Guess Who Has All The Answers?

When they no longer trust themselves, they begin to depend on authority.

Verse #72 from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

I recently was listening to a music video posted on Facebook by a friend. (Click here to view.) One of the lines jumped out of the song and went right into my heart. When I heard this, my eyes teared up and I knew it was something I have been waiting to hear all my life. “I am the one I’ve been waiting for.” In this world of experts – where everyone is waiting to tell you what to think, what to believe, what to accept as truth, and what to understand, I am the best person to Know what is my path, what is the Truth for me.  I am my own guru. I am my own political expert. I am my own financial expert. I am my own relationship expert. I am the one I have been waiting for.

Think about any time you have asked for advice. Why did you do this? Was it because you didn’t know what to do? Was it because you didn’t want to choose? Was it because you knew what to do and didn’t want to do it? What are the reasons that you seek advice, wisdom, and guidance from other people? This verse of the Tao Te Ching answers that question. It is because you did not trust yourself to come up with the “right” solution. You didn’t believe that you had the knowledge to make the decision. You didn’t think you had enough knowledge, information, expertize, or whatever to make it happen they way you wanted to. So you began to look outside of yourself for your answers. NEWS FLASH – you have all the answers! Yes – I mean you!

During my life coach training, I was taught to hold the belief for the client that they had all their own answers. No one who came to me as a client was broken. No one needed to be fixed. They were whole and complete. They were the Perfection of Spirit incarnated (OK, that little bit came later in Modern Day Priestess training, and it is all the same). My job, my duty, my PRIVILEGE as a coach is to KNOW this for every one of my clients. It is my aspiration for this year to know this for everyone I meet and to do so despite the circumstances, despite the actions, and despite the external appearances. Depend on no one to tell you the Truth. Trust in your connection to the Tao to reveal to you all the you already know.

In love and light

Celina

“I know that.” If You Hear Those Words, Stop Talking.

Presuming to know is a disease. First realize that you are sick, then you can move toward health.

Verse #71 from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

“I know that.” I attended a Millionaire Mind Intensive in June, and the facilitator equated those three words to the most dangerous words in the English language. I totally get where he’s coming from with that statement. If someone speaks those words to you, you might as well stop talking. When someone speaks those words to you they have stopped listening to anything you are saying. Their opinion has been formed and cemented into rock. Whatever you may want to say at that point is a waste of time and effort. Just give it up and go home. Otherwise both people are going to end up angry and frustrated.

When you “know” something you stop looking, you stop considering, you stop theorizing, and you stop investigating. When you “know” something every other course of action has been closed off and you only do what you know. Why does the Lao-tzu consider this to be a disease? Actually, what Lao-tzu says is “presuming to know,” which implies that you really don’t know at all. So why is “presuming to know” a disease? It is a dis-ease because “knowing” cuts you off from the ebb and flow of life. You are firmly planted in the river while the river rushes around you. “Knowing” allows for no change, and change is all there is. All life changes, constantly. When you “know,” you cut yourself off from the change. Knowing something makes us solid, unmovable, and unchangeable. You are now cut off from life. You are opposed to it. Dis-ease is opposed to life.

Allow yourself to not know. Question your beliefs. Question your knowns. Remove that phrase “I know that” from your vocabulary. This is realizing that maybe you don’t know what you thought you knew. This is realizing you’re sick. Then you can begin to become part of the ebb and flow of life again. You will become changeable. You will open yourself to new possibilities and see new perspectives. You will flow with life and be opposed to standing firm against it. Unlearn all that you thought was true and begin to ask yourself what might be true. Don’t presume to know anything. If you do know something to be true, allow that tomorrow, that something may no longer be true. Every morning when you wake up, forget all that you presume to know and discover what the day holds for you.

 

In love and light

Celina

“I don’t know what to do!” Creativity Sapper.

Well you finally made time for your creative endeavors. You put it in your book, set it aside, and are now honoring that sacred creative time. You’ve set up all your tools, prepared a nice cup of tea and a snack. You’ve turned off the phones and turned up the music. You’ve sat down at the table to write, draw, paint, scrapbook, whatever it is and now…. now you don’t know what to do! You’ve got a great big blank hole in your head where all your ideas used to be. You can’t think of an idea, not one, to act upon. You’ve been looking forward to this for days! Here you are, ready to go, and you stare at the paper and can’t think of anything to create. Usually your head is full of things you want to create and now, when you are ready, you get performance anxiety and just sit and stare at nothing. After many minutes of frustration and annoyance you get up and go do something else more productive, thinking next time you will have some ideas.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Don’t let the sapper win! Stay. This is actually one of the easiest sappers to overcome. All it takes is time and persistence.

