Creative Katrina

Consistent vs. Complacent: Which One are You?

Photo by dprevite on Flickr

Just as so many others have declared before this post, I’m going to affirm yet again that we live in a busy world that is face-paced and dense with information overload. And yes, I’m well aware that I’m stating the obvious.

But as the world continues to whiz on by and change at hyper-speed, we form habits to deal with all the “noise.” Some of us need a routine to help keep us on track, others just become complacent in the barrage of input, and choose to hollow out a niche where we feel comfortable. Although it feels safe, it can also keep us from challenging ourselves and growing personally and professionally.

When you really think about it, what is the difference between showing up in a consistent way, and becoming complacent by ALWAYS showing up in the same way? Hmmm…

Bring it to the Mat, Baby

I took a new yoga class this week (yay for me!), and I was inspired by the instructor’s perspective on consistency. It turned out to be a fast-paced, more aerobic-type yoga class, and she needed to school us class newbies on one thing – to be consistent in our breath and effort. She guided us to show up for every pose with the same energy, persistence and determination, whether it was our favorite pose or something we felt was simply impossible to manage. As we flung our arms and legs about with an increasing intensity in the second half of class, she continued to bring us back to that same simple point – are you ready and willing to show up with the same care and intensity for the next pose?

The instructor’s simple insight reminded me of how people often forget the act of consistency in their daily lives. By doing your best to show up in a strong, positive way even when things are hardest, is what builds character and inspires growth in all areas of life.

The only difference is that in yoga it’s only you and the mat – so there IS no where else to go but within and show up for yourself. It strips away the ability to point the finger or make excuses, or distract yourself from showing up truthfully, facades stripped away.
 
When Comfy Equals Consistency

Now on the flip side, there are many people who get into a consistent routine and let it take over for months on end. This set way of doing things does not inspire them to grow and they cling to the routine to feel good, as fear of change creeps in along the sides of their life. Soon they do nothing but focus on the routine, because changing the game at this point feels too risky. If this all sounds familiar, it may mean you’ve entered the “comfy trap.”

When things feel too safe and predictable, it may be time to reevaluate. Are you really happy? Is there something missing from your life that could make you happier? Are you just afraid to rock the boat and try something new? It happens to us all – we get in a rut for any number of reasons. We make excuses to ourselves and for ourselves as to why action is not right at this time, but being aware is the first step to shifting it.

Now don’t confuse being comfy or stuck with creating a routine. A routine is a helpful tool to keep you on track and make sure there are important core, self-care things in your life to keep you grounded and feeling mentally clear. Routines are also good for things you NEED to do, but don’t particularly enjoy, because it provides a way for you to mentally commit to getting them done with consistency.

At the end of the day, you are only really accountable for yourself and to yourself. Unless, of course, you have children. In that case you need to feed and water them – oh wait…that’s plants! But you get the idea.

You can’t fight the inevitable, and change is really the only constant you can count on. Show up to your own “yoga mat” ready to take on what you can, confident you are willing to give all aspects of your life the same energy, space and awareness.

Balancing Human-ness and the Ego in Business

Photo by benjaminasmith on Flickr

In the last few weeks I’ve noticed the struggle for the expression of the individual identity in my business dealings, meetings and on social media outlets. Or perhaps as I move through my own personal challenges, it’s something more apparent just to me. Whatever the reason, this blog topic was screaming at me to be expressed. Although it’s a bit different than what I normally cover I couldn’t ignore it. Or perhaps, I just wanted to get a better sense of how others feel about it, too.

The “Self” in your Business

Knowing who you are is important, and being clear on how that ties into the big picture is essential to seeing how you fit into your business community — personally or online. But when does connection and community become more about actually connecting, and not about building a list of potential names you can bombard with your latest offering?

I’m recognizing more and more how folks are fighting to push their individuality out into the world, and that is great — I applaud people for having the courage to share their unique ideas and creativity with a bigger audience. Where is starts feeling icky is when the ideas, products or seminars are created with a guise of wanting to “help” others. In reality, these business folks just selected the right string of SEO words to snag a target demographic and boom — instant interest.

