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Creative Life Center, 145 Woodrow Avenue, Ste A-2, Modesto, CA (2026)

09/19/2025

The Door is Unlocked
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
We have a new Tortoise Shell Calico kitten named Gypsy who I rescued from a Save Mart parking lot. When I feed our Siamese cat, Peanuts, I must lock Gypsy in her cat cage. Otherwise she rushes through her food then tries to steal Peanuts’ kibble. The other day I left the cage unlocked and the door ajar since I’d already fed Peanuts. Gypsy meowed frantically to be released from the cage. But she was already free. She was so used to the door being closed and latched while she was eating, that she responded as if she was locked in.

How often do WE become so accustomed to our prisons that we don’t recognize when we can walk out of them? We become defined and confined by our old self, past labels, and outdated beliefs when it’s time to free ourselves from confinement and move on to a better self, and way of living.

I’ve known people who were hella smart, but trapped in the idea that they were stupid. I’ve also known attractive women and men bound by the belief that they were ugly (an idea obviously implanted by others when they were younger). We’ve all known people of great potential who never lived into it because they were imprisoned by the lies that they were limited, lacking, not good enough. There are people who could be healthy, happy, and peaceful, but they’re stuck in the mental prisons of illness, resentment, sorrow, and anxiety.

As I alluded above, sometimes these cages are created by other people. They implant negative beliefs that hold us hostage because they want to control or hurt us. Perhaps they think they are protecting us from disappointment, failure, rejection, or pain. But that’s a reflection of their personal prisons, not ours. We were created to live free.

The Christ and other Spiritual Masters came to the earth realm to teach us how to live free, in fact, to show us that the cage door is open and we are already free. We are powerful beings held hostage only in our minds. We are masters, not prisoners. Let’s rise up and fly free into our Divine given power. Blessed Be and Blessed Free!

02/26/2025

The Dangers of Polite
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
A good friend served as a bouncer for years at Tahoe casinos where he frequently worked with law enforcement. He said there were a lot of nice, polite girls who wound up in the morgue, at the bottom of the lake, or, at the least, in the hospital. Why? Because they were so conditioned to be nice, friendly, and polite, even when their intuition screamed something was “off”. We hear stories all the time of women who are r***d, murdered, or in an abusive relationship, led to their demise by the fear of being rude, unfriendly, unlovable, or mean. Yes, we should conduct ourselves with grace, but sometimes good manners are dangerous.

And men are not immune. Many of them have been killed, injured, or conned (often by dangerous women) because they were trying to be the good guy.

Most of us, especially those on the spiritual path are taught that we must always be loving, kind, compassionate, polite. True, we SHOULD act from the highest within us, but not to the detriment of our own well-being. The spiritual principles emphasize treating others as good as ourselves, but they do not teach us to treat others better than ourselves, or to hurt ourselves in the process of pleasing another.

How many times have we put ourselves in precarious situations, agreed to things not in our best interest, proceeded in relationships that were not healthy, or exposed ourselves to conditions that were potentially harmful to our physical, mental, and emotional health? All because we were afraid of saying “no”, of being rude, of not being liked, of upsetting someone else.

We can’t assume that others always behave in our best interests. That being said, not everyone’s actions are nefarious. Sometimes our peeps get us into circumstances that are not good for us accidentally or carelessly. They don’t think of how their actions may affect us. It’s not intentional. However, WE must remain intentional and protect ourselves.

You are a child of the Most High God/dess. Hold yourself in high regard. You are worthy of good treatment. You must look our for yourself. In fact, you honor the Divine within you by protecting your spirit from that which is not good for you. If that means saying “no” or being impolite now and then—so be it!

We must each be a Light in this world and shine that Light everywhere we go. But we should not allow the darkness of the world or in others to drain, or s***f out our light. So stand firm in your light. Be kind, loving, polite, but don’t be afraid to throw some thunderbolts when necessary.

10/27/2024

Our Amazing Power
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
In my past blog, Gamifying Our Annoyances, I wrote how a local grocery store is overrun in the mornings with bus loads of tourists heading to Yosemite. On Fridays, this store has their $5 specials, many of which are in the deli. Between the local customers wanting the sales and the tourists wanting their sandwiches, the deli is slammed. The stress visibly shows in the staff as well as the irritation on the faces of the customers. A couple of weeks ago, the servers were zooming around quickly taking care of everyone. After I got served by the deli manager I told her what a great job they were doing while under pressure from the tourists. I let her know how much I appreciated them. This woman’s face instantly lit up and she thanked me profusely and wished me a good day and an even better weekend. A lift was also visible in her step. I changed this situation for her and probably for the customers after me simply by taking the time to Praise.

We possess several magical powers that alter reality. Two of these are praise and appreciation, all part of the gratitude family which we celebrate this season. I’ve written numerous articles on the power of spreading the “compliment sauce”. The message is always worth repeating. We are quick to notice what’s wrong and complain either under our breath to ourselves or directly to others. Complaining lowers the energy of every environment. However, sometimes there are wrongs we need to help right, but simply criticizing doesn’t fix them unless we are also part of the solution by actually contributing positive ideas for change.

That being said, what if we approach situations, things, and people differently? What if we set our intention to look for and find the good in everything, even if circumstances initially appear troubling? When we focus on the good, we’ll experience more of it. We’ll manifest situations that bless us and transform negative situations into a blessing. When we hunt for gold, we will find gold.

Let’s also look for the treasure in others. Compliment generously. Praise them for what they are doing well. That inspires them to do even better. This past week I returned to that grocery deli looking for their gourmet pizza that was on special. They only had the cheese flavor in the case. The deli was again busy with tourists. I just called out that I had a question about whether there were more flavors of the pizza. One the workers remembered me, stopped what she was doing, went to the back, and returned with other varieties of pizza for me. She put me ahead of the tourists that were waiting. All because I praised them the week before.

And praise is contagious. When we praise people, they spread that compliment sauce onto others. Then everything and everyone raises higher.

Do you want to transform your life? You have the magnificent power to do so. Start praising and giving thanks for all that is right and good in your life and the world. Then life will change. The Universe will move you ahead of rest. And you’ll get much better service everywhere you go. Use your power and spread that compliment sauce!

10/21/2024

Live Among Color
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
“How can you sleep in that room?!” my mother exclaimed on numerous occasions, not just when I was a kid, but into adulthood. My walls were blanketed in colorful posters (mostly Duran Duran), feathered Mardi Gras masks, and other bright and shiny oddities. Even today the walls of our house are covered with hippie tapestries, colorful artwork, fairy lights, and yes, even more shiny oddities. Scott has grown accustomed to our walls filled with color. To me color creates a safe fortress. It shields me from outside energy intrusions, either worldly or spiritual, and it empowers, inspires, and comforts me with its various energy frequencies. Despite my mother’s concern, I sleep incredible well in it.

October 22 is National Color Day when we explore the effects of color on our physical and mental health, attitude, and well-being. There are multiple excellent tomes written on color frequencies and how they affect us, so I will refrain from repeating them here. But I have found that the qualities and effects are not universal. Culture, belief, and personal preferences impact how color effects us. For example, many people love white and associate it with purity and grace. Since I experience White Coat Syndrome, I associate white with medical stuff and hospitals, so I do not care for that color in large quantities. Bare white walls are disturbing to me.

For others black elicits anxiety as it has been associated with the Shadow and darkness. However, it is a svelte, beautiful color which can enhance other colors with which it’s paired. Far from being evil, it’s believed to neutralize and extinguish negative energy. And, it’s associated with the mystical and magical. Our color preferences definitely influence how color makes us feel despite the ascribed qualities.

How do you harness the power of color? First, surround yourself with it. Live in it. Build a color fortress like I did. Second, wear your colors. I dress colorful and flashy because it helps me feel confident and playful. Find the colors that make you feel good and adorn yourself in them. And three, bathe in color. Use light therapy and colored candles to infuse your aura with the color.
May the Force of Color be with you!

10/14/2024

Are You Bored? Good!
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
“I’m bored. There’s nothing to do!” Is that a statement you hear from your kids or grand kids? Did you say it a lot when you were a child? Maybe you still do. I grew up on a farm where my next door playmates were actually fields and farms away. Boredom threatened often, but I used my creativity and imagination to entertain myself. That’s what led me first into theater, and then into writing and inspirational speaking. Boredom and isolation in the boondocks brought out my talents and is one of the reasons I’m quite good at entertaining myself.

