Join us for conversation with author and couples therapist Linda Carroll on CHI FOR YOURSELF. Linda Carroll is the author of LOVE CYCLES: The Five Essential Stages of Lasting Love. Listen now at www.chiforyourself.com.
Linda Carroll
JohnK 10-2-2014
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Apologies for problems on the Google Hangouts page that muted the audio for the Tina Gilbertson interview! Tina is the author of Constructive Wallowing: How to Beat Bad Feelings by Letting Yourself Have Them. Tina turned conventional wisdom around with her explanation of how “constructive wallowing” can help in dealing with feelings. A list of talking points follows, and you can hear the interview by clicking on the BlogTalkRadio logo.
CHI FOR YOURSELF guest: Tina Gilbertson talking points:
You can hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Tina Gilbertson by clicking on the BlogTalkRadio logo:
JohnK 9-12-2014
Today’s guest on Chi For Yourself is Tina Gilbertson. She says pushing bad feelings away never works, and she’ll offer us a practical approach to the more liberating alternative of allowing yourself to feel them. Chi For Yourself – at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific time. Hear the interview at chiforyourself.com
Tina Gilbertson is the author of Constructive Wallowing: How to Beat Bad Feelings by Letting Yourself Have Them.
Tina Gilbertson
Overheard
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love an affection”
~ Gautama Buddha
JohnK 9-11-2014
The Matthew Fox interview on CHI FOR YOURSELF that was planned for August 21st has been re-scheduled. You’ll be able to hear the interview this Thursday, August 28th at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com. A problem in Matthew’s phone connection forced the change, so we’re looking forward to getting him back with us. Thank’s so much for your understanding!
Matthew Fox
JohnK 8-25-2014
The Chi For Yourself interview with Simone Wright gave us lots of insights into how we can use our intuition to our greatest advantage. Don’t think you have intuition? Guess again. Simone reminded us that intuition is something we ALL have. And it’s something we can work on and develop. Some talking points from the interview:
Simone Wright is the author of First Intelligence: Using the Science and Spirit of Intuition.
You can hear the interview by clicking on the BlogTalkRadio logo:
JohnK July 7th, 2014
Join us today on Chi For Yourself for a conversation with Simone Wright, author of First Intelligence: Using the Science & Spirit of Intuition. Simone says that that while we all have the ability to use our intuition, in order to be actively intuitive — which means to be able to use it at will instead of by happenstance — we must develop the skill. Her book is intended to give readers all they need to know to do just that.
Hear the interview today at 4pm Eastern..1pm Pacific time at www.chiforyourself.com
Simone Wright
JohnK July 3, 2014
When Zen teacher Karen Maezen Miller and her family land in a house with a hundred-year-old Japanese garden, she uses the paradise in her backyard to glean the living wisdom of our natural world. Through her eyes, rocks convey faith, ponds preach stillness, flowers give love, and leaves express the effortless ease of letting go.
Karen Maezen Miller is the author of Paradise in Plain Sight: Lessons from a Zen Garden.The book welcomes readers into the garden for Zen lessons in fearlessness, forgiveness, presence, acceptance, and contentment. Miller gathers inspiration from the ground beneath her feet to remind us that paradise is always here and now.
Karen Maezen Miller is our guest on Chi For Yourself. Hear the interview today at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific at chiforyourself.com.
Karen Maezen Miller
JohnK 6-12-2014
Be with us for today’s Chi For Yourself and guest Daniel Parmeggiani. Daniel is the author of The Magnificent Truths of Our Existence: Unlocking the Deeper Reality of Permanent Happiness.
Daniel Parmeggiani
The interview can be heard live at 1pm Pacific time at www.chiforyourself.com
Overheard
” Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared”
Buddha
Article: The Simplicity of Choosing Happiness
In our new age of spirituality, where east meets west in the modern labyrinth of mental and spiritual healing, two clear definitions to happiness remain; (1) that happiness is a value synonymous with well-being and thriving, and (2) as opposed to depression, it is something we as humans seek. In essence happiness itself remaining the primary goal – and more elusive.
Psychological research suggests that each individual has what is called a ‘Happiness Set-point’ (HSP) determining overall well-being; happier when things balance our inner HSP and quite unhappy (even miserable), when things go against us, or fall short of it. We alone draw that line and in so doing compound our intrinsic belief, that sentience has a right to happiness, no matter what. Even an animal (and our basic survival instincts) will seek comfort against pain, to find it.
Evidence from research shows that 40% of our happiness is within our control and a voluntary choice we make. Psychologist William James, adds that it is our attitude that hinders or helps us reach our HSP. It seems that it is a natural human reflex to alter our attitude to achieve it. We want to maintain our HSP at all costs. Ironically, the indifference of the depressed, is a matter of ongoing research on lower HSP levels as per socio-economic standards, environmental and chemical imbalance.
