Your power is not something you force externally, or obtain, it is not reliant on anything or anyone. While you can still surround yourself with things you derive happiness from, it is important to draw yourself home to your intangible inner world. Your worth and power should not be found in things, people or experiences. Do not sacrifice your real power in search of the powerless illusions of the ego.
Where have you given your power over to someone or something outside of yourself?
The universe gives you specific circumstances and people to learn from, so if you find yourself in a space which you would rather not be in, stop right now and see how you created the space that you are in. Then ask yourself what thinking got me here? Placing blame in people and situations outside of yourself will only take you away from your true power. The reality is, God/Goddess/Source/Spirit gave you everything for a reason, so relax, and enjoy the journey, you have got this, you have the power.
Have Faith
Everything is where it needs to be, including you. Choosing to release how you think it should go, and how you think people should behave, will ease you away from pain and grievances. If you release the illusions you hold, then the things outside of yourself will make space for the infinite power within yourself to emerge. If you are holding too tightly onto external things—people, positions, places, events, objects and outcomes—then there is no room for things to emerge inside of yourself.
Expand Into Your Real Power
Expanding your life starts by expanding your power. Real power does not just expand externally, it expands internally. Meet yourself in this moment, allow it to be what it is, without judgement, shame, embarrassment, hatred, or hurt. Just allow. This moment is said to be your life, when you lean into the moment you are leaning into your life and the lessons of it.
You are reclaiming your soulful power and allocating a new meaning to your life by stepping away from the stories that keep you stuck.
This is your life, your one true life, and you are now lifting yourself higher.
sarah marie liddle
No longer is the power outside of yourself, no longer do you need to know who will be where and when, no longer do you feel drawn to purchasing something to feel better. You have stepped into your one true power. The power of your being. In this loving space it is all easy. Let me repeat that again, it is all easy. It is spacious, and it is graceful. Now breathe deeply. This is your life, your one true life, and you are now lifting yourself higher.
Journal Prompts:
How have I prevented myself from stepping into my inward power?
What might I need to let go of to move forward?
How can I make space to tune into my inward power?
Who or what must I release to awaken the power that was within me all along?
Sarah Marie Liddle is a Certified Professional Coach, and Certified Body Ecologist. Sarah has been a coach for fifteen years. She specialises in wellness, healing and soul growth. Sign up for Sarah’s weekly news/letter. Receive wellness tips, seasonal rituals, and nourishing ways to connect to yourself and others—completely free. Join the newsletter. To learn more about Sarah visit her website.
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
Hi there, loves! I’m Kristin and in 2020 I created a business in Kansas City, Missouri called Unravel Your Life. I create & take opportunities that allow me to help people de-clutter their homes & minds, making more space for them to stretch out their arms & be themselves. I do Akashic Record & Tarot readings, and I’m learning Reiki & energy healing. It’s glorious & I’m grateful because my life is rad. I let the Universe guide me on what to do next. I listen, I move forward, one step at a time, with Spirit by my side, receiving messages for myself and for my clients. I feel connected & fulfilled for the first time in my life.
Sounds beautiful & fun & easy breezy, doesn’t it!? Like I just woke up one day and became a magical mystical spiritual goddess. Like I just stepped into energy work & oops, discovered I could hear messages from Spirit for myself and others. Teehee, the fairies made me do it!
NOPE. HARD NOPE. NOOOOOOPE.
It’s been hard af.
I didn’t step into this life, into energy work, gracefully & with poise. It wasn’t an angelic ascension or a miracle enlightenment. It wasn’t perfection incarnate. It wasn’t love & light & laughter. It was so. very. human. And spoiler alert…being a human is gross. And heartbreaking. And messy. And smelly. And imperfect. And hairy. And overwhelming. And it hurts. A lot.
Because for decades, I had tried everything else. I was a rule follower & I listened to what society told me to do: “Stop crying. Study up. Climb the ladder. Buckle down. Hustle. Work hard. Keep moving. Buy more! Eat this. Lose weight. Improve yourself. Move on. Try harder.” Guess what? It didn’t work. I had a great career. I had a great life. I had everything they said would give me happiness. But I felt unfulfilled, burned out. And the world around me was still a mess.
