Search Results for: choice

Creative Intelligence

Posted on by cmryan

I’m continually amazed at the way Creation takes form. While I know, with every fiber of my being, that we all have access to this incredible and intelligent Creative Power, I still get giddy when a new (and brilliant!) idea comes to mind. It’s like asking for guidance and then having a special secret revealed to me alone. The best part is that, as I allow an idea to enter my active, receptive consciousness, then decide if I want to act on it, and the more willing I am to open myself to this Creative Intelligence, the greater the flow of ideas that keeps coming to me. There is NO END to this supply!

Therefore, it can be deduced that, if there is no end to this supply of ideas, then the only limiting factor in this equation is me… my openness to receive them or the intelligence to recognize their value; my energy level to pursue them; my aptitude or connections to bring them into form. Me.

Once I recognize this, what do I want to do about it? I believe I have the choice and the responsibility for these gifts, these creative ideas that desire to express through me. Yes, I have free will and can choose on what I will place my attention. Yes, I can choose to express an idea in any number of ways or I can make its journey into form nothing but drudgery and chore, resisting the creative urge that will not be silenced. I may choose how I will express its creation, but its expression will be birthed. Yet I create nothing on my own. I do not even create my next breath – that is done for me, too. There is Divine Life, Spiritual Force, within each of us that supports and guides, inspires and expresses through us in unlimited ways and ideas.

The range of ideas can be anything: learning to play an instrument, having a loving relationship with your spouse or grandchild, designing a product or service that benefits others, providing leadership or support to an organization, writing an essay or a book, planning a special vacation, starting a business, training a pet, advancing your education, or whatever. This, and so much more, are possibilities that exist in Life. A spark of an idea can ignite anytime, anywhere. There is a Divine Intelligence guiding each creative spark. It knows exactly who and what is the proper match to bring that spark into full flame. The ideas can come easily. You must be willing to receive them.

How do you bring ideas into form? One option is to share it, to partner with someone who is better equipped to bring it into form. Another way is to acknowledge the idea, note it, and consider it for creation at another time. My favorite is when I can see the idea – in a split second – from its inception all the way to its complete form and delivery to the world. Those are the ones that produce such energy in my body and mind that the project becomes an obsession until its creation is complete.

Through every step of the process, I pray for God’s guidance and direction, and I listen for the answers. It’s just easier that way. Pray with me: I am open to the Creative Intelligence of Life, of Spirit. I am a receptacle for Divine Inspiration. I feel the power of Creation expressing through me! I know it is for Good and that it is coming from Divine Intelligence. I need not question it. I know this is mine to do. And so it is.

Intention. Attention. Anticipation. Success.

Posted on by cmryan

The weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday season are filled with anticipation on many levels. Children write letters or lists for Santa and parents. Adults shop, bake or arrange outings. Friends and family travel or prepare for guests to arrive. Then, the New Year follows close behind and brings its own forms of anticipation. Whether there are special parties to attend or to host, resolutions to concentrate on, or decorations and packages to store away, many of us breathe a sigh of relief as the old year comes to an end and the new one begins. A fresh start.

We ask ourselves, “what next?” and prepare for change. This expectancy can be a feeling of welcome and excitement or one of fear and dread. We wonder what the new year will bring, because we recognize that with passing time, we WILL change. Life will provide a challenge to stimulate our learning. We will have another birthday. We might notice a change in our energy level, health or hair color (more gray?). Our children will grow. Friends move to and fro. People die. Babies are born. Everyone will become more knowledgeable in some way as we face change in life. The preference is to choose the desired change (or your response to it) rather than to sit idly by, waiting for whatever might befall you.

Anticipation often includes a feeling of hope or something you look forward to. Intention has to do with having a purpose in mind, an aim that guides your actions, to set a plan in motion (one that has certain objectives). Clear intentions are generally followed with the anticipation of success. However, anticipation alone, without any set intention in mind…while you might feel good for a time…soon fizzles in the fog.  Success in achieving your goals and objectives increases substantially when your intentions are determined first, aligned with your prayers and practical applications (attention), and energized with anticipation.

