Spirit

You are a dual being. Part eternal spirit and part temporal body. Together these comprise your soul. The soul is more powerful than the spirit alone. You are the child of a Divine Father. He desires you to become a soul composed of spirit permanently united with an incorruptible, perfected body of flesh and bone. When we were young in the universe we existed as mere intelligences. Our Father gave us bodies of spirit that allowed us to grow and evolve. But without a physical body, we came to a place of limitation beyond which we could not pass.

Now spirits are not weak beings. They are very powerful and full of potential. But without bodies we would not be able to fully exercise our abilities. We had grown from the infancy of intelligence to the childhood of spirit. When we gained a body we entered our adolescence. Now coupled with our powers of spirit, we received the senses of the body. Because we were still adolescents and because this was our first experience of the physical, God wisely ordained a probationary period. During our probation we were given time to learn about the influence of the physical nature of things. We learn about the senses and emotions. At first these new experiences can be overwhelming to a spirit, almost like sensory overload, and we become creatures of the flesh. As we grow physically we strive to bring the spirit and the body into balance. The spirit is the power, ability, and knowledge that is us. The body is the vehicle and method by which our spirits advance and learn.

During our probationary time we are rediscovering ourselves and choosing whether the body or the spirit will rule our lives. The body was never intended to be the leader. Compared to the spirit it is weak. To assist us in turning to spirit and not getting carried away with the physical, our bodies grow old and die. As this happens we become more aware of our spirit.

The spirit is a more refined form of energy than that which surrounds us in this existence. Because it is more refined it is enduring and unchanging. All the things around us that we hold to be real are actually changeable. Their energy degrades and changes form. Those things that are truly lasting are more pure.

As spirits we have certain innate gifts that we brought with us into this mortal life. These gifts, if expressed by the spirit through the body, empower our lives and strengthen our souls.

Remember, everything is made of energy. Each of us has an energy field. Our thoughts and emotions extend beyond our physical bodies and influence the people and spaces around us. The energy of thoughts and emotions hangs around in spaces after the people have left.

Get a pen and paper. Quickly write down as many things as possible that lift your spirit. A tip to make sure you get down all the important ways to lift your spirit: Think physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Now write!

Look over your list.

What “physical” ways to lift your spirit did you record?

Physical activities: dancing, exercise, playing sports, hiking, playing a musical instrument, and gardening.

Sights: beautiful objects, nature, a good-looking guy or gal, flowers, pets, rainbows.

Sounds: children’s laughter, your favourite music, waves crashing on the shore, rain on the roof.

Smells: baking bread, a whiff of perfume, the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee, the air after a spring rain.

Tastes: biting into an orange, chocolate, eating.

Touch: the feel of silk on your skin, a romantic interlude, a luxurious soak in a tub, a massage, the earth between your fingers or toes, the wind in your face as you sail.

What mental ways did you write down?

Crossword puzzles; reading books: fiction: mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, historical, thrillers, epics and plays, and non-fiction: biographies, science, travel, self-improvement, and inspirational; playing cards and board games; learning something new; planning a trip; figuring something out.

What emotional ways did you identify?

Spending time with friends and family, vacations, laughter, joyful activities.

What spiritual things did you list?

Meditation, worship, volunteering, listening to beautiful music, being in the moment, gratitude, being in nature.

Did you find it was difficult to separate the ways that uplift your spirit into the different categories? That’s okay. It helped to make sure you remembered the important ways.

Next, are the ways you recorded regular parts of your life? Which ones are? Which ones are not? What would it take to make the underused ways regular parts of your life?

Now, take a few minutes and plan how to make the 3 ways you miss the most a regular part of your life. Put your plan into action. You’ll be glad you did!

When you lift your spirit, you raise your vibration. And as you learned in Energy Work Basics Part 1, you feel “better” and “lighter” when your spirits are high. And so do the people around you!

Karen Titanich and Bonnie Hutchinson of SPIRIT Connections work with the energy of people, places and situations. Discover the secrets of working with energy. Visit http://www.spiritconnections.com

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Spirit - All Around Us, All of Us, Every One of Us

ANY time we connect with something or someone, we’re also connected with Spirit (also known as God, the Universe, Higher Power, the Source). While our personal definition of Spirit is unique, when we connect with that Spirit it immediately connects us with something outside of ourselves.

This connection also joins everyone and everything on this earth. And if we’re all connected, then what we do (and don’t do) affects others. How can we possibly know what impact our creative expressions will have on the planet, which people we will touch (whether immediately or many years down the line) or what chain of events we will set off? And what events will be stilled forever by our failure to act?

