Life

Stop Screwing Up Your Life

May 15, 2024 By Shauna

Today we are back on the idea that when we are willing, we can change up the Rhythm Of Our Lives. We have talked about looking at yourself and deciding something has to change. Well, for the next few podcasts we are going to talk about the pieces of our psyche, our thinking and our habits that stop us from doing that. Today is a big one. It’s what I talk about in my book as the rebellious child/free child. When that side of us is healthy it is incredibly creative. It’s the side of our personality that thinks outside the box, rocks the boat for change. It’s the artist, it’s the creator. It’s the side of us that loves to play and have fun! We so need this side of us. It’s also called the creative child. But there is a challenge, when it goes overboard it’s the side of us that can totally screw up our lives.

SHOWNOTES:

Hello and welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman. Today we are back on the idea that when we are willing, we can change up the Rhythm Of Our Lives. We have talked about looking at yourself and deciding something has to change. Well, for the next few podcasts we are going to talk about the pieces of our psyche, our thinking and our habits that stop us from doing that. Today is a big one. It’s what I talk about in my book as the rebellious child/free child. When that side of us is healthy it is incredibly creative. It’s the side of our personality that thinks outside the box, rocks the boat for change. It’s the artist, it’s the creator. It’s the side of us that loves to play and have fun! We so need this side of us. It’s also called the creative child. But there is a challenge, when it goes overboard it’s the side of us that can totally screw up our lives. I mean really. It’s the side of us that goes overboard.

Rebellious spirits lives a life of action with no fear of consequences.

As you can imagine as an artist or anyone who’s trying to create something, you have to think outside the box. You can’t put boundaries on your thinking, creations or your dreams. A matter of fact, for those of us who don’t live in that state, the word can’t or the fear of what others think is what stops us from being creative. Creativity is thinking outside of the known to create the unknown. It’s an exciting, exhilarating and adventurous endeavor.

It’s taking actions with no fear of consequences!

It’s also the side of us that makes us fun-loving, carefree. Think of some of the creative people you know and reflect on how much fun they are to be around! The rebellious/free child taps into a side of the human spirit that almost screams exciting energy. And they don’t care about what other people think. Rebellious child, creative child, free child.

Another wonderful side of rebellious/free creative spirits is the ability to be spontaneous and not stick to expected behaviors, routines or the ideas of others. It’s truly living expect the unexpected! My last podcast episode. If it’s raining outside, they come up with something else to do. They see unplanned opportunities as a way to go beyond obstacles. They throw out all the rules and create new experiences! And there again is the word… create.

Now here is how rebellious/free child spirits screw up their lives. It’s when the wild side of them goes overboard! I always say this is very much the teenager times in our lives. That’s why we call teenagers rebellious. Because they’re trying to break out of the norm and figure out who they are, and create their own rules for life. This state is what we call the Me state. What do I want to do? Where do I wanna go? So when the rebellious child state goes overboard it’s all about “what I want for myself” with little or no thought about the other person.

So how does it screw up your life? When you live your life with very few boundaries and in the Me state, it becomes way too easy to overindulge in just about anything. Drink too much. Hang out with your fun friends and do drugs. It’s the state where people have affairs, because again its action with no fear of the consequences. They’re not looking at the consequences of drinking too much on their health, on their life, on their marriage, on their parenting, on how it’s affecting their job. If they’re having affairs it’s because they’re looking for that fun, that high that they think they are not getting in their marriage. And they’re not looking at the consequences of how it’s gonna hurt someone else or destroy their relationship.They slip into the me state and escape.

We see this with so many of the most brilliant artists, musicians actors, writers, producers directors. They are extremely creative, and this side of them has helped get them to where they are in life. But it’s the negative side of the rebellious child that takes many of them down.

There is a huge danger in your life if you are nurturing an unhealthy rebellious child spirit. Combine this with another side of this state, wild spontaneity and chances are they jump into total denial. They have to deny the possibility that there is a negative outcome to what they’re doing. They deny that it’s harmful or hurtful and they let go of all of their boundaries… and boundaries are what keeps you safe.

Here is another dangerous side of when the rebellious/free child goes overboard. There’s very little guilt involved. So the rebellious child spirit can create a scenario that makes it OK for what they’re doing and they have no guilt of how it’s affecting anyone else. Guilt would mean they would have to change something. And when a rebellious child spirit goes overboard that’s the last thing they want to do. Change.

Now let’s talk about the free spirited side of rebellious Child/free child. It’s when the free spirited person becomes two free spirited. It sounds harmless, right? We love free spirited people. I love to see someone who dresses just the way they want to dress without caring what others think. It’s OK to be different. All of that is the healthy side of a free spirited rebellious child spirit. But when the free spirit goes overboard, they lose perspective on what is safe for them and around them. Like a woman who skips the beach alone, not even noticing that a man is following her. Or someone who puts their child in danger because they wanna break all the rules. This is when free spirited becomes reckless and logic goes out the window in favor of the adventure or rule breaking thinking of the rebellious/ free child state.

There’s a beautiful side of this kind of spirit and that is that they speak up for themselves. That’s what we practice as teenagers that gets us into trouble. But when it becomes overboard, then there is a chance that they become over emotional. That free spirited person who is so overboard that they want everyone to hear their voice! You’ve been around those kind of people where drama is the name of their game.

Emotional, rebellious, free spirited people, creative people, are more in touch with their emotional side. When it goes overboard it’s when the emotion gains control of them over the logic of a situation. Their emotion turns from you or us or the situation to me, me me.

So how do you know if this is you? The first question to ask yourself is is there a side of you that goes overboard that is affecting your life? Are you drinking too much? Are you doing too many drugs? Are you blowing off work? Are you having an affair outside of your relationship? Are you doing other dangerous things like driving too fast or over eating or eating tons of junk food. Here is a big one! Spending money with no fear of the consequences of overspending! Do your emotions get out of control?

Take a look at yourself honestly, with no denial, and ask yourself where is your rebellious free child going overboard? And then ask yourself how is it screwing up your life?

I always say that the first way to change is to make the subconscious conscious. Once you do that you can look at what you need to change in order to change the rhythm of your life. A bigger piece of this is to ask yourself, is there a creative side of you that you are not tapping into? Is there a fun loving spirit in you that is desperately needing attention? Are you working so hard that you’re rebelling in other ways? Are you an artist or a musician or a writer who has let that side of you go in in order to live a less creative life? Are you so rigid in so many other things in your life that the only way you can break free is going overboard with something unhealthy?

We all desperately need this side of us. But we need it healthy. Without a creative outlet, fun, spontaneity, playfulness, our subconscious is going to find quick and easy ways to experience it. And I can almost guarantee you that one way or another you will pay with the consequences that you’re not looking at.

So if you wanna stop screwing up your life, you actually have to look at your life. No more denial. No more closing off your adult thinking in order to get away with old behaviors. Get in touch with the wonderful and healthy and fun side of creative child. And if you don’t have a creative child, find it.

It might be something more subtle than you know. It might be creating a beautiful garden. It might be changing all of the colors in your home. It might be writing your memoirs or starting a screenplay or, getting out and doing more fun things with your life! Trying something new, going someplace new, and if you need to start very very small, then do so. And most importantly, if you need to look deeply at behavior that you know is screwing up your life, then put on your he, she, or they pants and do so.

In order to change the rhythm of our lives to find happiness and passion then we have to become self-aware and look at the things that are holding us back. Not with judgment, but with hope. Hope that you love yourself enough to make the changes to start you back on a path to your wonderful life.

Here is a perfect quote by Nayyirah Waheed,

There is no healthier drug than creativity!

Albert Einstein said,

Creativity is intelligence having fun!

This season of the podcast is about changing up the rhythms of our lives. But we have to look at what is stopping the music in our souls. So if you can take just a little time to look deep within… I believe you will find the answer. Remember no judgement, just hope.

Oh beautiful listeners, please take care of yourselves this week. Drink lots of water, get lots of rest and have lots of fun! Surround yourself with loving beings and most importantly, love yourself!

Thank you for letting me into your lives this week and I look forward to popping back in again next time.

Life Hacks When Shit Happens

March 27, 2024 By Shauna

I love that this season is called The Rhythm of your life. Because right now my rhythm keeps changing. I think the rhythm of my life is taking me in one direction then out of the blue a whole ‘nother song starts playing in my circumstances, in my life and eventually in my soul. So where am I going with this? I’ve just been thinking a lot about what happens when everything you expect to happen in your life changes. It’s what some would call the direction in your life. But for me it’s not like I am in a car going one direction and it changes. What it is for me is when I think I’m absolutely at peace in my life and all of a sudden something doesn’t feel right. Like my heart rhythm is not in sync with my present life circumstances or choices. Sometimes it’s not the circumstances but the people involved in the circumstances in my life. And sometimes it’s not a nice subtle message it’s a what the hell, earth shattering wake up call! And seriously… who doesn’t just love those?

