Are You Having Fun Yet?

“People do not quit playing because they grow old. They grow old because they quit playing” Paul Valery

fun noun lively, joyous play or playfulness; amusement, sport, recreation. Enjoyment or pleasure a source or cause of amusement or merriment, as an amusing person or thing (Webster’s online dictionary).

 How much fun do you plan on having in 2010?  This might seem like a trivial question, however, your answer is telling.  You may react with “I can’t have fun, my life is serious and I have responsibilities” or “fun is for children” or “not in this economy”.  If you did not embrace the idea of planning for fun and play in your life, read on.  You may be neglecting a very important aspect of yourself that is a natural, innate part of being human.    Play and fun creates inner well-being by bringing balance to your life. 

Do you remember how to play?  If not, think about what fun you had as a child.  The formula for fun is; activity (doing or watching) + feeling = fun.   You can recreate this feeling with activities that are reminiscent of what you did as a child or bring them up to date in an adult way.  

By adding more fun and play into your life, you recharge yourself.  From this place, you can move forward to tackle the serious issues with much more energy and ideas because you are filled up.  If you are depleted or trying too hard, new ideas will have a difficult time reaching through  rigid, tight, serious thoughts.  Creativity Coach and author Jill Badonsky says this about how new ideas are born in her book The Nine Modern Day Muses;  ‘ideas do not just appear when we are sitting down and thinking real hard.  Ideas cannot resist playful movement.  Play’s active spontaneity is the optimal condition for creativity”.  

If you are in the midst of a difficult situation right now, you have an even more important reason to add activities to your schedule that you enjoy.    Your mind needs a rest from worry and stress and play is a way to leave it all behind for the moment.  When you are fully engaged in play, time can appear to stand still.  This happens because you are fully in the moment, engaged in life with your senses. 

As you consider your plans for 2010, add a dose of fun and play into each week and observe what happens.   Side effects may include; spontaneous laughter, new bright ideas, unexpected joy, increased energy, youthfulness, improved relationships and greater sense of lightness in your life.   I double dog dare you to take a risk and play this year!

Photo credit; thank you to my nieces Stephanie & Jennifer and cousins Olivia & Briley in CT for jumping for joy with me on the trampoline a few years ago.

Time for a Cool Change

“And now that my life is so prearranged, I know that it’s time for a cool change.” Little River Band

Soul Quote

“When you do things from your soul you feel a river moving in you, a joy. When action comes from another part of you, the feeling disappears.” Rumi

Igniting the Fire Element

“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Chinese Proverb

In my last article about the water element, I mentioned that a change came about for me during water week.   I needed to find new office space fast.  After allowing all the emotions (water) to surface and move, I received even more clarity.  I absolutely knew what I had to do.  This is the benefit of listening to your soul – a knowingness rises up from within as you clear the clutter from your soul.  During fire week, I made a decision to move out of my current office and put my things in storage, without knowing where or how I would land.  How did I do this?   Fear surfaced so I tuned into that knowingness and ”walked through the fire”.  I decided to trust and move ahead in faith.  This is no easy task and the process can be much like a toggle switch from fear to faith.  However, when your soul speaks and you listen, a deep peace resonates within.  This, is the fire element.

The fire element 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.  This is how faith and trust are developed. Fire also represents your visions, dreams and inspiration.  Fire makes us expand and reach out beyond our physical senses.  This element connects us to the unseeen.

During the 28 day Soul Coaching program, we identify fears, patterns and habits that may be keeping you from hearing your soul during fire week.    The fire element teaches: reach deeper and vision higher.  YOU, are so much more than you think you are!

The Water Element ~ Flowing Your Feelings

“Every emotion you feel is real.  It comes directly from our spirit, from our integrity, it is completely authentic.” Don Miguel Ruiz

Change was thrust upon me during water week of the 28 day Soul Coaching program.   The septic system (water) in the building  where my office was located, was disintegrating and beyond repair.  The landlord was unable to repair it due to the high replacement cost and no budget.   I had felt  a change  coming for a while anyway, in regards to my office location, but this situation put me into action sooner than I thought.   I had been processing this potential change through my air (mental) and fire (spiritual) elements; understanding why from a logical perspective and even the higher meaning.  However, when the crisis occurred, I had neglected my water (emotion) element and it was not about to rest, thankfully.  At 4am one night, the  water element woke me up out a deep sleep and I began to feel what this change would mean for me.  Sadness, anger and grief appeared and I allowed all to flow through me by talking, writing and mainly simply feeling them deeply.    When we let our feelings flow, they move.  If we neglect them, they get caught in an eddy by the side of river and swirl aimlessly.  And they wait.

