Posted on August 18, 2015 at 3:00 PM

Surprises... they can happen at any given time or place... we all get them.

The fun exciting ones, the ones that warm your heart & bring a smile to your face or laughter to your soul...those we all welcome with open arms.

But, what about the surprises we don't expect ? The ones that stop us cold,bring us to a place of fear, leave us lost, what do we do with those?

Those are the Surprises on my mind today. Like all of you there have been unexpected surprisers in my life that have left me in a state of disbelief.. how could this event, situation, THING be happening to me or those I love and sometimes to humanity ?

When I look back from this Rear View Mirror ,view point, I see many things. First, is how I responded. Looking back I can see how anger, fear, resentment filled me to the core at times. Other times it was such sorrow I physically ached for myself and those I loved & cared for.

Then there was most often the feeling of being helpless in it all. I found this to be paralyzing.

But, was I really helpless ? To change the event, yes...most often we are, but, I had total control over how I responded and reacted and chose to allow it to effect me..

Now I'm not saying I didn't go to those places of anger, fear, helplessness,sorrow. I did, and how long I chose to stay in the mind set or place was up to me. I have come to find that if I look at the outer rings as I see them, of an event , I can always, find something that I can learn & grow from. It may be weeks or months and yes sometimes years before I am ready & able to step back and revisit what ever IT was, and each and every time I see how I was changed because of IT and how I grew from IT.

So, it is from that perspective that I am grateful for the Surprise that gave me an opportunity to learn & grow...

It is from this place that I can release, forgive and heal...

Life's journey is rarely an easy trip.. but, we all can choose how we are going to respond to all that is out of our control..I choose, to do my best to find something, anything that I can see as an opportunity to grow..

How will you choose to view your "Unexpected Surprises" that challenge you ?

Namaste

 

 

Yesterday is Knocking

Posted on November 20, 2014 at 3:05 PM 

Lately I have noticed that events & emotions from my journey in this life that I quite honestly thought I had "gotten over" or had blocked completely have been knocking on my door.

 

Some how I think this happens for a lot of us this time of year. Maybe because it's that time of year when we start to review what we have or have not accomplished since the last batch of " New Year " resolutions, maybe because the holidays remind us of happy times gone by, maybe because it brings the absence of those we have lost along the way to the forefront of our minds & hearts. What ever the reason behind it, it's there

 

So, as I see it I/we have a choice... I can review things/events with the same mind & emotional set point I had at the time of the event or I can look at from an older more evolved( at least I hope so) point of view.

The old expression hind sight is 20/20 seems to fit these moments for me. There are times when in the midst of emotion, whether its joy or sadness that we are so consumed by the emotion is all there is.. reason, logic, the ability to pause and review ALL elude us at that moment in time. We are human and in being such it is in our nature to react first and process second...SO we can't berate ourselves for the in ability to see it clearly when we are in the midst of it. In stead we need to acknowledge the fact that we did the best we could with what what knew at the moment. I know , sounds like an easy way out of taking responsibility for stuff huh ?

 

That's not my intention at all, we ALWAYS must take responsibility for the events in our lives because we always play a part in the them, sometime just as an innocent by stander or part of the collateral debris field of choices others make for us and around us.

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It is our responsibility to CHOOSE how we Allow it to impact us at that moment AND just as importantly if not more so, in the future.

 Lately I have been noticing how the events & the stories around them of my past have truly molded my reactions to events of today. I have noticed that some of my old fears & insecurities that I thought I had long since "dealt with" still hold space in my mind & heart.

Its funny how we convince ourselves that the past has no place or impact on the future or the present, the total OPPOSITE is actually true. Everything we do, experience and put belief in about ourselves along the way ALWAYS plays a role on some level in our everyday lives and in doing so, molds our tomorrows.

 

I have decided that if I allow myself to be afraid to feel the emotions of the past, what ever they maybe, then those emotions will always hold me hostage. So, I am trying to honestly look at them with the understanding that, I got through them, and that I can find something no matter how seemly small in each event that gave me an opportunity to make choices, and with that option I have power and with power comes healing, confidence, clarity and growth, If I want it and believe that I deserve it.... I don't need anyone else past or present to validate that I am worthy of it, it is my choice to own that knowledge...

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So, today I will feel my feelings with courage & be proud of myself for doing so and in that pride I understand I am letting go of ALL that no longer serves me. This is how I honor my lessons of my past & the beautiful life I deserve and the person I am now.

