For me – I know we are all born equally creative beings and are meant to expand and stretch ourselves to our fullest – there is just no question about it in my mind. I look at plants, trees and animals as expressions of that same creative force as we humans are made up off – and no tree settles, it grows as high and wide as it can bearing as much fruit as it can, growing strong for the winters, blossoms fully in the summer – same with animals, they run as fast as they can, grow as strong as they can, sharpening their senses, develop every fiber in their bodies on the sole purpose they are here for – they don’t have the ‘settle’ mechanism installed in them like we have developed. Either they grow or they die – there is no status quo. And they actually will die once they can’t grow anymore – mother nature consumes them soon after.

In our day and age we have developed a system, where we (humans) can survive (but not thrive) even though we stop growing our bodies, minds and spirits… and in the last decades even found a way to sedate ourselves with drugs, alcohol, tobacco and all kinds of junk until the point where we’re sleepwalking around like the living dead, in jobs we only do because of the pay – hoping it will bring a (false) sense of security…. while what it mostly does, is keep us locked down into a negative spiral. Deluding ourselves into believing, we can buy our way out with the money we earn… Until one day we either get fed up wit having the fear holding us back and break free – or get really sick, because we accept living with the limitation the fear puts upon our ability to express, what something inside feels we are really here for….After that we slowly wither away, as the spirit can not use us for it’s greater purpose anymore… Yes, I do believe there is a purpose bigger than what we as individuals form for ourselves, but that is another thread…

There is no question either for me, that what what said earlier is true – 90% or probably more are just pure ego based nonsense dressed as fear holding us back from claiming what is rightfully ours to take! And I know from first hand experience that we can move through it, and use it to our advantage as someone posted earlier – it can be learned and mastered like anything else. You just got to do more work on yourself, than you do on your job!

As for the metaphor with inhaling in water – I don’t think you can say fear is like water. You will die from inhaling water – you can never die from moving through your mental fear – there are two things that can happen if you do – either the fear is still there and then you probably haven’t REALLY confronted it. But if you choose to do so, the fear will most likely dissolve itself! Still uncertain? Ask any martial art expert engaging in full contact. At sometime or another, he was probably too afraid of getting hit by his opponent to engage in it – but he probably isn’t fearful in the same way today. If he was, my guess would be you couldn’t do the full contact things, he would have to to earn his rank… He may still have a tinging feeling in his body, but it is not fear – probably more like excitement – have you noticed by the way how close those two sensations are? Sometimes we too early mistake one for another… But my guess would be, that he has moved beyond his initial fear, and learned to control it in that given situation. Now there may be other situations in life where fear shows up at your doorstep, but they can be mastered just like that one… Just need to train yourself! And if you see clearly, you know you can dissolve it when you have done it once – or maybe twice for the slow learners… :)

So every time it shows up you know it’s just means “time to work” and dance with it, instead of giving in to it!

Don’t settle!
Don’t tiptoe in security till you die!
Live full out,
Express your true gift and
Give everything you’ve got on the things you dedicate yourself to!
Learn to see yourself clearly,
Get proper advice from somebody who can “see you”,
Find somebody who masters what you want to do already,
Take trainings,
Find a peergroup you can join with likeminded people
Choose wisely

- but all the while -

Shine with Everything You’ve Got –
Make the World come Alive by Being the True You!

Now does this text say something about me and my personality type – you bet it does! And you are more than welcome to read between the lines and tell me what you see, as I have no fear in that regard… maybe you see something I don’t, and we would all benefit from that! Not claiming to be anything or anyone – just telling you how the world is to me! Sleep tight and remember – there as here is just a dream – so why make it a nightmare, if you really can choose yourself….??? :)

I remember hearing these kinds of warnings from my mother when I was about 19 years old. We were out walking in the woods, and I told her about my future plans for my life. At the time I wanted to live from playing and producing music – a dream that felt very real and very attainable from my perspective. Her immediate reaction was, “No, I think you should wait until you’re in your mid-thirties – then you will have more life experiences to share from… ” A year later I had funded and recorded eight tracks to take my music career to the next level…Always being the one who wanted to work with identity, feelings, expression, energy, colors, sensations and changing the world for the better and more beautiful she still called me up one year later, after I had moved to Copenhagen and all – she then asked me, if I would consider a trainee job in a bank in my small hometown… (Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with working in a bank if that is what you’re dreaming of – but it obviously just wasn’t my dream! If you had only seen my haircut and bootcut leather pants at the time, you would have known without speaking to me!)

I was 22 then and had a clear insight at that moment when I hung up the phone… She was scared for me.. scared that I might not “make it” – whatever that meant to her… scared that I might “run into trouble”, scared I wasn’t “successful” – scared of a lot of things, which in the end, would really have nothing to do with me… and she was acting just like many parents all over the world do… trying to influence their kids to take the safe path!

