We all get in a funk occasionally. It’s part of living here in this playground of duality – light and dark, hot and cold, up and down. Without occasional bad moods, how would we recognize a good mood? Without feeling despondent occasionally, how would we recognize euphoria?

Recognizing the fact that you are experiencing a bad mood is the first step to getting out of it. Once you realize your spirits could use a lift, here are some tips to help make it as quick and painless as possible.

Find the Cause and Make Inner Adjustments

Negative emotions of any kind, regardless of what you call them, are there to bring you a message from your deepest inner self. The message is something like this: “Your current train of thought is out of sync with the personal direction held most dear by the best possible version of yourself.”

When your thoughts are in alignment with your sense of purpose, you infuse your life with happiness, enthusiasm and joy.

So step back from the mind and settle into the objective viewpoint. From this perspective of pure awareness, take a good look at the thoughts you have been thinking lately. (It’s likely more accurate to say, “your thoughts have been thinking you,” before you brought the light of pure awareness to the table.) Your funky mood is telling you those thoughts are not serving you well. They are not bringing you happiness, enthusiasm or joy . . . so make a decision right now, in this present moment, to change the color of your thoughts.

Do a 180-degree mental pivot, and deliberately point your thoughts in the opposite direction.

Replace despair with hope.
Replace worry with confidence.
Replace fear with love.

This kind of deliberate, directed thinking is a choice. It’s a personal decision based on understanding what you want and how to get it. If you’re tired of seeing your life through the dark lens of a funky mood . . . and are serious about letting the light in, change your thoughts.

Nobody can do it for you. Nobody else has to change in order for you to feel better. Nobody has to behave differently. All that needs to change is your attitude . . . the way you react to the events in your life makes the difference. Once you get a handle on that, you can maintain mental and emotional equanimity, regardless of outer circumstances.

“. . . the way that you choose to take it into view,
Makes it hell or a whole lotta fun.”
- from the song, “Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun” by Tupelo Kenyon (written in 1976)

3 Steps to Busting Bad Moods

* Notice how you feel.
* Examine your predominant thoughts.
* Redirect your thoughts, as needed, in sync with your highest ideals and your sense of purpose.
* Repeat as needed.

Accelerate the Process with Outer Adjustments

Once you’ve addressed the inner causes, here’s a list of 17 funk fixers:

1. Meditate – If your stinkin’ thinkin’ is responsible for your funk, and if it’s a challenge keeping your thoughts in a better place, try placing your attention elsewhere. Take a few deep breaths and relax deeper and deeper every time you exhale. Become still, and focus your attention on your breathing. Notice that you aren’t controlling it – just notice how the breath seems to be breathing you, without any help on your part. Allow stress to melt away as you become deeply relaxed. Look for the stillness between the breaths and between the thoughts. Be here, in the stillness, as you simply witness everything – your breath, your thoughts, sounds and other physical sensations. (See previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”)

2. Change Your Environment – Get out of the house. Go for a walk. A radically different environment can expedite a radical shift in the color of your thoughts. (This can help you get a fresh perspective on things, but going somewhere else is never the entire solution because . . . wherever you go, there you are.)

3. Exercise – Get your blood pumping. Increased heart rate and respiration sends more oxygen and endorphins to your brain, and that feels good.

4. Use Your Imagination – Relive happy moments. Pull out an old photo album (or photo folder on your computer) and look for photos that feel good. Spend some time with them, wrap your thoughts around them, and allow the positive emotions to wash over you.

5. Gratitude – Have a personal gratitude party. You can do this alone or it’s fun to share it with someone you love. Notice (and feel deeply) all the things you are grateful for. To take this to another level, express your gratitude whenever you can. Look for opportunities to do that.

6. Be Here Now – Bad moods are often the result of worrying about the future or regretting something in the past. Refocus your attention on this present moment, and notice that, right now, all is well. The secret is to keep your attention sharply focused in this micro-moment. At this precise instant, I’m alive, I’m breathing, I’m not starving, and there are no wild animals gnawing on my leg. It’s good to be alive – it’s a priceless gift, and life is now.

7. Listen to Uplifting Music - Music touches us and transports us emotionally like nothing else. Pick your music deliberately to produce the desired result – happiness, enthusiasm and joy. (See previous article, “Benefits of Music for Personal Development.”)

8. Watch a Good Movie – Choose something that will give you a lift. Pixar and Disney animations are good for a change of emotional scenery. Some fantasy and science fiction movies work well, as do romantic comedies. Anything funny breaks up the brittle edges of a bad mood and lets in a little fresh air and sunshine.

“What was significant about the laughter . . . was not just the fact that it provides internal exercise for a person . . . a form of jogging for the innards, but that it creates a mood in which the other positive emotions can be put to work, too.” - Norman Cousins (1915-90)

9. Play with Pets – Puppies and kittens are fun. Better yet, try to find a litter, and just hang out with them for a while. If you can find some youngsters, six to eight weeks old, that’s ideal for a good laugh and an emotional facelift.

10. Indulge Yourself – You deserve it. Take some time for you, and do whatever makes you feel good – a hot bath, massage, nice meal, etc. (See previous article, “Take Time for You.”)

11. Help Someone – When we slide down into a funk, often it’s because we think, “It’s all about me,” or worse yet, “Poor me.” Be useful to someone else and get some perspective. Notice all the people in the world who, compared to you, have serious problems. Feel empathy and compassion, and do whatever you are inspired to do about it, but mostly . . . pause and be grateful for the blessings in your own life, as you help others. Get some perspective and blast yourself out of myopia by asking yourself, “Okay, really . . . how bad is it?”

12. Smile – Just the firing of those facial muscles can help lift your mood. It’s a psychological and physiological way to reverse engineer happiness. There have been impressive studies done demonstrating how this works. A smile activates the pressure points on both sides of the mouth, which triggers good feelings. So even a fake smile helps. Try it now. Paste a big, wide, cheesy grin on your face, and just hold it there for a few seconds. (You might want to do this while nobody’s looking . . . otherwise, they might give you something real to smile about.) As you feel the smile muscles exercised in your face, can you feel the subtle changes in your brain? Interesting, eh?

13. Enjoy Alone Time – If your life is full of juggling your schedule with lots of other people, get away for a day . . . or a week, and just be your own best friend. Remember who you are – not who everyone else thinks you are or who everyone else wants you to be. Get re-grounded and centered. Then you have more of yourself to offer others.