SHOWNOTES:

Hello and welcome back to season two of A Journey to awareness., I’m Shauna Hoffmann. I love that this season is called The Rhythm of your life. Because right now my rhythm keeps changing. I think the rhythm of my life is taking me in one direction then out of the blue a whole ‘nother song starts playing in my circumstances, in my life and eventually in my soul. So where am I going with this? I’ve just been thinking a lot about what happens when everything you expect to happen in your life changes. It’s what some would call the direction in your life. But for me it’s not like I am in a car going one direction and it changes. What it is for me is when I think I’m absolutely at peace in my life and all of a sudden something doesn’t feel right. Like my heart rhythm is not in sync with my present life circumstances or choices. Sometimes it’s not the circumstances but the people involved in the circumstances in my life. And sometimes it’s not a nice subtle message it’s a what the hell, earth shattering wake up call! And seriously… who doesn’t just love those?

So, when the world turns upside down and your expectations of people, or an event, or your health or your life gets massively turned upside down this is the moment that you can feel that the rhythm in your mind body and soul drastically changes. It feels like your heart IS THE POUNDING DRUM and your brain is like a million cymbals crashing. And the hardest part of all of this is that you can’t seem to quiet it all down to catch your breath, to make sense of something that seems impossible to make sense of.

These changes can be something seemingly small, like a job issue, or someone saying something negative about you, or missing a plane to see those you love. Or a bad date with someone you were hoping to grow a relationship with. Or, it can be bigger, like a fight with a friend, or family member, or you didn’t get the promotion you wanted, or job you were dreaming of or a heartbreaking break up. Or It could be something paramount like the loss of something or someone you love; your beloved animal, your partner, your parent, your home. Or biggest, when you find out you have an illness that you never expected and your reality gets turned upside down.

There is no telling how each of us process these kinds of unexpected life happenings. And sometimes there is no depth of difference in our reactions to the big ones or the small ones. Our physical reactions of heart beating fast, shallow breathing, blood pressure rising. Our emotions; sadness, loss, heartbreak, anger. Our inability to control the situation is one of the hardest things to make sense of. This dreadful feeling of being out of control and our inability to actually comprehend what is happening.

It’s how we deal with it when the unexpected becomes our new reality that will make or break us. And it is truly the self awareness of each thought, fear, answer, body message that will guide us to the tools we have gained in our lives to navigate what feels like the unnavigable. And the tools we need to survive.

I’m a sailor and one of my favorite quotes is from Jimmy Dean. It’s a powerful reminder that we cannot always control our situation but we can control our response to them.

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

So how the hell do we do that? Big or small life changing circumstance, or just the unexpected messing with our lives. What do we do when shit happens?

We take a deep breath and we try to change our sails to find the wind again.

Here are some ways to try.

This first one is probably one of the hardest to do but the one that will give us the quickest mindset change, relief of the confusion and a path to healing. It’s acceptance. This one is easier to do for some of the smaller circumstances and unexpected events and much harder to do with some of the major storms that happen in our lives.

Let me clarify something. Acceptance isn’t always accepting the circumstance itself. But it’s accepting your feelings around them. It’s OK to feel disappointed. It’s OK to feel upset. It’s ok to feel heartbroken or even just broken. It’s OK to feel.

But the first healing comes from accepting and acknowledging the reality of what’s happening. You allow yourself to feel the feelings around it. So it’s not necessarily about accepting the circumstance, but looking at yourself and accepting this new reality. One you never planned for.

Then it’s about accepting all of the feelings that you have around this new reality.

Wow that’s hard. We so want to change the reality of something. But this is acceptance. Not necessarily making peace with it. But accepting the reality.

Next you need to somehow calm down the pounding drumming and the cymbals crashing in your body. The symptoms that are reverberating through every cell of your body.

The best way to do that is to merely take a breath. Pause and take a nice deep breath. Sometimes when you do that, you find peace. Sometimes when you do that, the tears finally flow, the anger dissipates, and a whole new set of emotions take place. Not to mention it’s the first step to being able to think more clearly. And when we can think more clearly, we can find a way forward.

Your next tool to healing is to find some kind of support. A friend you can talk, a therapist that can help you work through what’s happening, a family member who might be experiencing the same thing. It could be a priest or rabbi or minister who can help you see a different approach to healing. Support groups! The most important thing with finding support is that hopefully it’s the kind of support that acknowledges where you’re at and is there for you. Maybe they give you a new perspective, or maybe they just listen. But know that your healing is on your own time. So don’t let anyone try to make you feel like you should quickly get over anything. We all heal on our own. Often times our family or friends mean the very best. And often it’s hard for them to see you hurting. But just know that if the support doesn’t feel right, it’s OK to find it somewhere else?

