Self Care Changes With Our Journey

(Written by Survive - Thrive - Conquer, Matt)

Self Care Changes With Our Journey

As human beings, we are creatures of habit. We do things on a daily or routine basis because "that's what we've always" done. I know I've said that very phrase countless times in my life whenever someone questions me, or I question myself as to why I do something.

Why do we go to the same grocery store, by the same brands of food, or stop at the same gas station? Because at one time we tried something and since the experience was positive and gratifying in some way, we just stuck with it. Over time, even with a myriad of other options, we often default back to what works for us. We are familiar with it, and we know the result of engaging in that behavior generally yields a positive result.

For example, there are two convenience stores within a block of each other, or right across the street from each other, how often do you find yourself gravitating towards one more than the other? I know for me, there are two gas stations that are on the way home from work, but I almost always stop at one instead of the other, regardless of which direction I'm headed.

Why?  Habit, Familiarity, Just Because...?

We also might be forming habits in our healing journey, in particularly with self-care. We continue to do what works for us because it's worked in the past, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it would also behoove us to keep an open mind to new experiences that might also be beneficial.

For me, self-care has always involved several Go-To options:

• Listening to Music
• Playing my bass.
• Going for a walk.
• Catching up on shows that I've recorded and allowing myself to be carried away in the story.
• Reading my Kindle.

Those things usually always work, or if one doesn't work as well as expected, I can try another and often find some emotional peace and relaxation. After all, self-care is about doing things that we enjoy, things that make us feel good, or take us away from the reality of what's troubling our minds for awhile.

But, self-care can evolve too, if we let it. As we age, our likes and dislikes can change. What we did as teenagers, we probably don't do anymore, or at least not as often or as rigorously. What happens though, since we are creatures of habit, we sometimes ignore new opportunities or brush them aside in favor of what works for us.

Case in point, I had a bit of an epiphany not long ago. Each year I go to a music festival not too far from where I live. It's always a very good time, two days of reliving the glory days and singing along to iconic anthems from a cherished time of my life. That festival has been a rock solid form of self-care for me up until this year.

On the drive home, I was pondering this and wondering to myself, "what is happening to me"? Am I just getting too old for this or is there something more profound happening in my healing journey or just my life in general?

It caused me a good deal of stress for awhile, not so much from the "getting old" thought but more from the, "why doesn't this work for me anymore like it used too" perspective.  As it turns out, after much debate in my head and talking to a couple of close friends, I concluded that my self-care routine is simply evolving.

Maybe I don't need to go to this every year anymore. Perhaps every other year would be fine, or maybe just going down for 1 of the days instead of both would do the trick. Only time will tell, but the point is, that it's okay to be open to change in self-care. Just because something always worked before, doesn't mean that we can't ever deviate or find something different, should that time ever arise.

Back to this whole creature of habit topic that we started with - do you find yourself doing the same self-care just because it's always worked or because it's become a habit?  Have you begun to feel twinges that maybe something isn't working quite the way it used too?

If you have, I encourage you to sit with that feeling, explore it, and understand that there's nothing wrong with you. There's nothing to fear, and you aren't suddenly going backward in your healing. It just simply means that your needs are changing as you grow throughout this journey.

What's done the trick and been your go-to method of self-care might just be evolving into something new and exciting, or maybe just slightly different. Either way, what matters is that we do what's best for us and be open to whatever that change may be.

Rock Your Survivor Journey!

 - Matt (SurvivingMyPast.net)

Read all of Matt's Columnist Posts

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Matt

Blogger
Podcaster, Author
Advocate

Visit Matt At:

Website:  SurvivingMyPast.net
Twitter:  @SurvivingMyPast

Make sure you check out Matt's Free E-book, Surviving Grief 

Check out his Weekly Podcasts every Sunday.

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Barbara's Healing Journey

(Written by Insights Into Healing, Barbara)


I have been asked how I’ve gotten to where I am now on my healing journey.


Years ago, I was taking Paxil to overcome anxiety, but I wasn’t getting any better.  The Paxil only worked for six months to a year, at which time my doctor wanted to increase the dose.