14. Be Inspired on Purpose – Whatever makes you feel good and enthusiastic is good medicine for the soul and poison to bad moods. Ask yourself what inspires you, and deliberately focus your attention on that.

15. Sing – Even if you don’t sing or haven’t sung for years, try it. Put on a favorite song or an album you are very familiar with, and sing along. When you don’t know the words, hum. Allow the magic to work on you. It’s almost impossible to remain bummed out while singing. Like the fake smile (tip #12), complex psychological and physiological factors come into play when your body is generating tones. (That’s why Tibetan monks chant.) Harmony, melody and breath are powerful. They revitalize your psyche and nourish the soul.

16. Visualize – Imagine how you want to feel. See it clearly in your mind’s eye. Once it’s identified and clearly defined in your brain, move it to your heart. Feel it. Imagination can apply to feelings too, so explore how you want to feel in great detail – mentally and emotionally. Once that’s done, guess what? You’re already there. Now just sustain it with the three steps offered earlier:

* Notice how you feel.
* Examine your predominant thoughts.
* Redirect your thoughts, as needed, in sync with your highest ideals and your sense of purpose.
* Repeat as needed.

17. Decide to Change Moods – Mean it. If you’re fed up with bad moods, make a conscious decision to do something about it. Personal resolve and commitment make it happen.

Banishing Bad Moods

Bad moods are unhealthy. They are stressful and take their toll on you. They also affect those around you who you love most. With practice, attention and deliberate action, inspired by your personal decision, you can make bad moods a thing of the past. You’re going to love how that feels. (So will your family and friends!)

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Did you get something good from this article? You can also enjoy the feeling of giving. Click here to leave a donation for Tupelo. Thank you.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Trash Our Treasures People seem to have a history of awarding seemingly insignificant details with places of prominence in our lives, while ignoring or even destroying the most important aspects. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor2 May You Have Joy Have you ever felt a warm appreciation for someone in your life, and just wanted to wish them well? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#anchor12 Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 Seriously A reminder of the importance of making it a point to deliberately live life in joy, reverance, and with a light-hearted spirit. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor15 Blue Water Water and the sea are such perfect metaphors for the larger reality we are all immersed in. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor6 Celebrate Life Create your own personal celebration of life by your choices, rather than allowing life to be something that merely happens to you, or around you. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor2 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Just One Step Just begin. If you will just get underway, the project itself gains momentum and carries you along to its completion. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor12 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 Songs by Tupelo
	Simple Toning Meditation When it comes to meditation and contemplation, all we really need is a simple technique that produces obvious results. Celebrate life through this easy method of calming the mind and getting in closer touch with your inner being. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Benefits of Music for Personal Development All music is not created equally. This article takes a look behind the scenes to catch a glimpse of how the intent of the composer translates to the feeling evoked in the listeners. Many links are included to streaming mp3s. Celebrate life through music! Take Time for You Don’t put yourself at the end of the list. You deserve to be first, at least some of the time. Don’t let your entire life slip by with everything else (and everyone else) getting preferential treatment over your most important priorities. Their needs are important, but yours are important too. Celebrate life by taking time for YOU! How Do You Feel - About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us - inner guidance. Integrity Through Self-Reliance When you live your life as if the whisperings from your soul really matter, you are living life in your own way, on your own terms, based on your own realizations on what is right . . . what is good . . . and what is true for you. You are tuned into your own station. The signal you are receiving and the message you are broadcasting with the story of your life are both on the same frequency. You are joyfully and gratefully choosing your favorites from the buffet of life. Life Drama as Blockage to Personal Development Some people seem to relish drama in their lives. They go from one catastrophe to another. They thrive on it as if drama is what makes them feel alive. You may be able to see that they are attracting these experiences by their daily thoughts and feelings. But, they don’t recognize it from within the narrow confines of their personal drama. To someone immersed in drama, the idea that they are creating it is completely foreign. With intent, practice and mindfulness, what was once considered drama that snowballed out of control becomes simply examples of the contrasts of life to help you sharpen your preferences and shape your desires. Six Killers of Individuality and Personal Independence Is the course of your life determined by your own internal road map or by a map made by someone else? Each of us can choose our direction deliberately and live a life custom sculpted. Each life can be as individually unique as the person living it. If you pattern your life after someone else, exactly what is it you have to offer? Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps Why is it so difficult to follow through and accomplish what you set out to do? Usually, there is one important missing ingredient: personal discipline. For most of us, the idea of discipline is an external force - it’s something that comes from the outside. For instance, we discipline our children. Most of us are familiar with discipline as a verb (something we do to someone else), but we’re not so familiar with the concept as a noun - something we cultivate from within and apply to ourselves. Relax and Rejuvenate for Balance and Productivity Whatever you do, taking time to relax and regenerate helps you to do it better. If you don’t pause occasionally, shift your mind into neutral and recharge your batteries, your productivity plummets and you may not even realize it. You need time to let your mind wander - time to imagine new possibilities - time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life - time to nurture soul. Life is more than an endless to-do list, and many of its most important gifts come when you allow yourself to put the daily details on pause and just experience the simplicity of life in the moment with nothing in particular on your mind that needs to be done. Appreciate Here and Now No matter what’s going on in your life right now, there’s something to appreciate about it. The act of appreciation rivets our consciousness to this present moment. With our attention focused on the here and now, we are living life fully, since right now is the only time there ever is. Articles by Tupelo
		Why wait for inspiration to strike? Be proactive, and go get it. Better yet, this newsletter brings it to you. "Inspired on Purpose" newsletter by Tupelo Kenyon contains articles, reviews and resources to supercharge your personal development, inspiration, productivity, abundance and joy. FREE e-book Instant download - when you subscribe. Personal Development Supercharger 101 Tips and Techniques by Tupelo Kenyon It’s FREE. Subscribe now. Enter name and email address below: Name: Email:
		Privacy policy: Your email address is secure. I will not sell, rent or trade your information to anyone for any reason. Period. - Tupelo Kenyon

While traveling in Costa Rica, I was fascinated by leaf-cutter ants. I read about their efficient, organized and highly evolved society and watched them at work for hours. From this experience, I learned the value of working smarter by trying a different approach inspired by a broader perspective.

