Breathing Mediatation for a busy life

Sit in a quiet place, preferably in nature but a chair inside is good to. If your inside, light a candle and place it in front of you so you can focus your gaze on something and not get distracted. If your outside, pick a focal point or you can just close your eyes either way. Spine straight, shoulders relaxed. Palms on your lap face up, fingers curled. Soften your face, tongue behind your top teeth, teeth parted, lips parted, chin slightly tucked, feet planted on the ground.

Take in a deep inhale, your belly should rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. just concentrate on the sound of your breath coming in and out of your body. Envision it as positive energy, a golden light coming in through your nostrils and going through your whole body and when you exhale, any negative energy, emotions, feelings comes out of your nostrils and out of your body, until all that is there is positive golden light energy.

If your mind wanders, that's OK, your human. Just notice the thought and put it away for later or forget about it! You may want to pick a mantra. For example, as you breath in you can say, I am exactly where I am meant to be and as you breath out you can say to yourself, Thank you. Practice this for 10 minutes, leading up to longer as you become more at ease with taking time out for yourself. No justifications or excuses necessary, its good for you so just do it.

The Nature Lyceum

I attended Jeff Frank's, (my dad), Nature Lyceum class this week. I took the 2 day Seminar in organics in an old meeting house on Sound Avenue. It was great. Very interesting. Great speakers, fascinating subject matter, beautiful organic lunch provided, I loved it. If you are a home-owner, or you work in the green industry or you are a parent or a grand parent, an animal lover or anyone who cares, (and you really should care) you should check out this course. It is a lot of information, and some of it is a little out there by today's standards. You definitely have to have an open heart and an open mind but once you do you will be glad you went. Really everything that is taught is going back to the beginning. What our ancestors used to practice. What the Native Americans practiced forever. We are all from one source, including the earth, plants, trees and animals everything is connected. We need to honor each other and ourselves in order to move forward. It is no secret that our environment is in a very frightening state of affairs. We can change things, if we have the information. And they have the information.

If you have an open mind then check it out. If you don't but you know someone who does, tell them about it and maybe they will let you in on what they learned. We are all in this together, let's help each other out. You can follow the link at the bottom of the blog to The Nature Lyceum.

Just say No!

Do you tend to automaticaly say yes to things people ask you to do? I am all for being a faithful friend but an un-faithful yes to something doesn't make anyone feel good. Your body doesn't lie to you, learn to feel the signals your body gives you and honor yourself. Go with your gut. If someone asks you to do something you don't want to do, its OK to listen to what your body is saying and give them a respectful no. I'm sorry, I won't be able to do that for you. No justifications or excuses necessary. Just a friendly no. In turn you will be saying yes to your own well-being.

The Shift

Every new beginning is from some other beginnings end.- Semisonic

When you feel a transformation happening it is our first instinct to ignore, run and hide from it. I remember watchng The Simpsons with my kids years ago and Marge said, "I'm sorry sir, I don't mean to be rude but we fear change." Ah Marge, that old sage. It is a scary thing to do but try to embrace a change. Think of it as a way to let your spirit grow. Open hearted awreness will allow you to see your own transformation. As Jon Kabot Zinn has said, Bearing witness changes everything. 

If it seems like its hard then your doing it right! I say to my kids all the time, nothing worthwhile should come that easy. It is very easy to cover your eyes and ears and say, 'nananana I can't hear you or see you!' but as humans we are the species that knows and we know that we know. (ya know?)

I am going to try to get out of my own way and embrace whatever happens next and know it is exactly where I am meant to be.

People Really Like Milk music video by our friend Billy Kelly

Generosity of Spirit

 There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness and generosity.-Nathaniel Branden

What is your potential for generosity? How far are you willing to take it?  Surprisingly enough, just like most everything it seems, your potential for generosity is rooted in your self-esteem.

