Awakened Conscious Conversations
Healing the world one episode at a time by offering realistic solutions to the journey of life. Both self hosted ( By The Gentle Yoga Warrior) and guest episodes.
Many of our guests have overcome significant obstacles and transformed their lives.
Rich with deep talks and solo endeavours, often offering tips on living a more conscious life.
Many episodes include a bonus optional meditation!
Awakened Conscious Conversations
Unlocking Creativity: The Magic of Fiction and Personal Transformation
Have you ever wondered how fiction can unlock your creativity in ways non-fiction never could? Join us as we reignite our passion for the spiritual and magical realms of fictional storytelling, offering a fresh lens through which to view life.
In our journey of self-discovery, we guide you through a transformative exercise that empowers you to challenge and reshape personal beliefs. This episode promises a heartfelt exploration into the magic of fiction, the empowerment of self-discovery, and the cathartic experiences that await when you step beyond the ordinary.
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I'm really getting into reading fiction again and for many years I had a strict diet of reading just self-help books or non-fiction. And don't get me wrong, I still love all that. But there is something absolutely magical about fiction and I'm rediscovering it again and something very spiritual about it as well. Hear me out, because when we watch a movie, we're just shown what to see, yeah, but when we read non-fiction, it's so good for our brain because the brain, like, fills in the gaps. It helps to create imagination in our minds. So every time someone reads a book, they will see it differently, the descriptions will guide the reader, but the the bits that we don't see, because obviously book is all about reading and in the mind. Well, that kind of helps develop greater creativity and I find when I'm doing any creative projects, if I read fiction and do things where I'm not just watching things, it really helps to further that appetite. Yet I used to worry that people weren't reading fiction and that we were going to end up all just being like video scrollers on our phones, with losing our ability to create and imagine. But I've heard that actually fiction books are on the rise in popularity and I think that's a really great thing indeed, and there's some amazing spiritual fiction books that I call them club classics. But the alchemist that is the little prince, so things like that. I actually read the never-ending story book which, um those you're old enough to know was a very popular movie in I think it's like the mid 80s, um, where there's a song by the pop singer lamar, or he sang it, and it was, um, a really magical thing. But the the film right, is only a small proportion of the whole book. The book has so much more To the point when you read it. This is kind of such a magical world that it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, but in a good way. But you're just thinking, wow, the author to come up with all this stuff is absolutely amazing and by reading this it's really inspired me to write again and I'm finding a great deal of solace and I find it very cathartic and, yeah, I find it really beautiful.
Speaker 1:I just wanted to share that part with you, dear listeners, because what things do you like to read? Like I've heard, stephen King is an amazing writer. I don't fare so well on horror. It's not a genre that that is. It's so good for me, but I know some people can kind of read it and see for what it is and and not get affected by it.
Speaker 1:So when I was a kid, I just used to read stuff that I would never really kind of normally read, if that makes sense, like I used to read about the Greek mythology. I used to read, like um, romance books, all all kinds of things. I remember Iza Blighton it's probably a bit dated now because I haven't read it since I was a child, but that was very magical as well and all all these like magical stories and and things and uh, it's about bringing a bit of magic into life, because life can be a very hard terrain at times and it's so easy just to watch things, and sometimes I watch things on Netflix. Occasionally I'll watch things and I find that's relaxing. Sometimes if I've been doing a lot of creative stuff or a lot of physical stuff and I just want to relax lot of creative stuff or a lot of physical stuff and I just want to relax and I'll put a chick flick film on, as they call, and um, find like peace in that.
Speaker 1:And then other times I really want to read, but other times we really want to read books, and I'm reading this absolutely fantastic book. What is? My partner got me this membership to like this book club, um, last year for my birthday and, uh, it gives you a book a month. We only did it for a bit of time because I literally don't have time to read all the books, but one of the books was called Memphis by Tara M Stringfeller and, um, it's about it follows like this family through different decades and different family members. Very beautifully written and the description and you just feel like you're so much in that book and like the the tough lessons and the tough terrain that this family has to has to go through. And I thought I just found it. I'm about halfway through it and when I sit down and read it I just think, oh, wow, this is just such a wonderful book and I'm glad that this bookshop put this in, in sent this to me.
Speaker 1:I'd never heard of the writer before, just because I'm kind of, like I said, I wasn't, haven't been reading fiction for a very, very long time, um, and I've got back into it recently and I just found finding I can't really, it's really hard to actually describe in words, which is probably not very helpful for you listening to this, but there's something right about reading fiction that can build a better world that we live in now, because it inspires us, even if the stories they inspire us. And inspiration is something that can be lacking when we, when we feel everything's a bit mundane and a bit stuck. The other thing that we can do when we, when we feel everything's a bit mundane and a bit stuck, the other thing that we can do when we feel a bit stuck, is try something completely and utterly new and completely different. Try a new food, like, try a new recipe. That I think that's really a simple way to bring a bit more magic because, like, you can price up what food recipes you want to do, so you don't have to do something too expensive, unless you feel like treating yourself, of course and then just creating that meal, that new recipe and and the new tastes, um, can have a very healing effect on the body and inspire, inspire us to kind of explore things a bit more.
