"In a way, we are magicians. We are alchemists, sorcerers and wizards. We are a very strange bunch. But there is great fun in being a wizard." - Billy Joel
Life is indeed a magic show; a circus of performers each creating their own experience and inspiring an experience for others. As I was thinking about this, I found this poem by Jane Roberts, written in 1979. In it, she reminds us that we have the power to create any experience we want to have in life. We are given the tools and talent to express our full creative potential. Yet, many people live a life of quiet desperation. Their story is left untold; their song unsung. Why is that? They've forgotten their gift of magic; they've forgotten who they are.
Magic Show
- Jane Roberts
What magicians we all are,
turning darkness into light,
transforming invisible atoms
into dazzling theater
of the world,
pulling objects,
(people as well
as rabbits)
out of secret
microscopic closets,
turning winter into summer,
making a palmful of moments
disappear through time's trap door.
We learned the methods
so long ago
that they're unconscious,
and we've hypnotized ourselves
into believing
that we're the audience,
so I wonder where we served
our apprenticeship.
Under what master magicians did we learn
to form reality
so smoothly that we forgot to tell ourselves
the secret?
"Inspiration may be a form of superconsciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness––I wouldn’t know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self-consciousness.’" — Aaron Copeland
Many artists - actors, musicians, writers, painters, etc. - will tell you that their art is delivered though them, not of them. I saw a documentary about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers where Tom Petty was asked how he wrote hit song after hit song. He paused and slowly replied that he didn't know how he wrote hit song after hit song. I'm paraphrasing; he continued to say that he didn't want to know the how of it. Knowing how might jinx the process. He said that he sits down to write and the song just spills out onto the page; he is merely the facilitator of the creation.
Think of a child playing alone or with friends. They use their creative and wild imagination to fill their time with great adventure and make-believe experiences. As the child grows older he is taught to act "like an adult". Adults have tuck away much of their imaginative adventures and make-believe dreams to fit into an expectation of who they should be, what they should do, and what they must have. If children play then adults must work and work cannot be play. This is the thinking of the woefully misguided Inner Critic.
"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves. "- Carl Gustav Jung
When you get out of your own way, let go of expectations, fear of judgment and self-doubt of your own abilities you open yourself up for the magical moments of your life. You are willing and ready to receive the inner inspiration and guidance that, when acted upon, create your miracles. I encourage you to give yourself permission to play, to dream, to act silly or a bit wonky. I mean, really, haven't you often just wanted to let loose and act like a joyful playful child again? Respond to your innermost desires and calling with renewed enthusiasm. Do something you've never done before yet wanted to. You'll be ok. If you skin your knee, you'll heal - as you've healed many times before. Who knows, you may create a Magic Kingdom!
"When you create you get a little endorphin rush. Why do you think Einstein looked like that?" - Robin Williams
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more passionately, profoundly, productively and profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Allow, Instead of Seize, the Day
I've been giving a lot of thought to the various messages we've received over the years and generally highly regard. Many success and self-help experts have told us that we need to "Seize the Day". "Carpe diem" they tell us.
Well, what the heck does that mean? How does one "seize the day"?
"Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live." ~Margaret Fuller
The dictionary defines the word seize as:
- take hold of; grab
- take or capture by force
- assume, seize and take control without authority and possibly with force
What are we supposed to do? How does one seize a day? Do we wake up in the morning ready and willing to force the desired events and goals of the day to happen? Do we push ourselves and other people to get things done when and in the way we want them done? Do we stay attached to how our day must unfold?
If that's what "seize the day" means then I'll pass, thank you very much. No seizing of days for me! Too exhausting! And I've learned that whenever I force anything to happen I usually don't get a good result over the long term.
"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." - John Milton
I have learned to "allow the day". Allowing your day is to be open to all possibilities. It is showing up present, and in the moment, ready and willing for whatever comes next. When I detach from how a day must happen I permit the events of my day to unfold in ways I might not have thought of.
Allowing my day doesn't mean that I have no goals, objectives or intentions for my day. I wake up each and every morning with a clear vision of what I intend to create for that day. I just let go of how it has to happen and allow intuition and inspiration to guide my thoughts, choices and actions that will deliver the desired outcomes I have intended for the day.
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams
Have you ever wanted something and had no idea how you were going to get it? And soon there came the day when you got it? You had a clear vision of what you wanted and focused upon that thing or event that you desired. Intuition and inspiration gave you ideas that you took action upon and before you knew it, you got what you wanted. Or, the thing or experience you desired came to you as an "out of the blue" opportunity.
"Out of the blue" coincidences are not random coincidences. Without getting too metaphysical, I call them meaningful coincidences because they are the seemingly miraculous fortunate events that deliver what we desire. We could not have planned for that event to happen in the way it did. When you detach from how, you open up to the possibility of a meaningful coincidence.
Instead of using a lot of energy running around trying to seize the day try setting a clear intention and then just allow your day to unfold. Allow your intuitive messages your inner wisdom, what I playfully call the Inner Wizard, to orchestrate the how of what you intend to become reality. It is important to take action on this inner guidance because intention without action is only a dream.
"The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mode of happiness, but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change; happiness, like a child, must be allowed to grow up." - Charles Morgan
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more passionately, profoundly, productively and profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
Well, what the heck does that mean? How does one "seize the day"?
"Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live." ~Margaret Fuller
The dictionary defines the word seize as:
- take hold of; grab
- take or capture by force
- assume, seize and take control without authority and possibly with force
What are we supposed to do? How does one seize a day? Do we wake up in the morning ready and willing to force the desired events and goals of the day to happen? Do we push ourselves and other people to get things done when and in the way we want them done? Do we stay attached to how our day must unfold?
If that's what "seize the day" means then I'll pass, thank you very much. No seizing of days for me! Too exhausting! And I've learned that whenever I force anything to happen I usually don't get a good result over the long term.
"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." - John Milton
I have learned to "allow the day". Allowing your day is to be open to all possibilities. It is showing up present, and in the moment, ready and willing for whatever comes next. When I detach from how a day must happen I permit the events of my day to unfold in ways I might not have thought of.
Allowing my day doesn't mean that I have no goals, objectives or intentions for my day. I wake up each and every morning with a clear vision of what I intend to create for that day. I just let go of how it has to happen and allow intuition and inspiration to guide my thoughts, choices and actions that will deliver the desired outcomes I have intended for the day.
