Dilapidated Dreams

Have you ever driven by a business that you remember was once thriving and now it is dilapidated because of neglect?  In your memory,  it was busy and successful– the place was always maintained with the utmost care and cleanliness; there were  customers bustling in and out  and it was alive and thriving.  Then, years later, you drive by to see an establishment that has been abandoned.

That’s what happened today when I drove by the old Chevron station in Malibu.  It is now infused with weeds, cracked cement, and an old wire fence surrounding it.  The sight of it just hit me really hard.

I guess what  moved me was that it can be a metaphor for our lives, our health, and our dreams.  Unfortunately, some people do this very thing with their  health–they just stop the upkeep.  They decide to just let it go and discontinue maintenance of the premises.

The sight of this was so dramatic.  Honestly, health is one thing that I do maintain, but what about my dreams?  I have caught myself saying “I used to want to be…” a lot.  I’ve said that phrase  several times within the last year.  I admit, I have let some of my goals and dreams grow wild with weeds.  The weeds represent my doubts, my fears, my inaction.

I’ve noticed a trend in how I handle life and success.  It seems that once I reach what I’d wanted, I become a little complacent, stagnant.    It’s almost like I want to rest awhile before I start striving again.  It’s usually during that rest and relaxation that depression sets in because I’m not keeping up with my new desires.

Perhaps it was all the years I spent in college that conditioned me to strive and take a break once I achieved a thing.  As one of my favorite teachers, Abraham-Hicks, says “reach and find balance”.  I think I’ve been spending too much time at the balance point and then level off there for a bit too long.

Because I’ve been pondering these thoughts, people and circumstances have been showing up for me in a synchronistic way.  The other day, as  I was riding one of my favorite mountain biking trails in Malibu,  I met a rider who exhibited such skill and confidence.  It turns out, he is a former pro down hill rider.  He was just so masterful and playful.  It seems like he was in my space to show me that there’s always another level to get to.  There are no words to describe his skill and ability–I was utterly amazed at what I saw.  No, I don’t want to ride with that kind of gusto because it is amazingly fast and dangerous, but it was just an indication that there is always room to grow and improve.  There is always more to learn–a higher level to reach.

On the opposite end of that, I have a girlfriend who truly inspires me.  She grew up and never learned how to ride a bike.  Now, after all these years of owning that fact, she is now stepping into the truth of what is possible–she has taken on learning how to ride a bike.  I met up with her yesterday to ride our bikes together.  It was her 3rd or 4th time on the bike.  She knows she looks like a beginner but, honestly, she is so full of grace as she loses balance or has to stop suddenly.  She is  reaching beyond what she’s always been and silencing her ego.  She will not stay in that place.  Her courage is so inspiring to me.

What showed up for me next was a Joel Osteen  sermon.   Joel Osteen is one speaker I love listening to.  His words spoke directly to how I’ve been feeling.  Joel says, “One of the battles we all have to fight is the battle of containment.  The enemy doesn’t want you to go any further.  He can’t do anything about the ground that you have already gained, he’ll give you that.  But what he doesn’t want is for you to advance.  His goal is to keep you contained.  That’s why it can be very difficult to press through to a new level.  There are forces working overtime to try to keep us where we are.  Many people are too easily satisfied…instead of stretching and believing in bigger things they get stuck.”

The reference to “he”,  for me, is the ego.  The ego doesn’t want us to grow and stretch, it wants things to be just as they are–no growth, just comfortable contentment.  The ego has a hard time with not being good enough.  Trudging through all the pain and humiliation of achieving a new level of skill or taking on something totally new is far too much for the ego.   There is a lot to learn and it will take time to gather the skills.  That’s why the two extremes of my new friend Gary (the pro) and my girlfriend (the beginner) speak volumes to me.  In each case, it really takes something to get to a new level.

