Tag Archives: life

inspirational, life, motivational, process, purpose

What will be on your tombstone?

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tombstone

What will be on your tombstone?  Since we’re getting close to Halloween I thought it was a fitting title. It’s not all fun and games, but Halloween is sure fun.

Many self-help books actually use that question to get you thinking about your life.  My tombstone would read: Maria Greene was an inspiration. I can aspire to inspire, if not teach people. I think the only teaching that sticks is the one that people actually want, so  I won’t claim teaching as something I’m known for.

But I can inspire people to take a look and maybe stop and think for a few moments of what they stand for.  How many ever stop to take a look, though?  Those that do know there is more to life.

In a previous post I wrote about painting in the moment like children do. They make a mess and then they move on to something else, and they don’t care about the so-called quality of their work. What they did in the moment is enough. Same goes for animals. My cat lives totally in the moment all the time and all his reactions come from either love or fear. He’s a total love bug but there are many things that frighten him. However, he embraces those conditions fully.

Take a human. We very seldom really merge with the moment of now to be observant or feel what that moment has to offer. We rush from one thing to the next, but what significance does that kind of action  hold? How important are the things we are doing?  Do they matter in the long run?  Don’t you ever wish you’d had a deeper experience with someone or something in life? I often hear people voice regrets that they didn’t have more time with someone before they passed. That was a choice. Something else was more important.

So, I guess my offer of inspiration today is this: What is important to you and how much do you acknowledge that? Life is fleeting and if we don’t pursue the people and things that are important, what value does life have?  What moments did we lose because we weren’t present?

I often stand in front of that idea and realize that everything I do in this life is not that important. It’s not very satisfying. Most things leave me with the impression that this wasn’t “it.” Absorbing and fully living in the moment IS because that’s where everything happens.

To add value to life, de-clutter and remove useless habits, items, mindsets, and jobs in life so that you can say at the end that you really got something out of life. You chose from the things because you loved them, not because of some habit or some trend.  Choose love and you’ll be an all around better person for it.  Become one with the positive and blend into the real flow of life, finding magic in each moment. Spread goodness!

It’s the easiest yet the hardest thing to do, but heck it’s the only truly valuable and ultimately satisfying thing to do! (with practice.)  Forthwith, I hope to inspire you to take a look at that and live lightly like a child, moving fearlessly from one thing to another with confidence.

Love everything  you do and become one less problem in the world…

Along with you, I aspire to stay in the moment and truly experience life.  Beyond all the desires and needs lives peace!

A worthy cause for sure!

xo

Maria

P.S. I offer a few different e-courses on my other website. Free or affordable. Take a look HERE!

ecourse, inspirational, life, motivational, self help, transformation

Hating self-help questionnaires.

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Why would I write such a title, “hating self-help questionnaires?” If you’re reading this you have read and filled out many worksheets, or skipped them altogether.  I know you all hate them.  I know I do.  They are boring, a thorn in the side.

I’m working on an e-course that is about finding your inner true north using your intuition. It’s about making choices that are healthy for you. The question is, do we want health?  I mean health in every sense of the word.

We do and we don’t. The side of us that wants a healthy balanced life answers the deep  inquiries and works on the issues or try to. The other side flings the dang workbook across the room as the inner rebel rears up, refusing to reply to any  questions that might overturn the status quo. Heaven forbid we would change!  We don’t need to change, right?

What is the wall that comes up and says “stop,  do not move any further.” It has many names but the most common name is resistance. If you dig deeper you come across fear and all sorts of unworthiness issues hiding behind resistance.

Most people avoid those uncomfortable feelings at all cost.

Questions are what start us on the road to inner discovery.

Writing on a workbook right now, I’m struggling with how to make the questions less confronting and more acceptable.  What would make people look forward to going in deep and releasing the beliefs and trapped feelings within?  What would make them actually finish the course and work through the issues?

There is a need for structured questions for sure, but what if another person asked them?  No writing down answers, just discussing what comes up and looking for “aha” moments. A lively interaction between two people who trust each other  might make going through a workbook desirable.

A bottle of wine, some yummy snacks, and a deep discussion based on the workbook could very well be the answer!

I don’t know how many times I have read a great self-help book, but when I reached the questions I  skimmed over them or ignored them altogether.

How many self-help books have your bought and never finished?

We like the IDEA of changing ourselves for the better, but when it comes to the actual work we often balk.

Workbooks and questionnaires might be out of style in this fast-paced world.

What if it became a more dynamic process?

I believe it’s more important to be open to the signs around us, accept that the world mirrors our states of mind. If there is a traffic jam maybe it’s a sign to slow down. If we keep making the same mistakes over and over, what belief / feeling INSIDE of us makes that happen?  If we can be aware and open in the now, all our shi*t will be revealed, and then we have to choose whether to work with it, or keep living in denial.  Denial will inevitably create more difficulties.

