rainbowsoverruins

Going Viral with Appreciation

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Did you feel it? My inbox and social media sites have been filled with expressions of gratitude as we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the States.

Since the publication of Rainbows Over Ruins, I often hear from people who have been inspired by my story. After all, if I can survive the after effects of a landslide, and go on to thrive, others can hold onto the possibility that they can too – in all areas of life. They can use the road map I have shared in order to come to understand the power of their minds and retrain their thinking. They can start to grasp the creative process.

Still, when you are in the midst of a crisis, where do you begin? I used to ask myself, how do people pull themselves up by the bootstraps when they have no boots? And the answer was to imagine the boots. It may be a little too simplistic, but imagination is one of the great powers of the mind. Over time, I’ve found that our imagination yields richer results when we open its treasures with an attitude of gratitude and appreciation.

So how do we start? How do we express a sense of appreciation when we are at a low ebb in our emotional life? Here it is. Take the time to appreciate one thing in your life that makes you feel better, brings joy or a hint of well-being every day.

There is an immediate shift in the energy you are putting out. The new energies are closer to what you want to be feeling. The magnetism of that improved frequency draws more of the same. The more you do it, the more you attract.

One of the cornerstones of my meditative work is to express gratitude. I have been following someone’s suggestion that I look for 10 things every day for which I am thankful. Sometimes I have to stretch to think of so many things, but I focus on this feeling as it opens me to new and wonderful ideas during the rest of the day. It does not matter what it may be – a moment of rest and relaxation, sunshine, rain, food, shelter, loved ones, being greeted by a happy pet, solitude, friendship, a new inspired thought, a surprise gift, the opportunity to give to others, goals achieved, the ability to work toward my goals, the connection to consciousness and on and on. The key is to express your appreciation every day.

So what are you happy for today? What are you grateful for? What do you appreciate? If you are looking for an action step to improve your life, grab a pen, pencil or crayon and memorialize it in your journal or drawing pad – even on the back of a napkin. And keep doing it. If you’d like to spread the sense of appreciation to others, send me a comment, make a You-tube video, let the people who serve you know that they are appreciated. Let’s keep the feeling of Thanksgiving going. Let’s go viral with the feeling of appreciation.

May you share your love in the form of appreciation to all around you today.

To Your Success,

Susan

The Joy of a 3 Day Weekend

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I really needed this fabulous weekend. The past couple weeks have been stressful as we strive to create great shows, while facing the challenge to bring the season in “on time and on budget.” So, it has felt great to kick back, curled up to finish a novel I’ve been slowly reading. I had planned to do things around the house and to promote Rainbows Over Ruins.

If you haven’t read my book yet, the story focuses on my growing awareness that there is a creative thought process that makes it possible to identify what you truly desire, choose actions that support it and get the results you want. Since my entire career has centered on producing, facilitating, and supporting the unfettered creative spirit, coaching this process in order to achieve our creative potential is a natural outgrowth. The book has been a first step in that direction.

Anyway, a funny thing happened on the way to making progress on my To-Do list. One of those items was to focus on the needs and desires of my target audience. Because the book is about our recovery after a landslide destroyed our home, I was looking for people who have to change for any number of reasons or survive difficult situations as I have done. They will have to prepare to transition to new opportunities, develop their outer game by setting goals and taking positive actions as they rethink, redefine and reignite their purpose. If they are developing businesses (and a significant number are), they will engage in strategic planning, team building, and deal with conflict resolution. It will be easier if they ask for help.

As I meandered through the Internet doing a Google search, the keyword I liked most was the word “creativity.” When you are in recovery mode, you benefit from the ability to access your creative potential. This involves the inner game, connected to limitless possibilities. As new creative techniques are learned and applied to common life and workplace challenges, an entirely different energy emerges. It yields a positive outlook and forward looking capacity, even in the face of adversity. It energizes the creative spirit and makes all things possible. If you learn how to flip your thinking, pop paradigms, ask better questions and use power habits, you find your creative self and reap the full benefit of the creative process for personal development and business projects.

