SuperStar Mornings

There are many reasons why people, women in particular, do not express their full creative selves for the betterment of themselves and the world around them.   With the way the economy is and has been, many women have had to do whatever they can to survive financially, and for many that includes working a job (or more than one) which takes up the majority of their time.  In addition, these working women often have other obligations: children, a significant other, family and friends “in need,” a home, yard, pets, chores. . . and the list goes on.  Various reports indicate that women still do more than men if taking the whole picture into account, such as household chores and taking care of the family. 

Women just naturally want to give and help others.

However, when it comes to taking care of self and doing something adventurous and “fulfilling,” women tend to put those priorities last, especially if income is a concern.  Many times women will settle for a job to pay the required bills, but then end up unhappy and even miserable in the job because it’s taking all of their time and they still have all the other stuff to do. 

The job becomes a chore and a burden.  It becomes a source of agony and disdain, creating stress and unhappiness.  Then, the thoughts of having something better in life start coming to mind. The thoughts of being able to do something that one really loves and enjoys starts to bubble from the depths of one’s soul.  A spark, an idea, that there is more to this life, and perhaps, you could be doing something altogether different: expressing your creative self!

I know this story very well, because I have been there myself. I have been in the dredges of misery and unhappiness.  I took that opportunity to do something about it. It all started with a simple process of bringing in the positive into my life and using the Law of Attraction along with all the other tools I have gathered together throughout my self-discovery and explorations (aka self-help books, counseling, groups, education, classes, etc.).  I laid out what I needed to put into practice each day to have the life I wanted.  I started with simply being grateful.  Then, I added in affirmations.  This was how the SuperStar Mornings ™ began over 3 years ago.

If you would like more information and FREE access for a very limited time, please visit http://EarthandSoulStudios.com. 

Leave a comment below if you’ve ever felt the same as above and what you did about it, or are doing about it now.

Earth Day! 

 I remember back in my college days (geez makes me sound old, eh?), Earth Day celebrations were fun.  I never really paid attention to “Earth Day” prior to that.  In the quad at Sonoma State University there were bands playing, festivities, booths of information, frisbees flying, young and beautiful people dancing, smiling, and playing in the sunshine; truly a free-floating and care-free day. 

As I sit here on Earth Day 15 years later, I look outside and it’s drizzly and cold and being outside isn’t appealing to me at the moment. Although, if I truly get inspired later, I know it’s days like these that an outdoor adventure can be magical.  Side note: I have a 40 -acre parcel behind my backyard (not mine), and would love to create hiking paths all throughout the trees, meadows, and hilltops.  Living in a rural area, I’ve always enjoyed being IN nature.  There are deer, raccoons, possums, skunks, foxes, coyotes, and even a mountain lion that live back there – it would be like wild kingdom – ha!

Digging in the Dirt

Back to Earth Day.  I admit I was born in the 60’s to very young parents that were, well, hippies.  I’ve always loved the memories of my childhood because often I would be barefoot, hair un-brushed and outside playing.  Some of my earliest memories are of making mud pancakes on the back patio.  I was told when I was a baby, I would consistently get into my Grandpa’s outdoor fire-pit and play in the ashes.  It’s no wonder I enjoy ceramics, playing with clay (mud) and glazes (ash). Around age 8, I would sit for hours atop a dirt mound in the yard, creating an entire city with my Dad’s old metal cars. I had roads, garages, and homes. Whenever I would visit my Grandma, she was always out in the garden while I followed behind her just to engage in conversation.  As I grew older, I always had a garden of some sort. Today I have a lovely organic garden.

 The theme here is that I’ve always felt a strong connection and appreciation for Earth.  It may sound cliché to some, but for me, it’s an integral part of my being; part of my DNA considering my Native American heritage, even if it is an “eency weency” bit.  Thus, I created Earth and Soul Studios.  The name “Earth” in the title suggests a connection to Earth in the spiritual sense and the literal sense, as in ceramics, gardening, herbs, etc.  The name “Soul” in the title references connection to one’s spirit, the truth of who we are, the energy of all things.  Put them together and it ends up being all about what I am and would love to share with you. 

You see, I believe we all can take our art, whatever it may be, and tie it with our connection to each other and the Earth. We are here on this planet in this time of history where it’s important to create a living. Why not make it something meaningful to ourselves and others?

Would You Like to Play?

In honor of Earth Day, I would love to hear your ideas on how Earth and Soul Studios can leverage this day in the future to be a part of the tradition. Ideas? How could you benefit from a program or workshop, related to your craft and the Earth?  Please comment below, or send me an @LisaMHines to let me know if you have any brilliant ideas to share.

