Spirited Woman Blogger Team

...On Creativity

Having been a ‘smart and bright’ girl all my life, I have come to believe that I am not at all creative as my right brain has rendered dysfunctional ever since my artwork was criticized harshly at the age of 10, followed by incessant nightmares of my artist disabilities thereafter. My abhorrence towards art and craft slowly but eventually subsided over a fairly lengthy period only a few years ago when I decided to face my own fears in the eye.

I rashly invested in art tools like a pro and bought a few thousand worth of Caran D’Ache supplies to get myself started. My doubts and fears gradually dissolved as I put color on canvas, my heart singing to each bold and daring brushstroke. I liked what I saw in front of my workbench, albeit having paints smeared all over my sleeves. I hadn’t felt so good for a long long time.

From then on, my inner child returned and nothing could stop me from trying out different mediums of painting. I moved onto crafting a year later and had so much fun using needles and threads. I got hooked to experimenting and producing unique handicrafts and for the first time, I learned so much about myself and my creativity through cross-stitching, embroidery, bookmaking, felting, and sewing. I was building up momentum with each compliment generously paid and from my students who wouldn’t lie.

Vision Map

Being a scrapbooker, I just love to get my hands on anything pretty for cutting and pasting. I first came across 'vision map' via Christine Kane's website to which I subscribe. It was a novel idea at the time but the launch of The Vision Board Book by John Assaraf  really caught my attention. Being a scanner, as classified in the best-sellers of motivational speaker Barbara Sher, I have a problem focusing on my targets and goals, which is the culprit to not seeing the projects through.

The vision map came to my rescue and it works particularly well with visualization and affirmations. I cut and pasted on pictures and images which speak to me in all sorts of old magazines, using big bold words in between. I put it up directly above my study so I can look at it whenever my eyes rest on the wall in front of me.

As the visual images take root inside me, the receptor in my brain is activated, driving me to pursue my dream unconsciously by taking bold actions. The Law of Attraction comes in when I focus my intention and the universe responds accordingly. Instead of worrying about 'how' things happen, I like to see my dreams on paper (or on computer screen) and meditate on them.

Spirited women believe in themselves and the universe, trusting that all is well if our desire is for the benefit of the whole. Have a go at it! It is powerful!

Do any of you have vision maps that have helped change your life?

Rosa Wong, a member of the original Spirited Woman Blogger Team, has just launched her new book, METAMORPHOSIS, A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIVING, a travelogue / memoir based on her life changing experience in Scotland. (Check out her new book at Blurb). She is currently based in Hong Kong, juggling between teaching, writing ( on her second book), creating her website and of course blogging!

Food for Thought

What is it that you long for? Or are you just missing what was once yours but gone? There’s no word for our inner feelings. I am blessed to have an overflowing cup of mixed feelings yet to be remembered. I could never forget the smell of my first lover. It could be ‘sensational’ to replay the scenario once again in my restless mind; reminding myself I am breathing amidst everyday life. What memories are you creating for yourself?

I used to be ‘labeled’ a princess, an ugly duckling, a playgirl…at different stages of my life but this is indeed an oxymoron. Don’t we all change physically, mentally and emotionally at every single moment? How can we possibly be reduced to a stereotype based on how others see us from their own perspectives? I no longer let myself be categorized but experience all there is with each step of my way. We are all unique beings with our special talents. I don’t envy others for what they are and/or what they have; knowing that there’s something about me that is distinctly mine. I am what I am…and I am proud of it.

Time doesn’t exist when I focus on the present, enjoying the moment of being or doing. Time alone and time well-spent with close friends is invaluable. It’s the one thing that doesn’t stop passing by yet the greatest gift you can give to those you love. Do you have time for yourself?

- Rosa Wong
Click here for more of Rosa's posts.

Oneness Moments

I decided when I was a kid that there were only so much space in my brain for memories so I taught myself selective memory at an early stage; retaining only what I wanted and discarding the rest by pressing ‘delete’ on my temples. It has been working miraculously well until I come to realize, at the age of 39, that there’s a void in this complex system of brain anatomy; as if I was being knocked unconscious and could hardly remember who I was upon waking up. Hence, I recently made a resolution to fill up the emptiness by creating more ‘oneness’ moments like the first time my beloved held my hand…it was electrifying yet so warm and so familiar…

Technology advancement certainly brings us things you wouldn’t have imagined possible but Botox? Plastic surgery? Potions for longevity? I must admit that I am not particularly excited about each passing birthday as the number does hurt a bit. However, I choose quality to quantity and I honestly don’t mind dying (relatively) young as long as I live each moment with full consciousness; knowing that I am making a positive impact on someone’s life. Old age and Death are part of the deal and this is  the only way to reunite with the deceased. 