Biblical and Buddhist philosophy maintain that all happiness comes from seeking it, yet ironically, a principle point of Buddhism is that all striving is suffering. This would explain why realistic goals are paramount, as true happiness may only be achieved through the balance of effort and suffering, and not the eternal ‘good-time’ that modern pop-psychology would have us believe. Being happier takes effort, especially if it’s a choice we make and maintain with mindfulness. Without effort, one can argue that happiness is hollow and not happiness at all.
Transformation might well be as simple as ‘Seek and ye shall find’ and no matter your labour to your HSP (health, diet, supplements; yoga and exercise; meditation, gratitude, education, journals, self-help, new-age, and/or new-thought mindfulness); the bottom line is that you are still only partaking in the most natural human birth-right of our species. Best to keep it simple.
JohnK 5-29-2014
Growing up in a household traumatized by the violent death of his older brother, and caught between two radically different parental worldviews, young Daniel Parmeggiani often felt guilty, isolated and depressed. After years of trying to find freedom from this torment, Daniel had an epiphany. He realized that every human being shared the same desire – the desire to feel better. All the lofty, complex philosophies he had read boiled down to a simple, single Truth:
Our ONLY motivation in life is to be happy.
Seeing how this shift in understanding completely changed his own life from one of unhappiness to one filled with joy, Daniel Parmeggiani felt called to write his book, The Magnificent Truths of Our Existence: Unlocking the Deeper Reality of Permanent Happiness. Daniel’s book offers a new perspective for rational people looking for simple, clear and logical explanations for life’s most elusive mysteries.
Daniel will be the guest on Chi For Yourself this Thursday (May 29th) at 1pm Pacific time. Hear the interview at chiforyourself.com.
Daniel Parmeggiani
JohnK 5-26-2014
While I was posting this Friday’s Chi For Yourself/BlogTalkRadio episode with Michael Michalko (1pm Eastern) I got to thinking about, well, thinking. I was looking for some ideas for an upcoming project and I was feeling kinda scattered when up popped this article by Colin Bates. Synchronicity! I got it together and I’m feeling a lot better about the project. If your thought process is ‘all over the lot’ give this article a look. It’s a good warmup for Michael Michalko’s discussion of his book Creative Thinkering: Putting Your Imagination to Work.
By Colin Bates
Creative thinking can be learnt. And to do so it helps to understand the creative thinking process: the structure and steps that you need to take to generate (and sometime evaluate) creative ideas.
Here are 3 examples of the creative thinking process. They all start with a definition of the creative challenge, or creative goal. In my case, this is to ‘generate new ideas for a holiday’.
Information, Incubation, Ideation
This creative thinking process begins with gathering information. To generate ideas we need input, ideas won’t emerge from an empty vessel! In my case, looking for ideas for a holiday, I’d go online, talk to friends, look through the travel magazines… any relevant source of information!
Next, relax. Put the challenge to one side. Forget about it. Let the information incubate in your mind. This process is rooted in the belief that generating ideas should be natural, stress-free and almost effortless. Let the mind do it’s work in the subconscious.
The key thing is to make sure you’re ready to capture the ideas as they emerge. Because the final ideation stage is quite fluid you need to be ready to write down the ideas before they’re lost. Keep a notebook handly, especially on the bedside table, so that you can write down the ideas as soon as they emerge.
You’ll soon find you have plenty of great ideas!
Observe, combine, create
This process begins in a similar way: observation is a way of gathering information.
The key to this process is combine. It’s a technique of idea generation which involves taking existing ideas, and combining them to create something new.
This process is great for creating new products. As a very simple example, putting a camera into a mobile phone combined two existing products to create something new.
For my holiday, I might see a ‘foodies’ holiday in Italy, but chose to combine it with my original destination, Thailand. This inspiration could result in a tour around the gastronomic hotspots to sample Thai cuisine.
Dreamer, Realist, Critic
This final creative thinking process involves not just generating ideas, but also evaluating and improving them. It’s know as ‘The Disney Way’ as it was originally used by Walt Disney to generate ideas and evaluate ideas for his movies.
The Dreamer is free of all constraints, has infinite resources and anything they think of is guaranteed to succeed. This mindset is designed to overcome limitations, and generate the ‘free thinking’ required to come up with great and outrageous ideas.
The Realist is more practical: evaluating and refining ideas.
And finally, The Critic asks if the ideas are really good enough. If not, it’s back to The Dreamer!
As I search for a holiday, I might dream of going to the moon. Not possible, but as I become a realist it will trigger more thoughts. Perhaps I could visit NASA? Or try skydiving? Or visit Area 51?
In summary: Three Creative Thinking Processes
Next time you have a challenge that requires a creative solution, try using these techniques. You’ll soon be developing your creative thinking skills, and generating more and better ideas too!
Visit http://www.shinealittlebrighter.com for more articles on creativity and change.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colin_Bates
JohnK 5-22-2014
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