Contrasts and the big picture

The last months have brought more challenges and difficulties to my life than in the many years before. 

I separated from my husband of nearly 14 years early last spring and moved out and onto a boat this fall.  Boatlife is awesome in so many ways but also very challenging in others, especially living on a 1969 wooden yacht in the winter.  

I still own my farm in the country and we’ve been through two rounds of major flooding now. 

Watching your life float away as your property is under a foot or more of water is a surreal experience.  Digging out the mountains of mud after the first round of flooding only to have even heavier flooding the following week was in some ways highly charged emotionally, but at the same time, knowing that there is nothing I can do about it at the moment makes it easier to let go of the anxiety and grief that I experienced the first time, standing in my garage up to my ankles in water and mud as my stored possessions and tokens of my children’s life floated around me.

One of my “most important people” passed away last summer.  My aunt Sandra was one of the three women in my life who showed me unconditional love growing up.  She took me in when I was a teenager headed in the wrong direction and gave me a new start, likely altering the entire course of my life for the better.  Her death was earth-shattering for a few weeks.  

I also had an ending to one of my dearest friendships of many years, which is so, so hard as I still hold much love her, but I know that the toxic elements that have been in the relationship for many years are always going to be there, and I have to release those things and relationships that cause ongoing strife and pain in order to move into the place that I know I want to be.  

My daughter has just gotten married and is moving to Okinawa, Japan in January.  I am beyond excited for her (and a little jealous, lol) but it is difficult knowing she will be so far away.  She has been living in Tempe for the last year and a half and it’s pretty easy for me to jump on a plane or plan a road trip to go see her, or fly her up for a family visit.  Not as much when it is a 20-plus hour flight.  

I often get messages from friends and loved ones like “I am so sorry for what you are going through” or “Are you ok?  You must really be struggling right now”.  But the truth is, I am happy the vast majority of the time.  I have an amazing life – and really am not struggling.  For the most part. 

I have times when I have to deal with the literal and metaphoric mud that is in my life.  I’ve got a few dumpster fires for sure.  But here’s how I process the “Contrasts” that we all experience in life and manage to remain happy and grounded 85-90% of the time:

I fully acknowledge and really allow myself to feel the shiznit when it happens.  I yell a little, or cry alot.  In the moment.  I take an honest look at what is happening and what my emotional experience is.   And then I step back and ask myself two questions:  Is this a problem I can solve right now?  And – Is it going to serve me to hold these negative emotions?  

Sometimes, very occasionally, using a so-called negative emotion such as anger to be a catalyst to get off our ass and make some positive change or to drop the toxic elements of our life that are causing the anger can be a good thing.  But more often than not, we allow our negative emotions to hold us as captive as those situations or people that are at the root of our emotional state do.  

So for me, I usually make the decision to let that sh#t go.  

If there is a problem I can solve, I look at the steps to fix it.  One of the biggest challenges to living on an old boat in winter is power usage.  I can’t cook and have my heat on at the same time.  I can’t have my hot water heater on and anything else besides the lights going.  It is an exercise in frustration and I am constantly tripping the circuit breakers.  I’ve had a few times when everything has gone out and it takes some time to trace the problem to its source.  But by addressing each element of the problem in turn, I can usually get things going again.  

With my currently flooding property, there is absolutely nothing I can do to fix the situation.  At the moment.  So I say “fuck it” and set aside the emotional aspects of that problem until I can begin taking steps to dig everything out of the mud again.  

Self-care is absolutely crucial in maintaining a healthy sense of balance and happiness, even in the middle of the shiznit.  Taking time to get some healthy exercise, eat well, spend time with friends and family, take some long, hot baths or whatever mode of self-care feels best for you can make a huge difference in holding onto your happy state.

Right now, I am overlooking a spectacular view of the Pacific ocean and Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, Oregon.  I have good coffee beside me as I write, and a fabulous, oversized bathtub in the room to soak away all of the residual stress of life.  I’ve been walking the beach, wandering quaint shops and of course, hitting the bookstores.  

Tomorrow I head back to reality but taking some time – whether it’s just a few hours or a few days –  to step away from it all keeps the bigger picture in perspective.  

