MUSEologies

IMAGINE 2012 AS THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE

2011-12-21T22:35:00.001-05:00

PASSION + VISION + BELIEF = INSPIRED MAGIC !

2011-12-21T16:33:00.001-05:00

THE CLOCK OF LIFE

2011-12-15T09:55:00.000-05:00

HERE ARE SIX TERRIFIC TRUTHS ABOUT TIME

An Excerpt from the book FIRST THING EVERY MORNING

Written by Lewis Timberlake

FIRST: Nobody can manage time. But you can manage those things that take up your time.

SECOND : Time is expensive. As a matter of fact, 80 percent of our day is spent on those things or those people that only bring us two percent of our results.

THIRD : Time is perishable. It cannot be saved for later use.

FOURTH : Time is measurable. Everybody has the same amount of time...pauper or king. It is not how much time you have; it is how much you use.

FIFTH : Time is irreplaceable. We never make back time once it is gone.

SIXTH : Time is a priority. You have enough time for anything in the world, so long as it ranks high enough among your priorities.

A COMPELLING TRUTH

2011-12-10T11:31:00.002-05:00

SIMPLY RAW: REVERSING DIABETES IN 30 DAYS

PLEASE WATCH THIS LESS THAN 5 MINUTE VIDEO

BEING INTRODUCED OR REMINDED OF THIS INFORMATION

MAY STIR SOMETHING DEEP INSIDE YOU

IT MAY GIVE YOU HOPE

IT MAY CHANGE YOUR LIFE

IT MAY HEAL YOUR BODY

I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE

TWO PEOPLE I LOVE HAVE BEEN HEALED BY FOOD,

ONE WITH A SERIOUS HEART CONDITION,

THE OTHER WITH MS

PLEASE, JUST CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY

FOOD MAY BE THE MIRACLE

Respectfully offered for your consideration,

Royce

THE POWER OF OWL MEDICINE

2011-12-06T23:12:00.000-05:00

This amazing video was sent to us by Cheryl Finley.

Thank you Cheryl!

Native Americans believe Owl Medicine is symbolically associated with clairvoyance, astral projection, and magic. Owl is called “Night Eagle” on several medicine wheels used by American Indian teachers. Traditionally, Owl sits in the East, the place of illumination. Since time immemorial, humanity has been afraid of the night, the dark and the unseen – waiting fearfully for the first crack of morning light. Conversely, night is Owl’s friend.

Owl hunts its prey at night. Not only can Owl see in the dark, it can also accurately pinpoint and identify any sound. This gives it a great advantage. An Owl feather is silent. You cannot hear Owl when it flies.

Owl is often times the medicine of sorcerers and witches. Is it any wonder that in many cultures Owl is a symbol for wisdom? This is because Owl can see that which others cannot, which is the essence of true wisdom. Where others are deceived, Owl sees and knows what is there.

Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, had a companion Owl on her shoulder which revealed unseen truths to her. Owl had the ability to light up Athena’s blind side, enabling her to speak the whole truth, as opposed to only a half truth.

Owl Medicine asks you to use your powers of keen, silent observation to intuit some life situation. Owl is befriending and will aid in seeing the total truth. Owl can bring you messages in the night through dreams and meditation. Pay attention to the signals and omens. Truth always brings further enlightenment.

Source: Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams & David Carson

HAIKU TO YOU TOO

2011-12-05T10:43:00.002-05:00

This is not my Iggie, but looks just like him!

How perfect to find this!

By Photographer: George Rail

I stayed up very late last night watching the blooming moon move across an indigo tropical sky. Right outside the window is a disreputable scrub pine tree, which arrived on the wind some five years ago and planted itself at the base of a white picket fence. When it first made its presence known, I really didn’t believe the wind-blown seedling would survive the sweltering humidity of summer. I was wrong.

The pine tree is now almost twenty feet tall and offers abundant crops of magnificent miniature pine cones. It also serves as a refuge for some fairly amazing birds and creatures. Several weeks ago, three baby raccoons were merrily swinging from its branches without a care in the world.

Last night, Iggie came for a visit. Ig is quite regal. The fierce dragon-like countenance of an Iguana is misleading. They are really shy vegetarians who prefer to be left alone. Native Americans consider the great lizard to represent the Medicine of Dreamers. If you see a lizard, it may be telling you to pay attention to your dreams and their symbols. Whether awake or asleep, dreaming is a portal to accessing your imagination which offers new ideas and creations. Delve a bit into the dreaming process and you will find the infinite power of the subconscious mind to process all of the recorded messages it holds concerning the events of your life. All levels of awareness can be accessed through dreams.

Calmly, with great dignity, Iggie climbed one long arm of the pine tree for a better look into my face. We sat staring at each other for quite some time. It was as though he had come to comfort my exhausted, self-inflicted ‘Monkey Mind.’ For those not familiar with the term: Buddhist’s use this metaphor to describe thoughts that are unsettled, restless, confused and uncontrollable. Monkey Mind (the uncontrolled thought) rampages through the forest (the mind) jumping from tree to tree and creates a sense of tension and upset. I don’t believe Iggie suffers from ‘Monkey Mind.’ He must wonder why I do.

As though I were receiving the Iguana version of a Vulcan Mind-Meld, the idea of writing a Haiku appeared in my thoughts. It made some sense to me as Iggie does look quite like a highly educated Japanese Emperor who might delight in the arts. Haiku comes from the Japanese tradition of poetry and is comprised of seventeen syllables in three un-rhythmed lines.

I reached for a scrap of newspaper and the pen I keep on my terra-cotta camel-shaped table. Monkey Mind was already calming down. Focus had been diverted from untamed tantrums of negative thought to figuring out a Haiku for Emperor Iggie. Here is what appeared on the page:

Prehistoric toes

Climb silently up the tree

Wise face to the moon

So next time the Monkey Mind takes you prisoner, give this a try.

Write a Haiku.
1st line = 5 syllables
2nd line = 7 syllables
3rd line = 5 syllables

Surprise yourself!

Allow the poet inside to swing from the trees in

The Forest of Imagination,
Kissing the monkeys as you go!
-Royce-

ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT GOES RIGHT?

2011-12-03T12:00:00.003-05:00

Artist, Writer and Master Muse JILL BADONSKY

HERE'S WHAT JILL BADONSKY HAS TO SAY ABOUT THIS:

"Take a look at this quote and consider closing your eyes for a New York minute.Think of at least five things that went right for you in the last few hours.

How'd you do?

How'd that feel?

Here's mine:

I rode my bike safely to lunch.

I had enough money for lunch and ate organic.

My bra strap wasn't hanging out of my blouse at the cash register.

I remembered to buy shaved Parmesan.

I skipped dessert because sugar puts me in a coma.

I climbed up into my treehouse without slipping on the stairs
and paid a bill.

Counting on the things that go right
Can keep you in a place of fullness.

When you're full-filled,

You're more likely to allow yourself to get to your creative work.

Procrastination is like punishment.

Let me give you Permission

To believe you deserve a creative life."

-Jill Badonsky

The AWE-MANAC

The Nine Modern Day Muses and A Bodyguard

GRATITUDE REVEALED

2011-11-23T22:55:00.001-05:00

TED TALK

Gratitude through the eyes of

Louis Schwartzberg

Founder, Blacklight Films

Introduces his "Happiness Revealed" Project

Enjoy!

OPTIMISM

2011-11-22T09:49:00.001-05:00

INTELLIGENCE AND TALENT ARE AMAZING ATTRIBUTES,

BUT NOTHING GETS ACCOMPLISHED

WITHOUT THAT

MYSTERIOUS, AGAINST-ALL-ODDS,

ENERGY-FUELED HOPE

KNOWN AS OPTIMISM.

-Mary Engelbreit

Artist

A POSITIVE DAY

2011-11-19T16:19:00.001-05:00

BOB MARLEY

Reggae's most transcendent and iconic figure.

ONE LOVE

International Tribute to Bob Marley

SUPRISE + CREATIVITY = INSPIRED FUN

2011-11-12T20:39:00.002-05:00

FLASH MOB

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

We are the World. Join Hands!

MASTER MUSES IN OUR FUTURE

2011-11-10T12:14:00.005-05:00

The future belongs to those
who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
--Eleanor Roosevelt--

Once again, we feel privileged to showcase the work of two Master Muses in our future. When we received the e-mail, from a proud Grand-Mum (herself a brilliant and talented artist we know and deeply respect), many in our Studio shed a tear of wonder and celebration.

The photos and accompanying poems serve as a refreshing infusion of possibility. Look into their beautiful faces. Feel their powerful words. Allow yourself to time-travel back to your own memories of youthful passion, your quest for identity and independence. Feel their spontaneous gratitude and authentic joy.

Allow Kira and Sonia’s work to awaken your gene-memory. Today, ask yourself: Who are you becoming? Our Imaginations and Creative Spirits are ageless and timeless. It is never too late to imagine and create that which lives in your heart.

Some of you may remember the old TV commercial which asks, "It's 11:00 . Do you know where your children are?" We're going to borrow this powerful advertising platform and ask, "It's 11:00 . Have you really looked at the children in your life? I mean REALLY LOOK AT THEM to see their unique brilliance, their boundless imagination, their uncensored creativity? AND, even more important, have you told the children in your life how much you respect them and how proud you are of who they are becoming?

If you feel a slight twinge of hesitation, I’d like to suggest something:

Take a deep breath.

Breathe in through your nose.

Exhale through your mouth.

Take one more slow breath.

Place your hand over your heart.

Close your eyes and go back to your own childhood.

See in your mind’s eye,

The person’s face who took care of you.

Can you see them looking deeply at you

With love in their eyes?

Can you hear them say,

“I am so proud of who you are becoming!”

If you can, what a wonderful experience!

Pass it forward to the next generation.

If you can’t, and this wasn’t your experience, CHANGE IT NOW. Investing a few seconds in deeply looking at a child, REALLY SEEING THEM, as you tell them you are proud of them, well, it may change their life forever. You are more powerful than you know.

Please scroll down to read Kira’s amazing poems, Childhood and Lonely Blue, winner of The Teen Poetry Slam at the Sonoma, California Book Festival 2011. Scroll down a bit further to read Sonia’s touching tribute to her two beloved Mothers.

