Why you can’t measure yourself with someone else’s stick

Tonight I was thinking about society and our desire to do and have what the media and outside influences tell us we should do or have. 

We all want to be accepted by our peers. I think it is kind of sad that we have gotten to the point where retailers and the media can tell us what will make us col and acceptable. I mean, I guess societal norms have always determined social acceptance, but what happened to diversity?

I can’t imagine living my life as anyone else or in any way other than the way I am currently living it. It was scary to come out of the closet and become a practicing medium, but now that I am fully out of the psychic closet, I’m not looking back. The world is so much more vibrant and I feel better in my own skin. 

Everyone is on their own journey and is fighting battles we know nothing about which is why kindness and compassion should always be our approach. Life is not a contest. We are not here to be in direct competition with each other, we are here to help one another and make each other stronger. 

I don’t understand the incessant need we seem to have to measure ourselves against others. What someone has or how successful or spiritual they are has nothing to do with your journey. They are not your gatepost or measuring stick. Keep your eyes on your own journey, or you could miss some awesome stuff along the way. Help and nurture others as much as you can out of kindness and remember, they are on their own journey and will find their own way, just as you will. Assist and trust and we will all be fine. 

Remember to have faith in the universe and to know that where you are is where you are meant to be. Do that which inspires and fulfills you. That will keep you on the path to manifesting all your heart’s desires. 

Teaching our children about limitless potential through stories

One of my favourite pleasures in life is reading bedtime stories to my son. It’s good for us to wind down together, and his vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds. He recognizes letters and numbers and he’s a heck of a counter, but I digress!

I like to think about what I’m reading him and what the morals are teaching him. One story he and I really like is Scuffy the Tugboat. I was taking a harder look at Scuffy the other day and what he teaches us, and now I’m wondering if I really do like Scuffy as much as I thought.

Let me take you into the story. Meet Scuffy, a toy tugboat who is not content with sailing around a bathtub because he is “meant for bigger things.” So far so good, Scuffy. You are aware of your infinite potential! Good job.

The man who owns the toy shop and his little boy take Scuffy to a brook, where he quickly takes off and travels along many different waterways, a brook, a stream, a river and eventually the ocean where he gets quite scared and wishes he was back with the man and the little boy because the ocean is too scary for him. Low and behold, just as he is about to sail off into the ocean and he’s wishing for the man and the little boy, they scoop him up and take him back home where he is content to be in the bathtub. Wait, what?

I get the lesson that you should stay with your parents and not take off. That’s a good one, but I think it teaches us that when you get scared and hit a fear block, you shouldn’t try to conquer it. You should just go back to your bathtub and be content to settle into mediocrity. Oh no, Scuffy. You had such potential.

I think with kids it’s so important to impart spirituality and lessons in consciousness when they are young. I want my son to know that his potential is limitless and that the world is his oyster. The only limits in life are the ones that you place on yourself. If you can dream it, you can do it. Cliché, but true.

There are so many reasons that you are the bomb dot com (did I just say that? Oh well. Proud 90’s child here). We can take goals and crush them. We can either allow others to limit us or we can power through those blocks we encounter and push on through. We are amazing, strong co-creators of our lives.

I think a better example of resilience and belief in oneself is The Little Engine That Could. She’s just a little blue engine, and after the big strong engines have left the dolls and toys high and dry, she’s their only hope. She’s never been over the mountain, but she thinks she can, she thinks she can, she thinks she can (LOL). She gets over the mountain with the dolls and toys and saves the day and as she puffs down the mountain she says, “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could.”

That’s better. She believed it and she did it.

Maybe I’m taking too much time to think about the stories I’m reading my child, but I just thought that at the end, Scuffy was a little bit disempowering. You go out, you get scared, you settle for the status quo.

I get the lesson about gratitude for what you have, and that’s a good one in Scuffy’s book, but I think it could have been done in a more empowering way.

Just thought I’d share that with you today. What do you think?

The week I lost myself: how to get out of a negativity loop.

It’s been a tough week. I’ve been stuck in a negativity loop, but I’m pleased to report that I’m pulling myself out. I’m finally feeling much better.

I felt disconnected most of this week, to the point where I cancelled some readings.  I want my clients to get the absolute best experience possible from their readings and I didn’t feel like I was up to snuff. I was lost!

This happens to all of us. Something happens that we don’t like and we start to feel disempowered, especially when it’s something that is outside of our perceived realm of control. When it feels like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place with no means to get out and we are so upset, frustrated and disappointed that we just get stuck on that same loop of anger and disempowerment, which lowers our vibrational frequency.

