Perceptive Truths & Ultimate Truth

 

Audio Verson: https://youtu.be/BAs7LpJj9Ks

When I walk outside of my home today, it will be 100 degrees outside. I will dress accordingly and I will go about my day with this influence in mind. With it being the end of September, I am certain there are many people in the world who will walk outside and see something completely different. Perhaps it is changing leaves, rain, a chill in the air. Or it could be spring and new growth all around. Some people won’t notice the weather, some might not even leave their house. Some people will see crime and feel unsafe outside, others will walk out naked, arms raised to the sky. Some people are faced with not even having a home. It is safe to say that 7.8 billion people will walk out of their homes today and see something unique to their circumstance, location, obligations, and mental attitude. This is something we can all agree upon; We can all grasp the concept that we are all seeing something different from one another today, and we are all having to take action according to what we see. These are all perceptive truths. Facts that are based on what is actually happening in your human experience. These facts may contradict each other due to where you are in the world, right? Here’s where it gets messy.

If I were to tell you that my experience of walking outside in 100 degree weather was the ultimate truth for the world because it is what I am experiencing, you and I would begin to argue. Because unless you are living right next door to me, that is not your experience, it is not your truth. If you live anywhere north of me, cooler temperatures outside your front door is a fact. If you also believed your experience was the ultimate truth, you might think I was crazy for wearing shorts and flip flops. You might begin to advise me to prepare for snow soon. You simply would not understand why I am sweating so much and want air conditioning. And I would not quite understand you why you would want to wear a jacket and turn your heater on. There would be a huge discrepancy between us because neither of us would take in account what the other is seeing when they walk outside. The thing is, we would both be right. It really is 100 degrees outside where I live. It really is different outside where you live. The argument would go nowhere- so is it possible there are many more realities than we are aware of? Yes. And these realities are perceptive truths. 

Here’s another example. If someone walked out of their house this morning and their neighborhood felt safe, and they forgot to lock their car door but everything was fine- no one stole anything, they would drive off feeling pretty good about the world. They may not know that someone else would be walking out of their house feeling frightened. Because where they live people do break into cars, houses, rob and murder. If the two of them insisted that the things they saw outside of their front doors was the ultimate reality, they would begin to argue actual facts against each other and… they would both be right. Neither of them will know what is best for the other. Because they are not actually in the other person's neighborhood, it would be very difficult for them to grasp what it is they should do about each others situation. 

These are very small examples of millions of different realities and millions of perceptive truths going on within our world. When I hear people argue about fundamental issues, this is what I see: I see someone yelling outside of their front door about what they are seeing, and they are absolutely correct. Things are that way for them. I am able to see that they are experiencing a different day than I am. If we can understand and accept this as easily as we can understand different seasons and weather patterns, we would be able to listen clearly to what they are yelling about without the need to correct them or convince them otherwise. We would be able to sit back and ask ourselves, “Why do they think this way? What do they see every day that gives them that perception? What are they experiencing right now that would lead them to make these statements?” Friends, this is called compassion.

As this election draws nearer, we are all well aware that there are intentions to divide us. It is imperative that we practice the art of listening to one another. People who seem to come from another planet due to their strong opinions and arguments are actually still sharing this world with you. They have been given information that they believe to be right and it is based on what they see outside of their front door. It will be completely different from your opinions because you may live with a different perspective of truth, based on different concerns outside of your front door. This is going to be a very unpopular statement but having different perceptions from other people- even if theirs seem harmful- is actually part of this experience here on planet earth. Your peace and evolution is not going to be in arguing with them. It will be in the conscious decisions you make based on your compassion.  Afterall, you’d never be able to convince me that it will be cold tomorrow. I’m right. And so are you. I know it’s weird to think that someone with a seemingly “crazy” opinion is actually “right.” But if you were raised in their “neighborhood” you’d be seeing things very similar to them. 

How to live in a world with millions of perceptive truths.

By ceasing your argument, you allow everyone (including you)  to grow and see beyond their perceptive truths. When people feel attacked or backed into a corner, they will defend themselves in a manner that is very savage. That is because we are hardwired to survive and any form of attack will trigger survival mode. No one grows when they are feeling attacked and in survival mode. No one is capable of feeling compassion, or seeing beyond their own perceptive truths while in survival mode. And because of so many fear based perceptive truths coming from the media, more people are functioning in fear and survival mode than usual. Also, arguing breeds more attack. It actually solidifies their position even further. Think about a belief you’ve had that perhaps you would have been open to seeing other points of view around it, but when someone attacked you and you had to actually stick up for it and defend it, you began to merge with it and become pigeon holed about it. Pride set in because you didn’t want to be wrong about something you just had to defend because you were attacked. The same thing is happening to the people you are arguing with. Again, they are right and so are you according to our perceptive truths. But if you ever want them to see your point of view, you’re going to have to quit pushing them further into their corner by insisting they are wrong. 

If you’ve made it this far in my blog, you might be wondering, “Well, if there are all these truths that contradict each other, where do I find a greater truth?” Great question. And this is where I welcome you into the Mystic. At some point you’re going to recognize all of these perceptive truths that are actual facts that contradict each other and you will realize that it is because of human perception. You might begin to question your own perceptions and desire to evolve beyond them more and more. When you begin to see the difference between “perceptive truths” and an “ultimate truth,” you will stop arguing. Your ability and willingness to stop arguing is actually a sign you are embarking onto a mystical path. And that will be the beginning of a  journey inward to find ultimate truth. 

Ultimate truth will set you free and beyond things like differences in weather, experience, facts and opinions. Instead you will begin to see that we are more alike than you ever realized. People become brothers and sisters to you- you see the commonality between us. Our world becomes a home. Your understanding of this home will broaden, your awareness of Divine timing and order will increase. You understand a greater plan and trust the process of life. 

Walking the path of the Mystic gives you clarity; the ability to see chaos as a symphony of growth and evolution that you begin to respect instead of fear.