Postscript:

Please feel free to contact us regarding any future Master Muses that have caught your attention. We would love to profile them here and will make every effort to post a sample of their work. Our universal respect, pride, and support for the youth of today ignites our best and highest work!

KIRA

2011-11-10T11:50:00.052-05:00

Kira

Age 13

Childhood

I come from a rainbow family

Test-tube baby

My genes come from a man I'll never know

Home is at the Pride Parade

My dog is walked on a rainbow leash.

I come from a twisted neck

Screaming loud

Taken from my mother's womb

Thrown into life much too early.

I come from a peeling red picnic table

On the porch, slivers in my feet

Smell of bread cooking in the oven

Drum circles

Catapulting into a freezing pool

And love

So much love.

Lonely Blue

I see it in the papers

On the news

Children crying.

It splits my heart down its seam.

Lonely Blue

Floating on the floodwaters

Being lifted by currents

By a flow of events I can't reverse.

The child who dies to save his brother.

The old man who shields his wife from a bullet.

Heartache and sacrifice.

Hope inside my kaleidoscope heart

A coming-out speech shared with thousands

Crowds pledging to change the world,

Daylight to dusk.

Si se puede.

Yes, we can.

It gets better.

Flying for the feel of the wind.

Inspire.

Bittersweet melancholy

Taking one more step for justice.

Stitching my heart back together

With purple thread.

The kids, we'll be all right.

Product of love.

Messenger of peace.

I throw every last caution to the wind.

SONIA

2011-11-10T11:47:00.003-05:00

Sonia

10 years old

My Wonderful Moms...!!!

My moms are like cats,

Taking care of my sister and me.

Teaching me to cross the street,

and not to talk to strangers,

Holding me tight when I am feeling sad.

Feeding me right to grow.

Most of all letting me be me.

My moms are like cheetahs giving me food,

Washing my clothes,

Helping me with homework if I get stuck,

and never letting me give up!!

My moms are as sweet as a bowl of ice cream,

Sweet and exciting!!!!!!!

THE AMAZING POWER OF BABY STEPS

2011-11-09T10:55:00.000-05:00

Rue Paula Davis

Her First Baby Steps

1931

Oh! And what a life she led!

The MUSEologies Studio needed this reminder today.

Thank you Mike Dooley !

The real reason so many have trouble with Baby Steps,

Doing all they can,

With what they've got,

From where they are,

No matter how humble or seemingly futile...

Is because they haven't yet grasped

That Baby Steps

Trigger unforeseen forces

That throw wide the floodgates of

Unstoppable momentum,

Infinite abundance,

and Eternal life.

Just some TINY STEPS,

-The Universe

KINDNESS, BEAUTY & TRUTH

2011-11-06T20:53:00.001-05:00

The ideals which have lighted my way,

And, time after time,

have given me new courage

To face life cheerfully,

Have been

Kindness, Beauty and Truth.

-ALBERT EINSTEIN

YOUR WORK BEGS YOUR EXPRESSION

2011-11-01T11:32:00.000-04:00

Robert Genn with Emily
By Robert Genn

ROBERT GENN has, once again, captured a compelling topic through his impressive style of “painting with words.” Discovering Robert’s wonderful Twice-Weekly Letter in the Studio in-box elevates our mood, energy and motivation to create! Thank you Robert.

Here are a few of today's favorite Robert Genn word combos:

noble dependency

creative catatonia

more brilliant than Voltaire at the dinner party

serendipitous bumping

half-finished works conspire to attract your attention

creative exhibitionism

and the piece de resistance:

Your work needs you as much as you need it.

Your work begs your expression!

Think of all the great work you have left to do!

A noble dependency

By Robert Genn

November 1, 2011

Dear Royce,

Recent studies of teenagers' use of cellphones and other electronic devices have revealed some interesting results. Apparently, if you deprive kids of social networking for a week or so, a high percentage become significantly depressed. They also lose efficiency, will, enthusiasm and sleep. Their marks go down and their lassitude goes up.

For many artists, something similar happens when "the work quotient" is taken from their lives. A couple of unproductive days can send some creative folks into the dumps. They may not even be aware of what's happening to them. "Fear of restart" and permanent creative catatonia can set in after long-term abstinence.

Fact is, good easel time is a noble dependency that makes you a happier, more generous person--better able to enjoy an enriched family and social life. Here are a few ways to promote these glad tidings:

Self control. While spontaneity is vital in the studio, monitoring easel time and work zones is also valuable. Work periods can be restarted with a gong or the change of a radio program. The "four o'clock reboot," where you begin something new in the late afternoon (normally a slower time of day), accumulates bonus points, tops up the psyche and makes you more brilliant than Voltaire at the dinner party.

Serendipitous bumping. When you put in significant time in the work area, work automatically emerges. Creative tools, studio clutter and half-finished works conspire to attract your attention. Ideas breed and things need to be done. Rather than making a decision to get on with something, merely bump into opportunities.

Creative exhibitionism. Just as the boy and girl get their thrills texting across a classroom, connecting your work with others is good for art and life. I'm not talking about dealer action or green feedback. The work itself, in progress or completed, in exchange or not, can be sent by jpeg to global friends in nanoseconds. A critique or approval may be forthcoming, but more often than not it's just the simple human joy of sharing. "Electronic interdependence," famously said Marshall McLuhan, "recreates the world in the image of a global village." While we may operate as independent workers, we are not islands unto ourselves. The Brotherhood and Sisterhood is alive and well and living in cyberspace.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "It's a great time to be alive." (George Lucas)

Esoterica: Another way of thinking of art dependency is in co-dependency. Your work needs you as much as you need it. Your work begs your expression. You need to materialize it on a daily basis, from your enriched life--the better side of your nature. Without your personal focus and action, your magic cannot and never will exist. Think of all the great work you have left to do. Think of how necessary it is for people to see good work.

"Work," said Kahlil Gibran, "is love made visible."

IF MONEY COULD TALK

2011-10-29T12:38:00.002-04:00

"I AM MONEY"

A Powerful Perspective You've Never Heard Before

Written by Greg Habstritt

www.SimpleWealth.com

Most people think they know me.

They don't.

I am not what most people think I am. I am not the paper in your wallet, or the coins that jingle in your purse. I am not quietly sitting in your bank account, hoping to be used one day. You cannot see me, feel me, or touch me.

I AM AN IDEA. I AM ENERGY.

I'm neither good nor evil. I am only what you decide that I am, and I fulfill the role that you create for me. I don't care how smart you are, where you live, what you do, or where you come from.

ALL I CARE ABOUT IS YOUR ENERGY.

Your energy decides what thoughts you have, and therefore your thoughts will determine the relationship you have with me. I have very simple needs, and simple rules.

I AM INFINITE.

I have no limits, except for those you place on me with your mind. There is no limit to the energy in the world, and because I am simply energy, I cannot be restricted or controlled.

I CRAVE ABUNDANCE.

I am attracted to those who think without restrictions, who like to think big. When you believe there is enough of me to go around, I am naturally magnetized by that thinking.

I DESPISE SCARCITY.

Because there is no limit to me, I avoid those who think from a win/lose or scarcity perspective. Those who believe I am in short supply, or difficult to receive, will find that very reality, because I choose to avoid those who think small.

I LOVE VALUE.

What magnetizes me most is the creation of value in the universe. I move to places where value is created, because creation is energy. If you wish to attract me into your life, focus on creating value for others, and I will appear.

I AVOID ENTITLEMENT AND COMPLACENCY.

No one 'deserves' to have me, and I am always moving to the place I am most respected and where value is created. It has nothing to do with 'fair'. Those who take me for granted or become complacent with my energy will find me gone.

I ONLY HAVE ONE JOB, AND THAT IS TO SERVE YOU.

It is a matter of energy and value creation. My purpose is simply to move to where I am attracted most, and where I can grow.

MY ONE GOAL IS TO REPLICATE MYSELF.

Because there is no limit to energy, my purpose is to reproduce and grow, in order to bring more energy to the universe. I am created and replicated through value creation. I am an energy of evolution.

The message for you should be clear:

Those who create value for others in the world will find me in their lives.

I AM WHATEVER YOU BELIEVE ME TO BE.

So, what you believe about me can make you miserable,

or what you believe can enable you to perform miracles.

I'M NEITHER POSITIVE, NOR NEGATIVE.

I AM WHAT YOU DECIDE I AM.

If you fear me an any way. I can crush your ability to survive.

If you get to know me,

I can make your life flourish and your dreams come alive.

I can be your master, or I can be your servant.

I am only what you make me.

So, the relationship we have together will be determined by you.

ISN'T IT TIME WE GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER?

Yours Sincerely,

Money

THE PORCELAIN LIBRARY IS STILL SACROSANCT

2011-10-24T22:09:00.001-04:00

A DREAM COME TRUE

Artist: Kasia Tilander

After taking a random poll, the results are in: The Porcelain Library is still a sacred, holy and venerable place of excogitation. Some have even gone so far as to describe this inner sanctum as their personal Nirvana (at least until the ole’ legs go a bit numb.)

What room in the house still offers such privacy and seclusion? The Porcelain Library may be the last bastion for uninterrupted contemplation. Yep, we know. This is the age of youthful, energetic and engaged technological wizards who will roll their eyes at the above photo and consider it akin to the outhouse.

What with the Internet, Kindle, Nook, Skype, YouTube, Blackberries, G3’s, IPhones, Talking IPhones, Ipods; who reads books anymore. And, we didn't even mention the antiquated television. But, wait! There's more. We'd certainly be remiss if we didn't acknowledge the massive inundation of social networking sites, revolutionized by Google, Facebook, Twitter, E-Harmony and Match.com. Hardcover and paper-back books? Why, that’s like asking someone to unroll and decipher papyrus scrolls discovered in a cave.

But, for many out there…we steal away and sit among our scrolls on Mr. Crapper’s marvelous invention that technology somehow can’t seem to touch.

ARE YOU FEELING STUCK?

2011-10-19T11:07:00.000-04:00

Photographer: Brian Bielmann

ANOTHER BRILLIANT, BRIEF LOOK AT THE CREATIVE PROCESS

By Michael Bungay Stanier

Founder: Box of Crayons

It's hard to have fun when you're feeling stuck.

Stuck shows up differently for each of us.

For some it's having a dream but not knowing how to get it.

For others, it's not having a dream and feeling empty.

It can be waiting for your superhero to show (and they're taking their time)

Or it can be feeling responsible for everyone - and feeling exhausted.

However you get stuck -- and we all get stuck from time to time, it's part of being human -- it has this as its essence: You only have one way to see the situation ... and you don't like what you see.

So where are you feeling stuck right now?

Not sure? Here are some clues...

==> Where do you feel in a rut?

==> Where do you feel lots of "shoulds" and "musts"?

==> Where do you feel there's no choice?

==> What makes you grit your teeth in frustration?

==> What are you tolerating?

So what can you do about it?

Funny enough, just articulating and acknowledging the situation where you're feeling stuck is often enough to get things moving. When you finally get what's hanging you up it often doesn't feel quite so big, quite so overwhelming, quite as daunting. So look at the situation head on. No more sideways glances or head in the sand. Get specific and detailed - go on, wade right into it. Write it down. Turn it from a "stuck-ness"... and into a challenge you're willing to take on and to change.

So... Where are you stuck?

A SPIRITUAL MARKETING QUEST

2011-10-17T11:15:00.003-04:00

A MESSAGE TO ME

ON THE DAY AFTER

THE SPIRITUAL MARKETING QUEST

Finish The Spiritual Marketing Quest

And lean into it

You have done what you could

You were present

You dared to open your heart

Some fears and doubts crept in

Relax into them as soon as you can

Savor the creative "soup"

Transformation is only a thought away

You are no longer encumbered

With old wounds, doubts, and disbelief

Tomorrow brings a New Day

Begin it Inspired

And with such a High Spirit!

For you have gone deep

You have danced with Essence

This is the power of

The Spiritual Marketing Quest

-Royce

THE POWER OF CREATIVE DREAMS

2011-10-13T10:18:00.029-04:00

CONRAD MALDIVES RANGALI ISLAND

"There will always be dreams grander or humbler than your own,

but there will never be a dream exactly like your own,

for you are unique and more wondrous than you know."

- Linda Staten

Our dreams are portals to imagination and creativity. Imagination is the source for invention of creative possibilities or answers. All of us dream. We see things in the flames of a crackling campfire on the beach or in the aquarium bedroom of a five-star hotel. Too many of us let these compelling dreams die. We dismiss them as foolish or out of reach.

Others believe a dream is a message, a sign to take action. Protect and nourish your significant dreams. You will know which ones they are because the deepest part of self will speak to you. Your heart may pound. You may break out in a sweat or simply wake up with a delicious smile, feeling better than you’ve felt in years. Or, you may finally know, deep in your gut, the time has arrived to make a very hard decision. Whatever the case, know dreams can offer potent messages and serve as transformational catalysts. Bring them up, from the well of your soul. Offer them to the sunshine and light. Maybe, just maybe, your dreams have been patiently waiting to come true for you.

-Royce

The Power of the World Always Works In Circles

2011-10-11T10:57:00.002-04:00

-Black Elk

Oglala Sioux Holy Man

1863-1950

"You have noticed that

everything an Indian does is in a circle,

and that is because

the power of the World always works in circles,

and everything tries to be round...

The Sky is round and

I have heard that the Earth is round like a ball,

and so are all the stars.

The Wind, in its greatest power, swirls.

Birds make their nests in circles,

for theirs is the same religion as ours...

Even the Seasons form a great circle in their changing,

and always come back again to where they were.

The life of a man is a circle,

from childhood to childhood,

and so it is in everything where power moves."

-Black Elk

FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS TO COME

2011-09-27T16:36:00.004-04:00

The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
On October 4th, 5th, 6th 2011
Revered elders offering essential wisdom and healing
for you and our world.

Please click on this link to take you to their sign-up site.

Join with the 13 Grandmothers for a 3-day virtual circle for prayer, healing, wisdom and blessings to help us navigate the times ahead, connect with our souls, open our hearts and awaken a deeper connection with the web of life.

Your participation in this virtual gathering will also support the 13 Grandmothers in their upcoming 10th Public Council Gathering in Brazil, in which they promote peace and good relationships, engage in intercultural and inter-generational dialogue and support traditional knowledge of the homeland they are visiting.

The Grandmothers - respected medicine women and shamans from the Americas, the Arctic Circle, Asia and Africa - are at the heart of a healing that is bridging ancient and modern worlds and weaving the human family together again. And now you can receive their wisdom from your home, in a way that feeds your soul, while also empowering our shared work of collective healing.

"WE'RE LATE, BUT WE'RE HERE."

-Grandmother Rita Pitka Blumenstein

DUENDE = THE SPIRIT OF EVOCATION

2011-09-19T14:00:00.002-04:00

Flamenco of Fire

Artist: d'arcy

Source: Wikipedia + an editorial infusion from Royce

El Duende is the spirit of evocation. It comes from inside as a physical/emotional response… It gives you chills, makes you smile or cry as a bodily reaction to an artistic performance that is particularly expressive. In her book, A YEAR IN THE WORLD, Frances Mayes describes Duende as the summoning of a life-force spirit and the expression of that spirit. As an example of Duende, she writes, "Flamenco lights a brushfire in the blood. And, “The Spanish moon has duende.”

Duende embodies an authenticity that comes from a people whose culture is enriched by the human condition of joys and sorrows. Drawing on popular usage and Spanish folklore, Federico García Lorca first developed the aesthetics of Duende in a lecture he gave in Buenos Aires in 1933, "Juego y teoria del duende" ("Play and Theory of the Duende")

According to Christopher Maurer, editor of "In Search of Duende", at least four elements can be isolated in Lorca's vision of Duende: irrationality, earthiness, a heightened awareness of death, and a dash of the diabolical. The Duende is a demonic earth spirit who helps the artist see the limitations of intelligence, reminding him that "ants could eat him or that a great arsenic lobster could fall suddenly on his head"; who brings the artist face-to-face with death, and who helps him create and communicate memorable, spine-chilling art. The Duende is seen, in Lorca's lecture, as an alternative to style, to mere virtuosity, to God-given grace and charm (what Spaniards call "angel"), and to the classical, artistic norms dictated by the muse.

Not that the artist simply surrenders to the Duende; he or she has to battle it skillfully, "on the rim of the well", in "hand-to-hand combat". To a higher degree than the muse or the angel, El Duende seizes not only the performer but also the audience, creating conditions where art can be understood spontaneously with little, if any, conscious effort. It is, in Lorca's words, "a sort of corkscrew that can get art into the sensibility of an audience... the very dearest thing that life can offer the intellectual."

The critic Brook Zern has written, of a performance of someone with Duende, "it dilates the mind's eye, so that the intensity becomes almost unendurable... There is a quality of first-timeness, of reality so heightened and exaggerated that it becomes unreal...".

Lorca writes: "El Duende, then, is a power, not a work. It is a struggle, not a thought. I have heard an old maestro of the guitar say, 'The duende is not in the throat; the duende climbs up inside you, from the soles of the feet.' Meaning this: it is not a question of ability, but of true, living style, of blood, of the most ancient culture, of spontaneous creation…The Duende's arrival always means a radical change in forms. It brings to old planes unknown feelings of freshness, with the quality of something newly created, like a miracle, and it produces an almost religious enthusiasm." [...] All arts are capable of Duende…”

The MUSEologies Studio can testify to the power of El Duende and offers this mini-exercise:

Today,

Whatever the endeavor
Or task
Or creation before you

Summon the life-force spirit of El Duende

Express the Flamenco brush-fire in your blood
Without hesitation
Without edits or critical review
Without worrying about what other people may think

And, most importantly, don’t take it too seriously,

Infuse Joy and Fun
Feel the passionate fire moving through your body
Take the risk
Dance with Duende
-Royce

QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING

2011-09-18T16:31:00.002-04:00

Artist: ALIA

"Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife.

The first question was,

'Did you bring joy?'

The second was,

'Did you find joy?'"

- Dr. Leo Buscaglia

WHERE THE TWO WORLDS TOUCH

2011-09-08T17:48:00.001-04:00

Artist: Stephanie Marrott

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you;

Don't go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want;

Don't go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth

across the doorsill where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.

Don't go back to sleep.

-Rumi

Michael Asked For Our Help To Save Lives

2011-09-07T16:45:00.005-04:00

www

THE BOOK IS CALLED

End Malaria: Bold Innovation, Limitless Generosity, and the Opportunity to Save a Life

End Malaria is edited by Michael Bungay Stanier and published by The Domino Project. It has an introduction from Scott Case, Vice Chair of Malaria No More.

$20 from every sale will go to Malaria No More. That’s 100% of the Kindle price, and 80% of the hard copy (The remaining $5 covers production costs.)

None of the contributors or the publishing house are taking any money from sales, and Amazon makes no profit.

The book has 62 thought leaders writing around the topic of Great Work:

HOW TO DO MORE OF THE STUFF THAT MATTERS

AND LESS OF ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT FILLS UP YOUR DAY

$20. SENDS A MOSQUITO NET TO A FAMILY IN NEED

AND SUPPORTS LIFE-SAVING WORK IN THE FIGHT AGAINST MALARIA

MALARIA NO MORE'S MISSION:
TO END MALARIA IN AFRICA BY 2015

"By purchasing END MALARIA, you've donated $20. to Malaria No More to support our efforts to stop children from dying from the absurdity of a mosquito bite."

This book is a quintessential example of inspired reciprocity.

Please join us in our goal to sell one million books!

THANK YOU.

SELF-ESTEEM + CONFIDENCE = COURAGE

2011-09-04T18:12:00.003-04:00

The King

By Bill Stephens

After reading Master Muse Elisa Levy’s thought-provoking piece in last week’s Key West Citizen, I realized I had never truly understood what sets self-esteem apart from confidence. Understanding these differences contributes to the courage we summon when faced with the often daunting and confusing challenge of following our dreams. Dream-chasing often requires you to stand in the face of dismay, dismissal and strong disapproval by those nearest and dearest. Dream-chasing often requires bold and audacious action. Dream-chasing may be one of the most courageous quests you ever attempt. Giving up some or all of your family’s, your friend’s, your partner’s or society’s ideals and creating your own version is no easy feat. But, if you persevere and weather the dismay, the disapproval, the resentment; you will discover the most amazing portal of possibility and realize your dreams were patiently waiting for you…all this time. –Royce

GIVING UP SOCIETY’S IDEALS AND MAKING OUR OWN

By Elisa Levy

Self-esteem is like good health: You can never have enough. The problem is that most people don’t want to believe they could use some help in this area. We feel badly about the fact that we feel bad. No wonder it’s hard to do anything about it. It’s easy to confuse self-esteem with confidence. We may feel confident in our abilities to do a job, play a sport or learn a new skill, but that doesn’t mean we have high self-esteem.