Now don’t get me wrong, if you saw me, you’d never know that I wasn’t happy. On the outside, I usually looked shiny & excited, and I always looked put together & accomplished & productive. That’s the persona I built my entire life. I was independent & studious & a go-getter. But inside, I was scared a lot. I needed to control all the things to keep the anxiety at bay. I was always moving, always planning, always thinking ahead. Running so fast that time (life) would just fly by me. I kept my mind either racing with distractions or numbed out with alcohol. Never just still. Never just present. Never just fully here. I pushed down anything that was scary or sad or dark or unpleasant or uncomfortable to feel, and leaned hard into safety, security, comfort, control.
In some ways it felt like living a double life. Super fine & dandy on the outside. “All good here! Livin’ the dream! Keepin’ busy!” And then under the surface I often felt…broken. A mess. Like I needed fixing because I did all the things & still wasn’t happy. Still wasn’t satisfied with myself and my life. Still didn’t know what I wanted. Still didn’t feel like I had a purpose. I felt far away from myself & had no idea who I was or wanted to be.
And all that stuff I suppressed, pushed down, ignored, denied? It had nowhere to go. It stayed inside of me because I wouldn’t let it out. It bubbled & boiled & lingered. And so every so often, always in the dark, always in private, I would break down & shatter into a thousand pieces. All the darkness I ignored would spill out & through me, I couldn’t control it any longer. Panic, paralyzation, disorientation. In those moments when I let it all loose, I felt completely batshit crazy. Like I was nuts for feeling so ‘fine’ most of the time (life is good! I have all the things!) and then for being completely blindsided again and again by this deep, dark horrible realization that living as I was, with high functioning anxiety & indecision & fear & control, wasn’t really how I wanted to live.
It was like waking up for a brief moment after being asleep for a really long time. It was like glimpsing reality for a brief moment after living in denial for decades. It was like realizing that I had been floating along, letting the current of busy life just sweep me away, getting farther and farther and farther away from myself. It felt fucking awful. It felt like I was so broken inside, so unfixable, that maybe I should just stop tryin’.
This happened over and over throughout my life, when I least expected it, when I thought everything was good & under control. Until I reached a point in 2016, hyperventilating (again) on the floor of my closet, after 6 MONTHS of debilitating indecision & anxiety over an impending break up, where I just couldn’t do it anymore. This cycle of living in the land of make believe and crashing into reality, over and over. 30 years of curation. 30 years of seeking perfection. 30 years of trying to control everything. I was tired. I was done. I wouldn’t put myself through that again.
So in that moment, I made a vow to stop pretending. To start dealing with my shit instead of burying it inside of me. It was the only thing left I hadn’t tried. The only thing I had always been too scared to do. Facing myself. Turning inwards, instead of out there, to “find myself.” At the age of 31, I stopped pretending that I was “fine” & started wading through the muck of my life. Childhood experiences that made me build super strong armor around my heart & hide who I really was. Beliefs I had about life that were hurting me, not helping me. All the rules & the ‘shoulds’ I had accumulated over decades. For me personally, a big one was feeling all the things I never let myself feel when I was 13 and my mom died. At her funeral, I smiled & played with my cousins & was “totally fine, thanks bye!.” I never grieved. I never processed.
I unearthed everything within me that I had been pretending wasn’t there. I stepped into myself. And it was horrifying stuff. It’s dark in there, in the corners of yourself you’ve never dared to look. I got a therapist. I started digging & exploring within myself. Anything that came up, instead of suppressing it & running in the other direction, I faced it. Wrote about it. Talked about it. Shared about it. Read about it. Cried about it. Laughed about it. Raged about it. I let anything that needed to surface, surface. And I faced it. And it sucked.
But I also realized that it’s everything I came here to do. I’m here to LIVE, not float through life. I’m here to THRIVE, not settle for some mediocre existence. I’m here to be a messy human, not a perfect robot. I’m here to learn & grow & expand. And now I have enough room inside me to do that. Those things that I suppressed actually took up real estate inside of me. They blocked my life force from flowing. They kept ‘me’ hidden & small, when all I’ve ever really wanted is to be seen & valued & loved. They kept my mind spinning. For decades I hemorrhaged my personal power & energy trying to keep them quiet & hidden & secret.
…when the noise & clutter were gone, and I could hear myself clearly for the first damn time, I didn’t feel alone…
kristin nelson
“Finding myself” was not a process of adding new experiences, new skills, new jobs, new knowledge on top of myself. The accumulation actually made it even harder for me to see myself within all that junk. “Finding myself” was a process of removal. Digging deep. Exploring. Rooting around & removing all the junk that others had given to me. Expectations, shoulds, beliefs, stories, lies, inherited traumas from my family & ancestors….stuff that wasn’t really mine. And when I unraveled that mess inside myself, when I made space, all that was left was…me.