This is the only way to describe to you what I see outside of my front door. From where I currently am, you are right. I see why you think the way you think. I understand why you choose the things you choose. I can grasp why you believe the things you do. And if you ever feel a call to journey further and find an ultimate truth that will set you free from all of the above, I am here to help you go further within to find it. 

Where is The Love?

 

Audio: https://youtu.be/1nmuUN5IzMY

Last weekend I took a quick trip to Sedona, Arizona- a short two hour drive from where I currently live. I couldn’t help but to notice something very different during this visit. There seemed to be a recurring theme of heart shaped objects, symbols, and signs everywhere I went. Without looking for them, I would see a heart shaped rock, drawing, cloud, tree, even someone’s garbage was somehow formed into the shape of a heart. It quickly became a delightful game as I would search for the next heart and smile each time one was discovered. Towards the end of my trip, I found myself in a silent meditation near a smooth river at Buddha Beach just under Cathedral Rock. It was dusk, the air was gentle, the sounds of the forest were changing from busy daytime birds to evening crickets and croaking frogs. I asked my angels, “what’s with all of the hearts?” Their answer took me deep within myself into a small and sweet journey of realization. I’d like to take you on that journey in this week's blog.

“When you are open to love, you will see evidence of it everywhere you go.” My angels began. I settled myself against a tree taking in their lovely presence and readying myself to be taught. 

“You see, when you have walls around your heart, it is as though you have filters in front of your awareness. Heart walls filter out your ability to see love in all of its forms and in all of its truth. Love could be standing right in front of you, people could be speaking to you in loving ways, the Universe could be offering you heaps and heaps of love- but because your heart walls are filtering, you will not see what is really happening around you.” I took a moment to let that set in. Could it be possible that there is more love in this world than we can perceive? 

My angels continued. “Yes, that is the way most people function. And so they see the world as though they are wearing dark sunglasses, they can’t see the magnitude of light around them, even if it is being given by another person.” This made me sad. No wonder there are so many miscommunications in our world.

A question came to my mind, so I asked “What causes us to put up such thick walls around our hearts?” 

“Many reasons” they replied, “but mostly you believe it is for self preservation. When you become hurt, your first inclination is to defend yourself against more hurt. Completely justified and understandable. We angels always want you to feel safe. However, the method that you use to keep yourself protected shuts out the entire world, including love. This causes you to feel more separated, alone, unsupported, and as we have discussed, it limits your ability to see the world as it truly is. When your perception becomes so dark, it is hard to let down those walls because you think you would be letting them down while existing in a dark loveless world. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

They paused letting my mind whirl through my own experiences of feeling unsafe and unloved. I remembered back on times in my life when I felt exceptionally isolated, depressed, and like I didn’t want to be in this world anymore. I wondered, had there been love around me then?

Answering my thoughts, my angels replied, “Yes. There has always been love around you.” I could see in my intuition a vision of my past self many years ago crying on my bedroom floor, suffering with so much emotional pain and I was begging God for help. What I couldn’t see then was what I was able to see now; that I was literally being held by hundreds of angels. As if God Himself had me in the palm of His hand. There was so much light around me, but my heart was so walled up that I couldn’t see or feel it. The isolation I felt was due to too many heart walls filtering out love. 

My angels continued softly, as they knew I was feeling vulnerable with this memory. “You walled off your heart and couldn’t feel love because you perceived that love is what hurt you. But now you understand that love never hurt you. Life wasn’t working out the way you wanted it to. People let you down. Your body was letting you down. It was the lack of love that hurt you. Darling, Love has always been here to heal you.”

Blinking back moist eyes, I replied, “Yes I know this now. My journey into the mystical realms has taught me a lot about love, what it is and what it is not.” 

“Thus,” they answered, “your heart walls have dissolved. You are open to see love wherever you go. You discovered that an open heart is the only way to live- because it is the only way you will perceive this world in truth. You have learned to feel safe surrounded by Love instead of shielding yourself against it.”

“And because I am no longer protecting myself against love,” I replied, “I am able to see signs of it everywhere I go.” 

There was an air of silent understanding as I sat and continued thinking about how I have been functioning lately. A couple years ago, I realized that I wasn't really afraid to love, I was afraid of people. It took me a long time to realize that harmful relationships don’t represent what love is- they represent what love is not. My healing needed to be around relationships- not love itself. But when we are hurt, we cast love aside when we should be running back towards it. We swear off love when we should be recommitting to it. Love is the answer because the lack of love caused the problem. Love has the power to protect you while allowing you to perceive the world in it’s true form. When we are willing to exchange walls for more love, we start to trust love. Once we begin to truly understand what love is, and what it is not, we open ourselves to understanding the entire Universe. 

“You are love,” My angels gently reentered my thoughts. “Love is your nature. Love is not about someone. It is not relationship specific. You could simply be loving with everything around you, and that is how you should be with your entire existence. Love is your quality, you can touch everything and everyone lovingly because love is who you are. Love is not about anyone else. You can walk down the street lovingly, you can do your work lovingly, it is the very way you are when you have no heart walls. And when you understand this- that love is not something you attain or get from anyone else- that it truly is your nature, you will never experience a lack of love, you will never be afraid of it- no matter how you are relating to others.”

“I am the love that I see reflecting back to me from the world.” I whispered softly. As if on cue, a majestic “caw” from a nearby crow affirmed my statement. 

If you are willing and ready to dissolve your heart walls, you will begin to see evidence of love everywhere you go too. Take the symbols of love that you see in the world as an indication that you are on the right track to having less filters. Then one day you’ll see it was there all along. Love, it’s nature unconditional, never ever leaves you. Because You are Love. May you see evidence of it everywhere you go!

