What To Do When You Fear The Truth

Recently I had a startling experience with an uninvited guest in my home with whom, unbeknownst to me, I was sharing my discarded vittles.  Yup, you guessed it ~ I had a mouse in my house!

I screamed and continued howling in fear as the mouse and I met unexpectedly one evening.  We both stared at each other, frozen in fear from my continued screeching until he finally got hold of his senses and scurried back into hiding.  The tears and fear erupted in me, like a volcano spewing and I began to shake, still staring at the place we had met.  It took quite awhile for me to calm down as the fear leapt into my brain and I worried where he’d gone, how he’d gotten in and if he had a family of squatters now residing in my home.  And, to top it all off, why in the world weren’t my two diva cats patrolling the house?  Weren’t cats supposed to chase mice?

This whole episode led me to facing the truth with a heartful of anxiety every morning for days when I would be fear finding out the truth ~ were there more mice?  Had they returned to my home?  Were they indeed making a nest here or were they just passing through?

It seems to me, until the truth of any situation is thrust into our faces, that we fear the truth.  We fear knowing something that changes our lives.  We turn a blind eye to happenstance evidence, preferring to not make waves in what we deem the tranquility and peace in our lives.  But as I’ve learned, we can’t put off the inevitable.  It happens in the blink of an eye and many times at the most inconvenient of times and yet, with Divine Timing.

So the next time you are fearing the truth in any situation, know in your heart that facing your fears like the cat and mouse above, only makes things easier.  For once you know the truth, you can deal with the situation.  You can ask for advice, you can connect with others and you can eventually move on after you’ve processed the fear of change.  This bodes well for almost any life situation that you fear.

Take a giggle from my mouse adventure today and know that no matter what truth you are facing, you have a friend in me.

Shine On!

xo

 

Lucky You

Do you believe in luck?

Full Definition of luck by Merriam-Webster is:

1. 1 a :  a force that brings good fortune or adversity

2. b :  the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual

Curiously, I believe in luck and yet, I don’t, which is a conundrum on St. Patrick’s Day even though I have a smidgen of Irish in me.  I believe in fate.  I believe in free will.  I believe in karma.  I believe in the ability to change our ways of thinking in order to change our lives.  I believe in angelic help.

And I believe in you…and I believe in me.

What do you believe?  Have you ever sat for a moment to ponder your beliefs, to write them out and then peruse them?  Do they still stand stoically rooted in your childhood beliefs as they were downloaded to you from your past or have they changed over time, expanding the limits to an expanse of limitlessness?

Beliefs from childhood can be limiting or limitless depending on our circumstances and what is downloaded to us from our parental figures and from those whom we looked up to as children.  As we grow, we learn and expand our thinking or we can stay stuck in those beliefs that were given to us from the start.  It’s a choice to see ourselves as limited or limitless.  It’s a work in progress as we develop our mindset to raise our personal vibration in the world at large.

Perhaps it’s that old adage of seeing the glass 1/2 empty or 1/2 full or with gratitude for even having a glass.  Today in honor of feeling lucky, I’d love to hear from you.  Are you lucky?  Do you believe in luck?  What do you believe?

Lucky you, you can choose your thinking!

Shine On!

xo

 

How To Pick Yourself Up

There are times in all of our lives when all of our best laid plans and dreams go kapluey. (Does anyone know how to spell that word correctly?  Please advise!)  It hardly ever happens at a convenient time because, let’s be frank, whoever says, “I want upheaval in my life right now!  Woo Hoo!  Bring it on!”  To my knowledge, those people are few and far between, as the majority of us would prefer smooth sailing.

But that’s not always possible, nor is it probably beneficial, because even in nature, a little rain must fall from time to time to grow us, a little sun must shine to heal us and a little wind must blow to help us to connect with others.

Ok, am I being too spiritual for you?  Do you think I don’t understand all that you’re enduring?  I may not, but I have endured much in this life so far and I have found that in sharing our stories, we help ourselves and others to find peace.

Maybe that’s not the way for you.  Perhaps the darkness feels too heavy right now for you.  I have been there and I understand.  I have felt the weight of sadness in my life.  We all have.  But it’s what you do with your sadness that makes the difference.

There’s a time and a place to sink into the sad, poor me bubble.  I do not deny that fact.  But there is a time when we must be like the little donkey, see my post ~ https://misifusa.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/fridays-burro/ ~ and take what we are given and use the experiences to find our heartlight again, to reignite it and to grow!

I can hear some of you now ~ she doesn’t get what I’m dealing with here, I’m just barely surviving, this is too pie in the sky baloney, she doesn’t know me, she doesn’t have a clue, etc.

