These two words are the most powerful words you can use in a statement. Another word for I am is OM. These words translated actually mean God. They are words of declaration. When you use the words I am... you are telling the universe how it is. The universe hears these words and makes it truth in your life. Think of all the times you use this statement and what you put behind it.
I was sitting with a friend over coffee and listening to her talk. She was telling me about how her and her husband want to start trying to get pregnant with their first baby. I responded "Oh that's so awesome!" She immediately looked at me with a distraught look in her eye and said "But I am so scared! I am on all these medications because I am so depressed. I am so worried that if I quit taking my medications I am going to go crazy!" So just in that one statement she declared to the universe that I am...scared, crazy and depressed.
I asked her to stop and to think about that. Then I asked her to start making statements of what she does want in life instead. So we re-write that conversation. I say "Oh that's so awesome!" She then responds, "I know I am so excited! I am really working on my health and starting to feel great. I am exercising and eating healthy and I am looking forward to this next step in our life!"
I want people to start realizing their power. It takes one second to change your focus and it is a choice. Pay attention to how you are using these words and begin saying things like I am...filled with joy, beautiful, strong, fit, blessed, smart, wealthy, successful, loved, etc. You will start to see your life shift!
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Ways to bring in the chi...
Summer nights are the best! Yesterday the weather was so beautiful that my kids and I were outside for about four hours riding bikes, sitting out on the lawn visiting with neighbors and having fun. Last weekend we had an 18th birthday party for our daughter with about 70 guests and a live band.
All this outdoor activity got us focusing on the outside space of our home making sure it was ready for this big party. When it comes to feng shui the outside of the home is just as important as the inside and some might say it may be even more important!
Your outdoor space is the first part of the home visitors (and you!) see when you drive up. If you come home to a yard full of weeds with long grass, cars that don't work and piles of junk on the side of the home, how does it make you feel? Probably, it immediately drains your energy.
How does your home rise up to greet you when you arrive?
This place you call your home is meant to be your haven; a place to rest and revive before you go back out into the busy bee world beyond its doors. If while in your home, you are constantly looking around at piles of things that translate into long lists of things to do, it is difficult, if not impossible, to rejuvenate. This is true both inside and out.
A client recently shared that although she's so busy at work, she dreads coming home after her long days at the office because her home is in such disarray. When she drives up to her house, the first thing that "slaps her into reality" is her yard full of weeds and dead spots of grass. Then she can't park in the garage because it's so full of junk. Even though she can't pull her car in, she still has to walk through the junk to get inside her home. Imagine how this feels.
What are you to do if this is your life? Feng shui offers some answers. It involves clearing clutter and organizing the environment in a way that promotes the positive, free flow of energy, or chi.
Take a weekend and focus on tidying up the lawn. Then focus on completely de-junking the garage to make space to park your car. Even hang a welcome sign in the garage to greet you when you arrive. This, or even a nice picture or something pleasant that makes you feel good, can make all the difference. There are endless ways to organize a garage, even when it stores many items. Shelving and hooks can provide need, organized, and safe storage for bikes, sports equipment and other items that call the garage their home.
As you look around your yard, do you see dead, sickly, or withering flowers and plants? If yes, start by throwing them away if they can't easily be nurtured back to health. You want to promote the flow of abundant energy from the outside into your home.
Place a beautiful pot of flowers next to the front door to get that healthy fresh chi flowing into your home. Remember to also pay attention to the backyard, too.
We've lived in our home for five years now. The back of our yard has a street behind it with a lot of activity going on. Our fence is a wrought iron fence that people can see right through. Every time we're in our backyard we feel we have no privacy. This year we decided to remedy that. We planted 12 evergreen trees that will eventually grow all together to create a wall of privacy. My family and I are already noticing how much more supported we feel by having those trees back there. Now we love being in our yard and can enjoy more fun, relaxing and private times together there.
Below (or above) you'll see our before and after photos of the backyard fence area. Isn't it so much more pleasing to see the green, healthy plants cushioning the metal fence? Doesn't it just seem more comforting, too? We think so!
Stop and pay attention to how you feel in your space. If there is something that bothers you, think about ways to change it to creating a beautiful escape both within and outside your home where you are safely nestled from the outside, busy world!
Before photo of my backyard
After photo of my backyard
All this outdoor activity got us focusing on the outside space of our home making sure it was ready for this big party. When it comes to feng shui the outside of the home is just as important as the inside and some might say it may be even more important!
Your outdoor space is the first part of the home visitors (and you!) see when you drive up. If you come home to a yard full of weeds with long grass, cars that don't work and piles of junk on the side of the home, how does it make you feel? Probably, it immediately drains your energy.
How does your home rise up to greet you when you arrive?
This place you call your home is meant to be your haven; a place to rest and revive before you go back out into the busy bee world beyond its doors. If while in your home, you are constantly looking around at piles of things that translate into long lists of things to do, it is difficult, if not impossible, to rejuvenate. This is true both inside and out.
A client recently shared that although she's so busy at work, she dreads coming home after her long days at the office because her home is in such disarray. When she drives up to her house, the first thing that "slaps her into reality" is her yard full of weeds and dead spots of grass. Then she can't park in the garage because it's so full of junk. Even though she can't pull her car in, she still has to walk through the junk to get inside her home. Imagine how this feels.
