And I could go to the place where this is a negative result, as in I haven’t been ‘disciplined’ enough to bring it to fruition, to finish the book, shop for an agent, make the decision between self publishing or traditional.

However, I believe there’s a divine order to everything in life and as much as we’d love to ‘know’ or be in ‘control’ of that order, I just don’t think we are. Sometimes we have to surrender, let go, trust and see what happens.

I think our primary job is to feel good, to channel good vibrations through our minds and bodies and most importantly, to CREATE.

Julia Cameron has been one of my greatest mentors when it comes to creating and writing. It was Julia who first introduced me to the idea that I would be far better served to write, simply for the love of writing, than to write with the end goal of a published book in mind. And though this may sound frivolous to some, let me assure you that to the creative process, this attitude opens a door to a deeper, more enriched experience. In fact, I write a lot of the time knowing that no one will ever see the work. (I go as far as destroying these pages.) For me, writing is sacred, it’s a meeting with the divine, a conversation with the wisest part of myself, a connection with my soul.

There’s no question that I will have a published book sometime in this lifetime. But for now, I’ve let go of the timeline; I have no deadline. This new sense of freedom I’ve offered myself seems to have opened yet another layer for me and I’m writing now more than I ever have.

If you’re feeling trapped by trying to control the timeline of your life, if you’ve promised yourself that you’re going to ‘get it done’ by a certain date, ask yourself: is it the end result that matters most to you, or the feeling you generate by way of creating as you go?

What I’ve found is that by letting go, I FEEL more grounded, more connected and more creative than ever – and I’m curious to see where this new way takes me.

In the meantime, to keep the disciplined part of myself appeased, I’m working through Danielle Laporte & Linda Siversten’s Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. This is an absolute STELLAR read with practical action steps, not to mention it’s chalk full of valuable, real life examples of others who have gone before, blazing the trail for us to follow. Did I mention, it includes REAL book proposals that landed REAL publishing deals!!!

Happy Writing! Happy Creating! Happy Feeling!

p.s. If you want to get your haute little hands on a copy of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan – click on the banner link down below on the sidebar to be taken to their page. And YES I am getting paid to recommend and spread the love of these two writing goddesses. xo

A HUGE thank you to Alice Mathieson & Life and Times for the filming & producing of this video!!!

Julia Cameron is the author of two of my most favourite books The Artist’s Way & The Right to Write and in reading her memoir I’ve had many insights and moments of inspiration. Hearing her description of transforming from an ego driven ‘writer’ to a spirit channeling artist reminds me of similar moments of reflection I’ve had in my own journey with words. There are days I stare at my blank screen knowing I have to churn out a 1000 word article for a magazine deadline, and then other days when I can’t grab my notebook fast enough to simply document what I’m hearing (in my mind) – pure genius words that are certainly not mine, nor are they me – those days when I’m the scribe are the most profound and moving. I often go back and read  my writing only to be inspired and to learn from the words that illusively appeared on the page. These moments are pure magic.

I do feel, even in my writing assignments for the magazines I write for, that I’ve dropped the ‘ego’ part of it. I ask my higher self, my guides – what do people need to hear, how can I be a vehicle for their learning, their growth, their awakening? But compared to free form, and channeled writing days – it pales in comparison as I’m still doing a lot of ‘thinking’.

In reflection of reading this most recent work of Julia’s I am having yet another moment of vulnerability as I admit, if only to myself, an artist is who I am at my core – I think it’s who we all are. So what is stopping the flow? Why does it still seem like there is something to ‘do’, somewhere to ‘go’, something to ‘learn’ before I can truly embrace and channel this genius mind of infinite wisdom and intelligence that we all have access to??

Last night I had a dream (it felt like a nightmare at the time) where I think I received my answer. I won’t go in to the details of the dream, since in the end, it’s only the message that’s truly relevant.

The answer: creative space.