And what’s extra wild is that when the noise & clutter were gone, and I could hear myself clearly for the first damn time, I didn’t feel alone & small in a deep dark cave of nothingness. I felt…connected for the first time in my life to something bigger than me.
Where I used to spend so much of my energy curating and improving and perfecting myself, and caring what other people thought of me, and maintaining my image, now my power is free for me to use. The energy has always been there. The connection has always been there. The power has always been there. But I was always too busy racing through life to notice.
Maybe like me, you were told to leave your troubles behind & climb to the highest heights to find happiness. Those stairs lead nowhere. Trust me, I climbed pretty damn high. You are strong enough to feel all the things & to face all of you. Stop climbing. Turn around. And start stepping down into yourself. It will be gross, and heartbreaking, and messy, and smelly, and imperfect, and hairy, and overwhelming, and hard af, and it will hurt. A lot. But for me, it was the only way through.
Kristin Nelson (she/hers) lives in Kansas City, Missouri but keeps little pieces of her heart all over the world in the places she’s lived & loved. In 2019, burnt out by a 12-year fundraising career, she quit to fulfill a dream of leading biking tours in Europe with Backroads. That terrifying leap of faith changed everything, and in 2020 she started working for herself & created Unravel Your Life, LLC. A highly sensitive person (HSP) herself, Kristin understands overwhelm all too well & helps people move through clutter & the daunting home organization projects they dread. She also receives messages for clients from Spirit via the Akashic Records & Tarot, which makes her magic-seeking inner child insanely happy. In her Aquarian, Projector heart of hearts, Kristin really wants to use her privilege & power as a white, cisgendered woman to dismantle the racist & sexist systems running our world & to create a new paradigm of leadership that makes everyone feel like they are truly seen, “gotten”, and treasured.
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
There’s a remarkable woman I know. A little bit on a personal level, but on a heart and soul level—I see her and she is pretty fxcking cool. I’ve witnessed her strength, and grace, and ability to consider others even during challenging personal moments. She’s someone I look to to remind me that we are far deeper and greater than our circumstances and that we can embody so much at one time. We can be fearful and hopeful, we can be grieving while dreaming, or even centered on self while being of service to others.
I was incredibly honored, but a bit taken aback when this strong woman, Michelle Lewis, private-messaged me asking if I would write about how I show up to life with love, courage, respect, compassion and peace for MY SELF. So I got curious and started asking myself how I show up to life as a strong woman who embodies these high-vibe traits. ‘Cause man, does Michelle do it well!
Here’s what I know . . . I show up best to life through self-assessment.
tina falk
It’s only when I know ME in the moment that I can make the necessary adjustments. And sometimes those are bold changes towards setting clear boundaries and loving myself. I learned 25 years ago, from one of my master teachers, that checking in with myself first was solid good practice for how to address any challenges whether situational or relationship wise. We are co-creators. We’re all in this together and if I don’t check in with myself to see what my role in “this” is, then I am missing the mark. Let me share a bold decision I made a few years ago that propelled me to the life I live now.
I was 50 (for those of you who know western astrology this is during a Chiron return and mine is in my first house—childhood wounds and trauma). It was Thanksgiving day. I shared a story with someone about my unhealthy, one-sided, and confusing relationship with my father. The person I was sharing this with was shocked, as they had known me my whole life. “Tina, I had no idea,” they replied with concern. Then they shared one thought that changed everything.
“I wonder if he (my father) has Narcissistic Personality Disorder?” My whole life flashed before my eyes—like a video replay. And I heard myself say, “No wonder he doesn’t love me. It’s not my fault.” My eyes filled with tears, my heart pounded and I was devastated. AND I felt an indescribable sense of freedom.
I had spent my entire life wondering what I had to do to be seen and loved by this man. And now on the heels of this new aha! moment was a deep dive into understanding this disorder and what I was going to do about it. After weeks of research and consulting professionals, I had made one of the most challenging decisions of my life—to go NO CONTACT.
Well, it’s been 5 years and it’s like he didn’t even notice. My own father hasn’t reached out to me nor his grandchildren. He moved on to his next source. MY GAWD! what a relief to come to this realization, that my own birth father, someone who was supposed to protect me and love me without condition, dropped the ball because of who HE is……NOT who I am.
