Sit Back and Brew

If you are a coffee aficionado, what do you experience when the coffee is brewing?  Do you enjoy the smell of the ground coffee being saturated with hot steaming water anticipating the finished product with glee?  Or are you impatient, perhaps even getting a cup of coffee while it’s still brewing?   Perhaps you’ve done both, I know I have!

Brewing is a very important stage in the realms of creativity, life transitions, emotions, career, relationships… the list is endless.  For the sake of this blog post, I’ll be pondering the idea stage in relation to creativity.  The brewing stage is a time when you are receiving new ideas and yet not knowing the “how’s” just yet.  In our download, drive through world, we can get caught up in the idea that things need to manifest now.  And yet, that is not how nature, the Universe works.  The brewing stage asks us to slow down and receive. 

I’ve been experiencing the brewing stage this year as I find myself speaking ideas into my phone voice recorder, writing things down on pieces of paper (that drive my hubby crazy), starting some things and not finishing them.   I am in the brewing stage and I am learning to embrace this as a very important part of the creative process.  This can be an exciting stage because the possibilities are endless.  When you decide, you narrow choices down. 

If you are in the brewing stage, here are some helpful tips to support you there;

1)Name and claim that this is where you are. It’s takes the edge off striving and keeps the ideas coming.

2)Write, journal, collage your ideas and feelings.  This will offer you rich material to come back to and it may open the door to even more possibilities.

3) Share your ideas with a trusted confidant that will listen and hold the space for you to brew.

4) Attend workshops online or in person to keep your creative juices flowing.

5)Explore what other people are doing/creating in the realm of your ideas. 

Gather, sit with, honor, ponder and embrace the brewing time. You’ll enjoy the end product that much more when it arrives. 

This virtual cup of coffee is for one of the biggest coffee lovers of all time, Rev. Steve Bolen. With love  to you Steve!

Turning on Your Inner Light

 “Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s all right” The Beatles

Summer Solstice is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere, occuring on June 21, 2010.  This is the longest day of the year, when there is more light than darkness.  The  sun is the fire element  which represents Spirit; your inner light,  energy, chi, and  movement .  Fire contains within it the ability to transform, changing something from one state to another.    It is times of darkness, we rely on our fire element, as it is our inner light (soul) and our connection to Spirit that can carry us through difficult times.  By relying on our inner light, we strengthen our spiritual muscles.  The Solstice is a great time to consider how the fire element applies to you.  

• Where are you in terms of goals you have set for yourself this year; the seeds you have planted?
• What goals, relationships, ideas need to be renewed or released?
• How much light are you allowing in to your life?  Are you being a good receiver?

The Solstice is a wonderful time to think about these questions and create a ritual to honor the day, your goals, your Soul.  Ritual is simply the physical act of a prayer or intention.  The following are some ideas for celebrating Solstice with a ritual and aligning with nature for harmony within;

1. Create a bouquet of flowers in bright colors in your home
2. Write a list of  what requires renewing, manifested, or released and burn it (transformation)
3. Pray, meditate, visualize abundance and growth
4. Play music and celebrate the fullness of what you do have right now.  Be in gratitude.

Fellow Soul Coach and friend Mary Dixon, has this suggestion for Solstice; “ send prayers for good growth for yourself and the plants, for passion and play to let loose, for your dreams and projects to become real and concrete. Autumn will become a time of harvest, review and heading more inward.” Check out Mary’s marvelous website at www.thirdeyesouljourneys.com; she is not only a gifted Soul Coach, but a gardener of lavender, Reiki healer, and photographer.

Take time to thoughtfully listen to your soul at this time. Rest, renew, and rejoice in the abundance  that surrounds you!

That Rainy Day Feeling

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.”  ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It’s been raining for what seems like a week here in Georgia.   The rain is welcome as all the summer gardens have been planted.   All this rain has me thinking  about and feeling the water element and what it teaches us.  

Have you ever noticed how many songs are written about the rain?   Here are a few that come to mind right away:

Here Comes that Rainy Day Feeling Again, Rainy Days and Mondays, Purple Rain,  Rain on Me, and most appropriate for where I live, Rainy Night in Georgia.  If any more songs come to mind, please feel free to respond in the blog responder below.

What kind of feeling does a rainy day evoke in you?  Do you even notice a difference in how you feel?  For some people rain creates a sense of coziness, a nesting feeling.  For others, too much rain creates a feeling of dread, sadness, lethargy.  Pay attention to your feelings, they are sign posts offering you more information about you.   And the more you learn about yourself, you will be able to hear your soul more clearly.

Many people fear their emotions and they run from them, or at least they believe they are running from them.  However, emotions don’t go away, they wait and surface again.  The water element encourages us to honor, acknowledge, and notice what we feel before trying to change it with a positive affirmation or happy thought.  These are both healthy things to do, following the acknowledgement.   Otherwise your subconscious will say to the happy thought “not true”.  

Consider what you do with your emotions.  Do you dump them on others by blaming,yelling, or gossiping?  Or perhaps the pendulum swings in the other direction and you swallow what you feel?  Neither way is healthy, neither way honors the water element.  Water is meant to move, and when you simply feel, information surfaces.  Then, the water element will carry you to the voice of your soul.

