Huh?

What did you say?  Misunderstandings seem to be the name of the game during Mercury Retrograde.  Some have more difficulties during retrograde periods than others, but misunderstandings are everywhere.
 
Have you said something and then gone, that’s not what I meant!  It happens all too often.  People are especially sensitive right now.  They may feel like lashing out rather than taking an opportunity to breathe and think through how they wish to react.
 
It can be especially tricky for those of us on the other end.  How do you want to respond?  Do you want to be a better person?
 
That doesn’t mean that you have to allow people to walk all over you.  It does mean that you need to make sure to breathe and think through your responses.  Respond to others from your highest place.  Don’t sink to their level.  Respond true to who you are. 
 
The world is divisive right now, but you don’t need to follow down that path.  Speak from a place that is for the highest and best good for you.  It can be challenging to not immediately respond, but sometimes it’s best for all to think about your response.
 
Misunderstandings are bound to happen, but you can try to limit them as much as possible.  When things don’t go as planned, change course or apologize.
 
You can always try again.  You have an opportunity to think about what’s happening in your life.  You can do it differently.  Just because it’s always been that way doesn’t mean it can’t be different going forward.
 
Misunderstandings will happen, but how do you respond?  That’s where the lesson is.
 
How do you respond to misunderstandings?  Let me know. Do you want to know more, click here to book a discovery session or an appointment.

It’s Time To…

What do you want 2021 to look like?  A lot of the structures in your life were demolished in 2020.  You can build something new.  Something different.  Are you ready?
 
It’s so easy to get stuck in the mindset of poor me.  Things never seem to work out for me.  But you don’t have to live there.  You can create something new.  Something different.  You can build a life that you love.
 
Maybe you’ll be one of the fortunate ones and with a snap of your fingers, it will be different.  But let me tell you a secret, it rarely happens that way.  You must process your old life first.  How did you end up where you are?  It’s not an easy process.  There’s a reason that people stay the way they are.  It requires work and effort.  How bad do you want it?
 
Are you willing to take the leap?  Are you willing to put in the work?  It would be easier if things did just magically happen.  You must demonstrate how badly you want it. 
 
The lessons that you’ve experienced have made you who you are.  You lived through them for a reason.  They’re part of your life’s journey, but you don’t have to stay there.
 
We can get guidance from our intuition, oracle/tarot cards, astrology, numerology, etc., but ultimately you have the final say over how your life turns out. It’s yours to live as you wish.  So, what are you going to do?
 
Every change starts with a small step.  You can do this if you want to.
 
It’s never easy to move past your fear or swallow your pride, but there’s so much joy on the other side knowing that you did something that terrified you and it turned out ok.
 
A leap of faith is challenging, but you must have hope.  Be optimistic that your world can be better.  It can be what you want it to be, the effort is up to you.
 
Do you ever have a thought that doesn’t leave?  A thought that says you should do this.  Start there.  You don’t have to change everything overnight.  Work through the pain and see what lies on the other side on your timetable.
 
What effort are you willing to put into changing your life?   Let me know. Do you want to know more, click here to book a discovery session or an appointment.

I Want You to Like Me!

Do you change who you are based upon the people you’re around?  Do you go along with what others want because you don’t want them to dislike you?

We talk about these areas a lot in relation to teenagers and peer pressure.  But that type of pressure is just as prevalent in us as adults as it was when we were younger. 

As a teenager it may have been smoking or drinking alcohol to fit in, but as adults we may shift who we are for someone to like us or even love us.  We can even completely lose our sense of identity.  One day we wake up and don’t recognize our lives.  We begin to question how did we get here?

Or maybe the person that you shared your life with, showed you who they were.  Brief glimpses, but you were in love and that was what mattered.  It could have been a friend.  You idealized who they were.  You never saw who they really were.

There are so many reasons why.  When we can finally see without the blinders there is a sense of shock.  You try and process the information.  You reveal what happened to your friends and family.  Some will say they knew it all along.  Is that helpful?  Others will sit with you in the pain and move you forward. 

The past month has been full of revelations.  A sense of clarity.  Maybe we aren’t as enlightened as we thought, but we can still resonate at a higher vibration. We can still move forward. 

