Meditative Journaling

Dedicated to Our Wonderful Participants at the June Women's Retreat...

At a weekend retreat I co-facilitated a few weeks ago, we experimented with doing some very unstructured journaling immediately after the meditative experience of completing an 11-circuit finger labyrinth. I'd like to share my results with you, followed by some more meditative activities that can enhance your journaling.

Upon completion of the labyrinth, my mind presented me with an image of a piece of loosely woven cloth. I drew the image, and these are the words that followed, unedited:

I am a weaver of life's threads...even the ones that some may think are too short to save. Every piece contributes to the holistic life. A glint of gold here, a splash of silver there. Quiet colors, lively textures...whispers and nubs. Thick pieces and thin pieces, inviting us to touch its amazing geography. Life's bumps and windy spots. So windy, we can't always see too far ahead. But we don't need to. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other...follow your nose. And trust.

You'll be surprised at what's rumbling around in your mind! In addition to using labyrinths, other activities to try just before journaling are:
~exercise
~sleep
~Reiki
~bathing
~relax in nature
~sitting meditation
~receive a massage

Experiment with these, and please let my readers and me know what you experience!

My best to you,
Susan

P.S. Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a discounted introductory session of Coaching or Reiki! Coaching can be done by phone or in person.

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

***Member of the TriCounty Community Network, a local collaborative for the betterment of health, social, and environmental factors.***

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Don't Let Worry Push Your Buttons

Here are some tips...

~Be proactive about being prepared well in advance for events, etc. Just this one change has done wonders in reducing my stress level and taking worry off my plate. Make it a way of life!

~Trust yourself. Make a reasonably informed decision...then move on.

~Bodywork such as massage and Reiki, and the gentle movements of Tai Chi and yoga help to relieve anxiety and stress.

~Give challenging issues your attention when you're feeling fresh and rested. If they start to distract you at other times, write them down and put them aside until you're feeling your best.

~Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." I practice this, and it absolutely works! Instead of worrying about something as it is, I become the change I want to see.

~Be very selective about the kinds of media that you let into your psyche. Unless your job requires it, you don't need to be overloaded and stressed by all the bad news that's hyped up on TV, radio, and the Internet!

~Buddy up with a friend who is willing to be your sounding board in exchange for the same favor from you. Speaking your worries out loud to another person helps you keep them in perspective. It forces you to get clear enough about the issue to relay it to another.

~Journaling is another great way to clarify your thoughts and feelings about an issue.

~Look for the hidden "benefit" behind your worry. A small worry can distract you from a bigger challenge that perhaps you could make a difference on. But you feel a little unsure about it, so your subconscious mind grabs any small worry it can find as a substitute.

~Don't "feed" your worries. Like sea gulls, they will come to you in multitudes if they see you as a friendly host. Like attracts like...the Law of Attraction applies to sea gulls and worries, too. :-)

~Once you've done all you can, write down your worries and put them through the shredder! This is a great ritual for releasing worries.

~This next ritual is even more fun! Write your worries on a piece of toilet paper and flush 'em!
Happy New Year!
Susan
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P.S. I offer discount pricing for your introductory coaching session by phone or in person. Give it a try...maybe we can become partners in making your plans for 2010 unsinkable! Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com for an appointment.
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***Member of the TriCounty Community Network, a local human services organization at http://www.tcnetwork.info/.***

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***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

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Getting Your Ego and Intuition to "Play Nice"

Why is it that even when we dearly love to paint, write, dance, etc., we circle our studio or office like a plane waiting to land at a busy airport? We love our craft, we love to work on it, we love to get lost in it...so why are we sharpening every pencil in the place to a nub when we don't even plan to use any pencils?

I believe the answer lies in the phrase above, "...we love to get lost in it...." Yes, the creative and intuitive facets of our psyche love to get lost in it. They have no issue with surrendering to the mystery of the process.

The ego, on the other hand, fears "losing itself" in anything. I believe that our egos are necessary parts of our personalities. But the ego can be like a well-meaning but over-bearing friend to your creative side. He or she is afraid that if you "get lost in the process," you may never come back, or you won't want or need him or her anymore.

