Turning Left Rather than Right

Have you ever taken the same route time after time on a walk or a drive? I have and by doing that I missed what I consider to be a blessing in my community. I took the same walking route after I moved into my condominium, but by always turning right at a certain point rather than left I missed this blessing.

There is a waterfall called The Cascades within walking distance of where I live. I was unaware of its existence for about the first six years that I lived in my current community. The first four years I lived in another neighborhood and would have had to go way out of my way to find it. I had been to three of the five or six ponds that are in the city, but I was absolutely clueless about the waterfall until a neighbor in my condominium building mentioned that she had stumbled across it when out walking her dog. Thus, I did not encounter The Cascades. Ah, what if I had turned left once and found the waterfall earlier?  And, it took me some time after that to actually go find it. 

It is a place to go and sit to contemplate nature nestled in the midst of an urban area. The sound of the water cascading is comforting and clearing, although if there has not been much rain or snow melt it is more of a water slick than a fall. Even then, the space is a blessing because you can commune with the trees and listen to bird calls.

Despite this experience of not turning left rather than right for so long, I still seem to be taking the same walking and driving routes. I suppose that, in some cases, the routes I am taking are them most efficient or possibly the only way to get there from here. It would be good to use this experience to remind myself to every once in awhile to take a different route or even to take the route backwards so to speak if I am not walking to a specific destination. 

Seeing things from a different angle could be the equivalent of turning left rather than right.

An example of this comes to mind. I was walking to the library one day and noticed that the leaves on the trees seemed rather dull colored rather than the usual brilliant fall colors. However, when I walked home the leaves were suddenly brilliantly colored with the sunlight shining through them rather than on them. Was this a turning left rather than right?

I took an art class for those who had not had a lot of experience with art several years ago. One of the other students was not happy with the piece she was working on. I suddenly had the thought that she should turn her art upside down or sideways and look at it again—I suppose you could say with fresh eyes. I suggested this, and she found that she liked what she saw when she turned her piece. Another example of turning left rather than right?

I suppose that the practice of looking at things from a different angle, i.e, turning left rather than right, can help us to solve problems, to resolve situations with others, to help us fit in tasks that we did not think we had time for, or to help find our way when we feel stuck or lost. The trick is to remember to turn left rather than right at least every once in awhile to achieve that new perspective.

If you would like an angel reading with channeled messages from your angels and guides,
please go to: http://www.explorebeyondtheusual.com/Navigation/ExploreReadings/KathyrnSamuelson.html

Kathryn Samuelson is an intuitive who channels messages from your angels and guides through spiritual or automatic writing. She is also a life coach certified by the University of New Hampshire through its Professional Development department. Kathryn does workshops based on the set of meditation cards and book called Opening the Heart: Meditations on How to Be that she created with her friend, Linda Lewis. For more information: http://www.kathrynsamuelson.com/, klsamuelsonATyahoo.com, or 781-799-7332

Other Blog Posts by Kathryn Samuelson: Giving Thanks, Nurturing the Ego, Letting Things Go, Real Energy Book Review, Living with Doubt and Uncertainty, Bardo - The Things In Between, Musings On Mindfulness, You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps, The Choices We Make, Beyond: Buddhist and Christian Prayers CD Review, Riding Out Irene: A Practice in Maintaining Balance,

Why I Really Quit My Corporate Job

I have just really realised even more deeply why I left my corporate job 21 years ago. I have just finished reading Hugh Macleod’s wonderful book Evil Plans – Having Fun on the Road to World Domination. It is a humorous and poignant look at the journey from a career you don’t enjoy to freedom and creative autonomy, and work that is personally meaningful and lights your heart up.

The book made me think and feel a lot, and smile out loud a lot too Mostly on a train going to and from Sheffield two days ago. I was going to give a talk to massage practitioners at the Massage Training Institute annual conference.

It was one of days I cursed high-speed trains because I wanted the journey to last longer so that I could read more of the great book.

Evil Plans helped me further articulate why I left my corporate job in 1989. I have never doubted that is was the right thing to do. I have no regrets and somehow struggled to explain precisely what the impulse was.

Why did I really do it? Here is what I can now say: I quit my corporate job in IT because it didn’t allow me to give enough to the world. In my heart, I felt there was so much more to me--a person I knew in my heart that I sensed I could become. Crazily, I thought I had a gift to share with the world. I left because I wanted to be my best every day, to play to my strengths and do what I love most. I wanted to be free to give my gift.

Selling IT, however successfully, never drew the full potential out of me and was never deeply meaningful to me.

