Genius!

Gadzooks!  Eureka!  That’s genius!

Have you ever been given advice or learned something new that was completely mind-blowing to you?  Have you ever found an invention that you thought was genius?  Have you ever realized something that you found to help you and in turn felt like shouting Woo Hoo!?!

My life opened up in sparkling rare form when I began my journey spiritually.  I realized the genius in simplicity, kindness and love.  I had always known that I thought differently than others around me.  I saw things that others missed.  I had a knowing that I couldn’t explain why or how I knew what I knew.

For example, back in the olden days before caller ID or even message machines, I often had a feeling just before the phone would ring and I would often know who it was.  My family laughed when I told them, disbelieving my gift.  So after awhile, I just stayed quiet.  I didn’t try to expand the gift of knowing.  Instead I put my intuition on a shelf and let it get dusty from non-use.

I also experienced deja vu from a young age and would recognize strangers’ faces or maybe even their souls, but not be able to place how I knew them.  This caused unrest in me when I felt darkness in them.  But how do you explain that to others without sounding crazy or fearful?

It’s just in the last few years that I have begun to re-emerge by allowing my gifts to blossom again.  Feeling safe to do so has done wonders for the expansion of my spiritual toolbox.  Finding like-minded people has helped too.  I am pretty much an open book when given the opportunity to shine so I have begun to show myself a bit more slowly.

Empathy comes easily to me, probably I have too much empathy if the truth be known, by giving more than the chances needed to others who may not have deserved them.  Seeing how they felt when duality was evident has caused me much pain.  I have always wanted to see the good, the essence of good in people.  Forgiveness for myself and others has been healing to me.  I am not a perfect being though.  In a few situations, I’m still rough around the edges on certain points at this juncture in my life.  But, time is healing my wounded soul.

I enjoy bonding with others who are courageous enough to be vulnerable and to allow their heartlight to shine.  Closed-minded people who hold superficiality above all do not interest me.  It is with love and light that I surround myself now.

And that to me, is genius!

Shine On!

xo

 

 

 

Things That Go Bump In The House

It happens occasionally here in the farmhouse.  It happens during the day as well as night.  Little noises that bump for no reason.  There’s nothing there and yet, from the other side of the house or from seemingly the rooftop, there’s an audible bump.  When I go into the room from which the sound emanated, there’s nothing amiss.  Nothing has fallen, all is as I left it, undisturbed.  And yet, the bumps continue.

And all the while, the cats are in the room with me so it’s not them.  Yet, they hear the bump noises and their ears perk up.  Many times they raise their heads in the direction of the noise as if to see the unseen.  Few times will they independently get up to see what is going on.  If I get up to investigate, sometimes one or both will accompany me.  I imagine they are thinking,  Go on Mom!  We’ve got your back, but you go first!  What is that noise that dared to wake us from our catnap?

Inevitably, we go in search of the cause of the bump noise, only to be stymied by the utter lack of forthcoming information.  There’s no earthly reason and nothing is different.  It’s not like the noises are routine either, although they are getting to be routine.  Routine as in I hear them every once in awhile, but not cyclical or in a definitive rhythm like something turns on and off.  You know that sound, right?  It’s not that at all.  It’s like someone or something bumped into something else.  Not loud like crashing.  Not scratching noises either.  Just an occasional bump as if something small fell.  Yet nothing is amiss or moved that I can tell.

So it brings me to the question of if we have ghosts here or maybe a settling house?  It is strange to me that the noises have increased since the eclipse.  I wonder if that has anything to do with it?  Or if it is simply a coincidence?  Or maybe those geese are landing on my roof???  But that wouldn’t explain the inside noises.

Any intuitive information you may have would be greatly appreciated.

Shine On!

xo

 

Have You Seen A Katydid? Grasshopper help!

A solitary katydid visited me last night.  At first, I wasn’t sure what she was (ok, I’m assuming she was a girl because after all, I researched and found out she wasn’t a grasshopper like I thought at first, she’s a katydid)!

She was as big as a small mouse, just sitting quietly on my porch banister.  Because she was so large, I wasn’t sure what she was at first from afar, but as I got closer, I thought she was a grasshopper.  But I was wrong.

She never moved as I took some photos.  Here’s another angle.  Nor did she make any noise.

So what’s a girl to do but to see what the spirit totem is for a visit from a katydid, especially right before a solar eclipse!

When I looked it up, here’s what I found from Facebook’s page called:  Animal Speak by Ted Andrews (who I found out passed away in 2009, but a fan of his keeps up the website).  Thank you to the fan!

