YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS

We Were Born Creators!

To see goal setting and achieving in the light of a…Creative Process rather than just getting results - is a very important DISTINCTION to make. For many years in my life, I looked at myself as a FAILURE, when it came to achieving my goals.

I failed so many times, and when I say I failed, what I really mean is I simply just quit trying. I still wanted my goal, but bottom line, sooner or later I’d quit on my goal and feeling I’d failed, I would stop trying altogether.

But, what if I had it all wrong. What if I was looking at this goal setting thing the wrong way? What if I really wasn't failing when I quit? But what if quitting from time to time was a necessary part of the goal achievement process?

What if that time space that I had labeled as quitting, was actually a natural and necessary part of the whole creative process? A time set aside for self evaluation and improvement while still in the process. Have you ever had an illness or injury lay you up for awhile…it gives you time to reevaluate some things doesn’t it? What if, my "quitting", were a necessary pause for reflection, rather than a space to just be filled with more activity?

Like the rests written in the music of a great symphony. 

Mozart said, “The music is not in the notes, but in the rests in between.” 

And if you begin to think of goal setting and achieving as Your Creative Process, as something as awesome as writing and conducting a great symphony, then quitting from time to time begins to make more sense doesn’t it?

What if, during that time I defined as quitting, I were to use that as a time to strengthen my inner image, instead of feeling like a failure? Even while doing nothing, not exercising, studying etc. If I still held the image of the goal clearly in my mind, then the image would hold me in the goal achievement process, if not the physical activity.

If I could begin to see this Creative Process as using my imagination, holding my image…and from time to time… HIT the refresh button, just like on my browser, and update the image if needed…now THAT’S something I could have more confidence in and, less self judgment every time I met with temporary failure.

See goal setting and goal achieving are skills that must be learned. They require a learning model, as all things do, just as, say, learning to ride a bicycle.

But Creating and Manifesting, now that is a very natural process for us isn’t it? See we were born creators, we arrived on the scene with the learning model of creating already programmed within us, because we are in fact…made in the image of our Creator.

See in the learning to ride a bicycle model, there is a lot of falling down, isn't there? You were born with the potential to ride the bike, but you still had to learn the skill. The difference, is when you were learning to ride a bike you had not yet fully developed your ego judgment center, this part of your self image that seems to track and keep record of every failure you have ever made.

When you were young you could suspend that self judgment and stay connected to your goal...

but as you grew older, your awareness, your perception, and your self image changed.

To see this…just pay attention to the linguistics of a child and you’ll hear it…when they fall off the bike they say, “This stupid bike it won’t do anything!”  But they’ll get back on and try again, and keep on trying, until they learn the new skill. Now compare that to an adult learner when they try something new and fail. Usually you’ll hear them say something like, “I’m so stupid I’ll NEVER learn this!” Do you hear the difference?

Reaching goals has probably been challenging for most of us and it seems we have an aversion to the very thought it. When you hear the word goals, what comes to mind? Really? Results, or the results you should be getting? Or maybe you feel like the guy who found his dog destroying his most important papers. “Blackie!” he yelled, “You just chewed up my list of New Year’s resolutions - Good dog!” Sometimes it's comforting to have someone to blame, isn’t it? 

Whether we blame ourselves or someone else, the blame game is a dangerous game, it really is. You see there are no winners. Really. Even when we blame others we sell ourselves short. Rather than learning and growing we end up judging and stifling growth and creativity in ourselves and others.

Getting beyond the blame game:

When we focus on getting results only, we unwisely: 

• Exchange ourselves for things 
• We perform for people 
• We let events define us and 
• We garner unrealistic expectations that can never fully be met. 

Whatever the payoffs, they are always in opposition to our perceived self worth. 

The truth is, You, as a person, are of greater value than even the things needed to keep yourself alive.

Get some time alone. Ask yourself, "What is one area of my life I need to stop judging myself? How can I turn down the heat on self judgment? In what areas do I need to cut myself some slack in getting results?

Start the Creative Process today!

Consider these quotes:

• Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night. - Zig Ziglar
• Failure isn't the opposite of success, it's part of success. - Anonymous
• Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• I've failed over and over and over in my life, and that's why I succeed - Michael Jordan 
• Success is going from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm - Winston Churchill 
  

Give yourself permission to learn from your failures. It will feel awkward at first but every time you rise, hope will rise and you will feel yourself more connected than ever to your Creative Power. 

Stay Connected!