There are so many tools and steps that will help you heal but I think one of the most important is to focus on what you can control in your life right now. When these things happen to us we feel ourselves spinning out of control. It feels like we are in a hallucination. Can this really be true? All you can do is center yourself and put all your concentration on the things you can control!

So here is a tool that seems obvious. But sadly it’s the farthest from our consciousness. Self care.
Practicing self care in these times is loving yourself instead of being angry at life. This means taking care of your body, your mind and your spirit. Exercising, eating right, getting sleep, reaching out for help, finding a way to escape the things that are bringing you sadness or anger, caring for yourself instead of caring about the circumstance. Wow those are big asks. I guess I want you to understand that the more you focus on the circumstance the more you feel out of control. The more you focus on a way out, your healing, the more peace you will find. And your rhythm will change.

I think this next, and last one is probably the hardest. Because when we are deep in the surprise or shock or sorrow of something that has happened and is drastically throwing our rhythm off, it is hard to do what I’m going to ask you to do.

It’s to learn from the experience. Every thing that happens to us in our life is an opportunity for learning and for growth. If you can, reflect on what you can learn from this situation, and how it can actually help you in your life now, and in the future. It will start changing your rhythm.

This whole podcast came for me from an experience that I had this weekend where I had huge expectations about a work event that I was going to. Add to it that it was one that was going to cost me quite a bit of money. And… out of my control, it didn’t happen the way I expected it. But when I look back on it and reflect on it, I asked myself was it really out of my control? Did I ask all of the questions I needed to in order to make sure the experience was what I wanted it to be? Did I have expectations of others that I shouldn’t have had? The change in my vibrations over those three days was some of the most uncomfortable I have felt in a long time. And when I got home, it was so interesting to feel myself breathe again, and calm myself, and feel the rhythm that brings me peace in my heart. It was certainly accepting the situation that helped me get through it. It was breathing and trying to reach out to people I loved to help me understand it. And it was changing the direction of my sails, so I could enjoy my weekend that helped me the most. Reflecting back, the part that makes it easiest to let go of is because I am willing to look at my learning experience that came from this. My mistakes, my unrealistic expectations and my allowing myself to feel the imbalance, not to mention the emotions that I experienced and how if I really became self aware I had the power to change them if I chose to.

I think in life, the answer is to learn to be flexible. To adapt our expectations of ourselves and others and circumstances when things change. But truly the biggest gift is when we find meaning in a part of our life that was unexpected.

This is what this podcast, A journey to awareness is all about. it is a way for us to find the answers to our lives and in turn have a deeper understanding of ourselves… and really… What is better than that?

Being a sailor, this is one of my very favorite quotes of all time…

“I am not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”
The amazing Luisa May Alcott.

Remember, you’re not alone in facing life’s curveballs. And we are all learning how to ship. Honor these moments of your life. Allow yourself the time and space to navigate through these challenges, and remember to be kind to yourself in the process.

I am so happy that you joined me this week on a journey to awareness. I hope that you are gentle with yourself, eat wonderful food, surround yourself with positive beings, go on beautiful walks, drink lots of water, get lots of sleep. Thank you for joining me this week on A Journey To Awareness, and I look forward to popping back into your life again next time.

The Magic Of Living A Fulfilling Life

March 20, 2024 By Shauna

This season of A Journey to Awareness is titled The Rhythm of our Lives. So often when we talk about self awareness or genuine self we leave out something that’s at the core of our happiness…finding what fulfills us. Well, what the heck does that mean? And, can you be fulfilled in one part of your life and not another? Ok, the answer to that is yes. And what fulfills you may not fulfill me, or your partner, or parents, or children or anyone else in your life. Today, let’s think about just a few of the most important aspects of your life that gives you a sense that your life is magnificently fulfilled; full and filled with all that magic that is in you and of you and for you!

SHOWNOTES:

Hello and welcome to season two of A Journey to Awareness, I’m Shauna Hoffmann.

This season is titled The Rhythm of our Lives. So often when we talk about self awareness or genuine self we leave out something that’s at the core of our happiness…finding what fulfills us. That word is one that so many ads use and magazine covers… are you fulfilled in life?

Well, what the heck does that mean?