What are you to do if this is your life? Feng shui offers some answers. It involves clearing clutter and organizing the environment in a way that promotes the positive, free flow of energy, or chi.
Take a weekend and focus on tidying up the lawn. Then focus on completely de-junking the garage to make space to park your car. Even hang a welcome sign in the garage to greet you when you arrive. This, or even a nice picture or something pleasant that makes you feel good, can make all the difference. There are endless ways to organize a garage, even when it stores many items. Shelving and hooks can provide need, organized, and safe storage for bikes, sports equipment and other items that call the garage their home.
As you look around your yard, do you see dead, sickly, or withering flowers and plants? If yes, start by throwing them away if they can't easily be nurtured back to health. You want to promote the flow of abundant energy from the outside into your home.
Place a beautiful pot of flowers next to the front door to get that healthy fresh chi flowing into your home. Remember to also pay attention to the backyard, too.
We've lived in our home for five years now. The back of our yard has a street behind it with a lot of activity going on. Our fence is a wrought iron fence that people can see right through. Every time we're in our backyard we feel we have no privacy. This year we decided to remedy that. We planted 12 evergreen trees that will eventually grow all together to create a wall of privacy. My family and I are already noticing how much more supported we feel by having those trees back there. Now we love being in our yard and can enjoy more fun, relaxing and private times together there.
Below (or above) you'll see our before and after photos of the backyard fence area. Isn't it so much more pleasing to see the green, healthy plants cushioning the metal fence? Doesn't it just seem more comforting, too? We think so!
Stop and pay attention to how you feel in your space. If there is something that bothers you, think about ways to change it to creating a beautiful escape both within and outside your home where you are safely nestled from the outside, busy world!