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams
Have you ever wanted something and had no idea how you were going to get it? And soon there came the day when you got it? You had a clear vision of what you wanted and focused upon that thing or event that you desired. Intuition and inspiration gave you ideas that you took action upon and before you knew it, you got what you wanted. Or, the thing or experience you desired came to you as an "out of the blue" opportunity.
"Out of the blue" coincidences are not random coincidences. Without getting too metaphysical, I call them meaningful coincidences because they are the seemingly miraculous fortunate events that deliver what we desire. We could not have planned for that event to happen in the way it did. When you detach from how, you open up to the possibility of a meaningful coincidence.
Instead of using a lot of energy running around trying to seize the day try setting a clear intention and then just allow your day to unfold. Allow your intuitive messages your inner wisdom, what I playfully call the Inner Wizard, to orchestrate the how of what you intend to become reality. It is important to take action on this inner guidance because intention without action is only a dream.
"The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mode of happiness, but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change; happiness, like a child, must be allowed to grow up." - Charles Morgan
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more passionately, profoundly, productively and profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Blocked Creatively? Here's A Get Out of Jail Free Card
The most damaging restrictions on a creative person's freedom are self-imposed. What may have started out as a new idea, a new methodology, becomes routine, a habit, after awhile. Habits are the comfort zone. Once snuggled into a comfort zone there is a tendency to stay. However, this is not what a creator is here to do. Staying in a comfort zone habitually creating the same kind of thing over and over again does not feed the artist's soul. Comfort zones are safe. Comfort zones bore creative people literally to tears. Stagnation goes flies in the face of an artist's passionate desire to expand and express their full creative potential.
Habits are not limited to craft. The greatest crippler of the creative spirit is habitual thinking. Habitual thinking turns the innovator into the academician; passion into melancholy; fulfillment into despair.
"A ship in the harbor is safe. But that's not what ships are built for." - Anon
If an artist isn't personally evolving; stretching, growing, moving beyond comfort zones, then her art isn't evolving. Stagnation suffocates the potential creative expression that is the artist's birthright. Treading water in life, not moving in any direction, is exhausting! Swimming against the stream, holding back your full creative potential, is exhausting. Let go of tired old ways of being, thinking and doing. Rediscover the playful child in you. Approach your art with the wide-eyed wonder and awe of a child at an amusement park where everything is new, exciting, waiting to be experienced. Fear and judgment is left behind. Play is what turns the utilitarian into the discoverer of new interpretation, new invention. Play is the vital heartbeat of the creative spirit.
If you think you might be treading water in life or your artistic endeavors, give yourself permission to play. Play with your craft, indulge your passions, do a silly dance. Shake up your stagnated energy. Fully alive and present, be open and available for whatever comes next. That glorious state of being is the ultimate freedom.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more passionately, profoundly, productively and profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
Habits are not limited to craft. The greatest crippler of the creative spirit is habitual thinking. Habitual thinking turns the innovator into the academician; passion into melancholy; fulfillment into despair.
"A ship in the harbor is safe. But that's not what ships are built for." - Anon
If an artist isn't personally evolving; stretching, growing, moving beyond comfort zones, then her art isn't evolving. Stagnation suffocates the potential creative expression that is the artist's birthright. Treading water in life, not moving in any direction, is exhausting! Swimming against the stream, holding back your full creative potential, is exhausting. Let go of tired old ways of being, thinking and doing. Rediscover the playful child in you. Approach your art with the wide-eyed wonder and awe of a child at an amusement park where everything is new, exciting, waiting to be experienced. Fear and judgment is left behind. Play is what turns the utilitarian into the discoverer of new interpretation, new invention. Play is the vital heartbeat of the creative spirit.
If you think you might be treading water in life or your artistic endeavors, give yourself permission to play. Play with your craft, indulge your passions, do a silly dance. Shake up your stagnated energy. Fully alive and present, be open and available for whatever comes next. That glorious state of being is the ultimate freedom.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more passionately, profoundly, productively and profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
How to Resolve Instead of Just Solve Problems
“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” - Dr. Seuss
In these hectic, often stressful days, many people measure themselves on their ability, or inability, to solve problems or "put out fires" in their daily life. A successful day is a day when problems are solved. However, the same kinds of problems keep coming up. Perhaps not every day but often enough to notice a pattern if one only stops for a minute to examine the series of problems that they keep solving over and over and over again.
Is it better to solve a problem or resolve a problem? There is a distinction.
The dictionary defines the word solve as to find the solution to a problem or question or understand the meaning of a problem or question. The word resolve means decide, bring to an end; settle conclusively. It's an important distinction.
I was watching the television show Numb3ers one night and one character lamented to the other about how nice it would be if they could stop people from shooting each other. The other character responded that it would be even better if guns and bullets were no longer manufactured. Yes, there are a few holes in that argument but the point is well taken. Often we continue to put band-aids on symptoms, outcomes, rather than clear up the root cause of the problem.
Lousy job? Get a new job, problem solved. Or is it? Many people go from one lousy job to the next. The jobs may be truly lousy or the person isn't pursuing work that excites or inspires his natural calling. Either way, that person is just creating the same, or similar, problem over and over again and applying the same solution each time. To resolve the problem, to stop the pattern of lousy jobs, he would have to get a good job that he enjoys.
We see the same problem patterns in the various relationships some people have. Whether it be with their spouse, family member, friend or romantic relationships, the same problems occur over and over again. Each problem is eventually solved only to have another same or similar type of problem recur later on. The band-aid came off of the root issue and the sore is still festering.
Solving a problem works to a point. It works until the problem shows up again in some form or fashion.
To resolve problems it is essential to mindfully examine the problematic experience to dig down deep to discover the root cause. For personal problems, the best place to start is within. What within me is creating this problem? A bad decision that was based in fear? Making erroneous assumptions? Allowing yourself to be a victim to other people's "shoulds"? Taking the path of least resistance?
Remember, everyone is always doing the best they can. No one gets out of bed in the morning and wonders how they can create problems for themselves that day. As such, is it important to leave judgment out of the equation when examining what role you played in creating the problem. If it is a problem within a company, look within the company. What within the company is creating this problem? An outdated system? Inexperienced employees?
When you discover the root cause of the problem make the corrections. The root cause is then removed, the festering sore is healed, the pattern of similar problems is ended. For good.
Don't just solve your problems; resolve your problems.