Yes, I know and you are right.  I do not understand whatever you are dealing with at this time.  But then again, maybe I’ve experienced something similar.

The difference is what we do when the chips are down and how we react when our path gets strewn with debris, disappointments and such.  We can get angry, get resentful and be hurtful.  We can wallow in an all-out pity party.  We can turn the other cheek.  We can walk away.  We can hang on with all we’ve got.  We can share our strive with trusted friends.  We can take pills to make the pain go away.  We can attend to fixing the situation at hand.  We can ignore it.  We can allow our hearts to harden.  We can be doormats.  We can put up walls and shut everyone out.

OR

We can look inside of ourselves and work on healing.

It’s a choice dear friends.  That’s what life is all about ~ choices.  We have the freedom to choose every single moment of everyday.  We can choose again if we find that our initial choice isn’t what we want.  That’s the beauty of life school.

So how do we pick ourselves up after we stumble?

We choose to pick ourselves up.  That’s step one and a very important step in life.  The first one is sometimes the hardest step (you’ve heard the expression, that first step is a lulu!) but it’s the beginning after an ending and it’s a baby step for sure.

But it is always, a step in the right direction and that’s how we pick ourselves up!

Shine On!

xo

 

Let’s Talk!

Having a conversation is an art, a give and take between two people.  Even the simplest of howdy-do’s in the grocery store involves the art of conversation.  Many times, our goal to have a conversation with a loved one falls short when we have different skills, goals and intents.  Our conversation styles are all different and when we have a hard time of meeting in the so-called middle ground, that’s where problems occur.

We all have ways we can improve our chatting styles, but I believe that when we come from a heartlit place, doing our best, we can see/feel/have a great conversation no matter how our partner is behaving.  It takes two as we all know to have a conversation for a one-sided conversation, if not listened to with a loving heart, falls on deaf ears and can have the opposite effect on the listener that the speaker intends.  Have you ever had a conversation that was one-sided?  Have you ever felt misunderstood?  Has someone taken your silence for something more than mindful consideration before you speak?

So here are a few questions to ask yourself for we all have trouble with talking sometimes:

Do you find yourself speaking with thoughtfulness?

Or do you just blab whatever you are thinking without restraint?

Do you refuse to connect?

Do you shout and then forget what you have said?

Do you try to speak in a normal tone with calm intention?

Do you drone on and not get to the point?

Do you feel a time restraint and therefore tell it all without preamble?

Do you take time to pause to see if your listener is following you?

Do you not stop for fear of what the other person may say?

Do you stay quiet and not engage in the conversation?

Do you interrupt when a person is speaking?

Do you follow along with their thoughts?

Do you take off on a tangent in your own mind and forget to keep listening?

Are you more concerned with what you have to say?

Are you truly feeling what the person is telling you?

Are you numbed by the conversation or enraged by it?

Do you let your emotions get in the way of listening?

Do you let your emotions get in the way of speaking?

At times, all of us find ourselves in the situations above, doing what is our first instinct even when we realize that it may not be what is beneficial for the conversation.  If any of the above touched a nerve with you, then perhaps you need to review your conversation skills.

Our childhood experiences many times are our first instinct when it comes to our conversation skills.  Come from a family of yellers and it is easy to drop into that form of conversation when we are angry.  Past experience in receiving harsh words in conversation, can either make someone repeat that or hide away in silence.  Either way, there’s a distinct tear in relationships when we find ourselves going to either extreme.  It takes patience and practice to have a conversation whereby each individual is comfortable in sharing and in being heard.  There’s a loving give and take, a learning and a trust that is inherent when we converse with others.  The finesse involved in making a conversation beneficial involves both parties meeting in the middle no matter what their first reactional conversational style is and that’s where it’s sometimes hard to navigate muddy waters.

We are all growing everyday with new skills being added to our repertoire of conversation.  As we navigate life, we can drop what doesn’t serve us and add to what does.  It takes time.  It takes patience.  It takes trust.  The best part is that when two people want to do their parts in making having a conversation a loving experience, it certainly is possible.  And that my friends, is the best part of all!

Shine On!

xo

Palm Reader Channeled ~ Message For Everyone

The Daily Prompt today asks the question:    You’re on a long flight, and a palm reader sitting next to you insists she reads your palm.  You hesitate, but agree.  What does she tell you?

When she takes my hands into hers, I feel a slight electric buzz, but knowing I am nervous, I shrug off the coincidence.  But is it a coincidence or is it our energy flowing from one soul to another?  Her hands are warm and dry and I feel mine begin to sweat.  My mind pinballs back and forth between thinking this is just a lark and fearing that she has the capacity to read me.  She knows this as she senses my apprehension and yet my willingness to literally put my palm in hers.