Do I keep pictures? I used to imagine enlarging pictures of myself into wallpaper when I was in my prime but I am now taking pictures of still life; the astounding scenery of faraway places, the masterpieces hanging up in museums, colorful comics which I don’t have a talent for, and handmade gifts from my students. I prefer collecting others’ talents and forte and the abundant free gifts from Mother Earth to seeing myself posing on photos; which is gradually and inevitably losing the luster from the fountain of youth. The moon and the stars are now my only witnesses and I thank them for being my safety deposit box and my life album.

I never knew I could love again; after all the pain and suffering from innumerable rejection, countless break-ups, so much loss, so much heart-breaking, so much betrayal…but I realized I do love those who are no longer my friends, my partners, or anyone who once mattered in my life. I know because I still remember their touch, their smell, their hugs, their voice, their differences (leading up to most final encounters), and all the nitty gritty bits and pieces which have long gone. I no longer miss their presence only to wish them well from the bottom of my heart. This is  LOVE, isn’t it?

- Rosa Wong
Click here for more of Rosa's posts.

Questions To Ponder

How is life similar to the vast ocean?
Are you afraid of being washed away by the lapping waves during high-tide?
And put off your windsurfing practice till another day?
Do you have the courage to face it head-on, knowing that you can ride above the adversity?
In the ocean of life, who is steering the wheel? Who is by your side to keep u company?

How do u express your feelings and emotions when life gets tough?
Bottling up and shutting down are no feasible options as they only entail unwanted complications.
Open your eyes and ears and take an honest look at the discriminated minority.
How would u like to be treated if u were one of them?
What is it that makes u choose life? The aha moment?

There's no such thing as failure; it's necessary in the game of life.
How do you cope in the face of misfortune?
Embrace it! It could be a blessing in disguise!
Who would u wish to share your happiness and joy with?

The Journey to Fairy Land - where there is nothing but love

I was making this Fairy Lantern (yes I absolutely adore fairies) this evening and I was so deeply entranced in the process that my head was in the clouds, dreaming my favorite fantasy…lying naked; wide awake on the deck of my boathouse down at the Riviera in a summer night, savoring a plate of fresh cheese platter and a glass of Bordeaux. I imagined the stars above keeping me company, trying to reveal a secret to me and me alone. I felt special and blessed.

It was pure bliss. The silence, the sound of water and the wild lives whispering from the faraway lush green, the scent of the sea; I re-invented myself anew as a fairy, lighting up the lives of those who couldn’t see the positives, bringing them hope and courage to meet the demons head on, with an awakened consciousness to do good to our dear planet which was suffering from our own misbehaving. This was my wish and my wand would assist me in this endeavor.

How I wish there were no STRANGER in this world of over 6 billion human beings, which is no longer infeasible thanks to the advanced technology when we can literally see each other at the press of a button. I wish there were complete acceptance in this world of different nationalities, languages, ages and religions; each respecting the differences of each other which inevitably bring on wars and countless bloodshed. I wish there were enough food, clean air and drinking water fairly distributed among all of us as basic necessities. I wish every one of us has the opportunity to schooling and literacy, enough money and possessions to circulate around with minimal waste, and electricity to keep the dark away. Yes, this is a perfect world of my dream.

I would like to be a green activist too just like everyone else but I must start from within. Choose the nature instead of the mall, meditate in your ME time, practice breath work with gratitude, pray to the universe for your heart desires, slow down enough to really listen to your own heartbeat. We can only help to re-create a better world by cleansing ourselves of false ego, hatred, discrimination, intolerance and fear. I invite you to share my journey to the Fairy Land where there is nothing but LOVE.

- Rosa Wong
Click here for more of Rosa's posts.   

A Good Children's Picture Book Speaks a Thousand Words

As the seed is embedded and grounded to become a tree,
A long-forgotten child is hiding within every one of us.
I can’t help but immerse myself in the gorgeous illustrations vividly printed in children's books; exclusive to the children section.
Eagerly get into the mood of having some innocent fun.
Reading to a child, eyes wide opened, acting out one scenario after the other.
I find myself lingering over the pages,
Hours flitting by.
The future is in the hands of our next generation.
Whenever I hold my children to the greatest I see in them,
They always rise.
I must play my part helping them to re-discover their talent, their potential, and above all,
Their intrinsic core values and conscience,
Through literacy.
I like the security from having a book with me
At all times;
Leafing through the pages with tenderness.
A good picture speaks a thousand words,
Don’t you think?
And a good story expands your mind to unchartered territories,
Touching the subconscious beyond rationale.
A good book is timeless.
Characters stay forever in your mind; refusing to budge.
Elmo is one of my favorites.
What’s yours?

