Happiness Depends On Where You Focus!

Like many of you, there has been tremendous upheaval in my life during the past few of months. For the past three and a half years, I have been responsible for exactly half of the upbringing of my granddaughter, who is the bright spot in my life. (The other half has been the responsibility of her other grandmother). Now that my husband has been diagnosed with early dementia and can no longer handle the responsibility of helping me take care of her, most of her care has been placed into the hands of her other grandmother. While I very much appreciate the fact that she is in capable and responsible hands, I feel very much as though I have lost her. To make matters worse, there is not a damn thing I can do about it without creating more devastation in my life.

So many questions and "what-if's" have been running through my head. Why am I and my husband going through this journey of dementia now? Why am I still in a job with such inconsistent hours and lousy pay? Why does my granddaughter need to be wretched away from me as she has? What if my financial and living situation changed into something where I would be able to take more consistent care of my granddaughter? And on and on ad nauseam. 

Notice the focus of the above questions: it is always about me. While my husband and granddaughter are mentioned, my questions do not look at the challenges they are facing. They do not take into account their needs throughout this process, and that is the problem!

The fact of the matter is, my granddaughter still needs fulltime care. My present work schedule is just not conducive to a toddler's needs. If truth be known, caring for my granddaughter has gotten more stressful under the present circumstances. Even when she is with me I know I am not at my best. It feels selfish and wrong to try to insist that she spend more time with me right now. As much as I hate to admit it, I am not what she needs right now. Her other grandmother is.

I am what my husband needs right now (as incapable as I feel). As I help him deal with the change, I also need to adapt myself and my life so that when he is no longer capable of helping I can make sure that all of our needs, financial and otherwise, are met. 

The irony of this whole situation is that I have been praying for major change in my life for at least a year now. I don't want to have to rely on the income I bring in from a dead-end job. I don't want to struggle to get by. I would like to wake up every morning with a smile on my face, knowing that my income is being brought to me through serving others with my talents and gifts in ways that heal the planet. I like to talk about how pain is part of the transition process toward better things, and yet when the pain is at my doorstep I holler just as loudly as the next guy!

When I focus on losing my granddaughter, I am miserable. It is only when I think about her needs that I am able to understand that my life needs to be about something different at present. I have enough on my plate with my husband's health and my job situation. My husband definitely needs me to be on top of things for his sake right now.

It is only when I begin to understand my role in the collective that I am once again able to see the light. I am able to let go of the whys and the what-ifs and free myself, knowing I have a role to play and allowing others to play theirs. I will get where I need to go. All is right in the world.

~CSE

My Christmas Wish For You!

Twenty-sixteen has been a struggle for many of us. Illness, death, financial struggles, employment setbacks all seem to have combined to create massive upheaval and chaos in our lives. The energies have been intense and not particularly pleasant for those of us who have chosen to become more than we are at present.

You may feel that all is lost and there is not much hope, but understand these are exciting times we reside in! It is through pain and struggle that we become so much more. Life is not lived on the mountain tops, but in the valleys and slogging up and down the sides of the mountain. Yes, the view from the top is great, but is is only the pain of the journey that allows us to see it.

As I sit here in the quiet of this Christmas morning, I feel the pain and struggles of humanity. While I know this too shall pass, it doesn't make the process any less comfortable. We will continue to struggle in the year ahead, but I do believe 2017 is a year we will begin to see significant change. The more we allow ourselves to go with the process, the more quickly and easily the process becomes.

My wish for you in the coming year is that you learn to appreciate the process! Understand change only happens through great pressure. Many of us undergo the adjustment kicking and screaming because we are being removed from our comfortable ruts. Becoming better is not easy or pleasant, but it is required if we desire to live in a better world.

Merry Christmas! May 2017 be the year you break out of the dark cocoon of your imprisonment and learn to use your wings!

~CSE

Truth And Perspective

My definition of truth is all that IS (exists). Understand that none of us have an actual handle on it. Truth is too big, too multifaceted, for most people to see anything but a small portion of it at any given time. Truth exists. It does not change. What does change is the part of it we choose to see--our perspective.

