Passionate Theme of the Day: FUN

Whew! So much has happened in the last 48 hours I barely know where to begin this tale. OK, it all started last Thursday when I left a comment on Phil Gerbyshak’s Make it Great! blog. The next morning I find an e-mail in my in-box from him. (If you don’t know who Phil is yet, go check out his blog and you’ll see what all the buzz is about). In his e-mail Phil told me he might write a post using my comment soon. He actually did do just that today. Big thanks to Phil for the shout out and sending over some traffic from Make it Great!

I also got some attention from my latest post on the SBB blog. Little did I know posting about relationship marketing, and networking thru blogging would cause such a ripple in the blogosphere. I ended up hearing from ALL of the people I posted about over there. They all stopped in and dropped a comment for me. Talk about good juju!!

Why am I sharing ALL of this with you? Because the point of it is - it’s just plain freakin’ FUN!! Soon I’ll get paid to do this ALL day long (OK, they’ll be some other stuff to do as well) as I move closer and closer to BEing a full time writer and coach. Why bring up the FUN factor? Because that’s what living your passion and your purpose are all about.

What initially caused me to comment on Phil’s blog (and started a love-fest like no other) was his article Finding Your Passion: Key to a GREAT Life!, and the link to Jason Koteki’s blog. Jason’s article, Staying in the Wrong Job, inspired Phil’s article, which got me thinking about why I do what I do, and why you do what you do – basically what the heck we’re all doing here on this dizzy planet.

As I was snooping around Jason’s blog, I ran head first into The Escape Adulthood Manifesto (I know it’s played out, but I still love the term Manifesto). Can I just say WOW!! Do yourself a favor and take the time to download this PDF and READ it. It’s about 30 pages, but will get your wheels spinning about why it is that you do (or more importantly why you don’t) do what you do. Talk about passion and purpose. Jason’s manifesto is full of juicy tid-bits reminiscent of childhood games and days of selling lemonade on the street corner. It’s like a trip to the playground (without the scraped-up bloody knees and Kool-aid mustaches).

The Escape Adulthood Manifesto speaks to the reasons why as adults we often lose sight of WHY we do what we do. Or WHY we are too afraid, too busy keeping up with the Jones’s, too tired from climbing the corporate ladder, running in the rat race and working the grind, to live out loud and play full out. He addresses why we get run down and lose sight of why we’re here in the first place. This article is so insightful and beautifully written; it’s inspired me to start a manifesto as well. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did.

Got something positive and inspiring to write about? Have at it! The folks at Change This would love it if you would. Are you a blogger who’d like to spread the word about something you’re passionate about? Then head on over and sign up to post about or house a manifesto on your blog. Start a spark of conversation and watch it spread like wildfire. Have FUN!

But back to what this post is really ALL about. FUN. Go ahead and gettcha some. Take your inner child by the hand and grab some Chunky Monkey or Cherry Garcia. Take a nap on a blanket in the backyard. Blow some bubbles. Bust out the finger paints. Run with scissors (OK, maybe not). Step AWAY from the TV, and get out there and PLAY!! Enjoy the day. Don’t wake up dreading the next 24 hours. Breathe in and say thank you for being alive.

What FUN are you having today? How can you build a little more fun factor into each of your days?

Hop scotchin’ across the blogosphere,
Super-Kam-a-frag-a-listic

Passionate Theme of the Day: Music

Avid readers of my blog or newsletter know I’m a music junkie. As a “coach” I suppose I shouldn’t have addictions, but music IS the one thing I can’t do without. It feeds me, gives me energy, speaks to my soul and can help me express myself in ways that words alone cannot.

I came across Duane Shinn’s article, Music Therapy: Can Music Really Soothe the Savage Beast? Loaded with interesting info on how music heals the heart, mind, body and spirit. Here’s a little nibble…

"More recently, scientists have been studying the effects of music therapy and have documented changes in respiratory rates, blood pressure, and pulse in response to musical stimuli. Likewise, researchers in the realm of music therapy have found that the use of music therapy can be effective in areas as diverse as IQ and recovery rates, pain management and weight loss."