The ant trail looks like a miniature super highway with thousands of ants marching in single file. They are all carrying a piece of leaf, each one about the same size, carefully cut for maximum efficiency. Each load is larger and heavier than the ant itself and maxes out its carrying capacity.

The ant trail leads to a rocky area with an abrupt ten-foot drop – a miniature undercut cliff, impossible to walk down, especially with such an unwieldy load. Even though it’s breezy, there’s still a big pile of leaves at the edge of the cliff, dropped there by the ants that gave up. The cliff is obviously a dangerous route, especially when carrying a large leaf, which acts like a sail in the breeze. It’s too tall to jump, although there are leaves at the bottom of the cliff scattered around a few crippled ants and a few dead ones. Many ants get blown off the cliff or make the jump, even though their chances for success from the evidence below doesn’t look good.

A small percentage of the ants veer off before the cliff and climb a gentle incline. From up here, you can see the road taken by the majority, you can see the cliff, and you can see that route is not working. You can also see an easy route that goes around the cliff through the brush, protected from the breeze, and leading back to the ant colony.

Most of the ants continue to work harder. They struggle against the wind with their heavy loads. Some take perilous risks at the edge of the cliff. Some are damaged from their misguided exertion. Others are blown away. Some die.

A few ants dare to explore a new way, even though most of their peers continue blindly in the direction of the ant in front of them. These innovative ants explore a new direction. They try something new. They do things differently. They step away from the crowd, climb a little higher and are rewarded with a broader perspective.

They don’t fight the wind because they see it’s not necessary. They don’t jump or hang-glide off the cliff because they see it’s not necessary. Their overview of the situation provides them with an obvious solution . . . go around the cliff.

They work with less exertion; less danger. More efficiency. More success. They reach their objective.

Eventually, more and more of their peers will catch on and realize they too can reach their objective by working smarter instead of harder. In time, the route around the cliff will become the new super highway . . . until some free-thinker is inspired to strike out on his own to see the broader perspective and find an even better way.

Thinking about the ants, I realize how often we work harder . . . and harder . . . and harder . . . at the very same things. The solution is not to work harder. In fact, working harder is often the problem. We’re so consumed by the details of our busy-work, we don’t pause long enough to look up and catch a glimpse of the broader perspective.

Whatever our task, whatever our goal, there is likely a better way to approach it. There is likely a new and improved super highway waiting to be discovered by those willing to leave the herd mentality, be different, and trust their personal vision from the broader perspective.

Our Broader Perspective

What is our broader perspective, and how do we access it?

When I think of the view from our broader perspective, to me, it means the viewpoint of our inner self . . . who we really are. Without the filters of our ego, the world looks quite different. The problem is . . . this lofty viewpoint seems illusive. We all have access to it, but most of us spend the vast majority of the moments of our lives viewing the world through the eyes of ego.

Ego’s Perspective

We are conditioned by our current culture to identify ourselves with what we do, what we have and where we are. Who we are is missing from ego’s viewpoint.

Ego is anchored to the past and attached to the future. This present moment – right now – is illusive to the ego because ego’s realm is the world of thought rather than the world of being. The realm of being is all about the present and has nothing to do with yesterday and tomorrow.

Ego says, “I am a writer.”
The view from broader perspective is, “I am soul and enjoy writing.”

Ego says, “I am rich.”
The view from broader perspective is, “I am pure being and enjoy the process of manifesting in my life the abundance permeating the entire universe.”

Ego says, “I am an American.”
The view from broader perspective is, “I am that I am . . . currently focused in a particular body residing in this particular place.”

Ego says, “I am defined by my history and concerned about the future.”
The view from broader perspective is, “I am here and now in this perfect moment, as I always have been and as I always will be.”

Identifying with Broader Perspective on Purpose

People occasionally identify with broader perspective with no apparent effort or intent, but it’s rare to arrive at such a viewpoint accidentally. More commonly, brief glimpses are caught deliberately by intent, and repeated by personal discipline and the use of clever techniques.

Intent

After understanding the difference between society’s default sense of identity (ego) and who we really are (pure being), the natural inclination is to explore the realm of being. This is done by deliberate intent. It’s a subtle shift of attention away from all things outward (the realm of the ego) to inward states of being.

In the process, it’s not necessary to deny or deprive yourself from the myriad delightful physical experiences available. It is enough to loosen the attachment to them and most importantly, stop the personal identification with the physical senses and the objects of the senses. All these things are enhanced and enjoyed to the fullest once the intent is made to shift the personal identification away from the ego’s world of things to the soul’s realm of being.

Discipline

Discipline is simply a promise you make to yourself, once you are willing to apply the effort necessary to keep it. It seems the entire world conspires to make you forget who you really are – being. Through discipline, you promise to remind yourself to look through the illusion and identify with pure being in this present moment.

Clever Techniques

There are tools available to help access the realm of being more fully and more often, rather than hoping you will meander there accidentally.

1) Be still with attention on your breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. In and out. Over and over. Between the in and the out is a still point. Allow your attention to flow and expand into this stillness. This is only possible to do in this present moment – now. Whenever you are here, in the stillness, you are in the realm of being, experiencing your broader perspective, beyond the reach of ego.

2) Be still and observe your thoughts. Just watch them go by. It’s not necessary to try to change them or slow them or stop them. Just observe. Look for the gaps between thoughts. This quiet and peaceful (although fleeting) stillness is also available only in this present moment – right now. Whenever you detect a gap between thoughts, pour your attention into it and enjoy the sense of being that exists beyond thought. This awareness is the field that thoughts occur within. From here, you are able to watch the thoughts as they parade by, one after another. Since you are observing them, you are obviously not the thoughts . . . you are the watcher of the thoughts.

“Who is the watcher, who sits in the stillness and knows,
And who is the looker, who notices the king wears no clothes.
Who is the seer, who sees beyond the mind,
And who is the seeker, who’ll find the grand design.

“It’s everyone, and nobody at all,
Crying out, and heeding the call.
Reaching out . . . it’s the silent kind,
Reaching in . . . with an eye on the mind.