With thoughts about creativity tumbling around my mind, I felt a call to look over the draft of my business plan. If you’ve read the book, you know that I have a dream to create a center where people can learn these skills, as well as writing an additional book about the creative workplace. Turning again to the draft proposal, I was reminded of one of my Dad’s stories. It was a bit of a horror story, really, about the tragic ends to doctoral students who could not answer one key question when they went before the panel for their doctoral review: What is the benefit of this work for individuals and businesses? What is the value? In the case of the business plan, the questions would be: Why do we need a Center? Why do we need to improve our creativity?

So my last day off is being spent answering those questions. It has been very helpful to turn to the work of Bruce Nussbaum, author of Creative Intelligence. (I had picked up a copy of his book several months ago in one of those serendipitous moments – a Godwink – when an entire table at Barnes and Noble was dedicated to books on creativity.)

It feels good to hear my own words validated on his pages. We are all creative, even when we are just doing our jobs, even if we don’t think of ourselves that way. But Nussbaum also makes two points that address the question if this work has value to others. Of course, he believes it does.

From a needs perspective, everyone feels the effects of a rapidly changing world. We live in what the military calls VUCA, a time that is “volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.” Nussbaum observes his students coping with this by an awareness that they need to create their own opportunities “in order to survive, and they [want] to learn how.” (Creative Intelligence, p. 16). Of course, it isn’t just the students who face this. All of us do. “We need to prepare ourselves for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, to solve problems that we haven’t recognized” (CI, p. 33).

This affects anyone in transition or any form of life crisis. Just as the rug is pulled out from under them, they face the need to redefine and recreate themselves in a new world they barely understand. They need a way to raise their awareness that there are creative skills they can learn so that they have the means to face these issues in a proactive way.

But the joy of this work – and I’m all about joy and well-being – does not center on the needs aspect. Bruce Nussbaum also mentions Sonia Manchanda, of IDIOM (India), who asks: “Why not focus on aspirations – dreams that we may not believe are even possible?” (CI, p. 29)

Remember, within each crisis is opportunity. Each of us has the chance to learn to focus our ideas into creations that have value and bring us joy, a sense of accomplishment, and the chance to help others. Great potential comes from strong aspirations coupled with the willingness to flip one’s counterproductive thoughts, develop power habits and direct them toward successful results.

I may not have a center yet, however, thanks to a strange meandering 3 day weekend, I am centered on its value. May you find similar times to discover your aspirations and begin to see them unfold.

To Your Success,

Susan

Why do you want to develop power habits?

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You are what you think. I know, you are more accustomed to the saying, you are what you eat. But really, even what you eat is a result of what you think. All the silly, seemingly mindless things we do are the result of what we think before we do them. They are only mindless when we have done them so long that they have become automatic habits.

One of the most important aspects of the creative thought process involves catching ourselves in a detrimental habit and changing it through the creation of more positive ones. Noah St. John calls them Power Habits. Those of you who have read my book Rainbows Over Ruins with its foreword by Noah St John know that Noah played a key role in helping me get unstuck when I was going through a difficult time.

It wasn’t so much that negative thought habits were undermining my personal and professional aspirations. Rather, I was not developing the power of my thoughts in a more positive direction. At first, Noah taught me about Afformations – the positive why questions that make a powerful shift possible. They enabled me to make a rapid turnaround in my day to day experiences. As I saw the results unfolding, I wanted to learn more about this technique, as well as Noah’s Power Habits system.

I found both techniques to be easy to understand, simple to learn and practice, and extremely beneficial. They are useful whenever you encounter a contrast or conflict in your activities or relationships with others. In practice, they provide a means to examine what’s creating the conflict and find creative solutions to it.

Here’s an example. In my work as a line producer, it’s very easy to become buried in financial details. At certain points, like someone who cannot see the forest for the trees, all we can see is financial limitation and we start saying “no” to every request. We husband our resources to make them stretch over the required period. We may not feel happy about it, but we do feel justified. In some way, we feel we are serving the best financial interests of the organization. What we may not realize is that we are not only not very popular when we do that, but we are also chaining the spirit of everyone trying to create on the project. When you are developing and producing creative content, that’s a pretty big problem.

