A safe harbor where beliefs are respected and kindness prevails.

Book Review – Born to Receive

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Born_to_Receive_CoverHow long have you been giving & giving and getting nothing back in return? If your energy well is dry yet you’re still facing unending demands on your time,

your mind & your soul then Born to Receive may just be the cool drink of water you need. Filled with seven steps this book provides you practical advice you can use right now to flow energy back to you… where you need it.

Discover your birthright, to receive, first. Once you understand that implementing the 7 steps is, well, simple. Those steps include (1) learning to pay attention to your feelings and trust your intuition, (2) know what you want, (3) ask for help, (4) be grateful, (5) create reciprocity in your relationships, (6) don’t put yourself last and (7) be respectful of your past, have a vision for your future and live in the moment.

What I liked most about this book is the practicality of it all. As I worked through the steps with my own life I found that the simplicity and sheer common sense of it all was a refreshing approach that shifted my perspective while honoring my needs.

You can find Amanda’s book HERE on Amazon.com.
Check out some of Amanda’s articles for Simple Steps Real Change Magazine HERE.

In With T he Old: A Contrarian’s Approach

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Fotolia_56844810_Subscription_Monthly_MI’ve never liked the idea of Spring Cleaning. First, I have terrible allergies, so cleaning around dust is a physical hell to me. But this, while weighty, is the superficial part of the equation. Far more substantial is the reason why a Spring Cleaning might even be necessary.

What transpired during your winter to create such a mess? Were you homebound and frantically destroying your home? Were you hibernating so deeply that nothing was tended to? Were you in a creative frenzy and paint and chalk and clay are covering your walls?

To me, it seems artificial. While I sympathize with all my friends suffering in the Polar Vortex of 2013/14, we just don’t hibernate any more. Now we simply seem to distract ourselves with Facebook and movies on Hulu or Netflix. Few of us are going to sleep at sunset and rising at dawn to milk the cows, so there’s no reason for your home to be a complete nightmare. Short of depression, of course. And I don’t say that lightly, even if a little tongue in cheek. If wintertime depresses you so, then please take a sunny holiday next year, do some UV tanning or get a better therapist. We must never allow our environments to trap us.

This comes to the crux of the issue for me. “Out with the Old” is what most people seem to say about springtime. But what was Old about Wintertime? If you read my last article, you’ll remember that I always encourage taking the holiday spirit with you into the New Year, and not letting that sense of wonder, fun and pure joy dissipate. If that’s the case, there would be no reason for getting rid of the old, or cleaning out your home of its wintry heaviness.

What is the problem with the Old? Did all of the nostalgia of the holidays and, hopefully, the joy surrounding it allow you to delve too far into the past? Did it throw off the balance of the present? Did you have too much fun?

Here’s the key. I’ve been doing a lot of scientific research lately about how we create our own reality. Mostly, it comes down to maintaining awareness in our daily lives. Self-awareness is the next step where we can gain some perspective of our current situations and start making real, conscious decisions about whether or not we’re happy being in these situations. Once awareness is actively engaged, we can start to really LIVE in the present.

The only reasonable next step is simple: Purpose. We are called all of the time to live our Purpose. Many of us choose to ignore the call. Some of us only respond to bits of the call, the ones we were raised with or that seemed to be pre-programmed into us. That is, the ones that are simply comfortable to us. Many of you reading this are seeking a fuller purpose, and I congratulate you. Fulfillment, perhaps even Enlightenment, is what you choose to discover. What is your Purpose then?

And this is what rubs me wrong about “Out with the Old.” We are, all of us, evolving. Hopefully, we are growing wiser from our experiences, making strong, better decisions and experimenting more with creating our own realities instead of perpetuating humdrum routines. The “Old” must be celebrated, and built upon. I don’t ever want to throw it out, unless of course it’s holding me back.

But one season in the year (i.e. Spring) is not an indication that something is stopping my evolution. Ok, you might call it a reminder. I would reply that it is still artificial. If you don’t want to clean because it’s Spring, then don’t. Continue to read, cook, ski, hike – whatever it is you love to do. The only time that you must undertake something like this is when you are sincerely called to do so, by your inner higher power, because it deeply serves your Purpose.

And for the love of Life, don’t throw out the Old. Unless it truly doesn’t serve you. Celebrate the
Old, thank the Old, learn and grow from the Old. And let that provide you the roots to stay completely, fully present.  In with the Old, I say, and keep doing what you love to do today. Happy Spring.

A Day At Home

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Steve3The home I live in is three stories tall and was built in 1894.  In my eyes, it’s a grand place with original hard wood floors and woodwork.   Just the other day, I decided that I would take the time to clean the third floor.  So I mounted the stairs with my dust cloth, broom, glass cleaner, paper towels and a determination to get rid of all that had collected in the corners, on the bookshelves and on the mirrors.  Most of January had been brutally cold, but on this day the temperature had soared to 25 degrees!  So, I decided that I would even open a window to bring in some fresh, clean air.

I removed everything from the tops of the dresser and chest of drawers, and with my dust cloth I joyfully wiped away a thin layer of dust that had collected.  I cleaned each piece of “stuff” that was on the surface of these two pieces of furniture and edited as I created a new display, arranging the items in a way that allowed me see each piece anew.

Next, I ventured to the bookshelves which span the length of the room!  Each shelf holds a collection of framed pictures, photo albums, books and what my dad would call “nick-knack-paddywacks.” The shelves are broken up into five sections, so I began on the right side and worked my way across.  Once again, I removed everything from each shelf, then using my dust cloth, I cleaned each shelf.  As I began to replace the items after cleaning, I found myself really looking at the pictures, books and other treasures.  Everything on these shelves had a story, not just of our years together, but stories of our parents, our siblings … our entire families.  As I started to place the items back on the shelves, I decided that I would take the time to not only change the placement of the special keepsakes but to also change the frames that the pictures were displayed in.  Each story was retold as I wiped away the fingerprints from the glass and placed a picture into the frame.   I smiled, laughed and even experienced a tear or two as the images took me back to days gone by.  What a joy!

