Notes

Finding Inspiration in the Exotic and The Mundane
Have you ever pointed out that when you finally listen to your intuition and commit to 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 place in this unseen support from the universe takes courage, but it brings so much meaning and connection to our lives. Unforeseen events happen which once you look back, make sense in the scheme of things, but you aren't sure how at the time. check here remember such an experience not so long ago, when I felt I was at an unknown and frankly unwelcome crossroads in my life.

Wanderlust invariably precedes many journeys, and this was no exception. Once in a while the destination you have chosen to explore, beckons you in a daydream or perhaps a captivating thought. I had a unique bout of restlessness that needed attention. The months preceding this trip were flat and uneventful and I was just plodding on, struggling to complete my debut book Corporate Head, Spiritual Heart. The flow of creativity was blocked by way of 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 waiting for 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 within my soul, which defied any logical explanation. Yet I did so not question it.

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

I was not 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 area of the night here - bright stars abound to the unadulterated splendour of a moonless darkness. A sense of being naked isn't uncommon. The contrast during 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 out 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 really is as though everything comes alive when you tap into 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 profound experience. Perhaps there is some truth in the common reference to India as a 'land of magic'. It really is as if there is an actual energy zone that is conducive to mystical experiences. Hard to describe, but I got a solid sense in me of several worlds in precarious co-existence: the partition between the seen and the unseen worlds may be paper thin. What managed to get even 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 in my work. Because the boat drifted along in a slow, steady pace, I was gently letting go layer by layer all those niggling doubts and draining fears and found a place of peace within myself. A comforting rely upon the universal plans for me begun to take direction and I knew I was presented with what I needed the most at this time - equanimity. A wonderful internal transformation had occurred in a very short time.

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

Actually, it will be a grave mistake to believe that we have to travel for miles to exotic lands to track down and look for inspiration. You can find gifts and clues all around us - we just need to open our eyes and senses to opportunities for creative inspiration. It is helpful to be aware of where we get our sources of inspiration. I have a kid like curiosity about things or individuals who are very different from me or my world. Meeting people who have 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 items 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. It is a form of celebration, gratitude and receiving from the universe, otherwise we can feel burnt out, jaded and even cynical about life.

It is critical to our well being to search out new means of staying fresh also to be a possibility thinker in order that we can manifest rich and fulfilling life experiences. Perhaps you have noticed that if you are inspired and deeply touched by something, your spirit grows bigger than the obstacle or problem? As we follow our inspiration, which in lots of 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 find yourself rationalizing away our best ideas. One's convenience of scepticism is endless, and I've learned to risk moving in the suggested direction; I have found that when I have 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 simply 'happen' to bump into my prodigal student friend at a party, 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's a whiz kid at graphical design and who ends up producing probably the most surreal and eye-catching, book cover design for me personally.

I have been blessed with the support of creative friends around me who will endorse that synchronicity is really happening; otherwise it 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 right direction.

I also remind myself of how good I felt when I have followed through with my ideas in past times and how things just fell into place when I took that first rung on the ladder. Just like when I booked my flight to India. It was easier to benefit from 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. The 'lets just see what happens' mind frees you around discover new ideas.

We are all inherently linked to divine creativity. I don't sense that people are separated from the divine. To be human in the end is to be a natural creator. We all have been blessed with this particular gift to co-create with our maker. Probably the most valuable question we can be asking ourselves regularly is 'How am i going to inspire myself next?. The answers will open up unexplored vistas that you enjoy. Your fertile imagination will lead you to so many possibilities that could powerfully transform you as well as this amazing planet we reside in. Of course, there are those visionary, caring individuals in this world which are called to harness this creative force for the greater good for all. To produce a real difference that will last for generations to come. Could see your face be you?
Kahlil Gibran, the Prophet, guides us beautifully when he wrote," Work is love made visible." If you have not already done so, it is time for you to get in touch with your purpose and your inherent creativity and make your work, your love made visible.

Shilpa Unalkat may be the Managing Director of Staflow Ltd, a corporate coaching and personal development organisation. She holds a Diploma in Psychotherapy & Hypnotherapy and is really 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 when there is more alive than this; if you would like more meaning and satisfaction in your projects; if you want to change direction, but just can?t find out what else you can do; in order to make a difference nowadays, but don?t know where to start; if you are tired of the mind games, greed and the organization mask; and if you want to be true to yourself as well as your values in life.

Shilpa offers powerful one-to-one coaching along with group workshops that concentrate on developing leadership skills based on emotional and spiritual intelligence. She also delivers high impact foretells organisations worldwide.
Homepage: https://studenttcareerpoint.com/could-beat-4-cancers/