Thought Changer

What's in Your Realm of Possibility?

By Cindy Yantis

During a recent cocktail discussion with a friend we got on the topic of travelling and living abroad; I mentioned that at some point in my life I'd like to live in a small town in France. "It's definitely in the realm of possibility," I said.

Later I got to thinking about the Realm of Possibility and what a powerful place that is.  I picture a place of vibrant color, of swirling thoughts and images, of forward moving energy that is at once knowing and brave as it forges toward the unknown, of leaping without fear and without a net.  A place where yes rules and no is not part of the vernacular, where ideas spawn action.  A place where a sense of quiet and calm lives amidst the questions and on the precipice of possible becoming probable becoming actual.

The Realm of Possibility.  To my way of thinking it's one of the most powerful phrases we can use when stating the desire for something to happen.  And, the opposite statement is just as powerful.  If we say that something is "outside the realm of possibility," that statement in itself makes it impossible.  

• Believe in the possibilities - putting definitive conviction behind your possibilities sets the intention for fruition. 

 

"I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible." Alicia Nash, A Beautiful Mind

• Stay out of lack or negative mindset - the moment you label your possibilities as romantic notions or outlandish dreams they lose their place in the realm.

Pay attention to the mind chatter and thoughts that surface after placing a desire in the realm.  It's within your power to change your mindset back to one of possibility. 

• Your word is your wand - mind your language around your desires.  When you recognize the magic that can happen behind words full of intention you won't waste them on nugatory and pessimistic idioms.
• Keep the flow moving - there's no end to the realm.  In fact, it's an ever expanding dimension that becomes more powerful the more it's infused with possibility.  

I don't know about you but I'd much rather live in the Realm of Possibility than outside of it.  I'll meet you there.  We'll have coffee.

 

Cindy Yantis is the Thought Changer Blog owner & curator.  She is a writer living in Los Angeles.  For more info: CindyYantis.com

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Let's Make it a Happy NOW Year

By Cindy Yantis

A spider dangling from the ceiling.  That's what I woke up to on the first day of 2012.  My first instinct was to grab a magazine nearby and eliminate the unsuspecting offender, which is what I would have unconsciously done in the past.  But, based on the title of this article, I decided to take said magazine and guide the daddy-longlegs outside, releasing it to the wonders beyond. But, this cousin of Charlotte was having no part of it.  I lost track of it and found it scrambling back up its invisible web strand toward the ceiling.  There was something frantic about the way it ran for its life so I let it go as its spindly legs carried it off into the concaves of my house.  We made a silent agreement to live and let live. 

It got me thinking about how bold and fresh 2012 is going to be.  And, Charlotte's cousin allowed me my first act of making this a NOW year, rather than just a new year.  Changing the unconscious to the conscious and moving from the past or present to the now.

I had the divine pleasure of being with Marianne Williamson as she brought in 2012 at the Saban Theatre in LA.  There was something about being part of a collective consciousness - she was also streaming globally - that was more powerful and impressive than being alone while releasing 2011 and setting intention for 2012; impressive in that when her words reflected the many minds that were present with her, the impression was deeper and more active, collectively.  She talked about how giving yourself amnesty for all past misgivings, old stories and transgressions allows cause to reach into effect.  The effect being a new perspective in 2012 with a power of grace and presence of mind. 

Truly living in the now.   

So, how to make it NOW year?  Here are some thoughts to get your juices going:

• Give yourself a 2012 theme - annual themes are great to keep you motivated on your intentions for the year.  To keep you in a NOW year, use the theme as an anchor to bring you into the present moment, as a constant reminder.  My theme for 2012 is "Bold Visibility."  What's yours?
• Be awake - practice keeping all of your senses alive and stimulated by experiencing what life has to offer every day.  Don't be passive, be active in your own life.
• Keep connected - maintaining an open pipeline with God and a communal connection with others can be a vital way of taking you out of your fear and expectation and into the now.  
• Don't look back - the pesky past is the fastest way to take us out of the now.  The ego grasps onto old stories stuck in our subconcious that holds us back from the most magnificent now.  When you encounter gossip, or negativity, or complaints that stem from past beliefs try saying "That's so 2011!"  It sends the clear message that you're living in the now and holding yourself accountable for staying there.  

