Reaching as High as You Can!

I was in the kitchen earlier – standing on my tip toes reaching for a box of herbal tea. It was on the top shelf in the cupboard and it was on top of a couple of other boxes. I gave it three stretches and still couldn’t get it. Then I got an idea. I reached with ease and got the box just underneath it. As soon as I did, this one dropped down and fell into my hands.

And so I’m wondering where in my life I’m reaching for something that I won’t be able to get without support (a stool), or a helper with longer arms than mine. Both of those are good options that I frequently use. And there are some things professionally and personally that may simply out of my reach. At least at the moment.

I’m looking at my goals, wish list and more … and will be taking a serious look to see if reaching for something just below it will help it fall into my lap. Hmmm …

Reading the Signs in Your Own Life

There was a time when I felt that my life was guided by signs everywhere I went. And they were gorgeous signs. Here’s a great example: In 2003 I had just taken the Healing Touch level 3 class and had been told that level 4 was only for people who wanted to set up a Healing Touch business. My heart said yes, and, we lived in a small rural town and I didn’t see a lot of demand in the area for this type of service. I really didn’t see it as my future and so I was sitting on the fence. My husband, Wayne, and I were at a spa getting Valentines Day massages. He went in first … while I waited listening to the relaxing music and being meditative. When it was my turn, the lady chatted with me and said that Wayne had mentioned the Healing Touch classes we had been taking. Without missing a beat, she said she would like to offer me a room free of charge at her Spa to practice with clients until I was certified and ready to offer service for a fee. Awesome sign and so easy to read.

Over the years I’ve gotten more into the idea of reading signs and have learned that in the animal kingdom, EVERYTHING is a sign. Whether it’s new shoots on the plants, a thunderstorm, or someone coming through the bush loudly. Animals listen to signs instinctively and it allows their species to thrive and continue!

There was a point a few years ago that I was so good at reading signs I could trust the first thing that came along as a redirection or guidance. It was a beautiful thing! I didn’t need to get well down the trail and find I had gone the wrong way. I found it amazing to have such a fine tuned system!

Things have changed. Now as we head to 2012 the energy is so full of disturbances little signs to me seem more like bumps in the road than redirections. I think if I took every dropped call, red light, or crossed wire as a sign, I would be living in a little box unable to move anywhere.

I still look for the big signs and I still notice the little bumps. I now rely more directly on my intuition. Rather than wondering what the sign means, I now check inside to see if it’s anything I need to pay attention to. Sometimes it’s yes. I’ve had a series of dropped calls with a friend I chat with regularly. We’ve actually ended up changing how we talk about certain subjects because the timing is so pointed EACH time the call drops. On the other hand, there are other times in other conversations when my phone drops a call and I simply call back and go on where I left off.

I’ve found there are no rules any longer. Each situation calls me to be present and neutral to check my intuition and see where the wisdom lies.

May you have great support and easy signs to read along your way. And may the bumps in the road be just that – bumps that are easy to move over and beyond!

What Gifts are you Hiding?

Over the weekend someone dropped the heal from a loaf of bread on the floor. They chucked it in the trash saying “it’s not like anyone eats that part anyway”. It was a beautiful day so I swooped in and took the heal of bread to the back door … tore it into bits and threw them out onto the lawn.

We continued to clean the kitchen and noticed one delighted squirrel come from some distance sniffing all the while. He found the first piece and ate it right on the spot. We were speculating as to whether it went into his cheek or his belly. He went for another one and bounded away with it. Hopefully a present for someone he loves . He returned shortly and after a few quick nibbles he began burying the others one by one.

We had a laugh at how disappointed he’d be if he ever tried to look for them again. Bits of bread may be a great gift today but they don’t last when buried.

Since then I’ve been pondering myself. What gifts of mine am I burying thinking they will be more useful later? What am I choosing NOT to share today that will have zero value if I save it for later?

I’d love to hear your reflections on this for your own life!

Celebrating the good feelings!

Today I’m feeling abundant and excited about life. This past Friday I had 49 students registered for my teleseminar that starts tomorrow. And more have registered since then! I’m feeling the energy of the students – some are excited about the class, some are nervous about using the technology. And the energy is just buzzing.

I’ve worked with my field to allow the feeling of excitement to feed me rather than push me off center. More work than I would have thought! Lots of meditation and being present.

In the midst of all of this, as is often the case, I had two people contact me about traveling to teach – in gorgeous locations that I would love to travel to. I had someone else offer to take professional pics for me I’m way beyond needing those. Another person, a trusted friend, gave me a nudge to work with her to “up” my image (wardrobe, creating video for my web site etc) to suit the professional international teacher that I am stepping into.

