The Art of Surrendering by Glenda Myles

"Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” -C.S. Lewis 

Surrendering to your dream, to your purpose, to your life....requires you to let go of the life you are holding onto so that you can grab hold of the new.  

"The word "surrender" is often interpreted as giving up, as weakness, as admitting defeat. Although this is one way to use the word, we will use it in a different way. Surrendering means letting go of your resistance to the total openness of who you are. It means giving up the tension of the little vortex you believe yourself to be and realizing the deep power of the ocean you truly are." -David Deida

It's been a long time coming.

Many may think it took too long.

"Oh, I thought you already did that" they would say. "No, I hadn't" would be my reply. Secretly feeling the pressure over the last 1-1.5 years, but not surrendering.

I had my reasons, as I am sure we all do.

I am a single mother who has survived and thrived because I focused on providing for my family. There are lots of people without work, how can I give up my good job for the unknown? What if I don't succeed? Am I just going through some mid-life crisis? Have I completely lost my mind?

Surrendering to your dream, to your purpose, to your life....requires you to let go of the life you are holding onto, that identity, so that you can grab hold of the new. And sometimes if you are unwilling to let go, the Universe helps you out. 

That's what happened to me. The universe pried it out of my hands. It was jarring for a moment. Then I realized my hands were free. And with my hands free I was able to reach out for that dream that had been in front of me for so long.

And then.

Relief. Now feeling relieved, the pressure off, I have fully surrendered to the Life I have been longing to live. A level of contentment, happiness, has settled in that I wasn't expecting.

Surrendering has opened my heart and my mind. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Glenda at Myles Ahead Studio is a professional marketing strategist working to bring more creativity into business and make more ideas come to life.

Why Can't It Be Diamonds? by Ginny Lennox

When reading Jamie Ridler’s blog not too many years ago I learned of the practice of picking a word for the year instead of making a New Year’s resolution. I loved the idea and immediately chose the word Sparkle. I don’t think I am an introvert but I am very quiet in many situations. I decided that it was my time to take a chance and step into the spotlight just a little bit. I wanted to sparkle and it was fun to think of this as the word that would lead me throughout the year. I was explaining what I was going to do to my yoga teacher and said, “Of course when I say sparkle I don’t mean diamonds.” Before I could continue she asked, “Why can’t it be diamonds?” At that moment, I realized even though I had picked the word sparkle I was already limiting all the ways I could sparkle. I was choosing a word that would help me grow and change but I was putting boundaries around that idea before I even got started.

I’ve been learning to sparkle ever since. Sometimes it’s through the clothes I choose to wear. Other times it is through the words I write or the pictures I paint. Recently I have decided to enter the world of creativity coaching and help others to sparkle.

It’s been a little intimidating learning to sparkle but it has been fun too. Every time I say that I am an artist or a writer or a coach my light gets a little brighter. I still don’t have that diamond but it’s not because I’m afraid to want too much. The sparkle I am looking for comes from within. You don’t need diamonds to make your light get brighter and brighter. It comes from knowing who you are, what you love to do, and sharing your dreams and yourself with the world. Then it is easy to sparkle!

I hope that everyone will have a wonderful holiday season filled with love, laughter, and lots and lots of sparkle!

Ginny believes that each and every day is filled with special moments to be enjoyed and treasured. On her blog, Special Moments in Time she encourages everyone to recognize and celebrate their own special moments each day. 

Winter Pause by Angel Young

Sometimes it's just too hard.

It's been like that lately over here. Several family members have been diagnosed with cancer, and have been facing very tough times. Work has been soo busy - I travel a lot, and I feel like my feet have barely touched the ground. I've been trying to iron out some health issues of my own.

Wow I feel tired.

