Tag Archives: free stuff

The Zen of Christmas

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Keep it Simple

As you are all probably well-aware of, Christmas has become the most over commercialized holiday on record.

Where are those Christmas Day’s that saw us making presents for each other, or simply buying one token of appreciation for that special someone instead of amassing them with a dozen gifts whilst maxing out your credit card?

It all seems a bit over-the-top to me.  Christmas has gone haywire!  We overspend, over-consume and over-indulge.

A Change for the Better

In an attempt to rekindle the spark of this festive season, my family and I have decided to get together for a celebratory meal, to exchange gifts that are either home-made or to stick to a budget of no more than around $8.00 (or a really nice idea is to donate to a cause close to their heart, in their name).

The focus is going to be on having fun, counting our blessings and having the honour and privilege of being together.

Bring the Sparkle Back with Simplicity

Let’s try to bring back the magic to Christmas by making things simple.

  • Prepare a simple meal (you know what I mean — most people go way over the top and end up cooking for a small army).
  • Make, or even better, bake your gifts!  There’s nothing that says you care more than a gift from the heart (especially a tasty one!).
  • Simply be kind to everyone you meet (you should try to make this an everyday practice and not just a seasonal tradition — but to start at Christmas-time would be a giant leap in the right direction).
  • Instead of hyping yourself up with all the preparations and festive manic fiasco’s, do a ‘go slow’.  Maintain a calm and peaceful resolve and enjoy yourself — make it about fun and festivities, not chaos and tears.  I promise you will get more done this way.  Simplify and you will gratify.
  • Try to play it safe this season.   Limit the alcohol intake, the traveling (unless you really have to) and on pain of death — don’t combine a mixture of the two!

Free Zen e-card and Festive Timeline

Below you will find a free zen e-card that you can send your family and friends and you can jazz up your Facebook timeline with this zen-themed picture for the season.

Here is your free zen Christmas e-card (click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer, then upload from your computer or just simply copy and paste into the e-mail):

Here is your festive zen-themed Facebook Timeline (click on the picture, right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer, then upload from your computer onto your Facebook page as a cover):

Check out the ‘Zen of Life’ HERE

Other posts you may enjoy:

Zen Christmas Wallpaper

The Zen of Life

3 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself When Dealing With Aggravation

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The above quotation is what is sometimes referred to as the ‘smoky mirror’ syndrome.  We don’t like in others what we don’t care to admit is a fault within us.

How Can I Identify this Kind of Behaviour in Myself?

An example of this could be that you are very annoyed with your colleague for never allowing you to get your point across.  This may be a reflection of how you  behave at times.  It may not be with this specific person, it could be something that you do to your friends or family, in a completely different environment from the workplace.

This is why it is difficult for us to sometimes identify the problem within ourselves — we simply don’t recognize its existence.

“Awareness allows for truth to flow through a situation.”

It is imperitive to find time for deep inner reflection, questioning and, above all, honesty when it comes to dealing with trying to figure out why your buttons are being pushed.

When you can identify the behaviour within yourself, you have found the awareness to deal with it.  Awareness allows for truth to flow through a situation.  So instead of reacting the next time your colleague doesn’t allow for you to have your say, see if this inner questioning system works:

  • Do I need to ‘have my say’ or can I simply be the still presence and say nothing?
  • If not, why is it that I feel the need to reciprocate?
  • Does it make me feel less important when I remain silent?
  • Do I really need to convince my colleague of my point of view or is this my ego wanting to control the situation?

Be honest with yourself. 

Now when you find yourself on the giving end of the situation — in this instance, you will be the one doing all the talking and not letting anyone else have a word — see if you can:

  1. Identify that you have perhaps not allowed anyone else to talk or contribute.
  2. Can you stop talking once this awareness has broken through?
  3. Are you comfortable with letting someone else speak and listening to their point of view?

I have only given one example here of how the smoky mirror can work, please try to mould this example to fit in with any situation you are having difficulties with.

If you can’t identify the behaviour in yourself, then perhaps you can go out on a limb and ask a friend if they see this behaviour in you.  Don’t be angry if your friend can identify it, just remember that you are on the path to self-empowerment and  you need to be able to not take things personally.

Call to Action!