Living in the now is the only path toward living the life you're meant to live.

2012 is a powerful year for all of us.  Now is the time to give yourself the freedom to be all you're meant to be.

Happy NOW Year!

 

You may publish or re-post this article with the following credit:

Cindy Yantis is the Thought Changer Blog owner & curator.  She is a writer living in Los Angeles.  For more info: CindyYantis.com

 

The Power of the Seed

By Cindy Yantis

It was announced in Variety last week that the Tony Award winning play, The Normal Heart, is finally being made into a film, and with no less than the brilliant Ryan Murphy directing.  I found this news particularly exciting because I witnessed firsthand the very beginning of the fast moving surge that's culminating with the film.  

My friend, actor and producer David Youse, had the spark of an idea to bring Larry Kramer's 1985 masterpiece back to life for its 25th Anniversary.  He had Mr. Kramer's blessing, then hired Oscar & Tony winner Joel Grey (that's David and Joel to the right) to direct a star studded reading at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles which has raised over $175,000 benefiting several AIDS organizations.

A New York reading starring Glenn Close followed which really created a buzz.  Broadway producer Daryl Roth took the play to Broadway and The Normal Heart won three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Play!

Now the film, which is being produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment. 

It got me thinking about the power of the seed.  I watched the Tony's with David and his joy for all of those involved was palpable.  I thought Ms. Roth should have given a shout out to David in her acceptance speech because her Tony Award never would have happened without David.  He didn't have a role in the Broadway production, which he should have, but it all started with him.  She did thank him privately and told him he was the seed.  Was he ever!  What grew from his generous notion over 18 months ago is truly a spectacular thing.  In my humble opinion, everyone involved in the contining growth of this jewel of a project should know about the seed, their seed. 

It's a good thing to keep in mind as you plant seeds of your own.  You just never know where an idea will take you.  What's important is that you continue to nurture it, to build on it, to share it, to be tenacious in your drive to see it come to fruition.  It's truly thrilling to see what can grow from that initial seed.

Good things are certainly coming to David due to his excellent work, and he's growing new projects as I write this.  A powerful seed can't help himself!  In fact, 2012 marks the 25th Anniversary of Steel Magnolias, and David is producing the comeback of that as well, with a Benefit Reading of Robert Harling's wonderful play, complete with star studded cast and directed by the incomparable Judith Ivey, to raise monies for The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Watch out Broadway.  The seed is on the move!

Ryan Murphy, if you by chance happen to read this, David Youse needs to be a part of your film.  Not only is he a tireless and generous producer, but the seed can act, brilliantly actually.

I'm just sayin'. 

 

If you feel so inclined, please Tweet and Share this around... you never know whose hands it might end up in.  Would love to see credit given where credit is due!

 

You may publish or re-post this article with the following credit:

Cindy Yantis is the Thought Changer Blog owner & curator.  Cindy is a career architect, helping people build careers they love.  She guides clients through personal and social branding, and career reinvention.  Cindy is a writer for hire, screenwriter & author.

 

How to Never, Ever Give Up

When Madonna appeared on one of Oprah’s last shows this week, that’s what she said we’ve learned from Oprah, “Never. Ever. Give. Up.”

Ironically, I’ve been gathering notes for this article for the last few days because this phrase has been popping into my consciousness a lot lately.   A profile in MORE Magazine on first time novelist, Kathryn Stockett, The Help, carried as its theme, “Don’t Give Up.”  Stockett received, amazingly, 60 rejections over a three-year period until a wise agent picked up her manuscript and proceeded to sell it in three weeks time!  People told her she was crazy, to move on to something else.  But, she never gave up.  Ever.   She kept revising, submitting, revising, and submitting.    There are numerous stories like this, from Thomas Edison to Henry Ford, to Diane von Furstenberg, to J.K. Rowling, where the odds were stacked against success, and success still came after perseverance and tenacity on the part of the never-giver-upper, even many times what others might consider failure.  After failure.  Henry Ford said, "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely."

