Vision, creativity and passion carry us to places we did not know we could go.  Believing in oneself and evolving into a state of knowing is a long path to travel, with many bridges to cross. Knowingness is an ever evolving process within ourselves.  How do we learn to believe in ourselves so much, that we dispel fear and doubt? This is a question I ask myself often.  Intellectually,  I know it is found through opening many doors. Spiritually, I know it is from connecting to the heart.  I want to believe I am capable of excelling at my passion, but a lifetime of voices, lessons, schooling and all manner of dictates have told me otherwise, at least for the most part.  It is up to me to have a vision, to know that I am capable of achieving my desired outcome.  The most important part is knowing that I am the only one that stands in my way.

Neale Donald Walsch said “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”  I like my comfort zone, thank you very much, but as the years roll by I know that what creates growth is change, and that means leaving your comfort zone from time to time. Often we are like children, holding on to our ‘blankey” with a thumb in our mouth, trailing our blanket of comfort behind.  Part of growing into an adult means leaving the blanket behind, if we want to evolve.  To grow into spiritual adulthood, it is wise to leave fear and doubt behind, which can allow us the clarity to see our vision for the future we wish to create.

What is your personal vision?  What is your vision for the Collective?  When following your heart and envisioning the future, is it for the highest and greatest good not only for yourself, but for everyone?  A very big responsibility sits on our shoulders if we hold the vision of living from a place of love, wisdom and power.  By connecting to the heart in a profound way, the obstacles that clouded our vision begin to clear.  Our connection to source grows stronger, we grow stronger, allowing knowing-ness to be an essential guide.  There seems to be a sense of dis-rest in so many people, no matter who they are, or their station in life.  Until we each learn to hold the vision of love for ourselves and our fellow man, there will be dark clouds in the way. Sri Aurobindo said “ In order to see, you have to stop being in the middle of the picture.”  Getting out of our own way is not always easy, but well worth the repeated effort.

Spend as much time as possible in-visioning the life you want to live. Examine what is truly important for that vision to succeed.  What is the motivation behind the vision and how do you see it unfolding?  Your vision is powerful and when you use it wisely and with love, it will bless you in all areas of your life.

Debra Oakland

We are energy.  Let’s talk about this briefly.  Our thought is energetic and holds within it – power.  We as creators have the power to direct this energy.  Cause and effect would be how things manifest outwardly in our lives, and is a direct result of how we manage that energy.  The cause is our focused thought, or the recurring habits of our thinking, feeling and acting, which create effects or outcomes in our lives.

Thought is a by product of thinking.  Healthy, happy creative and constructive thoughts impact all areas of our lives in a positive way, whereas worrisome and fearful thoughts impact our lives in a negative way.  Simple math really!  As we vibrate to this positive or negative energy, it is important to know that our multi-body system is taking orders from headquarters!  We birth our thoughts through feelings as they take root and are nurtured into reality.

Energy is alive waiting to be directed in any way you choose.  Consciously creating brings much more satisfactory results than unconsciously creating. Again, you do the math!

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

Replay of my August 19th Interview on Living in Courage with Margie Scott of Bliss 101 Radio

In this article, I am exploring the partnership of Inspiration and Motivation at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, CA where I live.  I sat happily with my Kean coffee looking at the artists booths all around me that are filled with diverse art by very talented people. Festival of Arts has been home to the Pageant of the Masters since 1932 and attracts more than 250,000 people annually.  The festival has a reputation for fine art, and is recognized worldwide.  These 140 juried artists have to be very inspired and motivated to get into the festival, and to stay in the show from year to year.  Each year approximately 25 new artists are added to the art show.

The first delightful artist I spoke with was Betty Haight of Cunningham/Haight.  I asked Betty what motivated/inspired her and she told me, “Other people loving our art is what motivates me.  Another factor is selling art.  Our motto is “Art without commerce is a hobby.” There is a story tag on the back of each painting, and the wood frames are from scrap wood from old cottages.  Betty is passionate and enthusiastic about her work, and it was a pleasure to visit her booth…I hope you will too!

