The Sorrow of Loss

 It's been a tough week in our family this week.  A week of final goodbyes to our precious pets and family members.  The joys of having pets is all the snuggles, walks, ball chasing, purrs, licks and happy to see-you's that abound.  The sorrows are having to say goodbye as they take the next part of their journey.
Monday we said goodbye to the best walking buddy I could ever have asked for, our dog Randolph.  He was just the gentlest of souls, at one and zen with the squirrels and the occasional neighborhood cat that would come into our backyard.  He loved to act like he was a total badass-barking at folks as they walked past and defending us against all sorts of imaginary monsters who might do us harm.  He never attacked anyone- except us- with the most exuberant of licks and love.
This morning, our senior cat, Missy, took her next step to the journey beyond.
A cuddle and purr baby, she was the tiniest of things, even full grown she
weighed less than 7 lbs.  Diagnosed with renal disease in Jan of 16, she
ate special food that was medicine for her and helped her stay alive for another

22 months.  What a blessing that was.
My kids are concerned about our remaining pet, Jeff, and how he will fare
as an only in our household.  He already knows somethings different and
feels a little sad.  I understand completely.  I feel it too.
So, for those of you who have your pets close by, give them a little extra love today.  And I have such gratitude for these two lives I had the privilege of sharing.  I can see them snuggled up together, soaking up the sunshine and loving on each other already.

Well Being Through Food

I'm all about wellbeing.  It's even in the name of my company.  I started thinking about all the different ways I incorporate wellbeing into my day and realized that the food I eat is part of my wellbeing.  So, today I'm going to share a recipe I made this week.

I made Acorn Squash.  And I made it in my Instant Pot.  So it was a total win.  A yummy dish made in my favorite kitchen appliance.  

Why Acorn Squash?  The nutritional value of acorn squash is great.  According to organicfacts.net, 
in terms of vitamins and minerals, acorn squash has significant levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and other B-family vitamins, and its range of minerals is truly impressive, including potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorous, and calcium. You can read more about acorn squash in their article here:  Acorn Squash


Here is a step by step guide to cook acorn squash.  This squash need to be cut from top to bottom.  Then there are seed and mush inside that needs to be removed. 

Once your squash are cleaned out, take a fork and poke holes in the meat of the squash.  You're going to add some butter and spices to the meat, so it will soak in with the perforations. 

I use real butter.  I added some cinnamon bark essential oil to some slightly melted butter to pour into the inside of the squash shells.  I then sprinkled nutmeg on the squash. 

Before I put the squash into the Instant Pot (IP) I added 1 cups water and the trivet that came with my IP.  Then I placed the two halves on the trivet. 

I set the IP to 4 minutes on manuel and let the IP do it's think.  It takes a few minutes for it to come up to pressure, and once it does that, then the 4 minutes start.  I allowed the IP to do a natural pressure release before I opened the lid. 

The squash came out perfectly!!  Soft, not mushy, nicely spiced and easy to eat.  

I love using food as a way to practice self care and to contribute to my wellbeing.  How do you practice using food to nourish your body and wellbeing?

Resilience After Tragedy

Today in the grocery store I ran into a friend of mine I hadn't seen in a while.  My friend is a widow, 80, and she shared her aches and pains and the state of her back and knees.

 As with a lot of the conversations folks around where I live are having, the talk turned to the recent Hurricane and all the flooding.  She shared how she had no idea so many people in our area were affected.  Then she shared with me that she has been busy lately helping the first responders who had been helping in the county.  She and 3 friends made 400 sandwiches one day to take to the first responders.  The first responders hadn't eaten in 2 days. I was so impressed!  This woman is 80, has constant pain in her back and knees!  She put aside her issues to help others. And she and her friends made more sandwiches just a couple of days later. She just wanted to help and show her appreciation.  I was so inspired.
I've read and heard story after story like this.  Extraordinary stories of people helping out after hurricanes. The Cajun Navy and others coming from Louisiana, bringing their boats and jacked up trucks to get through the stress, rescuing people.  Neighbors opening their homes to neighbors who were flooded out.  Hundreds of thousands of pairs of underwear delivered to the the main staging area for evacuees.  So many churches distributing supplies, food, water and clothing to those who lost everything.  During the recent shooting, everyday folks threw themselves over others to shield their bodies, taking bullets themselves.  Volunteers bringing therapy dogs to the hospitals to bring comfort and healing to the gunshot victims.  Normal, everyday people with no particular training or extra special talents, going above and beyond to help others out.
The news has been full of gloom and tragedy.  And then there are the stories of all people working on behalf of others behind the scenes.  The story that I keep coming back to is the resilience we as a collective have in time of distress and tragedies.  I still believe in our human spirit and our capacity to share love with each other.

