In 1943 Maslow created a pyramid model he called a hierarchy of needs for each human. At the bottom are the most essential to life & as you move up, you get more into the psychological needs than the physical. The physical needs are mostly metabolic & obvious - food, water, sleep, air, etc. Just above that are the safety needs - for personal & financial security, health & wellbeing, & a safety net against accidents & illnesses & their adverse impacts. Next comes love & belonging, including friendships, intimacy, family. The next highest level (next to the top) are esteem needs. These have been divided into lower (respect from others, status, recognition, attention) & higher (self-respect, strength, competence, mastery, self-confidence, independence, freedom). The top level is called self-actualization & includes creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, acceptance of facts. What is amounts to is being able to come into your full potential. Before you can do that, you truly need to master all the other needs in the pyramid. It's a very interesting read & I've only touched on it here, only paraphrased the concepts. It was an entire chapter in our psychology course in high school.
Most people mix up needs with wants, & many of us have many of our wants met while some of our basic needs are not. I found it interesting reading this hierarchy just now because I'd forgotten what they all were, only remembered the concept. It amazes me how much of my life I've gone without most of my most basic needs met, from the second level on, including now. Wikipedia tells what happens when these needs aren't met & is spot-on. I wasn't thinking of some of this as universal need, like friendships & certain types of safety. I've had very little safety in my life so it's amazing I do as well as I do, am as emotionally healthy as I am. I have God & the angels, plus certain friends & family through the years, to thank for that. No wonder I keep getting depressed & fearful, since I lack most of the aspects of safety & have most of my adult life!
Many people mistake wants for needs & therefore go about seeking the wrong things, while neglecting their true needs. For me, it's often that I'm seeking things in the 2 highest levels instead of taking care of the safety needs. Now I'm going to get out of my head & tell you some needs that are my own opinion.
I believe each home needs at least one bath mat, unless your tub or shower is equipped with something non-slip. Just because you've never fallen doesn't mean you won't. Even if you never use bath oil, soap in any form (shaving foam, shampoo) is slippery & if just one time your tub or shower doesn't drain quite right, you can slip & fall. I also think a firm, non-slip rub to step out on is a necessity. And please don't leave your bath mat in the tub full time & let it mildew like my ex husband did! I think every car should have a set of jumper cables unless you have a motor club membership. Even if you don't know how to use them, someone around you probably does. I think every adult should have a will unless you own absolutely nothing of any value that no one would want. I think everyone should have a cell phone for emergencies if nothing else. If you can't afford one, there are those available for low income people for emergencies. I think most adults should have a Facebook account for networking opportunities. You don't have to spend any real time on it. Facebook can eat up all your time & most people use it all wrong - to vent, attack others, post too personal information & photos, hook up, etc. But Facebook, when used to network, can be very powerful. I work it rather than waste time on it. I use it to my advantage & ignore the rest, the junk on it. Through it I receive networking invitations that I can take or leave - it's up to me but this way I know about them. I don't post things that put my privacy at risk, & control my settings so that people can find me for networking. I'm cautious about who I "friend" & what I post.
I also believe that we all need comfortable shoes & underclothes. So many people have nice clothing & uncomfortable shoes, underclothes, & toothbrushes because they don't replace them when needed. They're thinking about appearances instead of needs. I believe that most people need at least one house plant & at least one pet - something to nurture that brings joy & a reason to get up other than duty. I believe we all need some things that make us feel good & loved. I have some special things throughout my home that remind me of that regularly. One of my particular needs is organization & cleanliness within the home. It's a higher need for sure, but I function so much better when I take care of having an organized & clean space to live & work. I'm sure many of you could add to my list, or would like to argue or subtract. Please feel free. This is just my opinion in this forum.
Angel Baby Ornament sample 1
Monday, February 13, 2012
To My Bonnie - What I've Learned from Cats
Bonnie was the most unusual cat I've ever known. She was born in my home, a "whoops" that was meant to be. False heats & one that wasn't led to a litter of 4. Bonnie was the only long-haired cat, all black & extremely beautiful. And she knew it. She was the most lively & clever of the kittens, soon stood out from the others. The first time she left the birthing room & explored the house, she captivated my 100 pound dog! He was hers from then on, wrapped around her little paw. As her personality developed, she became a princess to the extent that she inspired a short story about her royalty & the planet she came from. Bonnie was the most self-possessed cat I've ever known, & the most special. She taught me everything I know about being a cat, how they think & view the world, us. And now she's one of my spirit guides. We had a special & unique bond & I miss her every single day. I'm crying now, as I write, because that pain never quite goes away. Even though she's with me, I miss her. She was only with me for 7 years & 3 months due to a heart defect & her will (wouldn't take her medicine), but made more of an impact on me than any other animal. Remember I'm an animal person when you read that.
When Bonnie was growing up I was a single parent up against it, working full time & caring for my children under very adverse circumstances. I always put my children & my job first & for a long time I came last. I teach that people are not an unlimited resource & that you must take good care of yourself because if you don't, others will have to. This is a lesson I learned in counseling for displaced homemakers a year after single-parenting began. However, what I did was give myself the bare minimum I needed to function. When Bonnie was born I was also finishing up a year of counseling dealing with the sexual & emotional abuse from my childhood. I'd entirely repressed the memories of the sexual abuse & they didn't surface until after separating from my husband. I was dealing with recovery on top of all the rest. I was in the process of learning who I was, how I felt about things, & learning to love myself. Loving myself & seeing myself clearly was the biggest challenge. I certainly needed Bonnie's lessons!