In this story my beloved mother is just a metaphor, for the voices we allow to hijack our attention. I have family, friends and acquaintances with all kinds of voices, when asked about advice -

Some want it to be perfect from start, others don’t want to see you fail, others are afraid about your competence, some are afraid you will ruin your image, some think you need a perfect well thought out and well planed strategy, some think you lack the strength to find your way through, some don’t think you know enough – some, no matter where you are will never consider you ready to take the next step. And it get’s even worse – because even though their advice wasn’t your starting point or general idea, you may begin to believe what they say, more than you believe in yourself.

I tend to think that the voices we hear on the outside, only reflects the messages from voices on the inside – and sometimes we start believing some of those scary voices, more than we believe some of the others… and by continually listening and believing them, we can end up paralyzed and immobilized… in total belief that what those voices once said, is now the only reality available to us… BUT IT’S NOT!

I’m here to tell you that no matter how it seems, there are always more options available to everyone of us. I’m here to tell you to keep moving toward your dreams – there will never come a time where things will never be perfect, timing will never be perfect, partners will never be perfect, money will never be perfect, strength will be perfect, knowledge will be perfect – perfect is an abstraction we can aim for but never have from the beginning. What will get you towards “perfect” is actually taking the next step – or the leap – into some unknown territory.

What will force you to grow – if you keep your heart open – both in action, wisdom and contribution to the world – is taking steps. Maybe you take a wrong step – so what? You correct the step and take one again… and again, and again. That was how you learned to walk by the way! We screw up along the way, that’s part of the process called learning – and life! Accept it and move on!

So instead of listening to the voices trying to scare you off, challenge yourself to become more, to develop more skills, to develop more character, to develop more strength, to develop more honesty and charisma, wealth and all the stuff you find good and beautiful in the world!

You build “new muscles” by going to the gym – NOT if you sit around at home thinking about which gym is better, what kind of exercises work better, where the best trainers are, what the others will think of you or if you should wear black or blue shorts to your new trainers… you build new muscle by going there, picking the weight up and train hard consistently for an extended period.

Likewise with your dreams – you work towards them everyday – even if you can only take the smallest of steps! Don’t get scared when people around you say, what you want to do can’t be done – what do they know? Listen – it’s way too easy to stop somebody from going after their dream and worst – it doesn’t take any courage to do! Don’t listen to the haters – consider them the real loosers in this game!

Don’t let it be you being stopped! Just because you know some people who are scared from going after their dream – telling you YOU can’t! Don’t necessarily believe what they say!

Beethoven once said to his primary violinist when he complained it was to hard to play a piece, “what do I care about your pitiful earthly matters, when divine spirit is flowing and speaking through me!?”

It has some truth to it – Beethoven could hear it played inside his head, that’s why he wrote it like that! Because the violinist couldn’t play it he had a hard time believing it could be played. It could – just took some more practice and today many violin players and a whole planet is enriched by this piece!

Likewise for yourself – you can’t expect the people around you, to be able to see what you can. You have to find that inner strength, push through and show it to them!

Most people live by the equation “When I see it, I’ll believe it”…. For yourself you HAVE to turn that one around, if you want to go anywhere. Make it sound a little bit more like “I see it, when I believe it!” – because that is the law of manifestation. Everything we as a species here have accomplished we have seen twice – first in the mind, and then afterwards in the physical world!

As we can’t look into the minds of each other we have to develop the strength and skill to communicate our ideas to others until they understand them and can see the same as ourselves. And that is one of the main traits a “leader” must have no matter who he leads – even if he only leads himself. Being able to see what others yet can’t – and first and foremost influence himself to go after that. Then influence the rest of us to follow suit.

Take these two advices from a friend -

• Learn to influence yourself, to continuously go where you most want to go in life.
• Don’t surround yourself with people who say you can’t do something.

What we can do, is unimaginable beforehand to most people.

To most people it’s not about what “we can do” but what we “are willing to do”… remember if you don’t “exercise” much you get tired easily, and you are left to push with your “will”. That is the experience many are left with. In my experience pushing with you “will” is like lighting a match, compared to drawing from the energy of “inspiration towards a dream” – inspiration it will light up as a burning oilfield besides that puny match!

So in the future when somebody tries to put you down, instead of getting angry or believing in their doomsday talk, thank them for testing your faith, courage and determination. Then leave them in the dust, while you continue to go after your dream knowing you are listening to your own true voice instead of a little scared one! Remember – the greatest revenge to the haters and nay-sayers is massive success !

Believe in your dream and go out there and make it so – no one else will do it for you!

Free of fear, free of judgement, free of everything except what wants to express.

I didn’t know the writer beforeband but Ueland argues that anyone can write well once the imagination is freed from self-consciousness, anxiety and fear of failure.

It rings so true to me, and as she postulates in the book, I think you can translate the “writing” into any creative endeavor you might have . even as a metaphor for your entire life.