“Cause time keeps the sun shadowed from the face
It’s dawning is now and here is the place.
Not up ahead and not back then,
What else is there . . . If not now . . . When?”
From the song, “Who is the Watcher” by Tupelo Kenyon

3) Learn new meditation techniques. Here are some tips offered in previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”

Focusing Our Perspective

The view from our broader perspective is not the kind of thing that you catch a glimpse of once and then automatically have it forever. True, you will likely remember it forever because this shift of identity away from ego and toward being is one of life’s grandest ah-ha moments. But it must be recaptured again and again. Intent, discipline and clever techniques are necessary because our culture constantly reinforces identifying with the ego – what you do, what you have and where you are.

Society’s machine depends upon an army of egos to make it tick. That’s just how it is. Still, society is a good tool to use deliberately to enhance our physical experience. We’re here to enjoy all aspects of our lives, including everything made possible by our senses, our cultures and even our egos. But to benefit from all these things, we don’t have to identify with them. It is not necessary to confuse any of them with who we are.

We are soul, pure being . . . the eyes, ears and hands of the universe itself – here on the leading edge of creation. Deep inside all of us is a spark of our source, and we can choose to identify with it or choose to ignore it. We are powerful beings. In fact, we are so powerful, we can chose to believe we are powerless and make it so by our belief.

Or, we can identify ourselves with the creative power of the universe, now experiencing its grandest creation from within the creation. Once we catch a glimpse of a view of this magnitude, our deliberate intent, personal discipline and clever techniques help us continue to sharpen the focus of our broader perspective.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Did you get something good from this article? You can also enjoy the feeling of giving. Click here to leave a donation for Tupelo. Thank you.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Who is the Watcher Explores the silent witness within and the idea that life occurs in this present moment. Always. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor-14 Way of the World Life is so huge . . . so diverse . . . the possibilities are literally infinite. What’s the best way to sort it all out and carve out a little niche of our own? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor1 It’ll Be All Right Now It’s one thing to understand intellectually that the thoughts we think mold our experience, and another thing to live every moment as if it really is a basic law of nature. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor10 A Heartbeat in Eternity’s Highway In the grand scheme of things, what’s the difference between a single moment and all of eternity? What’s the point of reference? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor17 Soul in the Stars It feels good to try to see the bigger picture once in awhile,and to focus on gratitude for what we have, rather than the frustration of what we are lacking. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor4 Story Belt Celebrates the importance of keeping things in perspective while being a part of the bigger picture. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor8 Love is Who You Are "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor1 Within Without An atom and a solar system is virtually the same thing - mostly empty space! Even quantum physics is still wondering, "Is the universe a great big thing, or a great big thought?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor6 Same Olde Time Time - it’s so relative. "What if distant starlight shining in the endless sky is just the same, by a different name, as the twinkle in your eye?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor7 Songs by Tupelo
Simple Toning Meditation When it comes to meditation and contemplation, all we really need is a simple technique that produces obvious results. Celebrate life through this easy method of calming the mind and getting in closer touch with your inner being. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Know Thyself - Ignore Comparisons and Be Yourself The average person is content to base self-knowledge on comparisons to other people. If this is the measure of self-knowledge, it is based on someone else’s standards. This practice misses the point of “Know Thyself.” Instead, it’s all about how to fit in. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, talents and nudges leading us to embrace our own best life. True knowledge of self is attained from personal insights of looking inwardly rather than outwardly towards others. Appreciate Here and Now No matter what’s going on in your life right now, there’s something to appreciate about it. The act of appreciation rivets our consciousness to this present moment. With our attention focused on the here and now, we are living life fully, since right now is the only time there ever is. Self-Discipline in 3 Easy Steps Why is it so difficult to follow through and accomplish what you set out to do? Usually, there is one important missing ingredient: personal discipline. For most of us, the idea of discipline is an external force - it’s something that comes from the outside. For instance, we discipline our children. Most of us are familiar with discipline as a verb (something we do to someone else), but we’re not so familiar with the concept as a noun - something we cultivate from within and apply to ourselves. Enhance Your Self-Image on Purpose Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Ego or Soul? Who’s Driving Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego. What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics? Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. Articles by Tupelo
	Why wait for inspiration to strike? Be proactive, and go get it. Better yet, this newsletter brings it to you. "Inspired on Purpose" newsletter by Tupelo Kenyon contains articles, reviews and resources to supercharge your personal development, inspiration, productivity, abundance and joy. FREE e-book Instant download - when you subscribe. Personal Development Supercharger 101 Tips and Techniques by Tupelo Kenyon It’s FREE. Subscribe now. Enter name and email address below: Name: Email:
	Privacy policy: Your email address is secure. I will not sell, rent or trade your information to anyone for any reason. Period. - Tupelo Kenyon

Whenever a new desire or grand plan is born within us, the tendency is to share it with others. Every time we talk about it, the energy of the dream seems to deflate a little more, until it becomes merely a topic of idle chatter.

Why is that? How can we add to the excitement and urgency of our dreams instead, and speed up their manifestation?

The Two Faces of Reality

All of creation can be divided into two areas: the realm of the seen and the realm of the unseen. In other words, everything we can experience through our five senses is one face of reality. Everything that is beyond the reach of our five senses is the other face of reality. Both realms are equally valid, and they fit together perfectly.

When it comes to manifestation, we are naturally concerned with the things that can be enjoyed through our senses. But where do these things come from?

That is a question for the quantum physicists and the consensus is that particles are not to be congratulated for their own creation. In the grand scheme of creation, according to the current understanding of quantum mechanics, the basic building blocks of physical reality do not spring forth from other particles. Instead, the world experienced through our senses originates from the other face of reality – the one beyond the reach of our senses. This is not a new idea. Our understanding of science is simply allowing us to understand it in new ways.

“The pure impulse of dynamic creation is formless; and being formless, the creation it gives rise to can assume any and every form.” - Kabbalah (BC 1200?-700? AD)

So, how does this idea help us to manifest our dreams more efficiently?

Ego and Spirit

We can think of the two faces of reality as the face of ego and the face of spirit. Ego perpetuates the illusion that it is a separate entity, cut off from all others and cut off from its source. Spirit is one, all-powerful, and the source of all manifestation. (Remember the quantum physicists’ conclusion that particles do not beget particles – instead, they are created from the other side, the side of spirit.)

You Are Identified With Which Side?

As long as we identify ourselves with ego, we cut ourselves off from this infinite power of creativity and manifestation. When we identify ourselves with the other face of reality, the face of spirit, we regain the wondrous gifts of our source. If creativity and manifestation is our goal, it makes sense to reconnect with spirit, the prime source of all creativity and manifestation. It also makes sense to minimize our identification with ego and its self-serving viewpoint and narrow field of reference.

