Carolyn Hidalgo

What Easter Meant to Me then, and Means to me Now

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What Easter Meant to Me then, and Means to me Now Growing up celebrating Easter meant going to church, eating chocolate eggs, and having family dinners. All I knew was Good Friday was the day Jesus died, and Sunday was the day He rose. What Easter meant back then, and the spiritual significance I feel now is so different. This man whose last name I used to think was Christ! I didn’t know his life and teachings had always been centered around our spiritual nature not religion. Growing up in the Anglican faith, Jesus and God were more of a tradition with hymns to sing, and psalms to read, but I was missing the spiritual connection. A Doorway through to Spirit When I began seeing 11:11 too often to be a coincidence – I finally googled it, and found my way to the 11:11 Progress Group. I signed up to receive their daily messages, but for about a year the spiritual messages seemed too “woo woo”, and I didn’t understand who was writing them. Growing up in a science-minded skeptical family I need things to make sense – not necessarily with physical evidence, but the pieces of the puzzle have to fit together in some kind of logical and meaningful manner. Spiritual Lessons from Above Each daily message would have 2 names listed – a “teacher” (celestial), and a “T/R” which I later found out stood for “transmitter/receiver”. The T/R could somehow hear a message from a celestial teacher. These were independent people from around the world who didn’t appear to know each other. Some were translated from other languages. There were first names only so they seemed to want to remain anonymous. The spiritual messages were part of what’s known as the Teaching Mission where dialogues and lessons were provided by celestial teachers to people from around the world, and they used The Urantia Book as a reference for the content to share different concepts. Every kind of spiritual topic was covered you can think of including discourses on mercy, forgiveness, death & dying, the soul, compassion, the fragment of God within us, and stillness to name a few. When I found myself awakening to spirit – some of these messages ‘rang my truth bells’ unlike anything else I could find. And I was reading a lot of spiritual writings! Still, I was hesitant to publically share the Urantia book revelation published in 1955 even though it’s available free to anyone because the truth is I didn’t fully believe it for years and needed my own proof. If it were true, how come no one’s heard of it? Also, when it comes to any kind of faith around religion or spirituality – it’s such a personal journey. I didn’t want to offend anyone so I mostly stayed quiet and kept researching while sharing ‘seeds’ with those I trusted. For my writings, I’d try to introduce spiritual pieces to help provide a deeper understanding, but often with the level of detail I was getting, I would lose people and need to pull back. The deeper truth was I was afraid of being judged. It’s why my mission is to help create a judgment-free world so more people including myself will feel safe to share what can feel very vulnerable to disclose: our own version of truth. Finding My Own Truth They say your truth can only come from your own experience. I wanted to know more so I reached out first to the founder of the 11:11 Progress Group who lives in Australia, and got some answers to why I was seeing 11:11, which kind of made sense, but it was still elusive without the whole story. Then I reached out to one of the T/Rs, and attended a workshop in 2011 where I witnessed how a T/R actually transmits (verbally and in writing) – it was fascinating! Unless you’ve ever experienced this in person – it’s hard to believe that someone can be speaking or ‘automatic writing’ and it’s not actually them! I had a chance to meet 2 other T/Rs, and after many conversations over many years hearing how this works ‘behind the scenes’, I learned how we can all go into stillness to ‘hear’. That there are circuits that exist to allow for these dialogues today and ways we get assistance from ‘lower level’ teachers to facilitate hearing from ‘higher level’ teachers. Since then, I’ve met many people who are clairaudient, and its simply a skill we can learn to develop in different ways. The Biggest Spiritual Understanding for Us The most important and frequent lessons have been on the topic of teaching us the understanding of how “God lives within us” through a soul fragment called your “thought adjuster”, which just means the divine part of us that we can tap into to so we can adjust our thoughts to the will of God, which will always serve our highest good. It’s the way we can co-create consciousness, use our own creativity, heal ourselves, and create our own reality using your own ‘impersonal divine fragment of God’ within you. It’s really the same message that Jesus came to tell us – the “Kingdom of Heaven is within You”. Most people are familiar now with the law of attraction where what our vibration sends out attracts a similar vibration back. This understanding of co-creating with spirit takes it to the level of your soul where you can have your own “conversation with God” (Yes just like Neale Donald Walsh). You can get answers, receive insights, and guidance to follow your purpose, and develop your own creative spirit to serve in the ways you desire. I’d listen more closely to interviews and discovered many spiritual leaders (eg. Wayne Dyer, Oprah, Deepak Chopra, Eben Alexander) are familiar with the Urantia Papers, but it’s not the easiest 2,000 pages of material to read or understand! Stretching My Imagination Its taken me many years to wrap my head around all …

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Navigating Through this Unprecedented Time

