I love hearing from you all with your great comments, tips, questions and suggestions. Here are some great websites that have been recommended to me this week:
www.happynews.com -- finally, a site that focuses on positive news!
www.29Gifts.org -- a great site with a wonderful challenge -- give away 29 gifts in 29 days and see your life change for the better.
www.thetravelcreatives.com -- a cool site about a great family who's traveling the globe!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Fighting the Winter Blues
On tonight's show of Psychic Teachers, Deb and I discussed ways to use your intuition to combat depression. So, in case any of you missed it, I thought I'd recap some of our suggestions:
1) Stay faithful. Just because life has been beating up on you does not mean your higher power has abandoned you. Our higher self prior to our incarnation set up many obstacles and challenges for our earthly selves to deal with so we can learn and grow. So if you're going through a difficult time, don't question your faith. Don't feel as though God has abandoned you. Hold onto your faith - it can be your compass to navigate out of this difficult time.
2) Practice gratitude. Every night before going to bed either write down or simply list in your mind all the the things you're grateful for. This is really a life changing habit to practice.
3) Give back. When we're feeling sad, we can often lose perspective and start to feel like the martyred victim. To avoid this, shine a light on someone else. Volunteer, donate food to a local food pantry, offer to babysit for a friend, buy a friend a gift for no reason, send someone an anonymous gift or happy card. I have a friend who goes grocery shopping every week, and if anything she's buying is a Buy One Get One Free sale, she buys it and brings the items to our local food pantry at the end of each month.
4) Know that you have choices. Often we get depressed when we feel powerless and without choices. In every situation there's some choice you can make, no matter how small it may seem at the time. Remind yourself of this, practice making good choices and start to reclaim your power.
5) Make yourself happy each day. Every day, do something to make yourself happy. It might be stopping at a coffee store for a special treat, taking time to read a good magazine, indulging in an extra long bath, watching a really good movie, baking a great dessert, going for a walk outside in nature. Every day, try to do something that makes you happy.
6) Use crystals! Some great crystals for depression include Botswana Agate, Smokey Quartz and Apache Tears. A great crystal layout to practice is this:
Place an amethyst on your third eye.
Put a citrine on your solar plexus.
Put a rose quartz on your heart chakra with four single terminate clear quartz surrounding it in a cross formation or N, S, E, W pointing out, away from the rose quartz.
Lay down with these crystals in position for about 15 - 20 minutes and imagine any sadness, fear, stress, anger and negativity leaving your body. Then turn the crystal points so that they're pointing into the rose quartz and lay like this for another 15 - 20 minutes while imagining all good and loving, healing energy coming your way.
And finally, try practicing my mantra THIS TOO SHALL PASS.
"Remember to keep your thoughts positive, for your thoughts become your words. Remember to keep your words positive, for your words become your actions; remember to keep your actions positive, for your actions become your habits; and remember to keep your habits positive because your habits become your destiny" -- Peter Johnson
1) Stay faithful. Just because life has been beating up on you does not mean your higher power has abandoned you. Our higher self prior to our incarnation set up many obstacles and challenges for our earthly selves to deal with so we can learn and grow. So if you're going through a difficult time, don't question your faith. Don't feel as though God has abandoned you. Hold onto your faith - it can be your compass to navigate out of this difficult time.
2) Practice gratitude. Every night before going to bed either write down or simply list in your mind all the the things you're grateful for. This is really a life changing habit to practice.
3) Give back. When we're feeling sad, we can often lose perspective and start to feel like the martyred victim. To avoid this, shine a light on someone else. Volunteer, donate food to a local food pantry, offer to babysit for a friend, buy a friend a gift for no reason, send someone an anonymous gift or happy card. I have a friend who goes grocery shopping every week, and if anything she's buying is a Buy One Get One Free sale, she buys it and brings the items to our local food pantry at the end of each month.