Today, after twenty-one years of running my own business, I realise what it has given me: the freedom to discover and give my gift, in ever expanding ways. I get to share my best self with people, most days. I am blessed to have found people who need, want and enjoy my gift. Sharing my gift is an act of love. And love is the only thing that really matters. I would go as far as to say that sharing my gift brings me closer to God.

So, whatever the crazy dream in your heart is, trust it. It comes from a source greater than your mind. Your dream will draw out your gift and the best in you. And there will be times when it will bring you to your knees. But your real life, the life that your gift offers, is worth getting your heart broken open a few thousand times for. That’s why I left, and I am so glad and grateful I did.

Giving my gift has led to meaning and success beyond my wildest dreams. And it can for you too. We need your gift, so give us what you’ve got. Life’s too short and precious to spend it doing things that don’t matter. As Hugh MacLeod says so eloquently on the end of his book: “Love doesn’t have a purpose. Love is purpose.”

Other blog posts by Nick:  Comunity and the Inspired Entrepreneur, Beat Your Resistance and Honour Your Creative Impulses

Nick Williams travels the world sharing a life-affirming - and profoundly spiritual – vision of work and entrepreneurship. A sought after speaker, best-selling author and broadcaster, Nick is on a mission to help people move beyond their fears, play-bigger in their lives, and transform their passions into profitable businesses. He is the author of six books including the best selling The Work We Were Born To Do and is co-founder of http://www.inspired-entrepreneur.com/.


Books By Nick Williams:

        

Hay House Radio's New Show Soundwave A Big Hit!

On Thanksgiving, unless you're a big sports fan (I'm not), the day can drag on after you've had a good meal. Lots of re-runs on television. Stores aren't open. You don't want to work or clean because it's a holiday right? Sometimes you find yourself sitting around the house looking for something to do. I decided to kick back and listen to a little Hay House Radio and was blown away by their new show Soundwave.

Hay House Radio says, "Taking a look at artists of today finding inspiration and spirituality in music, SoundWave is a different kind of show. Find out what makes an artist tick and where they go for inspiration and creativity. Featuring an exclusive interview with Grammy winning rock artist Melissa Etheridge as well as music from around the world."

I listened to Diane Ray's interview with Melissa Etheridge and was surprised to find a female vocalist who not only wrote but also played some pretty amazing rock and roll inspired by her own Explore Beyond the Usual. If you're like me, you're always changing the dial on the radio in the car...searching...and searching for some real music! Beyonce popping her bootie all the time and women whose names I can't even pronounce hogging up the air waves with bad remakes of songs from the 1970's and 80's. It seemed like a creative desert out there until I heard Melissa Etheridge's music on Soundwave. Take a listen to one of her songs from her album The Awakening called The Universe Listened (it was so good, it gave me the chills!):

I can see why Diane Ray wanted to Melissa to be her first guest. I have to admit, I've listened to very little music by Melissa and I know she's been around for a while. We've just never crossed paths. Listening to samples of her music on Soundwave made me want to go out and buy her albums. I'm now a new fan--at age 47 (It's never too late)! What I liked about Soundwave is that the listener got to understand what the artist was going through when they wrote the song--a peek into the creative process. As I listened, it occurred to me that Melissa Etheridge is really a 21st century rock and roll artist--not the typical 20th century classic rocker singing about sex, drugs and high school problems (Pink Floyd comes to mind). Her songs have depth, grit, and originality, something we're sadly lacking in the current top 40 radio station offerings.

Here are a few more songs featured on the show. I linked them to Amazon if you want to try them out. We have to speak with our dollar to tell record companies what we want more of:

The Universe Listened

What Happens Tomorrow

Open Your Mind

We are the Ones

Diane Ray also introduced us to a UK Band called Life Audience. Their music has a good soulful studio sound. The band was inspired by The Law of Attraction and quantum physics when creating this new album. How often do you hear that? They told us their album is about everyone in the world being connected by one universal energy. Great! Better than the old 20th century rock inspired by who knows what? Think Sympathy for the Devil by Mick Jaggar. Diane Ray introduced us to their songs Vanilla and Waves and Particles which is also the name of their album. Interesting album name.

Next up, a woman with 40 CDs named Diane Arkenstone whom I had never heard of...and I listen to the Calm Meditation station on Pandora! She has a new CD coming out in the Spring of 2012. We were introduced to her songs Under the Blue Sky and Jewel in the Sun which are fast paced, exotic and promise a great adventure for your daily meditation practice (Maybe there should be an Exotic Meditation station on Pandora...just a thought).

Thank you to Diane Ray and her colleagues at Hay House Radio for introducing us to a new kind of talk radio show which inspires and introduces us to quality music--music for your soul.
Explore Beyond the Usual gives 4 stars to Diane Ray for her new Hay House Radio show Soundwaves which will make you love music all over again!   

