Reiki

Have I told you my motto for the year? “Life is an experiment.”  What a freeing thought.  How can you fail when it’s all just an experiment anyway??  (Thanks to Christine Kane for this attitude shift.  She totally rocks. Check her out. See my sidebar.)

Ok, so life is an experiment.  You just GOTTA try new things with that attitude, right? I have spent the past mumble-mumble number of years always worrying about the what ifs in life.  If I do this, what will THEY think? If I do that, what if THIS happens? Such a LIMITING thought pattern, as I will strongly attest.  I am trying new things almost on a daily basis now and so far, the world has not come to an end! Amazing!

Today I chose to attend a Reiki class and received my first level certification or something like that.  I have had Reiki done “to me” and loved it.  I definitely see the value and reality of it.  What I’m not so sure about it if someone ordinary Joe like me is truly able to become one who performs Reiki.  I had an attunement, which supposedly empowers me with the energy connection that allows me to perform Reiki.  I learned about chakras, auras, and more.  Fascinating stuff, truly.  A lot I totally am into and want to learn more about. Now whether or not I will truly possess the ability to channel this healing energy as a healer? That I’m not so sure of.

I do believe a lot of it comes with practice. I know I have to learn to be more open to receiving the messages sent to me by angels and others outside our earthly world.  I do believe in angels and spiritual guides.  I do believe in signs.  Lord knows I have had lots of those messages delivered to me over the past couple of years. I just don’t know if I believe that someone like me is one who should be the messenger.

Time will tell.  No matter. It’s all good.

 

The Psychic Fair, Part II

I attended psychic fairs the past two weekends. It has been a few years since I have done this, but once again I am seeking someone with a crystal ball to tell me WHAT to do and WHEN to do it and WHERE to go. Yes, I want the easy way out.

Weekend before last I attended one in the Dallas area. Met a couple of great women there who left me with much to think about. One of these women is leading a class on Reiki this weekend and guess what? I’m going to attend it. Yes, I am stepping so far out of my comfort zone, but I am going to go do this. I need something new to stimulate my mind. This could be a possibility!

This past weekend I drove all the way to Austin on a lark of a roadtrip to a psychic fair there. My main purpose in going was to see Kramer. ( www.astrofish.net ) Kramer is a great guy, really a lot of fun to talk to, and rather accurate the past few times I have talked to him. He has moved away from Austin, but I noticed through his website that he was going to be in Austin and I thought to myself “Self? Why don’t you just GO??” And so I did. Kramer is an astrologer and spends a lot of time looking at your charts with you. He had something high tech going on this time. No small little tape recorder here. Somehow, somewhere, there was apparently a microphone recording our conversation as he walked me through my charts. Once we finished, he slid a disk in the drive and burned me a CD with our entire visit on it (audio). I thought that so rocked. Kramer is available by phone, too, so give him a call and tell him his favorite Leo from Dallas sent you. (Not that he will know! He tends to make everyone think they are the favorite!)

I also talked to a numerologist who was amazingly, incredibly negative in all that he saw coming at me. Most of these psychic sorts won’t tell you the bad stuff…they just usually don’t. Well, this man would look pained and say “I don’t know if I should tell you this…” I would urge him on and he would just smother me with a boatload of bad stuff. Hmmmmm. I just say, hmmmm. After this man, I went to see a lady reading tarot cards. She was all sweetness and love and everything around you is perfect (ahem) and life is good and only getting better. Frankly, I wasn’t too thrilled with either one of their readings. So perhaps I’ll add them together and come out with a happy medium. (no pun intended, truly) Kramer, though, is a bit more on track with what’s going on with me. He was the last time I saw him, so I hope he is still hitting those bulls’ eyes!

As for the rest of my trip….just awesome. Had dinner with a couple I used to work with before I became a mom. He was a co-manager of mine and she was one of my employees. Blew me away when they got married. He is so laid back and calm. She is high strung, very aggressive AND abrasive. But they have made a good pair. They have one son about to graduate college from Boston University. He was home, so I saw him as well for the first time in about 15 years or more. We picked up as if no time had passed. AND she may try to hook me up with some part time contract work in project management! Now how cool would that be? Yes, some meetings are just meant to be.

I had lunch in another town with my college roomie and her husband. Another awesome meeting. I believe it has been about 20 years since I saw her last. Longer since I last saw him. Again, we talked nonstop as if we talked everyday. And honestly, with both these couples, we don’t do the constant email thing or call every month or so. We pretty much keep in touch through those great Christmas letters and photos that many of us send each year.

The next day I had lunch with yet one more couple in yet another town. This couple is older than I am, both retired now and living a goooooood life. Awesome to see that. I think I could be very happy being financially well set and retired! Oh! I guess I’ve been doing that for about six months now, haven’t I?

Eventually back on the road and home again. If my boys were not home right now, returning to college in only a couple of days, I think I would have stayed a bit longer. There were so many little towns I passed through that had history and antiques and shops and cemeteries and all kinds of things I would have liked to have checked out. So one day soon, I think I will retrace this trip, visit with some of the same people and perhaps some others that didn’t work out this time. On the next version, though, I will not race from one appointment to the other as I did this trip. I will allow an extra day or an extra few hours to go explore. There is a lot out there I have not seen and I am hungry to find out what there is.