Before photo of my backyard
After photo of my backyard
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
100 Ways To Get In The Vortex, Increase Your Chi, Or Raise Your Vibration
1. Hold a baby
2. Watch a funny movie
3. Pet a dog
4. Read an uplifting book
5. Go to lunch with a friend
6. Write in a gratitude journal
7. Make your favorite treat
8. Paint a picture
9. Go for a walk
10. Look through a magazine that feeds your creativity
11. Go on a picnic
12. Play hide and seek with a child
13. Cook a healthy dinner
14. Listen to uplifting music
15. Play a card/board game
16. Do a yoga class
17. Play an instrument
18. Plant a tree/flowers
19. Hang out with someone that makes you laugh
20. Go to a lake
21. Meditate
22. Listen to a spiritual/motivational leader podcast
23. Savor your favorite drink
24. Volunteer to help someone
25. Look at pictures of places you want to travel
26. Make a vision board
27. Take a candlelight bubble bath
28. Enjoy a glass of wine
29. Watch the sunset
30. Take a class to learn a new skill
31. Make-out (Yep get those lips smackin')
32. Watch Super Soul Sunday
33. Write a poem
34. Go look at cars you want to have
35. Jump on a trampoline like a little kid:)
36. Go out to eat at your favorite restaurant
37. Walk on the beach
38. Dance (drop it like it's hot)
39. Go pick fruit at an orchard
40. Write a story
41. Sing a song (like no one is listening)
42. Donate to a charity
43. Watch your favorite show (as long as it's light hearted)
44. Go enjoy coffee at a local cafe with a friend or a book
45. Shop for an outfit that you feel hot damn' in
46. Go horse back riding
47. Watch your favorite animated movie you watched as a kid
48. Have a water fight
49. Make home-made ice-cream
50. Go to your local pet store
51. Hand a homeless soul some cash
52. Say hi to every stranger you see that day
53. Eat a candle light dinner on the deck
54. Deep clean your home (because after it feels oh so good)
55. Send a loving text to 5 people
56. Spend 15 minutes saying out loud all the things you're thankful for in your life
57. Pull out your stash of past birthday cards written to you and read them
58. Take a nap
59. Get a pedicure/manicure
60. Practice mindfullness of being in the moment
61. Ride a bike
62. Read a story to children
63. Look in the mirror and say "I love you, I really really love you!" (Fo' Real, DO IT!!)
64. Be a complete goof, nerd corn-ball! It makes life fun:)
65. Go golfing (my favorite part is the drink carts with margaritas, haha!)
66. Look each person in the eye that you pass that day and smile
67. Go to a park and play like a kid
68. Fly a kite
69. Plan a party
70. Hang up pictures of people that make you happy
71. Put an ice-cube down a "playful" someones shirt:)
72. Wrestle and tickle with your Love or children
73. Choose a room in your home and redecorate it
74. Run through the sprinkler
75. Go pick a bouquet of wild flowers
76. Perform in front of a crowd
77. Enjoy a spiritual conversation with someone with an open mind
78. Bake cookies for a neighbor
79. Breathe (Take 3 deep cleansing breathes in through the nose out through the mouth)
80. Plant a garden
81. Go to a concert
82. Learn about a new culture and go to a restaurant with that food
83. Go to an art gallery or museum
84. Make home-made play dough
85. Get your hair did! (Damn I look good)
86. Karaoke with friends
87. Go to a local farmers market
88. Set up an outdoor movie and pop popcorn
89. Do a puzzle
90. Take a pottery class
91. Have a snowball fight
92. Go skiing/snowboarding
93. Go fishing
94. Get a massage
95. Go to an amusement park
96. Take a stroll at the zoo
97. Go laugh your buns off at a comedy club
98. Walk through a beautiful garden
99. Go hiking in the mountains
100. Make LOVE!!!
2. Watch a funny movie
3. Pet a dog
4. Read an uplifting book
5. Go to lunch with a friend
6. Write in a gratitude journal
7. Make your favorite treat
8. Paint a picture
9. Go for a walk
10. Look through a magazine that feeds your creativity
11. Go on a picnic
12. Play hide and seek with a child
13. Cook a healthy dinner
14. Listen to uplifting music
15. Play a card/board game
16. Do a yoga class
17. Play an instrument
18. Plant a tree/flowers
19. Hang out with someone that makes you laugh
20. Go to a lake
21. Meditate
22. Listen to a spiritual/motivational leader podcast
23. Savor your favorite drink
24. Volunteer to help someone
25. Look at pictures of places you want to travel
26. Make a vision board
27. Take a candlelight bubble bath
28. Enjoy a glass of wine
29. Watch the sunset
30. Take a class to learn a new skill
31. Make-out (Yep get those lips smackin')
32. Watch Super Soul Sunday
33. Write a poem
34. Go look at cars you want to have
35. Jump on a trampoline like a little kid:)
36. Go out to eat at your favorite restaurant
37. Walk on the beach
38. Dance (drop it like it's hot)
39. Go pick fruit at an orchard
40. Write a story
41. Sing a song (like no one is listening)
42. Donate to a charity
43. Watch your favorite show (as long as it's light hearted)
44. Go enjoy coffee at a local cafe with a friend or a book
45. Shop for an outfit that you feel hot damn' in
46. Go horse back riding
47. Watch your favorite animated movie you watched as a kid
48. Have a water fight
49. Make home-made ice-cream
50. Go to your local pet store
51. Hand a homeless soul some cash
52. Say hi to every stranger you see that day
53. Eat a candle light dinner on the deck
54. Deep clean your home (because after it feels oh so good)
55. Send a loving text to 5 people
56. Spend 15 minutes saying out loud all the things you're thankful for in your life
57. Pull out your stash of past birthday cards written to you and read them
58. Take a nap
59. Get a pedicure/manicure
60. Practice mindfullness of being in the moment
61. Ride a bike
62. Read a story to children
63. Look in the mirror and say "I love you, I really really love you!" (Fo' Real, DO IT!!)
64. Be a complete goof, nerd corn-ball! It makes life fun:)
65. Go golfing (my favorite part is the drink carts with margaritas, haha!)
66. Look each person in the eye that you pass that day and smile
67. Go to a park and play like a kid
68. Fly a kite
69. Plan a party
70. Hang up pictures of people that make you happy
71. Put an ice-cube down a "playful" someones shirt:)
72. Wrestle and tickle with your Love or children
73. Choose a room in your home and redecorate it
74. Run through the sprinkler
75. Go pick a bouquet of wild flowers
76. Perform in front of a crowd
77. Enjoy a spiritual conversation with someone with an open mind
78. Bake cookies for a neighbor
79. Breathe (Take 3 deep cleansing breathes in through the nose out through the mouth)
80. Plant a garden
81. Go to a concert
82. Learn about a new culture and go to a restaurant with that food
83. Go to an art gallery or museum
84. Make home-made play dough
85. Get your hair did! (Damn I look good)
86. Karaoke with friends
87. Go to a local farmers market
88. Set up an outdoor movie and pop popcorn
89. Do a puzzle
90. Take a pottery class
91. Have a snowball fight
92. Go skiing/snowboarding
93. Go fishing
94. Get a massage
95. Go to an amusement park
96. Take a stroll at the zoo
97. Go laugh your buns off at a comedy club
98. Walk through a beautiful garden
99. Go hiking in the mountains
100. Make LOVE!!!
Saturday, June 27, 2015
I Admire Her Balls!
This story comes at a time that is very fitting. Yesterday June 26, 2015 was a historic day. It was the day that all 50 states in the U.S. legalized gay marriage. It was fascinating to see this day finally come. I believe this to be a wonderful sign that the world is getting better. Giving everyone the same legal rights regardless of who they choose to love was the right choice.
Utah was among some of the first states to legalize same sex marriage. In October of 2014 they made the final ruling. I live in Utah so this was big news and a lot of people had their opinions against this new law. Utah is a very religious and conservative state. A couple weeks after this ruling I was at a Halloween party at one of my sisters home. My sister Janelle and I were standing there having a causal conversation with a lady we had known years before but hadn't seen in a very long time. We were asking about her children, husband, work etc just catching up on how things were in life.
All of the sudden this lady crinkles up her nose in disgust and says "Ew can you believe they just passed that law?" I knew exactly what law she was talking about but was so uncomfortable because I knew we didn't see eye to eye on this subject. Without any hesitation my big sis chimes in "Yeah and I think it's GREAT!!" The lady goes "You do?!?!" Janelle says "Yep I do!" as she shrugged her shoulders and walked off to find a more interesting conversation. As I stood there I thought to myself "Wow that's my sis and I admire her balls!" Here I am standing there trying to figure out what to say and she's already across the room moving on to something new.