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There’s a zen proverb describing the need to meditate every day for 20 minutes – unless you’re really busy, then an hour is needed. So it is in this unprecedented time, that similar spiritual wisdom may be valuable. Instead of working hard to gain certainty as we navigate through this unprecedented time, what if we need to do the opposite? What if we could relax into uncertainty, surrendering to the inevitable unfolding of what’s upon us trusting that we will be able to safely navigate through to the other side? What seems to be calling out to each of us is learning how to have a little faith. I am not suggesting we do nothing. I am also not suggesting we ignore the tragic reality we are facing with the more than 36,500 lives we have already lost as cases of this horrific Coronavirus continues to climb. What Am I Suggesting about Having a Little Faith? Faith is the quiet compass of your inner landscape that opens a doorway to a calm, clear place within. It’s an inner strength to ward off anxiety, fear and the unknown when you find yourself faced with massive uncertainty. As we find ourselves confined to our homes in a lockdown that has no near end in sight, I want to invite you to explore how far you can take your own faith at a time when most of us have slowed down, and reassessing our lives to remain healthy. For those working endless hours on the front line in health care or other essential services we depend on – giving our thanks with patience, understanding, and faith in their work becomes crucial supportive energy for the whole field in which we live. The Experience of Having Faith Having faith at first, especially during the unprecedented time, can feel like a ping pong match. There’s a bouncing back and forth as part of you wants to believe all will be well, but your current circumstances snaps you back into the practical reality, perhaps one filled with fear. We believe, and then we don’t believe. We learn to trust, and then get our heart broken. We become cautious, careful, and work hard trying to figure out and control everything. There’s confusion as we try to figure out who and what to believe. But when you learn to surrender in faith during unprecedented time, something shifts you into a sacred space of trust. A space I didn’t grow up even having the faintest clue existed. I grew up in an environment surrounded by a lot of certainty. Having parents who are now retired MDs not only provided stability, but my entire consciousness lived within a narrow scientific and practical mindset that left little room for any ‘holy nonsense’. Discovering the place of faith for you will depend on your actual experiences. The kind where you’ve reached outside your own comfort zone. Having faith encompasses both science and spirituality, and what’s available to you here is where your own dream for the life you want exists, and the sustainable world we all want begins.. Recognizing What Having Faith Looks Like The other day my daughter excitedly came into my office wanting to share the story of a young Swedish painter and photographer she found online – Jonna Jinton. My daughter was mesmerized by her experience living so beautifully, creatively and in such close connection with nature. What immediately struck me was the faith Jonna carried following her heart back to live on the land of her ancestors – alone. She knew she needed to return to her spiritual roots. I felt like I already knew this woman – she reminded me so strongly of prodigy painter Akiane whose life provided the picture of what this same calm surrender into faith looks like. I had shared her story with my children long ago – the magical way she would ‘pull from spirit’ with how she painted her now >$1million individual art pieces. Both of these women are tapped into their inner spirit of faith where the impossible becomes possible. This is one of Jonna’s photographs taken of the rocks she meticulously put into perfect balance after many hours. No…the rocks are not glued together! What happens when we are calm and have faith will astound you. Many of us have lost our spiritual roots in the busy, results-oriented lives we live today whether in the small towns, bustling suburbs or city life. We can’t see what’s possible from all the external distractions we allow into our field, and when we add enormous uncertainty, it can send us further off course. I was so moved by Akiane’s paintings I ordered one of her reprints entitled Everlasting for my office. (Akiane: “the blossoms emit the transience of beauty and life, but the memories they leave behind are truly everlasting”). Where can you add a splash of what deeply inspires your faith at home? The Unmistakable Touch of Grace I eventually experienced that having faith goes beyond belief and trust into an unknown, but somehow familiar territory. There’s an unmistakable, and consistent feeling of awe accompanied often by a wave of emotion that isn’t reactive, but breathtaking. An unmistakable touch of grace. You’ve gone somewhere deep within that allows whatever outside reality you’re facing to settle into what’s been described as “a peace that surpasses all understanding”. You’ve let go. It’s a place where you can release control, fear, anxiety, and judgment to be aligned with yourself carrying your spark of divinity to face whatever circumstances exist in the present moment with serenity. Discovering the Bigger Picture Whenever I’m writing or working with a client– I’ll often come across ‘signs and synchronicites’ that tie into whatever way I’m trying to serve. It’s like I’m constantly being guided by unseen forces.  Last night I noticed Paul McCartney’s carpool karaoke with James Corden popped onto my screen… Do you know the story behind the Beatles song “Let It Be”? Paul was going through a …

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Staying Calm & Healthy in the Midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic

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Facing a global pandemic of a virus that is spreading at increasingly alarming rates can feel scary and why it’s so important to stay calm and healthy in mind. When we are in our peace, we can see more clearly, and act in ways that are the most sensible for our health while saving as many lives as possible. Here’s what I needed to know from China’s lockdown, common sense & Spirit that has been helping me navigate this challenging unprecedented time we are all facing. Getting a Handle on What’s Happening First, how did we even get here?  This video explains how the virus likely first originated in a market in Wuhan, but really began much earlier during a time when China was poverty-stricken and people were encouraged to rely on wild animals to survive. Later, it would become a breeding ground for viruses to travel from animals to the human population. It was initially difficult to understand the severity and spread of this virus, and how it could cripple our health care system based on comparisons with past influenza outbreaks (Spanish flu, Ebola, SARS, and H1N1). Perhaps I didn’t want to believe it. But NOW the imperative need for all countries to practice social distancing is just common sense. This video shows How Each of Us Can Help Fight the Coronavirus describing how you going out in public can so easily spread this virus and cripple our health care system. It’s not necessarily so much that you will die, it’s that the spread will increase the death rate of others more susceptible (older or pre-existing health conditions), and prevent others in regular need of hospital care. By staying home, we can ‘flatten the curve’, the same way 2 U.S. cities – one that allowed a crowded parade to carry on while another restricted social contact during the 1918 pandemic (Spanish flu) that killed approximately 50M worldwide, and proved this graph. Today China has achieved fewer new cases coming out after it’s lockdown measures, while our numbers continue to rise. Here at Home in Canada Initially, I was monitoring the # of infected cases and deaths on the live worldometers.info. trying to make sense of how it was spreading. My niece attends Juilliard, and on March 9th despite no known cases, they cancelled all in-person classes, and she was soon on a flight home from NY. I wanted to know whether to book my daughter on a flight back from the U.S. & wondered if my husband who was working in Germany should come home. Strange Happenings from the Start Dr. Li Wenliang was the first to alert friends of this mysterious virus at Wuhan Hospital and was charged by local authorities (China’s control on freedom of speech) and tragically died from the Coronavirus on Feb. 7th. It had by then killed 636 people. The day before, Chinese lawyer & social activist Chen Qiushi disappeared on February 6th, taken in by authorities for speaking out about the outbreak & conditions people in hospitals faced in Wuhan. He’s still missing. What was going on?? A friend sent me this strange coincidence from a page in a fictional book by Dean Koontz published in 1981. A scientist named Li Chen carrying info about a deadly biological weapon (virus) named  Wuhan-400? I see a lot of ‘signs’ some of which do have a deeper meaning, and wondered just mere coincidence? I’m aware of so many ideas getting into the consciousness with interesting ways sometimes of ‘coming alive’ down the road. Events can be set in motion by what we cannot understand in our timeframe. It just reminded me to pay attention, and that there is more sometimes than meets the eye. When Italy closed its borders as deaths escalated, and our prime minister’s wife picked up the virus in the U.K, I was still looking for answers, and listening to friends and family sharing what they were noticing. Time to Make Decisions Once the World Health Organization announced the Coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11th, things were beginning to feel like we were entering the Twilight Zone. I texted my husband who flew back a day earlier from Germany on the 12th. The Frankfurt airport was deserted – only 40 people on a 400-seat plane. He’s in self-isolation for next 14 days – thankfully no symptoms. I booked a flight immediately for my daughter who was in Las Vegas with global students traveling with Up with People. She was devastated. The tour hadn’t canceled…yet. I told her I felt bad for her, and explained how all the Universities had closed down here in Canada  – her siblings were both home, and things were starting to shut down. Toilet paper wasn’t available at the grocery store! I knew more travel restrictions were coming, and I didn’t want her to be leaving amidst chaos without a way to get home. The next day came the announcement  – lots of tears among these life-long friends as the cast prepared to head home – March 16th. I was especially concerned for the students from Europe. The Lockdown in China Contained the Virus It wasn’t until I watched this 30-minute documentary describing what happened behind the scenes on January 23rd when the city of Wuhan’s 11M residents went under lockdown that I began to see the severity of what was coming. People could not leave their homes. Everything shut down in an effort to contain the virus. Within days, the lockdown had expanded to several other cities totaling 60M people. I awoke to the real threat of how this virus was spreading and wondered how people would cope mentally and emotionally being confined for so long in their homes living in fear with so much uncertainty. What We Can Learn from the Lockdown In China, resources are mobilized fast. Whole stadiums and hotels were turned into quarantine centers & 30,000 medical workers were ordered to assist from other provinces, as a new hospital got built in a week, …

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International Women’s Day — Why Women Still Treated Unequally

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I was reflecting on my own journey as a woman in a ‘man’s world’, and thought about why it’s taking so long for men and women to be treated equally. I also wondered how this day of celebration for women striving for equality came to be? The first recognition of a “National Woman’s Day” was on February 28, 1909 in New York City organized by a woman activist named Theresa Malkiel. I’m guessing you probably hadn’t heard of her either. Theresa was the first woman to rise from factory work to leadership in the Socialist Party of America. There was a Socialist Political Party in the U.S standing up for women over a century ago, and today we’ve evolved to have Trump leading the U.S.? Sometimes it can feel like things are going backwards. With that first National Celebration, women around the world were inspired to organize for their rights, which eventually became International Women’s Day on March 8th, 1911. So why are women still at such a disadvantage in so many parts of the world when an entire century has passed? To this day only 6 out of our 195 countries (3%) give women equal legal work rights as men according to The World Bank that measured gender discrimination finding only Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden scored full marks. My Own Journey as a Girl in an Unbalanced World.. I was fortunate to grow up in a beautiful suburb of Toronto with parents who practiced medicine, but it felt unfair that my brothers were allowed to do things like play at their friend’s homes, or attend sleepovers while my sisters and I were not. We were told it’s “because you’re a girl”. It didn’t make sense until I reached my early teens, and learned about sexual abuse, and rape. Apparently, some men do these things? I had to accept “that’s the way it is”, and women needed to protect themselves. Over the years I’ve been silently stunned at what humanity has accepted when it comes to the treatment of women. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Centre, 1 in 5 women will be raped in their lifetime (1 in 71 for men).  Does this statistic feel as incomprehensible to you? Having been brought up to never walk alone after dark anywhere if I can avoid it stuck with me because of these statistics, and what I hear goes on in my own city. The #MeToo movement felt like a tipping point had finally been reached. Women are willing, and have some limited space now to stand up without being as judged, and call out what’s clearly unacceptable treatment. It still feels awfully slow. Gender Equality in My Working World I didn’t experience gender inequality in the workplace. I started out my career working my way through the accounting world at Price Waterhouse, and as I rose to a VP position at Ricoh Canada, I was not treated differently because I was a woman. Truly appreciating the fight for women’s rights in the ‘60s and ’70s not having faced gender discrimination was more about awareness for me. I couldn’t relate from my own experience. It wasn’t until my children arrived that I became a lot more invested in the world they were growing up in. I would later share Emma Watson’s amazing “He for She” speech at the United Nations to help them understand gender inequality they too have not faced. It helped they were Harry Potter fans! How a Career Change Woke Me Up Spiritually Becoming a mother became my full-time career while pursuing writing, and getting certified as a life coach, and later working as a spiritual life coach. I became very drawn to the ‘mind, body and soul’ inner work. For me, spirituality was something that unified us, while religions seemed often to divide us. Spirituality is our consciousness waking up to the higher divine part of ourselves that includes basic ideals – like men and women being created equal. The understanding that as creative beings, we can create the highest experiences (most true, beautiful and good) of our lives by ‘co-creating with spirit’ has been the most powerful wake-up call. By leading from this higher part of ourselves, we can lean in closer, and live what we know to be true. That the divine part of us sees men and women as equals. The Impact of Women Being Unrecognized As a Distinct Group The realization that men and women have inhabited this planet for 2.5 million years, and it’s only in the last century that women have begun having a voice, and rights as equal human beings feels absurd. The impact of men and women not being valued equally affects all of us in ways you may not recognize. Gender discrimination affects basic safety that’s built into our products including cars. According to a 2011 study of more than 45,000 crash victims over 11 years, researchers from the University of Virginia found women are 47% more likely to suffer severe injuries in car crashes because safety features are designed for men. There’s also a “gender health issue” because test trials are often done in the pharmaceutical industry based on the ‘average male’ that can cause pain, and even death for some women taking recommended doses, but not designed for the typically smaller female body. This recent article shares the Sad Truth for Women Stil Living in a Man’s World Where the Masculine and Feminine Fits In When I began diving into spirituality, I began hearing a lot about masculine and feminine energy. That we have both kinds of energy within us – the masculine (results-oriented, assertive, active, fact-driven), and the feminine (nurturing, giving, intuitive). Because of our hormonal differences, women generally have the more dominant feminine energy with naturally many variations across the board. We are, after all, the carriers of life if that’s a choice we want, so it helps to be nurturing! Given our history of women not holding equal status for millions …

