Right Brain / Left Brain

Use Everything You’ve Got

to Create a Great Life!

Patricia Garry & Francine Haydon

Illustrations by Pic Michel

visit  rightbrainleftbrainbook.com

Right Brain / Left Brain: Use Everything You’ve Got to Create a Great Life

Copyright © 2011 Patricia Garry and Francine Haydon

Illustrations Copyright © 2011 C. Pic Michel

All rights reserved.

No Portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, audio recordings, facsimiles, photocopying, or information storage and retrieval systems without explicit written permission from the author or publisher.

ISBN: 1477603212

ISBN-13: 9781477603215

Contents

Introduction

Getting Started — Let the Dream Begin

New Year's Spiritual Resolution:  Our Own Spiritual Growth

Strategies for Putting Ourselves at the Top of Our Own List

Find Your Fire

Know What You Want

Staying Nimble and Getting Ready for Change

Figuring Out What to Do — Creating a Plan

Meditation Time is Sacred Time

Choosing a Workshop or Seminar

Fear Factor

Make 98% Guidelines, Not 100% Rules

What Do You Value Most In Your Life?

Doing It, Prioritizing, Staying Focused

Journaling for Personal and World Peace

Don’t Make the Perfect the Enemy of the Good

How to Take Risks

Staying Open to New Ideas

Re-Examining Your Previous Decisions

Celebrating Your Growth

How to Handle Everything Going Well

How to Handle Endings

Looking Back at How You’ve Grown

Just Do It!

Feeling Free – and Being Part of the Change

Dedication

From Both of Us

Thanks and blessings to Whole Living Journal Publisher Tara Robinson for her enthusiastic support of our columns and this book!  And to Kathy Ossege Martin, WLJ founder, for her strength and courage in starting the magazine.

Thanks and blessings also to our illustrator and book designer, the wonderful Pic Michel.  What a pleasure to bear witness to her creative right and left brains in action.

From Patricia

Many thanks to my family, friends, students and clients – my best teachers and supporters!  We are all opening and growing together.

From Francine

Merci beaucoup to my husband, daughter and friends (right-brained and left-brained) for allowing me to pursue the life of my dreams and for all of your loving support – especially to my astrologers who kept asking, “So…have you written that book yet?”

Introduction

We are both spiritual people who are also practical people.  It takes both – the yin and yang – to create the dreams to follow and the means to manifest them.  In other words, it is important for each of us to use our intuitive right brain and our logical left brain to draft our master plan and then take the steps to make it happen.  Know and accept that you are intuitive.  Use your right brain to find your inspiration and to help you think outside the box of current realities and should-do’s.  Explore the possibilities.  They are endless.  Go where only your mind can take you.

Once you’ve found a dream that lights your fire, use your left brain to create the practical steps to bring it to fruition.  Make it happen.  Allow the dream to unfold and become reality.  Then pursue the next dream, and the next.  As one of our mentors says, “Make life a quest, not a test.”  Enjoy the journey.

In addition to writing, we also love Reiki energy healing and other healing energy modalities.  Our beloved and transformational Tarot cards provide immediate help and assistance.  We try to access every means we can to stay in touch with the Universe and with the real challenges and concerns of those we meet.

We have found, in talking to and listening to each other, and in working with clients and students, that love and acceptance are the first requirements for shifting our lives.  We feel that everything in life must come from a place of love and honoring self and others.  And that being clear, direct and focused on the present situation is the best way to support growth and change for others – and for ourselves.  Be in the present, plan for the future, learn from the past.  We do our best to walk the talk and practice the concepts that are revealed to us through meditation, example and inspiration from those here on earth and beyond.

Our Whole Living Journal columns have grown out of our many conversations and experiences.  Founded in practicality, filled with do-able ideas, and meant to lead us step-by-step, we have adapted our columns into a book that can assist / hang out with you each day.  You can flip the book open at random, trusting the Universe to make the right suggestion.  Or you can pick out a section or a column that speaks to where you are in life right now.  The key is to trust and allow.  Trust the information that comes to you and allow the Universe to help you manifest your heart’s desire.  Intent is everything.

And take the time to let your mind play with the fun, spot-on and happy illustrations by the wonderful Pic Michel.  We love them and know that you will, too.

Patricia Garry and Francine Haydon

November, 2011

Are you ready?

Getting Started — Let the Dream Begin

Questions:  What gets you excited?  What ignites your inner fire?  What do you want your life to be like?  Where’s the most fun?  What does living in joy look like to you?

Answers:  In the the very beginning, simple things like thinking, meditating, focusing, making lists or taking walks will get your intuition and logic, your right and left brains activated and engaged in the process.

New Year's Spiritual Resolution: Our Own Spiritual Growth

Happy New Year!  What?  It may not be New Year’s Eve when you’re getting started?  Great!  Every year, many of us make up a list of New Year’s resolutions of the things that we are going to do. There’s no reason to wait! Right now is a wonderful time to reflect on our lives, what we’ve done, how we’ve progressed and what we still want to accomplish.  So Happy New Year right now!

While we’re changing up when New Year’s resolutions can happen, let’s also take a look at what we take the time to consider.   Unfortunately, some people tend to neglect the spiritual aspect of life and choose instead to dwell on the physical and emotional.  It is important to include your spiritual resolutions for the year, too, because all three aspects work together to help you manifest the goals and accomplishments of your life.  First, you must think good thoughts.  Next, you need to speak them with emotion and put them out to Spirit, to the Universe, and trust that they will be taken care of.  Lastly, you should act as if your goal has already been achieved.  Of course, you need to do your part and be proactive, but Spirit will handle the rest.

We are in a time of great changes, not doom and gloom, but a time of opportunity to learn and grow.  It is also a time of great spiritual awakening – the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.  The Age of Pisces, the fish, is ending and we must open our spiritual minds to all of the wonderful things to come.  Embrace the changes, for change is good.  Look to Spirit, your guides and guardian angels for guidance and comfort.

What is drawing you spiritually right now?  Do you feel you need more time for meditation?  (We’re sure the Dalai Lama feels he doesn’t spend enough time meditating either, so we can relax about this a little bit.)  Are you committed to spending the 5 minutes a day visualizing what you want the Universe to bring into your life?  Have you wanted to take Tarot lessons for several years now, and just not managed to make time for it?  Maybe there’s a book that you’ve been meaning to read...you might just make a commitment to read something from this book each day to stay focused.

