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Good night, sweet ego mind.

"Confusion is the prelude to clarity."  ~Unknown

It seems as we begin and walk through this journey of life, we often “stumble” on what we would call moments of confusion.  Those moments when nothing seems to make sense and the things that we thought we knew start coming apart at the seams.  

As we open new doors to the truth that we always have known deep within us, things tend to get a bit crazy sometimes.  The key is to realize the “funk” you are feeling or seeing in your world is merely your ego mind trying to hold onto the world it has taken so long to build.  

The ego mind is the place in your mind that holds all your fear and doubt.   As you experience moments of “pain” in your life, you ego mind builds memory and starts to form beliefs about certain situations and people.  It does this to supposedly protect you.   And when you find yourself in a contrasting situation once again, the ego mind goes back into the data files and remembers what happened before and tells you to be fearful or paranoid of the new current situation no matter how inapplicable those old emotions may be to what is really happening now.

Freedom begins when we start to understand that the only thing that can ever cause us pain is our ego mind and these misguided thoughts.   But as we do that, we may start to feel a good bit of resistance.  It is a beautiful thing when we start to unravel old beliefs and just live in the present moment.  However, the ego mind isn’t a big fan of this and that is where the confusion comes in.  Your ego mind built all of these beliefs in an effort to do what it thought was best—protect you and it doesn’t want to let go that easily.   

I like to look at the ego mind as a strong-willed 4 year old that has always been allowed to go to bed whenever and as late as he chooses.  The 4 year old's parents (you) have tried a number of different methods and even bribes to attempt to convince him that going to bed is a good idea yet, nothing has worked.  The parents "win" every now and then and the child falls asleep.   However, they can’t seem to get a consistent schedule and get the child's behavior to truly change which is what they really want.  

Deep down the child is tired and does want to feel better but can't grasp that sleep is the way to do that. He wants to keep playing (think fearful thoughts) and continue to do whatever he wants (your ego mind reacting to outer stimuli).  That is what he is used to and that is currently what feels good.  Of course, the real consequences for this little one is feeling much worse the next day and not being able to function like he wants because he is so tired.  

So, the parents (you) decide that a consistent bedtime is truly what is best for the child and for them and they say they are just going to really buckle down and make this happen.  They start a consistent pattern of putting him to bed at the same time every night.   Naturally, the child resists.  And when I say resist, I mean throws an all-out fit.  The child fights it as he feels like something he cherishes is being ripped away from him.  

The parents however, remain consistent and loving.  They have made the decision and they are going to enforce it.  They have come to a peace about it and truly know they are doing the right thing.   They might experience a bit of anger, regret and guilt as they hold steady and watch the child struggle with this new reality.   They might even waver a bit as they want to comfort and ease the resistance that the child is feeling (you feeding into old beliefs and negative thoughts).  

However, slowly this sweet 4 year old does start to accept the new reality.   He starts to have better days where he is not so tired and gets to play more and feel better doing it.   He understands now that the parents are not going to budge and even can see that all the resistance the child provides is actually painful in itself.  The 4 year old starts to trust the parents and realize that they truly know best.  And finally, the child accepts the new schedule and goes to bed (trusts the universe) with ease and even happiness. 

As I started on this journey, it truly helped me to try and see my ego mind as this 4 year old who has just basically been allowed to behave badly for a long time.  It might help to know that the beliefs you start to release will all be “cherished” a bit different as well.  It will hang on to some of them a little tighter much like a favorite toy of our 4 year old.  And some will be released with ease.   It all depends on what beliefs you have and how much you and your ego mind have enforced them over the years.  

My promise to you is that it will get easier as you go.  Once your mind is opened, you can never close it again.   The more your ego mind understands that it is the one that is actually doing the damage that it has been trying to prevent, beliefs start to unravel everywhere. 

Basically, you are re-training your mind to feel safe and trusting.  There will come a point where it starts to understand that you are NOT going to budge.   It will begin to see that your only priority is to feel good and that you are going to have to work together to achieve this.  

And soon, you will lay it and all its fear down and it will sleep peacefully through the night.  

Just Fall

I watched a leaf fall off one of my big trees in the back yard this morning.  It was truly beautiful to witness.  There wasn’t a gust of wind to force it off.  It was so quiet outside that I even heard it crack off the branch.  I watched as it softly drifted down and landed on its new home, the ground.  The whole experience felt so peaceful and there was a sense of knowing that seemed to encompass me. 

www.ubiquitense.com

More importantly, I noticed that the leaf didn’t have to think about falling or even try to calculate where exactly it was going to land.  It didn’t try to prolong its time on the tree, holding on to the branch trying to become greener.  It didn’t even do a Google search on the perfect time to fall or ask its numerous friends if they thought it was a good idea.  It...just…fell. 

It seems to me that people love this time of year; I know I do.  However, I often wonder why.  Is it seeing the beautiful colors as the landscape changes?  Is it the crispness in the air?  Is it the pumpkins being harvested and carved?   Yes, I am sure it is all of that but even more, I believe this love of fall can be attributed to the feeling of pure and natural change that seems to be all around us.

Fall time feels like change that isn’t necessarily asked for but just effortlessly happens.  So often in our lives, we resist change and long for everything to stay the same.  We hold tightly to our routines and schedules and get increasingly frustrated when something seems to start to move in another direction. 

www.medicalschoolmrs.blogspot.com

As I watched this leaf fall, I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would be if every change in my life could be that beautiful.  If every single movement could just feel like the next logical step.  I imagined what peace I would feel if I would just allow, trust, and perhaps even welcome what is next to come into my world without any resistance. 

I stood there in my backyard and thought about how many times I have looked back (after the fact) and been utterly grateful for a specific change that happened in my life.   Unfortunately, at the time it was all happening, I fought it tooth and nail.  In fact, I cursed every last piece of it.  And now, as I see where I stand and what I learned, I couldn’t be happier that it happened.  

This was so interesting to me.  What would happen if we just trusted in the movement of our lives and just let it all fall where it may?   What would happen if that peace and gratitude we feel much later on could be moved into the moment that change is actually happening?  My belief is that we would see the perfection of it all.   We would find that bliss we all seem to be looking for in ourselves first instead of looking for it specific events and answers.   We would stop waiting for all of the pieces to fall into place before we feel true joy and appreciation for our lives.   

I guess we would…just…fall.

What Is Reiki?

