If you’re lucky, you may have already taken the time and chance to discover many of your passions and get to spend much of your time enjoying things that bring you excitement and joy.  On the other hand, maybe you’ve not yet connected with activities, skills, and interests that ignite your passion.

As many of learn, and sometimes the hard way, it takes time, soul-searching, and some life experience to identify your true passions.  These prompts are written to tap into your wants, needs, desires, and fantasies.  Have fun with them and discover what you can add to your life that will fill it with delight.

• What’s the one thing I’ve always wanted to do?  Consider what would need to happen in order for you to carry through with this long-sought wish.  Make a plan and get started.  Remember that no matter how big a step might appear right now, all that needs to be done is to take that first step.

• If I could spend today doing whatever I desire, if I had no obligations today, what would I do?  Let your mind go.  It could be something related to your work, your home, or simply a lark.  Perhaps there is a spa treatment that you have been meaning to book yourself in for!

• Where do I really want to live?  What city and what type of residence?  Perhaps you’re already fulfilling this passion and you do live in your true first choice.  If not, take some time to truly ponder the possibilities of living in a place that makes your heart sing.  For now, place yourself there in your imagination whenever the need arises.

• Where would I like to visit?  Perhaps you’re harboring a secret yearning to visit Washington, D.C. or Westminster Abbey in London.  The streets of Hong Kong may be calling your name or even the Grand Canyon.  Can you make it happen?  What do you need to do to make it happen, to make it feasible?  Write a list out, and begin to implement the steps you need to embark upon your journey.

• What do I talk about doing but never do it?  In a conversation, you might state something like, “For the last 10 years, I’ve really wanted to take a cruise to the Caribbean.”  Even try shifting this statement to bring this into a closer reality for you.  Perhaps you say to yourself, “Soon, I will be taking a cruise to the Caribbean.”  Watch how things around you begin to shift.

• What are the reasons I don’t go after my dreams?  Explore within yourself why you haven’t pursued the life you want.  Can you do something differently to help bring your dreams to life?  Embrace the possibilities, and the realities, that you are the creator and architect of your days.  Move from this place of inner knowing.

•  What are the things in my life that I would like to get rid of?  If you’re discovering you don’t love everything about your life, maybe it’s time to do some “housecleaning.”  Make a list of the ways you’d like your life to change.  Perform the necessary purging that you know is required for you to move forward with your innermost dreams and goals.  Begin to take steps toward forgiving whoever you may still hold grudges toward, do a body cleanse of some sort, go through your home with a fine-toothed comb and clear out what you no longer need and is simply ‘taking up space’.

•  Which people in my life inspire me and why?  It’s important to know who inspires you so you can spend more time with them.  What is it about them that lights you up so much?  Decide to take every necessary step to be inspired more often.  Inspiration is a flame which needs to be fanned on a regular basis!

•  If I were to make just one radical change in my life right now to make life better, what would it be?  Your answer to this question will really open up your possibilities.  Moving to a bigger city might really spice up your life.  Getting more education in a field that stimulates you, mind body and soul, might be a goal—plus you’ll likely make more money.

• How do I feel when I put all my effort into accomplishing one of my goals?  Notice these feelings.  You’ll no doubt want to experience them more often.  And once you reach a level of joy that you previously may not have felt, it will be easier to get yourself back to that joyous state the next time you make a move towards it.

• How do I feel whenever I achieve a life goal?  Awesome, probably.

•  What’s missing from my life?  Answering this question requires considerable soul-searching.  When I can’t seem to get to the bottom of things that I feel upset about, angry about, or in lack of, then I grab a pen and a journal and begin writing furiously to get it all out.  Almost without fail, that which I previously could not figure out or uncover will begin to reveal itself to me.

•  Who are my biggest supporters?  It’s wise to know the people that will stand behind you and help you pursue your passions, no matter what.  Whether you plan to keep your goals to yourself, or if you choose to let some people in on your plans, be sure to let your ‘circle of people’ know that you could use their support and good wishes.  Just knowing that there are kindred spirits thinking of you and looking out for your well-being can give you that extra edge to complete your goals.

•  Who gets in the way of me achieving my goals?  In order to find your true passions, you might be required to disengage from those who wish to counteract your efforts.  If there are thought patterns or programs that surface for you continually, patterns that ask you to step back from your dreams and ‘be realistic’, then do your best to clear these programs.  Write new notes to yourself, with new and empowering messages.  Write them on sticky notes if you need to, and plaster them everywhere.  I have some inspiring wall decal quotes throughout my house, with quotes that continually remind me to stay on track.  Even if I don’t ‘look’ at them all the time, I know they are there, and they just make me happy!

If you take the time to thoroughly ponder each of these questions, you’ll be pleased with what you discover. Your true passions are inside you, just waiting to be let loose to bring you excitement, joy, and fulfillment.

Here is some lovely, inspirational writing from a fellow Metis, Aaron Paquette.  He is a brilliant artist and a very talented writer, and I could not resist sharing his latest write up.  Enjoy!

The lesson is simple.  Let go of the desire for things that you think are valuable and they will fall away, revealing your everlasting, shining spirit.

I wouldn’t tell you what to believe but I would urge you to examine the feeling of lack in your life, the feeling that there is not enough.  If you were to spend a day, and another and another in gratitude and humour for what is at hand that sustains you, it would open the door for a fundamental shift in your perception of your wants and needs.

There’s no point in comparing your relative wealth to someone living homeless in the Third World, just as there is no point in comparing your relative poverty to Bill Gates.

Both comparisons will simply feed your ego, for good or ill, and bring you feelings of shame.  Comparison is the fastest route I know of to unhappiness.