Ultimately, the contrasts are there to remind us of the good.  When we are in the middle of life’s challenges – especially the big ones – it can be hard to see the big picture.  We get stuck in that tiny bit of black paint that seems our only reality.  But with practice, we can learn to step back and “see” the portrait of our life, recognizing that that bit of black paint is just one small spot of darkness in an otherwise bright and beautiful composition. 

 More importantly, that black “paint” is vital in bringing forward those lights and brights.  It may suck for a bit while you are in it, but beautiful, when you see the whole picture, you will be astounded by the brilliance and beauty of your life.  Truly.  

What are some of the contrasts that you have been experiencing lately – and how do you keep your happy space forward in your mind and heart amidst the challenges life may bring?  

If you are going through some of your own dark spots right now, I hope you know that you are not alone.  I am here with you, and you’ve so got this – but if you need a little extra love and support, I’ve got you back.  You are amazing.  You are worthy.  You are capable, and so very loved.  

Always;

  • Terah

The Power of Gratitude

Charlie Brown, in the comic strip Peanuts, expressed it perfectly – What if today, we were just grateful for everything?  

Better yet, what if every day, we were grateful for everything?  What if we were grateful for every single experience life has or is bringing to us?  

This may seem like a strange way to think.  Why would we be grateful for all of the negative or even awful things that we experience in this life?  

It can be so easy to regret and lament past decisions and the “negative” experiences life has brought to us.  But this can keep us in a negative loop – holding “victim mentality”, and inhibiting our abilities as creators.

So what if instead we learned to be grateful for it all?  What if we viewed all of the negative experiences of our past as opportunities for growth – to gain wisdom, to learn greater compassion, to experience the contrast of those things that don’t work for us to better know those things that do?

What if we considered the possibility that we came to this life as spirit, ready to be born into flesh to learn those lessons and to fully experience every single aspect of life from the sunsets to the sh#t on our shoe? 

You may be reading this and rolling your eyes, thinking that I am being a wide-eyed idealist rather than a realist.  What could possibly be the motivation to be thankful for the sh#t on our shoe or any other “crappy” experience life throws our way? (pun intended )

Would you reconsider if I told you being grateful not only increases life quality, overall happiness, physical and emotional health but also builds a better brain and significantly fatter wallet?

I thought that might catch your attention.  Read on…

Dr. Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology and creator of the wildly popular “Happiness Lab”  at Yale University, teaches that gratitude is one of the key factors of happiness – and science is backing up this previously “woo woo” theory.  In her course “Psychology and The Good Life” (most popular course at Yale in 300 years) she teaches much of that science. 

For example, it has been shown in research that when we feel grateful, our brain produces greater concentrations of dopamine; a feel-good neurotransmitter.  That dopamine increases when we express that gratitude through writing, speech, or compassionate action. 

Gratitude also increases creativity and performance – professor SONJA LYUBOMIRSKY,,  author of The How of Happiness, conducted an 8-month study of happiness at Harvard University.  The results of this study showed that when a daily gratitude and affirmation practice was used, people were 19% more productive, analytic problem solving increased by 29%, and here’s the really cool one – revenue was increased by 36%. { Sheldon & Lyubomirsky, 2004, 2006a, 2007

Crazy, right?

So what if we woke each day feeling happy, energized and ready to set intentions for an amazing day?  And on those days that weren’t quite as amazing, what if we were grateful for the contrast – and even more so the ability to wake tomorrow and try again? 

 What if we made the conscious decision to begin to overlay those old subconscious programs of lack and negativity with something better?

What if we started a gratitude practice each and every day, in which we spent just a few minutes writing or really feeling into the space of gratefulness? 

What if we wrote letters to our loved ones expressing all the things we appreciate about them?  

What if we wrote a letter to ourselves expressing all the amazing things we loved and appreciated about us?  Can you think of five things off the top of your head that you love and appreciate about yourself? 🤔

I’ve had a morning gratitude/affirmation journaling/meditation practice for several years now and I can tell you that not only do I feel better and more joyful – even in the times of intense stress – but my day flows better and I am able to create and manifest just about anything I can put my mind to.  