Katydid:
Katydid teaches attunement to new vibrations and will aid in heightening intuition, sensitivity and awareness. They teach transformation in five stages as part of the molting process. Is it time to shed old ideas to make way for the new? Expect changes and new developments that will bring growth through reflection and patience as the sensitivity to mental, emotional and physical challenges are coming are your way. Katydids also teach the art of camouflage and the ability to evolve and use many survival techniques. Are you adapting to your surroundings? Are you blending in or standing out? Katydid will aid in strengthening senses and perceptions of the seen and unseen so whatever transformation stage you are in will be a time to be aware; mentally and spiritually sharp.

Well, that’s sounds about right for me these days.  I’m noticing all sorts of nuances in the air, in nature, in how people act and even our cats!  A fine time for strengthening the senses to transform as the new challenges continue to come my way.

How about you?  Have you ever seen a katydid up close?

By the way, I heard a bunch of her friends calling to her, but they were not seen, just heard.  She however, chose just the opposite – I saw her up close, but she never uttered a chirp!

Shine On!

xo

What’s The Trouble?

The trouble is, you think you have time.  ~ Buddha

Procrastination weighs heavily on our shoulders at times.  We put off what we might have accomplished if we simply dug in and did whatever it is today.  Like Scarlett, in Gone With the Wind, we tend to say to ourselves, ‘I’ll think about it tomorrow.  After all, tomorrow is another day.”

But what if tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow and so on, we continue to put off?  What if, we decide to call a friend who’s been on our minds there and then instead of waiting a few days for a more convenient time?  What if we wait to call and something happens?  I’m not saying to live in fear that something could happen.  Oh no, I’m just trying to remind you to ‘just do it’ as Nike so grandly put it.  Why?  Because you’ll be so glad you did.

We need to trust our intuition.  There have been times in my life when I reached out and made sure I told someone how special they were, how much I loved them and how much I appreciated them.  Most times, it was simply a fond connection and maybe on some level it made the other person feel good.  But there have been a few times, when I am so grateful that I did because due to circumstances, I had no idea that it was to be our last conversation ever on the human plane.

As I look back on those experiences, my heartlight fills because unknowingly, I was able to tell them how much they meant to me before they passed away.  I hold dear those conversations that were divinely orchestrated and it has given me much peace in my heart that I didn’t put off saying how I felt and hearing how they felt as well.

For who knows how much time we have here on Earth?  Truly, we only have the present moment to count on for the future is unsure and the past is gone.  We don’t know when our time here on Earth ends and we move on to our next chapter.  Living in the present in the best way we can is the only way to find peace.

Christine over at A Gratitude Diva is hosting a gratitude challenge which I found yesterday.  I have done gratitude challenges before and enjoyed them.  You can peruse my blog for gratitude challenge and see my results which I found, dare I say, gratifying? ♥  If you are interested in joining the challenge with Christine and many others, here’s the link!  Please feel free to pass it along to your friends, family and readers.  Wouldn’t it be lovely if we all did it together?  Imagine how the energy level of our world would increase?

Here, I’ll start…I am grateful for my family, friends and loved ones.  I am grateful that I have the beautiful opportunity to connect with all of you for each and every one of you shines your heartlight into my life and into the lives of others with such beauty.  Thanks for being you! ♥

Shine On!

xo

 

 

An Easy Answer to your Promptings!

Just sending a wave your way!

Have you ever had one of those moments when you just feel like you should reach out and see how a particular friend or family member is doing?  Perhaps you just get a brief moment’s feeling or thought in your head about them…

but you don’t want to call or text…

you want it to be special?

Well, that’s called a PROMPTING!

That inner voice of wisdom gives you the chance to make connections, touch lives and be the soul you are in the human body!  How many times have you thought of a long lost friend only to let the thought slip away because you don’t have enough time to call them, texting doesn’t seem the right solution and so you just do nothing…and then time goes on and you get busy again…

What if you could, when that prompting hits, quickly pick a card from a computer, anywhere in the world, write a little hello message to your friend and click SEND and immediately your card is on it’s way…and it’s not an e-card ~ it’s a REAL CARD!  One that you have to open…you know the treasure nestled in the pile of junk mail and bills…the envelope that’s going to be the first card your friend opens because it’s not junk nor a bill nor an advertisement…it’s a bit of connection…a bit of friendship…a bit of love!

What if you didn’t have to find a computer to do it?  What if you could use your iPhone?  What if you could do it from a FREE APP?!

Well, you can…and I’ll tell you about it tomorrow!

In the meantime, take a moment and think about the beauty in your life, the fun characters you know and love ~ the college roommates you’ve lost touch with, the best friends from childhood that you don’t see anymore…what about the cousins (bucking-expectations) whom you’ve lost touch with just because of circumstances beyond your control!

Life is richer because of the connections we make in it…we only have a short time here my friends ~ Does everyone in your life know how you feel about them?  Today’s the day to send a smile, renew a relationship, grow a friendship, send out love and increase your own happiness as you increase others!