The other morning I awoke and saw the most beautiful sight as I opened my curtains: It was the sun shining on the large trees, backed by a bluish-gray sky.  The low-lying golden rays illuminated the eastern sides of each of the bare branches and the sky was the perfect back-drop for such an expression of life.  I kept saying to myself that it was such a beautiful morning.  While I went to each window to open the shades, the panoramic view offered a new delight of visuals from the wondrous morning light show.  The sun had not yet appeared from around the hillside, making it even more magical. 

It was exactly this kind of moment that makes me grateful and excited to be alive.  For the moment, I was truly living in the connection of all that is, and the effervescence of living.  It is those kinds of moments that come easily and naturally when we’re young, but the older we get, the more we become numb to them.   Who knows why? Maybe we just become so accustomed to it.  More so, we establish routines and get caught up in our daily responsibilities that we forget to step into the effervescence of living.  (I like that phrase because it makes me think of champagne). 

An affirmation for you:

Life is full of wondrous moments.  I explore all the wondrous moments in my day beginning with when I wake up. I view each and every moment as an opportunity to live in the magic of this life.  I am given this lifetime to synchronize my spirit, my essence, to be in alignment with all that is.  The more time I spend in that alignment, the more I am living the truth of what I came here to do.  The magic lives in each of the moments that we choose to wake up and see, feel, and be in it. I am one. I am present. I am alive.

1.  Find a beautiful moment in nature.  Seek it out right now, find your magic.  One special way of finding it immediately is to look at nature.  Whether it a beautiful landscape, or the way the light is cast on your surroundings, or even how a four leaf clover grows in the midst of a local park, find your nature magic.
2. Expect synchronicity and “life messages” given to you throughout your day.  Intend on having the magical and wondrous moments throughout your day.  Expect it and seek it out.
3. Think about smiling.   I love how Thich Nhat Hanh talks about smiling so much that you make your liver smile.  Sometimes we have to fake it until we make it.  Whenever I or a friend is in a funky mood, I say fake the smile until you’re feeling it for real.  If you’re already in a good mood, smile anyways, it will bring more happiness to your world, and it’s contagious.
   
4. Start a “magical living” journal.  Write at the beginning of the day what you intend, then re-cap at night what things you discovered or awakened to.

 Can you really have magical living every day?  It’s a practice along with all the rest of our lives, but I say the more you practice it, the more you’ll have it.  Do you want to adopt wondrous moments as part of your “program?”  Incorporate it into your intentions, and practice becoming better. 

How about a quick impromptu exercise?  (Please share in the comment section below)

• From 1 to 10 (10 being outrageously magical), how would you rate the level of your daily life right now?
  
• What is one thing you will put into practice today to experience your wondrous life?
  
• Come back at the end of the day, and let me know what you’ve discovered.

“I want it Daddy, and I want it now.” ~ Veruca Salt

We are in an era where now is what it’s all about. We have the “now” generation.  Instead of waiting for a letter from our loved ones, we can talk to them on the phone, read a text, see their post, all…now.  We want something heated up, we put it in the microwave to have it now.  Warmth? We turn on the heater to have it now.  We want faster computers, faster internet so we can do things on them now.  We can download music, audiobooks, pictures, movies now. We can watch internet TV right now.  We don’t feel good or have ill health, we take a pill to feel better now. 
In fact there are books written about now, The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle which happens to currently sit unread on my nightstand.  Therapists, Spiritual Healers, Guru’s all speak about living in the moment.  All we have is now.  Why then do so many of us feast on the “now,” but still, we bounce around in the past and the future with worry?  Why do we lack power of patience? 

My Grandma had a saying, “all in due time” which really meant “not right now, so just accept it and be patient.”   There are things which naturally take time where we have to be diligent, focused, accepting, present, and persistent all at the same time.  Take, for example, building a business.  It takes time to plan, prepare, and market in order to have the image we want in our heads to manifest.  Another example is our physical health.  Sometimes when we’re not feeling well, it takes time to heal. The process takes extreme patience, focus, diligence, acceptance, presence, and persistence.  

In the midst of all that comes a certain amount of vulnerability.  Fear sets in and makes us feel raw, exposed, and even tortured in its worst manifestation.  “Patience is a virtue.”  More Grandma wisdom.   Patience is a practice.  There are some things we have no control over.   Let me re-phrase that, most things we have no control over.  We have the power to create and change, but we don’t have control. 

The biggest lesson with this for me has to be my relationship with cancer.  I had cancer 15 years ago.  After much struggle and perseverance, I overcame the illness. My Dad now has cancer and is in a lot of pain.  The challenges are still there.  The learning is still there. 