It was devastating because I knew no matter what I did things would never change. I doubted my decision for a while, grieved for a couple years, and to this day still think about him. Sometimes with anger, but mostly with gratitude for my awareness and the decision I made to protect myself and my family. Aside from not having to anxiously navigate that messed up relationship anymore, I needed to find purpose and meaning in it. Like Why? Why would I have picked him to be my father? Why would I have agreed to this?
I was working with a Body and Emotion Code therapist, a couple years after my no contact decision, who sweetly yet firmly responded to my questions. She said, “You are here, as Tina, to learn unconditional love. In fact, you are getting your PhD in Unconditional Love. God wouldn’t put you in a family that knew how to love unconditionally. You wouldn’t learn that way, right?” Crap. Made total sense.
This was a very empowering time for me. I felt rebellious and free!!! — to discover who I am rather than who I thought I had to be in the eyes of others. It was in the stars, right? Thanks Chiron. The timing was divine and each day moving forward I gained a greater sense of compassion (not pity) for myself. I have created a life of peace. A life that is at my pace, in my time, with my boundaries, plenty of rest and quiet, and bringing in moments of ceremony—like lighting a candle, reciting mantras, breathing, journaling, nature walks, and fire burning. I love to connect with others through my passion of Chinese metaphysics and astrology. And, I pay forward the gifts I’ve been given by teaching, as well as donating energy to charitable organizations that assist children who feel alone, hungry and scared.
Check in with Yourself
I’m still checking in with myself. It’s a habit now, it’s just how I do things. Not everyone has that skill—my father sure didn’t. Once I realized my role in enabling this nonsense and toxicity to continue, it was an easy call. I did what I did because I love and respect myself. The consequences of that decision have blessed me. I’m aware of the lifetime of trauma that came from this relationship. I’m more aware of what my wounds are and what stress responses I have because of them. I am learning to take all that love, respect, and compassion I have offered others and direct it upon myself by creating a life that is intentional, meaningful and peaceful.
It’s never too late to love yourself. Check in. Ask questions. What are you co-creating? Is it serving your highest well being? How are you going to love yourself today?
Tina Falk BFA, Certified Feng Shui Practitioner, Chinese Astrologer & Metaphysician
About Tina:
I am Tina Falk, a Chinese Metaphysician and Astrologer. I’ve been practicing this way of life since 2005. My goal is to provide a professional and intuitive perspective to enhance your awareness and appreciation of Self and Space. My role is to bring you into a place of being in gratitude, creating conscious intentions, taking action and believing in your own power. This will propel you into a more meaningful and purposeful life.I am a classically trained feng shui practitioner who also incorporates Landform and BTB principles. And to me, the most exciting aspect is integration of your 4 Pillar Chinese astrology charts. My approach allows me to personalize your whole feng shui experience! I can make recommendations that are specific to you, and each member of your family or business team. Everyone deserves that personal attention.Overall, I am here to support — sometimes with a firm stance, but always with love and empathy — and to inspire a new way in which you see the world and your place in it.Feng shui has enriched my life by revealing everything from the insanely obvious to the subtlest of energy in our surroundings. We are sensitive beings and when we can connect and create a sacred relationship with ourselves, our space and others…damn, life gets exciting and motivating!Feng Shui has been a true gift to me . . . and my family. I intend for it to be the same for you.
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
BIG JUNE INTENTIONS: I am planning to be away from the digital life for most of this month so I can be totally present while away on my Honeymoon. I am Choosing Presence.
For the month of June, it is my intention to stay in-the-moment and also to dramatically reduce the amount of time I spend on social media… quite the challenge for someone whose business is almost exclusively online!
I am not abandoning my work, instead what I am doing is putting it back in it’s proper place. I’ve noticed that my screen time has become quite lopsided and I’m not okay with that.
To be honest, it gives me an anxious feeling to share this Big Intention. It feels very familiar- much like when I first quit smoking, or when I quit drugs, or when I learned how to not get shit-faced drunk everyday, or when I stopped disconnecting from my body especially during sex, or when I learned how to have a mutually loving & healthy relationship with food instead of using it as another tool to abuse myself… basically the way it felt for me to face, understand, and release myself from my addictions.
You know, the real-life baggage of someone who’s been through some shit.
But here’s the thing: Big Intentions can lead us to Big Transformations.