So it's the ego's fear that keeps us from diving into the work we love. The ego is also concerned about the end result and how it will be received.

To get our egos to "play nice," we have to remind them that they do their best work near the end of the process...in the editing, pricing, and marketing phases of a project. It's a yin-yang thing; each partner must contribute, but each must also rely on and trust the strengths of the other.

Please share a comment about your experiences with this natural law of the creative process!

Thanks,
Susan

P.S. I invite you to try a one-on-one complimentary intro session by phone or in person...on this topic or most any other in the realm of life coaching! Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766 to set up your appointment. I look forward to talking with you.

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

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Get the "How" Out of There!

Are you interested in deliberately applying the Law of Attraction, but confused by experts saying that you must let go of "how" you think your intention will manifest? I found a news story that illustrates this point perfectly.

A man named Bobby Guffey from Indiana had been buying state lottery tickets since 1989. From then up until this past August, he had only won about $5,000 in all that time. He clearly had an intention to win, and his "how" was to use the exact same sequence of numbers that had personal meaning to him every time he bought a ticket.

Up to that point, the question, "So, how's that workin' for ya?" may have been met with a scowl from Mr. Guffey! However, one day last August, he forgot his glasses, and he accidentally let go of his "how" by entering one of the digits wrong while buying his ticket.

When he saw his "mistake" later, he went back and bought another ticket for his usual number.

The results? His usual number won him $1,000 that day. Not a bad haul. But the "wrong" ticket won him three million dollars!

Moral of the story: Let go. Trust. And get the "how" out of there!

If you know a story that also illustrates this point, please share it with my readers and me in the comments section. Thanks!

My best to you,
Susan

P.S. Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a complimentary trial coaching session by phone or in person. Your responsibilities? Show up or call in on time and bring an open mind!

***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

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Closed Hearts Shut Out Creativity

When Do We Close Our Hearts?
We close our hearts in order to prevent further pain when we have been emotionally injured. But like denial, closing the heart is meant to be only a temporary arrangement while we set up the healing process.

Why Does A Closed Heart Block Creativity?
Over time, a closed heart robs us of our enjoyment of life, our playfulness, our ability to trust, our creativity and our intuition. It leaves us in a state of disconnection from Spirit, other people, and ourselves. We feel empty and tired. It can even lead to depression.

Walling off our hearts is an all-or-nothing deal, like general anesthesia. All welcome sensations are blocked out along with the unwelcome ones. Joy, creativity, and even colors are muted. Negative emotions, which are designed to stay in motion, get stuck. Instead of being the useful messengers they are meant to be, they overstay their welcome and can even make us sick.

How Can We Tear Down The Wall, Open Our Hearts, and Start Feeling Again?
Usually we have to do this brick by brick. Even in the case of a sudden catharsis, it takes time to integrate a new way of being. Coaching can often help with this, but if the problem is deeply entrenched, do yourself a favor and find a great therapist. If you're not sure what kind of help you need, I can help you sort it out in a complimentary trial coaching tele-session; email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com.

Part of opening our hearts is learning to forgive ourselves and others. Forgiveness has been given a bad name because people think it means that we have given in and are going back for more bad treatment. But forgiveness means releasing ourselves from the energy-draining situation in our own minds. It does not always mean reconciliation with the difficult person.

Placing blame leaves us powerless when it leads to feelings of resignation and victimization. We must take responsibility for our responses and for whatever we can do to improve the situation, whether we are to blame or not. As for our own mistakes, we can use the energy they stir up to learn from them and correct them instead of wasting it on beating ourselves up.

As we open our hearts, we can test the creative waters now and then to measure our progress. Here's the good news: Just as the closing off process affects us holistically, so will the opening process! Our general outlooks will improve, along with our energy and creative output levels. Unexplained physical problems may bow out, as well, once we "get" the messages they were sending!

Closing our hearts means closing ourselves off to a full life. What will you do for yourself today to let your heart help you express all of who you are? I'd love to see your answers in the comments section!

To your happiness,
Susan