For years, I’ve kept my home (incredibly clean & organized – I’m a neat freak), sparse – more hotel room like, only the functional stuff present. Somewhere to sit, somewhere to sleep, somewhere to eat – but I have denied myself any specialness or beauty within my space. A space created for creativity – a space to channel the infinite beauty and wisdom of the collective mind. Aha! In my dream I was shown 2 contrasting realities. One dark, dismal, almost scary like space and one bright, joy filled, music filled space of levity, play and fun. Hmm….

So despite my fear and anxiety in declaring myself an artist (does that mean I must produce beautiful work?? or be compared to those who are great in exemplifying this title?? – ego trip!) I’m going for it. I acknowledge that this is where I feel the most expansive, the most enthusiastic, the most present, the most alive. In the being-ness of creativity is where I want to spend my time – this feels good.

So my next move is creation. Creation of a space which allows for the flow, the levity, the moments of pure channeling – channeling the presence of genius. Not of me, but through me.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress and let you know if the creation of a creative space is truly the missing link I’ve been longing for….until then…H/

For those who know me well, it will be no shock to hear that I’m a bit of a book junkie. I am a seeker of knowledge, a deep thinker and a philosopher of life. I’m forever curious about why…..? I never seem to be able to stop and remain content with just one answer to that question. There is always some other perspective to gain, idea to consider, controversy to argue or agree with – what can I say….it’s just who I am. And if you follow this blog, you’ll know I recently turned 30. It was a birthday that rocked me to the core. I was called to consider many so called truths and acknowledge, recognize and release those things, regardless of their merit, that were no longer working for me in my  life.

Below I’ve made a list of 30 of my most memorable reads, books and authors who presented ideas and ideals that shaped the course of my life. And below that you’ll find a list of the lessons I’ve learned so far. I hope you enjoy – and I welcome your comments, your reading lists, your lessons and of course any questions or comments that you wish to add. After all…it’s better together!

The Books:

1. Psychocybernetics by Maxwell Maltx
2. The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles
3. Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
4. You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor
5. As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
6. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
7. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
8. Law of Attraction by Michael Losier
9. The 4 Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
10. The Portable Coach by Thomas Leonard
11. Purple Cow by Seth Godin
12. The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
13. Women Food and God by Geneen Roth
14. The EMyth by Michael Gerber
15. Strengths Finder by Tom Rath
16. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
17. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
18. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
19. The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle
20. A New Earth by Eckart Tolle
21. The One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen & Robert G. Allen
22. Walk the Talk by Erick Harvey and Steve Ventura
23. Loyalty to Your Soul by H. Ronald Hulnick & Mary R. Hulnick
24. The Unmistakable Touch of Grace by Cheryl Richardson
25. Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr
26. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
27. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
28. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
29. Ask Your Guides by Sonia Choquette
30. The Right to Write by Julia Cameron

The Nuggets

• Tell the truth

Every time you change or alter the truth, you send a strong message to yourself that says something like “I’m not good enough”. It’s a misconception most of us humans are walking around with. The funny thing is, when you start telling the blunt, honest truth – you’ll notice that people don’t actually blow up in front of you (like you thought they might), in fact there is rarely much of a reaction at all. Try it – you’ll probably surprise yourself. Don’t add a zero or take off a stone to make whatever you’re saying sound better. YOU are amazing just the way you are.

• You’re on your own but you’re not alone

This may seem like kind of a contradiction, but let me explain. First of all – you’re on your own – what I mean is that your life is really up to you. Shitty childhoods, abuse, poor treatment – nothing to be taken lightly – it DID shape who you are, but the real question you need to ask yourself is ‘what am I going to do about it now?’. No one is going to make your decisions, heal your heart, train your body, feed your mind or take the steps – it’s up to you. If you want it, don’t want it, need it, desire it – get busy missy (or mister) because no one can live your life for you. BUT, you’re not alone. Reach out – many have gone before us for the purpose to blaze the trail, speak from experience, provide guidance and wisdom and insight for the taking- and as for your inner world – you are never alone there either. You have an amazing inner guidance system, angels helping you navigate your path, a guardian angel and many many more spirit guides who are there simply waiting for you to call on them for support, wisdom, reassurance, love and light as you walk down the journey of your life.

