Tools for Transformation                   

ToolBox - "tools for everyday living"

"When your only tool is a hammer, after awhile everything starts looking like a nail."

"Turning knowledge to Wisdom - is to live the knowledge creating experience out of it that produces consistent results based on it."

"Knowledge that can't be lived . . . is entertaining at best."

"Just because we know something . . . doesn't mean we do it."

As a young artist I adopted and held a common belief that the only time I could "create" was when I was in the mood. If I wasn't in the mood . . . well . . . it just wouldn't come. Then as I moved into becoming a professional artist - I had to be in the mood everyday. I had to be able to create the mood at will. This naturally . . . changed my approach and my attitude towards creativity. I began asking . . . what is the mood for creating, and how do I intentionally create that mood in order to create on a regular and consistent basis. Once I realize the process for doing this, I began applying it to other areas of my life, and decided that I could be in "charge of" my mood all the time. If it worked in the area of my greatest desire, it would work in all areas - all I had to do was become very aware of the different "States" I had a tendency to "be in" and realize what I was thinking, how I was looking at things, how I was feeling, what type of activities had a tendency to trigger or activate the mood, and how I could practice intentionally using these to induce whatever mood I desired whenever I desired it. Naturally, like most things in life it's purely a question of awareness to your own experiences, and disciplining your mind to think the thoughts that cause you to feel a certain way. Naturally this can also be easily done by how you use your body - to create the feeling that will produce certain types of thoughts. Thought & Feeling are married to each other - your body is a perfect expression of this interdependent marriage. They are always congruent. Thought/Emotion/Body = action/behavior. There are no exceptions. 

In order to induce a state-of-mind out of which I felt very creative - I formulated a process. The sequence isn't as important as the components and can be done in various orders. My process went something like this:

I would put on music that was very passionate, provocative or beautiful, and play it fairly loud - I would put on potpourri or essential oils, light candles, and begin dancing - moving my body in a very flowing and sexy way. (The sexual energy is vital to fuel the rest of the system). Sometimes I will take off part of my clothes while dancing, other times maybe not. The point is that I begin feeling passionate and arousing sensations in my body that contain a strong desire to be expressed. (It has a building and escalating sensation inherent in it). I then intensify "feeling the vibrations" of the music in my body. I then allow my mind to begin forming images or imagining thoughts that are an expression of the feeling in my body. At this point I may begin focusing on the canvas and the idea of the piece I'm about to create - and develop the images in my mind. As thought arises - I infuse them with emotion - to intensify how they feel and what they seem to be about. I then let my imagination run . . expand . . extend outward and play! I indulge in it's delight and it playfulness and allow it to entertain me.

Other "Creatives" utilize different methods - it really doesn't matter what your method is as long as it produces the state-of-mind - or the "mood" that will naturally generate the thoughts and action that you desire. Naturally if I am engaging in a different act - I will induce an appropriate state-of-mind for that activity. Do keep in mind that in the energy system of the body - it is the sexual energy that fuels the entire system and brings "passion" to the other chakra's. Example: In Kundalini practices - after you ground and secure your system with the first chakra drawing up the energy of the earth (material), you activate and intensify the second chakra - the creative sexual energy - and bring that up into the third; personal power; the fourth; compassion and love - the fifth; expression - the sixth vision and thought - into the crown; soul essence and purpose. The sexual energy brings passionate energy and motivation to the others. Learn to utilize your sexual energy and it will change your life! All Masculine energy longs for the Feminine in order to feel alive and vital! Passion is vitality! It's the "stuff" of life that animates it and excites it! :) Become excited in your own life!

Exercise: Change your alarm in the morning to play pleasing music instead of something shocking and obnoxious. Don't ever wake up to news. As you wake up take a moment to relax and notice how "cozy" the beds feels - think about all the thing in your life that you have to be thankful for. Think about all the things that you will do today that your looking forward to. Think about everything in your life that is working well - that you enjoy. Think about the people in your life that you love and appreciate - think about all the things you appreciate about them. Hold in your mind whatever song comes to mind as you feel gratitude in your body - set the intention to increase the feeling - make it stronger. Notice how good it feels. When you get up - on the way to the bathroom, or to get your coffee . . . sing the song that come to mind - maybe even dance a bit . . what the heck!! :)

Exercise: At the the end of the night as your winding down and relaxing - review your day and how you interacted with people through the day. If there is anything that you said or did that you wish you hadn't, or you realize was not how or what you really wanted to say - just redo it in your mind . . . the way you would have liked it to have gone. Change your response or behavior and re-write or replay the scene until you get it the way you would have wanted it. When you get it just right, replay it a couple of times in your imagination until it feels right and seems to come "naturally" - as an automatic response. If you had any disagreements or arguments with someone - picture them in your mind and ask their forgiveness. Tell them you forgive them. Consciously send them love. Send them positive feelings. Intend it.

Fill your mind with thoughts once again of all the things in your life, in your day, that you feel good about. Give thanks and allow yourself to really just appreciate them. Create a picture in your mind of something you are dreaming of, something you want - a desire that you have. Hold it and make it specific - go into detail. Enhance it with color, hear it, feel it . . . as if your experiencing it. Indulge in it for 2-5 minutes. As you feel good, content and calm . . . your ready for bed. Your dreams will reflect your thoughts as you drift off to sleep. If you want - you can set an intention for your dreams. For answer to a question or information about something that would be beneficial for you.  Then . . . . drift off into good feelings and just fade away.

Relaxation can be greatly enhanced by feelings of moving - drifting, flying, floating, gliding or sliding along. Falling and going down into something is very relaxing. Don't make it fearful or scary as if falling off something . . . but more of a deepening sensation, or going inside yourself and losing all awareness of anything outside of you.