Some days I like to “supercharge” this practice with a “handsa” – I write my daily affirmation on my palm to come back to throughout the day.  Today’s handsa is “As my heart fully opens, my mind expands and that space is effortlessly filled with wisdom, freedom, joy, and abundance.”  But there are days where I keep it super simple, too – “Big Juicy Life”, “I Create” “I am love” or “I hold myself in the space of”: (gratitude, joy, contentment, prosperity,etc.)  

How can you make space each day for gratitude?  What would a daily practice look like to you if you knew being in a place of optimism and gratefulness would absolutely improve the quality of your life?  

I can’t wait to see what you come up with.   

Much love, beautiful. 💫💞✨

  • Terah💖

Say Yes

This can be so hard, can’t it?

To be totally involved in anything, let alone everything can be a struggle. We tend to base our present and future actions upon our past experiences, and unfortunately, our past experiences are often linked to pain.

We have all experienced loss in love/family/friendship relationships, jobs or business opportunities, health, pets, or any number of circumstances that have set our neurological programming to “stay away”.  

Those programs are there to protect us, right?  If we burn our hand on an open flame or hot stove, next time we will exercise caution – so of course our brain tells us that it should be no different with other experiences in life.  

We get jilted or broken by a relationship or  lover – or two – and we become reluctant to love fully.  Or at all.  

Someone we think is a friend rejects us and we begin to assume this is going to be the case with all friendships.  So we shut down – but loneliness is a poor substitute for the joy we often find in good company and community, my love.  

We close shop on our dream business or get fired/laid off from a job we enjoy through no fault of our own – and we start thinking “maybe it’s me”.  Or we begin to wonder if we are truly worthy of achieving our dreams or having the financial abundance that we desire. 

We fail with that first art piece, poetry, novel, or gourmet meal, and instead of giving it a second, third, fourth or even fifth go, decide that it’s “just not for us”.  Can you relate? 👀

We acclimate to allow our past pain to dictate our future experience. Our world gets smaller as we start to try to control every aspect of our lives in an attempt to keep us from more pain – it would seem that those same neurological programs that are created and there to keep us from physical harm (to ensure our best chance for survival) also control our emotional well being.

But if those same programs also keep us from living fully and joyfully, it might be time to overlay some new programs and ways of being.  

If you aren’t feeling like you are living the full, rich, juicy life you were created for, it might be time to give up the self-limiting illusion of control, stop saying “maybe tomorrow” and start saying “yes”.

Or better still, say “ Hellllll Yeah” to those opportunities that come your way.

Say hell yeah and jump eyes, heart and arms wide open off that ledge – and into the waiting arms of Source and All That Is. Sadhguru called it “Life”, but this is just another word for Source. When we give up control and take that leap, have faith that Source has your back.

So say yes to that new love. Yes to that bakery, bookstore, crystal shop or any other business you have been dreaming of. Yes to the dream job you have been offered. Yes to the travel, yes to the poetry, yes to the art, yes to the big jammy wines or the light-on-your palette wines. Say yes the birdwatching, whale watching, boy or girl watching – whatever does it for you. Say yes to new babies and puppies, to big hugs and long embraces, yes to conversations with strangers, to new coffee shops, pick-up games of beach volleyball, bowling or tree climbing (even if you think you might suck)

Say yes to new adventures. Or misadventures 😉, as long as it’s fun.

Say yes to that sexy new neighbor with the fabulous French accent. Or Spanish, Romanian, or no accent at all. But say yes, babe. In fact, just say yes to anything that points you in the general direction of bliss, of a feeling of ease within yourself and the fullest expansion of who you are. It just might be the best thing you ever did.

Is it possible that if you dive right in you might get hurt again? Of course. But we heal, and every single experience teaches us something about ourselves, our world and others, right? So it’s never wasted.

And I can guarantee from personal experience, once you do jump off that cliff and into the waiting arms of Source, you will never, ever want to go back to that place of lack, of allowing the past to dictate the future.

It’s a brave new world, my love.  If you are receiving this message, know that this is your time to take that leap into the unknown – and into the waiting arms of Source, of Love, of bliss, of expansion and authenticity.   

I can’t wait to see all that the future holds for you. I know it’s going to be absolutely magical.✨Much love, beautiful.