4) Know that you have choices. Often we get depressed when we feel powerless and without choices. In every situation there's some choice you can make, no matter how small it may seem at the time. Remind yourself of this, practice making good choices and start to reclaim your power.
5) Make yourself happy each day. Every day, do something to make yourself happy. It might be stopping at a coffee store for a special treat, taking time to read a good magazine, indulging in an extra long bath, watching a really good movie, baking a great dessert, going for a walk outside in nature. Every day, try to do something that makes you happy.
6) Use crystals! Some great crystals for depression include Botswana Agate, Smokey Quartz and Apache Tears. A great crystal layout to practice is this:
Place an amethyst on your third eye.
Put a citrine on your solar plexus.
Put a rose quartz on your heart chakra with four single terminate clear quartz surrounding it in a cross formation or N, S, E, W pointing out, away from the rose quartz.
Lay down with these crystals in position for about 15 - 20 minutes and imagine any sadness, fear, stress, anger and negativity leaving your body. Then turn the crystal points so that they're pointing into the rose quartz and lay like this for another 15 - 20 minutes while imagining all good and loving, healing energy coming your way.
And finally, try practicing my mantra THIS TOO SHALL PASS.
"Remember to keep your thoughts positive, for your thoughts become your words. Remember to keep your words positive, for your words become your actions; remember to keep your actions positive, for your actions become your habits; and remember to keep your habits positive because your habits become your destiny" -- Peter Johnson
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Let Your Light Shine
I meet too many gifted people each week who are afraid to trust their gifts, to embrace their talents and let their light shine. You may be one of them. I know I was. Who am I to teach English? I used to ask myself. I'm not smart enough for that, and I don't have the confidence to speak in front of all those people. But I was and I did. Then I had to face a new set of fears. Who am I to talk to dead people? Why me? There's nothing special about me. Why are they coming to me?
Why not?
We are all given gifts. Everyone one of you reading this has been given a special gift, and it's your destiny to use it. Who are you to say no to this? As Marianne Williamson says, "Who are you not to shine?"
Even the bible supports this:
Why not?
We are all given gifts. Everyone one of you reading this has been given a special gift, and it's your destiny to use it. Who are you to say no to this? As Marianne Williamson says, "Who are you not to shine?"
Even the bible supports this:
Corinthians 12:4-11
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
And Romans 12 says:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Do not doubt yourself anymore. Embrace your talents, make good use of your time, shut off the tape recorder in your head that says, "I can't" and replace it with "I can, I will, I am."
Each of us has been attributed a piece of this planet to light up with our love, our service and our talent. Don't look at with fear or ego. Look at your destiny as just that -- your God given right to light up the place where you live.
We're all light workers and together we can make the world shine on.
PS. I highly recommend The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo for inspired reading on learning to following your dreams.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
And Romans 12 says:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Do not doubt yourself anymore. Embrace your talents, make good use of your time, shut off the tape recorder in your head that says, "I can't" and replace it with "I can, I will, I am."
Each of us has been attributed a piece of this planet to light up with our love, our service and our talent. Don't look at with fear or ego. Look at your destiny as just that -- your God given right to light up the place where you live.
We're all light workers and together we can make the world shine on.
PS. I highly recommend The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo for inspired reading on learning to following your dreams.
Monday, January 31, 2011
I'm back!
Wow, that case of Shingles kicked me down hard, but I'm finally recovered and happy to be back at work. I've discovered that I have lovely clients who are very patient. Thank you to all of you who kindly waited for me to reschedule your appointments. It feels so good to be back at work and feeling back to myself!
But, I did learn a few lessons while I was battling the Shingles:
1) I'm such a baby. I hate being sick and I can get a little whiny. Thank God my husband has a lot of patience.
2) My kids can do a lot more for themselves than I give them credit. One day, I couldn't even get out of bed to pack lunches, and my husband, trying to balance everything else, forgot. And so my little 2nd and 3rd graders packed their own lunches. One even threw in an apple!
