I wish I read more, but I will say that when I do it's an absolutely fabulous bestseller and a keeper for life. I also really love shopping for books, so I'm sad our bookstores are becoming extinct and there are less of my favorite stores to spend endless hours in. At any rate, books are so important for us as artists. They get our creative juices flowing and activate that area of our brain that needs to 'imagine' again. I'm going to take this opportunity to share with you some of my favorite books - the old and dusty to the bright and shiny new ones. Here you go:

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie

Christine Mason Miller’s latest book - Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World – is a collection of stories, exercises, images, quotes, and anecdotes from twenty extraordinary contributors, all sharing insights and experiences of how they create a meaningful life and, in turn, make a positive impact on the world. Each chapter discusses a different aspect of living a passion-fueled life, and this month Christine is offering a 60-Second Snapshot of each chapter as part of her Desire to Inspire Virtual Book Tour. Click here for all her online book tour dates!

Today Christine is discussing Chapter 2 ~ The Foundation

“Creating a meaningful life isn’t about following a one-size-fits-all magic formula or compartmentalizing our lives and selves into separate categories of worthiness, but about finding and developing daily habits that work with the details of your life.” ~Desire to Inspire

If I’m clear on my priorities, then everything I do throughout every single day will be in service to that – whether it is grocery shopping, writing a blog post, or creating a new series of artwork. Nothing takes away from anything else; it is all part of my life, a life centered around my most cherished values.

Christine Mason Miller is a Santa Monica-based artist, writer, and explorer. Her next book – Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World – begins shipping later this month! Follow her adventures on www.christinemasonmiller.com.

One of my favorite things about Jess's work is her use of color. So bright! There's such life in her paintings and such bold colors. I'm also in love with her motto Live color to the MAX.

As a coach, one of the things I see the most is clients who are sleepwalking through life. They aren't unhappy or depressed per se, but they definitely aren't living full out or playing all in.

Are you living in black and white? Do any of these apply?

• You sit at work and feel like you waste your day away playing online to pass the time.
• You find yourself wondering if this is all there is to life.
• You have big dreams for yourself but don't see how you'll ever get there.
• You live in a world of "if only"s -- if only ____________, then I'd be happy.

Wanna live in full color, but don't know where to start? Here are a few things you can do to get started:

• Do one little thing towards your dream every day, even if it's just looking at a map of France or reading a newspaper article. These little steps add up (they do!) and are often the difference between taking small, consistent steps toward a goal and never getting started. (Who wants to never get started? That sounds awful!) 
• Turn off the tv! Shut off the computer (maybe after you've finished this article) and get outside and start doing. Anything. Just do something. Once you get over the initial, oh now what? it's actually easier than you think.
• Get really clear on your vision. What does your ideal life look like, that crazy big life that you keep tucked away where no one else can see it? Even if you don't tell anyone, getting clarity on your vision can provide a touchstone for making choices and taking action.
• Put away the "if only" mindset and start working toward happiness. Right now. Today. Part of this goes back to choice and another part is about action. Action is the only thing that will make things change. Complaining, not so much. Feeling helpless, not so much. Recognizing what you can control and taking action based on that? Bingo! You're on your path!

Are you reading all of this and thinking, "But I already live in full color. What can I do to shake things up?"

I'm so glad you asked! For those of you who are already living in full color, here are some tips to turn up the volume and start living full color to the MAX:

• Sit for a moment and picture yourself doing something crazy. Crazy-fun that is. What can you think of that would rock your world with its awesomeness? Got it? Great, now go do that!
• Start talking about it. Let people know what really makes you come alive -- you will inspire and that will only inspire you to do more living.
• Get uncomfortable. Since you're likely comfortable with discomfort, figure out how you can make yourself even *more* uncomfortable on a day to day basis.

{Note: If you are able to make yourself uncomfortable on a daily basis, you WILL change your life. This is a personal guarantee from me to you. Don't believe me? Give it a try for 2 weeks and let me know how it goes.}

What do you think? Any steps you can start taking today that could bring some sparkle into your life?

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Tiffany Moore is a coach, artist, change agent and magic maker who lives in the Bay Area  and believes that everyone can live their happiest, most sparkly life, starting now. This year, Tiffany realized one of her dreams when she co-founded Teahouse Studio, a creative workshop space in Berkeley. Find out more at her website, facebook or twitter.