Inside Out Registration NOW Open!

I am so excited to announce that I'm opening registration for the spring
session of my e-course early, due to the amazing response.

The next session of Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of 
Self-Discovery starts April 5th, 2010. Registration opens today!

To learn more about class details, visit HERE. To learn why I 
created this course, visit HERE.

Feel free to email me with any questions. livefreely@mac.com

Here are just a few lovely, mindful and reflective blog posts written 
by current explorers taking the course: My True Self,  
The Creative Journey, and Affirmations.

Your Personal Reflection: Are you ready to make 2010 the best
year yet?

Follow Your Heart to Happiness

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.  What you'll discover will be wonderful.  What you'll discover is yourself. -Alan Alda

Self-doubt is probably the number one thing that I've struggled with in my own life.  Doubting myself, because of fear, has kept me from taking risks, living my truth, trying new things and being ME.  It wasn't until I started observing my negative thought patterns that I really saw big transformation and felt that both of my wings opened more fully, allowing me to fly higher than ever before.

Practicing the art of self-study and reflection has allowed me to change how I think, what I say and the actions I take in my life.  Recognizing that I was keeping myself small because of my fear of the unknown, and definitely my fear of failing, I practice now daily to live aligned with my true, authentic way of being.  The key word here is practice! 

If you find that self-doubt keeps you from taking risks, living your truth, trying new things and being YOU, then yeah, we're not alone!  There is no room for doubt in a healthy, open heart.  Now is the time to remember how to reconnect to your intuition, because that is where your inner wisdom and courage lives.  Letting go of doubt will allow you to feel more connected to the flow of your life.

Do you ever have a gut feeling or a hunch about something?  Do you ever hear a voice in your head and then discount it?  Do you ever have a re-occurring thought you might consider to be a sign, and yet ignore what it's trying to tell you?  Do you ever have a feeling in your heart, but don't know how to listen to it?  We all have done that from time to time.  Many times, that voice we hear is our intuition, and we must relearn how to listen and trust it again.  

Your intuition is a gift.  It is an incredible teacher.  It is your inner wisdom, and it is there to help guide you in life.  So often we are taught to discount those "inner voices" that we hear.  The more we discount them, ignore them and stuff them, the more disconnected we become.

How do you relearn to trust it again?

Here are some of the techniques that have worked for me.  Experiment and find what works best for you.  It is in the "direct experience" and the practice of self-study, that will help you relearn how to deeply connect, become more aware of, and TRUST your intuition. 

1) Stillness:  Slow down.  Stop doing so much.  Find space in your life for rest and renewal. Even 5-minutes-a-day of quiet space and stillness will help you feel more centered.  Feeling peaceful and centered will help you hear what your heart is saying.  Examples of stillness are things like; connecting to your breath, laying in a yoga pose, listening to a guided meditation, writing in your journal, painting, taking a bath, going on a walk in nature, saying "no" to activities and things that fill up your time, knitting...anything that helps to quiet your mind.

2) A Beginner's Mind:  Stay open, remember what it's like to be a child and to see and experience things for the very first time.  Try new things, ask questions, and practice saying, "I don't know."  The ability to stay curious will give your inner voice a place to go.  When we close off and act like we know the answers, that voice gets trapped, nowhere to go and no way for you to hear it!  Keeping open about the "process" of things, rather than looking ahead to the final outcome, will help you cultivate present-moment awareness.  Living in the present moment will help you hear that inner voice more clearly.

3) Spontaneous Play and Creating:  Allowing yourself a regular practice of play and creating, without rules and less "right" ways, will help you release judgment, negativity and doubt.  Let go of being so serious. Laugh more. Dance more. Have more fun.  Keep playing. Keep creating.

4) Take risks:  You've heard it before, but do something that scares you, every day.  Seriously.  When you do things out of your normal routine and step out of what feels comfortable, you'll spontaneously stumble upon new things.  Go places you've never been before.  You'll be surprised at what you find!  The more healthy risk you take, the more you learn, the more practice you get and you'll build your confidence to try more.  Taking risk gives you strength and helps you trust the inner wisdom that's guiding you to take the risk in the first place!

5) Compassion:  Give yourself a break. Practice being kind to yourself (and to others), with the thoughts you think, the things you say and the actions you do.  

6)  Eliminate:  Negativity & Clutter  As we've talked about, observing what you think is a great first step in eliminating negative thoughts.  Also, become more aware of other negative toxins in your life.  These toxins include negative words, negative images (the news, movies, TV...), negative people, junk food etc.  Feed your soul with things that are positive and nourishing.  Another BIG change in my life happened when I limited my time around negative people and things.  Notice what a bummer it is to be around someone who complains and talks about other people.  Limit your time around negative people and continue to be a source of positivity.  The less you join in with others who judge people, the less you will judge yourself.

