Living Centered in the Flow of All That Is

First you need to understand that my family is made up of people related and not, my cats and other animals, and my Council of teachers, guides, and angels. It's Thursday (8/23) but it's been such a long week. Friday I had my own movie night and watched, "Michael," with John Travolta. During a break, I had a fun chat with Archangel Michael about the movie. Saturday I found out that my latest ex husband had died suddenly the day before, while rebuilding his life. Some of you know the whole story, most don't. My ex was Dr. Jeckle/Mr. Hyde, as I've said before. The loving side (Dr. Jeckle) was incredible and his usual persona but Mr. Hyde leaped out unexpectedly enough to give me a mild case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I was unofficially adopted into his family (although I never lived with them) when in high school, through his little sister. That's when I developed an enduring crush on him. So I loved him for about 30 years before we got together after failed marriages. We lived together for 10 years after that. Meanwhile, I was connected to and knew his family. I only knew the Dr. Jeckle side until we got together in 2000, what I'd seen with his family. Although the marriage ended very badly, it created that "earthquake" under my world I've referred to, the opportunity to change my life. Awhile back I processed what went wrong to create this. I faced my role in it, saw his turning points and the unfortunate choices he made. I forgave him, and was praying daily for him for awhile before he died.

I actually found out he died in an email and every word I read was felt like a hammer blow. I spent Saturday doing what I could for his friends and family, personally phoning and notifying them. I also spent time processing my feelings, and was able to come down to nothing but the love. There are a few reflections on this posted in the 8/23 blog.

The next day, I found out that my oldest cat (Whiskers), my substitute husband, has decided to die. He's had a cyst for awhile now and I found out it's turning to cancer, affecting his health. I was offering him Reiki to heal and he only once took more than about 2 minutes of treatment. Now I know why. He told a friend and me that he's done, he's tired. He doesn't want to get well. He'll take just enough Reiki energy to feel better, then no more. I told him I need him and asked him to stay with me and he made a rather naughty joke, saying one of the other cats will fill in for him. It doesn't work that way. But I got the message, and told him so. I told him I have to respect his decision because I love and respect him. Some of you have gone through this with humans. So I came to acceptance right away when my plea was rejected, but I had to adjust to the knowledge.

I've only told you all that to give you context. My life is absolutely no picnic. But if you haven't read the 8/23 blog post you need to before you read the rest of this one.

I was able to accept the decision Whiskers made and adjust, and everything else, because I'm now moving firmly into the center of the flow of All That Is. This includes abundance, peace, harmony, wholeness, balance, well being. I have no idea what's happening next in my life, or even in my day. But I live in faith and the belief that all is unfolding as it should and in the proper time frame. The "bad" things are opportunities for revealing and shedding what's still within me that no longer serves me. Otherwise, I barely react to things that happen that seem "bad." I only react if I still need to grow in some way. So "bad" things don't happen as much now. And I'm not afraid of them. They're simply opportunities. I know that anything can be overcome and provide something in my life. I do have to reinforce this every day. I do that with prayer, positive "I Am" statements, and by working with specific angels on meeting my needs.

That and gratitude are the biggest keys. Not only do I not fear, I'm grateful for the "bad" or inconvenient things that happen. I have come to the place of recognition and gratitude. I recognize everything as an opportunity and am grateful. I recognize the abundance around me and am grateful. I don't know where my income will come from or the money I need for my obligations, only that it will. I try to truly appreciate and realize all the abundance in my life. I certainly have an abundance of cats and cat hair! But you know, I save that cat hair. One day I really am going to learn to combine it with fine wool and spin it into yarn. So I gather up what I can of the cat hair and save it, watch my supply grow. I have plenty to practice with now, all textures. So I am grateful for cat hair. But one note - I'm not hoarding cat hair. If someone else needed some, I'd share. I'm not saving it "in case," or "for a rainy day." It's not like a savings or retirement account. I simply have an abundance of it and continue to save it for eventual recycling, rather than just throw it away. I recognize the value in it, for me at least. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and you can find so much beauty in what others cast off. If you enjoy yard or garage sales, or thrift shops, you know just what I mean.

I have so much and never go without what I truly need, unless I become fearful and shut myself off for fear of running out. For a long time I did that, lived as "small" as I could and focused on the lack. At that time I was always fearful and blocked. I'm still a long way away from where I want to be, but I'm learning to recognize and be grateful for the abundance in my life. I have abundant love, friends, family. I don't focus on what I don't have like loving parents or a lover/husband/mate. Instead I focus on the loving family that I do have. For example, my daughter and daughter-in-law are some of my very best friends in the world, although certainly not my only. Lots of people can't say that. This is just the thing - you need to focus on what you do have and fully enjoy it, rather than on what you don't. Where you put your focus is what you'll perpetuate. So if you are focusing on what you lack, that's exactly what you're making more of.

To stay in the flow, don't resist what's happening. This is what creates the stress and further problems. Instead, figure out a way to handle it and view it as an opportunity. When I'm feeling unsettled, I work to rebalance myself as quickly as possible. I do this in many ways. I take a break, first of all, do something for myself. That may be a meal, a nap, a nice bath with the bath salts I made to clear negative energy, or meditation. I also always pray, often ask angels to help me get balanced again. Then I pay attention to all that happens around me. One of the cats will come in and lick my leg, and I know she's helping me. I was unsettled a few minutes ago and then I heard a dove. I always know that's my beloved grandparents communicating their love. Or I see two white moths flying together, or hear the wind chimes and know the angels are assuring me that all is well. I choose to recognize these messages and reassurances and take them to heart. There is beauty all around us all the time if we just open our eyes. We have abundant air, water, nature, light, colors, scents, and entertainment - if you just look. Sit outside and watch the bugs and you'll see the abundance built into our world.

I also deal with the feelings that have been brought forth, and learn more about myself and what still needs clearing in myself and my life. I choose to make the most of the opportunity given to me by whatever upset my balance. We can't control what happens to us but we can gain a sense of control and responsibility by choosing how we react and deal with it. I don't try to control my world and what happens in it any more. Instead, I control my thoughts and actions, reactions. That's how to not resist, to learn to go with the flow. It requires faith, but that's how you develop faith too. You practice all this one thought and reaction at a time. It takes time but that time will pass anyway - so why not begin to transform your world by doing it the only way possible - by transforming yourself. The only control that's not a total illusion is self-control. And self-control helps you feel in control of your world, while not perpetuating the illusion of control. By doing this and believing in overall good, you learn to quit resisting life and flowing with it. I have such a feeling that there's so much more here I'm supposed to be telling you. So I'm sure this is a subject we'll revisit. And I truly do welcome comments and additions, other perspectives here.

Call to Action

We all need to be doing all we can to improve our lives and our health. In this message I'm going to speak to Lightworkers and all others. Mostly this message is for every living person. We need to be working to free ourselves of negativity and what no longer serves us. All adults have "baggage" of one kind or another. These are messages about ourselves absorbed in school, through parents and other family, perhaps organized religion, from peers, and the things that have happened in our lives. Often we've internalized the wrong messages about ourselves, life, God, our Universe. Most of us have been taught things based on tradition and the past, and these things aren't necessarily valid in the now. But the messages have become deeply ingrained.

We all have primary jobs in life. One is to take care of our bodies, minds, spirits, and emotions. We need to purify and feed these daily. This is our number one job in life - self care. Only you can do it for you! We need to be transforming our thoughts from negatives to positives with intent and will. And it CAN be done! I've done it and I know many others who work on this. It's a daily work in progress. It involves paying attention to your thoughts and feelings, and consciously turning away from and replacing the negative with the positive. When I have an unkind thought or feeling about someone else, for example, I don't allow it to stay with me. I immediately tell myself and the Universe that I don't mean it, and turn it to a positive, often with an "on the spot prayer" for that person. I also figure out why it came to me. These are opportunities to become a kinder and gentler, more loving person. When I find myself worrying about money or even dwelling on my needs, I stop it and turn it. I pray or ask angels for help or both. I remind myself that God wants us to live in plenty rather than suffer. I put my faith back into play.