“Instead of identifying yourself as a physical being who occasionally has a spiritual experience, why not identify yourself as a spiritual being now having a physical experience?” – paraphrased from Dr. Wayne Dyer

Why Do We Want to Talk About It?

When a dream is born, ego wants to share it with others. Perhaps this sharing takes the form of bragging, motivated by its longing to feel special for having such big plans and grand ideas. Or, perhaps the ego is looking for validation and agreement from others because of its own insecurities.

But it’s a dead-end street. Here’s why:

As you begin to explain your dream, others ask questions and express doubts that make you feel the need to defend your position. Their questions and their doubts can poison your resolve and give you second thoughts about the viability of your direction.

Your over-willingness to discuss your innermost dreams can be misinterpreted by others as an invitation for advice. In this case, you set yourself up for well intentioned, but misguided opinions about the logic, feasibility and rationality of your dreams, according to them. They may not understand that these dreams originate from the other side of reality, beyond the arena of such limitations as logic and rationality.

It’s important to recognize where such a retaliatory barrage comes from. Is it coming from the sphere of spirit, infusing your dreams with additional creativity and power to help speed up your manifestation? No, it’s coming from the face of ego, cut off from the power of all creation.

Why Do They Rain on Your Parade?

What motivates someone to throw such a wet blanket on your dreams? Are they jealous? Are they afraid you will succeed and excel and make them look bad? Even if their well-intentioned advice really does have your best interests at heart, what good can their ego-based viewpoint possibly do? So it’s best to quit talking about it and just do it.

Expressing Doubts About Your Own Dreams is Even Worse

Before you open your mouth to express doubts about a dream, ask yourself what you expect to accomplish. One of two things can happen:

1) The other person agrees completely and wholeheartedly, snowballing your small, previously insignificant doubt into an avalanche of negativity. This can take you off guard. It’s hard to recover from that. How do you go from back to the excitement of regaining the momentum of your dream?

2) The other person disagrees with you, so you keep talking to clarify your doubts and justify your position. You go on and on trying to make the other person understand why you are justified in doubting your dream. The more you do this, the bigger your doubt becomes until you kill your dream completely.

“Argue for your limitations and they are yours.” – Richard Bach (”Illusions”)

There’s no benefit in either scenario of chatting up your doubts, so it’s best to keep your mouth shut. Do a 180 in your mind and think about all the reasons why your dream will work. Or, put it on the shelf and reach for a bigger, better dream that inspires your excitement, commitment and enthusiasm for enlisting help from the other side of reality.

“Strength in numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit glory in fighting alone.” – Gandhi (1869-1948)

An urge to talk about your deepest desires, your grandest dreams, as well as your doubts indicates a personal weakness looking for strength in numbers. The timid rarely reach their dreams. In fact, they usually don’t bother to try. They remain discontent, but mildly appeased as they look around the crowd and notice all the other unfulfilled people. From the vantage point of the ego, living a life of unfulfilled dreams seems normal.

“I’m taking a chance, a confident stance for jumping,
Here I go, who knows where I’ll land.
But I’m tired of all that bad news from the profits of doom,
I’ve noticed that their lives are not exactly in full bloom.

So I’m taking off their blinders, and throwing them away,
There’s so much more to living than the safe and narrow way.
The meek will surely inherit the earth . . .They won’t get very far,
While the bold go for adventure, exploring beyond the stars.

So I’ll encourage inspiration, and I’ll soak it up like a sponge,
Instead of terminal safety, I’m ready to take the plunge.
Instead of dying of caution, I’m living to take the plunge.”
- from the song, “Take the Plunge” by Tupelo Kenyon

Exceptions?

There’s an exception to every rule, and fortunately, some of us are blessed with people in our lives with which we can talk about such important matters. These “soul buddies” understand where we are coming from (or at least from where we are trying to remember to come) and base their responses accordingly.

If you broach the subject of a big important dream or goal, they may be encouraging and supportive or they may simply advise you to shut up about it and just do it.

If you find yourself in an energy vacuum and try to start a bitch and moan session, they might remind you to do an about face and list the positive aspects of your dream instead. Or, they may advise you to simply drop it and find a bigger dream.

If your soul buddy is in tune and tapped in at the moment of your conversation, it’s likely no harm will be done, because they too are learning to identify with the face of spirit. If you forget, it’s great to have someone to remind you. A person like that is invaluable beyond measure. Treasure them.

Rare soul buddies do not apply to most of the ideas in this article. This article is about the average person who is swallowed up in the world of the ego. Don’t give them the opportunity to compromise your dreams and goals born in the realm of spirit. They are not qualified to have a relevant comment, but that won’t stop them from making them anyway.

“He who wishes to exert a useful influence must be careful to insult nothing. Let him not be troubled by what seems absurd, but concentrate his energies to the creation of what is good. He must not demolish, but build. He must raise temples where mankind may come and partake of the purest pleasure.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Your Dreams are Important

From the vantage point of the other face of reality, the face of spirit, you recognize that dreams and desires are born from within you for a purpose. As an individualized manifestation of spirit, you are on the leading edge of creation.

Your experience of embracing your dreams and working through the process toward their manifestation benefits all of life. The presence of the universe itself is becoming more than it was before because of your personal dreams and the process of manifestation. It’s a big job, an important job, being here on the physical side while being identified with the spiritual side. Why not embrace it in joy, marveling at the wonder of it all, and enjoy the experience to the fullest?

“Where there is joy there is creation. Where there is no joy there is no creation: know the nature of joy.” - Maitri Upanishads (c. BC 800-)

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success . . . Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.” - Nikola Tesla

You don’t need the endorsement of the crowd to pursue your dreams. Keep your own counsel and trust your inner guidance to steer you toward your dreams. Your on-board, personal guidance system has the marvelous habit of steering you toward the people who can help you, while avoiding the rest. (See previous article, “How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance.)

When you keep your dreams to yourself and resist the urge to chat about them, you are “valiant in spirit glory” as described by Gandhi, relying on your own source, spirit, to guide you in the most appropriate way. Nobody but your own inner self knows the most appropriate direction for you. Allow your manifestations in this realm of the senses to be inspired by, and spring forth from the other side – the inexhaustible face of spirit, beyond the reach of the senses.