As most of you know, I am a certified Reiki II practitioner as well as a life coach.  I often get asked, "What exactly is Reiki?"   Many people have heard "something" about it but really can't put it into words.   Those that have experienced know how powerful it is but may have a hard time explaining as well.  The following information I received during my certification at the Healing Light Reiki Center and it is a great explanation for those that are wondering.
  
If the following interests you and you would like to schedule a session, please contact me at the below information.

Erin Ginkel
lovesingin@gmail.com
801.721.3469

Reiki (pronounced Ray-Key) is a technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.  It is administered by "laying on of hands" and is based on the idea that unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive.  If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. 
A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you.  Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind, and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include deep relaxation and feelings of peace.   Many have reported miraculous results.   Reiki is also used as an excellent technique to open and balance the Chakra System.   The chakras are spinning vortexes of energy located within our etheric body through which we receive, transmit, and process life energies.  
Reiki is a simple, natural, and safe method of healing and self-improvement that everyone can use.  The existence of this Reiki energy has been verified by recent scientific experiments, and medical doctors are considering the role it plays in the functioning of the immune system and the healing process.   Many hospitals are teaching their nurses how to give Reiki to patients.   It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.  Reiki is amazingly simple to learn.  Its use is not dependent on ones intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone.  It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and background!

BENEFITS OF REIKI

• Reiki leads us beyond what we know of ourselves.
• Reiki is a way to personal empowerment.
• Reiki can do no harm.
• Reiki exposes infinite reality and possibilities of our unlimited potential and assists us in becoming a greater part of the light. 
• Reiki raises the consciousness of the individual and allows us to access our inner depths.  Your sensitivity will increase, and you will also be more sensitive to the energy of other people, things and places. 
• Reiki is a call beyond self understanding.
• Reiki releases fear which is the absence of love and lets go of what no longer serves the individual's highest good.  Life focus shifts from survival to love of self and others.
• The Reiki student begins to experience expansion in the manifestation of love energy in the physical world.  It is love that allows the Soul to come in alignment with Universal Consciousness. Life begins to flow more easily, more in tune to clear vibrations of the Spirit.
• Fear and anger projections of the past are healed and lose their power.  Balance, confidence, and joy increases.  
• Reiki is available to all who wish to heal and to make a positive impact on the healing of our planet.

Personally, I have felt the power and the healing of Reiki and am so appreciative of the impact it has in my life.   There is many-a-story of beauty and healing I have experienced during sessions given to me and by me.  

In light and love...

A letter to my little one...

Fanny Diaz Art  http://fanny-diaz.fineartamerica.com/

September 7^th, 2010

Well…good morning and Happy Birthday to my new little one!   Right now it is 3:48 am in the morning and I am sitting in the kitchen of our little house that we rent in West Point, Utah listening to the sink drip of the 100 year old pipes and completely excited about getting to meet you for the first time today! 

Yep, today is your official first birthday.  Today is the day you get to come into the world.  I can’t imagine what you must be thinking.   I am sure its somewhere around “Hey ma, why haven’t we had our regular 2 am PB&J with milk yet?”   That one I can’t do anything about either…doctor’s orders—no food after midnight.  Very soon, your dad and I will be heading to the hospital for a planned C-Section and we will bring you into this amazing world.  He is super excited as well.  In fact, as nervous as we both are, I don’t think I have ever seen him happier.   It makes my heart warm to see him smile when he lets loose and talks about it.  It almost beams from him without him even knowing it. 

I have to tell you, I don’t really know what to think about today.  I am really in the present moment right now (writing you a letting for you to read in the future still counts as staying in the present moment…I think…ha ha!) just curious about everything you will be and everything today will end up being. 

Your big sister is hopefully sleeping.  She is at your Aunt Laura’s and so dang excited about you coming into the world, into her world, you couldn’t even imagine.   Every time we tell that little 5 year old, she practically bounces off the wall with excitement. 

I think the only word to explain what I am feeing is this calm and peaceful amazement at what life can do when you surrender to its beauty.   I have gone through a transformation since I met your dad.   One that I believe will lead me to many more places.  But the thing I think has been of the utmost amazement is the fact that I am about to have a baby with him.  I am about to bring YOU into the world and that was always a dream of mine.   Lilli Bug came in her perfect time and everything about her coming here was absolutely the way it should be.  I know that in the deepest part of me.  However, I always dreamed of a day when I would get to share this moment with someone that I truly love.   Your dad is that man.  

In addition, I feel like my level of fear is so much less this time.   Lilli taught me then and continues to teach me every day how beautiful life can be, once again, when you truly just be in the moment and let go.   I feel like everything her and I went through on our own prepared me to be so much more relaxed with you.   With that said, you…just being in my womb have already taught me a deeper level of letting go than I have ever known as well.   Especially since we don’t know if you are a BOY or a GIRL!  

I also know that I am going to miss being pregnant with you.  Even though there are times when it was, let’s say “less than comfortable”, I still loved the time we have had together.   Especially our midnight talks when I am sure you were wanting to do anything but listen.
  

I feel extremely blessed and grateful for my life right now.  I can tend to get wrapped around a tree from time to time about things that don’t matter.  I have also learned how amazing all that conflict really is as it teaches exactly what we need to know, if once again, we just let go.  But to sit here and realize the path I have walked down to get here, I just simply can’t put into words what you blessing us with your life means to me.  

I am so extremely honored to get to be next to you and feel the energy of who you are.  To know how close you are to Source and how you chose us to, in essence, pull you away from Source again to let you have that chance to come back to it.   I just can’t quite grasp all of that but I know you can and I want to thank you for it, right now.  I truly can’t wait to see what you are going to do in this world.  I have felt from the beginning that you have an extremely strong and spiritual soul and I just feel like you have something to share with the world.  I am so happy that I will get to see it! 

I can’t wait to feel your sweet little heart against mine and to see your dad’s face as he holds you for the first time.  I can’t wait to look at you and know what we are going to name you finally!  LOL!   I can’t wait to see the face of Lilli when your dad brings her in and she gets to see you for the first time.   It will be beyond beautiful.  Just thinking about it now brings tears to my eyes.  

No matter what, today is a day I will never forget.   For in this moment, now at 4:05 am, I feel like I am at peace with everything I am and everything I have learned.  I feel truly happy in knowing that no matter what my worries are and no matter what I still have to “figure out” (which is absolutely nothing by the way…just an FYI if I forget later, you should remind me…J) I know right now that the universe has made no mistake putting me where I am and I can feel the magnificence of what is about to be, what already is, and what has been.  I am eternally grateful for every last morsel of it. 

