Being the Artists of Our Lives

I spoke to Dr. Lynn Carey for a wonderful conversation about creativity and healing, and I am sharing some of the takeaways here with you.

In an era where quick fixes and instant gratification are often the norm, Dr. Carey's approach is a breath of fresh air. She emphasizes that true healing comes from within, by aligning our physical bodies with our emotional and mental states.

This holistic approach to health doesn't just stop at physical ailments; it extends into every aspect of life. From her own experiences, she learned that living in alignment with your passions can be a potent source of happiness and fulfillment. This isn’t just some abstract idea either—it’s backed up by science! Studies have shown that engaging in activities we love boosts our immune system, reduces stress levels, and contributes to overall well-being.

But how does creativity factor into this? Well, according to Dr. Carey, everyone has the potential for creative expression—whether...

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Use Gratitude to Create a Bounty of Positive Change in Your Life

Consistent gratitude is one of the most powerful tools that you can use to propel yourself into a brighter tomorrow. Gratitude isn’t a magical shortcut, though. It doesn’t necessarily create any changes outside of yourself. What it can do, however, is open you up to other opportunities.

As you become aware of the multitude of blessings already present in your life, you may begin to focus on abundance more and more. This can set you on a path to a mental state rich in optimism.

This transformation takes place as you begin to express genuine gratitude to others, and start feeling gratitude for everything in your life that brings you joy.

Become Receptive to Abundance 

A great way to increase your awareness of the abundance you already have is to start a gratitude journal. You don’t have to wait for something great to come into your life to appreciate it. Instead, just open your notebook once a day and take a few minutes to write down everything you’re...

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Taking Stock and the Sharing of Ideas

I follow ‘Leonie Dawson’ who follows ‘Meet Me at Mikes’. Meet Me at Mike’s shared a taking stock exercise, and Leonie loved it and so she shared it. When I saw it, I also loved it and I am sharing it with you today. This will now be my new weekly check-in. Don’t worry I won’t bore you each week (just this week) with what I am up to, but it is a great tool for reminding ourselves what we accomplish and the changes we are making.

I love the sharing of ideas, I love how we create, collaborate, tweak and build on what we see around us. It is one of my favorite things about the Create with Me! Sessions. I love seeing what everyone is working on, I love trying new things. I have found so many great new art supplies, and suppliers, from those times together.

Taking Stock

Making: I have been working a lot in my art journals, making new pages, trying new techniques.

Getting: One exciting thing I got this week was the Oracle of the 7 Energies Deck by...

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Five Ways to Add More Optimism to Your Life!

Optimism doesn’t mean engaging in wishful or fantastic thinking. It’s a way of looking at the world that gives more control to the optimist as being at least partly responsible when life is going well. According to studies optimists have healthier outlooks and tend to live longer than their more pessimistic counterparts; they also are less susceptible to the negative effects of illness, fatigue, and depression. 

Benefits of being optimistic.People who are more optimistic have better pain management, improved immune and cardiovascular function, and greater physical functioning. Optimism helps buffer the negative effects of physical illness and is associated with better health outcomes in general. Optimists tend to look for meaning in adversity, which can make them more resilient. 

A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that the most optimistic women were 30 percent less likely to die from any of the serious illnesses tracked during the...

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Gratitude: Why We Need It.

I know it seems like I talk about gratitude a lot. There could be a reason for that. Gratefulness is the foundation of living a happier life.

A few weeks ago I did a blog 100 Gratitudes where I asked you to list 100 things you were grateful for. I also released a Kindle book Gratitude: How to Live with Joy and Gratefulness. I often share my gratitude on my Creative U Facebook page. I do all of that as a reminder to all of us to be grateful. 

Sometimes we get so bogged down in our day to day life that we forget to be grateful for what we have. We focus all our attention on lack. Our brains are hardwired to justify our thoughts, so when we spend our time only thinking about lack, that is where we stay in life.

When we can focus more on what we have, we get more of that. So, that means the more energy you put into being grateful the more things you will get to be grateful for.

Excerpt from my Book Gratitude: How to Live with Joy and Gratefulness

The Opposite of Gratefulness

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100 Gratitudes

Gratitude

I just finished putting the finishing touches on my Gratitude Kindle release and launched it this week,  and with everything that is going on it seems more relevant then ever to have gratitude for what we have in our lives.

Gratitude reminds us of what we have which allows us to think more positively. And if you believe in the law of attraction you know that the Universe (God, Spirit) will not give you more of what you 'want' if you are not grateful for what you have. 

This is a relatively simple in concept exercise, but will get you thinking about what you are truly grateful for.
 
The process is simple; just think of 100 things you are grateful for.

This act will open your mind to the staggering number of things there are to be grateful for in your life.
 
Don’t stress about finishing this list all in one go. Just get through as much as possible in one sitting and keep coming back to it as you think of more items. 

Print out the worksheet and try it...

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The Benefits Of A Gratitude Journal

It might seem unreal that writing in a journal could be so beneficial. But the scientific evidence is in, and gratitude journals do benefit you in big ways if you keep one for the long term and use it daily. 

Experience Stronger and More Fulfilling Relationships
It’s so simple, but it can be hard to accept. You are the one who makes yourself happy with your own choices. Another person cannot make you happy or grateful. Only you can do that. But something amazing happens when you express gratitude often – your relationships simply open up and become better. Those that don’t, you start to recognize for what they are and let them go.

Become Physically Healthier 
Being grateful for the ability to move and breathe will eventually cross over into wanting to ensure that you can always do that. Therefore, you’ll be more motivated to go on walks, eat right, stay hydrated, and live in gratitude for every aspect of your life.

Increase Your Mental Dexterity 
The...

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Gratitude

What is Gratitude?
World Leading scientific expert on gratitude, Robert Emmons, states that gratitude has two key components.

First,  “it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.

The second part of gratitude, he explains, “we recognize that the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves” … We acknowledge that other people, or even higher powers if you’re of a spiritual mindset, gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.

Grat·i·tude
noun

  1. the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
    "she expressed her gratitude to the committee for their support"


So, why do we need it?
The Greater Good Science Center outlined several benefits of gratitude in a paper titled, “The Science of Gratitude” (2018).

  • Increased happiness and positive mood
  • More satisfaction with...
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