In my present lifetime, I have been a big believer in only one lifetime and in reincarnation (not at the same time). There have been times when I strongly believed Jesus died for my sins and times when I knew I am the one who is responsible for saving myself. I have believed being homosexual or heterosexual (or anything else) is something born in you. There are times in my life I believed it could successfully be trained out of you. I say none of this to put you on the defensive or begin an argument with you. I point these things out about myself because they illustrate how my perspective has changed over time. Truth itself has not changed. What has changed is how I look at it.

Understand we are all here for our own divine purposes--to learn our own lessons. Trying to convince someone else you have the truth never works because not everyone is here to learn what you came to learn, nor are they here to see everything from your perspective. It is only by allowing each other to have the experiences they came here to learn that we are able to free ourselves for our own divine purpose. Your life is about you. Make the most of it.

~CSE

New Life From the Rubble

My life has certainly not gone according to plan. Lately it seems as though all hell has broken loose and I am in the middle of a storm that threatens to overwhelm me. Tears have been a daily occurrence as the stresses of my life continue to rage.

One thought keeps me going through the chaos. All the big, powerful changes in my life have been the result of my world breaking apart. The process is always rough and painful. Change is painful. We become so comfortable in our ruts that being forced out of them makes us scream in anguish. In order to see our way out of the pain, we have to think and act differently. We BEcome new creations!

In those moments when you believe your life is breaking apart, remember that new life emerges from the fragments! Keep going!

~CSE

  

Thankful For The Darkness

There are times in life where it doesn't rain but it pours. My life in recent weeks has reflected this as I struggle with my mom's approaching heart surgery, my husband's health problems, my oldest son's wedding, car problems, etc. It seems as though everything in my life has culminated in one perfect storm and I am at a loss with how to cope with it all. That said, this morning as I sit in quiet meditation I am thankful for the darkness that surrounds me.

I have survived a lot of perfect storms in my life. I was saved from a cult that blinded me when I was a young adult seeking truth. I lived through a very painful episode where my first daughter died less than a day after her birth. I was terribly broken and drained from my first marriage and subsequent divorce--so much so it took almost ten years to restore myself to some degree of normalcy. The turn of events I now find myself in is not exceptional as far as my life goes.

The thing is, all these major challenges in my life have done amazing things for me. The cult experience taught me that I am indeed directly connected to God/Source and I need to rely on that connection for my answers and guidance instead of on what other people tell me. The death of my infant daughter taught me how to be compassionate in the face of blinding loss. The demise of my first marriage and subsequent rebuilding of myself from the ground up taught me what my strengths and weaknesses are and what I deserve and don't deserve from life. Yes, the pain from all these events was significant, but in process I was able to overcome major obstacles. This is where the most powerful growth comes from. As difficult as these situations were, they changed me in very positive ways. I will never be the same and I am blessed because of it.

As I sit, wondering where my life is going to go from here, I am reassured there is light somewhere around the corner. Great darkness brings powerful change (and ironically, I have been praying for powerful change to come into my life). It appears it is indeed time for me to move into the next phase of my earthly existence.

Great change is the result of weathering great difficulties. It is darkness that prompts a person to make the changes necessary to forge a new life path. Darkness always precedes the light. Although I am in the midst of the darkness, I am thankful. I know I am experiencing a very powerful growth process, and this knowing brings me peace.

~CSE

  

    

Calling All Empaths

Are you one of those extra-sensitive people who literally carry the weight of the world on your shoulders? I have a message for you! Your higher purpose begins now. It is time to join with your fellow empaths and BE the healer you came into the world to be!

There is a reason you were given the gift of sensitivity in this heavy third-dimensional world. Empaths are the first people to understand problems exist. This is because empaths are highly aware of feelings, and feelings are the language of the heart--the place of connection to the divine and the source of all knowledge and wisdom. Empaths are the first to feel and identify the heaviness and pain in a situation, hence problem awareness.

Empaths are natural problem solvers. When we feel pain, anger, sadness, etc. we are the first to ask why and look for ways to fix it. Because we are in tune with our hearts, it becomes easy to ask questions that lead to real heart-based solutions. Our feelings help us identify the best path to take in a given situation.