Thankfully, once you are aware that a negative mindset can be “flipped” in a more positive direction through the use of afformations, you may choose to turn this situation around to keep the creative spirit on your project unfettered. In my case, I realized that I would be better served if I focused on developing thought habits with limitless possibilities. Everyone involved would have more fun and be able to work from their most creative perspective.

What did I start doing? Afforming. “Why do I search for the most creative solutions for the show?” “Why do I become aware of creative requirements as early as possible so I have enough time to search for them?” “Why do I notice all the possibilities around me?”

The next time a situation presents itself that triggers my old habits, instead of responding with a constricting answer, I think about my new afformations and begin to look for a solution that will enable us to be both creative and financially responsible at the same time. The reward for this response is different. We feel more expansive, sharing our part in the creative process together.

This is not a one-time fix. Every time this situation (or one like it) comes up, I have to remember to choose the more positive, supportive response. I have to remember to ask those questions or the old habits will surface by default. However, I am finding that each time I catch myself in older patterns and apply the new techniques, it gets easier. The newer perspective comes more rapidly and I can utilize it with the desired results more readily.

If you are experiencing this type of automatic reaction, you may want to learn more about afformations and the Power Habits system. I wholeheartedly recommend it. You can find out more about my book Rainbows Over Ruins, and the creative thought process at my website www. susansherayko.com – and there is an affiliate link to Noah’s work as well.

To Your Success,

Susan

Waiting to Inhale

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Easter weekend and I am enjoying a quiet weekend at home. It is as if I am waiting to inhale. Within the past couple weeks, I moved from what is called “production” to “distribution” status on my book, Rainbows Over Ruins. As I pressed the start button for the fax machine to send my final approval form to the publisher, my heart skipped a beat.

It has taken time to write and edit. Now, the dream will be a reality. My mind races with questions. Who will I tell about the book? How will I tell them about it? Why will it be of value to others? Thankfully, Balboa Press has a solid marketing staff who are there to help me through the process.

I also just returned from one of Noah St. John’s training sessions in Ohio. It was so much fun to meet with other coaches who are using power habits and afformations with clients. We each came home with an extra added feature – a diagnostic test we can use to evaluate what may be holding our clients back from achieving their ambitions.

Not only that, but on the flight home, I picked up a copy of April’s Spirit Magazine. I rarely read inflight magazines, but the cover story was so compelling. “Van Phillips asked three questions that changed the world. You can ask them too.”

What an incredible coincidence! I was returning from the Ohio training with the man who had introduced me to the power of Afformations, positive questions that can provide breakthrough transformations. They certainly have for me and I now incorporate them into my coaching and writing.

Now, SQuire Rushnell would not call this a coincidence at all. He would call it a God Wink, an unopened gift that has been placed right in front of us, tying the bow so to speak on a package, emphasizing an aspect of our experience. Even knowing about God Winks is a God Wink for Rushnell has appeared on our show a few times, but I have never met him.

Anyway, the article’s author, Warren Berger, is not just covering a news story on Van Phillips’ incredible accomplishments creating the new generation of prosthetic limbs. Nor is he writing about how to make “conversation interesting” as he put it. Berger is talking about “beautiful questions” that have the potential to cause change. After learning about Van Phillips, Berger asked himself “what if we kept asking why and what if?” Berger’s life direction changed. He now participates with the Right Question Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts to promote more curiosity in school and businesses.

Like Noah St. John, Berger talks about how the answer is in the question. I imagine he felt the same enthusiasm I felt when I first heard about Afformations. For me, it was seeing a connection between what Noah wrote and the Biblical statement: “Ask and it is given.” My mind whirled. What if questions are the answer? What if how we ask is important? What if the Why game was the most important game we could ever play with our children, even if it exhausted us?

