Well, I was having one of those days…

There I was, looking in the mirror in the church bathroom. Checking to see if the left side of my face was still a bit swollen.  You see, I’d had a little sinus infection the day before (yes, even with energy work I do get run down occasionally-not often, but occasionally).  With the combination of that, and getting to bed late the night before I woke up Sunday with a bit of a “puff” on the left side of my face.  Not too noticeable, but enough to make me feel ‘off’.  I also realized I hadn’t put on a slip that day (luckily my skirt was dark), and I had forgotten some important papers I needed. Oh, and now as I looked in the mirror I realized I’d forgotten to fix my hair.  Hmm…

“Ugh, I thought to myself, I need to go back to bed and start this day over!”

But wait…from the corner of my eye, I noticed a pink post-it note on the mirror.

This is what it said:

You are beautiful just the way you are!

Ha! I giggled out loud- what perfect timing! I had no idea who put it there, but I thought it was a great idea!  I later found out who posted it there and learned about Operation Beautiful. It’s a fun website/blog started by a 26-year-old girl from North Carolina to help girls and women stop negative self talk.

The founder, Caitlin says: “I began Operation Beautiful by leaving positive messages on the mirrors of public restrooms — at work, at the gym, at the grocery store.  I scribble down whatever comes to mind — “You are beautiful!” or “You are amazing just the way you are!”  My personal goal is to leave as many Operation Beautiful notes as I can. Maybe some people read them and just smile, but I bet some people are truly touched by the effort of a random stranger”.

To learn more about this movement go to www.OperationBeautiful.com

I’ve begun doing this and it is so much fun! I hope you too, will begin posting your positive messages today.  You never know who’s day will be brightened by your thoughtful note, just like my day was!

Happy New Year! To say goodbye to the old year and ring in the new, below are the top ten most-read blog posts of 2011. Enjoy!

1. The Law of Attraction, Part II
2. Introducing the Certified SimplyHealed Practitioners
3. Chakra Healing Part 1
4. Want to Raise Your Vibration?
5. Do Affirmations Really Work?
6. Calyco Healing in Australia
7. My non-Martha Stewart Thanksgiving
8. Chakra Healing Part 2
9. SimplyHealed Down South!
10. Q&A 1: Why Doesn’t Energy Therapy Work for Me?
11. De-Cluttering to Boost Your Energy

It is not often that teenage sons will hang out with their mother for over an hour and just talk, but with a great puzzle, it is a common occurrence in our home. As we work together trying to find the right pieces for the right places, we can talk about all sorts of things going on in their lives that they may not have otherwise shared with me. Or we can just enjoy being together with no pressure to talk at all.

It’s also great for a marriage. It gives us a chance to sit down in the evening, put on some great music, and talk and relax with no TV! Also, when friends or neighbors come over for a short visit, it’s fun for them to find a few pieces while they are there. In fact, this is such a good thing, I am seriously considering keeping my puzzle table up year round!

I suggest getting at least a 1,000-piece puzzle. Depending on the difficulty, and how often we sit down to play with it, we can go through several puzzles during the holiday season. (Of course young children can have their own kid’s puzzle nearby). I must admit, puzzle making is a bit addicting for me. Once I sit down and get into it, I have a hard time leaving the table to get other things done. After all, I am the “Puzzlemiester!”

My kids tease me about finding metaphors for life in any situation. (If you’ve taken a Tai Chi class from me, you know that I love finding life-lessons in the movements). The nature of putting a puzzle together incorporates SO many metaphors for life, I just had to write a list, so here it is:

~Everything I need to know I learned from a jigsaw puzzle~

Slow down

Take your time

Don’t force things into place

Look closely to see what shape things are really in

Trust your intuition

Share your joy with friends

Breathe

You must stand back to see the big picture

Have patience

Follow good examples (picture on box)

Keep track of all your parts

Allow others to help you

Its easier to see solutions with a fresh pair of eyes

Things are not always what they seem

Sometimes you just need to walk away

Often, the piece you are seeking is right in front of you but your perception is off.

and finally…

Sometimes you search for a long time finding only what doesn’t fit, then the insight comes, allowing you to connect many pieces at once.  Don’t you love when that happens?

Get yourself a puzzle and enjoy the season!

Question:

Answer: First of all, I can’t answer why you do or don’t feel a certain way.

Energy work works. It’s our own subconscious that doesn’t allow it to work or blocks it from working.