It is an absolute act of generosity to donate financially to a cause you believe in. The only way charities stay in ‘business’ is by generous donations from kind people who believe in their cause. How far are you willing to go with your generosity of spirit?

I recently read a book by Carolyn Myss entitled, Acts of Power. In it she tells a story where one of her clients was telling her in all honesty that if a friend were in trouble and asked him for $1000.00 dollars to pay bills and put food on his table for a month he wouldn’t blink and eye. He would write him a check on the spot. But, he said, if he asked me for the same amount of money to invest in a business he was starting I probably wouldn’t do it. Why she asked him? He replied very honestly and said, “Because I will help someone get by, but I don’t want to help someone pass me by.”

Interesting. Do you have enough self-esteem to not only watch people in your life exceed you in business or sports or education, whatever the case may be, but to also support, inspire and encourage them to do so? That is one self-assured person! It’s funny because if you don’t know someone, if there is no energetic connection to a person then his or her success potential has no effect on you what so ever. I don’t personally know Steve Jobs, Jay-Z, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady GaGa or Graeme McDowell, (the nice Irish lad who won the open last night!) so their success means nothing to me except to admire it from afar. Would I be able to have the same objective opinion about one of my best friends or family members attaining the same level of success?

This struggle starts early on and is ingrained in our psyche. When you see little children at a birthday party and finally one of the little guests can’t stand to watch his or her friend or sibling open any more brightly wrapped gifts and they burst into tears crying 'It's not FAIR!'. We can’t do that as adults even though we sometimes feel like it. Can you imagine going over to see your friends new remodeled kitchen and after taking the tour you just burst into tears? “Its not FAIR!” Wailing as your friend looks on at you horrified. Haha. That is crazy, but that is also human nature!

Even worse, ever feel a pang of HA! When someone you are supposedly friends with has some miss-fortune? Not like bone cancer miss-fortune but maybe something that in your mind brings them down a notch? Guess what, what you put out is what you get in return so every time you have a negative thought or you direct negative energy to someone, you get it right back to you. Is it worth it?

Humans are funny that way though. We’ll be best friends as long as I’m Oprah and you are Gayle! You stay right down there and I’ll stay up here above you and we won’t have any problems! Can two Oprah’s co-exist? Or, better yet, do you have the self-esteem to be Gayle? Do I have the confidence and self-esteem that no matter what anyone else does, to know who I am and be happy with myself? The way I see it is if you are my friend or a member of my family and your doing better than that positive energy is going to be surrounding me as well and I’ll do better and so on and so on. I will strive to be as generous of spirit as possible. If what you put out comes back to you, it’s a win win, right?

Watermelon & Heirloom Tomato Salad - Dr. Weil's Healthy Kitchen

Watermelon & Heirloom Tomato Salad - Dr. Weil's Healthy Kitchen

Reiki

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”- Thich Nhat Hanh

Reading the latest ‘Reiki News Magazine’, (I am hoping to very soon be a Reiki practitioner myself), I picked this magazine up and every article was interesting. From an article about a Reiki Master, Raven Keyes, who worked in the O.R. with Dr. Mehmet Oz, (his wife Lisa, is also a Reiki healer and he believes in energy medicine coinciding with traditional Western medicine to help facilitate post op healing). To Reiki in childbirth, for children, self- Reiki. There are Reiki healing stories from people with serious illnesses as well as articles about programs that teach Reiki to nurses to help heal patients in their care. It was a very interesting edition.