Creativity is a habit that need reinforcing like any habit. It is a muscle that needs to be exercised. So the more regularly and often you can set aside time, and honor that time, the more your body and mind will learn that “Oh! This is the time we work on our creative endeavors” and will respond accordingly. The key is to stay with it. The more regular and consistent you can make the time of your endeavors, the easier it will be to create the habit of creativity. On the weekends I still wake up at the time my alarm would go off during the week. Usually I roll over and go back to bed. However, my body and mind have the habit of waking up at that time. That is what you want to develop with your creative time also.

There are some very practical and easy things you can do to move through the “blank paper” syndrome.  The best way that I heard was to keep a log of ideas. Carry a notebook around with you and whenever you get a thought, write it down. The smart phones are great for painters and sketchers. See a great ides? Snap a quick picture for later development. When you sit down to work and draw a blank, grab the notebook or look at the pictures to get the ball rolling. Other ideas are to rework an old piece, or practice different techniques. The old tried and true is to get out the crayons and scribble. You know, that’s one of my favorites. Crayons are a great solution to many a creativity sapper. See how many different ways you can combine the same ten words. Do word or image association. Doodle. Whatever you do, make sure you stay at it until your allotted time is up. Ding! Good job.

Now do it again tomorrow, then the day after or next week. Schedule the them, take the time, and sit down and honor the time. This persistent action will create a creativity habit and mindset. Soon, if you miss your scheduled time, your mind will be waking you up to grab your pencil and draw! Yeah!

In love and light

Celina

Is the Importance of your Creativity being Sapped?

How much do you value your creativity? Do you value you it the way you value a friend? Do you respect it the way you should respect your mother or father? Are you giving time and attention to it? Are you nurturing it, feeding it and loving it the way you would a child or a beloved pet? Are you checking in with it to see how it’s doing the way you check in on your boyfriend or girlfriend? Are you planning your time together like you would plan your vacation or wedding? If you are reading this the answer is probably no. If you don’t believe that your creativity is important or valuable then that attitude is sapping your creative actions.

You make time in your life for the people, things and events that are important to you. You will go out of your way to do those things that are important. You will rearrange your schedule. You will post pone other things. You will get up early or stay up late. You will put it in your book so nothing else will get scheduled at that time. How many of you will actually schedule time for your creative endeavors? How many people put it on the top of the to do list and get it done first? Probably not a whole hell of a lot. If it does go on the list it will go on the bottom, after the dusting and cleaning the toilet. Is it any wonder that the creative actions are getting sapped! Who wants to be creative after cleaning a toilet?

The first thing to do in overcoming this sapper is to look at how important your creativity is to you? Does it make your top ten? Does it make your top five? If it really isn’t that important to you then whenever you get something creative done is fine. However, since you are reading this, I will assume that it is up at the top of your list, somewhere in the top ten. Look at where it does fall in your priorities, really be honest here. If it is important to you, then treat it as such! Schedule time in your book and take that time. Even if all you do is 15 minutes of scribbling with crayons or writing the worst poetry ever. Find the time and honor that commitment. In the beginning, the amount doesn’t matter. What matters is that that time is important and you treat it as such. Another way to overcome this sapper is to find a perspective for your creative endeavors that makes them a priority in your mind. You can think of this time as a job that you can’t be late too or absent from. You can think of it as friend, lover or family member that you would never disappoint by canceling on. You can look at this time as a vital job interview or a presentation. Change the way you think about this creative time so that it becomes important. You would never, ever, miss out on something that important to you! Ever!

In love and light

Celina

What do Sandwiches and Abundance Have in Common?

I was eating the other half of my sandwich for lunch. Now this sandwich started its life as a lunch meal the day before. The sandwich then spent some time in my bag before I was able to get it refrigerated. Then it became lunch on the next day. The lettuce was a little wilted, and as I ate the sandwich I would remove some (most) of the lettuce. The sandwich still tasted OK. As I sat there eating, I was wondering why I just didn’t throw it out and get another sandwich? The answer – I didn’t want to waste food. I’ll waste time and money. I have done so abundantly in the past, yet I wouldn’t waste food. I hate throwing out food. Every time I do I get the sick feeling inside of me and think, “What a waste. There are people starving in the world and I’m throwing food down the garbage.” Talk about programing and belief systems! Whose voice do you think that was? Probably not mine. So I sat there eating a questionable sandwich and thought about abundance, scarcity, and my mindset.