I fell in love with Karin Worden’s beautiful jewelry. There is a gorgeous necklace in Karin’s booth that keeps pulling me back and enticing me!  Her work is exquisite. It is obvious that Karin puts her heart and soul into her work, so I asked her what inspires/motivates her in regard to her craft. “I’m inspired by the life I see in natural forms. The gestures and textures speak to me. I also love my craft of goldsmithing. So I get inspired by something in nature, or even sometimes a picture of nature, and then I mix that in my studio with the fun and adventure of what the materials can do. I choose gemstones for their colors and then play with textures and techniques in silver and gold. I love the process of bringing an idea to life. A fleeting picture in my mind evolves into something tangible that can last just about forever. I’m also inspired and moved by the responses my pieces get from others. When someone falls in love with a piece and buys it, it begins a new life with them. Often, I’ll see a piece on someone two years later and it will look different – it has become part of the wearer and transformed in ways I could not have effected.”

Wandering around the festival grounds I met Bill Agee who was a commercial photographer for 30 years, and now teaches photography at Saddleback College.  Bill’s art is abstract/expressionism in acrylic on canvas.  As far as motivation, Bill said “Art makes me happy, I enjoy it.  I work independently and have made my hobby my profession.” I viewed Bill’s photography from around the world on his website and it is stunning.

Next I spoke to Anne England who is a longtime Laguna resident and artist.  Anne is a print-maker, who says “Art motivates art, and art motivates me.  Art comes from my heart and soul, it speaks to me.” Anne spends part of the year teaching and creating new works on paper in Italy.  I met Anne after one of her return trips from Italy and found her a joy to interact with.

While talking to Anne, I met Geraldine who directed me to her husband Gar Cropser, a gifted and passionate landscape photographer. Gar’s answer to being inspired and motivated was, “The love of the outdoors gives me a feeling of peace, awe and wonder that I want to share with others.  My goal is to be able to capture, experience and share my work with the world.” Gar’s photography of Zion and Yosemite (two of my favorite places) were very moving because he captures light beautifully.

I thank each artist for taking the time to speak with me, and may you each be blessed with a prosperous festival season.

Debra Oakland

What motivates us as humans? I was pondering this subject thinking about various things that motivate, such as courage, inspiration, encouragement, and all the great qualities of life. There are many forms of motivation, for example fear is one. It does not take much to scare people into action. When fear is the motivating factor, the results will be different than those motivated by love, yet it may be an important stepping stone to acting from a place of love.

I have been motivated by many things in my life, but it always comes back to the basics. Living an authentic life doing what my heart leads me to do. By trusting that motivation comes from life all around me and from inside my soul, I am able to determine my best path. Like everyone I have made decisions out of fear. Many of those decisions were not the best, but they taught me what I do want. That is the power of contrast, which is essential for growth and expansion.

What and who motivates you? Does it last, or are you motivated in the moment and quickly lose momentum? Think about what fires up your soul. Inspired passion for excellence is a key factor in motivation. Passion, creativity, inspiration and productivity keep us alive and vital. This video on the life of bamboo motivated me to remember to plant the seeds, water them, encourage them and be patient for the growth that can explode from being nurtured.

Are you in the flow or out of the flow? We are either flowing with our good or going against it. How is the energy flow affecting each of our lives and how can we harness it? Watch this video of Oprah Winfrey for some insight. Oprah is a woman who delivers gifts of love to the world. What a wonderful example of Living in Courage.

CHALLENGE
“Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”

Recently “Life By Me” described me as a writer, joyful experiencer and courage advocate.  I will take that and run with it!  In the article I wrote for them I said “We’re incredibly powerful beings, and yet, as Sting sings, “how fragile we are.” There’s a bridge between being broken and living in power. We get to choose which side of the bridge to be on and who we’ll assist to the other side. It takes courage to believe in ourselves, to be our true authentic selves, never apologizing for who we are. If we can create a spiritual space inside ourselves, a place where we can overcome life’s biggest challenges, we’ll truly live in courage. By navigating the bumps in the road wisely, joy becomes a very good travel partner.”  I truly believe this.  We are fragile, powerful, courageous beings experiencing and expressing ourselves in a multitude of ways.

