I recently met John Dillan and Vivian Nesbit through showing up at a spiritual center in Albuquerque and asking someone (who happened to be Vivian) for directions to the fellowship hall.   We began to talk and I found out that they are songwriters and authors and do a radio show called Art of the Song.  We had a lovely connection, and I gave them my CD and John gave me his book.

I was very excited to meet them as they are truly inspiring and helping people to express and share their creativity – whether through music or any other means.  John’s book is called The 20 – 20 Creativity Solution. I LOVE his book!  He does a beautiful job of sharing his experience and science around creativity.  He talks about creativity being the culmination of inspiration, analysis and action.  He also talks about what I have been teaching about creativity being the integration of mind, body and spirit.

I was reminded by his book that to be creative is to have the ability to tap into our intuition, express what is coming out, edit and refine it, and then share it in form.  That being creative is the ability to follow through with a process.

Many people have commented that I am so creative and though I don’t feel that I am any more creative than anyone else, I realize that it is the process that I have mastered.   I also hear from people who say they do parts of the process, but not all of them and are wondering why they aren’t being successful in bringing creative expression to the world.   Some of them don’t know how to do all the parts and some don’t want to do all the parts.  The first step is understanding what the parts are and then deciding if you want to do what is needed to bring your creativity to the world.

As John writes about the 3 parts of Creativity, he says:

Creativity is a three-phase process that occurs at the intersection of inspiration, action and analysis.  The phases can occur in any order or simultaneously.

1. Inspiration is the generation of new ideas, a right-brain process.
2. Action involves taking the idea and bringing it into physical form.
3. Analysis is the left-brain phase of editing, refining, and changing the original idea.

This has made me think about my creative process and looking at the parts.

1. Intention: Create time and space for connection.  Meditate and connect to Source and my heart, where my creative impulse lives – open to the mystery and receive the inspiration (this is first and part of every step).
2. Preparation:  Buy the materials, instruments, tools, go to the studio, or travel for source material and more inspiration.
3. Action: Write, record, photograph, paint, play…
4. Evaluate and analyze:  With discernment and self love, review, edit, repaint, retouch, enhance.  Ask what is being called for in the world and take the inspiration, song, painting, or program idea and put it in a form that can be shared.
5. Share.  I am adding this as an additional step because I know many artist, musicians, authors, teachers, (OK, just about everyone fits in here), who have gifts in their closet and haven’t truly shared them.  Whether they are inspirations that have never come to form, or piles of paintings or finished songs that have not been displayed or sung.  This is the final step in the process.  And then it begins again.   Once you share your gifts, you might find that it requires more creative time, more analysis, and then more action to be more helpful or refined.  But unless you share it, you will never know.

If you want to live a more creative life, I can help you.  I find I am coaching people in all areas and love to share how to master the process with you.  I have created a new call called Living a Creative Life.  You can learn more here: https://dianedandeneau.com/coaching/living-a-creative-life-teleclass/

I heard this story on NPR http://www.npr.org/2011/08/29/139641794/where-generations-of-soldiers-healed-and-moved-on about Walter Read Hospital and it inspired me to write in my journal. In a few short hours, it turned into this song:

Why? By Diane Dandeneau

He once was six foot three, now he’s five foot two
Someone put a landmine in the path of his boots
His life has changed forever, as he waits for stumps to heal
The good news is they have for him new feet made of steel

One of the lucky ones, he has a life to live
Wants to raise a family, would like to coach some kids
The interviewer asks him, can’t that dream still come true?
He hesitates… saying yes… not sounding very sure

Chorus
He’s a hero to his county
A hero to his wife
But no-one asks the question…
Why?

I listen to this story on NPR
Wondering why the real question’s left on the floor?
In this crazy world there must be another way
To deal with the insanity, than playing these deadly games

Chorus

For it is the economy that really matters now
The more it grows the more we need to protect what is ours
We should all be grateful to those we sacrifice
Their lives and limbs to protect our privileged, cushy lives

Bridge
Can we hear him crying late in the night
And feel the pain that’s shattering all of our lives?

Chorus

I woke up this morning feeling some fear and concern and knew that I was not in a good place.  My mind went to what I needed to do to fix the problems that were causing me the concern, but I also knew that I needed to start my day with my daily practice of meditation, writing and exercise.  Today my prayers were about “what should I do” to take care of the issues at hand, and the answer I got was again clear and concise even though the answer was not about the “what” that I was looking for to begin with.  The message that came from God was again… (more…)

Promoting the greatest health, wealth, and happiness is simple: Take your daily M.E.D.S.

Many years ago, I realized that if I wanted to truly show up in the world to help others, feel good, and enjoy life, I had to take care of myself first. At different times, I focused on diet, sleep, and exercise. But, even as I focused on these areas, I realized that there was another area of focus equally important: an introspective practice, such as meditation. I discovered that it truly takes consistent practice in all four areas to be healthy, happy, productive, and at peace with life.

One day my (now deceased) father showed me the pile of pills that he took for a myriad of mostly lifestyle ailments.  He said “takin my daily meds”.  I thought to myself that I had a different idea about what my daily “meds” should be.  In that moment I put the very simple yet important pieces together and laughed as I realized that my daily “meds” are: Meditation, Exercise, Diet, and Sleep (M.E.D.S). (more…)

As I was writing a message for a client, I received this message from the Messengers of Peace to all of the Bringers of Light.