Recently, I’ve been keeping a little secret that I haven’t wanted to admit to others, nor myself:  I’ve developed a hauntingly familiar and eerie pain in my leg.  The fear is setting in, the vulnerability, and even the torture of recurring cancer.  My practice now is to be patient in order to explore what’s going on here.  I can’t have all the answers right now.  But, I can practice loving the moment of now, bringing in happiness and joy to replace the spaces which can fill up with fear.  Patience and accepting now is the only choice I have if I want to live a peaceful now.

“When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me.  Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.” ~Paul McCartney

Life shifts and changes.  There are many opportunities to grow.  Mastering the art of now,  and not the obsession with now is the key. 

Will you embark upon this adventure with me?

What can you do right now (today) which can bring more joy and happiness to your life?

 Find something each day to enhance these qualities. Even if you fake it until you make it. Watch funny movies, laugh out loud, laugh at yourself, and lighten up your world.  Thich Nacht Hahn says to smile until “your liver smiles.”

What is it about your present world that you need to accept?

 Is there something going on with you internally or externally which you have allowed to create misery for you?  Perhaps you’re unhappy in a relationship or with a job.  I fully believe in creating change to bring in happiness, but ultimately I’ve discovered happiness is an inside job.  First, you need to find the acceptance and joy.  Then, you can create the change. For when you create change from a state of happiness, you’ll bring in something much bigger and better. If you create change from a lack of acceptance, you will create more misery and life lessons until you get it.

Why have you been hanging on to NOT accepting it?  What will it do for you if you continue to not accept?  

Sometimes we have this weird feeling of wanting to wallow in our misery.  We don’t want to accept it because we want to be angry about it.  Ask yourself what you need.  Do you need to be validated by others? Why?  Does it make it more real?  Ponder this one and you’ll discover your inner most secrets and unlock the codes of how you can let it go.

What will that acceptance do for you?

 Try and look to the other side of where you are now to where you want to be.  Examine what acceptance will bring for you.   Most likely, it will be peace, calm, happiness, and joy.  Practice acceptance through just being quiet, still, and saying to yourself it will be alright.

“Everything is gonna be alright, everything is gonna be alright.”  ~Bob Marley

What is the one truth about yourself that you can expose? What freedoms will that bring?

Maybe you have something large and looming, or perhaps it’s just something small.  Recently, @ElizabethPW posted a video blog and in the outtakes she exposed the messy state of her car.   As a viewer, it was so liberating to see that sometimes when life happens, we just don’t have it all under control!  Become real and find something to reveal about you which will allow others to connect with you in such a real, human being kind of way.

“Now is the only time. How we relate to it creates the future. In other words, if we’re going to be more cheerful in the future, it’s because of our aspiration and exertion to be cheerful in the present. What we do accumulates; the future is the result of what we do right now.” ~ Pema Chodron

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these questons with a comment below:

Just Inspired By Archangels

For those on a journey to seek your true purpose, the meaning of life, being a better person, and how to make this earth better in this lifetime, it is imperative to raise your level of vibration.  Everyone and everything is made up of energy.  It is a scientific fact.  The spiritual equivalent is we can alter our vibration energy, subconsciously or consciously.  When we vibrate to the frequency of non-awakeness, we open the door for the lower levels of vibration, equating to stagnancy, fear, hate, competition, and lifelessness.  When we vibrate at higher frequencies, raised through conscious awareness or by accident, we invite in the qualities of love, healing, fruitfulness, abundance, and prosperity.  We become better people for ourselves and for each other.

Each one of us has inherent qualities or gifts based on our lives here on earth.  What we do with our gifts is one of the keys to creating a higher vibration.  Check in with your heart and determine if you are sharing your gift with those who can benefit from it.  If you’re hiding it within based on fear or lack of determination, there are others who will continue to stagnate in their lives, as well as yourself.  The difference between flourishing and stagnating is the sharing.

We all have a cup that “runneth over.”  This cup is beautiful and made of precious and semi-precious materials from the earth.  It is adorned with gems which symbolize intelligence, skill, awareness, and gratefulness.  By embracing these qualities, you will find the deepest meanings, the richest treasures which all can be yours.  In order for the cup to keep flowing, there must be a consistent outward pouring of the treasures you gain.  If not, you will drown and stagnate in your own ego and suffering.  Sharing the wealth is imperative to keep the nourishment flowing to others and your surroundings.