Before too long I realized “if I take another pill it’s going to kill me or I’m going to lose my mind.”  I knew the pills weren’t fixing things, only making them worse.


Then a friend told me about Dr. Paul Canali of Evolutionary Healing Institute.  I made an appointment, not really knowing what would happen.  That was in September of 2010.


During my first time on the table there, I was directed to look inwardly.   I started listening to my body, and information started to come.  It was mindboggling.  The memories came pouring out!  When I voiced the memories, something within me changed.  I felt it immediately.


The impact was so great that I asked Dr. Canali, “Can you teach this work to me?”  He said, “first let’s work on getting you better.”  Dr. Canali was my guide to bringing me into my own body – to discover what I had stored there.

In that self-discovery of memories, there was a rhythm in my body that changed things.  It changed me.  It was like opening a valve.  The pressure was released, and all this tension and sickness came pouring out.  It was so simple, I could laugh about it!


Getting off Paxil wasn’t easy.  It took a couple of months.  I tried to quit cold turkey, but I got so sick that I thought I was dying.  I had to wean myself off the medication, but eventually I did it.   From there I continued to make lots of progress.


Looking back, I realize that if I can heal, anybody in the world can.  Healing others became my goal.

I’ve been working with Dr. Canali for several years now, helping others to get the kind of results I did.   I believe there’s nothing in the world that we cannot heal, which is something I will discuss further in my next blog post.


This is my first column here on the Mind-Body Thoughts blog.   Join me every other month for more insights into healing. 

See you next time!

 - Barbara (Insights Into Healing)

Read all of Barbara's Columnist Posts

(Editorial assistance by Jeff Lemlich)

 

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Barbara

Columnist

Unified Therapy

Visit Barbara's At:

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Why We Aren't Making It In Life?

Sometimes we question why we aren't making it or why there isn't more in our life.  I know I've done that both in my fulfillment of a day and abundance.

Yet, we fail to look at how we are holding ourselves back or keeping that fulfillment and abundance out of reach.

I know, I know - if you're like me,  you feel like you are doing all you can.  Whether it is in healing or finances or a career, we as humans tend to see all we are doing as if it is magnified through a distorted mirror.

Yet, in some ways we might be fooling ourselves.

Now, I know that sometimes we are doing everything we can and it isn't enough.  Sometimes we may be in a holding pattern waiting for more learning to take place before we take the next step.  Sometimes we need to just rest and we prepare for what comes ahead.

If I pause and look a few moments later...

There are so many times for me that when I feel like I'm not making it in life, if I pause and look a few moments later, I see that I actually am.  It may just not feel like it in that moment.  It may feel like we're struggling when we're taking more steps than we know.

Often I realize that I don't have control over everything in my life even though I trick myself into believing that I do.  The one thing I do have control over is how I put the effort into what I do and what I do when I've been bruised to the bone in life.  These parts I do have control over.

So, instead of wondering why we aren't making it in life, maybe we would be better served to see just how we are making it in life.  Maybe this is the lesson we need to see.

Maybe, it is the moment that helps us understand what is to come.  Let us not take despair in where we think we have not gone yet, but in how far we have made it on our journey.

#abundance

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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When A Subconscious Mind Is Exposed

A subject we don't talk about enough but it sure impacts every waking moment of our day.  Today, I'm exposing what happens in a subconscious mind.   Please know, that this is not a scientific and fact based discussion, but one that comes from my own learning and experience in this area.

Neuroscience these days is doing wonderful work in research as they study the brain from all aspects.  It is a subject that I share a strong interest in and find very fascinating.  What happens in a subconscious mind is anything but boring to me.

We don't talk enough about the subconscious mind either.  We go through our day with our busy moments and list of things to do, but we fail to see the impact of our subconscious mind upon every waking moment we live.  It's there, whether you see it or not, feel it or not, or even want to acknowledge it.

Subconscious and Awareness...

