One Step At A Time

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May 132013

Enjoy Each Baby Step

I live on a hill about 1400 feet above sea level. To give an idea of the incline, the city at the bottom of the hill, two miles away, is at approximately 700 feet. I set an intention recently to be more active on a daily basis, so the steep incline in front of me is seen as an exciting challenge. The beginning of my exercise routine is easy, pleasant, and relaxing. I step down the hill gently and quickly; my breath is free; my gaze is up through the trees, at the blue, cloudless sky. My body feels light and strong at the same time. My arms swing loosely at my sides. My mind is able to drift into a state of gratitude, as I realize that I am surrounded by nature, in a healthy body, with an open heart.

I walk down about a quarter of a mile where a voice signals inside me, “remember: you still have to go back up”. I acknowledge the message; assess how my body feels; and decide I can go further. Another quarter of a mile down the hill, the signal is louder, more insistent, and includes “turn around now”. This time, I listen to my instinctual cry and I turn around.

Step by Step Baby Steps Hike Malibu Hill

Before I start back up the half-mile trek, I take a moment to scan my body from head to toe. I sense that while walking down hill, my shoulders were broad and pushed back. I stood tall and the majority of my body weight lay upon the heels of my feet. I adjust my center of balance and take my first step back up the incline. Instantly, I’m aware of the contrast in difficulty between cruising down and climbing up the slope. Now my shoulders are forward; I seem to only be able to look down at the ground in front of me; and my weight sits on the balls of my feet.

It doesn’t take long for me to grow weary. I realize that I’m kind of far from home and the only way to reach my destination is by walking up a steep hill, without water. Sweat forms on my body and worrisome thoughts enter my mind. I am in anguish over how long it will take me to get back home. What if I get a headache from the heat and exhaustion? Will anyone drive by to save me if I collapse from fatigue? The more I torment myself about the difficulties of this endeavor, the harder it becomes.

But then, something happens. I shift my thinking back into my body. I notice that the back of my legs tingle with activation. I take note of that and imagine the area healing. I visualize the muscle being massaged and woken up by my activity. I acknowledge that this sensation is the reason I set the intention to be more active in the first place. I understand that my fears were focused on something distant from me (my end destination), which was causing me to miss out on experiencing anything real about the individual moments.

So, instead of agonizing over how many thousands of footsteps I would have to take before water could quench my thirst, I shift my attention to the feeling in my right foot as it makes contact with the paved street. Then, as my left foot touches ground, I notice how multiple muscles in my leg allow this action to happen. Then, I observe how my fists are clenched. I spread my fingers wide, loosen my shoulders, and address any and all areas of my body that seem tense or uncomfortable. I release all tension with my exhale. I grasp at life energy with every inhale.

I pay attention to my breath, making sure that it is harmonious with my body’s motions. I scrutinize how far apart each step is, matching the left stride with the right. I create a rhythm but maintain focus on the individual beats. Each step presents a new piece of scenery in front of my eyes. Birds chirp and sing while bugs and bees buzz overhead and around me. I take each moment as it is. Everything that is real in each moment is fully available for me to experience.

I hold fast to consistency while adapting to the variety of every passing second. Eventually, I become fully preoccupied in the present moment: where I am; what I’m doing; how I’m doing it; and why. And then, before I know it, I’m home, celebrating how easy that was; excited to do it again the next day. I check the clock to see that my one mile hike up and down a really steep hill took just a little over fifteen minutes. At the end of it, I am comfortable, resting, and rejuvenating in the solace of my home. The fear-voices in my mind initially shared horror stories of exhaustion and fatigue. Not only did I avoid struggling up the hill, I was able to embrace each moment and enjoy every labored step.

Overcome Fear by staying present and in the moment.