  • Terah

Mud to mountains 2 – Fake it until you make it!

Hello gorgeous;

We’ve all heard the adage “Fake it until you make it”.  

This advice can help us to get to the place that we want to be – or cause an emotional trainwreck if we aren’t being honest about where we currently are at the same time.  

Does this sound like a bit of a contradiction? 🤔

In simple terms, we are creatures of habit.  Our brains are vast fields of neurological pathways, and these pathways are the tracks for our physiological, emotional and psychological patterns, conscious and subconscious.  

The route we take to go to work each day is a pathway.  The apple oatmeal and black coffee that we enjoy for breakfast each morning.  The way we respond to our partner, parents or friends when we are joyful and excited – or feeling criticized and devalued.  Our habits of industriousness or sloth.  Our temperament, routines and rituals, tendency to isolate or our extroverted qualities, the way we value others – or ourselves.  

All of these and every other thing we do and think are pathways through the dense field that is our mind and brain matter.  

This is good news because it means when it comes to pulling ourselves out of the mud to begin the trek to the top of the mountain – that place of expansive views, joy, connection and the deliberate creation of our best possible life – it is, more than anything, just an action that we continue practicing until it becomes a habit.  

In the same way that we learn and improve when we practice the piano, painting, a new profession or study habit, picking ourselves up out of the mud to move on to something better after a period of grief, depression, anger or inertia is essentially the same mental action as picking up that paintbrush, textbook or laptop to prune old programs and replace them with new habits and neurological subroutines.  

It might feel uncomfortable, difficult or challenging to begin, but once we practice envisioning a new reality for ourselves – or maybe a new identity would be more appropriate – and we begin to act upon what it is that we wish to see and become, eventually, that vision becomes our new way of being – our new reality.

Imagine • Practice • Do • Become

So what is it, ultimately, that you would like your life to look like in six months?  A year?  Three years?  Five years?  

How would you like to see your personal reality unfold? What would your close relationships look like?

Where would you like to live?  Do you see yourself in a villa by the ocean, living in an urban setting – or maybe a tiny cabin in the woods?

What would you see yourself doing for a living – what do you think or feel that your purpose is?  

What would your income be?

What would you imagine your daily habits being?  Do you go to the gym or run each morning, do you meditate, or sleep in until 10?

How will you change your life?  Whatever you can envision, you can achieve.✨😎

Let me give you an example from a friend/client of mine:

“Rebecca” grew up in a dysfunctional home.  She was taught that her value was in what she did rather than who she was and it was best if she was “seen and not heard”.  

So of course, Rebecca grew up to behave in ways that reflected this value system.  

She neglected her own well being.  She put all of her energy into caring for others.  She withdrew when there was conflict or when she was emotionally uncomfortable.  

She topically believed she had successful relationships, all the while avoiding real intimacy.  

Eventually Rebecca found herself depressed.  She assumed it was just the “pressures of life” and took antidepressants – but while it seemed like she wasn’t really depressed and unable to function anymore, she still didn’t feel emotionally connected to her life. 😓

In fact, she didn’t feel very emotionally connected to anything other than a growing sense of desperation and anger, emotions that she desperately tried to suppress.  

Can you relate to Rebecca’s story so far?  

Eventually, Rebecca began to see a counselor 🥰 who helped her look at childhood patterns that were causing huge blocks in her ability to experience joy, to value herself, to adapt and evolve – and how those patterns were reflected in her current relationships. 

She spent some time grieving for the many years she had neglected to care for the physical and emotional needs and wellness of herself and her inner child as a result of those patterns.  

She learned to reset her vibrational field to allow good to come to her rather than repelling her wishes and dreams due to her subset programs of scarcity and lack of value.

She discovered that she had to learn to self-care and nurture her personal growth, set healthy boundaries with others, and began to prune some of the toxic people who couldn’t accept her boundaries, growth and the radical responsibility for the shaping of her personal reality.  This was a process that was deeply painful but also deeply cathartic.  

Fast forward three years.  Rebecca is living the life that she hadn’t realized she was missing.  She has a truly successful relationship with a partner who enjoys healthy dialogue and honest communication.  This honesty also means intimacy and she understands what real vulnerability and intimacy means.  