The subconscious mind is one that stores data and input from many different experiences and moments of life.  It is the part that automatically knows what to do given any situation that arises.  It is the rapid response team.  It is the way you respond to situations that match up to your conscious mind and awareness.  It is responsible for the basic functions in life, including habits.

The subconscious mind controls or helps your reactions when it comes to emotions, feelings, actions, thoughts and words.  It knows where you feel comfortable in your responses and works to keep all of that in line.

You can also think of this part of your mind as anything that is not in your conscious thought.  Conscious thought may be a problem you are working on, while the concussions mind would be gathering data to help you solve that problem.  The conscious mind would help you in dealing with a client while the unconscious mind would be pulling in many scenarios from your life where you did something similar while doing a compare and contrast to help you in dealing with that client.

Your conscious mind does not think of your body temperature every second, but your subconscious mind knows that it needs to maintain a balance and so will activate other body systems to make sure this happens.  If you focus on your breathing, your conscious mind will know that it is breathing, but every minute of the day, your subconscious mind keeps your breathing operating at the rate which is needed to maintain life and functions.

Conscious and Unconscious Mind...

Our conscious mind and unconscious mind play critical roles in not only our survival but how we function each day.  It is in understanding more about these parts that we can better live our life to the fullest.  Failing to learn and comprehend more about our subconscious mind is only going to hold us back.

The more we can begin to understand all that is going on behind the scenes, gives us power to move through our days.  The more we understand and expose what is hidden deep within, the more we will consciously become aware so as to make better choices in our life.  Without knowing what is impacting us, it is like taking a shot in the dark.  You may hit something, but it might not be what you want to hit.

Exposing the subconscious mind allows us to let go of the baggage we have carried from all the experiences of our life.  We may not even be aware that we are carrying them, but they become like familiar weights we drag along each day.  Only when we expose these things can we decide if they are still needed or we can choose to let them go.

It is all part of our path and journey in life where we learn more about who we are than we knew the day before.  It is about getting to know our innermost thoughts, so that we become the empowered beings that we are meant to be.  Exposing the subconscious is truly growth.

Further Reading:

1. When A Subconscious Mind Is Exposed (Sep 13, 2016)
2. Subconscious Mind Impacted By Past Experiences (Sep 14, 2016)
3. Subconscious Disconnected By Numbing (Sep 15, 2016)
4. Connect To The Subconscious Mind (Sep 16, 2016)

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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Challenges And Difficulties May Prove Useful

We're all on a journey whether we know it or not.  Each one of us I believe is here for a purpose and somehow through our own learning, we impact others around us and the world.

Challenges and difficulties come along and either we grow and become more than we are, or we cower in the corner wish they would stop once and for all.  Sometimes these things get too intense and so we take a break or rest from them.

Some of us have been challenged much more than others, but it doesn't mean we're any better or more evolved or have learned more in life.  Many who have been through extreme challenges have an unique opportunity of seeing life and the world they live in, much differently than most people do.

Regardless of your life's experiences, take a look back to moments gone by.  Do you see how much you grew and those moments helped you become more than you were?  Do you see how these experiences had a silver lining after they were over?

I'm not saying that justifies any experience you may have gone through or it explains it into a pile of rubble.  I'm just saying, if you're in the middle of those difficult moments, try to take a look back at previous times where you have struggled, and see if there are any reminders that can help you weather the current storm of life.

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Falling Down Before You Learn To Walk

I'm writing this to help draw attention to a certain point.  While it is a moment of reminding myself of something, I want to share this.  I share things that impact my life in hopes it touches the life of others.

If anyone has ever watched a baby learning to walk, they fall down a lot.  In many ways, this is how it goes in our life as well each day.

If we stopped every time we felt like we fell down, we would get no where.  Just like a baby that is falling down before they learn to walk, so are we.

I remember hearing that walking was controlled falling.  I like that statement because it shows just how much we have to learn and that we have to get up, brush ourselves off, and continue on in life.

Often our path isn't easy and the journey through life can be full of challenges.  If we want to get to where we know we need to go, than we need to keep walking.