• Take Responsibility for YOUR life

If you are willing to take 100% responsibility for every single moment of your life – even the ones that you don’t understand, weren’t your fault and that you perceivably had no control over – your life will dramatically change for the better. There are nuggets of gold even in the darkest of moments and even being a victim of the most horrific of treatments gives you an opportunity to experience grace at the deepest level.

• Have Faith

I’m not religious but my spiritual faith is stronger now than it’s ever been. I have experienced moments of profound insight and awareness by opening myself up to the infinite power of faith. With faith all things are possible and purposeful. Faith gives you courage when you’re scared and light when you’re lost.

• Your mind is a powerful tool

Do not take your mind for granted – it is powerful beyond measure. (60,000 thoughts a day – and this is a ‘scientific guess’ at best.) And your mind is not just your brain, not just your thoughts, not just your emotions, not just your cells – it is all of that combined and more. It’s nothing to be taken lightly, and nor should it be taken for granted or left to run itself. You must concede to it’s power, be humbled by it’s abilities and do your best to work with it and it’s great power to support you in reaching your highest potential in this lifetime.

• Beliefs are the root of your manifestations

Ever wonder what’s really creating your reality – look no further than your deep seeded beliefs. What you believe is what you see, whether it’s really there or not. The trick is to learn about how and when beliefs are impregnated in to your system, how to identify when a belief is limiting your development and no longer serving you, how to let go of old beliefs and upload new and improved beliefs in order to continue to advance and grow in your life. (Check out Bruce Lipton’s book & website: The Biology of Belief for more info).

• Thoughts do become things

I can remember a time when my ego driven cynical thoughts balked at this simple, yet profound statement, however, I can assure you – these words are real. Don’t take the words you use or the thoughts you choose lightly or for granted. You are manifesting your own destiny every moment of your life – make certain you are choosing wisely.

• You won’t always know how

It would be nice to see a well laid out blueprint for your life, equipped with perfectly timed rest stops, moments of glorious celebration, when the challenges were to come and the knowing that you will get through them and come out the other side. However, this is simply not LIFE. You won’t always know how things are going to unfold or how you are going to pay rent this month, or how you will reach your goals. But in the end, the how is the least relevant of all of the parts. Instead I suggest you stay focussed on WHAT and WHY – the HOW shows up each and every time.

• Be 100% the authentic YOU

Lord knows I learned this the hard way – and this lesson alone had a lot to do with my 29th year and why it was such a struggle. My whole life, I’ve made decisions based on how it would impact those around me. I did things to achieve others approval, acceptance and love. I didn’t really know what I wanted – because I’d never really asked that question. The question I’d really been asking was- what can I do that will please everyone? WRONG question. You are not doing yourself or anyone else any favours by living to please others. You’re never happy and therefore they’re never really happy either. Take a stand, put yourself first, find the TRUE, the REAL you – polish off that beautiful gemstone and let it shine out for the world to see. NO ONE could ever be you, so I suggest you be.

• Don’t go as often & don’t stay as long

Letting friends go and acknowledging when family is holding you back will likely (if you’re anything like me) be some of the hardest moments of your life. I’m loyal to my core and sometimes I’ve stayed a little too long at the party. I remember voicing this challenge to one of my first coaches, Bob Proctor and he gave me this great nugget of advice. You don’t have to cut people off at the knees (or throw out the baby with the bathwater) but if relationships are no longer serving you – begin the weening process sooner than later. Sometimes they come around, but don’t wait around for that to happen. Instead – don’t go as often & don’t stay as long:)

I’ve heard the message before in a lot of different ways, but, it never ceases to raise my awareness level. The bottom line is that we must silence the critic that lives in our mind. Instead, we must cultivate the visionary that encourages us to be creative with our life. We must empower ourselves, love ourselves and accept ourselves. Only then are we able to extend the same truth to all whom we encounter in our lives. Living by the Four Agreements will open the door to a life of joy, love and truth.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

1. Be impecable with your word.
2. Don’t take anything personally.
3. Don’t make assumptions.
4. Always do your best.

- Stan Dale

Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles is packed with brilliant lessons for living a life full of purpose and passion. The concept of becoming an inverse paranoid is principle # 6 and is one that if applied will completely change the way you view your life.  In a nut shell an inverse paranoid is the direct opposite of someone full of paranoia.  The inverse paranoid person operates from the premise that everyone else is always part of a positive plot to enhance the quality of their life. In other words, no matter what happens the inverse paranoid person believes that it is all a conspiracy to see that he or she gets exactly what they need and want.