Having a soundtrack for your life adds so much good juju! (I’m stealing your word KT & Jason). Why is it that a song can take you back in time within the first few bars of a familiar melody? Instantly transporting us back to the who, what, where, when, why and how it all went down.

Music IS energy. And everything IS energy. I was recently introduced to the work of Dr. David Hawkins, author of the book Power vs. Force (thanks to coach Mary in The Power of Inner Choice). Hawkins says “everything in the universe is made up of energy, including humans.” All things have an “energy pattern” or “energy vibration” that can be measured. That vibration carries a “distinct emotional aura or atmosphere”. Mary asks, if you’ve ever been emotionally moved by a photograph or picture? How about walking into someone’s home or a building? Have you every “felt” the energy? I do. ALL the time!

What’s this got to do with what you’re spinning in your iPod or blaring in your car? LOTS!! If everything is energy, than the vibration of the music you listen to has a more profound impact on you than you think. Example, I have this friend, his mood is often pretty melancholy. I realized - he listens to melancholy music - ALL the time! So which came first? His melancholy mood or is his music selection having an effect on his demeanor?

So if music is energy, then we are directly impacted by whatever energy the musician or musicians put into the piece as they created it! How amazing is that!? We are impacted each time we listen to a song. Think about how different you feel if you listen to a piece of Miles Davis or Billie Holliday vs. Zeppelin or the Stones. Check out the contrast between Coldplay and an acoustic Dave Matthews set. I remember the first time I took a ride on Moby’s Play or got swept away by the poetic singer/songwriter Martin Sexton. 

Think about how much music impacts you on a daily basis. Radio, TV commercials, the TV shows themselves all have soundtracks now. Hollywood uses music to move us through a film or an event. To evoke emotion and push our buttons. I write this as a reminder that you have a CHOICE in everything that you do. Listen to music that nurtures your spirit.

Be aware of what “soul food” you’re noshing on. Music is an experience. It can ehance everyday moments like cleaning your house, taking a walk, playing with your kids, road tripping across state lines, or making love.

Let’s LISTEN to music. Not just let it wash over us. Let’s not become so desensitized that we actually get attacked by musical energy vampires. Music is energy. Words are a delicacy. Remember...you are what you eat.

What kind of music fills you up? What sources of musical energy raise your vibration and inspire you?

Music soothes these savage beasts,
Kam

Passionate Theme Du Jour: Creativity

Bet you’re wondering what the hell a crayon breaker is? Well it’s kinda like a rule breaker…only in a more creative sense. Robert Alan Black, Ph.D. wrote this little ditty called 32 Traits of Creative people for the Creativity Portal, a gem of a find if I ever saw one. Full of delicious articles on all things creative, this site’s got a little something for the artist in all of us.

If you want to find out if you’re a creativity crayon breaker, click on over and take his quiz. Are you curious, open, energetic (I’m a firecracker!), intuitive (I was guided to write this article), an observer (my favorite places are airports & concerts), adaptable (Kam-eleon like), flexible (watch my yoga!), a question asker (watch me coach!), or self-actualizing (hello – do you read me blog?).  If you answered yes to any of the above, you’re on your way to being a rebelious crayon breaker. Now mosey on over and let me know your results!

I checked off all but one, if you read the article, the one I skipped was “severely critical” and I skipped it for all the reasons Dr. Black mentions. Too funny! As a kid I always admired “artists”. My uncle Rudy could paint and draw. My cousin Laurie wrote poetry. While I wasn’t very good at traditional art, I was always super creative and highly intuitive. This article backs me up on the fact that being “creative” – living your life creatively - IS an art form.

And that’s why I do what I do. Helping others open up that channel of energy and goodness that lives within ALL of us. Some of us have buried it under a bunch of junk. Self-doubt, fear, self-loathing, lack of confidence or self-esteem, lack of support. Whatever your reasons are for hiding your light, let today be your last day in the dark.