Linda Gadbois

Living your life on purpose:

Finding or deciding what you “want” – what you have a desire for and a tendency towards – will either put you in touch with your life purpose, by giving you clues to help you identify it – or your life purpose will help you to know what you want. They are ultimately the same thing – it’s more a question of awareness and abstracting a certain type of information to begin defining and forming a context of your “purpose” and possible paths of expression.

To live on purpose is to have “clarity” about who you are, what you stand for, where you’re going and some possible ways of getting there. Once we realize what we desire to contribute, we can form it into a life practice. Once we identify and state our purpose – it becomes a concept – a sort of archetypal model – that if held in the mind and focused on becomes a template for creating. Once we have the context, the intention that is seeking realization through personal expression, we can create the content – the details of what that would be like and look like as we begin living it. It focuses us on a particular direction and path of possible expression.   

When people are creative, there’s a tendency towards freedom, variety, never getting stuck on one way of doing something, or one idea about something – but rather cultivating a tendency to entertain and play with ideas to discover and explore their inherent potential. But what I realized – by experiencing it – is that creative energy in order to truly create, must be channeled by focusing it. It must be limited and confined. By confining it, we intensify it. It’s the intensity that produces the necessary compulsion that literally transforms physical reality. Physical, conditioned, material reality has to be intensely focused on for a period of time with a consistent vision and be energized with the appropriate feelings in order to materialize. I entered into and began the process of what I call dynamic creation. Where once the energy is focused and intensified . . . it takes on a life of its own and begins evolving and moving into itself. Creating and recreating and exploring it’s essence with a kind of delight . . . a playfulness, always seeking to self-express within the varying circumstances – the flow of experience as it moves through different moods and stages of expression. This is the true meaning of passion! Passion is only known through self-realization. To self-realize – to actualize – is to live your purpose – to combine and cultivate all your desire, interests, talents, pleasurable feelings into one idea – then step into and become that idea. Breathe life into a "self-concept" and commit to expressing it to the best of your ability in as many ways as possible as you travel through the landscape of your life.

                                                                                                                 Linda Gadbois, PhD.(c), CCHt

Keys to finding your purpose:

• Make a list of things you have always been interested in;

• List your your favorite activities;

• What is important to you?

• What is it that makes you feel energized? (when you do it, it increases your energy?)

• What would you like to contribute to others, to your community, to the world?

• How do you see yourself in your own life?

• If you could do anything you wanted . . . what would it be?

• Now, look at the overall idea you have laid out here . . . if you could form a congruent, complimentary idea that you could sum up in a statement . . what would it be?

"God leads us through desire . . the desire in your heart is your "calling" . . . .

Move in the direction of your desire and you will live your purpose!"

What we focus on we experience - we create. What type of information we tend to naturally notice, abstract and use to give things "meaning" determines what type of story we tend to tell about them. Based on our stories, we "become" a certain type of person - we sense ourselves a particular way by or through the stories we tell. We activate and give our personal power to things by giving them our attention.

What do you have a tendency to give your attention to?

What is your main focus in life?

What type of stories do you tend to tell? About yourself, your past, why your life is the way it is?

What stories do you tell about others and why they do what they do? 

"Focused"

by: Linda Gadbois

All behavior is emotionally driven. We "act" based on how we feel. All motivation is based on feelings, emotions or moods. We are motivated by our emotional association to pain or pleasure. The attitude we hold about something is based on the emotions we associate with it and use to express how we feel. Our basic attitude (most common) is a direct reflection of our dominant emotion used to filter life experiences giving them meaning. Our attitude reflects our perspective and how we approach things. When we experience an emotion our body is literally producing a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction creates a physical sensation that forms corresponding thoughts. Emotion with "like" thoughts form a model that is used to perceive. Common themes emerge as a result of our most frequent "state of mind" used to process experience.

Our state of mind is basically created by 3 modalities: our physiology, focus and language. Change any one of these and it directly effects your state of mind. It's easy to see that when feeling sad or depressed, our physiology is low, slumped and closed and feeling tired. Were focused on how everything "sucks" and we bring that to everything - the mood dictates and runs the show. How we talk, the words we use express metaphorically how we feel and what (and how) we are associating our mood to in order to express it.

To directly influence your state - thereby changing it - you must become aware of this and consciously engage in such a way that creates the desired state. The state desired could be based on the activity you are engaging in and what state of mind would be most appropriate, beneficial or produce the optimal performance. Once you clarify this - engage the necessary changes to alter your current state.

Pretend that you are an actor/actress - act out the character you'd like to play - be the way you'd like to be. Embody an attribute and perform it. Pretend your in a good mood, and ask yourself - how would I behave if I were happy, silly, having fun, lighthearted . . . . chose your mood and become it!  Most of all . . . Play at creating!!

Tools for changing STATE:

Physiology: If sitting, get up and move around, walk or change how your using your body.

If sad or down, become active and use your body as energized and excited. Exercise is the best cure for depression.

Focus: If feeling down, change your physiology and focus your mind on something positive & uplifting that will cause to feel the way you want to feel. Keep your mind focused and change how your using your body. Sing as loud as you can for an entire verse of your favorite song. Put on music that sets the proper mood - and sing along or dance to the music for awhile and break your state.

Language: As you change your body and your focus - start saying things to yourself or out loud that reflect your chosen focus. As you speak, use your body to perform and increase the drama and intensity of expression. Do this for a period of time - until your mood begins to noticeably change.

When asked how your doing . . . say something passionate and inspiring - try:

I'm Fabulous!                Absolutely Incredible, and you?  Fantastic!  Couldn't be better!