Do you love making resolutions for change at the beginning of a new season, a new calendar year or at the turn of a birthday? These energetic passages often feel like great opportunities to draw a line of demarcation, to mark a sense of moving forward, of change and renewal.
But often these 'resolutions' can have a way of backfiring. Though they are usually about changing yourself for the better, which is never a bad idea in theory, they can oh so easily turn into self-sabotage landmines. Instead, let’s meditate on how you contribute to acts of creation in every part of your life, and how increasing your appreciation of yourself as a continuously creative force can lead you towards the change you seek.
How Do You Feed Your Creative Self?
Are you even aware of yourself as a creator, a being who expresses herself and feeds her soul through creative acts? How do you play and express this on a regular basis?
There can be a lot of baggage attached to creativity. We tend to think that it is only the realm of “true artists,” and that’s not how we define ourselves. It seems essential to have a specific creative form and practice, and hone that form into some state of perfection.
But it can be as simple as arranging the jars and cans on your pantry shelf by size and color, being inspired to add a sprinkling of nuts to a pan of sautéed vegetables for some extra flavor and crunch, or adding some stickers to the envelope of a card you’re putting in the mail, knowing they will make the recipient smile.
Creative Action is Inherent in Our Very Being
Whether we are aware of it or not, creation is happening inside of us in every moment. Cells die and cells are born, food is transformed into nourishment and energy, thoughts arise and change in an instant, images are projected through our eyes and sound resonates through our ears.
When we make creation conscious, without becoming self conscious, we realize that any movement fully attended to is a moment of creation. Any meal cooked with great love and care is an opportunity to offer our deepest creativity. The tone of our voice when calling a loved one, the way we place the pillows on the bed for our guest, all offer opportunities to infuse our spirit and creativity into the moment.
If you were to take time right now to do something creative to feed your soul, what would it be? Spend a few moments indulging in your desire to sing, dance, paint, cook, write or do whatever your heart and soul feel most inspired by doing. A half hour or hour is good, but even five minutes is fine (what would a five minute meal be if you just opened your fridge and concocted something?) If your time and resources are limited at the moment, simply visualize a scene that makes you spontaneously take a deep breath and feel lighter in your heart.
Can you give yourself the gift of expression free from critical judgment or cynicism?
No Wrong Notes
Every week I meet with a few women to tone, chant and sing whatever we are inspired to share. The unofficial name of our group is “No Wrong Notes” and it helps us to remember why we are there – to make sound for the sheer joy of it. To feel what that does to our bodies, the energy in the room, and the connection we have with one another.
It isn’t about having the most beautiful voice, and yet in our openness and willingness to share sound and space each week, our voices sound better and our chorus more unified as the weeks go by. We play, we reach for harmonies we didn’t know were there, and we trust ourselves to listen and respond to whatever is arising between us.
Allow the joy of creativity to percolate in you as the new year begins. Make some sounds, sprinkle an unusual herb into your favorite soup, play a board game the next time you get together with friends instead of sitting around talking. Move your body to music and feel your muscles and skeleton shifting in space and playing with the rhythm. Talk to your cat or dog and allow yourself to receive their reply, eye to eye and heart to heart.
Bring all of yourself to anything, however mundane, and you will find yourself in alignment with the ultimate Creative Force that keeps all of life in motion.
Life is filled with bright, shiny objects that distract us, knock us off track, and keep us from knowing our truest needs. They pull us away from our core values and innate wisdom.
How do we figure out what really works for us?
We all have the ability to find those answers, even if we can’t always access that wisdom or follow through on it. It has to do with slowing down and listening deeply, two things that are not given much respect in this world of information overload. High speed, next generation wireless networks keep us always plugged in out there but not in here where it helps the most.
Sharon Rosen is a certified massage therapist, wellness coach, writer and teacher who has been in private practice since 1987. After received her BA in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University, she studied Shiatsu and Swedish massage at the New Jersey School of Massage and has been a Reiki Master/Teacher since 1998. She is a graduate of A Society of Souls, a three year intensive program in the study and certification of Non-Dual Healing®, and is a Certified Wellness Coach through Wellcoaches, Inc.
Sharon's own healing journey led to a deep and wide interest in holistic health, spirituality and balanced living and the study of a wide range of modalities throughout her career. These skills enable her to help others on many levels, from the physiological stress of a muscle spasm to the emotional and spiritual quest of those looking for deeper levels of inner peace and connection with their Source. Her work focuses on the qualities of simplicity, balance, compassion and humor, and she takes great joy in helping people learn to live more lightly in their bodies and spirits.