“The Eyes to See”

I once asked in an intuitive report about connecting with the angels.  The response was that these energies were already available to me. I just needed the “eyes to see”.  This puzzled me a bit, and I came away from my first listen thinking that I was just not trained enough, maybe just not metaphysical enough yet.

But today the message popped up for me again (as messages often do), and I realized that wasn’t it at all.  It means that the angels already were communicating with me all of the time.  I just couldn’t see it.

They were whispering in my ear to pick up guitar again and play for the patients at the nursing home.  They were the voice of the volunteer coordinator who told me it was a great idea.  They were the kick in the butt that finally got me out the door and to the home for that beautiful experience with a patient and his family as he was getting nearer to transitioning.

They were the nudge to pick up The Vortex from the used book store, the voice of my coach telling me to read it, and in the voices of the patients who inspired me to leave the book in the waiting room after it had been sitting in my back untouched.  They were also in the voice of the waiting patient who days later read a passage from the book that I needed to hear as much as she did.

They are in the coincidences, the messages I receive from songs, words from friends and strangers, angel numbers, and feelings of inspiration and joy.

In another text I listened to or read recently, it said angels are always there.  It doesn’t matter whether you believe in them or not, they will continue to be there for you, loving you and helping you.

What a beautiful thing. ❤  Much love and many blessings. ❤

I Would Walk 15,000 steps. . .

Dear Source, Mother Gaia (Earth) . . .  and any and all Entities of Light — those for the good of all concerned — thank you for another day and for being a part of it.

It was between 50 and 60 degrees even very early this morning, so I made sure to strap up my hiking boots and get out the door.  I walked for 2 hours and probably about 5 miles or 11,000 steps (will be 15,000 total after walking the dogs another mile this afternoon and walking around the house and work tonight).  My legs are a little sore. (“What the heck are we doing here, Teri?”)  But otherwise I’m feeling great.  I have my pace, my route, and my time frame, and I’m ready to get back to walking.

It was about this time last year that I got the inspiration to walk the Camino in 2017.  Just about this time I started training, taking the steps I’m taking now.  I’ve started getting flashbacks to the walk.  I’ve started missing it.  I’d really like to walk another one.  Not this year, but 2019.  I’d really like to “take a hike” in the summer of 2019.  The Kumano Kodo would be great, but I would settle for something local or Canada, too.

What brings you joy?  Much love and many blessings. ❤

THIS is What Morning Looks Like

Dear Source, Mother Gaia (Earth) . . .  and any and all Entities of Light — those for the good of all concerned — thank you for another day and for being a part of it.

Thanks to my work schedule opening up a bit — AND SOME SUN (Spring IS here, whether it looks like it or not) — I think I’m actually experiencing how a perfect morning can look!

This morning I woke up with Brian at 6am, took the dogs out (who pooped immediately — yay!), and made a breakfast smoothie.  The following 2-2.5 hours were spent on the following: pet care and feed, sitting on the floor and petting the fur babies, drinking straight hot water (Does anyone else do this, or am I crazy?), watching random inspirational videos on Facebook and youtube and crying my eyes out — in a very cleansing way, starting a load and accidentally Chrome-casting Abraham Hick’s “Everything is Always Working Out for Me” on the TV — and THEN getting super inspired to blast “Aum/Om chanting on the TV” and open all of the shutters to let in the GLORIOUS SUN! (Let’s raise this house’s vibration, y’all!).

Next I’ll probably add in some of the my other favorite activities/self-care choices/to dos for the day: multiple walks (with and without pets), a bath, meditation with candles, hanging out in the library (9 books on hold for me — yeep!), trying out some Akashic record/intuitive questioning, experimenting with ideas for my business card, reminding myself how to play “If I Had a Hammer” and “Seek Ye First” on the guitar for the nursing home this Friday, some correspondence, saging the house (It still feels sad!), Zumba Fitness Rush on the Xbox 360, reading my vision, random dancing around the house, making an on-line video, yoga, journaling, and planting some seeds indoors (weather is still unpredictable here in Chicagoland!).  In the past I’ve been asked questions like: “What do you do for play?” or “How do you fill your bucket?”  — And I couldn’t answer!  I’ve re-connected with my inner child and my inner joy! (WOOHOO!)

