Hello.  It’s been almost a year since I posted on my blog.  During this past year I have been through some major changes and losses.  Two of those were the death of my brother from cancer last March and a very close friend in May.  This past year has been a very deep learning experience for me and a long road.  I am glad to be back here and I look forward to posting here again.  Writing is a great outlet for me but, unfortunately this past year has not afforded me the time that I have needed to get alone with my thoughts on a level that I could actually put them down in words.  So I am back let’s give it a whirl!

Some big names and well known people are sharing that they now believe in Tapping and how it changes lives.  Enter Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For The Soul author), Wayne Dwyer, Life Coach Cheryl Richardson, Louise Hay (Hay House Publisher and long time energy focused expert), and now Dr. Oz.  One of the experts in our Tapping community, Nick Ortner, has just taped his segment on the Dr. Oz show.  It should air within the next couple of weeks so keep your eyes out for it!

When you are a coach and expert in a cutting edge industry, you get the “looks” of disbelief, the hesitation, questions of validity, and lots of skepticism.  I have gotten all of those looks and attitudes, BUT that’s just because it is unfamiliar and people need to be educated on the amazing results before they can trust something “out of the box”.  With multiple and diverse industry experts coming out in support of this amazing technique, it will bring much more peace and harmony into the world as more people heal and clear out their energetic blocks, hurtful emotions and issues.  You watch…..

So how does Tapping change your energy and what can it do for you?  How about releasing roadblocks to your success?  How about propelling you to your deepest abundance desires?  How about easing out symptoms of an illness like a cold to more severe issues?  How about releasing aches and pains permanently?  How about opening up your energy to the love you want?  How about bringing unexpected miraculous opportunities that you could never have seen coming your way?  The question is not what can Tapping do for you.  The more reasonable question is what CAN’T it do for you?  It is life changing, life enhancing, and it doesn’t have to take a long time to change the energy inside of you that will open you up to what you truly want in your life!   Don’t wait until you are so incredibly frustrated and discouraged by trying and trying to open up to love, ease, joy, career satisfaction and abundance in any and all ways.  When you change your energy, you WILL change your life.  I can help you do that….starting today!

I read “Your Erroneous Zones” when I was a university student. I was entering my second-year of study, and felt miserable about changes in life. My mother handed me this book (with its terrifying cover), and told me to read it. I read it voraciously, and, I believe, underwent a deep shift in perspective within myself. I learned how to view things, and that, most importantly, the only person that would ever allow me to be happy was myself. And while I’ve read many other Dwyer books, none have ever been able to match the importance of this one.

Louise Hay takes on illnesses, apathy, and dissatisfaction. It’s in this book, we learn of the tools that can be used to create a better quality of life for ourselves; tools such as self-love, affirmations, thankfulness, and present moment. An amazing read, and a book I always come back to. To be truthful, all is always well.

“The Good Energy Book” found me at a bookstore last summer. During that summer, I was dealing with spirit encounters, life changes (AGAIN), and really wanted to create serenity in my own space. This wonderful book jumped out at me. It provides an excellent overview of housekeeping (seriously), magick, fairies, spirits, protective spells, et cetera. It was reading this book that kicked my butt into smudging regularly, working with crystals, and being more aware of how I could create more “sparkle” in my life. I highly recommend it.

First off, this book led me to read Burnham’s other two books that explore intution and the divine, and I believe her to be a great resource on these matters. “The Book of Angels” is an amazing reflection on angels in our lives. Burnham uses personal experiences, experiences of others, historical research, and meditation to come up with this beautiful prose. This book is one that can provide solace and comfort. And, for me, this book came into my life at exactly the perfect moment. I absolutely love it.

Doreen Vitrue is the go-to source on angels, but sometimes I find her almost a little much to take. This being said, this book is an excellent resource on wise people, gods, goddesses, and angels. Sometimes the information provided is a little simplistic, but it still provides you with what you neede to know.

I don’t practice Wicca, but I do believe in the power of magick. The best thing I learned from this book is to trust in yourself when working with the Divine. Nothing is static, so be like water, and do what feels right. There’s lots of good information on crystals, deities, spells, and flowers in here. 

I’ve already blogged about this book, so I won’t do it again. Simply put, Jungian psychology meets Greek Mythology.

I’m interested to know what books have made a difference to you! This year I’m doing the 100 book-challenge, and am always looking for some new reading materials! What are some books you might recommend?