If you must compare your life, then compare it to the deer who runs freely, the wolf that hunts, the bear that sleeps.  Compare the impact of your existence to the marching ant or the spinning spider who reminds us that we are all connected by the great web of life.

Remember that in that web, what you do to one life comes back to your own in some way or another.  When you kill the songbird, your song also dies.  When you take the life of an animal – without humility, awareness and gratitude – you take the life of the land, and so, eventually, your own life as well.

We see this unfortunate truth playing out in front of our eyes.  They killed the buffalo, they now cull the wolf.  They rip the resources from the land without thanking the land.  They cut the trees and foul the water.  They destroy the diversity of the fields for single crops and spray chemicals on it to obliterate the insects who feed on those crops.

And with sorrow we see the rivers clog with soil runoff.  We can no longer drink safely from the streams.  The lakes are overrun with algae and even the honeybees are dying.

We destroy our ability to live on the land itself, all because we have forgotten to be grateful, to listen to the song of our spirit.

This is why it’s necessary to stop, to be silent, to let go of the desire for material things and immaterial things.

As we treat our own spirit, so too, do we treat the land, and neither can survive the harm caused by neglect, anger, apathy and greed.

The great orator, Chief Canasatego said:

“We know our lands have now become more valuable.  The white people think we do not know their value; but we know that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone.”

There are only so many heartbeats given to every living being.  You have already used up many of your own. For those that remain, use them well.

hiy hiy

—--

Words & Art: Aaron Paquette
Painting: The Past Shows Us The Way

We have just moved past the cross quarter point on the year's wheel, known as Imbolc, and also known as Candlemas.  How has it been for you this winter?  Did you use the dark of the nearby passing season to inwardly reflect, and find those nuggets of wisdom and gems of self-realization that tend to bury themselves and hibernate? 

Now is time to take note of the increasing light of each passing day, and begin to call forth the seeds that were planted over the winter months, and that are now germinating.  Feel the life of these seeds stirring, and beginning to crack open and release their gifts, reaching with longing and grace toward the sun.  Imbolc translates to "in the belly".  Feel your dreams and visions awaken from deep within your being, and extend gratitude towards them, and toward the energies of Spirit that have assisted with the incubation of these dreams. 

Tune deeply now into your intuition, into your 'gut feelings', into those sparks of life and information that reside in your belly.  Try to get a sense for any new ideas and projects that are prepared to spark, and send to them the love of your presence and conscious awareness.  Breathe life into them, communicate with them, and ask them in which way they wish to work with you for the highest good of yourself, your family, your community, and the world community.  How can they best be served by you sending love and intention to them, and how can you co-create with these sparks of life and creativity in order to bring them to light and into their fullest, divine potential?  Here is pictured an image of Brighid, the Celtic Fire Goddess of renewal, healing, purification and creativity.

Finding Your Creative Spark:

Don't you love it when your creativity manifests itself?  Creativity brings us benefits that go far beyond artistic expression.  Even if you don't think of yourself as an especially creative person, you'll be glad to know that it's there within you just waiting for you to use it! Creativity can be expressed in many different ways. Plus, there are many techniques you can use to develop and nurture your natural creativity. 

Like many people, you may think that you're either creative or you're not. What a myth! If you long to be more creative, then go for it!

Here are ten tips you can use to become a new, more creative you:

• Think of yourself as creative. We all have the spark of creativity inside us; it's just a matter of fanning that flame to keep it alive, as well as knowing where your particular brand of creativity is best applied.
  The first step is to know that you're creative. Think positively about this and work to see your creative side whenever possible.

  

• Think creatively.  If there are two solutions to a problem, try them both. Try out your new ideas, even if they seem a little outlandish at first. These fresh, outside the box, perspectives can lead to huge breakthroughs.
  Telling yourself that you're creative is only the beginning; try to think creatively whenever possible.

  

• Put your new ideas into action. Don't worry what other people will think. By trying out your creative ideas, even if you don't succeed at first, you'll learn something and give your creativity a chance to flourish.
  Don't be afraid to try new things.

  

• Try not to over-think things; just go ahead and do it!  Rather than thinking of all the reasons NOT to do something, think positively and take a risk.  If you have always wanted to try writing or painting, just get it on paper (or canvas, as the case may be) immediately.
  Allow your creative impulses run wild.

  

• Be inspired!  Pay a visit to a museum, take in a play, try going somewhere you've never been or seeing something you've never seen.
  Remind yourself of all of those things that you have told yourself you would love to do or see... someday.  Find a way to make those things happen.  This will inevitably spark your inspiration... and  Inspiration sparks creativity.


• Make time for your creative outlets.  We're all busy these days.  Be sure to schedule some time for your creative pursuits.  Put yourself in front of your instrument, your computer, or whatever your medium may be for a few hours each week and let your creativity flow forth.


• Remember to enjoy yourself.  Make your creative endeavors a joy, not a chore.  If anything you are practicing or working on ceases to be a joy, take a step back and re-assess what is occurring for you internally before carrying on.  This will ensure the continued flow of creative energies.


• Play creative games.  This is a fun way to foster creativity!  Get together with friends and play creative group games where success hinges on being expressive and coming up with creative ways to communicate.


• Try a new creative medium. If you have chosen a creative medium, try mixing it up when you get into a rut. If you write, try playing music. If you're a dancer, try painting – you get the idea.
  Shake things up to get some new ideas and perspectives.

  

• Take a break!  If you're stuck for ideas, don't sit there in your workspace staring at the walls.  Even the most creative of people need to take some time off.  This can allow a blocked well of creativity to flow again.
  Get outside for a bit to recharge your creative energies.

  

Remember to be patient when nurturing your creativity.  Make a habit of enjoying some creative techniques daily and, make the commitment to yourself that you will continue to move from your creative center, from the fire in your belly, dancing with the magic that continually moves within and around you.