And, can you be fulfilled in one part of your life and not another? Ok, the answer to that is yes. And what fulfills you may not fulfill me, or your partner, or parents, or children or anyone else in your life.

Ok, let’s start with what does it mean to be fulfilled in life? For me it all comes back to the title of this season, the rhythm of our lives. Its when you can feel that you are exactly in rhythm with your heart, your desires, your joys. When you’re fulfilled and in tune with your soul’s rhythm you experience a deep sense of satisfaction, an overwhelming contentment and meaning in what you do and who you are. Being fulfilled is a state of being where you feel genuinely happy, at peace. But most importantly you feel aligned with your values, your passions, and most importantly your purpose.

For today, let’s think about just a few of the most important aspects of your life that gives you a sense that your life is magnificently fulfilled; full and filled with all that magic that is in you and of you and for you!

Let’s start with purpose! When you are fulfilled one of the purest joys is having found your place and your purpose in relationships, a sense of purpose in your spiritual and psychological growth, a clear sense of self and a purpose in your work! And most importantly, peace and fulfillment comes from a clear sense of how your life contributes to something larger than yourself. Knowing that your actions and efforts have meaning and contribute positively to the world or even merely to the person standing next to you is a huge boost to creating a fulfilling life. A life with purpose.

Next let’s talk about authenticity. One of the most important things that contributes to a life of fulfillment is living authentically. Authentic self! Genuine self! My favorite words in the world! This means being true to yourself, your values, your morals, your ethics and your beliefs. Living your life. When you align your actions and your choices with who you truly are, what you truly need, you can’t help but feel more fulfilled because you’re not pretending to be someone else or living according to others’ expectations. Living according to others’ expectations instead of your own is one of the most jarring and uncomfortable feelings. And the rhythm of your life knows it.

Now here is one of my favorite pieces of a life fulfilled. Its what my whole podcast is about. Your own journey to awareness. This journey is a lifelong adventure where you are continuously learning, growing, and evolving as a person! Developing new skills, pursuing new interests, overcoming challenges, and expanding your perspective on anything from food to politics, religion to choosing the clothes that you wear. It’s the beauty and grace of becoming aware of your own voice. So one of the most profound parts of being fulfilled is continuing your journey to awareness.

Ok, this next one is pretty obvious. Yet, its also the one that causes more heartache and blocks to true fulfillment. There is no question that living a fulfilling life means surrounding yourself with positive relationships, meaningful connections. How can you possibly be fulfilled in your life without nurturing healthy relationships with family or friends, partners? These relationships are our biggest teachers and our biggest obstacles. And let’s not forget our relationships to the communities that you are in? Community! Last night my husband and I went to a fundraiser for City of Hope. To be in a room filled with people in our town who were there with the same goal to give back was truly FULFILLING! My husband turned to me and said, “Wow, we live in a really great town.”

So you can see, this episode can go on and on! Finding fulfillment takes a whole lifetime for many. Talking about all the ins and outs, joys and challenges in one episode is never going to happen. There is so much to finding fulfillment in life. But I do want to touch on just a few more for you to think about.

Gratitude! Being grateful for what you have and living in the present moment! Wow! Can you feel yourself filling up when you think of what you are grateful for?

What about contributing to the lives of others? Whether it’s through acts of kindness, volunteering, mentoring, or simply being there for someone, this can create a profound sense of fulfillment. Just knowing that you’ve made a positive impact on others’ lives can be incredibly rewarding. And it doesn’t have to be on a large scale. It can be doing something for your child, or a neighbor. Saving a rescue dog! Feeding the birds in your yard. Those moments may seem so tiny. But they are the gold in the treasure of living a fulfilling life.

Now let’s think about how being aware and working on your own Health and Well-being brings you fulfillment ! How many days do your feel better about your life when you have taken care of your physical, mental, or emotional well-being?

Oooh, next let’s think about how achievements and success fulfill your soul. Accomplishing a meaningful goal whether big or oh so small, can change the rhythm of your day, your life, your soul. Sometimes for me its achieving a week of making my bed everyday! It’s crazy how proud of myself I am as I walk by my room! Aaah, the little things that fulfill my life!

Now let me share the final part of my being that truly fulfills me. It’s when I feel balanced in life. And really it’s balancing all the things I have spoken about so far.

I try and help my clients and myself strive for some kind of balance between work, relationships, hobbies, fun and relaxation, self growth, meditation, exercise! And I think we all know that this is by far the hardest thing to do. But it’s the crux of a fulfilling life. One minute we may fill our life with our work, the next a relationship, the next our own breaking free and finding ourselves by leaving a job or a relationship. Then there is balance in our family life. All of these individually create who we are. But by balancing it in a truly healthy way that’s when we are truly fulfilled. There is no longer a feeling that something is missing. We are filled. We are full. We are fulfilled!

