Guestpost: Remembering Amy Winehouse

July 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today we welcome back Coach Olga Monroe who blogs about the positive and not-so-positive effects of creativity as we remember Amy Winehouse who died Saturday July 23 in her North London home at the age of 27. Janis Joplin, Sylvia Plath, Edith Piaf, Vincent Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec and Amy Winehouse are only a small handful of talented artists who contributed pricelessly to our world through music, poetry and painting; yet lived a life of angst and turmoil which they attempted to extinguish through alcohol and drugs. Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, expresses that, “The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly.  Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.”  Just a few pages later, he states that, “All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.”  Those of us with a deep appreciation for our favorite artists recognize exactly what this “place of no-mind” produces.  Our favorite artists have added a new dimension or perspective to our lives.  Some of you, more fortunate ones, have experienced that creative “place of no-mind” when in the midst of creating your own individual contribution.  This may be through writing, painting, carpentry, sculpting, drawing, dancing, physical activity, counseling others and so many other activities.  What have your experiences been? I know, from my own experience with depression and suffering, how much pain the mind is capable of inflicting on an individual.  This is where I resonate with Eckhart Tolle when he states, “Used wrongly…it becomes very destructive.”  I can only imagine a fraction of the pain that these gifted artists experienced.  I relate it to the “other side of the coin” of their explosive creativity and contributions.  For example, look at some of Van Gogh or Toulouse Lautrec’s artwork.  Listen to “Je Ne Regrette Rien” (Piaf), “Me and Bobby McGee” (Joplin), “Love is a Losing Game”   or “Valerie”  (Winehouse).  Read one of Sylvia Plath’s poems. Select something that you are especially fond of.  Take a moment to absorb and appreciate the genius of these creations. Now imagine the opposite of how amazing these productions are.  I believe that my imagination and experience captures a fraction of the deep darkness that these artists experienced. I remember Amy and all of the positive contributions that she left us.  My heart goes out to her family, friends and all of us who miss her. About Coach Olga: Olga is a Certified Professional Co-Active Life Coach and Mentor who passionately inspires and motivates clients desiring to realize and achieve their life purpose to their fullest potential through a system of perspectives.  She encourages her clients to see the world and its many opportunities in a new way by learning to step fearlessly into their roles as leaders at work, in their family, and within the community.  Contact here here  919-604-0104    www.chickswhoknow.com Download Olga’s free Guided Meditation of Your Future Self now at www.yourrichesilluminated.com Your Turn: What do you think about Amy Winehouse and her short artistic career? How does it compare to other artists who struggle along the creative/destructive path?
Filed Under: Creativity · Tagged With: , ,

Guestpost: The Art of War Book Review

June 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Today we welcome back regular contributer, Dave Baldwin who will share his thoughts with us about Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. Thanks again, Dave! I first read The Art of War in 2009, when the library didn’t have the book I was looking for. I kicked myself for having not read it sooner. I had heard a lot of people recommend it, but I didn’t understand what it was. When I started to read the material, I realized that it has nothing to do with warfare – unless, of course, you’re at war. It’s an operating manual for solving any conceivable kind of problem. One might just as well call it The Art of Productivity, The Art of Writing, The Art of Dance, or The Art of ___________. Sun Tzu’s prose is elegant and simple, and the English translation reads with a soft, steady cadence. It is a fun book to read, and it really made me think. I consult it often when dealing with difficult problems. The first line that stuck with me: “One who knows when he can fight and when he cannot fight will be victorious.” I have only recently begun to appreciate the depth of this profound statement. Weighing my options against this statement has become routine and habitual for me since reading The Art of War. I often ask myself, “Can I win the battle I’m about to fight here?” To decode the metaphor and make it relevant, I will sometimes replace words throughout the text with more specific language, and it works like a charm. Here’s one example of how I applied the text to a challenge with my writing. I was coming up against self-doubt about the material I was creating and whether it really had value. The passage that I consulted: “In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it…” I did a little bit of substitution: “In the practical art of writing, the best thing of all is to keep one’s self-doubt whole and intact; to overcome it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture a stream of negative thoughts than to suppress it.” I realized that Sun Tzu was right on the money. Trying to overcome my self-doubt might get me over a short hump, I saw, but I would never achieve lasting and permanent victory against it. Instead, I saw, I needed to use my writing to bring my fears and doubts into the open. This insight occurred early during the writing of a new book, which is still underway at this time. I started to write about the struggles I was going through, and the book came alive. I read a passage aloud to a few people, who all gave me very positive feedback. My writing was real again, and other people could find inspiration in it. In context, Sun Tzu was referring to the idea of taking over an opposing army. I realized that I could do the same thing with my own fears. I could take them over and use them as an asset in my writing. Sun Tzu’s manual is chock full of practical applications like this. I will continue to explore the depths of this book for the rest of my life, and I’m sure that I will manage only to scratch the surface a bit more. Don’t just read this book. Apply it. About Dave: Dave Baldwin is a writer who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He currently works for Bottom Line Internet Business Consultants, a local online marketing firm  
Your Turn:
How do you overcome self-doubt when it comes to writing? Any practical tips you’d like to share?    
Filed Under: Book Reviews · Tagged With: , , ,

