Intuition (mostly every day, these days)

When I align my being with what I believe, think, and speak, my intuitive nature comes through. Life becomes more “in the flow”; everything from finances to parking spaces open up for me. I'm more open to my intuitive messages, and hope I can utilize those gifts to help others.

Sometimes intuition move through me as words I actually hear, loud and clear. Those are clairaudient (psychic ability to hear things that are beyond the range of the ordinary power of hearing) signs. I don’t always know what the messages I receive mean when they come through me. I just trust I will understand later. Most of the time, these messages show themselves to something that happens in the future, and sometimes it's about the collective consciousness, and sometimes it's personal. Intuitive messages also come through my dreams. Here are some recent intuitive examples.

Sunday morning, September 28th, between slumber and wakefulness, I heard the words “Put America First”. I thought those were odd words to wake to, but I trusted what I heard, and knew I would understand more. I’ve trusted the messages I receive, and know it’s a gift for me to “see” what cannot be seen with the five senses.


I also decided last week to volunteer for the presidential candidate of my choice that day, canvassing targeted voters, checking if those voters were registered to vote by mail, and collecting data to be used for the “get out the vote” time as election time draws closer. For me, to take action made me feel my energy was assisting in the building the America I want to live in.

Monday, the country found itself deep in a financial crisis, with Congressional lawmakers working toward a “rescue bill” to slow the train wreck of an economy teetering on the brink of collapse. Tuesday, a bill was presented to Congress to vote on, not a great bill, but one that would send a message to the financial markets that the government would steadfastly financially back the poor decisions of financial institutions for their risky investments and lending. Credit for businesses large and small has become increasingly tight, and the reality of more and more smaller operations going under will have a major impact on us all. Congress failed to pass this rescue legislation. On Tuesday, September 29, the stock market plummeted, dropping almost 800 points, its worst loss ever.

Suddenly, the words I heard made sense. “Put America First” meant to me, coming to an agreement that served Americans, not the egos of the Congressional body.

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Last night, I dreamed I was having tea with a friend. My friend and I were sitting outside, and the weather was beautiful, with absolutely blue, clear skies, and leafy, autumn trees as our semi-shady canopy. Suddenly, ants fell on me. Large, red ants, and they were biting me. My friend and I shook them off us as fast and furiously as we could. And I woke up, remembering every visual and tactile detail of my dream.

I recently talked to my aunt, whom I love dearly, so I thought maybe that was some subconscious spill-over. I also am working rapidly on lots of creative graphic projects, and I know that the ant symbolizes the ant totem of the hard worker, as well as a creature needing community for its survival. The ant works for the good of the whole. Ants also are very strong, with the ability to lift 20 to 50 times its own weight. I feel strong these days, yet lighter in many ways.

This evening, when I came home, I started chatting with my next door neighbor. I didn’t park inside my garage, knowing I would be running out to the grocery store later. As we talked, I looked down on my driveway, and there was a solid mass of hundreds upon hundreds of ants in a paved divide of my driveway.



When I get messages from my dreams, or I hear words loud and clear, that couldn’t possibly be anything I would normally (or abnormally) think about, it’s definitely time to tune in deeply to my internal landscape, and notice my external landscape. As the two blend, I receive the message I’m on the path to discover more about my intuitive gifts.

Fiscal Responsibility

When I talk to people, there's very little certainty about the nation's economy. We've seen major financial institutions on Wall Street and in the banking sector disappear for risky investment decisions, to be bought and paid for by more solvent and solid companies, with some of these companies getting incredible deals, and looking toward their future expansion.

What I am noticing, when I view the current economic situation is fear. But what I understand in my education is the fear has been there all the time. At the time of crisis, people become "more" of what they are. 

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real

I've talked to people who are considering extracting tens of thousands of dollars from their 401K savings to put in the bank. I don't think they've taken a look at what's really happening with our country and the economic woes. They base their information solely on the media. Their choices are to operate out of emotions. Emotions can tell a lot of things about what's going on inside you. Sometimes our emotions revert us back to our wounded child. I don't think I would want my 7 year-old wound self making decisions that could impact my future opportunities. So I don't operate from my emotions, unless I've done my emotional "sit-ups". I ask the hard questions. I research. I tune in and don't numb out. And I definitely don't follow the herd.

Yes, I've seen my retirement savings lose about 11% in the past several months. If I were to "cash out" my savings, I would be losing a whole lot more than that, (more like giving the tax structure a great big present) and I would be operating under fear. I'm not in denial. I invested for the long term, not the short term (short term, risky returns is the reason this mess got started anyway). I actually know there's some big opportunities to be had in the current market, and my optimism isn't misplaced.

If fear or any other emotion drives your decisions, whether you are in a crisis, or moving through life with with no parachute needed, you are not in control. Your emotions are running the show. When you trust information from outside yourself, you are letting the environment you live in dictate your choices. I'm not saying to live in denial. I'm saying, conduct your life with due diligence, investigate, research, know how you emotionally operate, and why you do what you do. A life coach can help you see the big picture of yourself and your best life.

Look at how you respond to life and crisis. It's important to train yourself to be emotionally fit. Discover your emotional patterns, and when the news isn't what you'd rather hear, have the tools to handle life with creativity and live life on your own sensible terms, not living life by operating on how other people and the current environment look and feel.



Before I left for the last coaching intensive, we were asked to look at one area of our life, where we needed to improve. I chose my finances. We were asked to come up with an action step that was measurable, that we could take, to radically improve our life in that specific area. I chose to create a budget for myself, and a plan to pay my current debt down. I also challenged myself to spend money only where I felt it was important to, and although I would love to go to workshops where I can learn and grow, I decided to put my present and future first, stick with a payment plan so I could have stability to do the things I know I want to do later. Since much of my income was from freelancing, one of the other things I knew I needed to take action on was to find a reliable work position that paid me on a regular basis. I couldn't produce a budget if I didn't know what my income looked like.

It took some time, but I found the perfect work opportunity, and really am enjoying the work I'm doing. I threw a lot of fishing lines out to find the position I currently have, and was willing to do most anything in my field, but I also allowed myself to think bigger, and out of the box, and my work life is better than I could have imagined since I chose to be open-minded and look at unlimited possibilities, and not see myself doing something specific, and pigeon-hole myself and my skills.

It's important to build certainty in my own life, and make plans to succeed. That's why I am being trained as an integrative coach. I know I will be able to help others get what they want with my excellent training.

The best part about building certainty, is creating fun along the way, and knowing that life can be better than I ever imagined!

Safety in Community

Recently, I spent some time with the amazing community of coaches, participants, assistants, and staff of the Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching. And, of course, Debbie Ford, who always makes me smile and think with my heart. For four days, we immersed ourselves in the processes of revealing our individual “blueprints” of behaviors and actions, to uncover the gifts our habits, beliefs, patterns, and stories had to offer. To know my own story, and to know that I am not solely my story assists me to "step out" of my story, my limited perception in who I am and what I'm capable of, and I can understand the bigger picture of my part in the community of humankind. Allowing me to reveal my story, as well as opening up to others and hearing their stories by really listening with my heart, without judgment can unlock the shackles of limitation imprisoning us, keeping us stuck and small. When someone like a well-trained coach holds the global reflection to me of the “bigger picture” of my true potential, I am gifted with endless possibilities.

My blogs to come will reflect on thoughts and ideas planted and fertilized from the Blueprint Intensive. Four days of dwelling in many thought-provoking processes, allowing myself to feel connected to so many people (some on this journey with me since my first Shadow Process with the Ford Institute from September 2007) and having this family allow me to be a witness to extraordinary shifts in personal perception is both humbling and exhilarating. I love myself more, and I love all the people on this path. Internal reflection is, to me, a sacred journey, and I do my best to open that vast portal of sacredness in all I do. When even cleaning the cat litter box becomes a sacred act, there's not much to avoid, procrastinate on, or numb out to. (Maybe cleaning cat litter isn't my most favorite sacred act, but my sweet 17-year old cat Sturgis offers me such incredible unconditional love and fun, and he thinks it's a vital act, and so it is.) When we connect all the actions of our lives with deep holiness and reverence, every single act, sort of like connecting the dots on a piece of paper to reveal the visual picture that helps shape our understanding of this life, the shifts in perception become more noticeable and frequent. 

There are many people on this planet, walking this path of self-discovery, recovery, honoring their divine nature, and remembering. In this special community of the Institute for Integrative Coaching, safety and confidentiality is a paramount element, and hopefully my writings exhibit respect for those elements with humor and love. Debbie and her staff build a safe container of love, non-judgment, respect, and wisdom, and I have learned from my own "story", and other people on this path that feeling safe truly is the gift I can give myself, as well as hold the space for others and their safety.

Louise L. Hay's affirmation “I am safe, and all is well in my world” comes to mind. Allow that affirmation to become you in this moment.