Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Disaster!

The word from my heart pocket is Disaster.

It is disastrous. We give it a go and it just doesn't work. In fact, it's a complete failure. Or is it?

Disasters do something to us. They affect us in a big way. They flip us upside down and they cause us to rethink everything. Sometimes they cause us to do the thinking that might have been done before we began.

There is a beautiful reaction to global disasters. People come together. Differences are forgotten and we reach out to each other in care and compassion. Historically, even the man-made disaster of war has been "put on hold" so parties could tend to the sick and dying caused by a natural disaster.

One of the most incredible results of a world disaster is the huge amount of creativity that comes forward. Innate talent emerges out of the ethers. The notion of risk is released and energy rises. Fear literally goes away when we are in service to others, when we work toward a common goal.

On the most basic level, this is how creativity works best. We don't need a disaster for the process to kick in. We can train ourselves to approach a project (i.e., our lives) without fear. We can become risk friendly. We can let down our guard and loosen up to let our lights shine.

The most creative times have no boundaries. If we are starting from scratch, needing to resolve a problem, climbing out of a hole, overcoming an obstacle - recovering from a disaster - just as we would do for someone in need, we could do for ourselves. Imagine it. Superimpose someone in your place and nurture that person by letting go of the fear - even if just long enough to come up with a solution. What's the worst that can happen? Oops. Aren't we dealing with a disaster? Isn't THAT the worst? With nothing to lose, anything becomes possible. Can everything, then, always be possible?

Disaster feels real and we are knocked flat when it happens to us. It is good to take time to catch our breath, to rest from the blow and when the dust settles a bit, begin to think about how to respond. Each disaster comes with its own prescription. All disasters respond well to specific actions:

- Proactive choices. Get off the couch and out into the world. We heal more quickly when we have something to do in response.

- Take time to think. We live in a fast world but that doesn't mean we have to drive in that lane. Give yourself the gift of time. Don't put a boundary on it. It will find that on its own. A disaster offers a clean slate. We get to start over. In some instances, this is a relief. In others, it might feel insurmountable. A blank canvas. What kind of picture do I want to paint this time? How do I want it to look? Activate your imagination. Do whatever it takes to let yourself dream. It works when we get out of the way.

- When you begin again, start slowly. Set a clear intention for every step of the way. This keeps you from becoming overwhelmed in the wake of the disaster. It's an outline for the book you're writing. It's the business plan. It is also a very nurturing gesture. Then let go and simply do the plan. Don't hold the reins too tight. Creativity is sitting right beside you and as you do your part, she is doing hers. She needs room to breathe, just like you. Build time in every day to offer relief - to you and to your project. The greatest ideas just follow their nose.

Disaster has gifts. It feels bad and that feeling can be our teacher. We learn how we react in a crisis. We learn what we like and what we don't. We also learn about others in our lives. Disaster is a life lesson on many levels and when there is distance between us and it, we see it with a different perspective. Maybe we are proud of our response. Maybe we see how it helped us in another part of our lives. Always, we recover if that is what we want. 

We are survivors. Disaster offers the opportunity to thrive beyond what was. We receive a slew of new options when we experience disaster and yet another chance to change. 

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Watch!

The word from my heart pocket is Watch!

What does it mean to watch? 

It isn't the same as seeing. It isn't the same as observing. It is far more exact. Watching is a high energy activity. It comes with a strong curiosity and a huge desire to learn.

Can you feel the tension in the word? Watch.

Can you sense the strength in its intent? Watch.

Have you felt its passion and known the success of its persistence? Watch ... and then see.

When we watch, we are looking for something. We might not get the chance to see what we are looking for but when we watch, we exercise a great ability.

We sharpen all of our senses when we watch. We hear with our eyes. We smell with our taste buds. We take in everything that surrounds us. We drink with our senses and we do it so we can learn from what surrounds us.

Watching is a silent activity. Watching requires stamina, discipline and intelligence. All of these spring from Watch's mother, Curiosity. We watch when we seek to know. We watch because we have to learn.