Here's what I learned by observation. Cats are normally very graceful, clever, creative, self-possessed, & self-respecting. I gave it all away, was too open & "out there." I learned grace from Bonnie. I learned to carry myself in a graceful manner (as I once did when my physical self-image was better). I also learned to handle situations & others with grace. Have you ever seen a cat fall off something? They pick themselves up with an air of "I meant to do that" & stalk off if you laugh. Bonnie was too much of a lady to ever fall but her brother did & I learned from that. I learned to retain my dignity even when I made a mistake, to pick myself up & just move on. I also learned not to dwell on the mistake & punish myself (some - took quite awhile to learn that one). I learned to take care of my self-image. I learned that appearances matter, how you conduct yourself & appear toward others. I began imitating Bonnie. Remember, I was rebuilding myself. I learned from her & the others. One of the things I learned was not to give it all away, that I matter too. Dogs are very eager to please you, are pack animals that will do just about anything for you. Cats please themselves yet are giving, especially when you're in need. They are more cool, & are subtle, rather than all out there. They can appear aloof but aren't - they just don't gush often. So I learned to be more reserved until I knew it was safe, learned to be more self-possessed. I learned that you can be just as giving & loving without going "all in" from the start.
Cats are very individual personalities, masters of their own fate as much as possible. I learned that being an unusual individual was good & that helped me feel better about myself. Instead of trying to fit in & conform, I learned it was ok to be different. Cats aren't so aloof or independent that they don't need us, but they're discerning & discriminating. They don't fall all over the first nice person they meet, tell their whole life stories, etc. You have to earn the deep love of a cat & when you do, you've truly accomplished something worthwhile. I learned to hold myself in higher regard, & was very honored to be Bonnie's one & only human love. I learned to set boundaries some & protect myself, keep some of myself in reserve. I learned to give without giving it all away. Cats are truly very giving, without losing themselves in doing it. Their purrs are very healing for us. And contrary to what some believe, they don't go to the one person who hates cats out of perversity. They do it because they sense the need of that person. Someone that locked up really needs a dose of love & affection.
Cats clearly show their pleasure & I learned the importance of that. They show you just what they want & how they want it, then reinforce your response. They nap when they need to, are self-grooming, take good care of themselves & I learned that too. They don't carry grudges either, another good lesson. If you accidentally step on a cat they run & hide but soon come out & all is forgotten. However, if you purposely hurt a cat, you've lost their trust forever. That's not a grudge, it's self-protection. I don't mean if you hurt one to help him - like administer a shot. The rest of your behavior is loving & kind so they understand there's a reason. I mean abuse. They do their best to get away from abusers. Cats are also very resourceful & creative. They'll turn anything into a toy & create their own games & fun. I learned that you can turn even routine things into fun with a change of attitude & perspective. I already knew how to turn "trash" into "treasure," something I learned from my beloved grandmother. Cats have a great sense of play, bring it into their lives multiple times a day, all on their own. That's another wonderful thing we can learn from them. When in the mood they can turn almost anything into play & they're always ready for play if we initiate. They make the most of opportunities as soon as they're presented, another thing I've learned from them. They aren't shy or hesitant about seizing opportunity or new experiences.
I've had cats in my home since the first one "happened" to me in 1982. It's no secret that they've become my favorite animal (I was a dog person growing up). I continue to enjoy them daily, can't imagine life without them. And I constantly admire & learn from them.
When Bonnie was growing up I was a single parent up against it, working full time & caring for my children under very adverse circumstances. I always put my children & my job first & for a long time I came last. I teach that people are not an unlimited resource & that you must take good care of yourself because if you don't, others will have to. This is a lesson I learned in counseling for displaced homemakers a year after single-parenting began. However, what I did was give myself the bare minimum I needed to function. When Bonnie was born I was also finishing up a year of counseling dealing with the sexual & emotional abuse from my childhood. I'd entirely repressed the memories of the sexual abuse & they didn't surface until after separating from my husband. I was dealing with recovery on top of all the rest. I was in the process of learning who I was, how I felt about things, & learning to love myself. Loving myself & seeing myself clearly was the biggest challenge. I certainly needed Bonnie's lessons!
Here's what I learned by observation. Cats are normally very graceful, clever, creative, self-possessed, & self-respecting. I gave it all away, was too open & "out there." I learned grace from Bonnie. I learned to carry myself in a graceful manner (as I once did when my physical self-image was better). I also learned to handle situations & others with grace. Have you ever seen a cat fall off something? They pick themselves up with an air of "I meant to do that" & stalk off if you laugh. Bonnie was too much of a lady to ever fall but her brother did & I learned from that. I learned to retain my dignity even when I made a mistake, to pick myself up & just move on. I also learned not to dwell on the mistake & punish myself (some - took quite awhile to learn that one). I learned to take care of my self-image. I learned that appearances matter, how you conduct yourself & appear toward others. I began imitating Bonnie. Remember, I was rebuilding myself. I learned from her & the others. One of the things I learned was not to give it all away, that I matter too. Dogs are very eager to please you, are pack animals that will do just about anything for you. Cats please themselves yet are giving, especially when you're in need. They are more cool, & are subtle, rather than all out there. They can appear aloof but aren't - they just don't gush often. So I learned to be more reserved until I knew it was safe, learned to be more self-possessed. I learned that you can be just as giving & loving without going "all in" from the start.