3) I have really good friends who brought over meals and watched my kids for me so I could sleep and throw up in peace :)
4) I need to do less. When the doctor diagnosed me, he said, "I rarely see Shingles in someone as young as you. Are you under stress?" I wanted say, "Gee, let me think. I have three kids under 8. I do readings and teach classes, manage 4 work email accounts, keep a blog, a weekly live radio show and a monthly newsletter and volunteer each week at my kids' school. Stressed? No, of course not." Instead, I just nodded quietly.
Ah, stress, my angry sister, you are back. And so I've realized that while I may talk the talk, I do not walk the walk. Yes, I make time for myself. But only after I've made time for my family, my friends, my clients, my jobs and my pets. Then, and only if there's time, will I do something for myself. Well, no more. I am now vowing to spend lots of time each day doing nothing productive. I've found great stress relief in just sitting to pet my cat, in taking my dog for a walk, in mindlessly flipping through a magazine and not feeling guilty for wasting time.
I hope some of you busy readers out there will learn this lesson from me before a nasty illness "helps" you learn it for yourself. If we don't give our body the rest it deserves, it will find a way to get it.
So for now, I'm well rested and happy to go back to my magazine!
But, I did learn a few lessons while I was battling the Shingles:
1) I'm such a baby. I hate being sick and I can get a little whiny. Thank God my husband has a lot of patience.
2) My kids can do a lot more for themselves than I give them credit. One day, I couldn't even get out of bed to pack lunches, and my husband, trying to balance everything else, forgot. And so my little 2nd and 3rd graders packed their own lunches. One even threw in an apple!
3) I have really good friends who brought over meals and watched my kids for me so I could sleep and throw up in peace :)
4) I need to do less. When the doctor diagnosed me, he said, "I rarely see Shingles in someone as young as you. Are you under stress?" I wanted say, "Gee, let me think. I have three kids under 8. I do readings and teach classes, manage 4 work email accounts, keep a blog, a weekly live radio show and a monthly newsletter and volunteer each week at my kids' school. Stressed? No, of course not." Instead, I just nodded quietly.
Ah, stress, my angry sister, you are back. And so I've realized that while I may talk the talk, I do not walk the walk. Yes, I make time for myself. But only after I've made time for my family, my friends, my clients, my jobs and my pets. Then, and only if there's time, will I do something for myself. Well, no more. I am now vowing to spend lots of time each day doing nothing productive. I've found great stress relief in just sitting to pet my cat, in taking my dog for a walk, in mindlessly flipping through a magazine and not feeling guilty for wasting time.
I hope some of you busy readers out there will learn this lesson from me before a nasty illness "helps" you learn it for yourself. If we don't give our body the rest it deserves, it will find a way to get it.
So for now, I'm well rested and happy to go back to my magazine!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Under the Weather
Hello all, I've come down with a nasty case of Shingles and am just today able to lift my head. I'll return to blogging, and responding to your emails and phone calls as soon as I am able. In the meantime, any light, love and prayers sent my way will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Feng Shui For 2011
I love the idea of Feng Shui -- that everything, even furniture and books and mirrors, holds energy. Feng Shui means "wind" and "water" and has been practiced for over 5,000 years. The objective of Feng Shui is to find balance in your home. I was first introduced to Feng Shui in 1986. My dad had been asked to take over a struggling marketing department for a large advertising company in Manhattan. As part of the deal, he was given a substantial budget to redecorate and got called into the board after they discovered he'd spent most of the money on Feng Shui planners. But dad got the last laugh when, by the end of the year, he'd turned the department around and made it the most successful it had ever been. Was that a result of the new plants and water fountains or his hard work and dedication? If you ask him, he'll say it was both.
Here are some simple Feng Shui tips everyone should follow to maintain harmony in their home:
1) Keep your house clean and uncluttered at all times
2) Tie red ribbons around all pipes under sinks, behind washers and water heaters to ensure that the good, positive energy doesn't leave your home
3) Keep the toilet and washer/dryer lids closed at all times when not in use to prevent good energy from leaking out your home.
