It's Never Too Late

I am loving the way I feel now by taking your course.  It opened up a lot of feelings and is letting me enjoy myself and each day.  I so much enjoy expressing my feelings through doodling and writing, and I'm loving my own sacred place while being true to ME - instead of letting myself just drift along.  Thank you so much, Shannon, for giving me a wonderful place to learn, explore and express myself.  

I am finding immense joy in so many things.  -Iris

I received this lovely note over the weekend from an explorer who participated in my last e-course.  It's feedback like this that warms my heart.  Even though I know I'm on the right path, it's nice to hear that others are feeling such inspiration from the deep connections made through my Inside Out community. 

Whether you are in your 70's (like Iris), or still in your teens - your age, your personality, your past, your stage of life - none of that matters.  What matters most is that we keep an open heart and an open mind so that we can be ready for life's greatest possibilities.  We are all looking for the same things.  We are in search of meaning, connection, love, abundance, joy, celebration, purpose, creativity, growth, happiness...  I love that we can come together to share, to learn and to support each other along our life's path.  The opportunity to learn more about YOU and get completely inspired, while putting YOURSELF and what matters most to YOU first - starts today!

As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

There is still time to enroll for Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery - so get on over there - make some BIG changes and join another amazing group of women who are eager to live more fully, boldly and freely.  (Registration closes at midnight, US Central time, tonight!)

Your Personal Reflection:  To see great change in your life, you have to be willing to take healthy risks and try new things.  What is one thing you can try, today, that you've never had the courage to do?  Take one small step towards something that matters to you - because YOU MATTER, and it's never too late to try.

Give to Yourself and Change Your Life

Learn the wonderment of receiving.  And you learn this, my beloved, by giving. -Goswami Kriyananda

One of my yoga teachers, Kriyananda, says that the greatest lesson in life is to learn how to receive.  He says that the best way you can learn how to open your heart and truly receive life's greatest gifts is to give.  

Fear causes you to contract.  Love causes you to expand.  In order for you to truly expand, you must love yourself first.  Love yourself - mentally, verbally and physically.  The more you take care of and love yourself, the more you can give.  Allowing yourself to live your dreams and be authentically you is the greatest gift of love you can give yourself.

"I'm an artist."  It took me years before I could say that without cringing or laughing or feeling just plain weird about it.  I can now say it with confidence.  I can also say that I am actually living, for the first time, the life I've always imagined.  I'm the happiest I've ever been.  This doesn't mean I'm happy all the time or don't have bad days.  It does mean that I've learned a lot about myself in the last several years, and that my years of searching and exploring have helped me get to a place where I now know I am the creator of my own life.

If you want to learn more about my self-discovery journey, you can see it here.  What I want to share with you today, though, is what it means to live from the inside out.

We've all been there - knowing we need to make some big changes but not knowing where to begin.  Or maybe we know where to begin, but we don't feel we have the time, energy or resources to get started.  It's so easy to keep doing the same things over and over, until eventually we find that the years have passed us by, and we still don't know who we are.  We have yet to connect to a greater purpose.  We haven't found ways to maintain balance.  We continue to find ourselves with less time, less money and less energy.  Will it ever end?

When I was really stuck in the muck and feeling trapped and unhappy, I turned to the things that have brought the most clarity and comfort to my life - art, writing, yoga and meditation.  Through practice and dedication, I discovered one thing that was really bringing me down was that I was always looking outward.  I thought if I had the better job, or more money, another degree, nicer clothes, or a bigger studio - that this is when I'd feel happy and complete, and my life would be "perfect."  I knew deep down inside, though, that the true work, the magic, and the great change I wanted to see, would happen (and would last) when I turned my focus inward.

I truly believe that when we start to look within, and explore, discover and reflect through art, writing, yoga, meditation (or other quieting, intuitive practices), we can reconnect to our creativity and authenticity.  We are all born with the answers - on how to live a balanced, peaceful, joyous life - yet through our life's journey most of us get lost along the way.  It is through the practice of going inside that we can remember and find our way again.

Inside Out e-course is a creative adventure of self-discovery that allows you to be YOU.  It creates a safe place, one where you can fully explore your dreams, your true feelings and what your heart wants you to hear.  It reminds you that there is no right way to be you, and that the right path for you is YOUR path.  It helps you be ok with messy, uncertainty and letting go of perfect.  It encourages you to take healthy risks.  It gives you permission to explore the endless possibilities that are waiting for you.  It dares you to dream in big and bold ways.

I created Inside Out - the e-course - to guide you to go deeper, so that you can create the life you love.  You take the course in the privacy of your own home and at your own pace, but have the option to connect, share and grow with a like-minded community of fellow explorers.  (Which, I have to say, is an amazing part of the process!)  The course is 4-weeks in length, but the magical discoveries you make along the way will last a lifetime.  

The next session of Inside Out is June 21st - July 16th and costs only $59.  (That's just $2 a day!)  This is the last Inside Out e-course I'll be offering in 2010 as I'll be on maternity leave this autumn.