What does it mean to have an abundant mindset? I’ve been challenged by this question in the past. When I was setting up my budget I questioned whether having a budget was living in an Abundant mindset. I came to the conclusion that it was. Now, many years and perspective shifts later I’m still not quite sure what the answer is. As you all know, awareness is the first step and the second is questioning what you believe and whether it supports you or doesn’t. So if I were to look at my beliefs around food and whether they supported me in an abundant mindset, what would I say? Well I know they are not my beliefs. They are beliefs that were programmed into me as I grew up. They are from my parents who would tell me to finish the food on my plate because someone was starving. They come from the TV shows and commercials I watched growing up. They are from my teachers and religious leaders who were asking for donations for those less fortunate than I was. When I look at this belief it is not coming from a place on abundance. It comes from a place of scarcity and lack and from a place of “there is not enough to go around.” That is not abundance.

I am blessed. I have always had more than enough food in my life. I have had enough money to buy what I want when I want it. I have a food budget and I have gone outside of that budget on occasion. I know that if I threw a sandwich away I would be able to afford another tomorrow. I have never starved because there was not enough money to feed me. That is abundance. If I choose to eat a questionable sandwich, I will do so not from a place of scarcity, but a place of abundance. I know I can afford another and I eat it to honor those that may not be able to and I will donate to those organization that support those that do not have the choice about what to eat and when. When those voices come and speak to me about those starving when I am throwing out food, I will remember that they have the best intentions and that I am truly blessed to have a choice. I will give Thanks for the blessings in my life, be more aware and conscious about them, and partake of those blessing before they expire!  The actions will look the same. What is different is my perspective on those actions. I will shift into a perspective that supports my abundance.

 

In love and light

Celina

 

Do You Have an Overdeveloped Sense of Responsibility?

Jim and I have recently started watching the TV show Smallville. If you are not familiar with this show, it is a retelling of the story of the iconic superhero Superman, when he was young. The series began during his high school years and continued for 10 seasons. The Series finale was this last spring. Jim and I are watching the DVDs and have started from the beginning.

One thing that became clear very quickly is that the character of Clark Kent, Superman’s alter ego (although at this point there is no Superman) has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. He takes everything on. Anything he has even a remote connection to, he will feel like he is responsible for creating a positive outcome. No matter what anyone else’s choice is or what part they play in the things that are happening, Clark always feels like it is all his responsibility to fix. I suppose that is a good thing in a character that can bench press a tractor. However, it handicaps his character with a lot of guilt and makes him moody and broody. Of course he is also a teenager, so that might have something to do with the moody and broody.

One of the insights that came to me the other day was how by Clark taking on all this responsibility, he negates the choices of the other characters. Since I have a tendency to take on lots responsibility for the things going on around me, this was an important realization for me. Every situation in our life is a result of the choices we and those around us have made. When two or more people meet, that meeting is the intersection of each person choices. So when I, or someone else, take on all the responsibility for something occurring, it is as good as saying “I’m sorry but all your choices are meaningless to me.” Now what impacted me the most was the realization that some of those choice are made in the deepest love and are meant to be a gift to me, or someone else. A gift I was rejecting by taking on all that responsibility and negating the choice!

I realize that responsibility has many non-supportive means out there. It is something I have talked about before. I also realize there are those who aren’t taking on responsibility for their choices. However, don’t own what is not yours. Recognize what your choices are and recognize what the other person’s choices are. When you take on more than your share of the responsibility, you hamstring yourself with guilt and stress. You can’t make someone’s choices for them and therefore you cannot guarantee any outcome or result in which someone else has a choice. This may result in an outcome you may not want, yet they too have their lessons to learn and experience to receive. Allow them the responsibility of their own choices and the gift that this is for you and for them.

 

In love and light

Celina

“I Can’t Start Something New.” – Creativity Sapper!