Dissolving

Here is a video of me reading this blog: https://youtu.be/hN0QvIvypCE

I open the door and take a gentle step outside. A warm breeze greets me at the threshold and guides me out onto my front steps. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, and making out the shadowy outlines of trees and bushes I also begin to take in the other senses. The perfume from mother earth makes its way into my nose, traveling back into my mind bringing me comfort and a slightly upturned mouth. I gaze far beyond into starlight, searching for my constellations and planets. The skin of my feet can feel the familiar pulse from the Earth below and my heart begins to calm to it’s rhythm. I sit down on the steps to listen to the nightime orchestra of crickets, bats, and other nocturnal creatures, their song like a lullaby to those who will listen. As my eyes adjust, I can make out the movements of nighttime bunnies, lizards, and other small scavengers all going about their own business. This is the world we all live in. This is the majority of how the planet opportates. A perfectly timed symbiotic relationship between all things that brings beauty and awe to the human eye. I look around to notice I am the only one here. I can see colorful lights from my neighbors TV flashing through their window. I can hear cars driving fast in the distance, racing to get to their destinations, seeing only the traffic lights and completely missing out on what the rest of their world is doing. 

As I refocus on the small patch of nature in front of me, I breathe in slowly wanting to take it all inside of myself; wanting it to take over my distracted mind, longing to fully be a part of it. Because in this moment as I am connecting to my Mother Earth, my home, my planet, my love- something becomes apparent to me. The crickets are singing, they have no idea about politics or what is happening in our government. The trees sway easily, they don’t know about viruses. The stars twinkle, they have not heard the conspiracies. It occurs to me that everything around me is healthy and thriving. The warm breeze brushes through my hair without a care in the world. Life on planet earth is doing what it has always done regardless of what the news reports. I close my eyes. I feel myself root down into the ground like the trees, stabilizing, forgetting about riots and debates. I let the song of the night fully encompass my thoughts as my worries dissolve into these sweet ancient songs- songs that lulled my ancestors to slumber. I take the moment into my breath, inhaling it as if it were my last and letting tears flow on the exhale, finally letting go what I’ve had to hold back all day. Nature does not judge these tears, no- the stars find their reflection in them making my face sparkle and glow. Like jewels sliding down my skin. The breeze softly dries, soothes, and wraps itself around my shoulders. I am embraced by all this planet has for me at that moment. This moment is simply happening because I am here and I am allowing it to. This is what Nature does, what it has always done. I am just engaging and letting myself fit in.

It is this love affair I find myself in that reminds me of the truth about my home. There is very little drama comparatively speaking. Drama that is induced only by a small percentage of the human race. For some reason we all watch this very small drama play out and in doing so we expand it, grow it, feed it, until it is inside of our minds and we become sick with it. We become sick because the drama tells us a lie. It tells us that it is the majority on the planet and that it is the only thing worth looking at. We are the only beings sick with this drama on our planet. The sickness distracts us from what is really going on. But if you walk away from it- easy enough you can just go outside wherever you are. And you really look around, and you really take it all in, you’ll see what I see every night. You’ll remember the truth, and perhaps over time you will reconnect to that truth. And then you will begin to act from that truth and the little drama full of lies will become less and less of a big deal because to you the song of the crickets will become bigger and the trees will become bigger, and the sky full of stars will become the biggest thing you see. The silence will become even bigger than that. There is more silence on this planet than there is violence. More quiet places where no drama is heard at all. There is more good in this world than there is evil. You can make a choice how much of your time the small drama is worth. This is the thing about being a human- we can choose.

My gaze returns to the sky, where the cosmos shines down filling my eyes with wonder. Every night we have an opportunity to see how very small we are in the Universe. We have a chance to see our problems in comparison to the rest of the galaxy. I take the opportunity to feel myself connect to the all encompassing sky, understanding that it would be impossible for me to take it all in, but acknowledging that I am an important part of a vast system that is operating perfectly. 

Every single star and planet, my gentle tilted planet included, are being led by a much greater force. I trust this force. I bow to it, humbly, gratefully, and happily. It is in this moment I begin to hear what the Universe whispers to all things that recognize their place within it. And I am no longer just a girl sitting on her front porch in the middle of the night. I blissfully dissolve into it all. 

Listen to the Universe. It’s always whispering messages. Everything is connected.

Minding Your Mind

 

As it happens, many people complain about memory, fuzzy brain, unwanted thoughts, and being too easily distracted. You can contribute a lot to having an unclear mind. Diet, stress, lack of rest, lack of joy, and even the inability to delegate and prioritize. I believe that the mind intrinsically prefers to be peaceful. It runs better when we are calm. Whenever we feel unsettled or hazy, it is our mind attempting to help us think or behave in a more pleasant way. I have found two things that go on inside of the mind that lead to unclarity that I would like to help you discover. The misuse of the imagination process and overthinking in the wrong direction. Perhaps you are already realizing you do these things. Let me help you understand what might be happening inside of your mind that is making you feel crazy, ungrounded, and foggy.

 

An unclear mind is often due to the misuse of the imagination and overthinking in the wrong direction.

The Misuse of Your Imagination

In my book, “What Would Angels Do?” I write in Archangel Michael’s section “Worry is the misuse of your imagination.” We have this amazing ability to conjure visions in our mind. I believe this ability was given to us so that we could envision what we want. This ability allows us to conjure up images that portray a desire. When we can see the desire in our mind, we get excited and we begin to take necessary steps towards that vision. Without our own personal vision, we can get trapped aimlessly working towards somebody else's vision for us. Rarely do we ever feel good when that happens. So our ability to envision ourselves as happy, successful, healthy, and loved is important. Many times we can work out details and understand what is really important in our imagination. The processes of using our imagination leads us into a world of unlimited possibilities. That is so we can see beyond our current circumstances and be led into boundless opportunities and situations. Our imagination is directly related to our intuition and so it is absolutely possible that the hopeful visions we see in our minds are connected to the mind of God. Very often I receive Divine directions from God through daydreams and positive images I conjure up for myself and my family. 

However, if we don’t understand the function of our imagination, or how to properly utilize it, it will go on “automatic mode.” Automatic mode causes a lot of stressful thoughts to happen and if we are on auto too long those stressful thoughts become like a mind hurricane. Much like a wild horse without a bridle, your undisciplined mind will take you places you may not want to go. Visions become worries and fears as it runs unhinged. Because we are programmed to believe in our visions so that we will reach new heights, unfortunately we also believe the darker unruly images when we are in automatic mode. That is why you can have crazy irrational fears that control you and keep you from moving forward. It is so important that we understand what is happening when fearful visions enter our mind. It is an indication that our mind is out of control and it is asking us to reign it back in. The worry that causes your brain to become foggy and slow is a sign that you need to reprocess the mind back to a positive, healthy, happy vision. We have to take it out of automatic and begin to consciously use our imagination in the way it was intended. 

Your body and emotions will tell you when your imagination is in automatic mode. Your heart rate will increase, your face will become sour, and you will start to feel scared. All of these are signs that your body and heart are telling you that your mind is running on automatic and it needs you to immediately envision something happier. Once you begin to consciously and deliberately use your imagination for the purpose it was intended, you will see it run on automatic less and less. You’ll feel like you have a better hold on where it’s going and what images you see. Once you are envisioning positivity again, you will feel your intuition kick in and feel more connected to God and Goddess. This is the best way to utilize your amazing gift of imagining! 

Your imagination is your superpower. Don’t let your imagination be hijacked by others' fear based images. When you are scrolling through a newsfeed or listening to other people being negative, fear based, and stressed out, what you are really seeing is how that person has been misusing their imagination to conjure up the worst case scenarios. A lot of people use worst case scenarios as a self preservation tactic. They think that if they can imagine the worst, they will somehow be prepared for it. And because they care about you, they try to give you their visions so that you too can be freaked out and prepare. But the truth is that 99% of the worst case scenarios we envision never come to pass. All it does is stress you out, fog up your mind, disconnect you from your own intuition, and it is a sign that the imagination has been in auto mode and is running rampant. If you can recognize this, you won’t let your imagination follow anyone down a doomsday path. If you want true Divine guidance in life, stay in charge of what images you choose to see in your mind. With your intuition intact, you will know what to do at all times.

Overthinking In The Wrong Direction

Overthinking is actually an indication that you are focusing too much in the wrong direction. Just like the mind can go into auto mode with the images it conjures up in your mind, it can also run off into a direction that is unproductive and wasteful. If you feel like your mind is on a merry go round and you can’t get off, it’s because the thoughts you are thinking aren’t getting you anywhere. The direction you are trying to take your mind is spinning you back to the place you were when you started thinking about it to try to get you back on track. Imagine your mind is a GPS system and you want to get to a certain destination. Every time you go in the wrong direction, the GPS will reroute you back to the place you got off track. So obsessive thoughts are a sign you are mentally going in the wrong direction and it is time to release those thoughts and redirect yourself to something that feels better. Remember if you feel lost, instead of wandering aimlessly through scenarios, just ask God and Goddess for help. Be still, focus on happier areas of your life, and directions will come. 

I think the easiest way to keep the mind clear is to simply stop yourself and ask- “Are these ugly thoughts or beautiful thoughts?” Beauty is the opposite of a messy mind. Purposely envisioning and thinking about something beautiful will turn your mind around so that it is heading in the right direction. I feel like this is the simplest way to help your mind recalibrate, clear, and revamp.

Right now, you can use your imagination properly and take your mind in the right direction by thinking about things that calm you down. Imagine making a beautiful meal, holding a bouquet of flowers, buying a perfect outfit, sitting in a clean, organized, lovely home, planting something, writing a meaningful poem, a piece of music, think about the sky in your favorite weather, think of someone you love or a pet, imagine the last funny joke you heard, or the last time you felt truly free. Think about your favorite book, movie, song- and imagine how they make you feel. Imagine yourself radiant, happy, peaceful, and enjoying life. What are your happiest thoughts?

You yourself are a work of art- when you notice your own inner beauty your mind will turn in the right direction. If you don’t know what to create, look in the mirror and smile. That is a beautiful creation. Appreciating how far you’ve come and imagining the fun you will have becoming even more… that is definitely taking you in a better direction and is very clearing to the mind. 

Why Mysticism Is My Greatest Ambition

 

    Years ago, I read Deepak Chopra's book “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.” It really helped me to redefine what success was for me personally. What I understood was that up until then, the picture of success I was driving towards was given to me by the same culture that told me I would never be good enough. I realized that continuing to pursue empty achievements for achievement sake was soul crushing and rarely did I find happiness in attaining other people’s expectations. I was on a merry go round of never ending setups to failures. 

    I’m talking about this current culture that has defined success by the attainment of popularity or profit. It says that you must have a typical (normal and approved by society) goal in mind and then take steps towards that goal. And as if you are walking on a never ending treadmill, once you achieve that goal you are given a new goal because your achievement wasn’t good enough “yet.” There seems to be a restless, relentless, and almost aggressive drive to reach a triumphant promised land and finally have an upper hand to life. However, rarely do we talk about what happens once you get to the “top,” and how to deal with the inevitable reality that according to the same culture that is pushing us, the top will never be good enough. Achievement alone will never satisfy the need to win, because there will always be another peak. 

    We hear the phrase “it’s lonely at the top” but you’ve probably disregarded this warning because you might have adopted an insatiable desire to see if that’s really true. As an observer of top performers and having certain “peak moments” myself, I have come to understand one thing. The reason it seems lonely at the top is because you assume you made it there all by yourself. When in fact, you didn’t. You were and are never alone. Without an awareness of who you truly are, and where you come from, you assume you did it all by yourself and therefore experience an uncomfortable emptiness that consumes you at each new level of success you attain.

    I believe the emptiness that so often follows achievement has more to do with the fact that your desire to accomplish something had nothing to do with the thing you wanted to accomplish at all. We are blinded to where this desire to succeed really comes from. I also believe that we isolate ourselves in order to feel important because we don’t understand our connection and Divinity. 

