Gossip Gone Wild!

First I would like to say how grateful I am for those who see me as a trusted source to process some of life's messiest situations. I think I should also clarify immediately at the fore front of this blog that this is in no way directed at you reading this. This is for you reading this. If you think this is about you specifically in any way and at any point, just finish reading this, call me and we'll hopefully just clear that mess right up.

Let’s talk about gossip.

What's the difference between-

 

the destructive and energy draining forms of gossip, running our mouths, or self-seeking behaviors that put others down so someone else can move up 

vs .

the creative processing of what's going on in our lives with another human being?

 

My daughter often thinks I don't understand or remember what life is like as a teenager. This topic is something that happens quite frequently at her younger age. What's most unfortunate is that this behavior I'm discussing is hard to forget because it can continue way into adult life if we do not cultivate different ways to resolve situations we face.

Whether I am working with someone or speaking with someone that is a friend or part of my family, I make sure it is a completely open forum for this person to let it all out. They can share their perspective no matter how on or off point it is or seems to be. Let it flow and let it go. This is often an important part of the process for healing. Allowing someone to be authentic and honest with themselves and talking out situation with another human being can be extremely helpful.

What happens next is what determines whether this conversation is going to remain destructive or transform into a creative and beautiful process that changes everyone involved for the better. The most important and defining difference in the conversation of the gossip and someone who wants to process a situation, is the action. This is where creativity gets to come in, and I love me some creativity!

For the sake of this blog I am going to use my book  Embracing The Spark  and the chart found in Chapter 10, “Making the Most of Your Actions: Getting Creative.” Using this chart I can easily find words in the destructive column that align with the act of gossiping or self-seeking. On quick review of the list, here are some that could work in the destructive column:

Unsettle, Disempower, Invalidate, Ruin, and Misunderstand.

Whether the rumors are about you, or someone else, the negative talk could be affecting one or more people in the situation in sat least one or several of these ways mentioned above. Trust me, there were more. I chose to stop at five actions.

If we then look to the creative action on the opposite side of the list that correlates to each of these words we will find the words:
 

Establish, Inspire, Dream, Devise, and Conceive.

(Wow, do those words already sound and feel better or what??)

When we engage in a conversation about a rumor, speaking negatively about someone who may have hurt us directly or indirectly, or talking about someone who did this or that to someone other than us, we are acting more in alignment with destructive behaviors. These behaviors naturally develop into less favorable transition points for our energy, feelings, and thoughts. Our relationships with others can now become negatively impacted whether we are involved or not in the situation from this space forward.

Although we can’t always avoid a conversation like this, we can however find a creative solution and action that leaves us with a more favorable transition point for forward movement. Just because we are looking for a creative solution, doesn’t mean we are trying to control or manipulate an outcome. It means we are choosing to stop the ball the negative behavior from rolling down the metaphorical hill and transmuting it into a more sustainable form of energy for ourselves.

Let’s look at the creative words I found earlier with the chart and ways we can use them.

 

·         Devise- You may have already recognized that by Devising a plan of creative action is already pulling us out of the destructive behavior into a constructive one.

·         Conceive- You may want to contemplate the actions of the “offender” by trying to understand or Conceive where they were coming from when the “offense” occured.

·         Establish- If we don’t have any idea how to understand where that person was coming from, and the relationship in distress is a valued one, we may want to Establish a dialogue with the person to stop the rumor or gossip in its path.

·         Dream- Rather than letting the rumors invalidate you or your work or whatever the situation may be, keep Dreaming. A lot of haters show up when you start pursuing your dreams and self-seeking of others will show right up.

·         Inspire- Let the gossip Inspire you to be a better human being or let go of the people in your life that aren’t kind or care enough about you to Establish the dialogue with you. Let them be a reflection of what you'd rather not be.

Whatever you choose to do with your creativity, don’t worry about how the other person may or may not react. This is a gift you are giving yourself. You are choosing more favorable transition points for your energy and well-being moving forward. As we change, heal and love ourselves, we do this for the world. This is how we end gossip, self-seeking, and disempowering talk between us and those around us.

If at the end of the dialogue with your trusted companion, you find absolutely no creative action is necessary for you to make because what you’re talking about is really not yours to get involved in, try this-   

 

Establish a connection with your top and bottom lip

by shutting your mouth.

 

Oh, yes- creativity is always an option and it always works!

 

So much love and blessings to all of you creative souls!

-jodi

 

 

Here's the link to my website if you would like to purchase a copy of the  book! http://www.jodilynnlamure.com/book.html
 
 
 
 
 

 

20 creative challenges to make this week Shine!

I recently released a book on embracing a new perspective on creativity called Embracing The Spark: A Simple Guide for Using Creativity to Live Brilliantly.