Van Phillips is still asking questions. He wants to know why it is possible to provide these state-of-the-art prosthetics to land mine victims in war zones. Berger is suggesting that we ask beautiful questions of ourselves and participate through rightquestion.org and amorebeautifulquestion.com. He’s also written a book, “A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas.” St. John is educating others on the power of positive Why questions at noahstjohn.com. His new book, “The Power of Afformations” even includes a few words of my story in it.

To learn more about how I am incorporating these questions into guiding others on the creative process most effectively, keep watching this blog for news about when Rainbows Over Ruins is available and where you can obtain it.

As new activities ready to kick into gear, that momentary pause between breaths shifts and my mind begins to whirl around a new set of beautiful questions. Have a lovely holiday weekend and ask yourself some beautiful questions.

To Your Success,

Susan

What if you had a “piano teacher” for your mind?

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Sharing the creative process and being what Noah St. John calls a “loving mirror” to others is similar to developing a pianist or fine athlete.  A piano teacher or athletic coach offers principles and techniques designed to teach you to make music or play a winning game. Similarly, a piano teacher for your mind teaches and offers constructive guidance to help you improve your life or achieve your dreams.

Do you remember those early lessons? Scales repeated every day, reaching for chords that stretched the flexibility of hands, learning to read the notes on the page, and beginning to discover the voice and tempo of a simple composition from clues written on the sheet music… In the beginning, it seemed mundane and arduous; a chore set before you by parents and teachers alike. 

Yet over time, with much daily practice and many weekly classes, we developed a certain agility. Our hands flowed more smoothly over the keys. We made fewer jarring mistakes and we made music. People noticed the improvement and started to appreciate what we were doing.

As long as we kept practicing to maintain these skills and get into the rhythmic feeling of the compositions, the piano yielded its treasures. We mastered them first for ourselves, then gradually shared them with our families, a school band or concert orchestra.  Perhaps we expanded our reach and participated in plays, on a team, or made movies.  We developed resiliency and strength to perform under the pressure of public presentation.

Why do others care about our music or creativity? Why do they come to watch or listen to our performances? Why do they value it? It’s my contention that we express our feelings through our craft and the audience listens because they like the way we make them feel.  And in return, we value the appreciation we feel when they respond to our work.

Our piano teacher is often the first one to guide us to this experience, supporting us through the early developmental stages, providing constructive criticism to help us improve and cheering us on as we achieve new milestones and try our hands at something new.

The analogy here is that the way we think needs to be nurtured in much the same way. We have a mind and we go to school to learn skills that we can use throughout life to help us survive and live a comfortable life. If we grow up in a spiritual home, we learn to pray, attend services or meetings with others and come to value service to our fellow beings.

But without the guidance of a “piano teacher of the mind,” we may not be fully aware of how we may coordinate these two aspects of the mind to create the life we desire. A teacher would help raise our awareness of the qualities of the conscious and non- or subconscious mind. In the materialistic world we do not always recognize the value of the subconscious mind – its open, receptive nature and ability to connect with what quantum physics calls fields of all possibility.  A teacher can help us learn techniques like afformations in order to collaborate with the subconscious mind’s inherent nature and obtain desired results. Anyone who can ask a question can learn to do this.

As a teaching guide to the mind and conscious creativity, my task is to show you the basics and raise your awareness that the subconscious mind does not judge. It accepts what come to it whether good or bad – and reacts in kind.  Your results depend upon both your conscious thoughts and the effect of your feelings as well.  With regular practice you can learn to use tools and techniques to manage both in order to influence the subconscious for your benefit. You can set up a daily inner routine for the mind that is even more powerful than what you do in your outer activities.

Your personal process requires practice, just like learning to play the piano. It also benefits from regular interaction with the teachers who support your growth and others with similar interests. It is inspired by companionship with those who express their joy and speak of discovering new awareness. It benefits from the presence of others who help us see what we may have missed and then help us adjust.

I have long since lost contact with my first piano teachers and my fingers are not so nimble on the keys these days.  Perhaps if I had stayed in touch, my musical skills would be far better. But I know the value of such teachers and apply it in my daily practice routine for my mind.  And I am grateful for interaction with those who keep my skill set up to date now.