    Someone once asked me why following the call into Mysticism became my biggest ambition and here is how I replied. Because without the awareness of my Divinity, I cannot fulfill any other ambition and feel satisfied. When you are going after something you want, it is common to conclude that it is just you and the goal. Even with a support group around you, at the end of the day you think that you and you alone have to do the work, take the steps, and make it happen. But that’s not actually what's going on. When you have a desire to attain or achieve anything, you are actually answering an inner calling that is always beckoning you to expand. This inner calling is your inner Divinity- the part of you that is made perfect in the image of your Creator. We call God and Goddess the Creator because their nature is to create- constantly. Their creations didn’t just end in Genesis on the seventh day of rest, no. There is an active creative force that is constantly growing, expanding, developing, increasing, and unfolding. Because you come from this force- it is your nature to also do that. When we allow ourselves to be enticed by a new idea, we are actually living out our intrinsic nature to be like the Creator. We desire expansion. And when we move forward towards achievement with this in mind, it doesn’t seem so lonely anymore. All of the sudden you have the entire heavens and cosmos at your fingertips. Achievement is effortless and it becomes more about the great cosmic dance you get to participate in rather than winning approval, award or accolade. Success is redefined as a feeling of connection, harmony, and effortless flow. No matter what you are doing, contentment is there because you are tuned into your inner nature more so than the outer results. 

    The idea that Mysticism is not for today’s success driven culture is not true. The thought that being a Mystic is not progressive is almost bizarre when you understand your own Divinity and what is truly driving you to grow. Even in a world of technological advances that supposedly make things easier for you, it is still very pragmatic to think of your Divinity. We would see less personal suffering in the world if people were more self aware in this way. 

    While the world believes that Mysticism is lost and forgotten, I am here to remind you that it is not only alive, but it is flowing through every part of you right now. The world that chases success like a puppy trying to find it’s tail may find spirituality daunting, boring, or fake. But does the world seem happy? Is it ever truly satisfied? Or have we become more and more isolated from our true nature through the contentious pursuit of a predefined success? The reason my spiritual journey is my number one ambition in life is because I have found that true joy comes from my oneness and as long as I am delving deep into mysticism, I have the energy, foresight, and clarity to develop everything else in my life. This includes my career, relationships, health, hobbies, etc. I spend my time wrapped in the security of my Divine relationship while witnessing the world spend it’s time in self created chaos, insecurity, and disappointment. I see myself on top of the world as a RESULT of my Oneness. And that my friends, isn’t lonely at all. 

New Routines

I can’t believe how many texts I’ve received from friends who are going crazy in their homes right now. It’s only been a week of being quarantined and almost everyone I know is losing their minds. My response? “Well, this is how I already live so….” Shrug shoulders...continue sipping tea in my quiet little corner...

Apparently I’m the perfect person to help everyone out right now. Because honestly if I didn’t have to drive my son to school and back, I wouldn’t have a reason to leave my house on a daily basis. Now that his school is online, I’m enjoying not having to even do that! But it wasn’t always like this. Rewind a few years back and I would probably be alongside everyone else going stir crazy. My decision to move away from my social circle and only work from home created a huge inner rift initially. It has taken me a while to create the kind of structure that gives me every single ounce of happiness I had when I was more outgoing. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a complete hermit. I still enjoy my walks in parks, window shopping through outdoor malls, hiking in desert mountains, trips to Sedona and to San Diego. But on a daily basis I have become as comfortable as a monk in a monastery. My life is deeply peaceful and I live in an oasis of joy. I'd love to help you get to this point as well.

So, I decided to write a new blog using my experiences around creating healthy habits, routines, and fun things to do/look forward to that have worked for me. This will be an attempt to keep you from sounding like the beginning scene of Tangled (you know, when Rapunzel is obviously super crazy bored stuck in her tower and has a list of 100 things to do but she gets it all done before 8 am and therefore begins painting crazy things all over the walls… And because she lives a weird sedentary quarantined life she goes off with a strange dude who ends up giving her horrible haircut at the end of a frightful adventure… ya, I’ll try to keep you from that level of crazy.) Enjoy today’s blog.

No matter what you do for a living, whether you're working from home or continue to bravely serve humanity outside of quarantine, it's a safe bet that your everyday life has changed to some degree over the past week. Most everyone has had to move their entire lives that include offices, schools, and extra activities into their living space and this might pose to be quite a challenge. Your daily and weekly routines are out of whack, and it will require some flexibility, creativity, and a lot of deep breathing to find a new way of doing things. One thing I have learned about human behavior is that routines create a great sense of stability. Even the smallest thing done in a repetitive way can cause one to feel more safe in times of such uncertainty.

As someone who has worked from home for years, I have found that when I don’t have a solid routine, things seem to fall apart. An entire day can go by with no productivity. My personal routines are the glue that keep my physical, mental and emotional health steady. Without them I tend to busy myself but never really get anything done! Here are some things I have personally experimented with throughout my life that create a solid sense of happy stability. I think we all need right now. See if there are any suggestions you feel you could fit into your mornings, afternoons, evenings, or on a weekly basis. And please add anything in the comments that has helped you as well, I’d love to hear!

I’ve learned that a big key to helping me stay “on task” is by journaling the night before with this outline:
Tonight I will sleep by______
Tomorrow I will wake up at_____
Best thing that happened today______
What is the overall point of focus tomorrow? (I like to think about what my intentions for the next day are).
My morning ritual will include the following five things.

Then I pick five things that will help prepare me to accomplish my main point of focus. Things that will put me in the right motivated mindset.
The next thing I do is set some alarms on my phone for the next day to remind me to take a break, refocus onto the next item of business, or integrate one of the following routines below.

I know, it sounds like I run a personal little military camp for myself over here but I gotta be honest. When I don’t live this way I get irritated and depressed. I feel absolutely lost without a structure. This is literally how I get anything done, and I am positive that if you integrate any of the following things into your work and family life, you’ll feel better about being home all day too. Here are some things to try out over the next several days or weeks that we are stuck at home.

-Positive affirmations. You can repeat positive mantras first thing in the morning and/or right before you fall asleep. Positive affirmations are phrases that help you feel uplifted, optimistic, healthy, and brave. Examples: “I am safe, secure, and watched over. I choose to see love. I am enough. All is well in my world. I receive everything I need and desire. I make friends wherever I go. Life is easy, love comes to me effortlessly, abundance flows to me from all directions, I am cool, collected, calm, connected, centered, grounded, etc. I am excited for this day, I am guided throughout my day, I finish my projects with ease.”

