If There Is Nothing New Under the Sun, How Can We Be Innovative?

It is really interesting that I think of so many things as I’m getting everybody ready in the morning, including myself. Although there seems to be no time to ponder or day dream, thoughts still seem to penetrate the fullness of activity going on. These thoughts maybe about someone that I’ve missed seeing at work because they’ve been on vacation or it could be clarity or another perspective on something. It amazes me every time these thoughts are able to get through the chaos of the morning rush!

It happened again on Monday morning. I was flossing or something in the mirror, thinking about being innovative. “How can my work be unique?

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says:
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

The answer that came to me was “you”. You are what makes your work unique. If we are all unique, then this makes sense! No one is exactly like you! So this means that the true innovation factor is “YOU”. ME!

This takes a bit of the edge off because now you can abandon The Joneses Plan of action. Focus on you! The Joneses are the Joneses and you are you. Your power and innovation lies in

(1) Authenticity

(2) Belief in your talents and abilities

(3) Fully Flavoring Your Life and Work with Your Essence – I like This! The world should be able to feel you! THIS IS CALLED YOUR BRAND!

(4) Your ability to communicate your BRAND to the world in words, visuals, emotions and telepathically, if possible. LOL!!

I’m laughing at the telepathic statement, but I’m serious. I had an experience once in a dream, where at the end of the dream, there was a woman that told me that I could get a better understanding by reading her book. She told me her name. When I awakened, I immediately googled her, finding her website. And I emailed her. Amazing, she was a real person and author! I told her of the experience and joked about the telepathic marketing tool. I do not read fiction, but because of the dream, I ordered the first of her books, “The Eight”. I had never heard of her before that dream.

(5) Continued connection to Creator for guidance and support. Be prayerful in all situations, acknowledging all that are on your team and helping you in achieving your highest good. Yes, this includes angels, guides and ancestors, if you believe.

You will learn from you industry leaders, mentors and peers, but do not overlook your innovative qualities, that are unique to you. These qualities are your talents, interests, experiences, worldview and passions. Together, these qualities have created “The One and Only”.

Here is some advice based upon my own experiences and practices.

• You are a walking bill board, representing YOU! Throughout my career there are a few things my leaders have told me:

o You are well liked and respected.

o A good name goes a long way.

o You have a bright future ahead of you.

• Keep track of the advice and acknowledgements of peers, mentors and leaders. They are telling you what they see, looking from the outside in.

• Draw off of those things that you are passionate about.

• Never be afraid to stand out in the crowd.

• Be able to stand alone. It is your vision. You will gain more comrades, as your vision becomes clearer. PEOPLE LOVE TO BE A PART OF A WINNING TEAM. MOST WANT TO SEE A WINNING TRACK RECORD FIRST. LOL!!!

• Always look for ways that you can improve.

• Keep getting up.

• Every day is a new day.

• Don’t beat yourself up over failures.

• Be patient, it may not be time.

• Do everything you can towards your goal and let God bridge the gap.

• When options and situations muddy your view, WAIT UNTIL THE COAST IS CLEAR BEFORE MAKING A DECISION. Everything shows its true colors over time.

Matthew 5:16
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Do We Ever Heal? How?

I know that you’ve heard the commonly used statement, “The truth shall set you free”. Many of us use the term very lightly without realizing its truth and power. I had a conversation with someone that I’ve grown to know fairly well over the past five years, about incest and its prevalence in families. She asked, “Do we ever heal? I said, yes. She asked, “How”? I responded with, “The truth heals”.

My brother and I had this conversation just the other day about truth and its relationship to healing. We were discussing a book that I’d just finished reading, Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss, M.D., a psychiatrist that literally stumbles upon the fact that there is life after death. A young woman with a history of depression and anxiety had begun therapy with him upon the recommendation of a hospital staff member. The doctor was utilizing traditional therapy that was not helping and he did not prescribe medication as he normally would have. Instead he began hypnotherapy, in which he guided the client into a deeply relaxed state. Here in this relaxed state she was able to go back into previous life times. She came into contact with ascended spirits of great wisdom. In this type of therapy she was able to identify the source of her anxieties.

She was able to heal by facing the traumas she had experienced in other lives, which actually translated into her current life. Spirit is infinite, living on, past the physical lives that we live. With knowledge of truth and understanding, her anxieties began to melt away, without the use of drugs.

