Notes

Finding Inspiration in the Exotic and The Mundane
Have you ever pointed out that when you finally listen to your intuition and invest in something that might not actually be so convenient or easy to do, you somehow unleash creative and synchronistic energies that move you forward in your mission in life? The sheer trust that we invest this unseen support from the universe takes courage, nonetheless it brings so much meaning and link with our lives. Unforeseen events happen which when you look back, make sense in the scheme of things, nevertheless, you are not sure how at the time. I remember this experience not so long ago, when I felt I was at an unknown and frankly unwelcome crossroads in my own life.

Wanderlust invariably precedes many journeys, which was no exception. Occasionally the destination you've chosen to explore, beckons you in a daydream or a captivating thought. I had an unusual bout of restlessness that needed attention. The months preceding this trip were flat and uneventful and I was just plodding on, struggling to perform my debut book Corporate Head, Spiritual Heart. The flow of creativity was blocked by a razor sharp inner critique that stifled any progress with the taunt, 'it's bad enough' which grew louder and louder until I couldn't even put pen to paper.

Strangely as I sat looking forward to my very late client, I experienced an extremely powerful connection, sort of inner knowing, that the solution to my difficulty lay in the photo of the hush remoteness of the backwaters of Kerala which grabbed my attention as I flicked through a yoga magazine. A gentle tug at my soul, which defied any logical explanation. Yet I did not question it.

On the face of it, I possibly could not need chosen a worst time and energy to travel as my coaching schedule was so hectic and I had meetings lined up with important movers and shakers in my own industry which had taken so much energy to set up. It all seemed a bit crazy, this whim of mine and ordinarily I would never have imagined cancelling so many work opportunities. Yet I was sure that it was the proper move to make and I hoped that a change of scene would give me a respite from this feeling of despondency.

I had not been disappointed. The large thatched boat was my sheltering shepherd on the soothing backwaters. The talented resident cook up to speed thoroughly spoiled me with delicious South Indian meals, looking forward to me to devour after my leisurely visits to the compact villages on the banks. One encounters the deepest the main night here - bright stars abound to the unadulterated splendour of a moonless darkness. A feeling of being naked is not uncommon. The contrast throughout the day was beautiful. The river and sky were all one colour - the shade of moonstone. All over the palm trees surrounded the paddyfields. Over everything hung a vast silence and in this space my mood was deeply reflective and quite unexpectedly joyous. As my spirit soared, those stiff, creaky floodgates opened and refreshing ideas just flowed from my grateful soul when i wrote chapter after chapter forever with the aid of several white wicker candles.

I marvelled at the product quality and depth of thoughts and insights I received about the far removed subject of corporate masks and executive stress in this sacred realm. It is as though everything comes alive when you utilize this heightened consciousness - for creativity and spirituality are synonymous. Whatever its form, spiritual awareness stuns the curious mind using its brilliance, its kinship with the supernatural. It was a truly profound experience. Perhaps there was some truth in the normal mention of India as a 'land of magic'. It really is as if there's an actual energy zone that's conducive to mystical experiences. Hard to spell it out, but I got a strong sense in me of several worlds in precarious co-existence: the partition between your seen and the unseen worlds could very well be paper thin. What made it a lot more remarkable, was how this natural connection most of us have with the healing forces of nature as well as the divine, had unlocked the barrier gate that had slammed shut inside me. It had lovingly melted that inner critique which was blocking my path and holding me back my work. Because the boat drifted along in a slow, steady pace, I was gently letting go layer by layer all of those niggling doubts and draining fears and found a location of peace within myself. A comforting rely upon the universal plans for me begun to take direction and I knew I was given what I needed the most at this time - equanimity. A wonderful internal transformation had taken place in an exceedingly short time.

I left with a sense of deep respect forever on earth, a love of God and a renewed sense of purpose holding a completed manuscript in my own hand. Something had stirred in my blood, awakening my senses to the inspiration around me. This is what I so desperately wished to get back with me and I wondered how I possibly could possibly adjust now to the ordinariness of my life, after this type of rich sensory and spiritual discovery.

