Loves Angel

Art Makes YOU Beautiful: I know the secret....

2011-05-07T10:44:00.006-04:00

A painting REFLECTS YOU and your energy.

How does this make YOU beautiful?

Simple. Every time you look at a painting you see an aspect of yourself. If you choose art that was created by a person with a beautiful spirit, her energy is embedded in the paints she uses, the canvas, the image and even the sweep of the brush. The painting that is born of her deep inner beauty radiates that energy into your home and seeps into your spirit. This allows you to connect to the Higher Source Inner Beauty from which all heart-centered artists channel and create, and thus raise your own vibrational level. And as you know, outer beauty is merely a physical display of the beautiful Being you are inside. We don't always show this side of ourselves to others because of the walls we put up to counter the conflict and chaos we meet with every day of our lives in the outside world.

You can enhance your external beauty merely by being surrounded in beautiful artwork.

Art Uplifts your Spirit, Feeds your Soul and Magnifies your Natural Beauty while Adorning your Walls.

Anything else you need to know can be found here:

nancymurdoch.com

Abbey of the Glen

2011-05-04T10:06:00.005-04:00

She's a mystical earth spirit who makes her home in the meadows of our imaginations and the hearts of our yearning. The woman with ethereal beauty and a practical mind - Faerie Tale marries Mother Earth.

She leaves a dash of magic everywhere she goes and lights up the forest of confusion, doubt and darkness with the love that genuinely radiates from her heart. She lives inside each and everyone of us.

What message is she bringing you today?

Independence

2011-04-05T15:16:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I was quite impressed by what the Trump family had to say on the Oprah show. Impressed by the clear evidence that they are truly a family. A family that loves, honors, respects and enjoys being with each other.

The kids were all happy, healthy and flourishing. Each of them exhibited a strong sense of independence and the desire to live their best life while giving back to the world in their own unique way. And they all expressed a sense of appreciation for what they have and they didn't take it for granted.

Sure, it's easy to justify a wealthy family's mind/body/spirit abundance by saying, "Anyone can be happy and healthy when they are born into money." But that's not necessarily true. There are plenty of people who have been handed everything on a material plane, and yet can't pull it together mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Wealth comes with its own set of personal challenges for individuals and families just as does poverty. If you need an example, compare any of the Trump offspring's level of gratitude and self-actualization to that of Paris Hilton.

An unfathomable number of teens today believe that happiness comes from being independent. They believe independence comes from disconnecting from family, disrespecting their parents in an effort to look grown-up and "cool" to their peers and alienating siblings in order to be the only shining star in the family who attracts all the attention - positive or negative.

Yet, if our youth today were truly as smart as they think they are they would realize that independence isn't something found "out there," wherever "there" is. It's not "found" in London, L.A. or New York. You don't suddenly have "it" when you get a university degree, your own car, an apartment or a job that pays your rent. And it certainly doesn't come from a need to prove yourself. That's called bondage.

Independence comes from a sense of self that is gained through strong family values. CONNECTION not disconnection, alienation or abandonment. Independence is a sense of peace within and an acceptance of everyone. It's not about proving to yourself or others that you can make it on your own. Total independence separate from all others is a falacy anyway. We are all inter-dependent, relying on each other and the universe to provide us with the basics of air, sun, food and shelter, fuel for heat and transportation, technology for instant communication and so much more. We also inter-depend on each other for friendship, support and help in times of need.

The reason the Trump offspring have such a strong sense of Self is because they were raised with solid work ethics, respect for their parents and healthy family values. I didn't hear any cries of victimization from the Trump kids on Oprah yesterday and they've had just as much or more drama in their lives as teens who were raised in "normal" families.

I'm not saying Donald and his gang don't have flaws. And yes, they presented their best selves to the millions of viewers who were watching. But here's the thing. It worked! The Trumps showed families around the world how to be a family.

Our truly wise teens who can expand their world view and step INTO a sense of honest connectedness with mom, dad, sister and brother will be the first ones to gain that real sense of independence they are so desperately seeking. It's not about running away; it's about coming home. Coming home to your Self. No matter how far you travel or how wide you search, true independence is only found in the spirit of community, which is really just an expanded view of family. And family is just an expanded view of Self.

So when it comes right down to it independence isn't about going it alone; it's about thriving in harmony with others.

Worthy Priciples to Live By:

2011-03-18T13:41:00.005-04:00

Principle #3: Before you say anything to anyone, ask yourself;

1. Is it true?

2. Is it kind?

3. Is it necessary?

So much time and life essence is spent in drama. What's it all for? Do people think their lives are less exciting without self-created drama? Is it a way of trying to "feel" again after becomming deadened from too much sensual stimulation, violence on tv, abrasive music, profane language and life outside our heart centers?

It takes discipline to quiet our need for external stimulation. But without reaching deep inside and connecting to the peace within, we are forever being thrown this way and that on the emotional roller coaster where someone else is pushing all the happy-sad buttons.

Cell phones are a great thing, but next time before you text, decide what unspoken need you are trying to satisfy. Then ask yourself if what you are writing is true, kind or necessary. Will it create a lot of energy-wasting drama instead of the love, deep peace and inner joy you may truly be seeking? If so, this is the point where your decision to choose another action or non-action could be life-changing for you and everyone you involve in your dramas. Give yourself a health boost and send a prayer, blessing or invisible hug to someone instead of that next text.

Worthy Principles to Live By:

2011-03-16T09:12:00.003-04:00

Principle #2:

Never miss an opportunity to compliment someone or say something encouraging to someone. There are always many positive qualities to be found in all people. It's a healthy practice to seek them out and bring them to the surface. When it's honest, it makes us feel good and radiates a higher vibration to everyone around us.