Cats are very individual personalities, masters of their own fate as much as possible. I learned that being an unusual individual was good & that helped me feel better about myself. Instead of trying to fit in & conform, I learned it was ok to be different. Cats aren't so aloof or independent that they don't need us, but they're discerning & discriminating. They don't fall all over the first nice person they meet, tell their whole life stories, etc. You have to earn the deep love of a cat & when you do, you've truly accomplished something worthwhile. I learned to hold myself in higher regard, & was very honored to be Bonnie's one & only human love. I learned to set boundaries some & protect myself, keep some of myself in reserve. I learned to give without giving it all away. Cats are truly very giving, without losing themselves in doing it. Their purrs are very healing for us. And contrary to what some believe, they don't go to the one person who hates cats out of perversity. They do it because they sense the need of that person. Someone that locked up really needs a dose of love & affection.
Cats clearly show their pleasure & I learned the importance of that. They show you just what they want & how they want it, then reinforce your response. They nap when they need to, are self-grooming, take good care of themselves & I learned that too. They don't carry grudges either, another good lesson. If you accidentally step on a cat they run & hide but soon come out & all is forgotten. However, if you purposely hurt a cat, you've lost their trust forever. That's not a grudge, it's self-protection. I don't mean if you hurt one to help him - like administer a shot. The rest of your behavior is loving & kind so they understand there's a reason. I mean abuse. They do their best to get away from abusers. Cats are also very resourceful & creative. They'll turn anything into a toy & create their own games & fun. I learned that you can turn even routine things into fun with a change of attitude & perspective. I already knew how to turn "trash" into "treasure," something I learned from my beloved grandmother. Cats have a great sense of play, bring it into their lives multiple times a day, all on their own. That's another wonderful thing we can learn from them. When in the mood they can turn almost anything into play & they're always ready for play if we initiate. They make the most of opportunities as soon as they're presented, another thing I've learned from them. They aren't shy or hesitant about seizing opportunity or new experiences.
I've had cats in my home since the first one "happened" to me in 1982. It's no secret that they've become my favorite animal (I was a dog person growing up). I continue to enjoy them daily, can't imagine life without them. And I constantly admire & learn from them.
Friday, February 10, 2012
I Need to Learn from My Cats
Cats are amazing manifesters. (I think I just created a new word.) I noticed this the other evening while trying to work with manifestation energy. They are persistent & creative in getting what they want. Cats will work very hard with single minded purpose toward getting what they want, & they don't forget. My beloved Bonnie loved babies breath, which is on the list of what's poisonous for cats. Once I got a single rose with babies breath from a sweetheart & had it in a vase on my dresser, the first time I found how much cats love the stuff. I shut the door to my bedroom to keep Bonnie away from the babies breath. Every time I opened the door, even after many hours, she'd race in, go straight to the babies breath, & try to eat it. That went on the entire time I had it there.
Cats study ways to get what they want. Louie leads me downstairs to the food bowls when they aren't as full as he likes. He also stands guard when I've accidentally shut another cat into a closet. It works. Eventually I realize something's off, see him at a door, & know then from experience to open it. Cats are great at teaching us what we need to know to provide for them. Cats are also self-petting. They rub up against us when they want to be petted, & if we don't they at least get some contact that way. They also tell us exactly where they want to be petted, by moving their body parts to get what they want under our hands.
Cats always know what they want at the moment, & go about getting it. Karma will paw through the entire toy basket until she finds just what she wants. They are very patient that way, don't give up easily. If a toy is knocked under the refrigerator, they'll spend lots of time trying to fish it out. If that doesn't work, they'll try to get us involved. I now keep a yard stick in the kitchen so I can fish things out for them. They are also very effective in stopping things they don't want. They're little creatures so people can easily overpower them, but they have teeth & claws they use effectively to give the message. Some will give a warning first - a hiss, a movement, a meow - & some don't. But with us & with each other, they clearly & effectively draw their boundaries.
So I've decided to meditate on cat behavior & what I can learn about intent & boundaries from them. I am so used to my cats & their behaviors that I normally react rather than think. Now I'm going to be more conscious of their methods & see how I can apply them to my own life. Long ago I realized that I needed to be more catlike. I always denied my own needs in service to others, especially my children. From cats I learned some things about care of self. Now it's time to study them from the aspect of intent & boundaries, see what more I can learn. For those of you who are interested in animal communication, getting into their heads is essential. You have to learn to think like a cat, have to study them. So this work on studying them to learn about intent & boundaries, single-mindedness toward fulfillment of wants & needs, will only further my understanding & abilities.
Cats study ways to get what they want. Louie leads me downstairs to the food bowls when they aren't as full as he likes. He also stands guard when I've accidentally shut another cat into a closet. It works. Eventually I realize something's off, see him at a door, & know then from experience to open it. Cats are great at teaching us what we need to know to provide for them. Cats are also self-petting. They rub up against us when they want to be petted, & if we don't they at least get some contact that way. They also tell us exactly where they want to be petted, by moving their body parts to get what they want under our hands.
Cats always know what they want at the moment, & go about getting it. Karma will paw through the entire toy basket until she finds just what she wants. They are very patient that way, don't give up easily. If a toy is knocked under the refrigerator, they'll spend lots of time trying to fish it out. If that doesn't work, they'll try to get us involved. I now keep a yard stick in the kitchen so I can fish things out for them. They are also very effective in stopping things they don't want. They're little creatures so people can easily overpower them, but they have teeth & claws they use effectively to give the message. Some will give a warning first - a hiss, a movement, a meow - & some don't. But with us & with each other, they clearly & effectively draw their boundaries.
