The Power of One

I have been learning about mindfulness and I visited www.Mindfulness.com - I watched a very inspiring youtube video... I have placed a copy here... to learn more about Mindfulness you might like to visit the site too... mindfulness.com



One grain of sand can turn the tide
One single spark can light the night
One simple dream
One gentle word
One act of love from someone
Can start a Chain Reaction
It all begins in the heart
The Power of One

Are you unhappy?

Are you unhappy? Would you like to be happier?
The ABC has just produced a series on Making Australia Happy... you can watch the series here....

Your creative self... an uplifting podcast with Julia Cameron

If you are looking to develop your creative artistic side, I can't think of a better person to refer you to than Julia Cameron author of The Artist's Way. The Artist's Way online community has many resources to assist you on your journey. Here is a snippet from Julia's website...

A Guide for Starting Creative Clusters
When The Artist's™ Way was first published, I expressed a wish for Artist's™ Way groups to spring into being. I envisioned them as peer-run circles – "creative clusters" where people would serve one another as believing mirrors, uniting with the common aim of creative unblocking. It was my vision that such circles would be free of charge, that anyone could assemble one, using the book as a guide and a text. Many such peer-run circles did form and many more are forming still. Such artist-to-artist, heart-to-heart help and support are the heart of The The Artist's™ Way and The Vein of Gold.

Not surprisingly, many therapists, community colleges, wellness centers, universities, and teachers soon began running facilitated Artist's™ Way groups, for which they charged a fee. The Artist's™Way groups were led rather than simply convened. To the degree to which they adhered to the spiritual principles of creative recovery and introduced people to the use of the tools, they were – and are – valuable. Any group that starts with such a leader should, however, rapidly become autonomous, "graduating" to a peer-run, nonprofit status.

Another of my favourite people Cheryl Richardson, has recently interviewed Julia Cameron, if you would like to listen to the interview click here.

Cheryl Richardson has many interesting, uplifting and informative Podcasts (audio talks and interviews) online to listen to and can be found at Cheryl Richardson.com community click here.

If you would like to explore The Artist's Way, I will be running a small group in August 2015. click here for more details

This Christmas - celebrate in a new way - remember - you - are the greatest gift

This Christmas what about celebrating in a way you never have before?

Do you get stressed about presents and what you are buying? Well, stop worrying about what the reaction is from the person you are giving to, and instead think of the wishes that you hold in your heart for that person. If it is love and caring, include a beautiful little heart - the one pictured here was picked up at a local beach, write a message to go with it. One shop we have in our town sells carved hearts starting at $6, but you could also cut up some fabric in the shape of a heart.

One of the best Christmasses we ever had was a Christmas in July. Only one present was to be brought along - something that you had that you held dear, and it was to be given with a message. When it was time to collect a present, we all received a treasure. I received a beautiful shell that held meaning for the person who gave it. It was touching at what people brought with them to give.

My husband's family all had a Christmas draw. All the names went into a hat, you pulled out one name, and that is the only gift you had to buy. A price was set so you didn't have to spend a fortune, and everyone received a treat. One year we all decided to shop in The Salvos, so that the charity received the money, and the price was set at under $10. The person who bought the best present for the cheapest, got a prize - a loud cheer!!

This Christmas we are repainting old baubles and gluing glitter on them. I currently have orange glitter all over my family room, and my husband has told me it's even downstairs out the back. I love glitter, it's great all sparkly and fun. We are decorating our tree in a way we never have before in brightly coloured orange, hot pinks and golden yellows. All old baubles renewed, and the tree looks very delightful.

But remember the most important thing you can do for your family at Christmas is to be there. You are the most beautiful gift, and things are very secondary.

Anxiety Free Gift Giving

Here's another Winner's Circle Network with Lou Tice - 11/24/10 - "Anxiety-Free Gift-Giving"

I hope that you have given some thought to those pet peeves that drive you crazy during the holidays, and have created your own interventions to alleviate the stress and tension. In fact, when you have a moment, I'd love to hear about some of them. We are a community, you and I, and I'd like to pass along your good ideas!

