Mind Over Matter

   Once again, I've found myself struggling to decide which topic I would write about... which had prompted me to expand on my telling of 2019 so far. If you've read How To Light The Fire, you'll recall that 2019 came crashing down on the first weekend of the year (for me). While I was literally in the midst of starting many things that have now come together in my business, I was suddenly in a position of being thrown 10 steps behind myself. This is not an ideal place to be, especially if the circumstances are completely out of anyone's control.

   Throughout February, I had revisited my previous article a few times - because I realize that I did remove a lot of information from it before publishing it. Regularly, I remove sentences if I feel they sound repetitive or if I decide something is too personal to share... but sometimes, I remove sentences (and even paragraphs) because I'm hesitant of the potential reaction. While time and time again, I find my general morals and opinions common amongst genuine souls; there's still too much conflict to easily be directed at (and personalities that would be quick to squash) people like myself. Either way, this "distraction" kept me from properly focusing on writing something new and instead continue writing my previous post...

   Throughout January, my life was all over the place: I had to pause the work on my website, I delayed my (Reiki & other) training, and had to put working another job as my first priority all while I adapted into the new "caretaker" routine I have at home. I honestly saw this as an obstacle to my plans until I realized how much good could come as a result! I found that learning Reiki wasn't hindered (as long as I continuously use it on myself as well!) by these obstacles, and turned into a regular practice performed on my dog. Instead of worrying that my head wasn't clear enough to undertake all of this at the same time, I noticed that being attuned was also helping me to step back, be gentler with myself, and make (minor) changes possible to allow me to "tune in" better.

   While the month of February carried more lingering uncertainty, I began to realize that staying strong in my practice ensured that things moved in the right direction. For me: this meant continuously shutting down negative thoughts and following them with a positive affirmation (focusing on a more positive outcome, if needed), and keeping up with my spiritual practices (reiki, readings, meditations, etc). If ever in doubt - I reminded myself of how far this has already brought me. During the days where my dog was on oxygen and I was warned (many times) not to be surprised if he passed away, I continuously shot the idea down and internally fought it with positive affirmations.

   I may never know if it truly made a difference, but considering how the odds were stacked against us for days.. I have reason to believe my mindset and practices helped my dog overcome the odds. Because I had to: Time was spent preparing for the worst and grieving over how to handle that possibility, but deep down, I didn't want to entertain that idea; not yet anyways. I had been told that I acted a bit selfish in thinking so, but I really didn't think it was his time and that became the "fact" that I held onto. Once this settled within me, I began doing some things that I don't normally do...

   Firstly, I should remind that I am not a religious person. I am open-minded about religions, but I do not devote myself to any one. With that being the case, I've never taken part in any religious activities and am unfamiliar with any related practices... However: as an Intuitive Empath, it's become routine for me to speak to my guides and the Archangels before I go to sleep at night. This first started years ago when I learned etheric cord cleansing - I have found this more beneficial to do at the end of my day, so it became routine to do this before bed. If you're unfamiliar with this: it is an essential practice to detach from all the energies you've picked up on & absorbed throughout the day. [I teach this as part of my Empath 101 program!]

   For me, laying flat out on my bed is a quick way to transition myself to a meditative state; as I began to learn more protection, cleansing, and healing self-meditations, many were incorporated into my "pre-bedtime" practice. Once my development taught me that I received messages from the Archangels (and therefore, they could hear me too!), I began to trust this fact and spoke to them at night. My non-religious background saw that I wasn't too sure what to make of this, but I pushed myself to believe in it; even asking them to provide some assistance or signs as a form of proof for me to continue believing. I've come to learn this isn't too much to ask of them, especially when you come to realize that certain ones (for me, it's sometimes Archangel Michael) tend to bombard you with thoughts/messages.

   With my dog in the hospital, I decided to say that now more than ever, I needed the help and a reason to believe they were listening. I continuously asked that he be provided with healing energy, and asked that he recover from his illnesses. This activity was a constant during the dark days.. along with the reflection on what changes I will make to ensure the best possible outcome after the fact. Realizing that you would do anything to make sure someone is healthy and safe becomes a focus that's full of drive and power. We also give this degree of power to any goal we're set to accomplish - when something is important to us, you will find our heart and soul shedding tears and blood for it.

   Recognizing that everyone is able to do this for themselves is a truth that is often overlooked. When we put all our efforts into something, allowing our determination to drive us and block out any odds & negative thoughts/comments, we always find a way to accomplish what we set out to do. Over the years, I've come to recognize when roadblocks are instead meant to be signs on not to follow through with something... I tend to push forward until I encounter odds that force me to abandon the idea, and this is when I realize it may not be the right time, or it may not be good for me. THESE are the true signs from the universe showing us the correct path and that everything happens for a reason! When this proves to be the case: I take it with a grain of salt realizing that what I attempted was just another learning experience, and am thankful to have not gone further down a road that may have been disastrous (for me).

   Realizing that focusing on positive affirmations, making positive changes, and believing in myself, created an optimal mindset. It takes work to block out all negativity, but once you've rid yourself of any negative influences (habits, people, etc), it's much easier to work on blocking out negative thoughts! Keeping a positive outlook/mindset has proven to be crucial in not only seeing through a very difficult & uncertain time, but allowing my spiritual practices to continue excelling during it. Realistically, life can't be flowers & smiles 24/7 without needing a break! We all have to have some form of conflict to "spice things up", keep us on our toes, and see that we make any needed changes. It's our ability to handle these situations (which is easier to handle when they are just tiny bumps within this positive lifestyle) that see's whether or not we spiral back into a negative outlook - which will change us.

   While I still cannot say or claim that my practices influenced the outcome, there's a part of me that wants to agree with that statement. As the progression of my dog's illnesses saw us bouncing between vet offices for specialists and his need to be on oxygen, I found myself facing the tough decision on more than 2 occasions: "he may not make it through the day/night", so please make your final decisions and fill out these forms. I understand this is standard for such situations... but I wasn't accepting of the possibility given the fact that it came on very suddenly and I really didn't feel it was his time. Yet I went home to wait and did everything that I mentioned above... It was a painful, long week but he took a turn in a positive direction during his last overnight stay - and now, he's home and comfortable, and as healthy as he can be. Either way, I wouldn't change a thing and I'm somehow sure it would not have been possible if I had given (up) into negative thoughts.

#empath #intuitiveempath #lifelessons #mindfulness #reiki #overcomingobstacles #empathconfessions