I am a work in progress … always … and some days are better than others. How about you?

One thing I see a lot in my clients and students, and something I have struggled with in the past myself … is staying connected to spirit … being consistent with my spiritual practice. I have found that for myself, that it is an absolute necessity even though for many years I felt like it was a choice. It’s not, not for me anyway. I soon discovered … that for me …

When you have high self-esteem and self-confidence you show the world the best version of yourself. Nothing is more important than the way you think and feel about yourself.

In the late 1980s, I did a lot of work in the education field helping teachers and administrators bring self-esteem training to the classroom. If students felt more confident about their abilities, we discovered, they stretched more as students – which improved the learning process by making them less afraid of failure. One byproduct of building confidence and self-esteem is that you tend to be less shy about speaking up, offering your ideas, and showing the world your best self.

Do you feel alone in the world? Are you feeling isolated, or overwhelmed, and confused? Are you feeling lost and aren’t sure where to go and what to do? Do you wish you had real support, some extra help to get through the day? The good news is that you are not ever. You have many beautiful spirit guides with you at all times, eager to help and ready to do so right now. Moreover, the more you ask for their help, the happier they are to offer it. Watch this video to learn how to connect with your spirit guides right away and begin to benefit from their assistance and comfort.

Don’t worry this blog does not contain spoilers from Game of Thrones season 7 finale but I couldn’t help but be compelled by the sentence in quotes I put in the title. ( fans go and watch it now!!)

Thought it might be interesting to explore some questions this week. They sound easy to answer but I gotta be honest I squirmed when being really honest with my answers.

This past week being the eclipse week has required me to ask myself some very important questions you might like to ponder too.

The destination means nothing if you don’t appreciate the journey.

 

Life is a journey, not a destination. You’ve probably heard it before. But, what does it actually mean?

 

How many times were you asked as a child “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

 

From an early age you’re thrust into the mind frame of attaining, accomplishing or doing ‘something.’ Trying to be somebody. Wanting to go somewhere. Working hard to make something of your life. You get so focused on what you want to be, where you want to go, or what you want to do that you see where you are – right here, right now – as just a stepping stone; a necessary requirement for your desired result.

What is your Higher Self?

For me it’s my Best Self, who I truly want to be, fulfilling all of my available potential. Of course, as it serves me.

Along my Spiritual path, I have come to believe – and want to promote – some very high-level, all embracing values I honour. They are my chosen foundation.

The pop quiz every day is: how do I manifest those values in my everyday life? A tough standard to meet. It’s like building a brick wall, with me making and placing every brick. These are the values I espouse - am I living them?

Well here we are post eclipse and the energy is ripe for change in the best way possible. The significance of this phenomena will be felt over the next six months. The question now is how to we raise our vibe in a consistent manner so that our joy and our commitment to a better life is stronger than our fear of outer conditions?

Being rejected is an inevitable part of life. When we don’t understand the rejection from the eyes of higher intelligence, it is easy to create a very painful emotional experience along with a lot of unnecessary suffering.

 

For example, the fear of rejection can hold people back from marketing their business or taking initiative with a love interest. It is important to realize that the fear is based on self-judgment and the projection of insecurities. 

I attribute much of my success to the importance of mindset, meditation, and masterminding. They have contributed much to my life and you too can enjoy their benefits as well with a little effort.

My mission is to help financially heal the world. I help people to remove the shame blame and judgment from money. People become numb to sliding a credit card. They know that financially they've done things wrong, and they want solutions.
  

We as human beings do not take our emotions out of our money decisions. The only way to build wealth is from the inside out.

This fall, I have five back-to-back trips over two and a half months. Lots of travel … Which I LOVE!

I’ll be in Sedona – for my sold-out retreat, Puerto Penasco, Mexico – for my son’s wedding, Sedona again – Celebrate Your Life, The Florida Keys – Writer’s Retreat (still a couple spots open) and Punta Cana – to officiate an amazing couple’s wedding (yes, I travel to cool locations to officiate weddings – it’s a tough job, but some lucky gal has to do it!)


