For the sheer JOY of it....

There is a guru I know who likes to say that the funnest part of being a Being on Planet Earth is realizing the power of your thoughts and using that knowledge to create the life you want. I'm pretty sure there's more than one such guru. I'm also quite certain that regardless of which one you happen to hang out with, you'll find that pretty much every other wisdom they share is covered by that one "rule"

You think it, you create it.

Or, in the words of the fantabulous Mike Dooley, "thoughts become things".

I could probably quote another twenty or so who said the same stuff in "other" words.

None of that matters. What does matter is that once you figure that one out, and you actually set your Self to living it, all manner of magickal stuff starts to happen.

I kid you NOT.

Now, if you've been here for any length of time you already know that this is one of my very favorite things to meander on. And every now and then I like to come back 'round to it because...well...it really is true and it really does work and there ain't nothin' funner when it does.

Honest.

So in the name of revisiting, I'm gonna toss this out to you, just in case you forgot. Or you didn't read the others over the course of my stay here. Or it happens to come out a little differently than the last time. Truth be told, I don't usually read 'em after I do my final proof. I just let them go and wait to see what comes up next. That's kinda my M.O. when writing (here). The ol' "take a breath. then another. then let your fingers fly" method. Because of said method, it is likely that the topics are revisited, but not the manner in which the topic is expressed.

I hope.

Lest I digress...

I got to thinking about all the magick that's been flyin' around here lately. How often I've found meself giggling over some "proof" from the Universe when I get all focused in and expectant. The trick, I'm thinkin', is in that latter....the "expectant" part. Once you start down that road, the things that show up will blow your pretty little mind and have you asking, "what took me so long???"

Here's the deal-eee-O:

Let's say you get it in your head that you're going to wake up, every single morning, and before you peek one toe out of the bed, you're going to take a few minutes to bask in the warm coziness of gratitude; for that bed and that pillow and the dog/cat/kid/person lying there next to you all happy you're awake. You're going to say a few thank-yous and get focused in on what you're wanting to experience on this fine new day. You think it, you see it, you feel it, you get it all crystal clear in your head and then you hop out of that cozy bed and git on with your day. Little by little, stuff is showing up. The very same stuff you made up your mind to be/do/have today. And the same thing happens the next day. And the next. And pretty soon you're full-ON expecting that all the stuff you focus on is absoTOOTly coming to you. {No, Mrs. Spiegelmeyer. That is not a typo.}

That's where the magick is.

The expectation.

I'm thinking it's because the Universe has as much fun as we do with all this co-creation stuff. And the more we play with that Energy, the more that Energy plays with us.

Like two kids on horseback, riding for the sheer joy of it. And for no other reason.

That is what it's all about.

Doncha think?

The Book You Really Must Have ....

If you are an artist (aren't we ALL?) or wish to hone your craft, this is the book you absolutely MUST have. It's titled: The Muse Is In: An Owner's Manual to Your Creativity. It is by the marvelous Jill Badonsky; and if you've read here before, you already know what a huge fan I am. If not, click on the link and get a load of her site. It's fantastically FUN!

I'm not going to write another review as I just did that over on Amazon. If you click the link (on the title above), you'll see that review there. If not, then do. The short of it is, in my not-so-humble opinion, this book is likely to be the ONE book that will change you and your craft forever. Then again, you're not me and maybe it won't. But wouldn't it be terrific if you found new ways to be more of who you are?

I thought so.

So, without further ado, go check it out. You're worth the $14, doncha think?

Baby Steps

Whilst I listened to my Muse speak on the dangers of self-sabotage, I jotted and scribbled and doodled, letting the words massage their way into my brain. I have come to a place where I know that it is most helpful to not try too hard. Rather, to ease myself into the lessons and allow my Beautiful Creative Self to take what she most needs. Because sometimes, just the act of taking notes causes me to miss the most important stuff. Hence the doodling. It works for me, as does the breathing I do before hand and the colored pencils I use in lieu of a more serious utensil like a pen. I find pens far too stodgy. Perhaps it is a reference to the pen being mightier than the sword. Not sure. Either way, pens are for crossword puzzles, not doodling.

