Standing in My Strength

Wow! It's sometimes hard to believe this month is already coming to a close. I feel like it's sped by without a lot of time for reflection. But luckily that's where you come in. This blog has been such a wonderful source for reflecting and sharing this past year and a half. It helps keep me focused and also allows me space to stretch and explore and discover and grow.

Lately I have felt tested to stand up for what I believe is right and stay true to my heart. With this comes a reminder of my inner strengths and a look back at my journey to discovering, recognizing, and most importantly owning my most dependable strengths...my spiritual gifts. 

A quote from my favorite author, Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, aka. SARK inspired me to see my strengths flowing as in a stream with me standing in the center. 

As SARK said, "I am practicing owning my strength, and standing in the center of it."

This is comforting when I'm feeling challenged to stand up for myself or when I feel uncertain or ungrounded. I can find strength in my center and I can feel centered when focused on my strengths. 

This is truly a gift.

Naming Our Mastery

As I was typing my name on my iPhone just now, the word "Master" popped up as the autocorrect kicked in, and it made me smile. I don't mind being called "Master." :) (Autocorrect doesn't usually pick flattering titles like that!) And then I started thinking about my goodness project this month and asked myself:

What am I a master of?

Have you ever thought about this before? Can you automatically name a few things that you are the master of? I'm not used to this idea so it's taking me a little longer to process and so I've decided to reflect tonight for my weekly wellness blog on the concept of mastery.

So to really begin to answer this question, I'd like to think of the actual definition of mastery. When I googled the term, Google came up with this definition:

Mastery = Comprehensive knowledge or skill in a subject or accomplishment

This also reminded me of the Spanish translation for master, which is maestro, meaning teacher also.

So what area of life do I have comprehensive knowledge or skills or accomplishments?

A few are popping into my head:

• Being bilingual in Spanish
• Helping others through creativity and resourcefulness (two of my Dependable Strengths)
• Being dedicated to self-care and stress management
• Showing daily commitment to a cause, such as blogging every day this year, in addition to flossing every day this year, writing what I'm grateful for every night, and affirming/meditating/praying every morning.
• Thinking of creative activities to do with friends (and hopefully more workshops soon)

Recently I heard a similar idea of naming what you’re really good at in a book I’ve been listening to called May I Be Happy, by Cyndi Lee. The author, Cyndi used this technique in a yoga teacher training to help her students feel more confident. They were trying a very difficult pose and by lightening the air with stories of the fun things they do well, they felt better about trying something new. 

Brilliant really. A primary foundation of the Dependable Strengths process as well.

Here are a few other fun things that I’m a master at:

• Taking frame-worthy nature photographs on the fly
• Being the unofficial family photographer for several of my close friends :)
• Being able to make a pretty nice collage while in my car :)
• Making really tasty garbanzo bean cupcakes
• Throwing some pretty fun parties over the years
• Learning dance choreography quickly
• Sensing stress in others and offering ideas for what might help them feel better
• Being a cat whisperer :)

What are you a master of?

Feeding My Soul With Creative Energy

I am realizing that I used to give out my creative energy more freely or uncontrollably but not in ways that refilled my spirit with this ever precious energy force. I have discovered that saving my creative energy for dancing, teaching, praying, making art, brainstorming, cooking, dreaming, and loving is a much better use of this powerful energy, and the responses from others are so much more affirming. As a creative free spirited individual, I have sometimes felt misunderstood and not quite known how to remedy this or explain my at times quirky ways, but one very important lesson I took from my 5-day Dependable Strengths training last October is that in order to reach my goals and lead a more fulfilling life, I must truly OWN my strengths, and creativity is definitely one of my most reliable and natural strengths. 

Expressing my creative side brings me so much joy and I feel like I'm at home in myself in these moments of creative flow. I think after going through the Dependable Strengths process, I have a greater awareness of my almost physical and most certainly emotional and spiritual need to express my creativity. I regularly look for opportunities now to express this gift to the world. 

I spent the greater part of 7 years attending many personal and professional development workshops, and now I'm finally coming into my own and creating my own workshops! It feels so amazing to start with an idea, begin planning and brainstorming, and then see it to fruition! And positively impact others' lives. That is the greatest gift--to bring a new perspective and learn to appreciate my own natural qualities in the process.

So just to give you an idea of how strong my need to be creative is, here is just a snapshot of my latest creative endeavors in the past week or so:

• Tonight I'm writing and reflecting while outside in nature by a beautiful stream.
• Earlier today I brainstormed about a new workshop to combine strengths identification and collaging...stay tuned!
• This morning I facilitated an Introduction to Dependable Strengths workshop in a high-intermediate English class for immigrants and refugees from all over the globe.
• Yesterday I made a beaded bracelet for my dear friend's birthday.
• On Monday, I made a rainbow stir-fry with leftover vegetables from the farmer's market and created a kaleidoscope of colors and of course, photographed it.
• On Saturday, I met a creative kindred spirit for an impromptu pre-Mother's Day collage get-together to create gifts for our moms.
• On Friday I led a collaging session at the annual building community/professional development day at work.
• Last Thursday I visited the art museum with my good friend and we happily geeked out analyzing Joan Miró's art. :)
• Last week I created several collage pages on my own and in the company of friends.
• Nearly everyday I feel compelled to photograph nature's beauty and share this art with friends and family through social media and sometimes on this blog.