If it “didn’t work” for you, maybe you went to a practitioner who wasn’t completely working in the light, and your spirit sensed that and blocked things. Or perhaps the practitioner was working in the light but still some blocks were put up.

Sometimes people just aren’t ready for certain things. Sometimes certain lessons must be learned before energy healing can work. Patience is a big part of it; although I’ve seen it happen a lot, you’re probably not going to go to one session and feel all these changes. Life is a series of steps that we take. So it’s okay for things to happen over time.

If you’ve asked this same question, do some journaling on this. Sit down when you have some time and be very kind and very patient with yourself, but be very honest. Here are the questions to ask yourself:

1. If all the various kinds of energy work that I’ve experienced had worked for me, everything I’ve ever had cleared, or balanced, or realigned, any kind of sessions that have helped my energy, what would happen if I totally allowed myself to receive all the things that were “supposed to work”? How would that feel if I totally accepted it, and what would change in my life?
2. If I look back two weeks, three months, six months, do I see changes? Sometimes when people think it’s not working at all because it’s not working as immediately as they expected it to. It doesn’t mean it’s not working. It means that those patterns have been untangled and now you’re stepping forward and making new patterns and taking new, more positive steps.
3. If the energy sessions worked the way I wanted them to, in what ways does that scare me? Is there a fear there? Would a lot more be expected of me? If my bum knee was better, if my headaches went away, if I got over all the anger at my father, if my fear of speaking public was totally gone, how does that scare me to have that gone? What would be expected of me and do I feel capable of stepping up to it maintaining it?
4. Am I too comfortable with my blocks, even though I’m miserable in them, because I’m familiar with them?
5. Why don’t I allow it to work?

If you’re with a skilled practitioner who’s in the light and is trying to help you and be of service to you, and you feel good at the time and you go home and you say, I don’t know, it didn’t really work for me, then that’s the time when you get to go on that little inner journey.

I’m not “blaming” the client, but the energy is just so strong and intelligent, that most of the time it’s some kind of subconscious fear that’s holding you back. Give it time. Practice patience. Question yourself.

Allow it to work.

I don’t know why some people think that’s a little bit weird–unless they’ve gone to a person who uses crystals who’s a little bit weird!  I say that jokingly, but the crystals themselves are harmless and beautiful things that can help us. Everything on earth has a vibration, and gemstones and crystals are no exception. Each type has a different vibration that has a different effect on the energy around it.

Some people wear crystals as jewelry to raise their vibration. They like to keep a certain kind of stone near them to help out with a particular ailment.

I’m not an expert on what each one does for what emotion–that’s not my forte (see the explanations below), but just like herbs or essential oils, I believe that God put them on this earth to help us heal.  Since crystals, rocks and stones were all created by God, they have a vibration that can help us.

When I worked at the Red Mountain Spa, the woman who used the healing room upstairs from mine did work with crystals and gemstones, and we would occasionally do sessions  on each other. I loved it because she was so in tune with the stones and rocks. I would lie on the table, sometimes on my front, sometimes on my back, and she would intuitively know which rocks to pick up and put where—on my stomach, or my legs or shoulders, my forehead, sometimes on my feet. She played soothing music and just let the rocks do the work.

I remember one time she had some rocks near my hips and I do not remember what type of rock it was, but when she took them off, she took them in her hand and said, “Ouch!” They were hot as if they’d been in an oven, even though they had started out at room temperature when she first put them on me. So apparently they had sucked some kind of blocked energy from my hips.  Interestingly, this was during the time I was training for a triathlon and I’d been having trouble with my hips. The power of the crystals really helped!

So what do I think of crystals? I think they are beautiful creations from God and anything from God is good.

Below is a glossary of a few of the many crystals and stones and their healing properties from Crystalmeanings.net.

AMBER–A fossilized resin from prehistoric pine trees. Exerts positive influence on endocrine system, spleen and heart. Healing, soothing, harmonizing. Associated with the Navel, Solar plexus and Crown Chakras.

AMETHYST–A variety of quartz, light to dark purple in color. Strengthens endocrine and immune systems. Enhances right brain activity and pineal and pituitary glands. Powerful blood cleanser and energizer.

CALCITE–Aids kidneys, pancreas, spleen. Balances male/female polarities. Alleviates fear, reduces stress. Emotionally balancing. Grounds excess energy. Works with Chakras according to color of stone.

CELESTITE–Enhances thyroid functions. Reduces stress. Relaxing, peace of mind. Accelerates growth. Aids personal creative expression. Associated with the Throat Chakra.