"Convert difficulties into opportunities, for difficulties are divine surgeries to make you better." ~Author Unknown
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more passionately, profoundly, productively and profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
In these hectic, often stressful days, many people measure themselves on their ability, or inability, to solve problems or "put out fires" in their daily life. A successful day is a day when problems are solved. However, the same kinds of problems keep coming up. Perhaps not every day but often enough to notice a pattern if one only stops for a minute to examine the series of problems that they keep solving over and over and over again.
Is it better to solve a problem or resolve a problem? There is a distinction.
The dictionary defines the word solve as to find the solution to a problem or question or understand the meaning of a problem or question. The word resolve means decide, bring to an end; settle conclusively. It's an important distinction.
I was watching the television show Numb3ers one night and one character lamented to the other about how nice it would be if they could stop people from shooting each other. The other character responded that it would be even better if guns and bullets were no longer manufactured. Yes, there are a few holes in that argument but the point is well taken. Often we continue to put band-aids on symptoms, outcomes, rather than clear up the root cause of the problem.
Lousy job? Get a new job, problem solved. Or is it? Many people go from one lousy job to the next. The jobs may be truly lousy or the person isn't pursuing work that excites or inspires his natural calling. Either way, that person is just creating the same, or similar, problem over and over again and applying the same solution each time. To resolve the problem, to stop the pattern of lousy jobs, he would have to get a good job that he enjoys.
We see the same problem patterns in the various relationships some people have. Whether it be with their spouse, family member, friend or romantic relationships, the same problems occur over and over again. Each problem is eventually solved only to have another same or similar type of problem recur later on. The band-aid came off of the root issue and the sore is still festering.
Solving a problem works to a point. It works until the problem shows up again in some form or fashion.
To resolve problems it is essential to mindfully examine the problematic experience to dig down deep to discover the root cause. For personal problems, the best place to start is within. What within me is creating this problem? A bad decision that was based in fear? Making erroneous assumptions? Allowing yourself to be a victim to other people's "shoulds"? Taking the path of least resistance?
Remember, everyone is always doing the best they can. No one gets out of bed in the morning and wonders how they can create problems for themselves that day. As such, is it important to leave judgment out of the equation when examining what role you played in creating the problem. If it is a problem within a company, look within the company. What within the company is creating this problem? An outdated system? Inexperienced employees?
When you discover the root cause of the problem make the corrections. The root cause is then removed, the festering sore is healed, the pattern of similar problems is ended. For good.
Don't just solve your problems; resolve your problems.
"Convert difficulties into opportunities, for difficulties are divine surgeries to make you better." ~Author Unknown
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more passionately, profoundly, productively and profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Stuck? You May Be Alice in Wonderland
Stuck? You May Be Alice in Wonderland
I encourage everyone to reread the stories that awed and entertained us as children. I guarantee you will find new meaning as an adult in the works of Lewis Carroll, Dr. Seuss, Frank Baum and his Wizard of Oz series, and more. These authors delivered powerful life affirming messages to us as children. Often we missed, or simply didn't understand the profound wisdom, in the words of our bedtime stories.
For example, like Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll in "Alice in Wonderland" reminded us to be true to ourselves, true to who we really are.
Caterpillar: Who are YOU?
Alice: This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. I -- I hardly know, sir, just at present -- at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.
As children we wake up in awe and wonderment eagerly awaiting the new discoveries of the day. Pretty soon we find ourselves having to navigate the 'how you must live' book of rules put into place for us by our parents, teachers, and other influencers such as our schoolroom very best friends forever. We condition ourselves to meet the expectations of everyone else and forget to include ourselves; our true calling and deepest desires, in the mix.
"If you don't know where you want to go, it doesn't matter which road you take." - Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat impressed upon us the importance of having a destination, a goal, in mind before we set out on a journey. Many people have forgotten this powerful advice. Never underestimate the wisdom of a cat. Even Eckhart Tolle, author of "The Power of Now" told us that he lived with a lot of Zen Masters in his life; all of them cats.
I often ask people what they want to achieve. Many will answer, "I want financial freedom" or "I want success". Pressed further and asked what financial freedom or success looks like to them they will often say "I could do whatever I want". Pressed even further to ask what, specifically, that life will look like I'm often met with a deer-in-the-headlights look of "I don't know, I haven't figured that out yet."
If they do have an answer it is usually based on getting rid of something they already have; extra weight, bad relationship or job, a stuck state of procrastination or melancholy. Here too, the focus is upon what they don't want instead of what they want. Imagine jumping into a taxicab in the middle of New York City and telling the driver to just drive away from where you are now with no direction in mind. Just wander up and down random streets with no destination in mind until you either run out of gas, money or patience.
This is not a way to live your life. Get very clear on where you want to go! Have that destination based on something you want instead of something you do not want.
"Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction." - Doorknob in "Alice in Wonderland"
You have an internal guidance system and map with directions within you. Yet many people fail to tap into this powerful resource. Your intuition will tell you if you are headed in the direction of your dreams and desires or not. All you have to do is listen and pay attention. Some people call this intuitive voice the Higher Self. We playfully call it the Wizard Within.
Your map with directions is held in the experiences you've already had. If you examine the experiences you had that you did not like you will discover what thoughts, choices and actions created those unwanted experiences. Now you know not to repeat that same pattern and where to make adjustments to create a different and better experience the next time. If you examine the experiences you had that you liked, you will discover the recipe to create that good experience over and over again.
It is important to leave all judgment aside as you examine your life. Everyone is always doing the best they can with the light they have to see. Examining your life experiences is the best way to add more light on your life journey.
"Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." - Lewis Carroll
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
I encourage everyone to reread the stories that awed and entertained us as children. I guarantee you will find new meaning as an adult in the works of Lewis Carroll, Dr. Seuss, Frank Baum and his Wizard of Oz series, and more. These authors delivered powerful life affirming messages to us as children. Often we missed, or simply didn't understand the profound wisdom, in the words of our bedtime stories.
For example, like Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll in "Alice in Wonderland" reminded us to be true to ourselves, true to who we really are.
Caterpillar: Who are YOU?
Alice: This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. I -- I hardly know, sir, just at present -- at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.
As children we wake up in awe and wonderment eagerly awaiting the new discoveries of the day. Pretty soon we find ourselves having to navigate the 'how you must live' book of rules put into place for us by our parents, teachers, and other influencers such as our schoolroom very best friends forever. We condition ourselves to meet the expectations of everyone else and forget to include ourselves; our true calling and deepest desires, in the mix.
"If you don't know where you want to go, it doesn't matter which road you take." - Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat impressed upon us the importance of having a destination, a goal, in mind before we set out on a journey. Many people have forgotten this powerful advice. Never underestimate the wisdom of a cat. Even Eckhart Tolle, author of "The Power of Now" told us that he lived with a lot of Zen Masters in his life; all of them cats.
