Sunday, April 28

STUFF is an Energy Vampire!



Remember the song...WAR by Edwin Starr in 1969? He asks the question. War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing....say it again ya all!!!"

As a transition specialist, I've been traveling from Northern CA to Peoria, Il helping people with transition which always involves letting go of stuff! 

STUFF is an energy vampire! It always stays in our minds. We romanticize as if it were a young lover's fling. 

We remember our stuff fondly, but in reality, like with all things, time has taken it's tole. Our stuff has been moved from point A to point B a billion times. It's been boxed and re-boxed, hauled and stacked, peed on by pets and has made nice homes for mice and rats. And still....we can't let it go...why? 

I pose the question. STUFF what is it good for? Absolutely nothing! 

Well, not exactly true. Stuff serves many purposes. Stuff is here for our pleasure and enjoyment. It's all well and good as long as it serves us and we're not in service to our stuff. 

On an emotional level, stuff gives us an opportunity to deal with the shit we create in our lives. (Among other things.) It's just a outward mirror for what's happening on the inside. In fact, dealing with our stuff....can be overwhelming and can literally make us ill. That's where I come in as support. 

The most freeing thing I've ever done (and hard) was to let go of everything that didn't fit into a 22" suitcase and backpack. Like an onion, I had to do it in layers, each time I was able to let go of a bit more. Whatever I have, wallet, purse or suitcase, I have to fill every last inch!  And now that I own a car, I can always add one more thing!! It's absolutely exhausting!

So, what keeps us holding onto our stuff? (Nice chapter for the book I'm working on!)* Of course the answer is emotional...what else? 

Can you let it go? If not...why not?  Why does our stuff make us crazy and still we can't let it go? 

Our stuff is comforting...as long as we have our stuff...we don't have to change...I have no point...just wondering...your thoughts? 

*Watch for the chapter (Our Stuff) in my new book, A Year in a Suitcase coming later this year.)




Tuesday, April 16

FOLLOWING THE FLOW OF ENERGY

Hitting the road again....heading to Oakland, CA and then Grass Valley, CA.

Everywhere that I travel, people are always very supporting of me and the journey that I have chosen to be on for this part of my life....with all of its up's and down's. Thank you!

It's a long drive from AZ to Oakland...about 15 hours. However after getting a late start (a picnic in Madera Canyon, not to have been missed:) I decided to test the waters of travel. If there was a possibility for me to spend the night in Huntington Beach, I'd head directly west to San Diego. Otherwise, I'd head north to Bakersfield. 

Yes, to HB and so I drove across I-8 to San Diego. Following the guidance of my GPS, (which I don't always do) I found myself headed to Ramona and Santee (suburbs) which would then connect with I-805. It was unfamiliar territory for me, it was dark, and so it was unusual for me to follow the advice of my GPS. 

Ramona was a place we used to visit a lot as we were kids. I had an uncle who lived there. We thought it was on another planet...it was so remote. My ex-husbands sister used to live in Santee. As I was driving up over the hill to get I-805, I began feeling what I refer to as panty-twisting. An extreme energy surge filled my body. What's this about?  I began to ground myself, stay in my body and started deep, slow, conscious breathing. I remained asked the question to my guidance, "Is there anything that I need to know? 

I knew that I had been led by Spirit, in this area for whatever reason. I knew it to be an energetic healing of some sort. I also know that on this journey that I have chosen, I am on a need to know basis! I knew that I didn't need to spend time trying to figure it out. All that was required of me was the willingness to follow the flow of energy, consciously bringing love and light with me wherever I go. 

I'm thankful that I do have the courage to continue into the unknown and discover what God/The Universe has out there for me to uncover!  When you pay attention in your life...where is Spirit leading you? Where are you taking your love and light? I'm in great company!!!!

PS. Now I'm in Grass Valley, CA.

Thursday, April 11

SAY YES TO LIVING!

Say YES to LIVING! 
WHICH MEANS... 
STOP SAYING NO...
STOP PROCRASTINATING... 
STOP MAKING EXCUSES... 
STOP PROTECTING YOUR HEART...
STOP ALREADY!


I'm finding that in traveling many people are totally complacent with their life. They like how it is and when asked to go for a hike or a movie or anything out of their regular routine, they say No. 