I work daily to bring up and remove the messages from my life that no longer serve me, including those that come at me every day. They come at me from well-meaning others, the media, and from within. I've set the intent to heal entirely and work toward it. One of the nice things is that I don't have to relive things from the past for them to bubble up and heal. Often just by intent I'm able to release these things without having to examine them. All this comes from years of internal self-healing work. My journey to wholeness started in 1990 when I first remembered the sexual abuse from my childhood. Until then I had very few childhood memories, and I still don't have that many. In the initial stages I had to relive what I'd lived through and have counseling to deal with it. I also had to relearn about myself because I'd been brainwashed. The counselor helped me through all this and also gave me the tools to help myself continue this work, which I've done ever since. The reason I still don't remember that much of my childhood is that now I don't need it remember the really painful parts. I've done my work as much as possible with traditional counseling, journaling, and self-discovery. Now I'm in the phase where I can help myself just with intent without having to relive. I work with angels, God, and Reiki to do this. I've learned more about who I truly am. I use my daily interactions and messages from God and angels to reinforce this. I use my positive "I Am" statements to reinforce the good messages, and continue changing my beliefs about myself and my life.

I set positive intent for myself with strong will less than two years ago. I used to think this kind of thing was real work. Years ago I could never see that I'd get healed, get to where I wanted and needed to be. And it all just seemed so daunting, too much effort and work, too many years to get there. I have to tell you how wrong I was! Once you set your intent with your whole mind and heart and start working toward it, it gets easier and easier. It quickly becomes a habit that then becomes a way of life. It then entirely transforms your life, your self - everything in your life. It truly sounds like way more work than it is. But you do have to fully set intent with your whole being. Anything halfway or part time is going to fail.

It's been harder for me to set boundaries and take care of my physical needs. I was always putting the needs of others first and a self- and society imposed "should" before my needs. I came last and least and my health reflects that. Now it reflects my beginning changes toward taking care of business - which is ME. I'm not going to go into the details but our internal life (mental, emotional, spiritual) totally affects the physical. So does how we care for the vessel (body) we were given.

I've come to understand my needs and jobs better. One of our jobs is to do all we can every day we can, whatever is in front of us, presented to us to do. If we let things pile up they become mountainous burdens that take much more time and energy to handle. So my job is to do all I can every day I can, and to take care of myself in all ways - body, mind, emotions, spirit. These things apply to all of us.

And as a Lightworker, it's my job to teach others how to do these things, and the importance of them. I'm to show the way, and show myself as proof that it works. It's my job to be the very best me I can be and tell others how to get there. I've come to understand that some of the things that I enjoy most are also part of my job, including things that are my bliss like crafting and art, and socialization with other Lightworkers. I need the creative outlet of my crafting and art. They keep my energy flowing properly. And the socialization keeps my vibrational level up. I also learn, grow, and heal from these contacts.

Finally, as I Lightworker I'm finding that it's my job to put the tools toward obtaining wholeness and wellness into each set of hands I can. I've touched on this above but I see that I also need to be attuning as many as possible to at least Reiki I so they can work on themselves regularly.

Take Responsibility for Your Own Needs (Reiki Practitioners All Need to Read This)

Various types of people come to me for help, and in a variety of ways. Some I meet and are drawn to me. Some hear about me, and some are already in my life. Some know exactly what I do, how, and why. Some have an idea, and some were just referred to me and don't really know what I do. These people tend to fall into distinct categories. Some people just want me to fix things for them. They come to me when they're desperate. I help them as best I can and try to give them the tools to help themselves. They go on their merry way, intending to help themselves, then don't. So they come back to me when they are again desperate, whining and crying. Some of them eventually listen, and begin to help themselves. I will only respond to these people on a limited basis once they repeatedly ignore the tools and messages.

Some come to me and use the tools I give them, to various degrees. I really like working with these people. Some come to me because they're actively seeking, and I really like that too. I'm happy to share all I can with these two types of people, to help in every way I can.

The last category are those who are actively working on themselves regularly. They come to me to share or bounce ideas and messages, and sometimes to be "tweaked." I'm in this category too. Today a dear friend came over and gave me a very powerful energy treatment, and we spent a long time talking. One of the subjects was our responsibilities to heal ourselves and what we've been doing about it, our progress. We compared notes. And we made a pact to support each other in the areas where we're still not where we want and need to be.

This is not the blog I was going to finish and post today. That might come tomorrow. Instead, this is the theme of the day, that's been building for 2-3 weeks now. We must take responsibility for our own needs and healing. This has been a recurring theme for me for quite awhile now, and I've finally started fully responding to it. As a Reiki Practitioner, my first responsibility is to do Reiki on myself as close to daily as possible! Yet I haven't talked with any Reiki Practitioner who is doing this! Most of us either don't do Reiki very often or only do it for others. Most of us only get Reiki at a Reiki Share or Exchange. Most of us only get it once in a blue moon (there is one this month, by the way).

I'm finally reading Diane Stein's book, "Essential Reiki" and her manual for Reiki teachers. She talks about the importance of starting with and continuing self-Reiki. She makes it clear that it's the first responsibility of everyone attuned to Reiki I, the first step to becoming a practitioner. I had actually already started doing Reiki on myself daily though. What she did was cement the notion that I had to write this subject, and reading her works has led to lots of other personal messages. The time was right for this. I wouldn't have gotten all of this from reading her books a few months ago, when I wasn't ready to hear it. That's just it - we progress as we're ready, as we're supposed to. So I certainly don't look down on those who come to me and want me to fix everything without them doing the work. I simply can't help them enough. Because ultimately, we can only fix ourselves.

Medical doctors can cure diseases but if the root cause isn't also fixed, the diseases often return or something else takes it's place. It's our responsibility to take care of our minds, bodies, emotions, and spirits/souls - whatever term(s) you wish to put in that final place. Efforts to improve our lives and health have to be on all levels, and we have to be the main ones to do it. Think of it this way - you go to the doctor and he diagnoses a disease and gives you a prescription with instructions for taking it. If you don't believe you'll get better or don't believe the diagnosis, chances are you won't follow through and take the medication. Your emotions are involved here, as is your mind, and those decisions affect your body if the medication is correct for you. You either follow through and take it and get better, or you decide not to believe and take it. The spiritual part can come into this with those who don't believe in modern medicine and doctors. So, our health takes active participation on our part. We all also know that diet and exercise plays a huge role in mind/body improvement, which also requires total participation.

What we each need to be doing follows. We need to be taking the best care of our bodies as possible. That doesn't mean a diabetic can never have regular ice cream. It means you save it for a rare treat. But we need to actively and daily listen to our body's needs for water, nutrition, rest, and exercise. We also need to be working to clear our thoughts and emotions of all that no longer serves us. No one can do these things for you unless you're forced into an institution, and then the most drastic measures are used on you. I highly recommend paying attention to your thoughts because they're mirrors to what's inside you. Negative thoughts need to be transformed, whether about yourself or others. No matter how good I feel some days, I continue my routine devotions. I start with prayers of gratitude. I move on to prayers for myself and others. Then I greet my council of teachers, guides, and angels, and talk with them about specific needs. Then I read my "I Am" statements aloud, then my manifestation statements. Then I work with specific angels who work on specific needs and issues. I personally need all of it. And when a new issue comes to the surface, I deal with it immediately. I pray, and call on Archangel Michael (my go-to angel) for help in whatever way I need it - understanding, if needed, and release. I've been doing this work for nearly or about a year now and it's transformed my life. I no longer need others to work on me. Instead, it enhances and speeds the process for me when I do get help.

Some really heavy things were released today, including a lot of sexual shame from being molested as a child and exploited as an adult. That only took place because of all the work I've been doing on my own. It was deep rooted at the core of me, has been building for at least 50 of my 56 years (not sure how old I was when it started but it quit being added to a year ago). My dear friend was kind enough to do the energy work on me, and teach me things while he did it. One of the benefits to him was our bonding, and he was learning too as he received angelic guidance and messages. Also, you never truly help another without benefiting in some way, always at least by expanding your heart.