Happy Birthday, my little one.  Soon enough, I will be able to look into your eyes and tell you that.  I can’t even imagine what you will be telling me. 

All my love,
Mom

Give a Rip About How You Feel!

What is reality anyway? We tend to pay way too much attention to "reality" when it is as temporary as the thought that created it. We talk so much about our feelings and how bad things feel. I believe that when we really, truly care about how WE actually FEEL inside, we choose to feel good!
When we care about ourselves and how we feel, we CHOOSE to focus on what we want NOT what we don't want. We PURPOSEFULLY look away from the so-called misery--this painful thing that we have been giving way too much attention to. We focus on what could be and what we would like and that makes all the difference.
It's one more way to say that our happiness is not determined by any situation or person or event, it is 1000% determined by our thoughts and our focus.

It is almost scary how truly EASY it is to be happy when you are determined to be.

This is a great Abraham excerpt in the video link below that really captures this thought process and even more. I am always inspired by these!






In love and light,
E

Ogden Oneness & Wellness Stroll

***Experience The Work of Byron Katie with ME at Dragonfly Health Foods this Saturday and MUCH, MUCH more
as part of the great Ogden Oneness & Wellness Stroll!***

There are 5 different locations (listed below) with chances to experience and see massage therapy, yoga, aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki, nutrition, life coaching (this is me!), tarot, intuitive readings, law of attraction, earth-friendly products, concious living, spriritulity, and MORE!



Join us for live music, workshops, booths, and food!

This is similar to the Ogden "Friday Art Stroll" but just a little different. This time it is all about Oneness and Wellness~!

LOCATIONS -- **MAP BELOW** (All in OGDEN, UTAH)
Oasis Community Garden (2445 Monroe Blvd)
The Satya Center (795 24th Street)
Borrowed Earth Emporium (2442 Washington Blvd)
Dragonfly Health Foods (260 Historic 25th Street -- upstairs)
Bikram Yoga & Grounds For Coffee (111 Historic 25th Street)

Compassion (Part II) -- Well, what does it look like then?

I woke up with a few more thoughts in my head about this subject. (at 6:30 am no less! I set my alarm by accident last night..:))



I watched a very passionate speaker once and he said a quote that I never have forgot, "You only need ONE person to believe in you. Just one and that can change everything."
What a powerful statement! I have also heard the statement "Believe in yourself and you can change everything." My only trouble is sometimes my mind and thoughts are clouded by my painful story about them.

To add to my original compassion post, this is what I think compassion "looks" like. It is being that ONE person that believes in another. It is seeing that person as the person you know they can be. An example would be possibly seeing someone with an addiction who may be trying to find someone to empathize with them as someone who is already clean and sober. It is looking straight into the eyes of your lying teenager and seeing them as the amazing adult that they are growing to be. People are inspired by that. I am inspired by that. When someone I have looked to in the past for sympathy has looked at me and basically said, "You are much more than what your pain is causing you to appear as to be right now." I have lifted and I mean, I went back into the core of me and really looked at who I was and realized that I WAS more than the story I was telling myself. At the time, I was choosing the pain...I was CHOOSING to be in that story. Their belief in me caused me to turn and focus on a solution instead of reveling in my own sadness--which was getting me nowhere. That was true compassion in my eyes. And those are the people in my life that I go back to time and time again. The ones that inspire me, that refuse to believe in the norms.
Even if my "reality" truly looks painful and I am telling an extremely persuasive story about why they should feel sorry for me--they stay their own course of just loving me and believing in me and refusing to see anything but the already healed version of me.

When true compassion abounds, that is where true healing begins. I will admit that I am new to this changed outlook on compassion. However, in the experiences I have had thus far, I have seen nothing but amazing wonder come from it. Some may ask where does action come in? So, if I don't join them, what am I even doing there to help them? Great questions. My experience is that MORE action and MORE help comes from the lack of focus on the problem and the increase in focus on the solution. When you aren't joining their pain and commiserating with them, you are holding that open space of healing for them. What I have seen is that is when they start to think rationally and just automatically start focusing on the solution with you. It becomes this loving team of people who are basically holding the thought of how everything always works out and they just need to find their way past this one.



I have also noticed an increase in them asking for guidance from you. When this guidance is coming from a place of not needing to fix them and from a place of focusing on the end outcome (and the end version of them that you already see) it is pure inspiration. It catapults both of you into action. They are much more in tune with what they need as are you because the energy has been taken off the misery and pain and put onto a place that exists without the painful thoughts. True compassion in this fashion give them the power to heal themselves which is so powerful and is the kind of healing that lasts.