It’s important to remember that fulfillment is a deeply personal experience. What brings fulfillment to you may be different for someone else. But when you take the time to understand yourself, what truly matters most to you, and you spend each moment pursuing a life that aligns with your values and your heart, then you have found the “rhythm of your life”!

Oh, I am so glad you joined me today. This podcast is truly a part of what fulfills my life. I’m so grateful for my listeners, soul partners on this journey to awareness as we each find the rhythms of our lives.

May the next week fill you with so much happiness, kindness to yourself and others. Eat healthy foods, drink lots of water, do something crazy and fun, fill your mind with lots of positive things and listen to amazing music as you find the rhythm of your soul. Thank you for letting me into your lives this week and look forward to popping back again next time.

57 Change It Up

March 6, 2021 By Shauna

Hello and Welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman.

Change it up! Sometimes in our lives, we just need to switch things up to bring back our excitement, enthusiasm, our creativity again. Even our love lives! Yesterday I found myself kind of uninspired.. doing all the usual things with not so much excitement to them. And it became really clear that I needed to switch things up a bit to jumpstart my day. So today, rather than our usual walk to the park with the dogs…same old park, same old walk, we went someplace totally different. A new park! New paths, new trees, new sounds and it was truly a breath of fresh air. We were smiling and laughing. Noticing so many different things around us. It was so much fun. And I realized that we all need to do this more often. In so many ways!

For example. When my husband was importing art from the Caribbean. He would always talk to his collectors about moving the paintings on the wall around once a year. He made the point that sometimes the art on our walls becomes part of the background, they almost become like the furniture. Your artwork starts to blend into the walls. You don’t see them anymore. But when you switch out a piece of art on your walls, or in your space all of a sudden your eyes see it again. Your room looks different And your brain actually sparks in a new way. The moment that you are in… changes. Your appreciation of your space changes. You see things differently!

Listen to this…

According to The Telegraph, looking at a beautiful painting, sculpture, or another piece of art increases blood flow to the brain by as much as 10% — the equivalent of looking at someone you love.

What an easy way to get a jump start to your heart and brain! Move around your art!

I think that what happened this morning when we walked to a different park was it gave us an opportunity to see so much beauty we hadn’t seen before. It made us smile. Made us laugh more!

There is a Wayne Dwyer quote that you may have heard. I always thought about it in terms of the way we think about things. Our perception of a situation. But now when I think about the artwork in my home it even makes sense there!

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change!”.

There are so many times I ask a couple what have they done out of the ordinary lately? Any new and fun activity together? A bike ride? A hike? When have they gone anyplace different? Or if you are quarantining, what can you switch up at home? Move furniture around. Make something for dinner you have never had and wanted to try? We are so past the days of Friday is fish night! Can you put down the remote or phone and play a new game together? My brother sent our whole family this game called Finders keepers. A total brain mystery game. And it gave us this great weekend adventure in our living room. Again, we changed up our routine and had so much fun.

I have couples come in to see me that say, “we have so much fun on vacations. Our marriage gets a reboot. But we can’t keep the feelings when we get home”. So the homework I give them is to change it up! Have breakfast for dinner. Go out for a walk after dinner instead of watching TV. Put on MUSIC while you are cooking! Hello, last week’s Beatle’s Music Therapy episode! Music!! Music changes the entire energy in a room, in your evening! Maybe your morning? Maybe instead of watching the morning news, you start your day with music?

Anything to change the chemistry in your brain and body. Anything to change it up! I have even started to listen to different music while I do my yoga. I had a playlist that has stayed the same for years. I thought it brought me peace. But once I changed it up I found myself feeling totally different during my practice. I was more engaged instead of going through the poses as I usually do.

We all get into routines. They make us feel safe. They may keep us on track and healthy. We get up, do our yoga or workout, shower, have our coffee, start to work.

Or maybe you haven’t found a routine that makes you feel safe and keeps you healthy. Yet, your routine is just that. You get up, start working, and don’t have a moment of spontaneity to excite you.

Change it up. The weird thing is that the tiniest change in your daily life or your environment is enough to make you feel totally different. Remember that 10% blood flow? That it’s like looking at someone you love?