Right now, just take the long view - that you will have what you need to get there, and all you need to do right now is make your list.  Then look at it.  It’s a perfectly reasonable list, isn’t it?  Nothing outlandish on there, nothing that will totally deplete the bank account.  And your family will be happier as you are more relaxed and peaceful, more intuitive, less anxious (all results of meditation and spiritual practice).

You don’t have to figure out exactly how far on your spiritual path you want to get with these resolutions - you just have to point yourself in the right direction, take steps as big or small as you like, and don’t quit moving.

We’re all right there with you - focusing on our own spiritual growth, knowing that as one of us gets better, so do the rest.  It’s going to be a great year, whenever you’re starting.

Strategies for Putting Ourselves at the Top of Our Own List

Is taking care of self a negative concept?  As long as you intend for the things you do to be for your highest good and those around you and to hurt no one else, is it wrong to concentrate on your own well being?  Why do people often feel guilty if they do not sacrifice their own happiness, health or finances for others?  Sometimes it is done out of habit or an ingrained social or family pattern, not by choice.  Some have forgotten that they need to take care of themselves so that they can help others.  Choose consciously.  Be joyful and optimistic.  Eat and exercise moderately.  Live within your means.  Donate your time, expertise and money because you want to.

As the flight attendants say, “If the cabin loses air pressure, an oxygen mask will drop out of the panel above your seat.  Place the mask on yourself first, before attempting to place a mask on your children or others.”  If you can’t breathe and lose consciousness, you will not be able to help anyone else.  This principle applies to everyday life.  You must take time for yourself each and every day, even if it is just a 5-minute power nap or call to a friend, 10 minutes to meditate, 15 minutes to jog around the block, 20 minutes to read an interesting article or 30 minutes for a nice relaxing bubble bath.  Your mind and body require rest and rejuvenation, which only you can provide.

There are other ways to look at this idea of putting ourselves at the top of our own priority lists, too.  You are, after all, a child of the Universe, and are as deserving as everyone else is.  The happier ,more relaxed, healthier you are creates happiness in your family, your work mates, your friends.  Feeling good enough to grin at all those other folk on the bus brightens each of them up as well.

Other folk may think it’s your job to take care of them - but it may not be, unless they are very small children.  Check out how you feel about encouraging your older kids to take more responsibility.  And consider in advance how you would feel about simply letting that last task of the day go undone.  If your friends have gotten used to you picking up the slack, perhaps you should give them some practice in organizing outings themselves.

Think what you could do with all this time you’re not giving away.  You might just sit - call it a breathing meditation.  You might put on your favorite music, pull out that canvas that’s been waiting for you to add paint, and see what your inner self presents to you as a painting topic.  You might brush your children’s hair 100 strokes.  Or your own.  This can be part of your daily practice of becoming a human be-ing, taking a little break from your ever active human do-ing.  Good luck!

Find Your Fire

If you could wake up tomorrow and be doing exactly what you’ve always hoped and dreamed of (without any limitations as to money, education, obligations and the like), what would you be doing?  Hopefully, you know.  It is this knowledge, this inner knowing, which fuels the fire of manifestation.  It is important to find and ignite the fire within to become your true self in all your glory.

Fire is passion, confidence and pursuit of purpose.  It is your passion for life, your career, your relationships and humanity.  Remember, it all begins with you – one voice, one vote, one cure, one invention - all creativity begins with you.  As a human being, you are gifted with free will.  You have the right to make your own choices.  You can choose to be pro-active or reactive to situations in life.  Only you can make yourself happy, because you are the only person who really knows what brings you happiness.

If you do not select your course of action, you tend to leave your fate to others and meander through life.  However, if you are pro-active and take steps to bring about your passion, you become motivated to be a contributor and catalyst to turn your hopes into reality.  Your thoughts, words and actions fuel the fire to make your dreams come true.

Behave as if your goals have already been achieved.  Speak and act in the present.  Be confident, outspoken and go for what is important to you in life.  Find your fire.  Thinking usually doesn’t help.  Instead, pay attention to what makes you smile, what makes you feel energized, what makes you pick up the phone or the pen or the shovel and get moving.  There’s where your passion is.

You’ve just noticed that volunteering at the childcare center gives you more energy than it costs you.  And you’re smiling while you’re there.  Or maybe you just picked up a brush and started a new painting on an old canvas.  Suddenly it’s 4 hours later.  Those are passion indicators.

Now that you can see that little flicker of fire, pay attention and fan the flame.  Arrange to talk to the childcare director to see how you can spend more time there, maybe work on tutoring, maybe cuddle the babies.  Google childcare to find out more of what it will take to make your wildest dreams of working with kids come true.

Make a trip to a craft store and give yourself a present of $50 to blow on whatever catches your fancy.  Make it all play, not work.  Try something new and silly.

Lots of us want to have a complete plan, see the final product in our minds, before we make a move.  We forget that the Universe will help us step by step.  So we end up turning 70 and not having done what we’ve always been drawn to do.  That’s no fun.  To have no regrets later, start to play with your own personal fire right now!

Know What You Want

That old rock song reminds us that even when we can’t get what we want, we might find we do get what we need.  That may be true in some cases and isn’t all bad in theory.  But most of the time you actually have to know what you want in order to manifest it.  You cannot just go tacking throughout life expecting to haphazardly connect with your life’s purpose, partner or perfect career.  It requires some work, some conscious effort on your part.

This is where the law of attraction comes into play.  The law of attraction says that like attracts like.  It is a simple concept.  Think of a piece of iron being drawn to a magnet.  In order for something to be drawn or attracted to you, you must first create a thought or intent of a similar nature.  The rest will follow.

As the multitude of self-help books on the power of positive thinking teach, you can attract good health, power, abundance, and a perfect partner or relationship among other things by knowing what you want.  Contributing authors stress that it is important to remove all negative thoughts from your mind and instead concentrate on the positive attributes of what you want to bring into your life.  And, when you get what you ask for, don’t forget to say thanks to All That Is/ the Universe/ Your Higher Self.

