Inspiration Archives - Page 42 of 48

Dreamer Highlight: The Creative Chrysalis and Fat Pony Vintage & Art

September 9, 2013 by Lamisha

It has been a few weeks since I last shared a specific Dreamer Highlight post and this particular edition is long overdue. I have had these two wonderful friends and artists on my mind for some time and wanted to share with you their wonderful talents and why I am so inspired by their work.

Amazing Rosary by Kenetha Stanton at The Creative Chrysalis — An amazing Rosary by Kenetha Stanton at The Creative Chrysalis

I first met Kenetha Stanton through a friend of a friend about a year ago and she immediately inspired me to start this very blog. Since then her writing and creativity have blown me away as she continually inspires me whether she is weaving words together on her blog The Kintsugi Life or she is creating new inspirational jewelry. I have watched as her artistry has been taking to new heights in not only her magnificent rosaries, necklaces, earrings, and other pieces, but also as her list of published writing has grown. She is a woman of many talents and I am so happy to watch this artist, coach, writer, and yoga instructor live the life of her dreams as she follows her heart. Please check out her blog The Kintsugi Life where she discusses finding the beauty and strength in the brokenness of life. You can also check out her beautiful Kintsugi inspired rosaries, jewelry, prayer shawls, and so much more in her Etsy shop at The Creative Chrysalis. I have purchased several of her pieces and they are simply beautiful. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

My custom Mosaic from Tori Beth — My custom mosaic from Tori Beth

I am also very excited to share with you an incredibly inspiring, creative, and high-energy friend of mine who I have known for many years. Tori Beth is an amazingly vibrant and creative artist/up-cycler/radio DJ who has created some truly magnificent mosaics (one of which I am so very lucky to own myself). A lover of anything with a story, Tori shares her vintage items and some of her amazing creations on her Etsy page with Fat Pony Vintage And Art. If you like things that have a story you are going to love some of her finds. And if that doesn’t make her incredibly awesome enough, she also loves digging into Earth to see what she can find with her metal detector. You don’t have to know her personally to know that she is a woman who goes where her joy flows, but I assure you when you see some of her awesome pieces like the one featured below, you will know she is a woman living the life of her dreams.

The thing I love about these two incredible women is the fact that they are able to take something broken, damaged, and older pieces to create something new. Kenetha literally creates a beautiful piece of work using her Kintsugi method and Tori takes old, broken items and breathes new life into them. There is something about blending the old and new that is inspiring and reminds me that no matter how old a dream may be, you can always find a way to breathe new life into it.

Another thing I find incredible about these two women is how they have managed to find a way to satisfy their dreams, their creativity, their passions all while not limiting themselves to only one thing. Who says you have to choose just one?? I think if we all listened to this advice, we would have more people living amazingly versatile, exciting, and inspirational lives. Are you one of those people?

I hope you take some time to check out the beautiful work in the links above and support these awesome artists (and friends) and if you know of anyone that you think should be featured in the Dreamer Highlight posts please feel free to pass them along. And if you should find yourself struggling to embrace, celebrate, and live the life of your dreams, hop on over to my “work with me” page or email me at lamisha@lifeoncedreamt.com to schedule a free coaching call.

Intention and Small Actions=Progress

September 4, 2013 by Lamisha

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how quickly things have happened in terms of my dream of becoming a life coach. Just last night as I worked on getting my new Facebook page up and running, I remembered a time not too long ago when this was just a dream. My coaching business was a thought, a hope, a desire that felt like it was off in the distance somewhere. It wasn’t until I took the leap of faith, that it all became real.

In an instant.

I have seen this phenomenon happen over and over again. It seems that when we make a choice to do something and put even the smallest action into it, things seem to unfold almost magically. The intention and thought have a way of creating a bit of momentum and even the smallest step adds just enough energy to allow everything to align and progress is made. Add a little more action and the pieces continually fall into place.

Is this a formula for guaranteed success? Not necessarily. There are some things that require more intention, a bit more action, and what seems like a lot of momentum…while you are in it. I can tell you there have been many times when I feel like I am standing still in terms of progress and then when I look back on it, I realize I have come much further than I realized. Sometimes you just have to be easy about your dreams.

What I find interesting is how often we hear people talking about setting a goal, creating an action plan, working the action plan, working hard, etc. in order to reach your goals. I think this method works for some people, but I find myself taking score of what I have yet to accomplish. I am constantly looking at if I have arrived in order to move on and if I haven’t, I tend to get discouraged.