How do you want to be remembered?

What are you waiting for?

Use your Promptings!

xo

126830

Spirits in the Night…

While we are mourning the loss of our friend,

others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil. – John Taylor

Years ago, I awoke from a dream that was so real that I called my parents to tell them.  My Mom’s brother was like another father to me growing up.  He was a special man in my life and I loved him very much.  My dream was brief, but I saw him as clear as day in my dream and I heard his voice which I hadn’t heard in over 20 years.  I knew the voice immediately and recognized him in my dream as well as he looked ‘fit as a fiddle’ and happy.  I spent many weeks visiting him in South Carolina as a child and he always made a big deal of my visits.  When I told my parents about my vivid dream, my Dad told me that it was my Uncle’s birthday (which I didn’t know).  I felt very blessed that he had come to visit me and I was smiling all day thinking of him.

Truth be told, I thought it was a strange coincidence, but went on with my life, never thinking another thing about it.

Then a few nights ago, I awoke in the middle of the night, startled from a dream that was so real that it took me a few minutes to shake the cobwebs from my brain and realize that I was in my own home, in my bedroom and it was 3am.  In my very vivid, realistic dream, I was talking with my Dad and my Aunt Gloria.  We were in a house which I know I’ve visited before in my dreams and we were in the kitchen, talking and laughing.  It felt so good to see the two of them looking healthy and happy.  They looked as I remembered them 20 years ago and not as I had last seen them which had been at their recent deaths.  I remember that there were others milling around, but the three of us were talking in the kitchen of the home and we were teasing my Dad and laughing heartily over something funny.

My Dad passed away 6 weeks ago and Aunt Gloria passed away 6 months ago, but they were great friends and I can easily see the 2 of them whooping it up in Heaven together.  In fact, the more I’ve thought about my recent dream, the more I suspect that perhaps I did really visit with the 2 of them for the duration of my brief dream.  Now I just wish I could remember what we had been talking about as it was very funny.  Surely they shared a dilly of a joke or story with me because I remember feeling so lighthearted when I awoke.

Whatever happened that night, I know that it was a confirmation to me that they are doing well on the ‘other side of the veil’ and I am happy to see it.  I am just so grateful that the two of them found each other and deigned to visit me.  What a beautiful memory to enjoy for days to come!

Has this ever happened to you?  Am I the only one?  Have you ever gotten a visit from someone who’s passed?   I’ve never told anyone but my family about these dreams so I’m interested in knowing if I’m just delusional or if you’ve had similar experiences?  If you would, please let me know…

Happy August 1st to you!

xo

5 Minutes of Solitude…

It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence

that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us,

as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts. K.T. Jong

For those of you who are energized by a challenges, I challenge you this week to give yourself 5 minutes of uninterrupted silence a day ~ not multi-tasking silence where you turned off the radio while driving to work ~ that doesn’t count nor does taking 5 minutes on the toilet and instead of reading, you sit quietly ~  nor does the 5 minutes before you actually fall asleep and have your head on the pillow ready for sleep to envelope your mind ~ but 5 minutes where you are conscious, quiet, without doing something else and you just sit.

I recently started doing this myself and at first it was hard for me as I like to either zone out in front of the tv if I’m going to be quiet or I like to read if I”m not chatting.  However, sitting quietly for 5 minutes without doing anything is a challenge.  I started making lists in my head of what I needed to do, wondering what the noises I heard downstairs were (did one of the kids drop something?) and the continuous thought of  ‘oh man, is 5 minutes up yet?” looped in my head.

So what I’ve done is started free writing during my 5 minutes which is akin to meditating, but offers my busy body a way to keep quiet for 5 minutes while doing something.  I am not quite sure if 5 minutes of solitude allows for free writing, but for now it’s working like a charm for me and perhaps it will for you as well.

Free writing for me has been me typing on my computer for 5 minutes uninterrupted, just allowing whatever words that begin to show in my head, a space on paper.  It’s just typing (or writing if you prefer) the stream of consciousness or unconsciousness that exudes from my fingertips without constraint.  And boy oh boy has it been interesting to read.  In fact, there have been times recently that I’ve gone over and beyond the 5 minutes as the words simply type themselves on the paper and continue to roll out in long, waves of sentences and paragraphs.

Sometimes it’s been just drivel that my fingers have typed, but some of the words/meanings that have come to fruition have been quite meaningful to my life and present situation.  The thoughts have had insight to my experiences and have been able to give proper responsibility where its due.

My Monday post today is simply to TRY for 5 minutes to be quiet and just listen to yourself…take a few moments for you.  Use it as an experiment.  You have nothing to lose except 5 minutes of worry, work or multitasking…give it a week and let me know how it goes…I’d love to hear if you already do this as I’d love the feedback…and if you’re just starting, let me know if you’d prefer I keep my challenges to myself!  Ha!

