Notebook Archives

Creativity is a gift given to each and every one of us in a form that is unique to each of us. It is not limited only to the Picassos, Mozarts, or the Bill Gates of the world. We are all creative beings. When the creativity part of us is suppressed, we are actually cutting part of what gives us great joy and what allows us our unique self expression.

Creativity is like oxygen for our souls. Cutting off our creativity makes us savage. We need to create what wants to be created. Discovering the creativity we are mussing can move us in different directions that we might never have thought of – in the kind of work we do, in the quality of our relationships, and in how we spend our leisure time.

Start bringing into your everyday life more expressions of your creativity. Add vibrant colors to your wardrobe, redecorate your office, take a writing or dance class, creatively solve a work related problem, help your kid with a science project, make something special for your loved ones, etc.

More and more people are so overwhelmed due to their projects, tasks, and activities, that there is just not enough time in the day to get them all done. They rush to this meeting here and are late to that activity there. And, they do not know what to do about it other than the traditional time management techniques.

Well, it is time to be more innovative. If you want to live success, you have to focus more on how to create time rather than trying to manage time. To accomplish this, follow these two simple tips:

1. Be 10 minutes early to everything

When you are 10 minutes early to everything, it allows you to collect your thoughts, relax, and take in your environment. It is the reserve time you build in for yourself so you can respond to the unexpected, like traffic. Those 10 minutes are not extra, but time you have created for yourself. When you notice this, you will notice a dramatic effect on your stress and happiness levels.

2. Say NO before you say YES

This is difficult for many people. Even though they have a lot on their plate, people tend to say ‘yes’ to new projects without for thought. By the time the realize it, they are overwhelmed and stressed out. So if you want to say yes, first look at everything on your plate, ponder and say yes only if you think you can take it, or otherwise say ‘no’. You will then be able to handle it with much greater ease and joy.

Hobbies are the enjoyable things we do in life. These are the activities that are blissful and timeless. We become so engaged in what we are doing that what seems like 15 minutes is really 2 hours. When we take up a hobby time stands still, our minds are freed up, and a space opens where our subconscious thoughts can come to surface. Much creativity occurs here, as well as answers to questions or situations that we may have.

How often have you been mulling over a problem and just can not come up with a solution no matter how long or how hard you try to do so? And then when you do something that is relaxing and fun, the answer magically appears in your consciousness? That is the way success happens from the inside.

Do to so many things happening in our lives, hobbies are one of the first things we give up. We do not realize that these are the activities that give us energy, that bring us joy, that are relaxing and fun. Hobbies are vital to our health, well-being, and success.

Think of the activities that are enjoyable and timeless for you, those activities that make you forget about time. Take the plunge today. Step into your bliss and experience the flow of timelessness.

Another way to listen to your self is to check in with your body wisdom. Our bodies give us messages and clues all the time about what is going on with us in the form of aches and pains, tight jaws, knots in the stomach, fatigue, or shallow breathing. What many of us do though, is to ignore what our bodies are saying and instead dismiss them to just being a limb to our heads.

To point a few examples: Do you get sick to your stomach when you drive to work? Do you suffer from Sunday night insomnia? If yes, then your body is telling you loud and clear that something is wrong at work. Do you ignore these messages from your body and continue to suffer? Or do you listen to them and do whatever it takes to make changes so that you can look forward to your work? Doing whatever it takes may mean resolving a conflict with a boss or co-worker, finding a new job, or following your dream to become self-employed.