So what do you do?
Colours, originally uploaded by Camdiluv ♥
I never mention what I do. To anyone. At least I didn’t anyway. Whenever I’m around someone new I would automatically become nervous because I knew that dreaded question was coming.
So what do you do? Tell me more about you.
I would FREAK OUT over this question. All in my head of course. I worried about what my new acquaintances would think about what I did. I thought they would think I was silly. I believed they would just see me as some crazy hippy woman. I didn’t want to be criticized for my beliefs and I definitely didn’t want to be criticized for what I felt I was put on this earth to do.
So I wouldn’t tell them. “I don’t do anything * laugh * I’m just a college kid.” That was always my answer. I don’t do anything. And after talking about my not doing anything I would quickly try to move the conversation far, far, away from me and all that I did not do.
I wasn’t comfortable being myself and a lot of things suffered for that. I was telling the universe that I did nothing. That I was nothing. And with that my creativity fell. I stopped writing as much. I stopped working as hard on my Etsy shop. I didn’t have the desire to make mala beads as much. I slowly began to fade into the background. I had not yet realized what was going on, and I began to feel like people hated my work because they weren’t looking at it anymore.
It took a while for me to connect my lack of confidence in myself with my lack of drive and determination. It wasn’t until I began talking to Sandi that I realized I did this to myself. I have control of my success and I gave that control away.
In knowing that I gave away control of my success I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I knew then that if I gave away that control I could get that control back. The way the path is paved is by the steps that I alone take.
I decided to get behind the wheel again. I set a schedule for working on new pieces, and I finally set a blogging schedule for myself. I’ve been writing down every single idea for new products and have been slowly fleshing them out. I constantly remind myself that this is my path and if I put in the work, continue to believe in myself, and let others help me, there is no reason why my dreams cannot become a reality.
So what happens when people ask me that dreaded question now?
I tell them what I do.
I am an artist. I create mala beads that bring joy to people’s lives. I use my writing as a way to help people open up their hearts and feel more awesome about who they are. And I’m also in college learning all about studying people. I hope to use the skills I learn in to go out and help change our communities. I hope to people get people off the streets, lessen neighborhood crime, and I want to go to women’s shelters and help them feel empowered again so that they get back on their feet.
I am a big dreamer, but dreaming big is part of who I am.
What about you?
Posted in: creativity & the Muse, dreams & goals.
The music that stirs in your heart
Welcome the Storm, originally uploaded by tamara will
Cherish your visions.
Cherish your ideals.
Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
James Allen
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Posted in: morning meditations.
You got this
Photo by Vivenne McMaster
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I am thinking about you over there in you corner of the world.
I am thinking about you,
yes, you
sitting there with your tea beside you
and you with your long hair pulled back from your face
and you taking a break from writing another chapter
and you awake after everyone else is asleep
and you dreaming of getting the paints out after they go to school
and you warming up after shoveling your sidewalk
and you curled up with your puppy beside you
and you wishing it all away
and you on the cusp of a smile
and you holding tight to that talisman
and you finding your breath
and you on your second cup of coffee
and you still hearing her laughter
and you singing softly withstevie wonder
and you with that frown on your face
and you unsure of what is next
and you wishing for that phone call
and you seeking a home
and you living to the south dancing in the sunshine
and you to the north underneath three quilts reading poetry by flashlight
and you on the coast making this year the year
and you across the ocean breathing in possibility
and you across the other sea changing the world
and you sitting in the moonlight
and you cracked open so wide
and you confused about how it is unfolding
and you in the waiting room hoping
and you wearing your avocado green fingerless mitts trying to stay warm
and you doing the best you can
and you tuning out what you know you need
and you sitting beside fear
and you holding hands with grief
and you gathering the gifts of all of it
and you so deeply hurt
and you hoping it just gets easier
and you face-to-face with you
and you looking down at your heart at your feet
and you wishing for change
and you knee-deep in lonely
and you filled with regret
and you sitting in the quiet
and you knowing it is time
and you believing in peace
and you reading these words…
you are beauty
you are enough
you are not alone
you can laugh
you can hope
you can trust
you can choose love
you can open your heart
you can seek joy
you can begin
you can be open to all that is to come
because you,
you got this.