Can you share a story about recognizing the actions of another reflected in yourself?  How are you dealing with that?  Share your wisdom…

Are you having problems seeing this concept in yourself?  Is there no way that you mirror the bad behaviour you see in others that irritates you?

Are you walking a fine line between acknowledging your faults or finding that you are just being objectively critical?

For further reading, please see my other blogs:

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…Who’s in the Most Denial of Us All?

Do You Take Things Personally?

More about this topic can also be found in my book ‘Divine You – Redefining Love in the New Earth’ (where the above quotation was taken from).

SUBSCRIBE TO THE SITE TODAY AND RECEIVE A BUNDLE OF INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS AND WALLPAPERS — 100% FREE

Finding Yourself and Your Purpose

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Here are some quotes and pictures from my book ‘Creative Expression — How to find your inspiration…’ (download the entire book FREE here) to help kick-start your week and ignite your passion and zest for life:

Pushing the envelope of creative expansion breaks down any illusion of limitation.  Once you step out of the box, infinity beckons your every whim.

Bask in the knowledge that existence is infinite, as are all possibilities.

We create in a field of pure energy potential.

“God is omnipotent — in everyone and everything…”

To know the mind of God is to know your own mind.  Dissolve the thoughts that do not serve you and nourish the ones that will blossom into your unique experience.

God wants to experience through you and you will benefit greatly from the experience of God — who resides in the stillness, the place between thoughts.

Why is creativity important?

Thought leads to inspire.  Inspiration gives rise to creativity.  Creation gives form to manifest reality.  Without creation there would be no reality to experience.  Ergo, creativity is as necessary to our souls as energy is to sustaining the Universe.

And all of this is birthed by the most powerful force — love.

Sign up HERE to receive your gift of inspirational wallpaper designs taken from my book‘Creative Expression’ plus a FREE copy of the book itself.

No obligations and 100% free, no strings attached, and you get to keep all the free gifts even if you unsubscribe!

‘Creative Expression – How to find your inspiration…’ is also available now as a glossy paperback book — CLICK HERE to purchase your copy for $19.99.

All the artworks above, as well as all artworks from the book,  are available to purchase as prints, posters and greeting cards at RedBubble.

For daily inspiration and articles, follow me on Twitter and Facebook:

   

You may also enjoy this article:  Ignite Your Creative Flame! 

Don’t Let the World Get You Down!

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How to be in the world but not of it

As things stand now, you are most likely reading this blog from a computer somewhere on planet earth.  My marvelous skills of deduction are quite remarkable, I know.

We seem to all be in the same boat, paddling around in circles, paddling against the current or drifting out to sea.  How can we be in this beautiful world but not let it get us down?

Let’s face it, there is a lot of stuff that can, and does, lower our spirits and dampen our whetted desire to be on this planet.  But then, when we look around, we see that this planet is an exquisite paradise, filled with beauty, intrigue and adventure.

Why is it that life can be so damn tough when there is also so much fun to be had?

Heaven on Earth?

There is a simple truth to life.  We can create heaven on earth but we can also create our own personal form of hell.

Our very thoughts and actions will determine which destination we end up in.

Are you living in fear?  Meet Jack Soap…

When you live in fear you are perpetuating fear.

Let me give you an example.  If Jack Soap listens to the news constantly on the radio (which primarily reports bad news and how terrible the world out there is, along with all there is to be fearful of), he will be in a conscious or even unconscious negative frame of mind.  His preset to life will be tainted with a neuro-linguistic programming of doubt and fear.

You may even find that Jack has a preconceived idea that he should trust no-one.  He may even not like to venture outside his own home, let alone comfort zone, for fear of being attacked.  He may even cringe at the thought of an overseas holiday, he’ll think you mad if you were to suggest such nonsense, what with all the potential terrorists on-board planes these days!

Poor Jack may not even realize that there is a sunny and bright side to life.  It is as if he could be living on a different planet to John.

Are you living in love? Meet John Doe…

Meet John Doe (yes, alright!  I know my pseudonyms leave something to be desired).  He enjoys listening to uplifting music rather than put on the news.  He enjoys walks in the park and getting in touch with nature.

He sees the beauty that the world has to offer.  He smiles at people as he walks along his path and they smile back.  He is certain that there is goodness in everybody because that is his experience.