She gazes into my eyes and I decide to relax and go with the flow.  My mind still is alert with worry as I do not know this woman at all.  She is a stranger, but dressed in normal clothing.  But there is something angelic about her that I can’t pin down.  But I am trying to show her that I am not afraid of what she may reveal, yet I am worried that she’ll see into my soul with precision.  I assure myself in my mind that I have nothing to hide, but there is a sense of anxiety buzzing through my body.

“Rest easy, dear one.  This experience will not hurt, but only help you as you wander on your life path,” I hear her say and yet her lips do not move.  For a moment I’m stunned, wondering if she is telepathically speaking to me or if it were my Guardian Angel or God or maybe I’m losing my mind.

She nods ever so slightly as the thoughts fly through my head.  She knows what I am thinking!  Yikes!

Without a sound, she turns my palms over to face her and gently holds my hands with hers.  Nervous energy excites and frightens me at the same time.  She lets out a deep breath as I do as well.  Mine is to expel the pent up nervousness.  I wonder what hers is?  A clearing in order to read me?

She drops her gaze and studies my hands quietly.  I feel myself relax and a warm serenity envelopes me.  It’s as if we are in our own bubble in the world.  She closes her eyes for a few moments and her breathing deepens.  I can feel our energies mixing.  I am willing to allow her to read me.

“What I am about to say, may not make sense to you now, but one day it will.  Your life line is long, but breaks in various places.  You have witnessed deaths and have been a death’s door yourself.”

I nod, not daring to speak.

“You are an empath soul, which means you love completely.  You feel what others do.  You are compassionate and a giver.  This trio causes you much pain and yet reaps much joy for your soul.  You are surrounded by a white light and many lessons.  You are not finished with your journey here yet.  You have much to learn, more to grow and many to teach.  Your spiritual awareness is growing, but you fear the acceptance of this knowledge for it makes you different.  But you are already different from the many people who surround you.  You know this, but it feels solitary at times.  Do not weep dear one, for you are never alone.  Your journey is fraught with emotion, spiritual awakenings and compassionate understanding for yourself and others.  You are tested.  You do not fail, if you believe it to be so.  The key of self-worth, knowing you are perfect, whole and complete in the Lord’s eyes will benefit you so remember who you are.  Do not allow the superficial world to sway you.  You are gifted and you must use your gifts and your power for good.”

We had both been staring at my palms as she spoke quietly, murmuring the reading for my ears only.  In such a soft voice, she continued her reading.

“I see hardship.  I see tears.  I see betrayal.  I see forgiveness.  I see love.  I see light.  I see your Divine Purpose coming to fruition as you grow, learn and accept.  I see acknowledgement, acceptance and spiritual understanding increasing day by day.  Do not be content, but strive to learn, to grow, to universally connect with others.  You will be taught and you will teach, that is the give and take of this lifetime.”

I began to choke back the tears that were falling rapidly from my eyes, running down my cheeks with alarming abandon.  My nose was feeling drippy, but I hesitated to break the spell.

“Look with favor on this chosen path.  Allow yourself the freedom to be yourself, to speak from your heart and to allow others to hear what they choose.  Be one with the Spirit of the Divine.  You are human.  Mistakes are made, but the angelic reminders of your life will remain in small moments of the memory of others.  Do not be afraid of financial gain.  Put it to good use in order to spread peace with others.  Connect with your blessings.  Begin again without fear.  Remind yourself often that each day begins a new dawn full of possibility.  Live to your fullest ability for we know not our expiration date.  Be kinder to yourself and others.  Err on the side of love for that is where your strength lies.  Meditate.  Visit Mother Nature daily.  Pray.  Sing.  Patience, dear one.  Time reveals your golden path.”

Sniffling and trying not to gross her out, I began breathing deeply, as the sadness which had overwhelmed me by her words faded away gently without warning.  She turned my hands over, clasping them in hers with a warm, long hold and then released my hands.  My fingers fumbled through my purse immediately to find a tissue to sop up the wet mess that was my face and nose.  She turned slightly in her seat to face the front of the plane, laid her hands in her lap and closed her eyes.  I didn’t dare disturb her.  Blowing my nose with embarrassed gusto, tissue after tissue, I dried my face, setting myself back in order.

As I leaned back into my seat again, I peeked over, but she was motionless, eyes still closed.  I turned my head to look out the window at the sky.  The most gorgeous rainbow I have ever seen appeared as if by magic.  A smile grew on my lips as a warm sense of serenity spread throughout my body.  I eagerly watched as the rainbow faded away as miraculously as it had appeared.  I closed my eyes and fell into a gentle sleep.