Imagine a beautiful Garden of Eden with rivers and lakes, mountains and valleys, open fields and meadows, and lush groves and forests.  There are animals, birds, fresh food bountiful, and the air is clean and beautiful. The air smells of fresh rains on rich, healthy, soil. It is the cleanest smell and goes easily in through your nose. It fills your lungs with floral scents and permeates every cell in your body with life force.  You smile and decide this is heavenly. 

Share your wealth and become a higher vibration for yourself and others.  Appreciate the beauty in your life and seek more of it.  Gift the world with your uniqueness so that you and others can live in splendor and magnificence.  Reach out to others who are experiencing this providence and gain more for yourself so that you can share with others, too.

 Be brilliant. Engage in life. 

Well…not really.  But, I can tell you something about it: 

It puts things into PERSPECTIVE right NOW!

I’ve survived it – 15 years now.  Unfortunately, my Dad has it now.

There’s nothing like a tossle and tumble, a whirl and a jossle to your complete and entire world, psyche, emotions, everything.  It’s extremely uncomfortable to be anything other than “flowing” in normal day-to-day life.  Emotions vary from the usual grief cycle, identified by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross:

• Denial
• Anger
• Bargaining
• Depression
• Acceptance

Sometimes these cycles can be rapid and in no particular order, and other times slower.   I found myself in the car this morning, going from tears to screaming and yelling “FUCK IT!” to glazing over with a numbness of denial.  Then, a calmness came over me for awhile.  On with the day.

I took the opportunity to text my Dad that I’m worried, but I’m also grateful he’s alive.  Not something I would say on a “normal” day.

Stepping into life on my terms because it is even more important now than ever.  This harsh reminder is stirring up all the energetic forces to make me become quickly aligned with my truth, with what’s important in life, and to not delay action.  Of course, everything in its right timing; not to act in haste, but to make movement now.

Finding joy in the face of adversity is today’s challenge.  It’s important to live this life in the best light possible.  It’s no fun hanging out in depression, nor is it beneficial for anyone.  Digging in to find glimmers of gratitude is the key to finding joy.  There is always something to be grateful for.

Always.

Today I am grateful (for):

• My Dad’s still alive
• The beautiful blue skies with white puffy clouds
• The music flowing into my ears through the XM Radio
• My cute dog, Bailey
• Hidi, the cat
• My family!
• My home
• My friends
• My health
• The time to write this blog
• Freedom
• Living in a beautiful part of the world

I’m grateful for you taking the time to read my writing.  Thank you.  Please let me know you stopped by with a brief comment below.

I’m faced with a hard decision; one that’s been giving me agony for the last several days.  My Dad (if you’ve been following these blogs, you’ll know that he was just diagnosed with cancer) has invited me to join them out of town for Christmas.  Traditionally, I spend Christmas at home.  After 19 years of having a kid, it’s my own custom.   Out of town is over 5 hours of driving and leaves no time to be at home.

There are many reasons why I don’t want to go, including just the basic need to be home.  It’s not really about the reasons why I don’t want to go.  It’s about weighing out my decision I make today to how I’ll feel about it in the future.  I mean, potentially, this could be my last Christmas with my Dad.  How would I feel if I didn’t spend it with him upon his request?  That’s the agony part.

Overall, I believe my decision will be to stay home.  I’m re-framing it inside of my head to “taking care of myself” so I can be there for him through the duration of his treatments.  Although, it still opens the door for guilt to ride in the back of my mind.  It’s a constant vacillation, back and forth.  These are the wonderful experiences we get to struggle with as humans. 

I wish I had the magic pill to make this a simple, step-by-step, solution to a problem.  There are numerous strategies I could implement. But, overall, it’s about stepping into the faith that taking care of myself is alright, and that if I’m straight forward and honest, my Dad will be okay with it, too.

Update:  Spoke to my Dad and while it was a bit difficult, he was fine with it.  It’s all good. 

My encouragement to you in a difficult family situation during the holidays is honor yourself most of all, and be honest about your wishes and desires.  If you have a preference, speak the truth and don’t make up a story.  If you speak from your heart, it will be much better in the long run.

Leave me a comment and let me know your recent struggle with having to say NO to a family member.

Number 9, number 9…(for all you Beatles lovers)

Okay, I think I’m going to crawl back into normalcy for awhile.  After several days of adjusting and going through a sort of shock about my Dad’s cancer reveal, I’ve decided I’d just let go of  the heavy heart, and denial.  I’ll go back into the mode of being active, happy, and healthy.  There will be plenty of time for concern later.  For now, I’m just going to be me and live my life.