Sure, there are maybe a million tiny actions and next-steps that take place between the declaration of the Big Intention and the realization of the Big Transformation. It’s not like one just flips a switch and POOF! Metamorphosis. There may even be millions of micro-movements before the Big Intention is stated. But there IS something absolutely magickal in that moment when you decide that Yes, actually, I am ready to make a change.
But here’s the thing: Big Intentions can lead us to Big Transformations.
michelle lewis – the blessings butterfly
The moment of the Big Intention is the moment when Hope and Faith and Belief and Wishes and Dreams and Desire all intersect, and you find yourself choosing to leap from the place of stagnant self-doubt into the realm of possibility. It’s the moment between shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. It’s the moment when your “I can’t!” becomes “I think I can!”
And before anyone gets it twisted, there’s NO SHAME in getting professional help. Remember, you’re still the one doing the work even when you’ve got a coach, therapist, or specialist guiding & supporting you.
Maybe your own Big Intention is something that challenges you, inspires you, or even maybe scares you- it’s okay. Gather up your courage, call in your support squad, and take that next right step forward. As soon as you decide that you’re ready to make that change, whatever it may be- your own Big Transformation is waiting on the other side of it.
As certain systems and beliefs continue to crumble in the world, you may be getting the nudge to be a part of the change. More specifically, you may be inspired to disrupt and change how things have always been by sharing ‘your thing’: your vision, sacred gifts, and voice.
Because, if you’re honest, you’ve always felt like the world was a bit topsy-turvy and know you’re here to change that by sharing ‘your thing’ with the world.
But, deep down, you believe you have to be someone you’re not to make any kind of difference. Somewhere you’ve learned that you need to conform, contort, conceal, or command with intellect 100% of the time to have an impact.
Here’s the thing (this is what prevented me from sharing my thing for years)…
There is an image that often pops into our minds when we think of disruptors, those who break and transform the systems we have all been part of. I used to think of these disruptors and weavers of transformation as natural born leaders who were well-spoken, bold, and exuded an idgaf attitude. I’m sure there’s an image that comes to mind for you too.
When you’re driven to make a difference but the image of those who’ve ‘made it’ doesn’t match who you think you are, it can be discouraging.
“I’m *nothing* like that person. They’re making an impact and have a huge audience. Who’s gonna listen to me?!”
You end up convincing yourself that you don’t belong in the ring even before you’ve taken your first step. And, once again, the belief you need to be someone other than yourself to make the impact you desire (or have the life you want) circles in your mind.
I get it. You want to feel seen and heard. You want to feel worthy of being seen and heard. You want to be taken seriously. You want to feel like you belong and are part of the bigger picture.
Making the contribution and impact you know you’re here to make doesn’t require you to step in line and conform with those who are already making an impact. Instead, it requires you to fully own who you are and be that as often (and unapologetically) as you can.
When you connect with and fully own who you are, you’re not only aligning with your signature energy and sacred power (the power we all have and were born with), but you are also giving permission to your vision, voice, and sacred gifts to work for and *through* you to make the impact you’re here to make. Only you can make the difference you’re here to make the way you’re here to make it.
Here’s something else to sink into…
There’s no one way to create the change you (and we) would love to see in the world.
Believing you have to squeeze yourself into one way of being or sharing is buying into the belief that there’s only one right way to be productive, a belief perpetuated by the very system you’re trying to transform.
So, if you are feeling the call to help change the world, you don’t have to change into someone else or become the person you think you need to be. You’re meant to own the F out of who you are! You need to follow the beat of your own drum and also trust that your beat makes our collective song even more powerful!
There’s no one way to create the change you (and we) would love to see in the world.
Michelle Currie
Michelle Currie M.Ed is the Founder of Rebel Soul Circle. As an Intuition Mentor and healing arts practitioner since 2006, she has been helping women within corporate and private settings align with their intuition, courage, and voice.Through in-person sessions and her signature program, she guides people who are ready to (re)connect deeply with their intuition and create the impact they know they’re here to create. She has also written for and been featured in publications like Huffington Post, Tiny Buddha, and Canadian Living.
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
In the midst of the chaos of today’s global health crisis, it isn’t surprising that a lot of people find it extra hard to stay positive and happy. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorder highlights how psychological distress associated with the pandemic can potentially lead to higher levels of adverse psychiatric symptoms, such as major depressive disorder and PTSD. In the face of this reality, it becomes even more important for all of us to look into the ways we can encourage positivity — and what better place to start than home?
Letting more plants and sunlight into your home
If you are wondering why a lot of people seem to be hooked on planting and gardening these days, that’s probably because of the many mental and physical health benefits they provide. Gardening promotes mental and physical health by restoring dexterity and strength and encouraging low-intensity exercise that’s known to lessen the risk of mental health problems.
To reap these benefits, you can start turning your home into a greener space by adding a few indoor plants here and there. As a beginner, it would be best to stick with plants like Golden Pothos Vine, Spider Plant, and Lucky Bamboo, which are super easy to take care of and are tough to kill.
Aside from this, try letting more sunlight into your home, as this can also do wonders in making you feel even more positive. After all, adequate exposure to sunlight has been proven to increase the production of serotonin — a hormone that’s capable of boosting mood and helping people feel calm and focused.
Getting a standing work desk
If you are one of those people who have been forced to work from home when the pandemic started, one of the ways you can invite positivity into your home is by taking extra care of yourself as you work. Yes, ergonomic office furniture can sometimes be a bit pricey, but they can be of great help in making you feel comfortable while working as well as in preventing ailments that are often associated with having to work in front of a computer for hours on end.
An example of an ergonomic office fixture that you can add to your home to dramatically improve your work experience is a standing desk. Standing desks, also known as sit-stand desks, are special desks that let users switch between sitting and standing multiple times in a day as they work. Through this, you will be able to save yourself from the many dangers of excessive sitting, such as chronic pain and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and depression.
Decluttering and investing in good storage solutions
Most of the time, our immediate environment affects our mental health much more than we like to admit. Believe it or not, a person’s living space, along with the things that are inside it, can potentially trigger stress, impact mood and take away positive energy.
To keep your home from being a stress-inducing space, what you can do is invest in good storage solutions that can keep clutter away. By having enough storage space, you would be more inclined to declutter your home, which has been found to lower stress, provide a sense of achievement, boost self-esteem, and allow you to manage anxiety better.
Jenni is a yoga enthusiast who believes that this world needs more positivity and love. Not quite a vegan yet, she enjoys jogging, hiking, and swimming. Her ultimate goal in life is to be able to publish a book on health and wellness someday.
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
In my work as a transformational mindset coach, I spend a lot of time helping people to become living embodiments of Real, Radical, Transformational Positivity. It’s BIG work designed to help folx create positive change in their own lives first, so that they can experience the healing for themselves and extend it into their relationships. Think of it as a ripple of positive transformation that flows outward.
Whenever I begin work with a new client, they are often in a place where they feel stuck and very, very frustrated. They’ve been trying to move forward on an old goal and just don’t seem to be making any real progress. They’ve been spinning their wheels or going in the same circles and are just worn out from trying so hard, but yielding little if any results.
They’re PISSED OFF and bummed out, exhausted and ready to give up on their dreams.
They’re this close to quitting, but are open to giving it one more try.
If I can help them to make even one positive shift, however large or small, it is often just the nudge they needed to look at things differently and create the momentum they want. From there, it’s amazing how the missing pieces begin to fall into place.
It Starts With A Dream
One of the first things that we will typically do together is have a fresh look at their dream, their goal, or the idea that they’ve been holding onto. Sometimes, they’ve lost the plot and have made their vision try to be something that it was never meant to be; other times, maybe they’ve skipped past the big dream entirely or tried to make it too small, too tame.
I challenge them to dream again.
Let me encourage you to make a hot date with yourself this week for some serious daydreaming (don’t push it off to next week, please… trust me on this one).
Get Expansive. Dream BIG. Give yourself the time and space to get creative. Imagine something spectacular for yourself. Fantasize about a massive lottery win. Envision what solving one of the world’s greatest problems might look like.
Because the fact is there is NO good reason why you can’t enjoy some time thinking big, having a fantasy, or imagining a better world. This is the way that change happens: it starts with a dream for something bigger, something brighter, something better than the status quo.
You don’t have to have all of the answers. You don’t have to have it all planned out step by step. You don’t even have to know how to put it all into action (that bit comes later). All you need to do to get it started is to give yourself the chance, the space, and the permission to daydream.
What’s one of the weirdest things about you? What makes you unique, special, gifted?Since I started to embrace and lean into my weird and share about what makes me different, I have been able to use my gifts to help others and do work that I love, whether it’s intuitive readings or animal energy work or transformational coaching.