Anticipation requires active intention (a form of participation) to see the manifestation of the desire. True, something could manifest the way you anticipate without your having to physically do anything toward its creation. The act of anticipating, of focusing your mental energy on the desired outcome…and certainly a lesser form of attention than if you get physically involved in the creation process, such as pick up a hammer, write a goal statement, take a class, etc… could result in something being created, but in what form? 

To create what you truly desire, to bring something into existence (manifestation), requires: 1)  intention; 2) attention; and 3) anticipation, all working together to create the ultimate form – whether that form is a new job, a piece of art, creating a home, developing a relationship, writing an article, or experiencing a more positive attitude and new year.

Anticipation alone? Well, that’s like waiting for Santa to show up and bring you the one present you’ve always secretly wanted, but have never even put on your list; there’s bound to be disappointment. But add intention and attention to the equation of creating the life you envision, and some degree of success will always occur, if only that you learn from mistakes to improve your choices, grow awareness, or sharpen your clarity. Pray…and then do your part. Treat…and move your feet.

Intention. Attention. Anticipation. Success. Happy New Year!

Pride

Posted on by cmryan

According to the definitions offered on Wikipedia…PRIDE is “an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings.” First, with a negative connotation, pride refers to “an inflated sense of one’s personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris [extreme arrogance].” Second, and with a positive connotation, pride refers to “a satisfied sense of attachment toward one’s own or another’s choices and actions, or toward a whole group of people, and is a product of praise, independent self-reflection, or a fulfilled feeling of belonging.”

While I’ve been aware of the first definition since childhood, I prefer the second meaning, and here’s why…

I believe that having ‘pride’ in one’s community – whether it be where you live, go to school, your church or work, or participation in a cause – pride creates a bond for the Good of that group. As a group that is proud of their connection, people tend to take greater care of their community and one another. There’s a positive connection of belonging, of being united, of having one focus. We grow in the process.

Groups identify themselves in various ways; you see it everywhere. Sports teams have their mascots. Businesses have their logos. Schools have certain colors. Churches have a symbol of faith. Employees wear name badges. Professions have uniforms. It doesn’t matter what the identifier is; it matters that we can identify one another because of these symbols. We recognize our connecting interest to such groups through these visual signs. What about the invisible signs of individual pride?

One way to express individual pride (invisibly) is to do your best or be your best – the best expression of who you are. You can complete a task or job to the best of your capability and knowledge. You can leave a campsite (this earth) better than you found it. You can bring love, peace and joy to a situation where there was none. You can express yourself through your talents, your personal style, your beliefs, how you care for your body or home, and/or the way you live in the world.

Pride starts from within you…how you feel about yourself…and radiates outward. The negative description of pride is the result of an inflated sense of self; it never goes beyond the individual’s ego. The positive definition is when one feels that sense of pride within and shares it with the rest of the world in a generous and healthy way. We are all unique so our individual expression of this “virtue” is also distinctive.

In what ways do you show pride in the world – for yourself or with others? Perhaps some independent self-reflection can empower you to express in expanded ways and, thus, benefit you and the world.

My Community, My Family

Posted on by cmryan

“Community” has been at the forefront of my consciousness lately. Whether it’s recovering from the recent layoffs at my office or attracting new people to our church. Community can be defined and experienced in many ways.

Rev. Michael Beckwith has his definition of community – communicate in unity. That can be talking things out, no matter how difficult the subject, or working together on a special project. Community is spending time at a business gathering or church service, just getting to know the people who are there and letting them get to know you. Isn’t that why we come together? To support each other for as long as we can?

Some of our members have been part of the PCCRS church community for a long time; others have joined in just the last year or two. What keeps us coming together? 

I used to think it was the minister and his/her style of delivering the Sunday message, and for some that may be the draw initially. Or maybe it was the music that filled the cracks of consciousness and made the Sunday experience one of rich harmony. Perhaps it’s the opportunity to serve and overcome challenges. But ministers come and go, presentation styles vary, problems get resolved, and even musicians move on to greater compositions.