Two hours later when I reached the left end of the bookshelves, I realized that I had taken a fantastic journey.  As I scanned the clean shelves, I saw shining, smiling faces looking back at me!  By giving the shelves a little attention, I transformed everything on them into something new and eye-catching.   It was as if I redecorated the entire room.  Love emanated from me towards each image and then was reflected back to me.   When I finished, I must have sat in front of the shelves for another half hour. From the staircase I heard, “Hey Steve, did you fall asleep?”  “No,” I replied, “I’m just getting rid of a little dust.”  I smiled, picked up the broom, swept the floor, shook the area rug out the open window (then closed it!), emptied the trash can and changed the bed clothes.

Surveying the room right before I descended the stairs, I smiled once again – who’d a thought that by getting rid of a little dust one could bring so much love and positive energy into a room.

Later that evening, I learned that the next day was the New Moon in Aquarius (Jan. 30, 2014).  This New Moon is also called a Super Moon because it was the second New Moon in the month of January.   This Aquarian Moon represented freedom and liberation.  Here, the Sun and Moon (which were both in Aquarius) offer us a fresh outlook on life, empowering us to move in a bold direction!  Every New Moon is a new beginning – it can be looked at as the seed which has just been planted deep in the soil.  There is only darkness but the seed possesses a yearning to move and grow, so it starts its journey towards the light.

I reflected on my afternoon cleaning spree and the idea of this bold new moon. How perfect it was that I had taken the time to get rid of dust and fingerprints from oh so many familiar things to make room for a new vision to come into my life.

You too can do this!  You can bring this newness into your life every day.  You don’t have to tackle a full wall of pictures and photo albums, as I did; you can begin with just a desk or table top.  Begin by clearing the space – as a friend of mine once said, “You’ve gotta make a mess before you can really clean.”  Now, get out your dust cloth and clean the surface. Make your efforts sacred – set an intention if you like … something like, “I open myself up to all possibilities”, or “I am clearing this space to bring in something fresh and new into my life.”  Now, let each item tell you a story as you clean it – spend some time with each one!  Then as you begin to place the items back, first make sure that you still want or need to have that particular item out on display.   Remember, you don’t have to throw away anything – this is an exercise in seeing your world in a new way.  Now, take that picture of Mom out of that gold frame and place her in the silver frame that had a picture of you at a summer picnic three years ago.  Take that picture and place it in another frame and so on, until you have it all back in its NEW space.

Time speeds by us. By changing up small things in our lives and making them new, we begin to notice them once again. This Newness demands our attention and in this noticing, we slow down.

Shifting Your Energy by Releasing the Old so the New Can Come In!

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Fotolia_29717546_Subscription_Monthly_MSpring is the most auspicious season to shift your surrounding energy by releasing all that no longer serves you and allowing the new vibrant energy to flow freely within and around your space.  This is most effective when it’s achieved on all energetic levels of Being: emotionally, mentally, physically and environmentally.  It’s the releasing of your past and excess baggage while simultaneously sowing and nurturing your seeds of desire with specific goals and intentions for your present and future experiences.  This is you energetically co-creating your overall desired vision and living the life of your dreams with purpose and passion.

Many of us have a tendency to hold onto EVERYTHING to the point of creating both tangible and intangible forms of energetic blockages.  By doing this, we are vibrationally reflecting out to the Universe a sense of being overwhelmed, feeling stuck, no longer having control or keeping up. You are no longer appreciative of what you have or where you are, you experience feelings of boredom, addiction or depression, and energetically you begin obstructing the vibrational flow of ease for anything new to come in.

Raising your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energy can be done by:

  • Taking a swim in the ocean or a salt water bath.  A great recipe to cleanse your aura and detoxify your body of toxins and impurities is by mixing 1 pound of Baking Soda and 1 pound of Epson Salt in equal parts and soaking for 15-20 minutes.  Be sure to drink plenty of water afterwards to rehydrate your body.
  • Walking barefoot in the grass or hugging a tree.  Incorporating plants and fresh-cut flowers throughout your space, especially those from your garden, offer the highest vibrational energy.
  • Juicing, eating fresh fruits and vegetables (whenever possible from your own geographical area) and drinking 6-8 oz glasses of water daily.
  • Meditating, yoga, stretching, exercising, walking, dancing, getting a full body massage and pampering yourself on a regular basis.
  • Implementing your creative expression through writing, singing, playing an instrument, painting, drawing, photography, gardening, sewing or other creative avenues.
  • Speaking only kindness to yourself and others.  Seeing yourself in the highest light.  Believing in yourself.  Offering forgiveness to yourself and others.  Loving yourself and being good to yourself on all levels of Being.
  • Expanding your inner-circle by connecting and collaborating with other like-minded and heart-centered people.

Raising the vibrational energy of your ENVIRONMENT (home, office and vehicles) can simply be achieved by:

  • Removing: If you don’t use it then consider selling it, donating it or giving it away.  Only keep the items you absolutely love.
  • Organizing: Organize each room and create functional spaces starting with your closets, drawers, cabinets and storage areas.
  • Cleansing: Your space from top to bottom.  Steam clean your carpets, drapery and soft furniture.  Put a fresh coat of paint on the walls.
  • Clearing: Your space by belling and smudging.  Incorporate the natural elements of water, fire, plants, fresh flowers and rocks.  Implement fung shui principles.

 

 

 

 

 

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