-Make your bed. As someone who has worked from home for years, I can attest to this small ritual. If I don’t make my bed, it will literally summon me back into it leaving me feeling tired, depressed, lazy, and bored. Once you’re out of bed, stay out of it.

-Make sure to get dressed. Another trick of the trade as a stay at home worker. While I may hang out in comfy clothing like sweats, sundresses, or yoga pants, there is something psychologically healthy about putting on a fresh new outfit. And no matter what, whether anyone is going to see you or not, brush your hair! You’ll thank me later.

-Body brushing. Google it, it’s amazing and has a lot of health benefits! I do this every morning before getting dressed to wake up my entire body.

-Oil Pulling. Another thing you can google. I do this while I body brush because they take about the same amount of time. An added bonus- I listen to positive affirmations on YouTube while doing both! Talk about 10 minutes of awesomeness! I literally look forward to this little routine every morning. It’s more energizing than coffee!

-Spiritual Journaling. If you want a really good book that prompts some fun journaling, consider buying “May Cause Miracles” by Gabrielle Bernstein. It’s a 40 day guidebook sure to get your mind and heart in alignment.

-Meditation (guided or silent) All of my meditations are free right now on my website if you want guidance. I will also be releasing more of them throughout the weeks. I also highly recommend Deepak Chopra's 21 Days of Abundance free on YouTube. To create a routine, commit to meditating at the same time every day.

-Card of The Day. If you know me, you know that I love oracle and tarot cards. I have found that by drawing one a day, reading the message, and then really spending a moment pondering the card can bring a lot of happiness and clarity. I recommend The Archangel Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue or Messages From Your Angels by the same author. They always leave me with a smile.

-Baking day! I use one day a month to bake bread (you can keep extra loaves in the freezer). This is a day I set aside to get messy and bring a wholesome vibe to my home. There’s nothing like homemade bread, and there are more than plenty of recipes for gluten free, whole grain, Rye, or sourdough. If you’re not much of a bread eater, set aside a day to cook/meal prep/ or bake something else in bulk.
 
-Walk the dog at the same time every day. (Yours or your neighbors). Pups need to get out too!

-Bike Ride/walk/jog. Last year I bought my son and I beach cruisers. One of my favorite things is to ride it for about 20 mins every day while listening to either super fun upbeat music or  to a self help book on Audible. Lately I’ve been on a Wayne Dyer kick and audible has a lot of his lectures. There have been a few mornings I decide to walk instead. Either way, it’s definitely the happy “me time” with wind in my hair and smiles to neighbors that keeps me in a positive frame of mind.

-Tea Time. Take a page out of English history and enjoy a cup of GOOD tea. (I say good tea because most Americans don’t understand what a really good cup of tea is.) About 3pm every day, I enjoy a cup of real authentic tea. None of that Celestial Seasonings or Lipton stuff. I’m talking about real English tea. My favorite brand is Twinnings. I also like Bigelow and Yorkshire. If you haven’t yet experienced what a really good cup of tea is like, I have suggestions on my Instagram. Or you can message me. I’ll talk tea until it’s truly annoying. 3pm is a natural time for most people to get tired, cranky, and reach for sugar or soda. It’s a good time to stop, take a breather, regroup, and sip on a magical pick-me-up! Tea time is definitely something nice to look forward to and I figure that hey, if it works for the English, why not me?

-Rotate Checking on Friends & Family. Write a list of 10-20 people you care about. Each day, reach out to one of them and say hi, share a loving message, offer to help them with something. Rotate your list often so that you have a system for staying connected.

-Sit in sunshine. It’s important to get sunlight every single day. Create a small playlist of 5-6 songs and spend time without distractions to just soak up some healthy rays and give your mind a rest. My 10 minute hammock time is the best time to jam out to some tunes and forget about everybody and everything.

-Set meal time (example- lunch is always at 1pm for a much needed break in the middle of the day).

-Exercise the same time every day. If you can’t go to the gym due to closures, there are a ton of workout videos free on YouTube. I’ve also noticed so many instructors and trainers provide more content than ever for those of us stuck at home.

-Weekly game night (can be done via skype or zoom with extended family and friends).

-Daily dance party. Literally just pick an upbeat song and move around for the length of the song. Do this at the same time every day for something fun to look forward to.

-Watch an episode on Gaia TV. I have been a huge fan of this network, we’ve been setting aside time to watch one episode every evening. Right now we are watching Dr. Joe Dispensa talk about how to rewire the brain. We then discuss what we learned. All of their shows are very informative, thought provoking, and can easily get your mind off of things. Gaia also has amazing yoga classes, episodes on wellness, ancient mysteries, and other fun out of the box subjects. If you live alone, see if you can find a friend or create a group of people to choose episodes and have lively discussions on Zoom, Marco Polo, or Facebook.

-Join an online book club or create one yourself.

-Spa time. Yes, even (and especially) you men out there. Choose a day of the week to give yourself a facial, clean, clip, and paint nails, exfoliate skin, shave, hair treatment, sea salt bath, etc. We will all leave our quarantines looking and feeling like a million bucks! 

-Personal ceremony. I teach this extensively in my mentorships. It is basically a time where you sit in your communion with your angels and Creator. I use this time to receive personal guidance and to feel safe, protected, and provided for. My personal ceremony is everything to me. Set aside some time each week to light a candle, pray, and feel your oneness.

-God Box. Write down things that worry you and stress you out. Put all of your fear down on paper and then put the paper in a special box called a God Box. By doing so, you give it all over to God leaving you feeling lighter. To me, this is a small act of faith that God has your back. When we give Him our fears, He is able to work miracles in our lives.

-Designated time away from your phone. This is a really important time(s) of day. We all need time away from our phones- no matter how important your work might be, your mental health is more important. Whether you give yourself time in the morning, night, or several designated breaks throughout the day, this is an important part of your routine.