Copyright© R. Ann Rousseau. R. Ann Rousseau writes about spiritual, metaphysical, and astrology topics on her blog http://www.explorebeyondtheusual.blogspot.com/ and website http://www.explorebeyondtheusual.com/

She is author of the new novel Portsmouth, A Love Story. If you would like to be notifed when the novel is available for sale, please email us info@explorebeyondtheusual.com

Other Blog Posts by R. Ann Rousseau: Do You Believe in Soul Mates, The Future of Astrology, You Always Had the Power- Oprah's Life Class Discussion, Love Doesn't Hurt - Oprah's Life Class Discussion, The Unconditional Love of Animals-Oprah's Life Class Discussion, Your Life is Whispering to You. Pay Attention. Oprah's Life Class Discussion, The Power of a Second Chance: Oprah's Life Class Discussion, Aging : Oprah's Life Class Discussion, Connecting the Dots- Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Speech, The Truth Will Set You Free, Discussion of Oprah's Super Soul Sunday Premiere: The World Beyond, A Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom Moment, Breaking Out the Top Shelf Advice for Rough Times, Eat Dessert First -The Art of Extreme Self Care, Queen of the Law of Least Effort-Seven Spiritual Laws of Success Book Review, The Secret of Instant Healing Book Review, Transforming Fate into Destiny Book Review, Awakening the Lightworker Within Book Review, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane Book Review, Trust Your Gut Book Review, The Spirit Whisperer Book Review, Astrology for the Light Side of the Brain Book Review, My 9/11 Story, How to Be Inspired Book Review, Infinite Quest Book Review, Biology of Belief Book Review, The Morning Breeze Has Secrets to Tell, The Gentle Way II Book Review, Do You Fear or Respect Mother Nature?, You Can Heal Your Life Movie Review, Hereafter Movie Review, North Wind Blowing -Time for a Change, Presence University, Impossible Situations are Great Opportunities, Do You Have Enough?, Moon Tides Soul Passages Book Review, Compromise with the Varmints! Yankee Doodle Discord Book Review, A Wright Brothers Moment! The Sacred Promise Book Review

Disclosure: I am a Hay House Book Reviewer which means I may receive a book free of charge for review. My credibility is extremely important to me. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own. Sometimes that's very obvious. I am also an affiliate of Hay House Publishing and Amazon. This means I receive a commission if you purchase Hay House or Amazon products linked from this website.

If Heaven Was a Corporation

Imagine for a minute if heaven was an international corporation. Then we would be able to explain a lot of misconceptions people have.

 

First we would have a brilliant CEO (Creative Executive Officer) such as Steve Jobs, whose creations and innovations are different from all the other corporations. He would be loved by all his millions of employees, who couldn’t wait to work for him and applied immediately for whatever jobs he needed to be done. Having started the corporation from scratch, naturally he could do all the jobs himself, but because he loved his employees so much, he wanted them to have the privilege of doing the jobs themselves and thereby learning and growing in experience.

In different locations he would be known by different names, as he wanted his employees to feel comfortable in his presence. But he was still the same CEO. He would have several Vice Presidents who came from other corporations and who could serve as his emissaries, speaking the local languages no matter how far flung the corporation operated.

Then he would have a little over one million employees who where quite special. They had a great deal of knowledge and had earned gold star status in other corporations. They were assigned the intricate job of working closely on a day-to-day basis with millions of clients at one particular location. They take great joy in this work, and love their clients as if they were their own children. They also have specialists in different categories to assist these clients.

Next there are a little over one million younger employees who answer requests and complaints, which come in every minute of the day. Many of these they are able to respond to favorably, but they know that not all requests can be, due to the contracts the clients had forgotten they agreed to years ago.
Of course this corporation needed thermal engineers to keep the fires burning throughout the corporation, so they have several million of them, along with millions of employees that loved working with the land. And we certainly can’t forget the assistants of those employees either.
Have you deciphered my symbology yet? Of course the Creator of our Universe is known by many names—God, Allah, Elohim, and Vishnu just to name a few of the many thousands. And his “Vice-Presidents” are his Emissaries.

Then the employees with the Gold Stars—they are the “Golden Light Beings” we call Guardian Angels, although they like to be called “Servants of the Creator.” They were attracted to this creation, because this one is unique from all the other billions of creations. They volunteered like all the rest of the “whole souls” we call angels. But they have great knowledge and experience, so they emanate a golden light. And their assistants are our Guides, who have volunteered to assist us in our work on earth. These are our soul mates and other souls with specific expertise.
The younger employees are the “whole soul” angels who respond to all the prayers on earth. Many they can assist us with, but a number they cannot, as there are soul contracts that must be adhered to.
Naturally the thermal engineers are the souls who ensoul all the suns in the universe, and the ones who like working with the land are the souls of the planets, like our Gaia. They can have many assistants, which help them run things, depending upon the complexity of the planets.