I often ask people what they want to achieve. Many will answer, "I want financial freedom" or "I want success". Pressed further and asked what financial freedom or success looks like to them they will often say "I could do whatever I want". Pressed even further to ask what, specifically, that life will look like I'm often met with a deer-in-the-headlights look of "I don't know, I haven't figured that out yet."
If they do have an answer it is usually based on getting rid of something they already have; extra weight, bad relationship or job, a stuck state of procrastination or melancholy. Here too, the focus is upon what they don't want instead of what they want. Imagine jumping into a taxicab in the middle of New York City and telling the driver to just drive away from where you are now with no direction in mind. Just wander up and down random streets with no destination in mind until you either run out of gas, money or patience.
This is not a way to live your life. Get very clear on where you want to go! Have that destination based on something you want instead of something you do not want.
"Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction." - Doorknob in "Alice in Wonderland"
You have an internal guidance system and map with directions within you. Yet many people fail to tap into this powerful resource. Your intuition will tell you if you are headed in the direction of your dreams and desires or not. All you have to do is listen and pay attention. Some people call this intuitive voice the Higher Self. We playfully call it the Wizard Within.
Your map with directions is held in the experiences you've already had. If you examine the experiences you had that you did not like you will discover what thoughts, choices and actions created those unwanted experiences. Now you know not to repeat that same pattern and where to make adjustments to create a different and better experience the next time. If you examine the experiences you had that you liked, you will discover the recipe to create that good experience over and over again.
It is important to leave all judgment aside as you examine your life. Everyone is always doing the best they can with the light they have to see. Examining your life experiences is the best way to add more light on your life journey.
"Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." - Lewis Carroll
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering people to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Learn how to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower the Wizard Within to actualize and express your full creative potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard Empowerment tips" too!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Stuck In A Powerless Comfort Zone? How to Magically Move Forward
"'People will suffer almost anything as long as it means they don't have to change." ~ Deepak Chopra
Life is a series of ups and downs, twists and turns. You can approach the roller coaster of life with arms high in the air; willingly and ready for whatever comes next. Or you can grip the handlebars and fear for your life. The choice is yours. A "next" is guaranteed if you are still breathing. As such, change is inevitable and certain.
Yet so many people fear change. Even as masters of our own destiny, deliberately choosing our own paths can sometimes be intimidating. Everyone has the ability to create positive changes in their lives, yet distorted fear-based perceptions often lead to the treadmill of a stuck-in-a-rut comfort zone of existence. Many people believe that they are inadequate or incapable of handling a new situation. New situations, entering into new zones of being are, therefore, are scary. Even if a person doesn't particularly like their comfort zone, like an old worn-out baby "bankie", it feels safe.
When a strong self-worth is in place, change is seen as a welcomed opportunity for growth and personal fulfillment. Enthusiastic creative energy is activated instead of debilitating fear. The person with a growth mindset eagerly reaches for a continuous flow of new positive experiences, while the person with a fixed, fear of change, mindset will dig-in and stay put in current patterns of behavior that generate more of the same stuck-in-a-rut experiences. Fear of change is the work of your Inner Critic, the voice of your fear and self-doubt.
There is a way to tell if you're resistant to change; dragging the reluctant along as you go about your life. You have an inner guidance system that I playfully call your Inner Wizard. This is the voice of your intuition and inspiration. As your Muse it serves up emotion to tell you if you're resisting or embracing change. If you feel uncomfortable, lethargic, anxious or more extreme feelings of desperation and depression your Inner Wizard is telling you that you are holding on to a comfort zone that is not working for you even if you feel safe within it.
If you are willing and available for growth and change you feel good. You great each day with renewed energy and wonderment. It's that simple. If you feel tired and unfulfilled then you have given your power to make positive changes over to your Inner Critic who is unyielding to any sort of change beyond where it feels safe. If you have given up your power, then you are powerless to change your circumstance - until you reclaim your power.
To reclaim your personal power, examine your comfort zone. There is power in writing down your examination discoveries in a journal. The writing process takes moves the flying monkey-mind thoughts of the Inner Critic and puts them onto a page where you can look and examine how you make choices, what criteria you base your actions that deliver the existence you are experiencing.
What, specifically, are you afraid of? What stops you from moving forward in the direction of your dreams? Fear of change begins to lose its power upon this initial examination. As you dig deep into the underlying thoughts and believes that generate your fear, their power to limit you begins to diminish. Deliberately look for evidence that contradicts those thoughts and beliefs.
For example, ask yourself,
- What's the worse that could happen?
- What would happen if the worst happened?
- How realistic is that?
- How can I know, absolutely, that the worst will happen?
- What positive experiences could come out of the change?
- Can I point to any positive examples of people doing those things, living that experience, now?
- How realistic is the positive possibility?
- If other people have done it, why not me? (check for and examine further Inner Critic self-doubt on this one)
- Who would I be, what would I do and what would I have if I had a positive change outcome?
- What is one thing, one simple thing, I can do in this moment to move forward positively into a new and better comfort zone?
Then do that one thing. And the next.
Before long, you'll realize that what you feared was a misguided belief, not a truth. You are stronger and more capable than you gave yourself credit for. No longer enslaved by your Inner Critic, you have regained your personal power and a healthy sense of self-worth.
Pay attention to your emotions as you continue to move forward. Trust in yourself and the creative process of life. Tap into your inner wisdom, your intuition, your Muse, and the Wizard within for guidance and support. You will always be safe.
Life is a series of ups and downs, twists and turns. You can approach the roller coaster of life with arms high in the air; willingly and ready for whatever comes next. Or you can grip the handlebars and fear for your life. The choice is yours. A "next" is guaranteed if you are still breathing. As such, change is inevitable and certain.
Yet so many people fear change. Even as masters of our own destiny, deliberately choosing our own paths can sometimes be intimidating. Everyone has the ability to create positive changes in their lives, yet distorted fear-based perceptions often lead to the treadmill of a stuck-in-a-rut comfort zone of existence. Many people believe that they are inadequate or incapable of handling a new situation. New situations, entering into new zones of being are, therefore, are scary. Even if a person doesn't particularly like their comfort zone, like an old worn-out baby "bankie", it feels safe.