The final message is that if you aren't attuned to Reiki I, you should get attuned so you can have an added tool to help you help yourself. And if you are attuned to any level of Reiki, you should be doing Reiki on yourself every day. If you aren't doing Reiki on yourself at least several times a week, you have absolutely no business asking anyone else to do Reiki on you, even if you're willing to pay that person. If you aren't willing to help yourself, you're wasting the time of others, just like those who only seek help in crisis and don't follow through. It's true that when you do Reiki on others you benefit because the energy channels through you. But I've come to understand that just regularly doing Reiki on others isn't the same or enough. You have to be willing to invest your time, energy, and care into yourself. You have to fully participate in meeting your own needs. This also means setting boundaries with others, and this applies to everyone. I had no choice as a child but I was exploited as an adult because I hadn't healed enough emotionally and mentally so I didn't know how to set the boundaries. In the last few months I've felt overwhelmed and used at times by those coming to me for help, because I wasn't setting boundaries. So boundaries are necessary for everyone, whether energy worker or not. Without boundaries we lack control in our lives and that always fails us, causes our problems. I've been setting boundaries and continue to refine them. I've found it makes a huge difference. I turn off the phone at times, ignore messages and calls. I do this when I'm eating, busy with someone else, or needing to rest or sleep. I'm paying attention to my body, mind, emotions, intuitions, spirit - my needs. Sometimes I put myself first and sometimes I choose to respond to the needs of another and make mine wait or take a back seat. But these have become choices instead of responses. It's made me much more patient and compassionate. I understand that I'm a limited quantity with unlimited resources as long as I'm a wise steward of them. Being a wise steward means doing all I can every day to take care of what I was given - my life, body, mind, (emotions) and spirit.
I hope I haven't stepped on anyone's feet here, especially other Reiki Practitioners. But it's been coming to me that all this really needed saying. Because I often talk with others who need better self-care and show the burn out from not doing it, both energy workers and non.

The Most Important Blog So Far - Many Lessons in One

I have no other title for this one. I'm going to give you parts of an email to me from someone I deeply desire to help, and my reply. Of course all the names and such have been edited out. So if something seems to be missing at any point, that's why. First, I've copied part of what was written to me.

"I marvel at how very grounded you seem to be in spite of the challenges in your livelihood you face everyday! I am certainly not living in the same overt faith you are. My faith is deep and it does prevail but I am solidly in the mode of panic about my own future and livelihood. I am dealing with it by staying in a state of denial and living my day-to-day life." (Note: this person is about to lose his/her job/career.) "By the time I am finished with my work day I am exhausted. My evenings are spent eating right and exercising right now. I am considering a career in... instead of..." (a business arena instead of what is in this person's heart and desires). "...but am scared to death (financially) to start my career over at this age and am going through serious resistance to leaving my house and neighborhood. So - I am paralyzed at this time. I am being encouraged to stay with the paralysis and accept it may not be the time for me to make those big decisions. I am trying to work though it all while I keep my life up and my energy up. So - again, I admire how you have grown into your ability to live in faith. Maybe out of necessity. Maybe out of maturity. Good for you!!!" (What follows is my reply.)

 

How I want to help you! I pray for you every day with your situation in mind. Except for what you face on your job, I so know exactly what you're going through. Those decisions on where to live, what to do, school - all of it. 

 

You have to understand that I am so very intuitive now that it influences my entire life. What I'm getting intuitively is that you have to step out in faith and be true to your heart. This is your opportunity to restart your life as I have. Yes, it's very scary. You need to be able to financially provide for yourself, as you have been doing. But I've known for a long time that you now have the same chance I was presented with a few years ago. This is your chance to figure out what you're supposed to be doing in life (which is within your heart - you do know this) and go for it. Quit basing everything on what you've done before and how you survived. Now it's your time, time to do what's going to fulfill you. All that was a channeled message, by the way. I didn't write any of it, only was the typist.

 

I can so help you find your path and get over your fears! I can help you identify what you really want and need. And you were given those needs for a reason, those desires. It's actually the heart and key of/to what you need to be doing. (Again, those last 2 sentences were channeled.) I've also been told that there's no need for you to fear. Once you identify your bliss and start following it, the money you need will be there. You aren't at all going to go through what I have. (Again, I'm channeling all of this. This whole message is basically channeled, so take all but my most personal sentences as such.)

I set intent to answer you today - wasn't up to it when I read your message last night. I knew today that the time had come to write the blog on being in the flow and help you at the same time. This is the key to getting where you want and need to be - setting your intent. Even if you don't feel you know where and what that is right now, just set the intent to find out. All the answers are truly already within yourself.

 

One way to do this, if you truly don't feel you know, is to write out your dreams for your life. I did this again recently, and now I need to set up a dream board to make them all come true. I've been cutting things out of magazines to represent them. I've heard of them for years in MLM but a dear and trusted friend says they work like magic when you put it some place you'll see it first thing in the morning and multiple times a day, including before you go to bed. I know she's talking from experience that it works so I finally listened. My dream list was interesting to me. I know my dreams have changed over the years. I no longer desire foreign travel, for one thing. Yet I still intend to have a shop of my own called Cattitude - a physical shop from my home devoted to "all things cat." That's still entirely in my heart.

 

I understand that work is stressing you so much that you can barely cope. But you truly are doing the right thing with eating right and exercising. Do you realize that you're really taking control of your own health, which is the foundation of life? So you truly are already moving in exactly the right direction. But I suggest that during your exercise time or as you're going to sleep, imagine what your ideal life would include, picture it. Where would you be living? What would you be doing for work? Who and what would be in your life? Rather than stressful, this will be inspiring. Don't force it as part of decision making. Instead, open your hear to beloved (inserted his/her name here) and hear your self!

Yes, it's not time for you to make the firm decisions yet. First you absolutely truly need to get in full touch with your heart and what YOU want. When you write your dreams and get in touch with what you want, don't censor yourself! Think ideal world - create in your mind your own ideal world. Once you settle your heart on it and fully realize what you want, the way it will happen will unfold. The Universe, Creator, is unlimited and well, creative! (Insert whatever state you'd like geographically here as I've edited this ) doesn't have the only program for your education. Not everything that appears either/or really is.

 

My ability to live in faith was born of necessity that created the maturity. It's that way for all of us if we so choose. Faith is a choice we make every minute of every day, or not. We choose to live in fear when we do. The same faith is available to all of us. That's not a criticism, just something I was supposed to write to you.

 

Once you've determined what you really want without censorship, the next step is setting your intent and writing positive manifestation statements that you read aloud daily (preferably at the start of your day) to start the Universe working on it. There are other steps too. I can help. When you're ready to work on this, please call me and talk with me about where you are in this and let me help. Every day I work with prayer and a full council of teachers, guides, and angels. I read aloud positive "I Am" statements designed to clear emotional and energetic blockages within me. I then read aloud my manifestation statements and request specific help from special angels to cover my areas of need. That's how I got to where I am. I've basically given you the whole life lesson in one. Ok, except for editing out the personal stuff, I see I have my blog for today! I thought it would work that way.

 

(Note to readers: my last ex husband just died last Friday. There will be a blog that references that next week I think.) I'm so not surprised that my ex has been on your mind and heart. Mine too. I believe (not sure if I told you this on the phone) that he's now one of my guides, and able to give his love to me purely now and repair the karmic damage he did, redeem himself in this way. Suddenly everything is on the move at once in my life and I'm not sure where it's going. But I'm staying in the flow, grateful. (The next part of this involves a man who has reappeared in my life, whom I met through my ex. Although I'm not entirely ready for a whole relationship with a man, my heart has been preparing. I next tell the person I'm writing to some details about life changes this man is working toward. And now I'll add in the rest of that.) Funny thing is, if he goes this route and makes it happen, we're working parallel paths. Between us, we'd be close to a whole holistic packages of goods and services. So we'll see. I know I'm supposed to join with my true intended mate and partner, in passion, love, and mission. It would be very interesting if it is him, since my ex actually put us together at the beginning! 

 

As I said on the phone, I don't have to know anymore what comes next. In fact, I really don't want to know. That creates impatience and discontent with the now. I am in the flow of gratitude for the now while coping with the reality of it. Each day, I'm given what I need to cope with that day. This includes the purging of all within me that no longer serves me, all those messages and experiences of my past that are no longer valid or weren't at the time. I take it all as it comes, with gratitude. Seems like almost every day something new is released. Sometimes I'm aware of what it is. Other times an issue appears through a dream, or in conversation with a friend, or I identify an uncomfortable feeling like recurring annoyance. I pay attention because I know these are important messages on something else needing release. I work on it mentally and ask for God and Archangel Michael (my go-to guy) for help if I need it. Usually within 24 hours now, often much less, the issue is identified and gone. I ask specific angels for help and release, and always God. Because every day my intent is to remove all blockages so I can truly thrive in all areas of my life.

Look at What Annoys You

It recently came to me that my annoyance with certain people is an opportunity to become better than I am. So I am calling you to look at who annoys you and why. I thought I was doing really well by not showing my annoyance much with this people. What I realized was that these were signals to change and improve my heart.