And, then a quote from Hilary Clinton got me thinking about how, if you really listen to your own voice, we are truly meant to never, ever give up.  She said, “Americans have always risen to the challenge.  It’s in our DNA. We believe there are no limits on what is possible or what we can achieve.”  This isn’t limited to Americans; we as humans have it within our code to never give up.  There are likely times you can think of when you felt like giving up, or quitting when it because too much of a challenge.  I know I have. 

So, how to never give up? 

• The first step is to take the time to recognize the power of your own yearning and will to achieve, whether it’s a writing project, a new product or business venture, a huge dream to make a difference in the non-profit world, a goal to end an injustice that you’re passionate about, a momentous climb up the corporate ladder, whatever the case may be, being cognizant of your unending desire to make it happen is a big part of the success story.
• Change your mind set about failure, by referring to what you had thought of in that light, as a lesson to how you will do it differently next time.  After every occurrence, or lack thereof, take stock of what you learned. 
• Don’t get set on what the end result is supposed to look like.  Your ultimate situation may look entirely different than what you imagined it to be.  Be open to the magic of the unknown.
• Find comfort in the idea that time is not against you.  I’m not suggesting you not set goals with deadlines.   But, rather the bigger Time is always with you, in other words things happen in the right time, for you.  If you can release the ticking clock it frees you to see an opportunity that you may be blind to if your eye is constantly on the clock.  Imagine standing in front of rosebud and yelling, “Bloom! Now!”   I know; silly right?
• Do it every day.  Chip away at your vision, a little every day.  Make a call, write a page, do some research, send a note, jog a mile, every day.  Don’t let the ember of your inner fire extinguish because you decide to quit, if in fact your voice still tells you this is what you really want.
• Create a vision board or wish list.  Be very explicit, put it away and come back to it often.  It’s a simple but powerful reminder.
• Engage with like-minded folks in your passion.  Sharing time and thoughts with those on the same journey keeps you in, keeps you fresh.
• Be like Nike.  Just do it.  You owe it to yourself to do nothing less.

And, Never. Ever. Give. Up. 

You may publish or re-post this article with the following credit:

Cindy Yantis is the Thought Changer Blog owner & curator.  Cindy is a Career Architect, helping people build careers they love.  She guides clients through personal branding, career reinvention, leadership coaching and how to own the room.  Cindy is also a writer for hire, screenwriter & author.

Life is a River

“President Obama is in town.”  Seems a simple enough statement.  But, when you live in Los Angeles, it sparks a murmur, at times a roar, of discussions about a topic that can bring on a blood-pumping debate in the lives of Los Angelinos.

Traffic.

Roads are closed.  Detours abound.  And, tempers needlessly flare.  Traffic flow stops flowing.

Or does it?  Doesn’t the flow just change direction?  Those who “go with the flow”, planning for and accepting what is, will be able to deal with the new traffic flow with reasonable ease and diminished aggravation.

It reminded me of a Colorado whitewater rafting trip a few years ago.   During the mini-prep session prior to the romp down the rapids, our guide helped us don our life jackets, coached us as much as possible on what might confront us: “lean into the raft”, “don’t fight the wave by leaning away from it”, etc.  But, when our raft banked a huge boulder in the midst of an angry rapid, I did just that, leaned away from the danger instead of rolling with the movement of the boat.  I fell out, crashing to the bottom of the river against the rocks.  In that split second, I remembered his last instruction, “If you fall out, relax your body and don’t fight the water. Relax and go with the flow.”   Oddly, in the throes of adrenaline-racing action, my body did calm and I was easily lifted back to safety.  

