If not now, then when?

The New Year has begun.  If you're like me, you've reflected on 2018 and have already made some resolutions for this shiny New Year.  

I feel hopeful.  It's time for a fresh start.  To make space for the new, both inside and outside.

To make space for the new, we must let go of the old..old energy, outdated ways of living, over-used patterns that don't serve us anymore.  

And how do we do that?  This morning, I participated in a Burning Bowl ceremony at the non-denominational Unity Church I attend here in Cleveland. In this ceremony, we were invited to reflect on what is standing in the way of our happiness.   And then, for a few minutes, we each wrote down on a small piece of paper what we wanted to release.  Slowly and solemnly, we filed up to the bowls where the lists were burned and soon became ashes.

This simple ceremony touched me deeply.  In fact, it took me by surprise.  

What if...just what if, I let go of what's standing in the way of my happiness?  

While I do consider myself a pretty happy person, there still are those things that I hang on to that don't serve me.  You know those things I'm talking about?

Earlier in the service, the minister played a video showing clips of happy babies...babies smiling and gurgling and belly laughing, images that brought a smile to my face.  Those babies showed us in our natural state.  We are all meant to be this happy, this free.

The questions that are still resonating with me are:

• What do you need to give up to feel happy?

• What are you willing to let go of to make room for happiness?

• What is standing in the way of you being happy...right now?

I'm sharing a few of my answers:

I'm willing to let go of what others think of me, the fear of being hurt (again), the need to control others, the fear that there's not enough, the fear of failure, the fear of making mistakes, lack of forgiveness to those who have hurt me...

And...I am willing to bet that every person present wrote down some version of my answers.  

Now I come to the theme of this post:  

If not now, then when?

The time for a fresh start is NOW.  The time to release the old (whatever) is NOW.  

Once we release and let go of the obstacles that are in our way, THEN all those resolutions that we made for this shiny new 2019 are possible.  

What are you willing to let go of to make room for wonderful things in 2019?  If you feel comfortable, I'd love to hear one thing that you are letting go of to be able to move towards one of your 2019 resolutions.  I really do love hearing from you.

Above: I let go of clutter in my drawers and created a thing of beauty :)

I am letting go of old thoughts and patterns that don’t serve me to create space for creativity in 2019 :)

Sometimes, we need help in letting go of our obstacles. We may know what we want or know what we need to do, but without the right kind of support, we can get stuck.

As a Creative Life Coach with rosecorrick.com, I am experiencing the joy of supporting my clients in getting to their "yes". I myself know the power of coaching, so I know how impactful it can be.

This is the time of year to begin anew, to realize your dreams or to finally work through that issue that has been with you for a long time. The time is NOW.

I invite you to visit my site. If it speaks to you, sign up for a free Discovery Session and let's get to know each other. I promise you...you're worth it :)

With love, Rose

"Creative isn't the way I think, it's the way I like to live." - Paul Sandip

I've been a creative professional for most of my adult life, which seems to qualify me as being "creative". Having this role in life, I've heard from so many people over the years say that they are not creative at all. I really don't believe that's true.

First, we are all the creators of our own lives, so by definition, that makes us all creative. 2nd, there are a gazillion ways to show your creativity that are outside the lines of art, music and dance. Gina cooks the most beautiful food; Sally designs the most beautiful spreadsheets; Noel accessorizes her clothing with beautiful scarves; Leslie invites creative problem-solving with her clients...and on and on.

The world honors and even glorifies creativity, but it truly is not the gift of a select minority.

Creativity is in the very nature of all of us. Honing and nurturing our creativity will bring more joy, depth and meaning to our lives.

This morning, I played with creativity. Today is a gray, wintry day in Cleveland, Ohio. Snow has turned to slush, the skies are leaden, leaves are wet and fallen. It's easy to say: wow, what a gloomy day. So, instead of succumbing to that world view, I turned on my "artist eyes". With my phone, I began to take some photos of the grey, the wet, the brown, the leaden, the leaves, the acorns, the asphalt, the drainage grate...and here's what happened.

I got interested. I started to see the beauty in the grey. I started to notice the beautiful shape of the leaf next to the acorns and the interesting pattern of the drainage grate with those lovely brown leaves. And who knew the asphalt could look so cool? The feeling inside me changed from gloomy to something else...interested, curious, and appreciative...wow, look at the beauty of this grey Cleveland day!

That's what creativity did for me just this morning...made me feel good.

Here's what my experiment today looked like...