One of the biggest anxiety-producing events of any holiday season is Shopping For Gifts. "What am I gonna get.?" "How am I gonna find.?" "The store is only open when?!?!" and the ever popular, "What if they already have.?" All in search of the impossible - the "perfect" gift.

I hear, "I don't have enough money," or "There just isn't enough time," even with the power of internet ordering, I still hear, "It won't get here in time." And then there is the ever-popular, "What if?" usually ending in "it's not good enough."

I watch people put tremendous pressure on themselves, agonizing over "the gift list." Little kids are easy, because a lot of them have their "Dear Santa" letters ready in October. And have you noticed that, by and large, little children don't agonize over what to give Mom and Dad. They know what they want to give, and as parents, I know that our hearts have melted over the precious hand-print in clay, the glittered candles, or the handmade card that says, "I Love You, Mommy and Daddy."

Perhaps it is time to remind ourselves of our "littler" selves. Put aside the expectations and the stress, and remember that it is the time devoted, the intentions and the love involved that make any gift truly special. When all is said and done, it won't be the gift that is remembered. It will be those moments of true connection with loved ones that live in our hearts and minds forever.

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute
www.thepacificinstitute.com

the season for stress? change your thoughts change your christmas

From Lou Tice - newsletter

This week, at least here in the United States, marks the beginning of the holiday season. And for some of us, it becomes the "season of stress and tension." The good news is it doesn't have to be.

Today, let's talk a little bit about how we perceive holidays, regardless of where they land on the calendar. For most of the world, upcoming holidays signal a lot of preparation - to get home, to physically connect with family and friends we haven't seen in a long while, the food, the weather, the endless lines/queues, and on and on.

When we look at these events, and all the effort that goes into making them happen, it would be easy to slip into panic mode. "How do we get there?" "When am I going to have the time to get the grocery shopping done?" "The timing has to be perfect, or we'll miss the plane!" "What on earth am I going to get for presents?!?!?" Do you recognize anyone you know in these sentences?

With all the "how's" and "have to's", we get ourselves tied up in knots - literally and figuratively. Every traffic tie-up becomes a crisis. Finding a parking place becomes the ultimate in gladiatorial combat. "To do" lists grow lists of their own. We seem to lose our ability to make even the simplest of decisions. Headaches ensue. At its worst, all some of us want to do is pull the covers over our heads, and avoid the holidays altogether.

So, how do we get past the stress and tension? I want to talk more about this tomorrow. In the meantime, give some thought to those stress points that cause you tension during the holidays. Ask yourself "why" they do. This is a little self-reflection exercise that may uncover some "old tapes" you can throw out. Talk

Lou Tice
www.thepacificinstitute.com

I think of life as a wonderful play

"I think of life itself now as a wonderful play I have written for myself, and so my purpose is to have the utmost fun, playing my part." Shirley MacLaine

You cannot be lonely if you like the person you're alone with. Wayne W. Dyer

I am FEAR

"I Am Fear"
What are you afraid of, and what does it cost you? Today, I want you to read one of the best descriptions of fear I have ever heard.

I don't know where I got this quote originally, but it is one of the best definitions I know, and it seems to be appropriate for the world in which we are living:

"I am Fear. I am the menace that lurks in the paths of life, never visible to the eye but sharply felt in the heart. I am the father of despair, the brother of procrastination, the enemy of progress, the tool of tyranny. Born of ignorance and nursed on misguided thought, I have darkened more hopes, stifled more ambitions, shattered more ideals and prevented more accomplishments than history could record.

"Like the changing chameleon, I assume many disguises. I masquerade as caution. I am sometimes known as doubt or worry. But whatever I'm called, I am still fear, the obstacle of achievement.

"I know no master but one; its name is Understanding. I have no power but what the human mind gives me, and I vanish completely when the light of Understanding reveals the facts as they really are, for I am really nothing."

You see, if you have the courage to acknowledge your fears, you will be taking the first step toward controlling them instead of them controlling you. And if you take the next step toward understanding, you will be able to move past them to empathy, perhaps even to love.

Article by Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute.com