Buy it here from Amazon

I think it’s the bargain of the year, compared to what you can gain from it – especially if you have already found you’re a creative spirit longing to express but maybe have a hard time embracing or understanding your gift.

“I hope to free my comrades from bondage to styles, patterns, and doctrines” – Bruce Lee

Remember this old interview?

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXOtmhA6Nvw

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRdTJi0v3fQ

http://theshadoweffect.com/

Watch it and then go learn to take control of your own state for the sake of everyone!

Part 1

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/27159902#27159902

Part 2

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/27161549#27161549

You can find her on her website – http://www.byronkatie.com

I have tried to find a version of the videos without any luck, but if you have read her book and find it interesting, my suggestion would be to also invest in the dvd’s and see how she does her “work”.

My interpretation of what she does, is she is using advanced language patterns -  a form of NLP language  – to change her clients perception of their situation, circumstances, life and meaning.

Judge for yourself if you muster the necessary ressources to get a hold of the dvd’s.

One of the best practices included in this package for me so far, is the ’3-2-1 process’ hosted by Diane ‘Musho’ Hamilton. (Musho means ‘No Conflict’. The name was given to her by her Zen teacher) The ’3-2-1 process’ points out your ‘shadow’ and projections of your being to yourself so clearly you really need to have blindfolds on if you can’t see it…

The lecture and the exercise is immediatetly understandable and the outcome is clearly laid out and understandable – hard thing is of course to accept, take ownership for and integrate…

I did the exercise with a couple of projections after watching the DVD and gained immediate insight into why I had projected them. Thereafter I did the best I could to make peace with this shadow, and accept that me and no one else owned the projection… how alive I felt after doing something so uncomplicated, and then on a wednesday afternoon… :)

Well, if you want to know more about the Diane and the ’3-2-1 process’ you can go to her website or you can go to ‘Integral Institute’ and buy the ILP set (Integral life Practice).

Her own story is also a perfect example, that no one in this experience called life goes through it without having to find out how to handle some sort of extreme pain or suffering. And the good old Anthony Robbins saying still rings true in my ears – “You see, it’s never the environment; it’s never the events of our lives, but the meaning we attach to the events – how we interpret them – that shapes who we are today and who we’ll become tomorrow. And it is in those moments of decision that our destiny is shaped.” – so true!!!

Here’s a short outtake from her own website -

Life History

Diane grew up in the West desert of Utah, riding horses in the mountains with the jackrabbits, scrub oak, and sage. She was always close to her three brothers and her sister. Her parents wanted her to study law because she was a good student and liked to argue. But when it was time to go to college, seven of her friends died or were killed within a few months time. Naturally, she turned her attention away from relative law and toward the great matter of life and death. Eventually, she came to study Zen and to practice meditation.

When the mind quiets and all words become one, there is still the question of how to talk to your friends. What communicates is a lifelong koan for her; one that led her to engage in conflict resolution and mediation work. She was hired to develop mediation programs in the courts in Utah, working in the context of the law among lawyers and judges. Later, she married Michael Zimmerman, a justice on the Utah Supreme Court, and this satisfied her parents. They have four almost grown children between them. She now spends some of her time teaching meditation, some time teaching mediation, and in both contexts, seeing how what appears as two is actually one thing. The rest of the time she goes back to the mountains, to the animals, and the birds.
Zen Life

Diane has practiced meditation for over 20 years. She began her studies at Naropa Institute in 1983 with Trungpa Rinpoche. The most important thing she learned from him was to Be yourself. The world will give you feedback. She had the extreme good fortune to become a Zen student of Genpo Merzel Roshi in 1997. In 2003, she received ordination, with her husband, as a Zen priest. She is also a facilitator of the Big Mind, a process developed by Roshi to elicit the insights of Zen in Western audiences. In 2004, she met remarkable Ken Wilber, and has been working for the Integral Institute as a teacher since then.
Professional Life

Diane began mediating in 1989, and was the Director of the Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution for the Utah State Courts from 1994 -1999 where she established the first mediation programs in the judicial system. She received the Friend of the Court and the Judicial Administration Award in 1998, the Utah Council on Conflict Resolution Peacekeeper Award in 2001 and the Peter W. Billings Award for from the Utah State Bar for Outstanding Work in Dispute Resolution in 2003. She was a founding member of the Utah Council on Conflict Resolution, and serves of the Board of Trustees of Utah Dispute Resolution. Diane has taught mediation at the University of Utah Law School, Brigham Young University and the UU Communications Institute. As a meeting facilitator, she has facilitated many meetings and dialogues, including environmental disputes, public policy issues, dialogues on race relations and religious issues. Her list of clients includes the Western Governor’s Conference, US Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Sierra Club, Wilderness Society, Iomega Corporation, Outdoor Retailers Association, Utah Governors Office, the University of Utah, UU Medical School, the Racial and Ethnic Fairness Task Force for the Judiciary, and the Utah Supreme Court.