I encourage you to become the crayon breaker you were born to be! What sets your soul on fire? Writing? Photography? Scrap booking? Under water basket weaving? Mountain biking? Fishing? Racecar driving? Building websites? Building homes? Building relationships? Building a family? Creating a beautiful home, work environment, community center, or church? Step outside of the box and take note - paper and pen and canvas and paint - are not the only methods of creating great art.

Live your LIFE as creativly as possible and you’ll evolve into a “life artist” as you step more fully into the life you’ve always imagined. Death grip your fear. Kung fu your self-critic. Roundhouse kick your self-sabatogers. Kick ass and take names. Cuz this IS your life and it’s a blank canvas waiting for your beautiful, unique vision to unfold upon it.

What creative ways can you boldly express your unique self today? What inspires you to face your fear and put yourself out there anyway?

Be sassy. Be fierce. Be delicious. Be fearless. Go forth and create a life you love!

Yours in broken seafoam green & burnt sienna,
Kam

Passionate Theme of the Day- Spirituality

Good Sunday Passionate people! Spent some time yesterday surfing around the blogosphere. After researching a bit, I have decided to tweak a few things here at the PMP blog. Nothing major, just a few minor shifts in content and style to enhance the already juicy tid-bits I’ve been bringing ya since launching in mid-Feb.

I’m thinking of choosing a “theme” for the day. Example, today being Sunday, I’m choosing spirituality and trying to provide you with something spirit based for your reading pleasure. I’ll be mixing in resources for you along with my usual random ramblings and eclectic essays. Recently, I’ve been looking into info on meditation and stumbled upon this article…

Hands-on Spirituality - People of different faiths are discovering that crafts like knitting can be a form of prayer or meditation

It seems there are groups across the country that have formed crafting-for-charity programs, in this case, knitting for charity. They make “blankets for Afghans, chemo caps for cancer patients, or toys for premature babies, the Shawl Knitting Ministry works to help people in crisis—such as unwed mothers, migrant workers, and victims of domestic violence.”

But there is something else going on here.

“There is another element to it,” said Vicki Galo, co-founder of the ministry, which has needles clicking from Maine to California and in a handful of groups overseas. “Somehow, it benefits the knitter or the crocheter, too.”
The women involved are discovering that in the process of helping others, they are helping themselves—spiritually. Knitters say the click of the needles, the tension of the yarn and the sight of the colors winds them into a meditation-like state. For Galo and many others, the combination of craft with contemplation was an awakening.

“You mean I can pray when I am doing this?” Galo said knitters asked. “It was a very new concept for women. And yet it is an old concept known by Tibetan monks and Native Americans.”

How cool is that? This article reminded me that if we live consciously and increase our awareness, we are actually living our lives as prayer. Everything we do can be a sacred act. It’s like the peaceful feeling that comes over me as I walk my dogs each morning. To some, it just might be a nuisance of a task that they “have” to complete several times a day. I really try and focus my awareness (at least in that first early morning walk) and “tune-in” to all the goodness in my life. I use that walk as an opportunity to connect with myself, with spirit, with the earth and with ALL that is.

I say “thank you” in my head as I walk and take note of the wind, the wet grass, the sound of wind chimes ringing and crickets chirping and birds beginning to sing their songs. I love passing the other early risers walking their dogs and groggily exchanging “morning” as we pass by. For me, walking is meditating and meditating is prayer.

No matter what you call it - God, Spirit, Universe, Jesus, or Buddha – take some time today and give thanks. Connect to that one powerful source that feeds our creativity, passion, and purpose. Whether you’re knitting mittens for your kitty, sitting in easy pose under a tree, fly fishing, kneeling in a church, singing your praise, or simply BEING, trust that your day will be richer for taking notice of that connection and saying THANK YOU.

How do you connect to spirit on a daily basis? What creative ways do you make the everyday sacred?

Namaste,
Kam

Just gotta say…I LOVE the blogosphere! My little post about being in Funksville, attracted just the right cast and crew to perk my spirits right up. I’d pretty much bounced out of the funk by the time I went to bed last night (around 1:15 am as I got caught up writing my latest post for SBB).