The Simon Factor

If you haven’t heard of Simon Cowell by now, he’s the tough talking acerbic judge on the hugely popular television show American Idol and his own talent show in England called the X Factor.  Simon is known for his callous comments which at times can be downright rude, even though he often preempts what he says with “I don’t mean to be rude…”.   So why do the contestants that are being judged seem to put so much weight into what Simon says?  Probably why most people wait to hear his assessment – he speaks his truth.   His communication style is not always constructive as he says what is on his mind without much editing, positive or negative.  And because he is so brutally truthful, that seems to make the praise he doles out worth it to those being judged. 

In the real world, how often do you speak your truth?  Do you withhold what you are thinking or feeling to protect others?  Do you speak your truth without editing to get heard?  Both are extreme communication styles. If you find it difficult to speak your truth to important people in your life or in business, consider how safe it was a child to express your feelings.  Were your feelings honored or ignored in your family?  If you find yourself in sticky situations because you blurt out your truth without tact, reflect on how you got heard in your family.  Perhaps you had to become loud to get heard, or your parents modeled expressive, degrading communication.  Whatever you experienced in the past has an effect on how you communicate and relate today.  

If you are at either end of the spectrum of speaking your truth, you can begin to change this dynamic to create the opportunity to be heard. If you are withholding your feelings, you’re not being heard.  If you are blurting out your truth without consideration for others, you are also not getting heard as others may not take you seriously. To move yourself out of the two opposite communication styles of passive being quiet and aggressive-being bluntly direct, you can express yourself in a clear, adult manner utilizing this easy three step process;   

1. When you__________ or this situation________ happens/happened
2. I feel/felt _____
3. I need you to/not to___________

If the recipient changes the subject or gets defensive, name that and repeat the three steps, requesting to be heard.  If you hit a wall, use the three step process to express your frustration, disappointment, anger or whatever you are feeling. The benefits of speaking up for yourself and your feelings in a clear, concise manner are immense.   When you are true to yourself, your inner sense of well being and self esteem increases because you are in integrity with yourself and your soul.  Speak clearly, get heard and take yourself from zero to hero, as Simon says!

The Earth Element & You

“There is hope if people will begin to awaken that spiritual part of themselves, that heartfelt knowledge that we are caretakers of this planet. ” ~Brooke Medicine Eagle

In the 28 day Soul Coaching© program that I facilitate, we move through four basic elements with the intention to clear the clutter in our lives and within ourselves, so that we can hear our deepest truth more clearly.  Many ancient cultures used the natural elements as a guide for balanced living and as a way to become oriented to their surroundings.  The four basic elements are air, water, fire and earth. Each element can be related to an aspect of yourself and your life; air/thoughts, water/emotions, fire/spirit and earth/body.  By bringing attention to each element, you become aware of where you are in or out of balance in your life. 

The earth is the element that grounds, earth IS the ground!  Earth is where we are rooted; it is our source for living.    Our physical self is where we express and experience all the other elements; our thoughts, feelings, and spiritual self.   Our body is home for all the elements combined. 

Some questions to ponder in regards to the earth element are; how well do you take care of your body?  What harmful substances do you need to remove from your diet to create a healthier fueled body?  What distractions or addictions take you out and away from your body?  How often do you spend time in nature or even notice it?  Where do you feel most at home?

During the 28 day Soul Coaching© program, the earth element is the last element we move through and experience.  This is because this element is home for all the other elements, it holds them.  The earth element reminds us to be present, be in the now, and experience who we came here to be through this growing, living element we call home.

Time to Bloom

“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.”  ~Proverb
As I was driving to work today I noticed the exquisite tunnel of blossoming trees arching over the road; white, pink, purple and green buds exploding in color.  Just last week the branches and earth were bare and brown.  Cold wind and rain were constant companions waiting with us for the earth to turn.  And it turned overnight.

Spring is full of messages if you listen.  Spring reminds us that no matter how dark things seem in our lives, there will come a time where things will change.    It assures us that when we are in our feelings of darkness, despair, depression, sadness, grief ~ this season will pass.  Emotions are the water element and they will move, as water does, when we allow ourselves to feel.  Springtime also represents the manifestation of energy, ideas into form.  From a hidden seed to a flower, plant, fruit, vegetable or dream come true.

With this turn of the season, consider how you can tap into the explosion of energy in nature and where you can apply this in your life.  To get you rolling ~ ie; work, physical health/exercise, relationships, self care, unfinished projects, creativity, learning, expressing…

Here is a quick Soul Journey for you to join with spring in creating blooms in your life;

Close your eyes~take a deep breath~breathe in the energy from within the earth and the life force pulsing through the trees, plants, grasses right now.  Breathe this energy into the places in your life where you could use some new energy.  Breathe out negativity, critical thoughts, and judgement.  Breathe in hope.  This is the gift of spring.

Wishing you ~ soul blossoms ~ you beautiful soul you!