Yes, sometimes we might not be sure of where we are headed or how we are getting there, but the point is, if you don't keep trying, you won't get there.  It isn't about sitting down forever, but learning how to get up and continue the journey.

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Vulnerability Journey With Brene Brown

Well, as much as I love the idea of walking alone down a lonely street of dreams, the vulnerability journey is not the kind of journey we can make alone. We need support. We need folks who will let us try on new ways of being without judging us. We need a hand to pull us up off the ground when we get kicked down in the arena (and if we live a courageous life, that will happen).

Book:  Daring Greatly
Author:  Brene Brown
Page 53

See Your Progress

We are constantly moving through life even if it sometimes doesn't feel like it.  We're growing and learning and changing.  Maybe we don't see it right now and we don't feel it, but it is there.  Just look and see your progress.

I think others cross our paths to help us grow and find our way while we do the same for people we meet along the way.  It is cool to look at that in this way because it means we need each other along all the changes and growth we go through.  We need each other to help us progress along life's journey.

Even in the moments that we may feel like we haven't gotten very far, just wait a few more moments and then take a look back over your shoulder.  I've got a feeling you will see things differently and see the progress you have made.

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Starting My Unlimited Abundance Journey

So here it goes!  Rev those engines up and let's being on this newly created road to my unlimited abundance journey.  Yep, if you saw the blog posts recently, I attend the Free Webinar put on by Christie Marie Sheldon of Unlimited Abundance.  Not only that, but I actually signed up for it.

From time to time, I'll highlight things on this blog about my journey over the next twelve months, but for the most part, any main updates will become part of my Somatoysnc webiste.  If you want to follow along there, just go to "My Abundance Journey" and keep up-to-date. I'll hopefully be adding updates frequently there.

I did create a video on YouTube about where I am before this journey starts.  I have no idea how much will change in the next 12 months as a result.  While we were encouraged to do this as part of the program, I wanted to have a before and after video.  I want to see proof in my own life.

Sometimes We Need A New Path

If you find yourself walking down a path that seems to be going nowhere, maybe its time to change direction.  Maybe, it is one of those times when we need to find a new route.

If you see signs ahead that indicate your route is closed, maybe a new path is what is needed.  Maybe it is time for a new direction.  You do know that you don't have to keep going down that path.

Its all a choice in life that we make every day.  Just because we chose a path for yesterday, does not mean we need to continue it today.  Today is a blank slate and in the end, sometimes we just need a new path.

Sliding Down Difficult Hills Of Life

Some days life reminds me of an experience I had when I was learning to drive on snow and ice.  It was many years ago now, but we had a small little 1980 Ford Pinto with tires that weren't so good.  On the way home from church, we got one of those unexpected snow and ice storms in Iowa, which was beginning to make the roads very slippery.

Leaving church, we went our regular 17 mile journey home.  Due to the road conditions, my father thought it was a good time for me to get some practice in on how to drive on snow and ice.  I was not very comfortable with this plan because of the hilly roads we had to take.  Yet, there was no way to say no to my father and get him to understand that this was probably not a good idea.

As we left Jefferson, Iowa, we crossed the bridge to the river and began heading up this steep incline and curvy road.  It was difficult enough to navigate when the road was normal, let alone when it was covered with a slick layer of snow, ice and slush.  My hands were glued to the steering wheel, my neck was as tense as could be as I began the journey up this hill.  I could barely breathe for fear of the steep drop off to one side.

Connections With Others

When we open our life up to others, it is there that we can find connection with them.

When we connect with others, they will know that they are not alone.

Once they realize they are not alone, they will have more strength to walk through their journey, thereby evolving in the way they are meant to.

- - Don Shetterly

Our Road Of Life Has Many Twists

Road Of Life
Grandfather Mountain, NC

It is amazing how our road through life takes many twists and turns. I usually try to observe and watch the path that I take. I've seen some detours in my life, some dead ends and some of those up the mountain roads. There have been the times that I felt like I was on a slippery when wet road or sliding down a ice and snow covered hill. All in all, there are times when the road is a scenic drive and then there are times when it is a road from you-know-where.