Leaving It for Fall

My favorite time of the year is Fall.  I love the color weather, the changing leaves, outdoor activities. What I haven't always enjoyed is the falling leaves.  They wither and die, and then fall to the earth to just rot, or get racked up and bagged. It was all a little depressing to me.  

Until, that is, I realized that it's part of the necessary process.  Without the leaves falling, the trees are not able to sprout new leaves and grow. If the leaves were to stay attached to the tree, the tree would not flourish.  According to EarthSky, http://earthsky.org/earth/why-do-trees-shed-their-leaves , trees shedding their leaves is how trees keep themselves healthy and growing!  

People could take a lesson from trees.  I have been helping people shed trapped emotions and find emotional health in their lives as a Certified Emotion Code Practitioner.  When I compare the process leaves go through, shedding the leaf is equivalent to releasing trapped emotions. When we release emotions we've had trapped in our bodies, we help our body stay healthy.  Trapped emotions contribute to emotion distress and physical dis-ease.  These emotions can be from a major trauma or from a minor incident.  When we don't take the time to fully process the feeling we have, the emotion becomes trapped.  It causes our whole body to be out of whack.  Eastern philosophy holds that all disease originates in emotional distress.

I love helping people release and shed their trapped emotions.  For me, it's like watching the tree shed the leaves and make room for new growth.  If you want to know more about releasing the emotions that have you experiencing blockages and a lack of growth, I'd be more than happy to talk with you.  

What Is Your Reaction?

Like many of you, I woke up today to news of a horrific shooting in Las Vegas overnight at a country music festival.  Scores of people were killed and hundreds wounded.  Already, stories of bravery and courage are coming through and speculations as to the killer's motives.  Families are posting their connections on social media, reporting on family members safety and thanking us for our prayers.

I'm having a difficult time processing today.  It seems like every week there is another, bigger, more serious disaster and tragedy being reported by the news.  Natural disasters, shooters, bombings, threats of war, neglect of those suffering, genocide in foreign countries,  violence during elections, the list goes on and on.

Drawing on my knowledge of history, the story is not really new.  Or any less violent than it has always been.  It's just reported more quickly and continuously.  The 24 hour news cycle keeps the most current horror in front us, more for ratings than out of genuine compassion and caring for the victims and their families.  Looking back at history, kings and queens killed mere boys to eliminate any threat to the throne.  Despots raged on neighboring countries to gain real estate and control.  Warring tribes have slaughtered each other in the name of political justice.  The bad news has been around for centuries.  We are just privy to it instantly these days.

The question, for me, becomes how do I react?  I could stay glued to the t.v. and watch the endless panels of "experts" slicing and dicing each tidbit of information.  I could sink into a dark place of gloom and despair, mourning for the senselessness of it all.  Or, I could choose differently and intentionally reach out to the people I come in contact with every day and spread love and joy.  I'm not advocated sticking my head in the sand.  I am advocating consciously choosing how I interact every day.  For instance, coming out of a sandwich shop today, I saw a nurse having lunch with a friend.  I made a comment about the medical professionals in Las Vegas and what they were dealing with today and thanked her for her work every day.  It was a little bitty tiny thing, and I meant it.  Every day, if we collectively took the time to appreciate each other, offer words of encouragement and love, spoke kindness to each other, I believe we can shift how we view each other.  We can find that we are really neighbors to each other and that we all have something in common.  It actually takes less energy to speak love and kindness than it does to build up a load of steam and speak anger and hatred.

Would you try this tomorrow?  Would you intentionally speak words of kindness to someone you come across in your day?  And then would you please comment here and let me know how that was for you?

To you-being an ambassador of love, kindness and peace.  Tomorrow and always.