I couldn’t have studied this principle at a more opportune time.  There are so many things that happen on a daily basis that are outside of our control.  It can often be frustrating when things don’t go as we plan.  But, using the principle of becoming an inverse paranoid restores the faith and hope we often need to press on even in the face of circumstances that we don’t understand.  Instead, we can operate from a position of peace, always knowing that there is a greater power at work on our behalf.  It’s very similar to Bob Proctor’s concept of “Let Go and Let God.”

I believe in stating, with intention, what we desire in our life.  I also believe in goal setting and action plans to move forward towards our needs and wants on a daily basis.  I also know that sometimes the plan that we set in motion is not always the easiest, nor the most effective way to get what we want.  When you believe in the additional power working with you and through you to accomplish your hearts desires it takes a lot of the pressure off.  In addition, by adopting the inverse paranoid persona you can operate from a place that doesn’t always know why or how, but, knows what and believes that the what will be manifested regardless of the path.

How often do you look back upon what at first seemed to be misfortune only to realize that the circumstances were vitally necessary for you to achieve the good you desired for your life.  Hindsight is 2020!

Move each day in the direction of your dreams and live as an inverse paranoid; believing that the entire world is in a plot to enhance your life.  Be the writer, director, producer and STAR of your own show.

It’s no secret that when we think we form an image on the screen of our mind. We literally “see” what it is that we are thinking about. So, in the case of this book, by telling a story Sharma “illustrates” the lessons of personal enlightenment to his readers.

Here’s a taste of some of the “nuggets” this exceptional book has to offer:

Mind – The Garden

Sharma personifies the mind as a garden needing to be cultivated and cared for in order to blossom beyond expectations. It’s not rocket sciece to know that if you flood your mind with negative thoughts you will naturally develop a negative attitude, be attracted to other negative people and continue to encounter negative circumstances and situations into your life. (Been there!)
In computer science the acronym GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) is used. The same applies here: The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts.

Sharma suggests: “Wage war against the weaker thoughts that have crept into the palace of your mind. They will see that they are unwanted and leave like unwelcome visitors.”

Time – The Watch

Are you the master of time or is time the master of you? Sharma makes no bones about time as a precious commodity and one that is non-renewable. We’ve all heard the 80/20 rule, but, have you seriously considered it when it comes to your time. Sharma suggests, and I agree, that often we spend over 80% of our time in exchange for little or no result. In fact, chances are that 80% of the results you are getting in your ilfe can be traced back to a mere 20% of the activities that occupy your time. No matter who you are or where you live we all have been given the same amount of time (24hours) in a day. The differences in results stem from how you use the time you have. Furthermore, don’t let people steal your time. How often do you sit down to accomplish a specific task that is at the top of the priority list only to be interupted by the ringing of your phone. The question is – do you answer it? NO! Become the master of your time and direct yourself accordingly. You can return calls when you have gotten everything on your “to do” list done!

Whether you are new to personal development or a well read student this book will inspire and encourage you to new heights. I highly recommend it and look forward to your comments.

Cheers,
H

False
Expectations
Assumed
Real

I think that looking at fear this way gives us as individuals all the power back.  How often have we been controlled by our fear? Whether it’s the people afraid to fly who never get a chance to see the world, or the outstanding employee who is underpaid because he/she is afraid to ask for a raise.  Fear is one of those emotions that can completely debilitate a person, but, I’ve found a way to combat that.