She's always been that way. She has a brave heart that loves everyone (although she really does have a hard time loving people acting like a**holes). She doesn't even think twice about saying how she really feels which has definitely gotten her in trouble a time or two. She's amazing and I strive to be more like her speaking up for injustice when I see it. Every soul deserves the same rights. Love and respect to all! Yesterday was a beautiful day that I will always remember!
Utah was among some of the first states to legalize same sex marriage. In October of 2014 they made the final ruling. I live in Utah so this was big news and a lot of people had their opinions against this new law. Utah is a very religious and conservative state. A couple weeks after this ruling I was at a Halloween party at one of my sisters home. My sister Janelle and I were standing there having a causal conversation with a lady we had known years before but hadn't seen in a very long time. We were asking about her children, husband, work etc just catching up on how things were in life.
All of the sudden this lady crinkles up her nose in disgust and says "Ew can you believe they just passed that law?" I knew exactly what law she was talking about but was so uncomfortable because I knew we didn't see eye to eye on this subject. Without any hesitation my big sis chimes in "Yeah and I think it's GREAT!!" The lady goes "You do?!?!" Janelle says "Yep I do!" as she shrugged her shoulders and walked off to find a more interesting conversation. As I stood there I thought to myself "Wow that's my sis and I admire her balls!" Here I am standing there trying to figure out what to say and she's already across the room moving on to something new.
She's always been that way. She has a brave heart that loves everyone (although she really does have a hard time loving people acting like a**holes). She doesn't even think twice about saying how she really feels which has definitely gotten her in trouble a time or two. She's amazing and I strive to be more like her speaking up for injustice when I see it. Every soul deserves the same rights. Love and respect to all! Yesterday was a beautiful day that I will always remember!
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
What I Believe Our Teens NEED to Hear From Us
Having two teenagers has opened my eyes to a lot of things I was clueless to before. I constantly hear about how "This new generation has no work ethic, Our country is headed for big trouble when they grow up," blah, blah, blah!!!
There is actually a lot of unnecessary pressure put on this generation and I believe that parents, teachers and other adults are scaring the hell out of these kids. Here's a few reasons I have come to think this…
The suicide rate among kids 12-17 years old in Utah is one of the highest in the nation.
There is a huge amount of anxiety and depression among teens.
Teens seem reluctant to get their drivers license at 16 and start driving.
Self harming among teens has become very common.
I have had my kids tell me several times about a friend texting them about suicidal thoughts, or severe depression, or cutting etc. So many times they are worried sick about their friends. When my daughter told me for the first time about a boy she was friends with struggling with severe depression and suicidal thoughts she was 14 years old. I felt bad for this child but didn't realize that it was such a problem with the generation. Now my daughter is 18 years old and over the past few years there have been numerous times she has told me about a child she knows who is struggling with cutting, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and some who have actually committed suicide. I finally started thinking and then saying out loud, "What in the world is going on?? This isn't normal!!"
I started asking my friends and family about if they remember dealing with these kinds of issues as a teen. The answer from everyone has been no we didn't deal with issues this severe. Sure we had friends that maybe got mixed up in drugs, drinking, or had a teen pregnancy. But this generation is facing fear, fear, fear and full of pain!
I'm not exactly sure what is causing this immense fear in our children but I think we need to wake up and see that something is going on and change some messages we are reinforcing into our kids. First of all we need to quit looking down on this generation as if they will fail because of no work ethic. They are as a whole more brilliant and savvy than we will ever be. My five year old can pick up my cell phone and navigate through it easily. He also knows all of the codes to the four cell phones in our home. Anytime I have a question about my phone I hand it over to one of my teens to figure out.
One time my daughter was 16 and she came home from school. She said, "Mom I feel like teachers make you feel like it's impossible to succeed in life." It would seem like this is a ridiculous statement so I asked why she felt that way. She said, "They say you have to get straight A's, be in student council, extra curricular activities and clubs etc to even get in college." Then another time my son was about 13 years old and we were driving down the street and he says…"Hey mom do you ever worry about over population?" I said, "No never, why?" He said that in one of his classes they talked to the students about this and that it's really scary. Since then he has had his math, science and history class also talk about over population. What in the world is a 13 year old going to do about over population? The ONLY thing that will do is make these kids worry about something they have zero control over.
Parents put pressure on kids saying they don't want their kids to make the same mistakes they did. K I get it. I know we all want what's best for our children but at the end of the day they have their own path. Mistakes are part of life and MUST be made to learn. Many times we as parents also expect our kids to date the kind of person we want them to, follow the same religious beliefs that we believe, go into an acceptable profession that we see fit, etc. What our children need to hear from us is…
No matter what happens or what mistakes you make it will be OK. I am here for you, providing a safe place for you to come get wisdom and sound advice.
I don't expect perfection from you. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I admire you for yours.
Go after whatever you want in life and I believe in you.
You get to choose your own decisions and it's your life. Find what brings you joy.
And above all there is NOTHING you can do to make me not love you, NOTHING!!!