Falling In Love Again

There's an old Joni Mitchell song called Help Me I Think I'm Falling In Love With You.  A love song, Joni sings about falling in love with a new love and the inevitable hurt and pain that will accompany that for her. I'd like to change the title to reflect what I've experienced the past couple of weeks: Help Me I Think I'm Falling In Love With Me Again.
36 days ago, I began a 108 day journey of reading, meditating, writing a daily intention and journal entry.  The readings have followed a path of introspection, delving into the patterns and ways of being that keep me from reaching my highest potential.
Part of my journey has been working through forgiveness.  It is so easy for me to forgive others.  I've learned that there are those things that we take on about ourselves that create patterns of thought and behavior.  That knowledge has released compassion and sympathy for others.  It's when I turn to apply that same compassion and sympathy for myself, that's where it gets sticky.
One of my children has removed herself from our family.  I have not seen or talked to her in 5 years.  She is married and has 2 children, my grandchildren.  I don't even know them, nor do they even know we are alive.  It has been a source of immense pain and hurt for me.  As part of this 108 day journey, I have acknowledged that, been good with forgiveness for her.  It's when I had to accept my role in our estrangement, and forgive myself, that's where things got difficult for me.  Admitting to myself that I was a crappy parent at times, that my actions were less than perfect, that I have let her down was the beginning.  Looking at those horrible things, those dark times and actions, that was something I wanted to avoid.  Bringing to light the times I wasn't a good parent, when I was selfish, man, that was really really hard.   Then forgiving myself was the next step.  How could I do that?  How could I admit that I was deserving of the same compassion I was willing to extend to others?  It was hard to look at myself in that light.  It was so much easier to carry around the weight of all the things I did that had been pushed to the recesses of my consciousness.  Forgiving myself meant I had to look at and name every action,  every time I was selfish, every time I didn't measure up.  It meant admitting there was that darkness in me.  And then speaking forgiveness to myself, over and over again.
I got there.  This time.  I'm sure there's more I just haven't brought forth.
And here's the really cool part, I found I not only like myself, I fell in love with myself again. Like that 2 year old self who doesn't know any better than to just love themself.  That pure, untainted, joy-filled self love.  It's wonderful.  It's so nice to not walk around with the weight pulling me down every day.  It's a different kind of self care.
If you haven't taken the time to forgive yourself, I highly recommend it.  It will literally change your life.

Prep for Hurricane Season

 June 1, 2017 is the official start of Hurricane Season.  If you live along the Gulf, Atlantic or Pacific Coast, more than likely you have seen the power of these massive storms and the damage they cause.
When preparing for Hurricane Season, you can find many articles listing the essentials a family should stock to ride out a few days (or weeks sometimes) without electricity, water and food.
This article from the United States Coast Guard is a great resource with detailed information about what you would want to have in a 72 hours Disaster Survival Kit.  Here's the link: http://bit.ly/2ejTQcE

I also recommend you have  dōTERRA Essential Oils on hand in you Disaster Survival Kit.  Why?
Essential Oils can support multiple conditions and have a long shelf life.  There is no need to have a beverage to take them with and they are fast acting.  One drop of oil will enter the blood stream within 30 seconds and will be throughout the entire body within 20-30 minutes.

Here are my top 9 oils to have on hand:

Lavender: Promotes sleep, helps calm and receives anxiety and stress.  It also treat cuts, scrapes, burns and eliminates the sting of bug bites.  It can also relieve the pain and soreness caused by sprains and muscle aches.

Peppermint:  Used topically, it can help support relief of allergy symptoms and relieve headache pain.  It also repels ants, spiders, mice and other pests.  Digestive symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion, bloating, nausea, diarrhea and constipation can also be relieved with peppermint essential oil.

Melaleuca: This oil can be used as an antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial and fungicide and is effective in use on wounds.  Used to support the body's natural healing from infection, it can speed the body's healing process.  It also eliminates mold and mildew.  Respiratory ailments such as colds, sinus infections and bronchitis can be supported in the healing process.

Rosemary:  Relax your nerves and relieve anxiety and stress, and improve concentration and memory and increase mental and physical stimulation.   Use aromatically to help with respiratory problems and congestion.  Soothe skin disorders by reducing itching, dryness and irritation.

Frankincense:  Support healing of cuts, scrapes, burns and wounds.  Reduce inflammation and relieve conditions of pain and inflammation. Mitigate depression and feelings of helplessness. When used with other essential oils, boost the effectiveness of other oils.