Principles to live by

2011-03-15T10:29:00.003-04:00

My ongoing intention is to always have a warm heart, an open mind and a peaceful contenance. To maintain this state of love there are a few principles I live by.

Principle #1: Have a forgiving view of people; believe that most people are doing the best they can.

Victory

2011-02-08T08:29:00.003-05:00

"There are only two kinds of people: those who are victorious, and those who make others victorious." H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

If we live by this motto for even just one day, our lives will change; our NOW will have purpose and our futures will no longer be of concern.

Breaking The Boundaries

2011-01-31T09:06:00.003-05:00

The first art piece I created in my new year and new cycle broke many of my creative boundaries. And, it was the most fun art piece I've ever played into creation. This is just the beginning.

Celebrating a new beginning

2011-01-29T11:04:00.009-05:00

Yes, today is my birthday. Not only am I starting a new year, I am entering into a brand new cycle of life.

Last year, 2010, was a year of endings for me. In numerology it was my "9" year, which symbolizes closure, completion and endings to all that is no longer for my highest good. And man oh man, my life was turned upside down, inside out, rotated, skewed and squeezed until the only thing left was clarity and freedom. . . or at least a few more drops of clarity and freedom.

I won't write about the excrutiating pain I suffered on my way to this clarity and freedom. What felt like losses at the time were really just attitudes, behaviors and beliefs I needed to transcend. Unfortunately, those attitudes, behaviors and beliefs were the glue that bonded my daughters and husband to me. When I didn't want to play the game of delusion anymore, they left for good. Why? Because they wanted to keep creating and playing out the Peyton Place of life. Our vibrations were no longer a match.

All I said was, "Please God, fill my home with love, light, happiness, good relationships, sincere conversations, honesty, compassion and truth." The next day they were gone and I spent a year healing from what I thought was a devastating loss. But it turns out that it was a blessing in disguise because today I am the happiest I've ever been.

I'm enjoying the kind of happiness that bubbles up from inside and has nothing to do with the people or circumstances in my life. My life hasn't gotten any easier. In fact, this has been the most difficult winter I've ever encountered. It's a constant struggle to keep warm; splitting wood, hauling it into the house, feeding the hungry woodstoves day and night just to keep the furnace monster from gobbling down $200/week in oil, while running 6 space heaters just to stay above freezing.

I'm renting rooms out, but more time than not my rooms are vacant, as is my coffer. The snow never stops and I'm often exhausted from the work of just trying to stay warm. BUT I'M HAPPY! I'm at PEACE - a peace that is grounded in all the healing I've done over the last 15 years. The enduring quality of my bliss comes from the letting go I did this year and the intensity of self-work and serious time and effort I devoted to pursuit of truth.

We have no other purpose on earth than the pursuit of truth. And there is no real happiness until the delusion we call life is recognized as a delusion. I'm not there yet, but it's so close I can almost taste it.

So today is a new beginning, a new cycle; the start of my "1" year. If I may be so bold as to predict my own future, I see that happiness, prosperity and health abound for me, ever increasing day by day, moment by moment. My creativity is reaching depths I never knew existed. I have trips to exotic lands on the horizon, an art show in Toronto and Michigan coming up, a concert series to put on in partnership with a friend. And the sun is shining!

I pray that no matter how fast or slow you and I walk collectively or individually, that all of us will encounter less suffering on our journey towards the truth.

At one time I would have entitled the painting above "Hell". Now I call it Marshmallows & Hot Cocoa because sweetness, comfort and warmth can be found in the blusteriest of storms.

Summer of Art

2010-08-06T22:04:00.001-04:00

Been creating a lot of art this summer. This is my newest piece. It's still a work in progress. This is the clay part. When it is finished it will be a handmade paper bas relief sculpture and painting. And it will be on this board. Found the board in my wood shed. It has seen many weathering winters and I love the naturally worn effect. The challenge will be to keep the worn effect while making the sculpture and board work together.

. . . Wait and see the magic!

Raising Self-Esteem: Strategies #8, 9 and 10

2010-02-11T08:32:00.005-05:00

These 3 strategies all fall into the same categories so I've combined them in one post.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY DIET

Sounds simple enough, but few of us ever really know how the substances we put into our mouths affect our entire body, mind and spirit. And our body, mind and spirit affects everyone around us. Foods affect our moods, the way we smell and most importantly, the way we feel about ourselves.

“You are what you eat,” is the best reason for eating healthy, home-prepared, wholesome foods. Processed foods have the life cooked out of them while very questionable synthetic contaminants are added. Eating faux foods drastically weakens your immune system, depletes your energy, affects the functionability of every organ in your body and leads to dis-ease, physical deterioration and lifelessness. Natural whole foods energize your cell tissues, uplift your moods, keep you slim and trim, increase longevity and make you feel really alive and vibrant from the inside out.

EXERCISE

Exercise is such a powerful stress-busting tool that lifts mood, reduces depression, lessens anxiety and raises confidence levels. Studies also show that exercise heightens creativity and imagination. It’s hard to be shut down and negative when all those endorphins get flowing through your body. And we all know that when we are having fun and in great shape we feel good about ourselves.

LOOK YOUR BEST

How you look has a big impact on how you feel. Smile at yourself in the mirror before sharing that smile with anyone else. Hold you head up, shoulders back and walk down the street, into restaurants or onto the subway with confidence. When you feel good from a physical perspective you’ll have a much easier time feeling good from a mental perspective as well. Look your best for you just because you matter.

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In the health conscious world we live in today, this information isn't new to you, but during those times when you are feeling down, have you ever thought about improving your diet, getting out for some regular FUN exercise and wearing something that makes you feel good? How you feel inside and outside makes a huge difference in the people you attract into your life. I personally want to be around people who exude the energy of vibrancy, enthusiasm and self-care.