Believe in your children and they will feel that from you. Guide them, don't try and control them. They will thank you one day!
I asked my teens what they need to hear from us…
Alex (18 yrs)
Your number one duty in life is to love everyone.
Learn from your mistakes and learn from others mistakes.
Do what makes you happy.
You are never alone because you always have people around you that are looking out for you and love you.
Austin (15 yrs)
Be yourself.
Go after your dreams.
I love you.
There is actually a lot of unnecessary pressure put on this generation and I believe that parents, teachers and other adults are scaring the hell out of these kids. Here's a few reasons I have come to think this…
The suicide rate among kids 12-17 years old in Utah is one of the highest in the nation.
There is a huge amount of anxiety and depression among teens.
Teens seem reluctant to get their drivers license at 16 and start driving.
Self harming among teens has become very common.
I have had my kids tell me several times about a friend texting them about suicidal thoughts, or severe depression, or cutting etc. So many times they are worried sick about their friends. When my daughter told me for the first time about a boy she was friends with struggling with severe depression and suicidal thoughts she was 14 years old. I felt bad for this child but didn't realize that it was such a problem with the generation. Now my daughter is 18 years old and over the past few years there have been numerous times she has told me about a child she knows who is struggling with cutting, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and some who have actually committed suicide. I finally started thinking and then saying out loud, "What in the world is going on?? This isn't normal!!"
I started asking my friends and family about if they remember dealing with these kinds of issues as a teen. The answer from everyone has been no we didn't deal with issues this severe. Sure we had friends that maybe got mixed up in drugs, drinking, or had a teen pregnancy. But this generation is facing fear, fear, fear and full of pain!
I'm not exactly sure what is causing this immense fear in our children but I think we need to wake up and see that something is going on and change some messages we are reinforcing into our kids. First of all we need to quit looking down on this generation as if they will fail because of no work ethic. They are as a whole more brilliant and savvy than we will ever be. My five year old can pick up my cell phone and navigate through it easily. He also knows all of the codes to the four cell phones in our home. Anytime I have a question about my phone I hand it over to one of my teens to figure out.
One time my daughter was 16 and she came home from school. She said, "Mom I feel like teachers make you feel like it's impossible to succeed in life." It would seem like this is a ridiculous statement so I asked why she felt that way. She said, "They say you have to get straight A's, be in student council, extra curricular activities and clubs etc to even get in college." Then another time my son was about 13 years old and we were driving down the street and he says…"Hey mom do you ever worry about over population?" I said, "No never, why?" He said that in one of his classes they talked to the students about this and that it's really scary. Since then he has had his math, science and history class also talk about over population. What in the world is a 13 year old going to do about over population? The ONLY thing that will do is make these kids worry about something they have zero control over.
Parents put pressure on kids saying they don't want their kids to make the same mistakes they did. K I get it. I know we all want what's best for our children but at the end of the day they have their own path. Mistakes are part of life and MUST be made to learn. Many times we as parents also expect our kids to date the kind of person we want them to, follow the same religious beliefs that we believe, go into an acceptable profession that we see fit, etc. What our children need to hear from us is…
No matter what happens or what mistakes you make it will be OK. I am here for you, providing a safe place for you to come get wisdom and sound advice.
I don't expect perfection from you. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I admire you for yours.
Go after whatever you want in life and I believe in you.
You get to choose your own decisions and it's your life. Find what brings you joy.
And above all there is NOTHING you can do to make me not love you, NOTHING!!!
Believe in your children and they will feel that from you. Guide them, don't try and control them. They will thank you one day!
I asked my teens what they need to hear from us…
Alex (18 yrs)
Your number one duty in life is to love everyone.
Learn from your mistakes and learn from others mistakes.
Do what makes you happy.
You are never alone because you always have people around you that are looking out for you and love you.
Austin (15 yrs)
Be yourself.
Go after your dreams.
I love you.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
What You Think About, You Bring About!
The sooner you can grasp this idea that what you think about you bring about, the sooner you will be on your way to improving your life. We are the ultimate creators of our own experiences. I first heard about the "Law of Attraction" back in 2007 with the book and movie "The Secret". It was such a fascinating concept for me and I definitely believed it. I had created so much chaos in my life in previous years. Now I realize that I was instigating all that drama.
I was a single mom working as a waitress and bartender at a restaurant while going through college. I had so much anxiety that I could barely take a satisfied breath. I had many sleepless nights up worrying about life. I'd start dating some guy that was a mess and things would turn ugly between us so then we'd break up and I'd tell all my friends about it thinking and talking about the drama more and more. During those six years as a single mom I had an apartment fire and had to move, I had a maintenance man stalking me from one of my apartments who also had a key to my apartment, I had a boss who got fired for sexually harassing me for over 2 years, I ended up getting a lump in my breast that was removed surgically, plus several other trips to the doctor because I thought I had a tumor in my chest since it was so hard to breath, not to mention all the craziness with the men I dated during that time. I remember saying "Do I have a sign on my forehead that says, if you're crazy come talk to me"?