Soon, I will be holding a couple workshops to play with some of the tools in the book so that people can start implementing some amazing and joyful changes in their lives. The first workshop will be in Ft. Myers, Florida at The Mystical Moon this Sunday, April 12th, 2015 at 1pm. The second one is being held in Naples at Goddess I Am on Saturday, May 23rd, 2015 at 1pm. Hopefully one of these days will work for those who would like to attend. I will have books with me and be doing book signing on these days as well. Feel free to print out one of the flyers from the images at the bottom of this blog.

Tonight, I was sitting here making a list of creative challenges I could give myself for the week, based on teachings of applying creativity the way it is explained in the book and other classes I am currently exploring. That's when I had the idea to share that list with all of you. Feel free to use this list to lighten up your week as well and share anything exciting that may come up for you! You know as I travel my path, anything that comes up worth sharing with you, I share, and will do so in more of the blogs to come! Happy Creating!

1. Discover something new about yourself!

2. Concoct insanely good compliments to give to people-- Because of my reluctance to receive compliments, I often withhold giving them in fear to make other people feel the way I feel when I get them. That ends now.

3. Share a dessert or meal with a friend or loved one.

4. Give a person a hug you don't normally embrace that way.

5. Imagine you are having a conversation with your heart and say something loving to it.

6. Nurture your inner child by doing something you used to do when you were younger. Color, dance, play hide and seek, a board or card game or a game of twister.

7. Journal about something going on in your life, whether it's just a word document in your computer or a specific journal you use. It can even be a voice recording in your phone. Make sure to date it. You may want to know when it was later.

8. Pick a character from a movie or a book and act like them during a conversation with a friend. Who doesn't like talking like a pirate? Hee hee.

9. Devise a sneak attack "Boo!" on someone close to you. Please do not do this to someone with a heart condition or anywhere near ice or stairs. Just keep it simple, clean fun.

10. Visit sunset and build something like a sandcastle or bury a friend in the sand.

11. Listen to a new perspective of a belief you have and try to conceive something within the perspective rather than disagree, correct, or change it.

12. Dance- listen to music that moves you and dance standing up, sitting down, or use your imagination.

13. Embark on a journey, even if it is the neighboring town or even only a couple of hours, and do one thing for each aspect of your emotional, physical and spiritual selves while on that journey. (Three actions total.)

14. Initiate a conversation with a stranger. Hint- you can start by giving one of those insanely good compliments from earlier. Double creativity points!

15. Day-dream about some form of abundance coming to you. This doesn't have to be financial, but can be abundance in any form such as chocolate!

16. Love more.

17. Set in motion a dream you have had. Remember even baby steps move forward!

18. Make your favorite meal.

19. Organize one area in your house that makes you even slightly uncomfortable. Is it just me, or do I have many of these, like books piling up the wrong way on bookshelves, or craft supplies that are overflowing onto the floor from my spur of the moment rummaging. How about the old bills I never know what to do with once they're paid-- save or shred??

20. Start by doing just one of these creative deeds or making a list of you own inspired by these!

I'm looking forward to finalizing the class preparation for this weekend among taking on as many of these other ideas as I go along. I should be able to incorporate at least one. No pressure these days, if I do one this week with the intent to be more creative for the sake of all, I've done better than last week, and that is good. 

If these are too basic for any of you, feel free to flow where your heart leads you. These are definitely specific ones I would like to work on for myself, but explore the more if you so desire! Have fun. Be playful. Life is too short to go through the motions of the same ol' day after day routine. Playing with any of these ideas will raise your vibration, no doubt and bring you a little more laughter, a few more smiles, and a lot more joy.

from my heart to yours,
jodi

Hope to see you all soon! Possibly one of the workshops! Here are the flyers below.

Changing Directions

Well, I got some news last week that could've been pretty disappointing. I put a lot of work into a project that didn’t result in the outcome a person who went through all the work should want.

It’s as if I were running a marathon and just as I got to the finish line, I stopped to tie my shoe and decide if I really even wanted to cross the finish line. After watching several people pass by me, I finish the race, but really only to congratulate the winners because while I was tying my shoe, I realized it wasn’t what I even wanted when I began running. Somewhere over the miles, the direction changed. As I watched the crowd surround the winners, feelings of relief and freedom were what surrounded me.

I realize have been writing a lot more lately. Everything around me seems to inspire me. The topics are finding me. All I have been doing is acting on the inspirations.

It is easy to complicate the heck out of life and overlook the subtle turns the journey takes you. Once we have made a decision about a goal or direction, it’s easy to keep working toward outdated ideals and desires. We can travel far beyond the turn we were being guided to take if we become too fixated on an outcome versus the journey.