“How people behave to you is their karma, how you respond to them is yours”

Dr Wayne Dwyer

No matter how others behave towards us, we always have a choice in how to respond to it. I love this! It means that even when I feel powerless, I still have choice. I can still choose my words and actions.

Knowing we have a choice and then choosing the kinder, more peaceable, loving option is one of the strongest and most powerful things we can do – not for that person, but for ourselves.

It’s a little like forgiveness- the person who benefits most from forgiveness is not the perpetrator, but the person who was hurt. Because at that point, the person has no longer any power over you, or your future.

It’s easier said than done, and it’s about letting go of our natural inclination to be the implementor of justice another person “deserves”.  Or to be the “teacher” of what is right or just.

I’m not a big believer in “karma” in the broader sense of the word,(as in if you are mean to kittens you might get squished by a truck)  but I do believe how we choose to relate to others impacts our other relationships, and our relationship with ourselves.

Knowing we have choice in our response? That is awesome.

“I found that love freed me back into the ocean of love and my righteous anger didn’t do that. And I would rather be free than right.” ~ Ram Dass

A few nights ago I watched the PBS special that complements the book. Dyyer was passionate about the primacy of imagination.  He exhorts the audience repeatedly that the imagination is yours and yours alone.  It’s sacred.  Don’t let ANYBODY tell you what you can put in it, or what is possible or not possible. We must take particular care to nurture the imagination of children so they grow up to be adults who can manifest their highest dreams and potentials.

So where does Uncle Remus come into this?  Joel Chandler Harris, (the author of the Remus tales) knew something about the power of imagination.  The Uncle Remus tales, in my opinion, stand as the great Arabian Nights of American literature.  More than mere entertainment though, Brer Rabbit and his cohorts show us the way, for better and worse to navigate the world of human circumstance and nature.

Listen! Here comes the Teenchy Tiny Duck waddling along this way.  What is that she’s cackling about?

“Purty Money, purty Money, Who lost their purty money?”  It seems that Teenchy Tiny just found a purse full of gold coins.  Here’s the gist of the story and the gem of it.

A rich man hears Teenchy’s cry and quickly claims the purse as his own.  When Teenchy’s master finds out about the find and quick loss of the purse, Teenchy is banished until she can retrieve the treasure. She disconsolate, but then who should appear but Brer Rabbit with this bit of encouragement.  “There’s always a way if not two.”

Fortified with this sage advice,  a very determined duck heads out to reclaim her fortune.  Along the way she meets Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, Uncle Ladder, Grandpappy River, and a hive of bees.  All of them offer to help.  Each of them then jumps in her ‘stretching satchel’ and  each in turn plays a part in saving Teenchy from the murderous schemes of the rich man to eliminate the duck. Spoiler alert … against all odds Teenchy returns with the loot.

As Uncle Remus relates the story to the Little Boy, the child grows increasingly incredulous.  He wonders aloud what his mother would say about a ladder fitting into a sack let alone a river. But Remus chides him.  His mother isn’t there, she isn’t likely to be there, and there’s no reason this isn’t as worthy as any of the  many other tales the boy has heard.

Uncle Remus takes an uncompromising stand for the imagination.  He’s not even going to let the boys mother interfere in the realm of possibiliites.

Between Brer Rabbit who reminds Teenchy that there’s always a way, and her stretching sack, Teenchy Tiny can prevail against all odds, and by inference in this tale and so many of the others, so can we.

We just need a good stretching sack, and as Uncle Remus and Wayne Dyyer remind us, we’ve all got one. Our imaginations are our stretching sack, and we can put anything we want to into that sack. We have to guard it and not let any other presume to tell us what it can hold. If we can do that,we just may find a way, or two out of whatever predicament we find ourselves in.

What will you put in your stretching sack today?

                              HOPE ~ RENEWAL ~ TRANSFORMATION

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.”  ~  Confucius

“The great renewal of the world will perhaps consist in that, that man and maid, freed of all false feelings and reluctance, will seek each other not as opposites, but as brother and sister, as neighbors, and will come together as human beings.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

                                           HOPE

“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”   ~   Louis Pasteur

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between 2 “wolves” inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”  ~  Carl Sagan

TRANSFORMATION

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.” ~  Maya Angelou

“Transformation literally means going beyond your form.”   ~ Wayne Dwyer

“Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.”  ~  Napoleon Hill

                                                                                                  RENEWAL

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”  ~  Carl Gustav Jung

“Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that is where I renew my springs that never dry up.”  ~   Pearl S. Buck

“It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.”   ~  Anais Nin

As we move forward into 2012 there is great sorrow and pain for the unknown around the world who have made their precipitous passage, due to bloodshed, famine, illness, poverty, turbulent weather and war.