Feeling sadness, anger, fear, loneliness, regret is part of the healing process as long as I balance them with love, joy, laughter, peace & forgiveness I will always be moving forward...

I will take my lessons from my past & pave the road of my tomorrows with their strength, clarity and courage....

How will you allow your past to show up in your life moving forward ?

Namaste

 

A Moment

Posted on November 20, 2014 

A moment, a second, an instant, a minute.. such seemly small insignificant bits of time.

How often have you looked back on a moment, an instant and thought.. I could have .... I wish I had... If only.. If I could have just one more moment, minute, second.

We are often told that time is fleeting and passes us by quickly, we are also told that life can change in a single moment, sometimes it ushers in incredible joy & sometimes in that split second, that small piece of time, life as we know it changes forever, bringing loss, pain, sadness and complete disbelief..Leaving us to ask how will I get through this moment ?

In every moment of our lives we can be effected or be the cause of an effect..

So, I ask that in this moment we take stock in the importance of moments..

Take that moment to hold the door for someone, to return a quick call or text,wait just an extra moment to leave the company of a friend or loved one with a smile..take that moment to see your blessings & accomplishments. Take a moment to be kind, take a moment to say I love you, take a moment to say a kind word of support,take a moment to offer a hug or hold a hand when there are no words..

Take a moment to notice simple joy around you, take a moment to give comfort where sadness is in someones eyes & heart. Take a moment to listen, truly listen to those you love..Take a moment to remember All the important moments in your life.

Take a moment to breathe and give thanks for all the moments you have been blessed with so far..

Take a moment to see how precious a MOMENT truly is..

I hope in this moment you find yourself in the presence of Peace & Love..

 

Loss

Posted on September 14, 2014 at 11:25 AM 

Through out our lives we inevitably experience loss of many kinds, The "loss" of a loved one is the "loss" I want to focus on today.

How many times have we all said " I am sorry for your loss" or said " I lost my loved one " ?

For some it seems it has been far to often....As for me personally the list of those who have passed is long & lengthy with varied circumstances. But, there is one constant in them all, the constant is I can no longer physically touch,see, or hear them..there are many times when that has felt unbearable.

But, if I think of their passing as a transition and not an ending then the term Lost doesn't really seem to fit. The word loss implies something- someone cannot be found. Our loved ones can always be found within our hearts,our memories, our very being.. Just as our love for them never leaves us, their love for us does not ,will not and cannot ! leave us.. Love is an emotion and emotions are energy and energy cannot stop vibrating( science proved this)

 

If I remember to think & feel in terms of the love that is apart of the fabric of every relationship, then I can be comforted in the knowing that I am still connected to them, just in a different vibration.

 

Think about it this way, if our childhood home burnt to the ground tomorrow and not one scrap of it was recognizable does that mean that it took with it everything about your childhood and you can never be apart of it again? Of course not because we all understand and accept that it was just " a building" and just because its no longer there does not mean that part of our history no longer exists.

We all have relatives & friends that we go years with out physically seeing or talking to and yet we understand we are still connected.

That's how I choose to see the transition/ passing of someone I love .. the building they once lived in is gone true, but, what I feel for them, my history with them and the emotional ties are ALL still there..they are NOT LOST they are simply in a new location. I know the address & number to find them at .. they live on Heavens Lane at #143, the number is 1-444-my-heart ( 4's are for Angels)

I know and trust that they are still apart of my life every day.. they just do it long distance..

So no my friends, family & yes pets are NOT LOST I did NOT LOOSE them..I know where they are and they will remain at that address waiting to catch up with me for as long as it takes me to make my journey and transition...Holding this as my truth I am comforted.

I will still have moments, days, times when I ache for them to be physically present..but, the sadness that goes with it passes much easier in knowing that they are close by sharing in it all and when I listen with my heart I can hear them softly whisper I'm right here ... I'm always here..

Next time that ache for someone you miss & love rises up.. try taking a deep breath imagine them at their new address and listen with your heart and feel their love..and let that fill the place that holds the ache..

  Namaste

 

 

Posted on September 14, 2014 at 10:30am

Ownership

Ownership.. an interesting word. The definition is very simple * that which belongs to ones self, by ones own effort, to admit, to acknowledge" these definitions can apply to to a vast list of topics.