Actually, it might be a grave mistake to trust that we have to travel for miles to exotic lands to track down and seek out inspiration. You can find gifts and clues all around us - we simply need to open our eyes and senses to opportunities for creative inspiration. It really is helpful to be familiar with where we get our sources of inspiration. I have a child like curiosity about things or those people who are very different from me or my world. Meeting people with a unique ancestry, meditating by a river, exploring Egyptian historic artifacts in the British Museum and trying on ornate and exquisite antique jewellery, are some of the things that refresh and stimulate my mind. As does playing football with my three year old nephew and enjoying a white tea ceremony with my Japanese friends. I view it being an investment of my time because my spirit will probably be worth nurturing. This is a form of celebration, gratitude and receiving from the universe, otherwise we can feel burnt out, jaded or even cynical about life.

It is critical to our well being to search out new ways of staying fresh and to be considered a possibility thinker so that we can manifest rich and fulfilling life experiences. Have you noticed that when you are inspired and deeply touched by something, your spirit grows larger than the obstacle or problem? As we follow our inspiration, which in many ways is a call to growth and learning, we get transformed by it.

Often our inspiration will come in a size too large for us and resistance and excuses crop up like uncontrollable weeds in our fertile minds and we end up rationalizing away our best ideas. One's convenience of scepticism is endless, and I have learned to risk moving in the suggested direction; I've found that when I take a risk, providence moves in with incredible speed, and there also appears to be a noticeable guidance which people might call the "still, inner voice". Then i find that my hunches, urges, intuitions become a lot more acute and uncanny coincidences start turning up. Like I just 'happen' to bump into my prodigal student friend at a celebration, who became my fabulous editor. After rejecting several book cover designs by 'experts' in the field, my 16 year old niece 'happens' to need a favour and mentions a name of a fellow student who is a whiz kid at graphical design and who ends up producing the most surreal and eye-catching, book cover design for me.

I have always been blessed with the support of creative friends around me who'll endorse that synchronicity is actually happening; otherwise it really is amazing how selective amnesia inside our busyness can bury the true creative gems. In a way, I regard these 'coincidences' as forms of subtle, yet powerful interventions of the divine hand helping us find our purpose in life. A loving nudge in the proper direction.

I also remind myself of how good I felt when I've followed through with my ideas before and how things just fell into place when I took that first rung on the ladder. Exactly like when I booked my flight to India. It was easier to enjoy the journey as I had not been caught up in concentrating on a successful outcome. I never really expected to be writing anything on that trip; anything but going through the torture of writers block. Funny how switching off, actually switches on our creativity. check here 'lets just see what happens' mind frees you around discover new ideas.

We all have been inherently connected to divine creativity. I don't sense that people are separated from the divine. To be human after all is to be an all natural creator. We are all blessed with this particular gift to co-create with this maker. Probably the most valuable question we can be asking ourselves regularly is 'How am i going to inspire myself next?. The answers will start unexplored vistas that you can enjoy. Your fertile imagination will cause you to so many possibilities that could powerfully transform you together with this phenomenal planet we live in. Of course, you can find those visionary, caring individuals nowadays which are called to harness this creative force for the greater good for all. To produce a real difference which will last for generations ahead. Could that person be you?
Kahlil Gibran, the Prophet, guides us beautifully when he wrote," Work is love made visible." Should you have not already done so, it really is time and energy to speak to your purpose and your inherent creativity and make your work, your love made visible.

Shilpa Unalkat is the Managing Director of Staflow Ltd, a corporate coaching and personal development organisation. She holds a Diploma in Psychotherapy & Hypnotherapy and is a certified Master NLP & Time Line Practitioner. E-mail; [email protected]

She is the writer of the much acclaimed book ?Corporate Head, Spiritual Heart? obtainable in all good bookstores and directly on her website [http://www.staflow.com]. It is just a must have book if you are wondering if there is more alive than this; if you need more meaning and satisfaction in your projects; to be able to change direction, but just can?t find out what else you can do; if you want to make a difference in this world, but don?t know where to begin; if you are tired of your brain games, greed and the organization mask; and if you want to be true to yourself and your values in life.

Shilpa offers powerful one-to-one coaching in addition to group workshops that focus on developing leadership skills based on emotional and spiritual intelligence. She also delivers high impact talks to organisations worldwide.
Homepage: https://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway/show_user.php?userid=3980050