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What Gratitude is Really All About..

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We’re all familiar with the idea of giving thanks, but feeling gratitude is a more powerful creative force than you may realize. Gratitude reflects a spiritual law that pervades our universe: What you give comes back. What goes around comes around. You reap what you sow. We can easily say thanks and believe we should be thankful given what we have – a roof over our head, great food, our health, education, and surrounding friends and family. But feeling grateful after the fact is really just an acknowledgment of what’s already been given that you appreciate. To practice gratitude requires being pro-active not just reactive. Gratitude flows from a Source within us that holds the key to creating those experiences in the first place. I call it working from the inside out (co-creating with your unique divinity), instead of the outside in (responding positively to what’s already happened). Being in gratitude is one of the ways you can create what you want. It’s an energy you are holding vibrationally that says “I feel good with who I am and what I have”. Living in gratitude requires bringing your inner light to your life areas, and in service to others. I’m remembering a song I grew up with… “You Light Up My Life”…it was one of the few simple songs musically that I could play on the piano! “And you light up my life You give me hope to carry on You light up my days And fill my nights with song Rollin’ at sea, adrift on the water Could it be finally I’m turning for home Finally, a chance to say, “Hey, I love you” Never again to be all alone” ~Joe Brooks   Love songs can bring up thoughts and feelings about the kind of love you’re seeking out there from someone, but this love is already within you. I call these “thought adjuster songs” or “divine fragment” songs because you can substitute listening to seeking love from the outside to seeking love from the inside. See if you can discover the love songs that resonated for you from your past, and you will re-connect to the love within you. You are loved. You are never alone. You are already home. When you feel this kind of gratitude for the true essence of love that you are, you can give from this part of you. What comes back will be the same energy in many forms. It applies to all the little things in every area of your life. Your Home If you put loving energy into the care of your home (as opposed to complaining about all the things that aren’t the way they should be) – what comes back is that feeling of “home being where the heart is”. It’s most noticeable when you return from a trip and your home space gives you that warm, familiar unmistakable comfort. You literally feel thankful to be home! Because you’d already given your light of love to this space, now you’re simply returning back to that energy. Notice how different this feels compared to simply feeling gratitude that you have a house that provides a roof over your head. Your Body When you take care to mindfully put food into your body & give it the exercise it needs to thrive – your body will respond to function in all the ways you want. You then feel gratitude for how you cared for your body, and what it allows you do movement-wise! You feel amazing IN your body. Giving respect and care to your body as opposed to judging it for how it’s not is the secret to feeling grateful for whatever shape your body holds. How often do you think good thoughts about your body? Can you look in the mirror without any clothes and honestly say “I love my body”. It’s very hard to feel gratitude for your body if you don’t love it already. Intimacy The more you love and feel grateful in your body, the more your body naturally responds to intimacy. Loving yourself where you feel aligned in your own light – at ease in your own skin means everything flows . It’s the greatest turn on for that special someone you give your love to. Your Mind and Soul Your mind needs stimulation of what’s true, beautiful and good according to you so you feel alive in your soul. What are you nourishing your mind with every day? How often do you spend time in the beauty of nature to lift your soul? This 10 minute  talk on gratitude is a great reminder of our connection to Nature’s beauty and the human connection that fills your soul. Are you paying attention to who and what you allow into your field? The quality of the media you plug into, what you read, and the people you hang out with, all make a difference to how you experience gratitude. Just having enough is not enough and life is not about having more. You know people with very little who are grateful for so much, and those with so much who can’t seem to find gratitude for what they have. Gratitude is about tapping into a feeling of thankfulness you carry no matter how much you have or what conditions you face. By giving to YOU – YOU are receiving from within. This affects your soul’s vibration, and what comes back. Giving and receiving within our mind, body and spirit affects our home space, friends, family, and health. Feeling gratitude is really about you giving from a grateful you. When I can give from the place of a grateful loving heart, what comes back will feel remarkable, and will be more than enough.