-House work. This might seem obvious, but if you have certain house work that you designate throughout the day/week, you won’t worry about it as much. For instance, if Saturday is laundry day, you won’t stress about your laundry piling up because you know it will be done on Saturday. If you do the dishes at the same time every day, you won’t grow irritated as the sink fills up with dirty dishes. If you live with others, creating a routine that includes their contribution adds stability to the entire household.

-Creative Project & Learning Something New. A long term project or training will give you a sense of accomplishment and growth. If you have something ongoing that you can return to on a regular basis like a painting, puzzles, growing indoor/outdoor garden/plants/herbs, coloring, home improvements and decorating, writing a book/short stories/poetry/music, knitting, video project, starting up a new side business, jewelry making, learning how to play an instrument, online dance class, speak a new language, taking my spiritual mentorship (shameless plug), taking any kind of online training, or learning more about a subject you’ve been interested in. The point is to get involved in something that will be an ongoing journey for you to participate in on a regular basis. A personal example, lately I committed to learning more about the Tao Te Ching. Every night I read a verse and compare it to Dr. Wayne Dyers interpretation. I meditate and journal what I understand about the verse. It has given me something to look forward to as well as help me feel expanded in my own spiritual awareness. If there is anything you want to learn more about, spending a small time every night doing research on it will lead you to more education and knowledge. Who knows, you might just become an expert on something by the time this whole quarantine is over.

-Increase Your Skill Set. This follows the previous suggestion. Now is a good time to pull out the old training manuals and educational materials, to review things you need to remember about the career you are in. Or you can invest in new updated ways on how to do your job more effectively. If you spend just 10 minutes a day increasing your skill set you will eventually make yourself more valuable in the workplace. By the time we are done with this quarantine, you might be able to ask your boss for a raise!

-Health Supplements. I am a firm believer in taking whole food vitamins, minerals, nutrients, healthy oils and fats, herbs, and homeopathics. Especially now, we need to be feeding our immune system. I’m a big fan of DoTerra’s health supplements and take them every day along with extra Vitamin C and digestive enzymes. I am also diffusing oils throughout my house to keep the air free of germs. I find that by using plant based supplements, not only do I have more energy and increased health but as a routine I look forward to giving my body everything it needs every day.

-Nighttime Ritual. Studies show that when you do the same 4-5 things every single night, over time your body will begin to rest and sleep better. For instance, an hour before bed you can choose to turn off your phone. Brew a cup of calming tea. Wash face, brush teeth, bathroom stuff. Stretch/yoga. Read a chapter of a book. Journal. Pray and meditate. After a while your body will begin to understand that the next step is sleep. This is a more ideal way to set the tone for deep rest and sleep than rushing through the evening, scrolling through fear based media, and then trying to close your eyes without taking measures to relax and let go of the day.

These are just examples of things you can implement if you feel it would bring your life more stability, happiness, and security. The most important thing to remember here is to be flexible. Creating routines that work takes time and experimentation. I constantly change mine depending on what I am going through and what I need. Sometimes I’m super strict and unyielding, other times my routine is more like a suggestion in case I start to feel lost. It’s important not to judge yourself if you “mess up” and have a day when everything falls apart. That’s life. Think of your routines as insurance. They are there when you feel like your life is out of control. Right now many people are feeling helpless as changes and catastrophes surround them. As you add healthy things to your routines, you inspire others to do the same. Together we can create happy and stable lives even from within the chaos around us. Try a series of things for a week and see how you feel, see what sticks. Once you find the things that help you feel successful, stick with them until you feel like you need to change it up again. Wishing you the best as you situate yourself into a brand new at home groove!

A Time For Peace, Lessons, & Healing

Uncertainty. 
It's an uneasy feeling. It is a challenge to feel peace while the world around us seems to be burning, coughing, fighting, and hoarding. Everywhere we look there is speculation without proper facts and several levels of panic depending on the day. Many people are scared wondering what the next catastrophe will be and whether or not they will be a part of it. No one likes uncertainty, the very word sparks fear. Everyone deals with it in different ways and that is what we are witnessing right now- all of the many different ways people choose to deal with uncertainty. 

Certainty.
In the midst of all of the uncertainty, there are some certainties you can count on. In your own life, right now what do you know to be certain? It is important to focus on the things that are stable, even the little things. For instance, I know for certain there will be coffee in my coffee maker tomorrow morning. I know that at 8pm tonight, my dog will tell me it’s time for our evening walk. I am certain that my evening meditation will leave me in a calm mental place. I am certain that we are being watched over by angels and deceased loved ones. I am certain that the more I stay away from fearful media, the better I feel. I am even certain that things will turn out better than we expect. I hope you become more certain of that as you continue to read this letter.

Lessons.
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed while being an observer of life, it is that fearful things are rarely what they seem to be. There is always something more- deeper underneath the surface issue.  For instance, a couple might think they are arguing about money, but the real underlying issue might be about unhealed wounds around trust or feeling unsupported. Until the couple deals with the underlying issues, they will continue to fight about money because money isn’t what needs to be healed- the wounds that are being triggered because of the money are the things that need to be addressed. It seems like the more we focus on the underlying issues, the easier things get. But when we fail to look deeper, only focusing on the surface, the challenges remain. 

I learned about a cycle of healing and it goes like this. When we focus on healing the underlying wounds, we get an opportunity to learn something valuable. Once valuable lessons are learned, the surface challenges fade away. 
Recap: Surface Issue leads us to the underlying wound. Healing the underlying wound= a lesson. Lesson learned= no more surface issue. 
Here’s the catch, the more we focus on the surface issue, the louder the underlying wound becomes. It’s almost like the wound itself jumps up and down yelling, “Hey- stop arguing about the money! I’m here, it’s really about me, and I just need to be healed!”