Inspire Yourself on Purpose

Meditation is helpful. Sit quietly and watch the screen of your mind. Notice your breathing. Allow your busy mind to gradually become quieter, naturally. Listen.

Regardless of what religion or philosophy you subscribe to, you can become still and ask to be shown whatever you need to know. No mumbo jumbo is required – no rituals, no ceremony – only pure intent is required. (See previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”)

Ask your guides, your guardian angels, your guru, savior, favorite saint, or the deepest and purest, wisest part of yourself, who has always been identified with the other side of reality, for contact. Ask them to show you whatever you need to know. Mean it.

And then be still. You are inviting creativity and manifestation from the other side, the side of spirit, into this side of physical reality. Be receptive. Be sincere. Be ready.

When it comes, you will recognize it by the way it makes you feel. However your answer(s) come to you, they will likely sound like music to your ears.

“Music is the harmonious voice of creation; an echo of the invisible world.” - Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-72)

Be Your Own Best Friend

If you need someone to help you sort it all out or just someone to talk to, try talking to yourself by journaling. Write down your thoughts and feelings whenever you feel the need for more clarity.

Your journal won’t try to talk you out of anything or try to “talk some sense into you,” and it won’t ask misguided questions that put you on the spot to defend your position. Journaling gives you the opportunity to communicate with the deeper, wiser, more centered part of yourself. It helps you stay in closer touch with the part of yourself based on the spiritual side of life, and helps you recognize the thoughts, feelings and attitudes that originate from this arena of the senses, this narrower side of life – the land of the ego.

Identifying and recognizing ego-based thoughts is a good step in the right direction toward more efficient manifestation. With this awareness, it’s easier to turn to the other face of creation, the face of spirit, and proceed with the process of manifesting with the confidence, power and creativity of the universe behind you.

Fly with the wind. Float downstream. Let the creative power of all creation, spirit, be the wind beneath your wings and the stream beneath your canoe.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Did you get something good from this article? You can also enjoy the feeling of giving. Click here to leave a donation for Tupelo. Thank you.

Listen FREE to the song samples below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

	Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Hell or a Whole Lotta Fun Nothing to do? How about too much to do? Our attitude seems to make the difference. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor16 Trash Our Treasures People seem to have a history of awarding seemingly insignificant details with places of prominence in our lives, while ignoring or even destroying the most important aspects. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor2 Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 Angels Around Us Is it your higher self, or your guardian angel, or perhaps an over-active imagination? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor3 Here A love song to the beloved and/or to the larger part of ourselves. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor16 Love is Who You Are - Live Version "What is love, anyway?" Is it something you give or get, have or make? Or could it be, down deep, simply who we are? http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHTu.html#Anchor19 Within Without An atom and a solar system is virtually the same thing - mostly empty space! Even quantum physics is still wondering, "Is the universe a great big thing, or a great big thought?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor6 Songs by Tupelo
How Do You Feel About Inner Guidance? Is it a hunch? Is it a voice in your head? Is it something you feel? Don’t confuse what you feel with who you are. Once you are able to access this awareness of pure being and identify yourself with it, you won’t get carried away by whatever emotional cloud happens to be passing by. Celebrate life through one of the more subtle forms of communication available to us - inner guidance. Simple Toning Meditation When it comes to meditation and contemplation, all we really need is a simple technique that produces obvious results. Celebrate life through this easy method of calming the mind and getting in closer touch with your inner being. Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development It’s helpful to have a helping hand once in awhile. I was fortunate to have friends show me how to meditate. It was just friends showing friends something cool . . . because they could. Or maybe it was some kind of big brother / big sister program for the spiritually ripe. It was easy. It was casual. It was a life-changing experience. Beyond Science, Philosophy and Religion Is truth absolute or relative? Is there anything beyond science, philosophy and religion? Many of the world’s top quantum physicists think there is. Celebrate life by stretching you imagination. The Dilemma of Desire What is desire? Where does it come from? Why do we have it? Does it serve us in a positive way, or does it distract us and keep us perpetually in discontent? This article sheds some light on these important questions so that each of us can find our own answers. Belief Systems vs. Knowing How do you discern between something known and a habitual thought - a belief? The first step is to recognize that the vast majority of our beliefs are based not upon our own personal experiences and revelations but upon anecdotal evidence and the recommendations of other people, past and present. Goal Setting or Let Go and Let God There are two approaches people use to manifest their desires. Some set goals. Others surrender and presume the universe is conspiring to deliver to them their every desire without strain, in its own way and in its own time. Which way is better? Can these two methods be used together? Choose the Companionship of Positive People Who Inspire You If the people you spend the most time with are inspiring, supportive, encouraging, and they demonstrate qualities you want to emulate - great, you are on the right track. If not, it’s up to you to do something about it. Life is too short to put up with other people’s pity parties, bitch-and-moan marathons, and oh-woe-is-me clubs. Good Listener Secrets - Listen with Your Heart When someone is talking to you, do you hear with your ears, monitor with your mind, or listen with your heart? Invest a few minutes thinking about the importance of listening well - a deliberate conscious act - and watch your relationships grow to a new level of closeness and understanding. Inspire Yourself on Purpose - Inspiration from Inside Out Here are twelve common sense reminders on how to inspire yourself. The word “inspire” derives from root words that mean “in spirit” or “spirit within.” Although there’s always another step to take, these points are a natural result of recognizing and identifying with this realization of who we really are. Ego or Soul? Who’s Driving Even though I identify my sense of self with soul, there seems to be another “something” inside forever jockeying for position and making its presence known. This is the ego. What’s the difference? How can you know which one is in charge? What are their characteristics? Since I prefer peace to mayhem and contentment to perpetual, blind striving, my goal is to keep soul in the driver’s seat as often as possible. Instead of an either/or situation, I like the idea of soul and ego peacefully coexisting in a manner that best serves the greater good. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams Through Intuition Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted. But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition. If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action - intuition. Articles by Tupelo
	Why wait for inspiration to strike? Be proactive, and go get it. Better yet, this newsletter brings it to you. "Inspired on Purpose" newsletter by Tupelo Kenyon contains articles, reviews and resources to supercharge your personal development, inspiration, productivity, abundance and joy. FREE e-book Instant download - when you subscribe. Personal Development Supercharger 101 Tips and Techniques by Tupelo Kenyon It’s FREE. Subscribe now. Enter name and email address below: Name: Email:
	Privacy policy: Your email address is secure. I will not sell, rent or trade your information to anyone for any reason. Period. - Tupelo Kenyon

Intuition feels good. That should be enough of a clue it’s something that can be trusted.