So if there is one point to this exercise to make, it’s that yes, God or the Creator or whatever you call It, could do all these jobs Itself, but dearly loves all of these souls so much that It allows them to do the work and grow in knowledge themselves. You would not expect any less from the Creator of this magnificent Universe, with its billions of galaxies!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tom T. Moore is a speaker, frequent radio guest, and author of THE GENTLE WAY: A Self-Help Guide For Those Who Believe In Angels and THE GENTLE WAY II: The Story Continues (Light Technology ISBN # 1-891824-60-0 and # 978-1-891824-80-7) and a weekly newsletter. For more information, go to http://www.thegentlewaybook.com/

Other Blog Posts by Tom: Probablities and Predictions, Spiritual Path as Old as Atlantis, Guardian Angel Conversations,   

Taking the Plunge

OLD CAMP
Racquet lake
Adirondacks
7:30 am

There is a well beaten path of pine needles between the "old camp" and this timeless summer dock.The path is so steep and worn that it shows the 100 yr old root systems,polished yellow and smooth by the toughen bare feet of summers children, whose whoops and hollers have echoed across this blue mountain lake for generations.

It's early morning, and as I stand at the edge of this dock,
I feel as though I am standing on the edge of the world .
Waiting for courage, and perhaps
 little more sun to loosen my toes of fear and..... just let go.
Let go …and let in …and so sooth the beast within.
I tell myself that I'm not ready. I got this and that...
and besides, what if ?

Uncertainty grips me, who will I be if I let go?
…..yet I know who I will be if I don’t.
It's a hasty plan all right built of necessity and not without great risk,
for soon I will join all the finned creatures of this
Plankton rich universe before me in icy cold stillness
and be saved….or die trying.

You see, I've been up all of the night and what’s left of my brain
is caught between a rock and a hard place
in a synap splitting headache of my own doing,
Demon Rum, a Cane 10 no less, is beating on my door
with seven Swedes waltzing with pick axes chopping down
all last scraps of my sanity leaving town rioting with heads on poles
of doubt and depression
There is no longer any decency of reason within me
no answers to intelligent questions, no assuredness of where to go,or
who to confide in.
Nothing but the deep cobalt blue mirror of this unknown.

The minutes pass out here. There's no time to think things through.
My pain is awful and my skin is purple in goose bumps
with a tongue that feels there’s a large toad nesting on it.
Say yes...and I'm only one scream away from it all being over.
Say yes and they will most likely find me face down
in this black velvet hole of eternity smiling.
Perhaps I will be found wearing the old blue swim trunks
I swore I would never be caught dead in …
never say never.

The philosophers say death is a transition,
The mystics say transformation.
At the moment, I am clueless and have no say so in the matter.
For soon, I will cast pearls before swine
In a desperate gamble
to kick start blood back into the brain,
or die trying.
The odds aren't good. Sink or swim ….
and make life's plunge.

Last night was treacherous. I was kissing mules playing 7 card
by a roaring fire out under a canopy of twinkling stars with a Milky way
so close you could almost step out into it.
The rum went down smooth as the hours passed,
but my cards were as cold as the moonless lake we made our camp by.
Four bells and all is swell. I lost a days wages and all respect for myself
by staying in.
And now with toes tight to the edge and gripped with fear,
I make my confessions and prepare for a passing of no return.
Not long to wait.
I must pay the piper then knock on death's door to get there.

We came in here three days ago by work boat to restore
an 1840 chimney of a classic Adirondack lodge of the log cabin design.
Hand hewn of white fir and water washed boulder,
the lodge lays rustic and gnarledwith its bark still intact,
well camouflaged in the lea of the hill.

This is a remote island paradise amid a archipelago of lakes and
pristine wilderness of Mountain park.
There is no electricity in here and no roads to get in or out of.
The only facilities are a two holer and the water only runs
if you haul it up from the lake.
Light is by kerosene lamp, candles or the wood you chop.

If you catch fish, you eat well.
If not, it's what you bring in with you.
There is a mail boat, but it's once a week in summer and
that’s only if the captain is found sober.
My team I came in with a couple of pug faced stone masons
and a happy go lucky mason tender
who wouldn’t know the word abstinence
if it ran him over in a bus.
Last night, he liberated the last of the ships rum
which started my own road to ruin.
Tormented with fits of depression and no sleep,
it has left me bushwhacked and mumbling in doubt
making threats that I now have to make good on.