Guestpost: Coach Olga Tames the Inner Critic

May 2, 2011 by 3 Comments
Today I want to welcome my new guestblogger, Coach Olga Monroe of Raleigh, NC as she shares valuable tips on taming that Inner Critic! Welcome, Olga, and I look forward to having you guest blog again here at aliceosborn.com! “When life turns upside down, stand on your head!”  I frequently recall this quote from Bapsy Jain’s Luck Everyday.  Luck Everyday is a story about the human spirit’s ability to adjust to the challenges that life throws our way.  Throughout my life I have remained flexible and have adapted to my circumstances.  Bravery, inner strength and resiliency give me the staying power to contribute to life and serve those around me.  Staying power stands up to the Inner Critic that many of us carry within us.  In this post I will share tips on how to battle your Inner Critic and keep your motivation going. What is the most significant relationship, situation and/or challenge that you face?  I suggest that you identify, name and objectify this obstacle.  Visualize a physical object associated with this issue; name it (if there isn’t already one) and notice the physical sensation(s), in your body, when you experience this challenge.  An example is that of guilt over an issue.  Guilt is one of the most toxic inner critics.  I visualize guilt as an old, nasty, smelly, worn out plastic object.  Whenever I feel that nauseous sensation in my stomach associated with guilt, I say to the nasty object, ”I recognize your presence………..”  Then there are many personal questions, comments and conversations that you may have with this object.  For example, “I recognize your presence.  What is it that you want from me?  Why are you here?”  Take time to breathe, quietly and intently.  Allow yourself to listen.  What do you hear?  Give yourself the chance to stop and pay attention to what your senses are telling you.  Create awareness and objectify your situation.  Then you have the power over the circumstances as opposed to the circumstances controlling you. On a more positive note, what is working about your life?  Make a list of blessings, give thanks and gratitude for these and draw on them as anchors. Thankfulness, gratitude and appreciation of one’s blessings is one of the most powerful and therapeutic antidotes to the inner critic. “A thankful heart turns sorrow into joy, drudgery into pleasure, pessimism into optimism, depression into hope, hatred into love.  Thankfulness is a choice!”  Gregory Mollner The hardest, most challenging and disliked situations are the ones that we need the most.  I call the negative voices that haunt, defeat and hold us back from our dreams, the Saboteur or Gremlin. The irony is that if the Saboteur is there, then that is the place in which we need to dig deeper. Confronting our Saboteur can be a formidable challenge, but what awaits us on the other side is our Higher Self. Once we identify the factors of this equation, the rest is a matter of regular and conscious practice. Day by day, we grow beyond what we thought was possible for ourselves.  Look back at circumstances a few months ago, one year ago and a few years ago.  What were the state of affairs in your life?  How do those situations relate to the present?  Where is the learning? There is a way for everyone to succeed, as long as we learn, grow and use each experience, there is the ability to receive and share the benefits of life. The last suggestion I wish to make is to allow yourself to rely on a community for support. Remember that we are all part of a grand, evolving Universe.  Drawing on friends, family and fellow like-minded people is a source of support, inspiration and love. About Coach Olga Olga is a Certified Professional Co-Active Life Coach & Mentor who passionately inspires and motivates clients desiring to realize and achieve their life purpose to their fullest potential through a system of perspectives.  She encourages her clients to see the world and its many opportunities in a new way by learning to step fearlessly into their roles as leaders at work, in their family, and within the community. Contact her here or call her at 919-604-0104. Also visit her at ChicksWhoKnow. Download Olga’s free Guided Meditation of Your Future Self now at http://www.yourrichesilluminated.com Your Turn: Tell us a time when you dealt with your Inner Critic and what happened.
Filed Under: Creativity, Writing · Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts