by Tamara

When I was a kid, I always loved the fairytale story of Hansel and Gretel. And every time I heard the story which my dad narrated from memory, I always got freaked when the two siblings decide to throw bread down on the ground to retrace their steps back home instead of stones.

I knew that was the part in the story where the birds would eat the bread and little Hansel and Gretel would get lost in the woods. But that is also when the fun part begins with the whole house made of candy and all the fun stuff they got to do.

So what’s the point of bringing up Hansel and Gretel when I’m writing about creating, you ask? Well, the word “creating” is such a general word. It can mean so many things. Some people hear the word and they think of a painting. Some hear it and they think of a beautiful 3 course meal. Others think of giving birth and the list goes on. Me? I think of the adventure of life itself.

Ever since I can remember, I always knew I wanted to be a writer and write stories like the ones I heard before I went to bed as a child. And what was the result of that? I chose to live my life as the adventure I knew (and know) it to be. To do that, I wrote it out in my imagination just like a story. I cast myself in the roles I thought I wanted to take the lead in, landing jobs and boyfriends that I thought would fit my character I had chosen.
But the realization I had recently is that even though I thought I was writing out this grand adventure for myself, in truth I was just like Hansel and Gretel, leaving breadcrumbs along my path to insure I’d never get lost and still find a way back home. In leaving the bread crumbs, I never fully lived in any of those moments. I spent too much time looking backwards, making sure the steps were not too far from home so that I couldn’t see the crumbs anymore.

And you know what? I got lost. Very lost. And getting lost was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Finding myself afraid and confused, the forest taught me the lesson of faith. Faith is the nourishment and water that gives life to every seed. Every tree in the forest, every painting, every book, and every person is a living manifestation of faith. So, start to live your life like a Van Gogh, a Da Vinci and a Picasso! The moment we give up control is when life has the chance to turn into our personal artistic masterpiece!
Now, I’m going to share with you a secret manifestation tool that I use whenever I want to create a specific outcome I desire!

On a piece of paper, at the very top on the right hand corner, write down the date two weeks from whichever date you are writing. So, if you’re writing on “August 10th, date the paper “August 24th”.
Now, this is your assignment. First, grab a friend to do this exercise with you. Now, on that piece of paper, write as if it’s a journal entry from that date that you wrote at the top of the paper. Look back on the last two weeks (that haven’t happened yet) and write about everything that you accomplished and created in these last two weeks and how happy you feel with what has happened. Go on writing free form style about what it is you want. It’s very important to include the emotions of how you’re feeling .

Then, fold up the piece of paper and exchange it with your friend, promising each other that you’ll make a date to get together and return the other’s paper two weeks from the date that you wrote the journal entry. You’ll be surprised by the magic that happens when you LIVE INTO the future you designed.
*When I do this exercise, I like to skip two weeks ahead because I’m pretty impatient but you can also skip ahead to one month if you like to give yourself more time!

Now, go forth, be merry and create the life of your dreams. Remember that the breadcrumbs of doubt and fear don’t protect you but instead just get eaten by the birds. So open your eyes, keep them on the path ahead of you and just keep on walkin’!

About Tamara

Tamara Lelie knows that attaining peace and gaining access to inner guidance begins with having a balanced foundation. Motivated by her mom’s terminal cancer diagnosis, in 2007 she created Time Out Retreat as a one stop source for supplying tools for self-care and balance in a camp-like setting. 7 rotations were all led by experts in their fields and consisted of feng shui, yoga, meditation, guided imagery, fitness and more. Since then, the retreat has been an annual event attracting media attention. A teacher at heart, in 2009, she launched Time Out with Tamara to serve as a human toolkit for teaching balance and has clients ranging from celebrities and corporations to teens and housewives. Tamara Lelie is a certified yoga instructor (specializing in applying the ancient knowledge of the yogis to every day modern problems) and certified relationships coach. She is currently hard at work finishing up a groundbreaking e-guide she developed, 7 DAYS TO BALANCE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HAVING IT ALL, which is set to launch in August. For more info on her services and products, check out www.7daystobalance.com.