Year: 2011

Evolution is an upward ascent that can get tricky and even sticky at times, but the further we go, the better life gets.  As we walk this journey together, it’s helpful to be aware of the sticky spots – the places where it’s easy to get stuck. In my experience there are three major areas that will surely pull us down if we don’t carefully navigate and rise above them.

The first sticky spot we encounter on this journey is sensual temptation. The unmistakable feeling we get from boozing it up, eating a huge and sublimely sweet ice cream sundae, or hopping in the sack with that forbidden someone. Being a person who favors integration over renunciation, I’m not saying that any of these things are bad… That is until we impulsively indulge one too many times and the special something or someone suddenly becomes our favorite go-to high. Voila, we’re stuck. Navigating this area involves refining our impulsive drive for immediate gratification – firmly saying “NO” to the wild animal within that would tear into our favorite indulgence time after time, only to become more out of control.

Once we tame our inner wild animal and learn how to enjoy life’s pleasures without them owning us, we move on to the next level or opportunity for ascent. This is where we are faced with our limiting attachments, which on the surface, make us feel secure, but in reality keep us tethered. They can come in the form of a relationship, a job, or any situation in life that you’ve been feeling overly attached to and somewhat trapped by. The way to tell if your stuck here is to see how you feel when you contemplate moving on, setting a boundary, or simply standing up for yourself.  If you’re crippled with fear by the mere thought of making a change then you can be sure that this attachment is holding you back.

Releasing attachments calls for the courage to do what you know you need to do but are terrified to do it. Once you’ve invoked your inner lion or lioness and shed what’s binding yet comfortable, you will rise to the next level. Ultimately you’ll stumble upon the very sticky place of  conditional love. Moving beyond this point is challenging and therefore very rare. Until then, we love a person when they act “right” and reject them when they don’t. Choosing to love a person no matter what they say or do comes from the ability to see with Compassion Vision. Compassion Vision is a gift we receive once we reach the point on our journey where we are able to look at a situation from above and see the bigger picture. Knowing that everyone does their best from where they are at any given moment, we are able to love them no matter what. Sometimes we have to part ways and take a different route, but when we do, it is in love and we allow them the freedom to go their own way while we continue on our journey.

The upward ascent requires perseverance and courage, but those of us who walk this path make it a little smoother for those who follow.

Are you in to manifesting? There’s a lot of confusion about how to reach your dreams. Here’s an acronym that came to me when I was journaling about the topic: CREATE!

C – Celebrate what you already have. Gratitude opens your inner portal so that you are able to abundantly receive magnetic life energy.

R – Receive divine guidance. Take time each day to connect with your spirit and identify your highest desires and the specific actions to take to move toward them.

E – Elevate above negativity. Keep your vibration high! Even the strongest desires tend to get bogged down with emotional drama and negative thinking.

A – Act on impulses. The moment you get hit with an idea, act on it! Don’t second guess yourself or procrastinate. The energy of inspiration infuses your actions with power.

T – Timing. Honor divine timing and learn whatever lesson is in front of you. Often times, we need refinement before we are ready for our desires.

E – Emulate Success – The best way to lift ourselves and others up is to graciously receive and demonstrate our gifts, talents and progress.

According to the World Health Organization, magnetic fields are created when electric current flows. The stronger the current, the stronger the magnetism.

The people who are most charismatic – most magnetic – have a strong current of life energy moving through them. Their ability to attract comes from the abundant energy that they naturally channel, which is based on three factors: integrity, clarity and passion.

The root word of integrity is integer, which means whole or complete. Wholeness is needed for energy to flow. The opposite of wholeness and integrity in a human being is fragmentation and division. This makes sense because when we make choices that are in alignment with our core values we become wholly integrated – a vessel without cracks, leaks or holes (the opposite of holy).

Clarity is the absence of emotional and physical congestion that tends to obstruct energy flow. I’ve found that emotional and physical congestion intertwine and that when we emotionally cleanse, it is natural to lose weight and crave cleaner living, and when we physically cleanse, we process old, stuck emotions as well. In other words, we can move toward clarity from any direction!

Passion channels life energy in a focused direction. Whether it is directed toward a person, a career or a hobby, passion turns a flowing stream into a raging river and raises magnetism.

Authentic magnetism is what gives us the ability to attract and what makes us genuinely attractive. Icing on the cake? The feeling that comes from life energy flowing through us at a high rate is joy and exhilaration.  Sounds like fun!

This Friday, February 18, I will be at the Well Red Coyote in Sedona for a book signing and talk. We will be exploring the principles contained in Portals of Peace… Moving from socialization to essentialization.

I’m looking forward to checking out this well known bookstore http://www.wellredcoyote.com/events.html and sharing some ideas on alchemical transformation!

Check an interview of me in this month’s Fitness Magazine to see why running on adrenalin isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be… http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/energy-boosters/tips/get-more-energy/?page=6

The last 20 years of my life – almost half, yikes! – have been dedicated to seeking growth and freeing my spirit. Those of you who share this pursuit know that it can get messy when you really look at yourself and face the endless opportunities for refinement.

And although I take this journey very seriously, I’d like to share a message that has come to me in the wake of my beloved brother-in-law’s passing. The message is this: Nothing – except love – is a big deal.

Not love for a particular person or pursuit either. Just the act of love. The extension of tolerance, acceptance, patience, and kindness in the name of love for anyone and everyone who crosses your path.

When we get to heaven – and I do unequivocally believe in the afterlife, and prior lives for that matter – We will clearly see and feel the utter meaninglessness of EVERYTHING except the love and light that we extend on a moment by moment basis.

This revelation has helped me to not take myself so seriously. We can either be perennially distracted by all of our specific ideas about the way things “should” be, or we can accept them the way they are with a light-hearted preference for what we want, while remaining open and loving NO MATTER WHAT.

This message feels rather revolutionary for me and I hope it inspires freedom in your heart and soul because life goes on… and on… and on… so why not just fly freely now rather than wait until we’re no longer in a body and realize all the time we wasted on things that don’t matter?

Today I had the privilege of attending a conference where M. Gary Neuman was speaking. He has written many books, but his most recent is called, Connect to Love.

I’ve seen Neuman on Oprah a couple of times and didn’t want to miss this opportunity to hear what he had to say. He did not disappoint. His message is straight forward and very much needed in this day and age of over-scheduling and chronic distraction.

Connect to Love is based on his research with men and women. Among the findings is that women’s number one complaint is not having enough time with their spouses while men’s number one complaint is not having enough appreciation. Not surprising… Imagine what would happen if we combined the two and spent time with our partners each day telling them how much we appreciate them!

He also talks about the importance of emotional (and physical of course) fidelity, reminding us that when a person other than your partner is providing you that jolt of excitement, whether it be a passing comment or an animated conversation, it puts your relationship in danger.

From an energy point of view, this makes perfect sense. Energy builds within us throughout the day and sharing the little things that build up with your partner strengthens and feeds the connection between you. If someone else is your “go to” person, the relationship with them strengthens while your primary relationship atrophies.

I love it when I get to hear insights from someone who knows their stuff, and I can tell you that Neuman does. He’s doing a workshop for couples tonight (1/10/11) at Chaparral Suites for those of you who live in Phoenix and are looking for a breath of fresh air!