These varied creative endeavors feed my soul and spirit and help me stay grounded in the present, so even when I'm tired, I feel pumped full with energy and excited to share my light in the world through my spiritual gift of creativity.

Gorgeous flower my mom and I saw on Mother's Day while picking out a flower basket for her 

Bracelet I made for my amiga querida, Tami 

Mother's Day collage book for my dear mom 

Rainbow stir-fry creation 

My collage pages created during the session I led for Building Community Day 

Amazing collaging crew on Building Community Day...over 20 co-workers attended!

What's one of your spiritual gifts? Or an inner strength that fills you with joy when you utilize it? Please share below. I love hearing about people's strengths!

Like a Diamond, I Am Multifaceted

I am a multifaceted being and my dominant intent for being is for the experience of my freedom, for the expression of my growth, and for the receiving of my joy.

- Abraham-Hicks

Like a diamond, I am multifaceted. While reading Brene Brown's inspiring book, The Gifts of Imperfection earlier this year, I became aware of the option or opportunity to choose to identify myself with more than one title or role. Brene referenced a term called "The Slash," which is coined in the book, One Person/Multiple Careers, A New Model For Work/Life Success by Marci Alboher, who is an author/speaker/coach. Since then, I have started to really embrace my multiple interests, talents, passions and causes. For example, my "slashes" on my LinkedIn profile now read as follows: Certified Dependable Strengths Instructor/Creative Stress Management Blogger/Pre-College English Language Advisor. But I could easily add my other identities, such as "Freelance Nature Photographer" and "Dance Enthusiast;" the sky's the limit, because I'm a multifaceted being! We all are, if only we choose to see our many shiny sides.

I have also gained more power in pursuing my "hobbies" and reclaiming them as part of my multiple career identities and interests. My independent research on wellness topics and writing for this blog have also taken on a newfound importance and identity that I now include as one of my roles. This allows me to feel more freedom to be who I really am and not solely depend on one role or job to fulfill all my interests and passions. Learning that it's okay to be in multiple roles and identify my creative interests, in particular, as part of my greater calling or lifelong career is very empowering, freeing and inspiring. I no longer feel held back by a job title or duties that don't always utilize my most dependable strengths, because I can now name my various identities/callings, see real value in them, and seek out or create new opportunities to express my gifts and share them with the world. And in sharing my gifts, I feel that I'm creating a positive impact in others' lives and in my own.

If I catch myself feeling frustrated or tired or not in the flow of things, chances are it's because I've somehow forgotten or not had a chance to express my creativity lately, and with this awareness, I can now take action to feel more positive and more fulfilled by giving myself the gift of time for creativity. Whether it be for writing, taking nature pictures, collaging, dancing, singing in the car, visualizing, creating jewelry, or planning parties or workshops, being creative brings my soul great joy and peace.

I have found that in reframing or renaming the language of my already established traditional job title on my LinkedIn profile or personal email title, for example, I can better reflect on the richness of my career experiences and feel I'm moving forward on my path. But the joy of the "slash" is also that we can choose additional descriptions of what we do in our lives. A lot happens before and after the official business of work, and I believe that these activities are equally as important for our personal and professional development. Naming what I do outside of my official job brings a certain accountability to my creative work and I don't feel that it's an option anymore to stop working on my creativity. I know now that in order for my soul to shine, I must tap into my creative energies and let my heart sing through these activities. Because it's a part of my "job." My "job" here on Earth is what I create for myself and what I share with others.

What unofficial or non-traditional titles best describe your "extracurricular" gifts, talents, interests, and activities? Do you consider these activities a part of your identity?

Human beings are multifaceted jewels. We have many important dimensions to our being. These include the physical, emotional, mental, intellectual and the spiritual. Seek your perfection in all of these together, and neglect none. Seek balance and harmony in all aspects of yourself.

- Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya

A Strengths-Based Approach to Life

My mind has just been brimming with ideas of different possible applications for what I learned last week at a very inspiring and thought-provoking training called Dependable Strengths.  What are Dependable Strengths, you might ask?  Well, I think the definition may be a little different for everyone who experiences this training.  For me, the essence of the Dependable Strengths Articulation Process, which was created by the late Bernard Haldane back in 1945 after World War II, involves a group of individuals who share positive life experiences with one another and through this purposeful storytelling, begin to identify and uncover the inner talents and gifts that lie within each of us.  This process has been used with job-seekers, veterans, alumni, the elderly, church members, elementary-aged children, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students, but I think the sky is truly the limit!  Through the careful discovery of our natural talents, we can then propel ourselves into a life that we long for, a life of fulfillment, a life of purpose.  It’s really a completely different mindset to live by.  Seeing yourself from a point of strength--multiple points of strength actually, you begin to see others from their points of strengths as well.  It helps build patience and understanding. Community. 

At a more personal level, I feel like I had to really work to uncover and reclaim some of my natural strengths, because we sometimes try to hide or deny our true talents as a result of painful events or criticism.  But once we can really own our true, authentic self again and believe in our talents and strengths, we can then begin to help others uncover their innate strengths as well.  That is one of my visions.  In order to heal old wounds, we must stir them up a bit so they can resurface and then be freed.  This process has definitely been a healing one for me, and I believe it can help others in this way too.  

Stay tuned for more. My creative waves are flowing freely once again and I'm plotting my next move. I hope to share the gift of this incredible experience with others very soon.