...and do it NOW!

Just to add to the previous post (and for all of you perfectionists out there): as guru Seth Godin put it so perfectly Doing it well now is much better than doing it perfectly later . Couldn't have said it better myself.
smiles to you,
Tania

Find freedom in DOING

It's amazing how much time we spend thinking about the possibilities of doing things instead of actually doing them.
Just pick one thing you have been really wanting to get around to doing "one day". How many hours have you spend thinking about the possibility? How much time and energy have you spent talking yourself in and then out of it? How much energy have you invested in the "maybe"?
If we turned that energy around into actually DOING it, we would be well into it by now. Sure, there's risks...that's what life is about. Would you really rather be safe and unsatisfied, or find freedom in actually doing what you feel drawn to do?

We pend so much time wishing we could be somewhere/someone/doing-something else, that we have forgotten how to go out there and create our own reality, invent our own future, and take charge of our own destiny.

It's in our genes to go out and take risks, to chase down the scary beast with nothing but a spear to feed the family. It's a rush, an adrenalin pumping high, which excites us, makes us run faster, leap further, take ourselves to new highs we have never been to before. It makes us shine.

Go on, go ahead and shine. Take a leap, and make it happen. Isn't it better than sitting here just thinking about it?

Global Shift

Now here's something to think about...

It's the little things...

As we go about our time in this big old world, with huge hopes and big dreams, it comes down to the simple little things that are easy, free, and full of goodness that shape our future, give rise to newness, and open ourselves up to new possibilities.

It's the little things, like:

• choosing to buy a particular product over another because it uses more environmentally sustainable packaging.
• opening the door for a mother with a pram
• smiling at a stranger instead of looking away
• saying a kind word in the face of gossip
• taking a breath in and feeling grateful for those small wonders of life

There is so much negativity and shallow thinking in this world. But it's those little things which change our personal reality for the better.

How Remarkable

Remarkable things happen every day.

For some battling illness, it's remarkable to be able to get out of bed in the morning. For the single parent with 3 small children, ending the day with a smile is remarkable. For some, arriving on public transport on time for work is a remarkable thing. For others, it's remarkable that they find a job at all. For the broken, it's remarkable to find hope. For the weary, finding that last lunge is a remarkable thing.

Things change every day, and each day brings something remarkable to every person alive.

What's remarkable for you?

What you don't see, dies!

Sounds pretty aweful doesn't it.

I've just finished recording the soundtrack to a remake of an undersea film, CORAL SEA DREAMING, by Emmy Award winneing filmmaker David Hannan.
When i wrote the music to the original film in 1992, it seemed almost impossible that this rich reef life could simply curl up and die. But it did. It's GONE.

This new film (shot entirely in high definition - yes, it's awsome!), was filmed in new locations, where small pockets of reef life still exists. Yet, this too will most certainly perish, because it's gone beyond being able to turn things around. Sad to think that it's now about preserving the memory of it.

So what happens next? As our reefs die, our seas will turn toxic, which will destry our fragile atmopshere, killing plants and animals, which includes us. Dramatic? Yup! Realistic? Let's put it this way...scientists are ASTOUNDED at the rate of sea life degredation. What they thought would take 100 years to die is already gone. Scary? You bet ya!

So, you live nowhere near the coast. Has nothing to do with you! Wanna know where your waste ends up? How about all that greenhouse gas your choices are contributing to. Yes, that includes you choices in packaging, products, and anywhere else your money goes. You buy it, you'r killing
it. Sorry for bearing bad news.

If you've seen AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (by Al Gore), you know the picture.
Is it really this bad? Well, we could keep going the way we are and find out.

Wanna try?

"That's ok, i don't need a plastic bag thanks..."

When i'm out shopping i have to say this phrase at almost every checkout. Strangely, even at the end of transactions at my regular places, where the shoppkeepers and i not only know each others names, but also our children and our happenings. Some of these people i see almost every day in our very small country township. But even so, the bag issue just doesn't go away, even after briefing them to never offer me a bag, just give it me "as is", where i pop it in my "granny trolley" (which follows me jus about everywhere), and off i go.

Taking control of my own participation in eco alternatives (or back-to-basics, as i like to think of it) was initially difficult, until i decided to turn those small decisions into a code of conduct. One it
became the foundation of the small things, it evolved into other things. For example, here at Artscope Music we only pack our cd orders in packaging that comes from other local businesses (who donate it to us instead of putting it in their bins), and instead of using bubble-mailers, we send our cds in non-plastic jiffy-bags, which are totally biodegradable and are manufactured from a percentage of recycled newspapers.

Changing ourselves

This approach to challenge the norm took courage more than anything else. It took me a while to ask local business if they had any small boxes i could take off their hands. It was awkward for all of us, as it was the first time either of us had thought about it. With the jiffy bags (which cost about twice the price as standard plastic mailers), it was more about realising that it was only the cost factor that was holding me back. As soon as i realised this, i simply told myself that plastic was not good enough for us. We, as guardians of this planet, and myself, as a mother of 3 small children, have a moral obligation to do what's right. It wasn't going to kill the business, in fact i decided "let's brag about it", in the hope that other people might also be inspired to do something too.

As consumers, we often feel that we have no choice in some of these matters, but in reality we are the ones who hold the purse strings. If we collectively say NO to plastic, and put our money where our mouths are, we will force businesses and marketers to change. And instead of just
settling on saying no to the bag, every week we can tweek our stance to include other things, like supporting local growers, or requesting a certain brand at our local supermarket, or refusing to spend money at the big stores in support of local business.