It's not tough. It could mean munching on an apple during coffee break rather than a muffin; walking up the stairs rather than taking the elevator; and wearing funky Star Wars boxers just to keep the force with you all day long. Change one thing about your diet, exercise regime and appearance today and notice how much better you feel about yourself.

Strategy #7: Eliminate Labels and Judgments

2010-02-04T12:58:00.003-05:00

We tend to label everything and everyone then “judge” them into groups, subgroups, classes and functions – including ourselves. These labels have a powerful impact on our perception of self because we “live” according to the judgments we’ve made about others and ourselves. All judgments do damage to our self-esteem whether they appear to be positive or negative. Seemingly positive judgments like, “I’m a winner,” sets us up for failure if we don’t meet the expectations we created for ourselves. And, “I’m a loser,” is failure from the get-go.

Most of us have beliefs that repeat over and over in our heads so often they have become deeply ingrained in our psyche and replay automatically, influencing our behaviors without our awareness. We add even more meaning to these judgments by attaching to them future predictions, such as: “That gorgeous woman won’t go out with me because I’m a failure.” These silent beliefs are dangerous and potentially self-defeating because they have the power to set us up for a specific outcome, which may not be in alignment with what we truly desire.

One of the best strategies for raising self-esteem is to silence the mind. When we stop thinking both positively and negatively it gives us the breathing room to feel. It's our feelings that matter most because they hold all the power in attracting to us all the things we desire in life. And, when it comes right down to it, the only reason we desire things is because we hope and believe the attainment of our desires will make us feel better. So why not just stop thinking and start feeling. You'll be amazed at how quickly you return to your center of Self and experience the REAL you. The next step is to enjoy this new discovery of who you are.

I'd love to read your success stories, so please post your comments.

Strategy #6: Change Your Story

2010-02-02T12:57:00.003-05:00

The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, others and life are generated from reactions we create inside ourselves in response to our beliefs about the world around us. Our thoughts become behaviors because we choose actions according to the beliefs we hold as being true about our “reality”. By choosing how to perceive ourselves, we can either intend, believe and behave our way to high self-worth or low self-esteem.

You created and attracted everything you have in your life right now. That means you are already a master manifestor with the ability to create more of what you do want and less of what you don’t want. Since we are the ones who write our own life stores, we can also write our own happy journeys to our dream destinations.

When we start seeing results for the intentions we set it helps us develop faith in ourselves and in our manifesting abilities. It gives us physical proof that we are the ones in control of our lives and our destinies. It is soooooo confirming to know that we are the ones who can make the biggest difference in our lives simply by owning our ability to change our stories.

Challenge yourself right this very moment. Set the intention and make the decision that no matter what happens today, you will be genuinely happy. Regardless of the attitudes of the people around you or the dramas playing out in your environment, you are choosing to be blissfully euphoric. Ecstatic! Exuberant, radiant, charming and confident. I guarantee your self-esteem with sky rocket. And, when this strategy works for you today, try it again tomorrow . . . By the time Valentine's Day rolls around it won't matter if you have a partner in your life or not because you will be so in love with life!

Strategy #5: Choose to Be HAPPY!

2010-01-31T12:31:00.003-05:00

It’s that simple. When you consciously and consistently choose your state of being by making a firm decision to be happy, your spirit aligns with your intentions to bring you internal and external experiences that honor your heart-felt desires. Then it’s just a matter of acting on the opportunities being presented to you. Your physical health will improve, your emotional levels will lift and life will be more fun and effortless. It’s infinitely easier to be positive and happy than it is to be negative, depressed and sad.

Self-esteem is really just a state of being that is dramatically affected by the way you feel. When you feel happy your sense of self is raised. When you practice feeling happy on a daily basis the long-term result is an inner and outer sense of joy that is long-lasting. No matter what is going on in your life there is always something to feel happy about. Find that one thing, or many things and let that happy sense pervade your heart. You'll be surprised to find more people smiling at you, stopping to say "hi", and wanting to be in your presence.

Go on, give it a try!

Strategy #4: Love Yourself & Your Life Exactly as it is Right Now

2010-01-29T10:07:00.003-05:00

There is nothing so detrimental to our health and sense of self than to forever be living in the past or the future; clinging to what is gone or wishing for what is yet to come. It dissipates our vital life force energy and takes us out of the NOW. This very moment holds the point of power - not the past and not the future. NOW!

Put your past behind you, accept your faults, focus on your accomplishments and the good feelings they inspired in you. When you change the way you think and feel about your life, your life will change to match your focus. Then watch your level of self-esteem rise accordingly. Yes, it actually is that simple.

You don’t have to lose weight, earn more money or cure a dis-ease. You simply have to love who you are in this very moment and know that you are loveable, worthy and important exactly as you are.

Redeeming Opportunities

2010-01-25T19:18:00.019-05:00

My 17 year old daughter and I were watching a movie tonight, a 1956 Turner Classic called Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt. Suddenly she turned to me full of passion and compassion and said, "I always feel bad for people in prison because somewhere in their lives there HAD to be an opportunity to redeem themselves before it was too late."

There's nothing more tragic in life than regret. We've often had, and still have, the chance to redeem ourselves in love, but we rarely do. Pride, fear, ego and sometimes even death make us choke back those heart-felt sentiments we so badly want to express to a loved one.

When my older daughter said that, I instantly thought of my 15 year old daughter who is struggling with all that crazy teenage "finding herself" stuff. In the process she has shut everyone out of her life to live in a make-believe world of drama, while putting up walls of resistance that feel impossible for even the most loving person to broach.

It reminds me of a true story I read about some tribe in a foreign land. When someone in the community was experiencing any kind of disharmony, such as sadness, anger, depression or violence, they were hugged back into a state of health, harmony and happiness. Can you imagine gathering the neighorhood together for a 24/7 hugging vigil? My gosh, the whole world would have to give up their day jobs in order to heal the teenagers of today!