She has taken up several hobbies that had interested her in childhood and although she reports that it is sometimes frustrating to not be “better” than she is, she loves the process of learning and slowly gaining skill.  

She had quit her corporate job a couple of years back,  and now works largely from home contracting her skills to large companies.  She loves the freedom this gives her.

She also makes it a point to spend time with friends and family each week to recreate and build personal relationships.  

In short, she has radically turned her life around.  

Rebecca still has occasional days when she feels a little blue.  But knowing that feeling connected, happy and deliberately creating her life is just so much better, she gives herself some grace and space to deeply feel on those days, but also keeps envisioning an ever-expanding future – and joyfully continues to expand into that future.

And you know what?  Rebecca’s blue days will become less and less the more she practices bliss, curating and cultivating the life of her dreams, healthy communication and community with others and most importantly, loving herself into wholeness.   How cool is that?

If Rebecca’s story resonates with you, I’d love to hear your story, too.  How do you lift yourself from the mud after those days that you need to give yourself a little more grace and space to feel deeply and acknowledge those past parts of yourself that might still feel a little broken?  

What habits do you practice that keep your vision clear and ever-expanding and your vibrational field humming at a frequency that allows good to come to you – rather than repelling it with hidden subconscious programs?  

Drop me a comment below!⬇️☺️

And just in case you needed to be reminded today, you are amazing.  You are valuable.   You are a magnificent creation and capable of achieving anything you can dream of, and babe, you are so very loved.🥰

Healing, hugs and much love;

  • Terah💖

Mud to Mountaintops

Hello Beautiful;

How are you feeling today? Are you feeling fabulous and shining bright? If you are on-task and feeling amazing, I see you – you glow, girl!

But maybe today is a little rough. Maybe you are going through an especially difficult period and even the idea of getting out of bed to face the day is a struggle.

If this is where you are today, I also see you. I feel the pain you are going through. I have been there myself, more than a few times – and am sending you so much healing and love.

We all go through times like this. We all experience days that are challenging; days when we feel blue, irritable, or under the weather. Days when we don’t want to adult, and coping is a challenge. Frankly, these days suck – but are a necessary aspect of the human experience and can help us to grow.

There will be times when we come up against challenges, grief, new or unresolved trauma, or sometimes we just hit a wall because we are tired.

But here is a secret that modern society tends to ignore or overlook – if we are to get back to feeling fabulous and creating a joyful, connected life, it is vitally important that we acknowledge and honor our honest feelings on those days when we are struggling with keeping our “spirits up”.

 In the same way that in healthy relationships with others, we validate another’s truth and emotional state, we need to do the same with ourselves in order to move forward and move on to a higher resonance and better vibrational state.

So babe, if you are in the mud today, it’s ok.  Give yourself permission to squish your toes in that gooey mess a little.  Talk to yourself or someone you trust about where you are at and why you are there.  

Allow yourself to cry – tears release stored cortisol in the body, which is why we almost always feel better and lighter after we let go of the negative feelings we may have been holding or hiding, sometimes without even realizing it. 👀

Once you have validated your experience and given yourself time and permission to access and acknowledge the sh#ty aspects of your emotional or physical reality, start looking up again.  

It’s ok and even healthy to be in the mud for a little while but babe, don’t stay there too long.  Remember that our emotional states are neurological pathways that can become trenches and even personality traits when we dwell in them over-long, and ultimately, we go through the shiznit in our present to get to a healthier, happier place in our future, right? 😎🥳✨💫

Stay tuned next post for some tools on finding our way out of the mud once we are ready to start climbing that hill again.  🏔🏔🌄

The views up here are spectacular and beautiful, I can’t wait to give you a hug and a hand up.  You’re going to love it here.🥰

Just in case you had forgotten – you are amazing.  You are worthy.  You are capable, beautiful, valued and so very loved.💖💖💖

  • Terah

Ingredients for a decadent life

If our thoughts produce emotions and emotions are resonance – and resonance/vibration is the language of the universe, what language are you speaking to Source?  

