Peeling Back The Layers...

“Just as the beauty of the blossom unfolds one petal at a time, so too the beauty of our Soul is revealed one layer at a time.” ~ Sue Krebs

One of my clients is going through some of the biggest lessons in her life. All she has been able to “see” at this point is the fear. All attempts to avoid, go around and get out of the “work” she is being pushed to do, she has tried. At this point, the Universe keeps pushing her sometimes gently, sometimes not so gently. Wrapped up in “what if’s” and “can not’s,” she is simply terrified and does not trust she is on the right path.

The right path is usually the one where you are required to get really dirty. It is the road that leads to the most growth but only after you get dragged through all the crap. Anyone who is walking the path of truth, the path of light, will tell you it is absolutely not the easy road. One of my favorite Zen sayings is, “Chop wood, carry water before enlightenment. Chop wood, carry water after enlightenment.”

My client is an extremely wise, old soul in a young physical body. She also had a great deal of trauma as a child that affected her self-beliefs. As a young child, she knew her power; she was born wise, strong and knowing. We are all born knowing our truth and then life happens.

Traumatic events in our childhood suppress our knowing. As we grow and develop, these childhood experiences can shape who we become. In order to find our truth again, we must peel back the layers, one by one.

This “peeling back” process started for me when I was sexually assaulted by a man at work. The company sent me to counseling in hopes I wouldn’t sue them. As horrible as it was at the time, in the end it was a blessing. It was the beginning of my own process of peeling back my layers, opening my childhood wounds and loving every one of them back into whole love.

Like my client, I fought it at first. Okay, well actually, I fought it for a long time. I wanted to believe my childhood wasn’t all that bad and I didn’t have any wounds. Strong-willed, independent and fun loving, I saw no reason to delve into why I did the things I did. Then, it was as if the Universe knew I wasn’t getting it…not really, so I was given the gift of birthing another. If there is ever a reason to delve into your layers, birth a baby, know this little, tiny being is depending on you to grow and learn. One of my first thoughts when I found out I was pregnant literally was, “I must be who I want this child to become.”

That was almost twenty years ago. Like my client, I went down my path fighting, kicking, screaming and bawling. As the layers began to peel, I continued to pray, “Please God, angel, spirits, anyone who will listen, please help me learn this lesson so I can move on and not repeat it.” Sometimes, I felt like a white water raft whose occupants had fallen out and was wildly being tossed down the river, getting hit by rocks, caught in rapids and almost drown over and over. Yet, there were always signs when I needed them most. Usually those signs came in the form of bald eagles. The Natives have always believed the eagle flies with the Gods so I knew they were sending me strength and wisdom to stay on my path.

Know that as you walk your path back to your knowing, back to the love you were born out of, as you peel back your layers, you are not alone. Many of us are waking up, we are seeking a deeper level of consciousness, and we are holding the space for you, for all. We are all one and you are not alone. Stay true to your own light and your purpose. Let go of the fear and know you are divinely being supported.

Photo credit to Tharyn French

#fear #knowing #enlightenment #lessons #consciousness

LIstening To Your Gut...

As little kids, we intuitively listen to ourselves. We hang out with friends we like that have similar interests, play sports we enjoy, create art projects without any thought about who might or might not like it, we dance, sing and skip through stores. We do what we feel we need at any given moment. As children, it is that “knowing” that we listen to without even thinking about it.

As we grow, we start hearing things like...

“Don’t dance in the store, people will think you are crazy.”

“Girls don’t play football.”

“Boys shouldn’t study ballet, that is only for girls.”

“You really are more analytical than creative, so you should be an engineer.”

“Construction is hard work, you don’t want to do that. Get an office job.”

“Don’t get that degree because you will never make any money if you do.”

By the time we are pre-teens, most of us have lost the ability to listen to our instincts and instead base a good deal of our decisions on what those we cherish most think. At times, we even base our choices on how others around us react. Once culture starts taking over, whether it is parents, teachers, sports trainers, scout leaders, church clergy, etc., we tend to decide and act more from a “what will they think” perspective. So, how do we learn from the child inside us so that we can become more of who we truly were meant to be, to find our true purpose on this earth and be true to ourselves?

Years ago, a dear friend recommended I start this process by writing down my dreams every morning. I remember saying to her that I don’t remember them. She gently told me that if I could just start writing down the few bits I remember, they would come to me more and more. She was an incredible mentor to me, much older and wiser, so I did what she suggested. Amazingly, over time I did start to remember more and more. I awoke some mornings feeling so happy, as if while my physical body slept, my soul was somewhere else having the time of my life. To this day, I can remember vividly many of my dreams. This was the beginning of me finding my inner knowing I had as a child.

By following a few ideas below, you will be surprised by how quickly you can develop your intuition and start listening to your gut...just like when you were a young child.

• When a question pops into your brain, pay attention to the very first answer that comes to you. This sounds simple, but it is actually trickier than you think. Our brain tends to flood us with several answers at once, so you really have to be aware. You can practice by walking into a grocery store or an ice cream shop and asking, “What do I want?” Listen to the very first thought that comes to you and ignore the next ones like...but I need protein or I had that flavor yesterday or what is on sale...just pick the first thing that comes to mind.

• Exercise the creative side of your brain. The right hemisphere of your brain is where your intuition stems from. Spend time creating, painting, dancing, imagining, visualizing, skipping, playing, brainstorming. All these activities involve the part of your brain that controls expression, holistic thought and nonverbal communication.

• Listen to your gut. Literally, your stomach will sometimes feel uncomfortable if you “knowingly” make a wrong decision.

• Meditation, which helps clear your mind of repetitive and worrisome thoughts makes it easier to truly listen to your gut. If you have never meditated, start with two minutes a day and increase it by a minute every week. Meditation takes practice, so begin slowly and I promise, it will get more comfortable.

• Believe and trust in your instincts. There are decisions you will need to make based on facts, figures and qualifications. Yet, others will not be as obvious which is when intuition is all you really have to rely on.

Along with the tips above, you might also find some of the following books helping in figuring out the difference between the thoughts coming from your rational mind versus your actual intuition. Also, be gentle with yourself, this is a self learned process that takes practice.

Books on Intuition

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

The Intuitive Way: The Definitive Guide to Increasing Your Awareness by Penney Peirce

The Art of Intuition: Cultivating Your Inner Wisdom by Sophy Burnham

The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence by Gavin de Becker

#listentoyourgut #instincts #intuition #enlightenment