How did I get out of it? On Thursday, I felt like I was pretty close to physically hitting someone, I was so upset. Those of you who know me, know that isn’t me. I’m a positive and happy person about 80% of the time.  After a really hard run on Thursday evening, followed by an hour of meditation, I cleared my mind and had a plan on how I was going to deal with the situation. Once I sat down and thought about forgiveness and gratitude and remembered what was really important, everything came back into focus and I was back on track again.

Friday was a more successful day. At least I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, took my plan of action and was much better for it. These negativity loops happen to all of us. The key is knowing how to break your own negativity cycle and I think it’s different for everyone.

Are you negative? Take these steps to turn it around:

1. Get Moving – physical movement can really help you put things into perspective. If walking’s your thing, get outside and wander around at a brisk pace. If you’re into running, go for a run. Focus on the energy that is flowing through your body and remember your balance in the universe. Remember that you are balanced between Mother Earth and Father Sky. Feel the energy flowing through your body in a figure eight between your crown chakra at the top of your head and your root chakra at the base of your spine. Remember this divine flow as you get your body moving.
2. Assess the “size” of the problem – How “big” is this problem and can you do anything to change it? Can you come up with some sort of a compromise to solve the problem or can you put it into perspective? Remember that you are never stuck and that there is ALWAYS a way out. Think about this and remember that you are part of something so much bigger than this Earth experience. Remember that there is nothing to fear in this moment, and ask how you will feel about this problem 10 days from now. Will you still be thinking about it then? How about a year from now, or five or ten years from now? Does that put it into perspective? It should!
3. Ask why this situation is bothering you – could it be related to a larger problem? – Stick with me here. Is what’s happening and your reaction due to some old beliefs or part of a larger issue for you? Is the belief something you can change? Is it that this may be a situation that is no longer serving you and you have to release?  Take steps to release the situation if it is no longer serving you.  See if you can work on forgiveness, releasing or changing your beliefs. Ask yourself some questions.
4. What can you learn from this situation or how can you use it to grow? – Here’s where we really start to raise our frequency again and turn things around for the better. The good news usually is that this situation is temporary! We are not bound by it forever and we can use those wonderful brains of ours to come up with a solution. Hey – this is where we remember that we are in control of our lives! Yay us! What can you learn from this situation? You can learn how to solve a new problem, you can learn about your own beliefs, you can learn about the other people involved and how to work with these people in the future or you can learn what does and does not serve you. Just the identification of things that do and do not serve you is proof of all of the growth you are doing and your commitment to taking care of yourself by taking control. Who’s in the driver’s seat of your life? You are!
5. Daily Spiritual Practice – Whatever it is. We’re non-denominational here at Metaphysical Musings. Whether you believe in God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, etc. go to that place within yourself. My Daily Spiritual Practice is meditation. It clears my mind (and my chakra system) and nothing else seems to matter after I’m done. It put things into perspective for me and clears out my mind. I really notice when I don’t take the time for practice because my shoulders seem to be up at my ears!

Take those steps and you’ll be on your way out of that negativity loop in no time.

Remember, what we think about manifests, so try and get yourself out of that negativity loop as soon as you can to avoid attracting more negativity to you. Remember also that you’re always in control.

Validation from another medium

Sometimes, I envision my life as a medium as me in Technicolor wandering around a black and white world with a few other Technicolor people scattered around. All of us Technicolor people are waving frantically at each other as if to say, “you too!?”

I did a reading for someone I know last week. Her husband is clairvoyant and does not know me. I guess after the reading she went home and asked her husband if he picked up anything about me and whether I was legit. His response was that yes, she is very authentic.

Of course, the next day when I again saw my friend, she told me this is what he said and it made me feel good. I have been thinking to myself about why that comment means so much, especially when I spend a lot of time telling myself that it really doesn’t matter what other people think. This is my path, I know it’s right for me and I’m walking it.

I guess I still struggle with trusting the information that comes in when it comes in. Sometimes I wonder if I am just making stuff up that is randomly hitting. When I start thinking like that, I try and shake myself out of it. A lot of the stuff I come up with is so specific, I couldn’t possibly have made it up.

I guess that it meant a lot to me because this is not a medium I know, it’s not someone I’m mentoring with or working with on a regular basis. This is someone removed from me, another Technicolor person wandering around and waving frantically at me. A companion  in the spiritual “trenches” if you can call it that. 🙂

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Validation is a great thing.