Those are the rest of my thoughts for now. I look forward to your comments!
E

Compassion--Choosing Not To Join

COM-PAS’SION, (kom-pash’un) n. A deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering, a suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; to pity; commiseration
COM-PAS’SION-A-BLE, a. Deserving of pity
The standard definitions above and a good number of people would say that to demonstrate compassion you put yourself in a sufferers shoes, comfort them, truly try to understand and most importantly FEEL what they feel.
I absolutely disagree.
True compassion is NOT joining in someone’s story or pain. Compassion does not believe that they are truly in pain. It lies in seeing them without that pain; seeing them as the person without those beliefs about themselves. That is the only place love can enter.
Byron Katie, one of my favorite mentors and teachers, speaks at length about compassion and our beliefs about it. Basically, my beliefs have formulated into that true and real compassion comes when you don’t have a story anymore about someone’s pain or plight. When we ourselves are truly free, we don’t see anything that happens as a mistake. True love and real compassion can only abound when we choose NOT to join someone in their misery. This is key.
Genuine compassion looks like what you are inspired into action with that situation or person but only after you have refused to believe that they are truly in pain. In fact, the compassion that comes from an aligned soul, which refuses to believe in the story someone is telling, is exponentially more powerful than someone saying, “I know how you feel” and feeling their pain right along with them.
For example, if I have a friend who is in pain, my idea of compassion is again, NOT believing their pain. My compassion comes from seeing them as only LOVE can see them, which is confused by a belief that they think is painful. We all have and are confused by beliefs that we believe are painful, but the pain is never real—it is always a story that we merely attached ourselves to and now believe. The way I can be of MOST help to anyone is NOT to join them. Joining them only adds to their pain and it is not compassionate by any means. Instead of one person feeling horrible, you now have two holding and adding to that painful energy.
As a woman, I can remember times in the past when I had (dangerously) sympathized with a friend who was having a tough time in her marriage. In fact, many of her friends were empathizing and giving her a shoulder to cry on. As I look back, I don’t remember her ever benefiting from it. I believe it kept her there focused on the problem longer. I also know that it brought my energy and vibration down and I even found myself starting to (fictionally) see some flaws in my own marriage.
The point to remember in all of this is that I have NO way of understanding how anyone else feels because even if I do “join” someone and try to understand and feel their pain, I am really only understanding my OWN pain—my own story. In this regard, the only way to truly understand them is to commiserate and in turn, hurt myself. Not to mention that now this person has no one that can lead the way or help them OUT of their perceived pain. They just have two people feeling the misery and adding to the fuel that already exists.
In addition, I have no clue nor is it possible to know what is best for anyone else. They are the only one who knows and I cannot ever be in another’s mind. Any advice I might give from this “said” place of compassion where I decide to join them would be from MY place of pain, my story. Who knows where that might lead them?
My favorite part about viewing compassion in this new light is the way I feel. I feel SO much more loving when I stand with someone and see them as WHOLE and COMPLETE and with unconditional love. When I see their pain as a story that they are telling themselves at that moment and they are no different than anyone in this world.
The other magnificent and extremely powerful piece of this is that it opens up a space for this person “suffering” to heal. If I were to join them, I would close down that space because by joining them, all I can hold is the vibration of pain and misery. There is no love there because we are both focused on the negative. By stepping back and seeing them as without pain but with a story, they start to see it that way too. They go back inside to themselves for the answer (which is where all the true answers are) and find the real peace they are looking for. Empathizing with them could absolutely NEVER give them the love and peace they will find when they choose to stop believing the story and see that they are nothing but love.
Have you ever tried to feel horrible around someone that just didn’t agree with your opinion of the whole situation? It is extremely difficult! To illustrate a perfect example of this is a story about my 5 year old who called me from her trip abroad and was extremely upset at a minor “punishment” that had been given to her. She was in tears and completely distraught. I had recently been enlightened to this view of compassion so I chose to just listen quietly and just love her but I never once joined her in her story. I just didn’t believe her pain. I knew that it was just a belief and that she was truly okay and going to make it. She kept asking amidst her tears if I had heard what she was saying. I kept telling her, “Yes, baby, I am listening.” “But Mom, I have to clean out the car! Can’t you hear how horrible it is?” I told her I could hear her but I couldn’t feel what she was feeling. She kept trying for a few minutes and then, in a lightening flash of a moment, she dropped her story and moved on. I mean it was like she had never had a tear in her eye. She actually began a funny story about her little sister and started laughing about it extremely hard! It was a magnificent moment!
Now, I won’t say not believing her pain wasn’t difficult. From a mother’s standpoint, especially on this trip, I had NO control over what was happening to her and I could have easily (and have before) started to console her. It was on the tip of my tongue but I wanted to see what this new view of compassion might bring. Consoling her would of given the energy of agreeing that what she was going through was actually painful and I knew it wasn’t, it was only her thoughts about what she was going through that gave her pain. I held the image of her being just fine and then…she was.

I remember my feelings after this as well. The love I felt for her in that moment was amazing. It was just pure love to see her without her story. It had no control wrapped up in at all. What she felt from me was my energy of holding a picture of my beautiful little girl without her story of the pain. I knew she wasn’t who she was being in the moment. That is the energy my daughter fed off and that is the energy your loved ones will feed off of too. You have to actually believe that they are going to be okay, that the world isn’t a cruel place. You have to hold them in a vision of happiness and joy and without the pain they are feeling too. That is the only way THEY can get there.
Please understand that I don’t suggest that when you see one of your family or friends in pain and just simply walk away or even make light of where they are experiencing. It is just remembering that they are just trying to convince someone, anyone to join them in their misery. It takes an interesting strength to just be there with them, to see them as love and nothing else and they are not something to be “fixed.” That is when you can just listen.
The energy you send out when you see someone that “needs” this previous definition of compassion is that they actually need fixing. You start to identify with their pain and then give them advice. NO WONDER they stay in the pain longer, they have been receiving validation from everyone that they really ARE broken. Compassion to me is seeing everyone without any issues at all--at all. People that DON’T see my pain are the ones that I LOVE to be around. They are the ones that just exude love and see peace in everything. I almost feel healed just being in their presence. Those people are the ones that make you feel so comfortable and are the truly compassionate.
If you want to understand more about what a “story” of pain is and the most effective and amazing technique I have ever run across to release that pain, please visit www.thework.com and look into Byron Katie’s “The Work.” Also, feel free to contact me and I would love to do a free consultation and show you the power of freeing yourself from the pain that beliefs bring. I can truly attest to its power and the love you feel.
Love and light to you all…E

The best pink marshmallows ever...

I first heard of the Laws of Attraction through a way most people probably have heard of it..."The Secret". I have always believed in it but have really come to understand more of the fundamentals of it lately through listening and reading some of the first and respected authors of the subject, Esther and Jerry Hicks and The Teachings of Abraham.
With that said, I have also manifested many things in my life ...probably more than I even realize since truly EVERYTHING is a manifestation.
Tonight though, a very cool one happened. I have been deep into Abraham's teachings lately and listened to her interview with Oprah last night. While I have applied LOA on many of my "big" wishes in my life, she had mentioned that no matter how long you have been manifesting or working consciously with LOA that you should test it and even have some fun with intending something small. So, I thought I would try that. Mine was PINK MARSHMALLOWS. It was the first thing that came to my mind. i started to think about them off and on that night. In fact, I thought maybe my husband might come home with some from his fishing trip. (that was me trying to get too into the details.) So, I was giving my 5 year old daughter a bath and I asked her if she wanted to think of something yummy! She, of course, said yes and so I asked her to close her eyes and start thinking about pink marshmallows. They happen to be on her list of good things to eat...imagine that. I asked her what they tasted like, what they felt like, what they looked like, etc. She went through how they tasted like raspberries and strawberries and how they felt like pillows and how they were the little, bitty ones. She was really into it. It took us about 5 minutes total. We got out of the bath and didn't really think about it.
This evening, our family went up to some childbirth classes as I am about 2 months away from delivering. My daughter went into the "sibling" class and my husband and I went into the childbirth refresher. Lo and behold, when my daughter comes out of her class, she has a big bag of goodies. She asked if she could have something out of the bag. (Her teacher had told her to be sure to ask) I said yes but only one thing for now. She pulled out a bag of pink strawberry mini marshmallows! We were actually on the tour of the hospital where we are going to deliver at the time and I lost all concentration on the tour at that point. I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear! I reminded her of what we talked about and she thought it was cool for a minute but I was the one who couldn't believe my eyes.
To date, that has got to be the most specific example of manifestation I have ever seen. It was just beautiful.
The real story is how it made me remember the simplest way to manifesting everything you want. It is not about believing, it is just about seeing it...really seeing it and putting yourself in the moment of having it with no other thoughts or doubts. My daughter didn't think she was going to get pink marshmallows nor did she think she wasn't, she was just thinking about that new story of pink marshmallows and being completely happy with the thought and imagination of them. She enjoyed every minute in the tub IMAGINING those treats just as MUCH (if not more) than the real thing!
Sit and think about that one...that is what it is all about. Loving my life and all that thought has brought to me.

We've Come A Long Way, Baby! GUEST POST BY MARY SIMPSON

All,

I am THRILLED to be putting up this guest post by my long time and dear friend, Mary Simpson.  She and I have been kindred spirits since the moment we met.  The other day, we were having one of our famous and somewhat frequent "figuring out the meaning of life" conversations when she started to really tell me about this garden of hers.  Her insights comparing her journey and this garden struck me as so poignant that I had to ask her to do me the honor of writing a guest post for my blog.

Enjoy...  (I know I did!)

E

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A couple of months ago, I started a garden. The idea came to me simple enough. It was something I always wanted to do and would mention it to my roommate occasionally, but it wasn’t something that I jumped right into. I’d always thought of myself as a person who really loves plants but could never do it. I didn’t have a green thumb. The one plant I had when I was 18 years old died when I went out of town and didn’t ask anyone to water it. That was enough for me to believe for the next 17 years that I just did not have what it takes. So, I would admire people who could and somehow see them as slightly better than me.  They could help something grow, they could start from scratch. I could not. That is when it hit me- I’ve never started from scratch before- so how do I know? That thought gave me momentum, and finally my roommate and I hit Lowes for a self taught lesson in horticulture 101.

We planted our seedlings in the kitchen. They had to stay in their little containers for a good few weeks before we could do any transplanting. I remember feeling such excitement just laying the seeds in the soil. I sent them love, welcomed them to our home and told them to hurry up and grow. I even marked the day we planted the seeds on our calendar in the kitchen. I was like a new mother. The first day I noticed the sprouts, I did the dance of joy. I even broke out into Broadway songs – partially because I heard plants like music and partially because I like to break out into Broadway songs. I was so proud, I could not see straight. I had begun to do something that I never thought I could do.

In the meantime, I had also purchased Dolores Van Cartier, our wonderful peace lily, and our spices (basil, thyme and fennel) who have become part of the family. By the time I transplanted the sprouts to the back yard, I had a newfound confidence about myself. Our excitement was contagious because friends were buying plants of their own.

After transplanting the sprouts, things began to change. They were flourishing inside of the house, but not all of them took the outside as well. I began to worry a little and could feel a small fracture in my confidence. But, enough plants were thriving that I accepted that the ones who did not make it did what they could. Soon, we decided to move the plants to their permanent homes in our backyard. More in direct sunlight. Just like when I transplanted them the first time, there were some plants who could not survive the move. Watching the plants, I began to get introspective and realized how much tending a garden is like tending yourself. I needed to be aware of what made each plant both thrive and suffer. There were times that I would be hard on the plants because they weren’t growing as fast as how I wanted to grow. The spices and Dolores were thriving inside the house with minimal attention from me and I began to compare them to the outside plants. Incidentally at the same time, I was dealing with my own issues. I had fallen into a surprising slump after a high and was picking on myself for slipping up when I had been doing so well.

Of course, I continued to take care of the plants everyday. All of my plants-inside and out. I would water, encourage them and wait. Simultaneously, I would work on my own mending. It finally hit me that sometimes, you’re going to find growth where you don’t expect it. Sometimes you’re going to focus on the parts that need growth and they just don’t seem to be getting anywhere. No matter what- you have to keep watering. You have to keep giving love. You have to keep believing the growth happens even when you can’t see it. Sooner or later, if you just keep going, you’re going to wake up and find you have a real garden.

That’s what I have now. A real garden. I have proof that I can grow, I can give life. Yes, there are days when there are mushrooms and bugs in my garden (literally and figuratively) that put me off and make me frustrated. There are times when I have the thought that everything (meaning I) could be a little better- can be a little more. But then, I take a step back and realize they were all just seeds when we started. We were starting from scratch. And we’ve come a long way, baby.

Bring it on Ego Mind!

When you begin to release on old beliefs that are causing you pain, you may find that the pain almost feels like it is getting stronger. This is the ego mind making a plea for you to hold onto the beliefs it has held so dear for so many years. The truth is, you actually have two minds-- your ego mind and your spiritual mind. Understanding the difference between these two "minds" can truly help you understand that your pain that you are feeling is merely temporary and help you continue in your journey to peace.

Every last person in this world has an ego mind and a spiritual mind. Sometimes the ego mind is called the "nasty voice" or that nagging in your mind that "you really aren't good enough." The spiritual mind is the one that is peaceful and full of love and it is a place where you don't feel anxiety or pain. The ego mind, on the other hand, is the one that feels the negativity and MOST importantly, the one that is always trying to figure things out! The ego mind is really good at telling you that ANYthing that ANYone says to the contrary of your misery may well be "inspiring" but they don't and couldn't REALLY know what you are talking about or going through.

As you start to find your peace in this world, you actually begin a "battle" (so to speak) with your ego mind. In fact, even the moment you start to look for peace (i.e. start reading books about enlightenment, talk to people that just "seem" happy all the time, look for the good in every situation) will actually engage and ignite your ego mind to fight back...and fight hard! It is important to realize that the ego mind wants to hold on to the pain. Now, this is NOT because, deep down, you want to be sad or anxious but merely because it "feels" comfortable. The pain/anxiety/fear (insert your favorite word for your misery here) is all we have known for a very, very long time. The ego mind thrives on operating from something familiar, something it knows and has done before. The ego mind does not like to take risks. One sure way to know you are in your ego mind is if you are trying to "figure things out" or "understand" why something is happening in any way, shape, or form. The ego mind will battle anything that will help you to grow and release negativity. It does not want you to feel peace because that is a realm it knows nothing about.

The spiritual mind, on the other hand, can only operate from WISDOM. This is the OPPOSITE of "figuring things out". The spiritual mind just walks with faith and love and knows that their is truly ....truly nothing to be afraid of--ever. Keep in mind as you start to open your mind to these possibilities, your spiritual mind will kick in and start to help you. Every time you crack that wall of ego just a hair, you will get a little more lighter and that, in turn, makes it a little bit harder to believe the ego's lies. I can attest to a vast difference in the volume and persuasiveness of my ego minds "voice" since my journey towards peace began. The more I read and try to feed myself with knowledge about the subject, the more I operate from my spiritual mind and the less I believe the negativity of the ego's voice.

This simple understanding of these two minds and how they operate gives me a great sense of peace. I know that if I am feeling pain, it really isn't real. It is merely my ego mind trying to get me to stay in the "familiar." The ego mind truly just wants to "protect" us even though that is the opposite of what pain actually does. I know that if I am busy trying to "understand" why someone did something or justify something in my mind that I can let myself stop and see the situation from a place of love and peace and a true understanding that others actions are completely and truly theirs-- and not in my control.

In love and light,

Erin

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy...

Law of Attraction states that there is NOTHING more important than how you feel. How you feel is what you will attract. It is as simple as that. You can say all the "right" words and set all the "right" intentions but if your beliefs and feelings do not match those intentions, you will end up short.
With that said, sometimes all you need is a little boost...a little boost to zap your negative energy. I had a wonderful day today. Nothing special either...just a great day. This video topped it all of and made me laugh harder than I have in a bit.

So...a blog for now

Some of you may remember my actual website "Always Challenge Unhappiness". It exists in template form but I let the domain name and housing run out and didn't renew. At the time, I thought I had dropped the ball but I am glad as it needs a new face to it anyway.
I have made leaps and bounds since opening up myself to other ways of coaching as well as including other healing modalities into my practice including Reiki and EFT.
So, stay tuned for more information on my business and what I will offer. I am excited as my job as a practioner expands to what I have learned about myself...the ways I have healed my inner self are going to be what I offer to others. It doesn't get more beautiful than that, I think.
Oh, and I will still be writing my thoughts and musings here as well. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts as well...
In love and light.

True Freedom in Relationships (Originally posted 2/20/09)

“True freedom is having no choice: being so clear on your purpose, so committed to your quest, there is no choice but to propel forward regardless of what may appear to be.”
--James Arthur Ray

Recently, I have had to reach back and think of past experiences where I pushed through difficult times and found success. This was tougher than I thought but I did find some instances where I beat the odds and came out triumphant. However, several of those times, my success was found only because I thought I had no other choice but to be tough. When I think of those times, it almost felt easy to be real, to be strong. People have perceived me as unbreakable in those times. But in my mind, I didn’t have any other option.

MY QUESTION--What happens when you do think you DO have another choice? What happens when instead of pushing through a difficult situation, you believe that you can just choose another option? MY ANSWER--Commitment. Your focus to a purpose must be strong, even “unbreakable.” What an amazing difference it is to view your fears as something that you can’t and WON’T run away from. More often than not, we choose the infamous “flight” syndrome when faced with a difficult problem. This is because it FEELS easier to opt out, to hit the door running. I wonder what we are really running from. When I have played the escape artist to my fears, they have always come back (even stronger usually) to catch me again.

Our running can take shape in a myriad of forms. My personal favorite is blame. 
When it feels as though someone else is causing your distress, the choice to “run” seems almost logical. Why would you choose to commit to any kind of relationship if they keep making it difficult? There are your exceptions to the rule which include those toxic and abusive (physical and emotional) individuals who are in too dark of a place to ever fully commit themselves to a relationship.

However, in most basic relationships, your choice in “toughing it out” comes when you try to decipher why it is indeed, so difficult. My belief is it is because they are triggering some insecurity in you. I am a firm believer that any anger or frustration you feel usually is derived from fear. The next time you are angry at someone, ask yourself where the anger comes from. If you dig deep enough, it ALWAYS comes back to you.

One of my personal examples is when I get frustrated at my daughter for moving so slow in the morning. As a three year old, I can see why everything is so interesting to her and why she isn’t that focused when we are trying to get ready in the morning. However, I still get frustrated. When I started to look at that, it isn’t her that I am frustrated with, it is my own insecurities. They include being late to work, guilt for staying up so late the night before and sleeping in, guilt of rushing her, guilt of not being a stay-at-home mom, fear that I won’t have enough time to complete tasks that I need to before we leave, and the list goes…

My point in all of this is that true commitment to a relationship comes from your own confidence. It is not based on what the other person does or does not do. It is not based on their shortcomings or frustrating characteristics. It is based on what fears they trigger in you and whether or not you choose to face them. It is amazing how smoothly a relationship can flow when you believe or CHOOSE to believe that there is no way out. A better way of saying that might be when you choose to see, accept and love, and face the fears within yourself. Everything just falls into place after that. Your reality is what is in your head. It exists nowhere else. Tru

Habit Making (Originally posted on 2/19/09)

As I have stepped from book to book, class to class on my journey to enlightenment, one of my greatest ah-ha moments was when I thought about stopping the self-development freight train all together. (Thank goodness I didn’t!) I was famous for taking my problem, whatever it may be, chewing on it, searching endlessly on the internet for any and all answers/books/advice and then devouring what I could find. Once I knew what I thought I should know, I would share it with the world and then move on to something else. It was like a fix for me. I would get so passionate about the book I was reading (this hasn’t changed) and then share with everyone how much I had learned and how THIS book was going to fix my problem!
When I realized that this was becoming a bit of a cycle for me, I thought maybe I should lay off the self help stuff for a while. I thought that I should just stop and see what happens. So, I did--for a bit. And I found I was just as unhappy and missing my “fix”.
However, the answer finally came to me. I decided that I will always read, search, research, and reflect on all that I read and find. That is just who I am. I enjoy getting passionate about finding out things about myself and others. It ABSOLUTELY fascinates me—always has. The difference now, is that I know I have gathered enough information and released enough fear (this is the important part) to start applying it.. This time, for real, not just trying it for a few days, talking about it to a few people and then moving on. It was time to take what I know to be true and begin building it directly into my life--day by day--habit by habit. It is said that the most successful of positive thinkers and law of attraction experts must create positive habits in their life. You can be inspired to no end, but without application, your learning is temporary.
Here are some things I am currently building into my life:
Reiki
Affirmation statements
Exercise
Gratitude
Accomplishments
Goal Setting
Writing
Meditation
Vision Board/Movie Focus
Positive Thinking
Releasing Negative thoughts
Eating properly