Nonetheless, everytime I look at my daughter and see the pain she is going through (albeit, self-inflicted), I know that what she needs is to be the recipient of a loving hugging marathon. The kind that doesn't stop until she can't stop laughing from that deep place of happiness inside. But right now "mom" is the space alien leper who caused all the world wars, droughts, famines, natural disasters and terminal illnesses on earth and in the 10 closest connecting galaxies. The last thing she wants is a hug from me. And the one thing she won't allow herself to believe, is that I love her.

Often when we look at our personal situations it seems like there are few if any, opportunities for redeeming moments. The word "relationship" suggests that we are only part of the equation, so no matter how loving, kind or forgiving we are, the other part of the equation is out of our control. And let's face it, we can influence others but we really can't change them. Self-actualization is a solo journey.

So where does that leave us? In a self-made prison so that 54 years later some teenager can say, "Gee, why didn't he do something different when he had the chance? His life didn't have to end so tragically."

There will always be a moment when you can reach out to someone and say, "I love you." So what if they fling it back in our face or turn away in disbelief! Love isn't about expectations, obligations, rewards or mutuality. It's a gift from the heart, of the heart, to another's heart. And the gift is in the giving.

During this Valentine's Day season watch for opportunities to give the gift of love without thoughts of needing love to be reciprocated. Then notice how your own well begins to fill with such a profound sense of joy and elation. I'm going to look for those moments of vulnerability in my daughter and sneak that little bit of love offering to her every chance I get. Because in truth, when people are in disharmony with the world it means they're at odds within themselves. And the only thing that puts us out of alignment with ourself is when we aren't feeling loved.

Stragegy #3: Silence Negative Self-Talk

2010-01-25T11:22:00.002-05:00

Internal dialogue is one very powerful factor that shapes our self-concepts because it’s a continuous conversation we have with ourselves about everything that happens to us, about us, and surrounding us. This dialogue is on-going, happens in real-time and provokes a measurable physiological change in the body.

When we listen to negative beliefs about ourselves, others and life’s circumstances for long periods of time they become invisible to our conscious mind, making them difficult to recognize and transcend. It doesn’t take long before negative beliefs begin to limit what we reach for and achieve. They also cause us to block any conflicting (positive) information while confirming any new negative information, creating emotional highs and lows that repeat endlessly. Monitor your thoughts diligently and speak positively in order to take empowering, forward moving actions to manifest all your dreams.

Let's face it, we all want to be around positive people because it's uplifting, energizing and more fun. So be that positive, uplifting person and others will be drawn to you naturally because you radiate good feelings.

Strategy #2: Notice Your Thoughts, Feelings and Actions

2010-01-22T11:52:00.005-05:00

Self-esteem is more than just feeling good; it's about noticing when you feel good and when you don't. That might sound elementary, but so many of us go through our days under mild to medium to intense amounts of stress, we take it for granted that this is our normal "feel good" state of being. It's not! It's an unhealthy state of disharmony, imbalance and weakness that we've become accustomed to. Anything that lowers our mental, emotional, spiritual or physical well-being also lowers our sense of Self and self-worth.

Thus, it’s important to become aware of what you are thinking, your emotional state of being, and your behaviors, by practicing the art of noticing. Notice what you are doing when you like yourself and what you’re doing when you don’t. Notice when your thoughts match your intentions and your actions match your thoughts - and when they don’t. Notice the feelings in your body and the patterns in your behavior that may or may not be serving you. Notice what excites you and what drains your energy.

The art of noticing gives you advanced warning of body stresses that can lead to dis-ease, arguments and bad decision making. When you notice which actions are producing desired results and which are producing struggle and resistance, you are in a position to make empowering decisions that bring you happiness, love and success. When you feel loving and successful in all areas of your life you begin attracting friendships and romantic possibilities that are uplifting, inspiring and fulfilling.

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I'm interested in hearing about the positive differences you are achieving in you life while you are practicing these Self-Esteem building techniques. Please share your experiences in the comment box below so everyone can benefit. Thank you.

Love and Ego

2010-01-20T09:45:00.021-05:00

Love has no ego. PERIOD! That's all there is to it.

But what is ego? Everyone defines it differently. My definition is anything that makes you feel less than a fully enlightened Being. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the only one I know who has no ego and beams love in every moment. That's why I have his videos on my page. When I am confronted by challenges and confused about how to respond, I think of Sri Sri and ask myself if I am acting out of love or ego. Then I gauge my thoughts, words and actions according to his wisdom that resonates with my own heart.

To me, ego is far more than just the typical bragging, boasting or superficial attitude one puts on to protect oneself from the judgments of others. We've all been around people who flaunt their fame, fortune, intelligence, physical appearance, bravery and successes to make us look and feel inferior. And I'm sure we've all diminished others a time or two in our lives in order to feel superior in an act of self-defense. But see, that's the point! When we come from a place of love all the time, for ourselves and others, there is no need to protect and defend ourselves.

Ego is an important part of a human being's existence, especially in our formative years. It serves to protect us while we are developing a sense of Self. At the age of 21 our sense of Self should be fully developed under normal circumstances, but in most cases it isn't. In fact, I can confidently say that it's rare for anyone to have a fully developed sense of Self by the age of 21, or 41, 61 or 91! Thus, ego is always at play in our lives and love is shunted.

Everyone is crying out for love in their own way. Some slice words into their flesh with razor blades to get the attention of their parents and peers. Others lash out angrily at family, friends and loved ones. Many more drink, do drugs, smoke, fill their time with work, sports, texting or computer chatting. And even more of the world population turn their pain inwards and just get sick.