John is living in the world and enjoying it.  He is not letting the world dictate his experience, he is dictating his own experience.  He is detaching from potential drama because he knows he has the choice to only focus on the positive aspects of life.

When John does this he is in control, he is mapping out his destiny according to what he wants to manifest.

He is not a victim of circumstance and he is certainly not an unconscious creator.

Jack vs John

Jack, on the other hand, is in the world and of the world.  He is getting trapped in the lower vibrational frequency of negativity and he is letting the world dictate his experience.

He is unconsciously creating an undesirable life.  He may not even be aware that he can change this at any time if he so wishes.

Jack was blessed with freewill, just like John.  Jack, however, can’t seem to see it.  He can’t take responsibility for his life choices because he feels he hasn’t made them.

But he has.

Whether he chooses to accept that or not, he has made his bed and he is tossing and turning in it.

Can you see the message behind the metaphor?  Be in the world not of it.

Freewill and Choice

Choose your experiences.  Choose what you expose yourself to.  Choose to engage in drama, or choose to love from afar and lend your support whilst creating strong, effective boundaries.

You do not have to get involved and bogged down in drama if you don’t want to.  You can always help those in need but you can do it with detachment.  This means that you can still help in this world but you are fully aware that it is not required that you get involved with a problem — most certainly not to the extent that it encapsulates you in drama.

Detachment

Detachment is not a word that describes the state of not caring.  Quite the opposite.  You care enough to help and you care enough about yourself to remain neutral.

Think of detachment like Switzerland — the neutral zone.  You can lend a hand but you are not getting hooked into anything.

You can live in this world, enjoy it and be mindful of the ‘drama’ and/or the negative aspect of life.  This will give you the freedom to pick and choose your experiences and know when to help and when to say no.

Do you feel that life is taking you for a ride?  Or are you in the drivers seat of your experience?  Share your stories…

Related Articles:

Are You Clinging on by Your Fingernails?

What Freddy Mercury Can Teach Us About Detachment

 

Don’t forget to subscribe and receive your FREE copy of ‘Creative Expression — How to find your inspiration….’

You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily inspiration and articles:

   

‘Divine You — Redefining Love in the New Earth’ is now out at all leading bookstores worldwide — don’t forget to order your copy:

20 Ways to Set Your Spirit Soaring (and they’re all FREE)

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Getting in touch with your innate sense of well-being can be fun, inexpensive and easy.

Here is a list of things that life has to offer that are 100% free — no strings attached (except in the case of playing with kittens):

  • Friendship — Connect with real people (not just social networking), make new connections and rekindle old relationships, if appropriate.
  • A smile — Dish them out!  You have nothing to lose.  Pass them around.
  • A heart-felt hug/embrace — It never goes astray, have you noticed?  Making physical contact is extremely important for any living creature.
  • A compliment — Be impeccable with your words, let only kind, well thought-out words roll off your tongue.
  • Fresh air — Yes, it is free and beneficial.  Be grateful for a deep breath of oxygen.
  • Cloud spotting — This is preferably done on freshly mown, green, lush grass.
  • Swimming — A swim in the ocean or a lake, or even a pool.  The feeling of being weightless and carefree.  Priceless!
  • Humour — Share a good joke, get laughing — it’s the best medicine.
  • Smelling — When was the last time you literally stopped to smell the roses? Use your senses wisely…
  • Children — Watching a baby or a child/children play is one of the most uplifting past-times.  It’s free and it usually puts a smile on your dial.
  • Kittens — Have you ever watched a kitten or cat play with a piece of string?  Another priceless activity that will get your heart-strings all in tune.
  • Dogs — One of my favourite things to observe is witnessing a dog disembarking from a car to see he is at the beach!   If you don’t have pets, go sit in the park and watch animals frolicking.  Just remember joy is contagious — anyone’s or anything’s joy rubs off, did you know that?
  • Mountains — There they are, just standing there looking pretty…go climb one!  It’s an amazing feeling.
  • Walking — Strolling through a meadow on a sunny spring morning, watching butterflies dance their way through the sky in front of you.  When last did you do that?
  • Napping — Having an afternoon nap in the sun or under the shade of a tree.  Bliss!  For anyone who’s been to South Africa, you would have noticed that people do this all the time — during lunch-breaks, coffee breaks, etc.
  • Sand castles — Building a sandcastle is just terrific.  Getting down and mucky in the sand.  Free and liberating!  Note to the beachless:  sorry about that, perhaps it’s time to take a trip to the nearest coast or plan that next tropical holiday?
  • Stomping — Once you’ve built the sand castle, jump on it and smash it into the ground.  Do you remember doing that!?!  Pure elation and freedom from attachment. Release the joy of your inner child.
  • Music — Play your favourite songs and instantly lift your vibration!
  • Be grateful — Make a list of all the things going right in your life and you’ll be surprised at just how well you are manifesting your existence.
  • Creative Expression — The last FREE thing on my list is my book ‘Creative