Reiki, for those of you who are like, (“Wh, What?”), is a healing practice administered by lightly laying hands on someone, you are able to channel guided energy into yourself, (self Reiki), or others. The benefits are relaxation, stress reduction, focus and clarity. As Jan Kendall says in an article entitled,  ‘REIKI MEDITATION’, its positive effects touch all levels: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

You may be saying, Huh? But I say, why not? I have had Reiki administered to me by my favorite Reiki Master and friend, Monika and a 30 minute session feels like a 2 hour massage when your finished. Calm, relaxed, clear and focused.  There was another article by Brenda St. Pierre entitled, ‘THE HEALING RELATIONSHIP.’  At the end of the article she described a meditation to do where you are sitting down, hands in prayer and your focus is on where your middle fingers meet. She explains in this amazing meditation practice that thoughts will come and go, but as soon as you realize you are focusing on a thought brush it aside and re-focus back to where your middle fingers meet. She ends the article with a beautiful prayer:

May you light up with joy as you encounter that constant and beloved friend that is yourself.

I loved that! Can you imagine going into the bathroom in the morning and catching a glimpse of yourself and lighting up with recognition like your meeting an old friend by chance on the street. “HEY! There you are! Yay!” (No? Me neither), so I decided to try it. At first my mind kept wandering so I thought I would recite that little prayer as a mantra to get me more focused. The first time I did as soon as I said to myself the word, JOY, my mind went from the true meaning to an inner monologue of “Joy? Palmolive, Ivory soap, I need dishwashing liquid.” So I brushed it aside and went back to my breath. It took me a few tries but eventually my deep breaths took me to a really calm and peaceful state where I was able to focus on where my middle fingers met. If at first you don’t succeed, breathe, breathe again!

Does Anbody Like It?

"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others." -Bill Gates

Kess Cup was this past week. Old and new friends came out in support of The Kessenich Family MDA/ALS Center at the University of Miami. The event consists of a golf tournament at Deepdale Golf Club followed by a wonderful dinner and great party. The support people show year after year is tremendous. My husband and his brother Paul did the emceeing and they tried to not get emotional over the outpouring but its hard not to when you ‘put yourself out there’ by asking friends to financially support a cause that is so personal to you and they come through and show you with their presence and support as well as monetary support that they believe in what your doing. Affirmation is one of the basic needs we have as human beings. We need to know every once in awhile from other people, do you believe in me? It is different than seeking approval. We don’t need it to exist or to keep moving forward in a positive direction but its nice every once in awhile when you are putting yourself out there to have someone say, ‘Hey, good job.’ Its one of those Amber Gestures we need to feel in our lives. I know the Doctors, Nurses and staff at the Kess Center feel this every year the center stays open helping families with ALS as well as being on the forefront in medical research.

My friend Shannon was there. She and her husband Tommy are great old friends and she reads the blog. And she asked me, “How do you put yourself out there like that writing about yourself and life?” And I agree, it isn’t easy! But every once in awhile I get a positive affirmation and it reinforces what I already know. If it resonates with me, it will resonate with someone else out there. (Thanks Shannon! She is the same person who told me don’t be afraid to spread the blog around people will take what they want and leave the rest. Great advice and so true!)

The five basic human needs we all globally share are our need for air, water, food, human touch and affirmation. I once watched this documentary on babies. They had a little baby looking up at their mother and the baby would smile and laugh and kick with excitement looking up at the mom and the mom would give them the smiles back. This would go on for several minutes and then the mothers were instructed to not have any reaction to their babies smiling faces. The babies would give their mom the same big sweet smile but the mothers had to just look at the baby with out changing their expressions. After a few tries the babies would give up and just look away. They were not getting anything back so they just stopped trying.

When you are giving something from your heart, as human beings we need to feel the positive affirmation in return. Remember this with your spouse, kids, friends, siblings, parents, dry cleaner anyone who is doing something from the heart. Who doesn’t feel like a million bucks when someone lets them know, I appreciate what your doing, thank you.

For some reason we throw these words around like man hole covers. “Well why would I say good job. They know they are doing a good job; I don’t have to say it to them. That’s embarrassing that I am admitting I thought about that.” Don’t be embarrassed to put yourself out there. Just do it, you have nothing to lose.  The worst thing that could happen is that someone doesn’t agree with you. That happens everyday so who cares? Have heartfelt moments throughout your day. Empower someone who inspires you with a heartfelt affirmation. We are all in this together.