For some, watching happens only now and then. For others, it is a way of life. Watching is a necessity in some job descriptions such as police detectives and soldiers on alert. When we sense danger, we watch. When we want to win, we watch. When something is truly important to know, to see, to reach ... without effort we watch in order to succeed.

Heighten your senses today. As you sit in traffic, as you walk through the neighborhood, as you wait in line, as you work in the garden. Notice. Focus. Take time to watch.

I'll be interested to hear what you see ...            

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Uncertainty!

The word from my heart pocket is Uncertainty.

I wonder. It could be ... I don't understand. I'm not sure. I hesitate to try it. I don't know what to do. Oh, no!

Oh, yes! 

At some juncture - in a project, in business, in art, in life - there is uncertainty. We know this. We live with it every day. It feels hard when we butt up against a big challenge, a loss, a blow to our ego, a tangle or two. The reason for this is that our society supports the sure thing. It expects us to already know. It is hanging onto those days when life was simpler and the choices less complicated. Hanging onto is the kiss of death for creativity. 

Uncertainty presents a puzzle for us to solve. Creativity is one of our greatest life tools. It springs from not knowing. It counts on uncertainty. 

When we are uncertain, we get the chance to see differently. When we are uncertain, we meet new people and find out there are endless ways to do a single thing. When we are uncertain, we have the edge that only vulnerability offers. When we are uncertain, we have an opportunity to explore new options we would never have entertained if the vehicle of uncertainty didn't exist.

Befriending uncertainty teaches confidence and grows a strong sense of trust, first with ourselves and then in our ability to handle everything around us. The more we dance with it, the less intimidating it becomes and ultimately, we see it's beauty. It moves us along when we get stuck. All we have to do is jump on board and play.

It's not uncertainty that stops us. It is our fear of it. 

Take a different route to work today. Go to a new grocery store. Apply for a job you've always wanted but are uncertain of the outcome. What's the worst that can happen? You'll get lost and learn a new way to work. It will take longer to get down the aisles but you'll find new products your old grocery doesn't carry. You might find out your dream job isn't what you thought it was. Or you might get hired. 

Life is uncertain. You can count on that. Jump on and enjoy the ride!

"Down and around, over and through. Here is a snag and a tangle or two.

Invite them right in. The Dreamweaver knows. The greatest ideas just follow their nose!"
http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Dream-Kittie-Beletic/dp/1933285567     

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Enough!

The word from my heart pocket is Enough.

Human beings love to acquire, accumulate, gather. We collect friends and dishes and tools. We acquire homes and second homes and furniture. We accumulate vacation experiences and gear and the latest technology.

I have to say it. I'm for accumulation. I think it happens from the moment we're born. At first, other people do it for us and we get used to the energy of things and it feels comfortable to be surrounded by people and stuff and experiences. I've done my share of gathering and I have completely enjoyed the exercise. Spying the exact right piece of art, the coverlet with the right colors, the vacation spot with all of the elements for my family, people with whom I love to laugh and create. I've bought books and art supplies and curtains and stuffed animals. I've searched for baseball cards and jewelry and unique places to hike and camp. God and all of my neighbors know I've dabbled in real estate.

Is this a good place to mention yard sales?

The heart pocket word for today is Enough. The question is:  What is enough?

It's enough when we say it is. No one knows but us when we have enough things, have been enough places, have sung enough songs. It's that simple. We live on this earth and we each have our own experience and when we've had enough of something, we naturally stop it or we pay the price.

If I want to eat and eat and eat, I get the pleasure of taste and the comfort I feel while eating. I know I might gain weight. I know I might grow out of my clothes, I know I might be risking my health in some ways. Ah, but what if I exercise? Exercise is the balance that keeps me from gaining weight, having to buy new sizes, acquiring disease. Exercise miraculously alters one's taste buds. When I exercise, I still want to eat, but my body craves less refined sugar and a better source of carbohydrates. Now when I eat, the pleasure I get from food is heightened because I am eating for the pleasure of taste and I can literally feel the food nourishing my body. I find a balance and it is enough.

