Please Help Marcel Clay finish College and Preach full time

Marcel Clay 39 is going to college to become a full time preacher and he needs your help.....
Click [here] for details

Sometimes we have to let go in order for something truly amazing to happen.

Years ago I seen this photo of an amazing sculpture. I didn't know who the artist was or what the sculpture was called. The sculpture was of a nude woman sitting in a lotus position looking very serene. She looked bruised with cracks from head to toe and light was bleeding through the cracks out of her body. It is a very powerful image.

The first time I saw the sculpture I was struck with great awe and amazement because it was like I was seeing a sculpture of myself. I didn't know what the title of the sculpture was so in my mind I called it battered but still strong. The sculpture really touched my heart because when I first saw it the sculpture reminded me of who I am now after enduring 8 years of sexual and mental abuse as a child. Despite all that I have gone through I remained strong. Battered but still strong.

The story behind the sculpture is just as amazing as the sculpture itself. I recently seen a photo of the sculpture and I learned of who the artist was and the story behind the sculpture. The artist name is Paige Bradley and the sculpture is called Expansion. Originally the sculpture was not cracked. Bradley created the woman in a lotus position and she tried really hard to get her work seen but the curators and the critics made it difficult. They wanted her to be more of a “Visionary” and have less focus on accuracy and general talent.

Understandably Bradley was discouraged. She was unable to show off her work that she worked so hard on for many months. After a while she thought about what the art community was trying to tell her. If she wanted to stay in the Art field she had to make some changes. She had to let go of all the finely tuned skills she had learned over the years and just trust the creative process. She had to let go.

Then she did something craaaazy. She broke her sculpture that she had worked on for months into pieces O-O she had too. This was her way of letting go and it was a good thing she did. After she broke her sculpture she cast the pieces into bronze and assembled the pieces in a way to make it look cracked. Once she was finished assembling the pieces she had a lighting specialist put in lighting and made it look like it was glowing from within. In the end the sculpture turned out waaay better then she thought it would and it is the most memorable sculpture in the world. It is truly an amazing piece of work.

If Bradley decided not to let go and keep her art as is she would have missed out on a huuuge opportunity. She had to learn to trust in the creative process. When we become ridged in our thinking we can become stuck. So many times we get so caught up in our past and how we wish things should or could be but if we just let go and trust the process we make room for something truly amazing to happen. Letting go is not easy but it is powerful in so many different ways.

What are you holding on to with a tight grip? Relationships? Career? A narrow view of the creative process? Your painful past? It took me many years to over come my traumatic past but after learning mindfulness techniques along with learning to have faith I am able to embrace everything and live in the now. I learned to let go. It took a lot of work but I can say I made it through the storm. Like Bradley's sculpture I am battered and bruised but still strong.

If you are in a place where you feel like you just can't seem to be able to get ahead try letting go and embracing everything. Hate your relationships? Embrace the good in the other person. Hate your job? Find something good you love about your job lol start with having a pay check. If you are looking for a better life find something in your life right now to be grateful for even if it is tiny because when you let go of what you don't want and embrace what you have that is when great opportunities and great change start to happen. You honestly get to where you want to be faster when you learn to let go and embrace what you have right now. Life becomes a drag and hard to get through when you hold tightly the things you don't want but if you let go life opens up in amazing ways.

When I learned to be grateful for even the little things I had huuuge windows of opportunity flow my way. With every challenge I came up against I learn to find something to be grateful for. Letting go don't mean you will avoid challenges. Letting go simply provides the space to let amazing things come into your life. Try it and see for yourself.

I hope today you are creating something amazing. Stay Awesome ^_^

Artisticsoulwithin.com

If you want to see the sculpture and read the back story of the sculpture here is the link http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/riveting-story-behind-that Warning it is a nude sculpture. If you are sensitive to nudity DO NOT click on the link.

You Have Everything You Need In Order To Succeed......

I heard someone say that if you can't see what you want in your mind first it will not materialize in the world. He said that you might as well forget it because it will not happen. Can you imagine that everything we have in our lives today started out as a thought first. Our relationships, our jobs and careers, our homes, the every day items we have in our homes, the computer you are reading this on, everything started off as a thought first.

Even happiness and love starts from a thought first and then it is expressed outwardly. The happiness and joy that you receive is just a reflexion of what you have already put out into the world. What if I told you that you already had everything you need in order to have what ever it is that you desire in your life. Happiness, joy, a new life if you wish and great relationships. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

The greatest gift that God has given us is the ability to direct and control our own minds. -Napoleon Hill

As long as you have your mind you have everything you need in order to succeed. If a thought can truly create things. What are you creating? Good thoughts bad thoughts it doesn’t matter. Right now you are creating something. If we are consistent and persistent with the good thoughts we think what we could create is truly unimaginable. You right now have everything you need in order to succeed.

I had a dream a while back that I will never forget. I dreamed that I was in a church in Africa. It was a very old beautiful worn down building. The windows were broken out and vines with flowers grew into the old church building through the broken windows. I sat down and a beautiful African woman in a black dress suit sat next to me. She looked straight ahead. The people all around me was sing then the preacher got up to say a few words. Once he was finished the lady that was sitting next to me stood up and walked towards him. She asked him if she could say something and the preacher smiled and stepped back to let her speak.