Another example that my brother shared with me was the story of a man who had lived his life feeling hated and rejected by his father. Whenever he would share his work with his father (he was a writer), his father would never respond in any way. He sought his father’s approval, but never received it.

Well, after his father died he found out that his father was not rejecting him. He father was illiterate, he could not read. Wow, he was not rejecting him. He had lived a life of shame for not knowing how to read. He did not find the strength to share this with his son. The son felt sorry that his father lived a life in which he could not read, and had feelings guilt and shame because of it. Yet, the truth fostered his healing.

Truth heals! It healed me after 17 years of grieving my father. After years of crying and grieving, you would not believe what the truth did for me. It healed my broken heart. I was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I knew more about my father, whether good or bad. It did not matter to me. I wanted to know the man who was my dad. Knowledge of the truth set me free. I was proud and had clarity of mind. After many tears in crying through the process of searching and revealing the truth to myself and about a hundred classmates at Florida State University, I was renewed. I felt great! I didn’t cry anymore. Well I did, but my reason for crying afterwards was that of love, instead of grief.

BELIEVE IN THE HEALING POWER OF TRUTH! THOUGH IT MAY BE HARD TO FACE, TRY IT!

Expect to cry. Crying cleanses the heart so that your spirit can see, feel and experience the love of self and others.

Living By Divine Design

Have you ever tried to see yourself and your life through the eyes of others? I have, a thousand times! I get lost in all of the details of thought. The Biography Channel has become a treat for me! I watch it for inspiration. I love seeing the documentaries of famous people because like all of us, they have had their setbacks too. What I love about biographies is the fact that you get a chance to see the beginning and sometimes the ending of a person’s life. You see what made them who they were, what influenced and inspired them. And you see the results of their strivings. You see the results of a life lived.

In Designing Self, I talked about how who we think we are, may be the results of re-design by a team of people known and unknown, who decided that you should be different; that the real you was not good enough. They were people that had some influence over us. Why else would we believe them, versus our divine blueprint, our Divine Design? Maybe they are a part of our lessons, the elements that make us stronger, helping us to reveal our true, divine selves, by overcoming the obstacles they present.

I watched and listened closely to the documentaries on the Bio Channel, mapping the person’s life, transitions in their lives, their influences, their weaknesses, strengths, their passions and desires, their talents. If we could see our lives in this way, from a bird’s eye view, a plan view, from the outside, looking in, we would be better co-Creators and fulfillers of our plans. I see that the designer in me is still alive! This means that I think in design, visuals. I need to see some results! A plan, man! Or wo-man!

Family, Culture and Community are a part of our biographical story. They are elements of our design. Naturally speaking, design, creativity in writing and in the arts is a part of my design. A love of nature is also a part of my design. Innate interests and talents are indications. Your passion and commitment will reveal your Divine Design.

So, how does one Live By Divine Design? Here are lessons that I’ve learned on my journey in discovering me and Living By Divine Design:

1. Prayer - Humble and revealing prayer is effectual. It reveals the heart and the truth of the matter. God wants to know that you are honest, mostly with yourself.

2. Know Thy Self - Uncover the truth about you, your true feelings, likes, dislikes, talents, fears, passions, etc. Deal with the unpleasant. You know the things that you’ve kept hidden, even from self. Take inventory of the things that you love and look forward to doing. These may be hobbies or parts of job that you love most.

3. Do the things that you love, in search of your passion, the thing that you naturally do, that are second nature. These things are natural extensions of you.

4. Be open for what comes out of your search for you. You might be surprised!

5. Live according to your own truths - Living according to the truth of others, gets you nowhere.

6. Forget the Joneses - Your work and all that you do should be done with the Creator in mind, as your boss, your mentor and your judge.

7. Do what you were born to do! It is usually something that you’ve always done; something that is a part of your makeup.

8. Live By Faith!! Not by sight. Forget about the economy! Stop living according to the fear factor.

9. Career and personal life are one in the same when you’re Living By Divine Design!

10. Stop planning for retirement! How do you retire from the work that God sent you here to do? Continue to manage your money and career, but why quit what you were born to do, prematurely?

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO RETIRE, THIS IS A SIGN THAT YOU ARE NOT LIVING BY DIVINE DESIGN. (My Opinion)