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

My St. Barth's Adventure, One Step Closer to Truth

So I was walking into JetBlue terminal 5 when I spied a Borders bookstore. On my way to a weekend with my very good friend Christy in St. Barth’s where she works for Hotel St. Barth’s Ile De France. I am joining her for what is a work weekend for her and I am tagging along by the grace of her bosses agreeing to have her friend accompany her on a business trip, if I promise not to distract her, (and I may have a little) but she worked so hard all weekend and I soaked up sun and relaxation on the beautiful beaches of the French West Indies. (I wore sunscreen!) The Hotel is absolutely gorgeous and if you haven't been to St. Barth's and you are lucky enough to get an opportunity to go you have to go there to stay or for a meal. it is spectacular.

I came armed with plenty of reading materials and self-imposed writing assignments. I didn’t plan to have a lot of extra time. I walked past the bookstore in the terminal without stopping, (a hard thing for me to do.) My thinking is I have plenty to keep me busy, books in my carry on and plenty of writing to do…stay on task! (Agh! Adult ADD rears its ugly head..) I sat at my gate tapping my toe and quickly realized I was there a good hour before boarding was to begin and I thought to myself ,’Well maybe one loop through the bookstore can’t hurt!’. I got back up and walked back to the main terminal and entered the Borders. It was a condensed airport version but had whatever bestsellers and classics any traveler would want to pick up. I found myself in the section marked ‘spirituality’, (shockingly enough). I saw a book that I have read before called The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz. Most of you reading this has probably read that or at least heard of it. (If not I highly recommend it!) Next to that was a book I have not heard of before called ‘The Mastery Of Love’ by the same author. I didn’t think much of it and picked it up and read the jacket.  It looked interesting enough so not being one to be able to resist the temptations of a new book, I bought it. I started reading it on the plane and was so fascinated and inspired I couldn’t put it down. Its a very simple quick read and I ended up reading it 3 times over the course of the weekend.  Synchronicity. My previous blog was all about my relationship with myself and this book was apparently waiting for me in that Borders to pick up for my weekend of solitude.

I reread it at lunch by myself one day where at I spotted a baby iguana that, like pigeons in NY kept circling under my table for scraps, (I guess??) what the heck do they eat? This thing would not leave me alone and I am no stranger to the lizards of Florida but it was more prehistoric and I really didn’t want it to walk across my toes. I perched on my chair like a lunatic cat woman. The bronzed uber cool Euros sitting around looking at the baby dinosaur with bored, unafraid faces while I clamped my beach bag to my chest, (it could have hidden in there and got me later in my room if I left it on the sand next to me!), balancing on my chair wildly looking around and under the table for it. Like a kid who is afraid of the monster under the bed and won’t even stick a toe over the edge I wouldn’t let my own toe hang over the edge of my chair in case those things can jump. Every time the waiter came up behind me I jumped and let out a little shriek. I mean it was really ridiculous but I could not help it. I ordered the Quinoa and crab salad and realized why French women don’t get fat. The ice-cream sized scoop they brought me was certainly not enough food for this all American. (My husband Mark makes fun of my food panic. If we are going into a situation where I may not potentially get a full square, say a cocktail party of heavy horsdevours I slip into panic mode. I think I starved in the great potato famine in a previous life.) So there I am clutching my giant beach bag, perched on this chair trying to eat Quinoa salad that now since I am so awkwardly perched and the bowl of delicate Quinoa is so far away from my face I keep spilling it sending the Iguana back to see what I am dropping causing my panic to rise with each bite. I was laughing at my own ridiculousness. (P.S. these French people are onto something I was totally full and it was delicious. Who knew.)?