The folks that are dedicated to a particular community don’t really come for those reasons. They’re here for each other. The minister, the message, the music, the challenges, even the treats and coffee…those are all just details. These can be important details because that’s what we’ve become accustomed to. But it doesn’t take much of a change or a shake-up to find out what’s really important in a community – it’s the people.

When a company lets go of several employees at the same time, those still holding jobs also hold onto each other and cherish the time they had with the ones saying ‘good-bye.’ When people come and go from a congregation, we miss them, welcome them back when they visit, and release them again, holding them in friendship inside our cherished memories. It doesn’t take a deep meditation practice to recognize the cycles of life apply to the coming and going in a community, too.

Community is what brings us back to the church in which we’ve grown as spiritual individuals. Community is an intangible, unseen bond that helps us recognize who we are within certain human circles. Community is what causes us to wear name badges that identify us with a particular group. Community is where we find love and support when life seems unusually challenging. Community helps us find strength to get up, dust ourselves off, and even laugh at our mistakes and trials as we move forward with greater awareness in a new and better direction. Community is our family of choice.

We don’t always have a say as to who will be part of our family, our community. All we can do is love the ones who are here.

Sharing with the Competition – Website Ethics

Posted on by cmryan

The other day I was once again reminded why I help friends and clients with their websites. There’s more to it than just enjoying the creative side of the design or my perfectionistic tendencies of correcting punctuation errors. There’s the deeper motivation to right a wrong…what I define as an unwarranted business practice in the world of website maintenance.

My new client wants to make changes to her six-year-old website; it’s time for an update. To do this, of course, I need log-in information and passwords, the hosting company URL address, and any other account details she can offer. (If she still has a contract with the firm, they’re most likely not going to allow me access to her account.) But it’s been six years; she can’t remember any contract and there have certainly been no updates by the website design/hosting company. So she gives them a call.

Not only will they NOT give her – the client and owner of the site – access to her account, they tell her THEY own the content on her site. This is her business site, mind you. The design/hosting company has added industry-specific features (add-on templates)  that they also provide to other similar sites – competitors to my client – but she wrote a good deal of the content information as well. Plus, while they’ve been charging her a hefty monthly fee to host the site (with no changes for six years!), now they want an equally hefty hourly or contract fee to make any updates. This scenario infuriates me enough to write about it!

It’s my opinion that a business owner owns his/her own website content – at least the portion they write themselves or that which they contract to have written for them. I also believe that, if the client wants access to their website to make simple changes (or those within their skill set to do so), give them access. If the business owner messes up the site, the designer can then be paid to straighten it out. And the business owner can decide in the future if they want to walk that path again.

When I assist a client with their site, I give them a number of options:

  • They can write the content; I’ll edit. After all, they know their business much better than I do.
  • I can make the design and text changes, widget uploads, suggestions for improvement…or I can teach them how to do it. Most business owners don’t have the time, desire or skills to do this, but I believe it should be their choice – not my dictate. I get paid either for doing the work or consulting/teaching them.
  • If at any time I’m not available to assist with their project or they can find it done more cheaply somewhere else (unlikely at this point), they can turn it over to another designer/contractor. That’s the beauty of free enterprise and competition. But to hold someone hostage like my client has experienced, I consider that totally unethical!!!

My client now faces the decisions of staying with this original design/hosting company and continuing to pay their escalating fees and sales pressure to totally redesign her site (for thousands of dollars!) …OR…have me (or another independent website designer) start all over to give her a site that she can have access to whenever she wants by whomever she wants. She has already stated to me that she does not want to do the updates herself (no time and limited website skills). It actually might be cheaper in the long run to have her site re-designed, but she has concern about losing some of the features already on the site (all those handy template add-ons). Maybe it’s the familiarity with what’s been there for so long.

Until she makes a decision, I’ve got work to do on her blog. See, I can share.