Take a moment to think about one thing that you are willing to try and change today to see how it may affect you. One thing. A painting in the house. A plant that you want to put in a new place. A new kind of music you want to try? Jazz versus soul, or classical versus rock? Do you always wear the same colors? It’s funny. I never wore pink. Then one day I pulled out the only pink top I own and put it on. My husband noticed it right away! HAHA Seeing me in a new color gave his brain a new way to see me. Though I choose not to think I was becoming like the furniture or blending into the walls.

Maybe it is much bigger than that. Is there a relationship that you want to change up? Are you the one who always calls your friend so they never have a chance to call you first? And how special will it be when you give them the space to do that? Do you think you are bored in a relationship because you haven’t tried to give it some kind of new life? Whether trying something tiny or big, see what is different if you CHANGE IT UP a bit!

I guess what I want you to think about is that there is a difference between keeping things comfortable versus static. A static home, static routine, static relationship will eventually suck the energy out of you. We are growing, changing evolving humans! We have an opportunity in life to embrace all the unknown around us to help us on our journey to self-awareness.

So think about it today. Think about what you can “change-up” to inspire you, bring you joy, and jumpstart a part of your life again!

Imagine if one tiny change could change your world!

I am so glad you joined me on this podcast today. Now go out there and change it up! Change up everything and anything you can to bring you happiness. Remember to be so kind to yourself! Honor your heart. Honor your creativity. Expand your soul!

Thank you for letting me into your life this week! And I look forward to popping back in again…next week.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED…

• A Journey to Awareness Podcast: All Episodes
• Shauna’s website: https://www.workingonme.com

WHEN DOES IT AIR…
March 06, 2021

52 Imagination, Inspiration, Motivation! Bringing Your Dreams to Life!

January 30, 2021 By Shauna

WHAT THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT…

Hello and welcome, I’m Shauna Hoffman.

I thought today is a perfect day in all of our lives to believe in the possibilities and dreams in our hearts. We are going to talk about a lot of ations… imagination, creation, inspiration and motivation. and all it takes to believe in yourself to go after something you really want in life. It is the human spirit to create. We all have the ability to envision new things. From the time we were children we could make a train out of stick or snowman out of a snowball. Why? Why is it that as children we had the ability to think outside the box and create with no holds barred?

Because we had not been told yet that it’s not real. We had not been told yet that our thoughts should have boundaries and restrictions. When we were young we could claim what we would be when we grew up and all the adults would just smile and think isn’t that cute. She wants to be a fireman or teacher or President one day. No one gave us that negative list of why it can’t happen. Until one day they did.

As adults we have these weird “shoulds and rules and guidelines and history” of what we think is possible and what isn’t. And now when you dream of something you want to do outside the realm of what others can perceive of you, you get bombarded with all of the reasons why you can’t do it. And not just from other people. But from yourself! And that is what we are going to talk about today! Your dreams and how to let all those negative thoughts go and bring those dreams to life!

Years ago, I did my thesis paper on something called The Idealized System Design. It was based on a theory that you could create an ideal concept and then design it from beginning to end. But the word ideal is what made it so exciting. In an ideal system you have no boundaries that say no it cannot happen.

Think of that concept for a minute. You could create an ideal home…one that is ideal in your imagination. Not what you could afford, or someone else’s pre-built home, or stuck in a city when you want to live on a mountain top. You could create YOUR ideal home. So the concept of ideal meant it could be anything your mind could imagine!

Abert Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

Ha I love that!

I love to use this theory with my clients, my business coaching clients, teens imagining their future, newly divorced women or men who are redesigning and reinventing their lives. Usually their mind set is open to anything. Or even ready for anything!

And then I love to use it to help people who have become sedentary in their lives or thinking and have some dream that they have abandoned or have decided is a just a dream that can never come to be. I want to play with the word imagination! As a child it was believed that our imagination was something like a Disney dream of fairies and dragons, princesses and castles. “Oh she has such a big imagination when she plays”. But the truth is anything that we want to achieve starts with imagination. IMAGINING something that we want in our lives.

So let’s think about what Imagination is. It’s the ability to create mental images of things not perceived through our senses. For instance it is a woodworker who can see a table in a piece of wood. Or an artist that can see the images they want to paint on a blank canvas. It’s the ability to create a new narrative out of something that we can’t see or have never heard before. A musician that creates a new song out of notes that are on a scale. It’s something that can construct new, hypothetical scenarios that don’t exist now but have every possibility of coming to fruition. What I love about imagination is it deletes the word CAN’T!

