Grateful for the Cold & the Heat

This cold snowy weather inspires gratitude. I go outside and do the things I need to do, then I come back home and the heat keeps my place comfy, I cook a hot meal and then I can just relax and watch it snow and see how the lights reflect off of it, and completely grateful that I do not have to go out in the cold again today. Glad to be here. Working on my computer, reading, watching a movie. Grateful that it is all good here.

The more gratitude we express the more we attune our energies to the energies of the universe. The more gratitude we express, the more good things we draw to ourselves along with reasons to be grateful for that too.

Don't reserve expressions of gratitude only for big wins. Express gratitude at every opportunity.

Following Your Feelings

 

Haven't we all experienced electrifying performances? Books that keep us reading all night? Songs that keep repeating in our heads until we find ourselves dancing to them at all different times? Pictures that make us feel like we wish we could do that?  Meals that make us wish we could cook like that? Inventions that make us say I wish I had done that?

 

Haven't we all had the experience of meeting someone who has that electricity, that fire, but for whatever reason, we did not go for it?

 

We all have that ability to create when we feel it, to be there when we feel it, but so often we have put that feeling on the shelf and told ourselves that we aren't really that good or that no one really cares? We know that we owe it to ourselves in this lifetime, even if we only do it once or once in a while, to just go ahead and give it our best shot? Doesn't it feel good? Next time you are inspired and have a feeling, give it all you got and see what happens. You will probably surprise yourself.

Asking Questions About Food

I do not ever recall a time when our country ran out of milk. In fact, our farmers have been so efficient that I remember stories of them dumping milk to keep the prices up. I remember stories of the government buying tons of cheese to keep the prices up. So why do we need to give our cattle a hormone to make them produce more milk? Quite a mystery isn't it? So I choose to eat dairy products that do not have the bovine growth hormone.

Grounding

When you get with that unexpected illness that suddenly has you up feverish, sweating, stomach cramping, wanting nothing more than to curl up in a ball and sleep some more and this goes on for a few days, we often call this flu, for lack of a more precise term.

So when the worst of it finally passes, you awake and it is daylight, and you think that you will have a cup of coffee for the first time in days, and as you sit there, sipping it, and feel your consciousness gently coming back into your body, your physical sensations realigning with your awareness, there is nothing to do but savor the moment. Do not rush it. Listen, in the silence of the place to all the little sounds you generally overlook, the sound of the refrigerator motor, the sound of heat coming through the room, the faint sound of neighbors and traffic.

This is an exquisite moment when the appreciation of being alive and having a body comes slowly back into focus. There is still silence, and as I begin to wash, the sound of hot water running through the pipes. In a little while, I will have chicken soup for breakfast. Yes, I always have chicken soup in my kitchen, and yes, it always helps me recover from illness.

It a little while, I may put on some soft music, solo piano, flute or cello, so that I hear gentle harmonies as I come back into full consciousness.

These moments of recovery from illness are to be savored, letting mind and body settle back into place gently. Simply be aware and notice all the subtle sights, sounds and senses as your mind and body reintegrate. There is nothing to do but let it come together. Often, it is these moments of recovery from difficulty that sharpen our senses and present us with moments of awareness where we cannot do anything but be present. It will serve us well in times of stress to be able to remember this.

The Magic of Our Stories

1. Part Our words become actions.

During the holiday season, there are many parties and social events where we have opportunities to indulge in special seasonal foods and beverages, dance, sing and tell stories. What stories will you be telling at these gatherings this year?

When we meet people we have not seen in a while, and they ask us how it is going, what will you choose to get into?

The stories that we tell others are important. The stories we tell ourselves are even more important. because these are the stories we usually end up repeating to others. As we refashion and reimagine the events of our lives into a narrative, we can create, hope, joy, optimism, feelings of courage, well being, abundance and adventure, and these, in turn, create vibrations that help attract more of all this into our lives.

We have the power to create lasting impressions and images of the way other people see us.

"Once upon a time" is one of the most famous magical phrases ever uttered and is one of the most powerful spellcasting techniques ever created. As soon as we hear those four words, we pay attention and are transported into another world. And all of our lives contain at least a few opportunities to see our evolution as something that is not only once upon a time, but also once upon a future.

Storytelling is an art form as old as humans, as old as spoken language. It was one of the first forms of magic, one of the first forms of entertainment, and it has served us well from the time the first cavemen and cavewomen gathered around the fire until this very day.

Don't we all enjoy a good story? The astute listener will glean useful insights from a good story, and the teller will cast a magic spell over those who hear and will make a lasting impression on them.  Pay special attention to the stories you hear and tell this holiday season.

Part 2. Our written words become worlds.

Years ago, when I was teaching Creative Writing, I remember students signing up for my workshop because in their own words, they had "really routine jobs and home lives, and they wanted to see if they could do something creative." Commonly, one of their pleasures was that they enjoyed reading, so their choice was to try and express creativity through writing. They wanted to know first hand that they were capable of being creative and that their stories could captivate people's imaginations and hold their attention.

On the first night of class, I informed them that there were absolutely no restrictions on subject matter. Their only requirement was to write something every week, with no requirement or expectation as to what that might be, and they could get immediate feedback on their writing by their classmates listening and responding to the reading of their stories.

There were people who entered my workshop wondering if they really had any creative ability who went home knowing that they did. They enjoyed themselves and the listeners enjoyed themselves. The first step they had to take was to not censor themselves and just say what they had to say. That simple step opened people up and changed their lives.

The first person you please when you write something is yourself. The readers are next. If you can drop the conditioning that holds you back from saying something because it might offend someone else, you open your expression to not having limits, and what you can create evolves into something beautiful. There are times when it is cathartic to just write something.

Whether you call it inspired, channeled, a crazy dream, funny story, or real life incident that you want to recall and replay, writing about it can be a healing act. Even if it does not get published, you still feel good from saying it, from writing it. Write it first, and worry about what will become of it later. Once you give yourself permission to write whatever you want, it is amazing what might come out. I know. I have experienced it, and the results were wonderful, life affirming and powerful. If you have an urge or an instinct that this is something you want to try, I will help you express yourself.

Humans are storytellers by nature. From mythology to biography and everything in between, it's in our nature to tell stories. From gossip to jokes to opinions on current events and the future of the world, it's all part of our conversations, because it is part of how we share ourselves and our experiences to get our bearings and enhance this journey. It is all storytelling, and if we simply give ourselves permission, we can become storytellers, even if our only audience, at first, is ourselves.

As we make up new stories, we can make up new stories for ourselves to live by. We all have the opportunity to rewrite our own stories, from today to the end. What does your story read like? How would you like it to read? There is magic and power in the writing and the rewriting.

Increasing Energy and Personal Power

One of the most challenging, yet energetically beneficial things a person can do for themselves is to really go through your living quarters and cut off power drains and strengthen power bases.

How common is it that when someone is moving and they are boxing things up or opening boxes for a move and you hear them say "I don't even remember having this. I wonder where it came from." Or this one. "I haven't used this in years. Don't think I will use it any more." If you find yourself saying these things, these things are energetically clogging your living space. Some people will then say good bye to the thing and either give it away or throw it away, while others will move it into their new place. Which is the more energy efficient thing to do?

If we start with a basic premise that your home should be a place that refreshes, protects and nurtures you, and in the case of people who work from home, has what you need to work efficiently. So ideally, we surround ourselves with things that are useful to us and things that are beautiful for our inspiration and peace.

So when we have many things in the place that are not either useful or beautiful, then it is clutter that impedes the optimum flow of energy. Even if it is hidden in a closet, then that closet is not available for other uses. Things that we just put somewhere because we can't make up our minds what to do with it simply block the flow of energy and take up space that would give us more power and flexibility. When things are less cluttered it is easy to find what we want and need.

Another way that this affects us is in relationships. If our space still displays mementos and photos of our old relationship, it can block a new relationship from coming in. A new person may not know who is in those other pictures or know where the mementos came from, but they can sense the energy of another person in the room and conclude that this person is still attached to someone else.

When we give away things we no longer want or need, we let someone else appreciate them find a good use for them. When we look around and rearrange things for the best traffic pattern, we increase the energy flow.

Take a look around and see how this can work for you.

House Blessings

The spirit of a place is important in helping us feel nurtured, protected and supported.

House blessings are also energy clearings, in other words, clearing energy blockages that may be present in a place, whether it is a residence or a business.

What are causes of energy blockages?

How stuck do you think the energy of a home would become if it were inhabited by a hoarder? There may be residual amounts of that energy still stuck even after the hoarder and their stuff is gone.

How chaotic or disturbed would the energy patterns be if the place were previously inhabited by a couple or their children who fought a lot?

What might happen if a displaced spirit were lost in the space where you are now? These could be previous inhabitants or spirits that got disoriented and couldn't find their way to the light that leads to the next realm of existence.

If lots of different construction workers were in and out of your house, some of them may have left residue of their unhappy energies behind.

What if your home were damaged by the floods, fires or other disasters? It may take more than carpentry, plumbing and wiring to put it back in good order.

Once the negative energies have been removed from a place, that opens the way for the inhabitants to build in fresh energy, harmonious relationships, construct creative environments and invite in beneficial spirits and guardians.

If you feel that this is something you could use, call me. I will be happy to do it.