A Funny Way to Spend Valentine’s Day

Here I am alone. 

In a hotel room three thousand miles away from home. 

Having the spaciousness of a day with no plans. 

Valentine’s Day.  A day for me and whatever inspires me.

Outside is one of the dreariest days I have seen.  Wet, cloudy, barely 60°.  I can see the heated pool and hot tub from my window.  Steam is lifting off the surface of the pool indicating the water is warmer than the air.  Not too tempting.

It makes my laptop and a blank page more enticing.  Time to settle into the silence and see what inspiration arises. 

My angels remind me of their message in the shower this morning.  I have learned to pay attention to messages I receive when showering.  That was where my angels gave me the title to my book, The Art of Listening to Angels.  It was a message I could not ignore and by acting on it, I have a book in print and available to the world on Amazon. 

They tell me that they chose that title mostly to remind me to listen to them.  I ignore them often.  I forget to ask for their help most of the time.  That is why they have me teach classes on the book.  We often teach what we most need to learn.

My angel team’s message this morning is a bit more disconcerting.  I am here in LA to take some next steps in my work to teach spiritual seekers and lightworkers how to develop and enhance their connection with angels.

In preparation for this event, I was pondering how I would describe myself to other participants.  Author, yes.  Reiki master teacher, yes.  “Messenger for the angels”??   That is what popped in.  I knew it was from my angels.  What am I to do now?

I want to ignore them.  The description feels too pretentious. However, I realize there is some truth to the statement.   I did include messages from angels in my book.  I do share messages from them in healing sessions and classes.  I know they want me to spread the word that they are available and accessible to everyone and want to help us.

Claiming myself as a messenger for the angels still sets off alarm bells in my head.  Will I seem like a fraud?  Can I live up to it?  What if someone expects me to receive a message for them, and I get nothing?

These are questions I struggle with as I stretch into my soul’s purpose, my calling, what feels like my reason for being.

Do these questions sound familiar to you when you stretch into your life’s purpose?

This is exactly the kind of angst that angels say they want to help us with.  They know that life on earth is hard, particularly when we start following a spiritual path and begin to work on ourselves, no longer believing the lies of our past and the deceptions of our fears.

Angels want to help us. 

How do we access their help?  The steps are easy to describe:  Act.  Open our hearts to them.  Listen.  Thank them.  Act on their guidance.

Ay, there’s the rub.  Act on their guidance.

It can feel scary.  It can feel huge.  We can feel unworthy or unready.  I am feeling all of that right now.

Yet, I know my angels have never guided me wrong.  The only wrong steps I have taken have been when I put my hands over my ears and refused to listen.  Even the wrong steps, with angelic help, have turned into launch pads into a new direction.

Today, I choose to follow their guidance.  I accept the role, with true humility – that place between pridefulness and unworthiness - that place where we best share our unique gifts.

What they want you to know today is that they love you.  Even when you go off track and ignore them.  Even if you don’t believe they have your back.  They love you, and they will help you love yourself enough to share your gifts. 

So, happy Valentine’s Day.  Allow yourself to open to the love and wisdom of the angels.  They will guide you on your path so that you can bring more love and light into this world.  What a gift.

And if you want to learn more about how to connect to your angel team and develop your relationship with them, check out my book, The Art of Listening to Angels.

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Priorities, Planning and Balance in Life

This month my Dad turns 100 years young. And I say “young” because he has reached this age looking and acting like he is in his 70’s.  The photo of him above this post was taken last year at his 99th birthday celebration. This year, I am busily planning with my family and his friends the details of a huge party in his honor for his 100th. The excitement is growing because he is such an inspiration to everyone who knows him.

At the same time, I am taking steps, sometimes leaps of faith, to grow my work as a spiritual healer, teacher, and author and reach more people.  Growth requires planning of a different sort – also stretching into foreign territory and learning skills to navigate these unknown places.  Yet I know this soul purpose work is a priority for me.

Then there are my adult children and my three young grandchildren.  Spending time with them amidst their busy schedules and mine takes planning, too.  And yet, this is precious time and without the planning, time could just speed by without the opportunity to share the hugs, kisses, and stories that connect us.

This week Dad and I visited my son to help take care of his 18 month old daughter while her mother was away on a work trip.  This meant that I was gifted some quality time with Dad, my son, and my granddaughter.  Although I had to put some work tasks on hold, it gave me time to appreciate some balance in my life and evaluate my priorities.

I allowed myself to just relax and enjoy my granddaughter, playing in the playground, reading books, letting her turn pages herself and seeing her light up as she recognized some images and could describe them in her toddler speak – “Hot, Hot” as she points to a fire in a fireplace.  “Woosh, woosh” when she sees a fish in a lake.

When my kids were little, I found it hard to just sit on the floor and play with them.  I had dishes to clean and food to cook.  I worked hard each day to provide for them and then at night to take care of them.  Even now, I find it hard to find time to play.  And play is important for balance in our life.  Work has its place, but play and fun do, too.

As I watched my granddaughter try to balance herself on the logs on the perimeter of the playground, I thought – isn’t that what is important for all of us to do?  To balance  all of our priorities – work, family, vocation, and play.  We can answer our calling and yet take time to enjoy our life, connect  and grow the love that is family.  I may lose my balance at times, just like my granddaughter did at the playground.  When I do, I intend to follow her lead, pick myself up with a smile and find that balance point again.

Independence Day – Breaking Out of My Box

So much of my life I have lived inside of a self-imposed box. I was a lawyer so how could I talk about angels? I was a single mother of three, so how could I leave a secure job and become an author and entrepreneur? I was a daughter and sister, so how could I show myself in a way that might embarrass?

For years I allowed my fears and worries to limit expression of self. I might talk about the importance of being authentic, but I was not showing my “true colors” Not until I unmasked myself through publishing my book The Art of Listening to Angels did I begin living my life exposed as I have known myself internally to be.

It is so much more fun doing life this way. I realize that I was so confined in my old way I was blocking my light from going out. I was also blocking light in from others who could not see the real me.

What about you? Are you living a life with self imposed limitations blocking others from seeing your light? Are your fears filtering what others can see of you? Are you hiding behind some false ideas of safety?

If so, time to drop the walls of your box, and step out into the world and be seen. As you.