You feel the pain of the planet and her inhabitants. You have felt it building to a peak for years. The pain, anger, and frustration are almost unbearable now. There is growing awareness among the masses that something needs to be done about our problems. They are trying to come up real world solutions. The problem is, the solutions less sensitive people come up with are based on the understandings of the mind. As the mind does not have direct access to the knowledge of the divine, the solutions that come from the mind are extremely limited. Sometimes they can even cause more problems than they solve.

Let me give you a real world example. Gun control is a raging debate here in the United States. One side believes that guns are bad things that people need to be saved from. Their solutions are to either take guns away altogether or limit gun ownership to people who can pass very rigorous background checks. While I don't believe either of these arguments are "bad", I do believe they are limited. Criminals are not likely to follow such rules. Consequently, you haven't really solved anything, including gun violence.

On the other side of the argument are the people who tout the "right to bear arms". Again, I don't believe this is "bad" in and of itself. There are people in the world who wish to physically harm us or take away our possessions. I can also see the argument that a government out-of-control could seek to take away the last of our freedom through force. Guns can be used for defense of life and property. Still, is being allowed to own a gun solving any problem? No. Crime still exists.

What is the solution? My heart tells me that people need to be provided for. They need food, water, shelter, clothing. They need comfort, security and love. If people can learn to work together to help each being obtain these things, they have no need to fight among themselves. The solution to gun control does not lie in the guns themselves. It lies in teaching people to live with integrity. It lies in learning to cooperate instead of compete. It lies in seeking the ways of the heart.

This is why you are so important as an empath. You are tuned in to the ways of the heart. Your compassion is unmatched. Your understanding of the world's problems is second to none. Your sensitivities have called you to the work of healing a broken and dying planet. You, as an empath, are here to change the world! Allow yourself to join together with your fellow empaths and begin the work you were called to do.

~CSE

    

The Power Of A Smile

I was a very happy child. More often than not, I greeted the world with a smile on my face. The best part was, that was also how the world greeted me back! I learned very early on that smiling at others almost always brought a smile back to me. The older I got, the more I understood the tremendous power a simple smile holds. There were many occasions where I amazed people around me by eliciting a smile from someone who was known for not smiling!

Our interactions with other people are a form of energy exchange. When we project a positive and cheerful spirit, we most often get that energy back in kind. There are times when we run into people who are not having a good day. A simple smile often has the power to remind them that not everything in the world is gloomy. On those occasions a smile is not reflected back, you have still made the other person question their negative reality. They will ask themselves what it is about you that is different from them!

We could change the entire world in a single day if we all chose to take the time to connect with others in positive ways. Smiles are a great place to start! They indicate acceptance of the energy of others and the desire to care for them unconditionally.

Make the decision to smile at the people you come into contact with today! You might find you change the lives of others in positive ways. Better yet, you may just find your own life will take a turn for the positive!

~CSE

Riding Out The Storm

Today's energies are strange and intense. Several people I know are being struck with severe medical issues. Politics are beginning to take a very odd and interesting turn. Above the surface we understand there are problems. Below the surface, the vast majority of people are asking questions about the very information they have avoided for many years. All of this signals a time of great change. We are in the midst of a worldwide storm.

Almost everything in our world needs to be changed. There is far too much poverty. Far too much hunger. Far too much violence. Far too much war. Far too much disease. There is far too much pain in general, and the problem with that is our hearts tell us it does not have to be this way. Our hearts understand there are better ways of doing things.

Riding out the storm effectively requires us to spend time in prayer and meditation. It requires us to connect with those deep places in our hearts where the answers reside. There is a great need to see beyond the lies we accept as truths. These are the very lies the foundations of our world were built on and are now falling apart in the storm.

Storms are a cleansing process. They wash away filth. They clear the air. They tear down structures that are falling apart and in need of repair. While we mourn for what is lost, many times we are able to build something much more beautiful and lasting than what we had before because we are not limited to the same old useless and tired structures.