I was getting annoyed with certain people who called me frequently and told me the details of their day, and upcoming day. These were not people I was especially connected to emotionally so I really didn't care. I also tend not to like hearing a bunch of minute details. The other "people" thing is those who repeat these details or just want to "shoot the breeze." I'm used to and prefer really meaty conversations rather than "chit chat." I like talks where I really connect with and learn about the other person. The best are where I also learn more about myself or my areas of interest.

You have to understand that I truly don't love talking on the phone but spend approximately 20 hours on the phone in most 7 day periods. That's half of what most people spend on a job! Most of my loved ones aren't available in person so the phone is the next best option. People also access me by phone so I can help them with issues. It's part of my outreach work.

What came to me is that although I don't feel especially close to any of those who annoy me on the phone, they feel close to me. Just as I want to hear the voice of and connect with my loved ones, they want that with me. They aren't trying to waste my time or energy. Once I realized that my heart softened.

I also received softening with some information about one of my cats who regularly annoys me. She's a "cup half empty" girl and I truly haven't done well with those personalities. A friend who regularly visits me here pointed out that she's here to teach me the lesson and change that in me. Ever since then I've been more loving and patient and we are both doing better. All it takes is a change in attitude. As usual, the messages came close together and in multiples. First was about the cat, and that led to new perspective about these phone calls.

Not much annoys me no matter what. But there have been some recurring themes. Some pointed to my need to set boundaries. Those felt like pretty major annoyances. They drained my energy and left me feeling like everyone wanted a piece of me. So I started setting boundaries and feel much better. The message is that I took control of my energy and time, and therefore my feelings. Now that I have boundaries in place and exercise them, I have only myself to blame if I end up feeling put upon. So these other annoyance feelings were much milder. And now I know to look inward when I find myself annoyed by people, to see the lesson and what I need to work on within myself. I'm always striving to be more compassionate and loving towards all.

How to Get Rid of Fear-Based Energy

This is being written the evening of Wednesday, 8/15. Despite last night and the afternoon of grace, this evening I found some fear-based energy. I thought of some mail to do with a problem situation I haven't yet handled. I was waiting until I had the energy to deal with it. It came in the afternoon before my job interview and I wanted my energy for that to be really good. Then I put it off and eventually forgot about it until tonight. That's not a good way to handle things. Yes, it was smart not to deal with it just before that important job interview. But I should have gotten to it the next day. I've been very busy but I could honestly have dealt with it sooner. If you don't deal with these things pretty promptly, a fear can build up. You can also let things go too long, create a bigger problem. So after I finish writing this blog, I'll deal with the issue, the paperwork.

The only way to deal with fear-based energy is to face the cause. In this case, it's the unsolved situation and the action I have to take. I felt the fear as I was finishing my meal, and decided to deal with the problem. Before I could, a stomach ache came on me. With this particular kind, I know from experience that the fastest way to get over it is to lie down for at least 30 minutes. So I decided to do Reiki on myself and move things along as far as anything I needed to release, including this fear. You can do this process without doing Reiki if you aren't attuned.

First I set the intent to release the fear and anything else blocking my chakras. I said goodbye to this specific fear, and found a lot of other fears attached. I said goodbye to each of them - fear of inadequacy, of failure, of wrong decisions, poor judgment, lack - that kind of thing. I don't actually remember all that I found attached. When I was writing this I started to say "my fear of," then changed it because I no longer wish to own any of it, and I did say goodbye and usher out each. Once I did that, I welcomed corresponding positive thoughts to replace those fears. I reminded myself (there's that word again - I re-minded myself) that I have access to unlimited, abundant wisdom for making decisions, success, etc.

It's a conscious decision of intent to face fear and replace it with positive thoughts and beliefs. I did that fear for fear. And if I didn't entirely erase them all, I'll have to do it again. Or if a new one crops up. The only way to get rid of fear is to face it and replace it. I replaced every fear with a positive affirmation, and I'll do it as often as necessary until they're all gone for good. And that will happen if it hasn't already.

The final step I took was to consciously clear and balance all my chakras one by one starting with the root. I visualized that and spoke of them as clear and in balance. I visualized them glowing in the color of each. I moved up from one to the other to the crown and then told them all to be of equal size. Then I simply continued the Reiki until I fell asleep and dreamed, which was also healing. It wasn't my intent to fall asleep, but my body gave in at that point to what was needed. One note: I don't think I fear death but it came up in the lecture last night so I released that fear also. The man said most of us fear death and who am I to argue? I'd rather do it and not have needed to, than to need to and not have. That's my attitude toward all of this - do all I can with all the information that has merit that comes to me. Intent is an ongoing, lifelong process just as free will is.

What Lack Mentality Causes

Lack mentality causes lack and so much more. It also is a huge cause of fear. It causes depression and illness too. Our thoughts are entirely self-perpetuating. I actually demonstrated that to myself when I was in elementary school. For about six weeks I thought every day that if I got pneumonia my mother would be sorry, feel sorry for me and start treating me better. Of course, I ended up with pneumonia! I didn't even know exactly what it was like until I got it. I don't remember if I did it to myself the second time or not, but I had pneumonia twice in one year.

Our negative thoughts do cause dis-ease within us. Illness is dis-ease. Our negative thoughts take us away from ease of being. That commercial says "depression hurts," and that's true. Negativity is the number one cause of depression. So lack mentality causes nothing but further problems and is self-perpetuating.

Fears work the same way. All negative thoughts do. I'll bet you can think of times you unwittingly proved this to yourself. When you expect the worst to happen, it usually does. When you figure out the worst that could happen and how you would deal with it and overcome, you realize that you'll come out of it without being destroyed. You thus overcome the fear of it. That's facing the fear that is a possible consequence, and staring it down. In my experience, the worst has never come to pass if I've done that.

All negative thoughts attract negative consequences. So it's very important to replace them with positive thoughts. I use computer language - "cancel, alt, delete" - when I have a negative thought. I tell the Universe, God, the angels that I didn't mean that. Then I replace it with my true intent, a positive thought. We all have negative thoughts that come in from time to time - we're human. Fortunately, the positive thoughts carry more energy than the negative ones, at least according to Mike Dooley, of tut.com. So don't fear the occasional negative thought but do cancel and replace it with your true intent.

Now is the time for clearing and releasing. Some of us are eagerly awaiting the shifts in energies and roles. We're eagerly, sometimes impatiently awaiting our greatest work and mission to begin. But we all still have lots of work to do in the meantime. We each need to be doing all we can to face our fears, cleans our spirits, release our baggage. For some of us, we're holding onto people or things. Some of us are holding onto old hurts, old patterns of behavior, old ways to thinking and reacting. It's time to recognize, face, and release all that no longer serves us. We need to be as high vibrating as possible and anything that we're holding onto has a hold on us! Those things are keeping our vibrational level in more earth-bound frequencies. We want change and manifestation now, but we haven't done all our work of clearing and purging. We just can't handle the higher energies until we do. No one can exist at a higher and lower vibration at the same time, so we have to let go of all that's lower vibrating, that no longer serves us. That's our main job right now.

Really Need Your Input on Blog Frequency

I'm about to start college and have every expectation of also starting to work full time. I need to know several things from you in order to mesh your needs with mine, because this blog is for you.

1) Those of you who aren't on Facebook and read the blog - please reply here at the blog site. Please let me know you aren't on Facebook, for one thing. Then, I also need to know whether you just log on to read blogs at random or whether you need regularity. If you crave regularity, can you just log on once a week or every few days and read whatever's been posted in the meantime? I'm thinking of just posting topics as they come up, but not necessarily cutting back to a lot less.

2) Those of you on Facebook, you can reply there or here. I asked 2-3 questions on Facebook. "I NEED INPUT FROM MY BLOG READERS! Before month's end I'm starting college. I also believe I'm on the brink of getting a full time job. 1) I need to know is if you mind if I post a topic when it comes to me, or do you need more regularity? 2) Do you get a notification when I post? Or do you just go & catch up when you get a chance?"


Thank you so much for your input. Remember, if you don't reply I can't consider your needs.

Floating in a State of Grace & Gratitude

I was given so many blog topics today! I'll be posting them but I'm not sure in what order they'll appear. I try to give them order so they flow but I'm bursting at the seams with these and they might just spill out at random. Last night my life was transformed and propelled forward. I've been on the brink of living in the flow of abundance and gratitude, have been waiting to write about it until I got there. I've been working toward this with full intent for quite some time. The reason this blog is today is that this is the beginning of something big. I need to share this today so you can watch the journey and learn.