First thing on the list is to take care of my bills.  Eeeek!  I’ve been neglecting them lately and I don’t like to go there.  Thank goodness most of them are automated.  Nonetheless, I need to get a grip.  I’ll turn on some good music, start flinging through the envelopes and logon to Quicken – one of my faves!  I use Quickbooks for my business expenses – another fave!.

Then, I’ll tidy up around here – laundry, shower, picking up, etc.  Thank goodness my husband is arranging for the housecleaner to come over!!! The best present yet.  It’s not a big deal to clean this house, but just one less thing to think of right now.

Finally, gear up for the Soulful (yet practical) Business Planning Workshop (playshop).  It will be loads of fun and I’m planning nifty stuff for you!  If you’re interested in doing a 2 week program of about half hour per day to creatively put your plan together and learn some strategies for implementation, check out http://EarthandSoulStudios.com/events. 

Meanwhile, enjoy the beginnings of all your Christmas festivities!  If you don’t celebrate Christmas, please enjoy the Winter Solstice time!

Have you ever committed to doing something, and then fell short of perfect?  Perhaps it was a project you wanted to complete by a certain time frame, or an event you wanted to attend, but then forgot.  I’m experiencing that feeling of shame coupled with guilt, along with the “oh well,  it is what it is” laissez-faire attitude to help overcome the loss of time and completion.

I made a commitment to myself that I would blog each day for the 12 Days before Christmas to share what I know about relieving stress and living our daily lives.  Then, right in the middle of it, I received bad news about my Dad having cancer.  I’ve been so wrapped up in just handling the emotions of it, I’ve postponed the daily blog entry.  It’s not that I’ve been too busy.  Granted, I am busy.  But, it’s more of just not wanting to do it badly enough.  I’m not sure why.  I think that we end up clearing things off our plates, and out of our brains to make room for sanity and peace in our lives.  Sometimes we push things off our plates that have a lot of meaning to us, or are things we really do want to do, but they fall off anyways. 

The two lessons I’m learning out of this are:

1. Be okay with it if you’ve pushed something aside that means a lot to you.  Find a way to let it go, and forgive yourself.  Forgiveness is an important step toward spiritual englightenment. 

2. Use your tools to evaluate, write down, and reflect upon those things that are important. If you use the tools, you’ll be less likely to drop things of importance.

I have a special way of identifying the important things in life, using a form I created many years ago (about 10 years ago) which I’d gladly love to share with you.  As a special bonus for signing up for my ezine, I’d be more than happy to share it with you.  Sign up below or at top of page:

I watched Julie and Julia last night in an attempt to escape into normalcy..  It worked.  Great movie.  I feel a bit like Julie with the blogging, wondering if anybody out there is listening.  It was the finish to a day which could have easily waited another 20 years or so.  Yesterday morning, December 18, 2009, my Dad called me to let me know the “short story” that he has cancer.  It nearly knocked the wind out of me.  I had to sit there and realize what I just heard.  Of course, the tears welled up and the sobbing began.  I was still talking to my Dad of course, so had to pull it together enough to have a conversation.  I really just wanted to hang up, curl into a ball, and well…ball.  

 At some point in the conversation,  my Dad was very optimistic and I remembered, “oh yeah, cancer is not a death sentence.”  15 years ago , during the holidays, I was receiving the last of radiation for cervical cancer stage IIb, being given a 35% chance of survival in 5 years.  One of the important lessons I learned, of which there are many. Is that statistics mean crap when you’re referencing someone’s LIFE.  The will and desire to live is part of the battle.  I did a combination of traditional radiation therapy along with non-traditional adjunctive therapies, such as Reiki, Biofeedback, Acupuncture, Vitamin C therapy, and more.  My Dad was remaining optimistic, so therefore I decided to go with that version of the story, so I thought.

Here I lay in bed at 5:15 am finally writing yesterday’s blog post.  Why? Because like Julie in the movie, I have committed to write for 12 Days of Christmas, providing tips on stress relief and strategies to get through the holidays. And, because this is when it struck me to write.  I was busy “dealing” yesterday.  Really, I did one of those wake-from-sleep-into-reality nightmares.  So, here I write. 

How to cope with bad news during the holidays:

1. Pace in circles aimlessly while calling your support system (family, friends)
2. Toss out the idea of any form of getting caught up.
3. Say Thank You to the new perspective you now have.
4. Keep saying NO to participating in activities, so you can say YES to what you are really going to be doing.
5. Cry.
6. Cycle through your favorite coping strategies: denial, anger, sadness, denial, anger, sadness. .  .
7. Watch a good movie that makes you laugh and cry.

I hope my blogging about this can help somebody out there.  Leave me a comment by posting below.