But, our culture has done a thorough job of instilling doubt about the wisdom of following our instincts. Instead, we are taught to think things through and be logical. These mental tools are important, but they were never intended to be used instead of intuition. They work better when used in conjunction with intuition.

“The only real valuable thing is intuition.” - Albert Einstein (1875-1955)

There was a phrase popular in the ’60’s that encapsulated the wisdom of following your instincts and paying attention to your intuition: “If it feels good, do it.” At first blush, this may sound hedonistic, but if you dig a little deeper, perhaps it reveals wisdom from the soul.

When we feel good, we are on the right track. Our thoughts and emotions are in alignment with our deepest aspirations and the desires we are currently embracing. Our body, mind and spirit are all on the same team, all pulling together in the same direction. It’s a good place to be, and it leads to a life of satisfaction, contribution and joy.

The way we feel is a clear indication of how well our outer life is in sync with our inner life. (See previous article, “How Do You Feel – About Inner Guidance.”)

If we are open to it, we get nudges and insights to move us in the direction of our greatest joys, our most valuable contributions, and our most satisfying life. Those quiet whispers and gentle taps on the shoulder are examples of inner guidance in action – intuition.

“Trusting your intuition means tuning in as deeply as you can to the energy you feel, following that energy moment to moment, trusting that it will lead you where you want to go and bring you everything you desire.” - Shakti Gawain (b. 1948)

Serendipities

Serendipities are apparent coincidences that offer great benefit without the necessity of you clamoring over the details. When you are open to intuition and trust your instincts, serendipities come with the territory. Your higher self, your guardian angels, the intelligence of the universe, (whatever you choose to call it), knows your hopes and dreams. All of them. This grand intelligence also knows the hopes and dreams of everyone else.

Imagine a quantum “place” beyond the limitations of matter where every desire from all people co-exist. Imagine many strings of intent extending outward in all directions from each person like a gigantic spider web. Some strings avoid and repel other strings, like opposing magnetic charges, since they have nothing in common, nothing to offer one another. Other strings intersect and intertwine, fit together perfectly, and contain the seed of potentials unseen and unimagined.

“We could call it a coincidence, if that would be better for you,
But the way that it all fell into place, was more than I could do.
Is that a glimmer of recognition, fleeting in our eyes,
A random act of happenstance, or a miracle in disguise?”
- from the song, “Miracle in Disguise” by Tupelo Kenyon

Attention Please . . .

Those potentials are made known to you through your intuition. An inner nudge, a subtle sense of knowingness alerts you to pay attention. Something wonderful is about to happen . . . if you allow it. It’s up to you.

“Fear is static that prevents me from hearing my intuition.” - Hugh Prather

You are a powerful creator because you have the power of choice. You can shrug it off as a fleeting fancy of the imagination. Or, you can choose to play along by offering your hunch the benefit of the doubt, just to see where it leads.

Assume for a moment that the hunch really is a message from somewhere and/or someone even more wonderful than you can imagine. (Even if it’s from a grander, wiser part of yourself, offering input from a broader perspective.) Why not see where it leads? What do you have to lose?

“All our progress is an unfolding, like a vegetable bud. You have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge as the plant has root, bud, and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)

Common Sense

The tools of rational thought and logic come in handy. They allow you to temper your intuition with common sense to keep you safe and help you avoid unforeseen problems.

As we first begin to be receptive to intuition, the common tendency is to second-guess ourselves. “Was that a cosmic whisper or just my mind playing tricks?” The mind is part of the mechanism, every time, because that’s how we’re wired. The wary, skeptical question remains, “Is this ONLY my mind, or is the nudge originating from somewhere deeper?”

We want to believe it, so at first the tendency is to consider every little thing intuition. Every thought, every emotion, every fleeting feeling, every coincidence is suspected to be a secret message from your guardian angels. Maybe so, but if this is the way it happens for you, the law of silence may help you when it comes to interacting with the average person who doesn’t believe in such things. We have all seen people like this – they seem to be out of balance, and their spacey ways give new-age thought a bad name.

With practice, it gets easier to recognize what’s an angelic tap on the shoulder and what’s a random, nonsensical hiccup of a thought triggered by indigestion. Balance is the key. Intuition is a powerful tool. Rational thought is also a powerful tool. Used together, even the sky is not the limit!

“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” - Dr. Jonas Salk (b. 1914) Discoverer of polio vaccine.

No Substitution for Action

So far, all these intuitive nudges and logical thoughts can be experienced alone, sitting in the easy chair. But, this is just part of the formula. Eventually, you must act upon your instincts.

See It . . . Feel It . . . Do It

In your mind’s eye, think it through in detail. See the vivid pictures in your imagination. Ask yourself, if you follow through in the direction of your hunch, what will be the likely outcome? What would you most like to see develop from this seed of intuition? What is the best case scenario? That’s where you want to put your attention, your enthusiasm and your joy.

As you make a habit of this mental out-picturing of the wonderful potentials of your intuition, you are sending a clear message to the source of your instincts saying, “Yes, I like this. This feels good. It’s fun. I can do this. Thanks for the idea.”

This willingness demonstrated by your clear intent will trigger more nudges, more ideas and more energy. Feel this energy as a growing urge, bottled up in your body. As it continues to grow and develop, new ideas will be added to previous ones until an obvious action plan begins to take shape.

Follow Through. Take Action.

Now it’s time to put your inspiration to work. Allow your spiritual and mental realities to take shape in the physical world too. Get out there and rub shoulders with others. Share ideas, and look for further inspiration as a spin-off of someone else’s ideas. Watch for serendipities, and give your intent that you expect them.

Imagine all the other people whose strings of dreams fit together perfectly with yours. They are also receptive to finding you so that your dreams fit together and create something even grander than either of you previously imagined. Allow it. Intend it. Expect it. Let it be.

This last step of manifestation, the action step, is where some people bog down. We all know people with big ideas and very little get-up-and-go. It is in the field of human interaction where hunches lead and where dreams take form.

