SUMMER 2002
Our theme this month: PASSION IS OUR TRUE NATURE
The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.
Emily Dickinson
The heavenly side of passion is an ecstatic urge to break out of our habitual patterns and realize a vaster sense of being.
From Journey of the Heart by John Welwood
Table of Contents
1. Welcome Notes: Passion is Our True Nature by Carol Lorraine
2. Inspirations from our Creative Community: One reader's personal
story of choosing passionate living
3. Creative Tip of the month: Discover Passion Using Affirmations
by Denise Byron
4. Alive! with Color: Connect with your Passion through Colour
by Ellen Epstein
5. Schedule of Creative Events and Retreats: Healing Circles in
CA, Custom Retreats in HI
1. Welcome Notes
Welcome to all new readers! Thank you for passing this newsletter
along to others you know who would be inspired by Alive! With
Creating. We are a community of approximately 1,000 readers now.
To unsubscribe, hit reply and put unsubscribe in the subject line.
To read back issues, check out my website at www.selfimages.com/newsletters.
You will also find articles on creating that you can download
for free.
COMMUNITY has been added to the title of this newsletter and it is now a QUARTERLY publication rather than a monthly one.
This is the second issue devoted to passion because I believe it is an essential ingredient for creating. Passion is our true, essential nature! It isn't something we search for outside of ourselves. To be passionate is to feel the energy of life flowing deep within us. It is that spark of excitement and aliveness we feel when we enjoy a beautiful sunset, hear the laughter of a child, smell an exquisite flower in full bloom, or dance to a favorite piece of music.
Another person is not the source of our passion, yet can be the recipient of it. The source of our passion comes when we connect with our own awesome vastness and incredible beauty, when we feel the goodness and fullness of our own being.
Passion is a powerful, radiant heart energy that wants to glow brightly, flow freely, and connect with all of life. It can be gentle or fiery, tender or driving. Passion often asks us to surrender our old self, to give up old ways of thinking and being to allow ourselves to open to new, yet unknown ways to be alive. Just like the relationship between destruction and creation, we often experience death of the old before the birth of the new can take place.
There are many paths leading to our passionate Self. I hope you enjoy the two articles this issue on connecting with your passion~~through affirmations and with color.
May you fall in love with your Self and with life during the fullness of summer.
With warmest aloha from the Big Island,
Carol
2. Inspirations from our Creative Community
LET'S SHARE and INSPIRE EACH OTHER! Please send me YOUR creative
writing, articles, poems, stories, songs or experiences of your
creativity.
(To inspire means to be infinitely in spirit)
Dear Carol,
I'm thrilled that I could share something with you that you enjoyed.
I have gotten so much out of "Alive," often saving,
printing out pieces and/or forwarding things to friends.
Ah, let what goes around come around again!
Blessed be,
Lupa
Bravo to you Carol for continuing to live and evolve in and
through your passion for creativity. This issue came right on
time for me, and lifted my spirits immensely as I explore ways
to bring more of my passion and creativity into my work in the
craft and cultural arts dept. Thank you for continuing to be such
an inspiration for me and I like the quarterly format for the
newsletter better too.
Peace, Love and Blessings
Harriet Wright
Warm Spring Greetings Carol!
The timing of your newsletters and their content is always very
synchronistic with my life. The monthly boost that I get from
your perspective is invaluable and I'm a little disappointed that
I will only get 4 newsletters this year instead of 12. I'll just
read them a few times now.
Saying Yes to Passionate Creation -
As you know, these past few years have been the most challenging
for me yet
the most rewarding. I've only followed my heart which was something
I tended not to do for so long. I always stayed with logic and
got up into my head. I realize now how much of me was completely
missing for so many years. Following my heart has lead me to
my next adventure. I've decided to adopt a child as a single parent,
an Asian baby girl and I'm fully engaged in the process. This
is something I've truly wanted to do for so long, most of my life,
but always set it aside for many reasons, never in alignment with
my heart. When I finally made the decision, I cried out of happiness,
joy, and acknowledgment for about a week. I just went with it.