If you want all the benefits to be gained through knowledge of the mind in order to get the results you desire, may I suggest you ask for your piano teacher of the mind, learn the basics of the creative process and practice regularly.  With your loving mirror nearby, you can clear the way and enjoy the full expression of your creativity.  Let me know if I can help.

Do You Schedule Enough Dreamtime?

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Sharing the story within my book Rainbows Over Ruins has taken over my free time. It speaks of the creative process I have been learning since the landslide, and I have been contemplating all manner of ways to tell people about it. Since finishing the manuscript, I have been writing a companion workbook for readers to go through the process as they read. As that has developed, it has naturally led into thoughts about how to coach them through the exercises as well. This natural progression is the result of what Noah St. John calls “imperfect action taking.” We don’t wait to try something until we become perfect at it. We start where we are right now and let the results emerge through us.

It is as if we are all wired to become the best “Me” that we can be. I couldn’t help thinking about babies and small children who are willing to try and try again until they master life’s basics. As infants, they want life’s comforts and master the communication skills that get adults to bring it to them. As they observe others in their environment, they begin to desire what they see around them. They want some control over their ability to have these things and the freedom to get them when they want it. They want to do what they see others doing. Those desires fuel their relentless attempts to roll over, crawl, stand and walk. They make no excuses for their tiny failures and naturally persist in doing whatever it takes to get what they want. Along the way, they develop likes and preferences and a sense of who they want to be when they grow up. They play and pretend, using whatever resources surround them to create the environment they believe makes up the adult experience. They mimic.

But something else can also happen to us. As we grow older, the cumulative effect of failure, rejection and loss can lead us to become more risk adverse. The mind numbing effect of too much information overload and the drug like, hypnotic effect of media may stop us from seeking to expand our circumstances and surroundings. More complacent, we may be content to follow familiar routines and habits regardless of whether those actions contribute to future dreams. It begins to feel too hard to change, adjust or rebuild after a loss. Sometimes we don’t remember what we wanted to be when we grew up or care about becoming the Best Me I Can Be anymore.

The results are not good. We get bored, depressed or overwhelmed by even the smallest problems. As a young woman, I remember asking myself “Is this all there is?” Our thoughts are filled with negative questions, doubt, worry and fear. We whine and complain, resent others for having better lives, and often look for ways to dull the memories of distant childhood dreams. Some would rather stay stoned or become addicted to blot out the pain and frustration.

After the landslide, I experienced some of those feelings. I had no idea of how to rebuild after losing the house, and in its aftermath, we didn’t even have the comfort of familiar routines. Feelings of doubt, worry and fear threatened to drown me. Peter and I could easily have given up because at first it looked as if there were no answers. But we got through it. We dealt with the problems one step at a time, daily, as the next presented thing and moved from disaster to dreams coming true. We both enthusiastically continue to pursue our Best Me I Can Be every day.

So how did we turn the situation around? That is the subject of my book as we unknowingly lived the creative process in order to rebuild. I’ve come to believe that everyone has the ability to express this creativity to improve the circumstances and events in which they find themselves. We started by taking an inventory. We looked at the resources we had left, acknowledged the contrasts and conflicts around us and began to dream of what could be better.

If you are serious about improving your life, you need to make room in your daily schedule for more dream time. Use daydreaming, mind movies, meditation, journaling or centered prayer, but allow the well spring of creativity deep within you to emerge so that you can feel how good you feel in those dreams. It is key to getting what you want. If you can find one thing that makes you feel good or one action you can take every day, you can use the power of your mind to ask for what you want as part of your daily routine. It may not happen overnight, but you will be amazed how much can shift in a positive way. Try it. I think you’ll like the results.

Do You Know Your Value?

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I was thinking about how to identify the audience who would be interested in my offerings when I listened to what Noah St. John had to say about value – the value we bring to others. It made sense to me that before we can identify an audience, we need to know our value so that we can communicate it. However, this has been challenging to me personally. In fact, that’s part of the reason that my book Rainbows Over Ruins took the form that it did. When I began to write, I believed in the value of the success principles, not necessarily in my personal value. Over time, I learned that sharing my experiences, both positive and negative, as an example of someone applying these principles has a value to others.