It was a good week for readings last week. So far, unless I get a bunch of calls, this week is shaping up to be quiet, and that’s ok! I’ve had a few busy weeks and have been neglecting my running, so I have to get back at it.

It’s pretty cool that I’m approaching 6 months since I started doing readings, so I should start seeing some clients coming back for another session.  I’m looking forward to seeing lots of familiar and new faces!

Holy career transition, Batman!

Here is my three card spread for Saturday, September 17. How is it already mid-September?!

Look what has popped up again. Career transition. Am I changing jobs?

As a reminder:

Archangel Chamuel says: Your life purpose is triggering a blessed career change. 

If you have been praying for help with your career, change is imminent! Although stressful, Chamuel is clearing out the old and making way for the new. Pay attention to repetitive dreams, ideas and visions as they are lighting the way to the career you desire. 

The second card is Sensitivity. 

Archangel Haniel says: 

You are extra-sensitive to energies and emotions right now. Honour yourself and your feelings. 

Sensitivity is a super power. There’s no such thing as being too sensitive. It allows you to see people and situations clearly. Trust and follow your hunches, impressions and intuition.  Haniel can help you determine whether what you are feeling is actually yours or whether it belongs to someone else. 

I was just saying to someone today that I feel like there’s going to be a big shift coming in the near future for me. It feels like I’m standing on the precipice of something big. 

The third card is Hello from Heaven. 

Archangel Azrael says: your loved ones in Heaven are doing fine. Let go of worries, and feel their loving blessings. 

Trust that anyone you have lost is doing well in heaven and have been restored to their former glory. When you are quiet and still, you can feel their presence and feel their messages. The bonds we create in life transcend life and death and those connections endure though the physical body does not. All is well and your loved ones are watching and cheering you on from the great beyond. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

When you’re not grounded.

I was driving this morning and I just had the feeling I wasn’t really “here”. I wasn’t present. I was in the car driving, but everything was quiet and life didn’t feel so rich as it usually does. I figured out that I wasn’t grounded. 

  
As a medium, it is important to ground often. I find that with this work and my meditations, it’s easy for my spirit to take off to other realms. 

When this happens, I like to get outside and put my feet in the grass, or to do a grounding meditation where I connect my root chakra to the earth and my crown chakra to the universe. I pull the Earth energy up from my roots deep in the ground through my root chakra, and the universal energy down through my crown. I allow the energies to mingle in my heart and I picture myself anchored securely between the earth and the universe and I release any spiritual “junk” that I might be carrying. 

It always makes me feel better and more like myself!

If you feel like the lights are on, but nobody is home, try grounding yourself. 

Lay fear aside

Today’s reading from Holy Shift is this:

  
I love that. Know yourself as love which has no opposite in you. When you know and acknowledge this to yourself, there’s no room for fear, and what can you possibly fear knowing that you are love and you are divine and eternal. 

Something to think about next time you are trapped in a fear loop!

Healing with the practice of gratitude and forgiveness

  
This morning I was thinking about happiness and life satisfaction and how important it is for gratitude and forgiveness go hand in hand in healing. 

Healing oneself is hard work. The easy thing to do is keep on the same track you are on rather than changing your thought patterns and working to bring yourself into alignment with your purpose. 

I’m asking you to put on your “I own this life” pants, take a deep breath, and commit yourself to doing this work. 

We tend to lean on the wrongs we perceive and use them as crutches to remain in old patterns that don’t work for us. We wonder why we aren’t getting ahead and think that it must be because we aren’t worthy of greatness because we need something first (more money, a better job, a romantic partner etc). You are so worthy of happiness right now as you are. 

You are entitled to happiness no matter where you come from, how much money you have in the bank and whatever your life circumstances. I’m going to suggest a couple of ways you can start contemplating change in your life to keep yourself on track. 

1. Take stock – take regular opportunities to sit quietly and look at your life. What’s working? What isn’t? Commit to change what isn’t working and release it to make way for the new. 
2. Set intentions – as part of taking stock, you need to set clear intentions on what you want from your life. Set up goals and break them into small steps. If you make the steps too large, you might get discouraged and give up. Make the steps achievable. 
3. Celebrate Success – when you reach a milestone, celebrate in the best way you know. Treat yourself to dinner or some new clothes or whatever makes you happy. You did it! You should be proud of yourself!
4. Focus, focus, focus! – focus ceaselessly on your target. Feel as if you have already reached it. Feel the feeling of having it. Check in often with your intentions and events in your life. Are you on track? Stick some affirmations on post it notes and stick them where you will see them. Reminders are always great!
5. Meditate – I can’t say enough about the benefits of meditation and this is where the forgiveness and gratitude come in. 