We have come to bring a message for your friend, and for all who are ready to hear.  The light has turned again and though the cold is settling in for a while, now is the new beginning of the next cycle of light.  This new dawn is powerful.  This is a new year – like a new day.  And the time is now for all who are called to be the bringers of light to act.  There is no more time to waste or wait and the fact is, all that you need to do is stand up and start walking and the direction will be clear.  But first you must stand up.  And by standing up you will gain a new perspective.  In standing up you will feel a new power.  In standing up you will be seen and noticed and recognized as the leaders that you are.  Do not wait for anyone else.  Do not wait for the full vision to be revealed.  Do not wait any longer.  Just stand up and start.

With love, the Messengers of Peace.

I’ve recently been working with a young colleague and noticed that she communicates mostly by text messages, twitter length email, or Facebook comment. Operating in a world where “Pardon my brevity” is becoming the norm, I find it difficult to have a clear and authentic exchange with her and others who largely rely on “sound bite” communication.  The result has been a working relationship that has been full of assumptions, misunderstandings and frustration.  I long for, and truly need, old-fashioned dialogue and verbosity, a slower, more thoughtful, give-and-take, which allows for greater understanding and connection. (more…)

The more I am awakening and remembering who I am, the more I am seeing that the structure of our society is made up of illusional needs and desires.  Our entire economic structures are based on us wanting more, and filling our selves with things instead of grace.  As more people awaken, values change.  Health and well-being no longer just mean more stuff, but the stuff that enhances health, joy,  and creativity, and nurtures our selves and each other. (more…)

In addition to being inspired by a beautiful baby golden eagle, I also continue to be inspired by the wonderful people that I work with in my coaching. I continue to be amazed at the transformations that are happening as we set the intention to work with Source and open and ask for the growth needed to be and serve for the highest good. The work I do utilizing the coaching tools I learned from Alan Seale, and also working with my intuitive gifts proves to be powerful again and again. I am grateful that I am being called to do this work.

Please visit my Coaching and Programs section of my website for more information on my individual coaching as well as my new course: Coaching for Awakened Leadership starting in September.

Blessings,
Diane

Here is the recording from the Monday Meditation call that contains the a message from the Messengers of Peace and teaching on levels of awareness, of from The 5th Agreement, by Miguel Ruiz and Transformational Presence Coaching. We then did a meditation on going within.  Please comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

Blessings, Diane

Here is the recording from the Monday Meditation call that contains the a message from the Messengers of Peace and teaching on 4 levels of Engagement from Coaching for Transformation Presence.  We then did a meditation on choosing to live from choice and opportunity instead of Drama and Situation.  Please  comment if you enjoyed the experience.

I’m happy and things are going well in my life. But which came first? The usual thought is things are going well in my life, so that makes me happy. Some people say, just be happy and things will be well no matter what is happening. I think that it is really about doing what feels right and then discovering that what happens from there makes me happy. How we feel is connected to what we do and what is happening around us as we are a participants in choosing our actions and the reality field we create. I really believe that our happiness comes from being aligned with who we are and doing what we want to do from that place.

I have been working on reconnecting to my heart and soul over the past year and asking for clarity on what my purpose is and what I have come to do in this life. The more time I spent meditating and healing myself, the more peace and happiness I began to feel. As I became more connected to my peace and happiness, I became clearer about what my soul wanted to do, which made me feel happy and positive. As I began to do the things my soul wanted, my happiness and peace continued to grow, which has continued to expand my awareness of more things I wanted in my life (and things I do not want in my life). And the more I have chosen the things that make me happy, over the things that do not, the happier I feel and ultimately, the greater the gifts I have to bring.

I believe life is about committing to being true to ourselves and doing what our hearts are calling us to do, which is looking for what thoughts feel the best (truest), then doing it. The result always feels good (right for us). It really is about what my Journals with God asked: “…ask yourself again and again, what is the truth? Then tell it with all of your being”.

This is what I think awakening is about. Waking up to the truth within, then choosing to live in alignment with that. It is being congruent and in integrity with who we are. And the result is to create the greatest life possible and to feel the peace that passeth all understanding.

Welcome to my new site and new life’s work.  It is amazing how so many different – yet related things are coming together.  Last summer I was feeling like another career change was coming up and worked with Sue Fredrick, author of “I See Your Dream Job” to get some insight.   To my amazement, she described to me the life and work I had begun a few years earlier, but had abandoned because I didn’t know how to bring it to the world – which is that I am to help others discover who they truly are and to live an awakened life.  She then suggested I check out “Coaching” as a method to work with people.  So, through a little Google search, I found Alan Seale, the author of Soul Mission, Life Vision; Intuitive Living; and the Manifestation Wheel.  He was starting a course on Coaching for Transformational Presence in a month, and I realized that I had found the missing link with my Spiritual work in the world.  Coaching for Transformational Presence is the perfect method of delivery for helping others live an awakened life.  I am now working with clients who are realizing amazing results, and am launching the Awakening Process, a Transformational Group program.  More to come…