Courage, I say aloud to steady myself.
My come uppence is near and I will honor it

I feel no satisfaction. My remorse and its pain
matters little to anyone but me.
My misdeeds, and there are many, won't go away unpunished,
and yet I'm the only one listening.
Half blind, in silence, I feel the business of the day is at hand.
The question is
am I man ...or mouse ?...squeak squeak
My circumstances have propelled me into a fate
where there is no coming back.
That much I know.
I'm frightened now but I know now what I must do.

I wish it were summer.
Yet the sun's rays are beginning to get more generous to my body.
The autumn sky is going from purple to baby blue,
as the sun reflects psychedelically from the lake's surface.
The affect is mesmerizing. In tiny prisms,
the light dances its way up under the foliage of trees in direct line
and illuminates a secret fairy world floating in soft jewels of aquatic light.
If ever an hour for Pan to walk the earth
then this is it.

Song birds chorus the air as ground fog spirits the rocks and soil.
The dew dazzles in diamonds,
creating an ethereal glow under boughs of golden oaks
and sentinels of paper white birch.
In merry celebration,
pixies and sprites dance for the sun's return
making magical merry-go-rounds of spirit rocks while their chants and song
buzz in child like harmony
Their music captures me,
enchanting my heart and lifting my spirits

The air too heals me.
It filters down cold off the distant peaks
from a necklace of Tibetan Blue mountains
and crosses the water in sun infused crystals.
It sparkles in purity,
and perfumes its fragrance.
My nostrils flair with their greeting,
there is an alchemical infusion I can’t describe
and I can't get enough of.
It's a curious mix of air made of mountain white fir and resinous pine
celebrated in a dank dark woody essences of lake musk and ions of sun.
The effect is dizzying and delicious.
It calms me and yet stimulates me,
and I am unable to breathe enough in.

Its peaceful air born essence is like a springtime elixir
grounding me and feeding me,
chasing the cobwebs of dark depressions, and doubts
from the corners of my mind back into the lake bound mud holes
from whence they came.

Courage calls aloud ...and I can hear its echo.
Seemingly, I've found my confidence.
My sovereign self has returned.
My letting go now is not an end ….but a beginning
The mirror is in me …
The time is now
Just then, I hear the sound of the pull cord.
The pull cord for the mortar mixer,
the maniacal gas operated mortar mixer from hell.
The one signaling the hour for work.
Five minutes of that crazed motor
and It will unhinge me.

I must be quick.
There is no time
for when they find me all that will be left
can be taken home in a shovel.
I hear the pull a second time.
I ready myself with arms up over my head.
and stand ready.
The seconds pass,
and I can’t go back to what I was.
It’s a brave new world I'm entering into,
and I'm keeping all promises.

Fearless, I will meet the challenge-- blue bathing suit and all.
It’s all in the art of letting go ...with no looking back.
With a Third pull, lucky she fires.
Already I am air born.
Flying, body in mid arc springing upward
outward bound.
The bones of the past can't keep me.
My trust is my self.
Myself is my word ……
So far so good …..
I'm good to my word

Michael on his one year of sobriety Nov 27 2011


Other blog posts by Michael: The Breath of Healing, Magus of Stone, Buried Alive

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Drummond Davidson is a historic masonry conservator whose work takes him all over the world. He lives in the deep woods of Mississippi on a 65 acre horse farm with his wife and preservation architect, Belinda . Michael considers his real work raising his 11 old daughter Mary aka “Peanut."

Eight Great Ideas to Enhance Your Creative Spark

Even the most seasoned of creative professionals needs to find ways to hone their craft. Here are eight simple ideas to help sharpen your creative edge and enhance your approach to the art of innovation.

1. Don’t stop at the first right answer

There is always more than one right answer to each challenge you face. That is a fact. Because of time constraints and other work pressures we have a tendency to stop searching for solutions as soon as we encounter our first good idea. My first advice is simple. Don’t settle for the first right answer you encounter. Once you’ve found your first solution, begin your search for a second solution and then a third. The only way to find the best solution is to line up all the right answers and then choose the best from among them.

2. Cowboy Up!

It takes thick skin to be a professional creative. Rhinos don’t need skin this thick. Chuck Jones (the creator of Bugs Bunny) once said “Insecurity is the handmaiden of creativity.” He was absolutely right, but those who succeed in the creative arts learn not to succumb to the insecurities and the sensitivities that accompany the process of creating original work. Sensitivity is a conscious choice. You can choose to bruise at every remark about your work or you can cowboy up and remember it takes more guts to create than it does to criticize. If the ideas are truly great they will find their time for implementation. Nurture your creative scar tissue. It will make the next round of criticism all the easier to take.