Courage comes in many forms.  I like to think of the everyday hero, like you and me. By making wise choices throughout the day, being the best ‘you’ is courageous, because you are making a conscious choice for good. Sometimes challenges are put in our pathway, not to discourage us, but to call up the qualities of courage that are required, to find the opportunity in the challenge.  How you handle these challenges, and the choices you make determine how smooth or rough the experience will be. It takes courage to be harmless to yourself and others, to ask the question “Is the choice I am making in this moment for the highest and greatest good for myself and for all?” Life expresses out from us according to what is going on inside.  Every cell of our body emanates what we are thinking, feeling and acting upon.  You may be able to hide things from other people, but never from yourself.  We all need ‘purpose and direction.’ Being true to yourself should be the first order of business, and that my friend takes great courage. You can grow and be strengthened by challenges.  It is a choice, which can create a grand bridge to your joy.

In one of my quotes I say “Courage is required, down to the very fiber of our existence. Use your will, desire and persistence to develop the qualities you need to materialize your dreams, whether they be mental, physical, or spiritual.”  You are more powerful than you realize.  We all are.  Step up to yourself, for yourself.  Find your point of power and connect to it like your life depends upon it, and make courage your constant travel partner.

Debra Oakland

I think about what is going on in the world ‘outside’ of me. It seems very surreal out there. I grew up in a more peaceful world, or so it seemed. I have learned that the world ‘inside’ of me is the most important place for me to live, move and have my being-ness. It is also the best way I can contribute to the outer world. By remaining in peace and in my joy as much as possible, which can sometimes be challenging, I am making a difference. We are energy. What we give out, we get back. I refuse to live in fear, motivated by what the ‘outer world’ dictates. One by one, as we collectively take our power back, this world will shift. As you live from the ‘inside out’ from a place of peace and love, your personal world will shift, as well as your perspective on the world you live in.

I love my life.  I am grateful for the joys and challenges that have made me who I am today.  Although I have always wanted to help ‘fix’ things for certain people in my life, I now realize that is their responsibility. We each have our own path to travel, yet we can show up for others with loving support.  My best contribution to the world is by being a living example of love, peace, joy, integrity, courage, really just by being my best ‘me.’  As we each hold a space of love for ourselves, each other and our world, we can be the change we want to see in the world. Think back to when you were very young. Remember the simple joy of just being you, the innocence, and wonder with which you viewed life.

It all starts with you!

Debra Oakland

“If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Minister, Civil Rights Activist (1929-1968);

British Street Artist Banksy

Hope carries a vibration of optimism for the expectation and outcome of change.  It is obvious that our world is quickly changing before our eyes.  Even though there has been ongoing devastation around the world that has presented untold challenges, there is also a feeling of hope that people carry in their hearts. As world events continue to bring waves of change, we as a world community are coming together, to assist our fellow man as never before. There are no borders where love and compassionate support are concerned. We are all the child, the mother, the father, sister, brother and family member who feel compassion. We hold on to hope when others are in pain or suffering. Everyone wants to be happy, safe, healthy, abundant and whole. We all want for the same basics in life, and in that way we are no different. It is in that same-ness that we forge a bond of hope for our brothers and sisters around the world. It is that bond of hope that can bring the end of separation and allow change to carry us and our planet to new heights of awareness and peace.

Hope is a beautiful thing. Carry it close to your heart in the expectation of the magnificent changes that can and will occur from a place of love. Hope is energy. You are energy alive, border-less and free.  Emily Dickinson wrote in a poem that “Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul.”

There Is Always Hope!

I love this lighthearted article from Alan Cohen about death (just changing your address) and his new spin on Facebook.  I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did!

Alan Cohen  *  From the Heart   *  April 2011

Eternal Life through Facebook

I was surprised to receive a Facebook friend invitation from Eric Butterworth, a respected author and minister who introduced me to the new thought movement many years ago. The astounding element of Dr. Butterworth’s invitation is that he is dead. He passed away eight years ago. How he found his way onto Facebook is a matter of great interest to me.