I'm the sort of person who normally keeps going until I fall over. Now I have a few days of breathing space it's starting to seep out of me. I just haven't had the time to do anything creative at all. All I can do is let go. I'm allowing myself, perhaps for the first time in my life, to take an easier option, to not work as hard, to finish earlier, to go out for lunch. I'm not quite sure where this ridiculous work ethic stems from. Sometime in childhood for sure. But I'm getting older, and hopefully wise enough to see that I can't please everyone all the time, and no amount of effort on my part can fix everything. It's difficult for me to be in this place - normally I'm a getting things done, taking people with me sort of person. But for now everyone will just have to take themselves, and I'm going to continue to rest until I feel whole again.

It's really a winter feeling. Packing up, folding myself away until the renewed energy of spring arrives. So here's a picture to remind us all that winter is about quietening down and being still.

Angel lives in the UK and is hoping for snow this winter.

 

Creative Dream TV: When You Have Obstacles In Your Way by Andrea Schroeder

"It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure." - Joseph Campbell

Obstacles and stumbles are super annoying! They are also the means through which our dreams actually come true, so it's important to pay attention to them. And that's what this week's Creative Dream TV is all about. Watch it now:

xo Andrea

Andrea Schroeder: With a paintbrush in one hand & a glitter-gun in the other, Andrea lovingly mentors men & women who want to lead creatively abundant lives — and do ‘impossible’ things, with ease & joy. Express the greatest parts of who YOU are, at www.CreativeMagicAcademy.com.

Little Things Aren't Little Things by Aimee Cavenecia

Robert Brault has a quote about the little things being the big things, but I prefer to call the little things intangible things. The quote: "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

Slavoj Žižek has a quote about the Absolute. He calls it the Absolute, but I would simply call it the Intangible. The quote: “What is the Absolute? Something that appears to us in fleeting experiences -- say, through the gentle smile of a beautiful woman, or even through the warm caring smile of a person who may otherwise seem ugly and rude. In such miraculous but extremely fragile moments, another dimension transpires through our reality. As such, the Absolute is easily corroded; it slips all too easily through our fingers and must be handled as carefully as a butterfly.”

This week, well, really the last few weeks, things have been moving fast. Lots arising, lots coming to the surface, lots demanding to be seen, demanding to be heard -- life requesting that things change quickly, very quickly.

And while so much is happening, what stands out most is what means the most to me. Hearing "I believe in you" or "Love you" or "Thank you" or "You make me happy" or "How can I help" or "You're my good friend" -- all said at different times, by different people -- all so rich & rewarding in the moment. The words were felt deeply & were deeply appreciated. Generous words that were precious, priceless, & irreplaceable. More meaningful than the context in which they were said in. More meaningful than the circumstances in which they happened in. Just little things that were spontaneously offered. But they aren't things at all are they? How can they be 'little' if they aren't truly measurable or quantifiable?

If I look at what made those intangible words, those little things, those spontaneous brief moments so impactful for me; if I look at what made them feel so good & resonate so deeply -- it's connection. There was no guarding, no barrier, no withholding; there was only openness, generosity & humility. And in that vulnerability & innocence, is the opportunity to connect on a deeper level.

If I playback in my mind, all of the past experiences or little things in my life that truly had an impact -- none of them were tangible. No car, no house, no sense of security; nothing I can put my finger on & say "I have it! This is it!" They were all part of some fleeting moment. And they were all based on some sort of connection.

The wind ticking my skin or playing with my hair; a child sitting on my knee or giving me a hug; feeling autumn leaves fall on my head; seeing my mother's face & feeling so happy that I get a chance to be near her; a dog raising his paw & placing it in my hand; biting a fruit while its seeds squirt out of the other side; being able to say "I love you" over & over & over, & each time it feels different, each time it feels new. With all of these things or moments, there is a oneness, an appreciation, a bond. This bond or connection can be with anything or anyone -- even with oneself. It is simply a feeling of wholeness. And when it happens, it feels like enough. I am enough, they are enough, this moment is enough.

There are so many quotes that touch on this topic. All of them are unique & unmeasurable -- just like each intangible moment that matters greatly.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge: "The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions -- the little soon forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment, and the countless infinitesimal of pleasurable and genial feeling."

Lao-Tzu: "All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small."

Laura Ingalls Wilder: "I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

Arthur Conan Doyle: "It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important."

