Plunge in

"It seems that the necessary thing to do is not to fear mistakes, to plunge in, to do the best that one can, hoping to learn enough from blunders to correct them eventually."
Abraham Maslow

http://www.maslow.com/

Beginner's Grace

The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist. The beginner’s humility and openness lead to exploration. Exploration leads to accomplishment. All of it begins at the beginning, with the first small and scary step.
Julia Cameron

http://www.theartistsway.com/

I see this quote as speaking to each one of us. Whether or not you consider yourself an artist, creating is something we do every day. We choose our medium (or media) and create – every single day. I believe we are each creative (and thus, an artist) in our own way. In fact, you are doing it right now. You are using your thoughts to create. Every day you contribute something to the people around you, in your actions, and words. 

 

When the day offers you something new, allow yourself the grace to be a beginner and approach the opportunity with openness and curiosity.   Notice what the results are when you take that step.

Sweet-Spot in Time

On a recent lazy, sunny Sunday afternoon, my husband and I did something we haven't done in years. We dug out our baseball mitts and a ball and walked over to a nearby park to throw the ball around. We used to play a lot of slow-pitch, but it's been a while.

We began to warm up by tossing the ball gingerly (well, at least I did). With each throw, my confidence grew.  As we continued to throw the ball to each other with more strength (and accuracy), a natural rhythm began; step, throw, catch; step, throw, catch...... step, throw, catch; step, throw catch. After a few minutes, I found myself grinning and couldn't quite figure out why – but then it came to me. I was there, 'in the moment', having fun and it felt great. Throwing and catching the ball was all I was thinking about; it was all I was doing. Step, throw, catch; step, throw, catch.  I was feeling the joy of doing one thing.  Maybe focusing on, and doing one thing at a time is what is meant by being 'in the moment'.  To me it was a sweet-spot in time.

Our days are so full, and often we're wrapped up in multi-tasking; running around, doing as many things as possible - and all at once.    When was the last time you did one thing at a time?  Try it out for yourself today.  Choose an activity you enjoy and see how it feels to do that, and only that.  Treat yourself to feeling that sweet-spot in time, even if it's only a few minutes.

Beautiful Time Lapse Video

The Mountain by Terje Sorgjerd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMZ3fKDREJA&feature=fvsr

Inspiration

Take a few moments and think about a person who inspires you. Who is the first to come to mind?  It might be someone you know well, or it could be a stranger.  Maybe they're a historic figure or a character from a novel.  It could be someone famous, someone who's changed the world - or simply someone who's changed your world. 

Once you've got that person in your mind, ask yourself what it is about them that you admire.  What made you think of them?  Why are they compelling?  What are their traits and attributes? What are their values?   What do you like about them?  What makes them inspiring to you?  How do you feel when you think about what they've done - and how they lived their life?  What impresses you most?

So – now that you've got that – what does this mean for you?  Do you aspire to be more like that person?  Are their traits, attributes and values something you foster in your own life?   If yes, think about how you do this.  Is it something you consciously do?  During a challenging experience, have you asked yourself 'What would (Your Inspiring Person) do in this situation"?

Now notice how you are like that person.  There's a very good chance you already have those traits, attributes and values – since you've recognized, and admired them in someone else. 

When we are asked about what our best traits are – it can be a tough question to answer.  But it's a great question to ask.   How do we see ourselves?  What is important to us?  How do we want to live our life?

Sometimes it's easier to recognize these things in others first, before we can acknowledge and appreciate them in ourselves.  Once we do – we can foster and nurture those traits; live more in line with what's really important to us.  We've been inspired, and maybe by expressing those traits and values, we can in turn inspire someone else.

Walk in the Garden

How about treating yourself to a walk in a beautiful garden today? Even if you can't get to one outside, you can imagine it. This photo might help, too.

See yourself stepping into this lovely scene - the air is fresh and kind of tangy from the recent rain. Take a deep breath in and become aware of a soft breeze that brings the delicate scent of new grass, early spring flowers and the damp earth. You begin to see the flowers now and all of their vibrant colors. Yellow and orange Tulips, the bright green of new growth. It's a spectacular, vivid show of color. Take a closer look and notice the amazing variety of green and other, unexpected hues – the deep reds and purples, the delicate pinks.  What else do you notice now that you are here?

Take another deep breath, and continue to walk along the path.  Become aware of how you are already beginning to relax more now. Roll your shoulders back and down, and notice how good it feels to be able to take even deeper and more satisfying breaths now. As you stand quietly, you begin to perceive other things in the garden. The sound of birds. They are singing and twittering and chasing each other around the garden. It's springtime.  Nature is renewing itself and you find yourself feeling refreshed and relaxed here.

As you keep walking, deeper into the garden, from time to time you take a closer look at the flowers.  and discover a new shape or color or flower.  From this fresh angle you have found something beautiful that was hidden before.   How does it feel to discover something new and vibrant? 

Eventually, when you feel ready, find a comfortable place to sit down – a bench, or a lounge chair, or maybe you want to sit on the grass. Notice how relaxed and peaceful you are in this garden, and that your breathing has slowed down even more. Fill your lungs with the fresh spring air and as you exhale, allow all of your senses to really let go.

Close your eyes and spend a few moments here, in this beautiful, serene place. Breathe it all in and become aware of how much more rested and refreshed you feel.

Photo Credit:  T Hopkins

Powerful Words

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Maya Angelou

 

For more quotes from Ms. Angelou, click on this link

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/maya_angelou.html

Apache Blessing

May the sun
Bring you new energy by day,
May the moon
Softly restore you by night,
May the rain
Wash away your worries,
May the breeze
Blow new strength into your being.
May you walk
Gently through the world and know
Its beauty all the days of your life.

Power Words

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed 3 specific words that keep appearing everywhere; in articles and books that I read, in conversations I have and interviews that I hear.   And now I have found that I'm purposely looking for those words, expecting them to pop up.   

What causes this phenomenon?  Sometimes it's after the 1st time we hear the word used, or we learn the word through the course of studying something new.  Or maybe we see something differently and the new word describes this new opinion, attitude, viewpoint or shift in focus.  It could be a word we already know, but the new use of it is different or now has more meaning.  If nothing else, this new word has certainly made us take notice and has sparked our curiosity. 

I mentioned this to a colleague, and she suggested that I dig a little deeper.  She called the words 'Power Words', and encouraged me to explore some more about what those words mean to me and how I might want to incorporate them into my work.  I'm very curious about where that will lead.  Why these 3 words, and why now?

Have you recently noticed a new word and then discovered it's everywhere?  What is the word?  Where did you first discover it?  Where are you seeing or hearing it now?  How do you feel when you use it, when you see it written or hear it spoken by someone?  

Maybe it's just a passing interest or the thrill of learning a new word.  Or maybe it's more.  If there an inner 'Hmmmmm' or 'Aha' when you notice the word,  it might be fun to do some exploring.  Find quotes and articles with the word; use it when you're communicating with people and watch their reaction, listen for it during conversations.  Notice when it keeps coming up and in what circumstance.  You'll know if it's worth taking further - but either way, you've added something new to your vocabulary.

Here's a fun link with a bit more on the subject

 http://1000awesomethings.com/2010/04/20/523-when-you-learn-a-new-word-and-then-suddenly-start-seeing-it-everywhere/

If you'd like to learn more about Power Words and their use, send me an email and I will forward you my colleague's contact information.

A Bob Update

Here's Bob April 3rd/11.  After 5 days away, I returned home to this beauty.

When I left, last week, the buds were still tightly wrapped, so I was surprised and very happy when I saw these big, red blossoms.  My patience has definitely been rewarded.