I might love to shop. I spend and spend and spend and fill my home with things I love. There is great joy in surrounding myself with beautiful things. I take them home and I put them in strategic places. If I keep buying new things and don't get rid of the old things that once appealed to me, the beauty gets lost amid the clutter. Ah, but what if I discard something when I buy new things? Purging is the balance that keeps me from cluttering my living space, my mind, my peaceful spirit. Purging makes room for the new and when I clear the clutter (no matter where it lives), I appreciate the open space around me. I can see the beauty of my special objets d'art. Creativity bounces in its spacious surroundings. The confusion of clutter is gone and my nervous system relaxes. Now I enjoy my life more because the stress of clutter has been replaced with breathing room. I find a balance and it is enough.

Enough is plenty. Enough is abundant, ample, satisfactory, complete. When it is allowed to flow, enough goes to work for us, is unlimited, lavishes us with exactly what we want. When we clear out the excess in our lives to make room for enough, life becomes simply divine.

Play with enough today. Look inside boxes and drawers, your heart pockets and your routine. Clear out the clutter of things, emotions and agendas and gather some things anew. Enough is a playful past time and a wonderful game.

I've written Enough. Your turn ...  

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Fog!

 

artwork by jrodmanjr's photostream

The word from my heart pocket is Fog

We wake up in a fog. Our brains get foggy from too much information stuffed inside them. Fog surrounds us when life is unclear and unstable. We can't seem to find our way. We wander and flail a bit. Sometimes the fog paralyzes us with fear. 

The unknown. It seems to be almost everywhere we turn when we are afraid. What will happen? What's out there? I can't see where I'm going! 

There are benefits to fog. It slows us down. It insulates and protects us. It gives us pause. 

We can hide in the fog. We can wait it out or we can proceed with caution. Fog envelopes and brings mystery into our lives. If we choose to see it with interest, it can foster questions and cause us to examine and explore in ways we never imagined. 

When the fog comes, it's okay to relax into it. It can be comforting and if we allow it, there is a stillness that fog brings with a wisdom all its own.

Fog twists and turns and creates extraordinary views. Fog is a feeling as well as a state of mind. Creating fog by unnatural means distorts what is. When fog simply comes upon us, we benefit from its nurturing embrace.

Fog can be delicious. It can frighten us if we don't see its beauty and restful qualities. Literally walking in the fog is an energizing experience. It feels like we're in a movie, surreal and vulnerable. Having this experience can have a great effect on a challenge you are facing. It can bring a new way to see. It can change your direction or affirm that your heart is on the right path.

Allow the fog when it visits you. You don't have to do anything special and you don't have to work to clear it away. Be confident in the fog's protection. Enjoy it ... for it will dissipate soon enough.

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Symbol!

The word from my heart pocket is Symbol!

We look for signs. "It's a sign," we say. We like feeling we're on the right path. We love knowing we're where we're supposed to be, that we're doing the right thing, that it's going to be okay, that we are fine.

Well, those things are all true, all the time. But most of us still need training wheels when we enter new territory so we look for signs, for symbols that affirm our choices and our direction. They are there for us to enjoy and use for our own purpose. Symbols speak to us personally. We assign meaning to objects and happenings and in that moment, there is no other way to communicate what we are feeling.

Symbols are a form of communication. They are no more than this. When they are taken beyond the moment of communication and concretized, they lose their effectiveness. Symbols aren't meant to be the last word. They are translucent so that the road ahead remains clear. Symbols offer guidance and affirmation. They are meant to breathe life and inspiration into a person, a project, a journey. When we insist that the meaning belongs to everyone, the symbol turns to stone and becomes absurd.