Clove:  Treat wounds, cuts, scabies, athlete's foot, fungal infections, bruises, prickly heat, insect bits and stings (ALWAYS add Fractionated Coconut Oil with using Clove topically to prevent irritation to skin).  Disinfect hard surfaces and utensils.  Freshen stale or foul air.  Relieve toothaches and reduce the pain of canker sores and gum irritation.

Lemongrass: Provide relief to clenched and knotted tendons and muscles.  Reduce fevers.  Reduce bacteria around the home by using in DIY cleaning products.  Eliminate body oder and other nasty smells.

Oregano:  Support the body's natural healing process when fighting infections.  Prevent fungus and mold.  Control itching from insect bites and rashes (ALWAYS use Fractionated Coconut Oil when applying Oregano topically to prevent irritation to skin.)

OnGuard: Drop into palm of hand and rub hands together as a hand sanitizer.  Blend into DIY cleaning products for extra disinfecting power.  Use in anti-viral spray to eliminate airborne and surface micro-organisms. Support the body's natural healing process from colds and flu.

I keep these and more essential oils on hand and have found them extremely effective in my everyday life to help with things I would have, in the past, turned to over the counter remedies for.  I use them for everything from sleep support to bug repellant. When I have an upset stomach, I use oils instead of take a synthetic drug.

If you are interested in creating your own 72 Hour Disaster Kit and want to include dōTERRA Essential Oils in your kit, please reach out to me.   You can also order them directly from my website at www.mydoterra.com/jarichey

What's Holding You Back?

When was the last time you had a jealous fit over something you saw that you didn't have?  I have a friend who was really having a hard time because his best friend took a first class trip to Italy--first class everything--airfare, hotels, meals, you name it, it was first class.  My friend really got worked up because he wasn't able to even take a weekend trip to the La Quinta in the next town, much less a first class trip to Italy.

When he shared his jealously with me, I asked him...what's holding you back from taking that kind of trip. The list was long and exhaustive.  I owe too much money to the IRS, I don't have enough closed business,  I'm too far in debt, and on and on and on.  

What interesting is that those things are really only the manifestations of what really holding him back.  And that is him living in lack.  His real problem is that he doesn't believe he can achieve his dreams and goals, and that life is stacked against him.  And those beliefs come from stuff he's been carrying around with him his whole life.  He has a myriad of emotions around not measuring up, not achieving, not getting what he wants.  He is literally trapped and he carries trapped emotions around that are keeping him from getting that first class trip.

I'm in the business of setting people like my friend (and maybe you?) free.  It's 100% of what I do.

Are you stuck in a job or career that doesn't pay you what you are worth?  Are your relationships where you want?  Are you in pain physically or emotionally?  

As a Certified Emotion Code Practitioner, I can find the trapped emotions you are carrying and release them...giving you the gift of freedom.  Freedom to have your dreams come to reality, freedom to have the bank account you only thought other people could have, freedom to live without the physical pain you feel every day.

Get in touch with me to find out how I can help you release what's holding you back and help you move to the live you want.

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Connections

I received a beautiful email today from mindful.org.  I subscribe to several newsletters and often enjoy the wisdom, advice and lessons contained.  Today, there was a wonderful article about connecting with people around you.  For today's blog post I'd like to share that article with you.  Enjoy!

Could You Connect More? 

11 simple ways to bond with the people in your life.

By Elisha Goldstein and Stefanie Goldstein  | November 2, 2016

Illustrations by Colleen MacIsaac
We are social beings by nature. Connecting with others is what provides richness in life, makes us feel safe, and has us recognize that we’re part of something greater than ourselves. Yet we sometimes choose to stay behind a wall of emotional (or physical) distance, even in our 
closest relationships. As a result, our world contracts and we’re robbed of living a fully dimensional life. Mindfulness helps us to wake up to the “choice points” in our relationships when we can decide to connect a bit more by listening, communicating, and allowing our hearts to open.

1. Really see each other

Making eye contact with someone activates what psychologist Stephen Porges calls our Social Nervous System, which can relieve stress and create a deeper sense of connection. It is hard not to feel intimate and vulnerable when looking into the eyes of another person—even a stranger. Try it! It may feel funny at first, but you will find a softening in your heart and a sensation of love flowing before you know it.