 

Today, I am focused on "Ownership of Self" I find it quite interesting that as a whole we have no problem in general claiming what we perceive to be OURS.. our cars, families, money, possessions, titles.. you get the idea . But, when we are asked ,expected, or need to take Ownership of OUR choices, behavior, words.. many times we are not as quick to take ownership of those..

 

Instead we point fingers, justify, excuse & deny our part. I'm certain that I have done just this at times in my journey. Believing I was justified in my choice that was supported by, fear, anger, insecurity, and just plain irresponsibility to be honest.. I have spent some time recently,( after being reminded by Spirit & current circumstances) doing a bit of a review of the times I have NOT taken Ownership of my responses or lack there of.

I must admit, there are choices I have made along the way that I am not very proud of and there have been many times when I truly have taken Ownership and I am proud of myself for those. However, I am more proud of the fact that I can now honestly see and understand the times when I did NOT. I now have the ability and option to grow from those moments & events from my past.

 

They  as guidelines for the responsible way to be accountable for the things, emotions, choices I do want to make that support my highest & best on this journey.

 

So, I am grateful for the experiences as unpleasant as they may have been, without them I would never have this chance to take Ownership of how I want to show up in this stage of my life journey.

The past gave me opportunities to grow by taking personal ownership of my life choices, and when I made the choice to NOT be accountable and take ownership, I was shown and allowed to experience the repercussions of that choice on all levels, emotional, spiritual, physical & mentally. I didn't always understand it at that point in time, but, hindsight is a wonderful teacher.

 

Going forward I will work daily to be personally accountable for my choices and take Ownership of each and everyone of them. I ask for Divine support & Grace to help me choose wisely and for my highest and best. Knowing that there will be times when I will choose to NOT take Ownership for, what at that moment will feel like the right reason, even though it is not valid, and I will find myself learning another lesson of growth. For those times I ask for the courage & clarity to take Ownership and make amends with others & myself as quickly as possible.

 

So, how have you done along the way ? Have you been accountable for your choices and taken Ownership of them ? Have you remembered to take Ownership of the mis-steps and more importantly have you taken Ownership of your Beautiful, Amazing, Wonderfully Loving Heart, of all you have accomplished and the moments of Joy your have been apart of ?

You should loudly proclaim your Ownership of ALL the positive choices you have made too !!!

 Namaste

 

Contentment

Being content means different things to different people.

For some it means settling for less than you believe you deserve, for others its being happy with what you have.However from my view point it seems that many are very discontent about everything from money, work, relationships the weather, politics , You name it and someone is unhappy with something. Although they choose to change nothing about the view point or journey.

 

As I listen to the conversations,out bursts & melt downs of people who feel some how they are being short changed, cheated, disrespected I notice how exhausted they become telling their story and how none of their current circumstances are in their control.

 

I always wonder how is it that, nothing in their current experience seems to bring them any contentment, its seems nothing is enough, not money, time, recognition, acceptance, possessions, our society as a whole seems to have an unquenchable thirst for MORE..how is it so few are happy & content in the blessings they already have ?

 

I am not implying that we should not want to continue to improve ourselves or our circumstances, continuous growth is what this journey is all about. I am just suggesting that you be content in what you currently have, in what you have accomplished, in your personal goals.. instead of wasting energy on what you feel you don't have or should have. If you truly desire something then focus and work for it and co-create it with the help of the Divine. But, be content in knowing that it is possible to have it, as long as you stay the path of the higher vibration of trust and contentment of the moment.

The Universal Law of Attraction states that what ever we tell the Universe through thought, deed or speech it is required to match it"

If one continues to devote energy to all that they "Do NOT " have that is what the universe will match them to vibrationally bringing the same condition into the experience .. However.. if one is in a vibration of being content,grateful and trusting, then the vibration they will attract will bring to them the energy of the same and more..

So today I look around and take stock of all I have already and am content and grateful in the progress of my personal journey and in the knowledge that I can attract more peace & contentment simply by sending that vibration out into the universe..

What are you filling your vibration with for the Universe to match ?

 Namaste

 

Road Maps

Posted on September 14, 2014 at 10:00 

 

We have all heard sayings such as " We all must travel our own path or life is highway full of on & off ramps giving us lots of ways to get were we are going" As the New Year approaches I find myself like many people doing a bit of an annual review of events & travel choices. In doing this I decided that I would do my best not to look from a place of self judgement this year. Instead I want to look at it as a kind of class review.