How to Speak Your Truth

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We talk about valuing transparency, but baring our soul? That sounds scary. Yet the day comes when a difficult conversation needs to be spoken and you need to speak your truth one way or another. How Learning to Speak Your Truth Helps Learning to live your truth and speak your truth from your soul breaks through existing walls, and serves your highest and best self regardless of any painful immediate outcome. Pursuing what’s of the highest good for yourself contributes not only to the life you were meant to flourish in, but also to a more progressive collective consciousness. Sharing what resonates as true for you especially when it’s not easy to say is one of the most powerful ways we grow with others. A universal spirit of “truth, beauty and goodness” exists within your soul that you can consciously connect with to help navigate difficult conversations in a healthy direction forward. The catch is – it almost always comes with some angst we need to be willing to sift through. Yes – our own soul growth that sometimes can feel like a tornado! It requires having a little faith. The Dynamics of Soul Interaction At the soul level, we are all teachers and students in our interactions that continuously changes hands.  Just as parents initially think they are teaching their children, it gets clear pretty quickly that it’s also the other way around. Same is true for bosses and their staff, teachers and their students, coaches and our clients. There’s a dance of taking on both roles during our most difficult conversations we need to reach the other side in a better place. When we find ourselves tangled up in a sticky situation where we don’t own our own truth, we can get blocked with a grudge, pride, resentment or worse: self-betrayal. If you do not find a way to release this toxic energy, its low vibration will bear on your soul in hidden ways that affect your mental, emotional & physical well-being. We all know stress in all its forms can slowly or suddenly take your life. The Greatest Challenge: Imagine a painful situation where you’ve felt misunderstood or inappropriately treated. You’ve taken reflection time to know where you stand. You know what you want to say, but are you ready to face the messy, possibly ugly consequences of someone else’s response to your truth? Perhaps you’ve already said some things that didn’t land well. Speaking from your soul ensures you won’t have regrets because you speak your truth, it is your truth. How someone else responds is simply a choice you need to be prepared to allow for. 8 Practices for How to Speak Your Truth from Your Soul 1. Start with The End in Mind: Serenity The reason we’re speaking up is to clear something that feels unresolved and still hurtful. We can’t avoid pain, but we can heal our hurt. We know our emotional reactions can get in the way of misunderstandings, or saying things we regret later. One key to avoiding unnecessary drama is sorting out internally what’s genuinely coming from our soul versus falsely coming from our ego’s need to control, demand or lash out to protect itself from further hurt. The “18 ” longest journey” from our head (mind) to our heart (what rings true for your soul) requires moving from our fears where our ego has become self-destructive over to our soul that knows what’s true, beautiful, and good for us. To speak from our heart, we need to be connected to our soul. Are you going into a conversation from a place of serenity that can handle whatever gets erupted on the other side without falling apart in despair of going into any form of attack? I don’t mean not having any emotions – I mean taking your emotions and using them as weapons. There’s a big difference here. In our world, meanness has sadly become normalized by too many in authority and influential positions. The impact is devastating. Chances are you will feel genuinely angry, frustrated and sad as everything surfaces about what’s real for you, but if you have not developed solid footing to hold space for both sides while moving just a little bit forward – you can end up making it worse for yourself, and someone else. Have you built the inner strength (maintaining dignity, decency, and respect) to handle whatever the reaction may be? Think worst case scenario, and still being able to come back to your peace. Here’s a practice I’ve used to build our inner foundation: It begins with the Serenity Prayer.. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. ~Reinhold Niebuhr Next, turn it around into an asking and listening practice. In the early morning when everyone is asleep, take 5 minutes to ask these questions in silence: • What do I need to accept that I cannot change? • What can I change I need courage for? • Where am I unclear about what I can & cannot change that’s left me feeling stuck? Trust, and listen deeply for an answer. At first, it will sound like your thoughts popping in. With practice, you’ll intuitively hear ideas, inspiration – wisdom pouring in from a place beyond your ‘thinking mind’. Every single person has this capability to hear intuitively. Grab a journal, and write down what comes to mind or reflect on what shows up. Is there any action you’re feeling called to do? Pay attention to any sensations you feel in your body to indicate that you are indeed hearing from a higher source. I get consistent vibrations in my hands and solar plexus area now whenever I’m in this space of “asking and receiving”, but it feels different for each of us. Over time, this is one practice can help you reach a “peace that surpasses all understanding” you’ll need …

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Our Children’s Spiritual Health