Since most of us humans are very visual creatures, one of the best senses to bring into play for manifestation is seeing.  In this case, you’ll be seeing through visualization, imagining the scene you want to be living.  Picture the future as you want to see it in great detail - the sunshine, the time of day, the people around you, the beach chairs.  Picture what you’re wearing, see that big smile on your face.

You can also make a treasure map or a drawing of the scene.  Some of us like to put these on our inside closet door - anywhere you can see it often, look at it with a smile and blessing, without the entire world sharing.

Bring your other senses into play as well.  How will it smell where you are when your dreams are coming true?  An ocean breeze?  A candlelit dinner?  Hot cinnamon buns?

One of the most powerful ways to manifest is to attach strong emotions to your scene.  Feel those facial muscles curled up in a big grin.  Feel how relaxed you are - no tension in your body anywhere.  With practice, you can use those body cues to bring up the emotions you want to focus on the scene you’re ready to manifest, whether by visualizing or using a treasure map - or both.

And if you’re not sure yet exactly what you’re ready to manifest - just picture yourself relaxed and happy, confident that all is turning out just as it should.

Staying Nimble and Getting Ready for Change

As the rhyme says, “Jack be nimble.  Jack be quick.  Jack jump over the candlestick.”  In everyday life, it is important to be prepared and to be open to the opportunities coming your way.  More than ever, we must remain flexible and seek the next steps that will help us move forward in our endeavors in all realms – physical, emotional and spiritual.  Do not think that you might get burned.  Instead, imagine how wonderful things may be on the other side of the candlestick.  But how do we do that?

For many, they feel that their plate is already full, that they can’t take on “one more thing”.  Life has gotten extremely busy, but is that busy-ness fulfilling?  Don’t just go through the motions.  Daily routine – the dreaded “same old” – can be disastrous if you do not allow for the possibility of change.  Be careful not to close the doors of opportunity.  Retain that bounce in your step, that curiosity of “what if” and that sense of wonder that is so evident and wonderful to see in children.

By staying nimble, you can take advantage of possibilities that may truly enlighten you and move you forward on your path.  You can spring into action when the winds of change blow your way.  You will be ready, willing and able to take on the task at hand.  It may not be easy, but you will be better able to handle whatever comes your way and have a more receptive, positive outlook about the change at hand.

A possibility for you to muse on: that full plate probably has a lot of things on it that you didn’t choose.  Maybe you took something on because no one else would, or because you could do it better.  Maybe – just maybe – it doesn’t have to be done as perfectly as you would do it.  Maybe it doesn’t have to be done at all.

Following your own energy is a great strategy for heading into change.  What pulls your attention?  A mention of organic gardening?  A fundraiser for children?  Maybe the cover of a book, or a friend’s deep sigh.  Trust those energy alerts as intuitive nudges to get you started in a new direction.

How about deliberately adding something new to “same old”?  You always serve ice cream and cake at birthday parties – how about baked Alaska?  Or a piñata full of treats, whether for kids or adults.  Intentionally changing the details can give you a whole new picture, can open up life in a brand new way.

The current wonderful cupcake craze no doubt began because someone had just such a thought – and then took a step.  With her friends raving about how great the cupcakes are, that wonderful person took another step and now has a fun business.  She didn’t give a thing up, or rant about how busy she was.  She just took a step.

It is truly just that simple.  Trust yourself, trust your own energy.  Affirm to yourself that change is welcome, new ways are fun, opportunities are good.  That way, you’ll be ready to listen when change comes knocking!

Figuring Out What to Do — Creating a Plan

Questions:  What are the steps to get there?  What are the choices?  What’s your first small step?  Then what?

Answers:  Just pick a small step to start – a class maybe or perhaps a change in your routine, like adding 5 minutes for meditation each day.  If you fall off the meditation wagon, don’t panic - stay flexible.  Try a different small step.  What would your other Self do?

Meditation Time is Sacred Time

Just breathe…relax…let your mind clear and your body become calm.  Meditation is actually very simple.  However, many people say that they want to meditate, but that they just can’t.  Some think that they cannot quiet their minds.  Others say that they do not have the time.  But everything comes down to choices.  Each of us must choose to take time to just “be”.  Our minds and bodies need down time to regenerate and rejuvenate.

We put doctor, dentist and hairdresser appointments in our calendars and would not think of missing them.  It is simply a matter of choosing to make an appointment with yourself.  You deserve it!  Your health and well being is important.  Take the time and effort to take care of yourself.  A few minutes a day is all that you need.

If you are an active person, you could do a mindfulness meditation.  To do this, you concentrate on one action at a time, such as I’m lifting my right foot, I’m stepping on the pavement, now I’m lifting my left foot, etc.  The idea is to keep your conscious, left brain occupied so that your subconscious is free to be.  Alternatively, if you live a very hectic life, you may prefer a quiet, relaxing meditation.  Pick a place where you will be comfortable and not interrupted.  You might want to put on some soft music, light a candle or even burn some incense – anything that helps you get to your sacred place.

Maybe a routine works for you - a set time early in the morning, or an afternoon break.  If you’re sitting and facing your computer at the office, no one knows if you’re working or meditating.  Five minutes of that can be a real help in problem solving and re-grouping.

The famous lotus position is not required, nor a special mat nor pillow.  Nothing at all is needed but your wonderful self.  Just lying down on the floor, perhaps where the sun is shining through the window - or maybe the full moon - is enough.  Your brain will try to keep skipping around.  Don’t worry about that - just let it go.

You could focus on beauty, or love.  You could do a body scan, to check out your physical self.  Check out your toes, noticing how they feel, and work your way up.  You could do nothing but count your breaths - up to 10, over and over.  A walk where you pay attention to what you hear and see - just accepting it - can be a great meditation.  When thoughts pop in, just notice them.  No big deal.

A few minutes of separation, of detachment, provides a wonderful feeling of space and brand new energy.  And you’ll feel like you’ve got more time than you thought you had.   Remember - prayer is when you’re talking to the Universe / God / Goddess / All That Is.  Meditation is when you’re listening.  There’s always time for that.

Choosing a Workshop or Seminar

Should I study intuitive development or Reiki? How can I know which subject is best for me?  What should I do?