These trips are going to be fabulous. All work (fun) trips, except the Mexico trip for my son’s wedding … Which I am sooooo excited about! WOOHOO!!! I am blessed to be able to travel to such fun places for my JOB. It truly is fabulous. Next year I already have a trip or two booked every month. It’s going to be a busy 2018  YAY!!!

When the world looks as turbulent and troubled as it does now, people feel trapped. Instead of feeling secure in prosperous safety zones, even developed countries now feel the pressure of uncontrollable forces, including stateless terrorism, a historical peak in refugees, the threat of epidemic diseases, and fast-encroaching climate change. How many people truly believe that these problems will be solved—or are even solvable? An erosion of hope is underway, and this more than anything must be reversed.

 

I have a favorite author named Ann Lamott who posted a poignant and very funny post on facebook in response to the ever increasing threatening state of affairs in our world especially in the USA. This weekend brought more evidence that things are taking a turn yet again.

When we grasp different aspects of our being, aiming to fix or heal each one, we may end up feeling fragmented and lacking. Another approach is to sit in the essence of flavor that we are, breathing in to the core of our self as though we are a tree, noting that each aspect of our being is a dance in motion. In the center of all this is a stillness that is love.

 

If you’re looking for a vacation where you can visit spiritual sites, holy temples, power places as well as experience incredible local food and culture, South India is hard to beat! Here’s our round-up of 7 of our favourite sacred sites in South India – some well-known while others lie off the usual tourist trails!

In this world our lives are informed by our Communities.

From the moment of conception you are in community – the community of Humans.

It’s inescapable. The interlocking circles of your communities are everywhere: Male/Female, Son/Daughter, Parent – obviously my experience with no children is very different from anyone who’s had a child - Family, Country, Culture, Profession, Religion…Many of these define our experiences. Muslims have Ramadan in their lives, Christians have Easter, Jews don’t eat pork, Hindus see cows as sacred. Your relationship to practices like these is one deciding point in your unique life; even rejecting such a value is one.

For those of you that have kids heading to college or moving out … For those of you that have a sense of emptiness and sadness that your child is heading out on his/her own … leaving you to YOUR life. I share this little story from my life 9 years ago. I have recently repeated this experience with my baby … twice. He moved out into the dorms, then back in for a year … and most recently out again. I know that sadness you can feel … but man oh man, what a gift it is to release our children to their dreams, their lives and their creations. I say release very loosely … as if we have a choice. But we do … we can see it from a perspective of pain and loss vs. a place of gratitude and appreciation. – Enjoy it all my friend. – SDJ ♥

Humans and animals. How are we different? Or perhaps a better question might be — How are we the same?

Some people believe that animals aren’t conscious and that they don’t have empathy or feel pain. Others believe that humans are above animals and that we can do with them whatever we wish.

But why do we think these things?

Watch the following three powerful and compelling videos and see if you’re thinking shifts.

Video 1: Do animals have emotions?

In this first, very short video, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard questions why we regard human life as having infinite value but see the value of animals as being almost zero.

By now you have heard about this crazy month of lunar and solar eclipse activity designed to shake us up, support us, and transform us in positive ways.

 

Back down memory lane. There are times you have to go back before you can go forward.

 

Childhood memories.

 

Jubilation, awkward times and growing pains; some memories fill your heart with warm contentment and others you’d rather forget.

 

A foundational period that molds and shapes your thoughts, behavior and contributes to who you become.

 

You are on the receiving end of your caregiver’s conditioning, thoughts and idiosyncrasies. Implanted in your impressionable mind are inherited beliefs and responses that can become both beneficial and detrimental throughout your life.        

 

Time passes, you get older, and you capitalize on opportunities to shape and form the person you want to be.