*Now that I’ve finished typing this out I see that is QUITE a bit to play with in one day. BUT — I now have a great “play”list to come back to! :-D*

And speaking of play. . .  the one area that I have been neglecting for some time is art play.  I may dabble in that today . . .  or this week.  Yes, I consider some of the things I already do a form or art — like journaling, blogging, and creating videos  — BUT, I think there’s something special to me about playing with color, could involve coloring, maybe designing, maybe collaging.  Whatever.  IT’S TIME TO PLAY!

Are you having a great morning?  What are some ways that you play?

Much love and many blessings. ❤

Release Time

What are you currently focusing on?

I feel like I’ve been hitting some big walls lately.  The biggest is my frustration with not moving “fast enough.”  The message I keep receiving (from intuition, from my environment, etc) is to let go of the concept of time.  It doesn’t even really exist.  It’s a manmade construct.  As I was walking back to the house today, I really noticed the trees in front of me in a new way.  I realized that though they seem static to me, they are also growing, moving and thriving.  Do the trees complain about not growing “fast enough”?  Not likely.  They understand the universal flow.

Perhaps this is what my intuitive report meant by growing close to God through nature.  Nature innately understands what I sometimes miss.  It was good to soak up some of that good sun today.  I barely even noticed the cold.

Much love and many blessings. ❤

Dreams, Dreams!

I had so many dreams last Friday morning!  This after telling the acupuncturist two days before that I wasn’t remembering my dreams.  Thank you, Source and All for the good of all concerned!

My favorite was the flying dreams.  I absolutely adore flying dreams.  In this one an object was allowing me to fly.  I believe it was something like the obsidian ball I received recently as a gift.  I couldn’t readily control it — I kinda had to get it revved up somehow, but when I did — wow, I really soared!  At the end of the flying sequence I was heading down a road and then suddenly shot high into the air.  (“This is wonderful!” I thought.)  I was flying down the highway, high in the air.  But I was carrying a lot, in my arms, and I worried about dropping something.  Then, I did.  I immediately dropped to the ground to retrieve it.  As I was gathering myself, I saw a young man walking toward me.  I was worried he was up to no good and desperately tried to elevate myself again.  Finally, I was able to, and I shot off again.  The same man (or a version of him) showed up a little later in my dream/s.  He was asking me if I could see into a point of time.  He wanted to know what happened to his girlfriend.  I said I couldn’t do that (I only knew I could fly, but then I sort of was suddenly 2 people), and I saw the other self start to reach out and then ask for the person’s name.  And this person was able to bring back the image of what happened (Kind of reminding me of the part of Harry Potter when they move backward through time.)  We could see that where the girl was heading was no good, (out the door with some people), and we were shaking our heads about it.

There were some other dreams.  In one that was related to the obsidian one, I was in a metaphysical/spiritual shop.  There was a table of crystals, and I was thinking of choosing one.  I was watching how my body was reacting, moving forward or backward when I picked it up.  When I reflected back, I realized there was one I had leaned forward for, but when I picked it up again, I moved back.  I settled on another item in the store, and it was a large ceramic candle holder that could hold two taper candles inside.  There was wording on the other side, and it was in a different language, but I could make out the cognate for Catholic.

Random other dreams: sitting in a chair next to a woman with a puppy.  The puppy is “disturbing” me, and the woman moves away to not bother me, but I’m not really bothered.  I enjoy the contact.  I am running away from a bad man, along with some other people.  (Maybe a kidnapper?)  I have family over for a party (like the reception we’re planning).  But it’s at our house.  And we have some food, but it’s a little unorganized.  One of our friends asks if she can use the vacuum, since she spilled parts of a taco shell on the floor, and I then notice/realize that we didn’t vacuum before the guests came, and really, the whole floor needs to be vacuumed.  I also was conscious of recently having another party, like a birthday party, and I felt a little weird about having two parties so close together.  And something about a few of my cousins going to a very fancy party in Russia (very elaborate clothes and drawing room).

Interpretation

What sticks out most to me is they flying dream.  The feeling of complete freedom and bliss I experienced.  It’s also significant that I was flying along a highway (headed in a clear direction), headed “home”, and also that I was carrying a lot of stuff.  I can definitely use this dream as a reminder to LET GO.  Release the baggage, and release the past.  This can hold me back. I can also look into the thought forms that have helped me to fly.  Focusing back on my vision, and working with — and talking about — my written vision has definitely helped elevate me.  I’m also changing my diet and activity.