So I get to work this morning and find my first comment from Tony D. and then more came in throughout the day and I couldn’t be more thrilled with all the LOVE that came pouring in for me.

Thanks to my blogo-homies for the greatest gift a girl could ask for - amazing friends!! Speaking of friends…I stumbled upon this delicious list at my good friend Kirsten’s Think Positive! blog. It’s actually snatched from a post on Troy Worman’s blog (soon to be new blog friend) Orbit Now. Check it -

Og Mandino’s best-seller, The Greatest Salesman in the World, has moved millions around the world strive for something better, whether it be peace of mind or a piece of the action.  Following are 10 inspiring affirmations from the “great motivator.”

1. “Today I begin a new life.”
2. “I will greet this day with love in my heart.”
3. “I will persist until I succeed.”
4. “I am nature’s greatest miracle.”
5. “I will live this day as if it is my last.”
6. “Today I will master my emotions.”
7. “I will laugh at the world.”
8. “Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.”
9. “I will act now.”
10. “I will pray for guidance.”

Well friends, have a groovin’ Friday and great weekend. I’m off to have a couple of blondes at the Trailhead with some co-workers. Wait a sec, that sounds kinda funny, huh? Trailhead is a micro brewery and I’m gonna partake in 1 or 2 frosty cool ones before I head home to CHILL out at the Passion Palace.

Hope your weekend finds you happy, healthy, chillin’ and fulfillin your heart’s every desire. Life is short, live passionately!

Love and frosty cool libations rule (in moderation)!
Kam

Word of the day, funkalicious. (In case you haven’t noticed, I dig the “licious” words). Anyway…not sure if it’s the changing of the seasons, all the recent deaths that have taken place of friends of friends, or just a general melancholy vibe, but I have been FUNKY. And it’s not just me. It seems to be a lot of my friends, my mom, my sister and several co-workers. What is up with that?

I’m not sure what the cause is. But I do know that I’m coming to terms with being OK, just BEing where I’m at. And if that’s building funky sandcastles, then so be it. I’ve done a lot of work this past year around accepting my dark side. I’m an optimistic, free spirited, sunshine-y kinda person, so when the clouds roll on in, sometimes I’m uncomfortable. I’m working on accepting that sometimes we just feel funky! There’s nothing major bothering me. Just a general sense of funk, mixed with a dash of overwhelm, and a pinch of uncertainty? Unassuredness? Unknowingness? I don’t know what to call that last feeling, but it’s pretty crappy too!

What has helped was working on my 1-year vision. I was super-funked out on Tuesday. On top of that my stomach freaked out after I ate lunch, and that’s never a good thing. (I wondered though, did my tummy freak, cuz I was funky, or was that a random coincidence?). So I’m in an amazing 1 year coaching boot camp (we’re called the Conscious Creators) and I love the format and energy I feel from the other boot campers. We’re all totally supportive of each other’s goals and it’s nice to have the accountability, yet different than 1 on 1 coaching.

So I wrote my 1-year vision (which was my “homework” and I gotta say, if even half of the stuff on that list comes true, look out! We’re talking one hell of a year. See, just talking about it is helping to shift my mindset. Maybe the funk is really just from the barometric pressure changing, like my mom always used to say. She’s so funny like that.

Whatever the reason for the “funks”, I’m gonna let it roll thru the weekend and then come Monday, I’m back to kickin’ ass and taking names and that includes anyone named Funky Funkerstein! I do know that when I focus my attention on what I DO want, my mood lifts and my funkiness wanes.

How do you deal with the funks? What helps you to accept it and then to shift out of it?

We got the funk,
Kam

Last night Con and I got FREE tix to the John Mayer/Sheryl Crow concert. It was a breezy, evening - the kind that teases of autumn temperatures on the way. The concert was at an outdoor amphitheater so we rented some chairs and kicked back on the lawn. Talk about a people watching fest!