Let's go to intent first. I talk a lot about intent. I set my intent August of 2010 to live my gifts and talents fully, to make that what my life is about. I also recognized then and the month after that it was time for a total re-do of my life and that this would be the last one for me. So it was time to answer God's call. When I listened, I knew He was calling me for most of my life. By then I'd raised my kids and was ridding myself of my marriage so my life was becoming mine. I was becoming my only consideration besides the cats I'd taken on, and temporarily, care of my mother. So I was finally free of all other labels (mother, wife) and the obligations that I took on to be those things. I took those obligations very seriously and fulfilled them as best I could. For example, I gave my all to my kids while they were in my home. I knew the time would come when they'd no longer need that, but that they needed and deserved all I could give them of myself at the time. I knew one day they'd fly off to their own lives and then my time would come. I knew that time had come.

So in 2010 I set my intent to find out my mission for God and to become what I needed to be. I also set my intent to center my life in Him and knew the talents I'd been given were a part of that. So I set intent to work with them. September 2010 that led to be Reiki, and I took my first attunement at the beginning of October, 2010. That opened the spiritual floodgates, and everything started happening. I began to meet my soul family and connect. I was given Doreen Virtue's book on "Archangels and Ascended Masters." I started learning about angels and all I could learn. I wanted to learn and know and understand it all. My Reiki Master can tell you how eager I was for every new experience, and to learn. So I had set my intent to learning and growing into my mission, into my purest self. I was also working on healing from my childhood of abuse and abusive marriage. April 2011 I launched my own business selling my essential oil products. I also got readings from a gifted woman who told me who I am and my life mission. It added to my intent. So I want to make this clear. My intent has been to fully live my gifts and talents and be the most I can be, in order to fulfill my mission. Fulfill is a very important word for me. All my life I've craved fulfillment - using my talents, living what I was meant to live, being the most "me" I can be. It's at the heart of my life force, has driven me.

So lately I've been writing about removing blockages and what's come from that. You needed to understand a little of the intent that's gone into this. My intent is all - to thrive, be entirely free of baggage to be the most "me" I can be, to do my work. And there's so much more there. This theme will keep emerging. Last night I was drawn to go to Site Night. If I've got it straight, "Site" stands for "spiritual, intuitive, telepathic energy." The group meets in Pittsburgh twice a month, with different speakers each time, different programs - fairies, spiritual healing, healing dance, all kinds of topics. It's a beautiful group of people and my favorite psychic teacher invited me into the group. I got to go once before I wrecked my car and lost my convenient transportation.

I was led to go last night but didn't know why. When that happens, I pay attention. That's a lesson of intent. Intent is an action and causes things to happen. You then have to LISTEN and FOLLOW THROUGH. We all have free will and make choices every minute of every day. We decide what thoughts to think (often subconsciously), what actions to take every moment of every day. When you set intent you haven't really done it unless you are actively listening and following through. My intents would have come to fruition faster if I'd been fully mindful of that. But with the work I've been doing lately, I've become more mindful and purposeful. So I was led to go last night, and I'm not sure all that happened as a result. All I know is that it truly gave me what I needed at the time and propelled me forward. I was reminded of who and what I truly am, for one thing. I finally came to understand that I AM worthy. My view of who God is was refined. And was reminded that I draw great energy from my soul family and need the contact with them, and that I'm in Pittsburgh for a reason. "Reminded" is quite a word. I was literally re-minded last night! I set intent last night for Archangel Michael to continue the process as I slept, and through my dreams. I don't remember most of them but I do feel that most of the night I was processing that night's events, experiences, and messages. And today I see the results - all the blogs, huge progress in what I've set my intent to achieve in my life, a whole change in attitude. I've been in a state of gratitude so that I floated through my prayers and devotional time. It was transformed, and even more was given during that time and while I journaled all I could about last night and what was coming to me.

I understand that this was a huge leap forward in what I've been trying to do toward where I want and need to be. And so I had to share this message with you first. I have no idea what comes next. It's such a grand and glorious adventure! I don't need to know. That's part of the state of grace. All I know is that this is what I've wanted, what I've worked for, so I'm very excited. Ah, I see I still have a little bit of fear based energy left. I almost didn't want to write this last sentence for fear I wouldn't live up to it. But I will, because I am eliminating all fear based energy and thoughts with full intent, action, and will. So here we go - watch me soar!!!

A final word I always feel compelled to add. I am no special or highly gifted person, no angel. You truly can do the things I do, get to where I am. I've basically told you how in this blog, have been telling you over the course of many blogs. And if you want my help, I'll help you in all ways that I can. As I express the wonders, I realize that many are not what or where they want to be in their lives. I have to tell you that you, I, we can be it all and do it all. Yes, it's work. You do have to set intent and follow through. You have to clear out your ego and baggage. It takes some of us longer than others. But that time is going to pass anyway. I've chosen to take control of my life, thoughts, state of being, intent. That's the only difference between the "haves" and "have nots" in this. You can do it too!

What Actually Causes Lack Mentality (Not Simply Lack!)

Many things can cause a lack mentality (where you're focused on what you don't have rather than what you do). It all boils down to fear, though. We fear loss, failure, ourselves, punishment, success, being overwhelmed, not being able to handle whatever comes to or at us... Lack is a fear-based mentality and it becomes pervasive and self-perpetuating.

I understand how hard it is not to focus on lack. It's only natural to try to find ways to solve the lack, but that usually keeps us focused on the lack. The Universe reflects our most prominent thoughts back to us so when we focus on lack, even focus on solving it, that's what we get back - lack.

It's one of the hardest things in the world to do but you need to get to the point where you focus on faith in supply rather than lack. I know so many people, and I was one, who lose sight of that as lack continues and becomes a downward spiral. And remember, I've been working at positive thinking and manifestation for about a year now. I'm not saying there's a quick fix here, but it can be done. I've also been working on cleansing myself and my thoughts, feelings, and past "baggage."

The final thing that propelled me forward was discovering and facing my fears, first of all. For me, it was a fear that I don't have enough talent in any one area, enough drive and will to follow through. I was afraid of myself. I'd internalized years of messages that said I couldn't and don't. A dear friend helped me see that I still had fear holding me back. I journaled and got in basic touch with what the fear was and where it came from. Then I worked with Archangel Michael, asked him to help me through dreams to further identify. That night he did and the next day I faced those fears and talked them down. I already had "I Am" statements to counter them, but they hadn't worked yet. But when I absolutely set the intent to overcome them, I started to. I specifically set my intent to work with Archangel Michael and made it my next forward step. Now when I read my "I Am" statements I made sure those sink in, that I continue the forward progress. I know I've told you that I have trouble keeping my mind fully present when I read my "I Am" statements. That's why they weren't working in those areas until I truly set the specific intent. Please learn from my mistake in not being fully present. I've also spoken of how every trait we have is a double edged sword. On one hand my mind is marvelous, great at working out problems in my subconscious while my conscious mind handles other things. I multi-track like crazy in my mind. The downside is that my mind isn't always fully present in my activities. That can cause accidents, and things like not being fully present during routine things like reading my "I Am" statements. I also tell you to know yourself. I know my brain works this way so I try to be as aware as possible so I can control it and avoid problems.

Once I faced down my fears, I was able to switch my focus from the lack to faith. I began totally surrendering my needs to God. That doesn't mean I didn't figure out whatever I had to financially, but I didn't dwell. I planned the next step to meet immediate needs, then let go. I didn't go into elaborate prayer or pleading either. He knows my needs even better than I do, and how to best meet them. So I simply surrender them to Him every day - all my needs. The first results of this were peace! I moved from fear to faith, to serenity. I can't tell you how good it feels to not dwell in fear! I am living more from a space of gratitude now. I'm also starting to appreciate the luxuries in my life, do nice things for myself, and take better care of myself. While I was in the energy of lack, I was so shut down that I was denying myself even what was available, out of fear that I'd run out. I shut down to the point that I really wasn't taking minimum care of myself. One of the things that's changed is that I am doing the basics for myself now, like hydrating. I was so in strict survival mode that I barely was, and I'm changing all that.