My first two sessions have been wildly successful and it has been a huge gift to me.  When I first offer the course, I decided that I would offer it if I had up to 10 people sign up.  To my amazement, hundreds of beautiful souls from all over the world have shared this experience with me.  

To give back, and in honor of One Small Change, I would like to offer a special this week.

If you sign-up for the course by next Friday, May 28th, 30% of your registration fee will be donated to NRI Global Charity Haiti. (They still need our help!)

Feel free to email me directly if you have any questions about the course.  livefreely@mac.com

Your Personal Reflection:  What does it mean to you to live from the "inside out?" 

Give Yourself a Gift

Do you want to dream big, face your fears and change your life?  

Do you want to nurture your creative being and let your artist within be fully expressed to the world? (Remember - we are ALL artists - even if you don't feel like one, yet!)

Do you want to learn how to use new art supplies and to play, play, play with paint?

Do you want to create without perfection, without a "right" way, and with lots of messes?

Do you want to expand the possibilities in your life and follow what lives inside your heart?

Do you want more balance, peace, serenity, relaxation and harmony every day?

Do you want to rid your life of physical, emotional and mental clutter, so that you can know the deeper part of you - the part that is present, connected and authentic?

Do you want to get to know yourself better and discover what brings you great meaning and joy?

Do you want to explore through writing and creative play, while connecting to a like-minded community of bold explorers - others who know exactly where you are coming from, (and have a chance to meet new life-long friends?)

Do you want to live freely - being the REAL you?

Sign-up for Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery and remember what it really means to create and fully live the life you love.  

Starts Monday!  (Enrollment is open until Sunday, April 4th, Midnight US Central Time.)

Your Personal Reflection:

What are you waiting for?  Feel like you have no time or money?  Email me about your concerns and let's have a chat.  livefreely@mac.com

On a side note:  I am taking a week off from blogging to spend quality time with my family on a vacation to the north woods.  I will return next week!  Please share the link to my e-course with anyone you think would benefit from this creative, mindful journey.


Those of you participating in Reduce Clutter; Create Space, 2010 Challenge:  We are wrapping up the March theme of conquering our clothes, and the loose theme for April is the kitchen.

Love Yourself; Love Your Life (and a sweet give-away!)

Today marks the end of the first session of my e-course, Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery.  It has been such an amazing experience.  I'm left feeling so overjoyed at the amount of deep connecting, sharing and exploring that has taken place over the last 28 days.

I light this candle, as a symbol to honor the "closing ceremonies" of class, and to show that today is not the end, but rather the beginning of the rest of our lives.  May each of you see the direction you're heading, stay connected to your community, and radiate your authenticity, from the inside out.

To celebrate this incredible journey, I'd like to give away one spot to my spring session.  The next Inside Out e-course starts April 5th, and to learn more, visit HERE.

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment on this post by Sunday, Valentine's Day, at midnight US Central time.  I will announce the winner on Monday!

Enjoy a few of the beautiful comments shared by the bold explorers who just completed the course.

By giving my thoughts some space and time, it has helped me to see my inner wishes better.  My intentions have showed up and now I feel the need to realize them in art.  They have been ready for this for a while.  I have questioned myself with, "Why have I waited so long?"  Life is life.  I had to do other things to get to this moment.  This is not the goal and there is a lot to discover.  I think I found the very right source - ME!

I'm loving all the creative ideas.  I have learned that I don't have to just sit still and think through the hard parts to write them down.  I can paint, draw, glue...when I'm stuck!  It gets my juices flowing and opens me up which makes the 'writing-down-part' so much easier!

Allow softening of the edges of the walls and paths of history.  Grow leaves and branches out.  Come home to my own, my heart - my self-reliance will give me peace.  And every day, in every way, I am becoming more me.

 I am learning that to live life I have to participate, but that I don't need arbitrary rules.  This course has been a fabulous opportunity for me to practice just that: to take it as it comes, to resist the perfectionistic tendencies that leave me stuck in the mud, and to explore my creativity without self-editing.

Over the last few weeks I have let a lot of emotions out that I have been keeping inside for some time and it feels liberating.  I have learned that I choose my thoughts and that I can change the negative into the positive.  As a result of this course I became brave and told my husband my dreams and wishes.  I knew he would be supportive, but I had to let go of my own self-doubt first and believe that I could make them a reality before sharing them with anyone.   Now that I have said them out loud, they've become more than just thoughts, but tangible goals.  Another thing I have learned is to let go of the guilt.  This is hard to do, but every time I feel like I'm not living up to the person I think I should be, I step back and repeat that "I am enough."  The positive affirmations have been so healing for me.

I love the things that have come 'out' of 'Inside' me!  I so truly love me and am ready to BE BOLD!

I have learned that I have lost my own personal confidence, and most importantly, I have learned that I can get it back!  I have learned that I can be a creative person, that I am a creative person, and that I am good enough to be the person that I have always dreamed of being.

Your Personal Reflection: Are you creating a life you love?

*The art journaling photos were provided by class participants.

Enjoy the "opening ceremonies" of the Olympics tonight!  If anyone is interested in reading behind the scenes, my father-in-law works for the US Ski Team and is blogging about his adventures in Canada HERE.