My Weird Ability With Animals
I am very fortunate to have been gifted with the supremely weird and highly magickal ability to communicate energetically with most animals. To do this, I first survey their body language if available, then connect with the animal’s energy field, and ask if they would like to talk with me or if they have something they wish to share. Think along the lines of a “whisperer” to get the idea. With most domestic animals and pets, I can pick up their thoughts, read their energy, and communicate with them fairly easily, even over a great distance. I always love when I am invited to share a pet’s message with his or her human. You can book an Animal Energy Session with me if you have questions for your beloved pet.
Friends who have traveled with me can vouch for the fact that I can even call some species in their own tongue- dolphins and wolves especially- and have them respond. There was the time in the Virgin Islands when we were in the bay at St. John’s, and I kept sensing dolphins nearby. Our captain said that dolphins aren’t normally in this particular area, but I felt them so I called nonetheless. Moments later, a mama dolphin and her calf appeared not 20 feet from our boat! Sorry, no pics for this one as it happened so quickly!
On a recent trip to Alaska, we visited a private wildlife rescue/sanctuary for animals that have been injured in the wild. They are given care and rehabilitated, but their injuries are such that they wouldn’t survive a reintroduction to the surrounding forests. One of the animal residents is a beautiful wolf. I was invited to call out to her and see if she would respond. I went deep into my bones and called up a howl that told her, “I see you, and I am here with you.” If you would like to watch the video of our call and response, you can do that here: Watch the Video
During this same visit, I was also invited to chat with the local mink, and I was absolutely delighted to be able to connect with moose, caribou, bobcat, wolverine, and a grizzly. Amazing time.
And, in one of the wildest and most dramatic displays of my weird gift ever, a couple of years ago in France I healed a bat who had been attacked by a cat. I would LOVE to tell you all about this encounter, but my story is currently under consideration for a publishing deal so I can’t share the details of the story just yet.
Lulu with little bat in her mouth. Thank you to Hilda for capturing this photo!
I actually injured myself with that healing session because I was physically unprepared for it, and the folx present around me didn’t intuitively know how to support me during the encounter energetically. I also didn’t trust myself enough to ask for what I needed. I don’t blame any of us for this, it was a weird as hell experience and quite unexpected.
My back went into painful seizure for the remainder of my trip. Thankfully, my two travel companions are both people who are incredibly tuned in energetically; they both offered me comfort and support by leaning into their own weird gifts. I did learn from it though, and should such a need for healing intervention arise again, I will know to ask those around me to hold sacred space- both for me, and the animal in need.
My Weird Ability With Energy & Spirit Guides
Another of my especially “weird” gifts is an ability to read energy and connect with different spirit guides. Ever since I was a child, I could sense things that weren’t always visible to those around me. I later learned that this ability is called clairvoyance, and though it’s something that not everyone readily believes in, I have no doubt about the truth that it is just part of who I am.
I kept this part of me hidden as best as I could out of necessity for many years. Still, other kids knew that I was one of the weird ones and would take every opportunity to remind me. Kids can be cruel in their unfiltered honesty. Try as I might to fit in, to blend, to “be normal” it was just never going to happen. My weirdness would always find a way to show itself.
Eventually, I gave up trying to hide it and just let people see only the weird that I felt comfortable sharing. It was fine (and fun!) to interpret my friends’ dreams for them. It was socially acceptable to turn my visions into poetry. Praying is just talking to a supernatural, unseen being- that I could do publicly without anyone batting an eye, even if the “god” I was talking to barely resembled the polarizing biblical character. How weird is it really that folx can be so up in arms against witchcraft, paganism, and honoring the dead- but are totally fine with taking the bible literally?
The rest of it, the card reading and the spellwork and the spirit channeling and the observance of the moon phases and the animal communications I practiced privately, quietly, discreetly. I would eventually learn that this spiritual exploration is not something to be fearful of, but is in fact an important part of Exploring [Your] Divinity. It’s one of the 4 Pillars of Transformational Positivity.
Wrapping Up In Weirdness
So, why do I share all of this weirdness and woo with you? Because for far too long, I kept much of it hidden out of fear. Very rarely did I let anyone in on just how deeply weird I am, and how much that weirdness delights me. I don’t want to waste any more of my precious time on this earth hiding the weird shit that makes me a certain kind of awesome. I am and have always been and will always be a magickal, witchy woman.