I loved the movie YES, with Jim Carey. He had recently come out of a bad relationship breakup and was stuck, saying NO to everyone and everything. Nearly loosing his friends, he was challenged to attend a YES seminar. He had to say YES to everything he was asked. Eventually he learned to decide for himself was his answer going to be YES or was it going to be NO. 

As with many of us. He had gotten into the habit of saying NO to things out of his daily routine. I myself have experienced the amazing benefits by learning to say YES to life, even when I didn't understand how things could possibly work out! 

" Always say "yes" to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say "yes" to life - and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you." - Eckhart Tolle

Life is for living, not playing it safe, remaining in dead end situations because it's the path of least resistance.  Life is for experiencing, learning and enjoyment. When we can take time from our everyday routines and make time for laughter and joy in everyday situations, we can then live as Auntie Mamme advised:

Live, Live, Live....Life is a banquet and most poor souls are starving! 

PS. For those interested, I'm heading out On The Road Again...Oakland, CA, Grass Valley, CA, Peoria, Il, Oklahoma, Green Valley, AZ, Portland, OR & Vancouver, WA. Hope to see you out there!

Embrace Change: Adventure is out there!!!! 

Sunday, April 7

WOBBLING IS PART OF FINDING BALANCE IN LIFE

I was at an Introductory to Yoga class last week. One of the things that we practiced was tree pose, where you balance yourself on one leg. Certainly many of us were wobbly in the beginning, some even using the wall for support. 

The instructor then asked us to purposely get ourselves off balance. As we all wobbled with arms and legs waving in the wind, she then asked us to place our awareness on our core muscles, squeezing tightly and following the breath back to stability, even on one leg. 

This instantly brought to my mind finding balance in life. That is life; finding balance, body, mind and spirit.  Even when we seem to have found our balance, something happens and things get askew again. Wobbling is a part of living. It is simply an opportunity to turn our attention to the moment, and evaluate how we want to begin again.

Using a toddler learning to walk as a mirror for ourselves, we can see clearly that with loving patience with ourselves, falling down, getting up....wobbling, placing our attention back in the moment and breathing we can conquer any challenges that come our way. Happy Wobbling! 

Friday, April 5

FUNKY, FUNKY....

I'm here in Green Valley, AZ. While, like everywhere that I've traveled, I meet the most amazing people and have the most enchanting time. But today for some reason, I've been in a major funk! MAJOR! Watch out, anyone in my tracks today!~ PS...I'm sorry....

I've applied for several jobs....all jobs that I am well qualified for. I even had my business coach review my resumes and cover letters and have had zero response. Yes, I know why I am not getting "JOBS", I'm not supposed to have one. My business coach said that he was mad for me. He's surprised that no one has even responded to my inquiries let alone not have been offered any positions. I said, "I know why! If someone offered me a job, I'd take it and that would take me off of my shamanic journey of following the flow of energy." Adding insult to injury, friends are around me are getting great jobs! 

I drove to Tucson today with a list filled with things to accomplish, starting with yoga. I then went to see a friend who owns a hot pool for aquatic massages to inquire about her position at Canyon Ranch. (A high end spa.) We brainstormed about some summer possibilities at her facility.

Next, I drove around in circles, not knowing what to do or where to go! I called a friend who was going to meet me in town and she said, "You sound tired or down. You should come back to my house." I started to head south but realized that wasn't the answer.

It was my child who was panty twisting and the wise parent finally came to the rescue. "Pati, when you're feeling off balance, go inside and follow the breath, until you feel a sense of calmness. Then go back to the last thing that was familiar and stand there until you gain clarity." The last thing...I have a list of things to accomplish. Even though it was the last thing that I wanted to do, I simply put one foot in front of the other, took out the list and carried on. 

I stopped by to see my shamanic astrologer friend who explained why I was in this funk. (Yes, something to do with the alignment of the planets!) Her husband and I have the same astrological charts and he said that he's been in a I don't want to, state of mind. He doesn't want to move in the world and do the things that he's been doing to generate a cash flow. ( Always a nice mirror for me!)

It's nearly 1AM as I write this. While I can't sleep and I still feel like curling up in bed and crying.  And I can't exactly put my finger on what the issues are, it's nice to know two things. One, someone had added a comment on the blog....so thank you for being out there....all of you....and secondly, THIS TOO SHALL PASS:-) One thing that always is true for me. I feel better after I've written:-) So thanks for listening:-)