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Have you ever wondered what it takes to have our children’s spiritual health in its best form? My children are my greatest priority. I know I’m not alone here. What I didn’t know was the importance of our children’s spiritual health. Being able to hear their inner voice directly affects their well-being, and happiness. We all have a universal need to feel seen and heard for who we are. I’d often hear “you’ll have more time when they’re older”.  My twin girls graduate from high school next month, and it is still where I spend the majority of my time and energy – directly or indirectly. My children’s spiritual health and their emotional/mental well-being has been my #1 responsibility. I’ve taken it seriously because one day when it was time to let go, I wanted them to fly without me knowing I’m always here if they need me. We are extremely close not because of the actual time we spent together, but the time it’s taken to learn how to be present with them for who they are, not who I expect them to be. It’s been thousands of conversations. It has been filled with far more joy, connection & laughter than sadness & tears. It has disappeared much too quickly as I was warned it would. At a recent talk on mental health and well being, one of the speakers shared: “20% of Canadians at some point in their life will have a mental health problem, and shockingly 70% of them developed this issue in childhood and adolescence. If we could reach these children earlier, think how much suffering we could prevent”. ~Dr. Janet Patterson, MD In caring for my children all these years, I discovered the importance of taking care of my soul – my own spiritual health. Was I present enough for the moments that have come and gone at all their different ages? Did I give them the foundation of what they need to create a life of their dreams? The stress and anxiety our children feel these days have hit levels beyond what’s comprehensible. It seems to be coming in from all directions regardless of education, financial status or cultural background. So much we all want to accomplish in a highly competitive world in such little time. I try to remember to focus on who I want to be, and less on what I want to do. The increasing teen suicide rates continue to floor me. It shows up casually in conversations: “2 students in my program took their life” a friend of my son shared the other day. I was asking how she was found her first year in engineering – was it tough to handle the stress? I grew up with parents who didn’t stress out. They are remarkably 2 of the calmest people I know. I think it’s one of their greatest secrets to all they accomplish. They gave me the foundation, and faith that “everything would be OK”. There was also a clear cultural voice of what was expected. But it’s your soul that is the compass for what’s most valuable to you. It highlights what’s meaningful, and purposeful – it starts with a passion, and ends up feeling like a calling pushing you forward. It requires a pause. Taking time to listen so you can hear yourself, and each other. I had to learn how to listen from my children’s perspective without criticism or judgment. It’s not easy, and an ongoing practice! Until I could hear what was really going on inside of them, I couldn’t see how to adjust my words, tone, and guidance to meet them where they are so they could hear me. Most of us aren’t talking on the same page with our children – what we say is not what they hear and what they say we cannot hear. Here’s 18 Practices I used to help hear their true voice and work on my children’s spiritual health: Give them the space to be themselves. If they didn’t want to talk, or having a melt down – leave the space, but come back to resolve it. Be approachable, and available when they need me. Parent each child differently for each soul is different. One approach didn’t work for all. Some need more attention, and reminding than others. Trust that in every moment they are doing their best, and that I am too, no matter what $&@ is hitting the fan –  it isn’t being done intentionally. Use guidelines that include the WHY so they know the values being crossed. Why I cared about anything was known. Avoid punishment, which only creates fear not self-discipline. They were never grounded and nothing was taken away to ‘teach them a lesson’, but they still learned them. Learn how to listen from their perspective by being curious, and noticing also what’s not being said. Say yes as much as possible, and no when necessary. Teach them that they responsible for their words, and actions – that their thoughts become things. Remind them often of the golden rule: imagine how you’d feel if…” Ask instead of tell; stay away from lecturing. They eventually tune you out if you yell, or keep telling them what to do. Engage instead of demand. Show up with kindness, and mutual respect not a ‘toughen up” approach. Be authentic, and vulnerable so they feel safe opening up. Slowly share what’s going on in your world as age appropriate to role model how you want them to be. Avoid complaining, and no blaming. Be someone they can trust so they can learn to trust themselves. Stand up, and speak your truth kindly, but firmly even if it means someone gets offended or takes it personally. Apologize if you mess up. My girls turn 18 this year (my son is 19) – it’s taken years to practice all these well, but I can hear their voices clearly now. Wisdom along the Way.. I remember sitting on the edge of my daughter Leah’s bed as …

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The Power of Journaling: Why You Want to Start This Practice Today