My abilities and practices are definitely too weird and out there for some people, and that’s okay because I’m not here to be everyone’s cup of tea. I am here in service to the Spiritual-But-Not-Religious, the Beautiful Weirdos, the Woo-Curious, the Unapologetically Unique among us. I see you, and I am here with you. Howl, Bitches!
Check out the variety of Energy & Spirituality services I offer:View Services
In my continuing exploration of the 4 Pillars of Transformational Positivity, we come to the 3rd Pillar- Natural Harmony.
Natural Harmony involves your relationship to the Natural World around you (earth, sky, animals, plants, elements etc.) and cultivating our connection to Nature.
Ask yourself: Where does your soul naturally feel most at home- at the beach, on a lake, hiking the mountains, walking in a forest, tending a flower or edible garden, or exploring the desert? What sorts of images from nature do you feel most drawn to? Do you love animals or feel any special connection to certain species? Does a starry sky on a clear night fill you with awe? Do you crave the feeling of your bare feet on soft grass, warm sand, or cool wet mud?
Transformational Positivity has taught me that I am not about being in The Hustle. I am not on this planet to constantly be grinding away at meaningless tasks of my own making (or anyone else’s). I’ve learned how to get everything done that I need to, with ease, and even a fair amount of joy, by tuning into the harmony of nature & managing my energy accordingly.
When we distance ourselves more and more from the Natural World, we lose a deep and ancient connection to our very roots and the natural systems that sustain life. Creating more harmony between your being and the natural world might look like temporarily “unplugging” and escaping from your desk, your laptop, and your cellphone periodically for planned and/or spontaneous “Nature Breaks” in your nearest green space and reconnecting with the very real life happening around you.
While taking a week-long remote tropical island retreat might be on your dreamiest bucket list (just me?), creating more Natural Harmony in your life can be as simple as sitting outside quietly for as little as 5, 10, 15 minutes a day… or longer if you can manage it… and being mindful of how many different living things you encounter in that time. There is a natural, palpable stress relief that occurs in your body when you let yourself focus on the shapes of the clouds, or the scents on the wind, or the many different shades of green (or blue, or orange, for example) you observe in the plants and/or animals around you.
Some possible ideas to explore:
Stargazing, observing lunar cycles, sunbathing, living by seasonal rhythms
Studying the energy of Elements and how you relate to them: Earth, Air, Water, Fire
The patterns, variety, and perfect cycles found within the Natural world have been an endless source of awe, inspiration and rejuvenation since the dawn of time. Stay tuned for my next installment of this series where I begin to dig into some of the above mentioned practices and how I incorporate them into my life.
One of the lessons I am learning since my breast cancer diagnosis back in early March, and through my current chemotherapy treatments, is the value & necessity of deep introspection. It has been a time that has forced my overly active performance based perfectionist ass to SIT. DOWN. Rest. Face my Shit. Dive Deep, and then go deeper still, excavating layers and layers of hurt and suffering and fear, and offering those precious pains of the past on the altar of Love.
It’s in these spaces of intentional, ultra-focused awareness when I experience some of the treasures that I coveted & previously sought out in all the wrong ways; treasures like Peace, Calm, Contentment, Healing, Strength, Resilience, Love, and Joy.
Such are the treasures that I had tried to find through partying, hookups, addictions, religions, escapism, numbing, avoidance, deflection, discipline, overworking, and high-vibe-only mindset bullshit. All of these were just more ways to punish myself for my perceived failures.
I am doing much less coaching these days in favor of offering my tarot-based Spiritual Clarity Readings, which is work that feels so much more nourishing to me instead of draining. I have made enough space in my practice to allow for serving fewer clients, in order to say Yes to my own need for physical and emotional healing. I have built extra time between clients so that I am serving within my capacity, not beyond it. Even this simple step is the result of some deep digging, and was arrived at by picking apart some residual bits of guilt/shame.
I know that I have come a long way and I celebrate this. I’m grateful for the healing that has taken place, for the goodness that has come forward. I know that the Love, Joy, Calm, Peace, Strength, Resilience, and Contentment that I feel now is beautiful, and that there is still more of it all to welcome in. So I will sit down, and meditate, and learn new things, and unearth more of me to be Loved. This is Healing. This is Transformational/Positivity.
A ball of soft grey yarn slowly being made into a baby blanket for my niece.
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