When a strong self-worth is in place, change is seen as a welcomed opportunity for growth and personal fulfillment. Enthusiastic creative energy is activated instead of debilitating fear. The person with a growth mindset eagerly reaches for a continuous flow of new positive experiences, while the person with a fixed, fear of change, mindset will dig-in and stay put in current patterns of behavior that generate more of the same stuck-in-a-rut experiences. Fear of change is the work of your Inner Critic, the voice of your fear and self-doubt.
There is a way to tell if you're resistant to change; dragging the reluctant along as you go about your life. You have an inner guidance system that I playfully call your Inner Wizard. This is the voice of your intuition and inspiration. As your Muse it serves up emotion to tell you if you're resisting or embracing change. If you feel uncomfortable, lethargic, anxious or more extreme feelings of desperation and depression your Inner Wizard is telling you that you are holding on to a comfort zone that is not working for you even if you feel safe within it.
If you are willing and available for growth and change you feel good. You great each day with renewed energy and wonderment. It's that simple. If you feel tired and unfulfilled then you have given your power to make positive changes over to your Inner Critic who is unyielding to any sort of change beyond where it feels safe. If you have given up your power, then you are powerless to change your circumstance - until you reclaim your power.
To reclaim your personal power, examine your comfort zone. There is power in writing down your examination discoveries in a journal. The writing process takes moves the flying monkey-mind thoughts of the Inner Critic and puts them onto a page where you can look and examine how you make choices, what criteria you base your actions that deliver the existence you are experiencing.
What, specifically, are you afraid of? What stops you from moving forward in the direction of your dreams? Fear of change begins to lose its power upon this initial examination. As you dig deep into the underlying thoughts and believes that generate your fear, their power to limit you begins to diminish. Deliberately look for evidence that contradicts those thoughts and beliefs.
For example, ask yourself,
- What's the worse that could happen?
- What would happen if the worst happened?
- How realistic is that?
- How can I know, absolutely, that the worst will happen?
- What positive experiences could come out of the change?
- Can I point to any positive examples of people doing those things, living that experience, now?
- How realistic is the positive possibility?
- If other people have done it, why not me? (check for and examine further Inner Critic self-doubt on this one)
- Who would I be, what would I do and what would I have if I had a positive change outcome?
- What is one thing, one simple thing, I can do in this moment to move forward positively into a new and better comfort zone?
Then do that one thing. And the next.
Before long, you'll realize that what you feared was a misguided belief, not a truth. You are stronger and more capable than you gave yourself credit for. No longer enslaved by your Inner Critic, you have regained your personal power and a healthy sense of self-worth.
Pay attention to your emotions as you continue to move forward. Trust in yourself and the creative process of life. Tap into your inner wisdom, your intuition, your Muse, and the Wizard within for guidance and support. You will always be safe.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Fear Success? Top 5 Indicators
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us." - Marianne Williamson
It's strange to think that fear of succeeding could be such a big issue and do much damage. I've found it to be a common underlying source of paralysis and a unyielding block for many of the creative people I mentor each day. What's even stranger is that the people who suffer most profoundly from a fear of success are usually not even aware they have it.
Here are the Top 5 behaviors that indicate a fear of success:
1. I have trouble saying no to people.
2. Before I start to work on a project, I suddenly find a lot of other things to take care of first.
3. When I see someone succeed, I feel like I've lost out on something by comparison.
4. I adopt positive creative habits, get going on my work, and then suddenly revert back to my old habits.
5. I usually compromise in situations to avoid conflict.
The only thing standing between you and your success is - You! Look within. Identify the beliefs that serve as the foundation of your fear. Look for evidence of the opposite. Beliefs are not truths, that's why they call them beliefs!
"I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened." — Mark Twain
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to actualize their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard tips" too!
It's strange to think that fear of succeeding could be such a big issue and do much damage. I've found it to be a common underlying source of paralysis and a unyielding block for many of the creative people I mentor each day. What's even stranger is that the people who suffer most profoundly from a fear of success are usually not even aware they have it.
Here are the Top 5 behaviors that indicate a fear of success:
1. I have trouble saying no to people.
2. Before I start to work on a project, I suddenly find a lot of other things to take care of first.
3. When I see someone succeed, I feel like I've lost out on something by comparison.
4. I adopt positive creative habits, get going on my work, and then suddenly revert back to my old habits.
5. I usually compromise in situations to avoid conflict.
The only thing standing between you and your success is - You! Look within. Identify the beliefs that serve as the foundation of your fear. Look for evidence of the opposite. Beliefs are not truths, that's why they call them beliefs!
"I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened." — Mark Twain
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to actualize their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Inner Wizard tips" too!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Intention Has Power: 5 Steps to Powerful Intention
“Unless you marry intention to action, you end up with only a brief affair.” - author unknown
Many people fill their days with thoughts of who they want to be, what they want to do and what they want to have. "I want financial freedom. I want a new car. I want to take a vacation this year. I want to learn another language. I want to be in a committed relationship. I want to land the role of my dreams. I want a gallery to show my painting. I want to lose 10 pounds. I want to write the next great American novel." The list of possible wants is endless.
Wanting things and experiences is wonderful. At least there is desire, a goal in mind. However want and desire not backed up by intention and action are just nice dreams. When the dreams remain unfulfilled they soon become the source of frustration, restless agitation or quiet desperation.
There is tremendous power in setting an intention. This power directs your energy to the completion of that intention. By setting an intention, you make it clear to yourself and others, just what you plan to do.
Before we show you how to set and act upon an intention let's define what an intention is in the first place. Dictionaries define the word intension as:
- A course of action that a person intends to follow; The goal or purpose behind a specific action or set of actions
- Purpose: an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
- The focus of the mind, the sense of purpose that leads to action.
Now that we have clarity on what an intention is, let's review the steps in setting and taking action upon that intention to achieve the desired outcome; the fulfillment of the 'want'.
Five Steps to Set An Intention:
1. Get clear about something you want and write it down.
2. Envision how you will feel once you've accomplished that intention.
3. Share your intention with someone in a way that will supportively hold you accountable to taking action.
4. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention; a baby step.
5. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would and then, take the next step. And then the next...
Celebrate each step you take to accomplish your goal. Enjoy the process. Have fun. It can be a great ride! Before you know it you turned your dreams into reality.
Wizards are alchemists after all; they can turn an inspired idea into a fully actualized creative expression.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Many people fill their days with thoughts of who they want to be, what they want to do and what they want to have. "I want financial freedom. I want a new car. I want to take a vacation this year. I want to learn another language. I want to be in a committed relationship. I want to land the role of my dreams. I want a gallery to show my painting. I want to lose 10 pounds. I want to write the next great American novel." The list of possible wants is endless.