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Journaling has become a powerful practice for those striving to slow down, and be more present in our busy lives, but what exactly does this practice give you? I started journaling when I was 11 years old entering 6th grade at a new school. Not knowing a single soul, and missing my old friends felt overwhelmingly isolating as a shy girl. My teacher suggested I write down my thoughts in a small notebook, and she would read and provide guidance back in writing. It felt so much easier having someone ‘listen’ to my deepest feelings, and give me reassurance. It was the beginnings of how I learned to journal that later developed as a co-creative process of ‘asking and receiving‘ through writing. A Powerful Practice Writing allows you to tap into yourself at a much deeper level, but until I made the connection of writing with the divine part of who I really AM –  I was missing a critical piece. The Spark Inside of You Having faith that a creative Divine spark exists in ALL of us is a game-changer. Writing has become a co-creative way to reach our highest consciousness for answers, insights, and creative inspiration. If you need some simple evidence that consciousness exists in our vast universe – check out this classic experiment in quantum physics: We are made of energy that has awareness – our thoughts hold energy that is the spark for creative thinking when you connect to your higher consciousness. This insight helped me bridge science and spirituality that began opening many doors. Writing allows you the freedom to say, feel, and express whatever you want in your own words without judgment. In our lives – we rarely have space to freely say and think whatever we want and feel. A journal can serve as that sacred space to let your genuine thoughts, desires, and intentions flow, which creates a vibration or frequency that matches what is true for you when you allow yourself to ‘play full out’. “Following your bliss” as Joseph Cambell advised is about allowing your energy to be your compass for life. It requires listening deeply within, and paying attention to what resonates for you. A Co-Creative Process You’ve heard the phrase: ask and you shall receive. When you ask questions with an attitude of humble respect, and openness with a pen in hand – you might be truly surprised by what shows up on the page. If a client writes to me about an issue, I’ve noticed a lot of my best writing flows out of me from a co-creative process. I receive guidance from a higher place in me, which I recognize now because the words just pour out of me effortlessly. When you practice it with writing, you start bringing it more into your everyday conversations with people. When writers get inspiration they call it working with their muse. You can find this co-creativity everywhere in books, films, art, music – even business and science if you take a deeper look behind how anything is created. It’s also available in you!  You are a creative being. I and Myself: the Impersonal and the Personal Spiritual author, Eckhart Tolle shared how he awakened when he examined his thought “I can’t live with myself any longer”. Who was the “I” that couldn’t with “myself”? he asked. He had a sudden realization that there were 2 voices in his head: ‘I’, and ‘myself’. He went on to co-create his powerful writings that include “The Power of Now”, and “A New Earth” on higher consciousness, and practical spiritual wisdom. Who Are You? Here’s a way that’s really helped me understand who I really AM, and has taken my writing to new levels of inspired awareness, and huge insights. First off – you are a spiritual being having a human experience. There’s an Impersonal “I” or what I call your “higher divine self” (or ‘God’ within you), and a Personal “I”. Together these make up your “soul signature”. Our personal “I” moves between what’s healthy and unhealthy with the way we choose our thoughts (towards or away from “God’s will”, which essentially is LOVE). Our personal “I” can get affected by past conditioning, and fears that make us feel ‘not good enough’ on some level. If someone isn’t following your ‘personal ways”, and you react in ways that prevent someone from being true to themselves then love becomes ‘conditional’. Where the Ego Fits In The ‘personal I’ contains the ego.  Here’s a definition I received through a co-creative process that helped me: “The ego is the culmination of pre-determined thought patterns tied to your biochemistry, and conditioning received that lie within you from your experiences based in fear..it’s the parts that can be harmful, and inhibiting.” An unhealthy ego holds your ’emotional baggage’ and doesn’t reflect your spiritual nature. The ego itself is not ‘bad’ – it’s part of your personality. It can be balanced or unbalanced depending on how it evolves. If you get attached or defined by what people say, think, and the outside world of titles, awards, and material things, this can have your ego get out of balance. We can enjoy the external world, but not understanding that we are both personal (with free will), and impersonal (with a divine fragment) misses a huge opportunity to co-create your life. Without this practice of connecting to your ‘whole self’ (journaling is a way to practice it!) –  it’s easy to ‘take things personally’ getting offended or defensive. We react personally instead of responding more consciously from a higher place. It’s been said that ‘God is impersonal’ – there’s no judgment here. God doesn’t ever take you personally! A Practice of Stillness The way to lead from within requires a practice of ‘stillness’ that writing can provide. It does not just mean being still, and calm without thoughts. It means slowing down to be present and connected to ALL of YOU (the personal and impersonal divine YOU) in any given moment. Journalling is really a …

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Creating Soul Moments with Your Values

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To have simple moments.. we need to interact with similar souls. I recently asked a group of like-minded souls to find someone they don’t know and finish this sentence “what most people don’t know about me is…” I wanted to encourage a place of vulnerability that allows for a deeper connection. It made me reflect on what am I wanting to share on this spiritual journey of what I call ‘waking up to who you really are’? Being vulnerable is risky, and necessary if we want soul connections. Every time I publish anything, it feels vulnerable! I have expectations of myself, and want my words to be of value to others. Soul Moments Secret — Explore Within I’ve got a strong inner critic so there’s a lot of editing that goes on! I grew up trusting others. Unless they showed me otherwise I just accepted people were doing their best. Until I followed what most resonated for me, there was no risk of being vulnerable because I was following the expectations of others. I thought the things I sought most were outside of me to discover, not inside of me to reveal. I didn’t know the risks I had to take to get here. Once I began sharing my truth, I felt the sting of betrayal when there was no space available with people I trusted to have our different truth. That’s when I learned how important it was to manage the public side, and private side of my life, while striving to be transparent. It’s been a challenge to find this balance and have great soul moments as I place high value on authenticity, but recognize not everyone does nor are they ready to hear what I may tell them! Privacy, especially today in our “you-tube, facebook, and Google home” environment has become more important than ever to manage. Attorney, and journalist Glenn Greenwald took that message home for me in his Ted talk on Why Privacy Matters . He questioned the assertion that only bad people need to fear all the monitoring that goes on today.  “It is true that as human beings we’re social animals, which means we have a need for other people to know what we’re doing, and saying, and thinking which is why we voluntarily publish information about ourselves online. But equally essential to what it means to be a free and fulfilled human being is to have a place where we can go and be free of the judgmental eyes of other people.” ~Glenn Greenwald Being Transparent and Having Privacy People speak a lot these days about being transparent, and risking vulnerability to speak our truth. We need the freedom to share what we want without destructive consequences, but also where privacy is valued. You need a safe space to explore the sacred parts of yourself to get to know deeply who you really are without the judgment of others. I believe it’s the most valuable part of our lives because the more you become your true self, the more you have to give, and experience fully this short life we have. It also affects your soul’s ascension not just here, but will impact your progression after this lifetime. Reflecting on the Past Year Do you have 3 favourite memories from 2018 that point to what you value most? One of mine was turning 50, and having a circle of friends gather together who didn’t all know each other to celebrate this milestone. I can honestly say “I can be fully me” with these gals, and we shared moments I will remember forever. My value for soul connection called me to organize 2 memorable events this year! Another favourite was having the opportunity to celebrate in Sedona on a soul retreat with my husband who also turned 50, which hit my values of spiritual growth, better communication, and intimate connection. Our 3 teens also joined us in Sedona that filled the value of family time together. So many magical, fun-filled moments! It’s how I measure time – not through years, but through these experiences that tie to what I value most. So What Most people Don’t Know about Me is.. ..how much time, and energy I put into developing relationships that allow me to grow spiritually. ..that I often wake up a few times at night, and usually by 5 a.m. I’m in a stillness practice with my divine self. ..I have soul conversations with celestial teachers where I’ve learned to use a pendulum to help provide insights that amaze me.  ..the greatest source of spiritual revelation for me has been the 196 papers of The Urantia Book, along with the current transmissions of the Teaching Mission, and the 11:11 Correcting Time. ..that my message of living judgment-free is really a spiritual practice Having Your Privacy, and Being Authentic at the Same Time I believe it’s important to maintain both a public side for serving, and private side for growing, but in both places, we need to be consistent in order to have integrity, and not betray ourself. How you show up privately is really just a deeper version of who you are publicly. When it’s out of alignment, and what you share publicly opposes what you do privately, trusting yourself comes into question.  There will be parts of your experience that are for you alone privately to grow from. But finding kindred souls in your life who have earned the right to hear your whole story if you choose is what makes life worth living.  These are the people you grow with exponentially who you love, and who love you unconditionally for all of who you are even if they don’t agree with you.  The one message for 2019 I wanted to leave you with is this one. Be willing to look deeply within to ‘know thyself’ so you can trust your choices at the level of your soul through your most cherished values. Consider adding soul growth as a value to experience great soul moments — it’s where you …

