Change is in the air… On a societal level, on a natural level, and — based on what I’ve been hearing from my students and community — on a personal level as well. 

The “nothing is as it was before” feeling we’ve been dealing with for what seems like a lifetime has collided with the natural rhythms of life and the Universe. In the northern hemisphere, we’re well into the fall season, a time full of transformation. Kids are back to school in some way, shape or form (hugs and blessings on parents and teachers as you navigate the ever-changing landscape of education!). And even though we’re developing creative ways to celebrate, holidays are upon us. 

During this period, it’s essential to maintain your equilibrium. The earth is turning, but you can plant your feet firmly and enjoy the ride! 

To help you reconnect with yourself and the world around you, here are 10 ways to stay grounded. 

I've Been Thinking...

Earlier this week, I thought I was going to write this Sunday about the long lines people have been standing in to vote. Then I thought I was going to write about Amy Coney Barrett’s testimony in front of the Senate. Then I watched the dueling town halls on Thursday night and thought, “OK, I’ll write about that.” (As usual, a lot happened this week, and there was a lot to think about.) But then Pope Francis got me. He always gets me.

This week, the Pope wrote: “Tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women.”

Tenderness and courage in the same sentence. I love that! I know you can get the news of the week anywhere, so instead, I want to focus on these words. Embodying them could really benefit us in the coming weeks.

If ever there was a time for courageous men and women to step forward, it is now. But how we step forward is the key. We are inundated with examples of people stepping forward with rage, anger, and the intention to rile us up, confuse us, gaslight us, and scare us. It’s a lot, but when the Pope suggested stepping out with tenderness, I took a deep breath. It was a breath of relief. It made me feel like, “OK, we’ve got this. We can do this. Here is the path. Here are my directions.”

Now, I didn’t grow up with tenderness. I didn’t hear the courageous people around me even speak the word. But I have felt tenderness in my life and I know that it can be life-changing. Bestowing tenderness on an individual allows a person to feel seen. It allows them to soften and feel their worth. 

"There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

I've Been Thinking...

Hi there. How are you feeling today? Take a minute to check in with yourself. Are you doing OK?

There’s a lot going on in our country and in the world, so if your answer is “no,” I totally get that. The news is coming at us at such a dizzying pace that it’s really challenging to keep up with it all, much less know what to make of it. At least that’s how I’m feeling. So my thought for this Sunday is “let’s take a break from it all.”

People are tired and exhausted. Tired from trying to keep it all together. Exhausted from trying to figure out how to pivot, how to redirect, how to home school, how to shift a business model, how to care for everyone and act like it’s no big deal.

We all know the election is around the corner. In fact, millions of people have already voted, including me! We know the importance of voting. We know that elections are often decided by the smallest of numbers. We know that regardless of the noise out there, that mail-in voting is dependable and accurate. We know. We know. We know.

I've Been Thinking...

I woke up Wednesday morning feeling down. I mean, really down.

The presidential debate, which was anything but presidential, knocked me back. It was hard to watch. It was maddening, frustrating, irritating, depressing, and downright unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it (and I’ve seen a lot).

Friday morning, I found myself simply staring at the tree in my backyard. I always look to my tree for strength and inspiration. I look to it to reassure me that despite whatever is going on in my world or the world at large, it’s going to be OK.

The news that the president has Covid-19 knocked me back too, but unfortunately it didn’t surprise me. I wish I could say that I didn’t see this coming, but it’s one of the few things this year I actually did see coming. I mean, if people can get Covid from being in large, unmasked crowds, from not wearing masks, and from going about their business as usual, well, then why wouldn’t the president and his entourage get it? Why would they be the exception?

Worry is a waste of time.

It changes nothing.

Most of the things you are worrying about now, you won’t remember in a few years.

Stop focusing on the small stuff that you won’t even remember a week from now, and certainly not on your death bed.

Life gives you no refunds for the time you spent worrying.

What you focus on expands, so focus on what is truly important and meaningful to you. Decide to constantly feed what is beautiful about yourself and your life rather than what isn’t.