In many ways, life is like that river.  Rivers are powerful and rich forces of nature that surge with purpose toward their ultimate destination, usually a larger body of water.  The course of the river is called its path, and along the path are calm pools of water; swampy marshes; shallow, rocky streams; rough rapids and waterfalls that cascade the river and all that goes with it to another level, all still in search of that final destination.

The particles and inhabitants of the river understand its flow and current, travelling with the ebb and tide as obstacles enter the river path.  

A purposeful life, in flow, has the same attributes.  I’m not talking about conformity or status quo here, but rather the sense of peace and release that comes from surrendering to the organic flow of your life and the unknown circumstances you encounter each day.  When I’ve felt most centered in my life and most sure in my choices was when things flowed easily from one event to the next, like liquid.  It’s also when I’ve felt the most “on purpose.” 

How do you live a life like a river?  Here are a few thoughts to get you started:

• You may not be able to control your external environment at times, but you can control your reaction to your environment.  Act like a duck in that water and let it roll off your back.  Don’t fret over what you can’t control.  Ask yourself, “is there something I can do about what is happening out there?” If not, let it go.
• Pay attention to your body’s response to your own actions and decisions.  If the rapids start to roll in your belly, chances are it’s a decision or action you want to take another look at.  That’s your intuition speaking to you about what’s right for you.
• Get back to what you love.  When you focus on what you love to do and whom you love to be with, the flow rises up to meet you. 

“Love is like a river that drowns the tender reed.” ~ from The Rose

• Be in gratitude.  When you project gratitude for what’s working in your life, more of the same flows back to you.
• Set clear intention for your desired destinations along your life path.  When your sights are set toward those destinations, the flow surges forward forcefully. 
• Embrace the detours.  Rivers have numerous branches and streams.  It’s the same with life.  Sometimes the detours bring new and more interesting choices.  It could lead to a watershed event in your life!

So, when life throws you a curve or forces a detour, remember the river.  Relax and go with the flow.

You may publish or re-post this article with the following credit:

Cindy Yantis is the Thought Changer Blog owner & curator.  Cindy is a Career Architect, helping people build careers they love.  She guides clients through personal branding, career reinvention, leadership coaching and how to own the room.  Cindy is also a writer for hire, screenwriter & author.

Think Acceptance - Not Resignation

One expands your energy, the other puts a lid on it.  Guess which is which. 

I had a discussion with some friends yesterday about phrases we habitually use, whether they are thought connectors, or simply phrases that fill the space.  Words like "right", or "like", or "exactly."  A phrase that I have used and have started to use again is "it is what it is."   I had even included it in an article a long time ago as an example of an equalizer in a difficult management moment, an momentary acceptance if you will.

But, now I realize it's more a phrase of resignation, of resigning to a less than ideal situation or circumstance.  It has shifted my thinking about the notion of acceptance.  The very synonyms of resignation say it all: acquiescence, conformity, long-suffering, uncomplainingness.  That kind of makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.  Whereas to accept means to favor, to respect, to relish and admire or to come to terms with favorable reception and gratitude. 

It's a very simple shift.

Resignation means staying in the struggle and feeling of lack.  Acceptance means respecting what there is and working with it and beyond it with tolerance, respect and love.  I don't mean to sound woo-woo here, but try it on for size.

It will make you think about aging, being in an unsatisfying work environment, not being where you "think" you should be at this stage in your life, body issues, and relationships in a whole new light.

George Orwell said, "Happiness can only exist in acceptance."  Bravo.

I say, acceptance expands your energy, resignation puts a lid on it.

It no longer "is what it is."  I'm taking the lid off.

 

Do Genius and Obsession Walk Hand in Hand?

"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and sensual life." ~ Beethoven

I saw this brilliant show last night at The Ahmanson in LA, the original Broadway cast in the Tony nominated play, "33 Variations."   The story dissects Beethoven's obsession with his composition of 33 variations on Anton Diabelli's waltz, told via a musicologist's own obsession with Beethoven's obsession.  The musicologist was portrayed mesmorizingly by Jane Fonda. 

It got me thinking about how both of their obsessions led to true genius by "33 Variations" playwright Moises Kaufman.