The eclectic mix of various ages in the crowd captured my attention. I’m 33, single and have no children. So I forget there are people my age that have teenagers! It was cool to watch 30&40 something parents with their 14-16 year olds sharing a blanket, sharing the magic of the music, and the experience that is a live show.

I was knocked out by the opening act, Mat Kearney. Dare I say I think I have a new musical crush? (Shhh, don’t tell Jason Mraz, he might get pissed!) He’s a Chris Martin (Coldplay)/Dave Matthews sandwich, with a little dash of (as Connie pointed out - the way he holds/plays the guitar and way of speaking in some of his songs) a young Bruce Springsteen. Good call! I should have nailed that one, as my mom raised me on a healthy musical diet of The Boss, Fleetwood Mac, and The Eagles.

What struck me about all three performances was the absolute PASSION that flowed through them. All the musicians were syncing up and flowing with one another. It was like they were linked and connected through their hearts and minds. An energetic thread flowed through them as they performed. I was also fascinated with the stage coordination.

The lights, the roadies swapping our guitars the second the artist was finished with one. The background and multi-media displays that reflected a visual version of what they were singing. I was in awe as I thought about how many people and how much time and energy must go into coordinating not just one show, but an entire tour! How many hours does it take to tear it all down, pack it up on trucks and get it to the next city ASAP? Only to turn around and do it again the 24-48 hours? Talk about a well choreographed routine!

What must it be like to live that life? To go inward and spend however long it takes to write the next album? How must that feel to put your heart and soul on the page? Then to set those words to music? Spend grueling hours in a tiny secluded recording studio? All for the love of performing in front of an audience that connects to the words, the music, and the delicious combination that one doesn’t have without the other?

What must that feel like to live on the road? Travel by bus watching city by city pass you by? To leave family and friends, husbands, wives, new loves. Leaving all that behind to hit the road to share this thing inside of you that yearns to be set free. To feel “home” on the road as you connect with random strangers, because that’s all you heart tells you to do. What is that drive, that energy, that spirit that must fuel them to push harder? To move forward, sacrificing the simple life, for one of attention, public scrutiny and for some a media feeding frenzy?

THAT’S the definition of passion meets purpose! That’s what it feels like to work 16 hour days because you can’t NOT do it. That’s what it feels like when you connect with that one creative source power that we’re ALL plugged into. How amazing that they get to express themselves in such a way that we all get to revel in the juiciness of their gifts. But how amazing is it that we ALL have the ability to light up that bright? We all have our own unique voices. And it’s our job to tune-in and use them.

What lights you up in such a way that you feel like you’re on stage? What get’s your motor going so quickly that you’re up at dawn and asleep at o-dark o’clock? What creative ideas are spinning around in your head that you haven’t committed to putting on paper and putting into action?

If the rock stars can do it, so can we.

When will you step forward and become the star in your own life?

Kick some butt & take some names,
Kammie K. Rock Goddess

Today was my mom’s birthday. I LOOOOVE my mom. I’m not sure she’s ever read my blog. It doesn’t matter though. She’s been my biggest fan since way back when (I guess since birth really), so I don’t feel bad that she’s not into the whole blogosphere thing. What I love most about my mom is that she is just so her. She’s a beautiful, unique, and charismatic lady and she doesn’t take crap from anyone.

My niece Alyssa absolutely adores her! My mom doesn’t go by “grandma”. Her name is Lois, but Miss A calls her, “Lola”. So yes, my mom is affectionately nick-named after a showgirl. And she’s got just enough quirk to carry it off. All I can really say about today is that I am grateful that she is alive and well and that I get the opportunity to see her at least once a week.

This past week several friends have had family members pass away. Actually it’s been 3 this week. And the president of the university I work for passed last week. With all the death and dying stuff floating around, and all the busy-ness that the first few weeks of the semester bring with them, I’ve been a little funk-tified. I’m trying to breath through it all and just go with the natural ebb and flow of life. I keep telling myself that this too shall pass (as it always does) and that if I let my higher self guide me, I’ll coast along my path a little easier.