What's Your Metaphor? by Kim LeClair

 

I’ve been away from Creative Dream Journals for a long, long time. I keep starting to write something or have an idea for a post and it seems to dissolve away into thousands of micro-thought-threads and questions.

But I’m drawn to contribute something, so I’m trying something new - A Creative Dream Journals Pop-Quiz-Post…. 

Here goes: If you described your journey toward your Creative Dreams in metaphor (or simile, or allegory, or parable..you get the idea) how would you describe it? 

So would it be a rollicking high-seas adventure or a solo trek thru the desert? What were the stops like along the way? Clearly I’m into the journey idea, but it could be something completely different than a journey - could be more like a retreat or an inward something - don’t know. But something metaphorical - not the ‘actual’ facts but the impression of the facts - a way to describe in story.

So - if you were to sentence complete “Moving towards my Creative Dreams has been like ______ “

I’m working on my own answer too, so I’ll join in the conversation. Have Fun!

Kim LeClair has been a shadow creative for the past 40 years but is finally deciding to come out into the light. Kim is In the Process of Creating her Dream Job....Creative Director of east willow studios. 

 

Give Yourself Permission to Sparkle & Shine! by Susan Cadley

“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.” ~ Marianne Williamson

I was hesitant to share when it was my turn to speak.  I was attending a monthly women’s group I belong to years ago, and many of the women were sharing about the chaos occurring in their lives.  I told the women I didn’t want to share my news out of respect for their current struggles.  A wise woman in the group encouraged me to share as my good news could offer them hope that things can change.  As I was trying to protect the other women, I was actually denying them a gift I had to share. Hope.  So I shined my good news, and received appreciation and gratitude, something I had not expected.  A gift all around.

This year, I received a gift on my birthday that soon became my favorite.  As I pulled back the flaps of the cardboard box of birthday gifts from my Mom, I noticed a “post it” note placed on top of the neatly packaged presents.   I’ve decided to make this my intention for 2013, and it can be yours too.

As children we enter the world with the ability to play, twirl, shine, and be curious.  Sometimes this ability gets managed, quieted, or disrupted by family, caregivers or life events during our childhood and we can loose our ability to be shiny and be seen.  But it doesn’t have to remain that way.  You can find your inner shine at any time in your life, and now is a great time to do it!

I slowly turned down my shine after I entered grade school, where being quiet was expected and was the norm.   Toss in some serious family illnesses and I faded more into the background as others around me took the spotlight.    But now, many years later, I’m learning how to step into the light again.  It’s not an easy proposition as old voices and beliefs love to chime in.

If you hesitate to shine or you’ve turned down your sparkle ask your soul this question: What beliefs are keeping your light dim?

Check these out and see what might resonate with you:

You believe:

• It’s safer to not be in the limelight, because it means you won’t experience a perceived conflict.
• What someone else told you about yourself.
• Shining is for certain people, not you.
• If you sparkle you’ll attract jealousy or people will think you are full or yourself.
• Shining means you’ll have to set more boundaries (you might).

Here are some very important reasons to shine:

• You have a unique soulprint; talents and gifts that only you can express.
• You gift others by radiating hope and positivity when you shine.
• Your precious life is your canvas ~ splash it with your colors.
• You teach others it’s healthy to shine and share.
• Your shining light may provide healing for another person.

If you still find yourself hiding in the shadows, I understand.  Taking on old belief systems that seems to provide safety and security, can bring up a feeling of vulnerability and fear.  However, these outdatedbeliefs no longer serve you as an adult. In order to grow, evolve and elevate your consciousness, you’ll need to be willing to shine, sparkle and be more of you everyday.

If you need a permission slip, feel free to use the “post it” note from my Mom.  She and I will be cheering you out of the shadows and into the light.  It’s where you are meant to be.  And you can be loved and be safe there. 

Susan is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Soul Coach and sole proprietor of Living From Within, LLC. Through counseling, coaching, creative workshops, book studies, and writing, Susan guides you to hear and live the messages of your soul.