About a week before the news came in, a new direction for my journey appeared. Over the next several days I wondered if the two directions could really work together, or if I would in fact find the fork in the road and a decision to make. Well, a clue to the answer lies in the last sentence. Two directions can’t in fact be the same direction. We can bring aspects of the one direction into the new direction, but we can’t walk in two directions, scattering and separating our energy.

I didn’t need to make the decision alone. It kinda took care of itself it seems. I now know without doubt the direction I am being guided to take. What was really amazing, is I got to feel the difference between the two paths as they presented themselves. I was given the opportunity to feel the excitement and inspiration behind the right path versus the path that wasn’t really for me to travel at this time. This new opportunity that presented itself felt meaningful beyond any selfish desires. The original direction wasn’t bad, but it would have removed me from being a part of the process and would have forced me to focus more on the destination.

As I’ve said before, the destination is not a fun place for the artist. As a creator, I want to be the paint not the purchase. I want to sweep across the canvas, dance like music notes on the lines that lead me, spin on the wheel in the hands of creation, and feel the warmth and peace of the sunset in the photograph. This is what living creatively feels like to me!

I am so grateful I don’t have to do the decision making on my own.  I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to feel the difference between the two options for use in future decision making! It’s supposed to feel good― really good, and bigger than I am capable of imagining. Then all I have to do is trust and go with it. Let it lead me where I need to go, even though it may never be what it started out to be or where I thought I was going. I've realized I'm not taking the longer route by changing direction right before the finish line. I'm taking the creative route, that's always changing, dreaming, exploring, discovering and always building.

Namasté.

 

 

Is Bigger Necessarily Better When It Comes To Creativity

Have you noticed everything has grown bigger over the past few decades: bigger T.V.s, bigger ideas, bigger fitness plans, bigger bank accounts, bigger houses, etc. Better, better, more, more!

Creative ideas come in and we judge them immediately. Is it perfect? Is it great? Is it going to make me rich? Is the idea enough? Am I enough? Will it make a difference? Will it be easy? Will it be worth it? Do I have the time for that? I couldn’t do that. Could I?

Whoa! Let’s stop.

Take a deep breath-

Allow yourself to stop for a moment and breathe.

 

We are constantly viewing in social media pictures with famous, brilliant quotes that are meant to inspire us, healthy lifestyle movements whether food or fitness, technology changing into bigger and better versions of itself, or simply hearing new music on the radio. We have the world at our fingertips at any moment. This can be a very powerful tool when used properly, but what if it’s stunting our ability to be creative. What if it’s all the great and better around us that is causing us to judge the subtle and the tiny nudges of the creative source within. The good news is once you realize it may be affecting you, the awareness stops the destructive backfire of the process.

Maybe the next creative idea or action you feel inspired to initiate won’t be better than Einstein’s ideas and discoveries. Maybe it won’t be what gets you the bigger house. Maybe the idea won’t get you fame. But acting on it, no matter how small, does change your world. It will change our world.

Allow yourself to begin remembering that all ideas and acts of creativity, no matter how small, are significant. Each inspired idea comes from a place within you, connected to your heart and soul and interpreted through the imagination. These ideas are guiding you and building the bigger picture of your journey.

By listening to these gentle nudges, you open the door for them to come through more frequently and consistently. You align your energy with the creative source you are made of by acting creatively. This naturally raises your vibration, energy, and vitality, giving you the ability to share this with the world around you. By sharing this with the world around you, this is what reveals itself in the reflection of the reality you see around you.

So the next time you rip out that recipe, make it. The next time you’re driving to a restaurant for dinner and see a new one you haven’t tried before, go there. The next time you feel you need a little nap, take it. Missing the sunshine? Just step outside for five minutes, close your eyes and feel it. If it’s cloudy, just pretend it’s sunny and use the imagination to see it and/or feel it.

Your imagination is here to help you shift your frequency! It is not something you only needed as a child. Use it! It is holding hands with your inner child, missing you, staring at you from within, waiting for the next tea party or fort building. As an adult these tea parties may be coffee with a friend or building the fort may feel more like the inspiration to paint the bathroom the color of the ocean. The energies of these are all the same if we embrace them with the same excitement.

Creativity isn’t only for the known genius. It is connected to the genius within. Creativity isn’t a thing for kids. It is a tool for living life and every moment fully.

Creativity is infinite! How much bigger can you get?

The secret is it may be getting overlooked in the tiniest of places!

 

The Step Ahead of The Struggle

Some of you may have seen my post recently about forcing my kids into creative mode through boredom. It works! My daughter has started to catch on without the unnecessary discomfort. If I ask her if she is bored while she gazes aimlessly around the house, she often replies “no, I just haven’t figured out what I want to do yet.”

Yes! I love this. I know she gets it by her response. Every day will be what she decides it will be. It can be a gift, or it can be a drag. Before she gets to a breaking point, she will often ask me for ideas or as I talk about in my book, “call for back-up.”