The Catholic part is intriguing.  I get the sense that my Catholic upbringing is a tool.  Though I don’t identify with the being religious, my spiritual upbringing is a gift that can be used to connect to my inner Self, Source, and love.

Parts of the other dreams may be precognitive dreams or reflections of my current focus.  I am very focused on the akashic records and learning to read them, and I seem to to have been doing something like a reading in one dream.  The vacuuming dream reminds me of going out to lunch with one of my tutoring families — and being surprised that the mom wished to ride in the car with me.  (My car is currently a mess and could use all sorts of cleaning!)

I look forward to continued visits in the dream world, especially as I focus on going deeper and deeper!

Here’s to your dreams. ❤  Much love and many blessings.

Guest Post from Emily Knox: Your Purpose is in the Present Moment

Life is not an accident. It may sound cliché, but “everything DOES happen for a reason.” I believe this to be true, and I see that our reason or purpose for existence is to learn.

Since I was a young child, I have always loved to learn new things. An excitement would flood my being and my eyes would glow with curiosity. Although the desire to learn was in my heart and intentions, a pattern soon arrived. I would begin a swimming lesson, and soon after quit. I would attend a tumbling class or two, then quit. Same goes for piano, guitar, soccer, basketball, volleyball, diving, dance… the list goes on! Was it the lack of desire for each of these growth-filled and fun sports? I have a trusted feeling that it was not.

A similar pattern was seen in my formal education. I would express curiosity and a joy of learning with most every subject taught in school, yet would easily lose interest and would move my attention into my imagination. This pattern resulted in low test scores, poor grades, and even led to the concerns of my teachers and my parents — that I may have had ADHD. Although my parents were aware of this concern, I was not made aware of this until my senior year of college. 

While earning my bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, this lack of concentration pervaded most of my experiences, whether in class, extra curricular activities, group projects, or social interactions. Some of the byproducts of this lack of concentration resulted in low self-esteem, insecurities, over-thinking, and a doubt of my abilities. 

I had a few friends who had prescriptions for Adderall, a combination medication that is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. I eventually began taking doses of this medication to keep my attention focused while completing assignments for school. In the beginning, I loved the feeling of being able to concentrate and study material for 5 to 6 hours at a time. Yet, in addition to the laser-focused attention came little to no appetite, poor sleep patterns, sometimes sleepless nights, heightened emotions, and physical shaking within my body. I knew that this could not be healthy for my natural flow and energy within my mind and body, but I felt desperate. 

Every spring, the University hosts a health fair, inviting all kinds of healing, from traditional, to holistic, to pure well-being. I was led to a table where a woman stood, representing the School of Metaphysics and interpreting dreams. I was intrigued by this woman’s love for dreams, so I gave her my contact information and walked away. Little did I know that this moment would forge a whole new vision for myself at a later date. 

It was approaching the end of summer, and I received an unexpected call; it was a woman inviting me to a new class in Applied Metaphysics at the School of Metaphysics. I said yes and told her that I would be there. Not knowing a thing about metaphysics — or even what the word meant — I still felt an urge to go to this class. 

At the first night of class, all of the students were told that if we remained disciplined and consistent with the practices taught in the course of study, we could expect an expansion of our awareness, deeper relationships, greater self understanding, improved grades, and an improved image of self. Although I knew very little of what I was getting myself into, I continued to come to class every week, week after week. 

We received teachings and exercises intended to aid us in our ability to concentrate that we were asked to practice everyday. I noticed improvement within my grades, I noticed improvement within my ability to communicate with my friends and peers, and I saw myself changing for the better. The simple skill of concentration not only aided me in earning better grades for myself, it also enhanced my ability to direct my attention where I wanted to. 

Through the practice and application of concentration on anything we desire, we build a discipline within the mind. It is the practice of concentration that has aided me to still my thoughts to receive guidance from my inner self, to relax the body at will, to perceive the need in my experiences, and — most of all– to understand the purpose of my existence. With constant practice of concentration exercises, breathing techniques, and stilling of the thoughts, anyone can build a greater knowledge of who they are and why they are here. This experience in the world is here for us to learn who we are, how we are creating, and to experience the joy and bliss of an awakened consciousness.

