How Good is Your Life?

Reflections…

Amid the busyness of the past month I’ve made time to immerse myself in an enlightening book, Spiritual Compass by Satish Kumar.

The Three Qualities

In the Vedas of ancient India, everything in life is spread through three fundamental qualities or gunas. These are sattva, rajas and tamas.

Satish Kumar eloquently describes the three qualities as:

Sattva being elegant & simple

Rajas being extravagant & excessive

Tamas being dark & depressing

Which quality is strongest in your current life?

In your life, it is your personal quest to blend the gunas, to ultimately seek a life in the highest of the three - sattva. Living a sattvic existence will allow you to be authentic and true to yourself, both in your inner and outer life.

In this realm you can seek to achieve wholeness and harmony, as you learn to believe and accept in the power and strength of who you are (not who you’ve been told to be by other people), in body, mind and spirit…

From this incredible and ancient way of being…

as you strive to blend the gunas in your life, I’d like to share with you a ‘pinnacle moment’ poem that I discovered on a page in the book…

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness
Some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows
Who violently sweep your house
Empty of it’s furniture.

Still treat each guest honourably;
He may be clearing you out
For some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
Meet them at the door laughing
And invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
Because each has been sent
As a guide from beyond.

Jallaludin Rumi

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Lights.Camera. Action!

Actors Ready?

Light bulb moments unleash creative thought. Light bulb moments excite. Light bulb moments inspire us all.

A fabulous moment of realisation.

Yesterday while delivering one of my favourite workshops on social media marketing, the combined thinking of the group and I experienced an amazing light bulb moment.We nailed a simple yet effective solution, to better understand the process of how to integrate social media into the marketing mix. It was a fun & liberating moment!

Lights. Camera. Action!

So what did we learn? Together we discovered and created a 3 step approach to making sense of and making social media become a workable & connected solution for your business.

This is how you can do it too.

Step 1. Use Twitter as your ‘movie’ headline up in lights.
Step 2. Use Facebook (make sure you’ve linked Twitter as a feed to Facebook) as your ‘movie trailer’ to attract attention as the camera rolls.
Step 3. Direct your ‘movie buffs’ to your website (always add a link to your website on your social media profile) where they can enjoy the ‘full length feature’ or your story!

It is as simple as that!

Thank you to Henry, Janice, Helen, Mel, Marianne & Karen for your incredible creativity and inspiration. Together the light bulb shone.

Now it’s up to you to become the star (not an extra) in your own movie!!

How High Will You Fly?

‘Art is what it is to be human’

As quoted by one of my favourite business author’s, Seth Godin, in his latest book, The Icarus Deception. (Note the specially signed copy I received from Seth’s book launch in London in January)

We can all make art.The fact that we can all be artists and make art is the core message. In his book Seth encourages you to aim higher, to face your fears, and to forget what society expects you to do!Set around the story of Icarus who flew too close to the sun, only to then plummet to earth, Seth invites you to stop feeling ‘safe’ as you fly low, instead ‘do art, and fly higher than you’ve been taught is possible’. Lose the old ways and create innovative, connective new ways.Discover the ‘Connection Economy’

The new way we must make art is ‘to connect, to make a difference, to make a ruckus and to make a legacy.’ In these rapidly changing times, connection is ‘the’ key.

Here are Seth’s six daily habits (pages 82/83) to inspire you to become a successful artist:

* Sit alone; sit quietly
* Learn something new without any apparent practical benefit
* Ask individuals for bold feedback; ignore what you hear from the crowd
* Spend time encouraging other artists
* Teach, with the intent of making change
* Ship something that you created

My art isn’t for everyone.

My key learning point from the book is that my art IS for my ‘tribe’ or community who value what I do to make a difference to their lives.

B uy or borrow a copy of The Icarus Deception, as it will change your thinking about what art you, as a unique artist, can make. I’m keen to hear your feedback and to find out how Seth inspired you to make art.

So, how high will you fly?

Are You Ready to Untie the Knots in your Life?

Do you find that you these words get overly used in your everyday language: Won’t, Can’t or Don’t? Yes or no? You do use them, don’t you?

Do you realise that these ‘nots’ are actually holding you back? ‘Nots’ are ties that bind so tightly to you and your life, and stop you from becoming who you really can be.

All you have to do is…

Untie the nots from your language. Turn a ‘not’ into a positive and you will lift your spirit, feel better about yourself and be able to say to the world, “I can, I will or I do!”

When you untie your ‘nots’ people will notice. What will other’s see? A change in you. A change in your attitude and your perspective about what you can achieve.

Do you feel that far too much is written about what can’t be done? Well, in true Up! style here are a few suggestions I discovered to help you realise what can be done No longer allow yourself to be held back by conditioning or what other’s think should be the ‘standard’ way to be and do. You have the power to change the perception – just give yourself permission.

It is totally in your control to say ‘I can’, I will, I do’

Unwrap your thinking, unravel the ‘nots’ that restrict you and unleash the force of YOU!