Asking for help isn’t weakness. It's creative. It’s creative when we act on the solutions found between minds working together on ideas. Both are constructive actions that weave colorful threads into the reality of the world around us.

My son on the other hand is a little more difficult in these situations. His typical solution to boredom is shopping. Does that sound familiar to anyone? He usually thinks the answer to all his problem is something else. This is when I get to step in and say “no.” I have six more years to get this point across before he doesn’t need to ask me and can get to the store himself, so wish me luck!

Spirit has had his best interest at heart of course and some of this lesson came in for him over the holiday season. Nearly every gift or “thing” he received for his birthday and Christmas this year either was lost, broke, missing pieces, or hasn’t even shown up yet! I must admit he has handled it with grace and understanding because to a ten year old, this could have been cause for a complete meltdown and pity party. It hasn’t been. He became more grateful for what he does have and has been more creative with activities like origami, building forts, and playing outside with friends.

The point is we don’t have to get hit with a lesson this extreme, into an uncomfortable situation, or bored before we make the decision to get creative because it’s the only remaining option. We have the ability to head off many of these scenarios by staying in habits that are creative.

One might ask what my son could have done to head off his lesson. Well, let me share with you what happened around this time. Originally, he asked for snow for Christmas. My kids have yet to experience this natural wonder first-hand living in Florida. Obviously, I explained if I could pull off this opportunity to go discover and experience snow, I wouldn’t be able to afford to put things under the tree as well. At first he was totally okay with this, but then something shifted as we got closer to the holiday. He changed his mind. He wanted stuff he thought would bring him more happiness. But did it? One was creative, the other not so much. Can you recognize why this is?

Soon, Embracing The Spark: A Simple Guide For Using Creativity To Live Brilliantly will be available for purchase. It will provide all the tools one needs to use this holistic approach to creativity as a way of living and transforming daily life into a personal masterpiece. These tools will not only help each reader move more in alignment with a vibration that benefits one’s authentic self but also benefit the world touched by the creative actions of the reader. I am so very excited to get the message out in a language that can be understood outside of my own brain this time! Let’s all thank my editor, Karen, for this one! I am so very grateful for her hard work and powerful questions.

Take the time to explore creativity in your life. Any idle time we find in our busy schedules is our heart's way of pulling us back to this natural state. Head off the hard lessons and wasted time. Use the time to do what would most benefit not only your vibration, but to the collective vibration. Explore, dance, walk, sing, write, discover, play, reconnect with friends, share, cook something new, learn something new, etc. The possibilities are really endless!

 

                            Embrace the Spark!

                                        love, jodi

 

 

 

Little Legos

Ahhhh. 2015 is here! There is so much change in the air and all around us on the ground. Anyone on social media can witness the multifaceted topics of change brewing. The turn of a new year can also stir up one's internal reality, can't it? It may be bringing up awareness of the year past and year to come. Ideas of letting go of the things that do not serve us like bad habits or procrastination. There could be feelings of resentments, regrets, or unresolved emotions. The beginning of a new year can rekindle hope of better days to come for some. It can be a very positive event, or negative event depending on how one choses to perceive it. It could even be both positive and negative. Do we make resolutions, or do we not? The turn of the new year can feel like standing in the center of a teeter-totter for many, shifting our weight, back and forth. Do I or don't I? Should I or shouldn't I? Why or why not? Aren't your legs getting tired?

So how do we stop? How do we achieve balance once we recognize we are bouncing between different ideas about what the new year will mean for us personally, so we don't become complacent or overwhelmed and do nothing.

Acting Creatively! That's how!

The imagination has already begun nudging us, leading us in the direction we feel might be more desirable. Are you listening? If you are hearing its guidance, are you acting? Trust it! The imagination is communicating with your heart.

Think of the new year like a new Lego set. Pull it out of the box and it's multiple bags of little pieces meant to be put together in multiple stages to form a whole. The key word there is little. It can take hours to put together a small set, so don't rush. It takes what it takes. We may even make a mistake along the way which requires us to remove a couple steps and do things different to make it work. Don't focus on all these details. Don't count the pieces to make sure all 1000 of them are there. Trust the process and act!

All we really need to do is start with two little pieces, fit them together, and we are already further than when we began. This is creative. Creativity always builds! We have jumped into alignment with an energy that will help us move forward. Smaller, attainable acts lead to success! We don't have to worry about all the other pieces until it's their turn. We only need to look for the next little piece, and sometimes that next piece is really tiny. No matter how tiny, in the world of Legos, it's not insignificant.

Allow the process to guide you. One small piece at a time. Take breaks if you need to. Change direction if you are led to do so. It doesn't matter. Just get off the teeter-totter and start creating! Let go of the details and expectations and play! You have the potential to build your best year yet!

Happy New Year Everyone!

 

love, jodi