3. Know when to walk away

Sometimes all we need is a little break from the work to see all of the possibilities. This is not resignation, it’s rejuvenation. If you’ve spent more than a couple of hours staring at your drawing table or your computer screen – force yourself to get up and walk away. Step outside, close your eyes and breathe deeply. If you can take a cat nap, do it. You’ll be amazed at the way your subconscious will continue to hammer away at your challenge while you rest. As the great composer Frans Liszt once said “My greatest challenge is not where to put the notes, but where to put the rests”

4. Make fun

Fun is to creativity what endorphins are to distance runners. If you need a burst of creative energy, make some fun. This can include playing with your creative challenges in ways that your clients never imagined. When I get stuck for ideas, I like to play a game called “World’s Worst.” It involves taking the opposite approach to a project…seeking the absolute worst, and often funniest, solution to the problem. If my challenge is to come up with a theme for a client’s Annual Fund Raising Ball- I’ll generate a list of themes that would be a hoot to see implemented, but are sure to be rejected by the client, These might include themes like: The Zombie Ball – Fresh Flowers and Rotting Flesh, The Pants Optional Ball, or the Marsupial Ball where every evening gown is endowed with a central pocket large enough to hold a live toddler. By embracing the absurd, and releasing some of our venom toward the creative challenge, amazing possibilities arise. Even if it does not lead to the next great idea, it has the power to change your mood and your thought process. And let’s face it, when you are stuck for ideas, change is good.

5. Phone a friend

I find creative work most challenging when it’s solo work. As much as we all want to prove that we can generate pure brilliance by ourselves. Many times the best solution is to enlist the help of a friend who has a different perspective than you have. Diversity and creativity are soul mates. Pick up the phone. Walk across the sea of cubicles. Reach out and touch someone who can bring a fresh perspective to your challenge. If variety is the spice of life, bringing a friend into the process could make your next project very spicy.

6. Creative Swiping

Picasso is famous for saying “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” If you need a creative boost, try boosting some ideas from people whose work you admire. Of course I’m not suggesting that you steal someone’s original work and slap your name on it. I’m suggesting that you use some of the underlying tools, techniques and ideas that make their work shine. It may be a particular color combination or a unique perspective. Try on someone else’s brilliance. Then use it in an original way to make it your own.

7. Give your talents away

Yes, I just suggested that you give your talents away for free. I’ve seen great creative careers built on this concept. Find a worthy cause – one that speaks to your heart. Give them the full benefit of your talents for free. The payback on this one is enormous. As a general rule, there is more creative freedom with pro-bono clients. You will be doing something good for the world, so it will feel really good and it will shift the Cosmic Karma favorably in your direction. If you really believe in the cause, you will produce inspired work; work that will garner you goodwill and exposure as both a creative genius and a generous benefactor.

8. Immerse yourself

The creative mind is like a mental butterfly net scooping up all of the cool ideas and bits of useful information that flutter by. If you want to improve your chances of generating great ideas, immerse yourself in idea-rich environments. I love libraries, museums, public parks, college dining halls, classrooms, sand boxes, pubs and art shows. These are all places that will fill up your mental net with a diverse range of ideas and new ways of thinking. When you bring this fluttering collage of concepts back to your real world projects, it will have the power to give your creative work fresh wings.

I hope that these eight ideas help you to find your next big idea.

Until next time…stay inspired

BK

Bob Kodzis is a lot of things to a lot of people…

He is an awesome husband and wonderful father – two of his favorite roles in the world. He is an entrepreneur whose company, Flight of Ideas, serves hundreds of organizations; cool companies like Kennedy Space Center and The Federal Reserve Bank and great causes like the American Cancer Society and the Arthritis Foundation. He is one of the best creative meeting facilitators you will ever meet. He runs meetings with great focus, creativity, energy and humor and knows how to manage group dynamics with grace and charm, while keeping group momentum and morale high.

Bob is a professional improviser and a regular performer at SAK Comedy Lab – hosting and performing in improv shows on a weekly basis. He is also a powerful keynote speaker who inspires and entertains thousands of people every year.

Bob is an award winning visual artist and street painter who draws huge works of art on the sidewalk. He is also a philanthropist who doesn’t always have money to give, but he gives what he has to dozens of organizations and individuals in need every year.

Bob also writes. But you probably already know that if you’ve gotten to this point the article. He also loves to write about himself in third person. Bob can be reached at bob@flightofideas.net or visit his cool website http://www.flightofideas.net/

Other Blog Posts by Bob Kodzis: The Passion Principle

Grace Long Granted

Grace Long Granted

We ask for mercy

when grace is long granted.

