The Best Use of your Imagination is Creativity. The Worst Use is...

The other day, I heard Deepak Chopra speaking about the way we use our human minds. Wisely, he said, "The best use of your imagination is creativity. The worst use of your imagination is fear."

My mind instantly switched the word "fear" to "worry," because worry is truly about letting our imagination wander down a dark street and conjure up images of all the dangers that might lurk there. "Fear" implies many things, some real and some imagined, but worry is when we spin a yarn of gloom and doom---and that requires a vivid imagination!

Hearing Deepak's words reminded me of the advice a friend gave me decades ago. She said, "Jill, you are a very creative person. Make sure you always have a creative project going so you don't get bored and start looking for trouble." It wasn't until I heard Chopra's statement that I realized what she meant. Mentally (or emotionally) creative people have to maintain a healthy exercise program for their imaginations---or they start creating internal dramas.

This week, I ask you to consider your use of imagination. Are you a particularly curious, creative, or theatrical personality? Do you tend to be anxious? If so, you might be more likely to fret than a practical thinker or someone who takes life as it comes. No worries---here's what you can do:

1.  Evaluate whether the fear is justified, or if you're in an unproductive worry cycle.
2.  Decide if any real-world actions are called for. If so, take them. If not:
3.  Stop for a moment and feel the actual fear, instead of keeping it at bay in the form of nagging, low-grade worry. Have compassion for yourself.
4.  Remind yourself that the worry is not helping, and that it's putting an unnecessarily negative spin on the situation, and on the future.
5.  Decide to use your imagination super-powers for good, and deliberately dream up a fantastically unexpected, desirable scenario to replace the scary, depressing one.
6.  Thank your imagination for this new (better) creation.

Good luck, and I hope you have a stress-free week!

Join the Global Chorus: Sing (and Play) C-F-A on New Years Day

Global Harmony Project: Sing C-F-A on New Years Day

by John Shinn, musician and sound healer

Please join us in a global movement to sing together in harmony to bring in 2016. A simple idea with earth-changing possibilities. People all over the world purposely making music together. We'd appreciate it you'd spread the word through social media, word of mouth, and other sharing.

The specific idea is this New Years Day (January 1st, 2016), everyone who wants to join in can sing and play instruments in any manner using the notes C, F and A to create together a global song that is based on the musical F chord (known to many as the heart or care vibration). Anytime New Years Day would do, but imagine the effect if some people in each time zone did this during the first minute of New Years Day (creating a global harmony wave as the New Year came in).

Why C-F-A? This combination of notes makes the F chord in the simplest of harmonies (known as 5-1-3) with the F note in the middle. The F note and chord for many who work with sound is the vibration that activates the heart. So we are seeing the global heart activated and the world singing together in harmony. Of course, anyone more sophisticated musically is invited to add to this harmony according to their capabilities and guidance. For the technical sound and music people, we are specifically asking for C-F-A in the A=440 Hertz music system (because the largest portion of the global music world uses this system).

Join the global chorus - sing (and play) C-F-A on January 1st, 2016. Thank you, and have a fantastic New Year!

Making Sense of What Scares You

What are you afraid of? I just googled "fear of the unknown" because I had read that all fear is basically fear of the unknown. Hmmm. I wasn't sure about this statement, because it's pretty clear to me that my fears revolve around suffering, and the vast unknown is clearly made up of all kinds of experiences, including happy surprises, future successes, new and delicious tastes, etc.

This business of the unknown reminded me of my friend describing her gym "boot camp," and how she loved it because it was different every day. She never got bored because they were always mixing it up. Various, random people ran the class, and the goal was to keep it new and fresh---every day.

I frowned. I realized I wouldn't like that because I want to know what to expect. Not in all situations all the time, but regarding exercise, I would prefer to know what's going to happen and what's to be expected of me. If I've been to a Pilates or yoga class before, I'm likely to return, but getting myself there the first day demands courage. Why? I'm not sure---it's just the way I'm wired.

You might be thinking, "Wow. Not an adventurous bone in that poor woman's body!" But you'd be mistaken. Interestingly, if you told me, "Hey, I'm a hypnotherapist, and I'd like to do an experimental guided visualization on you where you go out of your body and explore parallel lives and alternate universes!," I'd be closing my eyes and deepening my breathing even before you could finish the sentence. I'd be all over that.

I guess you could say that we each have our strengths and weaknesses. As a psychotherapist, I think of human beings as having four main aspects to their lives: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Most everyone would agree that the first three are universal, while some might argue they are not spiritual, or that this is not a part of their experience. But I define "spiritual" as simply how we each see ourselves fitting into the bigger picture, and everyone (hopefully) knows there's more to life than just self+cell phone, which means we each have a spiritual component to our life.

Just as with subjects in school, you're stronger in some areas than in others, and that's normal. You might be robust in two or three areas, and weaker or more vulnerable in one (or two) of them. This is likely where your fears crop us, and it can be helpful to to see these fears within a context, so that you can address and get extra attention or help where it's needed.

