It's almost time for National Novel Writing Month (again! can you believe it?) and who better to pump us up than Jack Kerouac? His Essentials for Modern Prose are classic, short bursts of writing inspiration that are sure to get your pen moving/fingers typing. Drink them in!

1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for your own joy 
2. Submissive to everything, open, listening 
3. Try never get drunk outside your own house 
4. Be in love with your life 
5. Something that you feel will find its own form 
6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind 
7. Blow as deep as you want to blow 
8. Write what you want bottomless from bottom of mind 
9. The unspeakable visions of the individual 
10. No time for poetry but exactly what is 
11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest 
12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you 
13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition 
14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time 
15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog 
16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye 
17. Write in recollection and amazement for yourself 
18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea 
19. Accept loss forever 
20. Believe in the holy contour of life 
21. Struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind 
22. Don't think of words when you stop but to see picture better 
23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in your morning 
24. No fear or shame in the dignity of your experience, language & knowledge 
25. Write for the world to read and see your exact pictures of it 
26. Bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual American form 
27. In Praise of Character in the Bleak inhuman Loneliness 
28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better 
29. You’re a Genius all the time 
30. Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angeled in Heaven 

Pleasure is a glass of Shiraz and a book of poetry. It's dancing under the moon, saying yes, saying no, biting off a square of gourmet chocolate. Pleasure is sitting at an Italian cafe, drinking a cappuccino, watching passersby. It's wearing pink lipstick, sending yourself a love letter, sleeping in or taking a nap.

Pleasure is so many things and yet, we hardly find time for it or don't think we deserve it. Even the smallest pleasurable thing gets put off or branded too much work. 

No more excuses! Here are a few ways to sneak pleasure into your everyday. 

Turn the yuck into yay!
Hate going to the gym, but want to work out? What's the most pleasurable workout you could do? A dance class, yoga, a walk after dinner...

Can't find time to work on your novel, but really want to write one? What's the most pleasurable step you can take toward getting it written? Writing for five minutes in the morning while sipping tea, taking a notepad into the bubble bath, writing in the park on your lunch break...

Let yourself be seduced by the task at hand. Turn it into play. Ask, what's the most pleasurable way I can accomplish this? 

Make it easy.
I used to date this guy who'd always tell me, "Cassandra, life is easy." And then flash me a huge grin. Honestly, I wanted to reply with something like, "Well, I'm so glad it's easy for you," and then punch him in the face. But in retrospect, I see that he was right.

Things don't have to be complicated. I know this sounds cheesy, but it's about surrendering to the flow of life. It's about not getting too wrapped up in the details and how things will work out and just trusting that they will. 

Also, you don't need a lot of things to be happy. Although I don't fault anyone for wanting material things, I know from first hand experience that you can be happy with less. Life gets easier when you're not chained to constant desire and trying to maintain all the stuff you've already acquired. Try letting go of some of your possessions (do you really need that dress you haven't worn in 6 months?) and see how you feel.

Stop playing the beat-up game.
So you drank a frappuccino with whipped cream, skipped your workout, or watched The Walking Dead marathon instead of doing something productive. So what?!! Does any of it really matter in the grand scheme of things? 

You hereby have permission to take a break, "cheat" on a regimen, and be lazy just because it feels good. 

Allow yourself the pleasure of the moment, even if it means having a chocolate covered strawberry instead of a salad. Give yourself a break every now and then.

Forget the rules.
Do you stop wearing white after Labor Day or pass on the most beautiful pair of 5 inch heels because you're too tall and could never get away with that?

Do yourself a favor and chuck "the rules" in the garbage, please.

And this doesn't just apply to fashion. Do whatever interests you, even if it's unconventional. What's the worst that can happen? You get a few stares and whispers? And does it matter if you're happy and having a good time? Nope.

So what's seducing you right now? What small step can you take towards pleasure today? Go ahead, I dare you ;)

What does living an inspired life look like?

It's you waking up everyday with open arms, ready to embrace all the magic the day holds for you.

It's you sitting down with your favorite cup of tea, a notebook to capture your thoughts, a moment to just breathe in what the present has to offer.