It is our forgiveness

we must find

for ourselves.

Creator never judged

In the first place.

Lizette Estelle Stiehr

November 20, 2011

 

Lizette Estelle Stiehr is the author of 2012 to Oneness -What World to You Choose? and contributing author to the book Divine Inspirations - Stories of Awakening and Empowerment by Everyday Lightworkers.

Other Blog Posts by Lizette: Emissary of Peace, Haunted House, Air Signs, Water Signs,

Giving Thanks

The fourth Thursday of November  is the day specifically set aside to give thanks in the US, but what makes us set aside one special day to say what we are thankful for? Is it merely to commemorate the first Thanksgiving? Is it the need to create ritual and community? After all, families and friends come together on this day to sit together and eat. I remember Thanksgivings of 15 to 20 people when I was young. I remember one of the ministers in the family saying grace, but I frankly do not remember going around the table to allow everyone to say what they were grateful that year. I do not remember any discussion about that first Thanksgiving. And, as the family grew smaller as grandparents and great aunts and uncles passed on, it still seemed to be the ritual of family and eating.

I suppose other families were and are different in this. I hope that many of us are at least silently thinking about what we are grateful for. Expressing it aloud, acknowledging it in prayer and writing it down are all excellent practices.

What am I grateful for? I am grateful for these things:

that I had the parents I needed to have in this life time to bring me to where I need to be and who loved me;

that I have my sisters, my niece, my nephew, and good friends for love, laughter and support;

that I have a connection to my angels and guides that provides me information for myself and others;

that I have a safe and affordable home to live in;

that I am able to buy good food;

that I have clean hot and cold water basically anytime that I want it;

that I am able to pay my bills and do not have huge debt hanging over my head;

that I am able to get myself out of bed in the morning, put myself to bed at night and for all the things that I can do for myself and others in between;

that I have had opportunities this past year to do the work that I have been called to do;

and so many other things that the list could probably go on for quite some time.

I hope that all of you have the at least this many people and things to be grateful for. And, hopefully, all of us find a way to say thank you for what we are grateful for more than just one day a year.

If you would like an angel reading with channeled messages from your angels and guides, please go to:  http://www.explorebeyondtheusual.com/Navigation/ExploreReadings/ExploreReadings.html

Kathryn Samuelson is an intuitive who channels messages from your angels and guides through spiritual or automatic writing. She is also a life coach certified by the University of New Hampshire through its Professional Development department. Kathryn does workshops based on the set of meditation cards and book called Opening the Heart: Mediations on How to Be that she created with her friend, Linda Lewis. For more information: http://www.kathrynsamuelson.com/, klsamuelsonATyahoo.com, or 781-799-7332

Other Blog Posts by Kathryn Samuelson: Nurturing the Ego, Letting Things Go, Real Energy Book Review, Living with Doubt and Uncertainty, Bardo - The Things In Between, Musings On Mindfulness, You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps, The Choices We Make, Beyond: Buddhist and Christian Prayers CD Review, Riding Out Irene: A Practice in Maintaining Balance,

New Moon Solar Eclipse at 2 Degrees of Sagittarius on November 25th 1:10

November 25th at 1:10 a.m. we have the Solar Eclipse. If you live on the West Coast then, of course, it will still be 11/24 so adjust accordingly. Now this New Moon Solar eclipse is not as easy some of the other New Moon eclipses we have had this year. However, as always, we should always be ready for the unexpected as eclipses do tend to throw a wrench into things just to mix it up, to keep us on our toes. Sagittarius is the focus now and a particularly intense focus it will be because it deals with our expanded awareness, higher education, law, religion, foreign culture and real-estate. It also deals with any type of timeless information, specifically, the Akashic records.

Mercury is retrograde just a few hours before the eclipse so we begin having problems with our communications right from the start. Mercury is also in Sagittarius but 20 degrees away from the eclipse so not a direct conflict but certainly adding to the mix.

This eclipse presents us with an interesting combination. We are being asked to expand our awareness and we are on a quest for the truth which can come through prayer, meditation or higher learning. We really need to be direct and honest with ourselves, and with others, during an eclipse like this. Depending on your personal circumstances, where this eclipse is in your chart, brings the opportunity for more details to be revealed.

Needless to say, Sagittarius can be a lot of fun, but he can also be too casual with the feelings of other people. If you have ever said things just to avoid an argument, then this eclipse, along with Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius, could easily bring up this lack of truth when you least expect, especially over the next few weeks. The first thing about lies is they are just too much work as you have to pay attention and remember them! This eclipse energy can be a big surprise when we, or someone we know, is confronted with the so-called truth.