Here’s a favourite quote of mine on this topic, by Martha Graham:

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.” - Martha Graham, quoted by Agnes DeMille, Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham

Lost - it will be lost. Talk about an awesome responsibility.

Every time I have the desire to do something, to create something, that’s Spirit seeking expression through me. In a very powerful book called The Science of Getting Rich, author Wallace Wattles says:

“Desire is a manifestation of power. The desire to play music is the power which can play music seeking expression and development. The desire to invent mechanical devices is the mechanical talent seeking expression and development.

Where there is no power, either developed or undeveloped, to do a thing, there is never any desire to do that thing, and where there is strong desire to do a thing, it is certain proof that the power to do it is strong and only requires to be developed and applied in the right way.“

Here’s another quote:

“All that there is of possibility is seeking expression through people. God wants those who can play music to have pianos and every other instrument and to have the means to cultivate their talents to the fullest extent. He wants those who can appreciate beauty to be able to surround themselves with beautiful things.

He wants all these things because it is himself that enjoys and appreciates them; they are his creation. It is God who wants to play, and sing, and enjoy beauty, and proclaim truth, and wear fine clothes, and eat good foods.”

So, we wouldn’t have the desire to create these works of art if we didn’t have the power to make it happen.

As you can see, The Science of Getting Rich is about a lot more than money.

My creative talent is a gift. If I put it aside, deny it, talk myself out it or run away from it, I’m choosing to send that gift back. That’s a pretty powerful message I’m sending back to Spirit.

“No thanks, I’m not ready/willing/able.”

So, we’ve made two points here. One is that because we’re all connected, it’s our responsibility to carry out our unique role - to manifest whatever creative projects we desire to bring into the world.

The other point is that we need to respect, honour and express the gifts we’ve been given. Both of these points highlight one simple phrase that I’ve been using a lot in the Everyday Artist Coaching Studio lately:

“IT’S NOT (JUST) ABOUT YOU!”

That single phrase, that shift from worrying (”what will people think”, “what if I make a mistake”, “what if it doesn’t turn out right”, “what if I can’t do it”) to action (”I need to see this through. Once I’ve done my creative work the outcome is out of my hands”) can help to challenge procrastination, perfectionism and all of the other roadblocks that we explore in the Roadblocks to Creativity e-course.

As artists, we deal in the imagination all the time. We create from nothing - we pull invisible ideas, images and sounds out of thin air. If we can use that same imagination to create and live in a spiritual life, we can unleash a powerful source for creativity and strength.

What would YOU do if you had more POWER behind you? Well, it’s there, you just need to plug into it!

PUT IT INTO PLAY

Here are the three principles that have helped me the most in connecting with Spirit.

Acceptance. When I accept what happens in my life, what other people do and say, and my own successes and failures, I reinforce that “everything happens for a reason”. I can peacefully move through my day, doing what I have to do, without wasting time, energy, words or thoughts on trying to change what can’t be changed.

Faith. Consequently, when I’ve accepted that everything happens for a reason, it’s an expression of faith. Faith that a power is working in my life to bring me everything I need (AND many of the things I want). And the faith that all I need to do is believe that and keep doing what I feel called to do, every day.

Gratitude. When I express gratitude for EVERYTHING that I have and EVERYTHING that happens to me, I reinforce that acceptance and faith. When something “bad” happens I find the good in it and am grateful: Thank you for what this experience taught me, thank you for the better opportunity waiting just around the corner, thank you for showing me this WASN’T the right thing for me, thank you for the good times I experienced with this person. I choose to stay positive and to draw more positive things into my life.

How to practice gratitude: Write this sentence at the top of a page:

Thank you for the many gifts you’ve given me. I’m especially grateful for these creative talents: (fill in at least 10 things).

Then, journal about HOW you’re using these creative talents. Include things that haven’t quite come true yet.

Including things that haven’t come true yet sends the message that not only do you have faith that these things will happen, you are going to appreciate them SO MUCH that you’re already saying thank you!

Compare that to our earlier message:

“No thanks, I’m not ready/willing/able.”

Which message would you expect a positive result from?

Read your creativity gratitude list every day as a reminder to appreciate another day lived as a creative artist.

© Linda Dessau, 2005.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Sign-up for your complimentary copy of the popular e-course, “Roadblocks to Creativity” by visiting http://www.genuinecoaching.com

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