This morning I was dying to call someone and just CELEBRATE this great feeling! Ends up – I didn’t call anyone. It felt that the best possible way I could celebrate this feeling was just to sit in it, drink it up and enjoy it myself. For me, at that moment in time, it felt like a phone call would be a way of not fully owning how great this feels. If I called someone I would think about the other person and how it would feel for them. Some part of me that thinks it’s not good to brag would say self deprecating things that would push away the good feeling. Today – the best thing I can do is quietly celebrate (and write a blog entry).

My question for you is this – What if we are the person most suited to share our sorrows and joys with. This does not mean to pull away from friends. I’m deeply grateful for my friends and feel very connected no matter how frequently we’re in touch. My thought is that when we can pause and FEEL rather than trying to put the feelings into words – there is a gift available. And so I thought I would share.

Next time you have a day where you feel like you’re scraping on the floor – pause and offer yourself some compassion. Be present. See what the gifts are. And next time you’re flying high – see if you can pause in gratitude and enjoy the feeling!

Anum Cara

This is a beautiful term that I learned from some dear friends and teachers from Ireland. It means soul friend. It is someone you may or may not see would be a friend from the surface – yet someone who touches your heart and life – someone who can genuinely hear you whether you are speaking or not.

I have spent years priding myself on being a soul friend to many. Each place I have lived I have added a few treasured friends. I have loved the heart connection, friendship and joy that each relationship has brought.

The past few years have felt to me as though they were a deep cleanse of all I have valued and held dear. Much simplicity and beauty has shown up as a result of this process.

One area I keep visiting (or that keeps visiting me) are my friendships. I still very much value each and every person that has been brought into my life. A few years ago I realized in my deepest core that I could not maintain the number and depth of relationships and still be a good mom and wife and create a strong dynamic business.

Facebook has helped me with this. I have the good parts of maintaining friendships without the overstuffed calendar. In many ways, I have more time for family yet have been able to keep up with those I love.

Beyond this, I felt some clarity arise when I did Debbie Ford’s 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse this past January. The theme throughout her book is that our number one priority is to tend our own inner flame.

It has given me a benchmark when looking at decisions. It has become easier to say ‘yes’ and easier to say ‘no’.

Sometimes it still feels unclear to me though. Can you be a true Anum Cara or soul friend … and make choices that honor you, yet let the other person down or strain trust?

Katy Perry vs Rihanna … and how it shows up in MY life

When Rihanna was on SNL recently I thought she was fabulous. My kids watched her performance with me and I joked with them that she was in tune, had a strong voice, filled the space with her voice and wasn’t “pitchy” at all. At our house this was an obvious slam reference to Katy Perry’s recent performance where she was just OFF! I personally had visions of Ashley Simpson. Ends up I don’t think Katy Perry will have the fall out that Ashley Simpson did. At least not with her junior fans. My kids were not impressed with my editorializing.

In fact my oldest turned it into a question of me – “If that’s what you’re seeing mom, where are you ‘out of tune’ or ‘off key’ in your own life?”

Direct hit. We’d spent some time earlier that day as part of an ongoing conversation on “the shadow”. Put in its simplest terms we notice things in the world around us that are merely projections of what is going on for us.

Each noticing is a chance to heal our own story, our own body, mind and spirit.

Since that time I’ve been pondering a lot. I’ve not put my finger on any one thing – yet have felt some definite shifts inside of me as I relate to the world and to myself. Possibly I have sanded off some rough edges. If all I got out of that was some inner fine tuning I feel blessed. And maybe it’s a bigger piece than I have yet discovered.

As we watch what’s going on in the world around us there are so many events and experiences of life that seem off-key. May we all feel the call to tune up our inner lives so that harmony is more available on this planet!

How do you feel “Safe” in the world?

A few years ago, when the markets crashed, I remember thinking that as a collective we were redefining what was important to us. I saw some beautiful shifts in the lives of many and a shift for the planet. (Not to diminish the hardships I also saw).

Since that time I’ve seen people simplify. I’ve also seen people define the things that have brought them safety and security. I’ve seen them say to themselves and others: “As long as I’ve got this crazy old house we’re good”, “this neighborhood has been my rock”, “as long as I’ve got my husband …”, “My kids are everything” … “thank goodness our business is flourishing” “thankfully my office has been growing during the recession” and the list goes on.

What I’m finding in my own life and in the lives of those around me is that the one thing that has helped us feel safe, secure, OK … is being challenged. Some in big and obvious ways and some in more subtle ways.

In my own life, I’ve joked for probably 10 or more years that I don’t really care what goes on in the world. “Even if Wayne and I end up living in a shack on a beach in Mexico home schooling our kids, we’ll be fine.” (And that statement represented a lot of security to me).