Happy Monday to You!

You’re worth 5 minutes…and more!

Be good to YOU!

xo

GROW through Life…

Don’t go through life. Grow through life.

Sometimes I think we mindlessly go through life, continuing the habit of work, eat, sleep, awaken repeat…we get into the routine of doing what needs to be done during each day because it needs to be done.  Taking care of ourselves sometimes gets pushed aside in order to take care of everyone else’s needs and we allow routine and the easy thoughtless unmindful ways to take over.

Being that it’s Sunday, I thought this was a good time to broach the subject of taking care of ourselves ~ “the Sabbath is a day of rest” as my Mom puts it ~ is just the ticket to change the routine.  If it’s an excuse you need to use in order to allow yourself some time to just ‘be’ and relax, well, then here it is!

Let me remind you that there are 24 hours in a day…and you can spare 10 minutes for yourself.  The idea is to start at 10 minutes for you and then add minutes as you go.  Perhaps a little meditation could be in order…or some free writing where you can just allow your thoughts some flight…or just taking a little time to look up at the sky and notice the beauty in nature that surrounds you.

Just going through life isn’t a life…you need to GROW through life so that you can experience all that life has to offer!  I don’t want to look back at my life and wonder where the years went…I want to stroll down my own memory lane with many stops along the way, enjoying the laughter and even the tears of moments which impact my life and my family…I want to remember fun times and silly moments…I want to smile and feel peaceful for how I lived, how I treated others and even how I treated myself.  I want to remember stretching out of my comfort zone to breathe happiness into my soul.

Enjoy this Sunday!

Grow through your life!

You are worth it!

xo

It Makes a Difference…

One Starfish

A man was walking along a beach at sunrise. As he walked, he could see a young girl in the distance. He noticed that the girl kept bending down, picking something up, and throwing it into the water. Again and again she kept hurling things into the ocean. As the man came closer, he saw that the girl was picking up starfish that had been washed up by the tide. One at a time she was throwing them back into the water. When asked what she was doing, she replied, “I am throwing these washed up starfish back into the ocean, or else they will die.” “But,” said the man, “you can’t possibly save them all, there are thousands on this beach, and this must be happening on hundreds of beaches along the coast. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The girl smiled, bent down, picked up another starfish and as she threw it, she replied,

“It makes a difference to that one.”

My friend JAngel sent the above story to me yesterday and I had to post it today because I loved it.  “It makes a difference to that one,” resonated with me so fully that I knew I had to share it with you today.  Just a reminder that even the smallest gesture to someone else can make a huge difference!

So please, smile today…be kind today…enjoy this Friday and please hug a friend today.

Spread sunshine wherever you go today, BE that ONE DIFFERENCE!

Happy Friday to YOU!
xo

P.S.  The original is written by “Loren Eiseley” – ”The Star Thrower,” with the child being a boy and not a girl.  The version I was sent had a girl which is why I posted it the way I did.   My special thanks to Viveka for the additional information.  Please visit her blog post here!

A Single Courageous Step…

Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin,

and a single courageous step

would carry us clear through them. -Brendan Francis

Lately I haven’t been sleeping as well as I’d like.   I don’t know about you, but sometimes I go through periods of time where sleep evades me more often than not and right now I’ve not been sleeping well.  I wake up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep because my mind continues to whir and mindless chatter of what I need to do and what needs to be done by others plagues me.  And then there is the fear of not getting everything done properly as I’m in charge of a lot these days…that fear alone can put me over the edge.   But what I’ve found is that the fears are usually paper thin and unfounded…but in the middle of the night, they feel like I’m carrying heavy bricks.

So what I’ve begun doing is imagining that each brick is one of my fears and I begin to walk ~ baby steps of course ~ and as I do, I let go of a brick with each step.  I simply drop it and allow my mind to tick it off the list that plagues me.  I drop the brick of named fear into the abyss below me and I imagine that it goes away into nothingness ~ that it simply evaporates.

Sometimes I imagine that Universe/God catches it and turns it into dust as well, but that’s only if simply dropping it doesn’t actually make it go away.  Sometimes those fear bricks have been known to not easily be released and that’s when my stepping out takes control because I’m still walking as I drop them and as I continue to walk, they are further away from me.

We all have fears which is sad because when we allow those fears to manifest, they can take over…which is why, I adore my baby steps!  Do you carry fears?  Do you sleep well?  Can you see that much of what we fear isn’t anything more than worry emphasized?

Join me in our stepping away from our fears and into the light…drop your fears, make them a kite and fly those paper-thin thoughts right out of your head today!  Let me know how it works for you ~ and what works for you!  I’d love to hear more options for my nightly episodes.

Happy Monday to you!  It’s the start of a new week!  Enjoy!!

xo