{WHAT? YOU USE PENS TO DO YOUR CROSSWORD PUZZLES??? Yes, I do. Because I am a serious crossword puzzler and as I said, pens are serious utensils. But I digress....}

So she was talking about self-sabotage. It is, not surprisingly, one of the most common, stubborn, ridiculous of tactics by the pesky Ego. And Fear. And the Inner Critic who is as bossy as that curmudgeon next door who hollers every time you howl at the moon with your dog. They are all party poopers and not nearly as clever as they might think. That is, if you happen to have a Muse who reminds you that they all use the same tricks:

Keep her distracted. If she is distracted she cannot create.

Along the way, one of the things that set off the happy bells in my head was this:

Questions are the prompts for those tiny steps we can take toward our beautiful, creative light. We are all Lights; and if we are to shine for all the world to see, we must be persistent. We must practice. We must be repetitious in our commitment to our craft. With these little steps, we will slowly make the shift that will bring us to our Purpose. Any artist who has ever had one of those days (or weeks, or months, or...years) when it seemed like there were 4,693 other things we just had to do before we got to our creative work knows that the trick is to find a way, any kinda way, to get back to it. Sometimes we have to literally trick ourselves. We have to use new tactics. We have to re-think the way we speak. Saying things like "I get to..." instead of "I should...". They are little baby steps that lead us down the road we most wish to travel. And if it means that we have to start all over again every single day, then that is precisely what we will do. Because I have never met an artist, regardless of their chosen art form, who hasn't said (at least a thousand times), "Oh, how I wish I could do this for my living."

Well, guess what. You can. But you're not gonna get there by wishing. You're going to have to commit. You're going to have to suffer change. And stretch consciousness. And re-think thoughts. It might be a pain in the ass (at first) but wouldn't you rather have that challenge than a lifetime of working some horribly boring job while the Light of All That You Are dims to black, abysmal nothingness? Please. Please don't let it happen. Take those steps, whatever they might be for you. Make the commitment. And then, little by little, you will make your way to that Life you have only secretly dreamed of. That is what living is all about.

what would it be like?

What would it be like if you lived your Life as a work of art?

Ever think about that?

Kinda puts a whole new twist on "masterpiece", huh?

Here's what I'm thinkin': I'm thinkin' that if we were to plant that little seed in our brains first thing in the morning, before we even stick one toe out of bed, the day would look a whole lot different. I'm thinkin' that were we to carry this idea around with us all the day through, each of those days would carry an entirely different hue. I'm thinkin' that if we practiced this idea for even just a few weeks (21 days?!), we might find that Life has taken on a whole new color. And...we might not be so keen to judge ourselves so harshly.

Do you suppose any of the great artists of our world would've become "great" had they stopped painting or sculpting or writing or dancing had they allowed their first works to daunt? Do you think that they painted or sculpted or danced that first piece and found it 'perfect'? Do you not suppose that they, too, had their moments of despair and disappointment at their utter lack of "talent" when they first began?

I'm thinkin' they all had those moments. And they kept doing what they did anyway. I'm thinkin' there were times when they wanted to throw themselves off a cliff (or cut off an ear) or step in front of a bus...at least a few times in their lives. And I'm also thinkin' that if it weren't for their indomitable passion, we'd not have any of the magnificent pieces we have today.

So what if we decided to look at Life that way too? What if we woke up every day and said, "Okay, you brilliant genius...today you will break out the easel and the paints and the brushes and paint the Life of your dreams. Today, no matter what else happens, you will stretch your imagination and get your hands dirty and laugh at the Meanies that try to dissuade you. You're going to create a masterpiece today. And tonight, when you lay your genius head on the pillow, you're going to be grateful for what you did....even if it looks like a piece of junk. Yes. Today will be a grand and glorious day to create a masterpiece."

What if?