Finding Inspiration in the Exotic and The Mundane

Have you ever pointed out that when you finally pay attention to your intuition and commit to something that might not actually be so convenient or an easy task to do, you somehow unleash creative and synchronistic energies that move you forward in your mission in life? The sheer trust that people invest this unseen support from the universe takes courage, nonetheless it brings so much meaning and link with our lives. Unforeseen events happen which once you look back, make perfect sense in the scheme of things, but you aren't sure how at the time. I remember such an experience not so way back when, when I felt I was at an unknown and frankly unwelcome crossroads in my own life.

Wanderlust invariably precedes many journeys, which was no exception. Occasionally the destination you've chosen to explore, beckons you in a daydream or a captivating thought. I had an unusual bout of restlessness that needed attention. The months preceding this trip were flat and uneventful and I was just plodding on, struggling to perform my debut book Corporate Head, Spiritual Heart. The flow of creativity was blocked by way of a razor sharp inner critique that stifled any progress with the taunt, 'it's not good enough' which grew louder and louder until I couldn't even put pen to paper.

Strangely when Additional hints sat waiting for my very late client, I experienced an extremely powerful connection, a sort of inner knowing, that the solution to my difficulty lay in the photo of the hush remoteness of the backwaters of Kerala which grabbed my attention as I flicked through a yoga magazine. A gentle tug at my soul, which defied any logical explanation. Yet I did so not question it.

On the facial skin of it, I could not need chosen a worst time to travel as my coaching schedule was so hectic and I had meetings prearranged with important movers and shakers in my industry which had taken so much energy to arrange. It all seemed a little crazy, this whim of mine and ordinarily I would never have imagined cancelling so many work opportunities. Yet I was sure it was the proper move to make and I hoped a change of scene would give me a respite from this feeling of despondency.

I had not been disappointed. The large thatched boat was my sheltering shepherd on the soothing backwaters. The talented resident cook up to speed thoroughly spoiled me with delicious South Indian meals, looking forward to me to devour after my leisurely visits to the compact villages on the banks. One encounters the deepest section of the night here - bright stars abound to the unadulterated splendour of a moonless darkness. A sense of being naked isn't uncommon. The contrast during the day was beautiful. The river and sky were all one colour - the shade of moonstone. All around the palm trees surrounded the paddyfields. Over everything hung a massive silence and in this space my mood was deeply reflective and quite unexpectedly joyous. As my spirit soared, those stiff, creaky floodgates opened and refreshing ideas just flowed out from my grateful soul when i wrote chapter after chapter all night with the aid of several white wicker candles.

I marvelled at the quality and depth of thoughts and insights I received concerning the far removed subject of corporate masks and executive stress in this sacred realm. It really is as though everything comes alive when you tap into this heightened consciousness - for creativity and spirituality are synonymous. Whatever its form, spiritual awareness stuns the curious mind using its brilliance, its kinship with the supernatural. It was a profound experience. Perhaps there was some truth in the common reference to India as a 'land of magic'. It really is as if there's a genuine energy zone that's conducive to mystical experiences. Hard to spell it out, but I got a strong sense in me of several worlds in precarious co-existence: the partition between the seen and the unseen worlds could very well be paper thin. What made it even more remarkable, was how this natural connection we all have with the healing forces of nature as well as the divine, had unlocked the barrier gate that had slammed shut inside me. It had lovingly melted that inner critique which was blocking my path and holding me back in my work. As check here drifted along in a slow, steady pace, I was gently letting go layer by layer all of those niggling doubts and draining fears and found a place of peace within myself. A comforting trust in the universal plans for me personally begun to take direction and I knew I was given what I needed the most at the moment - equanimity. A wonderful internal transformation had occurred in a very short time.

I left with a sense of deep respect forever on earth, a love of God and a renewed sense of purpose holding a completed manuscript in my own hand. Something had stirred in my own blood, awakening my senses to the inspiration around me. This is what I so desperately wanted to get back with me and I wondered how I possibly could possibly adjust now to the ordinariness of my entire life, after this type of rich sensory and spiritual discovery.

