Creative Visioning

Its life's dichotomy's that challenge me to really think. At this time of the year I love to make a Vision Board. It is a visual representation of what I would like to experience. It is similar to day dreaming, which I have a particular talent for since I was very young, much to the annoyance of my school teachers. God bless you Mrs. Duffy!

A vision board is similarly enjoyable to create as I pull images from magazines that are attractive to me. Its a playful and pleasant dreamy pursuit, yet the intention is there to somehow set in motion the energy of creation. I've heard of people creating them as you will have too if you watched "the Secret" and later finding that they live in the house they pasted on their board or driving the very make of car they chose in that dreamy state.

Getting back to dichotomies, in my attempt to figure out how come some things manifest from these boards and others do not I have heard conflicting things; you must want it with all your heart and spend time focusing on it daily! And you must release it and be equally willing to not have what you want. The moment you do this it will be yours! Can we do both at the same time?
The answer to this became clear to me as I read Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. He says "Attachment to things will fall away when you no longer seek to find yourself in them." The motivation for wanting something is all important. How much of our value we attach to having that object matters.
Tolle puts it like this. "Ego says - I don't have enough yet, and means I AM not enough yet." When we truly value ourselves and know we ARE ENOUGH as we are - beautiful, precious, whole and complete then can we create and manifest from the substance we already are. Its all one. No separation, no barriers to joy or the idea of deserving it. As Spirit we are joy. Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness of this truth. Maybe not getting what we imagine will bring us joy serves to teach us we can be joyful anyway. And when we are joyful already more is added to it.

Desiring one more way to express joy, as in a holiday or a new car while we express it already is one way of letting go while also focusing on it daily. Whether we get that car or not we know we can express joy, if we get that relationship or not we can express love.

So with this in mind I will make my Vision Board and as I bring joy and love to my daily tasks, I can anticipate more joy, more love and more abundance in my life. And you can too.

We are Kings and Queens

"Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinately precious things that cannot be taken from you." Oscar Wilde

We look at scenes from Haiti and feel for their struggle, their poverty and their loss of life. People there are suffering what we all dread, hunger, devastation of lives, homelessness, loss of families. Things will never be the same for so many. Naturally there is an outpouring of sympathy and support as differences and separation pale in the light of empathy. There but for the grace of God go I.

I am grateful today that I can give. Though I am not wealthy in finances and I live modestly, I have so much to give thanks for today. I also choose to not just carry on with a self satisfaction that its not me in that situation but look at what I can give.
After I give to Haiti in whatever way I can, I can look to my own life for people who are less fortunate and do what I can for them, remembering there is so much need in the world. Volunteering your time to the elderly living alone or to children who need a stabilizing influence has rewards untold. We are not alone or separate and we can always find something to be grateful for in being able to give. Giving of ourselves is a reminder of how rich we are.

"Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them." Napolean Bonaparte

The importance of grounding.

"Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness.”

I just got back from a ten day stay with family in Ireland. Living in LA as I do, this visit is exceptionally grounding for me. I always feel renewed, strengthened, more sure of myself and true to myself. With the new year just beginning I feel very positive and ready to create a new experience.

I have dreams I am working toward and goals I have set and I am very much aware of how life can distract from these focused ideas as the year progresses. This is one reason I make a Vision Board. A vision board is a collection of images I put together that represent my goals and in particular the feeling I want to experience as I actualize these intentions.

Goal setting and vision boards are powerful. Once you commit your deepest wishes to paper it's as if you are initiating the process, igniting the spark of divine creation. You have begun something which throughout the year takes on a life of its own especially if it continues to be fed by you with your enthusiasm and energy.

Keeping your vision board before you acts as a reminder of that spark. You may find yourself flagging in April or July. Don't be discouraged if things are not shaping up as quickly as you would like - maintain your attunement with yourself and make the necessary adjustments. Reaching your destination is much like driving a car. Constant steering is necessary to keep the vehicle on course.

So remember to ground yourself so you can find that certainty of who you are and what is your deepest yearning and truth. I cant always make a visit to Ireland but I can connect with the feeling either in nature, in a conversation with my sister or writing a letter to a dear friend. Identify what gives you that feeling of connection with your true self and consistently renew your spirit throughout 2010. From a foundation of stability and rootedness it is possible to build lofty dreams. From a place of deep self love and connection you can make this a great year!

The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has its roots in earth and manure.”
D.H. Lawrence (British Poet, Novelist and Essayist, 1885-1930)

Can there be new beginnings?

This bright new year is given me, to live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be my highest and my best.

New Year always invites us to review the old year and reset our course for the new. It's an opportunity to set goals and take action to create something new. I have always loved New Year for that reason. I feel if the previous year was not so great, that this marker divides my experience and can bring a new page in the book of my life. It is a nice feeling to turn over a new leaf, declare how I desire my life to improve and set an intention to take the necessary action to make it so.

Unfortunately often the best of intentions wain and resolutions are broken before we are even a quarter of the way into the year. Why can we not hold for long to our moments of high resolve? It has led me to wonder about the depth of my desire to change or if I really just prefer my old slovenly ways! I have come to the conclusion I do have a strong desire to make changes but that I often set unrealistic goals.

Change happens slowly, gradually unless one is propelled by great pain or great inspiration. So firstly I believe we could be a little gentler with ourselves as we venture to implement change in our habits. Secondly, we need to be mindful, on a daily basis and access if our actions are in alignment with what we have declared as our intention. Doing this reminds us that it is love for ourselves that motivates the changes we have chosen to make. There is no power but in the present moment, the only time we can make a choice or take action is now. Not in the past, not in the future but here and now. Be it New Years Day or March 17th, let us consciously choose our actions.

Human beings are great at self deception and rationalization, so honesty with ourselves and regular evaluation of our motives is essential to real change. The boost of the general consciousness of goal setting we feel around us at the start of the year helps get us off to a good start. This year I am marking my calendar with a big red X at the start of each quarter with the intention to review on these dates the goals I have set today. Once a year is not enough. With that I wish you a healthy and prosperous 2010 and may you effortlessly implement the changes you desire.

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

Jim Rohn