I find that setting an intention to do, be, or have something sets the energetic wheels in motion and when you follow your inspiration to the next step because it just feels right, there lies another opportunity for progress. Continue to follow that feeling and you will find yourself much further than you ever thought you could be.

Sometimes you don’t need a step-by-step map of how to get to your dream. With a vision, an open mind, and a little action, you can trust that your intuition and inspiration will lead you to the very next step. And if you aren’t sure where to start, just take a tiny step and watch as your path is illuminated little-by-little.

What can you do today to get you to the very next step? Share in the comments below, I would love to hear your intentions!

Lessons Learned in Attitude, Faith, and Signs

September 3, 2013 by Lamisha

I don’t know about you, but this week has offered me many opportunities for growth which also means it has had it’s fair share of challenges…and by fair share I mean A LOT. However, I would like to think I have taken each one in stride and learned a little along the way.

Lesson: Attitude is everything.

In the last week my family and I have been in a car accident (everyone is ok thank goodness), I found out the company I work for full-time is eliminating my position in the next 3 months, and our washer died-all of which happened before we were heading out-of-town for a nice relaxing weekend away. While any one of these occurrences could have sent me into an anxiety-ridden-tizzy, I took each one as it came and tried to focus on the good. I couldn’t change the fact that we had tons of paperwork to deal with due to the accident, but I could be grateful we were all safe. I couldn’t beg to stay with my current company, but I am able to be grateful that they gave me 3 months notice. I can’t fix the washer on my own, but we can figure out a way to make it work. Did it seem like the Universe was delivering a huge storm of gloom this past week, yes, but in changing my attitude even just a little, I was able to see the bright side. Did I get there immediately? No. After a little bit of shock and some tears I decided the only thing I could change was my attitude and that is just what I did.

Lesson: If you have faith that everything will work out for the best, nothing can stop you.

Moments after I received the news about my full-time job, I broke down into tears. There was a distinct feeling of “what am I going to do?” coupled with a feeling of overwhelming calm. It sounds weird I know, but it was almost as if, part of me knew without a shadow of a doubt that this moment was the beginning of something far greater than the job I had. I gave myself a few minutes to feel the worry for the future and afterwards, I felt the faith and trust in my heart that all would be just fine. And while I have had moments of “I wonder how, or when, or what…”, my faith is there keeping me moving in the right direction.

Lessons: If you are open, the Universe will deliver signs that let you know you are on the right track.

I have talked about inspirational nuggets that serve as gentle nudges leading us to the next step in our journey and while I didn’t receive any specific signs of where to turn next, I did receive (what I believe to be) signs that everything is going to be just fine.

Right after hearing the news about my full-time position being eliminated, I had an appointment to go to. On the way I was talking to a friend about my faith in the process and how I just knew this was opening my world to something far greater than I could imagine. As I was going on about what may be in my future, I saw a field of probably 100 white birds that I had never seen before. There were so many, I had to take notice and as I did, I saw one was perched on the fence close to the street. He seemed to be watching my car drive by. I told my friend about what I had just seen and she said this was my confirmation that all was going to be ok and I had a feeling she was right. A bit later when I drove by again the bird was still perched on the fence and he caught my eye again. At this point I was convinced there was some sort of message or sign.

Now I am all about symbolic meaning, synchronicities, no coincidences etc. and this felt like one of those moments so I was eager to know what type of bird it was and any symbolic meaning behind it.

I found that the bird was either an Egret or a Heron and they symbolize peace, going with the flow, patience, prosperity, good luck, self-reliance etc. I was amazed and comforted, but most of all excited for what the future holds for me. As it unfolds, I will continue to be open to the signs, symbols, and inspirational nuggets that will guide the way.

So, that is what I have learned this week. What have you learned?

Inspiration Round-up

August 27, 2013 by Lamisha

In this week’s edition of my Inspiration Round-up, I have included some really great posts that I have read in the last few weeks and an artist whose work takes my breath away and inspires me with the work she does. I hope you find your own inspiration and keep me posted on what inspires you most!