Does obsession lead to genius?  Can it?  If it's channeled in the right way? 

Is it curiosity with purpose, or a need to fill a neverending hole?  Is it ever satisfied?

Dorothy Parker said, "The cure for boredom is curiosity.  There is no cure for curiosity." 

Well, if this is what curiosity leads to obsession leads to genius looks like... I want some.

 

 

It's Finally Leap Year

"It's Finally Leap Year!"  That's what I imagine people born on February 29th say when a leap year comes around and they get to celebrate their true birthday.

Well, it's not technically a leap year, the next one is 2012.  But, this is the phrase that came to mind as I set my theme for 2011. 

I don't like New Year's resolutions.  I prefer setting a slate of clear goals and giving myself an overall theme for the year.  Goals are great because they give you milestones to put into your life GPS for the year. 

But, the theme.  The theme is your undercurrent, your throughline, your foundation or your touchstone for the annual journey.  It's the platform on which you place your goals and it's the glue that keeps them in place as you forge your path.  And, they give an overall meaning and purpose to your plan. 

One of my goals this year is to break through barriers that have held me back in the past.  Writer and dear friend Debra Rogers gave me the book that is the basis for my theme, "It's My Leap Year!"  Written by Gay Hendricks, The Big Leap looks deeply at the barriers that are keeping you from breaking through, what he calls, your Upper Limit so that you're operating in your "zone of genius."   It follows along my theory that glass ceilings are, for the most part, self-imposed.  This book has very clear guidelines on how to break your own glass ceilings and leap to the next level and eventually highest levels you want to reach in your life, career, relatioships, etc.  It's pretty profound!

Plus, it's fun to create your theme! 

In coming up with your theme, look at (or create) your list of goals for the year.  Now think of those goals in terms of being Fearless, Healthy, Authentic, and Abundant.  With those core themes in mind, what phrases or words spring to mind as being an overall throughline for you?

Or think of songs that inspire you.  Come up with a theme song and then let that guide you to setting your annual theme.

You can use mine if you want to hit your higher levels too.  Make it your leap year too!  I'll meet you on there.

(p.s. if you order the book at the link above, I get a few cents!)

How to "Catch and Release" 2010

Imagine pulling up to your house at night.  As you approach, something feels odd, out of place, amiss.  It's dark as the familiar lights on your street guide you along, though you don't notice because you're on automatic pilot.  But, something has changed and your brain can't quite fill in the blanks, so much so that you nearly pass your house entirely until you recognize the Christmas tree in your front window.  You catch yourself at the last minute, so that you're fully alert, no longer on auto-pilot.  You pull into the driveway, get out of the car and cautiously turn back toward the street.  That's when you realize that the 40-year-old California Oak Tree that graced the front of your yard has been chopped.  To the ground.  With barely a stump to recognize its memory. 

That's exactly what happened to me recently.  It was a big beautiful tree owned by the city, a tree with dead limbs that often dropped without warning onto the street and nearby yards.  So, after several inspections the city took it out. 

It took the wind out of me, particularly the next morning when I saw it in the light of day.  It created a huge open space that completely changed the complexion of my landscape as well as my view.   After mourning the loss, it got me thinking about how healthly the open space is now, no longer full of
impending decay and potential catastrophe.  So, I released the dear, old tree and started thinking about what kind of new seedling I can plant in its stead. 

It also got me thinking about applying the same thought to the last year.  The phrase that keeps coming to mind is "catch and release."  It sparked memories of fishing with my dad as a kid when we would spend hours in the early morning quiet, on a calm lake, fishing for trout and Northern pike.  More times than not, we caught the unsuspecting fish, gently removed the hook and then released it back into the water where it swam anew.   It's a great metaphor and exercise for reflecting on 2010, capturing the events, both the good as well as the challenging, and then releasing them, thus creating lots a open space for creation, new adventures and abundance in 2011.

Author and businessman Alan Cohen said, "It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."  

