I broke a tooth last week — no pain, just a broken tooth; so I went to the dentist.

When I arrived, I was asked to sign a warranty. I haven’t had major dental work done in years so this was new to me.

The warranty included stipulations about the patient holding up their end of the bargain — like having check-ups twice a year.

This got me thinking about having my own personal warranty.

How do I ensure that my outlook stays “sunny” or that my body functions optimally? What good habits do I have in place and what habits might need updating?

My morning ritual is to read something uplifting and then to write in my journal. I've recently added writing to my Inner Wise Self as well.

After that my days are a bit scattered. No two days are alike. Some days I teach in the morning, some days I teach in the afternoons. Some days I sell art at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Some days I run errands, or have a coaching call, or do paperwork, or marketing.

How would it feel to create a tighter schedule for myself? "Scary, icky, no thank you", are my initial reactions.

I have lots of excuses for NOT creating a tight schedule: I like my freedom; I prefer to “go with the flow”; I don’t like being hemmed in; I’m a “Horse” (Chinese Astrology) and a quadruple Aquarian (Western Astrology).

I believe in small changes, so I’ll start small. I'll begin by setting my timer so that I don’t spend more than 20 minutes at a time on email or Facebook.

WIN! I can do that easily!

Another change I can make is to consciously set intentions for myself, both for the entire day and for short segments of time throughout the day.

For example, I intend to paint with abandon and joy in my heart. OR I intend to feel joyful as I do x, y, and z (those tasks less fun than painting).

Setting intentions creates a roadmap for the day.

By consciously setting our intentions, we have increased awareness of the processes in which we engage.

Set your intentions in the present tense. Start with the way you intend to feel today, or the way you’ll feel when a task in front of you is completed. Focus on whichever of those feelings feels best.

Intentions can be a bit of a reach, but only a bit. You want them to be believable!

Now that the Art of Aloha Cruise: Discovering Paradise Inside and Out is open for sign-up, we're beginning to set our intentions for the cruise — private, personal, and group intentions.

The energy is building to make this an exciting journey for all of us.

There's room and time for you to join us. Click HERE to download the pdf file of information. Fill out the last two pages and follow the directions to enroll. Please email me if you have any questions. Please note: To fill in the registration form on a computer you will need to use Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) or Adobe Acrobat.

‘Luke, come to the Dark Side.’ ~ (my memory of Darth Vader enticing Luke)

Those words echo in my head each time I face a painting that needs dark colors.

In the beginning, the painting is meant to be mostly light and medium tones

Dark colors provide contrast, interest, intrigue, and excitement to our work.

Adding the darks to our paintings can be SCARY!

It’s scary and it’s exciting and it makes a HUGE difference in our paintings.

If the dark color is “perfect” when we paint it, it’s probably too light. If it looks “too dark”, it might just be perfect!

Scare yourself just a little bit. Add dark colors & the difference is immediate. It’s hard to appreciate the edge of darkness when we’re scared.

Noticing that we’re scared is the first step to shifting into action. Fear lives right next door to Excitement.

Move from fear to excitement by breathing into your fear. Inhale and feel the feeling rise from your belly to your chest (your heart center).

Remember that if the painting isn’t finished, or if you’re not happy with it — if you don’t like it — it isn’t finished. You’ve got nothing to lose by adding darks. 

If you don't like your painting, what's in front of you is just a piece of paper!

Still mostly light and medium tones, with definition added

Remind yourself that no one will die if you add darks to your painting. You'll likely energize your painting by adding dark colors.

Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are “plunging into darkness” (on so many levels I’ve lost count — mostly I refer to winter).

Darkness is scary because we don’t know what it holds. 

Winter is a time of rest and of letting the ground lie fallow.

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It’s a time for us to ease up, maybe just a little bit, maybe take a nap, and certainly to reflect on all that we’ve done this past year. 

It’s also a time to plan ahead and to set our intentions for next year.

What is it you most want to see, do, or BE next year? What would light up your life and energize you?

If you want to relax, feel great, enjoy life, see the world through fresh eyes, and spark your creativity, join me on Art of Aloha's 8-day cruise through the Hawaiian Islands August 4–11, 2018. Come Discover Paradise, Inside and Out. Click here to receive first dibs on the great Balcony Cabins!