Getting our house in order

I am sending out the February newsletter a few days early to give you a head start on the smallest month.

Sometimes I use the metaphor of our house for our life since we live in our physical body as well as a building and we act to keep both in good order.

And in recent years, we have experienced realignments in our houses in ways that are new. For example, it is becoming more common for people to move back in with elderly parents or parents move in with them in order to care for them. Another change that has become more common is when family members move in together because their housing costs have gone up faster than their earnings.

When these events occur, additional care and consideration are required because we all like to have our own space, so there is some juggling necessary to make it all work. Plus the fact that these are temporary solutions requires a balancing act on the part of all who are involved. It throws our sense of organization out of whack when things like this happen in our life. There are always lessons to learn from all this. One is the connections we have with others. Another is working our way out when the time is right. And then there is continuing to take care of ordinary business even in the face of these other responsibilities.

Younger people finding ways to make their cash flow work is one aspect, and that affects all of us one time or another. Recent developments have made that tougher for them. However, on the other end of the spectrum, now that people are living longer, the need for caregivers will continue to grow. And that means that we will have more experiences of this type as we go.

Each time we make a change of this type, we reinvent ourselves to a degree. As we move, we let go of things and are prompted to sharpen our focus to what is really important. Sometimes caregivers unearth old things which lead to revelations and amazing family stories and fascinating life recalls. And all these things add light on our path too.

By the way, reiki healing is a great way to get some relief from all these types of stresses arising out of these moves. I love doing reiki healing with people. So if you feel like this would be good for you, give me a call or send me a message.

Here is another flash of insight. When we are cleaning to pack and move, we often get these memories and thoughts popping in about things we have done and people we have known. And this simple catalyst prompts us to reflect on our path and our progress in life. So in this way, even a temporary relocation to help out a family member or friend can prompt life changing thoughts and actions.

Change agents are always around us. We often do not recognize them until we are ready. Once we do, then we are reinvigorated and inspired. Each move is a new chapter and a new opportunity. And for all these reasons, our lives are moving forward in a sequence of chapters, each one more prescient than the last, with intermittent surprises flowing from unexpected developments. Let it flow! Let it flow! When we do, we know.

As you all know, I live with my sisters, one of whom is currently living in Chicago, acting as a caregiver for our mother, and this situation may go on for a long time. My move to my sisters' house was made necessary for me because of the craziness of the real estate market here. This was always a transitional arrangement.

So I am putting it out to the universe, and all of you, that I desire to find a different arrangement sometime this year. This is not an emergency and there is no deadline. Since this is my full time business, I need to find a place where I can live and work. I have no pets. I am wondering if anyone reading this may have a place or part of a place that they would like to rent at a reasonable price.

Twice in the three years before I moved into my sisters house, developers bought the properties I was living in, refused to renew leases so that everyone would move out, then doubled the rents. All the years up until that time, I never had any problem paying all my rent, utilities and other necessary costs of living, but my budget could not take overnight doubling, and some of the new apartments are priced at 3 and 4 times my previous rents. My intention is to find a sensible new arrangement and continue to offer my services to you at reasonable prices.

Do you have a property or part of a property you would like to rent? What kind of options are out there?

My preference would be to stay in the Longmont area because I have spent 15 years here building my business and moving can interrupt that flow. Lots of my clients live in the cities north of Denver. Plus I have my gym membership here and it is well located for serving clients up and down the front range.

It is the mixed blessing of being rated America's fastest growing city, because the growth brings new business, and the flip side is that real estate prices have gone bonkers.

In a nutshell, the problem is this. Rents have grown by a factor of 2, 3 & 4 times, and while my business is growing, it is not growing by factors of double, triple and quadruple. I would prefer to make more appointments with more people, rather than raise prices. And, of course, keeping my cost of living reasonable, enables me to treat all of you in a reasonable manner.

So I realize that moving farther away may be necessary, but I thought I would ask you first because you might have some opportunity here that is not public knowledge.

Time for the next chapter. I will consider all options that are presented to me. I am grateful for whoever will be contacting me. As always, I know that who ever contacts me is guided by spirit.

Thank you!

Is it our nature to be positive?

Have you ever wondered? Is it natural to be positive? We are constantly presented with choices that underscore this fact for us. What is required of us is simply to stay focused and do that which aligns with our spirit.

Notice how our spirit lightens and joy returns when we choose from a positive perspective. Notice how when something does not go the way we like it, and we take a deep breath and release the thought, suddenly we find ourselves with another choice, and the very fact that we have another choice is a source of joy.

When I am doing energy healing with people, they always feel lighter when we have cut cords or let go of burdens. We literally, physically feel lighter when we choose to not give the negative people or events more energy. Negative thoughts and energies are weights we carry. Choosing to lighten the load lets us see things differently. By doing this, we give ourselves the opportunity to see our path forward without those obstacles and burdens. What does our vision of the future look like now, when we are opening our minds to the possibility that we can create the life we want, we can find solutions to problems, we can find people who will be partners, friends, companions, and fellow journeyers. Often, a key is giving ourselves permission to do something differently.

Did you ever notice how many times when something did not turn out the way we wanted, something else came up that was even better? Or when we did not have all the items on our wish list, that we then found another way to create the result we wanted, using a different set of components.

Cultivating a positive mindset every day keeps opening these doors for us. That serves us well when the adjustments we are making are modest, and it becomes more critical when we are making major changes and exploring new frontiers. Venturing outward means that we know we are stretching our abilities and that frequently means that we must admit that there are things we do not know, so we will try other options. That is the joy of discovery, and it is also the joy of blazing your own trail. We all learn by trial and error, and knowing that, we are able to let go of the errors and go for more trials.

It is our nature to be positive because we would always like for things to work out well for us. So if we need to change course or tactics or people, we will do that. Of course, there are many events in life that we do not control, but what we can control is how we respond to them. So by choosing a way that continues our flow from that difficult or unexpected event, we have to use positive thoughts and examine all options. That way, we continue to flow instead of getting stuck.

We do live in an abundant universe and it supports our various life adventures. Learning how to shift is the key to navigating these changes. I think that it is always spirit that gives us challenges and tests throughout our life, and brings our attention back to what is important. If we do not have enough love and joy in our life, what will we have to do to get it? That is always the power behind the challenge.

Besides, being positive minded is more fun. And who does not like more fun? When any of us can simply say that we like who we are and we like what we do, we know we are on track. Waking up with that kind of attitude every day makes every day a good day.

Any time any one of you contacts me, it really helps make my day whether you want to make an appointment or just to keep in touch and let me know how you are doing. I like hearing your stories of what has been happening since the last time we met. And of course, I am always ready to help with what is next. Let this note help make your day. I love you.