These are all items I have chosen to build into my life. One of the habits I have adopted over the years is negative thinking. In fact, negative thinking doesn’t even have to make it on my list of “to-do’s”. I had become so good at it that it just seemed to make it into my daily habits. So, my thought was if my thoughts were habitually negative, then I create positive habits just as easy. I just have to re-train myself the same way that I built the negative habits.
Another truth--I already have the good in me. It already exists. In one of my favorite books…”When Love Meets Fear” by David Richo, he says...”Our personality is made up of a combination of opposites. Our challenge is to create syntheses, order from chaos, unity from diversity. If there is fear in us, there MUST be fearlessness too! If there is violence, there is non-violence. If there is grudge and vengeance, there is compassion and forgiveness. EVERY characteristic has an opposing side, potentially accessible.”
To add to that, you can’t really “stop” doing any of these “dark” habits you have built. I am not a believer in will power. It only lasts so long and then you come back to what your beliefs are or what you know. All of your beliefs come from past experiences and knowledge.
So, there are two things you can do; RELEASE the old mental aspect of the bad habit and FEED the positive one. Bob Proctor, a well-known expert on the laws of attraction said that you can’t do anything about the cold. If your house is cold and you can’t seem to get warm--you can’t stop the cold. You can’t stomp it out, push it out the door--it is just there. So, what can you do? You TURN UP THE HEAT and bring on the warmth (i.e. positive habits)! Grab a blanket , grab a sweater, snuggle! You can’t stop the cold or the negative behavior. You can only replace the negative with the positive!
Okay, with that said. Here is some tips that I have researched and tried when trying to build new and positive habits.
HABIT TIPS
• The age old--Try it for 21 days! That is the general rule of how long it takes to form a habit.
• You must replace an old habit with a new one. Let something go that is not working. Do not just keep adding new habits.
• Start small, start slow. You will see your success quicker and be able to add more. After all, when you build a fire, you want to start with kindling or you might singe your eyebrows!
• Give yourself a time frame and then re-evaluate if you even LIKE the new habit! A big mistake people make is setting yourself up in a no-way-out scenario. Tell yourself it’s an experiment, just try it out! Say to yourself; “I am gonna do this for 30 days and see what I think.” If it isn’t something you like--stop doing it.
• Laugh when it gets hard! This is the best way to keep yourself on track and keep the joy wrapped around it. Keep it light! MAKE IT FUN!
• Push yourself a little. Don’t berate yourself as that may de-motivate and make you quit altogether. But pep yourself up! Every time you push yourself and succeed, you build more confidence!
• Write it down. REPEAT--Write it down. It has been proven that a great and larger percentage of people that write down their goals and put dates by them, achieve them.
• Visualize the habit (even if you haven’t started doing it yet). This will make it happen faster.
• Write down your reasoning of why you want to change. This is very motivating. Note: When writing it down, keep it positive. Write down why doing this habit will BENEFIT your life. Keep the “I want to exercise because I am ugly” stuff out of it.
Overall, just start with something--anything. You are always growing and always moving into a new realm of consciousness. Every time you read something new and do something different, you are changing! There is NO way you can possibly be the same as you were yesterday. Celebrate that! You have already changed…

Intuition vs. Fear (Orginally posted on 2/19/09)

The most recent topic that I have been pondering is the theory of intuition. People can call it many things. Some call it a "gut feeling", a "sixth sense", "the holy ghost", "the still small voice", or even just instinct. I talk about the definition of intuition because I think it has many different labels for different people and however you believe, it still seems to have the same characteristics.

The main thing that I have been wondering about it how much you can trust your intuition when there is fear involved. I have had several conversations and researched this and what I have come to find out is that most believe that fear and intuition are two separate things.

True intuition comes from a place of peace. There is no emotion wrapped up in the initial thought. Afterward--maybe. But in the moment, it is a thought that hits you (sometimes out of nowhere) and has no real logic to it. You can't really say where it came from and you aren't wrapped up in its outcome. You just have a feeling. That is it.

A good example I heard from a friend was about the time he broke his neck. He loved to go tubing and was what you might call an "avid" snow sledder. In fact, he often went with his friends tubing and such and loved it. One afternoon his friends asked him to go and as soon as the question was asked, he thought he shouldn't go. No reason to it, just instantly felt that way. But he didn't want to tell them no, so he agreed. Later on, he met his girlfriend for lunch and she mentioned to him that she didn't think he should go. She had no reason either, just thought he shouldn't. He ignored both intuitions and decided to go anyway. Even when he got there, he decided to just watch and not participate. He even had envisioned going down the hill on a tube and crashing into a snow bank head first. He thought that vision was silly but still hadn't gone down the hill. Finally, at the end of their time there, one of his friends talked him to going just once before he went home so his trip wasn't a waste. He conceded and decided to do just one trip. You guessed it...he went head first into a snow bank and broke his neck.

Now, he healed from that trip and is fine today but I believe that is a story of true intuition. He had absolutely no reason or no emotion wrapped up in not going. He wasn't mad at the friends that were inviting him. He didn't have anything else planned. He loved the activity and had gone many times before. He couldn't explain why he was having that thought...but he had it. And when they had the first initial thoughts, they had no outcome wrapped up in their mind. They didn't necessarily SEE anything bad happening to him, they just had a "gut feeling" that he shouldn't go.

Now, to the other side of things, when you have a feeling about something and you start to get emotional (i.e. fearful, angry, jealous, sad, etc.), in my opinion, that is not a true intuition. Usually with these emotions comes a certain outcome that you can foresee happening (usually you don't want it to). The most important thing to remember about a fear based thought is that it almost always comes from a memory. What that means, is the only reason you feel fear or another emotion about it is that your subconscious or conscious is remembering something from your past--some kind of experience that you didn't enjoy. So, in summary about the fear based thought. Again, in my opinion, it is not a true intuition if you are remembering something from the past, are tied to an outcome or can visualize it, and if you have strong emotions about it.

A good example of this is a story I heard in my research about a woman who was very upset about her daughter going to a birthday party. There were six girls who were going to go out to all these different activities in their local area. There was supposed to be a storm that night and she was greatly worried about her daughter getting lost and the chaperoning parents not keeping her safe as well as the daughter getting in a car wreck because of a storm that was supposed to hit that night.