We are powerful beyond measure! Now is the time to gain courage! While we may struggle now, it will not last. Kicking and screaming aside, struggle is what transitions us to the next phase of life!  

I wish I could say it was going to get better before it gets worse. I believe our world will continue to be chaotic for a long time. What I can say is this: riding out the storm is a process of refinement where we learn what we are made of. Settle in and be patient. The storm will not last, and we will be ready to rebuild when the time comes.

~CSE

Are You Ready For The Coming Change?

Whether we want it or not, change is coming. BIG change. As more and more people wake up to the corruption that has become an integral part of our world, the crazier the world seems to become. We are so close to the tipping point it has become obvious to anyone even a little sensitive to others. The world is ripe for change.

Survival will come down to one thing: how willing we are to let go of the world we have always known. The powers that be have done a great job of convincing us their system is just the way things are--that all hell will break loose if their power structure is not kept in place. This is the ultimate lie. What their power structure holds in place is their own wealth and power. It also keeps you from taking responsibility for yourself and reclaiming your own power.

Growing pains are typically associated with change. This is why so many people you know have been dying lately. We all sense that something new is coming. Some people are so entrenched in the system they believe chaos is inevitable when the old system ceases to exist. They are afraid to live in a world they do not understand and cannot anticipate. Their downfall is their unwillingness to step up and create their own world.

Now is the time to rethink how the world is run. Do we continue to argue for its limitations, or do we tap into our hearts and begin to create new ways of functioning where everyone benefits? The more willing we are to let go of the things that no longer serve us, the easier our transition will be. Living in flow requires the ability to let go. Clinging to anything that no longer serves is a block that will hold us up and keep us from the abundance we all truly deserve.

Are you ready to welcome the coming change, or will you make it more difficult on yourself by clinging to old ways of doing things? The choice is yours.

~CSE

  

The Universe Has Your Back!

It's amazing what can happen when you begin searching for answers and asking questions! Somehow, the Universe responds to the change in energy and presents new options! Seemingly impossible outcomes suddenly appear to be within reach. Even when we don't understand, the Universe has our backs!

I have overcome quite a lot in my fifty years of life. Some of my biggest obstacles (and opportunities) have been the result of a rather troubled relationship with my daughter. While I will not go into details at this time, our relationship has been a bit of a roller coaster ride even though we both love and care for each other tremendously.

Over the past couple of years, I have taken a hard look at my role in this scenario. I definitely have some codependent sort of behaviors that enable the troubled relationship between myself and my daughter. Although only my daughter can make choices for herself, the energy/frequency I project can influence her actions and reactions toward me. Changing my personal frequency into something that will encourage a healthier relationship has become key to what I wish to change about myself.

The past couple of weeks have been ones of profound change for my daughter. She has begun to recognize things in herself she wishes to change and is taking corrective action. What strikes me as interesting is, even though I was not aware of many of the changes she has been making at a personal level, the Universe has been preparing me for the changes! Through connecting to my heart and the Universe, I have been given the information I needed to prepare for what lies ahead. Even though my rational mind has been shocked at the changes, my heart has already seen such outcomes and was not taken by surprise.

My daughter and I are in the middle of this new journey, so I can't say exactly where it will lead. I just know that awarenesses have been given and miracles put into place. When you connect to the divine information within, you don't often see more than one step at a time. You begin a journey of faith--of trust in the Universe.

When you believe you are fully supported in your efforts, you are. The Universe really does have your back! Learn to trust it.

~CSE

  

The Tipping Point

I've seen a few intel/news reports in the alternative news recently that I want to believe are true--stuff about a new financial system and currency revaluations. The problem is, I've seen this stuff before. It's one of many things that is just right around the corner but comes with delay after delay after delay. More hopeium? I decided (finally) to inquire of my higher self during my meditation time, and what I got was this: humanity is at the tipping point.

What does it mean for humanity to be at the tipping point? For me, that means we're close to having enough people on the planet who are awake, aware and ready to actively take part in changing the direction of the planet. Regardless of the people already working behind the scenes to fix the planet, it will still take enough people who actually understand change needs to occur for the changes to come out into the open.