Since my final decision in January of this year, everything has
come to me i.e. supportive friends, family and a wonderful agency
to work with. Although the international adoption paperwork and
processes can be very challenging, it has not been overwhelming
because I know it is the right thing and I feel supported by the
Universe. It's been fun learning about the Vietnamese culture,
orphanages and processes. I've been carrying this quote with me
from Barbara Sher's book Wishcraft. "There is nothing in
the world that is worth doing that isn't going to scare you."
I have tremendous faith and that keeps me going. Life is about
creation and we all choose to birth our creativity in our own
ways. I am grateful daily for being alive during
this time when all is possible, no more limitations, only those
in our own minds.
Carol, thanks for your support in my journey.
Love and Blessings
Diane
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3. Creative Tip of the month:
Discover Passion with Affirmations by Denise Byron, Certified Professional Coach
How can you create more passion in your life, for your life, with your life? Try affirmations: statements that embody your passion, gratitude and dreams. The concept and practice of affirming the most positive and empowering outcomes in our lives is not new. And, as the world around us moves in many directions, much beyond our tangible control, the practice of affirming what we are grateful for now, and affirming the best that we can envision allows us to bring peace and contentment into our lives and our souls.
Recently, I have been working with the affirmation: I choose lavish abundance for myself and all humankind. My intention is to recognize with gratitude the abundance that is already in my life and create space for more. I am fascinated by what happens when I repeat this statement to myself. I see in my mind's eye lavish abundance in the green trees and healthy forests; I see enough food for all the hungry people in the world; enough resources for our schools and hospitals. I see spiritual resources that abundantly provide guidance for the diverse people of our planet. I see healthy and flowing communication between all people. I also see plenty of resources including money. Then I experience how that feels as if it is already happening.
In my personal life, I see my plants flourishing, my bank account full, and my relationships with my Self, the Divine, my husband, family and friends abounding with greater intimacy. Each time I affirm lavish abundance I am filled with gratitude for that which I already have and feel a deep sense of inner peace, joy and love.
A friend uses a simple affirmation every morning while she swims. She says, I am ____ and fills in her given birth name. The meditative act of swimming combined with the choice of using her birth name powerfully opens the energy channels in the core of her being, allowing her to align spiritually, physically and mentally.
An affirmation can be used for just about any reason. Some key components are using first person, present tense (including your future visions), an intention of gratitude for that which is already in motion, and an acknowledgment that all is for the highest good. As you explore your passions, affirm them and FEEL them! Enjoy bringing more into your life that aligns with your highest good.
Here are some affirmation examples to play with:
I engage only in those activities that are centered around my passion.
I breathe in my true desires and passions and release any and all fears with blessings.
As I discover my passion and desires, I am filled with radiant, positive energy and am released from all that drains me.
I choose to follow my true desires, lovingly releasing all that limits me.
My life is abundant with passion-filled activities.
Denise Byron, Certified Professional Coach
Vision Your Life offers intuitive-based services that support
you as you connect with your spirit and the deeper resources available
to you.
Website: http://www.visionyourlife.com
E-mail: mailto:coach@visionyourlife.com
Telephone and voice mail: 541.601.9096
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4. Alive! with Color
Connect with Your Passion through Colour by Ellen Epstein
Passion comes through love. The joy and exuberance that one emits is passion. Imagine someone you know who has passion~passion for life, passion for work, and/or passion for what they believe. Notice the love, joy, and aliveness they feel when they are connected to their passion. How can you tap into your own passion?
Get a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. If you want to play a little more get colored pens, pencils, or markers. Following is a guided imagery you can do to begin to tap into your own passion and connect with your life energy.
Imagine yourself being bathed in a beautiful pink bubble. This bubble is completely and fully filled with love. This love, this pink light, soothes, comforts, and caresses every cell of your body/mind/Spirit. Imagine, sense, or feel this pink colour and light until you feel any and all resistance leave your mind and body.