There have been truths coming out.  We can’t ignore them anymore.  Whether those truths are a part of our personal lives or something on a more global scale.  Seemingly bad things can be revealed to us.  The question is how do you respond?  Do you react from an emotional standpoint?  Or one that is well thought out. Those of us that speak from a reactionary place can cause damage whether we mean to or not.  We aren’t speaking from a place that is for our highest good.

Take some time this week and those coming to think before you respond.  What’s more important?  Is it what someone else likes or that you like yourself?  It can be hard to answer because we can desperately want both.

We must start somewhere.  The most important thing is to love yourself.  You can always find different friends or life partners, but you can never escape you.  Value who you are.  Treat yourself well.  Don’t bend who you are to meet anyone else’s expectations.  Loving yourself is the start of a better path forward and to all of life’s craziness.

Have you changed who you are for someone else?  Let me know.  Do you want to know more about what I do?  Click here to book a discovery session or an appointment. 

The Truth Is . . .

The truth is there’s always a reason to not do something or to not say something.  There’s always a reason to not take action.  There’s always a reason to not make a change.

We can always come up with a reason why.  Not now.  Maybe later.  I don’t know enough.  I’m not ready.  What if they say no?

I would be willing to bet that one of these many reasons has held you back.  You’re not alone.  I’ve been right there with you.  I don’t have time, or I need more information are some of my go tos.

The truth is that it’s ok.  You can’t change the past, but you can change the present and maybe even the future.  One small step can change everything if you want.  Sometimes our biggest dreams can seem unattainable.  We just don’t know how to get there.  Breaking those dreams down into steps can make some dreams attainable.

I started my business by breaking it down into small steps.  Choose a name.  Design a logo.  Register with the State of Maine.

I passed my certification program to be an empowerment coach with small steps.  I signed up.  Completed Lesson 1.  Completed Lesson 30.  Completed Call 1.  Completed Call 30.  Reviewed notes and started completed final assignment questions for 1.  Repeat Day 5.  I reviewed and clicked submit.

It doesn’t mean that I knew everything as I was doing it or that I do now, but I did it anyway.  The moment of hitting submit was terrifying.  Those voices inside of you that say, what if.  What if I’m wrong?  What if I fail?

The truth is you don’t know if you don’t try.  I spent so much of my life not trying because of the what-ifs.  Who knows what kind of life I missed by not trying, but the truth is that I can’t change my past, but I can change what I do at this moment.

Who knows what the future holds for any one of us?  We may think we know, but one choice could potentially alter the course forward.  The truth is that anything’s possible, but we have to try.  We can’t live our life based on the what-ifs.  We must live for our dreams.  That might mean confronting our fears.  Overcoming our pride.  Who knows what you might uncover?  The truth is only you know.  What may have been true about you in the past doesn’t have to govern the remainder of your life.  The truth is yours!

What is your truth?  Let me know.  Do you want to know more about what I do?  Click here to book a discovery session or an appointment.

Just Do It!

Nike’s “Just Do It!” campaign can apply to so much more then just buying sneakers.  It can be a major lesson on life and taking action. 

Taking action can feel like one of the most terrifying things to do at times.  But what happens if we don’t?  There are so many possibilities.  We don’t allow ourselves to grow.  We self-sabotage.  In so many ways, we let life pass us bye.  FYI, it doesn’t really pass us bye. 

Sabotaging ourselves doesn’t feel like that in the moment.  We’re afraid to take that step.  We’re not sure.  What will life look like on the other side?  It could make you different from your friends and/or family.  Whatever it may be could be stopping you from stepping into something you’ve dreamed of.

I know we’re still amid a pandemic and we aren’t supposed to leave our homes.  But what I’m talking about doesn’t necessarily require you to leave your home.  There are still ways you can act.  Action doesn’t have to mean an accomplishment of a major goal but could be small steps towards reaching a major goal.