Some people do not believe in a world that mirrors your inner stuff, but if you do, it can be a hugely beneficial “school room.”

Life can be smoother, easier to accept with its ups and downs if we agree to work on our shi*t.  As you create peace with yourself, you create peace in the world.

My suggestion is, have a party with one or two friends, off-line or online, who are on the same path, or working on the same workbook. Get the stuff behind the resistance out into the open and decide to deal with it.

That is one way past resistance and into a life of fresh perception.

art, ecourse, inspirational, life, motivational

Never say die.

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Never say die, said the little palm tree my neighbor carted home the other day.  She picked up a bunch of free plants and one of them was a small palm tree that grew in an ugly little container.

I wanted the palm tree, and we decided to plant it on the property line.   Someone had planted it in a cut off water drinking bottle, left it there until it was choked with roots, and then set it on top of the soil in the tiny planter.  When we got it, it was so choked in the bottle I had a really hard time cutting open the plastic.  I got a slit cut and then I had to use a pair of pliers to “roll” the plastic away from the roots.

Then came the effort of pulling it out of the pot.  It had somehow busted through the bottom of the plastic and sent roots into the pot.  I had to use all of my strength to pull it out (not kidding!)  The roots had been curled around the bottom, all thirty-six inches of them.  They were hanging on for dear life.  It took me another fifteen minutes to release the roots from the rest of the plastic.

I wonder if it would have busted through the plastic in the end.  It had been trying real hard.

This is a puny palm with two leaves.  To get it to stand straight in the ground I had to plant the root ball  sideways since it had been growing sideways out of the plastic.

The point of the story?  Never say die, no matter how difficult and constricted your situation may be.  Nature is a great example of resilience and purpose.  There is always that dandelion growing in the crack of the concrete sidewalk.   Where there is a path to light and rain, some greenery will always sprout.  People thrive when they pursue their heart’s desire.  What is YOUR heart’s desire?

I was amazed when I planted that palm  It has been a week, and it already has a new leaf coming up.

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I have a feeling this palm tree will do great from now on.

Are you going to bust through your plastic bottle constraint?   I hope so; there’s a whole world out there to explore.

xo

Maria

P.S.  If you want some art inspiration, check out my e-courses at http://ecourses-mariagreene.org  Try something new today. 🙂

…because life is happening NOW!

art, asskickery, inspirational, life, motivational

Stop being that way!

Hey you,

Stop being that way!  I can feel all the frowns coming at me, but seriously, I have come across several people lately who complain about their lives, but they don’t want to do anything about it.  To change, we have to take some risks and explore new territory.  Why are there so few people willing to change?  You rather live in misery?  None of my business, right?  True, but I can’t help but say, hey, don’t complain if you don’t want to change your life.

The only ones willing to change are those who have been up against the wall with serious health problems or other stressful situations.  Why wait until crisis strikes?  Life is frigging short!

Fear is what holds people back, but being a coward never got you anywhere.  Fear of money, fear of other people’s opinions, fear of the boss, fear that you’re-not-good-enough.  Fear of taking one step toward change.

There is only one person like you, and you have gifts to share.

Why waste in on mind-numbing TV?

What is your passion right now?  What could you do that would light you up?  You know that old hobby you shoved to the back of the closet… that’s the one.  Or the classes you’ve been wanting to explore.  NOW is the time.

Stand stronger in who you really are every day and feel the fierceness and longing take hold and carry you onward to something so much more exciting.

I’ve never lived a conventional life. I can’t say it has been easy, but I could never conform, not for any length of time.  Truth to tell, I’m not a rebel at all, but I’m thoroughly sick and tired of the conventional world, the gossip and the chit-chat, the greed and the selfishness.  Activities that lead to nowhere.  Where is the meaning?

I spend a lot of time alone since it feeds my soul. I listen to the silence, and it’s enough for me.  That’s not me, you say.  What are you then?  Stop the numbness already.  Be or become that person who lives from within with passion and purpose.  It’s all in there.

Bring that gift to the world!  We need it.

That’s what I’m doing –to the best of my ability.

Rant over,

xo

Maria

P.S. If you’d like some FREE art inspiration, a whopping 37 page PDF, sign up for my newsletter HERE.

 

art, inspirational, life, motivational

Say Yes!

Hello lovelies,

Say yes to something today, maybe even life. What does that mean? It could mean something as simple as saying yes instead of no when someone offers a new experience.

It could be as life changing as saying yes to a job in a different state or country. It could be saying YES to life, wherever it takes us.

I believe in exploring. Sometimes it’s something small, like a wisp of a word that sounds intriguing, or some new online venue or tool, or as big as saying yes: I want to know what my life is about next.

We live in the small increment of now, and more often than not I walk through a tunnel with only a candle in my hand to light the way. It always shows me the next step, and that is all I need to know.

It’s so hard to let go of control, to think that I have to fix everything myself. In reality, I don’t keep my heart beating, something else does.