People control the resources. People control the money. People working together continuously create more than any one person working alone. So, be receptive to opportunities to work with others in ways that you may not have foreseen. Trust serendipities. An unexpected possibility of teamwork could very well be the “coincidence” attracted by attention to your intuition and your deliberate intent.

Working Alone and Working Together

Even for someone like me, who usually works alone, collaboration has produced some of my most satisfying creations. My teamwork with my wife, Janey, has resulted in eleven music CDs and a video DVD of our unusual journey together as touring musicians for the last 30 years. (You can see a 9-minute preview online free here.)

“Life is like music, it must be composed by ear, feeling and instinct, not by rule. Nevertheless one had better know the rules, for they sometimes guide in doubtful cases, though not often.” - Samuel Butler (1612-80)

When I think back on the aspects of my life that have provided the most satisfaction and joy, I realize they all started with a hunch, a quiet whisper in my ear, or an intuitive tap on the shoulder. Gratefully, I did not write them off as musings from an overactive imagination and ignore them. Instead, I was willing to play along and take the next step in the direction of my nudge, and then the next, and the next, curious where it may lead.

“So I’m taking off those blinders and throwing them away,
There’s so much more to living than the safe and narrow way.
The meek will surely inherit the earth . . .They won’t get very far,
While the bold go for adventure, exploring beyond the stars.
So I’ll encourage inspiration, and I’ll soak it up like a sponge,
Instead of terminal safety, I’m ready to take the plunge.”
From the song, “Take the Plunge” by Tupelo Kenyon

How to Encourage Inspiration

Just ask. Give your intent that inspiration happens to you. Give your intent that you are able to recognize it and act upon it. Here’s an easy way to do it: Sit quietly. Take a few deep breaths and relax deeply. Allow calmness to envelop you. Put your attention on the screen of your mind and be still. Then, think to yourself or say out loud: “Please show me whatever I need to know.” Be still again and watch your thoughts march by. Notice how you feel. Be receptive. Allow it to happen by your clear intent. Be patient and ever watchful for the guidance you have invited into your life. (For more details on meditative methods, see previous articles, “Simple Toning Meditation” and “Guided Meditation for Self-Healing and Personal Development.”)

Gratitude

The attitude of gratitude seems to go hand in hand with intuition. In your purity of intent, you are so sure that the intuition you request is going to show up, you feel good about being grateful for it in advance. It’s an assumptive attitude that helps obliterate any trace of a doubt. You are sure it’s coming soon so you are thankful for it now. (If it feels good, do it.)

How to Recognize Intuition

My best guess is that the moment intuition is noticed differs from person to person. For me, I sometimes hear words spoken in my mind. This is a little different than the usual mental chatter. It’s clear, calm, and delivered in a matter-of-fact style. When I have centered myself as described above, and asked for input, and then “hear” a directive spoken in my imagination, I listen. I don’t follow it blindly, but I’m in the habit of considering it. Other times, intuition comes as strong feelings that linger a little longer than normal, and feel a little deeper, somehow. Other times, an urge comes over me that seems to come out of nowhere. In that case, I will usually follow-through with it, if only because it’s so unusual and I become curious where it might lead.

Janey mentioned a health-related experience when she experienced her intuition coming through very strong emotions. It was at a time when she was getting lots of well-intentioned but conflicting advice from friends, family and doctors. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight and now that she is living happily ever after, she realizes her emotions were telling her what she needed to know.

Her usual avenues of intuition and inner guidance were blocked due to the intense mental chaos and the highly charged emotional nature of the experience. Looking back, she realized that whenever she was given good advice, in alignment with her inner guidance, she felt peaceful and at ease about the entire situation, actually forgetting about it for long periods of time. When she was given advice contrary to her intuition, her inner guidance let her know through tumultuous emotions. Confusion reigned, tears flowed and it didn’t feel good at all. It was not subtle, but the message came through loud and clear.

Maybe It’s Make-Believe. Who Cares?

What if this is all just wishful thinking? What if inner guidance and intuition are simply new age constructs that have no reality in the physical world? So what? Even if it’s all just the stuff of fairy tales, you can still end up with the life of your dreams. How bad is that? Even if your belief is the only thing that makes it true in your experience (and your experience alone), you still win. So why not play the game of life with gusto by being open to the possibility of wise, life-enhancing intuition and wonderful, unforeseen serendipities?

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” - Carl Jung (1875-1961)

Pursuing the Best Life Possible

By tempering the subtle nudges of intuition with common sense and rational thought, I have happily pursued my dreams ever since I was a teen-ager. Of course, it’s always a work in progress, but I can honestly say this approach to living the life of my dreams is a good life. A very good life!

In fact, Janey and I agree that we have never seen a life or a lifestyle that we would like better than ours. That doesn’t mean our particular way is better than that of anyone else. It just means we have been successful in discovering and building upon the very best life FOR US. It’s only natural that the life of your dreams would be different than ours. (See previous article, “Your Passion as Your Compass.”)

This idea of the life of our dreams is a moving target, forever morphing into the next potential. As our intuition and imagination keeps offering new adventures, our life grows and develops, building upon the benefits of all the times we paid attention to our inner guidance in the past.

We got here by honoring our intuition, following our instincts, and being forever receptive to that still, small voice within. And, we’re grateful for it all.

While reading, did you choose to hear the relaxing instrumental music linked at the beginning of this article? To learn more about it, click here.

Did you get something good from this article? You can also enjoy the feeling of giving. Click here to leave a donation for Tupelo. Thank you.

Listen FREE to the songs below . . . chosen to enhance the ideas in this article.

Miracle in Disguise Synchronicity is such a positive and hopeful idea, it begs the question, "Why not actively look for it and even expect it, as long as it feels good?" http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescX.html#Anchor11 You Gotta Have Fun Our moments are fleeting . . . and finite. Too few to squander on "bad news". We must steer our attention deliberately in order to attract the kind of life we were born to live. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescAnth.html#Anchor20 Do What You Love Discovering what we have a true passion for, and then figuring out a way to build a life around that passion is one of life’s greatest feelings of accomplishment. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHB.html#Anchor10 Take the Plunge Their advice is "for your own good", but the last thing you need to hear is their worst-case scenario. http://www.somemusicmatters.com/DescHere.html#Anchor11 Songs by Tupelo