Sometimes it is so easy to concentrate on the current position we are at while on our own road of life. It is easy to look out the window and exclaim this is what life is all about in this moment. We may be screaming or smiling or hanging on for dear life and it is way too easy for us to think that this is all that life is.

However, we forget that life is not just this one part of our journey, but all of these parts put together. It is the sum total of our experiences, both good and bad, that bring us to this one moment today. If we had not traveled the other roads of our journey, we may not have come to experience this particular section.

Possibility In My Dreams

Some days my mind creates vivid story book movies of what life could be like for me. Some days I feel as if I'm dreaming with my eyes wide open.

In all reality, I don't believe these things are fictional movies of fantasy. I have a suspicion that they are a glimpse of my life's purpose, yet to be created into existence.

As I think on these things, I become excited at the possibilities. These dreams make me feel complete and fulfilled. They seem so real and so close to the touch that I am shocked when I wake up from my dream state.

Of course with any dream, there are many steps required to put everything into action. Some of these steps involve miracles of walking on water or climbing the highest mountain peaks. It is all too easy to become frustrated at the difficult tasks of unknown proportions that stand in the way. It is much to easy to be side tracked from the voices that surround my journey.

In the end, I must keep the faith and keep the eye on the goal. For if I lose site of the goal, I may find myself lost in the desert thirsting for water. My path and my purpose may not always be clear, but my hope is to not lose site of the way.


Further Reading:
1) Hope & Possibility Through Trauma - (Book Review Post 05/20/11)
2) Your Possibilities Are Real (Blog Post 03/02/11)




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Happiness And Abundance

So many times, I see people trying to play the field of one side or the other in life. Many feel that you have to be happy, abundant and worry free to really have life under control. In many circles, there is an expectation that if you are spiritual, than you really need to be worry free and wealthy.

If everyone tomorrow had a million dollars, it could be easy to assume we are all wealthy. After all, a million dollars is a lot of money to most people. However, if everyone had a million dollars, no one would feel wealthy because it would change the economic structure of our world in a drastic way.

In the case of happiness, if everyone had absolutely no worries and were completely happy, how would we know it? If we did not know what it was to be "sad" , how would we see the difference and know that we were happy?

Much goes for grief and death versus birth and life. It is hard to have one without the other. There is a time of creation and a time of destruction. There is a time of busyness and a time of rest. However, if you have one without the other, we would not be able to tell the difference.

I hate the thought that anyone should have to suffer, be poor or go through the heartaches and horrible moments that we do. I've been through plenty in my life and at one time, I lost everything that was anything in my life. However, without going through those times, I would not be where I am today or experiencing the things that I am.

In many ways, abundance and happiness are about embracing poverty and sadness. It is about acceptance in that to have one, there must be some experience of the other side. While we want to think happy thoughts and proclaim that abundance is what you should seek, I think we are missing out on some of the greatest moments of life.

The greatest moments do not come in where we are currently at in our life. Our greatest moments come from how we have endured and what we have learned on our journey. What we have gleaned from life is our abundance and the moments of enjoyment in life, is our happiness.



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Biological Family Connections

For those that know me, family is a very difficult subject for me in my life. Some days I have wondered how I was born into the family I was. For a long time, I really wondered if somehow I was switched at birth.

Except for my mom, I have very little in common with my family. Yes, we do share some of the biological and upbringing traits but outside of that, my concept of what life is all about seems to be miles apart from those in my family.

I was the middle of three boys born into a family of turmoil and abuse at the hands of my father and continued with my older brother among other various participants in life. Boundaries were nonexistent, lives were controlled and manipulated at home and church, while fear and torment were our closest allies. When my father wasn't screaming at us, my two brothers were going at each other's throats.

While I do remember more than sometimes I really want to remember, much of my past I have blocked out. In 2002, my mom was killed in a car accident and since that time, I really do feel as if I am on my own, separated in life. Because of what my older brother and father did to not only me but to my younger brother, the family bonds are non existent.

Before my Mom died, I had not been able to speak with her for 10 years. My younger brother and I give the appearance that we've been able to talk but we both know that it is nothing more than damaged threads of communication.