COPPER–Influences flow of blood. Supplies strong energy to body and mind. Aids metabolism. Helps detoxify the body. An aid for exhaustion and sexual imbalance. Strong conductor of energy. Copper bracelets can be worn to help with arthritis of the hands or fingers.

EMERALD–Strengthens heart, liver, kidneys, immune system and nervous system. Aids in alignment of subtle bodies. Strong emotional balancer. Associated with Heart and Solar plexus Chakras.

JADE–Strengthens heart, kidneys, immune system. Helps cleanse blood. Increases longevity and fertility. Aids eye disorders and female problems. Dispels negativity.

OPAL–Stimulates pineal and pituitary glands. Aids eyesight. Emotional balancer. Enhances intuition. The full spectrum of colors resonates with all Chakras.

ROSE QUARTZ–Aids kidneys and circulatory system. Increases fertility. Eases sexual/emotional imbalances. Aids development for forgiveness, compassion and love. Sometimes known as “The Love Stone”. Associated with the Heart Chakra.

SELENITE [gypsum] Strengthens bones, teeth. Soothes nerves. Has positive effect on brain, aiding powers of concentration and clarity. Enhances willpower. Associated with the Crown Chakra.

SILVER–Enhances mental functions. Aids circulation. Strengthens blood. Strengthens pineal and pituitary glands. Relieves stress. Emotional balance. Excellent energy conductor.

TOPAZ– Tissue regeneration. Strengthens liver, gallbladder, spleen, digestive organs, nervous system. Detoxifies body. Warming awakening inspiring. Associated with Navel and Crow Chakras.

TURQUOISE–Tones, strengthens entire body. Aids circulation, lungs, respiratory system, tissue regeneration. Vitalizes blood, nervous system. Aligns Chakras. Associated with the Throat Chakra.

The photos that go along with it are from Marnie’s family and ancestors-cool!

Note: I did not write this and haven’t been able to track down who the author is, but for me it is very appropriate! Enjoy!

Greeting friends,

Just a note to let you know we are hoping to see you Thanksgiving Day. But…Martha Stewart will NOT be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I’m telling you in advance, so don’t act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won’t be coming, I’ve made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I’ve gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I’m sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

As accompaniment to the children’s recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don’t own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We’ve also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door.

Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress “private” meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that “passing the rolls” is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread.

Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of young diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance. Cheese Sauce stains.

Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; take it or leave it. I hope you aren’t too disappointed that Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won’t come next year either.

way from New Zealand and another came all the way from Scotland!

My fab assistant Melinda-we finally got to meet in real life!

The people there were great, the food was great, the weather was nice — all in all, I think I will go back again next year!

Dale Carnegie said, “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most do.”  Do you find yourself falling into critic mode more often than you’d like? It’s easy to do. We live in a society of critics. It sometimes seems much easier to be negative and critical of everything from the latest movie to our neighbor’s choice of hairstyle. But we can learn to resist this impulse. It’s destructive not only to our fellowmen but to us too.

Dwelling on the negative, broadcasting it outward, will lower your vibration.  After all, you can’t throw mud without getting some on your own hands. Nobody likes a critic.  Like the Yiddish proverb says, “A critic is like the girl who can’t dance so she says the band can’t play.”

You may have good intentions in general, but you’ve heard what the man said about the road to hell and its paving stones. So instead we can connect good intentions with creative action. Many people think that once they get the motivation they will get things accomplished. Actually, the reverse is true: action precedes motivation and begets more action and motivation in an endless positive circle.

When my kids come to me with a problem, after hearing and validating it, I usually ask (and by now they know it’s coming), “How would an extraordinary person deal with that situation?” or “If you were a super-genius, what would you do next?” In no time they have a solution figured out because the super-genius and extraordinary person within themselves gets to work and figures it out! Creativity is built into every one of us; we all possess creative powers. Be brave enough to live creatively. And the bonus of that is that when you spend time improving yourself you won’t have time to criticize others.

Clear your mind of clutter and negative thoughts about why something wouldn’t work for you so you can focus and act on the good things that are available to you.

Problems are often opportunities. Ask, “What can I learn from this that will make me a better, kinder, more tolerant, more flexible, more (whatever it may be) person?”

Stars are constantly shining, but we usually don’t see them until night’s darkest hours.  The same is often true of opportunities. Sometimes we don’t notice what is right in front of us until we are desperate enough to pay attention.