Along these same lines, let go of the things that clutter your mind, body and spirit.  Let go of more.  Let go of even more.  This will create space where your intuition can flourish.  (Many of you know that reducing clutter to create space for what matters most in life is my personal quest for 2010.  If you'd like to join me, visit HERE to learn more.)

7) Gratitude:  There is so much to be grateful for in your life.  Focus on the things you are most grateful for, every day, and good things will happen.  Check out the Go Gratitude Experiment.  You can sign up to receive daily gratitude reminders.  I have participated in this and LOVE it.

Today I'm grateful for Manon.  Thank you for this award, sweet friend.

And, Anne, I am grateful for you and appreciate this kind award!

Your Personal Reflection:  Let your heart lead the way and reawaken your happiness, from the inside out.  (Registration for my spring e-course opens this Thursday.)

Reduce Clutter; Create Space Spotlight #2

Here is my second Reduce Clutter; Create Space spotlight interview with Nancy from Summer Sky.  You will enjoy her honest and inspiring look at how to manage the clutter in your life.  Take a deep breath...and dive right in.

1) Why have you chosen to join the "Reduce Clutter; Create Space" challenge for 2010?

After the birth of our second child in 2005, I started to really let things go.  I no longer found the time to put things away properly.  I certainly had no time to sew.  Then, two years ago, I broke my ankle.  Many people recover from such injuries within a few months, but I ended up having three surgeries and much healing before I could walk well.

As I recovered, I chose to find some creative outlets (sewing, photography, crochet) but I found myself deeply unhappy with our home as a whole.  Clutter started interfering with every part of our lives.  Aside from misplacing things, I’m now reluctant to undertake ‘big’ projects, no matter how fun they might be.  Games with small pieces, paints, sewing a costume, cooking with the kids—these can be daunting enough with little ones, but the clutter has been making it impossible

Here's Nancy's entryway, "looking unusually neat."

2) What does "clutter" mean to you?

Clutter to me is the stuff of life that should be stored, given away, or trashed.  It’s the things that bog you down and prevent you from living a fuller life.

I find clutter highly distracting.  It fractures my mind:  I’ll go into the laundry room (which doubles as our pantry) to put clothes in the wash and fold some clean laundry. But I see the groceries from my morning store run are still sitting out. That’s because the shelves are too full, even though the pantry’s quite adequate. Soon I’m rearranging jars of food, but then the phone rings or my son needs help, and before you know it, I haven’t finished any task and the room might even be worse off than before.

It’s useful to consider what your clutter represents. For me, it’s a visual reminder:  the broken toy that needs to be glued, the laundry that needs washing, the form to fill out, the project in progress.  I have a secret fear that if I put these things away, I’ll forget them entirely, until they become an emergency.

3)  What kinds of reducing have you started? 

I’m focusing on three areas to start—each with “high impact” on our daily lives. 

First, the entryway, where we store our coats and shoes, and where mail gets dumped.  I need a couple more hooks for the kids, I need to empty and sort the drawers of a bureau that’s right by the door.

The second is our “office / library,” a small room that our whole family uses.  We keep our computer and most of our books there, but there’s also a small table where the kids can sit and create things.  The main problem here is piles of unsorted paperwork and cluttered shelves.

"The boxes are full of papers of every kind that need to be sorted and filed."

The third is the pantry / laundry room, which has some stand-alone shelves that are taking up too much space. But first, I have to find a home for all the things on those shelves.

This is just the beginning—the upstairs is full of boxes of unsorted children’s clothes, books, and toys that need to be given away or sold.

4)  Have you noticed any new space being created as you let things physically, mentally and emotionally go? 

Yes. It’s amazing how easy it is to let go of things once you get started.  You have to get past the phase of simply moving everything to a new location within your home.  That’s the biggest mistake:  just shuffling clutter from place to place, even if it’s in an organized fashion.  You don’t need it right now, but you might need it “someday.”  Chances are you don’t need half the stuff you’re shifting around.

Yesterday, for the first time, I wrote down the long list of sewing projects I’ve been contemplating.  They’ve been rattling around my brain, but because I didn’t want to get started on another “mess,” I didn’t get them down on paper because what was the point?  Now I’ve made the list plus written down the “next step” (choose fabric, find a pattern, etc.) toward achieving the higher-priority projects.  And I finished a little project that’s been on the back burner since last fall:  a case for my friend’s cell phone.

5) What's been the easiest part for you?

Finding some time every day to do a little decluttering, even if it’s just for 5 minutes.

6)  How about the hardest?
Realizing how far we have to go. It’s just the beginning.