So I've decided to meditate on cat behavior & what I can learn about intent & boundaries from them. I am so used to my cats & their behaviors that I normally react rather than think. Now I'm going to be more conscious of their methods & see how I can apply them to my own life. Long ago I realized that I needed to be more catlike. I always denied my own needs in service to others, especially my children. From cats I learned some things about care of self. Now it's time to study them from the aspect of intent & boundaries, see what more I can learn. For those of you who are interested in animal communication, getting into their heads is essential. You have to learn to think like a cat, have to study them. So this work on studying them to learn about intent & boundaries, single-mindedness toward fulfillment of wants & needs, will only further my understanding & abilities.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Banishing Fear
I've been battling fear based energy since just before Christmas, due to a series of events that have pushed all my buttons. When I say "pushed all my buttons" I mean that the events have uncovered all the ways I still need to heal emotionally. On top of all else, that can engender negative feelings because I've worked so hard to overcome & heal. Having old issues touched off has indicated that I haven't done all the healing I need to. I'm still my own worse critic & it's been hard reliving old issues. I tend to see how far I still have to go more than how far I've come, until my wonderful friends & family remind me of what my life was like a year ago (at whatever time, a year ago is usually where the comparison goes). Like everyone else, I get tired of finding that I still have ground to cover, healing to do, life lessons to learn. Sometimes it feels like all this will be with me forever. It's painful because these things have touched off the deepest insecurities & wounds. Our emotions, reactions, & experiences are layers. I've worked on so much that now I seem to be dealing with the deepest layers, & therefore very painful ones. However, I've got all the coping skills I've gained while dealing with the other layers so it isn't as bad as it could be. Recently I listened to a woman who is in the infant stages of healing from intense abuse when she was a child. She wanted to heal all at once, have it out all at once. The rest of us in the group explained that it can't work that way. Healing has to come about in stages because we couldn't possibly handle the whole thing at once. To get down to that bottom layer immediately would destroy us. There's a reason our subconscious reveals it all in layers.
My main fear over the last 6 weeks has been that I will lose the home I now have & no longer be able to provide a home for the cats I've rescued. It would also mean losing my nest & my ability to have access to the things that bring me comfort & joy. I've feared hitting rock bottom again, because it's happened before, which led to the husband I just divorced & all that went with that. So this is a big fear for me, a complex, multi-layered issue.
We all have fears that are deep & individual, so I want to share with you what came to me last night after a friend did Reiki on me. These are the things I need to remember the minute fear energy comes into me. 1) I am a good person & worthy. I am worthy of love, comfort, care, safety, prosperity, & having all my needs & many of my wants satisfied. 2) I do God's work, love God, am good & giving & caring to others. I give of myself regularly. (This goes back to making sure I feel worthy.) 3) God is in charge of my life & what happens in it. I put my life & day in His Hands every day. I'm here for a purpose & the purpose is in line with Him so I don't need to fear anything that happens. He is in control & I can certainly trust Him. 4) Being homeless or destitute is not in the plans, is not His will for me or other Lightworkers. He want to enable me. 5) When He shuts a door He'll open another. 6) I'll never have to give away my cats & let them down. They won't be homeless either. I won't be repeating that history. 7) I'm in charge of how I conduct my life & must be consciously manifesting good, not fear. I don't have to continue repeating past mistakes. 8) I have a friend I can move in with, along with all my cats, if necessary, & being with her would be a joy. 9) I'm surrounded by love & Love - friends nearby, family, those I've helped, angels, departed loved ones, guides, God, Jesus, Archangel Michael & Mother Mary. I have no reason to fear! 10) What we call reality is actually just an illusion, so everything IS ok, & as it should be. 11) My job is to do all the work before me to do. God's job is to provide the "wages."
I wrote these last night on the back of my manifestation statements. I need them to be by themselves, not part of my "I Am" or manifestation statements. I need them not to get lost in the rest, to be right there where I can read them daily & have them stand out. I need them clearly visible, to access any time I feel any fear. Those are mine, based on my needs & personal beliefs. Now I recommend that you write your own.
My main fear over the last 6 weeks has been that I will lose the home I now have & no longer be able to provide a home for the cats I've rescued. It would also mean losing my nest & my ability to have access to the things that bring me comfort & joy. I've feared hitting rock bottom again, because it's happened before, which led to the husband I just divorced & all that went with that. So this is a big fear for me, a complex, multi-layered issue.
We all have fears that are deep & individual, so I want to share with you what came to me last night after a friend did Reiki on me. These are the things I need to remember the minute fear energy comes into me. 1) I am a good person & worthy. I am worthy of love, comfort, care, safety, prosperity, & having all my needs & many of my wants satisfied. 2) I do God's work, love God, am good & giving & caring to others. I give of myself regularly. (This goes back to making sure I feel worthy.) 3) God is in charge of my life & what happens in it. I put my life & day in His Hands every day. I'm here for a purpose & the purpose is in line with Him so I don't need to fear anything that happens. He is in control & I can certainly trust Him. 4) Being homeless or destitute is not in the plans, is not His will for me or other Lightworkers. He want to enable me. 5) When He shuts a door He'll open another. 6) I'll never have to give away my cats & let them down. They won't be homeless either. I won't be repeating that history. 7) I'm in charge of how I conduct my life & must be consciously manifesting good, not fear. I don't have to continue repeating past mistakes. 8) I have a friend I can move in with, along with all my cats, if necessary, & being with her would be a joy. 9) I'm surrounded by love & Love - friends nearby, family, those I've helped, angels, departed loved ones, guides, God, Jesus, Archangel Michael & Mother Mary. I have no reason to fear! 10) What we call reality is actually just an illusion, so everything IS ok, & as it should be. 11) My job is to do all the work before me to do. God's job is to provide the "wages."