Confidence is about what we do. Self-esteem is about who we are.

Studies show that approximately 80 percent of 5-year-olds have high self-esteem. By the time those same children reach the age of 15, less than 10 percent of them feel good about themselves. What changes?

As children mature, they become aware of the expectations parents, peers, siblings and society have of them. These standards are often unrealistic and narrow. Consequently many people feel inferior for not meeting these impossible goals and are embarrassed to admit it.

Low self-esteem is not a weakness. It is an opportunity.

We strive to be more beautiful, wealthy, intelligent and important, only to realize that no matter how far we come we’re still less than perfect. So, at some point (usually our lowest) we may begin to question the goals we seek. Ultimately, self-esteem isn’t about reaching society’s ideals for perfection, it’s about rejecting them.

Improving our self-esteem requires two things: Honest recognition that we need it, and a willingness to put effort into changing on a daily basis. Here are a few ideas to start:

1. TAKE INVENTORY: How do you know what you’ve got if you never really take stock? List all the qualities you like in yourself and list the ones you want to change. Write them down and look over the list when you’re done. The simple length of each list can be an eye-opener. You can make separate lists for your physical appearance, intellect and personality. Next, share your list with someone who cares about you and knows how to communicate honestly. Ask for this person’s feedback. You may be surprised by their reaction. Chances are they will be able to highlight several more positives. The benefit of the inventory exercise is two-fold: First, you get to see yourself from your own perspective. Second, you get the input of someone who sees you objectively.

2. AVOID SPOILERS: Do your best to stay away from people and things that don’t make you feel good about yourself…

3. OBSERVE YOUR THOUGHTS: Start noticing how many times a day you think negatively about yourself. We often don’t even realize we’re doing it. When you catch yourself thinking something self-critical, change the thought to something more positive. For example, if you say to yourself, “I can never do that right.” Catch the thought and change it to, “I don’t always get that one right, but I am working on it and I am trying.” The very act of observing our thoughts can be truly eye-opening. We begin to realize just how self-critical we are.

POSTSCRIPT

Another important idea, from a Todd Kashdan presentation, author of CURIOUS:

BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE WORDS YOU USE – EVEN IN YOUR MIND. Words are powerful. Very powerful. Especially the ones you use on yourself. For example, we only share, out loud, 5% of the thoughts we have during an average day. This means that 95% of the conversations we have are in our head! So, it’s critically important to pay attention to how you talk to yourself. Self-talk is often the source of self-doubt and self-sabotage. Learn and practice “Mindful Presence.” For example, when you catch yourself saying, “ I feel like an idiot! ” Stop this thought. Then, replace it with, “I notice I’m having the thought that I feel like an idiot.” By simply adding, “I notice I’m having the thought…” you will discover you have taken the emotional stinger out of the negative self-talk. This takes a little practice, but it’s worth it. -Royce

THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF KINDNESS

2011-09-03T10:39:00.007-04:00

PINK PEONY I MANDALA

By David J. Bookbinder

The positive effect of kindness on the immune system and on the increased production of serotonin in the brain has been proven in research studies. Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body that makes us feel more comfortable, peaceful, and even blissful. In fact, the role of most anti-depressants is to stimulate the production of serotonin chemically, helping to ease depression. Research has shown that a simple act of kindness directed toward another improves the functioning of the immune system and stimulates the production of serotonin in both the recipient of the kindness and the person extending the kindness. Even more amazing is that persons observing the act of kindness have similar beneficial results. Imagine this! Kindness extended, received, or observed beneficially impacts the physical health and feelings of everyone involved!

-Wayne Dyer

This post is dedicated to Cheryl A. Finley

One of the Kindest People We've Ever Had the Pleasure To Know

Success is Failure Turned Inside Out

2011-09-02T13:47:00.002-04:00

Click on this link to see The Don't Quit Movie

The Don't Quit presentation is based on a famous poem which was written many years ago. The author of this poem is unknown. Sadly, in recent years, a number of people have claimed ownership of the poem and some have even claimed to have written it themselves. Here is the original poem in it's entirety:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh

When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest, if you must

But don't you quit

Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns

And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup

And he learned too late when the night slipped down
How close he was to the golden crown

SUCCESS IS FAILURE TURNED INSIDE OUT
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit

- Author unknown

THE POWER OF 14 MILLION CRAYONS PER DAY !

2011-08-26T10:17:00.000-04:00

OPEN THIS BOX OF CRAYONS

2011-08-25T12:20:00.008-04:00

Child's Play

By: Angie Farris

Michael Bungay Stanier is the founder and Senior Partner of BOX OF CRAYONS, a company that helps organizations do less Good Work and more Great Work. He is the author of Do More Great Work and Get Unstuck & Get Going, and the creator of The Great Work Movie, The 5.75 Questions You've Been Avoiding and The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun. Michael was a Rhodes Scholar and the 2006 Canadian Coach of the Year. He is Australian and now lives in Canada.

Michael Bungay Stanier's work is something you will want to know about and follow! He graciously shares all he does, including questions he describes as:

Questions For A Life of Fun, Inspiration & Action
Scroll down and enjoy!

WHAT DO YOU WANT ?

2011-08-25T12:18:00.004-04:00

What DO you want?

It's one of the most powerful questions I know. And it's a tough one to answer. Pretty much just as soon as you get old enough to think... you have people telling you what THEY want. Parents, partners, spouses, children, friends, bosses, colleagues, customers and clients... they've all got opinions about what's best for you. And sometimes their requests and demands can feel like a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing around you demanding attention. And if you're not clear on what you want, you have little protection against the blighters - what others want becomes very hard to resist.

So what can you do about it?
Here's an exercise to help get clear on what you want.

1. Find some time and space for yourself. It doesn't need to be much - five minutes in a room, ten minutes in a coffee shop, a 15 minute walk around the neighborhood.

2. Connect with your core values, those ways of being that are at the heart of you being at your best. If you're not quite sure what they are - and you'd be like most people if that's the case - then start to imagine what they might be now. If you think back to "peak moments" in your life, times you felt you were on top of the world, then you'll see some clues as to what they might be.

3. Get clear on the situation at hand. You need context before you can decide on what you want. Is this about work? A relationship? Your own self-care? Something else? What's the challenge or situation or struggle you might be facing?

4. Imagine outrageous success. Go on, amp it up. Or to put it another way: If you could not fail, what would total and fabulous success look like? Don't get caught up in the "how would I get there". Just let your imagination go on what outrageous success looks like.

5. Clarify your minimum level of success. This is the bottom line, the "if nothing else, then this at least." Don't sell yourself short. And equally, make sure the "bottom line" really is just that. This is where you draw the line in the sand.

6. Tap into your heart and find the sweet spot of what you want between those two end points. Sit with it for just a moment and get as clear as possible as to what it is you want, what it looks like, feels like, tastes like. The clearer you can make it, the easier it will be to start planning on how to get there.

So... What do you want?

Here's to your life of fun, inspiration & action.

THE ESSENCE OF UNSTUCK

2011-08-25T12:15:00.004-04:00

Have you ever hung out with a bunch of five year olds?

They are bursting with creativity and ideas, alive with what's possible. And somehow between then and now, most of us feel we've lost the capacity to have new ideas. I think it's a combination of things. We're often so busy that we don't have time to have new ideas - the first thought that comes along will do just fine (because hey, it's an idea, right? Any any idea is better than none!) We live in a society that loves the fast and the first over the slow and the second... so there's not a lot of encouragement there. And finally, we just get out of practice. Let's face it, many of us are 90lb wimps in the Creativity Gym. So, why is it important to re-remember how to have new ideas and create new possibilities?

Because if the essence of 'stuck' is only having one option (and not liking what it is)...

then the essence of 'unstuck' is having the choice of powerful possibilities. In other words, the capacity to have ideas and imagine what's possible IS the capacity to get unstuck.

So what can you do about it?

Here's a 6 step fandango for creating possibilities and new ideas. Test it out by taking on a real challenge your faced with right now.

#1. Give yourself some time. You don't need much. 5 minutes is great. 10 minutes, luxurious!

#2. Get away from your usual place of work. That doesn't mean leaving the building - it can just be turning your chair around. But shift out of that 'be efficient and focused place' we all have.

#3. Set yourself a target of new ideas. Five is the minimum... after that, you can go crazy.

#4. Press the 'pause' button on that little voice inside your head that just went 'I can't have five ideas ... I'm not that creative ... I'm no good at this.' (Did you know the biggest influence on your ability to be creative is your belief that YOU CAN be creative? So just for the next five minutes, pretend that you're creative and that you're up for this. Go on - it'll be fine)

#5. Ask yourself some powerful creative questions to open things up. Here are some of my favorites:

If you could not fail, what would you do?
What's the easiest thing to do?
What's the boldest thing to do?
What would be the most fun thing to do?
What's the counter-intuitive thing to do?
What's the safest thing to do?

#6. Start shaping a solution - take the best idea or ideas and start planning on how you're going to do what you want to do.

So... What's possible?

WHO IS ON YOUR SIDE

2011-08-25T12:12:00.005-04:00

Michael Bungay Stanier writes:

...looking at your life and deciding what you want to be doing differently, it can sometimes feel like a lonely journey. That sense of quiet sadness, overwhelming responsibility - I've felt that at times. It's one of my biggest lessons, and one that I'm still (slowly, slowly) learning, is that the way to a life of fun, inspiration and action lies in inviting in others to your inner circle. It involves letting go of the affliction many of us bear, the Superman Syndrome, where we feel we have to do it all ourselves.Who's in your army? Who's on your side? Who's got your back?

So what can you do about it?

There are two steps to this.

#1 Identify

There are three types of people you might consider inviting in to play with you.

1. PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU.

There are some people who'll stand by you no matter what.

People who are happy to pick up the YOU banner

and wave it with all their might.