In our fast paced society we’re busy, busy, busy. We think boredom is bad. However constant busyness robs us of moments of pause. We do, do, do instead of just BE. Joanna Fortune, in her book, Why We Play: How to Find Joy & Meaning in Everyday Life, says, “Boredom is that free-floating state of reverie when, in the state of nothingness, something new emerges, such as an idea, a thought, a memory, or a feeling.”

Boredom offers self and world reflection. We process thoughts, feelings, and experience. When we rush through life, we may keep running straight into wrong decisions. We need the boring times to rethink and analyze our conditions and where we’re headed on this journey.

Dianna Fortune also says that creative people embrace boredom as an opportunity for new ideas and discover other sources of inspiration. Just as in my case, it pushed me to develop creative ways to occupy my time, which developed my creative skills, Plus, was loads of fun.

The power of the daydream arises from boredom. How often do you sit and allow your mind to wander and imagine new possibilities, alternate universes where you make other decisions, and entertain outlandish ideas? Daydreams lead us to solutions and to AHA Moments. The reason I possess strong imagination and visualization ability (which helped developed my clairvoyance used in psychic counseling) is due to long hours spent playing pretend when I was bored as a kid.

In a previous blog I wrote how lack of recess is dumbing down our kids. I also believe that lack of boredom is doing the same. We keep them so busy with tons of homework, soccer practice, and academic clubs and when they aren’t doing those, they are sitting in front of the computer screen or on their smart phone. Let’s give them time to just BE, to be BORED. That will facilitate greater imagination, creativity, and intelligence.

So if you find yourself in boredom---GOOD! Embrace it as an opportunity to improve yourself and expand your awareness. Even being bored with life is a call to reexamine it and make changes for the better. As Fortune says, if we can playfully push through boredom, we can come out the other side a new and improved version of ourselves.

10/07/2024

Get Control Through Play
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
Whew! There is much craziness and chaos in the world. It’s creating anxiety, panic, anger, and despair in many people. Why? Because they feel that they can’t control any of it. They’re correct. But worrying about what we can’t control is a waste of energy and the path to misery. How DO we feel a measure of control over our own lives? By adopting a playful attitude!

My friend and play coach, Anthony Trahair, says “A playful mind always looks for variations.” Many of us feel our lives must be mapped out, organized, and under our control. When things fall out of order or don’t go as planned, we grow angry and/or anxious, and maybe even completely flip out. The playful approach flows with spontaneity, embraces unpredictability, and seeks alternate variables. A playful attitude enables us to take what comes, make the best of it, and even have fun with it. When we live from a playful space, we are open to the variations in life and actively seek them out to make life more interesting and adventurous.

The more we FIGHT to stay in control, the less control we have. But if you want to FEEL more in control of your life, approach it playfully. When we’re able to move with the flow and play with what happens, the more in control we’ll feel. If the rug gets pulled from under us, we just dance into a new balance. The more we PLAY to be in control, the more we gain control over the circumstances of our lives. And, life becomes more fun.

Even though it seems like we can’t control what’s happening in the world, we can introduce joy, healing, love, and peace in our corner of it through play. Keep playing and having fun. Invite your fellow humans to join you on the playground of life.

09/30/2024

Accident? Or Hand of God?
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
We farm around sixty acres of alfalfa. We sell it as dry stock hay that’s harvested into the large size bales. The company that bales our hay usually does it in the afternoon when there’s no dew because they use a steamer that forms stronger bales. Two weekends ago as we irrigated our corn, we were surprised and very confused when the hay company arrived to bale our hay at night. Was their steamer not working so they needed to bale when there was dew? Or, was there some other reason? When we awoke the next morning we saw that the odd night baling was an act of God. Our irrigation drain plugged up and the water from the corn field flooded into the lower end of one alfalfa field. If the hay had still been in windrows, the water would have ruined it. We would have had to spent hours forking it off the field and disposing of it...not to mention the loss of income. Since it WAS baled, the bales were further into the field out of the water’s reach. My brother had the foresight to use our backhoe to push some of the nearest bales even further in case the encroaching water got to them. That was wise since the water’s drift eventually arrived at their original spot. So our crop was saved; by the Hand of God, and the hand of my brother.

Things happen in life that we don’t understand or can’t explain. They may even seem wrong or unpleasant at first. But there is a Divine Order to all things. “God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.” Despite appearances we must keep the faith, knowing that God is operating behind the scenes to make all things right.