 

Out with the Old

I’ve been reading a lot lately on feng shui. Actually I’ve read a lot on it through the years, but have gotten away from it a bit. Now I am back into it, back into looking at what I can change in my environment to help change my reality. One thing I read is that you should throw away 8, 9 or 27 things. Those numbers are obviously THE magic numbers and your life will spring forth into untold moments of bliss and prosperity as you clear the clutter from your life. Today I cleaned out one cabinet (the dreaded “tupperware cabinet”–full of massive amounts of plastic storage units and plastic lids, none of which match) and one drawer (one of those miscellaneous cookware drawers with 17 qtr teaspoons, 3 Tablespoons, and the beaters to two mixers that haven’t been seen in at least 5 years). Obviously, there was stuff that could go. So from the tupperware cabinet–27 things…gone. From the drawer–27 things…gone. FIFTY FOUR THINGS into the trash. I cannot WAIT to see how much good fortune comes flying my way now!! I hope I didn’t negate one group of 27 with the other….hmmmmm.

As I was researching and studying feng shui and other interesting things along the same line, I kept hearing a sort of gong sound somewhere near me. I was a little spooked, I gotta tell ya. I’m reading up on spirituality and I’m hearing a gong punctuate every point made? Finally, more than a little nervously, I got up from my chair and went to seek out the source of the gong. Would you believe–a gecko doing his best to escape the stainless steel water bowl belonging to my dog? Yep, as that little guy (actually he was pretty good sized) thrashed about, he would bang into the side and set off the gong. I had to laugh at him and at my own foray into the mystical world punctuated by a gong. The gecko was set free, left to tell his side of the story to fellow lizard friends.

If you’re looking for a good blog to read, have you read Blog a Go-Go by Deanna Raybourn? I do love her musings on life. Particularly her positive outlook, described in this entry…. http://deannaraybourn.typepad.com/blog_a_gogo/2008/01/in-which-i-dont.html

I love her positive outlook. Ok, I would perhaps have a much more positive outlook were I the published author that I someday aspire to be! I do like what she has to say.

 

Psychic Fair

Today I went to a psychic fair and had two readings/counselings/something or others. It has all changed a lot since the last time I went to a fair like this. There’s a whole lot more than just tarot card readings or astrologists. LOTS more. And I loved it. I met with two amazing women who NAILED some things going on in my life with no prompting from me at all. And this particular thing that they hit on…not your ordinary run of the mill kind of problem. I was amazed that both women hit it square on. And I liked their advice. Mostly they told me I work too hard taking care of everyone else, but now it’s time to take care of myself. TRUE. And I need to have more fun. TRUE. And I don’t have to be in control of everything. TRUE. Now those things are easily hit on for a woman of my age, I would think. Guess the age, guess the problems confronting her. Easy enough to be psychic about. But I’m telling ya, the thing that they both hit one was NOT one you would guess. No way at all would you even begin to guess this was an issue with me. Wow. So cool they hit on it. I’ve got some thinking to do, that’s for sure.

 

Quest

I had an awesome lunch with an old friend today.  We have known each other since our children were babies. We are at the same stage of life, both becoming empty nesters this fall.  We have known each other as moms, as co-workers, as volunteers on the same committees.  But have we really known each other as women? As individuals? As we really truly are? I don’t think so.  Yet today I believe we made that connection and are making steps into that next phase of our lives.

I don’t know about you, but growing up as a strong Baptist in the Bible Belt, it’s pretty much drilled in to you what you can/can’t believe, should/shouldn’t believe.  Do not misunderstand.  Many of these beliefs I still hold to very strongly. But I think there is room for so much more.  There is SO much out there that we don’t understand, don’t know, haven’t even begun to tap into. And that is where I want to be, where I AM going.  So what are the things I am interested in? Energy, crystals, feng shui, alternative medicine, alternative anything! Write it down, make it happen.  Set the intent without  knowing how you will achieve it.  Create. Breathe. BE.

For many years now I have lived on the left brain side of my world.  Follow the rules. Do it logically. Use common sense.  Strict order. And for many years, that side has served me so well.  Raising children requires structure, requires rules. Yes, you can still have fun even with the rules! I have done that. I have raised two amazing young men that have a good background to set them off on their own path.  I don’t think I have raised them on as rigid a platform as I was raised on.  (At least I HOPE that is not the case!)

And now the other half of me is screaming to be heard, pounding on the door to be let out, to be allowed to come out and play.  It’s hard to respond to the part of me that wants to take chances, be a little wilder, a little freer.  I have lived one way for so many years that it no longer requires thought…it just IS.  Making the changes, making the choices…it’s a bit frightening. No, make that VERY frightening. I do believe I am up to the task.  I’m learning that just because I make a choice does not mean that choice is the end all forever and ever, amen.  No, a choice is just that. A choice. Yes, it will have consequences, either good or bad. Perhaps an occasional choice will have no consequence at all.  How much fun would that be? Exactly…it wouldn’t be.  I can make a choice, a decision…and guess what? If that decision doesn’t work, I can change the path again! I can actually give myself permission to do so!

There you have a glimpse into the turmoil of the mind of the transitional woman.  And what happens when two women are able to open up in a new way? Connection! My friend and I discovered we have so much more in common on all these new levels. It took some bravery on both our parts to even begin these conversations.  We took that chance, made that choice…and hooray! A deeper bond is made, another facet to our long term friendship added.

And once again…it’s aaaaallllll gooood.