Now, some might call this "mother's intuition" (which by the way, I do believe in) but in my opinion, this was just fear. I have experienced this fear before and it gets stronger when it is someone that you are close to or have an innate sense to protect. More than likely, her thoughts were all based in memories or experiences that have happened to her or to others (i.e. stories of car accidents, or children getting abducted or lost). Because she was so emotional about this and also so wrapped up in the specific outcomes, I don't believe this was actually intuition.

The real reason I wanted to know about this is because too often I believe we are told to trust our gut but I wanted to clarify how accurate that gut really is and honestly, when I should or shouldn't trust it. If you gut is telling you something but it is based out being afraid of something that MIGHT happen and you are overcome with anxiety and strong emotions, I don't know if that is something you should necessarily trust. It isn't something to be ignored by any means either. I just believe that that kind of feeling should let you know that you have some old memories that need some healing and resolve. Once those old issues are healed, that scenario based fear will leave. However, if you are at peace and aren't tied to any outcome, you are just being in the moment and you receive an intuition, I strongly believe you should follow it with everything you have. I believe that is something bigger letting you know of what to be careful of OR what to chase for your happiness. I should clarify that MANY intuitions are about great and wonderful things waiting for us in our life as well.

Attraction Techniques (LOA) (Originally posted 2/19/09)

I have read a lot on the Laws of Attraction (even recently) and here is what a summary of what I know is.

The Law of Attraction basically says that whatever you think about is what you will get in your life. The “universe” or “God” or whatever you call it will comply with your thoughts…whether they are bad or good.
If you have the continual thought of “I don’t want to be sad anymore” , you will continue to “attract” things in your life to make you sad. EVEN though you say you DON’T want to…that doesn’t matter. What the law hears is your thoughts and your feelings and they are wrapped completely around sadness.

Here are some bullets of how to make the law of attraction work for you.

• Whatever you focus on, you will get. Even if you don’t want it. So, focus on the positive. Put all your focus on it. If you want to stop eating junk food….start focusing your mind on HEALTHY food. Focusing on “stopping” anything just keeps your actual mind and focus on the bad part of it and you will continue to attract things that you are focusing on.
• Visualize your outcome. Put yourself in the place of already having it. Keep that in your mind.
• Feel everything! You can’t just “think” positive, you have to actually feel it. FEEL like you already have the life you want and it will come to you.
• Let go of any attachment to what you want. This is a hard one but basically the things you HAVE to have or you are “attached” to are the ones that you have fear wrapped around. When it is a WANT or a NEED, then you are focusing on the fact that you don’t have it. You will just bring more of NOT having it into your life. You almost have to be playful or light about it. You have to be okay with your life the way it is and in that look at the things that you might want.
• State your intention or thing that you would like to have and then let it go. You really have to firmly trust that it is going to come. It is all about faith. When you do this, you give your subconscious a chance to start attracting it to you.
• Follow your intuition. As I have stated before, intuition can only be trusted when it is NOT based in fear. Therefore, if you get a weird nudge to do something, check a website, call someone….DO IT! That is the universe guiding you to what you want. If you get that same nudge but you can feel the fear behind it, that will lead the opposite way. Do NOT follow fear, it will only attract more and give you no peace in the end.
• Put aside doubt and just trust that you are doing the right thing. Build your confidence and follow your gut.
• Make things fun! The more joy and fun you have in your life ESPECIALLY surrounding your intention or wish for life…the easier and faster it will come to you. Thus, again…keeping the fear and pain and struggle out of it. I also read that a good way to lose fear about something is to find a way to laugh about it. Even exaggerate it SO much that it becomes almost laughable. One of the ones I use this on is when I am scared of being late. I can get myself pretty worked up at what the consequences might be. So, I imagine everyone bawling their eyes out and screaming at me at the top of their lungs that their world just can’t go on without me if I don’t show up on time for whatever….then I start laughing. Funny how we really think the world revolves around us! HA!
• “When you put too much need on a goal or intention, you actually push it away. Your desperation sends out a signal that “I don’t believe this is real” or “I might lose this if I don’t get it fast” and so forth. That unconscious signal is what the world responds to. It gums up the attraction process. It’s fear based. “ This one is from the words of Joe Vitale (expert on Laws of Attraction) It is more of the same from the bullets above.
• Realize that everything that keeps you from getting what you want is IN YOU. If you are having trouble with something, find out what your fear is and do everything you can to heal it and release it because IT is what is keeping you from what you want. Plain and simple. You attract everything to you to teach you the lessons in life that you haven’t learned yet. If you were without fear or angst on everything, you wouldn’t have anything to learn. When you are really at peace with what you want…REALLY at peace..you will get it or something even better at amazing speeds.
• This one is from Joe Vitale too….but I love the way he words it. Read it a couple of times. “The meaning that you give to an event is the belief that attracted it.”

So, there is a summary of my thoughts on Law of Attraction and how I try to use it. I have learned so much about it and have so many more thoughts in my head but that is a pretty good summary for now.

MIRRORS (Originally posted 2/17/09)

I have always heard and believed that people are put in your life for a reason. Yet, in the recent weeks, I have come to understand this on a deeper level.

I have begun to believe that as you attract everything and situation in your life, you actually attract people as well. The people that you enjoy and even the people that can frustrate you. I have seriously noticed in the past as I have been struggling or wrestling with something, a person seems to appear in my life that either has the same problem or has some insight that I never would have guessed. They are like a wonderful present to me.

In fact, I have always believed that if someone upsets you, you should take a hard look at yourself because they are actually a mirror for your faults. A large percentage of the time, if you can step back and analyze what is frustrating you about another person, you can usually see that trait in yourself. That is why it is so quick to upset you because your soul recognizes a form of it in you. However unhelpful that fact MAY seem, it is actually one of the most amazing benefits to us. That is why I believe they are there for a reason. Not to make it hard to be around them, but to show us what we have left to learn.

If we can realize that ALL people have something to teach us, all have some "gift" to give us, we would be able to heal a lot of our own problems. The neat thing about that is when you change yourself, they become people that you enjoy to be around because that trait no longer frustrates you once you fix it in yourself. Interesting…Huh?

When we have healed all of our limiting beliefs and fear in ourselves, we have nothing but love left to give. So, the folks in our lives that have hurt us or been "roadblocks" in our past are now the "mirrors" that are there to teach us to love ourselves…fully.