Besides saving our crop, this experience demonstrated how the Hand of God is at work in our lives at all times. It was a message to trust that all will work in our favor. God is watching over us. Let our hay experience also be a sign for you. Perhaps you have your own similar experiences as examples. So the next time things happen that you don’t understand, remember those times that God showed His Hand upon your life. It is always there to guide, protect, and lift you up above any difficulty. Your miracle is on its way.

09/22/2024

Play Together!
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
In my previous two blogs I’ve talked about how play heals the body and fortifies the immune system as well as sharpens mental acuity. Play also heals and strengthens our relationships. We often speak of a couple getting “serious” when they’re becoming more intense or committed. However I suggest that getting too “serious” is what gets us in trouble. To deepen and strengthen our intimate bonds, we need to become more playful, not more serious. We need to have fun.

We say that people who “pray together, stay together.” The same is true that couples who play together, stay together. Families who play together remain close. Friends who play together create a stronger support system. Companies who promote playfulness and curiosity among employees increase morale and productiveness. It certainly reduces absenteeism and increases worker retention.

People want to stay in places and in relationships that are playful. Of course, “serious” issues do arise, but those with a playful attitude can more successfully navigate the turbulence, and collaborate toward a win-win resolution. Natalie Reed in The Science of Fun For Adults says, “Shared fun experiences create positive associations with one’s partner and provide a buffer against inevitable stresses and conflicts that arise in any relationship.”

Though we can play alone, play is mostly a social activity. Children learn how to relate with others and to understand their membership in humanity through playing with other children and adults. Social situations are difficult for a lot of people who may suffer from certain degrees of social anxiety. I believe social anxiety is caused from not enough childhood and adult playfulness. Play eases social tension because the focus is on fun. It promotes social bonding and personal intimacy. If we want to increase our social confidence, meet new people, and fortify our relationships, then we need to go out and play together. In fact, a trend in some major cities are “play bars”. Rather than drinking and dancing, the focus is on playful games from childhood. There are also several adult kid camps where people engage in activities they enjoyed at childhood camp. Their premise is that play is a good way to get to know people and increase compassion and understanding.

SARK, who has authored multiple books on playfulness and creativity wrote about a fight she was in with a friend. She asked a child she knew what she did when she and a friend were fighting. The little girl replied, “We wait until one of us forgets and that one calls the other and says, ‘Hey, you want to play?’” If we’re having a challenge or difficulty with a friend or loved one, let’s be the one who “forgets”. Let’s call them and say, “Hey, let’s do something fun.” Then allow the power of play to heal the relationship.

So, yes, let’s pray together. The world needs more prayer. But let’s also remember to play together. The world needs a lot more of that too. The more we meet on the playground, the less we’ll meet on the battlefield.

09/15/2024

Play To Get Smart!
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
Study. Study. Study. That’s how we’re told to get smart and learn more. Traditional learning is important to develop skills and abilities, but to really be good at them, to be really intelligent—we need to play. Playfulness is the key to mental acuity.

In The Science of Fun For Adults, Natalie Reed says that fun activities increase the neuroplasticity of the brain which is its ability to form new neural pathways and strengthen existing ones. The more of these pathways in our brain, the easier it is for us to learn new skills and retain information. So we need to pair our learning studies with fun, which was the original purpose of recess at school. With less and less recess and playtime allowed in modern education, we are dumbing down our students.

Reed cites research indicating that play also facilitates greater memory. Much self-help focus is devoted on increasing memory through various exercises and even supplements. And although those do help, enjoying ourselves and having fun fortifies the memory pathways in the brain.

I had a brilliant English teacher in junior high school who taught the rules of grammar through rhymes and games. I learned easily through this method and still retain all that knowledge. She made learning fun, and her students were much smarter than even high school level English class. In their book Professors at Play Playbook, Lisa Forbes and David Thomas fill the pages with examples of playful lesson plans to be used in schools, universities and workplaces. Plus they illustrate how these techniques increase knowledge in chosen areas of study. In Europe, The Playful University was created as an educational platform of playful learning. Their moto is, "Learning is created and nurtured through joy, engagement, and play. " Many higher education facilities are adopting their techniques.