I wrote these last night on the back of my manifestation statements. I need them to be by themselves, not part of my "I Am" or manifestation statements. I need them not to get lost in the rest, to be right there where I can read them daily & have them stand out. I need them clearly visible, to access any time I feel any fear. Those are mine, based on my needs & personal beliefs. Now I recommend that you write your own.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Why I Believe in Positive Intent, Not Coincidences
I began to see the power of positive intent around 2005, through a series of events. I lost my dreams in the mid 1980s or thereabouts. The 90s were about coping. But around 2001 or so I began dreaming again. I began to believe that I could visit hands-on with baby tigers, swim with dolphins, & have my own home-based craft business & a business called Cattitude. I didn't fool with the "cursed hows" as Mike Dooley puts it. I didn't know how these things would happy, but I believed that with my now ex-husband, anything was possible. He helped me believe & to believe in myself. He helped me feel that I deserved these things & that I was talented enough to make them a reality. He helped me believe in myself & the power of possibilities & positive intent. He helped me feel like I had that power & that we especially had it together. During that time I began to believe that anything was possible. Then he took that all away & I'm back to trying to figure out how.
I have a natural inclination, at times, to believe I can make things happen. I think back to high school, when I would love so deeply & intently, & eventually get the guy. Well, almost once in 9th grade & definitely in 10th. I also made things happen for myself with music, & I forget what else. But back to 2005. In 2002 I figured out that I wanted to be married on Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney & that I wanted Phil at the wedding. At the time, I was told that he would never go for that. Yet he proposed on Groundhog Day in Punxsy in 2004 & told me we'd be married a year later, there in Punxsy. That's when I firmly set my intent to have Phil at the wedding. I was told he couldn't be there, but I never stopped hoping or trying. I was still surprised when he was there! So that was manifestation #2, #1 being that I got married there on Groundhog Day in the first place. It took several years for these things to happen, but they did. I never wavered in what I wanted.
In 2004 I met a woman in Punxsy who's mother raises sheep nearby. Her mother spins, knits, has a shop there, & ran a B&B. I met the mother, stayed at the B&B, became friendly with her. The following summer I made a last-minute decision to go to a jazz concert & met a woman who raises alpacas. We got to talking & she invited me to her farm, offered to teach me to spin (another long-held dream of mine). A week later I was back at the B&B & "happened" to tell the owner that I wanted to start a shop called Cattitude & wanted a unique product to sell. She suggested I start spinning cat hair for people, said it could be a big business as few do it. I went back home & talked with the alpaca lady & found out where to buy a wheel nearby. The place also had formal lessons & all kinds of resources. I was on my way! All this just "happened," but not really. Positive intent set it all in motion - met the daughter then the B&B owner, met the lady who knew where to buy a wheel locally & learn all I needed, then was given the idea of why to do it from the B&B owner again. Amazing! That's #3.
One summer later came my first encounter with baby tigers. My son had just come home from his first tour in Iraq (or was home on leave, I forget) & with us for a weekend so we went to the local carnival. A private zoo owner was up from S. Carolina with a 2 1/2 month old baby tiger! I hung around asking questions & observing for the next hour or so, until the carnival was closing & the guy asked me if I wanted to help out with the tiger for the rest of the week! He had a lot of young helpers so I didn't get to do that much but still - I was in heaven. The next summer he was back with two 2-month old baby tigers. I went the first night, hoping, & was asked to be the main helper all week because of my maturity. I spent 5 nights giving them their bottles, holding them, rocking them in my arms when they got restless, etc. It was my wildest dream come true!
Nowadays I mostly see intent working in little ways, but recognizing it as such is important. You know I've been swamped with the move & such, so you can imagine that I've gotten behind on business matters. I do things on a top priority basis, & push lesser priorities aside, as we all do. About a month ago I realized that the refund from the old electric company was about a month late & I needed to call them. I set my intent to do it the next day during business hours & the mail came first. In it was a statement from them showing my refund, so I knew a check was in the mail to me, no need to call. That's the power of intent. I thought the amount was wrong & that they owed me around $25 more but again set it aside for more important chores. A week ago I again set my intent to call the next day during business hours & again a statement of refund came in the mail before I could call the next day. I was again grateful for not having to do the chore of calling, grateful for the positive manifestation. But I also saw intent work in a big way last year, especially in the move to this house. I asked for a cozy home of my own with the cats that suits us entirely & that's just what I got. The other day a friend was here & wrote me an email afterwards, thanking me for having her. The one word she used to describe my house was "cozy." I had that exact word in my manifestation statements because it's very important to me, so it's meaningful to me that it's the word she used. The other word of great significance to me is "nest" & I didn't use that in my statements, & I'm not hearing it. I'm feeling it, but not hearing it. Funny how this thing works! More tomorrow.
I have a natural inclination, at times, to believe I can make things happen. I think back to high school, when I would love so deeply & intently, & eventually get the guy. Well, almost once in 9th grade & definitely in 10th. I also made things happen for myself with music, & I forget what else. But back to 2005. In 2002 I figured out that I wanted to be married on Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney & that I wanted Phil at the wedding. At the time, I was told that he would never go for that. Yet he proposed on Groundhog Day in Punxsy in 2004 & told me we'd be married a year later, there in Punxsy. That's when I firmly set my intent to have Phil at the wedding. I was told he couldn't be there, but I never stopped hoping or trying. I was still surprised when he was there! So that was manifestation #2, #1 being that I got married there on Groundhog Day in the first place. It took several years for these things to happen, but they did. I never wavered in what I wanted.