Literally as soon as I faced down my fears and began switching my focus, things started to happen one by one. It took several weeks. First, I came up with some really great craft ideas and started working on them. I had been so focused on working out of the hole I was in that I didn't allow myself to do what I needed to creatively. Yet working with my hands is absolutely vital to my well being, my art and crafts are vital to my soul. Then I was led to enroll in college, and found a great school with help. A lot of research, thinking, journaling, and specific prayer went into that and I got a lot of help. The impossible happened! I finally know what I want to be when I grow up! (Those of you who know me are laughing, I know. I'm laughing with you.) Then I got the job interview I wanted, three weeks later than promised. (I'd forgotten about it and moved on, figured they hired someone else). Now this week I've suddenly earned $300 for doing Reiki attunements! I haven't earned $300 in a month in years!

Of course I've got a long way to go yet to get to where I want to be - thriving in all areas of my life. But I'm finally on my way. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing now and do more of it - dwelling in gratitude for all that is, surrendering my needs to God truly (which means you don't take them back and worry over them), taking care of me in all the ways I possibly can (including allowing myself time for my creative projects), and taking care of business as it arises. I was sort of taking care of business all along, but lacked a lot of the energy to follow through and keep up with it because of being in the energy of lack. Get it? Lack mentality/energy was causing lack of energy for the things I needed to do. I had to keep forcing myself to do those things and then there wasn't enough left over for me. The energy of gratitude and abundance creates an abundance of energy for all you want and need to do!

Keep Moving Forward

As I've said before, I usually don't know what the blog topic will be until the day I write it, especially lately. I have a lot of topics that have come up, that are waiting to be written. These days I usually have to work at getting the topic for the day. My mind isn't there for the ones waiting to be written. So I stop to find out what the topic of the day is, consult with God. I was surprised that today's is about moving forward, but as is often the case, He gave me the title first, then the first words. As I faithfully begin, the muse takes over. He is the heart of the muse. He is Creator. But you can call Him whatever you want.

Almost ever time I've ever been stuck in life or truly unhappy, it's because I've been dwelling in the past. Sure, we can review the past. We can learn from past mistakes or failures so we don't repeat them. That's healthy. We can use past successes to give us confidence, propel us into current and future successes. But dwelling on even past successes or happy times can also be a trap. If you're longing for those past times, you miss the present. And now is truly all we have. We no longer have or are the past. The future will always be the future - that's the definition of the word. I used to be very bad at living in the now - used to be. Now I have trouble remembering the succession of events even last week, because it's over and I've moved on.

Even past successes can trap you, as I said. I know a guy who successfully wrote business letters many years ago and tries to use the same very formal, wordy language these days. I end up editing out so many words, phrases and forms that are no longer used. He's stuck in the past and really needs an update. He also always complains about how he can't remember things he needs to, has trouble thinking and memorizing. That's because he's carrying way too much baggage - all of his past. And his brain is so clogged with trying to figure out, examine and analyze every little detail and get it all perfect. There's no room for what he actually needs in there! We truly don't have unlimited brain capacity - that's science. The only way to free your mind is to let go of perfectionism and "what if" fears, and the past. We can only learn new things and patterns if we release all that no longer serves us, including the past.

Hey, by all means keep your important memories. I journal them, and reference important events at the tops of the pages now so that I can easily find things later. Clever as I think I am, I didn't start doing that until some time last year. Writing things down is an important tool for fixing them in your memory and for freeing your brain to move on to other things - whichever you most need. Writing things down frees your brain to move on because it knows it's no longer solely responsible for keeping the information. And in the case of learning, it helps fix it in your mind. Journaling is so important for so many reasons. Often we can't let go of something because we have unacknowledged or unresolved feelings. Journaling helps you resolve and acknowledge them. Then I can move on. I don't have to stay stuck in those feelings. I can transform them or just dump them.

Some people dwell on how they've been hurt in the past, and use it as an excuse for not succeeding in life now. I know a remarkable young woman who was more damaged than anyone I've ever met. She's in the process of overcoming all of it. Like many abuse victims, most of the damage is buried deeply. She works to find the next issue and the next that therefore affects her life and well being. As soon as she uncovers another, she deals and heals, and moves on. She recognizes the reason for her pain and releases it. She doesn't transmute a reason into an excuse, and stay in that place of pain.

I used to dwell on mistakes and failures of the past, and punish myself. Since everything that ever went wrong was always blamed on me, I was trained to do that. It's taken me a long time to stop doing that. It's been a process. Part of the process is realizing what was and wasn't your fault. You have to then assess responsibility without placing blame. That means realizing the circumstances surrounding what happened. For example, I understand that my mother did the best she could with what she had. Yes, she abused me and this doesn't mean I think it was justified or acceptable. But I understand why she did it, given who she is and her circumstances growing up. I forgive her, and have forgiven myself for the mistakes I then made as a parent. I realize I wasn't "dealing with a full deck" at the time, since I had entirely buried my childhood. In these cases we aren't excusing ourselves or others from responsibility. In fact, this allows you to take considered responsibility for your part in your mistakes or failures. So many people refuse to do this, and therefore repeat them! But you then move on to forgiveness. Forgiveness allows release, allows us to move on with our lives.

Now is never going to look as good as something from the past if you're dwelling on what you can no longer have. We all know, but forget when we're in that mode, that we tend to really "photo shop" those good memories. We tend to forget the downside and glorify what was good and beautiful. That can only lead to unhappiness in the present. Either we don't have any of what we're glorifying from the past, or what we do have entirely dims in comparison as we look back through those "rose colored glasses." Remember yesterday's blog about focus. Whatever you focus on is what you create. So any time you're focused on the past, you're messing up your present. You can use the past to remember what you want to recreate in your life as long as you're focused on the present or trying to manifest the future, and that's your true focus. For example, I know from the past that I love growing roses. Some day I want rose gardens again, and that's going on my dream board. I learned a great deal back then about choosing those bushes and what to plant where. Some day I'll use that knowledge to create even greater gardens. I internalized the lessons and the pleasure of roses, but have moved on. I don't long for the gardens of the past so I'm not focused on them. I've fixed it in my mind as a goal for the future. But in the present I enjoy all the roses I see around me and the few bushes I have, and every other flower around me. Tuesday night I was talking with a friend in my yard, telling her about those gardens in response to something she'd said. While talking, I was fully present with her and the cool grass under my feet, the plants all around me. I had a brief flash of one day having rose gardens again - which is a flash of my intent. But it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the conversation, the company, and what was all around me. In telling about those gardens, I remembered one of the important things I learned while creating them - that digging in the ground, planting and tending, bonds you to a place. For me, it's a very important thing. I use that to set intent for where I am now. As I told her about the gardens, of course I saw the whole thing in my mind as if I was there. But because I'd completely released the past there, I didn't experience longing for it or pain. I remembered for just a moment the pain of leaving there, because that was part of the point of telling the story. She was expressing pain over leaving a place where she had bonded with the earth. But I was able to remember without feeling or reliving it. Once you truly release a memory after having dealt with it, it can no longer hold or hurt you. It's an important part of moving forward.

Universal Law of Attraction at Work

In it's simplest form, the Universal Law of Attraction is that you attract whatever you focus on. Many are not really aware of what they're focused on. When you focus on lack, you attract more lack. When you worry, you attract more of what worries you. When you're afraid, you attract what you fear. No matter how hard you work toward changing your life with intent, if you are focused on your problems, you'll get more. That focus can include predominantly working toward solving the problems, if you're focused on the problems. So how do you change things without focusing on solutions? And how do you circumvent the normal human responses?

Before I answer I have to say that it greatly pains me that one of my beautiful friends has decided that it doesn't work and lost her faith. She believes she's done it all right and it's just not working. But it's called the Law of Attraction for a reason. Just like gravity works, this works. We see it all around us. So if you aren't manifesting what you want in your life no matter how hard you work at it, read on.

My biggest example is lack of any kind. When you focus on the lack, even on how to solve it, you create more lack. Things started to open up for me when I surrendered my needs to God and focused on finding avenues of opportunity instead of on the lack. I didn't simply say, "Ok, I surrender and this is Your problem," although I started with that. From there I quickly went to asking Him and thanking Him for giving me focus and direction, and clearing any remaining blockages, including fears. Soon the Law of Attraction began working the way I wanted it to in my life instead of adding more of the same, which was lack.

One of the keys to keeping the Law of Attraction flowing in a positive direction is persistence. That means taking control of your thoughts and focus. When the the thoughts you don't want to manifest come in, tell the Universe/God that you wish to cancel that thought. Then immediately replace it with what you do want. You can acknowledge yourself when you're feeling down but then pull yourself up rather than dwelling there. Do this consistently and it will pay off.