Stepping back to look at a bigger picture, I now attempt to apply this philosophy to all of my life goals. When I think about a particular dream or goal (it could be a healthier diet; a financial goal; something I’d like to accomplish, etc), I stroll lightly down to the valley floor, building the dream piece by piece in my mind. When I’m ready to do the work, I turn around and prepare myself for the long, arduous flight up the steady incline. I avoid being discouraged by the thousands of steps I must take in order to succeed, by simply directing my focus on one baby step at a time. I tred lightly, with a soft and open heart, and a smile on my face.

I notice the end goal, and set my course towards that destination, but I do not dwell on how I will get there, or even when. I am present with the unique moments as I move through them. I pay attention to my pacing, as I do not want to charge up a steep hill only to be burned out. I let each moment express itself to me as it is. I observe it; I welcome it; I return gratitude. Before I know it, I am at my destination, looking back at the joyous journey I took in order to manifest this dream. It will not have been a struggle, because of an understanding of how to avoid suffering, by simply choosing to be happy.

Change For The Good

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May 042013

A change is not a break. It is refinement.

Mixed Media (Digital Art & Ink Illustration) © 1996
Lynnette Rozine Prock

From the day I was born, I knew I was an artist. At the age of 8 or 9, I wanted to teach art and have students around me. For many years, I thought teaching was a very practical way to make a living as an artist, even though my soul wanted to be so much more. I longed to be famous and have my art hanging in museums around the world, like Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Picasso. I feel as though this desire will never change. I am attracted to creativity the way hummingbirds are drawn to red and deep pink flowers.

In high school, while studying artists like Salvador Dali, I would imagine a long life of painting and experimenting with life. I visualized the stockpile of art that one might collect after 73 years of living as an artist. How many pieces of art did Dali create in his life? Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? The freakishly large number inspired me! I longed for my own life to unfold this way, with a stockpile of canvas and collections distributed around the planet in different estates and museums.

Mixed Media (Digital Art & Ink Illustration) © 1996 Lynnette Rozine Prock

But, in college, I was introduced to computers and the virtual world. I know, I’m aging myself by admitting this… I was taught using Photoshop 4.0 (which was released in 1996). The reason I’m pointing this out is because, at the time, this software, and the computer it was on, were top of the line and almost sci-fi. Remember how beautiful that turquoise Mac G3 was? Cell phones were just becoming mainstream at the time.

I was scared of this new thing. I believed that computers were evil. I cursed them and swore I would not let this metallic tool into my daily life. My fear was that the computer world would eventually be obsolete. Even if it wasn’t for 1,000 years, it seemed inevitable. And that meant that whatever artwork I created on a computer, would disappear and be gone forever. I thought “how can I ever be like Salvador Dali, (with hundreds of thousands of pieces of art created after 73 years of experimenting with life as an artist), if my art exists only virtually?”

But did this new change really mean that? The oldest art known to man was created in a cave over 40,000 years ago. At some point, humans stopped painting on rocks and started using paper, then canvas. How funny would it be if people chose not to evolve from rock to paper? Salvador Dali and other artists would have painted on empty cave walls, in the name of tradition. It really was silly for me to hold on to an old thought pattern (my art must physically hang in a museum) and block any new (virtual) creativity from happening.

Looking back, I’m proud that I was able to see that computers weren’t evil. In fact, they have become quite the blessing in my life. I look forward to standing one day in a virtual art gallery, or however it is in the future. I am not tied to one specific way of unfolding. Who knows, one day, 40,000 years from now, a being may find my hard drive with 80GB of graphic design files, figure out how to interpret the digital language, and expose an ancient civilization to a world that didn’t know we exist. I know, that last bit was a little deep.

The point of this memoir is that change is to be embraced, not rejected. Hanging on to old thought patterns and demanding that things should be only one way, creates failure in an opportunity to grow into a more evolved, mature being. Even Van Gogh has his own website… something he would probably enjoy knowing, but could have never imagined.