*****
I hope these words can be a companion for you today (and tomorrow and the day after that); they are words I am holding on to over here in my corner as I continue to create space for overwhelm at times.
I told my friend Kelly Barton about this vision I was having of some of these words written in little hearts so you could, so I could, put them wherever we most need to see them.
And Kelly waved her magic wand and helped me to make this a reality as she created this delightful, joyful PDF for you to print out so you can look at these words each day.
Download:
Love Notes – PDF
Right click then Save link as (for Windows)
or Control-click then Download linked file as (for Macs.)
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Maybe you will put them up in your home or turn them into a banner or tuck them inside letters to friends or leave them for strangers to find or tack them up in your cubicle or paste them into your journal.
We both hope they will simply make you happy when you see them.
Posted in: freebies, go tell yourself, self-care & self-love.
Your inner teacher is calling
A guest post by Kandice Cole for the Creative Harvest series
Face to Face with the Inner Teacher, originally uploaded by GangaSunshine
We are in a continuous cycle of teaching and learning. In every situation, circumstance, and life experience, we are teaching, learning, or doing both. Hectic traffic is teaching me patience. A flat tire is teaching me gratitude and how to breathe deeply. A gurgling baby is teaching me the importance of smiling and being carefree. It is not uncommon to hear that learning takes place everywhere. The world is one big classroom that we learn from every second of every day.
Does teaching take place everywhere? Teaching has stayed largely confined to a certain group of people with certifications. In some situations you do need special qualifications to teach, but there are countless situations where all you need is passion and willingness to teach something to someone else. Sometimes we are teaching without even thinking about it. When you hold the door open for someone, you are teaching them. When I help my husband with a project, I am teaching. When you share a resource with a friend, you are teaching.
I quit teaching elementary school last year and found it really difficult to call myself a teacher afterwards. I felt like a phony, since I was no longer in the formal classroom. A few months later, I remember working with my first client during a one-on-one session. She told me that she had learned so much and felt excited about what life had in store for her. It became super clear. I am still a teacher. I am still empowering and helping people outside of a classroom setting.
Teaching is sharing and connecting with another person. This connection of energy causes a reaction of learning and teaching that keeps going on forever. You are a part of that reaction. What you are called to teach will change a person’s life in a major way.
Your inner teacher is calling. Your inner teacher has a whole lot of wisdom, knowledge, and insight to give. Your inner teacher has quietly been beckoning you to share some of this passion and wisdom with the world, whether it be an audience of 5 or five thousand.
Is your inner teacher calling you to go forth in the world? Will you answer the call?
If you are ready answer the call, but have reservations about creating something to teach, then consider enrolling in Teaching Redefined. Teaching Redefined is a gentle six week course created by myself and the wonderful Danielle Nelson that starts on February 15. Teaching Redefined is about unearthing that inner teacher, bringing her out into the light, and giving her the tools she needs to shine.
Each week you will be introduced to a new module chock full of information, interviews, video, and worksheets. You will also have access to a private community forum and live support calls with me and Danielle. It is time for you to share your passion, build your course, find your students, and launch something brilliant!
For a preview of the course click here.
Kandice Cole is a storyteller, teacher, writer and encouraging manifestor.
She is on a mission to help woman tell their stories without apology so they can live a life fully aligned with their values.
She believes in the power of vulnerability and gratitude.
She is currently conducting a grateful experiment, where she is writing a letter of gratitude every single day in 2012 to explore the effects of gratitude on both the receiver and giver of gratefulness.
Find her at www.kandicecole.com or on Twitter : @kandicenate
Posted in: creative harvest.
Your heart never lies
Lost Swan, originally uploaded by Artsy Aubs (Aubry Aragon)
Really get in touch with what you believe.
Your belief in something is the magic spark needed to make it real. You can believe things won’t work out and they won’t. You can believe that abundance is your birthright and you will be proved correct.
Identify the beliefs that you have that are holding you back and day by day replace them with beliefs that push your forward.
Over time, having faith and taking action on your belief will bring around the life you have believed in. The key is to have the faith that your belief is growing and to clear out all the weeds that prevent it’s growth.
Keep the faith, your Heart never lies.
Jackson Kiddard
Posted in: morning meditations.