You are here: Home / Archives for Leadership / Inspiration
Dec 10, 2011

The Gift of Free Form Writing

By ·

Are you in need of a little boost to get you going?  This is a little something to help you do some inner “house cleaning” of unconscious material that may be contributing to lowered energy or upset.  It will also help you let go of things that keep going round-and-round when you’re doing your best to sleep.

Free Form Writing

Drink some water before you start. Light a candle.
Turn off your phone and ask not to be disturbed.
Ask for the Light (a prayer) for the highest good for all concerned. (I actually write for the highest good of all concerned at the top of the paper. It acts as a “google search” for your unconscious, and brings up what needs to surface.

Use a pen and write what you are thinking for a minimum of 20 minutes.
Just keep the pen moving continuously.  For example, if you are thinking
“What am I going to write about for 20 minutes?” you write that down.
This helps get you out of your trance state, and you kinesthetically access your
unconscious mind.

When complete, burn what you have written. Don’t reread it. It re-anchors and is almost impossible to get out again.

Burn and flush if you like, (I use the kitchen sink)  then get busy and do something else. It helps to burn one page at a time, so as not to set off smoke detectors.
If you cannot burn your papers, then tear them up, although burning is far more symbolic to the unconscious.

I learned this technique from my teacher, John-Roger, about 19 years ago. It is
one of the easiest ways to help clear clutter from your unconscious mind! Even if nothing visible happens, things are going on…and you may also cry, get angry, etc. Don’t stop, just keep your hand moving with your mind’s thoughts.

Specific Writing to Clear a Person or Problem
Begin as directed above.

Write about what makes you angry or upset about the person or situation. Go deep and be as honest as you can!
1. What you hate about it (them).
2. What makes you sad about it (them).
3. What forgiveness you want to do toward that problem or person.
4. Then write about your love, care, concern, and/or gratitude for any clarity or understanding that surfaced as a result of this experiment.

Then burn what you have written.  Walk away and do something else to get busy.
You will likely find that there is a natural transition through the “topics” you are writing about.

These two writing exercises are a great way to release negativity that is pressing on you without hurting yourself, the planet or others.

Done frequently, it will transform your life!
Good luck!

Filed Under: Inspiration, Self Awareness ·
May 26, 2011

Unlikely Angels – “On Toby’s Terms”

By ·

A unlikely angel is coming to town, and I’d like you to meet him.

His name is Toby, a rescue dog with an unlikely mission.  He will be joining the elite ranks of movie stars whose life has inspired a film.

How did Toby hit the big time?

He had friends, who stuck with him through their dark night of the Soul.  Ironically, their dark night showed up when Toby moved in.  Angels come in all shapes and sizes, including destructive retrievers with big brown eyes.

This hilarious, heart felt and inspirational book is destined to be a classic.  Not only that, it’s a testament to the power of loving.

There’s a second story behind Toby’s story though. It’s one of relationships, networking, and cooperation among colleagues who united to make “On Toby’s Terms a best seller on Amazon.  If you want see what it takes to take it to #1 on Amazon, check out my friend Dave Albano’s blog post. For every aspiring best selling author with a story to tell, it’s a great uplifting read that takes us from dreaming about #1 status to an inside look at how to actually become a best selling author.

Now back to Toby.

“Toby is a Chesapeake Retriever and he makes Marley look like Mother Teresa! The stories are incredible of what he did & what he destroyed. But Toby has a secret, a gift.”

I read the previews on Amazon when I ordered the book, and I was hooked by the end of the first page. You see, I had my version of Toby. Her name was LC, which stood for last chance.  LC, like Toby, was a four legged angel whose antics and muddy paws opened my heart.  I’m sure Toby will open your heart to the infinite ways that love moves when God sends his gifts in unlikely packages.

Kudos to Charmaine Hammond for this lovely gem of a book.  Join me in celebrating life On Toby’s Terms.  I’m stocking up to get my holiday shopping done early!

Filed Under: Chaos, Conflict Resolution, Inspiration, Love · Tagged: , , ,
800 Survivors Help End Domestic Violence
Apr 12, 2011

800 Survivors Help End Domestic Violence

By ·

Domestic violence isn’t pretty. It’s shadow haunts millions of women and children and leaves its mark on future generations.

Survivor's Pearl

A Window Between Worlds (AWBW.org) has been doing something about that for two decades.