Many of us are now feeling a sense of urgency and an internal call to more fully develop our spirituality. Some want to know how to better help the planet and the environment; while others sense a greater need to be of service to humankind and/or to better understand one’s own life purpose. When questions arise, we seek answers from those who may better understand the concept or be able to help us gain knowledge and tools to become more enlightened.

By choosing the right workshop or seminar, the results can be illuminating, even life altering. But consider this thought – whatever you choose to study is right. Right for you at this moment in your life for the answers you are seeking. Every person we meet or experience we have helps us along our life path.

If you are suddenly piqued with curiosity about Reiki and a flyer on a Level I workshop next month catches your eye, then it is time to sign up for a Reiki class. If your dreams start appearing in technicolor and coming true, then you may want to study dream interpretation or intuitive development. Choose the subjects, workshops and teachers that resonate with you. The right subject and person to teach it will come to you when the time is right. Life is about choices and taking risks. Trust your instincts.

If you’ve done too much thinking about those choices, and your intuition is no longer clear, you can use spiritual techniques to clarify the issues. A pendulum – great for yes / no answers – is simple and useful.

Anything with a weight on it can be a pendulum – a necklace with a pendant, a charm bracelet. At the office, a rubberband with a heavy paper clip will do just fine. Ask the pendulum to show you which direction means yes, then ask if it wants to work with you. When it says yes, ask your question – like ‘Is this the right seminar for me?” When you get the yes, don’t look back and start your questions over again.

Divination and Tarot cards can be used, too. First decide that even numbers mean yes and odd numbers mean no (or vice versa), and pick a card from the deck. Let the Universe be in charge of the rest. You can simply close your eyes and see the words yes and no in your mind. Watch to see which word is darkest, which one comes forward, which one is biggest. Whatever stands out is your answer.

What you’re doing with these techniques is allowing your right brain to have more input into those decisions, and not just weighing all the negative information your left brain is often so happy to bring forward. When you’ve gotten your answer, no more worries – Just Do It!

Fear Factor

We are in the middle of widespread and rapid change now, both globallly and individually.  Right now, this very minute, we have a chance to set a new course and the means to achieve it in a confident and determined way.  Now is the time to ignite the fire within, take action and follow our dreams and visions of what we want life to be like.  We need to look at the things, people and events going on in our life to truly see what should be cast aside, revamped and/or built anew going forward.

However, many are fearful of change, any change, and are much more comfortable with the same old routine.  For some, living with the known evils is better than tackling the unknown.  How sad.  Others want to collect all of the facts first and analyze things to death.  These people are prone to “analysis paralysis”.  Every time they start to make a decision, the “what if’s” strike.  They feel like they never have enough information to make the correct decision.

Do not let the fear factor stop you.  Use that energy, your inner fire, to motivate you to meet and conquer the challenges thrown your way.  That is what life is all about.  We come to earth to be challenged so that we can learn and grow.  Do not be afraid to fail.  Accept the challenges and learn from each experience.

And what are some spiritual techniques we can draw on to keep ourselves from this paralysis?

1) When your brain begins to put up worst case scenarios on your mental screens, just deliberately give your mind something new to think about.  Instead of focusing on how bad your meeting with your boss will be,  put  your  mind  toward planning  that  family gathering instead.  You can still worry and fuss about remembering to bring the camera – or  you can think about the fun you’ll be having – but in any case you won’t be imprinting images of being laid off on your brain cells.

2) Give your body something else to do.  At work, maybe you can clean out those files from 2002.  At home, you can go pull weeds in the garden - or begin to tackle just one corner of that stuffed garage - or maybe call a friend to take a walk.

3) Bring your spiritual self to the work of conquering fear.  A simple meditation, counting the breath, can change your focus quickly.  Slow down your breathing - long slow breaths work best, whether you feel that way or not right this minute.  Count each breath up to ten.  Then start over.  Not thinking, just counting.   Just sitting there and counting.  Aaahhh - feel better?

Love yourself through your fear, and when you are using these techniques.  Remind yourself lovingly that you are doing the very best you can right this minute.  Which is true.  And don’t forget to smile - at yourself and everyone else.

Make 98% Guidelines, Not 100% Rules

“Because I said so… Now, just listen to me… You must do it this way…”  How do you feel when these words are spoken to you?  Most take offense when someone else tells us that we have to do something a particular way or their way without even allowing for our input.  We may respect the other person’s knowledge, but would like the opportunity to digest the information and come to the conclusion ourselves.  Besides, aren’t individuality and diverse viewpoints what make the world go round?

As human beings, we have free will every moment of every day.  We can pick and choose our course, right or wrong, because we were born with that option.  However, to fully function in a particular society, we are taught that we need to adhere to certain rules and mores under the assumption that a majority of those involved feel that these rules are for the good of all.  As individuals, we must then determine if these rules are something we can live with and abide by.  Do they allow creativity and the free flow of ideas that I need?  Can I be true to my beliefs, my hopes and my dreams?

We must also create our own personal guidelines.  We call these guidelines, not rules, because this allows for flexibility, change and growth.  Circumstances change, we change and we need to be able to know that this is alright.  We were born in this body, this lifetime, so that we can be challenged and learn and grow.  We hope to learn from our mistakes and become smarter, stronger and more determined to succeed.

“You never step in the same stream twice” is an ancient Oriental saying.  And it’s true.  By the time you put your foot down again, every molecule of water has changed totally, and some miniscule bit of rock has been worn away forever.  That’s why guidelines make more sense.

You turn the same corner every morning, and one morning, you just go the other way to your office.  You’ll see something new, encounter the unexpected, find a different place to have coffee.  Your day will shift. Trusting that shift, being always ready for change, builds your intuitive abilities.

Staying in the same pattern, the same habit, means that we look at the street and see what we expect to see.  We don’t notice the new benches or the new restaurant.  We don’t see the woman having difficulty crossing the street when we’re totally focused on our own journey.  So we miss information, we miss opportunities to grow.

The other reason for guidelines and not rules is that rigidity is the enemy of creativity.  Knowing that there is only one way to accomplish a task means that you will never invent the new way – or see the many possible alternatives.  And you’ll miss the fun of working out a new idea.  Staying open, staying flexible, with guidelines, not rules, keeps us safe, joyful, happy, ready for the next great opportunity.  And it might be just around that unturned corner.  Go for it!