She said I have a very special gift for a special person here... I thought to myself aaahhh that's nice some one is about to get a really nice gift. I wounder who it might be. She said Barbara this gift is for you... I started looking around because in EVERY church there is always more then one Barbara... She walked towards me and said Barbara this gift is for you. As she handed me a white porcelain box she said Barbara you don't have to keep looking any more. You have everything that you need in order to succeed... I looked at the box and it was soo beautiful I wanted to cry. I was so grateful to her and I wanted to thank her so much but when I looked up she was gone and then I woke up.

That was the most amazing dream I have ever had. I will never forget that dream. For the longest time before I had that dream I was always full of anxiety about what I should be doing with my life and if I was on the right track or should I be doing something different with my life. That dream showed me that I don't have to keep searching any more and I was on the right track. That dream showed me that I have all the tools necessary to succeed. All I need to do is just surrender to what already exists.

If you are having a hard time seeing this gift that was given to you take a look back and see all the great things that you have done in your life even if it is just one good thing in your life. Hold on to that thought. Take that one thought and amplify it and then start to think about what you want from this day forward. You already know that you have created something good before so know right now you can do it again.

What amazing things are you going to create now that you know that you have everything you need in order to succeed? You are an amazing creative person. I hope you create a beautiful day today... Stay awesome ^_^

Artisticsoulwithin.com

I know what love is. Love it putting someone else's needs before your own. - Olaf

The greatest gift that you can give to someone this Valentine’s day is your presence. Many people over estimate being fully present with the people they care about. They think that simply showing up is enough but the gift that is more precious then gold and diamonds is the gift of your full presence.

People know when you are being fully present. There is a genuine feel to it. When I went to serve food at the shelter I noticed that the people who served for years seemed to be the most present with the people who came through the doors for help. You can just feel it. You can tell that the servers where their to serve not to be served.

This Valentine’s day be fully present with the people you love. If you are single and feel like love is in short supply go to the shelter and serve others until you are full of love. Remember love don't start from outside of yourself. It starts from inside and radiates outwardly. When you show love being fully present with the people you serve without expecting anything in return then you will find yourself surrounded by nothing but love and gratitude....

I know what love is. Love it putting someone else's needs before your own. - Olaf

Happy Valentine’s Week ^_^

Artisticsoulwithin.com

It is not people that bring you joy.... It's you. They are just a reflextion.....

I knew a guy who was a racist. For this story I will call him Mr Wilson which is not his real name. He was in his 60's. Many years ago we went to the same church. Lol Yes racist people go to church but stay with me. The church was helping him because his home got destroyed and they was helping him to get back on his feet. I didn't know he was racist at first. All I knew was every time I talked to him or said hi he wouldn't look me in my eyes and He would barley shake my hand. I noticed he was happy and relaxed around other people and he was just all around awkward around me. I later found out that Mr Wilson really didn't like black people but a group of my friends was working to change that. I was asked to give him some time.

Lol I thought I would do more then that I will be the first black person he actually knows ^_^ So every week I went looking for him just to say hi and make him smile. He just lost his home, everything and now he is in his mind in a very uncomfortable situation. But every week I would go find him just to smile and say hi. Every time we all got together for lunch I would sit next to him or in front of him lol just to say hi ^_^ for the longest time he wouldn't say anything to me until one day I got really really sick. I didn't see anyone at church for 3 weeks. Once I got better enough to go to church to my huuuge surprise Mr Wilson came looking for me. He knew I was still sick, miserable and the last thing I wanted was to be around crazy church people lol so he came looking for me to make me smile and to say hi.

I can tell he was still uncomfortable around me but he was trying. He didn't know how to talk to me so what he did was tell me a lot useless facts. Every week he would come looking for me, smile and tell me about the different parts of an air plane or why a train can pull a tone of cargo. He loved bears so he told me a lot about bears and how they love blueberries. Every week with out fail Mr Wilson came looking for me and when ever I needed help he was there to help me without me even asking for help. He would just be there. We became pretty close and I grew to love him like I would a cranky old uncle.

When I had to move out of state Mr Wilson was very sad. The last day I seen him before I moved he wouldn't look at me or talk to me. No smile no more useless facts. We was at church and I watched him go to his car without talking to me. I walked outside to go to my car and he drove up and stopped right in front of me. Without looking at me he said “you're gonna miss me”. I smiled and said NOOO WAAAY you're gonna miss me. I touched his arm and said take care of yourself Mr. Wilson and he drove off.

Now Mr. Wilson actually knows one black person. I know when he thinks of me like all my friends do he will think of Ice Cream and a smile ^_^ Mr Wilson became my reflexion or maybe I am his reflexion an old white guy who loves everyone, smiles all the time and really love ice cream lol.