4) Keep all bathroom doors shut
5)Do not have a mirror facing your bed
6) Tie red ribbons around the base of your bed to ensure it's rooted in passion and stability
7) Put a mirror or reflective object behind your stove top to reflect and double your good fortune. In Feng Shui the kitchen is the hearth of the home and is central to good energy flow.
8) Hang a crystal from ceiling fans to disperse the fans' disruptive energy.
9) Have good plants in main rooms. Good plants are evergreens like bamboo and jade. Avoid negative plants such as cacti.
10) Open all blinds and curtains during the day to let the light in and allow good energy to flow.
11) Make sure the entrance to your home is clearly marked and looks welcoming. A red door attracts positive chi. Fresh flowers flanking the door and a welcoming mat help too. Make sure your front door is freshly painted, opens easily and doesn't squeak.
12) A bowl of fresh fruit maintains good energy in the kitchen. But do not have dying fruit, flowers or plants in your home. Pull off all dead leaves from plants.
This is just a brief start. I'll post more Feng Shui tips as time allows. The topic is broad and ranges across many disciplines, but some of the concepts are basic and common sense. Check out my website www.thecrystalchick.com and click on Recommended Reading for some of my favorite Feng Shui books.
Here are some simple Feng Shui tips everyone should follow to maintain harmony in their home:
1) Keep your house clean and uncluttered at all times
2) Tie red ribbons around all pipes under sinks, behind washers and water heaters to ensure that the good, positive energy doesn't leave your home
3) Keep the toilet and washer/dryer lids closed at all times when not in use to prevent good energy from leaking out your home.
4) Keep all bathroom doors shut
5)Do not have a mirror facing your bed
6) Tie red ribbons around the base of your bed to ensure it's rooted in passion and stability
7) Put a mirror or reflective object behind your stove top to reflect and double your good fortune. In Feng Shui the kitchen is the hearth of the home and is central to good energy flow.
8) Hang a crystal from ceiling fans to disperse the fans' disruptive energy.
9) Have good plants in main rooms. Good plants are evergreens like bamboo and jade. Avoid negative plants such as cacti.
10) Open all blinds and curtains during the day to let the light in and allow good energy to flow.
11) Make sure the entrance to your home is clearly marked and looks welcoming. A red door attracts positive chi. Fresh flowers flanking the door and a welcoming mat help too. Make sure your front door is freshly painted, opens easily and doesn't squeak.
12) A bowl of fresh fruit maintains good energy in the kitchen. But do not have dying fruit, flowers or plants in your home. Pull off all dead leaves from plants.
This is just a brief start. I'll post more Feng Shui tips as time allows. The topic is broad and ranges across many disciplines, but some of the concepts are basic and common sense. Check out my website www.thecrystalchick.com and click on Recommended Reading for some of my favorite Feng Shui books.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The Ripple Effect
I was at the store yesterday shopping for linens. We have family in town this weekend, and I wanted to have fresh sheets and blankets. Of course I chose the one blanket without a tag, so the salesgirl had to go and find another one. I turned to an elderly, well dressed lady behind me and said, "I'm so sorry. I don't know how I picked the only one without a tag." The woman paused, gave me the meanest stare between squinted eyes and then threw up her hands in disgust. "Great!" She shrieked. "Just great." Then she crossed her arms and turned her back to me.
I was appalled and angry. The delay in my transaction was caused by an accident, and I apologized for it. Her anger transferred to me like a nasty cold germ. When the nice salesgirls finished ringing me up, I took my bags, turned to the horrid woman behind me and said, "I hope you have a wonderful and patient day." I'm ashamed to say that my voice was dripping in sarcasm.