What Do You Value Most In Your Life?

As children, we often dream of what we want to be when we grow up and even pretend as if we are that person by dressing up and acting out various scenarios.  We are told that “the sky’s the limit” and, hopefully, are encouraged to pursue our dreams.  We are full of potential and have the rest of our lives to develop into what we want to be.  We have choices.

However, as we mature, sometimes we allow external influences, such as peer pressure or parental and societal expectations, to re-shape, delay or even destroy our dreams.  Do not let this happen.  Reality does not have to equal destruction of hopes, dreams and visions.  Life is a matter of personal choices, prioritizing and being committed to achieving those dreams.

You must determine what is important to you…what do you value in life?  Once you have pinpointed these items (people, career, hobbies or anything else that you hold dear to your heart), you must do whatever is necessary to pursue them.  Be willing to fight to achieve them.

How many times have you heard hardworking, ambitious parents bemoan the fact that they are missing their children’s most important life experiences – a piano solo in a recital, the hit that scored the winning home run or baby’s first words or steps?  What is important to you – making a few extra dollars or experiencing the joy of seeing your child’s face because you are there to support them?  Choose what you value most.

And how do you know what that is?  By paying attention to what gives you energy, and what takes away your energy.  You feel  energized when you think about the farmers market in your neighborhood – those great veggies, that wonderful bread.  Then your Saturday list of must-dos rears its head, and you deflate.  Understanding clearly that the farmers market feeds your energy, you problem solve your must-do list.  After all – you made the list.  And it may well be full of other peoples’ priorities.  Plus you might find some of that list stuff from other vendors at the market – interesting clothes, homemade soap.

Then there’s the neighborhood meeting to work on a project.  But the thought of it is lowering your energy.  You start to fuss at yourself for not doing your part.  Think about this – if it were really your part, your intuition would be pushing your energy up.  Tell the chair that you’ll be glad to make the phone calls, but you can’t make the meeting – it’s that important soccer game.  Or perhaps you’re ready to say ‘I have a project of my own to work on, and I can’t commit to anything else right now.’

After all, raising a healthy, beautiful family, if that’s where you are in life, and seeing to your own personal growth and joy is the work of your lifetime.  You are important.  And so are your life choices.

Doing It, Prioritizing, Staying Focused

Questions:  What strategies work to keep you motivated - Deadlines?  Rewards?  Do you need to tweak your goals?  Are you being flexible?  Are you truly listening to your Inner Self?

Answers:  Know and appreciate your own style of getting things done.  Stretch outside your comfort zone.  Take a risk.  But hold back on the self-criticism – that never works.  Instead of ‘put downs’, try some ‘put ups’ instead!  Look at the steps you’ve taken and the progress you’ve made.  It’s all good.

Journaling for Personal and World Peace

When we put our feelings and philosophies about world and personal peace into writing it may be bound in a book, or sent out through song lyrics for us to ponder and act upon, as John Lennon did when he gave us Imagine.  Songwriting was his form of journaling.

Everyone has their own way.  By journaling – by putting your thoughts, hopes and dreams in writing on a page or on your computer - you give them substance.  The Buddha said, “We are our thoughts, with our thoughts we shape the world”, so when you express your thoughts, take care with the words you choose.  You do not have to be Leo Tolstoy, Walt Whitman (all of whom wrote about peace) or some other famous writer.  In fact, you do not need to write in full sentences or even spell correctly.  Let the thoughts flow.  The important thing is to get the ideas out of your head and onto the page.

Journaling is a tool to help you record and remember those thoughts.  It also aides in establishing connections between the subconscious realm and the conscious world.  Through journaling, you can bring peace to your inner world.  We can only offer what we have to give.  Give yourself peace, and extend it to the world.

One fun thing to do is choose a beautiful journal.  Book stores and stationery stores have lots of wonderful choices.  Or make one yourself – a piece of cardstock, a few markers – a few strokes produce a simple flower – or make it a masterpiece (though don’t wait to have it done first, before you start to write) and you have a cover for any given scratch pad.

And then there’s the question of a fabulous pen.  It can be a Bic when you begin, but next time you’re shopping, we’ll bet you can find a writing implement in your favorite color(s).  Or use a pencil.  Or a computer keyboard.  Maybe calligraphy?

Steal away from the family for a few minutes of quiet time.  Maybe you can get up 15 minutes early.  Or slip into the bathroom and lock the door.  Maybe you have a friendly tree in the yard or a nearby park you can sit under while the kids play on the swing set.

Just a few minutes, just a few words a day – to take your own emotional temperature, focus on your own feelings, choose one small thing to do that will make you feel more peaceful.  And when you read, a month or so later, what you’ve written – you’ll be able to trace your own growth.  And you’ll know you’re truly on the journey, moving toward peace.

Don’t Make the Perfect the Enemy of the Good

One of the most important traits that separate humankind from other living species is “free will”, the ability to make our own decisions each and every moment of the day.  Another equally important trait is each person’s uniqueness.

Each of us is perfect in our own right, but unfortunately societal programming has often negated that principal.  Instead, we are told to strive to be perfect – to be the perfect sibling, parent, spouse, student, employee, housekeeper and everything else.  We put unnecessary and often unbelievable pressure on ourselves to be and do everything just right, which only ends up costing us a great deal of time, enjoyment and living.

Why postpone life?  Instead, we should be living and loving it.  Life is meant to be an exploration, a learning experience, not an achievement of perfection.  Learn to live in the present.  Invite family and friends over – even if your house isn’t perfectly clean.  (Anyone who would give your dusty shelf the white glove treatment isn’t really a friend.)  Plan now to take that vacation that you have always dreamed of – don’t put it off until you retire.  If you want a more satisfying and better paying career, do what is necessary to start the process.  Register for the necessary course work or degree.  If you are using lack of funds as the stumbling block in the way, find ways around it.  Look for scholarships or internships.  As the old adage says, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”  Enjoy the journey!  And especially in your spiritual practice - don’t even think about perfection.  There’s a reason the Dalai Lama calls what he does meditation practice.  It’s what we all do every time we sit down, or lie down (or walk or paint a wall) to meditate.  We practice letting go of our busy monkey minds.  We practice listening to the thoughts of the Universe coming back to us.  When we’re listening to the emptiness of all-that-is, we are approaching perfection just with our quietness.  But what we want to do is listen, rest, be - not work on perfection.