In 2004 I met a woman in Punxsy who's mother raises sheep nearby. Her mother spins, knits, has a shop there, & ran a B&B. I met the mother, stayed at the B&B, became friendly with her. The following summer I made a last-minute decision to go to a jazz concert & met a woman who raises alpacas. We got to talking & she invited me to her farm, offered to teach me to spin (another long-held dream of mine). A week later I was back at the B&B & "happened" to tell the owner that I wanted to start a shop called Cattitude & wanted a unique product to sell. She suggested I start spinning cat hair for people, said it could be a big business as few do it. I went back home & talked with the alpaca lady & found out where to buy a wheel nearby. The place also had formal lessons & all kinds of resources. I was on my way! All this just "happened," but not really. Positive intent set it all in motion - met the daughter then the B&B owner, met the lady who knew where to buy a wheel locally & learn all I needed, then was given the idea of why to do it from the B&B owner again. Amazing! That's #3.
One summer later came my first encounter with baby tigers. My son had just come home from his first tour in Iraq (or was home on leave, I forget) & with us for a weekend so we went to the local carnival. A private zoo owner was up from S. Carolina with a 2 1/2 month old baby tiger! I hung around asking questions & observing for the next hour or so, until the carnival was closing & the guy asked me if I wanted to help out with the tiger for the rest of the week! He had a lot of young helpers so I didn't get to do that much but still - I was in heaven. The next summer he was back with two 2-month old baby tigers. I went the first night, hoping, & was asked to be the main helper all week because of my maturity. I spent 5 nights giving them their bottles, holding them, rocking them in my arms when they got restless, etc. It was my wildest dream come true!
Nowadays I mostly see intent working in little ways, but recognizing it as such is important. You know I've been swamped with the move & such, so you can imagine that I've gotten behind on business matters. I do things on a top priority basis, & push lesser priorities aside, as we all do. About a month ago I realized that the refund from the old electric company was about a month late & I needed to call them. I set my intent to do it the next day during business hours & the mail came first. In it was a statement from them showing my refund, so I knew a check was in the mail to me, no need to call. That's the power of intent. I thought the amount was wrong & that they owed me around $25 more but again set it aside for more important chores. A week ago I again set my intent to call the next day during business hours & again a statement of refund came in the mail before I could call the next day. I was again grateful for not having to do the chore of calling, grateful for the positive manifestation. But I also saw intent work in a big way last year, especially in the move to this house. I asked for a cozy home of my own with the cats that suits us entirely & that's just what I got. The other day a friend was here & wrote me an email afterwards, thanking me for having her. The one word she used to describe my house was "cozy." I had that exact word in my manifestation statements because it's very important to me, so it's meaningful to me that it's the word she used. The other word of great significance to me is "nest" & I didn't use that in my statements, & I'm not hearing it. I'm feeling it, but not hearing it. Funny how this thing works! More tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Acting As If
I'm sure you realize that even when you know something, sometimes you need someone else to point the obvious out to you. I write a lot about manifestation because lack seems to be the #1 theme with people I know. I've been studying manifestation since 1980, under all kinds of different terms, in all kinds of forms. First it was called "the power of positive thinking," & that's even the name of a book that was popular back then. In 1980 I joined the first of many multi-level marketing companies. They are so not all created equal! And they also aren't all bad, or schemes, but many are or kind of are. The one back then harped on reading motivational books & listening to tapes, & made money off the tapes. I felt like I was going to gag, but I was a good little girl & did all I could. They were fairly horrible! And I'm not sure I learned anything either. That was at the beginning of the marriage to husband #1. Husband #2 also urged me to read books & listen to tapes but it all had come a long way by then. This time the tapes were by professionals like Tony Robbins. Some of it was good, but again, I wanted to gag at a lot of it. In between was the best stuff, the Tupperware years. The emphasis wasn't on books & tapes, it was on live training with some of the best and I learned so much. Out of all my home based business experience, I learned more from Tupperware training than any other. And I learned things of true value, that I now pass on to others & use in all parts of my life. It was true people-building stuff. So I've been a very active student of this stuff off and on for over 30 years. You'd think I'd be an expert by now, wouldn't you! But no matter how much you know, you can always learn more from someone & you can also need insight as to how to apply it to yourself.
Recently a friend and great teacher suggested I "act as if" for my daughter. She's been trying to get pregnant for several years now & it breaks her heart & therefore mine that it hasn't happened yet. My friend, Sandy Davis, suggested I make a baby blanket for my daughter with intent & prayer for fertility. (If you're in the Pittsburgh area, I highly recommend her channeled healing circles & classes. You can find her on meetup.com under "The Shamans Cave of Three Rivers Tribe" and "Angel Love Light.") I'm about to finish making an afghan different from others I've done, & remembered Sandy's suggestion when I thought about what to make next. So I'm going to go buy blue yarn & reduce the pattern because it will make the most beautiful baby blanket. After I do that, I'm going to knit a full layette (in blue) & cross stitch the baby quilt I bought a kit for some years ago. It's very special so I bought it when I saw it & put it away for when needed. Well, now it's needed, along with the rest. I'll put all my love, extra prayers (I already pray for her fertility daily), & intent into these things, & hold them for her. (Unless she reads this & decides she wants them when they're done.) A note on why they'll all be blue, by the way. It's her favorite color and all girls wear blue too so the sex of the baby doesn't matter for this. So thank you, Sandy, for helping me see another way to put these principles to work. The more you use them in different ways, the more they become your own, the easier they come to mind - they eventually become "second nature." I think there should be a better way to say that, because it doesn't come to you second - it comes to you more quickly & naturally. I also think there should be a better way to express sympathy than to say "I'm sorry" that's just as quick, and a more positive term for infertility. As much as I'm a word person, I haven't thought of good solutions to any of these.