Love is the only stream of universal energy in the world. All else is a blockage to the flow of well-being. If you do not feel a joyful sense of inner peace in your life, it means you are blocking the natural flow of love from coming to you, pulsating through you and radiating from you to uplift all with whom you come in contact. Ego is the block.

Ego is in our life to protect us, so it naturally blocks us from that which we feel will do us harm. And that which we think will harm us is standing in the way of love. The only answer is to develop a mature sense of Self so that ego no longer rules our lives. This won't stop others around us from drinking, getting sick or self-mutilation by slicing their wrists, but a mature sense of Self (or full self-realization) will expand our capacity to accept others without judgment, contempt, hatred, distain, fear or tolerance. That means no matter what others are doing we can live in happiness and inner peace.

At times when we get triggered, or put in a place where we react rather than respond to the situations and people around us and the challenges confronting us, we are coming from a place of fear. This fear is usually so deeply rooted in our psyche that we don't even recognize that we're feeling fear. Fear comes from feeling threatened. Feeling threatened means we are in ego, not love, because love NEVER feels threatened. Thus, when we are in a state of love we never feel fearful or threatened. But in our society today we don't always consciously recognize when we are feeling threatened, because generally it's our insecurities, perceptions and old ways of being that are on trial.

For instance, when you are deciding whether you want to support or endorse something with your name attached, are you in a place of fear or love? If you were in a place of love you would know that we are all one and that there is no good, bad, right, wrong - there is only one stream of universal well-being and everything else is resistace and fear. This is the point of power to face your insecurities square in the face and recognize and accept that which you are resisting. It doesn't mean you have to support or attach your name to something that does not feel "right" to you; it means that addressing your resistance will open your heart and expand your capacity to love and connect with all of life. And you may see that who you at the core can never be taken away from you because of the surface adornments you choose to wear or those that are assigned to you without your consent. Titles, presitge, name, face and credentials . . . who are we trying to protect with those games we play?

Sri Sri does not resist going into war zones because he's afraid it will lower his energy levels, cause himself to take on the negativity of his surroundings, or give others the impression that he supports killing, violence, hatred and ignorance. He goes into areas of unrest to spread knowledge and bring love. Since there are so many different consciousness levels in the world the words need to be different for each group he addresses BUT THE MESSAGE IS THE SAME!

Love.

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and it can be a very difficult day for many people. But this year I am asking you to enter the holiday in love . . . . in love with yourself, the people in your life (whether or not you are with a partner), your surroundings, and most importantly, with YOU and the true essence of who you are. This radical way of welcoming a day for cupids and chocolate hearts may present you with the opportunity to deal with resistance - yours and that of others. It may slap you in the face with some of your preconceived ideas about the way life should be, the way people are supposed to behave in your presence and the judgements and lack of acceptance you have of others and of yourself. You may come up against your ego and it may hurt, but on the other side is love. And that's the prize we're all aiming for. Yes?

The quick trick is to recognize when ego is in play or when love is reigning supreme, and in that moment listen to the message in your heart for that is the wisdom that will guide you anywhere you want to go.

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Strategy #1: Be True To Yourself

2010-01-19T08:32:00.002-05:00

24 STRATEGIES TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM

Strategy #1

Most of the issues of integrity we face are not big issues, they are usually small ones. Yet, the accumulated weight of our choices has an impact on our sense of self. When we act in contradiction to moral values held by someone else, we may or may not be “wrong” but we cannot fault ourselves and live in guilt, shame and blame for having betrayed our own convictions. But if we act against what we ourselves regard as right, then we are acting against our own judgment.

In other words, if your actions clash with your expressed values and what you feel is important, you are betraying yourself because hypocrisy, by its very nature, is self-invalidating. A default on integrity undermines our sense of self and damages self-esteem like no external rebuke or rejection ever can. Live your own life, not the life others have decided is best for you.

If you haven’t taken time to decide who you are and what you want your life to be organized around, then now is the perfect time to get clear on your values. You can’t be true to yourself if you don’t know who you are or what you stand for in life.

Increase Your Chances for LOVE on Valentine's Day

2010-01-16T14:38:00.005-05:00

Our only mission in life is to make ourselves happy by giving, receiving and being love. The way to accomplish this is by taking actions that support a strong core self-image.

When we feel unloved, unworthy, flawed or fearful it affects our moods and our relationships. We distance ourselves from others in an effort to protect ourselves from getting hurt, mistakenly believing that everyone can see the faults we are desperately trying to hide. Thus, we set ourselves up for rejection and constantly live in a state of loneliness, isolation, depression and hopeless despair. Happiness becomes a happenstance of fate while the desire to rise above it remains an endless, aching struggle that many people never win.

Low self-esteem causes us to consistently devalue ourselves in relationship with others. We also fail to set up healthy boundaries while shutting down our own interests, believing our opinions, knowledge and experiences are unimportant. When people appear to be interested in our friendship we find ways to push them away. Or, in an effort to boost our own egos we expose the flaws of others and reject them as unworthy of our friendship. In truth, we actually become a liability to our family, children, friends and romantic partners because it is extremely draining for others to stay positive and motivated around someone who is chronically depressed and devalues himself.

How long do you want to engage in conversation with someone who is negative and withdrawn? Without communication, openness and a mutual exchange of good feelings, intimacy and bonding go right down the drain. Thus, our personal lack of self-esteem isn’t just about us; it affects the ones we love, people we want to love, and everyone with whom we associate.

Loss of happiness, inhibited self-expression and a de-energized life also stem from low self-esteem and lack of self-love. Let’s face it, when we stop believing in ourselves and our own value, how can we make a beneficial difference in the lives of others? It becomes very difficult to see and fulfill our life’s purpose when we believe we don’t matter. We lose sight of our magnificence and forget that we all have special qualities, talents and gifts that can benefit someone who needs what we have to offer.