We are indeed perfect in our uniqueness.  Each meditator, each Tarot card reader, each Reiki healer, after learning the basics, will develop her and his own particular ways of entering the quiet in meditation, working with the cards and understanding the messages, placing the hands during a healing session.  The outcome of all these practices is the same - greater peace, greater understanding, much less stress.  But the way each one of us gets there is uniquely and specifically our own.

The Universe is filled with infinite combinations of diverse possibilities.  The potential to achieve these is what being human is all about -- being our Selves moment-to-moment in the fullness of all the possibilities we carry within us.  That is the good work we are here to do.

How to Take Risks

The dictionary defines risk as the potential harm or injury that can be caused by someone or something.  Risk represents a perceived danger or peril, but one which often offers thrills and challenges as well as substantial rewards if one is successful in their efforts.  Several old adages deal with this topic, such as “nothing ventured, nothing gained” or “life is too short to play it safe”.  These sayings stuck around through the ages because they are true.

Without risk takers, the world would be a very dull, non-evolved and uninspired place.  We wouldn’t have maps of the world, electricity, fly in airplanes or have cures for a multitude of diseases.  We would still be in the Stone Age or Dark Ages.  Fortunately, many people overcame their fear of falling off the edge of the flat world, being struck by lightning or dying from the disease they were trying to cure because the outcome far outweighed the risk.  You can do it, too!

Some people thrive on the thrill of diving right in to see what will happen.  They like not knowing all the facts and what if’s.  The unknown factors inspire their courage.

Others do their research, compare the potential outcome versus the perils involved and then take calculated risks.  This is what most scientists and business people do.  But when it comes right down to it, even they have to take that final plunge and just do it.

And, of course, we’re talking about spiritual risk here.  Taking the risk of actually trying the techniques and concepts in all those books you’ve been reading, all those seminars and workshops you’ve been attending.

You know you’ve always been a little bit intuitive, and lately you think you are getting more so.  You just know when the kids are coming home late, and then you get the phone call confirming it.   Pretty scary sometimes?  Only because you’ve been taught it’s not normal to be intuitive.  When it actually is very normal.  So sign up for that class, take that interactive online test - or simply don’t answer the phone until you relax and let your intuition tell you who it is.  Spiritual risk taking at an easy level.  And don’t forget to say thanks when you get the right answer.

A higher level?  Meditation will change your life - that’s the scary part.  Take the risk of actually meditating every day for 10 minutes, any method you choose.  Check your calendar after 30 days - and evaluate what has happened as a result of your actually committing to change.  You will be amazed.

Affirmations work - when we actually take the risk of saying them over and over and over.  Visualizations - 5 minutes a day - are major life changers - when we finally give up being afraid of those changes we say we want.

Don’t spend your time on psychological digging into why you don’t do what you know will work for you.  Quit thinking about it.   Risk involves taking action, tackling the challenges and following your dreams.  Choose life – take the risk.

Staying Open to New Ideas

What is new and different in your life?  Do you intentionally seek it out?  You should.  Discussing new ideas, learning new activities, visiting new places and meeting new people stimulates the mind.  It helps your brain develop new neuro-pathways and your body add information to its cell memories.

Exploring new ideas can actually help you live longer and be healthier.  Develop a zest for life and all it has to offer.  As a friend says, “Make life a quest, not a test.”  It keeps life exciting!  Wouldn’t it be better to wake up every morning eager with anticipation, rather than dreading that same old routine?  Of course, it would.  All it takes is a little practice and intention.

Before you go to sleep at night, set your intention to wake up tomorrow morning and try something new – like getting up to see the beautiful sunrise, listening to smooth jazz instead of the morning news or drinking fresh squeezed orange juice instead of coffee or soda.  See how you feel.  Pay particular attention to any different mood changes or feelings in your body.

Next, you may want to leave a bit early to try a more leisurely, scenic drive into work so that you avoid all of the possible stressors of the “morning rush hour”.

Make a conscious effort not to get stuck doing the “same old thing.”  Routine is just that – doing the same thing over and over again.  Break out of the rut.  Be open to new ideas and truly live life.  In this rapidly changing world, with a new worry and what feels like a new disaster each moment, being ready to look with new eyes at each situation is important.  Consider the beauty to be found in these moments – the Japanese assisting each other, staying calm, not looting, even though food shortages quickly became part of the situation after the natural and man-made upheavals there.

In the Middle East, the protests, the wars and civil wars, the despots fighting back, are all releasing the long-trapped energy and leadership abilities of the people.  Women are rightly taking their place on the protest lines and in the discussions, even in the face of harassment, sometimes from their own co-protestors.

History seems compressed, huge changes emerging in weeks, not years.  We need not react to these changes with fear.  We can rejoice with whole populations finding freedom, while we stay calm and look at the lessons to be learned in each situation.  These peoples whom we thought were so different from us, so ‘other’, turn out to want what we want, to care about each other, to be tenacious in pursuit of their dreams – and to know they need to clean up after the fight is won.

Stability returns, the earth quiets after chaos.  New ideas are popping out all over this earth.  Let’s celebrate and be glad – and encourage our own new ideas, as well.

Re-Examining Your Previous Decisions

Uh, oh - the “would have, should have, could have” thoughts may be about to flood your mind.  We often contemplate what we have achieved so far in life, as well as that huge list of items we still have left to do.  For many, that “still to do” list can seem overwhelming.  People end up theoretically wishing away months at a time, and often experience a certain desperation that they can’t get it all done.

Why do we always try to cram more into our already busy lives?  In this hurry-up, multi-tasking world, why must we do more than ever – especially more than the previous year?  We don’t.  Actually, this an excellent time to re-examine our priorities and determine just what is important to us now and going forward.