The quality of your life will be determined by the quality of your attention. And this is your choice.

By trying to furiously control life, you often end up controlled by it.

I've Been Thinking...

I want to go slow this morning. I want to ease my way into your heart and mind.

After all, entry into those spaces is sacred. I know that. It always has been. But, now it’s really sacred, and it’s something I take seriously.

It’s scary out there, right? It’s scary, and it’s noisy as hell. There is so much trying to make its way into your mind, and very little of it benefits you personally (please see my interview with the director of the new film "The Social Dilemma" below about this very issue). It is challenging to navigate all of the information and/or misinformation coming your way. If you aren’t vigilant, it can make you feel, well... crazy.

Speaking of crazy, I don’t use that word lightly. Anyone who has felt crazy in their life, or who has been made to feel like they are losing their mind, knows how triggering it can be to be told you’re crazy, or that you don’t know what you are talking about, or that what you are saying or seeing isn’t true. That said, we are in crazy-making times. Perhaps you feel crazy like I do when people insist the pandemic is a hoax despite the fact that more than 200,000 Americans have lost their lives. It’s crazy-making that a young woman can be killed in her home and no one is held responsible for her death. It’s crazy-making when the President of the United States floats the idea that he might not leave the White House, even if he loses. What?? 

Election years are supercharged with the energy of transformation and 2020 is no exception. Conspiracy theories, sensationalized news, and untruths are potentially influencing the outcome of a very important presidential race. With everything going on, is it possible for a psychic to cut through the distraction and clearly predict the winner?

Take a deep breath; I think it is possible to predict the presidential winner and I’m going to do it.

First, we need to recognize that the collective energy of humanity is the determining factor of the presidential race. This energy is constantly shifting, which makes predicting correctly very challenging. Many would argue it is not even possible.

Second, remember that your personal beliefs of our world will create your day-to-day experience, regardless of who becomes the president. Your emotional wellness will influence the outcome of this race and your life experience.

With that being said, I will begin the process of making my forecast.

Here are the practices that guide my projection.

Wow the last few months have been a ride, huh? We’ve had so many things occur and so many random things come up in the last few months.Through all of it,  I think it’s super important for all of us to pay attention to the signs we’re receiving in our lives. 

What are the signs saying?

Whether you follow astrological charts or not, (though I don’t personally follow them closely,  I’ve known enough to know) there are signs all around us pushing us towards destinations, and one of the things we need to realize is this: whenever we see a sign, we need to pay attention to it. It’s there for a reason.

In a recent blog, I talked about a powerful technique I learned while studying in England. My tutors taught me how to move away from feeling down and low during challenging times and to “think up” so I could get back on the path of clarity and purpose. If you're feeling anything like me, then as we move through this particularly challenging time with Covid, it's so important to deal with any fears and anxieties, and to start to get back on your path of purpose. So, what better time than right now!

Here's an exercise to help you connect with your higher consciousness. You will even be able to ask questions for a little extra guidance. Let’s begin:

Sit in a comfortable chair. Close your eyes and relax. Now I want you to bring your awareness to the bottom of your feet. Let your breath assist you in transferring the relaxing energy up through the bottom of your feet. Slowly work your way up your calves, your thighs, your abdomen, your chest, your fingers, your hands, your arms, your shoulders, your neck, your face … right to the top of your head.

Now imagine that there’s a big funnel starting to form on top of your head, reaching out into the universe. Think of it as a vortex of energy reaching upward. Let your awareness constantly flow up and out of your head and into this funnel above you. All the information you want can be brought to you.

What helps you carry your load?

The Practice:
Feel the support.

Why?

We’re all carrying a load, including tasks, challenges, worries, inner criticism, mistreatment from others, physical and emotional pain, loss and illness now or later, and everyday stresses and frustrations.

Take a moment to get a sense of your own load. It’s very real, isn’t it? Recognizing it is just honesty and self-compassion, not exaggeration or self-pity.