Two other extremely important components are recognition and gratitude. First you have to recognize when the Law of Attraction is working for you in the things you wish to manifest, and when you're manifesting what you don't actually want. And when what you want comes to you, you need to move immediately to gratitude. Even the best of human parents aren't going to forever want to deliver up nice things to their children if it's not recognized as a gift and always taken for granted! Not that God or the Universe is anything like humans, but you get the idea.

We see positive results of the Law of Attraction all the time in our lives if we think about it. It can be as simple as finding a penny, finding a coupon or sale for something on your grocery list. Even better, when you find a coupon plus the item is for sale. Or, I love it when something rings at the register for less than it was marked. Have you ever lost something and given up on it with your conscious mind, but it was still in "the back of your mind"? Next thing you know, you found that item while looking for something else - that's the Law of Attraction.

What I've seen is that when you've been focused on what you don't want in your life and make the shift, you don't get what you really want at first. I've seen it start in smaller ways. Because I recognized the Law of Attraction at work, I focused more on that and began to expect more. I am also grateful for the little things, especially when I recognize that things are working for me. Monday I checked email and found that I didn't have any emails from my new college. Friday afternoon the guy I called said he'd send one about my next enrollment steps. I moved on to another call I needed to make and while on the phone, someone from the admissions office called me. Surprisingly, he was calling to follow up on the call I had made to another office worker (didn't get the emails) and make sure I had what I needed. Not only that, he gave me what I'd wanted over the phone, and more valuable information I didn't know I needed that the other guy hadn't given. My intent was to call and before I got around to it not only did I get what I was missing, I got exactly what I'd been seeking in the first place plus more.

Have you ever been thinking of a friend you hadn't talked with in a long while, and the friend calls you? That's the Law of Attraction. I've been intending to work on myself to heal an eczema outbreak but wasn't giving myself the time and consideration I give others. While I was in Maryland, my best friend worked on me and did wonders. She also gave me some of the tools she used. I came home and added a meager supply of my own, realized I needed more of one thing. Today a package came, from her, including the thing I knew I needed! Only, I hadn't told her that - hadn't talked with her about the eczema status at all, in fact. Sometimes it's something as simple as attention from a pet. I was very sad to see a very dear friend of mine go home today - she'd been with me overnight and this is the first time we've ever spent more than a brief time together. As soon as the car pulled out of the driveway, my "comfort cat," Karma, came and licked my leg and rubbed up against me for several minutes. Again, I recognized that my mood had attracted her, so I thanked her and talked with her the whole time. So instead of just licking my leg once and leaving, she went back and forth licking first one leg, then the other. I know from the past that this is her way of comforting and attending to me.

When you focus on what you want, recognize when the Law of Attraction is working for you, and thank God and the Universe, things do start happening. As I've said, it usually starts slowly, in smaller ways rather than you suddenly get the job or your dreams or that big promotion and raise. You start getting messages you need to move forward in your life. People will "happen" to say things that give you new ideas, or new ideas come to you. Needed information starts showing up in your email inbox or you find it when researching something else. As long as you maintain your positive focus, recognize these "happenings" as the Law of Attraction, and are grateful, bigger things begin to happen. That is, as long as you follow through on what's already been given to you. You have to do something positive and forward-moving with the little things - those messages, ideas, new information. You have to do your part too. You also need to keep surrendering your needs and focusing on what you really want, cancel out and replace negative thinking. Then the bigger things can start happening - new opportunities "magically" appearing in your life, for example. And your practice over the smaller things prepares you to recognize these as opportunities and go for them.

Life of Intent

As you know, my life is about intent, in part. It's also about serving God through serving people and animals. I realize that we're coming up on the 2 year mark of the earthquake, as I think of it, that completely swallowed life as I knew it. Two years ago I realized that I needed to entirely reinvent my life.

It takes great courage to reinvent yourself and your life, but I see others around me doing it too. I personally don't think we have a choice - it's a very straight-forward decision for me. When things aren't working in your life and it takes more than "tweaking" to make it work, you have to make major changes, live in despair, or give up and cash out. To me, making the major changes is the only acceptable choice. Just as my childhood was spent moving from state to state, my life has been a series of reinventions. The first major one came when I was 19. I made a vow to God not to kill myself or even contemplate it. At the time, I believed it was the only sin God didn't forgive. I no longer believe that at all but at the time it helped me move on. At that time I went so far as to legally change my first name. Jennifer was not my given name - it was the name I chose when I chose to live. I wanted to be called Jenny and to make myself into the best Jenny I could be given my core traits. I've done that very successfully. I am now much more than I set out to be at that time, "beyond my wildest dreams." So I'm very proud of myself. And actually, this is the first time I've actually thought of this in those terms, so you're hearing the self-discovery. I just realized that I fully achieved what I set out to achieve, and way more so.

In my childhood and adulthood there were smaller reinvention points along the way. One of the major ones was my transition from serious musician to artist. When I was 13, after more than 6 months of art lessons, I was finally oil painting. A few months later, I had to make a choice between continuing my private clarinet lessons or the art lessons. I chose to continue my clarinet lessons although it broke my heart. I so loved painting, and hadn't been taught enough that I could continue painting on my own. In high school, music was my life and I started college as a music education major but had to drop out. It was such a life changing decision and I've barely touched my clarinet in the years since then. Now it's still my heart but painting is my bliss. I'm telling you this just to make you think about your life, and because it's still so significant to my heart. How incredible that I completely walked away from something so important to me for so long. But people do that with interests and people every single day.

In 1980 I transitioned from single woman to wife. In 1981 I transitioned into a mother. You don't think of these things are reinvention points but in many ways they are. See, you've all reinvented yourself in some way, and with intent. Whether you realized it or not, whether you recognized or consciously applied intent or not. In 1990 I transitioned into a single parent. These were all major transition points but the second big reinvention point is the one I started 2 years ago. I was about to get divorced, put the man I was married to in jail, and needed a whole new way of life and income source. This one also involved God - finally getting in touch with what I'm meant to do in this life. Many of you don't believe in such things but I've known since I was 13 that I've had a mission in life, and the knowledge started forming even before that. I set my intent to discover the mission, and live serving God and by using my gifts and talents. It's been a very wild ride.

It started with talking with a dear friend to gather resource information. A series of events led me to the man who told me I'm a healer and should become attuned to Reiki. I'd never heard of it. He warned me that it would open up new worlds to me, things I thought were science fiction. Oh, he was so right! I really knew nothing about even angels at the time. I'd randomly read a few minds before and mentally transferred a few messages, but had no control over it. Now I do meaningful intuitive angels card readings for people, am a Reiki Master/teacher, have introduced 2 others to Reiki and they've sought attunements, I've spoken with the departed, had a visitation from Archangel Michael... It's amazing. I've emerged as an animal communicator/pet psychic and behaviorist, and perform Reiki on animals and people, in person and Distance. And I do the counseling and life coaching. My whole life is about helping others. I've launched this blog and have had more than 3600 page views in the last 15 months. I started my own company 15 months ago, making and selling products using my own essential oil blends to ease physical problems. I also have a huge network of friends that love me, some of whom have become family. Two years ago, I hadn't met any of them.

Two years ago I was living with and married to the most selfish, self-centered, abusive man I've ever known. My life was all about staying safe by giving him as much of what he wanted as I could, 24/7. I was totally tied to him, home with him all the time, worked a business with him. Except my end of the business was usually mostly picking up after him, doing his constant dishes, cleaning up his messes (business and otherwise), and sex on demand. When you set your intent and follow through with it consistently, you can eventually transform yourself and your life. I'm living proof. I'm still working on transforming my circumstances so I can thrive financially, but I'm now thriving in all other ways, for the first time in my life.

Expect the Best to Happen & You'll Often Get It

Many people have a real doom and gloom attitude that they don't even realize. It's the "everything happens to me" syndrome. They're waiting for the next shoe to drop, the next problem to occur. When you live like that, as I used to, that's exactly what you get. These days I expect the best to happen, and the to receive the best from others. While it's true that you have to be careful and not too trusting, and have to be prepared to handle the unexpected, you don't have to count on problems. I know someone who is always trying to safeguard against the worst happening. He's afraid of everything and doesn't even realize it. He's afraid of identity theft and Facebook for example. He's afraid of not having a piece of paper he might someday need to prove something. As a result his home office is so full of papers that he can't function properly, and couldn't find the paper he needed if the situation arose. People who live any of the above ways are controlled by their fears without knowing it. And they're setting themselves up for problems.