I also recently took a BIG leap in the vulnerability category. I’ve been getting some “taps” on the shoulder regarding a certain person who has been in my life for a very long time. I decided not to over analyze the situation and just put out there whatever it was that was coming up for me. I sent an e-mail and to my surprise the universe devised a plan within 48 hours that had this person on my doorstep (exactly as I’d asked). Manifestation in action! Honestly, I’m ALL about sweet synchronicities, but this one still has me scratchin’ my head. (Really, I hadn’t seen this person in nearly a year and POOF, just by asking there he was).

I can’t say what will come of those 4-hour long conversations that were shared over the course of about 24-48 hours, only time will tell. But I trusted my intuition and let spirit guide me. I kept hearing the word “send” after I wrote my e-mail and I decided to listen. The universe responded (fast!). I’m reminded of a quote by Gilda Radner…

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.”

I couldn’t have said it any better myself. I’ll try and remember that when I get itchy for answers. When I get a case of the “but now whats?” I’ll have to use those two words as my triggers to release any and all attachment to the HOW of the outcome. I know what my heart desires. I’ve stated my intention. Now I just have to focus on the feeling of what it is I desire. And LET GO of trying to control it’s ultimate unfolding.

Trust is a scary, beautiful and magical thing. Learning to trust myself, my heart and those that I open my heart to is quite a stretch. Taking action feels good. I’m happy that I took my leap and supportive of my deliciously ambiguous friend as he takes his.

How are you stretching your trust muscles today?

xo,
kam

Happy Labor day weekend ya’ll! (Sometimes my 2 yr. stint in Texas shows back up in the form of a ya’ll from time to time, dig?). Hope everyone has fun plans for your extended weekend. I have a busy one, but fun stuff on the agenda. Heading to the Illinois side of the river on a pontoon boat with my friend Lisa who’s in town from Cali along with our girlfriends. Might get back in time for the LU Lions home opener football game tonight. I LOVE football under the lights!

Sunday I’m heading to a street festival featuring 14 local bands, so I’ll definitely get my music-soul-food fix. And Monday is all about the fam. BBQ, Alyssa, Lola, Kar and Chris...we’ll be chillin’ and gettin’ our relaxation time on! But I want to share this poem that my lovely friend Linda passed on to me last week. Thought it might inspire you for the weekend.

I often write about passion and purpose. This poem really captures the essence of the dual roles that spirit and soul play in our lives and how that relates to our journey along our unique and individual paths. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Enjoy this juicy morsel and your delicious extended weekend…

Soul as Information, Spirit as Energy

What pray tell, are Spirit and Soul?  Are they one and the same?
Are Soul and Spirit a functional whole, derived from a common name?

Or is it the case that Soul and Spirit reflect two sides of a coin-
Where Soul reflects Information that fits, and Spirit, Energy that joins?

Is Soul the story, the plan of the one’s life, the music we play, the score?
Is Spirit the passion, the fire of life, our motive to learn, to soar?

Soul feels like the paths we take, the visions that structure our flow.
Spirit feels very alive, awake, the force that moves us to grow.

If Soul is plan and Spirit is flame, then matter is alive, you see.
Nature may play a majestic game, of Information and Energy.

I’d love to believe that wisdom and joy reflect a divine plan and dreams,
That Soul and Spirit are more than toys, and both are more than they seem.

Could it be that the Soul of the divine is the wisest of plans, so grand?
And the Spirit of the divine is the lightening rod that inspires a loving hand?

Could Soul be wisdom and Spirit be love, together a divine partnership?
Purpose and passion, a duet from above, the ultimate relationship?

The relationship of Spirit to Soul, so simple, profound, this team
For Spirit and Soul the ultimate goal, to understand this theme.

Soul as wisdom, Spirit as love – Information, Energy;
Enlightened compassion, the flight of the dove.  Someday, pray tell, we’ll see.

Authors: Linda G. Russek Ph.D., Mrs. Elayne Russek and Dr. Henry Russek, M.D.

Peace and love,
kam