It all began twenty years ago, when a shy art teacher, Cathy Salser, decided to travel cross country one summer to share art with women in shelters. That one summer’s project became a life’s work. In 2010, 60,000 women and children in 25 states regained a sense of power and renewal through participating in AWBW’s Windows programs.  Those exposed to domestic violence suffer silently, or become violent and shut down. Art opens the door for survivors to move through their pain to renewal, power and wisdom.

A two-year community project between AWBW and the Korean Cultural Center culminated last month in a showing of 800 survivor’s artwork. The metaphor of grit and irritation provided the backdrop for the pearls of wisdom exhibit. The beauty and visceral messages spoke to the heart of healing. What a sharing it was!

The Pearls of Wisdom: End the Violence Exhibition was created by international artist Kim Abeles and the 800 women and children who courageously participated in this process of healing.  The exhibit culminated with a panel discussion facilitated by Sandra Mueller called “Ending Violence with Art & Activism: A Public Conversation. Suzanne Isken, Suzanne Lacy, Cathy Salser, Natalie Sanchez and Barbara T Smith shared their perspectives as artists with a lively look into their work.

Kudos to those who made this event happen. It’s a life changer, for the brave women and children who created the art, and those who listened to their wisdom

If you’d like to make your own pearl of wisdom, or see the pearls of wisdom community wall , go to: http://createpearls.awbw.org/

Filed Under: Dealing with Fear, Inspiration ·
Mar 20, 2010

Are you Alive?

By ·

Do you wake up on Monday mornings with dread?  Is it another day of the same old same old…

Here’s a challenge to help you bridge the gap to brilliance:

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs.

Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then do that.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Harold Thurman (1899-1981), American author, theologian, philosopher, educator, civil rights leader

It’s never too late to come alive to your joy. Make the time to ask and answer that question and watch the magic unfold.

Filed Under: Happlness, Inspiration, Love, Self Awareness, Spiritual · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
Mar 18, 2010

Loving yourself Happy

By ·

I’ve heard it said that life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans.

How true.  James, my late husband, left 92 single spaced pages of ideas and thoughts for his books and poetry. He never lived to see retirement nor get them published.  A school friend signed as a professional football player at 17, and never made it to training camp. His motorcycle slid into a car and he spent the rest of his life as a quadriplegic. Instead of football, he became an engineer, and even drove his own van, operated  by the touch of his finger on the controls! It’s up to us to create happiness from the opportunities we’ve been given.  Rest assured, in the thick of things, it is hard to see beyond the current upset into the potential for growth and happiness. Life isn’t for the fainthearted.

James suffered with life long chronic pain.  When he got past the idea of, “Why me?”  he accepted life as it was and lived a full, productive and happy life – even though he left an unfulfilled dream of being an author. He spent weekends at his writing craft.  James was a writer and he wrote. That was his process and the end result didn’t matter.

My grad school chum and I used to dance together.  He would use his fingers on the joystick of his electric wheelchair to make it move, and I’d dance around him. He told me shortly before he passed away that he had the most amazing life. He confided that his condition was a great gift – a living experience of being loved ‘from the inside out.’ – and he knew himself as a Beloved Child of God.  He lived a happy life.

It’s not what happens to us that determines our happiness and joy.

Happiness is a moment by moment process, not a one time event.

It is up to us to choose happiness.

I like knowing what’s ahead.  I also like to control outcomes! Health challenges, the uncertainty of change, financial, physical, emotional, mental or spiritual pain are signals that something’s afoot. I can attempt to control the outcome of everything and plan my life, but life really plans me. When I decide to consciously choose positive thoughts, I get to emerge victorious!  Some days I play the romantic, the martial artist, entrepreneur or author. Other days the victim, victorious, wise one or fool. They are all facets of my personality. Life is my playground, and I can change thoughts as I please.  When I change those thoughts to ones of loving, compassion, acceptance and gentleness, life gets happy indeed. It’s so much more fun to be happy!

Life is an adventure. Letting go and trusting that all is well, regardless of how it looks on the outside, sometimes comes down to breathing in and out.  They say in 12-step programs that the first step is to say, “God (Higher Power) I can’t, you can, please help.”  That’s great advice for all of us when the going gets tough.

Here’s your challenge for the week: Drop the story of why your life is or isn’t what you want and love yourself happy.  If not how, when?

Filed Under: Changing Thoughts, Happlness, Health challenges, Inspiration, Kindness, Love, Self Awareness, Spiritual · Tagged: , , , , , ,
« Older Posts