I noticed how many, MANY times I have made a choice to travel the road that was unpaved, full of rocks big and small with a potential of having a mudslide at any given moment. Even as I write this I think what on earth would make me believe that this was a good idea ?

So, I wanted to see what if anything I gained from the climb other than several skinned knees and sore limbs. This is what I came up with. First, I realized that it was MY choice. Yes there were contributing outside events that I allowed myself to believe were out of my control and I had no other option, a belief that I can now see was not true. Because when I go back over the class notes I realized how many other options I had and how much I actually learned. I learned to let go of the things I have no control over and beliefs that limited me. Just like being in the mud slide you fight with everything you have until exhaustion kicks in trying to climb up and get no where or you can go with the flow and trust it will bring you to a flat spot with sure footing, its our choice,let me say that again IT'S OUR CHOICE. I now know I am much stronger mentally, spiritually & emotionally than I ever thought possible. I have the capacity to endure and to be able to forgive others but more importantly myself. I learned to respect myself enough to follow my heart & truly know I deserve so much more than I was allowing myself to receive. I also learned that I have to respect and honor the paths that other people choose ( this to be honest, is an ongoing seminar for me, but, I'm working on it).

All of these AH HA moments may not have been possible if I had taken the easy road so, I am grateful for the climb.

Now the path that is like a stroll in the woods or along a peaceful shore has been just as important.

This is where I have learned to take time to see the beauty that surrounds me every day that can get lost & blurred in the midst of the memories left from the uphill climb. To trust that I am always safe and can choose to be peaceful, trusting, and open to more than my mind or fears can imagine. I learned that I can and have always had the option to change the path I am currently on. I found many times because I was so focused on the climb and what rock might fall on me or slip out from under my footing I never noticed the sturdy rooted tree branch I could have easily reached for and pulled myself out of the mud slide to safety. I have learned that there is always support near by for me I just need to choose to see it and grab hold.

And from there, I can offer other branches to those like me in the mud slide and do my best to understand that they too may not be able to look beyond the slide yet and I will honor that until they can, knowing they may not ever reach for it because its part of their class review on thier personal road map of growth.

I hope as you review your life travel plans you can always find the growth in all your road trips and the detours and remember there is always more than one road to take the choice is yours.

Namaste

Michelle

 

Change

Posted on April 8, 2015 at 11:45 AM

Change.. a word that brings about every emotion from pure terror to unbridled excitement. I often wonder how one word or circumstance can evoke such intense and at times paralyzing emotions. How often have we all heard the saying 'Change is Good."  The truth is on a logical level this is true because without change there cannot be forward movement or growth. Yet, so often we fight it tooth and nail and until we are dragged into it kicking and screaming. Only to realize when the dust settled we should have made the change long before.

Of course there are those changes that we rejoice in and cant wait for.. weddings, births, new adventures that we WANTED to come about.Those are all easy to enjoy right?

I wonder if we looked at all changes big and small from a perspective or attitude of 'this is awsum, I cant wait to see whats next.' If we would ever again look at change from a place of fear & lack ? Imagine never having to feel that sinking feeling of the unknown again, how much more enjoyable the process would be.

I have given this a lot of thought lately. This is what I have come to see. Change is necessary and important, I think it is the fear of the unknown and lack of belief that creates that OH NO now what am I going to do, feeling in many of us. If I hold that to be true then I simply need to honestly look at why I am afraid so, I can understand what is a real reason to be afraid or is it coming from a fear that is not valid. Personally, I have found 90% of the time it is all about what I THINK might happen.There is nothing to justify dragging my feet other than my own self doubt and need to be in control.

Understanding how to break it all down, has given me such courage to go with the challenge of the change, viewing it as an opportunity to grow and have new experiences.Now, that doesn't mean I don't ever have that OH NO ! fear rise up in me. I do, the difference is now I can say, its's ok, I'm going to be ok and allow myself to embrace the change and take that proverbial leap of faith trusting that I will not crash to the ground, I can and will land on my feet where I am supposed to be. Yes, if I fight the change, some times I will arrive with a few bumps, bruises and maybe a skinned knee but, I will arrive none the less and I can choose to embrace all my new possibilities. Its my choice.

So, today, as I write this I am facing many new changes and I am choosing to trust the process and even allow myself to get excited about what is to come. How about you ? Are you ready to go with the flow or are you choosing to continue to dig your heels in and go into your future kicking & screaming?

As for me I'm gonna do my best to go with the flow..and enjoy the ride.

Namaste

Michelle