Hedria

Welcome to Hedria's blog!

In our journey through life we make goals and reach milestones. Fortunately in these past years I have reached many of my personal and professional goals. I am among the lucky ones who love their work; it is both my vocation and my avocation.

My passion for the seminar and speaking business has afforded me the opportunity to travel and work on five continents. The world of Creativity has inspired me and allowed me to change my life.

My reasons for starting this blog include my desire to share my experiences and ideas about Creativity and how to use it consciously to enrich our lives and to continue learning by connecting with others ... with you!?!

Springing into Creativity

Hello!
I hope your winter went well and you are as excited about spring and summer around the corner as I am. I have been away and wanted to share some thoughts with you that I had as I drove down to and back from Florida.

I took my first trip to Washington DC when I was 11 years old. My grandfather had died, and my mom packed me up with my school work to join her in driving to Florida to stay with grandma for the cold winter months… two things remain vivid in my mind from that time in 1950:

1.  I was shocked and dismayed when we arrived at the capitol of our wonderful country and I witnessed segregation -- at the drinking fountains in Washington, DC!  Colored fountain and White fountain!

2. I had the impression that the “snow birds” in Florida were very old people!

Move forward to 2009:

1.    We have an African American residing in the white house as President of this wonderful country

2.    I must now be very old, because I am a “snow bird”. How did that happen?

Change! Change! Change!

In life, love, politics and creativity we talk about change.

This month, the day after the election in the USA or America as the Europeans say, I had the opportunity to “go abroad” to the UK: Scotland, Wales, and England. What an interesting and exciting experience to view my country through the eyes of others. 

The UK papers were full of the election and the changes they were expecting from our government. They expressed great hope for the new president elect Barack Obama, and for the USA, as did our friends and the people we met in the hotels. A Welsh woman made a point of coming over to our breakfast table and saying “We are so excited …how America goes we go.”

Book signing: ABWA Niagara Falls Charter Chapter Kick-off Meeting

It's my pleasure to announce that I will be at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Niagara Falls on September 17th for a workshop and book signing. I'd love to see you there.

Are You Fulfilling or Filling Your Life?

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, act frankly...to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely...This is to be my symphony. -William Henry Channing (1810-1884)

Life is not always easy. There are responsibilities, disappointments, jobs,tasks, special events, families, friends, activities and more all competing for our attention. It's how we accept and prioritize these that can make a difference in the way we live our lives, our achievements, and our state of mind. It determines whether we feel satisfied or lost.

Solve the Puzzle: Do More by Doing Less

Do you believe in coincidence? When the same thing happens three times in 24 hours, I tend to pay attention. One day, I had lunch with a gentlemen I hadn't seen in years. He commented that his mother had always believed that being alert to your surroundings depended on slowing down enough to see them.

Moving Out of Your Comfort Zone

I have taught creativity classes and explained non-judgmental behavior to thousands of people over the past decade. How we judge things--the daily events in our lives, the movies we attend, conversations with friends and relatives--effect everything we do.

A few years ago, I was presenting at a creativity center in Istanbul, Turkey. About 12 presenters gathered on the first night to discuss where to go for dinner. One of my colleagues suggested Chinese food. As soon as he said it, I replied, "You've got to be kidding. Who wants to go for Chinese in Istanbul?"

"I do," he laughed. "I thought you taught non-judgmental behavior!"

I hadn't realized how quickly I dismissed his idea. But, did I learn a lesson? Nope. Later that week, he mentioned buying something as a present for his wife that he could have easily purchased at home. Once again, I added my unwanted comments. "Why bring her back that when this fabulous city has so many exotic items?"

He looked at me, shook his head and said, "There she goes again."

That trip and those encounters, have replayed in my mind many times. While I teach people how to be non-judgmental, I have a comfort zone from which I judge. We all do.