Many people fear their emotions and work hard to keep them in check.  Why the fear?  The most common response I hear is that “I will feel the emotion forever, without end”.  Actually, it is the opposite. The more you keep your emotions at bay, they will not cease trying to get noticed.  If you do not express, where do your feelings go?  They can move into your air element; you begin to think your way out of your emotions. Or perhaps they move into the body and you get a headache, tummy troubles, or a stiff neck or back.  Your fire element may ignite and you can “spiritualize” your way out of a feeling.  All diversions, all attempts that will not work as the nature of water is to move. 

Your emotions contain information and if you can allow yourself to feel, you can then get to the next best place to take action if it is required.  The water element teaches us;  feel ~  flow ~ heal.

Ahh…The Air Element…

                                                                                                                                                                                        Imagine yourself at the top of a mountain.  The vistas are spectacular and you can see clearly for miles.  You feel exhiliarted as you deeply breathe in the fresh, clean mountain air.  The crispness of the air touches your skin and you feel vibrantly alive.  Welcome to the air element!

Now imagine the same scenario above; you are at the top of a mountain, but the air is dirty, filled with smog and you cannot see very far in front of you.  You may feel frustrated that you cannot see into the distance and that you are breathing in unclean air. 

The air element represents our intellect; our thoughts and belief systems.  When we know ourselves more deeply, we make decisions with clarity.  When our untrue belief systems or negative thoughts lead the way, we may stumble or make reactionary decisions.  

During air week, we delve into our beliefs, values, thoughts and our clutter.  Why clutter?  Outer clutter represents inner clutter.  Therefor the more you clear on the outer, it frees your inner self to soar.  And that’s what air week is all about – soaring to new heights and an understanding of self. 

A quick way to clear your mind and create an opening to new possiblities is to clear the clutter in any area of your home.  Even it it’s drawer.  One of my favorite teachers, Caroline Myss says that if you want to invite change, clean out a drawer. This begins the process and the subconscious mind follows.  

The air element teaches; Breathe in clarity…breathe out disharmony…..

And tackle some clutter to create a clearer path to your Soul!

Threshold – Opening the Door to Possiblities

We’ve crossed over into a new year, a new number, and renewed hope in changing our lives and our world.  Before the new year rang in, I noticed a lot of press, even in the cartoon section of the newspaper,  about letting go of 2008 in terms of “thank goodness it’s over” and “good riddance 2008″.  It was a difficult year for many, and I had my challenges too. And yet reflecting back it’s important to take inventory of the successes we did have, what was learned, and what is up for change as we move ahead.

New years resolutions can be very daunting and seem overwhelmingly BIG to tackle and many people give up, just before change is about to occur.  A great way to ease into the new year with a cleaner slate, is to begin the 28 day Soul Coaching Program.  During the 28 days, you will move through and examine all the elements in your life including; air – mental, water – emotions, fire – spiritual, and earth – physical body.  The carefully crafted exercises assist you in clearing the debris that keeps you from hearing the messages of your Soul.   By listening to your Soul, you are able to live  in integrity with yourself and your life path.

For the next 4 weeks, I will be highlighting an element in my blog to offer you an excerpt of what we will delve into much deeper during the 6 week on-site group and in the on-line group.  Next week, I will be writing about the air element and your intellect.  Let’s clear the clutter, the cobwebs, the debris and find YOU at the core!

The following is a prayer/poem to honor the ushering in of the new year, that actually begins from this moment, to the next moment, to the next…

Crossing A Threshold by Gunilla Norris*

Many times today we will crossover a threshold.

We hope to catch a few of those times.

We need to remember that our lives are, in fact,

a continuous series of thresholds:

from one moment to the next,

from one thought to the next,

from one action to the next.

Help us appreciate how awesome this is.

How many are the chances to be really alive..

to be aware of the enormous dimension we live within.

On the threshold the entire past and the endless future

rush to meet one another.

They take hold of each other and laugh.

They are so happy to discover themselves

in the awareness of a human creature.

On the threshold the present breaks all boundaries.

It is a convergence, a fellowship with all time and space.

We find You there.

And we are found by You there.

Help us cross into the present moment –

into wonder, into Your grace;

that “now-place”, where we all are,

unfolding as Your life moment by moment.

Let us live on threshold as threshold.”

*Excerpt from Being Home: Discovering the Spiritual in the Everyday.

Kindle Your Light

Kin-dle; to light up, illuminate, or make bright.

How is your inner light these days?  Does it burn brightly like a well stoked fire or can you barely find the embers aglow?

The following are 5 ways to begin stoking your internal fire and begin glowing;

1. Create a gratitude list – write down who and what you are grateful for in your life.  You’ll discover how prosperous you truly are.
2. Choose to be around people who empower you and lift you up.
3. Be generous with your time and talent and give in the most unexpected way.
4. Journal – a great way to connect to yourself, your Soul

By connecting consciously to your internal light, you affect not only yourself but those around you.  To quote Marianne Williamson, “and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same”.

May you shine even brighter in 2012!