Living an inspired life is you opening up this book called Life, like a book of poems, reading and savoring the words. 

I know life can be disenchanting at times; everything starts to look the same. As we grow older it's easy to see everything as the same ole, same ole. We seem to lose that sparkle in our eyes once the jobs and commute and daily chores take up most of our days.

That's why I wrote Living Poetry, a 30 day creative exploration into the beauty and magic of everyday living.

I see poetry in everything, from the flicker of candle light to the way the leaves sound in the breeze. Seeing life this way helps me bypass the "daily grudge." It's like wearing rose-colored glasses 24/7.

There's always something to be thankful for, always something beautiful and inspiring to ignite my love for life. 

And ultimately, having love for life opens us up to blessings, miracles, and endless possibility. Not to mention confidence and love for ourselves.

I want to help you manifest a life of living poetry, a life worth swooning over.

For only $20 you'll receive 30 days of letters filled with poetry, photos, creative prompts, personal musings, and inspiring links and advice from other poetic souls to help you wipe the cobwebs from your eyes and bring back the enchantment to your life.

And when the enchantment unfolds, nothing can stop you! You'll feel inspired to create, confident in pursuing your dreams, ready to move through your days in a whole new way. You'll notice all the beauty you've been missing. Fairy tale life? Absolutely!

The first round of letters starts next month, so if you sign up between now and October 31, you'll receive your first letter November 1. 

A whole month of inspired living for $20! Make it your best month yet and sign up below.

Hello gorgeous Friday! And hello gorgeous you :) Here's your little mini escape into internet land.

What makes a seductress? Sandy from Grease can teach us a thing or two.

An abandoned Victorian tree house...awesome!

Ahh...that old friend enemy, writer’s block. Here’s one way to beat it.

Do you read self-published books differently?

Women are hard to animate because they have emotions. That’s what someone at Disney thinks, at least.

A beautiful self-care list.

The emotional signpost that signals a breakthrough is about to happen.

Life tips for rad girls!

This Twilight Fairy party theme is gorgeous!

Great piece on the myth of passion and motivation and how to stay focused when you get bored working towards your goals.

I'm sitting at my little wooden desk, sipping green tea from a white mug, thinking about what I want to write to you.

Faith keeps coming up. Probably because it's been such a huge part of my success, my happiness, everything.

I've always had a lot of faith, even when it didn't seem practical, even when the odds were stacked against me. When people say, "It won't work," or "Life doesn't happen that way," I just acknowledge them and let them know that maybe it doesn't work that way in the "seen" world, but I don't rely on what I see. I have faith in what's happening in the unseen.

It's hard to explain to people what having faith is like. It's a letting go, a surrender to what is known and acknowledging what isn't yet known. In some cases, it's believing the impossible is possible.

I believe faith is important when it comes to stepping into the life you dream of.

When I decided to quit the day job, I had faith that things would work out, even though I didn't have much of a plan and little money in the bank. All I knew was that I needed to devote my time to writing, and if I did that, the rest would be taken care of. 

Yes, I put action behind my faith, found writing jobs and put my all into my dream, but there were times when that didn't sustain me. The money from my own work wasn't flowing in, but everything was taken care of, paid for, and I had all I needed.

I remember one month I received a check for over $500 from a magazine that had already paid me and that I hadn't written for in months. 

Another time it seemed like money was just appearing in my account. Everytime I went to the ATM there was more money, but I hadn't deposited anything and no one else had either. If anything, it should have been decreasing!

I believe in a higher power. I call it God, but you may call it something else. Whatever the case is, I believe there's a lot of hidden power we can tap into. 

Faith + action. I can't stress it enough because I've seen it happen over and over in my life. Start with the faith and put action behind it. Show that higher power that you're serious and that you believe in the dream coming true. 

It's not always easy, but I can guarantee you God does not play small with faith. 

And it doesn't have to be about money or career. You can have faith for a relationship, your health, or something as small as winning a contest. Believing is receiving. 

And I know it doesn't always work out, no matter how much one believes, but it doesn't mean we should stop believing. It means we should put even more faith behind our actions. It means that even when difficulties come, we tattoo believe on our hearts and carry on, knowing that we're one step closer to something beautiful.