The key questions to ask yourself are:  1) Am I happy with my life?  2) What incremental steps can I proactively take right now to make myself happy?  [Notice the word proactive – you are not a victim.  You must be an active participant and contributor to your life plan.]  And, 3) What do I have or need to give up to make it happen?  Then let the law of attraction and the law of allowance help you manifest your goals.

One way to get your plan together and get the Universe working for you is to look at your old priorities and decisions.  And one way to find out your priorities is to look at your calendar.  Do you say you want to spend more relaxed and unhurried time with family, but you see night after night of meetings on your calendar?  Is spending time by and on yourself what you are needing, but the weekends are all soccer games for your kids and getting the laundry done?

Have you talked about taking a class or two at your local college or from the Whole Living Journal’s listings, but haven’t found the time?

Your life doesn’t have to be yes or no choices – there’s a whole range of options.  And consider that things are always changing.  The kids are older now.  There might be other leaders in that community group you support.  And you might have a new side of yourself you’re ready to explore.

As you make your plan, consider how you / your energy level feels when you think about what you’re currently spending time on.  Maybe some of your obligations are no longer serving you – maybe they take more energy than they give.  Does that activity bring you joy?  And consider balance – maybe 2 soccer games rather than 4, maybe the rest of the family can do laundry, maybe one night meeting a week balanced by a class that feeds your soul.  Set your intention, take a step – and you’ll find out how easily the Universe will support your new self.

Celebrating Your Growth

Questions:  How are you going to celebrate your successes?  How are you going to pat yourself on the back?  A party, perhaps?  After that, ask yourself and your Inner Self: What worked?   What didn’t?  What’s next?

Answers:  Make a list of your milestones, put the list up on the fridge and Facebook your achievements so all your friends can tell you how wonderful you are!  Maybe a special present – a weekend retreat or a dinner at that new restaurant – would be a great reward.  After that, remember: Growth never stops!  Spiral up and begin again!

How to Handle Everything Going Well

“Wow!  What a perfect day!  Everything went so smoothly and easily.  Oh yeah, life is good.”  Can you remember the last time that you said something like this?  For some of us, it was yesterday.  We love to celebrate the good things in life, no matter how simple or small they may seem.  We see the cup of life as being half full and filling, even to the point of overflowing.  We expect life to go well.  Why would we expect anything less?  We believe and live the law of attraction.  If we believe things will go well, they do.  And when they do, we give thanks and continue the cycle!

Others may have difficulty even imagining that life can go well, much less say it.  They were taught to be judgmental and critical of themselves and others – nothing is ever perfect enough or even if things are going as they should, any moment something will happen to ruin things.  They see the cup as half empty and waiting to spill.

As human beings, we have free will and the option to choose our path.  Each day we awaken to new choices.  Choose to be happy and enjoy life.  Be grateful for the daily blessings in your life - you are alive another day, you have a roof over your head and food to eat.  The list goes on and on.  Give thanks and pay it forward.  By doing so, your life will keep getting better and better.

It’s all about Gratitude!  When everything is falling into place without effort, you know you’re on the right track.  And the very best path to take to stay there is to be in constant gratitude - saying thanks to Spirit / God / Goddess / The Universe / All That Is.

Checking to make sure the smile is on your face all the time, being glad that you an give and receive smiles all the day long - that’s the spiral you are on, and it’s a great place to be.

You’re going to notice the lack of stress in your life, and you may even miss it.  You’re so in the habit of worry and fussing that it’ll feel like something is not right.  When you show up at that early meeting on time and you didn’t even have to turn the family’s breakfast routine into chaos to do it - just remember to say thanks.

When the routine maintenance on the car costs less than you expected, when the traffic jam melts away and the light turns green at just the right time, don’t forget to mention your appreciation to your Higher Power / Higher Self / Higher Whatever Works for You.  All these pluses can be a private joke between the two of you.

We really are meant to live in joy, not in suffering - and the more we know that, and are grateful for it, the better life gets.

How to Handle Endings

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”  These beautiful words quoted from the Song of Solomon don’t sound so sweet when a relationship or a job is ending, or when you’re moving out of a great neighborhood to a new city.

Even if you’re the one who made the choice, it may not feel so good as the unfolding, untying, letting go is actually underway.  You know that relationship, great in the beginning, has become toxic.  You’ve worked hard to understand why you held on so long, then you made this good decision to release your partner and yourself to your highest and best.  And it hurts like heck.

We are body, mind and spirit.  We need strategies to support all three as we’re changing.  Keep that body moving - don’t sit and brood.  That just breeds more brooding, feeling sorry for yourself, spiraling down.  Go take a walk, clean the bathroom, call your sister, take a Spanish class or maybe spinning.  Do something!

When your mind starts to work on how to fix the relationship, just turn it off.  It’s your mind, after all, and you have the key to it.  Deliberately think about anything else.  Your favorite dog when you were a kid.  That perplexing problem at the office.  A Sudoku puzzle.  Any good memory.  Don’t talk to yourself about it - just change the station.

When you’re calmer and not in that brooding state, then you can meditate and look for the higher teaching in the situation.   Remind yourself that life is all about changes, as the old song says.  Without change, we would grow stale and stagnant.  Each of our lives here on earth, in the human body of our choice, is all about learning and growing.  As a human being, we are born with free will.  We have choices to make every day, some good and some bad, but that is how we define and follow our path.  It is up to us to accept life’s challenges and use them as tools for growth.

However, for many, it is difficult to leave that comfort zone.  Some would prefer the hurt they know – a bad relationship or dead end job – rather than take a chance on something new which is unknown.  Life on a totally even keel is boring and unfulfilling.  You have to know the sorrow to truly enjoy and appreciate the successes.  Dare to take the risk.  Awaken your passion for life in all its various forms.  Accept the challenge that is given to you to reject the bad and seek a more joyful, exhillerating future.  It may be the best thing that you’ve ever done!

As the old adage says, “When one door closes, another one opens.”  The new door may be your jackpot – the partner you’ve always dreamt of, the career which you love and that pays extremely well or the gift of peace of mind and good health.  The choice is yours.  You just have to be bold enough to take it.

Looking Back at How You’ve Grown

We are definitely in a time of change.  Not many can dispute that and some do not like it.  Major financial institutions have fallen, the housing market is down, unemployment is high and continuing to grow. But along with this has come a new awareness of the planet and of our fellow beings, human and otherwise.  People are learning about global warming, going green, eating local, living within their means, paying down credit cards and so much more.

