A borrowed post about the word SPARK

As I've mentioned, SPARK is a word I will focus on in 2010. As I've also mentioned, Christine Kane is my new favorite blogger. Although she's not new at blogging she is new to me. Here we are on New Year's Day and I found this post on her blog from a year and a half ago. I enjoyed it. You may too.

22 Sparkly Ways to Shine your Inner Bling

July 2nd, 2008 by Christine Kane

Sometimes you want lots o’ bling. Sometimes a little bit goes a long way.

You never need bling, though.

Trust me on this.

I’ve performed over 1500 shows in my career. And I’ve learned that your shine has very little to do with what’s on the outside and everything to do with what’s on the inside.

No matter what they say on What Not to Wear, authentic bling comes from deep within. It comes from a life of purpose, happiness, peace, action, and stillness.

Here are 22 ways to get that shine, sparkle, and bling from the inside out:

1 – Start everything with intention

Inner bling comes from knowing why you do what you do and who you want to be. Intention is a simple way of getting centered before you begin any activity or show up for any event or write any email or blog. Intention sets your energy. Your energy creates your outcomes.

2 – Know your motivations

Why do you do what you do? What’s motivating you?

When you know your motivations, you get clear on how to clean up your core. For instance, early in my music career, I realized that I often acted out of desperation. (Fear of not getting/being enough.) When I saw this, I began to shift away from these choices. My actions got “cleaner.” And the results were more powerful. Sometimes I couldn’t shift. I was stuck. But it helped to recognize the motivation and be kind to myself once I realized that I wanted to come from a clearer place.

3 – Forgive yourself your fears

We all have them. We’ve all gone through them. Be kind to yourself about your fears. Then, take action anyway.

4 – Eat more greens

Physical health is the best bling of all. Take time to learn how to create healthy meals of mostly vegetables and fruits. Eliminate processed foods as much as possible.

5 – Make a “Here’s What I Love” list

Fun is imperative for shiny bling. The problem is that we often don’t know what we love to do. It’s typical to think of the usual suspects: going to the movies, getting a pedicure, or going to the beach. But what do you love? Is it ping-pong, NASCAR, gardening? Make your own list so you can always refer to it and add to it.

6 – Do at least 1 item on your “Here’s what I love” list each week.

7 – Take risks

Taking risks gets easier once you take them. Too many people make risk-taking an event. They walk across burning coals, or bungee jump. For me, the biggest risks – the ones that teach me the most – are the quiet daily risks I take. From writing songs, to enrolling in an on-line course, to trying a new blog idea. These risks build that muscle inside of me slowly.

Walking across hot coals is fine. But it’s a lot like deciding to get in shape, and then lifting 100 pounds all at once. It’s the constant practice of something that teaches you how to do it and how to be bling-y all over.

8 – Laugh more

The more you laugh, the more bling you get. Make time for friends who make you laugh.

9 – Get a dog

Or a cat. Pets teach you how to be in your heart space. They teach unconditional love. I found my dog just after I committed to healing depression once and for all. She has been one of my greatest healers.

10 – Sleep when you’re tired

This might seem like a no-brainer. But I’ve worked with hundreds of people at my retreats and in my e-Seminars on this. So many of them will keep going and going, trying to function when they’re exhausted. They usually end up eating junk food or watching hours of television, rather than giving their body what it really needs – rest.

11 – Get moving

Regular work-outs are one of the best ways to get bling.

According to one study, when you do a 30-minute cardio work-out: “2 – 3 pounds are lost from sweat, 70% of muscle fibers are working (up from 5 – 50% at rest); increased blood flow to brain heightens alertness; endorphin rush reduces anxiety and boosts moods.” Lifting weights keeps me in an elevated and peaceful mood all day.

12 – Say no unless it’s an absolute and pure YES

I get many emails from people who have been to one of my retreats or participated in the e-Seminar. They thank me for giving them permission to begin saying no to everything that’s not an absolute yes in their schedule or in their environment. I learned it from Cheryl Richardson. I get to pass it on now that I’ve been practicing for many years.

13 - Create a Vision Board

14 – Break up with your television

Or at least, just turn off the cable. TV is an energy suck. It will dull your bling.

15 – Clean up your physical space

16 – Stand naked in front of the mirror every morning and say, “Damn, I love myself!”

Hey. Don’t knock it til you try it.

17 – Watch your Language

18 – Revel in your imperfections

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that my friend Joy hangs up on me almost every single time she calls me. She simply can’t do technology. She’s a disaster on the computer. And last week, she snipped the chord to her iPod headphones with her gardening shears. The best thing, though, is to hear her laugh at herself each time some new mini-disaster happens. She revels in her own imperfections. And she is definitely bling-y.

We all have our areas of imperfections. Forgive yourself, and keep on doing it. Anything worth doing is worth doing. You’ll get the hang of it.

19 – Be totally present to the one you’re with

Your attention is gold sparkly rhinestone bling. Your attention is incredibly powerful. It is a gift to you and to anyone who spends time with you. Be present – fully present – to anyone you spend your time with.

20 – Read for fun

When you’ve got a good book to read at the end of the day, you always have something to look forward to no matter what happens.

21 – Go on retreat

My friend Joy does a silent retreat at least three times a year. She swears that it’s the secret to her blingy-ness. I believe that any kind of intentional retreat can do the trick. Silent retreats. Yoga retreats. Meditation retreats. Or even Great Big Dreams Retreats!

22 – Decide to be bling-y

Sometimes, it just comes down to making the choice to shine no matter what.