Joel’s words were just what I needed.  Fear has been presenting itself to me often these days.  There are new career endeavors I’d like to venture into, but I seem to be stopped by fear.  When you’ve been in one field for most of your life, the thought of  even claiming you can be something else is daunting.  But since the new career I want to embark upon is in the creative realm,  I just need to step into it.  There isn’t any formal education I need to apply for, I just need to be it in my mind first, then I will be it in the world.  Sounds easy!  In reality FEAR is false–False Expectations Appearing Real.

Yes indeed, it’s time to take on bigger and better dreams and turn them into reality.  Where I am is not where I’m going to stay.  Yes, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved so far, but there is always more thrill.  The thrill really does come from reaching for something greater, becoming more than I once was, and finding balance in that new place.   Inspiration has shown itself to me and I do believe I have some weeding to do!

I Am An Artist

Are you an artist?  I think you are but you may not know it.  We think it has to look a certain way.  I am an artist.  For many years though, I never saw myself as an artist.  As I sit here observing my surroundings and the people in my midst, I know without a doubt, we are all artists.

I remember when I met my singer/songwriter friend Chantal Kreviazuk for the first time, I didn’t know what she did in the world,  I asked her,  “what do you do”?  She replied, “I am an artist”.

I liked the way that sounded and it really stood out to me.  Still, I didn’t know what kind of artist and my first guess was a painter.  Being an artist is a broad category and it can look any way we see it. “Oh, what kind of an artist are you”?

For her, she doesn’t have to think about being an artist, she just IS.  She was a child prodigy and was playing piano at the age of 3 and writing songs not long after.  For her, being an artist is just what she’s always been.  There was no sense of doubt or question in her answer, that was clear.  I remember thinking, “wow, I wish I had that knowing and could proclaim it with the same kind of certainty”.

Years have gone by since that initial meeting and I’ve often thought about the words and the sentiment surrounding that exchange.  I’ve seen that, in fact, Chantal is an artist.  I’ve been to her concerts, seen her interviews, witnessed the causes and charities she is passionate about, seen her with her husband and her children, met many of her fans, etc.  She is an artist in her work but also in life.  Thoughts are creative and the beliefs that come from those thoughts continue to create.  Chantal was fortunate enough to formulate powerful beliefs at an early age.

Unfortunately, for most of us, we’ve decided that only a select few are artists.  If we weren’t told we were creative or artistic, we learn to believe we aren’t.  If we weren’t fortunate enough to be a childhood prodigy, we seem to chalk it up to our fate or lack thereof.

I include this information about Chantal, not to make you feel inferior or “not enough”.   If we can get out of our own way, the answers to our connection and creativity can flow.

There are so many people in my life who are extremely creative.  At times, I am intimidated and feel I don’t measure up.  One of my friends is on fire with the creative projects she is taking on.  I’ve decided though, instead of comparing myself to her and feeling  “less than”, I’m going to take it as a sign.  The sign I choose to see is this:  I am vibrating a frequency that is attracting creative people into my life.  They are here to show me that I, too, am creativity in action.

As I watch the world go by, I see that we’re all artists.  We create with our thinking and, to me, that is the ultimate artistry.  We should start claiming with clarity and ownership, “I am an artist”!

We should all begin to step into the sentiment of being artists with confidence.  Whether or not we have been in the past, we should know the simplicity of our creative minds.  Thinking is creative.  If that is true, imagine how artistic we are.

Let’s get to it.  There is no comparing ourselves to others allowed.  It’s time to create.   What will you create?   I am an artist.  You are an artist.  It’s time to create!

Chantal is a Canadian born, award winning singer/songwriter.  Not only does she record her own albums but she collaborates with other artists to write their songs…Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, and Gwen Stefani, just to name a few.

CHECK OUT PART 1 OF THE 4 PART INTERVIEW

The story of how her career got started is “a dream come true” story, Amazing!

You will want to watch all 4 parts I’m sure,  in part 2 she performs the song that launched her career!)  Chantal is an award winning Canadian performer/recording artist.  Her songs have been featured in numerous movie and television soundtracks.  Chantal is a true inspiration and fun to watch and listen to!

Part 2 

Part 3

Part 4