    How to find your inspiration…

    Expression — How to find your inspiration…’  It is available on this site as a FREE download once you subscribe (subscription is also 100% FREE).

How freeing is it to know that there is so much to do that doesn’t come with a price tag attached?

Sometimes we need to concentrate on being in the now, focus on the little joys of life to squeeze the ultimate bliss out of every day.

What things do you like to get up to that are free and priceless?  Please share your stories…

Here is a blog that you may find interesting:

How to find happiness without buying it

Help Others.org: On Passing Around Smiles… — A Kindness Story.

No Free Handouts — You Have to Work for your Happiness

My Top Art Picks for 2012

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I’ve had rather a busy beginning to 2012.  What with my book finally being released whilst  keeping up on the art front to hold the fort in place.

For today’s art blog I thought I’d show you my favourite 6 painting picks from January’s busy and tousled easel.

I hope you enjoy them.

Red Poppies in the Forest

Zebra Love

Blue Poppies in the Meadow

Vase of Poppies

Rhapsody in Blue

Blue Poppies — Finding Beauty in Chaos Series

All the paintings above are sold but they are available as greeting cards and prints (just click on the image to take you to RedBubble).

Have a happy and productive Wednesday!

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY

Get your FREE copy of ‘Creative Expression’ HERE

Or, alternatively, it can be purchased as a paperback at lulu.com.

“Bite size teachings on how to express your creative flare and how to ignite your passion for life.

Learn how creativity is food for the soul and that the world is just waiting to be shaped and moulded by you – the co-creator of your reality.”

My art portfolio book is available HERE to purchase or just to browse through (click ‘preview’ under book icon at lulu.com)…

Art Commissions — The Soulworks Project (Part 4)…The Finished Product!

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Please read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 to recap.

Let’s Pick Up with a Hiccup!

So I left off last weeks blog with a slight hiccup…

My client came to see the painting and she liked it but I could sense something was bothering her.

“I had misinterpreted her want for silver, black, a hint of green, pink and purple tones to mean that was all the colours she wanted in the piece.”

When we got into it she divulged that she had wanted more of an orange/pink glow in the sunset and that the whole painting was a bit monotone.  I had misinterpreted her want for silver, black, a hint of green, pink and purple tones to mean that was all the colours she wanted in the piece.

This turned out not to be the case.

What to do next?

I listened to her requests and told her that I would first come up with a digital overlay of what she was asking for.

“It is important to listen to the needs of your client…”

I do this to see what the painting will look like with the changes and if it actually suits the painting.  Here is what I came up with:

What I did here was take the photo of the painting and use the ‘airbrush’ feature in my Ulead programme (most photo editing packages have an airbrush feature) to paint in the required adjustments.

I saw that it actually brought the picture to life.

It is important to listen to the needs of your client but it is also important to stick with the integrity of the painting.  What does that mean?

Integrity Check

Well, if I feel that the changes that the client wants do not fall in line with the artwork then I will let them know.  If I feel strongly that it will ‘take away’ from the artwork, then I try to explain the potential hiccups in changing the piece.

However, in this case, the changes my customer wanted actually enhanced the artwork and I had to agree with her in the end, that it was for the betterment of the piece.

Once we had discussed all the little changes she wanted, I went back to the drawing board (or easel, in this case).

The Finished Project

After implementing the final adjustments to the painting, the Soulworks Project was complete!

Here is a picture of the finished artwork.

Available as cards and prints – click here

My client was thrilled it now hangs in her office/consulting room and she now uses it on her business cards and brochures as well as her website.  Check out her site at www.soulworks.co.za.

Don’t forget your FREE copy of my book ‘Creative Expression’ — GET IT HERE

How to find your inspiration…