2. PEOPLE WITH SKILLS TO HELP YOU.

In this ultra-connected world,

there are extraordinary people with skills and talents and insights who can help you.

Six degrees of separation?

These days it's closer to two or three degrees,

You have a global reach now.

3. PEOPLE WITH POWER.

People who have resources, connections and influence.

People who can help get stuff done.

#2 Invite.

Knowing these people is nothing if you don't connect with them, invite them in to play. It will be no surprise to hear that no one particularly loves a stranger showing up and demanding something. So try this. Contact people. spend time with them. Ask them, "How can I help you?" Build a relationship, not a transaction. And see what grows.

"Who is on your side?"

Another source of inspiration:

The Great Work Interviews are a series of podcasts Michael Bungal Stanier has been doing with cool, smart, provocative, wise and deeply interesting people. They're free to download, upload and listen to here: Great Work Interviews

BOX OF CRAYONS has more than 100 posted.

To tempt you with a tiny sample you could listen to:

Dan Pink, author of Drive, on focus and motivation
Gretchin Rubin, author of The Happiness Experiment
Seth Godin, world's most famous marketing blogger
David Allen, Getting Things Done guru

Please take a moment and check them out.

It will be good to have these great people on your side.

Here's to your life of fun, inspiration & action.

REMEMBER HOW TO HAVE SOME REAL FUN

2011-08-25T12:11:00.005-04:00

I'm willing to bet

dollars to donuts that you've had fun before.

Yep, really.

Think back now to a time

when you were really having a blast.

Was it by yourself or with others?

Inside or outside?

Doing something new or savouring something familiar?

What else?

And what was your frame of mind

when you're having fun?

Open or focused?

Moving fast or slowing down?

Self indulgent or focused on others?

What else?

My point is this:

Whatever it might look like for you,

you already know how to have fun.

You don't have to reinvent the wheel.

You can just remember you've already experienced

and what you already know.

So what can you do about it?

Get really specific about what's fun for you.

As well as thinking about the questions above,

here are some other juicy ones...

Who are the people you want more of?

Want less of?

(It's kind of revisiting Question #4.)

What gets your body to come alive?

Exercise? Dancing? Massage?

Something else?

What makes you laugh?

What helps you escape?

So... What do you already know?

BABY STEPS Just Take One Tiny Baby Step

2011-08-25T12:09:00.006-04:00

Baby steps are one of the most powerful actions you can take!

Michael continues:

One of my favorite quotes -

and you might remember...is from sports coach Lou Holtz.

"When all is said and done, a lot more is said than done."

Think about what might contribute to

a life of fun, inspiration and action for you.

You've thought about:

What do you want?

Where are you stuck?

What's possible?

What do you already know?

And now, it's time to move to action.

Here's the question:

What will you do?

If you don't act, the moment passes.

And nothing changes.

So what can you do about it?

You don't have to come up with a master plan

to change the world or change your life.

Pick one area you'd like to focus on.

Get clear on what you'd like to be different,

what success looks like.

Define the next step that you need

to take to move towards that success.

It almost certainly won't be a big thing.

But it will be something, and that's what matters.

Just the next step.

So... What will you do?

Here's to your life of fun, inspiration & action.

KEEP THE FLAME FLICKERING

2011-08-25T12:06:00.004-04:00

This is the last question...

And as I'm sure you've heard somewhere before,

The End is Never the End, Merely a New Beginning.

So, do you want to keep this particular flame burning?

I have no doubt you know the dangers ahead.

Life sweeps in, time moves on,

and in a year your life is a little different -

but not different enough -

from the one you're living now.

It's not easy to stay committed

to a life of fun, inspiration and action.

So what can you do about it?

Here are three ways to keep the flame flickering.

1. Week by week.

Pick a lesson to focus upon. Set a goal for the week. Repeat.

2. Yes and No.

Define your No's.

If you're saying Yes to a life of fun, inspiration and action -

and you are -

then what are you saying No to?

Getting clear on your No's

is the secret to getting the Yes's you want.

3. Find a buddy.

This is the big one.

The one that will make the most difference.

Invite someone in to help you change and shape and craft and live a better life.

Revisit your answers to Question #4.

Find a friends who you can partner with.

Hire a coach. Join a mastermind group.

Start an online support group.

Just find a buddy.

So, how will you keep going?

Postscript:

Thank you Michael Bungay Stanier for this inspirational mini-series!

The MUSEologies Studio loves your BOX OF CRAYONS!

SINK ROOTS INTO THE PRESENT

2011-08-24T10:26:00.002-04:00

A MANGROVE TREE HAS ESTABLISHED ROOTS

IN THE SHALLOW WATERS OF

LONG KEY STATE RECREATION AREA

BY RAYMOND GEHMAN

There are times when it is hard to believe in the future,

when we are temporarily just not brave enough.

When this happens, concentrate on the present.

Cultivate le petit bonheur (the little happiness)
until courage returns.

Look forward to the beauty of the next moment, the next hour,

the promise of a good meal, sleep, a book, a movie,

the likelihood that tonight the stars will shine

and tomorrow the sun will shine.

Sink roots into the present

until the strength grows to think about tomorrow.

-ARDIS WHITMAN

A Perfectly Kept ___Is The Sign of A Misspent Life

2011-08-20T12:36:00.007-04:00

ALBERT EINSTEIN'S STUDY

By Ralph Morse

Recently, the MUSEologies Studio discovered Mary Randolph Carter’s mischievously delightful counter-point to the discipline of 'De-Clutter Mania' that continues to sweep, quite literally, through many an environment. We are not making a judgment call here about those who embrace de-clutter, but simply offering an inverse perspective by introducing Mary's lovely book : A PERFECTLY KEPT HOUSE IS THE SIGN OF A MISSPENT LIFE How to live creatively with collections, clutter, work, kids, pets, art, etc…and stop worrying about everything being perfectly in its place.

On page 55 you will read:

“A Perfectly Kept Office Is the Sign of a Misspent Life”

“There is a scene in Karl Lagerfeld Confidential, a French documentary about the designer’s life, when he is sitting quietly sketching at a table surrounded by mountains of books and creative disturbance. In a rare moment we catch him without his dark glasses, but other than that he is perfectly groomed with his white hair pulled back in a neat little peruke, garbed in his usual clerical-like collar and priestly black garments. He is sketching a tulle dress that may or may not walk down a real runway. He is quite quiet. All of a sudden he speaks and his words are a shock, subtitled in English on the screen: I am persnickety. But I like disorder when I am at work. I would freeze at a tidy desk.”

Einstein would approve!

So does the MUSEologies Studio.

Postscript:
The place you inhabit should resonant with an inspired feeling. Dorothe Ernest, a psychotherapist in Illinois, said it perfectly in an article profiling her beloved summer cottage:

"I'm as happy as a human being can possible be, surrounded by things I love."

REALIZE YOUR POWER TO TOUCH OTHERS

2011-08-20T12:13:00.003-04:00

REALIZATION by Elena Ray
Woman holding light energy.

The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.

- Leo Buscaglia
1924-1998

THE ELIXIR IS REVEALED

2011-08-13T11:25:00.015-04:00

DR. HOWARD SCHECHTER
Author of Intimate Partners

Remember what it feels like to realize you truly and deeply love someone? There is a rousing emotional, physical and intellectual awareness. You feel an acute sense of hope, romance and passion. You want this feeling to last forever and the relationship to set a new standard of enduring possibility.

Now, fast-forward into the future. You might be faced with a few challenges in this relationship. Dark threads of frustration, doubt and fear may be insidiously winding themselves around the relationship, choking-off mutual respect and communication. The euphoric-infused moments grow fewer and farther apart.

What if there was a resource to dissolve these threads and regenerate the love?

What if there was a resource to teach you how to grow this love to a level you didn’t believe possible? Hold on to your heart! You’re about to discover an emotionally wise book that may just change your life.

Howard Joel Schechter’s, INTIMATE PARTNERS From Romantic Love to Enduring Relationship is a must-read. Howard explains, “The highest form of intimate relationship, in my view, occurs when the partners walk side-by-side toward personal growth, spiritual awakening, and the joy of companionship.”

Howard has crafted a compelling model for creating and maintaining a healthy intimate partnership, based on developing and enacting seven elements he calls “The Seven Virtues” (don’t miss pages 140-148). A compassionate, specific and compelling read; INTIMATE PARTNERS will give you the tools to reframe triggers with origins outside the relationship as well as push-through illusions, delusions and all forms of communication barriers and mishaps.

One of this reader’s favorite topics is the simple yet genius-infused “Guidelines for a Happy Relationship.” Here they are (pages 148-149):

1. Ask for what you want, and don’t expect to get it.
2. Healthy change comes from the other as a gift, not from coercion
3. If you don’t like something, don’t try to change the other. Change yourself
4. Be kind to your partner, even when you’re not in the mood
5. Communicate a lot. Way more than you think necessary.

If these guidelines don’t motivate you to read INTIMATE PARTNERS, nothing will.

LIFE IS LIKE COFFEE

2011-08-13T11:09:00.003-04:00

Artwork by Jill Badonsky

Do you know people that just seem to be happier in general?

Do you say to yourself, "I want to be more like them."

Often, the happiest people in the world
don't have the best of everything.

They just make the best of everything!

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR AN INSPIRING STORY

FAILING TO SUCCEED

2011-07-29T18:51:00.016-04:00

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR AN INSPIRING FEW MINUTES: Failing to Succeed Movie:

"Yes, it is a challenge to succeed; you’ve got to become a good planner, and a good dreamer. You’ve got to see the future finished in advance. You’ve got to put in the long hours and put up with the setbacks and the disappointments. You’ve got to learn to enjoy the process, because challenges are part of success."

Skateboarder Lloyd Kahn at 76: "Keep at it."

2011-07-16T10:41:00.004-04:00

16 Reasons Why I Won't _______________

2011-07-15T12:35:00.002-04:00

Once again, Robert Genn hits the mark. As always, he does it with creative style, eloquence and humour. Today, Robert's Twice Weekly Letter speaks to all of us whether we are painting, bill-paying, sculpting, designing, negotiating, looking for a new career, making music, teaching, selling, promoting, marketing, managing, care-taking, healing, living life or blog posting!

Robert Genn,

Your Master Muse Genius ripples out into the world.