When we ask for the outflow of our best possible life from a place of lack, anger, fear or other negative emotional states, it is impossible for Source to grant that reality because Good can’t be created from the building blocks of lack.  

It’s like asking your mom to bake a decadent chocolate cake when all you supply her with is white flour.  👩‍🍳🧁🤷‍♀️

This might seem like a simplified metaphor but the idea is exactly the same.  Good out, better back.  

If you aren’t sure of how to create your highest vibe, start with gratitude – but don’t just list out those things you value.  

What’s really important is that you practice feeling the joy of those things.  From that place of higher resonance you can begin the process of  co-creating the life of your dreams.

The next step is to look at the deeper held beliefs that might be holding you back or creating blocks to your best reality. 

It’s estimated that a whopping 70-80% of us experience childhood abuse or trauma that greatly contribute to a negative subconscious state of mind.

What are the subconscious programs of lack of worth and value that may have been running since childhood that contradict what you want to experience in real time? 

Here are some questions that can help you to understand whether or not you are asking for chocolate cake but putting out white refined flour, borrowed from Greg Baden’s book “The Spontaneous Healing of Belief”:

These questions target the heart of what we believe we deserve.  

In the book, the author goes on to speak of the “Great Question” as our fundamental belief in the contrast of good and evil (good loves us, evil wants our destruction) in the world or the idea that there is One Source (that has our best interest at heart) from which everything stems.  

A very interesting question indeed, but regardless of which side of the fence you might stand on, I believe that realizing your essential sense of value and worth is 💯 crucial to the co-creation of an amazing, magical reality.  

What you resonate, you draw to you. 

Let me repeat that in a different way because this is the most important fundamental law of the universe:

What you vibrate, you create. 

This is true of attracting money, a mate, the car of your dreams or a rusted out hulk, a home, health and vibrancy or illness and fatigue… and everything else under the sun.  

Let’s say “Josh” wishes to manifest his dream career opening a travel agency but those inner voices (subconscious programs) tell him that it is safer to stay in the soul-sucking corporate job he’s been at for the last ten years, or that he will surely fail if he tries something different.  Or maybe he doesn’t deserve to have a career that makes him happy and makes good money too.  

Sad, right? 🥺

 What do you think the odds are that Josh will ever see his dream become a reality?  Probably pretty low unless he begins to re-write those programs to create a better reality.  

We can take the same formula to everything in our lives.  What partners do we tend to attract over and over?  (What did your parents, family and social groups teach you that you deserved?) 

How many times have we failed at our diet or getting in shape?  (Do you really see yourself as you want to be?) 

I know it might be painful to look at these lessons, babe.  Change is rarely easy and often hard AF.  But believe me, so very worth it.  

You are worth it. ✨

Affirmations, vision boards, mantra and meditation are all great ways to begin overwriting those patterns of lack.  Therapy can be pretty amazing, too.🥰

There are also many wonderful resources on YouTube for guided meditations that can help facilitate the process, too.  

I especially like “Power Thoughts Meditation Club which combines powerful binaural beats with positive affirmations. Here’s one example:

For now, if you haven’t begun a daily gratitude practice, it’s a perfect place to start getting yourself into that higher vibrational state, and there’s no better time than the present to begin.💫

Today I am grateful for so many things – a lovely sunset stroll with a good friend, cold drinks and live music on a Saturday night, good coffee, an amazing meditation and relaxed morning, my happy pups…but family and friends top my list.  

What’s on your list today? Are you holding the ingredients for a decadent chocolate cake aka an amazing reality in your field – or dusty white flour? 🤗

Drop a comment below!⬇️

#sourceconnection #feelthegood #vibration #vibrationalresonance #emotionsareenergy #creator #wecreate #cocreator #gratitiude #highvibrations #sourcelistens #goodingoodout

Pele, goddess of chaos and creation

No Kahiki mai ka wahine `o Pele,

Mai ka `aina mai o Polapola,

Mai ka punohu a Kane,

Mai ke ao lapa i ka lani.

Translation:

The woman Pele comes from Kahiki,

From the land of Polapola,

From the rising mist of Kane,

From the clouds that move in the sky.

Hey beautiful;

Have you heard of the Goddess Pele?  

Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of the Volcano.  