I awoke to her nudging me as I felt the plane’s wheels hit the runway at our destination.  She smiled at me, looking into my eyes and without moving her lips I heard, “This was my gift to you, dear one.  I am as grateful as you are to connect and to have had this experience.  Share it with others.  Remember you are never alone.  You are loved.”

The pilot broke the reverie with his announcement that we could begin to deboard and in an instant, she was gone.  I don’t think I ever said much to her.  I began to berate myself for never even uttering the word thank you while she was here as I was so mesmerized by her aura.  Whispering to her spirit, I said, “Thank you my friend,” and I heard her voice reply, “You are most welcome.”

Shine On!

xo

Why Should I Fear?

“Behind me is infinite power.

Before me is endless possibility.

Around me is boundless opportunity.

Why should I fear?”

– Stella Stuart

Have you ever experienced fear or viewed life through fearful eyes, ears, mind and soul?  Fear can wrap its icy tentacles around hearts and paralyze our thinking.  I have been there.  I know that it happens and fear can have the power to stop us in our tracks.

But this quote above by Stella Stuart is a lovely reminder that there is more than fear in this life.  Fear can be managed when we think with love, with possibility, with hope and with faith.  I wanted to share this quote with you today so that you can have the gentle reminder that you are more powerful than you know!  Shine your heartlight dearest friends!

Sending you strength, love and boundless possibility, today and everyday!

Shine On!

xo

Do You Believe in Karma?

I awoke this morning with the song, Karma Chameleon by Boy George in my head this morning.  I admit I found it interesting since I haven’t heard that song nor thought of it in years.  But it brought up the question of Karma to me in a most peculiar way, so I am reaching out to you, dear friends, to see what you have to say about Karma.

As I understand it, having read a bit this morning,

Karma describes how our actions evolve into experience. 

Each action is then a seed,

which grows into our experience of the world,

and either starts a new growth process,

or perhaps reinforces an old one.

Which to me, is interpreted as every moment needs to be mindful!  How about you?  Does the above resonate with your definition and understanding of Karma?  Please share as I am most interested in learning from you!

I also read on Buddhanet:

Perplexed by the seemingly inexplicable, apparent disparity that existed among humanity, a young truth-seeker approached the Buddha and questioned him regarding this intricate problem of inequality:

“What is the cause, what is the reason, O Lord,” questioned he, “that we find amongst mankind the short-lived and long-lived, the healthy and the diseased, the ugly and beautiful, those lacking influence and the powerful, the poor and the rich, the low-born and the high-born, and the ignorant and the wise?”

The Buddha’s reply was:

“All living beings have actions (Karma) as their own, their inheritance, their congenital cause, their kinsman, their refuge. It is Karma that differentiates beings into low and high states.”

He then explained the cause of such differences in accordance with the law of cause and effect.

I have heard people allude to others’ actions which they found distasteful, with the phrase, ‘karma will get them’ and I never knew what to say to that sentence.  I have heard the word over the years, but I have never truly understood the definition.

Please help me today ~ share what you know, what you believe, define it if you will.  If you have written about Karma, please share a link below in the comments.  I truly want to hear from you!

Shine On!

xo

And in case you now have the song in your head…Enjoy!

Help When The Rug Gets Pulled Out From Under You

When the rug gets pulled out from under you, when you fall off the horse, when you feel like you’ve been sucker-punched, when you fall down, when you’ve been side-swiped, when you’ve been dumped, when you experience failure, when you’ve lost it all, when you fill in the blank, ~ there are so many quotes to explain when life knocks you down and throws you for a loop.  I am sure you can think of many others.  But it’s the answer to the question that leaves us hanging.

What is the solution?

We’ve all experienced changes that we’ve seen coming and also have been blinded by when we least expect it.  Changes can be in any part of our lives ~ finances, health, love, relationships, family, jobs etc.  Some of the lessons I’ve learned when the proverbial rug has been pulled out from under me (which it has in many aspects of my life) is this…

YOU need to find peace and a new normal for yourself.

Nobody can or will do it for you.  It’s only up to you.  Sure you may be able to count on friends  and perhaps family to help, but the bottom line is that the only one who CAN do it, is YOU!  And it’s hard.  It’s changing the way you look at your life and at your choices.  It’s taking responsibility for your part in the whatever the situation is and moving forward.  It’s giving YOURSELF your full attention and then deciding how to deal with the enormity of the change in your life.