Every time I go to begin a new project, I get this kind of sinking feeling in my stomach. Then I think, “I’ve got so many things already started.” After this thought, I begin to justify not starting anything new until I finish all those old  projects or throw them out. Since I really don’t want to finish ALL those old projects (because, really, there was a reason I stopped them in the first place) I just give up and go watch TV (or play computer games). Does this sound familiar to anyone? Anyone? Anyone else have lots of started projects building up somewhere in their home? I’m not an advocate of always starting things and not completing them (or throwing them out). However be aware if telling yourself this is just an excuse that a creativity sapper is telling to you to stop all creative endeavors.

Half-finished projects aside, if you find yourself not executing a new idea because you haven’t finished all the old ones, take a look at what’s going on under the surface. Check in with yourself. If you have been acting on your ideas all along, it might really be the “Lots of Ideas” sapper showing it colors. However, if you haven’t been acting on your creative ideas because of all that old stuff, you are definitely in the midst of our current sapper (you might also have a little of the “Lots of Ideas” one going on too, so check into that post). All those undeveloped-upon ideas build up inside and sap energy and desire. You feel like “What’s the point?” because you’ll never finish it anyway. You don’t start it because it will just sit on a shelf. You just let it go because it is too much effort to dig out of all that stuff (energetically and physically). It would be so much better to finish what you started and then begin some thing new. That statement is of course very true. However, if you haven’t been acting upon the creative impulse at all, then it is so much better to begin something then do nothing!!!! Recognize that statement for what it is in this case. It is a sapper!

The best way to move through this sapper is to do something new. As with most sappers, execution on an idea is the best remedy. That and the awareness of what is going on inside of you. Another way to work through this sapper is to get rid of the old stuff. Commit to taking a day or two and go through all that stuff. Throw it all out! If you can’t do that (I can’t) then put it away with the understanding that it is “on hold.” Make a commitment to take it out in, say, six months and begin on it like it was a new project. One of my greatest works, currently, was put away for six months and revived after that time period. Allowing yourself permission to begin something new, even with all those old project hanging around, will really put this sapper on the run. Give yourself permission to start two or three new projects so you can get into the exciting, juicy energy of beginning something new. Then use that energy to follow through on those new things. Oh, that will really kick this sapper in the teeth and send it packing. Finishing a project is the best surest way to say “Goodbye” to this sapper. Go finish something today and say so long to the “I can’t start something new” creativity sapper.

In love and light

Celina

Science and Religion – Just Two Methods to Achieve the Same Things

So today I was thinking about science and religion. They always seem to be dramatically opposed to one another. At least that is what you always see going on in the media and entertainment industries. I don’t believe they are dramatically opposed like we are given the impression of. At least not at this time. In the historical past, I feel they were most definitely opposed. Personally, I believe that they go hand in hand and as we delve more deeply and gain greater understanding of the universe, science will “prove” that. I guess you know what camp I fall into! LOL. However, what I was thinking about today was how they both do the same thing. These two seemingly opposed disciplines both attempt to explain the world around us. They both use their own language to try to understand what is happening in the physical. Religions use faith and doctrines, and science uses mathematical formulas and experiments. Both are using their own language to explain what is perceived around them. Both bring their own interpretations and perceptions to the explanation.

The ancient Greeks used their tales of the Gods and Goddesses to explain how the world was formed and why certain things occurred. They looked around, saw what was happening, and used these myths to explain those occurrences. Many other ancient cultures did the same. Many indigenous peoples have a more nature based belief system. Yet, they were still doing the same. They were using their belief in  “evil spirits” or stolen souls to explain illnesses and behaviors. Looking around them, they were perceiving how the world is apparently operating and using those perceptions to create their spiritual practice. I know in my own life when a situation occurs that I might consider unwanted, I will begin to look at why this situation is in my life. The answers I perceive give my life a direction. I may use that situation to reflect on what is happening in my emotions or as an opportunity to change a perception and belief.

If I used a more scientific practice, I may look back to find the cause that created the effect I am feeling now and work to make sure that cause does not occur again. I am still doing the same thing. I am using my own language and perception to interpret the events in my life and I am using that perception to change how I move forward. Both these methods are just two different ways of getting to the same end, a change in my life. My interpretation of this is that the scientific method is more one of observation and the religious is more one of emotion. The challenge that occurs is when what appears to be two dynamically opposed viewpoints come together and neither one will allow the other the use of their own language. It is the old “my way or the highway” thinking. If both are allowed to coexist in peace, we, the human race, would be much stronger and wiser for it. We are not weakened by these different languages and perceptions, we are strengthened by them. Remember that, the next time you are in the midst of an argument and you perceive the other person as dead wrong. They probably perceive the same about you. What can you do to support you both in speaking the same language?