So, if play increases brain health and memory, might it also be used to treat dementia? Research shows that elderly people who engage in regular fun activities have less incidence of mental decline and show improvement in existing brain disease. So if you want to get smarter, start playing. If you want to help others stay mentally fit, invite them to play. Play, fun, and laughter are good for our brains!

09/08/2024

Have You Gotten Your Fun Shot?
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
“Are you vaccinated?” Walk through any store with a pharmacy and the loud speaker periodically booms with that question and recites the litany of substances in which you can get injected. Mass media and social media bombard us with pharmaceutical ads about drugs and vaccines we have to get to survive, or at least be socially “responsible.”

So have you gotten your shots? Are you taking the right pills? There is one injection that we need above all the others which will improve our physical and mental health and lengthen our years. It’s called The Fun Shot. Regular doses quite possibly will reduce our need for a lot of other pills.

In her book, The Science of Fun For Adults, Natalie Reed outlines all the research that shows how fun activities stimulate the release of chemicals like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin which cause us to feel awesome, plus counteract the negative effects of stress hormones. Study after study demonstrates that individuals who regularly play and have fun have lower blood pressure and lower risk for cardiac disease. In fact fun activities can help reverse a lot of heart and respiratory issues. The science indicates that having fun reduces inflammation in the body which is the underlying source of most medical problems. Playful people experience fewer chronic ailments. When play is part of their therapy, patients heal quicker from illness and injury.

We hear about the opioid epidemic and how its ruining lives and killing people. The cocktail of feel good chemicals that fun and laughter produce are the body’s natural pain killers. Again, patients who include daily doses of laughter in their recovery require less pain pills. A possible answer to end addiction and dependence on any substance is play. A huge portion of our population also rely on sleeping pills. We’d all sleep much better if we spent time having fun every day.

In her book, Reed also says that “fun” improves our digestion and play reduces our waistlines! A genre of physical fitness revolves around incorporating the fun physical activities we enjoyed as kids into our exercise routine with the idea that most of us were more fit as kids. Also, if we’re busy having fun, we’re less likely to sit around snacking in front of the TV. Years ago I suffered from a bout of digestive issues. I attended a birthday party where I ate many of the foods and drinks that would normally have wreaked havoc on my stomach. But because I was having so much fun, they didn’t bother me at all. Hmmm...play as an antacid?!

We’ve all experienced times when our health remarkably improved when something fun was coming up in our schedule. So including more fun obviously encourages better health. And yes, FUN boosts our immune system making us less likely to catch the crud. No matter what other vaccination you choose to get, make sure you’re always taking the Fun Jab!

When I see people masked up in public afraid of disease I want to tell them to rip off that mask and go outside and play! Play protects our health better than any mask! And like germs, fun is contagious! So let’s spread the fun to empower the herd immunity.

09/02/2024

Why the Rules?
By Sharon Niman Lundgren
I attended a class on making art out of old books by folding the pages into certain patterns. Due to lack of instruction guidelines, it was a disaster. I went to have fun and relieve stress, but wound up feeling stressed out over the art project. I realized that to be fun, even play needs rules.

Play is frequently described as an enjoyable, yet purposeless activity done for it’s own sake, often with no set rules. Yes, there are times when fun needs to be free, spontaneous, and unencumbered by rules. But sometimes it’s the rules, established parameters, which make certain play and games enjoyable. Without them, play becomes chaotic, stressful, and absolutely no fun at all.

Many of us pride ourselves in being free spirits, thumbing our nose at the rules. But even free spirits need rules, else we have difficulty surviving and thriving in this world. Without them our lives can become a disruptive mess and a series of unhealthy choices that prevent us from meaningful achievement. Also, what’s the point in being a rebel if there are no rules to rebel against? Rules give rebellion its purpose.

To become our best and achieve anything in life, we need societal, educational, and spiritual principles to establish our abilities and guide our personal and moral behavior. We learn and grow through guidelines and rules that govern our chosen areas of study and work. And although “wandering” has its time and purpose, we need to develop a sense of direction in life, else we wander aimlessly, accomplishing nothing and becoming vulnerable to being misled into unwise circumstances.

Indeed, there are times when rules are restrictive, controlling, and oppressive. When they violate our personal rights or safety, we need to push back and stand against them. Rules should help, not suppress, our spirit. So play by the rules to enhance your life, change them when necessary, and thumb your nose at them when wickedly, but wisely fun!

Creative Life Center

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