To do this, you must be honest with yourself.  Nobody wants to hear about it after awhile, so it’s up to you.  You can seek advice from those who have experienced the same situation.  You weigh what you know, what you learn and you incorporate the best parts into your new normal.  The best advice I can give you is to find peace, however you need to find it.  You need to not give up or give in.  Re-find your balance.  Get back on the horse.  Put yourself back in the game.  Find a new job.  Begin again.  Grieve for what you feel is lost and then find peace within you.  Connect with yourself again for somewhere along the line, you’ve lost yourself and your power.  Use your power for bettering yourself and those around you.  Look up to God and the Angels for help if you are spiritual/religious.  Look inside yourself for strength that you have, but maybe haven’t tapped into yet.  Stand on your own two feet (after getting up).  If you must, walk away, crawl away and take baby steps towards your future.  Take time to honor your sadness and the changes in your life.  Weigh the pros and cons before taking any definitive baby steps.

But do it all with peace in your heart.

Yes, you can blame others for your situation and the blame could be correctly placed on them, but what good does that serve you?  It only makes you resentful, angry and operating at a low vibration.  I’m not saying to be a doormat by any means.  But to use up your precious life with negativity hurts only you.  It dims your heartlight.  It destroys your soul.  It hurts you in more ways that you can even begin to imagine.  And haven’t you already been hurting enough?

So today, dear friends, is your day.  Take a few minutes to concentrate on you ~ begin a plan that includes a little me time everyday.  It can be as simple as a bubble bath or a ten minute meditation.  You can write in your journal, plan for 2016, take a heart-healthy walk, talk to a friend, get some fur therapy from a favorite animal, sing, dance, walk outside and commune with nature.

Be kind to you…be kind to others.  Lead with the love in your heart.  Shine your heartlight for all to see and goodness comes your way.  But it’s up to you.  Take my hand.  Walk with me.  We will take baby steps to the new you!

Shine On!

xo

 

 

 

Is It Too Early To Decorate For Christmas?

It’s four days before Thanksgiving and I’m contemplating taking down the pumpkins, the cornucopia and the orange tidbits that are scattered around my house.  I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year so I don’t feel the need to keep the stuffed turkey doll that sings, ‘eat chicken’ displayed.  LOL

My usual custom has been to begin decorating for the holidays right after Thanksgiving.  It used to be that I was told to only decorate in a winter motif with no Santas out until December first, but this year, there are no restrictions.  And I’m feeling a bit of holly jolly in the crisp weather.

So I’m asking…what do you think?  What are your traditions?  Do you think I’m rushing the fa la la la la like the stores?  Or should I just go for it and do what I feel in my heart I want to do?

For me, the love and joy of Christmas is contagious.  It’s in the twinkle in the lights, the joyful greens and reds that make me smile.  It’s in the giving of traditional gifts and the giving of ourselves to others.  It’s in the joy in singing hymns which evoke memories of precious happy times and Christmas carols which bond us in peace.

I love the season and wish it could last all year long.  Perhaps that’s why decorating early has such an appeal.  I never tire of the sparkle and simple joys that the holidays bring.

Thanks for reading and for allowing me to process how I feel.  I’m off to gently put away Mr. Turkey and begin to shine my heartlight.  ‘Tis the season you know to shine!

Shine On!

xo

 

Celebrating Our Next Chapter

I was lost in the abyss this morning, firmly settled in a quagmire of sadness, hurt and resentment.  Beliefs that I had held so firmly in my mind and heart had unraveled to a point of no return and although I mentally understood, I wasn’t able to make peace with them in my heart.

Until now…

Here’s what helped me ~ advice from a dear friend…maybe it will help you!

A shift is a baby step, it needn’t be a giant step, it only needs to be an awareness of choice that we take.  No matter your hardship – be it financial, relationships or health, you always have a choice.  Sometimes a shift is merely the reminder that we have the ability to choose once we let go and remember we can choose.

Because remember…

We always have the free will of choice.  Celebrate with me today as we embrace the dawn of a new day.  We celebrate our gift of choice and we become the President of our own journey.  Embrace your throne, and your position at the helm of your own perfect lifeboat.  You are the captain, the pilot and the first mate of your own journey.  Rejoice in the knowing of your soul that you are exactly in the right place in your journey on this planet.  Find gratitude in the gift of a new day and a new chapter on which you write as you are the author of your life.

So today…

I declare a celebration for us all.  Souls rejoice in the kind, loving choices we make for ourselves.  Smile and shine your heartlights dear friends.  Be free, let go and stand proudly in the wheelhouse for this is your life to enjoy!

Shine On!

xo