2. Listen with all of your senses

There’s a difference between hearing someone and actively listening to someone. The next time you’re having an in-person conversation, notice the posture and body language of the other person. Tune into the tone of their voice, and absorb the meaning of their words. See if it’s possible to put aside your own response while listening to them speak. When we feel listened to, we feel cared about and this increases a sense of mutual love and connection.

3. Reach out and touch someone

As mammals, physical contact is essential to our well-being. American psychologist Harry Harlow’s famous study on maternal deprivation with rhesus monkeys demonstrated that touch provides a crucial psychological and emotional resource in our development. Touch is also a primary way we communicate, feel safe, soothe our nervous systems, trust one another, and convey love and compassion. Take a day to experiment with actively reaching out to your loved ones with small touches (on the hand, shoulder, knee, or arm) and see what you notice—perhaps it’s a greater sense of connection, increased compassion, or an open heart.

4. Hug like you mean it

Very few things feel better than a good hug. Science shows that hugging can reduce blood pressure, alleviate fear, soothe anxiety, and release the “love” hormone oxytocin. Psychologist Stan Tatkin suggests that in order to align nervous systems, prevent arguments, and feel more connected people hug until both bodies feel relaxed. Who can you hug today?

5. Be interested

The late rabbi and social activist Abraham Joshua Heschel said, “Life is routine, and routine is resistance to wonder.” One of the essential attitudes of mindfulness is curiosity, and we can bring this into our relationships to foster warmth and trust. Our minds often tell us that we “know” someone so well that we can predict their behaviors and responses. While this may be true some of the time, it also stops us from clearly seeing the person in front of us—instead we just see our “idea” of that person. See if you can be open, curious, and interested in those close to you as if you are getting to know them for the first time. You might be surprised what you find.

6. Make plans and keep them

Nothing breaks a bond like flaking on plans. And yet there are often reasons why we don’t follow through on commitments. Sometimes we’re overextended, saying “yes” to plans or responsibilities when we mean “no.” Be honest with yourself, and only take on what you can handle. Identify the people in your life who bring you down, and those who nourish and energize you. And then figure out if, and how, you can work with your relationships to those people to foster mutual trust, respect, and appreciation. Our connections flourish when we take time to get to know ourselves, and others, better.

7. Communicate your needs and feelings

Most of us have been guilty at one time or another of not being clear about what we really need or want in the moment. This indirect form of communication rarely yields the outcome we want. In our program Connecting Adolescents to Learning Mindfulness (CALM), we emphasize the importance of Non-Violent Communication, which assumes that we all share the same basic needs and that our actions (knowingly or unknowingly) are attempts to get those satisfied. When we learn how to identify and express our own needs clearly, we naturally move toward greater understanding, compassion, and connection with the people in our lives.

8. Be kind

Kindness is like a magnet. People like to be around others who are kind because they feel cared about and safe with them. The age-old Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would want them to do to you” still rings true today. It’s also reciprocal. When we practice kindness, not only do we feel better, but we help others feel good, too. And this just increases opportunities for positive connections throughout our day, which, in turn, contributes to our own health and well-being.

9. THINK before you speak

We’ve all been guilty of saying or doing something we wished we hadn’t. It happens. But we can certainly make more of an effort to be thoughtful with our words and actions. Try this experiment for a week: Before speaking to someone, consider the following: Is it True, is it Helpful, am I the best one to say it, is it Necessary, is it Kind? See how your interactions change.

We might even imagine what the world would be like if everyone practiced this a little more.

10. Practice “Just like me”

DNA research has revealed that regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race, humans are 99.9% the same. If you want to foster a greater sense of connection in your life, as you go through your day and encounter someone who you think is different from you, silently say, “Just like me,” and see what comes up. You may just experience the awareness that each of
us wants the same things: to feel cared for and understood, and to experience a sense of belonging.

11. Experience joy for others

Be on the lookout for moments when you notice that others are taking care of themselves, experiencing a success or accomplishment, or even just having a good day, and see if you can be happy for them. Sometimes this joy for another’s happiness naturally arises, and other times it’s something we can intentionally foster. If you feel so bold, tell them, “Good job” or “I’m so happy for you.” Not only can this create or strengthen your connection, but it can amplify your own good feelings.