Over the course of the last year, I have taken small steps to big goals.  I have been working on my empowerment coaching certification.  One call at a time.  I’m almost done!  But as I reach the finish line, that fear can creep back in.  What does it mean once I’m finished?  I don’t know the answer to that yet.  But so that I accomplish this, I have set small goals to finish my written examination.  It is an exam of 40 questions, 20 about the course and 20 about 3 of my calls.   I said that I’m going to work on it an hour per day.  I looked back through my notes and started piecing together the responses to the first 20 questions.  Then I drafted my responses.  This part I’ve now completed.  Next, go back and listen to my 3 calls.  Listen to one call per day and draft my responses as I go.  I plan on submitting the exam on April 30.  Some days I haven’t done anything, and you know what?  That’s ok!  I’m making progress.  I started at the beginning of April.  I gave myself plenty of time with the expectation that I might not want to work on it some days.  I told people about my deadline to hold myself accountable.  You’re part of that team as I near the finish line!  I broke my goal into small manageable pieces.  These are the same steps I took when starting my business.  I’ve found this process works for me.  Maybe it doesn’t work for you.  That’s ok too!  It’s about finishing a way forward to something you might not have done.

You might have started but not finished.  I have a lot of those too!  Someday I will check them off and find a way to complete them.  But one thing at a time.  I can always go back and work on them.  First, pick a goal and work through the fears that are going to creep in.  They always do.  It’s how we know we’re on the right track.  Second, break it down into small steps.  Third, come up with a deadline.  Fourth, tell someone.  Fifth, just do it. 

What’s your goal?  How are your fears holding you back?  What can you do to move forward?   Let me know.  Do you want to know more about what I do?  Click here to book a discovery session or an appointment.

Are You Uncomfortable Yet?

We live at a point in time where our daily life can be super uncomfortable.  Our security, our safety, and our level of comfort have been rocked.  We are being forced to live outside of our comfort zone and most of us don’t like it!  It’s one thing to make a choice to step outside of your comfort zone and make changes to your life, but it’s another to have those changes forced upon you.

None of us want to have decisions made for us.  We want to oversee our lives.  Living in a COVID-19 world, people are in pain.  People are dying.  People are drowning in debt.  People can’t pay their bills.  People don’t have food.  It can be challenging to see the positives and opportunities when we are just trying to survive.

For so many of us, right now is about surviving.  We’re trying to make it one day or pay one bill.  I know this can be hard to hear, but we might be missing what we need to learn.  COVID-19 is an opportunity for us to learn.  To make the hard decisions.

For years I lived in the dark.  I didn’t want to know what my problems were, I just wanted them to miraculously go away.  I didn’t care whether it was someone else coming to save me or my life just suddenly got better.  Either way was good.  I didn’t care how it happened.

Growing up I thought that certain things would happen at a certain point in my life.  For some they did, but for me, they didn’t seem to work out that way.  When I turned 30, I didn’t want to acknowledge that my life wasn’t what I had dreamed it would be.  The hardest question I ever asked myself was why.  Asking that question meant that I could no longer live my life in denial.  I had to take the leap out of my comfort zone.  That leap was one of the most terrifying things I had done.  Starting my own business last year was officially the most terrifying thing I have ever done.  Stepping out of your comfort zone is uncomfortable.

What you’re experiencing right now is a push out of your comfort zone and I’m right there with you.  I’ve been given another shove put of my comfort zone this past month.  My routine has been totally disrupted.  My income has been shaken up.  One of the hardest things that I had to do was overcome my pride and file for unemployment.  I had done everything right!  I had gotten a part-time job to help pay my bills while my business was getting established.  I stepped past my pride and had to have courage and trust that all would be ok.  The interesting thing is that by taking that leap I’m doing better than I was a month ago.

That doesn’t mean that everyone is.  I’m grateful that I’m doing better, but I also know that I’ve done a lot of work to get there.  There was no miracle cure.  No one came to save me.  It was me.  I had to do the work and take the leap.  My discomfort had to grow to the point that I just couldn’t take it anymore.  I had reached my breaking point.  Congratulations!  You may have just reached yours.  Here comes the opportunity for you to say that I’m never going to be like this again and start to make different decisions.

How are you going to step out of your comfort zone?  Let me know.  Do you want to know more about what I do?  Click here to book a discovery session or an appointment.

The Walking Wounded

This is a challenging time.  No one has ever seen anything like this, and we are unlikely to ever see anything like it again.  We are being asked to rise.  We are being asked to have compassion for our friends, our neighbors, our enemies, and ourselves.

It can be difficult when what we want isn’t going our way.  Our frustrations can be unleashed on those who have little to do with our problems.  This is a time to take a breath and think before we respond.

So many of us have lost our income.  We are having to file for unemployment and take steps that we never expected to take.  We did everything right.  Each one of us is the walking wounded.  We have so much in common right now, but it can be hard to see other people’s pain when we can barely see our own.

