there a way out?

The answer to the question is found in 1) asking yourself if the goal feels good (Does it have heart?)  When you ask this question, consider more than the end result.  Consider whether or not you enjoy the process of creating the goal and growing into the person will invariably become.

Michael Jordan loves the process of being an excellent basketball player.  This includes all the hours of practice spent shooting basket after basket.

Jimi Hendrix loved playing blues/rock guitar.  This included all the hours of practice privately and publicly spent learning chords, scales, and jamming with other musicians until he became proficient.

Yes, I know Jimi Hendrix  went off-world.  He still loved the process of becoming an excellent guitarist.

Both of the above examples and countless others I could name live the joy of their heart’s dream.  Each and every day.

These people were so in love with the process… irrespective of whatever end vision they saw in their mind’s eye.  This is what is called detachment.

So if you want to write a book for children, lose weight, climb Mount Everest, or perform your poetry in public; connect to your feelings in the moment.  Connect with already being what you intend to become right now (long before it manifests).

Always ask yourself first:  what brings me joy?

Let me share one more thing before I close:  I have followed the vision of dollars signs far too often instead of my heart.  The result?  I started and gave up on six home businesses.

Why? you might ask.

Because money wasn’t a strong enough motivator to keep me going with the process of building a business.  When you love what you do, you love the process of what you do.  Regardless of the destination.  If you get there, you can rejoice.  If you don’t, you are having too much fun to care.

Don’t we all deserve the passion, joy, and love in our lives that being in love with the process of becoming the person we envision ( with our hearts) ourselves to be?

It’s time to tap into your heart’s wisdom.  Instead of the default position many of us fall back on: asking our minds to chart and navigate our course to our heart’s desires.

Why wait one more day? Commence burning those bridges ( the old ways of goal setting)!

Let me know what bridges you are willing to burn in order to live a passionate and soulful life?  And what is a passionate and soulful life to you?

Peace & Healing All

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I was taking one my many mid day catnaps on my first day off when my eyes caught on a book I have not read in a while.  It’s called The Passion Test by Janet Attwood.

I read the book and took the Passion Test a while ago.  But I have since retaken the survey to see where I am today.

So without further ado, here’s my passions list!
Top 10 11 Passions List

1. Having fun, magick, and adventure in all aspects of my life
2. Exploring, growing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically
3. Participating actively in my self-determination by doing what I want when I want
4. Writing, singing, performing, recording, producing indie soul music
5. Being happily self-employed as a spiritual teacher, holistic health practitioner, transformational speaker, and writer
6. Embracing my strangeness completely
7. Being an enlightened multimillionaire
8. Helping people embrace their originality and live the life of their dreams
9. Writing fantasy novels for young adults
10. Speaking inspirational, transformational and spiritual subjects to individuals and large groups
11. Learning and teaching new things to myself and others
12. Maintaining my sense of inner peace

What’s the difference between a passion and a goal?  Janet Attwood, author of the Passion Test, defines a passion this way: “A passion is how you choose to live your life.”  While a goal is ” something you aim to achieve.”  For example, a passion could be “being a multimillionaire.”  But a goal would be “making $5 million in three years.”

I would add that a passion comes from your spirit which is unique, full of energy, and is what you love.  A goal is created by your mind.  Ideally a goal aligns with your deepest passions instead of vice versa.

See the difference?

No?

Okay.  Passions are about progress.  Goals about outcomes.

Clarity about your passions allows you to create goals that will help you create the life you love.  Goals are valuable, but it is  ideal to find out what your passions are first.  Then explore the goals that would best align with them.

What are your passions?  How do you choose to live your life?

If you would like to get clarity about your passions, read or take  the Passion Test. Could change the way you see yourself in relation to the world.

Alright, that’s it for today, fellow travelers!

Peace & Healing All

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I had a conversation last year with my friend, Ilan, a very strange person whom I really love.  We were talking about the Matrix and the choice that Neo had to make to take the red or blue pill.

Suddenly Ilan asked, “What if I don’t want to take the red or blue pill?  What if I want to take the gold, purple, green, or yellow pill?”

Before he said that it never occurred to me that any such choice could possibly exist.  I simply accepted the choice between the red or blue pill.  I also accepted that I would have to tumble down the rabbit hole to see how far it would go.

So I wondered, what if I’m not partial to rabbit holes?  What if I would rather shoot through a wormhole or a black hole to see what was on the other side?

The reason for this post?  I wish to become more aware(and others more aware) of when I (we/us/you) am allowing restrictions to our experiences to be place upon us from the outside world.  Before my friend said anything it never occurred to me to question the choices I was given at the outset.

I mean, what if the choices did not align well with who I am?  I do not recall a time in my lifeline where I have ever expressed a partiality to red pills or blue pills.  Let alone any desire to use them as gateways down rabbit holes to open the doors and windows to  my perception.

Okay, give me the option to ride a comet through a wormhole after swallowing a purple-coloured cherry-flavoured liquid, and you have got my interest.

See what I mean?