Pluto, the planet of destruction and transformation, is upon us, and is interacting with Capricorn.  Pluto is a very slow moving planet that takes 248 years to make a complete rotation around the sun.  It normally spends about 21 years in each sign with about five months of each year in retrograde.  Capricorn rules infrastructures, regulations, institutions, business and ancestors – the old way.  Thus, Pluto, the transformer, has begun a long cycle of changes that affect the old ways of the Capricorn.  Change is in the air.  Embrace it.

This is very representative of the Tower card in Tarot.  Out of the destruction comes new hope and new beginnings.  As they say, “It is always darkest just before the dawn.”  It’s about time that we made some changes.  Many things were not working.  That has started us on the path to re-examine and revamp many of the old systems to make them more effective and reflective of our current needs.

So what has happened in your life?  How have you chosen to personally use these energies?  Many folk have cleaned out their closets, finally organized the garage, emptied the attic.  These changes and choices in the physical also reflect interior changes most of us have made.  Listen to your friends, and you’ll hear them making statements like: “Life is simpler now.”  “I don’t feel like my ‘stuff’’ owns me anymore.”  “It feels so good to have gotten rid of the clutter.”

That exterior clutter reflects the interior clutter - we’ve been doing too much, too fast, and it has not given us the pleasure, calmness and family peace we really crave.  Many of us have simplified our calendars, let go of obligations that did not feed our souls, found time to play.

Holidays, birthdays, Solstices and Equinoxes are always a good time take stock of where you are and where you’ve been.  Then you can turn the page, forgive yourself and others, and move on with a smile on your face.

Personally, we believe that we choose to become human so that we can experience life in all of its aspects.  It is all about learning the lessons we present to ourselves, and then letting it all go.  Keep moving in that direction, and you’ll find joy

Just Do It!

In Tarot reading, the suit of wands is about following our passion, taking risk and action and ultimately about taking care of self.  Often people will think long and hard about certain issues or problems at hand, perhaps even to the point of obsessing over them.  They gather all of the applicable facts and figures, as well as anything that “might” influence the outcome.  Then they start analyzing, processing and evaluating to determine every possible outcome.  If they are not careful, they may become ensnarled in a dangerous trap of getting stuck and unable to move.  Don’t let that happen!

Instead, do your research, check your facts and then make an informed decision using those facts and your intuition.  Trust your gut instinct, the sense of satisfaction you feel, the dream that revealed what to do or the voices in your head that said to do it.  However you receive your intuitive insights, pay attention to the information.

The next step is to take action, take the risk – just do it.  Put aside the fear of failure.  It is really just excitement that you are feeling.  Trust that it is the right thing to do.  Even if it is not the perfect outcome, realize that perfection does not often lead to real advances and innovation.  Most discoveries come from the slight detours and adventures along the way.  The important thing is to move forward.  If you just do it, you will have taken the first major step towards following your dreams and achieving your goals.

Not being totally sure is perfectly okay.  By the time you’re totally sure, everyone else is doing it, and it’s run of the mill / no fun any more.  One way to check out your intuitive sense is to sit down on your couch and close your eyes.  Then imagine going outside and starting to get in your car to go take this action.  Now stop that visualization, and pay attention to how your body is feeling.  Is your physical self exhilarated?  tired?  headache-y?  Is your mind full of ideas about how to make this happen?

Next, close your eyes and mentally start to go out and take this action - but stop, return to the couch, having decided not to do it.  Again - how does your body feel?  It is our best and most intuitive barometer.  Which action - doing or not doing - left your body feeling the most excited, the most ready to go?

Importantly, all your actions and decision are one step at a time.  So move forward, get going, see how that first step turns out.  Keep checking how you feel.  When you take one step, and ideas for the next 15 steps pop into your brain, you know you’re on the right track.  Your intuition is so trustworthy, and is always passing on messages and providing encouragement. If you’re going in the wrong direction, heading toward fear and not love, your intuition will keep making sure you know that as well. So get moving!

Feeling Free – and Being Part of the Change

Shock can be uncomfortable and even terrifying, but it can also serve as a motivator.   Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a shock of some sort to awaken ourselves from a sleepy sense of inertia.  Often people tend to plod through life, basically doing the same thing day after day.  They follow the same routine time after time.  For some, it feels comfortable and they are afraid to move out of their comfort zone.  They become afraid to take a risk, to do something different or to implement changes in their lives because they don’t know what the outcome will be.  Technically, they are living, as in breathing and moving, but they are not truly living a fulfilling life.

Each of us is a unique human being with free will and has a lot to offer the rest of the beings here on earth.  However, it is important to value yourself, know that you are worthy and share your uniqueness and special insightful gifts and talents with others.  Only then will you feel truly free.  If you decide to live life and do everything from a place of love, you, too, can feel that freedom.  Choose to help others in need.  Stand up for those who need a voice and support for their cause.  Recycle and “go green” to help save Mother Earth.  Be an active part of making change happen.  It all starts with one person who believes and acts – YOU.

And you can think yourself free.  No work and no risks.  Just begin to affirm to yourself your freedom.  ‘I am free right now to make any choice I want.’  The first time many of us say an affirmation, it is totally untrue.  What we’re affirming does not in any way resemble reality.  And then we say it again.  ‘I am free right now to choose to do or not to do whatever I want.’  Your brain begins to react, to build a little pathway, to link these thoughts together, to provide a storage area where they can be kept.

‘I am free to respond to anger however I want.’  I can turn away, fight back, consciously send loving energy.  Any one of those choices can be good choices in a given situation.  And still – I have total freedom to choose.  Lightning bolts will not strike.  It’s just a choice I can make and unmake from where I am in this given moment.

‘I am free to make every choice in the Universe.’  ‘My best contribution to the health and healing of our planet is to make healthy choices for my Self.’  ‘My becoming free supports my family, my community, the Universe in becoming more free.’

See how easy it is?   Whenever a fear thought creeps in, just pat it on the head and then replace it with your chosen affirmation.  Twelve or thirteen thousand times later (no need to count), you will look around to realize you are living in a different world.