She represents fire, lightning, dance, wind, volcanoes and violence. Her poetic name is Ka wahine `ai honua or the woman who devours the land. 

She is both a creator and destroyer.  She erupts and the world quakes as she pours lava onto land and sea – but from that destruction new life forms.  

Soil grows over mineral-rich lava, lush life begins to put roots into that soil and eventually, paradise is created. 

As part of my morning time with Source, I read spiritual and self-development books and sometimes consult different “wisdom cards” that nearly always provide the guidance or comfort I need on a particular day.  

This card of the Goddess Pele came up in my reading this morning, and wow, did it hit home.

I am in a time of upheaval in nearly every aspect of my life at the moment, and to be honest, it often just feels like chaos. 

As I write, I am two thirds or so through a remodel of my home – largely on my own.  I’m a handy-with-the-tools kinda gal, but I’ve also been incredibly grateful for the occasional help of good friends along the way.  

Right now I have flooring torn up and paint halfway done as I prepare to lay new floors.  I have furniture upended and shoved wherever there is room in order to have the spaces cleared that I need to lay the wood and carpets.  

My personal life has been in a similar situation for some time too, which means I am feeling a little like Pele dumped a mountain of lava over a few acres of my everything.  

“Elements” by Catherine Langwagen

Not a fun place to be.  

But this card is the perfect reminder that from chaos and destruction new life is formed.  Though aspects of my life have been razed, I know that spectacular new life is forming and growing, just beneath the surface. 

When I’m centered in my heart, I can feel that growth, alive and so ready to burst forth into the sun.   

But I’m not always there, and there are moments where all that I can see is the chaos.  In those moments, I start to panic.  

But I keep going back to Source, and I keep getting these wonderful reminders that right here is where I am supposed to be in order for my life to grow fully into where I want and need to be.  

These reminders help me to come back into my heart-centered space.  That space where I can feel excitement for the process of creation and for all that is to come.  

Can you relate?  Have you been in that place of destruction, when you look out onto the landscape of your life and just think “oh, sh#t.”? 

That sh#t is fertilizer that will feed the new growth.

If you are there right now, babe, you are 💯 not alone.  I’ve got your back.  We will get through it, together .  

I am so excited to stand with you as we look at the glorious dawn of new creation when the chaos is tamed and we are surrounded by light and lush growth, bursting through the fertilizer-rich soil of Pele’s destruction. 

Have faith that it’s coming, beauty.  I feel it.  I know it.  

Can you feel it, too?

Whether you are in the midst of a cycle of despair and destruction or feeling your new growth, I see you.  You are amazing, capable and you have so got this.  

And in case you needed the reminder today, 

I love you.💖

Shadows and shades to create a masterpiece

Hey beautiful;

When we are in the midst of a difficult situation, the last thing we want to hear is some well-meaning person telling us  “there is a reason for everything”, right?  

But what if we just re-framed our suffering a little?  What if we looked at those difficulties as a way to bring us closer to the wholeness we might have been missing before?  

What if all of life was happening for us, not to us, and that in the karmic/grand scheme of things we are here to learn to re-structure who we are despite our circumstances to become the greatest possible version of ourselves? 🤔

Painting is one of the ways I express my need to create.  Probably because of this, I’ve always liked to think of life as a spectacular, massive painting.  

Have you ever been in front of an art piece so large that you could only take in small portions when you were up close?  

Let’s say that someone puts you right in front of just such a painting.  

What you see directly before you is a big stroke of dark grey or even black paint.  It makes you feel a little sad.

But when you step back, you realize that that stroke of dark paint was the pupil of the most amazing set of eyes you have ever seen.  

You step back even further to realize that the painting is of a beautiful woman reclining beside a still lake, perhaps smiling up at someone she loves.  The sun is shining and the sky is blue with small grey clouds behind distant mountains. 

Poignant, right?  When we are right in front of our adversities it is so very challenging to remember that what we are experiencing is dark but necessary portion of a much larger story, and the overarching story is a breathtaking work of art.  Like you.💕✨

If you are one of those people who are in the middle of something challenging or even heartbreaking right now, I see you, and am sending so much love.  

Breathe, allow the experience – and whatever emotions might come with it.  