Changing seasons in a changing world

Time flies by so quickly! The last time I sat down to write and organize my thoughts it was fall and here I am listening to birds chirping, and checking out the spring blooms.

Knowing the sun rises each morning and the seasons change adds stability to my life. It makes this world, that I am having difficulty focusing on, make sense. The world that comes jumping into my home daily through the newspapers, radio and TV has become overwhelming! I need a world map to locate the trouble spots on this earth...and I need a filter to listen to the comments of the commentators and their colleagues. Listening to the commentators after a debate, I wondered if we had heard the same program. Other people are constantly trying to put their thoughts into our heads, dismissing our right to assimilate facts and come to our own conclusions. When news became "24/7" , in my opinion, it was the demise of reporting all the news fit to print.

It would be wonderful if the world followed the maxim of the  creativity world I belong to. When evaluating a situation the first thing we do is examine what is good about the situation, what is right, what is working. We defer judgment until after we have purged this and then the judgments are reframed into questions about how we might work on the concerns of this problem.

People ask if they can deliberately learn to be creative - yes! It is done by learning to defer judgment, listening to the facts and then making decisions based on knowledge and foresight. Jumping into problem solutions, conclusions, and letting others think for us never works.

Wishing you a spring filled with beautiful sunrises, warm sunshine, and long summer days with spectacular sunsets. May you and your friends, family and colleagues reap the benefits of the wonderful changing seasons.    

 

Getting Personal

On May 8th, at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Rochester, NY, I'll be doing another one of my "Author Chats" for the general public.

I'd love to have anyone in the Rochester area come by and hear me speak. Afterwards, I will sign books. I hope to see you there - it's at 1200 Edgewood Ave.

Here is the detailed information provided by my hosts at the JCC:

Hedria Lunken: author of Square One at 51: What I Did the Day After I Buried My Life, will speak in an  author chat at the JCC, Senior Adult Lounge on Thursday, May 8th, starting at 7:30. "At the age of 51 Hedria Lunken faced significant changes in her personal and professional life. Living her happy world, the product of an ideal upbringins and idyllic marriage, Hedria's inner strength would be severely challend. Known for delivering valuable and practical advice in a humorous and engaging style, Hedria, a professional creative consultant, gives audiences and readers the tools they need to revise thoughts and attitudes about challenges and change, turn inspiration into action and achieve personal and professional success."

Afterwards, I will be interviewed by Andrea Miller from the JCC Feinbloom Center for the Arts.

NOTE: Registration is required. This event is free and open to the public. Visit the JCC main desk or call 461-2000.

TV INTERVIEW

I am excited to report: I will be interviewed on Rochester television tomorrow

                       February 26th @12:00 noon

                                              by

                Rebecca Leclair  of Channel 10 WHEC

       In Addition I have several "Author Chats" planned:

• Waterstone Financial Group - Thursday February 24th NAWBO
• Waterstone Financial Group - Leap Year Special for Clients Friday February 29
• JCC Rochester author chat

             Open to the Public 

              April 17,    CHANGED TO

       THURSDAY MAY 8 2008 at 7:00 PM

Friday Quote: Opportunities in Adversity

Many times we revisit the positives and wonderful things that have happened, reflect on the adversity and what might have been better. And, if we are fortunate and insightful, find ways to change adversity and struggles into strengths and opportunities. In an article by Doug Mellgren of the Associated Press Al Gore was quoted as he prepared to accept the Nobel Peace Prize:

"Seven years ago...I read my own political obituary in a judgment that seemed to me harsh and mistaken- if not premature...But that unwelcomed verdict also brought a precious if painful gift: an opportunity to search for fresh new ways to serve my purpose."

When I faced the death of my husband I knew life was not going to get better judged on our life together, I knew it would be different and the difference would become a new way of life for me.

Look ahead with strength and vigor to see that "Life doesn't always get better - it gets different, and that difference can be wonderful." They say that every time a door closes another opens...But those hallways can be difficult!