Speaker 1:And then going to visit somewhere new so you could just visit, like, a new part of your town or, um, maybe the next town, or there's so much information out there now could you go and and visit a new landmark that's easy to get to or somewhere that you've completely never been to before, and see how that feels. And then could you try listening to a new genre of music or listen, or have a look around, listen to a brand new radio station that you've not heard before, and could you find inspiration from that. Could you suggest, like a family day out, somewhere new as well, if you want to do something with your family or do a solo trip somewhere or something new with you, want to do something with your family or do a solo trip somewhere, or something new with your friend, could you share with your friends, family, loved ones, work colleagues, something new and inspiring and uplifting. We're so, so quick and I'm I can be one for it sharing, like our problems and stuff, but is there something new, uplifting and inspiring that you can share with one of your, with colleagues or friends, and, and can you help that and can you share something purposeful? Could you try a new form of exercise, maybe join a new gym, or if, if budget is a problem, which it is for so many of us these days, could you find a new form of exercise on class class online, like youtube's full of loads of free classes and things like that. Could you try a new hairstyle, a new way of making up your face, some new clothes? And again, if you're on budget, second hand recycling things is a really good thing could you change your garden around and plant it in a completely different way, or move the furniture around in your house? Or, if you can't afford to redecorate, could you change the room layout.
Speaker 1:There's all these little things that can take the mundaneness out of the the day. Like you know, sometimes life feels a bit like stagnant, as it can at this time of year. Can you find ways to kind of change and inspire? And, as you said, that this kind of flock of parakeets just flew past my window? Because, yes, we do have them here in the UK now. You know why? Because apparently a while ago some people let them out, who had them as pets, and they naturally thrived in this environment, which I find surprising because it's a lot colder environment than the where they're from. But they have thrived. And then sometimes you get this beautiful like greeny, yellow, translucent feathers coming past and you see them and they're beautiful, so that again can you admire things that are out of the ordinary and not be so fixed, and just try and see new things in your day. So there's all these amazing things, ways in which we can transform the mundaneness of our days and make them more exciting.
Speaker 1:If you've got any ideas for listeners, please share. And, as always, here is a meditation inspired by today's show. Top tips for the meditation is either sit nice and cross-legged on the floor with a nice straight back always nice to sit on a block or a cushion, or, if that's not for you, you sit in a chair with the back nice and straight. The important thing is you're not slouching, and if you're doing something that requires your concentration, all you need to do is just pause this and you can reconvene the meditation at a time that is good for you. If you're doing the meditation, let's begin the meditation, let's begin.
Speaker 1:So, in this meditation today, you are going to need a notebook or a piece of paper and a pen. In that notebook you are going to draw a big circle in the middle and you're going to put the name self into that and off that circle you're going to draw eight lines in all directions and on the end of those eight lines you are going to write eight qualities that you really admire about yourself. So if you need to pause this, please do so. I'm working off the assumption that you've done those eight qualities. You pause this and now you press play. I want you to draw another eight lines on around that circle so you can put them between or wherever, and on those eight lines you are going to write eight limiting beliefs that you have about yourself. It could be I'm stupid, which is I don't have enough resources, etc. You can press pause now.
Speaker 1:So now I'm working off the idea that you've now put the eight limiting beliefs. I want you to read through those limiting beliefs and then read through those things that you like about yourself and out of those limiting beliefs, pick one. Pick one of those eight limiting beliefs that you have. Take a breath, pause and just think to yourself is this really true? Is this really true? And that one that you picked?
Speaker 1:Because of time, you're going to draw the one that you picked, that's a limiting belief. I want you to draw four lines off that and find four ways in which that limiting belief is not true. So, for example, if you put stupid, you could think of something amazing that you've done. You could think of a time when you've solved something. You could think of a time where you've worked something out before other people. You could think of a time where you've worked something out before other people. You could think of a time where you've done something really clever. So that's just an example.
Speaker 1:I will pause that for a moment, and now I'm working off the idea that you have found four reasons why that limiting belief is not true. So pick one of those four reasons that that limiting belief is not true, and what I wish you to do for the next three minutes is to imagine that situation when that limiting belief was not true. Like it could be, like I solved a puzzle. It could be anything big or small, and we're going to visualize or you, rob, are going to visualize yourself in that situation and you're going to learn how to bring that positive view back into your everyday life.
Speaker 1:So, dear listener, as you close your eyes, just imagine you're walking through this long, beautiful corridor. It is painted with the most beautiful trees and it has a peaceful way about it. And at the end of the door there's this beautiful door that is made of glass. It's so glassy and see-through that you can see this beautiful paradise scene through the door. And you walk through the door and it is the most beautiful forest next to a stream, there is a babbling brook, there are beautiful birds flying by and there is a warm, soft, silky breeze as it blows through your hair and there's a taste of like holiday in the air.
Speaker 1:And as you walk through this beautiful scene, you come to a great big pool of water. This water is clear and beautiful and as you gaze into the water, you feel within your being that positive reason why your limiting belief was not true. And for the first time, you see the reflection of your higher self, the self that is beyond all these limitations, the self that is beyond all this fear, all these reasons why we say you're not good enough. And you remember that picture of your higher self and how wonderful you are. And all I want you to do for the next minute is to look into this imaginary pool, looking at your higher self, and take some slow, calm, deep breaths. Thank you, so slowly. Now start to come back into the moment. Thank your higher self, remember that feeling, taking a slow, deep breath. Go about your day and remember you are limitless. Thank you.
