Attraction: What We Attract With Our Creative Choices
Attraction: What We Attract With Our Creative Choices
I used to be a jazz singer. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, they were wonderful and I strived to sing like they did. But no one impressed me as much as Billie Holiday. The tragedy and the talent meshed together into a musical offering unlike any I'd heard. I was inexplicably drawn to the drama and the heartache.Louise Montello points out, in her book, Essential Musical Intelligence, that I was drawn to those songs for a reason. They corresponded with how I was feeling about myself and my life, and the real or imagined conflicts or unresolved issues that were going on for me.Later, I found myself still listening to music that was at a different 'frequency' than me, simply out of habit. I either didn't notice that all the songs I was choosing were focused on 'negative' topics or content I didn't agree with anymore, or sometimes I was drawn to the music or musicality of the performers. Or it was simply habit.There was sometimes a 'coolness' factor - maybe the performer emulated a quality I wanted to possess. Maybe it was their version of success I was after.A common concept in the personal growth field is that whatever we put our attention on, we unconsciously manifest into our lives. This is the purpose behind the gratitude list - taking time each day to focus on what we're grateful for. It helps to balance out the time that most of us spend lamenting what we DON'T have.Last night I saw the new movie, 'What the Bleep do We Know?'. My mind is still reeling from all of the scientific evidence that supports the notion that the possibilities, for all of us, are infinite - AND definitely within our control if we choose to think a certain way.One of the most fascinating and concrete examples came from a Japanese researcher who documented how water crystals changed depending on which thoughts were directed towards them. For more information about the movie, see http://www.whatthebleep.com.This is not to say that we shouldn't ever sing sad songs, that we should only paint with pink and yellow, or that we should use our computer to filter out negative words in our writing. It's not to say that we should in ANY way censor our authentic expression.My point here, as it with many of the topics I speak about, is that we should consciously choose and be aware of what we're expressing. AND, as an experiment, we can choose to try and manifest what we want by describing THAT in our art, instead of focusing on expressing our feelings about what we don't.Today I experiment with choosing songs, both to listen to and to sing, which evoke images of things I want to create in my life, or things I'm grateful for.I have a very special collection of songs that I listen to every morning. Every song in there is very deliberate. Some of the songs remind me to be grateful, some songs remind me to celebrate and all of the songs connect me in some way to my spirituality.(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, "Everyday Artist", subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html
Making Better Word Choices ? 4 Examples
Making Better Word Choices ? 4 Examples
Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on your writing and on you. Whether you are writing a cover letter for a job, a business proposal, or an application essay for graduate school, using words poorly can result in negative feedback. One could find entire books regarding word choices for writers; this article will touch on some fundamental, but important ways to choose the correct word for your situation.Our starting point will be the use of "There are" or "There is" to begin sentences. Consider this; the word "there" indicates "not here" (in other words, some other place). Now look at the sentence below and think about what the meaning is and what might be intended.There are four dogs playing with a ball.If the writer meant that four dogs are over there and they are playing with a ball, then this would be technically correct. If the intention was merely that four dogs are playing with a ball, here, there, or anywhere, then the sentence could be worded better. The following sentence would show better wording on the writer's part.Four dogs are playing with a ball.The next two words that writers often confuse are "which" and "that." If the goal of your writing is to describe something and you have used commas to separate the phrase from the rest of the sentence you want to use "which." When a writer wants a word to define and the reference is restricted then you want to use "that." The first sentence below shows the correct use of "that" and the second sentence shows correct use of "which."The Yodo is the river that runs through Osaka.The Yodo, which is a major waterway, runs though Osaka.Our next word choice is between "while" and "although." Another way of thinking about the word "although" is to look at its meaning, as found on Merriam-Webster Online dictionary the meaning is, "in spite of the fact that : even though."(1) The definition of "while" indicates a relation to time, such as during a period when something else is happening. Two correctly worded sentences are below.Although he is not tall, he is a good basketball player.While he listened to the radio, he finished his homework.A writer's choice between "since" and "because" also involves the possibility of a reference to time. Many people use "since" when they really mean "because," this is rarely a correct use of the word "since." When choosing a word to suggest "from a definite past time until now"(1) use "since." If you are not referring to time, "because" should be the word you choose. Try using "because," if your sentence doesn't make sense then you probably want to use "since." In the examples below the two incorrect sentences do not sound correct, while the correct sentences actually sound better.Incorrect: He had few friends since he was too annoying.Correct: He had few friends because he was too annoying.Incorrect: He has not ridden a bicycle because 1990.Correct: He has not ridden a bicycle since 1990.Whether you are writing an essay for school or you are writing a speech for your CEO, choose your words carefully because what people hear or read from you can make a big difference in their opinion about you and your intelligence. For anyone writing, regardless of topic, length, or purpose, ask for assistance if you need it, not doing so can have serious repercussions on your reputation.1. Merriam-Webster Online. 20 January 2005. http://m-w.com/David is the owner of Blue Arch Consulting, a proofreading and editing business helping clients worldwide to generate English documents of all types. Their website is at http://www.blue-arch.net
Choices
Choices
You can do and you can be
whatever you want.
You have the power,
and the right,
to make the changes.There are many choices to be made
as daily life goes by.
There are changes in our world
and choices in our lives.
There are those who come
and those who go.
There are those who enrich,
and those who drain.
There are thoughts
which improve our daily grind,
and there are thoughts
that depress us and bring us down.Every chance meeting,
every friendship,
every love,
every choice we make,
changes us inside and out
in ways we neither see
nor notice
until sometime later.All of a sudden we encounter
an old circumstance,
but we handle it in a new way
a better way.
The choices and the changes we made
have caused us to grow,
to improve,
and we can move on
unafraid.You have one life to live,
don't let it count for naught.
You have too much to give,
Choose to give it!Copyright 2004
Fran WatsonFor more poetry and stories you can go to Fran's webpage http://www.franwatson.ca