You shift perspectives and inspire action.
Thank you,

-Royce

Robert Genn's Twice Weekly Letter:

A woman wrote recently and told me she was unable to paint because a neighbour was "using some sort of Weed Eater or Leaf Blower." Pressed for time, I wrote her a quick note quoting Confucius--"An inconvenience is an unrecognized opportunity." I suggested she get a headset to close out the annoyance and tune in to Chopin. Then I started thinking about my inbox with all the excuses people give for not painting. With a little digging, I was able to find a few choice ones:

"I ran out of yellow ochre." "I saw ants in the studio." "I was too hot." "I was too cold." "Somebody broke into our house and stole the TV." "Our Jack Russell, 'Jack Russell' had to go to the vet." "This day next week my sister-in-law is coming." "I can't think of anything to paint." "My brother is moving out." "I'm overtired from sleeping on the floor." "My art teacher died." "I had to help Dad with his walk-in bath." "I couldn't find my sketches from last year." "My brushes are in too poor shape." "My Pontiac worries me; it needs replacing."

The excuse, "I was fooling around with the Painter's Keys search engine and it used up all my time," was already taken.

While all the excuses listed above were interesting, "This day next week my sister-in-law is coming," seemed overly loaded with possibilities. Have you any idea how golden a pre-sister-in-law week can be? The anticipated sister-in-law may be Jabba the Hutt (quote: "Spasteelia a bunkadunka") with drool and a voice that shatters glass, but the eternity before her arrival may just turn out to be the most fantastic week of your life. To a butterfly, a week is a lifetime.

Annoying as all these impedimenta are, they shouldn't bother folks with internal drive. Internal drive is the forge of productivity. In all self-starting activities where end results are dependent on you and you alone, procrastination is the default mode. You can pretty well always find a reason not to work. But like that headset mentioned above, there's practically always a solution if you want something badly enough.

Best regards, Robert

PS: "There is no waste of time in life like that of making explanations." (Benjamin Disraeli)

Esoterica: The natural fears that go with original creativity can be neutralized by simple ruses: Get started on your work before you have a chance to think why you shouldn't. Think of those who have real interference--like militia knocking on the door. If necessity is the mother of invention, the only thing stopping an invention may be self-sabotage. Self-sabotage is a negative habit that persistently stymies the joy of testing our will. "The most pernicious aspect of procrastination," says author Steven Pressfield, "is that it can become a habit. We don't just put off our lives today; we put them off till our deathbed." Henry David Thoreau put it in stronger words: "Despair and postponement are cowardice and defeat."

The Painter's Keys A Seminar With Robert Genn

BE CONSUMED BY YOUR INNER FIRE

2011-07-14T11:52:00.000-04:00

The artist must create a spark

Before he can make a fire

And before art is born

The artist must be ready

To be consumed by the fire of his own creation

-Auguste Rodin

French Sculptor

ROZ SAVAGE: A Single Action = Ripples of Change

2011-07-07T21:47:00.004-04:00

IF YOU TAKE A LOT OF TINY ACTIONS AND STRING THEM ALL TOGETHER YOU REALLY CAN ACHIEVE ALMOST ANYTHING.

EVERY ACTION COUNTS.

LIVE WITH GRANDE GUSTO - Diana Nyad at 61

2011-06-28T10:03:00.000-04:00

25 ASTOUNDING MINUTES

2011-06-21T16:53:00.002-04:00

LUX AURUMQUE Created by Eric Whitacre

2011-04-07T22:16:00.002-04:00

LIGHT and GOLD

THE SPIRIT and POWER of IMAGINATION
THE SPIRIT and POWER of INSPIRATION
THE SPIRIT and POWER of CONNECTION
WE ARE CAPABLE OF BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING THINGS

GENTLY ACCELERATE INTO THE CURVES OF LIFE

2011-04-01T13:17:00.000-04:00

LOVE CONSISTS IN THIS...

2011-03-28T11:12:00.002-04:00

28 March 1976

LOVE CONSISTS IN THIS,

THAT TWO SOLITUDES

PROTECT AND TOUCH AND GREET EACH OTHER.

-RAINER MARIA RILKE

LEAD WITH YOUR GIFTS

2011-03-28T11:00:00.003-04:00

THERE ARE THINGS

ONLY YOU CAN DO

AND YOU ARE ALIVE

TO DO THEM

IN THE GREAT ORCHESTRA WE CALL LIFE

YOU HAVE AN INSTRUMENT

AND A SONG

-MAX LUCADO

The Universe has bestowed upon you,

Your own special gifts,

With a Light that is uniquely yours.

Today is the perfect time to focus on these gifts,

Believe in these gifts,

Celebrate these gifts,

And

Lead with these gifts.
-Royce

DREAM RANGERS

2011-03-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

WHAT DO PEOPLE LIVE FOR?

DON'T MISS ONE OF THE BEST COMMERCIALS WE'VE EVER SEEN.

The captions are small, you may want to enlarge to watch.

WE ARE ALL EXTRAORDINARY DREAMERS.

ASK YOURSELF:

WHAT DO I LIVE FOR?

CREATIVITY NEEDS YOUR VOTE

2011-03-23T10:35:00.006-04:00

JILL BADONSKY

Modern Day MUSE Extraordinaire

This morning in the MUSEologies Studio, we received an e-mail from THE DOMINO PROJECT humbly requesting votes on an article/testimonial written about our revered friend and Master Muse Jill Badonsky. If you want to find out more before casting your vote, check out her website: The Muse Is In.

All votes cast at the bottom of THE DOMINO PROJECT PAGE (click on the stars) will be GREAT-fully appreciated. Here's the article:

Kaizen-Muse and Creativity
March 14, 2011
by Guest Submission
The Domino Project

Jill Badonsky, founder of Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching is a person completely engaged with the pursuit and happiness of accessing the creative side of life in everyone, even those who think they don’t have a creative bone in their body. Her coaching model is a heartwarmingly open, gentle yet amazingly effective system of helping all ages to overcome obstacles and blocks along life’s path, regardless of profession, passion or occupation.

Who is Jill Badonsky and what the heck is Kaizen-Muse?

Jill Badonsky, M.Ed., is an internationally recognized workshop leader, keynote speaker, creativity-coaching pioneer, illustrator, and humorist. Founder and Director of Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching model, she writes a monthly column for Creativity Portal and is editor of the monthly Muse Flash. ( I believe that makes her THEE Main Muse.)

Jill is a certified Yoga teacher; teaching yoga in corporations, spas, retreats, and prisons for over 20 years.

Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching is an unprecedented model for coaching resistant, blocked, and sensitive creative people or anyone experiencing procrastination, overwhelm or other blocks to positive changes.

She is author of: The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard): 10 Guides to Creative Inspiration for Artists, Poets, Lovers, and Other Mortals Wanting to Live a Dazzling Existence and The Awe-manac: A Daily Dose of Wonder from Running Press.

She wrote and performed the one woman show: I Can’t Always Handle Reality, But It’s Really the Only Place to Get a Good Cup of Coffee.

Jill lives in the San Diego area with two cats and a bougainvillea. Okay, most of the above I cut and pasted that from her newsletter. Now for the real goods:

Since 1997, Jill has been tirelessly advocating, using and teaching the benefits, no, the necessity of opening ourselves in a patient, potent way to living a more creatively joyfilled life. Kaizen, a Japanese technique for achieving great and lasting results through small, steady steps, is essential to her coaching model. How did it all start?

I’ll paraphrase some of her writings because she really does say it best…

One warm, fine day while recovering from a job chosen by her fear and not by her heart, she started paying attention to her passion for genuine creative expression. One fact popped up,

“When I take a job simply for financial security and disregard my skills that bring me joy–writing, teaching, art or performance–I basically become a complete moron. Reaching the threshold of my humiliation, I finally took a leap out of the job, without any support waiting for me and asked…HELLO…? JUST WHAT IS IT THAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO?”

For over 20 years, she had been deepening her passion for teaching and coaching others how to find and follow their creative passion. Jill decided it was time to write a book. Huh?

She was overwhelmed by the resistance to starting, the fear that it would not be good enough, the possibility that there were already too many creativity books out there, the responsibility of it all and the feeling that she didn’t have a clue what she was doing.

And suddenly, in a cafe` by the ocean, Inspiration appeared as if out of a mist…nine new and improved, savvy, deliciously colourful, hip Muses accompanied by a Bodyguard. With expressions of suppressed laughter they sidled up to her table. Yes, Inspiration had arrived…just in time for coffee. And with that she was off, or in Jill’s vocabulary…Ready-Fire-Aim.

Turned out that the Nine Modern Day Muses and their Bodyguard, reinvented especially to connect with this space and time, were earnestly contemplating the big human truth. “MORTALS MUST DO WHAT THEY ARE HERE TO CREATIVELY DO OR THEY WILL BECOME CRANKY.”

The sensitive and rebellious nature of a creative person, any person wanting change, linchpin if you will, as well as the elusiveness of creativity are honoured and respected in this coaching approach. KMCC’s power includes ways of bringing sabotaging behaviors and thoughts into awareness through techniques that honour human nature. The Tools used are creative and often playful in design, consistently resulting in profound shifts in thought and action. Kaizen-Muse Tools change lives.

How do I know this? As a Kaizen-Muse Certified Creativity Coach, I use these amazing tools every day with clients, friends and myself. I am also a small business entrepreneur, artist and organic farmer. I get to test these amazing coaching tools in all manner of situations and environments.

Jill Badonsky’s coaching model, books, newsletter and numerous creative projects speak volumes about her and her connection with the pulse of creative electricity that we all have and especially with those who risk being true to themselves to let it live and to touch others.

Her mission in life is to deepen her own creativity and teach others to do the same and, as Jill says, “If there’s something that can make creativity fun and easier, hey, I’m for it!!”

Please consider these attitudes, insights and actions and sense of humour as signs of a mortal but exceptionally un-cranky creative Modern Day Muse INITIATOR, aka Jill Badonsky.

PLEASE

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE

CLICK ON THIS LINK: THE DOMINO PROJECT

THANK YOU!

A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT ATTITUDE

2011-03-21T10:32:00.002-04:00

YODA

"THE FORCE" OF ATTITUDE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU.