In order to elevate our intentions and focus our attention on the contributions we can make to others, we must first take our focus off our own needs, faults, challenges and concerns and believe we have value to give to the world. Our thoughts need to shift from personal pettiness to achievements of significance, whether directed towards one, a few, or the masses. We need to befriend ourselves so we can hold our hands out to the world in a sincere offering of our time, talents, love and friendship.

Good friendships, relationships and love partnerships are precious and beautiful because within them can be found that lasting source of happiness and love we all seek. Poor, dysfunctional relationships cause the deterioration of our mental and emotional health, which in turn translates into a breakdown of the physical body and the onset of dis-ease. Ultimately, happiness is an inside job and our level of self-esteem is directly proportionate to the degree we show up in relationship with ourselves. Failure to love ourselves is at the root of nearly all physical problems and ALL failed relationships.

Increased self-esteem leads to improved health through a decrease in detrimental fight/flight stress hormones, thus empowering us to act rather than react to the situations and people in our lives. When our self-worth is high we feel safe being open, honest and authentic with others. Communication improves, allowing us to become more intimate and receptive to people, ideas and experiences, with positivity and an overall feeling of joyful well-being.

There’s no trick or special skills required to raise your levels of self-worth and self-esteem. It simply takes dedicated, persistent practice to think, feel and act from a heart-centered place of knowing you matter to YOU and to the collective whole of the human race.

I've diligently tested 24 strategies that are extremely effective in moving you into a heart-centered place of love and happiness IF you make them part of your daily routine. It’s a great first-step to read self-help suggestions, but it’s only through the implementation and practice through intention and action that will bring about the changes you desire.

From now until Valentine's Day I'm going to be posting one strategy per day to help everyone make this month and next, the most love-filled time of your life!

2010-01-13T12:20:00.013-05:00

Here's a little audio I created about Abundance for those of you who like to lay back and listen rather than read.

To play, click on the play button at the very bottom left hand side of the page.

Enjoy,

About Me

The Grand Design

Abundance

To All The Men... Book Intro

It's Mostly About Sex... Book Intro

The story of 2 hearts

2010-01-12T21:55:00.002-05:00

Finally created the video for my book page and uploaded it to both of my sites. I tell a little story about the perfection of a young man's heart and the scars of an old man's heart ..... Which heart beats inside your chest?

Day 20 and still going strong

2009-12-07T17:40:00.003-05:00

I haven't written for a while because I've been focused on doing my book writing.

But today I finished the second story for my 2nd piec of art in my A Faerie Awakens Journey show. Yippee!! Finished writing the full story, the excerpt for my webpage and I finishe the webpage for this art piece/story.

I'm on a roll so I'm going to start story #3 tonight ... after I find some food.

Went to the Out of the Box workshop this weekend in Toronto and met a man who might turn out to be okay for marketing. Only spoke to him for a few minutes and in the past I've jumped into things too quickly because I take people on faith, then get into lots of trouble because they don't turn out to be who they portrayed themselves to be. But I'm giving this guy a chance because he has positive energy and is passionate about what he does. I have a 30 min phone apt with him tomorrow, so I'll see where it can go.

Been doing great with my Art of Living yoga/breathing/meditation hour session each day and still feeling the blissful effects from being so centered and calm.

That's all I have to report at the moment.

Day 9, how does ART and RESIDUAL/Continuity income go together?

2009-11-25T11:02:00.000-05:00

All is going well. I'm thoroughly enjoying the building of my new art site because every page I make is a work of art ... at least that's the feeling I'm in when creating them. I wish I could show you some of the pages but I guess google doesn't like having unfinished sites up so we have a Maintenance page displayed right now. My lovely coder friend Stuart is very meticulous about these things that I often give no thought to. We make a good team.

Last night I finally started the writing portion of my A Faerie Awakens art book for 29 images on the site. Then I listened to a really good webinar that reminded me that not only do I want to create art and share it with the world, but I want a residual continuity income as well. Art and residual continuity income seem to be a conflict of interests! LOL But that's just my current perspective that needs changing. If you see how art and residual/continuity income go together I'd LOVE to hear your ideas. I'm open to any input you have. Your ideas may spark more ideas in me.

For awhile I've been tossing around the idea of a membership site, but thought it would tie me down. I am such a free spirit (grounded, but free) that I don't want to have to devote my life to maintaining a membership site. And because I have so many various abilities that are very well developed, I had no idea what to focus on to offer members, or how to combine the best of what I'm about. But I still really like the idea of a membership site.

Although life is so much more fulfilling when it's about service to others, to me it's about service from the heart; meaning where do I feel the most joy in giving to and serving others. I have some inklings of ideas, so now it's just a matter of deep breathing meditation work, some brainstorming and a new look into the massive amount of material, written and visual, that I already have created and how I can form that into something that would serve to help the potential members to my up and coming membership site (or portion of my new art site). My written material has been about self-actualization, both my personal story and how others can go about achieving this as well.

It's not like I've only just started putting out intentions and making decisions when this challenge started 9 days ago. I've been doing it for years. And what I am finding with these new ideas is that they were seeds planted in the not-to-distant past that are beginning to pop their heads above ground now to become real life manifestations. My task now is to stay focused enough to FINISH something. To bring my ideas to maturity and allow them to bear fruit that will serve me for a long time. Silly, but I'm feeling I need to defend myself here from my self-judgment because I have more exciting ideas and already I've morphed my initial idea for this challenge and although I'm not going in another direction, I haven't put my hands in the clay yet either!