---

A Box of Simple Advice: Build Connection Through Digital Zones

If eye contact, touch, and the way we use vocal tone (prosody) can help create connection, technology dilutes it. It pulls our gaze away and reduces human physical touch and can give us a sense of connection that often stays at the surface. Consider how you can create some tech-free zones throughout your day to increase your relational awareness and foster deeper connections in your daily life.

---

This article originally appeared in the December 2016 issue of Mindful magazine.

What's the chatter you hear in your head?

You hear it all the time. And you may not even be aware of it.  It's constantly going on.  You think it's coming from outside you-and in actuality its coming from you--that blah blah blah you hear in your head all the time--so much so you aren't even aware of it.

It's those time when you are thinking about that move that will move you further along on your journey and you hear "You can't do that--you're not good enough".  And you don't take the chance to move forward.

It's when you are in that great relationship and you keep doubting your person when they say "I really care about you" because all you hear is "You don't deserved to be loved."  

It when you are preparing for that big test and don't think you'll ever get it down because all you hear is "You aren't smart enough." 

That blah blah blah is the negative self talk you generate in your subconscious that filters through to your conscious.  It the stuff you've made up about yourself that is holding you back from reaching the fullness of who you were created to be.  

Releasing the trapped emotions around these subconscious thoughts will help you turn off the negative thoughts and start moving into the positive.  That's what I can help you do.  

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I'm SOOOOO Tired

Hey guys, today I'm tired.  I am the zen and meditation/prayer, wellbeing guide gal who enjoys balance in all areas of life.  And today, I'm tired.  I wrote about Mercury in Retrograde and my sleep pattern has been completely disrupted these last few weeks.  I'm so ready to sleep.
Knowing I had a fully scheduled day today, I created energy for myself to be able to be fully present in all my meetings.  I also diffused amazing essential oils-peppermint, lime and grapefruit to utilize aromatherapy with my dōTERRA oils to give me energy and zip.
And now, when I'd really like to be in bed already,  I'm waiting up a little longer to finish this blog and then go get my daughter who has an injured knee and can't drive herself from a basketball game.
And then, I'm going to get to look like that adorable kitty.
I'm keeping it real to let you in on how my life is today.  Tired.
I'll see you on the other side tomorrow.
After my ZzZzZz's.

And Wink and a Nod at the Retrograde's End

Mercury has been in Retrograde since December 19, 2016.  I didn't know much about this Retrograde thing until about a year ago.  I noticed weird things happening with electronics, communications, business dealings and found out that those sorts of things can go off the rail when Mercury is in Retrograde.
This time around, the electricity in my bathroom went completely out even before the Retrograde started.  I asked on FB if we were in Retrograde and found out it was the "pre-shadow" period.  Turns out it was a simple little fix for my bathroom to bring it back on line.
We've had a few weird things happen in our family and in our home during this time period.  Nothing like what I've heard happening to other people.  I talked to someone today who had every appliance in their home go out over the last 3 weeks.  And I've heard all sorts of stories of people experiencing unusual things the last few weeks.
Then this morning happened.  My husband and I were trying to decide if we wanted to go to church or not.  For us Texans the temps have been a little frigid and we weren't all together too sure we wanted to get out in the weather.  So, we made the decision to go and while we were getting ready our ENTIRE HOUSE lost power.  It's not unusual for our little town to have power outages during different weather, so I started asking my neighbors if they had lost power.  NO ONE had lost power except us.  Long story short, it was a breaker on our outside pole that had flipped.  A quick visit from a city worker and we were back up and running.
It got me thinking.  We were flip-flopping about our decision today.  And then, the electricity flipped.  Kind of how we had been flip-flopping back and forth about what we were going to do.  How many times in my life have I been indecisive and flip-flopping and that is EXACTLY what shows up in my life?
I thought about how I manifest what shows up in my life.  And today I was manifesting flip-flopping. And boom, our electricity flips off.
So, with a Wink and a Nod, the Retrograde leaves me with a pretty cool lesson--be CLEAR about my intentions and I will manifest exactly what I create.  No more flip-flopping for me!

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Bold Step

This week I was humbled to be called by a woman needing my help.  This woman (for this blog's purposes her name will be Sandy) was making a bold step to change her life.  Sandy has been

subjected to domestic violence her ENTIRE life.  Her story is still unfolding, and from what I can glean so far, she was beaten as a child, teenager, and adult.  Her parents beat her, her step-parents beat her and her husband of 30 years beat her.  Alcohol has also been involved.  