Mike Dooley's TUT Adventure Club, creator of A NOTE FROM THE UNIVERSE, agrees:

You can choose to go, do, be and have, and in the end you'll exclaim, shocked and bewildered, that because of all the synchronicities of your life, all the "clicks" and "coincidences," and the many happy "accidents," your bounty and good fortune must have been your destiny.

OR: You might choose to wait for a miracle, a savior, or divine intervention, and in the end you'll exclaim, shocked and bewildered, that because of all the synchronicities of your life, all the missed chances and disappointments, and the many unhappy accidents, your lack and misfortune must have been your destiny.

DO YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE?

It ain't me,

-The Universe

WITH THIS IN MIND...

FIRST: Choose from the options that thrill you.

Then: Choose the ones that also teach you.

And: From these, choose the scariest.

Butterflies in your tummy are good.

-The Universe

FLIGHT PLAN TO SUCCESS

2011-02-28T17:25:00.005-05:00

FLIGHT PLAN TO SUCCESS

Remember the movie TOP GUN? There is a rousing scene where Maverick (Tom Cruise) announces with unbridled and inspired passion, “I FEEL THE NEED. THE NEED FOR SPEED!” Now, transfer that adrenaline-infused moment into book-form and you have JT DeBolt’s FLIGHT PLAN TO SUCCESS.

JT has crafted a grand and compelling metaphoric parallel between flying a military jet and life. A quick read, precise and magnetic, FLIGHT PLAN TO SUCCESS will give you the tools to push through your perceived limitations and break your own personal sound barrier.

One of this reader’s favorite topics is a simple yet genius-infused idea shared by JT, “…one of the best strategies for accomplishing the mission is the concept of planning your path to success by working backward.” Then he shares a 3-Step Plan (don’t miss pages 128-132),

" To work your way backward:

1. Define your goal.

2. Set a specific date when you want to achieve your goal.

3. Write down the last thing you will need to accomplish prior to completing your goal – then write down the step before that, and the step before that, until you are where you’re at right now, today.”

With this tremendously inspiring book, JT DeBolt most certainly earns his wings as a Master Muse flying high, flying fast and flying far:

“When we share our dreams and goals with the world, we awaken the world around us. Imagine talking passionately about your dream, only to spark the imagination of someone who offers a solution to achieving your goal. Then imagine that same person, being so inspired by your drive to achieve, that they share your story with a friend, a spouse, a colleague, or a child who, in turn, is inspired to set out on the path to achieving their own big dream. That is true influence. A lot of good would come into the world if more people talked about their dreams and took purposeful action toward achieving them.” -JT DeBolt

-Royce

WE ARE ALL KEEPERS OF THE FLAME

2011-01-26T09:48:00.005-05:00

ALBERT SCHWEITZER

A TRUE RENAISSANCE MAN

1875-1965

Did you known that Albert was:

A Theological Scholar

Gifted Musicologist

Respected & Prolific Writer of Scholarly Books

Medical Doctor & Surgeon

In 1913, Founded A Hospital at
Lambarene, French Equatorial Africa

The Nobel Peace Prize Recipient on 10 December 1953

WHEN ALBERT HAD SOMETHING TO SAY, PEOPLE LISTENED:

AT TIMES,

OUR OWN LIGHT GOES OUT

AND IS REKINDLED BY A SPARK FROM ANOTHER PERSON.

EACH OF US HAS CAUSE TO THINK,

WITH DEEP GRATITUDE,

OF THOSE WHO HAVE LIGHTED THE FLAME WITHIN US.

-ALBERT SCHWEITZER

NEVER FORGET THE POWER OF TRYING AGAIN

2011-01-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

This is one of the MUSEologies Studio's favorite images!

COURAGE DOES NOT ALWAYS ROAR.

SOMETIMES,

COURAGE IS THE QUIET VOICE

AT THE END OF THE DAY SAYING,

"I WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW."

-MARY ANN RADMACHER

RESISTANCE IS FERTILE

2011-01-19T11:52:00.001-05:00

THE BORG QUEEN

SHE HAD TO CONFRONT HER OWN SELF-SABORAGE ISSUES

The MUSEologies Studio is proud to introduce a Steven Pressfield quote received from THE MIGHT CLUB - where creatives, dreamers and mavericks play BIGGER. 2011 is all about reframing limiting beliefs - and we've got to love the concept: Resistance is fertile NOT futile!

A PROFESSIONAL IS PREPARED

A quick excerpt from

Steven Pressfield's The War of Art

I'm not talking about craft, that goes without saying.

The professional is prepared at a deeper level.

He is prepared, each day, to confront his own self-sabotage.

The professional understands

that Resistance is fertile and ingenious.

It will throw stuff at him that he's never seen before.

The professional prepares mentally

to absorb blows and to deliver them.

His aim is to take what the day gives him.

He is prepared to be prudent

and prepared to be reckless,

to take a beating when he has to,

and go for the throat when he can.

He understands that the field alters every day.

His goal is not victory

(success will come by itself when it wants to)

but to handle himself,

his insides,

as sturdily and steady as he can.

PUREST INSPIRATION

2010-11-22T10:22:00.001-05:00

TEPEE ILLUMINATED BY THE AURORA BOREALIS

BY: RAYMOND GEHMAN

THE MOMENTS OF PUREST INSPIRATION

OFTEN TAKE US BY SURPRISE

IT IS NOT THAT WE CAPTURE THEM

BUT, RATHER,

THEY CAPTURE US

-Royce

COMPONENTS OF OUR HEARTS

2010-11-19T21:41:00.000-05:00

GUS STEWART

Gone From Us Too Soon

Gifted us with a piece of his heart every day.

Photo by: Royce

It came to me

That every time I lose a dog

They take a piece of my heart with them.

And every new dog

That comes into my life

Gifts me with a piece of their heart.

If I live long enough,

All the components of my heart

Will be "dog"

And I will become

As generous and loving as they are.

-Author Unknown

Thank you to Lucy from Missouri for sending this our way.

FOR A MOMENT...BE THE PENGUIN

2010-11-13T10:03:00.002-05:00

Courage is not the absence of fear,

But rather the judgment that something else

Is more important than fear.

-Ambrose Hollingworth Redmoon

FOR A MOMENT...BE THE EAGLE

2010-11-08T17:55:00.000-05:00

Young Bald Eagle

By: Claude's Place

"Many times during the season I have in my solitude a visit from a bald eagle...I want my interest and sympathy to go with him in his continental voyaging up and down, and in his long, elevated flights to and from his eyrie upon the remote, solitary cliffs. He draws great lines across the sky; he sees the forests like a carpet beneath him, he sees the hills and valleys as folds and wrinkles in a many-colored tapestry; he sees the river as a silver belt connecting remote horizons. We climb mountain-peaks to get a glimpse of the spectacle that is hourly spread out beneath him. Dignity, elevation, repose are his. I would have my thoughts take as wide a sweep. I would be as far removed from the petty cares and turmoils of this noisy and blustering world."

-- John Burrough's: Wild Life About My Cabin--

A CALL TO CREATIVE THINKERS EVERYWHERE

2010-11-02T12:21:00.004-04:00

The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard) Third Edition

A CALL TO ARTISTS, WRITERS AND CREATIVE THINKERS EVERYWHERE!

If you haven’t had the privilege of reading the magnificently motivating book THE NINE MODERN DAY MUSES (and a Bodyguard) you MUST find a copy of the NEW and enhanced THIRD EDITION and read it.

A Master Muse of our time…JILL BADONSKY is a witty, sometimes wickedly irreverent, delightful and brainy Tinkerbellesque Warrior of creative ideas, visions and artistic dreams. She shares cutting-edge psychological technologies, specific exercises and the extraordinary power of guided imagery to aid us in winning the battle against self-sabotage and marauding inner critics. Add to that a dash of whimsy and several pinches of joyful, motivational merriment and you have a timeless reference that takes significant information and presents it with a sense of FUN! The voice of the book speaks in non-judgmental voices and persuades you to consider the power of yourself. This is NOT just for artists or writers. This is a book for everyone. We are all students of ourselves.

Jill, in a recent online BOOK RE-RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT of the expanded THIRD EDITION, had this to say:

"...A Muse, for those of you who may be wondering, is a beacon of creative inspiration. In Greek mythology it was believed that when writers, poets, artists, and other creative people were inspired, it was because they were visited by a Muse. Each of the nine Modern Day Muses presents solutions to any creative block you could possibly be encountering including procrastination, perfectionism, self-sabotage, distractions, fear, overwhelm, and a closet door that doesn’t seem to close all the way." - Jill Badonsky

POSTSCRIPT:

The MUSEologies Studio and this Blogposium came into being and exist because of Jill Badonsky and her creative and inspirational work. She is a brilliant, talented and fabulous gift to our World!

AUTUMN RAMBLES AND A SWIM IN KEY WEST

2010-11-01T11:15:00.001-04:00

SEA GRAPES GROWING ABOVE A POOL IN KEY WEST

Photo by: Royce

{Autumn}...HERE'S TO YOU,

Here's to the heady aroma of the frost-kissed apples,

The winey smell of RIPENED GRAPES,

The wild-as-the-wind smell of hickory nuts

And the nostalgic whiff of that first wood smoke.

KEN WALLER

Author of:

Walks and Rambles in Rhode Island

KEY WEST VERSION

{Autumn}... HERE'S TO YOU,

Here's to the heady aroma of freshly pressed coconut oil,

The winey-bitter smell of RIPENED SEA GRAPES,

The wild-as-the-wind smell of tangy salt air

And the nostalgic whiff of that first camp fire on the beach.

-Royce

HALLOWEEN ON A TROPICAL ISLAND

2010-10-31T11:44:00.000-04:00

THE MANGROVES ARE FULL OF MAGICAL FAERIES

THE SEA IS FULL OF SHIMMERING FISH

THE PALM TREES ARE FULL OF DELICIOUS COCONUTS

LET'S MAKE AN AUTUMN WISH

-Royce

ROCK ON WITH YOUR FANTASTICAL SELF

2010-10-27T15:45:00.005-04:00

Once upon every All Hallow’s Eve, on an enchanted tropical island far, far to the south of the continental USA, there is a magical event where adults are no longer adults but return to their WildChild selves and participate with a happy and free heart in the unforgettable celebration known as Fantasy Fest!

