The Seven Traits of Creative People

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The deepest reality you are aware of is the one from which you draw your power. For someone who is conscious only of the material world, power is limited to material forces; but at a more profound level there is a creative power shaping the mind and body [...]

To get in touch with the core of life, you have to get in touch with the creative power of the universe. That power expresses itself through your personal creativity. When you are in the field of creativity, you lose track of time. Only the flow exists.

There are three forces pervading all of life: creation, maintenance, and destruction. All three are present in the life span of cells, stars, trees, planets, and galaxies, since every form must come into being, be maintained, and pass away. Even though each life span unfolds in a sequence over time, the three forces themselves exist simultaneously. The genes of every species include the code for creating new cells, maintaining each cell for a certain time, and destroying it to make way for another generation of tissue. This three-in-one intelligence is what you are trying to affect when you consciously shape your life; it is up to you which aspect -– creation, maintenance, or destruction -– is most dominant. Because you have the power to shift the balance of forces, you are above and beyond them.

As long as creation dominates your existence, you will keep growing and evolving. Evolution thwarts entropy, decay, and aging. The most creative people in any field intuitively draw on this understanding. They grow with the full consciousness that they are the source of their own power, and whatever their field, certain traits are generally shared by them.

  1. They are able to contact and enjoy silence.
  2. They connect with and enjoy Nature.
  3. They trust their feelings.
  4. They can remain centered and function amid confusion and chaos.
  5. They are childlike –- they enjoy fantasy and play.
  6. They self-refer: They place the highest trust in their own consciousness
  7. They are not rigidly attached to any point of view: Although passionately committed to their creativity, they remain open to new possibilities.

These seven points give us a practical standard to measure how creatively our lives are proceeding. [...]

You don’t have to squeeze every point into each day -- just make a commitment to allow these aspects of your life to emerge more fully.

--Deepak Chopra

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Add Your Reflection

7 Past Reflections
TI
May 30, 2007
I like and enjoy thinking of the number 7.I do not say that flexibility is good or ideal.I think that rigidity is not natural.I believe in the natural thinking,natural language and natural conduct or behaviour.To be rigid or fix is to be dead.W e must be open to REALITY and LIFE everywhere.Be open to REALITY.
PA
Patrick
Apr 3, 2007
so good. this reminds me of so many things
RA
Apr 3, 2007
You can live by the 7 principles from the latest best seller or the 3 fold path or the 8 fold path or 5 pillars or the 10 commandments but it is not really about living. Is it? It is about LIFE.
CO
Apr 3, 2007
Thank you Sudha for the clarification and thank you Xiaoshan for saying "well said" even though there is nothing to say, and thank you Viral for the excellent selection.
SU
Apr 2, 2007
Dr. Chopra's 7 points are brilliant. Thanks Conrad for Dr. Guinan's thoughts: 1 to 7 and 12 are excellent, but I would consider 8,9,10,11 with caution. "Not judging others or oneself" and "avoiding conflict" does not mean that one should close eyes to the atrocities committed by others or oneself, for to do that makes one an accomplice to the crime. In fact, a hero is someone who is willing to risk his/her own life/ reputation to stand up against what is wrong. I struggled with the concepts of non-judgment and forgiveness for a long, long time. Until I read something by the Dalai Llama: He said that one must CONDEMN WRONG ACTIONS BUT NOT THE PERSON committing the wrong. That's it! Forgiveness, then, is the willingness to engage the wrong doer in shedding light on wrong actions, to help prevent further wrongdoing... I hope that if I committ wrong acts, that someone would lovingly guide me away from darkness before its too late and not just avoid me. We ARE our brothers/sisters kee... View full comment
XI
Mar 31, 2007
Well said.
CO
Mar 30, 2007
Chopra is excellent. H e reminds me of stem cells whichrelate to stem goals and creative stem learning. I am reminded of Dr. James Guinan’s twelve statements which I call stem goals. These stem goals encompass a simple and unassuming manner of life, as Einstein suggested, and they embody a creative contagious element capable of initiating a chain reaction. TWELVE STEM GOALS 1. have an increased tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen. 2. have frequent attacks of smiling. 3. have feelings of being connected with others and nature. 4. have frequent, almost overwhelming, episodes of appreciation. 5. have the tendency to think and act spontaneously, rather than from fears based on past experiences. 6. have unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment, and to make the best out of each experience. 7. lose the ability to worry. 8. lose interest in conflict. 9. lose interest in interpreting the actions of others. 10. lo... View full comment