I love reading stories about how the Universe (insert God, Goddess, Source, or whatever tickles your fancy) provides the exact person, resource, thought, or other inspirational nugget that propels a person to take inspired action toward their dreams. In the moment it may seem quite simple, yet when you look back on the situation you often find it was the perfect set up for progress. I read one of those stories today on one of my favorite blogs Views From The Podium. The Unexpected Road is about how these seemingly innocent inspirational nuggets came together perfectly and how the author made her transition from acting to teaching yoga. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Another post I found very inspiring and enlightening comes from Jess Lively who I have referenced on my blog several times. About a year ago she decided to close the doors on her accessory company that she had for 14 years and to expand her consulting business and ultimately follow her intuition. In her post she describes not only how she trusted her intuition, but also the importance of letting go of one thing in order to expand another and how her consulting/design/intentional business has expanded in wonderful ways by taking that leap of faith. I admire her courage to take that leap and to follow her intuition as I wholeheartedly believe that in order to bring new things in, we often have to let some things go. You can read her post here and who knows, you might realize there are a few things you could let go of in order to propel you forward in a new direction.

The last post in today’s round-up is an artist I discovered just today from another blog I follow. The post featured a unique artist whose art is intricate, whimsical, and simply amazing. I loved the video so much I had to take a look at Lora Zombie’s site to view more of her breath-taking artwork. As a writer/choreographer/life coach and general Jane of many trades, I find inspiration in a variety of places and there is something about Lora’s art that hits a chord with me and lights up my heart. Her work is full of dreamy, magical images that make a statement and express a multitude of emotions. It may sound a bit dramatic, but it is as if you can literally feel the passion, creativity, and joy that she puts into her pieces as you view them. You can check out her pieces here.

Well that’s it for today’s round-up. I hope you found some inspiration to move forward on your own dream journey. Feel free to share your own favorite articles, posts, or videos in the comments section below!

Giving Dreams Room To Breathe & Grow

August 22, 2013 by Lamisha

I have seen my fair share of people working hard to have a happy life. There seems to be a universal campaign for accomplishing goals through back-breaking work, blood, sweat, and tears. Many of us have grown up with the idea that if we could just do more by working longer or harder than we would finally reach the platform of success. And while I certainly believe in the benefit of (inspired) action, I feel like something is missing in this formula for a successful life.

People that know me, know that I have always been a doer in life. I have always focused on doing the next thing and looking for the next step in my dreams and only recently have I been able to understand the importance of non-action, and allowing the space for our dreams to breathe and grow.

Not sure what I mean? Let me explain.

When we decide we are going to move forward with a new goal, career, or project typically there is some sort of planning phase. After the planning phase comes the execution. And since we are so accustomed to instant gratification in our everyday living, we seem to be chomping at the bit to make things happen by working long hours and in some cases spreading ourselves too thin. The fear of failing has caused us to overcompensate in the action arena to a point that we never allow ourselves (and our dreams) a chance to breathe.

I know I have struggled with this many times in my life where I want instant results for the work I am putting in, but the reality is things take time.

I have also learned that when I am able to take a step back and stop measuring my progress (or lack thereof in some cases), I find things almost magically happen. The right people flow into my life effortlessly and the next inspirational nugget appears before my very eyes and each time it happens I am reminded of the importance of allowing my dreams to breathe and grow.

I was reminded of that just a few weeks ago.

While I was having a conversation with a friend about some things I needed/wanted to take care of for my business, I mentioned needing to find someone to design my logo. I had actually thought about it several times, but wasn’t trying to make anything happen with it as I had other things that I was working on. About an hour after that conversation I saw a post on FB from a friend of mine that said “Designing a logo!”. I almost fell out of my chair. I couldn’t believe it! I immediately sent my friend a message and inquired about her services and found that not only was it affordable, but she does absolutely amazing work!

Was it just dumb luck? Or, did I allow enough space and time for things to unfold in the most organic and perfect way for me?

I truly believe that by giving my dreams/needs the space they need to grow and evolve, the resources I need will continue to unfold in the most beautiful of ways.

Not sure it will work for you? Try it out!

The next time you find yourself forcing something to happen or working long hours trying desperately to make something happen, take a break. Step back from it and leave it be for a while and open yourself to what you see and hear around you. Just be easy about it and allow your next inspirational nugget present itself to you. I promise you it will.

Have you had something like this happen for you recently? I would love to hear how your dreams are unfolding as you give them room to breathe and grow. Share your thoughts in the comments below!