Tell me about what creativity looks like in your world...or better yet, show me! I'd really love to hear about it and see it.

In my new venture as a Creative Life Coach, I bring my lifelong love of creativity into play as I work with my clients. Some of my clients want to explore their creativity in a creative outlet while others are going through major life transitions and want to create a roadmap with me as their coach and mentor. Whatever the scenario, creativity is at the heart of what I do.

"Creativity is giving yourself permission to see things differently." - David Robert on www.artistthink.com And that's what I do as a Creative Life Coach at rosecorrick.com (https://www.rosecorrick.com/) ....help you give yourself permission to see things differently.

Yesterday, after a wonderfully rich Discovery Session with a new client, I asked her how she felt at the end of the session. In her charming British accent, she said: "I feel like I've just had a delicious piece of fruitcake!" I was so delighted with her response that I asked her permission to quote her.

Wishing you all a delicious, creative day!

With love, Rose

You are not too old and it is not too late - R.M. Rilke

Chances are, you've had the opposite thought at times, right?

I know that I have...you know, that inner voice that says: I'm just too old and it's too late.  



Here's when I've noticed that these thoughts can happen:  



When I'm comparing myself to someone else.  "Comparison is the thief of joy", as Teddy Roosevelt said.  Instead of comparing myself to others, I recognize that I am the only me there is.  This is my journey, and mine alone.  By bringing my energy and my thoughts back to me, I take my power back.



When I'm lonely or tired.  If I'm not taking care of me, I can be open to disempowering thoughts. Making a cup of tea, resting or grounding with Mother Earth are all good remedies for times that I am depleted.



When I'm overwhelmed...there really are times when life feels like too much, when it seems that I can't keep up with this fast-paced, technological world, when I don't feel as smart as I used to feel.  What then?  



The answer is always to come back...come back to ourselves.



Take a deep breath.  Feel your feet and seat...feet on the ground and seat on the chair.  Then invite yourself to give voice to what you are not too old and too late for.  



Here are a few things that I'm not too old and too late for...in fact, I'm right on time for them...:)

• Falling in love again

• Hiking in Banff National Park (or some other fabulous place)

• Making friends with technology

• Brushing up my piano skills and learning to play the blues

• Exploring eco-dyeing and printing (here's my latest project)

So, how about you?  Can you share one thing that you are right on time for?  I love hearing from you...and I especially love those photos :).

As a Creative Life Coach at rosecorrick.com, I hear this mantra quite often from my clients...maybe I'm just too old and it's too late.  

How do we change that story?  With awareness.  With support to create a new story.  Let's talk about it with a free Discovery Session to see what it's like.  

Make this your new mantra: I am not too old and it is not too late!  I am right on time!

With love, Rose

Life is short. Eat the cake.

I've been slow to get into the holiday spirit this year.  Like you, I've got a lot going on, and I'm still processing loss and transition from big changes that happened this year.  I've found myself tolerating the holidays and waiting for them to be over.  But really, how fun is that?



One day this week, I got an invitation to play from my 3-leggede companion, Mitch.  His invitations are a cross between a growl and a whine.  The unmistakable message is:  "Mom...give me some love."



How could I resist?  I'm on the floor with him and the Christmas decorations in the as-yet unopened Christmas boxes began to call to me.

And then a little magic happened.  We played.  He tolerated that Santa hat for 3 seconds before throwing it off...over and over before I got the shot.  I smiled..then laughed...and realized just how much better I felt.  
 
When the "life is short. eat cake." quote came to me, I said aloud: "Really?"  What kind of holiday message is this?  



Well, I think it's a good one.  Let's go a little further...

• life is short

• eat the cake

• call the friend

• take the walk

• cherish the guy (or girl)

• feel the sun

• love the belly

• savor the moment

• live the life

And there's lots more.  

The point is:  do the little things in life that feel good, that give pleasure, that express love...because life really is short.

Mitch knows...

At rosecorrick.com, a theme that often emerges with clients is a lack of meaning and purpose in their lives.   This Third Act of our lives has great opportunity for growth but it also comes with lots of challenges.  It requires taking a new look at ourselves and our lives in order to have joy and meaning in our lives as we grow older.



I personally know the value of working with a trusted coach and because of the transformative experiences I have had with my coach, I chose this path for the next chapter of my life...to help others live their best life.

I invite you to check out my website.  Try a free 
Discovery session with me or contact me at rose@rosecorrick.com to learn more.  I'd love to connect with you.



With love, Rose