Remember back on November 4th and 5th, in my You-Tube posting, I mentioned that those two days would give you clues as to what this eclipse may be like for you because Venus and Mercury where at the same degree this eclipse? I suggest you look back to these dates and review what was happening in your life so you may see how the next few weeks could go for you. Overstating your circumstances or making exaggerations are also predominant with this eclipse energy. Be careful and watch your words now as well. The Sagittarius energy is prone to exaggeration anyway and now it is high voltage.

When we deal with eclipses, we have a big long list of what can happen and it all involves change. You will find that change will come for all of us in some way with the strength of this eclipse and the next one coming in December. It has been this way all year. If you are still in a tailspin over something in your life that changed earlier this year, than it is time to regroup. Your own specific changes with this eclipse may not be as big as someone else, not to worry over this. Try to remember that Sagittarius energy can also be a whole lot of fun. If your life needs an infusion of fun, instead of change, then simply focus on the things that are fun to you.

Lastly, in regards to this eclipse, we will add in the influence from Jupiter. We have the Sun and Moon in a quincunx aspect to Jupiter. This can produce some discord and the need for constant adjustments for a few hours at first. Perhaps some of us may need to adjust our long term goals as well. However, that won’t be revealed until a later date. This will make our normal goal setting process a bit more difficult to focus on. Simply do the best you can and allow the universe tol fill in the blanks for you. Learn to “TRUST”. We can also be thankful that we have a New Moon which can assist us with any negative aspects this eclipse may bring in for you.

The New Moon ritual information this month, as explained earlier, deals with: expanded awareness, higher education, law or legal matters, religion, foreign culture, real-estate, luck and even faith. A few sample goals to write out in your journal could be, I see an easy solution to my legal problem. I easily find the correct class for me. I am open to expanding my awareness.  I can easily see my honest reflection. I now know the truth in regards to ______.  I allow the correct teacher for me to come into my life.

As you can see, we need to trust that what we need will come to us easily just because it is in our highest and best interest. For many of us, trusting is a big issue--where we have put our trust in the past, and where we will put it now. These are big lessons for everyone and not everyone will fall down. Some of us are further along the road of enlightenment than others and this strong eclipse energy is just a small bump in the road. I wish the best of luck to all of us because we all deserve the best.

The New Moon time frame this month is a bit tricky because with an eclipse, the Moon is highly charged and very potent. I suggest that you all write your New Moon wishes when it feels right to you. I am not going to give you a specific time frame for this New Moon but would suggest that waiting for 48 hours after the eclipse might be in your best interest this month. (These are not my normal instructions).

Dorothy “Anona” Morgan is a Professional Astrologer with over 22 years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher, and Angel Healing Practitioner. She is a Published Writer and Astrology Teacher. Contributing author to the book Divine Inspirations - Stories of Awakening and Empowerment by Everyday Lightworkers.

Astrology is not destiny. We all have free will and choices.

Reports like this are very general in nature and the information will not apply to everyone. If you want to know more about where this plays out in your own chart or for Astrology classes,please contact Dorothy nhastrologer@gmail.com You can also subscribe to her in-depth weekly forecast on her web site http://www.nhastrologer.com/or watch her You-Tube Postings http://www.youtube.com/user/DorothyMorgan

Other Blog Posts by Dorothy: Astrology Forecast for November 2011, Astrology Forecast for October 2011, New Moon in Libra, Full Moon in Pisces, Astrology Forecast for September 2011,

Emissary of Peace

Each of us

is an emissary of peace

at some level.

The more loving kindness,

the more compassion

we can return for

attack, hatred or pain,

the bigger an emissary we are.

Gandhi walked that quietly,

in his loin cloth.

and

Martin Luther King

with his courage and his dream

and

the Dalai Lama,

still in his spacesuit body,

teaching us compassion

as “his” monks are murdered

and monasteries destroyed.

And we struggle to hold

just equanimity,

when some one defies us

or bites us socially

or ignores our apparent worth.

“Remember,

one strong emanation of

loving light and understanding

is far greater than 10,000

who are not of such”.

Thank you Sanat Kamura

and Athene Raefiel for

reminding us about

our real job.

Lizette Estelle Stiehr

November 20, 2011

For more information see the November Sedona Journal,

“The Time of Things Never Seen Before” p. 58

Lizette Estelle Stiehr is the author of 2012 to Oneness -What World to You Choose? and contributing author to the book Divine Inspirations - Stories of Awakening and Empowerment by Everyday Lightworkers.

 

Other Blog Posts by Lizette: Hautned House, Air Signs, Water Signs,