Are You Doing What You Love?

downtown Chicago

Downtown Chicago – Photo by Pat Ruppel © March 2011

I woke up this morning thinking about doing what I love going through the checks and balances in my heart and mind. I have to admit practicing this has had its challenges since I retired early last year in 2012.

I no longer have the typical, daily routine of commuting and the structure of the corporate world where your day is laid out creating work for someone else.

You may ask, “You have a problem with that?” No! It just comes with a few pleasant and happy challenges in the rearranging of life disciplines and attitudes.  Continue reading

Creativity Where Are You?

Rainbow in Bailey

God I love this place where I live in the Rocky Mountains.  There is inspiration everywhere you look if you have the eyes to see and the heart to listen.

I was reconnected last night to that place in my heart I had forgotten so long ago in another place and another world.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve tried at least 4 times to write a story and it would fizzle out and nothing would come through.  I suspect you know what a challenge that is in whatever you’re creating.

I’m fairly new to writing and have discovered I work best when I write from my heart but that seemed to be in a current state of “silence”.

I suspect I needed to go through a period of purification and alchemy as my acupuncturist puts it.  I went for a treatment a week ago for inner untangling.  I was experiencing surges of energy so much so I couldn’t sleep.

One night I was up for 24 hours and wasn’t the slightest tired.  My acupuncturist said my body needed some rest so gave a treatment for the energy surges – the pendulum swung the other direction.

Oh yes, I’ve had some writing ideas: “Freedom-Family-Faith”, “When You’re Smiling”, “Commercials” or “Hang On” but couldn’t finish and push it through to materialize.  It was in the head but not really the heart.

I’m enjoying the rest and know change always takes time in the process of adjustment but it’s driving me crazy.  I want it to be right.

I didn’t realize yesterday was the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death 35 years ago (Aug 16, 1977) and last night watched a TV Special of his Gospel music.  It brought back memories of a small Southern Baptist Church in Cape Charles, VA and I remembered as a little girl singing the song “There’s a Sweet Sweet Spirit in This Place”.

In watching the passion of the singing in that show I remembered how I felt and what Elvis may have felt.  I was again inspired and it touched my heart again the same way my heart was touched so many years ago.

Are any of you in a “silent” stage of change requiring more awareness, tuning in and patience?  I certainly have struggled with this for the past couple of weeks.  It’s not to say I’ve figured it out but would like to think I’m beginning to move again on the path.  Don’t give up – keep looking. You’ll be shown.  It’s there – sometimes closer than you think.

Maybe you would like to share some of your stories of creative challenges and how you’re working through them.  I would love to hear about it.