- Rosa Wong
Click here for more of Rosa's posts.   

Light Festivals Around the World - Being Quiet and Still & All Lit Up

I remember as a kid how excited I was to set fire to a candle which was neatly stored away for emergency such as a power failure. What was once magical became a nuisance as I got older; all cozy in my comfort zone and a black out no longer fun. Have you had the experience of being quiet and still in the dark; only a lit candle to keep you company? What did it feel like?

Being a winter person, I just love the cold and chill but I won’t survive without a minimum dose of sunlight. Apart from being the source of energy to all living creatures, light is indispensable to our spiritual well-being. Have you ever wondered how many different festivals of light there are around the world? And most of them take place in mid-winter…think…

I have batches of Tealite candles within an arm’s reach as I burn oil throughout the day and they serve as my props for meditation. It is our innate nature to create light in the depths of winter. It is human instinct to make room for light in the darker months. There is the Hindu festival of Diwali, the Jewish Hanukkah, the Chinese New Year (famous for the firework display), Sweden’s St. Lucy Day, Iran’s Sadeh, Thailand’s Loi Krathong at full moon, Korean’s Seollal, and Christmas,  all involving light rituals. We light up our Jack O' Lantern to scare away the creepy crawlies. Tribal men gather around bonfires, singing and dancing to the glowing flames. I keep a string of fairy lanterns near my bed for comfort and sweet dreams.

Whatever religious purposes they serve, there is a universal meaning of light and fire: liberation, hope and belief, purification, newness, victory and rebirth. They mark the significance of major (and minor) milestones, our shared human story.

Here’s a verse from the song Hard Sun taken from the soundtrack of the movie Into the Wild:

There’s a big
A big hard sun
Beating on the big people
In the big hard world.

- Rosa Wong
Click here for more of Rosa's posts.

The Huge Teddy Arrives

I have a parcel delivered to my door this afternoon.
IT was huge! I mean, a teddy bear my size.
I kinda expected it coming as WE talked about it over the phone lately.
Always nice to hear from old ‘friends’, of course.
I got a bit emotional as HE brought up a topic I struggled to get over.
HE apologized for not saying goodbye over a decade ago.
WE have only been introduced and hung out a few times afterall.
HE was an acquaintance; or maybe a bit more.
A hell of a lot had happened in between but we seem to connect pretty well;
Just like good’ole buddies.
My mom asked me if I were seeing someone.
NOPE.
From an ex?
NOPE.
Could it be a secret admirer?
I don’t think so.
And I smile. A smile I never got to smile before my departure.
A smile to say how much I appreciated his friendship; though short.
A smile for all HE had done for me; without really knowing me or wanting anything from me in return.
IT is now sitting on my recliner; watching me as I tap away.
Thank you for being there for me.
Thank you for keeping me sane when I was all alone.
Thank you for remembering me.
Is Mr Postman dropping you a visit today?

- Rosa Wong
Click here for more of Rosa's posts.

A Merry Fairy Christmas with Tinkerbell

At my recent trip to HMV in Hong Kong for inspiring DVDs and the latest album release; I discovered a CD produced by Walt Disney Pictures: TinkerBell (songs from and inspired by Disney Fairies) an even though it is for children primarily, without second thoughts, I chucked it in my overflowing basket and played it that night…it was absolutely mesmerizing!

Here's some of the lyrics taken from the CD:

Fly to who your are
Climb upon your star
You believe you’ll find your wings
Fly to your heart

If you follow, follow the voice in your heart
Always know that’s how to find who you are
So hold on, never let go of your dreams
You’ll see the magic

Nothing‘s worse than going it alone
When you know deep in your heart
The whole is so much greater
Than the sum of its parts

They are certainly wonderful messages to be shared and cherished by all. Amazing and magical voices, alluring and great for easy listening on the go. The classic song Fly with Me is indeed a blessing from the universe; a guideline to LIFE for humanity.

I like Shine best. My worries and anguish just melt away as I sing along…The CD makes an excellent choice of affordable gifts especially during the festive season as we can all use some uplifting and cheering up. It also comes with a gorgeous poster of Pixie Hollow which is an added bonus!

Have a Merry Fairy Christmas!!!

- Rosa Wong
Click here for more of Rosa's posts.