You may even experience this in your own sphere, as people push methods, systems, processes and classes that will “change your life” and get you on track with your business, home life or spiritual practice. Now, don’t get me wrong. Some offers are legit and truly helpful. I have experienced some myself recently, and I’m so grateful for the insight they have provided.

However, there are also many folks using the social media model of an online community to push their own wares first, and connect with people second.

Real power of a business lies in connecting with people first. Then all of the other “pushing” is unnecessary. People stay tuned. They WANT to know about your latest product or service and are looking for ways to enhance your existing relationship. It’s genuine and welcome.

To me, the most obvious example of this is Zen Habits.com. Leo Babuta created a site that talked about topics related to the human condition, and followers showed up because it was authentic. Real. Honest. People weren’t being sold on anything, but people felt compelled to connect because there was something that was of value that they could apply to their own lives. With a built in fan base, he was able to create products he knew people would already be interested in.

The Slippery Slope of the Human Connection in Business

There is a very fine line between being human and connecting with your human-ness. As a human being there are basic things you have come to expect when interacting with others, things we all deal with because we are facing similar life experiences. We connect with this sense of universal relation and create sort of a “situation relation” bond. However, I feel the next step is to take that understanding and mutual relation and use it to connect with someone beyond the surface, beyond what you want for yourself out of the exchange.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s ESSENTIAL for entrepreneurs to promote their products and services to each other. It’s how we stay in business (I’m one myself). But it’s also critical for entrepreneurs to create those one-on-one connections to establish credibility, to connect with the actual, real human needs of that one person to help them in a way that inspires them to be the best at their gifts, and then they can then share that same respect and approach with others.

When you make it about how you can help an individual grow and support themselves in a new way, AND offer a high quality product or service on a universal level, the reward is the inner knowing that what YOU do is valuable beyond the products or seminar you just sold. It’s about tapping into the essence of true community to make a much more significant impact through authenticity, that touches and elevates the performance of clients as much as it puts money in our pockets. It also feels a heck of a lot more awesome.

The Connection Between Clarity and Happiness

Photo credit: Robot Monster on Flickr

At the source of every challenge lies one simple question…how do you feel? Not what do you THINK, but how does a current situation/person/thing make you feel?

It might seem like an over simplification, but let’s take a second to break it down.

Feeling the Truth

When you are unsure about how you feel, there is a sense of disconnectedness that makes you uneasy, frustrated and confused. This disconnectedness, even at a very minor level, can skew your perception of things, making you doubt yourself or even worse, over think everything.

However, when you are really clear on how you feel about something, then you are in touch with the truth of the matter – without getting caught up in the drama of the mind. Next steps become clearer. You are more confident about the next move, instead of carrying around a scrambled mix of thoughts and emotions that are nebulous and hard to decipher. In fact, you may quickly discover there may be nothing to do at all – other than changing your perception.

This is what happens to many people; the mixing of thoughts and emotions without a sense of which is which. It’s happens most often when a new problem or challenge comes up, and the old ways of dealing with it no longer work. Unsure of how to move through it, it’s easy to  become emotionally stuck or feel blocked and feel like you are trying to balance in quicksand.

Opening up the Possibilities of Clarity

So you know you’re blocked…what do you do? Consider setting aside regular time for meditation, as well as explore a variety of energy healing modalities (i.e. Reiki, acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, aromatherapy and many more!), to find one that resonates. In fact, try a few. These non-invasive techniques help to open up your mind and release outdated patterns of thinking to help you get a clear sense of how you truly feel in the present day.

Another option is good old fashioned self exploration. Here are a few questions to get you started…

• Is this what I really want? If not, what is?
• Am I happy now? (not will I be in the future)
• Is there anything in my power to change or do differently that could possibly impact how I feel right now?

These questions may be simple, but it doesn’t mean they will be easy to answer. However, they all lead you to the same key thing…tapping into how you truly feel.