The intel I saw talked about many things already having been accomplished and just waiting the orders to become open, common knowledge. Currencies all over the planet have de-pegged from the US petrodollar with gold backed currencies. New financial computer systems have been set up and are operational. Those in power have supposedly signed off on the majority of their powers as this new system sets up. What is the delay?

There are still a good many people on this planet who have a vested interest in seeing the status quo maintained, and these are not just the powers that be. The "hold outs" are people who refuse to acknowledge the vast amount of corruption in the world because doing so would mean their comfortable way of life would stop (or so they think). The true irony is these same people have no idea how much better their lives would be if the current powers that be were no longer in charge. Their hard work would pay off better than their wildest dreams because the current powers that be would no longer have their hands in the pockets of humanity, taking every last nickel and dime they can steal!

We are at the tipping point to monumental change! Allow your fears to be put to rest as you acknowledge the need for the world to change. The quicker we understand that change is good, the quicker we can bring about the world of our dreams.

~CSE

Be Careful What You Wish For

Lately, I've been excited by the possibilities for change. I look out at a population that is beginning to wake up from a long sleep and see the potential the world has to offer us all. It has emboldened me to ask for great personal change in my own life. It also makes me question my own sanity.

Change is difficult at the best of times. That's because change--even small change--requires breaking down and discarding things that no longer work. We believe we want things to be different, but when those things we have used to support ourselves with begin to crumble away we cling to them for dear life and wonder why they are slipping away!

Change requires great courage. You have to understand when you seek change you are telling the Universe you are ready to learn something (and lean on something) new. You have to believe the Universe has your back and will not let you fall, even when all you see is the edge of the cliff.

Understand you may stumble and fall along the way. Sometimes you might fall a long way. The key to swiftly navigating change lies in your ability to understand that somewhere in the confusion and pain there is benefit. Somewhere in the chaos, new life springs forth. It is this new life that brings the gifts you have longed for!

Be careful what you wish for. The process can be painful even when the change is worth it!

~CSE

The Only Person You Have The Power To Change Is Yourself!

There's a hilarious scene in the movie "Big Fat Greek Wedding" where the main character, Toula, her mother and her aunt try to convince her father to allow Toula to work at her aunt's travel agency. Because it is a very male dominated culture, they must convince the father it is his idea to have Toula work at the travel agency. To do this, they invent a problem where the logical solution is to have Toula work at the travel agency.

Manipulation is common in our society. We operate under the false belief that others can be convinced what we believe is "right" is truth and accept it. Sometimes our charasmatic appeals are listened to. At other times we use coercion or manipulation to get our way. The thing is, others rarely change because of anything we do. The fact of the matter is, we cannot change the energy of others through superior argument, manipulation or coercion--at least not in the long term. True change requires a shift in consciousness/energy, and that can only take place inside the person.

Think about the times you have experienced big shifts in your life. Were these changes the result of anything another person did or said, or was it because you observed something new and had to change your belief to fit the new information? True and lasting change is the result of shifting consciousness, and this is something that can only occur inside yourself.

How can we use this observation to change the world? The answer is to become a better you! It is up to each and every one of us to BE the change we want to see in the world. If you want to see more peace in the world, you have to BEcome peace. If you want to see more love in the world, you have to BEcome love. Change occurs in others when they observe something and understand that is either what they want or what they want to avoid. It all has to do with energy/frequency. How you BE in the world matters!

Live your life is such a way that your focus is on improving yourself. As you solve your own problems and become better, the people around you will take notice. Chances are they will want many of those same changes for themselves. At the point they ask about what you have done, go ahead and share. They will then be open and will more readily make the changes they need to take to improve themselves. It is not a quick process, but it is a lasting one.

~CSE

  

What Energy Do You Want To Create?

Are you aware that the energy you project is largely a matter of intention? Most of the time, we don't give any thought to the energy we put out into the world. Consequently, the intention part of the process gets lost because we typically run on auto-pilot. All this means is that most of the time we are intending to go with what we already know!