Think Janis Joplin as Cinderella, almost naked and air-brushed in an amazing 1960s psychedelic rainbow. Her carriage has been created from a well-loved, 3-wheel bicycle disguised as a shimmering pink papier-mache pumpkin with an electrified winged-dolphin perched on top. At midnight, she takes Peter Pan (an architect) and Tinkerbelle (a local judge) for a ride in the slick modification behind the bicycle – an attached trailer, constructed from a plastic sea kayak atop a Red-Flyer wagon. There’s never been a better Neverland than Key West on October 30th!

What, may you ask, does it feel like to participate in Fantasy Fest? Picture mature and serious “adults” shedding their everyday ‘responsible’ personas (and oftentimes their clothes.) Like Superman stepping from his telephone booth, they are transformed from accountants, doctors, lawyers, business executives, parents, graphic artists, police officers, restaurant owners, teachers and any number of other respected occupations into every imaginable and unimaginable character – the quintessential celebration of fantasy!

FANTASY

A CREATION OF THE IMAGINATION

A FREELY ENVISIONED THOUGHT OR INVENTION

A WHIMSICAL NOTION

A CAPRICE

FORMED AS IF BY UNRESTRAINED FANCY

POSTSCRIPT:

WHAT HAPPENS IN KEY WEST

STAYS IN KEY WEST

WE SIMPLY GROW TALLER

2010-10-27T14:41:00.002-04:00

From all across the world (literally), over 100,000 people remember their child within. For one enchanted weekend, they come to Key West and celebrate their child’s heart and soul with enthusiasm and abandon. Fantasy Fest is the party of parties. All are welcome. Imagination and creativity are the cornerstones of this event.

At no time is the Key West motto more truly exemplified as ONE HUMAN FAMILY. Remarkably, disruptions are so minimal it’s not even worth mentioning. It’s almost as though everyone knows this place, this time and this experience is sacred; born from a deeper, energetic level where people of all races, religions, political views, sexual orientation and economic levels are just that… children of the Universe that still believe in love, laughter and joy.

"You can understand and relate to most people better if you look at them - no matter how old or impressive they may be - as if they are children. For most of us never really grow up or mature all that much - we simply grow taller. O, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the child we always are, whose needs are simple, whose daily life is still best described by fairy tales."

-Leo Rosten: American Educator

WE ALL NEED A PINK BAT

2010-10-27T12:17:00.001-04:00

TURNING PROBLEMS INTO SOLUTIONS

By: Michael McMillan

www.pinkbatmovie.com

WOW! Take a six-minute inspirational recess today, click-on the above link, and watch this powerful trailer about Michael McMillan's "Pink Bat Theory" as it relates to turning problems into solutions. It just may change your approach and elevate your thinking on how to solve the current challenges in your life. It certainly did ours. Bravo to Simple Truths for including THE PINK BAT as one of its inspirational movies.

A LITTLE REMINDER

2010-10-21T17:56:00.003-04:00

Today, a few words of wisdom floated into our Studio from cyberspace.

We decided, this little reminder was worth posting.

Thank you to Sally from California.

To realize

The value of a sister/brother:

Ask someone

Who doesn't have one.

To realize

The value of ten years:

Ask a newly

Divorced couple.

To realize

The value of four years:

Ask a graduate.

To realize

The value of one year:

Ask a student who

Has failed a final exam.

To realize

The value of one month:

Ask a mother

Who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize

The value of one week:

Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize

The value of one minute:

Ask a person

Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize

The value of one-second:

Ask a person

Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment you have.

-Author Unknown

HAPPINESS AS A STATE OF MIND

2010-10-13T09:52:00.004-04:00

THE DALAI LAMA

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

Happiness is a way of being rather than an endless search for experiences. Pleasure is fine but depends on things that are subject to change: people, places, things. Something tastes good; fire warms you when you're cold. But then this experience turns neutral or averse: Even the most beautiful music is unpleasant after 24 straight hours. But happiness is a more durable state. It's a cluster of basic human qualities that nurture a state of fulfillment, flourishing, of appreciating your life. It's inner freedom, inner strength, inner peace. These are the resources to deal with the struggles of life. The more you experience happiness, the deeper and more stable it becomes.

-Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard

About Matthieu Ricard:

Often referred to as “The Happiest Man in the World”

The reason Ricard is considered one of the happiest men in the world is because MRI scans show he experiences extreme levels of positive emotions and few negative ones. Thus, he became known as "the happiest man in the world."

A few days ago, the home page of AOL profiled Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, a trained cell biologist from France. In 1972, Ricard moved to the Himalayas to study Buddhism. Since that time, he has re-scripted his life. Today, he is an acclaimed writer and photographer, a translator and French interpreter to the Dalai Lama.

Matthieu Ricard's books include: The Monk and the Philosopher - (a dialogue with his father, a famed philosopher), Happiness: a Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill and, most recently, Why Meditate? The proceeds from his books go to forty-one humanitarian projects in the remote Himalayas. If you are interested in learning more, please click on this link to karuna-shechen.

BOLD VISION

2010-10-09T13:12:00.002-04:00

Model June Pickney

By: Stan Wayman

"You need to have BOLD VISIONS pushing you forward.

If it isn't scaring you a little, it's probably too small.

If it isn't exciting you a lot,

Then you're not going to have any emotion invested in it."

-Vishen Lakhiani

EYE OF THE TIGER

2010-10-08T15:27:00.006-04:00

THE ABILITY TO SEE PAST CHALLENGE, RATHER THAN STARE AT IT.

EYE OF THE TIGER

By: Neil Bramley

WWW.FINISHSTRONGMOVIE.COM

Created by: Dan Green

CLICK ON THE ABOVE LINK AND EXPERIENCE a few inspiring moments from SIMPLE TRUTHS. Included in this inspirational booster shot is the theme song, Eye of the Tiger, from a Rocky movie as well as quotes worth repeating again and again. Enjoy!

TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS

WE MUST NOT ONLY ACT,

BUT ALSO DREAM;

NOT ONLY PLAN,

BUT ALSO BELIEVE.

-Anatole France

IT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU

BUT HOW YOU REACT THAT MATTERS.

-Epictetus

MOST OF US

HAVE FAR MORE COURAGE

THAN WE EVER DREAMED WE POSSESSED.

-Dale Carnegie

IMAGINATION

2010-10-02T08:51:00.003-04:00

POSSIBILITIES

2010-09-30T17:44:00.001-04:00

ARCHES OF POSSIBILITY

By: Sattva's Gallery

P erceptions

O ften

S hift

S ubstantially

I f

B rain

I nitiates

L imitless

I magination

T ransforming

I nto

E xtraordinary

S uccess

THE UNLIMITED POWER OF A DAY DREAM

2010-09-29T13:27:00.002-04:00

MIND ETERNAL

Artist: Bruce Rolff

I BELIEVE IN DAY DREAMS.

YOU CAN CERTAINLY

WILL SOMETHING INTO EXISTENCE

BUT FIRST

YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE VISION.

IT ALL BEGINS WITH IMAGINATION,

A PLACE WITH NO BOUNDARIES.

-Margaret McLean

WHAT IS NAKED ORIGINALITY?

2010-09-27T11:08:00.005-04:00

STONEHENGE

SUMMER SOLSTICE

WHAT IS NAKED ORIGINALITY?

The exposed, unguarded, vulnerable courage

to take authentic action toward making your dreams come true.

The ability to think
and act in an independent and visionary manner.

Instead of living a life of quiet desperation,

at the mercy of limiting beliefs,

You can blaze a new trail -

A path leading to breakthroughs, growth, health, abundance

And giving back to others.

- As defined by Royce

Last week, I had the privilege of listening to Jeffrey Van Dyk and Suzanne Falter-Barns in another brilliant tele-conference. They demonstrated, via interactive exchange with listeners, what their Spiritual Marketing Quest is all about. Jeffrey's and Suzanne's areas of expertise target excavating the blocks and wounds that hold you back and transforming them into 'gifted tools' which help you build a unique, authentic and compelling platform or identity. Their work speaks to people who want to take their passion, their mission, their business to the next level. During the call, Jeffrey and Suzanne referred to "naked originality" as being an imperative component. By exposing your "naked originality" you will have a much better shot at standing out from the crowd of five hundred million bloggers and online 'sales blasts' that overwhelm and inundate us every day.

This term, Naked Originality, resonates. So much so, I spent the weekend experimenting with an idea - one which, I hope, will morph and improve as it progresses. I also have to credit Jeffrey Howard's innovative and astoundingly influential VBU or Visionary Business University. This is Week #3 in a series of one-hour calls which just may rock your world. They are rockin' mine! Access to these calls - all twenty-four of them - is FREE. And, NO, I'm not getting paid to promote any of this. The information is simply too good not to write about here in hopes it motivates you to, at least, check it out.

I know many respected colleagues and friends who are sick-to-death of the massive 'self-help' market hype. Often suspect. Seemingly overwhelming. How do you know what's authentic and what's bogus?

Here's how I deal with it: I set my white-plastic-egg timer for 15 minutes every morning when I'm ready to take a break from the project at hand. During those 15 minutes, I check-out {online} one, of a growing list, of programs, individuals or organizations who may offer a magnificent morsel of information. If their particular service or product does not resonate, I move on. If it does, I can feel a stirring of excitement because the day is made better by learning something new - something I've never considered before.

Bottom Line: I take what speaks to me, and leave the rest. My egg-timer dings and, more often than not, I feel a small surge of motivation because of what I've read or seen. I consider the possibility that answers are out there.

With all this being said, I invite you to click-on my new experiment: Naked Originality. This site is a "work-in-progress" resource for accessing, in one place, the myriad of 21st Century visionary thinkers. I am humbled, beyond description, by what I am discovering.

As I began constructing this site, I also found myself experiencing massive overwhelm. The remedy: I set my trusty egg-timer for fifteen minutes of exploration. That's it. This easy-to-use fifteen minutes accumulates into one hour and forty-five minutes in one week! I love breaking things down into small bits because the result, over a short period of time, is truly amazing.

Just a suggestion - this week, for fifteen minutes each day:

1: Turn off CNN {Constantly Negative News} or other negative influences

2: Dig out that timer or go to the Dollar Store and buy one

3: As the timer ticks, click-on a site you haven't seen before

4: Consider the possibilties

Respectfully suggested,

Royce