Learn to question the choices you are given to discover if they are in alignment with who you are.  If they are, proceed full steam.  If not, take a deeper look at your choices and begin exploring to find better options that are in alignment with who you are.

You may not have one life to live (if you believe in reincarnation), but wouldn’t it be wiser to choose in favour of your true self, your heart, your spirit, your soul instead of the alternative?

I don’t know about you, fellow travelers, but I would rather choose to support who I am than not.

What about you?  What do you choose?

Do you take the red pill?  Or the green cocktail?  Or the gold dust?  Or the rainbow-coloured tab of acid (not advocating drug use here)?

Who better than you to make that call?

Peace & Healing All

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I am a fan of Barbara Sher’s seminal book, Wishcraft .  In it, she discusses all of the creative and fun exercises she uses to help clients find their passions.  I have always found her exercises quite useful when I am lost and in need of clarity and/or direction.

This got me thinking about an exercise I could create that would help me with my clients.  That’s when I felt inspired to read Martha Beck’s book, Finding Your North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live .  In her book, she tells the story of a woman whose husband has left her after several years of horrid marriage.  However, before this truly horrid marriage to this man, she endured a truly horrid childhood.  After the death of her marriage, this woman decided to have the childhood she had always wanted but never got.

The story inspired me to wonder about the shortcomings of my own childhood.  So I came up with the following exercise I call, Throwing Yourself A Childhood.  In this exercise, visualise, picture, imagine or pretend that you are telling a close friend the story of your childhood.  Instead of telling them the limiting childhood story you usually tell, tell them the childhood story you wish you’d had.

For example, if you always wanted a Saint Bernard puppy named Noodles to run through the sprinkler system with on a scalding summer’s day, in these story, Noodles is right there with you. Got it?

Here’s my ideal childhood story.

Step one: define your ideal childhood

I had a great childhood.  I spent it taking piano lessons (which I started at six and stopped at twelve), skateboarding (which I began at seven and continue to do to this day),  riding my bike, and studying Jeet Kune Do (which I also started at six cuz my family thought I needed a physical activity to use up all my pent up hyperactive energy).

I was a born leader with many friends who spent summers in day camps, inventing games that included everyone from the geeks, the freaks, and the so-called in squad.  Everyone liked and respected my freakiness cuz I wore it like a badge of honour.  This inspired them to wave their freak flags high in the sky, too.

When I was twelve I started guitar lessons.  I was enamoured of the guitar when I saw someone playing it in the church I attended and thought, ‘Hey, I can do that.’  I was a natural for guitar; blues, funk, and soul guitar playing more specifically.

At the age of sixteen, I joined my first band as the lead guitarist and had my first boyfriend.  I had a great year of snoggng and paying gigs.

Two years later, I saw a Fender Jaguar guitar in sea green at a guitar store.  I knew I had to have that guitar, and I bought it with the money I had saved up from playing gigs and my after school job.  I still have that guitar today because I took such loving care of it.

Three years later, I decided to go to massage school, and paid my way through by playing out.  I was a popular artist on the local circuit with over a thousand true fans who loyally came to see me play.

Right out of school, I was inspired to go into private practice with all of the clients I had worked on during my internship in school.   I was self-employed at last, and it felt so good.

Currently, (still in childhood mode here; stay with me)  I am still a musician who plays out but I also coach other musicians/songwriters/singers on how to support themselves with their music; I am a holistic healer with a thriving full-time practice; I have an active social life, spending time with people of all types;  I am happily married to a great guy who is himself in the holistic field and we live by the ocean; I also put out my music through my own label and help other artists do the same.  And I am currently writing my first book!

All in all, I would say I have a great life filled with love, peace, fun, and music with people I love.

Now you.  I’ll wait.

Okay.  If you did the exercise,  you will have a good idea about the things you missed out on.

Step two: ask yourself if you still feel/think you have missed out on these activities? If the answer is yes, then now is the time to go out and get the things you felt you were denied during childhood.  If not, then you don’t need this exercise at all.  Go play with your dog or cat or kids.  Or whatever.

Step three:  prioritise the things from Step 1 ( missed it alot) to 10 (don’t miss at all).  The item # 1 is first on your wish list. Followed by your 2, 3,  4, and 5, etc.  Ask yourself, what if I never did this at all, would I miss it?

Step four: get that thing into your life immediately. Because your spirit is telling you this what you desire.  And what you desire is what you need.  Let go of the illusion  you can’t do something ( even if you want to study opera singing, you can still do so for your own pleasure).  Just do it.

Step five: remember that the only person you need to please with these activities and things is you.  No one else.  As a matter of fact, the only person you could do this exercise with is you or a supportive friend (if you have one).  If there is a chance a person might criticise your desires, feel free to keep this exercise and its discoveries a secret.

Step six:  get out there and throw yourself that childhood.

What are you waiting for?  More time to pass to feel badly about your childhood?

P.S.  I have started driving lessons, guitar lessons, and singing lessons as of this writing!  Whoo hoo!

Peace & Healing, Fellow Travelers!

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