A Time for Artists

The winds of change sweep across the country knocking down stock tickers, blowing down banks, and take away the homes of the citizens. The country's cries are heard echoing around the world suffering in a financial hurricane. With our broken system, the individual is left with nothing to hold onto but hope.

A change can be seen in a man faced with dark times. His shoulders droop, his eyes gaze toward the ground, and a stir of uneasiness dwells in his belly. Economic uncertainty is not only a reality of life style change, but also a distinctive emotion that reaches the heart and spirit.

This fierce enemy of uncertainty expresses itself in the form of fear. Thoughts of lack, limitation, and desperation are the byproduct, only leading to more of the same. The mind filled with doubt makes poorer decisions, and instructs the body with less confidence as it sinks deeply into the seat of the subconscious.

In light of these difficulties, I call upon the power of the ARTIST. The artist alone contains the ability to connect another human being to the power of creativity and the awe of the infinite. The artist shares a bond with the Infinite Intelligence I can only hope to faintly convey with words.

Men and women of today are not beings of pure logic, but creatures of emotion. Thinking positive thoughts can have no outward effect unless it is energized with the power of emotion. The artist speaks to this side of the thought process. Whether the artist’s message is negative or positive (both have their appropriate usage), the observer and the artist themselves come in touch with this powerful tool of change.

More than anyone else the artist is able to connect with the infinite creative power of the Ether. In the finest works of art the observer and the artist alike may readily catch a glimpse of the Divine. The times are indeed a blessing in disguse as the creative enegry that will be necessary to emerge will show us all how strong we really are. Therefore, my friends take up your pen, paintbrush, camera, crayon, computer, dancing shoes, and your voice and let it be heard. With the artist there is hope.

Picture entitled The of the Winds of Change by monkeyleader.

[A Time for Artists]

The Illusion Of Confidence

The audience’s deafening applause made Joe’s palms sweat. He hadn’t been that nervous since the time he had to tell his girl friend’s (and now wife) father that she was pregnant, or since he had to kick the game winning field goal in his high school game. He knew this because it was the last time his abdomen twitched simultaneously with his right eyelid. Slowly, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and went out to tell deliver his first line. That night at the “improv”, in front of the largest audience yet, Joe gave the best performance he knew how. At one time Joe would have been considered the timid fellow scared of his own shadow. However, this was before he mastered the Illusion of Confidence.

Interestingly enough, we rarely consider ourselves “confidence” in a given situation. Mostly, we measure some level of un-confidence. When we are participating in activities in which one might explain us as confidence, everything seems to FLOW very naturally and our confidence is, indeed, – effortless.

If you are by yourself, you can neither be confident or un-confident. Your level of so-called “confidence” is completely neutral. Therefore, we may deduce that confidence, in reality, is based upon other people’s perception.

The example of Joe shows us that many different situations in life will be faced and all will greet us with a certain amount of uncertainty. Our level of confidence that others perceive in us, however, does not have to vary. Even in a situation in which we may feel very unsure of ourselves, rest assured the confidence we display is not a reflection of how unsure you feel, but of how unsure you are perceived. The outcome is fairly negligible. Most others do not care if you win, lose, make a fool of yourself, or look great as long as it doesn’t make them feel uncomfortable.

Take this with you. Confidence is an illusion. Try even faking your confidence if you feel any fear or uncertainty in a given situation. You will find, soon your “faking” will turn into your effortless reality. With many holiday gatherings and possible encounters with odd family members you can have a great time practicing your skills of illusion!

Happy Holidays to all and thank you for reading Living Infinitely.

[The Illusion of Confidence]

Subconscious Cruise Control

No matter what field or area of life, when one truly does something well, they make it look EASY. Notice a professional golfer smack a 300 yard drive, a basketball player leap over their opponent for a dunk, an amazing speaker deliver their message, or a Olympic athlete in their given sport. Everything done well is done in a manner that makes it look as if they are performing with ease.

Now lets take the flipside. Imagine a struggling salesperson working every angle to make a sale only to be continually let down, a physically out of shape individual hitting the gym for the first time, or perhaps a nervous schoolteacher giving their first lesson. These individuals may be saying the same words, imitating the exact same actions, and even thinking about the same desired outcome, however, they fail to match the level of performance. While their conscious mind may be prepared for the task, their subconscious system (which regulates the body, works 24 hours a day, balances your steps, and does million other activities at the same time) is not as programmed as the expert.

Playing the piano has blessed me with the knowledge of the working power of the subconscious mind. Any piano player would not be able to consciously understand every note they are playing without the tremendous assistance of the subconscious mind. In fact sometimes it feels like the more you let go and let your subconscious take over, the easier it is!

Therefore, remember this when setting out on your goals. Your method of thinking is the starting point for all achievement. The thoughts and emotions you allow to enter your mind will find their way to your subconscious. The tasks you then embark on will either be filled with ease or burdened with difficulty. Happy Holidays.