If you are too afraid to dig in deep and ask the questions you fear the answers to, then you can’t grow, and you have nothing to work with. Your uneasiness prevails, and anger and resentment builds up. Over time, this can lead to physical complications and dis-ease caused by emotional blocks that are compounding. Most importantly, you will continue to feel unhappy and unfulfilled.

Clarity is empowering. It doesn’t necessarily stop the pain you may be feeling, but helps you find ways to embrace and finally move past it. When your perspective shifts to see the same challenge in a new way, you begin to move towards a state of empowerment, and life begins to show you some really amazing, happiness-inducing possibilities.

Body Wisdom and My Story

Photo by bedeutet_jemanden

In my last blog post, I talked about how important it is to listen to your body, and the necessity of being aware of the insight it’s providing you minute by minute about countless things. For example, that afternoon headache could be from staring at the computer or the fact you need glasses, or your body could also be letting you know there may be some things you’re unwilling to see.

That’s what happened to me. And I wasn’t listening to my body’s infinite wisdom.

The Back Drop

I had started my writing business and had been struggling financially. I was working a few other jobs at the same time to keep me afloat, including being a pet sitter and working about 15 hours a week with a local company as a writer. Despite my best efforts, I felt like the need for money was winning above everything else.

Then, an opportunity came up through a friend for an interview as a remote technical writer with a blue chip company. At first the deal was part time, so I could still work with my current clients, grow my business and experiment with my creative ideas. After the initial interview, the offer turned into a full time opportunity AND I had to make up my mind within 48 hours. A mere 48 hours to completely change my life, basically abandon the growth of my business and totally switch gears. I was torn.

I asked everyone I knew for insight, but didn’t really listen to what my body was saying to me. I discounted it all together, as I knew this decision was a big one, and passed it off as nerves. In the end I did say yes, and I kid you not, I felt my soul leave my body when I did. It’s as if my body was saying, “Look! There is still time to change your mind!” But as “good girls” do, I stuck with my decision for safety and security reasons, and the fell victim to the shame associated with going back on my word.

The longer I continued fooling myself that financial security was enough, soon I had multiple health problems. My body started having a holy fit of fits, as I kept pushing through emotions, pain and ignoring the messages I was getting all day long.

At first it was just fatigue, then it was losing weight. Soon it was high blood pressure, and then I was on medication — just like old people. I forced my body to chug along, doing something that felt terrible without really seeing the truth behind my body’s messages. I felt ill most of the time for countless reasons, and doctors and alternative healers had no idea how to help.

I was just so cut off from relating my health issues to my emotions, I didn’t know until it was very painful and obvious that something was really, really out of sync. It took almost two years to figure out what was really going on after I left behind that writing gig for good. And yes, I started over from scratch. Yes, income was scarce at times, and yes, I was super stressed. But the stress relief I felt knowing I was finally free from doing something that turned my soul inside out was so much better. The writing job that was supposed to keep me safe and offer prestige and recognition just ended up making me ill, BECAUSE I did it for the wrong reasons. Fear.

The Next Few Years

The challenges that lay ahead in those first few years after I left were something I could contend with because I new in my heart I had made the right choice for my soul. Even though I was scared, I knew once I had time to get my mind and body more aligned and in sync, I would be making choices that resonated and made things simpler as I regrew my business.

Now, I’m not saying to eliminate the use of logic or reason in your decision making process. What I’m saying is use the instrument most readily at your disposal, your body. Get it tuned up, healthy and clear so are ARE able to tell what you’re really wanting in your soul, not a false idea of what you think that should be doing based on a collection of fears, societal pressures and family programming. Believe me, your body will let you know.

In many ways I thought my body had failed me. Now I know its just providing information and it’s up to me to decide if I’m going to listen.

Being Healthy Takes More Than Good Food and Sit-ups

Photo by teo_ladodicivideo

Healing is about the journey, like anything else in life. It takes more than vitamins, exercise and eight glasses of water a day to get you there.