Jack Canfield, author, trainer and motivational speaker extraordinaire addresses FEAR in his book The Success Principles. What he suggests is write down all the things that you are afraid of doing.  Not what you’re afraid, so, not, “I’m afraid of spiders” but “I’m afraid of picking up a spider”.  From there take your fear and rewrite in a different way.  So, using our spider example he suggest you write:

I want to pick up a spider, and I scare myself by imagining that it will bite me.

Here’s some more common fears expressed in this new way:

I want to ask for a raise and I scare myself by imagining that I will be yelled at or fired.
I want to go skiing and I scare myself by imagining that I will fall and get hurt.
I want to go skydiving and I scare myself by imagining that my parachute won’t open….

So, my question is: if you are able to imagine a negative outcome in such a way that you become so scared you won’t even attempt to do whatever it may be, could you, imagine a positive outcome for the same activity?  And if you could imagine a positive outcome could that positive image empower you and give you the courage necessary for you to DO whatever it is that you want to do?

So back to the spider, the FEAR you imagine probably goes something like this… this horrible experience where it crawls up your arm and down your shirt and that gets you all squirmy and scared.  So, could you close your eyes and imagine picking up the spider and holding it gently in your hand, looking closely at it, admiring in awe the small size of the spider, but, yet the detail in the eyes, the hair, the legs, the body etc?  Do you see that the image that we hold is so important when it comes to the action we do or don’t take?  And that image is something WE form in our mind. Therefore we definitely have control over what image we chose to see.

Try this exercise.  Write down all the things you are afraid of doing.  Then rephrase them in the way the examples indicate above.  Then close your eyes and imagine a different outcome to doing whatever it is you’re afraid of.  If skydiving is what you’re afraid of, see yourself, in your mindseye, sailing effortlessly through the air, taking in all the sights and sounds, floating with the assistance of your parachute, observing the sheer awesomeness of being 10,000 feet above the earth.  Start to make this the new image you see when you imagine the outcome of a skydiving adventure.

I look forward to your comments.

I was at a dinner party over the holidays and was chatting with another guest about a great book that I’m currently reading. I had picked it up at the Airport bookstore during Christmas travel and it is apparently quite popular. Apparently, I say, because when I mentioned I was reading it I received a laugh and the comment “yeah, you and the rest of the word”. I couldn’t help but feel the jab, however slight it may have been.

I don’t know why but my mind immediately shifted and I started thinking about this short little paperback book The Four Agreements, that I read a month ago or so. The book, though simple, is profound in its advice. Adopt the Four Agreements and live a life of peace, joy, love and happiness. Just what we’re all looking for – right!

I started to run through them in my mind:

1. Always be impeccable with your word.

2. Don’t take anything personally.

3. Don’t make assumptions.

4. Always do your best.

In this particular case, number one is kind of irrelevant. But, look at number 2 & 3. By assuming that my fellow guest was insulting my book choice (which was my first reaction) I was violating one of the agreements. Furthermore, by taking exception to it I was taking it personally violating yet a second of the four agreements.

It’s always important to understand that the way we see the world is not the way any other person sees it. We, as individuals, each bring our own set of specs to each and every part of our life. Our specs are made up of our beliefs, our experiences our education etc. and no one combination is identical to another. Therefore, we can never assume with certainty the meaning behind the actions of others.

In the end I CHOSE not to assume or take personally the comment. Subsequently, I had a wonderful evening and thoroughly enjoyed finishing the book.

Fear of  taking the leap and the net not appearing.

Chapter 3′s Q & A portion helps de-mystify the impending “fears” that hold us back from stepping out of our comfort zone. The following are examples of those tough, mind-bending, but, all together necessary questions each of us needs to entertain if we are to break down terror barriers and make the big changes we want or need to make in our lives.

1. Define your nightmare, the absolute worst that could happen if you did what you are considering?
2. What steps could you take to repair the damage or get things back on the upswing, even if temporarily?
3. What are the outcomes or benefits, both temporary and permanent, of more probable scenarios?
4. If you were fired from your job today, what would you do to get things under financial control?
5. What are you putting off out of fear?
6. What is it costing you – financially, emotionally, and physically to postpone action?
7. What are you waiting for?