The Internet and Facebook bear huge metaphysical lessons. In truth no one ever dies and we are capable of communicating inter-dimensionally. In the movie The Last Starfighter, a young Jedi-like disciple grows sad when he learns that one of his heroes has been killed. His mentor tells him, “He is not dead. He is just battling evil on another dimension.” On a more earthly plane, a friend of mine told me that his mother had just passed away. When I offered him my condolences, he explained, “She really just changed addresses.”

Just as the essence of a person never dies, neither do relationships. All real relationships are eternal. You might break up, get divorced, move away from each other, or one of you might pass on. None of these logistical shifts diminishes the relationship. Only the love is real. Everything else is just story line. A Course in Miracles tells us, “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists.”

One of my favorite John Denver songs is Annie’s Song. When I attended one of John’s concerts, he mentioned that Annie’s Song is the most popular of all of his compositions. “When I went to India, people would stop me on the street and sing to me, ‘You fill up my senses. . . .’” he recounted. When I read John’s autobiography, Take Me Home, I learned that he wrote the song for his wife Annie, from whom he later got divorced. Initially I felt sad that such an exhilarating romantic song yielded to divorce. Then I realized that the love John expressed when he wrote the song was genuine. What happened after that is less important than the passion that flowed through him at that moment. Though the marriage ended, the passion that inspired the song is eternal and available to anyone choosing love at any time. Forms of relationship may change, but the energy that joins people in their finest moments cannot be destroyed.

I met John Denver when I was walking along a remote road on Maui. Driving a rental car, he pulled over and asked me if I wanted a ride. I was enjoying my walk, and much as I would have liked to ride with him, I told him thanks but I would continue walking. I took John’s hand and told him how much his music had inspired me over many years. He smiled, told me, “Thank you,” and continued on his way. A few years later I learned that John had died in a small plane crash. Upon hearing that news I was so grateful I had that moment to touch him and say thank you. Like John’s music, that moment is mine forever.

If you have gone through a breakup or divorce; or parted ways with a friend; or experienced the death of a loved one, take heart. The precious elements of the relationship are yours always. People and circumstances come and go, but your connection in Spirit is inseparable.

That’s why and how dead people can friend you on Facebook. They don’t really go very far from you, just behind a curtain. You can’t touch them with your fingers, but you can touch them with your mind and heart. That’s why I’m establishing an alternative to Facebook. I’m calling it Faithbook. We’re making a movie about it called The Spiritual Network. On Faithbook you are connected to everyone everywhere all the time and you don’t need a computer to communicate. There are no annoying ads or silly games, and the organizers don’t keep changing the rules. You make friends only by the Law of Attraction, and messages that you would have to block on Facebook never get to you on Faithbook because they don’t match you. You can easily communicate with departed loved ones because on Faithbook no one ever dies.

All relationships offer us the opportunity to discern between reality and illusion. We make up all kinds of stories in relationships that cause us pain and sorrow. The relationship journey evolves from the stories we made up to stories that are true. Contrary to what soap operas, romance novels, and movies tell you about relationships, the only real purpose of relationships is to experience deeper love. That love does not depend on what our bodies are doing. It depends solely on what our heart and minds are doing.

When Facebook became popular I resisted joining because I did not want to spend any more time on the computer. Now I like it. Where else can you get messages from dead people you love? In the old days you would have to go to a medium to get messages from the departed. Now you go to social media. It’s kind of cool when you think about it: No one ever dies. They just move to Facebook.

Alan Cohen is the author of many popular inspirational books, including his newest book of uplifting messages, A Daily Dose of Sanity. Listen to Alan’s weekly radio show Get Real on Hay House Radio at www.hayhouseradio.com, and join him for Life Coach Training beginning in September 1, 2011. For more information about Alan’s books, programs, or his free daily inspirational quotes via email, visit www.alancohen.com, email info@alancohen.com, or phone 1-808-572-0001.