Now that you understand this, are you happy with the energy/frequency you put out in the world? If not, here are a few tips to being intentional about the energy you create!

Tips For Creating More Positive Energy

1. Get connected to your heart! Not only will this help you see what energies you are creating and projecting, but it will also allow you to explore the reasons for those energies. If you see a problem, you can ask God/Source what you can do to fix it! Following the advice and wisdom that comes from your heart will automatically change your frequency to something more positive!
2. Focus on those you love! Take a few moments every day and think about all the beings you love. They could be human, animal, plant life, Mother Earth, etc. Remember those loving feelings you have toward them as well as all those things they provide back to you, including love. Love is an extremely powerful frequency. When you remember and feel it, you can then project it out from yourself toward everything you encounter.
3. Listen to healing music (or create your own)! Your heart will guide you in this area. As you listen to such music, the frequencies created with be absorbed into your own frequency and then be projected out by you. 
4. Laugh! Laughing is one of the best ways to change your frequency! Not only does it change your energy, but it has a very healing effect on your body that can actually take away pain and cause physical healing!
5. Physically connect to Mother Earth! Take off your shoes and walk in the grass. Lay on the beach. Place your hands on a living tree. Gaia gives off her own frequency that you can absorb when you directly touch her! It can physically heal your body as it tunes your frequency to hers! Take advantage of this free resource!

It is up to each one of us to take responsibility for the energy we create in the world. After all, what we project will either heal or hinder our own personal growth and the growth of others. Choose to be a force for light and keep your frequency raised high!

~CSE

The Transition

The world is a crazy place. Our lives seem to be falling apart. Our jobs are becoming more stressful as more responsibility gets dumped on us, or we are losing them altogether. Medical crises, housing issues, inconsistent friendships and general life changes are the norm right now. The important thing to understand about the now is this: we are all in transition. We are exiting the mind way of thinking and entering the heart way of thinking.

We have lived in the mind way of thinking for millenia. This is the part of us that uses our "rational" thinking. This is the part of us that bases our actions on what society and our experiences have taught us and what we deem are logical actions according to that information. This is also that part of us that keeps us separate and in ego. It is the part of us that is willing to give up our personal power because we believe that we, as humans, are weak and need something bigger and more powerful than ourselves to save us.

We are transitioning toward a more heart-based approach to living. Living from the heart means being conscious and aware of our connection to Oneness and God/Source. When we are connected to our hearts, we are able to draw on all knowledge and all power that is available in Oneness. We stop being self-centered and become centered, grounded and whole. We are no longer separate, no longer in a state of dependency. We take responsibility for who we are and live accordingly.

Understand the craziness comes in because this transition is a huge process. It is a totally different way of thinking, a whole new way of living! Expect the problems to continue as we struggle through this change. Becoming awake and aware is difficult for most people. It requires throwing out all those false beliefs we have built our lives on and rebuilding our worlds from the ground up.

This process will take quite a few years to complete. Know that if you are reading this, you are probably a little more awake and aware than the average person. That means you are on the front lines and will be prone to extra attacks from those who resist change the hardest. Don't take those attacks personally. It is just part of the process. Find others who are where you are at and come together for mutual support--even if that support is limited to those you know on the internet.

We are living in exciting times! Understand we will all be much better off in the long run, but we have to go through this transition in order to get to the other side. The changes will feel much smoother when we acknowledge the difficulty of the journey and accept them as they are.

~CSE

   

Life In Evolution

My beliefs about good medicine have changed radically during my lifetime. As a small child, I can remember my mother taking me to the doctor for regular checkups. I always hated going to the doctor, but I was raised to believe it was a necessary evil. I was so much a part of this mindset that I took my own children to the doctor for checkups as well.

In college, my major was psychology so I spent some time researching medical studies in order to write some of my papers. I learned all about what was supposed to make studies valid--things like double blinds and actual experiments as opposed to correlational studies. The ability to wade through medical research served me well after my first daughter died of a Group B Strep infection.