I know what I like, what I love to do, but that is not necessarily what is best for me. Eating ten donuts is never a good idea, for instance. I can choose to do something that is life affirming, like following my talents and do something with them.

And I do.  I make art to the best of my ability, but sometimes the pieces don’t look right and I get frustrated. BUT, I spent that time making art, and it moved my passion forward and I learned something. Passion is something that makes me feel excited to get up in the morning.

It makes sense to follow where passion leads. I want to feel good. Following my passion is not easy but I learn a lot, and the knowledge is priceless.

Today I woke up tired and feeling blah for no obvious reason. I only had one beer last night and I fell asleep in the middle of a Netflix movie.

I took a look at my studio through the open door and saw the mess of frenzied former activity there. It didn’t inspire, but after I write this, I will go there and I will make art. The siren is calling. If I clean the mess, good, if I don’t, who cares. I have no idea what I will make, but I’ll put pen to paper, or maybe a dab of paint on a canvas. I have several going. I have no idea what the canvases want to “say” but I paint a little here, a little there, and a theme starts emerging. Faith and patience go hand in hand.

What little thing can you do today toward your passion? One little step leads to another. When will your focus become a pinpoint laser that won’t stop for anything until it lights up its target–YOU!

The key to living a passionate life is to move forward every day, one step at a time. A small, but sometimes difficult permission since we don’t allow ourselves to do what we love. Duty calls first, and a day is lost in the fog of duty = possible misery.

Duty to others first. What would happen if you made the time to put yourself first? Maybe get up an hour earlier to draw something in your sketchbook, or write down what is on your mind? Swipe aside all the excuses and create a new life, increment by increment. It’s a great way to live! The world expands with every step, truly.

(Image from Google pictures.)

To get my free Stargirl mixed media tutorial, please sign up for my newsletter HERE.

Truly, take a step toward changing your life if it sucks.

My two cents.

xo

Maria

asskickery, inspirational, life, motivational

Is life kicking your ass?

 

asskick

It’s time to kick the hell back and set some perimeters of what is acceptable.  First of all, look around.  What do you see?  Either you see a world full of promise or one with lots of problems.  But it all starts with us as individuals.  What do you want to experience in life?  I, for on, like to feel peace inside, but I also like  some asskicking action to make me feel I’m interacting, inspiring, and exploring joy and purpose with the world.

For the most part we don’t live life on our terms.  We get our asses kicked by the system via fear and herd mentality.  There is false security when we rely on the system to take care of us.  That may alleviate some fear, but why give away LIFE for others to decide what you want to experience?   Where will you be when the rug is pulled from under you?

I could never enjoy the 9-5 rat race, and God knows, I’ve had many jobs and worked my butt off for others, but not for myself.  Well, that has ended.  I choose to support myself by stopping to abuse or treat myself like a third class citizen.

And we do!  We always give to others first. Don’t you kinda feel left out??

I can feel peace whenever I want by going within to meditate, but what is it that I put out into the world?  I need to put out there who I truly am.  It’s a journey of discovery, but I’m frigging tired of living according to other people’s ideas.

Who is the best judge of what is good for me?  I am.  Heeellllooooooo.

We, as humanity, have to lift the pillow cases from our heads and take a good look around.  Take a frigging good look around!  How happy are you as a sheep?

Not very.  I know.  I used to look at the clock all the time and wish the day was over.

Is this what I want to share with the world, more misery and unhappiness of every form, or do I want to stand up and be who I truly am and take charge of my life, get a buzz from living fully?   Yes absolutely!

Once you see the whole picture there is no going back to being a sheep again.  I want to live fully, not be a shadow of who I am.  As every action becomes inspired, I inspire others (hopefully) to take some inventory of their lives.

Habits are hard to break, yes, but a slow death while being alive is worse.  Life is an uncertainty, no matter how much we ignore that fact and live under false security.

What kind of legacy do you want to leave?  How do you want to feel?  I choose fulfillment and joy.  I know it’s an inside job, but it’s important how I show up in the world.

It’s hard work to develop yourself and your passion, but nothing is more rewarding in this physical life than doing something worthwhile and feel great in the process.

Everyone will have an opinion of what YOU SHOULD BE DOING, but don’t listen.  What does your heart tell you to do?  If you don’t know, just do one small thing that you have always wanted to do.  Record it in your journal (yes, get a journal going)  and the feeling you got while doing it, and keep doing more things like that.  Before you know it, a path opens up, one you didn’t know was there.

What do you long to do?  Take steps in that direction every day and burdens will be lifted and you’ll feel good about waking up every morning!  How about that?

You would rather think about it or find fault with my reasoning?  Go ahead, no skin off my nose.  It’s your life just cruising  by while you’re watching from the sidelines.

Now, go and kick someone else’s ass!  I’m going to make some art.   My art blog: http://greeneearthoriginals.blogspot.com

xo

Maria