Recently a friend and great teacher suggested I "act as if" for my daughter. She's been trying to get pregnant for several years now & it breaks her heart & therefore mine that it hasn't happened yet. My friend, Sandy Davis, suggested I make a baby blanket for my daughter with intent & prayer for fertility. (If you're in the Pittsburgh area, I highly recommend her channeled healing circles & classes. You can find her on meetup.com under "The Shamans Cave of Three Rivers Tribe" and "Angel Love Light.") I'm about to finish making an afghan different from others I've done, & remembered Sandy's suggestion when I thought about what to make next. So I'm going to go buy blue yarn & reduce the pattern because it will make the most beautiful baby blanket. After I do that, I'm going to knit a full layette (in blue) & cross stitch the baby quilt I bought a kit for some years ago. It's very special so I bought it when I saw it & put it away for when needed. Well, now it's needed, along with the rest. I'll put all my love, extra prayers (I already pray for her fertility daily), & intent into these things, & hold them for her. (Unless she reads this & decides she wants them when they're done.) A note on why they'll all be blue, by the way. It's her favorite color and all girls wear blue too so the sex of the baby doesn't matter for this. So thank you, Sandy, for helping me see another way to put these principles to work. The more you use them in different ways, the more they become your own, the easier they come to mind - they eventually become "second nature." I think there should be a better way to say that, because it doesn't come to you second - it comes to you more quickly & naturally. I also think there should be a better way to express sympathy than to say "I'm sorry" that's just as quick, and a more positive term for infertility. As much as I'm a word person, I haven't thought of good solutions to any of these.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Positive Manifestation Starts with Gratitude
My cousins grew up without indoor plumbing. They weren't poor, they just lived in a farm house that was about a hundred years old or so. Their father was planning to build a new house & put running water in the barn that would continue to be used but not in the house they were going to abandon. Since I moved here at the end of November, I've had a day without heat & the thermostat sometimes takes awhile to obey when I try to turn up the heat in the morning. A few times I've come home to a fairly cold house because the heat wasn't running while I was gone, for whatever reason. I also spent a lot of January with no electricity because of a breaker that was in the process of burning out. I'd have hours without, then hours with, & never knew which it would be. I have a working dryer but it doesn't work here because it's electric with no outlet for anything but gas. My washer broke a few weeks before I moved & I haven't had the money to fix it.
It's all perspective - the "haves" & "have nots." If we concentrate on what we don't have, on the lack, that's what continues. If we're grateful for what we do have, count our blessings, then we've changed the perspective. That slight change, which is actually a major difference, makes the difference between manifesting positive things & not. We DO manifest! We are part of Creator & creation, so we do manifest. What most people don't realize is that we manifest from whatever our attitude is.
Most of us get caught in our own dramas & that's all we see. Last year at this time I was still very mired in the drama of loss. It was 4 months after I put my then husband in jail for stealing my mother's life savings. My reality was all about finding ways to cope. When I went to Groundhog Day events, I was answering questions about it from my friends in the Inner Circle of the Groundhog Club. At that time I was still a bit ashamed, as if I'd had something to do with it. So when the owner of Sam Adams brewery told me he'd heard of me, I thought the worst. Yesterday I was thinking about things that happened during this year's festivities & realized what the man meant. He'd said something about how great Punxsy is & the quality of the festivities put on by the Inner Circle, when he was giving a brief speech at a reception in his honor. So I made it a point of going up to him & telling him I agree with what he said so much, because I'd moved to PA from Maryland because of the town, the Groundhog Day festivities, & Phil himself. That's when he said he'd heard of me. It's not that he heard of my shame (in my mind at the time) - it's that my story (the moving to PA part) is bragging rights for the town & the Inner Circle. They weren't talking against me, they were using me as a positive example. There was no shame - they're proud to tell people I moved to PA because of them. And this year, they let me know they're pleased to see the positive changes in me in the past year. They see me happy, looking good, refocused. Last year I actually felt shunned for awhile. Now I see that was a reflection of my feelings about me, not reality. We truly color our perceptions of everything when we're stuck in our own dramas.
These days I'm very grateful for heat, electricity, & my new home. I took heat, running water, & electricity for granted until the events in January. Now I don't take any of this for granted. I am grateful when I go to the grocery & pay for what we need. I'm grateful for every little thing provided for me, like the can of coffee brought to me by a friend. That's supply for my wants. I'm grateful for my abundance of friends & family, the abundance of love in my life. I'm grateful for the abundance of cats in my life, in my home. Instead of grumbling to myself when I scoop out their litter boxes, I'm grateful they use them, am grateful for really nice kitty litter. Because my major attitude is gratitude, I'm happy & content with what I have. This isn't true all the time. When I don't take care of myself or the things around me, things start to get out of hand & my attitude slips. Worry & fear slip in & things turn more negative. Then nothing works as well & problems start to get to me & more start happening. That's manifestation of the negative. As soon as I fix that & go back to the positive, it all starts to flow again. It truly is possible to do that even when things aren't as you wish. If you wait for things to start happening the way you want them before being grateful & positive, it's just not going to happen. You have to learn to be truly grateful & a good steward of what you do have before more is given to you. That's in the Bible, & I see the truth of it everywhere.
