Mind Your Newness

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns  what we have into  enough, and more.  -  Melody Beattie       When  you are grateful for what you have, more is attracted to you. I’ve learned that you can have it all and feel like you have nothing.   Material possessions often loses its appeal in time. Too often we are lead to believe we do not have enough. We become obsessed with getting more. But more rarely makes anyone happy.    There is nothing wrong with wanting more. The problem is not knowing why. Practicing gratitude helps us to understand why. It keeps us from falling into the trap of temporary satisfaction.      Gratitude grounds you in purpose and principal. Accumulating things to fill a void rarely works. Material possessions cannot make you happy. Only your attitude towards those objects make you happy. Take for example a child who loves his or her favorite toy. The toy does not have to be expensive...

  “Change your thoughts and you can change your world.”  – Norman Vincent Peale      Have you ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat ? ” Growing up I hear d   this from my parents, teachers , advertisements on television, radio and magazines. T here was an abundance of guidance on what was healthy to eat and drink. The world was   encouraged to   consume recommended serving s of vegetables,   milk , dairy, and avoid sugary snacks .   Likewise,   balance every meal   with the suggested amount of protein , fruit and vegetables.        The message was clear, and e veryone understood . There was much emphasis on how and why we needed a healthy body . The phrase “You are what you eat,” became ingrained in popular culture. Sadly , b arely anything was   taught about the need for a healthy mind. I wonder what the impact would be if we were taught with the same intensity, “You are what you t...

You’re not getting the results you want because you’re not getting the rest you need. Believe it or not, c reative work is draining. It takes mental and physical strength to engage in it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun and fulfilling .   However, if you are not careful you can easily burn out.  Yes, you heard that right,   being creative can physically drain you.   My   experience as an artist has taught me a lot about the effects making art can have one’s body . They range from mental and physical issues but stems from one major mistak e creatives make across all disciplines .   F ail ure to take heed to g et ting proper rest. It’s a simple concept, yet often overlooked or totally ignored.   There is a case to be made for artists and creators to make rest an essential element in their daily routine. I would   argu e , you are likely to be more productive by implement ing frequent periods of rest in your creative practice . Studies...