Tishspiration Tuesday: How to find your own inspiration

Tishspiration Tuesday: How to find your own inspiration

by | Mar 13, 2019 | #Tishspiration

#Tishspiration is defined as the Art of Surprising Yourself. I am currently working on my YouTube channel, #Tishspiration Station to help spread the word of this concept and upcoming book. As I reflect on what to include in the book, I also plan to share hints in the YouTube videos, and the posts here on Tuesdays right here, in my blog.

You might be wondering where this all started for me. I would have to rewind a few years back to explain. Here comes the tricky part. I want to tell my story, but not spoil everything I plan to write about in my book. I will absolutely be more forthcoming in my upcoming book. For now, I can share some details with you about what you need to do to start finding #Tishspiration in your life.

Open your heart

The first step is to open yourself up to the possibility of change. Find something which speaks directly to your heart, and incorporate it into your daily life. It could be something you see, hear or read for example. For me, an inspirational video was watched on a whim, at a low point in my life. It made me think about what I really wanted to do. The truth is, there has been a glimmer of #Tishspiration in me for my whole life. It just didn’t have a name or a definition for most of that time.

When you open your heart, you can take the first step. You can allow yourself to dream. We all have dreams for what we want out of life. Dreams can be the fuel to your reality. If you really believe, they can turn into jet fuel. Happiness is possible for everyone. Sparking joy does not only happen with items you decide not to purge from your life. It can also be about taking action on your dreams.

Next, you need to open your mind.

Once your heart is dreaming of what will make you happy, you need to then make a plan of how to achieve it. Spend some time thinking about the how, after you discover the what with your heart. Then find your reason, your why. It can only work if you believe, and it may not even be possible the first time you try. But you have to think until you have a plan.

To avoid being overwhelmed, write your thoughts down. Make a solid plan for what you want to do. Commit to breaking down the steps you will need to take to move forward. When you need help, ask. If you can afford to pay for what you need, do whatever it takes to prepare. If you are like me, and want to do as much as you can yourself, find support groups and peers who can guide you in the right direction.

Then, take action.

This might be the scariest part of all. It is okay to have apprehension when you try something new. Stick to your plan, and start acting on it. One step at a time, you can manage adding small changes up until they become a larger change. The only thing that can ever hold you back is yourself. It requires determination, and a desire to reach your goal. If you have these feelings rooted deeply in your heart, you will find the way to make things happen.

Celebrate every win. Contemplate every loss. The only way you lose it all is if you focus on the negativity, and negate the progress by doing so. We all want to succeed at our dreams, but it is not guaranteed to be easy, or done quickly. Give yourself time to learn what doesn’t work, and after that you try from a different angle. Reach out to your peers in both the good times, and the frustrating times. They can help you find a different perspective, and might be able to help you find the answers you need.

Finally, celebrate big wins and keep evaluating your plan.

When you invest your very essence into what your heart dreams of doing, you will have success. Changing your plans does not mean you have to admit defeat, rather it means you can evolve as your dreams do. For example, I have been dabbling in jewellery design for about sixteen years. When I started, I would follow the patterns in magazines exactly. Then I would play with the bead colours and sizes.

In order for me to infuse new life into my jewellery designing business, I changed the name. Tish’s Treasures became Tish MacWebber Always Blinging…and I brought my own designs to this website. The store is not flawless, but it is new. My designs are completely my own, though. Once I was comfortable trying different materials and drawing out my concepts, the joy I have from what I am creating is so much more intense than it was when I followed a pattern.

You see, it is more than just pride in my work. Which is important when you are creating original art. Whether it is the written words of an author, lyricist, or poet, the words are from the dreams. If your medium is paint, fabric, yarn or thread, the beauty of what you create is visually representing the dreams of your heart. If you create jewellery, and design it as I do, your dreams become tangible and visual. All of these forms of creativity are capable of bringing your dreams to life, and most importantly, the inspirations you have will certainly be able to inspire others to chase their own dreams.

When you find the sparkle in your eye, people respond.

I have been asked in the last few years about my motivations, and the resolution I have had to push my own boundaries. The fuel I talked about earlier is igniting progress, but it also lends itself to your energy in your heart. I can tell you that when it starts, it is a little spark inside, and people see the twinkle turn into a bubbly glow and they realize they are seeing something happen right before their own eyes. It is contagious, and other people want to know how to find this in their own lives.