Day 8 Beautiful Manifestations

2009-11-24T10:08:00.000-05:00

I love what I'm doing yet a duality in me says, "but you're not where you need to be yet." But if I love what I'm doing and I'm living the passions of my heart, aren't I EXACTLY where I need to be?!! Obviously some part of me doesn't believe that and insists upon "arriving" somewhere. But that somewhere isn't really any different from where I am now if I'm already enjoying my journey, seeing the manifestation of my efforts and feeling great.

Money must be playing into this somewhere. Like when will the money come from all the wonderful creative things I do? Yet today a man contacted me to book a full day spiritual mentoring session with me for next week. That's money ... or the immediate potential for money. And that's playing out from all the work I did in the past in regards to my other website. http://loves-angel.com. And during the building of this website I loved every minute of it too and felt guilty that I was enjoying the journey but never arrived anywhere.

And what about appreciation and friendship? Yesterday a woman popped by my house and came in to visit for over an hour. We had a great conversation about stuff we are both interested in and she raved about all my art. She's one of the lucky ones because she gets to see the originals on my walls and experience the energy of my art studio. I say lucky because my art studio is blessed by the angels, my guides and when I built it I set the intention that only love be present in that space.

Out of the visit with the woman who popped by yesterday I will now be attending a Joy of Living workshop this weekend, which I've wanted to to now for several months. I love Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and all he represents. No, he won't be the one teaching it but the work and the messages will be his. And it 's an opportunity to meet more like-minded individuals in my community.

So, all in all it looks like the intentions I set out in my original video for this challenge are manifesting beautifully. I just have to deal with not feeling guilty about enjoying being in the moment creating my very beautiful web pages. No, the site isn't earning money yet and I do feel a tinge of guilt ... like a "real" job will actually pay money by the hour and within 2 weeks of starting the job. I have no idea if or when my art will sell. GUILTY. Yikes, that's a loaded feeling.

I have a lot of work to do and I want to finish it. Sometimes I start big projects then get interrupted for some reason and lose the enthusiasm to finish them if too much time has gone between.

But for today I'm going to keep enjoying the process of building beautiful webpages with my art.

smoothed out some road bumps today

2009-11-23T06:23:00.000-05:00

Had some road bumps today but handled them calmly and still got lots done. My mom called first thing in the morning with heart pains so I did some distance energetic biofeedback healing work for her and helped her learn how to breathe and just relax all the tension around her heart. Then one of the storage buildings at the lumber store my daughter was working at caught fire and that was a big thing. They figure a minimum of 3 million dollars lost. It was the shed where they keep all the plywood, other lumber, flooring materials, drywall, delivery trucks and forklift trucks, among other things. Fortunately no one was hurt.

And me? Well yesterday I enthusiastically shared the idea of the writing of my art stories with my brother and sister (separately) and their lack of enthusiasm tested my resolve. If you ever want to know how strong you are just run your deepest heart-felt ideas by family members! LOL But when I went back into myself to get a sense of what I feel about it, I still love the idea. I'm doing it because the journey is the joy and I love the process. I had to call on my strength today to get back at it despite what others think I "should" do. I'm just hoping that when I express from my heart that other people will feel touched in some way. What more can I ask for?

When I love the process and the journey then I AM living in the moment from my heart. And THAT is my challenge. To always live the creative expression of my passions from my heart. Even though I want to make a very comfortable, supportive financial income from it, money isn't my focus. I just have to trust that that will all fall into place when I am totally focused on heart following.

My webcoder friend Stuart and I worked into the wee hours of the morning and got so much of the structure of my site up and running. Today I got most of my artwork sized and uploaded into it. I woke up planning on beginning the writing of my stories but by the time I'd taken care of everyone else I wasn't in the right frame of mind to start into that type of work. So, tomorrow I start writing my stories!

Got Answers from Yesterday's Clarity Quest

2009-11-21T11:40:00.001-05:00

Not only did I get answers, I took action and implemented those answers. And this morning while lying in bed feeling wonderfulness of my body against the sheets and appreciating the abundance I have to luxuriate in bed for as long as I desre, MORE answers came to other questions of clarity I posed last night, which I will be taking action on today.

I allowed, and in stepping out of my own way I feel in alignment with myself, happy, eager and full of energy and excitement to keep going. I'm not actually looking at the end results but instead, thoroughly enjoying the process. Yoga and breathing meditation help me so much with decluttering my mind. It was on a race yesterday and required calming to hear clearly.

My webmaster friend did all the technical stuff and got my new dot com on line and he laid the foundational coding for the first couple pages. I create my header logo ..... and thank goodness I'm not in the logo business or I'd go broke cuz it took me many hours to create it. But I think it's simple and beautiful, elegant, a little bit funky and to the point. Have a look at it on my site please because it has a double border around it and page colors and all the rest.

If you are interested in staying abreast of my changes, feel free to have a peek at my new site so you will know what it looks like on first day and upon it's completion. http://nancymurdoch.com

Also, Bob Doyle sent out an announcement that he will be in Toronto in a couple weeks putting on a 1/2 day workshop. I'm about 3 hours from Toronto so I found a friend to go with me and we're going to sign up this weekend.

More Clarity and Envisioning

2009-11-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

Last night I watched an Abe-Hicks video where he/she said that being in vibrational alignment with your intention (through visualization or other methods) for only 17 seconds is equivalent to 2000 action hours.

Day 4

This morning I'm going to take time to meditate and get super clear on:

1. the exact qualities, tasks and abilities the marketing exert I am attracting into my life embodies and the role I would like him/her to play in my business life.

2 the front page design of my new art site

3. the specific pages of my new website so I know what tabs to put in my menu bar

And the one I'm having the most difficulty with - how or if a blog can fit structurally into my new website design so that I can stay interactive in sharing my thoughts/activities/experiences while maintaining a professional art site where art lovers can be swept into the life of an artist while staying focused on their main reason for being on my site - to buy my art.