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The Gift of Being Fully Present this Holiday

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It’s one of the most important spiritual practices of all: the art of being fully present. The greatest most enduring leaders have this ability of making you feel like you are the only one in the room. You feel seen and heard, and your entire being feels lit up.  We know this experience when we get together with the kindred spirits in our lives. Time disappears as you effortlessly move into the magical space of being present. We can feel stressed at holiday time for many reasons. Maybe it’s knowing you’ll be spending intimate time with certain individuals that can be difficult. Perhaps you’ve faced a devastating loss whether a job or a loved one, and just smiling feels hard.  You may be overwhelmed in all that needs DOING around the holidays, but want to find a way of BEING in your peace, and joyful connection no matter how busy you are, and who you’re with. It may sound impossible, but it all begins with the practice of being fully present. There’s a different quality of stillness here that is not just about feeling gratitude or journaling. Nor is it only about mindful meditation clearing your mind of busy thoughts. Being fully present is a special combination of being in your stillness non-judgmentally while connected to a divine internal source that carries you through your life adventure. Having Faith At this time of year, we are asked to stand in a much bigger truth about each other. That there’s a collective consciousness no matter what devastating confusion we see happening in our world, and our communities.  We have to trust that we are all on a path moving forward – ascending as time ticks by. It requires that we lean into a sacred place that holds a faith beyond what we see and hear so we can learn to be present with those around us.  The noise coming from outside can be very disturbing, especially these days where we have access to all that’s going wrong in our world with a click of a button. It can make us dwell on what’s wrong in our own space or call us forward. It’s challenging to seek out the light between the spaces, but unless we first become present within, our own wholeness can’t honour what’s in this moment. Being present this holiday within your own inner circle can move mountains because your energy is like a signal out that spreads – no matter how big or small, it has the same powerful force. Learning How to Be Fully Present One winter day, I was driving through my neighbourhood with my 3 children fast asleep in their car seats. I suddenly noticed how beautiful the newly fallen snow looked on the trees lining the street. I sighed.  Did it always look this stunning, and I never reallynoticed? It took my breath away. I’d missed this feeling of presence with nature for how many years? It was a seed of discovering how to be present. A sense of awe connected to a greater whole that lives in nature – it was just the beginning. The Greatest Gift You Can Give When you are fully present with someone, you can reach way over into someone else’s space by listening nonjudgmentally with genuine interest from your soul-mind. It has that same sense of awe, but with another soul.  It requires a step away from our analytical mind that loves to make assumptions, and draw conclusions from the smallest pieces of what we do see and hear. Our true presence listens openly to someone’s different truth where both your experiences are right for you even if you disagree. There’s a deeper trust you reach having faith in someone that holds the present space for you both. The greatest gift you can give is allowing someone to be seen, and heard for who they are. It’s a sacred experience when ALL OF ME can be with ALL OF YOU.  Living Your Truth  Being present means becoming more and more aligned with what’s true for you. You can trust yourself because your outer experiences start reflecting back to you what you most desire without you having to demand, control or go chasing after it.  Small moments of hearing what you long to hear. Feelings you didn’t know were inside you to feel. Unexpected surprises you want, but aren’t outwardly asking for.  You no longer feel offended or upset by how others show up. What others say and do is about them with their own truth. It doesn’t mean you agree or condone everything – you simply find that way to be in the moment not resisting life. Most of us are looking for truth, and problem solving in the wrong direction – outside ourselves when the real answers can only be found inside. What you’re drawn to see, and hear in the global media of news, and entertainment is a reflection of what’s seeking answers inside you.  Pay close attention here – it’s not the other way around. That movie was great? A song rings your truth bells? A book brings fun, distraction or insights? The career you’re in? The activities you enjoy? Choices you think you’re making. It’s not these things that draw you in to choose them – it’s what these are pulling out of you that resonates, and keeps bringing them into your space.  It’s the same with the people you have surrounding you : )  Your Tribe You are not so much choosing who you surround yourself with – your energy attracts them to you. If you don’t have amazing people right now in your life you can trust, notice what energies you bring that aren’t aligned with who you are. Wherever you are pretending, holding back, not speaking what’s true for you will mirror what comes back in the people around you. If you struggle with someone in your life, something in them is showing a part of you that needs healing or growing.  The more …

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