Sandy has taken the bold step to say NO MORE.  She is taking measures to protect herself and is seeking help in discovering and ending the patterns of abuse in her life.  

I'm humbled because Sandy reached out to me to help her release trapped emotions that have been keeping her weighed down emotionally and which are affecting her physically.  

I'm also very proud of Sandy because she realizes that she is instrumental in her charting the course of her life and she's making a very big change to remove herself from the danger she's been in.  This is huge-because she hasn't been working and will have to go back to work and she'll have to find a new place to live. Basically, she's going to build an entirely new life for herself. 

It's not going to be an easy road for Sandy.  I know, though, just from the time I've spend with her, that she WILL be able to do it.  She is one determined and tough lady.  

Where do you need to take a bold step? Or where have you taken a bold step?  It may be something completely different...like learning to make sales calls, or playing piano, or traveling by yourself.  Whatever it is, I want to hear about it.

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Are You Sharing Your Gift?

You have a gift.  You have a special unique gift.  Do you know what your gift is?  Have you discovered it yet?  I would love to hear what your gift is!  Please comment and share with me what your gift is.

I have a gift of intuitive healing and I use my gift in the work I do as an energy healer with emotion coding and essential oils.  I've been reticent to share my work, as it can be considered a little "woo-woo".

Something interesting has happened in my life this week.  I just opened my mouth and shared several times what I do as an energy healer.  And there have been amazing results.  It's a big deal for me-because I used to not be very bold about sharing my energy work with people, and now, that's all changing!

I went to lunch with a friend and was drawn into a shop next to the restaurant.  The shop was adorable and the owner was an herbalist.  We chatted and she asked me about my work.  I shared with her and the next day I got a call from someone she had referred to me!  It was really neat. I worked with the new referral today and what a powerful session it was for both of us.  I had absolute confirmation that people have a deep need for healing.  And I can be a part of that healing process.

Today I went to the local feed store to pick up some supplies for my horse-loving daughter and starting chatting with one of the women behind the counter.  Our conversation quickly turned to my energy work and she pulled me aside for a private conversation.  I learned she had been praying to find someone she could work with.

Then, while conducting a coaching session with a client today, I found out this client was going through the same certification program I had gone through.  She was so excited and wanted to learn more about my work.

Folks, it's been a really neat week for me and a very wonderful experience--just sharing about my work and the tremendous reception. It was confirmation for me that I am doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing--working with the gift I have be given for the benefit of others.  It's such a great experience and feeling.

What's your gift?  Are you sharing it?  Or, are you hiding it and scared to share it?  Let me know!

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Where do you live?

Where do you live?

I'm not asking what your zip code is, or what country you live in.

What I'm asking is where do you "be" everyday?

Are you living in Anxiety?  Fear? Stress?
Anger?  Lack?  Procrastination?  Judgment?

Are you living in calm?  Peace?  Love?  Acceptance?  Kindness?  Serenity?  Joy?

There's a painting of a bird sitting serenely on a limb of tree during the most horrid storm.  The winds are raging around the little bird, the rain is slashing all around, and yet the little bird sits there.  Calmly, peacefully.  The zip code the bird is living in is storm and the way the little bird is being is calm, peaceful, serene.

Yesterday I wrote about living in joy.  It's about "being" joyful regardless of the circumstances of life.

You can choose where you live--in the anxiety, fear, stress, anger, lack, procrastination and judgement or calm, peace, love, acceptance, kindness, serenity and joy.

How do you do that?  You choose.  You choose your reactions.  You choose how you show up.  You choose your actions that move you into the state you'd like to be in.

Want to know more?  Just ask me and we can talk.

Find Joy Everyday

Did you know there is a difference between Joy and Happiness?  Happiness is circumstantial.  Happiness happens in a given moment, and can come and go.  It's when you receive a gift that you've been wanting.  It's when your favorite football team wins the game.  It's when you bring home your favorite ice cream for dessert-and for those in Texas--it was when Blue Bell when back into production after having to take a break for public health reasons.  Happiness comes and goes.  It's fleeting.  Happiness is an emotion.

