“Creativity, bountifulness, and gratitude go hand in hand.” – Harold Klemp The Language of Soul
As a writer, creativity is an important aspect. We need creativity to create the worlds, conversations, characters, and dialogue that intrigue and entertain our readers. We also need creativity to live our lives. I have found that I am most creative during times of duress. You know those points in your lives where you feel like everything is crashing down around you and you sit there wondering, “What else can go wrong?”
During these times of trouble, our creativity elevates to a new level. Harold Klemp offers three keys to dealing with the troubles that will affect us from time-to-time. When times are tough, it is hard to be grateful. We concentrate on what is being taken away instead of focusing on what we have. This in turn creates a sense of lack or shortage, which in turn, stifles our creativity because of our narrow focus on the things we do not want in our lives.
When I started my gratitude journaling a while back, I did it by going through the motions. The journal I was using at the time was the 5-minute Journal and it requires you to write down three things you are grateful for in the morning when you awake and three things you are grateful for in the evening before you go to bed. I did this each day like without a second thought.
Then, something happened. I began to really feel grateful for the things I was writing down. I began to see how great I really had it. I began focusing on being grateful for the things I had. This focus awoke me to something I have read about over and over again but never really caught onto. It is a quote from some author I cannot remember. The quote goes like this, “Most of us have what we need, but are upset because we do not have what we want.” This is the key to being grateful and cultivating a gratitude that will smooth things out in your life.
Now I write in my gratitude journal until I can cultivate that feeling of gratefulness daily. I write and write until I “feel” grateful. When I have achieved this feeling, I realize how great my life is, how much I have, and how little I need to be truly happy. This is the bountifulness, Harold Klemp discusses. When you have all you need, when you believe you are wealthy beyond words, and you believe that you are satisfied with your life, creativity is boundless, because you have no limits. You attain a child-like quality, where you rekindle what it was like to dream, to make-believe, to live in a world where anything is possible. The days you believed you could be a fireman, an astronaut, a princess, or actress.
Creativity and the ability to visualize some goal or achievement is a great asset, while negotiating this life. When trouble comes, a creative mind will find a solution. There is always a solution to our problems. “God only gives us problems we have the ability to solve” – Unknown.
When you are hit with a problem or challenge, don’t panic. Sit down with a piece of paper and write down every potential solution you can come up with. Brainstorm. I like to use mind mapping software when I begin on a new writing project, others may just want to write out a huge list of potential solutions and work from this. Whichever way you choose to go, evaluate each idea you come up with and choose the solution you feel will work the best. Keep the list, in case the idea you choose doesn’t work. Then you can return to the list for your next-best idea. Visualize the problem being solved. Over time, you will begin to see the answers to your problems come from everywhere. Your friends may offer solutions, your wife, husband, or significant other may offer a solution. You may read something online or in the newspaper that addresses your problem. You may even overhear someone talking in your local coffee shop about the same or like problem you are dealing with and offer some ideas via their conversation. The solution to your problem can come from anywhere if you are open to it.
I hope each of you has a terrific weekend! My brother is visiting and we have a bunch of stuff planned to take advantage of his week’s stay with us. It’ll be a great time.
Until next time…
Dave