Last week was a challenge.  The place where I have been working part-time closed its doors until we are able to open again.  Last year I experienced all these major shifts and put the pieces together to have half of my plan blown apart again.  My first step was to make it through a day and then through the week.  It can be too hard to make decisions when you’re just trying to get through the day.

Once I made it through my work week, the next step was to take care of anything that I needed while on my way home.  Then I arrived home and cleaned up anything germs that I might have on me.  I washed the floors, the surfaces, and anything else I might have touched.  My final step was to give myself time.  I knew from experience that I could only take care of my most immediate needs at that moment.  I gave myself permission to feel anything I felt.  I listened to USA For Africa’s “We Are the World” and cried.  I worked through my pride and filed for unemployment so I could pay my bills.  I allowed myself to be angry at what this virus has done to the world, my plans, and to grieve for what I and others have lost. 

The world that we knew is not the same place and it can’t be.  When you do venture outside to get groceries or gas, say hello and thank the clerk.  Accept that the things you need might not be available.  Have compassion for those around you.  We are all in this together and are feeling the same things.  We will come out of this better people. 

After the attacks on September 11th one of the lessons I have always remembered was a sense of unity in our collective grief.  People hung their American flags at their door.  We have an opportunity again.  There is always a possibility of a rainbow after a rainstorm, but we must look for it.  Look for the silver lining.  We are resilient and will come through this stronger than ever.  We can do this but show a little kindness to each person.  It goes a long way.

How are you showing compassion? Let me know.  Do you want to know more about what I do?  Click here to book a discovery session or an appointment.

I Will Prove It!

Pride.  The 8th level of the Map of Consciousness.  Pride has a vibration of 175 within the body.  You’re almost to the level of starting to feel empowered, but first you need to move through I’ll show you; I know what I’m talking about; I know I’m right; and I’ll prove it!

Pride can take many different forms.  It can be my way is the right way.  We see a lot of pride specifically when it comes to political opinions.  There is a lot of I know I’m right going on now, to the point where people aren’t willing to hear or see other viewpoints.  Their view is the only one that matters.

There is also another form that pride can take.  This is the one that I’m going to spend some time this week.  I grew up with a large extended family.  When I was in college, I had a discussion with my mom.  She was curious as to where the female line of our family originated.  I figured that I knew enough about computers and research to find out the answers.  I started researching and by the end of the day I had reached the female ancestor that would have traveled from overseas to Prince Edward Island, Canada.  I couldn’t find her maiden name and you know what all these years later, I still haven’t been able to answer that question, but I started to branch out.  You know what?  I didn’t just do my ancestral line but traced back cousins and have built a family free of over 44,000 people.  It’s one that I’ve found relationships to presidents, royalty, authors, explorers, and other well-known people.  It changed my views on history.  It’s a project that I take great pride in and it’s a positive aspect of pride, but for the downside.  When you put your research out there, people will comment and question your research.  With genealogy research, you’re looking for documents to prove relationships.  Your research is only as good as your proof. Also when you have great pride in your work, it can sometimes blind you to other options.

I have been working on finding my 3rd great grandmother’s parents for years now.  I knew her maiden name, so that wasn’t my stumbling block, like it normally is with women.  She was born in 1820 and got married for the first time in 1840.  The 1850 U.S. Federal Census is the first census that lists members of a household and she was already married.  I looked through everything I could find to prove her parents.  I had a couple of strong possibilities and if I’m honest, my intuition told me it was one over the others.  I was going to find a way to prove who her parents were.  For many years I was so sure as to who her parents were that I had it published on my online family tree.  I kept working at finding the documentation to back it up, but I started to get nervous when others cited my research as part of their research.  I had no genealogical proof.  I disconnected her parents from my family tree.  I couldn’t completely delete them because something told me there was still a connection.  This weekend I finally got my proof.  One of my cousins completed a DNA test and we were finally able to find a link between her and one of the siblings from the 1850 census.  My pride in this case might have kept me going, but also prevented me from seeing options.  I didn’t have the courage to stand behind my intuition.  Eventually when I was ready, the next step was revealed. 

How has pride helped your or hurt you?  Let me know.  Do you want to know more about what I do?  Click here to book a discovery session or an appointment.

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