Joy never comes from outside of ourselves. It starts from within first. If you just genuinely smiled at people they can't help but to smile back at you. The people around us is a reflection of ourselves. When you are calm and relaxed they are calm and relaxed, when you are happy and full of joy, they will be happy and full of joy. You bring the joy to the party. Keep this in mind when you are dealing with difficult, frustrating people. Like attracts like.

Smile because you are awesome ^_^

Artisticsoulwithin.com  

Gratitude Changes EVERYTHING.....

I just received great news from my eye doctor. After doing more test on my eyes he said that I am doing very well and I wont need surgery or treatment for my Macular Degeneration. The doctor was surprised because after the results of my first round of tests 2 years ago he was sure that I was going blind but when I went in to see him for more tests and treatment there was only a slight decline in my vision from the last tests.

He said “Wow what ever you are doing keep doing it because it's working”. When he said that I wanted to fall over laughing because I have been doing a lot to see if I could slow or halt the decline in my vision without mentioning what I have been doing to anyone... I wanted to blurt out and tell the doctor what I have been doing but I didn't want to sound like a crazy woman so I just bit my lip and smiled ^_^

The doctor said at this rate I don't have to worry about loosing my eye sight or having any complications from MD. I was extremely grateful to hear that. In truth I was extremely grateful way before I went into the doctors office for more testing. When the doctor told me that I was going to loose my eye sight 2 years ago of course I was devastated and I went through a great deal of depression but a year after I was diagnosed I realized I had everything I needed to succeed.

I wanted to see. I knew about the Law of Attraction and all of the self help things that I could do but I ask myself what was the ONE thing that I can do that can truly change everything? The answer that came to me was except going blind. Make being blind my greatest asset. Be grateful, don't fight it embrace it. When that thought came into my mind I thought I was going crazy. No one in MY world would do such a thing. Also this is the total opposite of what I wanted and If I told anyone that I was embracing going blind they would think I am crazy and that I am simply giving in to defeat.

I took notice of a lot of things in my life in just the last 2 years. I noticed the more I resisted going blind the worse I felt. The more I tried to “fix” my eye sight the worse my eye sight got from stress so I thought well what if I stopped and just embraced it. Not in a pity party sort of way but in a more positive way. What would I have to loose. So I changed the way I thought about my eye sight. I embraced the thought of going blind and owned it. I pretty much put a ring on it.

Every day I said to myself I have Macular Degeneration and I may go blind. It's ok I love and except myself any way. I am grateful for what I have... I am afraid to go for a long walk out side by myself because I am having a hard time seeing. It's ok I love and except myself any way. I am just grateful that at lease I can step outside and feel the sun on my skin. Maybe tomorrow I can go farther... My eyes hurt. It's ok I love and except myself any way. I just need to rest my eyes for a while and when I open them I will feel much better. I am grateful that I can get some rest even just for a moment. I am also grateful I can still see something when I open my eyes.

Every day for the last 9 months I embraced everything and my whole world started to changed. I was also careful to avoid stress, negative talk and negative people. I knew these things are bad for my health. With negative people I would listen to them but I would hold my positive center which became my anchor. I always kept what I was trying to accomplish at the far front of my mind so I tried hard not to indulge in negativity in any way even at the cost of coming across looking like I didn't care. It's not that I didn't care it was just that my focus was on slowing down or halting the decline of my eye sight so if I have to avoid negative people like the plague to keep my eye sight then that is what I must do.

Many people says it's bad to go blind. Someone once told me “if I was told I was going blind I would kill myself” :-/ (Yea someone really sad that to me the first year I was deep in depression smh). If you was to hear some people talk it's bad to feel any discomfort and any pain. In the last year I learned to look at my discomfort, pain and Macular Degeneration like a crying baby. If you was holding a crying baby in your arms would you fight it, harshly tell it stop crying and I wish you wasn't here or would you hold the baby, try to sooth it and tell the baby it's ok woo woo woo everything is going to be alright?

What we resist persist. Why do we treat our pains and afflictions like an evil that must be fought and conquered? What if we took the opposite approach and become grateful for everything we are going through even the most painful events? I remember hearing a true story about a Priest who was wrongly accused of sorcery. He was locked up in prison and the guards only gave him nasty, smelly stale water with stale bread. After 40 days the guards saw that the priest was healthier and stronger then when he first arrived. Convinced that the priest was practicing sorcery the guards took the priest to question him and after brutal torture the priest confessed that he had prayed over the water thanking God for the trials that he was going through. The stinky water turned clear and he was able to drink the water.

The Priest thanked God for the trials that he was going through and the stinky water became clear and drinkable. I prayed and I was grateful for the trials that I was going through and the decline in my eye sight was tremendously slowed almost halted. If you are in a situation where things seem to be just bad and miserable try gratitude. Yea it may sound like a crazy thing to do in the mist of your misery and God knows this is not always an easy thing to do. Could you embrace going blind? I did it and I got a very positive out come and I am very happy. My story is not rare. I have come across many people who have done the same thing with similar results. If I could halt becoming blind by simply embracing my situation and showing gratitude what can you do?

People keep telling me Barbara just having a positive attitude don't always change thing. I say Gratitude changes EVERYTHING. If you don't believe me try it.

www.artisticsoulwithin.com