Wanting things and experiences is wonderful. At least there is desire, a goal in mind. However want and desire not backed up by intention and action are just nice dreams. When the dreams remain unfulfilled they soon become the source of frustration, restless agitation or quiet desperation.
There is tremendous power in setting an intention. This power directs your energy to the completion of that intention. By setting an intention, you make it clear to yourself and others, just what you plan to do.
Before we show you how to set and act upon an intention let's define what an intention is in the first place. Dictionaries define the word intension as:
- A course of action that a person intends to follow; The goal or purpose behind a specific action or set of actions
- Purpose: an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
- The focus of the mind, the sense of purpose that leads to action.
Now that we have clarity on what an intention is, let's review the steps in setting and taking action upon that intention to achieve the desired outcome; the fulfillment of the 'want'.
Five Steps to Set An Intention:
1. Get clear about something you want and write it down.
2. Envision how you will feel once you've accomplished that intention.
3. Share your intention with someone in a way that will supportively hold you accountable to taking action.
4. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention; a baby step.
5. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would and then, take the next step. And then the next...
Celebrate each step you take to accomplish your goal. Enjoy the process. Have fun. It can be a great ride! Before you know it you turned your dreams into reality.
Wizards are alchemists after all; they can turn an inspired idea into a fully actualized creative expression.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery developed a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Perfectionist? Meet the High Achiever
"Art knows no limit, and the artists will never achieve perfection." - Bente Borsum
Bente Borsum is a talented actress who performed with the Norwegian National Theatre and was a director of the Norwegian National Drama School. As a mentor and teacher, she works with younger artists who need professional expertise and encouragement. I found this quote, one of many, to be particularly profound because so many talented people hold themselves back from their work, their full creative expression in search of perfection.
There is a distinction to be made between a high achiever and a perfectionist. The former strives for excellence while the later accepts nothing less that the impossible perfection in themselves and their work. High achievers are motivated by their goal. They relish in the challenge and are energized by the quest.
The perfectionists, on the other hand, beat themselves up with criticism and failure in the unattainable goal of perfection. They hold onto their imperfections and wear them as badges of their shortcomings and failures. The perfectionist is often frozen in the fear of presenting anything less than perfect to the world, including themselves.
This is a crime against humanity. When a person holds his or herself back, never finishes a creation because it never reaches perfection, the rest of the world is deprived of that creative expression. We see this not only in the art world, but in the broader perspective of all creations of mankind.
Pressure on children to achieve is rampant, because parents seek much of their status from the performance of their kids. The pressure is delivered in the form of criticism. Children often believe that in order to be loved they must be perfect, an impossible goal to reach. In order to be accepted in their industry, their work must be perfect. The pain of rejection is the pain of being unloved, a fate to be avoided at all costs.
Perfectionists seek the unattainable perfection in themselves. In their failure to achieve perfection they withhold love of self. And hold back their creative expression and take it with them to the grave.
The perfectionist is well served by modeling the motivational energy of the high achiever. A new perspective and a new goal of excellence rather than perfection will revert the downward spiral of self-loathing and the procrastination that comes with it to an renewed zest and passion to create. Inspired innovation is renewed, creative ideas are turned into reality and the mankind and the world benefits in the richness and gifts of the human spirit.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Bente Borsum is a talented actress who performed with the Norwegian National Theatre and was a director of the Norwegian National Drama School. As a mentor and teacher, she works with younger artists who need professional expertise and encouragement. I found this quote, one of many, to be particularly profound because so many talented people hold themselves back from their work, their full creative expression in search of perfection.
There is a distinction to be made between a high achiever and a perfectionist. The former strives for excellence while the later accepts nothing less that the impossible perfection in themselves and their work. High achievers are motivated by their goal. They relish in the challenge and are energized by the quest.
The perfectionists, on the other hand, beat themselves up with criticism and failure in the unattainable goal of perfection. They hold onto their imperfections and wear them as badges of their shortcomings and failures. The perfectionist is often frozen in the fear of presenting anything less than perfect to the world, including themselves.
This is a crime against humanity. When a person holds his or herself back, never finishes a creation because it never reaches perfection, the rest of the world is deprived of that creative expression. We see this not only in the art world, but in the broader perspective of all creations of mankind.
Pressure on children to achieve is rampant, because parents seek much of their status from the performance of their kids. The pressure is delivered in the form of criticism. Children often believe that in order to be loved they must be perfect, an impossible goal to reach. In order to be accepted in their industry, their work must be perfect. The pain of rejection is the pain of being unloved, a fate to be avoided at all costs.
Perfectionists seek the unattainable perfection in themselves. In their failure to achieve perfection they withhold love of self. And hold back their creative expression and take it with them to the grave.
The perfectionist is well served by modeling the motivational energy of the high achiever. A new perspective and a new goal of excellence rather than perfection will revert the downward spiral of self-loathing and the procrastination that comes with it to an renewed zest and passion to create. Inspired innovation is renewed, creative ideas are turned into reality and the mankind and the world benefits in the richness and gifts of the human spirit.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A Profound Empowering Influence: Dr. Seuss
"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem & smarter than you think." - Winnie the Pooh
Some of the most profound and enlightening literature is found in the stories we heard and read as children. Philosophers such as Winnie the Pooh, Dennis the Menace and Dr. Suess taught us how to live authentically with confidence. And we often abandoned those lessons; pushing them aside as "stuff for kids". As we grew we abandoned authenticity, lost confidence and often lost our ability to play, create with abandon.
"The best thing you can do is get good at being you." - Dennis the Menace
That's our purpose in life; to express our full potential. Yet many people work hard, even throughout a lifetime, to express someone else's unexpressed potential. The people allow the should-ers, the people who tell them who they should be, what they should do and what they should have, dictate their life. And so they live a life unexpressed, with their story untold, their song unsung.
I suggest we treat ourselves to an afternoon or two, or twenty, devoted to revisiting the stories we read and adored as children. We marveled at these stories, these characters, because they called out for us to acknowledge and embrace who we are at our deepest core. We were inspired to live loudly and create expressively. Winnie the Pooh, Dennis the Menace and Dr. Seuss remind us that we are individuals with unique gifts to bring to the world. Our purpose in life is to....