So imagination is the precursor to creativity. Once you start to imagine something new your next step is to create it. Now creativity goes hand in hand with imagination because as you create you want to continue to allow your imagination to think outside the box. Creativity is the ability to see something with no boundaries.

Now let’s take all of this and make it personal for you. If you could imagine anything different in your life what would it be? It can be anything as small as imagining your home with new colors, or imagining you walking a new puppy down the street, to anything as big as imagining yourself living in a different town or country or imagining a new job. It could be imagining your own creative outlet like writing or painting or singing or podcasting!

Now you have imagined it and you are on the way to creating it! The next “ation” I am going to talk about is inspiration. Inspiration is a force or influence that makes you want to create something!

Let’s think. You have decided to create a new decor for your living room. Your mind has begun to formulate all of these wonderful images and colors and feelings of what it will look like. You pick up a Interior design magazine and you see someone that has created their new space. You get so excited that it inspires you to take your IMAGINATION AND CREATION and bring it to life! You are now not only creating something in your mind, you are inspired to make it happen!

Now I am going to talk about the one ATION that seems to be the thing that stops people in their tracks. MOTIVATION! How many times have you had a wonderfully creative new idea that you have wanted to attempt. You have imagined it in your mind, talked about it to other people, maybe even written it as a goal in your life. But you have never done it? Your excuse, I haven’t found the motivation to start it. They say that motivation is the “process that causes you to take action. It activates behavior”. But here is my personal experience with my clients and what I coach anyone hoping for motivation. Some people can take their inspiration and creativity and it kick starts motivation. But, for many people I don’t believe it just shows up. That one day they wake up motivated.

I read one time that motivation comes from action starting not starting action! In other words when you have an idea or creation that you want to manifest if you just START the process that INSPIRES MOTIVATION! It is the starting of something that becomes the energy that opens up your motivation to continue! It’s watching it come to fruition that keeps you inspired. OK let’s think about this in simple terms. No one is motivated to clean a room. But once you start to clean it all of a sudden the motivation continues! You get excited to see your progress and want more! So many people envision writing a book. They think about it and talk about it. But then they say to me I am just not motivated to start it. I say sit down and write a sentence. Any sentence. See if you become motivated to keep writing. I love the book The Artists Way for just this reason. It gets your mind kickstarted to create.

Now I want to go back to something that I said at the beginning. When children create it is because they have not been told that it CAN’T be real. The biggest reason why people don’t start to create the things that they want in life is because somewhere in their mind is the word can’t.

“You can’t do that, you know nothing about that. You can’t do that no one will like it or buy it. You can’t do that there are professionals that make a living at it. What makes you think you can do that. You can’t do that. It is too expensive, or too lofty, or too unrealistic.”

The minute the word can’t or shouldn’t come into your mind it creates a judgement and fear that stops all creativity and let’s be honest…it stops all dreams from coming true. And the funny thing is it’s not true! Remember the Idealized System Design! You design something with no boundaries, no rules, no saying NO!

Pablo Picasso said, “Everything you can imagine is real”.

He also said, “The chief enemy of creativity is GOOD SENSE.”

I want you to think about your life. I want you to play with the possibility that there is something that you are dreaming of that you want to create. Something that is sitting in your mind or soul or heart that you want to bring to life! It may be a garden in your backyard, or a children’s book you want to write or a podcast you want to create! Or a wall you want to paint! I would love you to think of the words…

Imagination
Creation
Inspiration
Motivation.

Then just start it… make any movement towards your dream and see if it motivates you to bring it to life! Take any action that you can to start it! Remember that every best selling writer was once NOT a writer! There was a day that Picasso didn’t paint. Or Mozart heard the songs in his head but never wrote them down. There was a STARTING point for every person who went after their dreams. The day that they said, I CAN.

I love this quote by Ursula Leguin – “The creative adult is the child who survived.”

I want to leave you with this one… by Bruce Garrabrandt

“Creativity doesn’t wait for the perfect moment. It fashions it’s own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.”

I hope for you wonderfully creative inspirational outbursts in your life! May you hear your child voice again and allow it to help your dreams come true. May you believe in all of your capabilities to create your very own ideal world!

Now go out there and be safe! Drink lots of water, eat nourishing foods, get lots of sleep and surround yourself with people who lift you up and believe in you and your dreams! Then just begin!

Thank you for letting me into your lives this week and I look forward to popping back in again…. next week.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT DISCUSSED…

• A Journey to Awareness Podcast: All Episodes
• Shauna’s website: https://www.workingonme.com

WHEN DOES IT AIR…
January 30, 2021

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