Fear and the Economy: Not a Good Mix!

If you are a Law of Attraction fan like me, I'm sure you'll agree that fear just adds fuel to the fire of an economic downturn. And of course fear can put out the fire of creativity.

I can't tell you what you need to do about the current economic situation. We've all had to make adjustments and maybe change some habits in response to the downturn. But take a look at how you feel about it. Replace any fear and feelings of victimhood with gratitude for what you have now and for what you intend to have in the future.

The Test

The following is a true account of how my husband, Stew, was repeatedly tested by the Universe in the last 6 months leading up to his recent retirement at age 55, all the while resolving not to let the media and the current climate of the economy keep him from this long-term goal.

We had a parade of unexpected expenses come into our lives over those 6 months, too. Our hard drive crashed, and so did our printer. I had a tooth that had to be crowned in December, even though we had used up most of our dental insurance allowance for the year.

We spent quite a bit of money on car and truck repairs in November, only to have the car's engine go permanently ka-put...one week before Stew's retirement in January!

Part 2 of the test came in the form of several several job offers in his field that might have pulled him back in. But Stew stood firm. He was retiring, and that was that! He didn't let anything scare him out of it or tempt him to change his mind.

Stew's response to "the test" may not be right for everyone, but I think Stew knew at a deep level that he was doing the right thing for himself. Law of Attraction expert, Dr. Joe Vitali, calls this "inspired action."

"The Test" Comes in Many Guises

It's often what keeps people in dysfunctional relationships, for example. Or it may keep someone stuck in some other pattern of behavior that they want to change, such as over-eating or smoking. Or you may get a "pop quiz" just as you're about to move across the country.

Author and creativity expert Julia Cameron calls this phenomenon "the escape-velocity test," because it reminds her of the earth's gravitational pull on a space shuttle that is being boosted into space. What a great analogy!

Check in with your intuition before letting yourself assume that "the test" is somehow "proof that it wasn't meant to be." (Whatever "it" is for you.) Maybe, but maybe not. Look deeper!

Please share your experiences with "the test" in the comments section.

Thanks,

Susan

P.S. Are you looking for a unique and fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day with your partner? Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766 to set up a prepaid appointment for my Cupid's Bow Valentine Special! It's a one-time couples-coaching session that's available for the month of February.

You'll leave the call (or visit) with a fresh perspective on what's right with your relationship! In honor of the special day, your session is just $14 US per couple, when prepaid and scheduled for the month of February. This offer has no calories and does not wilt! :-)

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

A Shot in the Arm for Health Care

Note: Please read on even if you're not "local." You may be inspired to help develop or support a similar program in your community!

Community Health & Dental Care, Pottstown, PA

Please go to http://www.ch-dc.org/ to check this out! Any overview I could give would not do justice to this amazing organization. I learned about them through my membership in the TriCounty Community Network (http://www.tcnetwork.info/). I will say that through the generosity of several organizations and individuals, Community Health & Dental Care is in a position to accept under-insured and even uninsured patients as well as those with adequate insurance.

Perhaps you or someone you know would like to become a patient and/or supporter! Community Health & Dental Care's Director of Development, Carolyn Brunschwyler, says, "...we've all been challenged to help turn this country's problems around, and health care is certainly one of those problems." I think that sums it up nicely!

Thanks,
Susan

P.S. for Local Folks: Sign up for my complimentary workshop, Trade Up to a Healthier Habit, by calling my host, McCormick Chiropractic, at 610-705-0201! I'll be presenting the workshop on Tuesday, February 17, from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm at their Pottstown office.

***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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Clutter-Zapping and a Calendar of Events

Out, D*%n Clutter!

My tally is at 70 clutter-busting hours for the time period of July 10, 2008 to this afternoon, January 5, 2009! If you've been following the monthly installments of this saga, you know that I'm aiming for 100 hours. In the past month, I accumulated 8-1/2 additional hours. I'm more than 2/3 of the way there!

With the flurry of the holidays behind us, I'd like to commit to at least 20 hours for my February report. If you think I'm being too easy or too hard on myself, let me know in a comment. It's New Year's Resolution time, so if decluttering is on your list, check in with us for support, accountability, and bragging rights! (Please let us in on your secret to success, too.)

Calendar of Events for Early 2009

Here are some other things I'm up to besides clearing clutter.... For more information, please contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com or 610-385-3766.

*Anti-Hibernation Coaching Special ~~ To benefit, have your complimentary session by February 20, and (if you decide to come aboard) have your first month prepaid by February 27.

*"Cupid's Bow" Valentine Coaching Special for Couples ~~ Your prepaid session is available for the month of February for just $14 US, in honor of the special day, February 14. This is a unique, fun, and calorie-free Valentine treat!