In love and light
Celina

Why, Oh Why, Am I Writing About Charlie Sheen?

What is it about Charlie Sheen? I did a google search on him and here is what I got: he was missing his kid’s birthday, had hired some Israeli bodyguards, and his tour sold out in 18 minutes. On my 10 minute ride to work I heard his name mentioned in the news at least twice. His exploits are everywhere and every news agency seems to want to mention him in some unflattering light. So why? Why do we care so much about what he is doing and when he his doing it? I know he has a popular TV show but there are many other actors and TV shows that are just as popular. Is it his arrogance? Is it because he does things that so many people don’t approve of? Is it because he lives his life in a big way and shines so brightly?

I may not approve of his lifestyle. I may not like how he pursues his materialistic pleasure with his dogged determination. I may think that he could put his time and money to better uses. I also know that what we see in the media is probably not the truth of the man. The media loves the bad boy. The media also loves to put people in the spotlight so they can show you all the flaws and faults of someone. The media likes to stand in judgment and say “We are so much better than this person because of …”, and Charlie Sheen certainly has his flaws. Don’t we all?

He also lives his life to the fullest extent and without excuses to anyone. He does what he wants when he wants to. When people shine so brightly and live their lives with such… passion, we tend to want them to be more flawed. We want them to be less bright. We want them to be ordinary again. Why? Because their brightness scares us. It reminds us that we are not fully shining our light. It reminds us that we may not be living with passion. It reminds us we may be allowing others to dictate our actions and goals instead of following what we want. I may not like what Charlie Sheen is doing in his life but I love that he is living his life in passion and without remorse.

So the next time you hear a media story about Charlie Sheen’s escapades and exploits, remember that he is shining and living his life without other people’s ’should’s and ‘should nots’ deciding his actions. Remember, as the media points out his flaws, faults, and all the “ridiculous” things he says, that he does all that he does fully knowing that everything will be plastered all over the news, in every tabloid, and completely dissected and analyzed by many, many people. Yet he still does it and enjoys that he does it, without self-doubt or self judgment. We could all use a little more of those qualities in our lives. We could stand to burn a little brighter and live with more passion. We could all take a page out of Charlie Sheen’s book and live our lives without remorse and without excuses.

 

In love and light
Celina

Is Your Creativity Overwhelmed?

Do you feel overwhelmed? Are you always running around trying to get a thousand things done in the time span of an hour? Do all the things you have to do weigh you down and suck your energy? Do you feel like you are cramming 48 hours worth of stuff into 18 hours of a day? Yup! You are overwhelmed and living in that energy. Been there, done that, and still go there for coffee and donuts on occasion. The lifestyle most of us here in the States live is one of doing, doing, doing. We learn that to be productive we must always be in action and moving and shaking.

WAY WRONG ANSWER!!!

I read an article once about very successful CEO of a business and they all would schedule “down time” into their schedule. This was a space where they take time and explore other possibilities, brainstorm, and get creative. Being in constant action does not make you productive. The right actions, combined with inspiration, intuition, and focus are what is going to make you productive. You have the benefit of having time for creativity and being less stressed.

Overwhelmed is definitely a sapper many people (including me) are familiar with. Creativity needs time and space. Inspiration rarely comes when your mind and your day are filled with things that “must” be done. Creativity is often shy and loves those quiet moments. It likes when your body is engaged in its “mundane” tasks like dishes and laundry. This gives the mind a chance to soar and connect with the infinite. It is there that creative ideas are born.

To move through this sapper takes some focus and attention. You should really take a look at what you are doing in your day and see if the actions you are doing are supporting you in getting what you want. If your day is filled with things that do support you, then try to schedule in your day a couple of times a week some creativity time. Actually put it in your schedule. Treat it with the same respect you would any important appointment. Begin to shift your mindset around this time. Don’t think of your creativity as something you do when you have time. Think of your time as something you will spend on your creativity. Think of this time as the most important business meeting you will ever go to. It is that which will bring you everything you want from life. Think of it that way because being inspired and creative will bring you everything you want. Don’t doubt it for a second.

In love and light

Celina