Feed Thy Soul

   If thou of fortune be bereft,

We rely on our senses to give us information about the world around us, but they are much more.  The soul loves experiencing through the senses and it’s usually simple things that bring the most pleasure.  Consider all the senses and what feeds your soul.  If you follow along and create a list, you’ll have a plan for simple pleasures you can afford to give yourself.  Here are some purposeful ponderings to get you started;

• What sounds do you love listening to?  What feels soothing, energizing, joyful, playful?  Think nature, human voice, instruments, technology.
• What are your favorite tastes?  What tastes bring back fond memories? What tastes stop you in your tracks to savor the moment?
• What are you favorite colors?  What activities do you enjoy watching?  What kind of art do you admire?  What do you gravitate toward in nature? 
• What element feels good against your skin, ie; water, air, warmth, earth?  What is your favorite fabric? 
• What smells bring back happy memories or feel homey to you?  What scents do you favor?

Your senses can direct you to simple ways to feed your soul. Your soul does not make requests for expensive, extravagent, material objects.   That’s the ego’s role.   The soul experiences.   I’d love to hear the way your soul speaks to you through your senses and I hope you’ll indulge your soul in some simple pleasures. Remember to;                                                                                                                                                     

Live Your Dreams~Now!

“Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.” ~ Seneca

Life is precious.  On your journey here, you mostly get to choose your experience.  What are you choosing and what dreams are you still holding in your soul?  What do you want to experience during your precious life? 

Grieving tends to bring this question into laser focus, as loss is a transition and it forces us to take stock of our lives.   We are not the same after losing someone we love, or after a divorce/relationship break up, or job change.  Grief breaks open the verneer and lull of everyday life and carries us deep within ourselves.

I recently lost a friend, and for me it was a shock,  as I did not know she was experiencing a health challenge.  She was a vibrant, bright, positive person and thoughtful friend.  Her death caused me to pause, feel deeply, and reflect.  I knew some of her hopes and dreams, some accomplished, some not.    

If there are things you still want to experience in your life and you are waiting for fear to disappear before you begin, you’ll wait forever.  Fear is part of life’s journey. You must feel the fear and do it anyway if you want to make headway with your hopes and dreams.   My friend demostrated this by having fear of playing the violin  and singing for an audience. As terrified as she was, she did it anyway.  She climbed Machu Picchu, lead therapy groups and classes, and was in an online writing class with me that made us all vulnerable. She did all these things with fear by her side, but she did it anyway.

My wish for your soul is that you will begin something you have been putting off and begin living even more fully, right now.   May your journey be full with joy, grief, fear, sadness, excitement, and all the emotions of the flowing water element.  Feeling and being grounded here on earth IS your experience.  Live right now, with feeling!

 Blessings to you dear Kim on  your continuing journey… 

Kim Cresse

Business & Life Vision Map Workshop

Letting go of the old…

…welcome in the new decade!

 “Intention goes where energy flows”~Denise Linn

 I have a time honored tradition on New Years Eve of being intentional about what I want to let go of in my life and my desires for the New Year.  This tradition begins with a ritual.  Rituals are an energetic bridge between heaven and earth; they are a physical act of a prayer.  Michael Davis, author of “Rituals-Light for the Soul” writes this about the meaning of ritual; “the value in any ritual comes from its ability to connect you to a larger context that clarifies your relationship to yourself, others, and your place in the universe.  Whether the names used are God, nature, ancestral wisdom, or the great mystery, a relationship is established that both nourishes and instructs”.   

 Here’s how to begin;

1) You will need paper and pen, your memory and imagination, that’s it!

2)Create a list with the heading “What I Release from my Life”

3)Create a list with the heading “What I Welcome into my Life in 2010”

In order to get you started on your lists, here are some areas of your life to consider:

 Inner Qualities                                               Outer Qualities

Feminine/masculine side                               Physical health & wellness

Confidence                                                     Work/Career

Spirituality                                                      Relationships; love, friends, family

Emotional health                                           Fun; travel, hobbies, social

Loving nature                                                Prosperity/financial health

 Releasing

 Reflect on 2009 for a moment and think about what did not work well for you or where you may have been out of balance in the qualities listed above.

 If you have a safe fire source, burn this list and watch that which you no longer serves you, burn away.  Or you can rip/shred the list; just make sure you get rid of it in some manner.

 Welcoming In

 Visualize December 31, 2010 as you reflect back over the year.  What would feel satisfying to your soul if it had manifested?  

Put this list in an envelope and place it in a favorite book or on an altar/special place in your home where it will be held sacred all year long.  Light a tea light candle in honor of your welcome list and allow it to burn out.  This ritual holds light around your intentions.  

 There is no better time than right now to be intentional about your life.  Times are a changin’, energy is shifting, there’s a blue moon and eclipse occurring over New Years Eve.  Ride the wave of this shift into a new decade by declaring what your heart and soul desires.  I’m holding the vision with you for a *dazzling*decade ahead!

 I’ll be offering my annual Soul Vision Workshop in January where you will create a “vision board” for 2010 with your soul’s hopes and dreams. Check back for dates or contact me directly at 678-296-1278.

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