So why don’t we always see this easily? Noah explains it simply. We cannot see ourselves without the assistance of a mirror. And when we look for a mirror, we want an honest mirror, not one provided by a funhouse that distorts our image. When it comes to the value we provide others, the mirror is not a physical tool, but rather what is reflected back to us from other people. Noah calls them “loving mirrors.” They are the people around us who believe in us even before we are able to believe in ourselves.

There is a special feeling connected with people who support us this way. I was most aware of it when I was studying psychosynthesis and in other group settings. As we shared thoughts, feelings and experiences together, we understood that our role was to listen and support others as they worked through issues in their lives in confidence. Whatever we heard there stayed there. We could share ways we handled similar situations, perspectives we had gained, behaviors we changed and how we changed them. We did not attack or challenge. What we shared was designed to help, not criticize. As often as possible, we found ways to appreciate others for their shares and the value they brought to our lives.

Because a support group is able to show the value we bring to their lives and to others, we gradually come to believe that we can change, cope, improve or acquire new skills. We come to believe that we have value and feel confident about sharing it with others.

Who are the people you would place on your list? They may or may not come from family and friends, co-workers or superiors. In fact, many people do not believe that they have any people who support them in such a positive way. That’s one of the best reasons to find a coach, mentor, support or mastermind group where you can feel the support you need. Once you do, you will find it easier to go after your goals by eliminating any negativity that works against your success.

Part of my daily routine is to express gratitude for the blessings I experience. Included in that list are an ever growing list of people who provide the support I need to keep reaching for growth, expansion and the creation of something new on a regular basis. I have learned that no matter in what circumstances you find yourself, you can find solutions if you are willing to ask for help, be open to receive the assistance that comes your way and then help others in return.

The thought brings to mind a beautiful image shared in spiritual circles of an individual climbing up a rock surface. One arm is extended up to those above him on the mountain. They help him. He, in return, has his other hand reaching back to assist those below who are also climbing. That’s the way I feel about my own journey. Picture me reaching up to those who have taken this journey before me. Now, I’d love to reach back and help you use the creative process to accomplish your goals. Together, we can climb the mountain.

Willing to Meet the Audience

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I’ve spent my morning daydreaming and planning how I am going to share my book Rainbows Over Ruins when it is published. The prospect of reaching out to others has been looming over my head for months. With only a few items in the editorial notes left to address, this could be happening within a very short time frame. Of course, it’s also part of my work in television. We are always asking questions about developing an audience. What I have been learning is that building an audience for a network program and building one for a personal project is surprisingly similar.

First, finding our audience is a natural outgrowth of creativity. At some point in our creative process, we are going to want to share our creations. This is especially true if you make multiple items that require storage, if you want to move a project along in order to make room for new ideas, if you need additional resources in order to continue to create, or want to recoup the costs of what you have already done. It helps to know what you ultimately want from your creativity.

In my case, after a landslide destroyed our home, I became fascinated by the creative process and the power of the mind, especially when I saw that my own steps to rebuild paralleled the process involved. I set out to describe it. What happened to me next led to greater depths of understanding than I expected as each step was revealed and the corresponding life lesson learned. I believe the information contained in the story I tell can improve people’s lives.

Was I thinking about sharing the story when I set out to implement the idea of writing a book? Of course, it was in the back of my mind when I started to write, however, as I got inspired with the project and working through all the details involved in order to see my vision come to life as a published book, how to share wasn’t front and center.

It is now. Once I have a box of books on my dining room table, what am I going to do with it? I’ve been reading and now have scraps of paper, pages in my notebooks and white boards of information designed to help me create a plan to raise awareness of my book so that people will know it exists. All this study has provided me the basics to know what to do. What remains is to activate my willingness to make it so.