If you take the drugs, therapies, doctors, alternative health practitioners, healthy eating habits and everything else in between out of the equation, you still have a vast majority of folks who are so out of touch with their own body, they have no idea what it’s trying to tell them. Ever.

Your body is the best instrument you have for relieving stress. I say that because when you’re mentally clear and your body is in tune, you’re automatically guided to make choices that feel right, do things that bring joy and you are able to be present in the moment. No stress. No decision making required by the mind. No brain frenzy — just clear, obvious intuitive thoughts that lead you to a natural decision making point and bring you to the next thing. On the other hand, when your body is doing its job and showing up to tell you something isn’t right, don’t ignore it. That is where the problems start.

How the “Must-Do’s” Do you In

As people grow up and into their “responsibilities,” they are so focused on the goal of accomplishment they forget why they are doing the work in the first place. Often they don’t even feel fulfilled in the long-term once the goal is “accomplished”. They trudge, push and angle, trying to move through the commitments they’ve created, when in reality, they can always choose differently. It’s just not always an easy, obvious choice, especially when you’ve been pushing through the fog without a beacon for so long.

The truth is, being blindly led by responsibilities can blot out the body’s ability to feel, so all the signs and signals the body is sharing are devoid of meaning. In this foggy state, people are just unsure of HOW to choose differently.

Making choices based on what feels natural isn’t always practical of course — we all have obligations that are less than exciting. Like paying taxes, changing diapers or paying for gas. However, if you are really in tune with what you want at a deep core level, you move through those less than exciting pieces in life with greater ease and they don’t seem nearly as arduous. You move through them with confidence, peace and clarity, knowing you are going through them for a reason, and your body will tell you what you really need to know better than anything else.

Pay Attention To Your Biggest Ally

The best thing you can do for yourself and your overall health is to pay attention. Put down the electronic device, stop making plans every five minutes and don’t take an aspirin every time you get a headache. Instead, stop and think about what happened in your day up until that point that might have led to how you are feeling. Or, retrace your patterns of thinking to see if you are stressing yourself out with your own thoughts. Find a way to feel grounded, to get out of your mind and tune into the pain or discomfort to see what it’s trying to tell you, gently leading you to a different choice.

Don’t believe it’s possible? Well, it is — because I’ve done it and continue to do it every day. Growing up in a family of worriers and being a natural, chronic over-thinker, I naturally followed the path of doing all of the things I mentioned. After years of this entrenched behavior, was it easy to change? In some ways yes, in others, no. Come back next week to read how my body finally told me, enough is enough — stop drowning your light and gifts in the guise of responsibility and get on the road to health.

Moving forward without knowing what is around the corner…

This is more of a journal entry style than a blog post, but I thought I would share it anyway.

Reassurance is something we all need and can have, but not something you can expect. Acting without reassurance is not only brave, but essential in order to grow, change and expand into the highest and best version of yourself. When you are in doubt as to weather or not you should be making a change – just breathe. No immediate action is required; it’s just your ego pushing you to take action. The best way to move forward is with heart – love yourself. Make room for meditation, yoga, exercise, alone time, whatever you may need to make room for the answers to show up, instead of acting impulsively on limited information. Time is the best gift we can have or give because it creates space for new insights and information to show up, and reveal the truth behind the blocks that can color our perspective with a veil of fear.

What Moves You?

Photo by AlicePopkorn

What truly moves you at your core? This simple question stirs up a range of layers and answers so dynamic, unique and inspiring, it’s possibly one of the most loaded questions a person can contemplate. But when you truly feel it in your soul, the experience of it beelines you to the heart of what makes you tick, acting as a window to directly connect you with your creative source. It’s an amazing thing to witness in yourself or others, and the end destination is always a surprise.