Now in your mind's eye, imagine a screen in front of you, a large screen, much like a movie screen. On the screen are huge brightly lit colored letters of all the colours of the rainbow. As you continue to look at the screen you see that the colourful letters spell out MY PASSION!
As you continue to look at the screen you begin to see, sense, hear, or imagine different colours appearing on the screen. What colours are appearing on the screen? Continue to notice the colours until you feel complete. Now softly and gently open your eyes and record/write each colour you observed on the screen (not including MY PASSION)!
Now with pencil, pen, or marker in hand let each colour speak to you (if you are using colored pencils/pens/markers, use the appropriate colour). Begin by writing the following question with your dominant hand on your piece of paper. Colour, what do you have to share with me about connecting with my passion and my life energy? Now switch hands and allow the non-dominant hand to begin writing and answering the question. Let as much of the writing as possible be with your non-dominant hand. Write as much as possible for each colour. When you are finished writing with the non-dominant hand, place the pencil, etc., in the dominant hand again and write Colour, is there more you want to share with me about connecting with my passion and life energy? Again switch to the non-dominant hand and let the non-dominant hand respond. Continue this process until the colour has nothing else to share. Repeat this process with each colour. When complete, take a moment to thank each colour and yourself.
Remember, you are the colours you choose. The colours you choose have information and guidance regarding how to live more fully, more joyfully, and more in harmony with your Being.
Take the next 3 - 4 weeks to embody, embrace, and live some of the ideas and information you receive from the colours and notice the difference in yourself and in your life!
Ellen Epstein is an artist and teacher of colour. To visit her website or for more information about her classes, visit: Awakening Images: The Visionary Art of Ellen Epstein or e-mail her at Awakening Images@aol.com
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A shameless marketing plug:
Alive! With Creating~~Transformational Coaching with Carol Lorraine
Awaken to your creativity, authenticity, and passion. Live your
vision. Make your
dreams reality! Based on your heartfelt commitment, you move into
action!
For more information visit my website coaching page at Professional
Coaching or call me at 808-323-2755 for a complimentary coaching
consultation.
The Alive! with Vision course can now be done by telephone.
Discover your vision and purpose and create a life plan to create
and manifest all that your heart desires. If you would like more
information on this program, check out the coaching page on my
website with link above.
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5. Schedule of Creative Events and Retreats
Our healing circle offers free energy work at Intrahealth Chiropractic in Sunnyvale, CA on the third Sunday each month. This month, July 19th, from 11am. to 2pm. people are absolutely welcome to sign up for any of the appointment times (usually about 20 minutes each). It's our way of giving back to the local community. It's pretty amazing stuff for all of us who've been involved in that the breakthroughs and insights that have transpired have been completely unexpected. If you, or anyone you know are interested, please call me and I'll be very happy to chat with you. (408) 253-1300. Jerry Lake, AngelWarrior Creations
Carol Lorraine Designs
See my latest hand-painted silk artwear, Spirit Creations. Click
here Gallery of Designs to go to my online gallery.
Personal Customized Transformational Retreats in Hawaii with Carol Lorraine and friends--For PEACE OF MIND, and SPIRITUAL RENEWAL
These retreats can be arranged for any length of time according to your schedule and budget. Just call or email me and we will design your very own heart singing retreat. They can be for one or more individuals or you can bring your own group. You can choose from a variety of rejuvenating services from dolphin swims, massage, aromatherapy, integrative bodywork, watsu, creativity, visits to sacred sites, rituals, and Alive! with Vision spiritual and creativity life coaching. You will enjoy a transformational journey you will always remember.
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Thank you for being a part of our creative community.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at you back,
May the sun shine warm against your face,
May the rain fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May the spirits hold you in the palms of their hand.
Irish Blessing
Warmest Aloha and Blessings of Peace to You,
Carol