For instance:

• Those who experience vulnerability in the mental or cognitive realm might lack confidence in their ability to cope with everyday life, decision-making, and feeling like a competent and contributing member of their family or society.
• Emotionally skittish folks may avoid intimate relationships and/or revealing too much personal information. They may even sabotage good relationships or shut people out because they can't cope with the emotional demands. 
• Those who don't relate as much with the physical aspects of life may be overly cautious about their movements, being seen, visiting new places, or the physical safety of themselves or their loved ones. 
• And people with an aversion to spirituality may be afraid of the great unknown or having faith in something outside of themselves. They may lack the hope and faith that makes others' lives rich and meaningful. 

This week, I ask you to look at what scares you. Try to see it from a larger perspective, and consider what you might be able to do to reconcile or remedy the fear. From this new vantage point, you might feel compelled to work on strengthening the muscle that's keeping you feeling weak.

(Note: If you have a major phobia, you are probably either dealing with a particular trauma---from this life or beyond---or you are channeling all your free-floating anxiety/fear into one neat, but miserable, package. It's the psyche's way of trying to contain and control our fear. This might require therapy or other outside help, so please do what you need to do to address the phobia).

Making Peace with the Changing Times

Have the last two or three years been intense for you? For myself and many people I know, it's been a period of deep reflection, emotional housecleaning, endings/new beginnings, and a high degree of motivation to clarify core values and purpose. For many of us, it's no longer an option to hide from ourselves, live in denial, do meaningless work, or continue running away from what we don't want to see in ourselves or our environment.

The veil between our physical existence and that which is unseen has been thinning for a while now. The nature of time is changing. Our dreams are more vivid, and our life purposes more urgent. We're more open to spiritual messages and less tolerant of thoughtless words and behavior. It used to be normal to waste water and throw paper in the garbage, but now it unsettles us.

We are between worlds---an old world where we were unaware that smoking and unsafe sex would eventually catch up with us, and a new emerging world where millions of people are busy at work creating heaven on earth. If it sounds confusing and science fictiony, it is.

What to do? There are no quick fixes. Transformation is a process, and we really have no choice but to hang in there and work things through as they present themselves. That said, here are a few things I've learned over the years about managing stressful change and emotional unrest:

What usually doesn't  help:

• Running away from, denying, or "medicating" your feelings
• Rejecting, controlling, or trying to eliminate parts of yourself that you don't like
• Getting sucked into the abyss of old, repetitive patterns 
• Trying to think your way out of problems created by your best thinking!

What usually does help:

• Breathing, and calmly allowing your emotions (without dramatizing them)
• Working with and befriending all of your (ego) parts
• Releasing limiting beliefs that no longer serve you
• Calling in your Higher Self and other spiritual support through journaling, prayer, surrender, etc. 
• Uncovering and implementing your life purpose
• Being compassionate, nurturing, and forgiving toward yourself and others                                         

This week, I invite you to relax and make peace with the changing times. I know that things aren't perfect, but I've been around long enough to observe that life is gradually getting better all the time, even if it doesn't seem that way sometimes. It's an exciting time to be alive, and I encourage you to do your unique part as we co-create a new and better world.

Do You Want to Create Heaven on Earth?

                                                                                                              
A few months ago, I started noticing people talking about their dream of experiencing or manifesting "heaven on earth." As I listened, I heard some other versions of the same theme:

• "Ushering in a new, golden era"  
• "Installing the new paradigm"
• "Bringing in the new golden age" 
• "Creating a new earth"

I was fascinated by the coincidence, so I googled "creating heaven on earth," and learned that this mission conciousness was a movement that seemed to be shared by many, many people! Who knew?

Two weeks later, I received an email announcement from The Shift Network for a free tele-summit called Co-Creating Heaven on Earth: Practical Strategies for a World that Works for All of Us, so I signed up. It started yesterday and lasts three days, but you can still register and get the recordings. I have to say that I am blown away by the list of speakers, who are some of my very favorite authors and visionaries, truly world-class change agents and messengers.

Here are a few of them:
Barbara Marx-Hubbard (Evolutionary leader)
Don Miguel Ruiz (The Four Agreements)
Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul series)
Anodea Judith (The Global Heart Awakens)
Marcia Weider (Dream University)
Patricia Albere (Mutual Awakening)
Eben Alexander (Neurosurgeon who wrote Proof of Heaven)
and my personal favorite, Tim Kelley (True Purpose Institute/True Purpose)

Since I'm excited about this co-creative movement, I thought I'd share it with you. If you're interested in catching the live talks or listening to the audios at a later time, you can register by following this link, Creating Heaven on Earth (free Summit), and enjoy joining those of us who are busy at work tranforming our world into a brighter place. Blessings to you.

(hands photo: Pixabay Stokpic)

How your Worst Problem could turn out to be your most Welcome Gift

Whatever it is (illness, heartbreak, compulsive behavior, betrayal, loss), if it's IN your way, it IS the way. It's the very path to healing you signed up for. What does that mean?