There’s a fundamental model in the health sciences that how you feel and function is based on just three factors: your load, the personal vulnerabilities it wears upon – such as health problems, a sensitive temperament, or a history of trauma – and the resources you have. As a law of nature, if your load or vulnerabilities increase – over a day, a year, or a lifetime – so must your resources. Otherwise, inevitably, you will get strained, depleted, and ground down. I’ve had times like this myself, and I’ve seen it in loved ones.

This morning, I felt it. 

All of it… the tears, the grief, the sense of how REAL this all is. If you are the same — feeling the darkness and the fear, I want to send you a huge virtual hug right now. You are not alone! 

And while the hug may help, the REAL path out of the pit is to stay focused on the solutions. We want (and need) solutions-based ways and protocols that keep us close to our higher power, and help us hold onto a positive vision. 

We need to hold space for a true vision, one that isn’t set on “This will be all over on XYZ date, and THEN I’ll feel better.” Instead, we have to make room for the unknown. We don’t know WHEN everything will be over, or when (if ever) things will go back to “normal.” When we do that, we set ourselves up for failure because there’s no way to know when things will be over, or what the new “normal” will look like. That can cause even more stress. 

I recently hosted a Facebook Live session filled with tips on how to cope with the anxiety you’re going through right now with the coronavirus and having to stay at home.

I wanted to check in this week and see how you were all doing. Plus, I thought I’d put my 10 Tips in this blog so you can have them handy. I hope they help to make your time at home a little easier and a little less stressful.

Here they are—10 Tips to Survive Staying at Home:

I was asking Spirit what topic I should write about and I heard: “Talk about the one you’re in” and I smiled. So … I am writing about SURRENDER!  I recently spent the entire morning working on surrender as I rescheduled our trip to Peru. It is such a bummer, and at the same time totally necessary right now.

The day before, around 6:30pm, I got a call from my travel guru who said, “We must decide on Peru – in like 36 hours. Everybody who has signed up for the trip has to make a decision, not just us.” My heart sunk as I realized we would have to contact over 35 people and get an answer within the next 36 hours.  We had been asking for information for three weeks as to what we could do and what the options were … and they were not great. And of course, we all want to go.

The trip to Peru was scheduled for late June, which of course seems so far away; but the reality of it is, as far as international flights go, we could not wait any longer.  So, we had to make the decision very, very quickly to reschedule what dates we could reschedule during a time when the travel industry in general is closed. Hotels are closed, employees are on furlough … so the connections were sparse.

It has been really challenging. And I know this travel situation is not something that is new. It is happening for everyone. So, I am not complaining about it. To try to reschedule things and work on all this stuff without being able to get contacts, emails, responses, and communication within a foreign country was not an easy thing. So, that morning, I surrendered.

In my heart I knew everyone was going to be disappointed, but at the same time I held onto the thought that we still get to go. We just bump it out a year. That was the first surrender. It was certainly a challenge for me and my sense of responsibility because it is my group. I am taking 31 people to Peru. It is my responsibility, my risk, my people. They are MY responsibility. And at the same time, my hands were tied in a lot of ways and I did not have control. I’m not able to just snap my fingers and change it or figure it out or force it. Like there is nothing in my ability to do besides surrender. And so that is why I thought this would be a great topic to write about … because that’s how I started.

I had to sit in the energy of surrender … versus what is the other option?

Just give up?

Just quit?

Cancel everything and just shut down and go hide away and hide under the blankets and be depressed?

That is an option as well.

BUT it is not an option for me.

So, I surrender.

Bette Davis spoke this classic line in the film All About Eve, and it’s certainly apropos for the world we are currently in.

Unless you are in deep denial, the fact is that the rug has been pulled out from under all of us and it’s going to be bumpy for quite some time.

As we adjust to being in a collective dark night of the soul, we are individually figuring out how wrap our heads around the fact that right now there are no real answers: no one can say when/if the virus will end; when/ if certainty and stability will return; or if life as we once knew it will return.

Whether you are suffering through this process or are doing great with it (or bouncing between happiness and misery), most of us are now learning to adapt to “being with not knowing.”