My previous blog was all about ones struggle for a truthful, meaningful and honest relationship with ones self. The message this random book that I chose, (or did it choose me?!?) reinforced what I had been trying to grasp in said previous blog, Don Miguel Ruiz says,  Trying to be what you are not expends all of your energy. Being what you are doesn’t require any effort. We learn to pretend to be what we are not, and we practice trying to be someone else just to be good enough for mom, for dad, for teacher, for religion, whatever. We practice and we practice and we master how to be what we are not.

Until we are truly ourselves it is impossible to be who we really are with anyone else. Loving myself a little more as time goes on. Thank you Christy

Wherever you are, I hope you get the opportunity to read The Mastery Of Love. You will be glad you did! Baby Iguana not included…

My Relationship with myself. A work in progress.

My relationship with myself fluctuates like a high school romance. One day you’re up the next day your down. I think I broke up with myself this morning but I’m trying to get back together. Maybe I will pass myself a note in gym. One day you are moving forward in a positive direction. Clapping yourself on the back, you don’t need to seek anyone’s approval or opinion, you know what to do and who you are and all is right with the world. You are on your way and it is 75 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze.

Then out of the blue everything changes maybe a miscommunication or a word from someone and you get that funny feeling in your stomach that something is not quite right and you begin to worry and doubt. When that starts to happen you find even your best relationships with other people is turning needy and attention seeking instead of even keeled and easy. It has nothing to do with anyone else. It all stems from your relationship with yourself. If you don’t have a healthy relationship with yourself, it is impossible to have a healthy relationship with anyone else.

How do I get a healthy relationship with myself? You can start by taking time out of your day for yourself. It is not being selfish, its nurturing your soul, which is imperative for a good relationship with ones self. If you forget to take time out for you, you can become run down and resentful which doesn’t do anyone any good. Take time out for exercise. Sit in nature if you can or a comfy place at home and just be still. Take deep breaths. Relax to music, walk on the beach. Get to know yourself not as someone’s spouse or parent or friend or child but you without the costume.

It is definitely a work in progress and something you have to remind yourself to come back to this place. Whenever you are trying to master a new activity, golf, knitting, cooking, loving yourself, it takes time and practice to get it down. Keep trying, your worth it!