When something bad happens, I am the sort of person who wants to understand exactly what happened so that I can figure out a way that it won't happen again. My questions and research led me to a group of parents who had formed an organization to educate other parents about the potential dangers of GBS. In process, I poured over medical research so well that I understood the differences between bacteria and viruses as well as what studies had been done regarding the fight against this potent bacteria. At the time, I still accepted that American medicine had my best interests at heart (and I still believe the vast majority of MD's really are trying to do what is best for the patient based on the knowledge they are given). I became an advocate of testing pregnant women for the bacteria and treating them with antibiotics at delivery if they tested positive.

Although I labored many years under the belief testing and treatment for GBS was the best strategy for combating it, my approach to medicine has again changed over time. Problems I had with my second daughter with depression and bipolar disorder led me to new information and new understandings, including the understanding that the immune system is based largely in the digestive tract and that healthy food plays a large part in keeping a person physically and mentally healthy. As antibiotics kill healthy bacteria as well as bad, they may not be the best way to help an already compromised immune system.

I'll be the first to admit my beliefs about medicine have undergone radical changes over time. Am I upset with myself that I once believed (and advocated) the idea that antibiotics were the way to defeat GBS and infant illness and death? I am not. I was doing my best with the information I had at the time. I was basing this on answers to my questions at the time. As always, there is much more to discover. It is all a process.

Our lives are an evolutionary process. We ask questions, see new information, and believe we have found truth--at least for a while. Then something else happens, causing us to ask new questions and acquire new information. What we have really uncovered is not necessarily absolute truth but a new perspective on it.

We are all works in progress. Be gentle with yourself as you evolve in this lifetime. The answers you find today may change radically as your life experience changes tomorrow. Go with the flow.

~CSE

Inner Healing, Inner Peace

Over the years, I have done much work to fix all those broken places inside of myself. Sometimes the problems seem endless as I jump from one problem to the next. What amazes me most is how the world around me really does change when something gets fixed and I put out a slightly different frequency.

I've had a really huge personal shift lately because of an unhealthy attachment I recognized and was able to let go of through renouncing the spiritual contract I had with this person. The amazing thing is, because this relationship also affected someone I am close to, the break has helped my loved one in very profound ways. It is almost as though my loved one has changed overnight into a much healthier and happier person. I am blown away by how changed my own life is because of this shift.

Understand those points of stress in our lives are there for a reason. They are there to point out all those things you need to fix in yourself. When we don't have inner peace, we need inner healing.

I cannot heal you. The only person who can do that is you. What I can do is help you identify those places you need to work on. What I can do is offer up some of the tricks and techniques I know of that have helped me over time. Over the next few months, I hope to offer much of that information here on my blog (for free!!!).

When we heal our inner world, we change our frequency. When we change our frequency, all those things we attract into our lives change. Because we are all connected, when we change ourselves we really can change the world.

It begins with a new way of BEing.

~CSE

Cognitive Dissonance

Yesterday was a bad day for me. I didn't spend it reliving all the painful memories of that fateful day fourteen years ago. I had flashbacks all last week of that painful day and how it changed the world. What came up for me (ALL day long) was the painful truth there are still so many people stuck in the lies that have been told about that day.

The facts are relatively simple. There were no radical terrorists with box cutters; 9/11 was an inside job. We did not need to disintegrate our rights to privacy and due process in the name of safety; the Patriot Act was merely justification to collect the information they were already collecting. The people in the Middle East do not hate us for our freedoms (AS IF!!!); they hate us for inventing excuses to invade them and plunder their resources for the benefit of transnational corporations.

We all want to believe the people we have allowed to be in power are very much like us--doing their best to be good while making mistakes along the way. We want to believe it because the alternative is just too painful to handle; the people in power are unspeakably evil. They have meticulously plotted and planned how to dominate and control to the point where they have so much power they can kill the majority of us off so those who are left can function as slaves to do their bidding. Indeed, they have already tried to kill most of us off--through wars, through disease, through poverty.

The simple truth is, until we understand we have given over our own personal power to evil and decide to take it back by taking back responsibility for our own lives, the problems our world has will continue on indefinitely.

It is time to allow our personal goodness and light to shine in the darkness. It is time to step up and become take on an active role as lightworker, peacemaker, and healer. It is time to recognize our own power and our ability to change the world through BEing who we are.