"Be who you are and say what you feel. Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Some of the most profound and enlightening literature is found in the stories we heard and read as children. Philosophers such as Winnie the Pooh, Dennis the Menace and Dr. Suess taught us how to live authentically with confidence. And we often abandoned those lessons; pushing them aside as "stuff for kids". As we grew we abandoned authenticity, lost confidence and often lost our ability to play, create with abandon.
"The best thing you can do is get good at being you." - Dennis the Menace
That's our purpose in life; to express our full potential. Yet many people work hard, even throughout a lifetime, to express someone else's unexpressed potential. The people allow the should-ers, the people who tell them who they should be, what they should do and what they should have, dictate their life. And so they live a life unexpressed, with their story untold, their song unsung.
I suggest we treat ourselves to an afternoon or two, or twenty, devoted to revisiting the stories we read and adored as children. We marveled at these stories, these characters, because they called out for us to acknowledge and embrace who we are at our deepest core. We were inspired to live loudly and create expressively. Winnie the Pooh, Dennis the Menace and Dr. Seuss remind us that we are individuals with unique gifts to bring to the world. Our purpose in life is to....
"Be who you are and say what you feel. Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Success Comes with a New Pair of Glasses
"Every man takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the world." - Arthur Schopenhauer
Four people on four different street corners witness the same traffic accident. The police arrive and ask each of the four people to describe what happened. And get four different versions of how the event happened.
Which of the four witnesses is right about what happened?
All of them.
And none of them.
The same is true in life.
How we view ourselves, our world, and the events of our lives depends upon our viewpoint, the proverbial lens through which we see. The lens is the system of beliefs, expectations, and presuppositions we hold. You use this lens when you evaluate your circumstances and opportunities.
For example, let's say two people walk into an audition for a leading role. Both are rejected with equal harsh criticism for their character portrayal and delivery.
One actor returns home, depleted, and validates his belief that he'll never make it as an actor. He gives up his dream of a theatrical career and sets about finding a 'real' job.
The other actor returns home and quickly writes down the critical remarks. He studies the remarks and adjusts his performance. He rehearses and rehearses and rehearses the scene applying what he has learned from the botched audition. He then either secures a second audition with a better chance of winning the role or goes on to the next audition better prepared. He knows, with certainty, that he'll make it as an actor and that failed auditions are opportunities to learn and improve his craft.
Where one person sees limitation, the other sees opportunity.
How do you view your experience? Is it time to examine your 'lens'? Is it time for a new pair of glasses?
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Four people on four different street corners witness the same traffic accident. The police arrive and ask each of the four people to describe what happened. And get four different versions of how the event happened.
Which of the four witnesses is right about what happened?
All of them.
And none of them.
The same is true in life.
How we view ourselves, our world, and the events of our lives depends upon our viewpoint, the proverbial lens through which we see. The lens is the system of beliefs, expectations, and presuppositions we hold. You use this lens when you evaluate your circumstances and opportunities.
For example, let's say two people walk into an audition for a leading role. Both are rejected with equal harsh criticism for their character portrayal and delivery.
One actor returns home, depleted, and validates his belief that he'll never make it as an actor. He gives up his dream of a theatrical career and sets about finding a 'real' job.
The other actor returns home and quickly writes down the critical remarks. He studies the remarks and adjusts his performance. He rehearses and rehearses and rehearses the scene applying what he has learned from the botched audition. He then either secures a second audition with a better chance of winning the role or goes on to the next audition better prepared. He knows, with certainty, that he'll make it as an actor and that failed auditions are opportunities to learn and improve his craft.
Where one person sees limitation, the other sees opportunity.
How do you view your experience? Is it time to examine your 'lens'? Is it time for a new pair of glasses?
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Who Am I Kidding? How to Stop Self-Sabotage
"Who am I Kidding?"
"Who am I to do this?"
"What am I thinking?"
"I'm not (fill in the blank) enough."
These are questions creative people in the visual and performing arts ask themselves every day. They are the questions that stop an artist from starting a project. Stop an actor from going out for a major audition. Stop a musician from completing a score.
A creative person doesn't like to be stopped so she Finds Excuses And Reasons (F.E.A.R.) to justify the stoppage and make herself feel better, even if only for a moment.
"The secret of success in life is to be ready when your opportunity comes." - Benjamin Disraeli
Yes, when you are finding excuses and reasons to say no to the work, say no to the opportunity, say no to your desires, you are in fear. The fear could be rooted in many misguided beliefs. You could fear failure, not believing that failure is a stepping stone to success. You could fear judgment, not able to separate yourself from the work . You could fear rejection, not centered in the truth of who you are.
Surprisingly what most creative people fear is the fear of Success. Fear of success can be just as paralyzing as fear of failure. Success is scary because it involves change. It is a move beyond the current comfort zone, a move into a vulnerable unknown territory. With success comes more challenges and responsibilities – and that can be threatening.
Even if Success is achieved, many people succumb to their fear of success and self-sabotage. You see examples of this type of self-sabotage nearly daily in the tabloids. Celebrities, politicians, business tycoons caught in the act of doing something that publicly damages their business , reputation and career.
"Who am I Kidding?"
"Who am I to do this?"
"What am I thinking?"
"I'm not (fill in the blank) enough."
And, if successful; "It's only a matter of time before they find out that I'm not really enough."
And that's where the self-sabotaging behavior comes in.
People fear that they may not be able to live up to their achievements. They're afraid of tasting success and then losing it. They're afraid of the humiliation that can come with such a loss. So, they find excuses and reasons not to move forward on the path to success in the first place. If they manage to achieve success, they will create some drama - an event - that will prove to their inner critic that the belief is true, they are not enough.
The Inner Critic loves to be right. It loves to be safe in the current comfort zone. It works hard to prove it's rightness and stay safe. If you are procrastinating or finding excuses and reasons then you are a victim to your own Inner Critic.
The good news is that once you've noticed your self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors you can do something about them. You can make different choices. When you hear that Inner Critic voice reminding you that you are not enough you can just stop thank it for 'sharing', and take a breath. With your next breath, ask yourself the following questions:
Not Enough? According to whom?
Is that true? How can I know this is absolutely true?
Are there any examples of when I have been enough? (Find examples. There are plenty of times in your life when you have been good enough. If you're reading this article you're reading skills are good enough!)
Who would I be, what would I do and what would I have if I was successful? Imagine that lifestyle vividly. In great detail. Feel it. Hold this vision of your life as a successful artist with you as you go about your life and your work.
And, most importantly, put one foot in front of the other and say yes to your work. Say yes to yourself as a creative being.
"Success supposes endeavor." - Jane Austen
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
"Who am I to do this?"