But also remember that life is an ever-unfolding painting, and when you are able to create some space between yourself and what you are going through, you will see how your challenges provided contrast to make a truly magnificent piece of art.  

I love you.💖

Adventure and Friendship – Follow Your Bliss!

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where before there were only walls.” – Joseph Campbell

Community and friendship is so very important for healthy mindset and brain biology.

Spending time with good friends, seeking out fun adventures and enjoying good food (and coffee😎) are just a few ways we can follow our bliss.

Combining all of the above is a great way to watch the walls of our own bullsh#t crumble to be replaced by joy, creation and some epic frickin’ manifestation.

Babe, you might not be quite to the place of believing in your own magic and amazing ability to create a life you are madly in love with, but believe me when I tell you – you ARE a mutherfudding WiZARD – and if you follow those things that bring you bliss, you will see reality unfold around you in ways that can only be described as magical. ✨💫

I see it Every.Single.Day, and no, I’m not exaggerating this.

When I hold myself in a place of high vibrational resonance, miracles happen and all that I ask just flows to me. It is 💯 amazing and still blows my mind on the regular.

This is what I want for you, beautiful one. I want you to feel joy in every fiber of your being – from you head to your toes and every cell in between, and then I want to see you amazed by the way reality bends around you to suit your every need and desire. 🥰

Find your bliss, babe. And if you needed to read this today, I see you, and I’m sending you so much love. 💖

Happy Tuesday!

creator #itsagooddaytohaveagreatday #wizard #sourcemessages #createyourreality #followyourbliss #findyourjoy #flipyourhappyswitch #timbercoffee #fivebsbakery #adventure #bff #concretewashington

Authenticity – Spirit Speaking

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”  – Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Good morning, gorgeous;

How do you feel about you, today and everyday?

Do you feel gloriously, beautifully, authentically yourself, or do you struggle with self-doubt?  

Feeling amazing about who you are is 💯 a vital step in learning to create an inspiring life, but for many, it’s difficult to know how to be ourselves in a world that wants us to conform rather than express, to hide rather than shine.  

Wear this not that.  

Fit this size not that one.

Wear your long.  Wear your hair short.  Wear your hair parted in the middle or you’re unstylish and ugly.  

Wear Birks.  High waisted jeans.  No, low waisted pants.  Converse.  

Go vegan.  Paleo.  Keto. 

And a thousand other trends, fads, and “rules of conformity” that are thrown at us every single day.  

It’s frustrating, isn’t it?😕

But babe, here’s a little secret for you, and a hard truth of reality:  if you are trying to be cool by being like everyone else, you probably aren’t.  

If you are a Lion trying to be a lamb – or a lamb trying to be a Lion – that skin just isn’t going to look right on you no matter how hard you try.🤷‍♀️

So maybe it’s time to just be what you are and embrace that muthafookin’ Lion-ness – or lamb-ness and be yourself.  

You can begin this process by starting to notice what makes you feel excited, happy, or even curious.  

Flip through some magazines.  Browse Pinterest.  Go window shopping for clothing and home decor ideas.  This should be an individual process to avoid being influenced by well-meaning friends or family.  

Write down what you observe or create a vision board. 

In fact, 💯 create a vision board and remember to look at that when you wake and before bed, the times of day that your brain is in an alpha or theta brain state and at its best for creation.

What speaks to you, personally?  

What lights you up? 

Do you love rainbows and unicorns, boho chic, lit b#tch, nature goddess/god or goth with a moody vibe – or combination of all of the above?  

There don’t have to be rules here.  It’s all about what feels amazing to you. 

Those things and folks that vibe with your soul and resonate on a deep level – whether style, home decor, music, travel, your tribe or anything else under the sun – these are the things that speak of your authentic self just waiting to reveal itself.  

These are the lamps that are there to light your way to a happier, inspired – and inspiring – life.  

So if you are feeling ready to stop living in the shadows of everyone else and step into the light of your own spectacular authenticity, get out there and start creating, babe.  

Tune into your vibe and your tribe and find your most authentic self.  And most importantly, have fun!🥳

And just in case you needed to hear it today, you are magnificent – and I love you!💖