Make a deal, sort something out with your store. make a change, and then brag about it. Be proud of your stance, it will help others find the courage to make their own changes.

Relaxation...thankyou, i'll take some!

Funny isn't it. For thousands of years humans worked very hard, fighting off beasts, catching dinner, and gathering wild food. We evolved so many extraordinary ways of survival, and inbetween these extreme activities, we sat around and did...nothing. Maybe we chatted amongst each other, mabe we just gazed out in the distance. We know we did this because many cultures outside of the west still do. This was our down-time. Zoneing out, plebbing out, chillin out...time out. We evolved to a state of NEEDING this time to balance the other extremes of life. We couldn't go around fighting beasts EVERY minute!

Now look at us. We come home from a hard slog at work, and then we try to have our own "down time"...television, internet...but what are we really doing? Tapping into tension-filled programs, zipping around websites...we have to be kidding ourselves.

Recording relaxation CDs, i often get asked "how can i relax?". The most common question within this subject is "what can i do to relax?"...and therein lies the answer, within the question itself. What can i DO to relax...simple... DO nothing.

In all the different definitions of what relaxation is, there is one common element...that relaxation is about decreasing, taking away, diminishing, relieving, etc, the body, mind and spirit. In this light, it would seem quite logical that to decrease any kind of stimulation is really the only way to truly relax.

In a rare email i received from a customer, she said she didn't like the DRIFT CD (music for sleep and deep relaxation), because the music was "boring". I felt she had missed the point. Relaxation is supposed to make you feel a bit numb, a bit "blank", and a bit dopey. THAT is what true relaxation is all about. It's about stopping input and decreasing stimulation, and inserting an amount of nothingness in it's place.

What is it that makes us so afraid of nothing? Guilt perhaps (" i really should be doing those dishes"). Maybe we're hiding from ourselves, afraid that if we stop and just BE for a moment, we might see something of ourselves we didn't know. Is that so frightening? Or have we just become consumed by consumerism, convinced that we need our hands held even during the most basic of moments.

When was the last time you really "stared into space"? You probably remember doing it quite a lot when you were young, but what about now? Remember as a child how you tried to hold onto the stare for as long as possible, because that nothingness felt soooo good? Children often indulge in moments of nothingness, and they're very good at it. I think they may be closer to what's natural to the human being than their parents living in a non-stop reality.

Here's a thought. Next time you're finding it a challenge to relax, you might like to ask yourself what your forfathers and mothers did after slaying dinner, or treking across deserts. And just maybe, you could sit, stare, look out, and soak up a singular moment, just like they would have done only a few generations ago. Zone out, chill out, pleb out, and soak up a bit of nothingness everday, and see what you discover.

smiles to you, Tania

INSPIRATION & how do we get some...

Recently (thank you RedBubble ) i was encouraged to write about the topic INSPIRATION. It's the beginning of a new year, so there's a lot of it going around...that is to say, a lot of people seeking it.

Whether you're trying to get inspired to get off the couch, change your behaviour, or in any way tweek a better YOU, inspiration is a key factor which can turn the whole experience from being a hard slog into an effortless Awakening.

So how do we get some? Is it just about being motivated? We'll motivation is one thing. For example,i might be really motivated to write a great new song, but i need to feel inspired in order to achieve it. It's feeling the passion, the buzz of the moment, and everything seemingly coming together in an effortless moment of clarity!

The word INSPIRATION actually means "TO BREATHE IN", and essentially that's the easiest way to explain in. So, let's feel some and get it buzzing...

TRY THIS EXERCISE
Just for 1 minute, close your eyes and imagine the love you have felt for a person, place, thing, or a time when you felt rapturous inspiration (nothing that might make you sad). Really indulge in the physical feelings it brings. 1 minute...then read on...

...OK, try and explain it in words on paper. Use brief phrases rather than just single words, like "the swelling of a red balloon about to burst" or "a buzzing feeling starting under my teeth", etc. Write as many as you can, and really try and tap into the physical feelings of that love, that passion, then read on...

Now take the best 3 phrases. Say your favorite to yourself followed by a big, deep breath in. Say the 2nd, followed by a big *sigh*. Say the 3rd, and feel those feelings welling inside you, swiling about in a giant vortex, that's growing bigger than even you. How do you feel? Good? Better than before?

OK, stick each phrase in places where you need inspiration. Example, the fridge, your screen, your bathroom mirror...the best places are the ones where you find yourself LACKING in inspiration. These are your new affirmations; reminders of the FEELINGS of inspiration. When you see them, breathe in and tap into those physical responses to being inspired. Close your eyes if you like, then (once you feel the vibes), think about the subject you WANT to feel inspired about (i.e. becoming healthier, creating a masterpiece, ...insert yours here...).

Inspiration can be "triggered" by many things, but the reality is that the feeling actually comes from within. And as mushy as it sound, it's all about LOVE baby! Love within you, exuding outwards. And, it's all about the POTENTIAL of love. The possibilities of your expression of love...love for yourself, love to the world, love to a higher plane.

And to wrap up with a few musical anecdotes:

Love is ALL you need
Love is IN THE AIR
How deep is YOUR love?
LOVE...will find a way
and last but not least..
CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE

smiles to you!