*The "More Than a Tutor" Coaching Program for Kids" combines my experience in education and coaching to assist your child in strengthening the social, emotional, and intellectual skills that form the foundation of his or her happiness and success in school.

*"Susan, Unplugged... Your 'Slow-Tech' Source for Creative and Healthy Living Tips" is this blog's alter ego. It's complimentary in the US and arrives by snail-mail. (Remember snail-mail??) The January/February issue is now available.

~~~Additional Goodies for Local Folks...~~~

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*Reiki is 50% off for your intro session.

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*"Trade Up to a Healthier Habit" is a complimentary workshop presented by me and hosted by McCormick Chiropractic in Pottstown, PA, on February 17 from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm.

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*Boyertown A.C. Wellness Council 4th Annual Health Fair will be held on March 21 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. I'll be exhibiting and offering a workshop at this family event.

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Be well,

Susan

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

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Communicate with Your Subconscious to Make Your Resolutions Stick

For many of us, the most important second language to learn is the language of our own subconscious minds. Your senses, behaviors, feelings, and imagination are the best translators for communicating with your subconscious mind.

In turn, your subconscious will answer and cooperate with you through these same channels, in the form of intuition. Resolutions tend to make a quick exit when our conscious and subconscious minds are not aligned and communicating in these areas.

To invite your intuition to respond and help you keep your resolutions, find ways to communicate in these three areas:

• Auditory~ music, spoken language (affirmations, poetry), chanting, listening to nature, reading your journal out loud
• Kinesthetic~ movement, rituals, smell, taste, awareness of bodily sensations, writing in your journal
• Visual~ collage, photos, view nature, the written word (affirmations, inspiration), guided imagery, symbols

Remember that your intuition also lives in a different time zone! The answers and supportive synchronicities will come at times that will seem random to you. Just go with the flow! The responses from your intuition will come through the same three channels as listed above:

• Auditory~ a thought pops into your mind, song lyrics related to your resolution run through your head, affirmations are reflected back to you as new neural pathways are formed in your brain
• Kinesthetic~ a spontaneous nudge to take a certain action, a pleasant or unpleasant bodily sensation, writing something in your journal that you had no idea you were thinking, a taste or smell that seems to come from nowhere
• Visual~what you've been visualizing is showing up in reality, a symbol that now strengthens your resolve and helps you move forward

You get the idea...get your conscious and subconscious minds in the same "head space." :-) You'd be surprised how often they're not, due to limiting beliefs that cause inner conflict about what you consciously want.
Happy holidays,
Susan
P.S. 'Need support in this area? Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a complimentary trial coaching session by phone or in person.

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

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Three Inspiring Quotes from Coco Fossland

Check out www.worldchangingbusiness.com to learn more about Coco Fossland her work.

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Coco on why we don't speak up...
"...we stop asking for what we truly want, because we are secretly afraid that to want it will expose even more of our fear -- that we're unworthy, not good enough, or whatever."
Naming the obstacle makes it feel smaller to me!
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Coco on keeping the holiday spirit 365 days a year...
"Giving with an open heart is a beautiful practice that brings out [the] feelings [that are keys to manifestation]. Thus, this makes you a magnet for receiving what you want."
It all comes back to the Law of Attraction.
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Coco on success...
"Your level of self-trust equals your level of success."
This one says it all!
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For more quotes from a wide variety of wise ones, check out the alter ego to this blog! It's my complimentary (in the US), snail-mail newsletter, Susan, Unplugged.... Your "Slow-Tech" Source for Creative and Healthy Living Tips. To order, contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com, 610-385-3766, or P.O. Box 586, Douglassville, PA 19518-0586.

Thanks,
Susan

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

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Clutter-Zapping Update, Month Five...and More

Greetings Intrepid Clutter-Zappers,

In the past month, I've logged another 11 and 1/2 hours of decluttering, for a total of 61 and 1/2 hours since 7/10/08! My goal is to reach 100 hours.

Like many things in life, it's a two-steps-forward-and-one-back process. Life is messy! I still need/want to live and work in my home and office, so I'll just have to accept those steps back, and focus on the progress I'm making.

On Wednesday (12/3), I wrote a post called "Pave the Way Now for Your 2009 Resolutions." I was quite pleased with myself for updating my plans for two goals that are well under way already...decluttering and building a business that serves from the heart. (Contact me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to ask about the introductory rate on my new "More Than a Tutor" program for school-aged kids!)

Then, on the next day, I learned that some numbers in my routine blood work were wonky, so my body is needing even more care than I've been giving it. Following my own advice may not be so easy after all! Back to the drawing board for a game plan for honoring all of my body's needs. Being proactive and taking responsibility for my own well-being are high on my values list, so this is not negotiable!

Please share your own goal-setting adventures by leaving a comment. Here's where the "support and accountability" part comes in that I mentioned on 12/3. :-)

Thanks,
Susan

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