We 21st century humans are currently swept up in an evolutionary whirlwind, and it's not particularly easy on any of us. Sure, some people are moderating and navigating change more peacefully than others, but wherever you are on the spectrum, you're being prompted to advance on your purposeful path NOW! If you're clinging to the past or the old ways, you will feel as if dragged, kicking and screaming. But there's an easier way.

There are infinite mental, emotional and spiritual techniques to help you fall in line with the growth that's being asked of you, but I'm going to invite you to focus for a moment on one thing: that which feels like your biggest challenge. Whatever it is, no matter how aggravating, persistent, or acute it may be, consider it a divine wake-up call and a gift from heaven.

You see, we didn't come into this life at this magical time in the world's history to continue spinning our wheels, be bored, or continue to languish in blame of ourselves or others for our situation. It's time to get serious about moving forward. Do what you need to do: get into therapy, go to rehab, walk away from toxic situations, forgive yourself, forgive others, commit to self-care, and face down your challenges, knowing that you agreed (on some soul level) to experience them for your growth.

Most people, if pressed, can see the silver lining in what they've been through (and sometimes in what they are currently going through). They can see that their childhood, work, or health issues made them stronger, braver, or more compassionate. Maybe growing up in an abusive family helped them later cultivate deep self-love. And most people who have been seriously ill or injured, can tell you how they were positively transformed by that experience.

So this week, I ask you to imagine how your "worst" problem might just be a portal into profound growth and healing for you. What have you learned already, and how might you face it and embrace it as the gift it will inevitably turn out to be?

How to Accept Uncertainty (and Stop Worrying)

Are you a worrier? If so, you've probably tried all kinds of things to alleviate or control the worry. If you worry about your health, your children, your job, or your finances, you may have become super-protective and vigilant in an effort to feel safer and more in control. The problem is that anything can happen at any time, and deep down inside we know we're ultimately not in control.

What you might not know about worry is that it's avoidable, but maybe not in the way you think. As a worrier myself, I know that our intuitive efforts to lessen our worry don't really work. Some of these include:

• Trying to rationalize that our fears are unwarranted or statistically unlikely to play out.
• Trying to push the worry out by: telling our brains to shut up, thinking a different thought, or engaging in another activity. 
• Attempting to manipulate the uncertain outcome through affirmations, prayer, bargaining with God, etc. (Note: a couple of these may be good practices in general, but they don't eliminate the worry habit.)

The reason none of this works is that you can't cure avoidance with more avoidance! Worry is an abstract thought/feeling haze, like static on a radio dial. It's a way to avoid facing life's inevitable uncertainty and the vivid, technicolor images that accompany full-blown anxiety. Worry is a slow, steady, sometimes chronic, dose of distraction.

Psychologists Michel Dugas and Robert Ladouceur have developed a two-step process for what they call Uncertainty Training. They found that their clients with anxiety were unable to tolerate not knowing what was going to happen. In fact, one of their clients reported that he would rather know a negative for sure, than be uncertain about a positive.

This might sounds odd, but I've known several people who rushed into a negative outcome or belief about their future, instead of adopting a "wait and see" attitude. In one case, it involved filing for an unwanted divorce. In another case, a 19-year-old woman declared that she was destined to never find true love and would spend her life alone, instead of hoping that Mr. Right would come along, which was not guaranteed. And the author, Geneen Roth, wrote that she was so constantly worried that something might happen to her husband, that she almost wished he would just die and get it over with!

Dugas and Ladouceur list the following as elements of unproductive worry. They often involve:

• Unanswerable questions
• Unsolvable problems
• Things that are unknowable
• Chain reactions (where one thought leads to another)
• Relying on anxiety as a guide
• Demands for perfect solutions
• Demands for total control

When you feel you can't tolerate uncertainty, thoughts go like this: "I don't know what's going to happen. I can't stand not being in control of the outcome, so I will distract myself (by worrying) until I know what's going to happen." The problem is that so many things in life are uncertain. You can waste the better part of your life avoiding facing your fears of what "might" happen.

The following are Dugas and Ladouceur's Uncertainty Training steps:

Step 1:  Examine the costs and benefits of accepting uncertainty

• Cost: When you accept, for instance, that you could get laid off at work, you may feel initial anxiety and nervousness that you're letting your guard down. Ask yourself: "What action can I take today that would really help?"
• Benefit: If you accept that you might be laid off no matter what you do, and accept that you can't eliminate the possibility of it happening, then it takes some of the pressure off, clears your mind mind from the trance of dread, and makes it possible for you to consider possible options. There is relief in not trying to control something you cannot control.

Step 2:  Flood yourself with uncertainty

• Instead of warding off and avoiding the the feared outcome, you confront it head-on. Repeat over and over again, "It's possible that I could lose my job," or "I might lose my job." This may cause an initial spike in anxiety, but eventually you'll see that you are not destroyed by the thought. And if repeated frequently enough, you may even become bored!  

This week, I encourage you to take an honest look at your relationship with not knowing what's going to happen. You might not like uncertainty but, as an old friend of mine once said, "the only security in life lies in accepting the insecurities of life."

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy a worry-free week.