It’s a little daunting as I begin to introduce myself to strangers and share what is a very personal journey through the creative process. Yet each time someone comes up to me to ask me a question or tell me how much they are looking forward to reading Rainbows Over Ruins, I feel better. And it feels good to be able to encourage others to share their creative projects as they see me going through the experience as well. Each conversation is helping me realize who needs what I have to offer and I’m glad – and grateful – that they are willing to share that with me.

Preparing for the Media

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This has been a hectic week. As we anticipate a few days off around the holidays, staff, talent and crew have made the value of planning and communication abundantly clear. As I wrapped my head around their needs, it occurred to me that shadowing members of the team could be of value – especially to me. After all, as soon as Rainbows Over Ruins is available, I will be asked to stand up in front of other people, and hopefully appear in media, to share my experience of the creative process.

Could I ask for a better place to work – where I get to observe what is involved? I get to see guests during the rehearsal process and on the air. Perhaps the producers will let me listen to the pre-interview process or even put me through the questioning.

What does a guest on an interview show need to know and prepare before they arrive on set? Here I am in this environment every day. It is an incredible opportunity to see how important the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “how” and “why” of a presentation can be and then prepare myself. As a guest, it would helpful to think through these details and build my conversations around my goals from an interview. Producers may not have the time to think through each segment so the more I can bring to the table the better.

There are also things we can do when we appear on a show that could really make a difference in how we are received and perceived. For instance, someone in our talent department made me aware of two helpful hints today – be mindful of how you use your hands on camera, and do not look up in the air when you are asked a question. It diminishes your presence on camera. Those are physical habits that can be trained away if we work with someone who catches us when we do the wrong thing, much the way that a media trainer works.

I am grateful for the awareness that my current environment holds so much value. Why is this going to be so much fun?

The Willingness to Re-Focus

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Have you ever found yourself off course? It’s that crazy sensation of being overwhelmed, having too much to do, or being pulled and pushed away from the one thing you want to accomplish toward its polar opposite. Circumstances and events distract us continually.

 In the midst of all the turmoil around us, we have to be willing and able to re-focus. I believe Napoleon Hill called this ability self-discipline and he wrote that the only way to achieve the self- discipline necessary to achieve a goal was to have a strong desire, a purpose, a “one thing” we set out to accomplish.

 I’m interrupted and distracted all the time. When I step out of my office to walk through the production compound, I may be bombarded by questions and requests from every person who comes up to me.  It’s why they rarely see without my notebook. It’s a repository for all their desires.  It’s also a tangible reminder of what I had set out to accomplish when I started and a checklist of what needs to be done in any given day.

Still, even the day’s activities may pull me off course unless I take the time early each morning to focus on my primary goals. With the daily production schedule we keep, it would be easy to choose to sleep in an extra hour or so. However, that hour serves to reconnect me to my purpose. It is the time I take to meditate, to give thanks for what has been working in every area of my life, to ask for the one thing I could do this day that helps me feel the way I want to feel when I am living my purpose. It is the time to align with my subconscious and the quantum fields of possibility. It is my time to center in all that is and all that remains, consciousness.

From this place of restorative silence, I am able to lay aside the emotional angst around me. I can turn off the seemingly unending sources of negativity and clashes of opinions that come from the news, the computer headlines and the papers.  From this place of peace, I can observe the contrasts, observing where each voice comes from and where their vision would take them. I can ask for the resolution of conflict for the good of all concerned, releasing my personal opinions in order to make room for new possibilities and solutions.  From this point of center, I reach an awareness of what action I can take that day to move me toward my goals.  I can then state affirmations and afformations in an interplay of conscious statements with questions for the subconscious.

I am grateful for the awareness that everyone has a desire to create and the ability to do so. Contrasts and conflicts are part of the creative process as we become aware of where we are and where we want to be. As we observe the differences, we can ask for a solution that enables us to feel the way we want to feel when it is resolved. Why is a solution available now? Why do we become aware that we can be guided to a solution?

As long as I am willing to re-focus on my purpose, a daily plan emerges with at least one thing I can do today, within the context of all that I may need to do this day that helps me move toward my goal.  When I follow through on that action, my inner gyroscope senses I am on track and I feel good now, right where I am. 

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