I can instantly dig in deep creatively through music. It’s raw connection gets me inspired in seconds. The words, a beat, a melody –they all work for different reasons. I fall in love with a certain song for a week and then it fades away, almost as if it has served its purpose and I’ve learned and grown. I’m partial to acoustic guitar, mandolin and unique voices of both sexes, as much as I get drawn instantly into the flow of Trance and Electronica or fall into the nostalgia of Classic Rock.

As a writer I drift towards lyrics with meaning as much as I connect with silly, pointless rhymes that get me giggling. I see the words as tool for healing, learning, laughing, sharing and connecting to others as much as the individual parts of myself– and the lyrics show up how I need them to in the moment. Paired with music, they create a unique expression that fills my soul in a way that just doesn’t measure up when I experience them independently.

The most inspiring element of the music for me is the crescendo, no matter the genre of music. As I follow the slow build up, connect to the intense feeling and pounding of the beat, jump inside the intensity of the wave of notes crashing down, I feel it in my core. It’s part of me for that moment – it fills my cells and helps me forget every last thought in my mind. I release everything and remain riveted in the present moment – feeling, connecting and showing up as a free soul.

We all need more moments of intense passion, creative inspiration and divine connection in our lives. Find out what gets you there and do it often. You will see how this consistent connection begins to reshape how you look at all elements of your life, and how easily you can celebrate the beauty of the fleeting present moment.

Move Past Judgment and Find Truth

Photo by Steve Minor

Jumping to conclusions is a human pass time. We all do it, and it’s pretty easy to get there fast. I learned to do it at a very young age, and have spent the last five years reducing that reaction to an occasional slip up.

I see so many people around me doing it for sport like there’s no tomorrow. In my younger years I thought it was just how people were supposed to act — it was what I saw everyone else doing. Now I just see right to the heart of what these judgments really reveal — insecurity.

Jumping to conclusions means that you are referring back to old patterns of thinking, ingrained ways that feel safe and comfortable. Opening up your mind to think of things in a new way, moving past your “training”, assumptions and learned behaviors, is a stretch that  many feel is too uncomfortable. So they don’t change at all. As the years roll by, these people often notice the worst always happens, BECAUSE they expect it too. How is there room for anything else but your worst fears when you cannot admit your insecurities and fears show up as judgments about others?

Yes, this is a big step. Taking ownership of your own insecurities is not comfortable, fun or glamorous. But it’s damn freeing. You just need to be willing to read between the lines to see what is really going on.

Practice, Patience and Reality

I experienced this close-minded thinking earlier this week. I received an email from someone that set off some alarm bells in my head, and I got a bit huffy. I immediately started painting a picture of this person in my mind (we don’t know each other well yet), and thought I had her figured out. She was a combination of my crappy old bosses, yucky clients and general bossy personality traits I dislike. It really pushed my buttons.

When I took a while to respond and she caught me by phone, those “stories” faded away.

This woman was under pressure to meet a deadline, and her regular writer was too busy. She was calm, forth-coming and very agreeable to the project terms I suggested, and I decided to move ahead with the work. In fact, she was nothing like the person I created in my head at all.
 
When old emotions surface, objectivity goes out the window. We usually end up making it about the other person, but it’s really an opportunity to see between the lines – on both sides of the coin.

I was able to see the reality of the situation by listening and reading between the lines. As she talked more about her situation, I sensed she dislikes being under the gun because she takes pride in being organized and ahead of schedule. She was also feeling a bit frustrated about having to look around for a dependable resource at the last minute, and was concerned about how poorly written content might impact her project if she was unable to get help.

By paying attention to all the subtleties of the situation, I was able to get over myself, help her out of a jam and earn some extra scratch. Overall a win-win, once I was willing to look at all angles of the situation. I was able to really see what I was creating…all in my own mind.

Are there times when you have done the same to a friend or someone you barely know? I’d like to hear about your experience.

Throw Out What you Think you Know and Embrace Renewal

Photo credit: AuntieP

Each spring the human race feels compelled to wash windows, clean out closets and give our home the once over. The cathartic act of physical cleaning is peaceful in its own way, helping us slough off winter energy and prepare for a fiery new spring adventure among the tweeting birds and budding trees. It’s instinctual.