A current example of a surface issue with an underlying wound is seeing all of the bare shelves at the grocery stores. We know that our entire country is nowhere near having food or supply shortage. Delivery trucks continue to bring in an abundance of everything we could ever need. But we see the bare shelves and begin to panic. Have you ever stopped to wonder, where is this panic coming from? Again, it’s not from the lack of stuff, logically we know that our country has so much! The panic comes from a deeper lack mentality that is being triggered by seeing bare shelves. Triggers are sneaky, never logical, and people tend to react in illogical ways when their deepest fears are being exposed. It is interesting to see that in a country full of so much, we have an undercurrent of lack mentality that has risen to the forefront for everyone to see. This lack mentality affects us all in different and personal ways depending on past experiences and our current perceptions. So in reality, we aren’t really seeing greed and hoarding, we are seeing deep fear based wounds within our society that are loudly asking to be healed. When you stand back and look at everything that is going on, you will witness a lot of lessons in the process of being learned. 

We are all talking about a virus and social separation as a global quarantine. These things are the surface issues. As long as we focus on them, they will remain. I urge you to look deeper. There are many personal underlying issues that will certainly begin to rise to your attention during this time. Because this is a time of healing. And what needs to heal will arise. Everywhere you look you can see what issues people are dealing with. The fears and pandemonium that we see are symptoms of people’s underlying wounds that are rising up to be healed. To the degree people are in a panic, is the degree of healing they require in order to be peaceful again.

Some people are healing their relationship to money, to greed and their lack mentality. And those who judge them for either hoarding or ignoring are healing their issues around judgment and tolerance. Some people are healing things at home- the things they want to stay away from but now cannot. Some people are facing their marriages, their kids, or lack thereof, and the things they use in their busy lives to avoid. Some people are healing their dependencies and addictions. Some are healing their general perceptions of security and the ability to survive. Some people are facing the hard fact that they hate what they do for a living. Some people are healing the cause of their restlessness, anxieties, and depression. Some people are healing their relationship to their creativity, passions, and inner talents. Some people are healing their bodies, their diet and personal care issues. Much needed time away, rest, and recovery is happening. Conversations that have needed to happen are about to happen. Decisions that have needed to be made are about to be made. Healing that has long awaited….Well, I believe that healing is happening. 

It’s almost as if we have hit the global restart button. There’s much more going on than what meets the eye.

Compassion.
If what I have written is true, if every single one of us is facing a wound that needs healing, then it is safe to say that compassion is the one lesson we all have in common. True compassion does not decipher who is worthy of it. True compassion simply just is. So to all the jerks, the rude people, to the people you’ve judged- now you know they are having their wounds rise to the surface and their actions are evidence of it. They are in the process of learning. In order to be peaceful during this time, I would guide you to explore your ability to have compassion for everyone. For me personally, this has been the one solid pathway to feeling stability through all of this. Judgment and resentment are unstable feelings. They lead me into more uncertainty. It’s so much easier to just have compassion and free myself from having negative reactions to people's fears and wounds.

Love Over Fear.
So this is what it looks like to have more people in fear than in faith. This is what a fearful society looks like. Paranoia, panic, fake news, false reports, and extreme unkindness. People are having their wounds triggered all over the place. They are afraid. And I don’t blame them. If I didn’t know I had a choice, I would be afraid too. But there is always a choice. At every moment we have the freedom to choose how we are going to look at things. 

“I choose to see love instead of this.” 

If we can remember that this is a time of healing, and that the surface things we see are an indication of an undercurrent of many wounds, we can bypass the surface fear and ground ourselves into faith that all things are happening for the purpose of healing- not suffering. Yes I understand there is suffering, and as an empath it has been hard to stay centered in so much of it. But it is my life’s purpose to do so. And it is your purpose to do so too. This morning before I began to write this letter, I woke up to these words echoing in my consciousness, “...and above all else, stay centered- this is your purpose now.” 

Balance.
I believe that by shifting our focus from the surface issues to the willingness to go within, we will find peace in finding what it is that these times are trying to teach us. What is your big lesson through all of this? What personal issues are rising up to be healed? If you pull away from the distracting chaos and go within, you will find your balance. You will realize that there was a deeper wound asking to be heard, understood, forgiven, and loved. This whole virus and social separation thing could be a game changer for you. It could very well be the conduit to the change you never even knew you needed to make. When this is all over, and we all open our doors and go back into the world, we could very well be better versions of ourselves. Our lives could be straightened out in ways it couldn’t have had life continued the way it was. This could be your time of miracles. 

How Can I Serve?
If there are two things I would guide you in looking at right now they are 1. The lesson you are needing to learn and 2. The thing you are needing to provide. I ask myself daily- what can I heal within myself and how can I serve others? If this is your focus, the drama and fear of these times will slip away. Every time you ask “How can I serve” you are immediately connecting yourself to the Source of Love and Guidance. Your connection to that Source is your life preserver- don’t ever forget it. Don’t be afraid of what the answer might be. You’ll never be asked to do something beyond your capacity. Most of the time the answer comes in the moment like helping someone with their packages, smiling at your neighbor, deeply thanking your delivery person, calling someone just to say you love them, or offering to babysit for overwhelmed parents. When you see the news, ask yourself those two questions: “What can I learn about myself & how can I serve?”  I promise it will give you a much different experience- a deeper experience, one beyond the surface and one that will provide you a way out of the madness.

In asking myself how I can serve, I was prompted to record two short and sweet calming meditations. I originally did it for children because I felt called to help ease their anxieties. Their lives are drastically changed as they can no longer attend their schools, see their friends, or check on their teachers. Children are very sensitive to the level of stress coming from their parents and society in general and so the meditations are more for their tender minds. However, I do feel that we can all use some sweet and gentle love as we begin to embark upon weeks of solitude. More meditations and videos will be released throughout the coming weeks and if you are a member of my Patreon, we will be doing a special New Moon meditation on the 24th.

Sunshine Meditation CLICK HERE
Healing Visual CLICK HERE

Use this time wisely my friends. Use it to observe, exercise compassion for yourself and others, to heal, and to grow. Choose love over fear. Choose faith over chaos. This too shall pass, like clouds covering sunshine. We have to remember that just because we cannot see the sun, the light is still there. 

That is one more thing you can be certain of. 

Sending you all so much love, light, and everything right,

Crystal Doty