The number of different symbols available to us is undetermined and always growing. Society has assigned meaning to lots of icons like hearts and stars and swastikas. These conjure deep feelings and mean different things to different societies, depending on who you are. Communication is often unclear. People are grossly misunderstood because their understanding of a symbol is different from that of the others with whom they are interacting. 

Words are common and very powerful symbols. They have numerous meanings and if there is no vocal inflection or body language by which to further interpret, a person can say something completely innocent and be maligned for his words. Email is a fine example of the way words can be misconstrued.

Music offers some of the most beautiful symbols in our communication arena. There are symbols for writing music, symbols for interpreting the music that is being read. The music itself is symbolic and magical because it means something different to each of us.

I had a very personal experience with a symbol last week when I was driving to California. I have moved there and the decision, once made, happened more quickly than I could ever have imagined it possible. That felt like "a sign" to me but I barely had time to dwell on it. There were lots of other occurrences that enabled my swift exit; things that in other times have been huge obstacles literally melted away exactly at the right time. There are too many to even relate here!

My personal experience  happened when I turned on my phone to listen to some music during my drive. I had been driving along, thinking about my mom who died when I was 21. I've always thought about her during transitional times, calling on thoughts like "what would Mom do in this situation" when I felt I needed a helping hand. This move was huge for me. My desire for artistic expression, largely through writing, music and art, grew to inspirational heights with just the prospect of the change. Mom was one of my biggest champions in this arena. I've longed for her support for most of my adult life. 

Amid these thoughts, I decided to try out Pandora, the internet radio station. I typed in Josh Groban's name and a random song came up. I listened in literal shock, had to pull off the highway. I sat looking at the mountains of California in the distance, hearing the words inside the melody ... "Don't give up because you want to be heard. If silence keeps you, I will break it for you ... Don't give up because you want to burn bright. If darkness blinds you then I will shine to guide you ..."

I have heard this song before. I know the focus of this song is supposed to be God speaking to us. For me, it was a message from Mom. It felt like she was speaking directly to my heart, knowing how excited I am to have chosen to be nearer to my children, to move to a place where my gifts and the things I was trained to do are incredibly valued. Most of all, I felt her support for this choice.It came through our favorite artistic medium, music. I am a songwriter and a singer. It was a great sign, a wonderfully symbolic moment for me. It was personal and indelibly meaningful. 

This is an example of the power of our symbols and how we are to absorb them within our hearts, to use as kindling for the fires that keep us going. Symbols are translucent and shining. They lift us up and out and forward. They do not bind us in any way. We do not worship them. We accept them with gratitude and we get to keep the memory of such symbolic moments to use when we need strength or encouragement or simply to know ... we are loved.

 

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Frame!

The word from my heart pocket is Frame.

A frame is a structure, an outline. It is the groundwork we set and the support we build, whether it is physical or mental. When we make a plan, we construct a system by which we get from point A to point B, etc. To frame something is to assemble it, to enclose it or mold it to our satisfaction. 

Framing is an important part of creating. It gives us a way to see what we will make without having to actually build it. We draw blueprints for buildings. We write business plans for new ventures. We draw storyboards and write music charts and create landscape designs on paper before haphazardly planting a garden. 

We don't readily associate a frame with concepts and sketches. We think of ideas as free-form and non-linear. It's true that our minds create best when they are free-associating and without restriction. But giving structure to our ideas moves us forward toward the final product. We are better able to see what could come next, what might be changed to make it better, more appealing, more functional.

A frame can literally focus a project. It can act as an oasis where the mind can rest or breathe or feel free to once again conceptualize. It magically takes chaos and puts it in perspective or makes sense of what was otherwise feeling jumbled. It causes us to stop and we can see patterns or the lack of them. We can pinpoint our next move. We see where we are. 

We frame our days with lists and agendas. We frame our lives with schedules and calendars. We frame so we can feel grounded and peaceful and safe.