In summary, this is a taste of what you can expect to read, in more detail, in my #Tishspiration book. I can’t wait to share it to help more people to find that little spark in their own lives. Once you get a feel for it, you want to keep it going, and it will change your life. As a result of reading my next book, you will gain the knowledge you need to start carving your own path to claiming your dreams.

Did you find this post helpful? What stage of your life are you in right now? Surviving or living to your greatest potential, out loud and in full colour? Are you lost in one of the steps outlined above? Please leave your comments below. I love to brainstorm, and if you are stuck, maybe I can help you find your way.Who knows, you just might surprise yourself!

#Tishspiration

Weekend Warrior #65 Cleaning House

Weekend Warrior #65 Cleaning House

by | Mar 3, 2019 | Weekend Warrior

It is time. Time for me to get serious about cleaning my house this weekend. Being at home all the time, you would think I had all the time I wanted to clean my house now. Since I don’t like cleaning, this is not the case. However, I can totally appreciate how nice everything is when I am finished, the clean smell, the orderliness of things. I find myself at times doing everything I can to avoid unpleasant tasks. Sometimes doing the bare minimum is all I have in me to do!

On occasion, I get on a roll with cleaning, and I just go at it until I run out of steam. Subsequently, the problem with this method is that it takes time to build up the gumption to start after it is left for too long. Since there are different styles of cleaning, some are popular, and some are effective. I am trying to work on a schedule for cleaning my home, just like I am working on my writing career.

The different methods.

Popular methods of cleaning vary between different sources. I have a home organization challenge I am holding as the gold standard. Toni Hammersley is the creator of A Bowl Full of Lemons, a very useful resource of helpful information for cleaning, organizing and decorating your home.
She has books and printable documents to help you achieve your goals. She has a very active facebook group and I recommend looking it up and joining not just for cleaning, but also for ideas to help you clean and organize. If you are looking for the best spring cleaning challenge out there, this is what you want to check out.

Most importantly, I want to finish it this year. The cleaning I am working on this weekend is actually preparation for the deep clean in this style.

Marie Kondo is currently very popular. If you have seen anything referring to sparking joy, that is her method for decluttering your spaces. For example, it means that when you hold an item and it does not spark joy, you are to let it go. On the other hand, if it does, then you are to keep it. It is an interesting method, which might relate loosely to the Clean Sweep shows which were popular years ago.

Another cleaning method is by the fly lady. For busy people, a few minutes here and there every day will add up to a cleaning routine which requires little upkeep. As a result, in the long run, the maintenance of this method allows for cleaning on the fly. Hence the name for the fly lady.

How does cleaning compare to writing?

The thing is, I am an all or nothing person. I need to be all in, or I don’t bother with a lot of things. Changing how I approach cleaning and writing will be necessary so that I am able to adjust. As a result, I need to schedule blocks of time for each activity because I need to make them a part of every day. In addition, once I am able to manage this, I will create some positive habits to follow.

Realistically, for me, it is easier to think about these things than it is to plan them. In an effort to avoid having to overcome writer’s block, writing on a regular basis will instill the need to write every day. If I need to skip a day, it is not a big deal, as long as I go back and write the following day. This also relates to the Trim Healthy Mama Plan. If you go off the eating plan, you can correct it by going back on plan in three hours. A book is not written in one sitting, and this is something which is helping me with the thought process of a cleaning and writing schedule.

Writing Habits

If I clean for one hour, I should write for one hour. Adapting to working from home is something new to me, and if I start setting up my schedule early in the process, I will develop good habits that will make this plan sustainable. Likewise, exercise and sleep are also important to fit in. Breaks need to be scheduled to be reasonable. A break can be as long as I want it to be. This could be troublesome if it is left to chance. I can be distracted when I am not focusing on the time or what I am supposed to be doing.

If you are new to writing, the habit of five minutes, every day is how to start. For instance, I sit and hammer out on the keys whatever I am writing on when I write. I need to get things going but realize I will never accomplish either goal without making time for other projects.

When I am really in the creativity zone, I can become very involved with projects. It is hard for me to focus, sometimes so when I do, I can lose track of time when I am being creative. This can work against me if I am needing to split my time between different projects. Deadlines are also a concern, for the reason that they will force me to focus on the task I am working on. As a result, other projects are left aside, even if they are just as important to get completed. It is good to have a deadline to encourage me to complete projects.

What is your cleaning schedule like? Do you have a preferred method to share? Please leave a comment so that maybe we can improve upon our own strengths, and eliminate the weak points.