ToT Tip: Any Day You Learn a Lesson is a Good Day!

Some days are full of challenge. Some days feel like suffering.  Some days ...life just sucks.  Recently, even though I know better, I found myself having some of these negative thoughts.  I was complaining (to myself and God) about how hard this physical human thing is.  Then, my laptop crashed.  I hadn't backed up in weeks and had been doing a lot of writing.  Like a light switch, my crazy-on-fire writer took a nose dive into a state of misery.  Why me!?!  I got myself worked up and slipped into a real funk. A few days later I managed to climb out of that deep well of misery where the victim in me stumbled in the dark.  Once back in the light, I had an epiphany, of sorts.  I'd asked for it!  

I know that what I think and say comes to me. I've proven it to myself over and over.  And it's what I teach to others, for goodness sake!  My thinking (and complaining) about how hard being human is was like placing an order to the Universe.  The Universe simply answered my call. Hardship befell me. Quick and with precision.  

The light bulb moment actually made me laugh.  Soon, I ordered a new laptop.  And I remembered something my mom said one time when I was lamenting over something.  She said, "Any day you learn a lesson is a good day."

I learned and re-learned the lesson of watching my mouth, my thoughts, and my behavior—the importance of keeping them in check.  And that counting my blessings helps me climb out of that deep well of darkness. It was a few days of some good learning!  Thanks mom.

Trinity of Truth Tip: Talk to Your Problems About God

Prayer is for honoring God, but it's also where we go for guidance, help, and to resolve problems.  Regardless of your reason, always begin prayer in a state of appreciation.  Counting your blessings sets the tone to one that most resembles God-like energy.  Next, repeat "Thank you for loving me" for several minutes.  Tune into the moment. My mom taught me that when it comes to asking for help, "Don't talk to God about your problems, talk to your problems about God."

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Consider a current problem.  How would you share your knowledge of God with the problem?  How could your understanding of God help?  What would you say?  Instead of simply "turning it over to God," shift your circumstances by consciously and deliberately sharing your wisdom.  Set the scene and watch it play out.  Observe the outcome. 

 

Close by giving thanks to God for helping you and for loving you.           

Trinity of Truth Tip—Call Your Mother

In my dressing room hangs a poster called "Life's Little Instructions."  I have it in my line of sight so it easily grabs my attention.  The instructions say "Be the first to say hello" and "Treat everyone the way you wish to be treated" and other things like that.  The last instruction says "Call Your Mother."  Today, this particular instruction struck me as the most important one. 

My mom passed away just a few short weeks ago.  I cherish the last phone call we had the week prior.   It was one of the longer calls we'd had in a while.  I read to her.  She listened.  And she offered insight to questions I had.  She explained to me what would be most helpful to people as I discover ways to be of service in my work, writing and teaching.  We talked about God.  How best to ask for God's guidance and how to share this with others.  She said to always keep things positive.  Negativity, she said, helps no one and will drive them away.  

The massive stroke left my mom, such a wise soul, unable to talk.  As she lay dying, I stood at her bedside.  I talked.  She still listened.   

Yesterday, walking along the lake, I called out to my mom—asking her how to hold on to what she's given me.  How to keep her wisdom alive inside me.  How do I know you are with me, I asked.  How do I keep you with me, always?  As I approached a bench I noticed a small piece of paper on the ground.  Before sitting, I picked it up.  Unfolding it, a warmth filled my heart.  The words brought a soft salty sting to my eyes.   Filled with a sweet ache, her essence embraced me as I read, "I still call out for you sometimes."

Even though my mom is no longer with me in physical form, I still call to her.  She responds, she still listens, she calls back.    

A mother is never far away.  Even if she's on the other side, call to her.  No longer held back by the limitations of being human, her ability to talk to you, to love you, is amplified.  Call out to her.  Be still.  Now listen.   

Pictured above with my daughter and me is my mom ...the day she "gave me away" to my sweet husband twelve years ago on September 23, 2000.