Joy, in the other hand, is deep and abiding.  It isn't tied to circumstances or happenings.  Joy stays with you, no matter what is happening around you and to you.  Joy is an attitude of the heart.  Joy is the knowing that no matter what, no matter who does something mean or untoward to you, no matter your circumstances, you have that deep and abiding sense that all is well and you will be ok.  Joy is contentment, regardless of what's happening around you.

You can experience both Happiness and Joy at the same time.  In fact, happiness and joy are closely tied in writings throughout history.  Is there anything inherently wrong with Happiness?  Not at all.  Is there something to Joy that Happiness doesn't offer?  Yes!  Finding Joy brings one that sense of well-being that permeates life, no matter what.  How do you develop Joy in your life?  Here's just a few ways to start developing Joy in your life.  There are many more!

1.  Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness comes from being fully aware-being present.  When you are talking with someone, instead of anticipating your answer, or thinking about 100 other things, really concentrate on that person and what they are saying.  Really be present to the situation.  Mindfulness helps you focus on the moment and that focus will bring Joy.

2.  Give your belief system a tune-up.  Are you holding on the negative thoughts and beliefs?  Do you
harbor ill feelings and grudges? Let go of them.  Tuning up your belief system can lead you to Joy by expunging those thought and beliefs that weight you down.

3.  Practice gratitude.  One of the most frequent conversations I have with my clients who are experiencing pain and suffering in their lives is around gratitude.  What are they grateful for?  Sometimes, its hard for them to find something to be grateful for when all they see around them is the bad they are experiencing.  I recommend starting a daily practice of writing one thing they are grateful for.  It can be as simple as breathing, or having a job, or the sun shining.  Start with one small thing you are grateful for everyday and soon you'll find more and more things you are grateful for.

Want to know more about how to bring Joy into your life?  Follow me on social media to find out more.

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Shed the Past

The bare trees of winter used to make me sad.  After enjoying their beautiful green leaves all throughout spring and summer, then the beautifully red/gold/yellow leaves of fall, I hated seeing the trees with their bare limbs.

Then, I grew to realize  there is a rhythm to everything-seasons, relationships, careers, the day...life.  And then I learned to love the bare limbs of the winter tree.

During the fall of 2016 I worked and received my certification as an Emotion Code Practitioner.  I help people release trapped emotions and let go of that which has been holding them back and down.  I help them shed the past by bringing them back into balance and find peace.

It's like the winter tree. The tree must shed the past to be able to move into the future--the buds of spring, the leaves of summer and the colors of fall.

We have to shed the past too.  We need to let go of the the past to allow us to bud into new life within us.  Holding on the past causes distress and dis-ease in our bodies.  Holding onto hurts, wrongs, ill feelings, regrets--all those create negative energy within us that can lead to dis-ease and illness within us.

Did your partner/spouse/friend say something that hurt your feelings yesterday?  Shed it and let go of it.
Did someone cut you off in traffic?  Let that fall away like the leaf.
Still holding on to something from 15 years ago? Release it.
Create the environment you need to bring new life within you to fruition.

Don't know how to let go? That's my specialty--helping you release.

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New Year New You

Happy New Year!

2017.  I can't think of a new year that has been more anticipated, welcomed and celebrated.  It seems that there is universal agreement that 2016 was a tough year and most people didn't mind seeing it go.

For me, 2016 was really a good year.  As I continue on my personal development journey, I added to the offerings I have to guide people to live the life they love,  and I found an even deeper sense of balance, serenity and peace.  I added 2 new certifications, Holistic Empowerment Coach and Certified Emotion Code Practitioner, and am excited to be coaching people to find what's keeping them from living their optimal life, free of burdens and whatever is weighing them down.

Several meme's have been on Facebook today about this being the first day of a blank year and how you have the ability to write it the way you want.  There is truth to that. There is also the reality that you didn't automatically shed all your baggage you've been carrying around with you at the stoke of midnight and wake up up with a clean slate.

As you look forward, what do you want to leave in the past?  Is it possible for you to really create a new you, in the new year?  Absolutely.  Releasing emotions that create negative energy in your spirit and body can help you wipe the slate clean and bring you to balance and center.  Its easier to move forward when you aren't carrying the weights of the past.

Want to know more about how you can live 2017 as a new you?  Send me a message and let's talk.

Happy New Year to a New You!

P.S.  Stay tuned for my new website launch coming soon!  In the meantime, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.