7) Any surprises so far?
Finding lots of cabinet space for my fabric stash that was lying about by getting rid of items I never use and consolidating the rest.  Also, finding two copies of a book I’ve want to read, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons.  I wonder if, without decluttering, I would’ve acquired a third copy a few months down the road.

8)  What are your intentions for joining other "explorers" on this journey?

To see what comes of the decluttering—the special moments with our families, the feeling of coziness in our own homes, the creativity that’s allowed to flourish in big and little ways.

9)  Any tips, thoughts or suggestions you might want to share with others who are interested in starting to "reduce clutter" so they can "create more "space" in their lives?
Yes, there are some wonderful books out there to guide us.  I recommend checking them out of the library, for obvious reasons! 

If you’re a parent, I suggest Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne.  He can really light a fire under you to ‘declutter’ every part of your family’s life. He has a wonderful checklist for sorting your children’s things.  There’s a lot more to this book—it’s about creating space in order to see your child more clearly for the person that they are.

Another book I suggest reading (vs. owning) is Organizing for the Creative Person by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dolores Cotter Lamping.  The book encourages “visual” organizers by explaining why the tend to have clutter.  Now my goal is to create an inspiration board to remind myself of WIPs, rather than relying on piles of WIPs themselves.

Last is a book I own because it’s so orderly:  Jennifer Ford Berry’s Organize Now!  It’s spiral bound (stays open) and it’s highly specific (which I need).  For example, pages 110-111 are devoted to “Organiz[ing] the Kitchen Countertops.”  Her suggestions are insightful because she avoids the obvious. She has practical suggestions for every part of your life (recipes; pets; medicine cabinet; vehicle; purse; photographs).  Then she has ideas for staying organized (once a month, every 3 to 6 months, once a year).

10)  Anything else to add?

I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  And I’m very curious to see what ideas and thoughts others on this journey have to share.

***********

Ahh...Nancy, thank you for sharing your journey.  You have provided some amazing, insightful tips and I am inspired to keep moving.  Now...on to the pile of tax papers and monthly bank statements I've been avoiding...

Your Personal Reflection:  What clutter in your life have you been avoiding?  Are you ready to let go so that you have more space for what truly matters most?  Leave a comment here and grab a Reduce Clutter; Create Space badge if you want to join this year-long quest.

A Mama's Gotta Do What a Mama's Gotta Do

Here's what I worked on today for Creative Every Day.  I'm having fun playing with my new iMovie program.  Check out my brother, Jeff Kinney's, new site.  He's an amazing singer/songwriter and the one playing this awesome tune.

Humbled

These gorgeous flowers are gifts from my husband and mom to celebrate the start of my first 4-week e-course.

My sweet husband wrote this in his handmade card:

"There is nothing more wonderful than to watch u grow."

Today marks the end of our first week and what a gift it has been.  The final count is 67 participants from all over the US and the world, including Canada, UK, Sweden, India, Australia and the Netherlands!  In just 5 days these explorers are making some incredible connections, insights, reflections, artwork, journal entries and personal growths that are truly inspiring to me.  I told the group that I am not the teacher of the course, but simply the person holding the space.  I know from years of teaching yoga that it's truly my yoga students who teach me, and that continues to hold true in this course.

Each day I get the privilege to participate in kind and vulnerable discussions posed on our private group page. The compassion towards one another, and the support that each person shows, is truly powerful.  There is such a longing for personal meaning and making space for what matters most in our lives.  I think there is also a deep need to be connected to a like-minded community.  For those who like to ask the deeper life questions, contemplate the meaning of things, and peel away layers from past experiences so that we can live more full, vibrant lives, having the support and community from others is vital to our spiritual awakening.  I am grateful so many beautiful beings have come together to share this self-discovery journey.

My heart is SO full right now.  My years of perfectionism that kept me from taking big creative leaps is dissipating.  My fear of failure stuck its ugly head out this week as I thought, "Dear God, I have 60 plus people looking for me to provide them with a class that has meaning for them.  What happens if I fail them?"  Well, luckily I won't allow myself to wallow in this place for very long.  This is a thought I do not need to think.  Instead, I trust that we are all here at the right time, at the right place, sharing our journey together for a reason.  I will not diminish the essence of this experience by giving my inner critic and fears much face time.

Instead, I take a deep breath.  I honor the light in myself, the light in the kind souls that have joined together, and the light that is guiding our way.

The next Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery starts April 5, 2010.  Registration for the spring session starts February 22.  Mark your calendars as the first session sold out!  A big thanks to Hip Mountain Mama, Shivaya Naturals and Artsyville, (along with so many others!) for your great help in getting the word out about our first class.

Your Personal Reflection:  Do you have a supportive person in your life, or a community of like-minded people that you belong to?  If not, what small steps could you take, starting today, to find others you can share your journey with?  Remember, you are not alone.  We are all in this together.