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Trinity of Truth Tip: I Can See Clearly Now

When you leave your car parked under a an old evergreen tree for weeks, your windshield gathers layers of sap, building a sticky film.  It's the same with your intuition—it gets clouded when you sit idle, when you choose to limit your field of vision by not being open-minded or exploring new ways of thinking.  To be more intuitive, you've got to move your mind, open it.  If you don't it grows weak, dull, narrow, and like the dirty windshield, blurry—making  it hard to see what's ahead of you.

Challenge yourself to see things from various points of view.  When something or someone causes you to feel angry, consider what in their behavior is triggering your reaction.  Shift your perspective from "why are they treating me this way" to "I wonder what's going on for them that's causing them to act out so poorly?"  People generally have negative behavior because they are suffering.  Open your mind and see the world from their perspective.  As the cliché goes, "walk a mile in their shoes...." Also study other religions, political beliefs, or cultures—without judging them.  Open your mind to a more global point of view.

When you begin to shift your understanding and see that others are doing the best they can with what they have or know at the time, your vision widens.  Your heart softens.  You begin to see more clearly and are no longer so offended or annoyed.  You come to know that what other people do or say really has nothing to do with you. 

When you wipe away judgments, biases, and expectations, it's like washing the windshield—you can see clearly now.

Trinity of Truth Tip: Gossiping Can Make You Fat!

How in the world could gossiping possibly make you fat?  Well, it has to do with your thyroid gland.  The thyroid gland is located in your throat area and the thyroid gland is part of what controls metabolism. Metabolism is about how fast we burn calories, that is to say, fat!  Guess what else is located in your throat?  A major energy center—the fifth chakra, the throat chakra. 

Talking negatively about other people is very tempting and sometimes even feels justified.  We often validate our talking about others by calling it "venting" --- but no matter what you call it, it's harmful to your personal energy system; in particular, all anatomy in the general area of the neck and throat. 

Bottom line, cut it out!  When you talk about others, you are judging and/or blaming them for something that rubs you the wrong way.   Judging and blaming are extremely negative and causes a lot of harm, namely to you.

Instead of letting the other person get you down, work on cultivating compassion and understanding.  Sure, they probably "are" super annoying, but it's not about you!  It's only about you if you let their behavior get to you.  See the other person as someone in need of understanding.  Perhaps they are suffering in some way.  You just can't know. 

What you can know is that any behavior on your part that is less than "nice" is only hurting you. And, yes, potentially adding a few pounds to your waistline!  From an energy medicine point of view, it's important to keep life force energy flowing through the thyroid gland.  

Next time you are tempted to "vent" simply shift perspective for a moment.  Can you see that the person who's annoying you is struggling?  Be the bigger person.  Someone needs to take the high road.  Let it be you.  Let your thyroid thrive!

Trinity of Truth Tip: Ah-motional Breathing for Emotional Balancing

Each chakra has a vowel sound associated with it.  Using your voice to express the sound (we call this toning in energy healing) serves as a way to "tune" the energy of a particular chakra to its best and highest energetic frequency.  The "ah" sound is used for the heart chakra.  

Whenever you feel emotionally spent or depleted try this to rebalance the heart center:      

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Place your hand on your chest.  Close your eyes.  Begin breathing through your nose.  Feel your breath coming and going.  Notice the depth of your breath, how your chest rises and falls. 

After establishing smooth rhythmic breathing (about three to five cycles) open your mouth on the exhale.  Inhale through the nose again.  Now, add the sound "ah" on each exhaling breath. 

With your hand still on your chest, feel the vibration of "ah" as you exhale.  If you can't feel the vibration, increase the tone (get louder) until you do. 

Imagine the vibration clearing the path for emotions to rise to surface.  Imagine the breath, the energy, the vibration, starting at the base of the spine.  See it rising toward the heart.  Allow the energy to settle into the heart center.  When you're ready, allow the vibration to expand.  The vibration of "ah" is the essence of love.  Tune into what love really, really, feels like.

Knowing that nothing is stronger than love, see the shields around the heart begin to crumble.  Feel the vibration expanding throughout your chest.  Imagine light expanding, radiating from the heart center, shattering anything that binds your heart.  Releasing as you exhale.  As you sing "ahhh..." letting go of what no longer serves you. Breathing, letting go ever more gently.    

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Tears are God's way of cleansing and healing a broken or saddened heart.  If they come, let them flow.