This past summer things shifted. Not in a bad way. I’ve gone from feeling like Wayne is my guy, my person I’ll never lose, my person I never want to lose, my security … to feeling more secure in and of myself. That no matter what happens in the world I’ll be OK. My security has come from my connection to the earth and to spirit. From this place I’ve been deeply grateful for him and enjoying his company. It’s no longer me and him (and our kids) against the world. There is no “against” any longer. And there is no real security outside of me.

It’s been more unsettling than I’m portraying as I write this – and I think it’s taking us and our relationship somewhere really nice. I’ve seen similar shifts both comfortable and uncomfortable in those around me as well.

I think there was a time in our lives where if we held something in an “unhealthy” way – we might need to lose it to learn a different way. I don’t think that’s where we are in time any longer. I think this is the time for the perceptual shifts – in changing how we hold things – rather than changing what we hold.

And you may find both showing up in your life.

I want to challenge you to take an honest look at your own life. What are you holding on to tightly? What are you taking for granted? Where does your security and safety really lie? This week take one step to shift that safety to live within you. And see what shows up in your life.

Live You

I’m texting more and more these days. I’m also writing more emails on my cell phone. Of late I’ve noticed that as I end my written communication typing my usual of many years “love you” whether because of the size of my fingers or the keyboard on my iphone – I’m writing “live you”. I’ll often type quickly and hit send … noticing my type-o as it is vanishing.

When I first noticed it I would correct it right away – or feel silly hoping the recipient would understand my type-o. I’ve been coming to a new conclusion of late.

I used to want for the people around me to have happy, successful lives with ease of manifesting and joy and abundance. Just to be clear, I do very much still want that for them. But I’ve taken on a more inclusive/extensive view of life.

These days, what I want is for those in my life and on the planet to experience is the richness of what life has to offer. To live their life in this physical form with vibrancy and depth.

Truly those things do not all come consistently with ease, success and joy.

And so my wish for you is that you live fully and deeply and richly. That happiness, success and joy show up strongly for you. That you life this beautiful life as though it’s your only one.

There’s probably a more elegant way to say it – but “Live You” now has it’s own beautiful meaning for me.

And so I say to each one of you “Live you!”

The Icelandic Volcano and the Journey

I was reading in the New York Times this morning about the long, interesting journeys and odysseys that people have undertaken all across Europe and the UK to get home.

As a result of an act of nature people are immediately needing to change their plans, be creative and take risks into the unknown … in order to find their way home.

The message is not lost on me. In a sense these days we’re all trying to find our way home to who we really are.

Some times it’s nature that redirects our path, sometimes it’s a human act or series of acts. And aren’t humans really part of nature anyway?

Take a deep breath. Honor your own personal journey. Allow it to be creative, unexpected and full of interesting risks! Don’t loose sight of that goal – coming home to who you really are. It’s SOOOO worth the trip!

Eagle Energy

My husband and I are growing our businesses – some times in leaps and bounds. When I can stand back I see this beautiful divine plan. It’s as though our piece of the puzzle is bigger than we even know … and that it fits perfectly into this divine big picture which is part of this creation of a new earth.

In the shamanic tradition I practice there is a direction that is associated with the Eagle. Whenever I spot an eagle, reflect on eagle qualities, or tune into eagle energy I always seem to go to that great place of soaring. That place of vision and perspective with the ability to swoop in and focus closely when something needs attention in some way. The ability to see the big picture and the details at the same time. First, I must say I believe with all my heart these are noble qualities and I very much continue to dance with them and aspire to have them fully present in my life.

I was sent a link this morning to an Eagle Cam positioned in Hillsborough, New Jersey.

http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/education/eaglecam/

I’ve been watching it on and off all morning. From what I can tell, the camera is pointed at an eagle nest where there is a mom looking after babies. At first I was delighted to see the babies and the interaction. Then, I was curious to see if there was some sort of motion sensor or something so I could see some great flight! After a while I began to get an entirely new sense of eagle.

I’ve always thought of eagles and their grand nature and their soaring. Sometimes I feel like I soar and some times I don’t. After seeing this eagle cam there is this new perspective taking shape. Eagles do indeed soar … and they also sit and hang out in their nest. They preen and groom others, they look for food and while much of the time the act of gathering food is dramatic of awe inspiring, it’s not always. When they are doing these small and domestic tasks they are no less “eagle” than they are when they are soaring.

Who are you at your core? Does doing day to day tasks or a “day job” make you fee like you’re less than you’re grandest possible self? Do you somehow choose to have those moments diminish you in some way? Can you choose to hold your greatest vision of who you are and do menial tasks at the same time. Can you play with it and eventually make it unconscious so you are simply you, being or doing at any given moment?

I encourage you to take this practice to heart. It may be eagle or another animal. It may be a specifically human image of who you want to be or are deep inside of you. Either way, allow the grandness, the gentleness, the ferociousness, the quietness – all of who you are – to exist within you at all times – moment by moment. See where it leads you!