All it takes is the courage to see the truth. All it takes is the desire to be the change. It is up to each one of us to step up and become part of this new world. Together, we can make a difference!!!

~CSE

  

Change Your Perception, Change Your Outcome

I came into contact with the work of Dr. Wayne Dyer over nineteen years ago--around the time I became a single mom. Over the years, his thoughts and words became a source of hope and inspiration for someone who needed frequent help remembering what is important in life. Although I mourn his death, those things he left behind continue to illumine and empower me.

I have watched his movie "The Shift" several times this week. Each time, it has enabled me to see past the expectations I have for myself and my life. Each time, I have a growing awareness of how all the circumstances in my life that seem "bad" are really just there to help me learn. As I become thankful for those same things, my life begins to "shift" in unexpected ways. Blocks that were there because of my expectations of the way things were supposed to be are removed because I no longer see them as problems. I invite them--even encourage them--to come into my life. I don't judge them. I allow them (and that is why they are no longer blocks).

For example, my relationship with my daughter has always been rockier than my relationships with my sons. My daughter is very different from me. I have a tendency to work within society's guidelines, even while being a rebel in my mind. My daughter is definitely someone who marches to her own drummer. For someone as perfectionistic as I am, having a daughter who does not do things the way society deems them appropriate has been difficult.

However, after immersing myself in the thoughts and feelings "The Shift" brings out, I am looking at my relationship with her in a whole new light. Instead of seeing her rebellion and problems as negative things, I am beginning to perceive them as part of her growth and, inevitably, part of mine. The really cool part is, as I leave the struggle--the block--behind, my daughter's anger and frustration are decreasing. As I no longer feel like I am responsible for her and allow her to be more responsible for herself, she is growing in her ability to be responsible. We still have a ways to go, but things are changing for the better. While I don't expect things to be perfect, I do expect the problems that show up to be there in utter perfection.

Dr. Dyer's quote is really true! "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." When you begin to see the world's problems in their infinite perfection and become thankful for what they can teach you, the problems have a way of working themselves out. They are no longer problems but tools for growth and development!

When you change your perceptions, you change your outcomes. The power has always been within.

~CSE

Are You Too Comfortable?

Do  you ever feel as though you are stuck in life? Maybe you are at a pretty good place, but you see more out there and crave some of it? If you can't seem to get to the next level, the question you should be asking yourself is, "Am I too comfortable?"

Often, we see comfort as a good place to be. It feels safe. It feels secure. It feels like home. We know what to expect and how much we can accomplish. After all, we do it every day...and that's where the problems begin.

If you continue to do the same things you have always done, you cannot expect growth or change. Living in the rut may feel safe and secure, but doing the same old thing day after day will only make the rut deeper. The longer you continue on in the same deep path, the more difficult change becomes.

Now that you have established you are in a rut and need to change, what can you do to step out of your comfort zone? Sometimes, changing something small can create enough discomfort to take you out of your everyday rut. The follow is a list of ideas you can use to help yourself acclimate to the feelings change brings about in your life.

Small changes that create BIG growth:

1. Take a new route to work! Just getting out of your normal daily routine can be enough change to help you see new possibilities!
2. Take on a new hobby! Expanding your mind and body by learning something new not only creates new neural pathways in your brain but also gives you feelings of accomplishment.
3. Explore a place you've been wanting to learn more about! Maybe you've thought about touring a local museum or hiking a new trail. Allow yourself to go outside your normal routines to access new things to do.
4. Meet new people! Join a club where people gather to discuss hobbies or topics you enjoy. Talk to people at the grocery store. You never know where you might meet someone who can help you see a new way of doing things that will promote growth.
5. Explore the interests of people who are important to you! Not only will this assist with new perspectives, but this has the added benefit of helping you become closer to your loved one through shared experience. 

Stepping into the uncomfortable is mandatory for anyone wanting to make significant changes in their lives. Allow the little things to shake up your routine enough to prepare you for the bigger changes you want to accomplish!!!

~CSE