Think of the thoughts you think and the words you speak as if they are going out into the universe in a pathway before you. As you walk that pathway whatever you have focused on enough you will eventually reach that experience. I had a dear friend of mine and her 7 month old baby die in a car accident in 2002. That experience was so traumatic. For years I would find myself envisioning my own funeral and what people would say, who would speak, where it would be etc. I've heard people in life say "I don't want to live until I'm old" , or "I know I'll die young I can feel it". No, No, No! Your words and thoughts have SO much power!
Think about things you DO want and not about what you DON'T want. Even though I've known about the Law of Attraction for 8 years now I still have to remind myself daily to monitor my thoughts. We have had years of thinking negative thoughts so it does take some commitment to retrain the brain. Every day I try to either read out of an uplifting book for five to ten minutes or listen to a youtube podcast as I'm driving around in the day. I just search law of attraction and listen for ten minutes or so just to keep me in that place of focusing on the good.
Now as I drive down the road instead of envisioning horrible things happening I'm most likely envisioning me, my husband and children at our (future) lake house. Going out on our boat or jet skis, entertaining friends, all of us sitting around the fire telling stories, laughing and enjoying this beautiful precious life experience together.
I was a single mom working as a waitress and bartender at a restaurant while going through college. I had so much anxiety that I could barely take a satisfied breath. I had many sleepless nights up worrying about life. I'd start dating some guy that was a mess and things would turn ugly between us so then we'd break up and I'd tell all my friends about it thinking and talking about the drama more and more. During those six years as a single mom I had an apartment fire and had to move, I had a maintenance man stalking me from one of my apartments who also had a key to my apartment, I had a boss who got fired for sexually harassing me for over 2 years, I ended up getting a lump in my breast that was removed surgically, plus several other trips to the doctor because I thought I had a tumor in my chest since it was so hard to breath, not to mention all the craziness with the men I dated during that time. I remember saying "Do I have a sign on my forehead that says, if you're crazy come talk to me"?
Think of the thoughts you think and the words you speak as if they are going out into the universe in a pathway before you. As you walk that pathway whatever you have focused on enough you will eventually reach that experience. I had a dear friend of mine and her 7 month old baby die in a car accident in 2002. That experience was so traumatic. For years I would find myself envisioning my own funeral and what people would say, who would speak, where it would be etc. I've heard people in life say "I don't want to live until I'm old" , or "I know I'll die young I can feel it". No, No, No! Your words and thoughts have SO much power!
Think about things you DO want and not about what you DON'T want. Even though I've known about the Law of Attraction for 8 years now I still have to remind myself daily to monitor my thoughts. We have had years of thinking negative thoughts so it does take some commitment to retrain the brain. Every day I try to either read out of an uplifting book for five to ten minutes or listen to a youtube podcast as I'm driving around in the day. I just search law of attraction and listen for ten minutes or so just to keep me in that place of focusing on the good.
Now as I drive down the road instead of envisioning horrible things happening I'm most likely envisioning me, my husband and children at our (future) lake house. Going out on our boat or jet skis, entertaining friends, all of us sitting around the fire telling stories, laughing and enjoying this beautiful precious life experience together.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Who is God (Part 3)
I read and listened to hundreds of near death experiences. One thing people said over and over is that we are all one. What does that mean I thought? Several people described seeing a sort of beam of light or thread that went from one person to the next to the next and connected each of us. They saw the thread between everyone. No one was excluded. Strangers walking on the street had a thread connecting them to all around them.
I have read so many books now on spirituality. I am a seeker and am always trying to learn more. So now after 39 years of my journey here on earth and trying to learn who God is this is how my heart and soul knows God…
God has no gender. God has no race. God has no age, or beard, or religion. God is a sea of love. Of unconditional, beautiful, warm, understanding, incomprehensible Love. AND each of us are a piece of that. If you can imagine the ocean and the ocean is what we call "God", each of us are a cup of water from that beautiful ocean. There are several analogies for me to try and wrap my brain around this concept. Or God is a beautiful forest filled with amazing gorgeous trees each being unique in their own way. As a whole the forest is "God" and each of us are a tree. Or a beautiful sandy beach. The beach as a whole is "God" and each of us are a grain of sand.
Once I started to understand this concept that we are all God and connected then I started to look at the homeless man on the corner very differently. Now I realize him and I are not so different and I am definitely not "better" than him. We came from the same place and will go back to the same place. We just have different paths and journeys here on earth. Now I "see" him. Now I Love him.
I have read so many books now on spirituality. I am a seeker and am always trying to learn more. So now after 39 years of my journey here on earth and trying to learn who God is this is how my heart and soul knows God…
God has no gender. God has no race. God has no age, or beard, or religion. God is a sea of love. Of unconditional, beautiful, warm, understanding, incomprehensible Love. AND each of us are a piece of that. If you can imagine the ocean and the ocean is what we call "God", each of us are a cup of water from that beautiful ocean. There are several analogies for me to try and wrap my brain around this concept. Or God is a beautiful forest filled with amazing gorgeous trees each being unique in their own way. As a whole the forest is "God" and each of us are a tree. Or a beautiful sandy beach. The beach as a whole is "God" and each of us are a grain of sand.
Once I started to understand this concept that we are all God and connected then I started to look at the homeless man on the corner very differently. Now I realize him and I are not so different and I am definitely not "better" than him. We came from the same place and will go back to the same place. We just have different paths and journeys here on earth. Now I "see" him. Now I Love him.