Concentration is a powerful tool in gaining self-awareness and achieving goals for yourself.  Through the use of concentration, all of our attention can be directed to a single point.  If we lack the ability to concentrate, we allow our mind to wander aimlessly.  As we learn to concentrate, we learn to direct our thoughts to a state of well-being.  Our thoughts influence our well-being and health.  The more directed our thoughts are toward health, healing, and wholeness, the more those aspects in our life will be enhanced.  This is true for most anything in our experiences.  What we give our attention to grows.  The more attention we give to the plants in our garden or house, the more the plants thrive and grow.  This is the same for our quality of thoughts.  When we give attention to our goals and desired way of living with deep concentration, our desires manifest, and we can know and understand the power held within our mind.

An exercise in concentration on a daily basis can change your life. Here is a practice that you can endeavor if you choose:

1. Sit relaxed in a straight back chair. Taking deep breaths will help you to relax and release tension held in the body.
2. Hold a pencil to eye level and about 10 inches away from the face. Placing a pillow underneath the arm may be helpful. 
3. Gaze at the sharpened tip of the pencil for 10 minutes. A gaze is gentle and relaxed. Your eyes may cross, and that is natural. Intensely staring at the pencil tip may cause some strain in the eyes, so just softly gaze. 
4. Your physical eyes as well as your mental attention should be given to the tip of the pencil. Anytime you notice your thoughts drifting to anything outside of the present moment of you and the pencil, guide yourself back to your point of focus. Every time you bring your attention back, you are building self-direction.
5. Practice this everyday for 10 weeks, 10 minutes a day and you will notice a shift in your consciousness.

Guest Post from Jorge Candelaria: The Power of Conscious Emotion

The Power of Conscious Emotion

by Jorge Candelaria

Some people want to improve their lives, but they don’t want to do anything differently. They are addicted to their way of being.  To improve one’s life and make the difference on the planet requires trying different ways of being.  Sometimes it requires challenge and sacrifice, but sometimes it’s just about enjoying the journey.

It has been six years since I started my journey to know myself.  I had no idea at that time where I was going to end up, and that allowed me the freedom to have new experiences and to be different, From my heart I knew that there had to be something more out there because nothing that I was doing was fulfilling me.

Some parts of the journey have felt like a struggle, and in other parts I am reaping the fruit of my efforts.  The first step in my journey was exploring discipline, and I experienced how powerful it was. I learned the influence of discipline on my feelings and emotions, and I started to understand my environment at a deeper level. I also became aware of other people’s behavior around me and the influence of our thoughts and our choices on each other and each other’s behavior.  

I fell in love with discipline, meditation, and spiritual exercises, that allows me to be in the present moment and get me closer and closer to have a quiet mind. I started practicing self-observation and objectivity with my thought; this process allowed me to discover all the baggage that I needed to change or get rid of.  At some points I was face-to-face with anger, self-pity, and sorrow.  Sometimes I reacted, blamed, and complained, blending all of those emotions. In those moments I realized the effect of discipline and commitment in the process of spiritual development, in being able to see how I was actually creating my reality. I also observed past patterns of thinking, including coping mechanisms I used to hide myself in, using unproductive habits like overworking or excessive internet use when things got tough.  Then instead I started developing ways that I could be in those challenging emotions, experiencing them. I observed myself in the present moment, observed how I was creating the experience.  I could then see if the feeling was habitual, an addictive behavior that was that an unconscious reaction to the experience. In that process, I learned that I had so many wounds that I needed to heal, like blaming other for triggering a negative emotion.  I realized it was something that I learned at home when I was little. Through this process I began to discover and trace how I developed my personality, and how I became who I am.

I also started to observe the usefulness of discipline to consciously create in my life. This is  something that I have always enjoyed.  I see the benefits of discipline in creating a business and focusing on one direction without the hassle of the standard ways of marketing, just maintaining the positive and direct thoughts of serving and loving what I do.  

The objectivity and mindfulness I have developed has helped me stay conscious in my work.  The unconscious habit that I catch myself in is thinking that just working harder is going to help me to solve a problem in the business, in my life or in being ‘productive.’ I think I am going to fill some emptiness. In those moments I now stop and look for what I am avoiding, what problem or what emotion I need to face.

In the journey of breaking my addictive behavior, I have found that the most important thing is to experience a deeper understanding of love. I am looking to receive all new people in my life into my heart, to experience divine friendship. Also, just as importantly, I look to experience and practice self love.