In spring we also feel a renewed sense of wanting to “get moving”. We don’t always know why or where we’re headed, but it’s a very deep desire to shake things up and get on the race track, so to speak. But there is a problem with that kind of thinking. Race tracks are closed in; they go in a circles. There is no way to make real progress towards anything, other than an arbitrary finish line that is already pre-determined. The real power is in taking the time to first think about where you want the road to actually go.

What Stays and What Goes?

This has been an interesting question for me lately. I’ve noticed people, things and work opportunities that no longer feel good in my orbit. In some cases specific actions took place that made me clearly realize the connection was kaput. Then the choice became a no-brainer. Others have been a bit more gut-wrenching and personal to let go because they have become part of how I identify myself in the world. As I change and grow, I have realized how important it is to acknowledge, honor and thank those parts of myself that have served their purpose, but now must be put into retirement.

My biggest shift in this spring season has been in turning inward to ask myself what I really want, releasing the compulsion to run around with a need for action without a cause. I’m also resisting the urge to “do” just for the sake of doing. Most people feel this similar tug, but instead they choose to fill their day with tasks and plans to help blot it out. It’s even easier to do when the weather is nice and there are so many beautiful, fun opportunities for distraction.

Honor Your Soul’s Desires and Things Get Simpler

Taking the time to honor your deepest soul desires is much more of an experience than an action. It deserves respect, time and special attention away from the noise of your mind. Reflection time after physical exercise can help those that feel better about zoning out after they have “accomplished” something, and the body has had a chance to release some mental chatter. Early morning and before bed are also good times to linger in or slide into that dream like state of reflection and receiving.

No matter when and how you do it, the important part is that you allow space for it. For many (including myself at times) the real fear is the shift itself, the fear that things will never be the same as they are now. Well, the truth is that if you are feeling incongruent with your own life things NEED to shift. No one else can tell you what that needs to be or how it will happen. So forget the “how” and figure out your own “what”. The events that happen next are all part of your own personal journey, meant to unfold in a way that offers the information you need to move forward with confidence and grace. 

“The other side of every fear is freedom.” Alan Watts

If You’re Ready to Dig Deep, You’re Ready to Get Creative

Photo by Wild Photon

The creative process is one of the most personal, intimate things someone experiences in their lifetime. It’s unique to you, and only you will know if it feels authentic or fulfilling. Doing what others do to “get into a creative space” may work to blow open an entrance into the rabbit hole, but the real gift is in the process – how YOU as an individual feel and deal with what’s poking its head out of the sand, staring at you.  

What’s really happens during the creative process? It’s the “how”, how we translate our surroundings, impulses, images, emotions and social/personal programming into a specific creative expression. We take these pieces and observations from the outside world, inward, as a first step. But the real gumption towards creative expression starts as you transmit this input through yourself, through your own vision and experience, knowing what to leave out because it doesn’t resonate. Sometimes you have an active choice to kick it off. Other times the creative expression comes out as it chooses, pouring through you effortlessly at any time. 

Are you Willing to “Go There?”

We all have a story to tell, but are you willing to tell it? Are you willing to dig deep and see how the pieces that stick in your mind, that continue to make themselves known and visible on the surface, are begging for creative expression? They are showing up for just that reason. It’s part of what makes you unique – your view on how the bits and pieces of you tie together and come out into a formation of your making: aka creative expression. 

Doesn’t matter what it looks, sounds or smells like. No need for it to make sense to anyone else or for you to share. What does matter is that you acknowledge the need and right for creative expression to emerge and wiggle its way out, somehow. Make time and space for it to peek its head through the door and zip around the page, canvas, kitchen counter, garage or whatever feels right. The options are as endless as your imagination.

The more honest you are with yourself, the deeper, more intense, more personal your creative process becomes. And in turn, it transforms you. It’s a never ending cycle of beauty and rebirth – if you let it run its’ natural, wild course.