"What am I thinking?"
"I'm not (fill in the blank) enough."
These are questions creative people in the visual and performing arts ask themselves every day. They are the questions that stop an artist from starting a project. Stop an actor from going out for a major audition. Stop a musician from completing a score.
A creative person doesn't like to be stopped so she Finds Excuses And Reasons (F.E.A.R.) to justify the stoppage and make herself feel better, even if only for a moment.
"The secret of success in life is to be ready when your opportunity comes." - Benjamin Disraeli
Yes, when you are finding excuses and reasons to say no to the work, say no to the opportunity, say no to your desires, you are in fear. The fear could be rooted in many misguided beliefs. You could fear failure, not believing that failure is a stepping stone to success. You could fear judgment, not able to separate yourself from the work . You could fear rejection, not centered in the truth of who you are.
Surprisingly what most creative people fear is the fear of Success. Fear of success can be just as paralyzing as fear of failure. Success is scary because it involves change. It is a move beyond the current comfort zone, a move into a vulnerable unknown territory. With success comes more challenges and responsibilities – and that can be threatening.
Even if Success is achieved, many people succumb to their fear of success and self-sabotage. You see examples of this type of self-sabotage nearly daily in the tabloids. Celebrities, politicians, business tycoons caught in the act of doing something that publicly damages their business , reputation and career.
"Who am I Kidding?"
"Who am I to do this?"
"What am I thinking?"
"I'm not (fill in the blank) enough."
And, if successful; "It's only a matter of time before they find out that I'm not really enough."
And that's where the self-sabotaging behavior comes in.
People fear that they may not be able to live up to their achievements. They're afraid of tasting success and then losing it. They're afraid of the humiliation that can come with such a loss. So, they find excuses and reasons not to move forward on the path to success in the first place. If they manage to achieve success, they will create some drama - an event - that will prove to their inner critic that the belief is true, they are not enough.
The Inner Critic loves to be right. It loves to be safe in the current comfort zone. It works hard to prove it's rightness and stay safe. If you are procrastinating or finding excuses and reasons then you are a victim to your own Inner Critic.
The good news is that once you've noticed your self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors you can do something about them. You can make different choices. When you hear that Inner Critic voice reminding you that you are not enough you can just stop thank it for 'sharing', and take a breath. With your next breath, ask yourself the following questions:
Not Enough? According to whom?
Is that true? How can I know this is absolutely true?
Are there any examples of when I have been enough? (Find examples. There are plenty of times in your life when you have been good enough. If you're reading this article you're reading skills are good enough!)
Who would I be, what would I do and what would I have if I was successful? Imagine that lifestyle vividly. In great detail. Feel it. Hold this vision of your life as a successful artist with you as you go about your life and your work.
And, most importantly, put one foot in front of the other and say yes to your work. Say yes to yourself as a creative being.
"Success supposes endeavor." - Jane Austen
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people in the visual & performing arts to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably. Empower yourself to trust your intuition, acknowledge your truth, and disarm your fear and self-doubt. Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Integrity Ignites Effortless Creative Flow
"This above all; to thine own self be true." - William Shakespeare
What is integrity?
What does it mean to be in integrity?
If you look up the word "integrity" in the dictionary you will learn that it comes from the Latin word, "integer" which means "whole". Integrity is an unreduced or unbroken completeness, wholeness, totality, incorruptibility. It is an unimpaired condition and the quality or state of being complete and undivided. Integrity is found in a state of being who you are and, allowing others the same right.
When you are "in integrity" you are in alignment with who you are at your deepest core; your truth. In any area of your life where you struggle your thoughts and actions are out of integrity, you are not behaving in alignment with who you are.
"The voice within is what I'm married to. All marriage is a metaphor for that marriage. My lover is the place inside me where an honest yes and no come from. That's my true partner. It's always there. And to tell you yes when my integrity says no is to divorce that partner." - Byron Katie
To live in alignment, in integrity with who you are you:
- Speak what you know to be true even if it may cause conflict.
- Ask for what you need and want from others.
- Behave according to your personal values.
- Make decisions based on what is true for you, not the beliefs of others.
"Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do." - Don Galer
When you are in integrity with who you are, life flows seemingly effortlessly. When you are acting in ways that are not in alignment with your truth you don't feel good. You may be frustrated or upset. You may think less of yourself and beat yourself up over the choices you have made.
"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?" - Albert Camus
Notice what you say to yourself and others. Be mindful whether or not those statements are in or out of alignment with who you are. Think and act in integrity with who you are and observe how your life transforms from one of struggle to creative flow.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches people in the visual and performing arts how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
What is integrity?
What does it mean to be in integrity?
If you look up the word "integrity" in the dictionary you will learn that it comes from the Latin word, "integer" which means "whole". Integrity is an unreduced or unbroken completeness, wholeness, totality, incorruptibility. It is an unimpaired condition and the quality or state of being complete and undivided. Integrity is found in a state of being who you are and, allowing others the same right.
When you are "in integrity" you are in alignment with who you are at your deepest core; your truth. In any area of your life where you struggle your thoughts and actions are out of integrity, you are not behaving in alignment with who you are.
"The voice within is what I'm married to. All marriage is a metaphor for that marriage. My lover is the place inside me where an honest yes and no come from. That's my true partner. It's always there. And to tell you yes when my integrity says no is to divorce that partner." - Byron Katie
To live in alignment, in integrity with who you are you:
- Speak what you know to be true even if it may cause conflict.
- Ask for what you need and want from others.
- Behave according to your personal values.
- Make decisions based on what is true for you, not the beliefs of others.
"Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do." - Don Galer
When you are in integrity with who you are, life flows seemingly effortlessly. When you are acting in ways that are not in alignment with your truth you don't feel good. You may be frustrated or upset. You may think less of yourself and beat yourself up over the choices you have made.
"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?" - Albert Camus
Notice what you say to yourself and others. Be mindful whether or not those statements are in or out of alignment with who you are. Think and act in integrity with who you are and observe how your life transforms from one of struggle to creative flow.
Valery Satterwhite is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business. She teaches people in the visual and performing arts how to tap into and trust their intuition, acknowledge their truth, and disarm their fear and self-doubt. No longer willing to continue as a starved creative spirit who lived conditioned inauthentic life Valery spent years developing and implementing a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodology to empower other creative people to express their full potential. Join now to create more profoundly, more prolifically, and more profitably at http://www.InnerWizard.com. Get Free "Artist Resource/Marketing Directory" too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