Actually, it would be a grave mistake to believe that we need to travel for miles to exotic lands to locate and seek out inspiration. There are gifts and clues all over - we just need to open our eyes and senses to opportunities for creative inspiration. It really is helpful to be aware of where we get our resources of inspiration. I have a kid like curiosity about things or individuals who are completely different from me or my world. Meeting people who have an unusual ancestry, meditating by a river, exploring Egyptian historic artifacts in the British Museum and trying on ornate and exquisite antique jewellery, are some of the items that refresh and stimulate my mind. As does playing football with my three year old nephew and enjoying a white tea ceremony with my Japanese friends. I see it as an investment of my time because my spirit will probably be worth nurturing. This is a type of celebration, gratitude and receiving from the universe, otherwise we can feel burnt out, jaded as well as cynical about life.

It is critical to our well being to search out new ways of staying fresh also to be considered a possibility thinker so that we are able to manifest rich and fulfilling life experiences. Perhaps you have noticed that when you are inspired and deeply touched by something, your spirit grows larger than the obstacle or problem? Once we follow our inspiration, which in many ways is really a call to growth and learning, we get transformed by it.

Often our inspiration comes in a size too big for us and resistance and excuses crop up like uncontrollable weeds inside our fertile minds and we find yourself rationalizing away our best ideas. One's capacity for scepticism is endless, and I've learned to risk moving in the suggested direction; I've found that when I have a risk, providence moves in with incredible speed, and there also is apparently a noticeable guidance which people might call the "still, inner voice". Then i find that my hunches, urges, intuitions become far more acute and uncanny coincidences start showing up. Like I just 'happen' to bump into my long lost student friend at a party, who became my fabulous editor. After rejecting several book cover designs by 'experts' in the field, my 16 year old niece 'happens' to require a favour and mentions a name of a fellow student who is a whiz kid at graphical design and who ends up producing the most surreal and eye-catching, book cover design for me personally.

I have always been blessed with the support of creative friends around me who'll endorse that this synchronicity is actually happening; otherwise it really is amazing how selective amnesia in our busyness can bury the real creative gems. In ways, I regard these 'coincidences' as forms of subtle, yet powerful interventions of the divine hand helping us find our purpose in life. A loving nudge in the proper direction.

I also remind myself of how good I felt when I've followed through with my ideas during the past and how things just fell into place when I took that first rung on the ladder. Exactly like when I booked my flight to India. It had been easier to enjoy the journey as I had not been caught up in concentrating on a successful outcome. I never really expected to be writing anything on that trip; not going right through the torture of writers block. Funny how switching off, actually switches on our creativity. Motivational Coaching 'lets just see what happens' mind frees you up to discover new ideas.

We all have been inherently linked to divine creativity. I don't really feel that people are separated from the divine. To be human after all is to be an all natural creator. We are all blessed with this gift to co-create with this maker. Probably the most valuable question we can be asking ourselves regularly is 'How am i going to inspire myself next?. The answers will open up unexplored vistas so that you can enjoy. Your fertile imagination will lead you to so many possibilities which could powerfully transform you as well as this amazing planet we live in. Of course, you can find those visionary, caring individuals in this world that are called to harness this creative force for the higher good for all. To create a real difference that will last for generations ahead. Could see your face be you?

Kahlil Gibran, the Prophet, guides us beautifully when he wrote," Work is love made visible." If you have not already done so, it is time for you to get in touch with your purpose and your inherent creativity and make your projects, your love made visible.

Shilpa Unalkat is the Managing Director of Staflow Ltd, a corporate coaching and personal development organisation. She holds a Diploma in Psychotherapy & Hypnotherapy and is really a certified Master NLP & Time Line Practitioner. E-mail; Shilpa@staflow.com

She is the writer of the much acclaimed book ?Corporate Head, Spiritual Heart? obtainable in all good bookstores and on her website [1]. This can be a must have book if you are wondering if there is more alive than this; if you want more meaning and satisfaction in your projects; in order to change direction, but just can?t find out what else that can be done; if you want to make a difference in this world, but don?t know where to begin; if you are sick and tired of the mind games, greed and the corporate mask; and if you intend to be true to yourself and your values in life.

Shilpa offers powerful one-to-one coaching in addition to group workshops that focus on developing leadership skills predicated on emotional and spiritual intelligence. She also delivers high impact talks to organisations worldwide.