Reduce Clutter; Create Space Spotlight #1

My quest to Reduce Clutter & Create Space for what matters most in my life has struck a chord with so many people, that I thought it would be appropriate and fun to spotlight the explorers joining me for this 2010 challenge.

Anne, writer of her blog, Frayed at the Edge, has already conquered some amazing clutter and it's only mid-January!  Enjoy her reflections and suggestions for getting started.

Why have you chosen to join the "Reduce Clutter; Create Space" challenge this year?
I had already posted my resolutions for this year, which included clearing out things which I was unlikely to use, and making the effort to use what I have, instead of buying more.  So this challenge reinforces my intentions.

  (Photo provided by Anne.)

What does "clutter" mean to you?
My immeditate answer to that would be too many ornaments. But, of course, there are different kinds of clutter.  There is the clutter on my worktables in my studio, where I haven't put things from one project away before starting on a new one.  There is the clutter in my head...thinking about what I have done (or could have, or should have done).  I think about what I should be doing - all those things that I ought to be doing - like boring housework!  I have to learn  how to let go of what I've done and can't change, and stop fretting over what I have still to do. 

What kinds of reducing have you started?
I have made a start in my studio.  I have sorted out all my card making supplies, and I'm recycling a lot of things out of unnecessary packaging, so that I need less storage space for it.  I have also started to sort through magazines and yarns, to remind me of what I have, so that I'm not tempted to buy more.

Have you noticed any new space being created as you let things physically, mentally and emotionally go?  
I have been able to make space in my storage units and have eliminated piles of things that were cluttering the floor - which is a great help to me mentally.  I like things to be neat and tidy...A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place could have been written for me!

(Photo provided by Anne.)

What's been the easiest part? The hardest?  Any surprises?
The easiest part has been tidying and organizing.  The hardest part is getting rid of things.  I have lots (and lots) of magazines, and I just don't want to part with them.  But I know that I will never make all the things that I would like to, so I will be brave and give them away.

My biggest surprise has been 'Oh, I forgot I had that fabric or yarn or kit!'

What are your intentions for joining other 'explorers' on this journey?
I think it helps to know there are other people who are trying to achieve the same goals, and they will understand and forgive any stumbles along the way!

Any tips, thoughts, or suggestions you might want to share with others who are interested in starting to conquer the clutter in their lives?
You have to ask yourself, 'Do I really, really need this clutter in my life, and will I feel better without it?'

I think as the year goes on,  and I make progress with giving things away and using things up (no more saying 'That fabric is to beautiful to use!') then I will feel better.  I won't have that feeling of too much to do, too little time to do it!
*********

A BIG thank you, Anne, for giving us a glimpse into your reducing clutter adventure.  You have inspired me to continue my quest, because as you simply stated, I know I just "feel better" when I do.

Your Personal Reflection:  What kind of physical, mental and emotional clutter are you holding on to?  Need support?  Let me know in the comments if you want to join the Reduce Clutter; Create Space 2010 explorers.

I Love Happy

Two years ago today, this sweet angel entered the world.  He took his first breath at the exact time of this post, 10:27 p.m., after 36 intense hours of labor.  My life has never been the same.

Dear Kestan,
As we celebrate you on your birthday, I am flooded with memories of those first few weeks of getting to know each other.  Like when I looked into your eyes for the first time, when you nursed every 40 minutes all day and night, when you fell asleep warmed by the blue lights, and when you had your first bath at home.  I remember all those sleepy, dark, winter nights, feeling a sense of not knowing what to do when you cried, and yet, trusting it would all be ok.  I remember when your dad and I would stare at your sweet face and breathe in your sweet scent, and cry with complete joy and wonderment.

I remember when you lived inside me, we would sing "Happy Birthday" to you every Thursday as you turned a week older.  Now that you are two, you are the one singing "Happy Birthday".  (Although, since going to Hallmark's 100th year celebration this past week you insist on singing "Happy Birthday, Hallmark" instead!)

I knew that becoming a mother was something I was ready for, but I had no idea how natural it would feel.  It’s as though I’ve had this mothering instinct inside me all along, just waiting for the day you came into the world.  And, now, whenever I need it, I can tap into the wisdom that has been passed on from generations of mothers before me.

The other night, as you were drifting to sleep you sat up in the dark and whispered, "Mommy, happy.  Baby, happy.  Milk, happy.  Bed, happy."  I will never forget how precious it was to hear you share all the things in that moment that made you feel happy.  Well, baby Kestan - my sweet, tender, funny, powerful, loving soul who is now a big two-year-old boy - I feel blessed to know you, I am grateful to be your mommy, and yes, I am very, VERY happy.

Your Personal Reflection: What makes you feel happy?