The balance the action of framing offers is invaluable. We do it without thinking in most cases. It is a relief when we realize we can call on it at any moment that we are feeling unsettled or upset. When we frame a chaotic day by making a report either on paper or verbally listing events to a colleague, we soothe our nervous system and clear the clutter out of our brains. By summing up a meeting or gathering materials for the next step in a project, we frame the process for clarity and so we are prepared for what is to come.

Sometimes we have to reframe an idea. This doesn't mean we have to throw it away, although sometimes that happens. We rearrange variables, seeing how they look and feel somewhere else, changing the shape or direction of a project or notion. Reframing can save an idea from the cutting floor.

Today I framed ideas all day long. My brain was tired and didn't want to think about the ideas any longer. I lost momentum (in my brain) and inspiration all but disappeared. When I got out pen and paper and made some drawings, organizing and framing my thoughts in a different form, new life breathed into my project. I looked with satisfaction on my newly framed arrangement and I'll start where I left off with enthusiasm tomorrow. I also have a real sense of satisfaction of a job well done because I can see how far I have come.

Use framing as a tool to check where you are. Draw from it when your mind feels confused and upset. Write or draw or imagine in a linear fashion. Physically or mentally draw a frame around your words/pictures/imaginations. If there is still a feeling of confusion, break the ideas into smaller bits. Frame each part. Look for patterns. Connect the dots. Reframe to taste and satisfaction.

When you are complete, remove the frame to make sure your work stands on its own. You may want to keep the frame because it enhances the piece, but often, your work will surprise you with its singular beauty. Framing facilitates a positive way to process. Use it freely and with abandon. Enjoy it with all of your heart.

Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Risk!

Artwork by Arcadia

The word from my heart pocket is Risk.

Risk is just outside our comfort level. We can risk more than this but taking that first step into a field full of yucca plants bigger than we are makes our hearts pound. 

Risk finds its way into our lives even when we make plans. We use phrases like "It's risky" and "Not sure I want to take the risk". As a group, we don't like discomfort, let alone pain. It's the pain that frightens us. The thought of it can stop a person from even trying. I wonder why that is.

Do we hear "Be careful!" too much in childhood? Have we had such painful experiences that we don't want to ever feel pain again? Risk comes with a guarantee. 

A guarantee is a formal promise or assurance (typically in writing) 

that certain conditions will be fulfilled esp. that a product will 

be repaired or replaced if not of a specified quality and durability.

Offer good for day of purchase through the end of your time on earth.

For $500/month we can provide insurance beyond this period

and guarantee the period is subject to change as we reserve the right

to change our mind.

There are no real guarantees or the word wouldn't be risk, it would be safe.

If we look beyond safe we find that everything we do has a form of risk involved: driving to work, flying to work, bicycling to work, walking to work ... surrounded by bodyguards. We can imagine a million scenarios where something negative could happen. Our minds go there and sometimes we stop ourselves from a great adventure because we don't want to take a risk.

The up side of heeding that warning is that when a true warning comes - usually in the form of what is known as intuition or that voice inside - it can be helpful. We stop for a moment and reconsider. We check the route we're taking, we examine the vehicle and think about the timing. If we are satisfied we have all the information we need, we move forward. If not or if that voice inside is still saying "wait a  moment", we ask ourselves "Can this wait? Should I listen to this feeling?" and act accordingly. Risk comes with another guarantee.

Betting on oneself is the best way to learn. Stepping into the unknown

is the surest way to get to know yourself, to have further understanding

of your abilities, your personality characteristics and to experience the real You. 

If you choose to risk, you choose trust. Trusting in self leads to trusting in Life.

The buffet of living doesn't offer broken down dead things. It offers experiences, tools and inspiration that are nourishing and if we allow it, nurturing to our life experience. Risk is like the salad bar; there are lots of ingredients and equal number of ways to enjoy them.

Risk something today. Bet on yourself and change one thing in your life. If you want life to be new and exciting, if you want something to be different, it means a risk. Go for it. I guarantee you'll get a taste of something completely delicious!