Who is God? (Part 2)
After a few months into my journey I stopped going to the church I had grown up in. Stepping out of familiar territory was a little scary at first but soon felt freeing and exhilarating. I then decided to check out other religions because church was the only way I knew at the time to try and connect with God. I tried the Catholic church, Baptist, non-denominational Christian, and still felt empty. Sure I felt uplifted in the presence of others striving to know God but something really big was missing. In all the religions I ever looked into there were always some doctrine that was rooted in fear and not love. At my core I knew this was not truth.
I'm not saying that church is bad. For some it has been a huge blessing in their lives to have something to help guide them and be a part of a community. I do feel like it often separates souls to view themselves as above others that are not part of "their" church.
My searching through different religions lasted about 7 years before I pretty much gave up and just decided I didn't know if anything existed beyond our life here on earth. I still had no idea who God was or even if there is such a thing. Was there even heaven or hell? Yep that means I was at a time … Atheist (Gasp!!!) Wow I use to view anyone as an Atheist as evil. Now I realize several people (yes even good obedient church goers) are Atheist. I now can look at someone that is Atheist with respect and think that's where they are at on their journey and that is ok. It certainly doesn't mean these people are evil, they are just being honest when they label themselves as that. They are simply saying "I don't know what there is beyond and I'm not pretending that I do."
So fast forward to now I'm 29 years old and I meet Danny. There's a beautiful intertwined serendipity story about Danny and I too but I'll leave that to another post. We quickly fell in love and were married a year later. We bought a home and began to settle into our new life together with my two children. One day I was downstairs going through some boxes when I picked up a book that had been given to me about 12 years before from a friend. I never read it and it ended up on a shelf then in a box and down in my basement. This is one of those "When you are ready, the teacher will appear" moments.
The book is called The Burning Within by Ranelle Wallace. It's about a woman who was in a plane crash with her husband. Most of her body was badly burned and she died on her way to the hospital. She had a magnificent experience on the other side and came back to tell the story. As I cracked open her book and started reading my emotions inside were dancing for joy. I was thinking "Yes, Yes, Yes!!!" This information made me feel alive and I couldn't get enough. Over the next few days I read the book any moment I could. I finished it front to back. This book completely changed me. I was no longer empty. I was filled with hope and wanted to learn more. On Ranelle's journey and after everything she went through her message she came back with was so pure and simple, "Love is Sumpreme". She says that's what matters in life, is how much you love.
From there I started reading books from other authors that had near death experiences. I find these stories so fascinating because they are from souls that were there on the other side! So many similarities woven into each of their experiences but each having unique details. Every single one of them had the same message though … Love!
Love, Love, Love!
I'm not saying that church is bad. For some it has been a huge blessing in their lives to have something to help guide them and be a part of a community. I do feel like it often separates souls to view themselves as above others that are not part of "their" church.
My searching through different religions lasted about 7 years before I pretty much gave up and just decided I didn't know if anything existed beyond our life here on earth. I still had no idea who God was or even if there is such a thing. Was there even heaven or hell? Yep that means I was at a time … Atheist (Gasp!!!) Wow I use to view anyone as an Atheist as evil. Now I realize several people (yes even good obedient church goers) are Atheist. I now can look at someone that is Atheist with respect and think that's where they are at on their journey and that is ok. It certainly doesn't mean these people are evil, they are just being honest when they label themselves as that. They are simply saying "I don't know what there is beyond and I'm not pretending that I do."
So fast forward to now I'm 29 years old and I meet Danny. There's a beautiful intertwined serendipity story about Danny and I too but I'll leave that to another post. We quickly fell in love and were married a year later. We bought a home and began to settle into our new life together with my two children. One day I was downstairs going through some boxes when I picked up a book that had been given to me about 12 years before from a friend. I never read it and it ended up on a shelf then in a box and down in my basement. This is one of those "When you are ready, the teacher will appear" moments.
The book is called The Burning Within by Ranelle Wallace. It's about a woman who was in a plane crash with her husband. Most of her body was badly burned and she died on her way to the hospital. She had a magnificent experience on the other side and came back to tell the story. As I cracked open her book and started reading my emotions inside were dancing for joy. I was thinking "Yes, Yes, Yes!!!" This information made me feel alive and I couldn't get enough. Over the next few days I read the book any moment I could. I finished it front to back. This book completely changed me. I was no longer empty. I was filled with hope and wanted to learn more. On Ranelle's journey and after everything she went through her message she came back with was so pure and simple, "Love is Sumpreme". She says that's what matters in life, is how much you love.
From there I started reading books from other authors that had near death experiences. I find these stories so fascinating because they are from souls that were there on the other side! So many similarities woven into each of their experiences but each having unique details. Every single one of them had the same message though … Love!
Love, Love, Love!
Friday, June 12, 2015
Who is God? (Part 1 The beginning of my journey)
This is a big question for most of us. I don't think I could grasp anything I "knew" was true until I was about 31 years old. I have had several defining moments in my life that have been magical for me. This is one of those…
I grew up in Missouri until I was 15 years old and then moved to Utah. I am the youngest of nine children. Most of my family is mormon (LDS). My parents took me to church, we read scriptures, went to church social events and had several church standards we strived to live by. I was labeled as the "peacemaker" in my family. I pretty much went along with everyone else and did what I was taught most of the time.