Awaken Abundance In Three Steps

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May 022013

Three Simple Ways To Awaken Abundance

1. Focus On Gratitude.

Law of Attraction Abundance

Let’s say you are building a garden in your yard. You spend hours digging, sowing, weeding and planting. At the end of the day, you feel satisfied and accomplished. You wake the next morning to find that animals have destroyed everything by digging holes in and around the plants. Some seedlings have been dug up, torn to shreds, or simply removed from the ground. Looking around at the ruined plot of land, frustration sets in. You wonder why you bothered and proclaim that you’ll never attempt something like this again, knowing you can’t lose what you don’t have. The mind closes and all opportunity to learn from this is lost. You blame the animals and complain about how unfair the situation is.

What happens when your attention drifts towards the gratitude at having a piece of land large enough to make a garden? You had free time in your life to build this garden, isn’t that something to be thankful for? You were healthy enough to be moving shovels full of soil. After the hard work, you bathed in an indoor shower, with warm, running water and luxury soap. And, even if they are causing more work, isn’t it nice to know that Earth houses a variety of life forms? Sure, you have to start again, but couldn’t that somehow be a wonderful thing? Now there is an opportunity to create a better garden, one that is animal-proof. Good thing they got in and destroyed the garden early on, rather than after months of hard labor tending to these plants… right?!

By harnessing control over your own perception of an event, you can find peace in any turmoil.

It’s interesting that neither optimism or pessimism change the fact that animals tore up this garden. The only thing that changes is our experience. By training our minds to focus on the joy, beauty, and excitement – we encounter joy, beauty, and excitement. The same is true about paying attention only to lack, fear, and limitation. We endure frustration, anger, and jealousy when our thoughts reside in those dark places. Bring your attention back to the light by remaining grateful for what is right (or possible).

2. Fake it ’til you make it.

For the first few days, or even weeks, after planting seeds, nothing is visible in a garden. This is a critical stage for a garden to be watered thoroughly and regularly. Let’s say that you’ve figured out how to keep the animals out, and you’ve completely resown your garden. A passerby who knows nothing of your efforts, might find it quite strange to see you watering an empty plot of soil day after day. But since you’ve built this garden, you know exactly which plants will bloom where and when. Even if you explain your gardening intentions to your neighbor, they may still miss the full picture the way you see it with your mind’s eye.

Law of Attraction Abundance Wealth Money

Watering seeds which are hidden underground, with the understanding that green leafy bits will eventually burst through, is one way to describe faith. At this stage, you don’t know which seeds will sprout, or even if any will. But, you do know enough about biology to know they “might” make it and surely your watering habits can contribute to the success, or failure. Once again, an awareness and focus on the possibilities (rather than a focus on the lack of sprouts showing), allows abundance to exist.

Similarly, when we visualize or say positive affirmations with an image of our garden (our goal) at it’s fullest potential, we are able to keep faith in the possibilities. If all we can see is an empty plot of soil, we create our own mental roadblocks.

3. Don’t give up.

Some plants take only 3-5 days to germinate. Others can take weeks. Some perennial bulbs and flowers don’t even sprout until the year after they are planted. Patience is a virtue, one that can be developed if not inherited. Just as in gardening, dreams take time. Goals need to be nurtured and maintained; tended to and supported. When patience is matched with perseverance, magic happens.

Instead of groaning and complaining about the destruction of the garden by wild animals, start rebuilding. Move forward without looking back. Keep your eyes on the prize and extinguish any questions of fear, doubt, or worry. Remind yourself of the joy you get from being in the garden. Acknowledge what feels right in your heart and build faith from that. Do not let those pesky animals distract you from your purpose.

Law of Attraction Abundance Wealth Money

Imagine if after 2 weeks of watering every day, your garden shows no signs of germination, motivating you to throw in the towel and give up. How ironic would it be to know that the seeds were only one day away from sprouting? Despite what your eyes see (the empty plot of soil), trust the vision that is inside you, showing the garden in full bloom.

Let’s continue this discussion over on the “Dreamers” Facebook fan page. What does the garden symbolize in your life? What suggestions would you give to someone who feels defeated or frustrated? How do you handle thoughts of fear, doubt, and worry?

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