When I take a walk, I take photos of the things that capture my attention. I’m amazed at all of the new things I see on the very same walk I take several times a week.

These photos are clues to what’s going on inside of me, just below the surface of my consciousness awareness.

This week, as I slogged through my days, I asked myself what I wanted to do — not what I had to do, but what I wanted to do.

It’s a true luxury to be able to ask these things.

While it’s not a luxury to be without the income I had when visitors were here buying my art, time is a true luxury.

As a result, I’ve been painting, writing, and reading more. The paintings have a new and different quality to them.

Thoughts of old creative ideas have bubbled up to the surface again, bringing joy with them.

I’ve begun to work on a Coloring Story Book that’s been languishing in the clouds for six years!

I’m glad I had as much of it done before I stopped. Now, with fresh eyes and renewed enthusiasm, I’m ready to play with it again.

Two other coloring or storybook ideas have jumped back into my life with an eagerness I wasn’t expecting.

The weird thing is that these ideas jump in whenever there’s a lull in my attention. Heck, they jump in whenever they want to. It’s up to me to take note before they jump back out of my awareness!

These are difficult times for all of us to varying degrees and for a variety of reasons.

The lean years, the tough times can either wear us down or build our resilience.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. You can begin with simply noticing what’s around you, what’s capturing your attention, and where your curiosity takes you.

This is the time to “Hitch Up to Your Own Special Star”.

We might have, in the past, tried to “Hitch Up” to someone else’s star, and while that might have been the right thing to do then (emphasis on the word might), it’s clear now that listening to our own inner wisdom is a much better idea.

We each have a guiding star within. Follow that star, Your Star.

Sometimes I get lost — not physically lost, I live on an island for goodness sake! I get emotionally lost.

Does that sound weird? It feels weird. How old do I have to be before I always remember “who I am” — on the inside?

I know I’m lost when I forget how to have fun, or what makes me feel good about myself and about life in general.

I get lost when I over-think or over-work or over-worry about anything.

Worry is a product of trying to control life. Control is tricky. It can be a verb or a noun, sometimes it’s “good” and sometimes “not so good”.

Self-control might be the only kind of control we actually have, and that’s not even always true.

We might like to think we can control outcomes. We can’t, not really.

Hopefully, we know we can’t control others! Although that doesn’t stop people from trying!

All we can hope to control is our response or reaction to the world around us.

My antidote to getting lost is to look for the ever-present magic and mystery in life and to share it with others. These are some of the talismans I keep to remind me that all of life is magical.

Forgetting that magic and mystery ARE ever-present is fatal to my well-being, and, I suspect, to that of others.

I find the magic and mystery in life when I remember to look!

Last week, when I felt lost, I asked IWS what to paint. She suggested I paint the energy of “Beauty, Magic, Mystery, and Joy”.

I gathered all the magical objects I’ve been saving — the kinds of things that evoke questions or are beautiful in and of themselves (at least to me).

Then I closed my eyes and waited to see what my mind’s eye suggested.

This involves getting out of the way and trusting that whatever comes to mind is the “right” thing to paint.

My “Hide-N-Seek” painting process is perfect for this magical task and the painting was begun.

“Beauty, Magic, Mystery, and Joy” has been evolving for the past two weeks.

I remind myself often to “only paint what I know to paint”. This means I take my time to “Stop, Look, and Listen” to my painting between brushstrokes.

Part of painting magic and mystery is to not “over explain.”

That way the viewer can find their own levels of mystery and magic within the painting.

Once you find your magic and mystery in my paintings, please email me to tell me what you’ve found: patrice@artofaloha.com

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.