I graduated from high school and at age 20 got married in the LDS temple. Within 2 weeks I was pregnant with my first child and on my way to living the life of the mormon culture. Then a couple years later I got pregnant with my second child. I was 23 years old with a baby in my belly and a 2 year old at my side. I had a husband that was withdrawn. I was lonely and empty inside. I was very critical of others that were different than me. I viewed other souls as completely separate. I drove past homeless people on the corner and didn't even think twice. I saw someone smoking with tattoos and piercings and thought "ewe". I made fun of others with my sisters and friends. I felt threatened by other races and cultures. I had no regard for people that were gay. Many times I either said or thought to myself "I would never do that!" as I harshly judged others. I had NO idea what God was and NO idea what Love was.
I thought I knew it all and was very self absorbed in my own little world. Then one day my entire life changed in a moment. I was 7 months pregnant with my second child and my husband had grown more and more distant. He stopped going to church with me, rarely touched me, and didn't say much to me. I could sense something was up. I felt so alone. Finally he told me that he didn't want to be married anymore and he felt we "just wanted different things in life". My world came crashing down. I was afraid of so many things. Afraid for this baby that was still in my belly, afraid for my 2 year old, afraid of being alone, afraid of my "perfect" little temple marriage failing. I went to my bishop and asked for some guidance. He told me to let my husband "go through what he was going through, be patient and supportive, and don't push him to make any decisions".
This was the first time in my life I had to really feel rejection and pain on this level. It was one of the best gifts in my life. Because now I had been jolted to wake up and look around outside of my perfect little world.
I consider that time in my life when I started my spiritual journey and really started to ask the big questions in life. So I started picking up the pieces of my shattered world day by day. With a precious newborn son and a sweet little 2 year old daughter that owned my heart we were a trio. I started to look around and observe others. What did I want to teach these perfect little souls that had been sent to me to guide? What kind of people did I want to mold them into? I didn't know much but I did know that I wanted them to be different than the person I had been up until now. I wanted to teach them to look at others who were struggling in life with compassion. I wanted them to feel loved by me and not controlled. And above all I wanted them to love others despite of differences. Whether someone was gay or straight, black or white, poor or rich, educated or not, strung out on drugs, etc.
I grew up in Missouri until I was 15 years old and then moved to Utah. I am the youngest of nine children. Most of my family is mormon (LDS). My parents took me to church, we read scriptures, went to church social events and had several church standards we strived to live by. I was labeled as the "peacemaker" in my family. I pretty much went along with everyone else and did what I was taught most of the time.
I graduated from high school and at age 20 got married in the LDS temple. Within 2 weeks I was pregnant with my first child and on my way to living the life of the mormon culture. Then a couple years later I got pregnant with my second child. I was 23 years old with a baby in my belly and a 2 year old at my side. I had a husband that was withdrawn. I was lonely and empty inside. I was very critical of others that were different than me. I viewed other souls as completely separate. I drove past homeless people on the corner and didn't even think twice. I saw someone smoking with tattoos and piercings and thought "ewe". I made fun of others with my sisters and friends. I felt threatened by other races and cultures. I had no regard for people that were gay. Many times I either said or thought to myself "I would never do that!" as I harshly judged others. I had NO idea what God was and NO idea what Love was.
I thought I knew it all and was very self absorbed in my own little world. Then one day my entire life changed in a moment. I was 7 months pregnant with my second child and my husband had grown more and more distant. He stopped going to church with me, rarely touched me, and didn't say much to me. I could sense something was up. I felt so alone. Finally he told me that he didn't want to be married anymore and he felt we "just wanted different things in life". My world came crashing down. I was afraid of so many things. Afraid for this baby that was still in my belly, afraid for my 2 year old, afraid of being alone, afraid of my "perfect" little temple marriage failing. I went to my bishop and asked for some guidance. He told me to let my husband "go through what he was going through, be patient and supportive, and don't push him to make any decisions".
This was the first time in my life I had to really feel rejection and pain on this level. It was one of the best gifts in my life. Because now I had been jolted to wake up and look around outside of my perfect little world.
I consider that time in my life when I started my spiritual journey and really started to ask the big questions in life. So I started picking up the pieces of my shattered world day by day. With a precious newborn son and a sweet little 2 year old daughter that owned my heart we were a trio. I started to look around and observe others. What did I want to teach these perfect little souls that had been sent to me to guide? What kind of people did I want to mold them into? I didn't know much but I did know that I wanted them to be different than the person I had been up until now. I wanted to teach them to look at others who were struggling in life with compassion. I wanted them to feel loved by me and not controlled. And above all I wanted them to love others despite of differences. Whether someone was gay or straight, black or white, poor or rich, educated or not, strung out on drugs, etc.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Welcome to Love Light House
I have been on a spiritual journey for the past 15 years. I had an experience that cracked me wide open with love and light. I'm a seeker who is always asking questions. Life is so beautiful with magic all around us to see if we just make the choice! This site is dedicated to LOVE. I'm so glad you found me.
Love & Light,
Jenn
Love & Light,
Jenn
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