Cool Article About My Dad from Montauk Sun

Montauk's Green Guerrilas

by Nanci E. LaGarenne

"You say you want a revolution, well you know…” the Beatles sang it, the Green Guerrillas of Montauk are doing it. A quiet, peaceful, loving revolution is happening. The Green Guerillas are organic vegetable  farmers; there is a gaggle of Green Guerrillas  in Montauk alone. Their motto “We are all in this together  – save organic heirloom seeds and grow food,” was told to me by Mr. Jeff Frank, the guru and founder of the Green Guerrillas. “We are akin to resistance fighters on a mission to save Mother Earth. We are the Hobbits; the Dark Lord is out there.” The dark side being GMO’s, genetically modified  organisms.  “The fruit and vegetables are being poisoned from the seed,” Jeff says. “You have got to go organic to know what you  are getting in your food.” The chemical industry funds the hospitals and agricultural schools. In essence, we get poisoned  food and remain sick. In government, few care about our nutrition. We need agriculturally supported communities, not community supported agriculture. “We are changing  the verbiage,” says Jeff. Jeff Frank started his Green Guerrillas school, known as the Nature Lyceum, eighteen years ago and became  the first organic  distributor of organic heirloom seeds on the east coast. The school is a not-for–profit, environmental, horticultural  learning place,  now operating out of a church building in Riverhead. A two day course and you can become a Green Guerrillas, filled with knowledge and practical purpose about organics. High school students and senior citizens can attend  this course for free. Word of mouth is how people find the Nature Lyceum and Jeff.  “The only way to get into my school is to be sent by Mother Nature.” I have to agree with Jeff. In my own search to start  an organic vegetable garden at my own home, I found Susan Vitale, a Green Guerrillas, of the Gin Beach Market in Montauk. “Susan is an Elemental,” says Jeff. I smile. Elementals in lore are the “little people,” fairies, gnomes, pixies and dragons. In reality, they are the unseen forces of nature, the empaths, sensitives, Indigo children, healers,  the true care givers of Mother Earth. Susan’s energy  and goal is admirable. “My vision is to teach the kids.” Susan and Janine, two Montauk Green Guerrillas, recently planted a community vegetable garden at Saint Therese’s School. Going organic can be as simple as reading labels, buying organics from true organic farmers or starting your own organic farm with heirloom seeds. Buy Johnny Seeds, not Burpee.  “Ninety percent of the seeds out there have been genetically altered and are poison,” Jeff tells me. “We must un-program ourselves and slow down.” Jeff’s principles of living are as follows: One- eat organically.  Two- think out of the box. Three- develop short term memory (forget what upsets you and stay in the moment). Four- make believe  (you are happy, healthy, wealthy and wise). Five- love unconditionally. “If you do these five things you direct the movie of your life,” Jeff says. “We need to learn how to respond and not react.” Eating organic un-poisoned, un-chemically altered food can help us on that journey.  Is it any wonder that more than half of American children are taking drugs for allergies and emotional, physical and educational disabilities? This generation of children is exposed to the most over processed, un-healthy food ever. This is just wrong! We can turn the tide. Green Guerrillas are here to show us how to  “make food your medicine and medicine your food,” Jeff says, quoting Hippocrates. Check Jeff out on You Tube, you won’t be disappointed. Ask around town, Montauk is brimming with Green Guerrillas. Gin Beach Market is a start, a meeting place of local movers and shakers. Go have an organic coffee and leave in better spirits.  “A shift is taking place,” Susan tells me. “The feminine energy is coming to the fore.” Mother Earth is in crisis, this we know, just turn on the news. However, we can change things. Embracing  organics is a beginning. The Nature Lyceum’s two day Green Guerrillas course is taught in a special way. “It is based on right brain feminine story telling,” Jeff says. Taking its lead from the Native Americans and modeling the organic farming after the Findhorn Garden, a spiritual community of organic farmers off the coast of Scotland.  The organic farmers off Findhorn Bay, instilled, if you will, their own light and energy into the soil and vegetable seeds.  The result, forty pound cabbages and a bumper crop! The Findhorn community exists to this day, as well as a school andretreat written about in a book by Eckart Tolle, titled The Findhorn Retreat. I for one will be taking Jeff’s course at The Nature Lyceum and become a Green Guerrilla. I will purchase organic heirloom seeds and grow my own small vegetable garden. It is never too late to change. Jeff himself knows this firsthand. He died and came back to life. He writes about his experience in a book called  “The Angles of Saint Francis.” If this sounds eccentric or religious, I assure it is not. Jeff relies on two sayings daily: “Have a silly day, and Yua-Tah-Hey,” a Navajo greeting meaning “Walk in Beauty.” I leave you with a quote from J.R.R Tolkien. Frodo Baggins says to Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring: “I wish it need not happen in my time,” says Frodo. Gandalf replies,  “So do I, and so do all that live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do  with the time that is given us. ”www.thenaturelyceum.org

Peruvian Nuts, super food!

A friend sent me this article, looks interesting! I havent tried them yet but it sounds like a good snack to me! Check it out...

Traditionally, summer calls for peanuts and Cracker Jacks, but we're opting to snack on Sacha Inchi seeds instead.

These earthy, nutlike seeds are harvested from the Sacha Inchi fruit, which grows deep within the Amazon rain forest and possesses a vegetal flavor and natural saltiness that has effectively turned us into Inchi addicts.

Vegetarians in particular should take note: The "Incan peanuts" are the richest meat-free source of brain-sharpening omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9. But the roasted, sugar-sweetened and tamari-seasoned varieties sold by TerrAmazon (the company that also popularized goji berries and Himalayan salt) are delicious in any diet.