When you are working on releasing something and you are meditating, I find it helps to start your meditation by spending a few minutes observing your breath. Then, once you are feeling clear, calm and peaceful, start to think about things for which you are grateful. Things that make you really happy. Meditate on this for about 5-10 minutes. You will start to feel really good. Next you are going to move on to thinking of someone you need to forgive. Picture their face in your mind. Hear your voice tell this person you forgive them. Then release them with love. 

Don’t be too surprised if the person that pops up for you to forgive is yourself. Maybe there was something you did to another person that you are carrying and you need to forgive yourself. Maybe you’ve been thinking a lot of self limiting or self deprecating thoughts. Forgive yourself too. 

Once you forgive and release, you should feel your energy become lighter. 

Again I’ll mention that this practice takes a lot of work. Forgiveness can take a long time. Chip away at it through your meditations and that should make a difference. 

Energy healing as a companion to mediumship work

  

Most of you know by now that I love to have energy work done. I get my SAC tune ups every six months and I just love the way I feel when it’s all done. My teacher calls SAC (Spiritual Alignment Connection) “Reiki on crack” lol. 

Anyway, I’ve been finding that since I started giving readings to the public I have been feeling like I need a boost between my SAC tune ups. 

I went on Friday for a healing and it was great. I feel like everything is in alignment again and like I’ve got rid of some energetic “dust” hanging around me, clearing the cobwebs of my energetic field, so to speak. 

If you are engaged in mediumship work and feeling a little off your game, I really suggest getting some healing done with a good practitioner. 

I’m looking forward to my readings this week now that I have been recharged. I just completed my meditation on the chakras and I noticed that they are all calm, balanced and lovely. Everything seems to be spinning at the same, relaxed pace. 

It’s going to be a busy (but good) week!

Sometimes the thing you’re most afraid of doing is the thing that sets you free

 

I saw this on Facebook the other day and the second I saw it, I thought, “yep! this is going on my blog, because it accurately describes the last few months.”

As a young woman, I always remember being glued to shows like Long Island Medium (not Theresa Caputo herself, but other mediums who had TV shows when I was younger). You also couldn’t pry me away from the TV when Sylvia Browne or John Edwards were doing their thing. I couldn’t believe that there were people who could channel spirit!

I used to think to myself, “man. If only I had that ability! I could help so many people!”

In the past few months, I’ve really taken the leap. I’ve come out of the “psychic closet” after four years of mentoring with a really great teacher. I took the steps and I’ve arrived where I am now, doing things that were unimaginable to me just four years ago, and I’m still walking. Step after step along this path in excited anticipation of each step that follows.

I started this blog in June of 2014 and I remember how scary just taking that one small step was at that time in my life and it has become such a valuable outlet for me. Such a place of freedom and catharsis, filled with people who are like minded and read these ramblings of mine (thank you!).

After the blog came a Facebook group (search My Metaphysical Musings), and a Twitter account (@Talking2Spirits), the ordering of business cards and the opening of my home to people who trust me to receive and deliver their messages from Spirit. I’m honored, privileged and fulfilled by this work. I can say I’m doing something I love, and it all came from taking that one scary step, waaaaay back in the beginning of deciding to look for a teacher who resonated with me and would guide and support me on my way.

I have people coming to me for readings, which is amazing, and I am getting quite a few clients through word of mouth, which is fantastic. Some clients have asked if I’d consider reading at parties and I do have a party coming up at the end of the month through my fabulous friend and mentor. There are so many up and coming awesome opportunities flying at me as fast as I can open my arms to accept them.

I continue to use my intentions and affirmations to empower and inspire myself and others. I’ve found people who (gasp!) don’t think I’m crazy when I talk about hearing voices and having messages for them, and I’m loving every minute of my spiritual growth.

It doesn’t matter what “it” is for you. It could be walking on stilts, it could be writing a book, conquering your fear of heights, buying a home or, it could be just finally speaking your truth for all to hear. That one step that is unfathomable and scary now, could be the one catalyst to send you flying in the direction of your dreams and all you’ve ever wanted. As you continue to do things which bring you in line with your purpose and the more fulfilled and happy you feel, the more of these things will come to you and manifest in your life, and that my friends, is truly awesome.

If you can muster the courage to take that first step, the other foot will follow and the next steps will be illuminated by the love of the universe and the light of your passion!