It's a great way to complete the year.  Take a few moments to catch and release 2010.

• Take stock of your environment and make note of what's working and what is not.  You don't need to focus on the bad stuff, but it's healthy to acknowledge what you've come through.  This has been a difficult year for many so take time to celebrate and honor your challenges and the fact that you've conquered some of them!  Acknowledge them and then release!
• Go through your calendar and make note of all of your accomplishments. Los Angeles Life Coach Andrea Quinn calls this the most profound way to create a powerful launching pad to begin the next year.  When you make a complete list of everything you've done in a year's time, it's pretty rewarding.  Remember the little things too.
• Examine your relationships. Where do you stand with your old relationships as well as any new connections you made this year?  When you explore how you're connecting with others, your year takes on a richer tone.  Capture and recollect momentous relationship moments from the year.  What have your learned?  What can you release and what can you carry forward?
• Where have you given?  Take some time to honor your own generosity, and personal philanthropy. They don't have to be major donations of time and money; the small gestures and moments of giving are just as important.

Once you're done with your 2010 "Catch and Release", you will also see, as I did in bidding adieu to my oak tree, how it will shake up your own landscape and allow it to change and renew your view for 2011.

Now go bravely forward, with a clear mind and wide open path before you.  You never know what magic lies ahead!

Happy New Year!

The Impact of Being a Precedent-Setter

"You've been given a great gift, George. The chance to see what the world would be like without you." ~ Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life"

What a great line from an iconic movie.  I saw the Frank Capra film on the big screen for the first time this year at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.  It was such a treat seeing it as a feature film with 300 other rapt moviegoers, popcorn and all.  The comment we made as we left the historic theatre was "they don't make movies like that anymore." 

Then, last night a friend took me to see "West Side Story" at the Pantages Theatre.  It's truly the perfect evening of musical theatre, the brilliant re-telling of Romeo & Juliet set to music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. 

After seeing both of these treasures that have stood the test of time and whose stories still hold up today, it got me thinking about how when they were both made they were original and fresh, truly the exemplars in their arenas, setting a new ideal.  Even though "West Side Story" was an update on Shakespeare's tale, the way it was told made WWS, itself, precedent-setting.  It was done so well that any attempt to re-tell or update its tragic love story would be futile.  The theme behind "It's a Wonderful LIfe" set a precedent that many storytellers have tried to emulate, but none so well as in the black & white original.

It got me thinking about how, in this copycat information-junky society, it's important to remind ourselves that we all are true originals, to set precedents of our own, to be remembered for being unique and for contributing value to the world and to the lives of others, to build a legacy that is ours and ours alone.

• Be yourself, instead of trying to be something or someone else.  Imagine how much more work it takes to keep up the appearances of being someone else inauthentically, rather than in being yourself authentically.
• Chart a fresh course.  Expand your mind and your ideas by trying new things and learning new subjects. Take a class, read an author you're unfamiliar with, skydive, belly dance, snowboard, climb a mountain, camp by the ocean, walk a country mile, buy an espresso machine, learn an obscure foreign language, meditate, sing in public, tour a museum, eat something you've never eaten before, do whatever "charting a fresh course" means to you.
• Make note of original ideas.  By keeping a regular journal or notebook you can keep track of small seeds that are divinely or organically planted in your mind.  Then, go back and expound on them. 
• Pay attention to sparks.  My best ideas have come from paying attention to odd images, interesting words or phrases I read or hear, or a question or need I need answered.  I grab the spark, storing it to chew on later.  Think about Post Its, or paper clips, or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, or "Gone with the Wind."  The spark for the idea came from a need, a twinkling of a thought or a slice-of-life experience.  Pay attention to the sparks.

Establish your own standard to be followed by yourself and others.  Examine the areas of your life and career where you are the example, where others follow your lead.  Where do you set a precedent?  No matter how small it may seem, notice where you are original and unique.  Take some time this weekend before the new year begins and honor your originality.  Many times out of those moments of self-reflection and reverence come more sparks.

Pay attention to the sparks!