Bob Marley expresses transition best in “No Woman No Cry”

Wishing you a Peaceful and Loving 2012!

Nefertiti

All photographs by Nefertiti

©Nefertiti 2011

I love writing. Not just any old sort of love either. I love writing like Joan Rivers loves Botox. It makes me feel good and centered and whole. I mean, you may have noticed, I decided to start a blog that required me to write at least once a day, every day, for an entire year. This is my challenge to myself and I am taking it on happily.

Today I took some time to write something unrelated to my blog, a little creative writing with no prompt and no deadline. I enjoyed writing it because it wasn’t some outlandish short story, it was just me and how I feel, but with a little touch of humor/detail/excitement.It can be nice to get your own thoughts onto a page just to reflect on everything. Well it can be nice if you enjoy writing. If you hate writing I don’t imagine that writing your feelings down will be very cathartic for you. In fact, it would probably make you angry. And then you could write about that. On second thought, maybe you should just knit a scarf or something?

I’m somewhat aware of the amusement of me writing about me writing and I fully accept that. I’m so complex that way.

Thankfully, I’m starting to feel a wee bit tired. Perhaps I won’t go into work tomorrow entirely sleepless after all. Perhaps continued, my mind just couldn’t go to sleep until I wrote my blog for the day because it’s become such a part of me.

“Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy.” Wayne Dwyer

I wish I could change the word unhappy in that sentence to sleepy.

Oh yea, blog posted with only 11 minutes in the day to spare. Face!

I’m certain I can do without many things, and I used to be certain the Divine had it out for me; however, with some creative expansion, I successfully determined that no matter how big the breakdown, I really wasn’t being singled out or for that matter even being penalized for doing something wrong. I simply am here to experience life ….. being all that is.

To assume the role of observer and experience unity in the saying, ‘I am all that is’ while at the same time noticing the emotions that come up when feeling consumed by life’s circumstances is an interesting space to be in. It becomes a classroom of sorts offering clarity, detachment, reflection, empathy and love. When I allow myself to be immersed in the events, I lose sight of what I’m here to create. What am I creating exactly? Well, I could share my thoughts on what ‘that’ may be; and then, what does it matter? I’m here to walk the path as it is revealed. From my best determination, there is a Divine plan and my role (your role) is to act on it and fulfill on the inspirations bestowed upon us; that’s it.

There’s no need to fight for what we want; or to struggle with the way life is in this moment. Our job is to show up, inquire and move in the direction that best serves the insight. How easy is that? In all fairness, living in such a way does trigger the victim in me to raise her head from time to time; however, she no longer convinces me that I’m being punished. I ‘know’ I am (we are) being divinely guided. The breakdowns and upsets experienced on a daily basis are genuine opportunities to expand our hearts into the discomfort and learn new ways of thinking and being. We’re being encouraged to embrace the breakdowns for the gifts they are; they are doorways into our hearts. When we allow this extraordinary gift of love, we’re operating as one with the Divine. We are living and breathing unity and relinquishing all need for duality.

It no longer serves me to live in opposition to the Divine. I doubted, questioned, argued and struggled; for what? I surrender the need to be right and allow life to bring to light the greatness it sees in me.

There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love; there’s only scarcity of resolve to make it happen. – Wayne Dyer

Testimonials; Shakti Gawain & Dr. Wayne Dwyer.

“One of the earliest workshops I took was the Silva Mind Control Course… The most important technique I learned in that course was the basic technique of creative visualization… Our rational mind is like a computer… The intuitive mind, on the other hand, seems to give access to an infinite supply of information. It appears to be able to tap into a deep storehouse of knowledge and wisdom…”

~ Shakti Gawain, author of numerous books, including Creative Visualization (Bantam Books, 1983) from Living in the Light (Bantam Books, 1993)

Coincidences

“I’ve used the Silva Method for many years. It has helped me overcome my own illnesses. I urge you to attend Mr. Silva’s training sessions that are presented around the world.”

~ Dr. Wayne Dwyer, motivational speaker, author, and a very popular self-improvement “gurus” from best-selling book Real Magic (Harper Mass Market Paperbacks, 1993)