I'm also going to make contact with an interior designer woman who designs for the very wealthy, who also helps them select art for their homes. I guess it'd be a good idea to spend a few minutes getting clear on what I can provide for her and her clients as well as what role she can play in my life.

Then I'm going to start writing the first Heart Stories from My Art, beginning with Shimmie.

I might even begin designing the page for her. I will also be working with Stuart, my friend from England who helps me with my website coding. He is very meticulous and a dear friend who would love to see me succeed.

Already An Insight to Move me Forward

2009-11-19T11:04:00.002-05:00

Day 3

I would love your input and brainstorming ideas to help me push my new art website further, please.

Yesterday while taking my meditative beach walk I had a very cool insight for one very personal focus for evolving my video/audio/slideshow/written blog that would be fun for me to do while allowing others into my personal experiences for the opportunity to be inspired, grow or just become more connected with the idea of living from the heart.

As a refresher for those who haven't seen my day 1 challenge video or read my day 2 blog post, I'm living the fullest expression of my creative self and I'm beginning from where I am at this moment and focusing on making a living from my art. I bought my new dot com to start my new art website, even though all my art to date is on my old website http://loves-angel.com. I want a fresh start with fresh energy for my new art site. This week I'm finishing off the bas relief sculpture that has been sitting on my art desk for far too long.

The insight is to create a video/audio/slideshow/written blog on each piece of artwork that I create because each piece is so filled story. It of course has my story contained within, but it also has the story of others who influenced my life in some way, whether happy or sad, and the gifts that came out of my experience with my interactions that are fully incorporated in every art piece I create. Art is always filled with the life of the artist but it's only the famous or infamous artists' stories we really know about.

I have found that art buyers love to know about the artist and the story that went into the creation of the piece they are interested in purchasing. The personal interaction and storytelling often is the deciding point in whether they purchase or not.

So, I am targeting a market of buyers who are able to afford my work. At present, I only have one piece for sale. It's a 29" x 39" handmade paper bas relief sculpture that I won't let leave my house for under $5000. I named her Shimmie and she has a story, as do all my pieces. Notice that I said, "won't let her leave the house...." That's because I don't make art commercially with the intent to sell, I strictly make it from the heart, which makes it more difficult for me to part ways with my work.

I would love some brainstorming ideas from you, my newsletter/blog followers on the art blog story idea in regards to how to push it farther. Or, I'd love to hear what you think/feel makes for a powerful artist website? What other ideas can I use to put value into my new site while keeping it simple for me and the viewer?

Thanking you in advance for the support and positive energy to help me stay in alignment with my dreams.

Nancy

Reiterating and Clarifying my challenge and taking Day 2 action

2009-11-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

My challenge is to create a whole new life where my heart is the ONLY thing that leads me.

I'm going to live the fullest expression of my authentic self and support myself by earning an income beyond my wildest dreams from my creative passions. Somehow (no clarity here yet) I'm going to combing my passion for traveling, photography, art and writing and through the expressive telling of my expreiences (growths, successes, failures, learned lessons), help inspire others to live from their hearts too.

In this new Iife I will be forging a deeper bond with my daughters and attracting loving, compassionate, supportive friendships (both in-person and otherwise) with people that value who I am and what I have to offer. I will also be creating the financial freedom to take my girls on trips, get regular spa treatments and do some of those fun things I wasn't able to do because it cost money I didn't have.

At this point in my challenge I'm focusing on finishing the art projects I have started that are scattered all over my room, then beginning new ones that are pushing to be manifested. Even though my video from yesterday shows lots of artwork, only one piece is actually for sale! No, the rest aren't in some gallery or collection of a wealthy art connoisseur - they are on my walls or buried in my portfolios.

* * * * *

Day 1 I went through all the challenge questions to get clarity for my personal challenge, made my video, decided where I'm going to move forward first, bought my new dot com for my new art site nancymurdoch.com, dug out some funky art clothes to "feel" the part of fun and colorfulness and that was a very full day. Since coming from the heart is not limited to just my creative process, but is my life, I spent some time listening to my girls' days, did some taxi mom stuff and gave them my undivided attention during the time we were together.

* * * * *

I decided to do my blog posts in the morning so I can use them as the next step on my journey type of thing rather than at night to record what I accomplished. My video shows the disasterously messy state of my art room because other projects have come up that drew me away from finishing many of the art projects I began in that space. But rather than spending time cleaning it up today I feel excited about just getting my hands in the clay and working on the bas relief sculpture that is sitting on my art desk that I started 7 or 8 years ago! Yes really!!! I began working on it again this summer and I would like to finish it and move on to all the new art projects that are calling to me.

I got this far:

Then I did a bunch of work on it fixing the arm and other proportions ....

Then I went to Hawaii and the sculpture went into a state of disrepair.

So today I'm not going to bother with cleaning the clutter, I'm going to sage my house to clear it of any old energy then just start right into working this piece. It has stopped me in the recent past because I don't know what to do with the man's arm. Don't want to cut it off at the wrist or the elbow so not sure where it needs to go ..... up in her hair I guess. I've moved his arm so many times in the past.

Yesterday I focused on my video production until 2 am and didn't take time for a beach walk, yoga or meditation, so that is also a priority today.

And my daughter asked me to go to her open house at the high school tonight to see what's happening in the college/university scene that she has to make some decisions about. I will be attending that to support her in her journey forward.

I'm off and running! I have no problem working in a messy art room if it's a current mess to do with the project I'm activity engaged in, so today it will be a bit of a look the other way deal ...... oh alright, I'll probably take 20 minutes to clear off some of the tables!

Nancy

Day 1 of 45 day Boundless Living Challenge

2009-11-18T11:59:00.003-05:00