I occasionally run into problems because of my trust and faith, it's true. Recently I was described as being too nice. I'll take it. If that's the worst being said about me these days, so be it. It can cause me problems, but at least it doesn't usually have a negative impact on someone else. I'd rather be the way I am now than live in fear, which was the first part of my life. And I can and do work toward being too smart to be damaged by my niceness without overall changing the way I am. You can learn to be cautious without living in fear.

It's no secret that I have to live "hand to mouth" these days so I'll tell you that I have found myself behind on all my utility bills. I've had to talk with each provider and request extra time for payment and cost reductions. When I went through this in the 1980s, I was a fearful person and it showed. I avoided the creditors as much as possible, and when I had to deal with them it was horrible. They were nasty and threatening. My circumstances now are much more dire but all I encounter is truly nice people. They are very kind to me, and go out of their way to help me. When I tell them my circumstances so that I can find out what help is available, I always receive sympathy. I tell them that I'm in the process of overcoming the adversity and have faith, and it always blesses them. Often they tell me of their own faith and past struggles, encourage me, and give me extra, helpful information. Part of the key here is that I call them and face it before a service is cut off, and I'm so sincere and nice. I've learned to expect that and so I don't face these calls with the dread I used to.

I expect that my life is going to improve to the level that I need it to be. I know how to handle the problems that arise - have had plenty of practice. I never dwell on what might go wrong. I trust myself to handle whatever happens, somehow. This self-trust is a huge part of coping. I also study and regularly receive messages about God and how the universe works for us. I renew my faith daily. It's no longer dumb, blind faith and trust like I had in the late 1980s. It's now based on study and knowledge, intent. I work daily toward learning whatever else I need to learn to manifest great good in my life, to thrive rather than survive. I don't rely on God to do things for me or spoon-feed me knowledge. I work at everything I can every day to move forward. I work hard and smart at learning.

My attitude isn't that life is a struggle. My attitude is that you get back what you put out there, that it's a full-contact, full-participation sport. I'm very focused and intent - there's that "i" word again. I actually tend to be too serious and need to work on getting some real fun into my life too. That always takes a back-burner to the daily struggle for survival in my life, and I wish to change that. Some day I'll find the way to do that.

One of my "I Am" statements is: I always take full responsibility and accountability for my actions, energy, thoughts, emotions, and the quality of my life." That is something I have been striving toward, doing pretty well at. I still have more progress to make, because to me that also means taking control of all those things. We all have stray thoughts that aren't what we really want in our lives. Mike Dooley, one of my favorite gurus of manifestation, says that positive thoughts carry much more energy than negative thoughts. He says not to worry about the few negative ones that come in, but turn them positive as quickly as possible. It takes practice, but can definitely be achieved. I know that from my own life. One of Doreen Virtue's angel cards says, "Cancel, Alt, Delete" or something like that. When we have a negative thought, she says to say that to show that's not what you want, then replace it with a positive thought. I do that. Mike Dooley says our thoughts become things and I truly believe it. Your thoughts reflect your focus, are your focus. More on focus coming next week.

Learning from Cat - Masters of Manifestation

First of all, cats are wild animals that have willingly consented to live with humans in their homes. They have chosen to abide by some of our rules to live in cooperation with us. They have slightly submitted to us. However, they all retain their wild spirits and wills. I won't go into all the reasons why they chose to live with us - but it was a conscious choice.

We can learn so much from cats that have chosen to be domesticated, since they truly are the Masters of Manifestation. Cats know their physical capabilities and limits. They know how to use their resources too - us, things around our homes, their appeal. They're so very clever about getting what they want. They quickly learn what works with each of their people, for example. One of my cats poses for the camera because he likes the attention. He learned early on what positions would stop me in my tracks, get me to reach for the camera. He learned the sound of the camera taking the photo or my movements. He will hold a position until I've snapped the photo, then move slightly into another pose designed to keep my attention. For those of you who know them, this is Whiskers. Louie tries to give me a "come hither" look and lead me to the food bowls and treats when he wants something. Cats use all their resources wisely. For example, you can't leave a dog for several days with bowls of food and water. They'll eat all the food right away and then have nothing. You can leave enough food out for cats (dry of course) and they'll still eat the same amount they always do, space out their meals. They're also great opportunists. I had to move a big plastic box of beading supplies off my living room floor because Karma was using it as a launching pad to the mantle where I had breakables. They are very creative and resourceful, as we should be.

Cats are very good at setting boundaries between themselves and with their people. They come to us when they want attention. Often they rub on us to get it started, and provide themselves with some of the petting they seek. It's the ultimate because they're getting while giving to us. They're providing some attention for themselves and us at the same time. One of the best ways to feel good yourself is to give to another and they totally demonstrate this principle. Once they've had enough, usually they leave, whether on our laps or beside us. But if necessary, they'll employ tooth and claw to put the message out, defend their personal boundaries. They're also masters of body language. They give us behavioral warnings first, which is the biggest way they communicate with each other. We're all familiar with the classic arched back and that message. Cats will use the most peaceful and non-confrontational means possible at first (body language). However, they can escalate quickly as needed, through warning sounds to drawing blood if their boundaries aren't respected. You need to understand that part of manifesting also involves removing what you don't want from your life. Cats are very discerning for the most part. Most cats won't go up to or stay within reach of just anyone. They choose who may do what to them, how, and when, to the best of their ability. Unless you're one to force or abuse, if you've dealt with cats you know those are some powerful abilities.

Most cats have total self-confidence and self-control. They can leap to tall places and not disturb a thing if they want to. Their bodies are built to tell them what they can and can't do and they listen to that. The length of their facial whiskers are designed to tell them how small a place they can squeeze through. They know their jumping capabilities and what they have to do to make any jump. This changes as their physical abilities change, especially with age. Sometimes, just like with people, they have to try and fail a few times to get the message that this is something they can no longer do. But they do seem to learn this pretty quickly. They are very clever and learn our rules very quickly. Just like children, they also learn how and when they can break those rules. If a cat is obeying your wishes, it's been his/her choice. Because of all this, they know themselves and the limits very well. This gives them some of their self-confidence. They are definitely masters of self-control, although it often doesn't seem that way. But self-control is about learning to master your environment and how to navigate it, and cats do just that. Self-control is then a series of behavior choices, which cats have masters. They are masters of intent. They know what they're going to do before they do it and the probable outcome.

Cats are also masters of meditation. If you've been around cats, you've seen them staring into space for seemingly endless periods of time. They always have that faraway look in their eyes at those times. They are totally in tune with their bodily needs. They nap when they feel the need, and often. They use these times to renew their energy. In homes where food and litter boxes are always provided, they eat and potty on their own schedules. They listen to their own internal cues and schedules, their personal rhythms.When it's time to look out the window and chatter at the birds or race back and forth, they do. Often they seem to be on a personal mission only they understand and regulate.

Cats are also masters of co-operative living. In the wild, cats are solitary animals. In our homes, they share, often with other pets, and with the people. They establish their own hierarchy when someone new enters the home, swiftly and decisively. Then they reinforce this effectively and easily. They establish who sleeps and rests where, and share the space and resources. I've seen some amazing co-operative living by living with multiple cats. Usually we aren't even aware of how the boundaries are established and reinforced among them. I once had a very devoted princess cat and her brother. She never cuddled in my arms on the couch when I put my feet up, but he always did. He never got on the bed, but she always cuddled in my arms. They'd worked this out between them, to share me. These days, Breezy is the top cat and everyone knows it. If another cat is cuddling with me and she jumps up, the other cat leaves. If this doesn't happen fast enough, she makes a move to swat at the other cat. She seldom has to actually swat though. At night, Karma has her favorite spot to sleep up against my lower legs. When it's cool enough in the bedroom, Breezy starts in my arms and ends up on the opposite side of my legs. She and Karma share me at night. Whiskers sometimes jumps up on the bed to briefly join me during the night but he won't share me with anyone. If another cat comes around when he's with me, he simply leaves. No other cats get on the bed during the night, and I have 6. I don't love the way Breezy chases other cats off. The cats aren't demanding and I'm largely able to meet the needs of all of them. I give them attention whenever I can based on them coming to me when they want it. I also don't love that Whiskers leaves so quickly and easily, as I'd like more time with him. But I know better than to try to take control of these situations. Cats can't be controlled in these things and I know better than to try. I respect the boundaries they've set, and therefore live in peace and harmony with them. For the most part, they also live in peace and harmony with each other. We can learn much from this, and them.