How do you feel about faith? Let the comments be our circle where we share our stories and inquiries. Even if they're of a different opinion. Here's your talking stick...

To be prosperous, specifically, to be prosperous and spiritual you must first realize that it's okay to be both.

Yes, Jesus and his followers lived simple lives and countless other spiritual people taught against wealth and/or living in abundance, but it's only "the root of evil" if we make it so. 

I've struggled with this for eons, thinking how can I be a spiritual person and still make money? Can I make money and have nice things and still be a good person? And for eons I've limited myself and what I allowed in my life. I thought, God will hate me if I make a lot of money/desire things. 

First of all, God does not hate, and second, God actually says:

No matter what your spiritual credo, I think it's safe to say that we're not meant to just get by. We're meant to live life abundantly and to enjoy what life has to offer.

I'm reading The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity by Edwene Gaines for the second time because it's so inspiring and has really helped me clear some blocks I had about prosperity and spirituality. I'd love to share with you a piece of her spiritual map to a guilt-free prosperous life.

1. You Only Get What You Give

If you want to be prosperous you must give what you get. In the book, Edwene writes about the power of tithing 10% of everything that comes into your bank account, and although I'm following this specific rule, I think it can be applied across the board. Anything we give comes back to us and how much we give correlates to how much we get. 

This can be a tricky one, a particularly hard principle because it's hard to give, especially money, when it feels like you don't have enough for yourself. But it's a universal law. Even God said to put him to the test: 

If you decide to give money, it doesn't have to be to a church. It can be anywhere you receive spiritual food, right down to the barista who always offers you an uplifting sentiment. 

I just started tithing again and have given to authors, ministers, and inspirational teachers.

Here's one thing I know: the more I get, the more I want to give. A beautiful cycle of giving and receiving.

2. Set Goals

If you want to be prosperous you must set goals. This is where you learn to daydream again, to let your mind wander, and to cast aside your limitations. 

Basically, if you want something, write it down and get to work achieving it. Don't worry about the how. Don't worry that it seems impossible or that you're too old or sick or broke to receive it. Edwene writes, "Focus on asking yourself, 'If money were no object, if time or responsibility or age or education were no concern, what would my life look like? What would the life of my dreams be?'"

I can't stress this enough - that expanding the way you think about what is possible will open up a whole new world. 

Nothing is impossible!

Write that out 100 times. Say it three times a day. Do whatever you have to do to get that through your head. Stop worrying about how something will come to be and just believe. Write down your goals, have some faith, and get in motion. Even if the motion is small and doesn't seem like it will get you anywhere. Micro-movements are still movements and every little bit counts.

Get serious about what you want!

3. The Power of Forgiveness

If you want to be prosperous you must forgive those who have done you wrong. Why?
Because harboring grudges isn't hurting the person you refuse to forgive - it's hurting you. Like Edwene says, it's like stabbing yourself with a knife and expecting the other person to feel the pain.

Holding grudges blocks you from receiving the good you desire. That un-forgiveness is taking up a lot of room in your spiritual house and you're trying to bring in new stuff. There's no where to put it!

Are you wondering why your mental and physical health is less than par? Do some self-inventory and see if there's anyone you need to forgive. It doesn't matter what they did to hurt you, you've got to forgive them. Forgiving doesn't mean you excuse their behavior; it means you let go of the guilt, shame, blame, hurt, and resentment they may have caused you. Forgiveness is a gift to yourself. 

4. Follow Your Passion, Live Your Purpose

If you want to be prosperous you must follow your passions and step into your divine purpose. This is something we grow into and dedicate ourselves to for the rest of our lives. Seems daunting, but it happens quite naturally.

What is something your passionate about and how can you use it to create a better world? My passion is to write, and my divine purpose is to use the gift to inspire people all over the world.

A simple way to find your purpose is to follow your joy.

Here's your treasure map in a nutshell:

1. Give & receive
   
2. Set goals
   
3. Forgive
   
4. Follow your passion
   

Implement these four things into your everyday and get ready for the blessings! What do you have to lose?