But really? Really? That's her reaction to an honest apology for something that really wasn't my fault. How does she behave to something actually upsetting in her life? How does she maintain relationships of any kind? In every moment of our day -- when a car pulls out in front of us, when a neighbor gossips to us, when a co-worker teases someone -- we have a choice as to how we'll behave. We can be nice or mean. And that choice has a ripple effect. I drove home angry at that woman and angry at myself for letting her bitterness make me angry.
I came home, unpacked my bags and hurried up to my office to meditate before several afternoon phone readings. Here's an example of how some of those readings went:
ME: "Your mom wants to talk about your brother. Is he married? She's talking about marital discord?"
CLIENT: "Oh, I wouldn't know. I haven't talked to my brother in over 15 years. I got mom's car when she died and he wanted it, so that's that. We don't have a relationship."
Really? Are you all kidding me? You're going to throw away a relationship over a car?
ME: "Your aunt says that you're being too hard on your daughter. Something about her hair I think?"
CLIENT: "And her hips. That poor girl has the worst body God created. I keep telling her that she needs to watch every morsel that goes into her mouth or its Tubbo City."
Really? Really? That client needs to write a book called, "How To Raise an Anorexic and Not Feel Any Remorse About It."
How do you raise your own child to hate her body? How does that happen?
ME: "Your grandmother's here. Are you named after her?"
CLIENT: "Yes, but I didn't really know her. Is there any one else there for me?"
Oh. My. God. Someone from the other side took precious time out of their day and you don't care because why? You didn't know her that well?
God help me. Is it any wonder I went to bed last night after taking 2 Advil and drinking a rather large glass of wine. Totally unlike me but after my day very necessary.
It will do us all good, I think, to remember that your actions have a ripple effect that like dominoes falling down effect everyone around us. You have the choice, this moment, every moment, each day, to be nice or mean. Please, for the sake of us all, BE NICE!
Happy Saturday!
I was appalled and angry. The delay in my transaction was caused by an accident, and I apologized for it. Her anger transferred to me like a nasty cold germ. When the nice salesgirls finished ringing me up, I took my bags, turned to the horrid woman behind me and said, "I hope you have a wonderful and patient day." I'm ashamed to say that my voice was dripping in sarcasm.
But really? Really? That's her reaction to an honest apology for something that really wasn't my fault. How does she behave to something actually upsetting in her life? How does she maintain relationships of any kind? In every moment of our day -- when a car pulls out in front of us, when a neighbor gossips to us, when a co-worker teases someone -- we have a choice as to how we'll behave. We can be nice or mean. And that choice has a ripple effect. I drove home angry at that woman and angry at myself for letting her bitterness make me angry.
I came home, unpacked my bags and hurried up to my office to meditate before several afternoon phone readings. Here's an example of how some of those readings went:
ME: "Your mom wants to talk about your brother. Is he married? She's talking about marital discord?"
CLIENT: "Oh, I wouldn't know. I haven't talked to my brother in over 15 years. I got mom's car when she died and he wanted it, so that's that. We don't have a relationship."
Really? Are you all kidding me? You're going to throw away a relationship over a car?
ME: "Your aunt says that you're being too hard on your daughter. Something about her hair I think?"
CLIENT: "And her hips. That poor girl has the worst body God created. I keep telling her that she needs to watch every morsel that goes into her mouth or its Tubbo City."
Really? Really? That client needs to write a book called, "How To Raise an Anorexic and Not Feel Any Remorse About It."
How do you raise your own child to hate her body? How does that happen?
ME: "Your grandmother's here. Are you named after her?"
CLIENT: "Yes, but I didn't really know her. Is there any one else there for me?"
Oh. My. God. Someone from the other side took precious time out of their day and you don't care because why? You didn't know her that well?
God help me. Is it any wonder I went to bed last night after taking 2 Advil and drinking a rather large glass of wine. Totally unlike me but after my day very necessary.
It will do us all good, I think, to remember that your actions have a ripple effect that like dominoes falling down effect everyone around us. You have the choice, this moment, every moment, each day, to be nice or mean. Please, for the sake of us all, BE NICE!
Happy Saturday!
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