So how do you do that? At first, you probably have to force yourself. It's called "acting as if." You act as if whatever you need is already here. I thank God daily for abundance & prosperity, financial freedom even though I haven't seen the manifestation yet. I thank Him sincerely, because I know it's on its way. I also thank Him for the abundance I do have visible, like cats & linens & dishes & friends & family & love & blog topics & messages. At first, I had to say it even when I didn't feel it. I had to search my brain for things to be grateful for. Next came actually feeling the gratitude for the good things I already have. Some of it came from not having briefly, like heat & electricity. Then came the true feelings of gratitude for abundance & prosperity even though I don't see them yet. I sometimes don't feel the gratitude, when the fear comes back but I speak in gratitude anyway. Then if I really need to, I tell Him of my fears & offer then up to Him. I'm honest with Him, talk with Him as if He was a friend sitting with me - because He is. I talk with Him about my fears when I need to, but I still maintain the most gratitude & positive attitude I can. It truly is nothing but mind over matter, & we can control our minds & then our emotions. First, believe you can. Then "act as if." That's called "visualization." Once you practice this daily, you can turn your attitude & then your life around. Then for those times that you just can't, please remember that we're all human. Remind yourself that it's just drama that we all get caught up in from time to time, but that it's not real. Just as time & space are relative, so are our dramas. They're in our own minds so we're actually master of them. It just takes understanding this, then the will to make the changes & following through with them. More tomorrow.
It's all perspective - the "haves" & "have nots." If we concentrate on what we don't have, on the lack, that's what continues. If we're grateful for what we do have, count our blessings, then we've changed the perspective. That slight change, which is actually a major difference, makes the difference between manifesting positive things & not. We DO manifest! We are part of Creator & creation, so we do manifest. What most people don't realize is that we manifest from whatever our attitude is.
Most of us get caught in our own dramas & that's all we see. Last year at this time I was still very mired in the drama of loss. It was 4 months after I put my then husband in jail for stealing my mother's life savings. My reality was all about finding ways to cope. When I went to Groundhog Day events, I was answering questions about it from my friends in the Inner Circle of the Groundhog Club. At that time I was still a bit ashamed, as if I'd had something to do with it. So when the owner of Sam Adams brewery told me he'd heard of me, I thought the worst. Yesterday I was thinking about things that happened during this year's festivities & realized what the man meant. He'd said something about how great Punxsy is & the quality of the festivities put on by the Inner Circle, when he was giving a brief speech at a reception in his honor. So I made it a point of going up to him & telling him I agree with what he said so much, because I'd moved to PA from Maryland because of the town, the Groundhog Day festivities, & Phil himself. That's when he said he'd heard of me. It's not that he heard of my shame (in my mind at the time) - it's that my story (the moving to PA part) is bragging rights for the town & the Inner Circle. They weren't talking against me, they were using me as a positive example. There was no shame - they're proud to tell people I moved to PA because of them. And this year, they let me know they're pleased to see the positive changes in me in the past year. They see me happy, looking good, refocused. Last year I actually felt shunned for awhile. Now I see that was a reflection of my feelings about me, not reality. We truly color our perceptions of everything when we're stuck in our own dramas.
These days I'm very grateful for heat, electricity, & my new home. I took heat, running water, & electricity for granted until the events in January. Now I don't take any of this for granted. I am grateful when I go to the grocery & pay for what we need. I'm grateful for every little thing provided for me, like the can of coffee brought to me by a friend. That's supply for my wants. I'm grateful for my abundance of friends & family, the abundance of love in my life. I'm grateful for the abundance of cats in my life, in my home. Instead of grumbling to myself when I scoop out their litter boxes, I'm grateful they use them, am grateful for really nice kitty litter. Because my major attitude is gratitude, I'm happy & content with what I have. This isn't true all the time. When I don't take care of myself or the things around me, things start to get out of hand & my attitude slips. Worry & fear slip in & things turn more negative. Then nothing works as well & problems start to get to me & more start happening. That's manifestation of the negative. As soon as I fix that & go back to the positive, it all starts to flow again. It truly is possible to do that even when things aren't as you wish. If you wait for things to start happening the way you want them before being grateful & positive, it's just not going to happen. You have to learn to be truly grateful & a good steward of what you do have before more is given to you. That's in the Bible, & I see the truth of it everywhere.
So how do you do that? At first, you probably have to force yourself. It's called "acting as if." You act as if whatever you need is already here. I thank God daily for abundance & prosperity, financial freedom even though I haven't seen the manifestation yet. I thank Him sincerely, because I know it's on its way. I also thank Him for the abundance I do have visible, like cats & linens & dishes & friends & family & love & blog topics & messages. At first, I had to say it even when I didn't feel it. I had to search my brain for things to be grateful for. Next came actually feeling the gratitude for the good things I already have. Some of it came from not having briefly, like heat & electricity. Then came the true feelings of gratitude for abundance & prosperity even though I don't see them yet. I sometimes don't feel the gratitude, when the fear comes back but I speak in gratitude anyway. Then if I really need to, I tell Him of my fears & offer then up to Him. I'm honest with Him, talk with Him as if He was a friend sitting with me - because He is. I talk with Him about my fears when I need to, but I still maintain the most gratitude & positive attitude I can. It truly is nothing but mind over matter, & we can control our minds & then our emotions. First, believe you can. Then "act as if." That's called "visualization." Once you practice this daily, you can turn your attitude & then your life around. Then for those times that you just can't, please remember that we're all human. Remind yourself that it's just drama that we all get caught up in from time to time, but that it's not real. Just as time & space are relative, so are our dramas. They're in our own minds so we're actually master of them. It just takes understanding this, then the will to make the changes & following through with them. More tomorrow.
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