And the backstory only adds further appeal: The newfound popularity of the seeds--which date back to pre-Incan civilizations--is helping indigenous farmers in the central Amazon, who cultivate the product and sell it at fair market prices to preserve their way of life.

Pop Inchi by the handful or add them to nutty trail mix as a counterpoint to the sweetness of cashews and almonds. They're also perfect in place of croutons with mixed greens.

Pray for Earth

Summer is almost here! Here on the east end of Long Island the beach means so much to us. Summer days, swimming in the ocean, fishing in the bay, walking on the beach, laying in the sand. Not to mention all of the families that earn their living working in the waters and in the resort towns. They rely on people coming to the east end to send their kids to college and put food on their tables.
The BP oil spill that occured in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20th continues to spill what they have estimated between 500,000 to 4.2 million US gallons of oil per day. its not only devasting the ocean and everything that lives in it but the people who rely on it for their existance.This link that I found shows what the spill would look like if it happened off the shore of Long Island. Please go to the link below and check it out. If your not already doing it, remember when you wake up in the morning and before you go to sleep at night to add the Earth to your prayers. I am not what anyone would consider an environmentalist but I am thinking that since no one can seem to figure out what to do a collective prayer can't hurt.

http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/#loc=Hampton%20Bays%2C%20NY%2C%20USA&lat=40.881&lng=-72.536&x=-72.536&y=40.881&z=7

Sacred Contracts

 Do you really want to look back on your life and see how wonderful it could have been had you not been afraid to live it.-Carolyn Myss

Ever wonder, what is my purpose? Am I just supposed to live in this house and go through the daily routine of life or am I to be used for something bigger? Carolyn Myss wrote a book called Sacred Contracts

Explaining what Plato first wrote about centuries ago. Before we are born, she writes, we make a sacred contract of whom we will be and how we will live our lives. Everything from what kind of childhood we will have, our careers and what people will be in our lives.

If you go to her website, http://www.myss.com/library/contracts/

You can read about it in further detail and even find out whom your archetypes are. The concept is an interesting one. If you see everything that happens to you in life as an agreement you made in heaven before you were ever born you can start looking at different situations or people in your life in a different light. Why would I ever agree to have this annoying relative/friend/neighbor in my life? Well, I did so now what am I supposed to be learning from them or what are they learning from me? Why this illness or hardship? Reasons are not always so clear. It may take a long time to figure out why you chose this path for yourself. But once we accept that this is my roadmap and stop struggling against whatever is happening to us in our lives and just go with it having faith that this is exactly where you are supposed to be the more peaceful you will be and the quicker you will be able to recover from whatever is happening.

We have all had difficult people in our lives that drive us crazy. You know what it feels like when you have a toxic relationship and you decide one day that you have had enough and you change your whole way of thinking about that person? You say, you know what? She/he is never going to change and I have to stop expecting them to be a certain way and I’m just going to accept that this is what it is. And all of the sudden that person can’t push your buttons anymore! They can still be in your life and may still act or say the same old stuff that would make you nuts but if you are in a different mindset then it doesn’t affect you. It’s the best when you energetically disconnect from a toxic person. Say whatever you want, it doesn’t bother me in the least! HA! You know in that moment you have fulfilled your sacred contract with that person and it’s on to the next thing. 

LAUGH

I laughed all weekend. Uncontrollably, like a sneeze there was nothing I could do but go with it. I read somwhere that laughter is like taking a mini vacation. Is that not the truth? I actually llaughed hysterically to the point of tears several times over the past weekend. It is good for the soul.  When life gets hard, call your funniest friend and have a laugh. I tend to be the one laughing at a funeral, in church, at a party or just at home. Find the humor in whatever, wherever you are. A good, deep, from the gut make you lose your breath laugh can get you through just about anything. My friend Allyson and I don't even write LOL to each other anymore, its COL, because its bigger than a laugh, its a Cackle. I highly recommend it. Thank you to every single person who made me laugh this weekend. I am so glad I know you.