There are the relatives that do say hi from time to time and are friendly but of course, they seem like mere strangers that I have faintly become acquainted with. One cousin seems to ignore me for the most part which I am sure is in part due to her religious practices. Other cousins on both sides of the family are ones that I know very little about and if I walked by them tomorrow, I would not even know it.

I know I'm not alone out there as many people have suffered through some horrible family moments in their own lives. Some days it does hurt as I'm sure others will attest to. There seems to be no way to ever replace the biological ties of the family you were born in to when you entered this world. You can do many things to help make up for the losses but that biological family connection is one that cannot be replaced.

Some days, it feels pretty lonely in life and because of some of what I've been through, I fear that others in my life will disappear or leave me or tell me they no longer want anything to do with me. I find it difficult at times in life to wonder if people that I trust really mean well or are they just using me, as it once again reminds me of days gone by where you could trust no one. By trusting no one, I refer to my parents, the baby sitter, the creepy guy in church, my teachers and my family.

I know I have come so many miles in this journey but there are days when it is difficult beyond comprehension. There are days that I question everything and head for my bunker in the ground. I so badly wish that I could sever the biological connections as if they had never been there in the first place. Yet, I know that to do this, I would be claiming the impossible.

Life will continue to go on no matter how difficult my moments get. I seem to have a never ending supply of courage and determination. If only my energy and resolve and confidence could keep up, I would greatly be propelled along in life. In many ways, I don't fully understand all that my journey has for me to walk through but I know or at least I hope I will know that one day as I look back, this will all make sense to me!




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Inflicted By Pain And Hurt In Life

This is more of a personal blog post and of course by the time anyone reads it, considerable time will have passed. However, I just feel the need to write because when I write, I think and when I think, more becomes clear. I'm in one of those times where I just need to write. It reminds me of John Boy Walton on the Walton's TV show when he said "daddy, if I don't write the words down on paper, they get all jumbled up inside of my head." Of course, he kept most of what he wrote to himself unlike myself.

Lately, I've gone through some intense hurt and pain inflicted by others. Yes, I probably didn't set good boundaries in place so I allowed some people to hurt me deeply. They don't see it that way I'm sure and I'm actually tired of trying to reveal what it is that they did to ears that seem to go deaf. Regardless, I know what it feels like to live inside of my body right now and it hurts. So why am I sharing this on my blog when I try to keep things upbeat, well like I said above, sometimes it helps me to think more clearly. I'm also hoping that this helps someone out there that may be experiencing the same thing or has experienced a similar hurt and pain.

It is never easy in life to navigate these waters nor is it easy at times to stand alone on the island, steadfast in your morals, convictions and what you know to be true. There are things that I know without a shadow of a doubt as to the truth behind them. I cannot explain how I know these things, but I do.

I see things in a different way than most human inhabitants but I'm often met with confusion as I try to explain these things. Of course, it doesn't stop others from trying to convince me that their set of healing beliefs is the thing I need to learn when I can clearly see, that what others want to teach me is a belief system, rather than something that is truth based. Yes, I do understand that to each person with these healing modalities, they feel it is a truth based system but of course, that is only with their eyes partially open.

So back to the difficult time I am struggling through. With the pain that was inflicted upon me, I have run for the hills trying to find safe cover in the nearest cave of the hills. I knew my answer did not lie in that cave but I needed safety and time that I could just recover, center myself and rid myself of the energy of the beliefs that was thrust upon me. It isn't an easy time that I speak of as I feel the loneliness of the path I was called to walk. I realize that the time has not fully come yet, but is close and this is all preparation work for what lies ahead in my life. It does not make any of it easier.

Some days, I wonder if I have the strength to carry through into the journey I am on. Will I be strong enough to do what it is that I need to do? Will I be strong enough to counter balance the effects of all the belief based systems that people cling to? Will I have the courage to walk the path through the obstacles, the fire, and the treacherous, frightening moments?

All I know is that when I was paralyzed in 1991, no one could tell me the first thing that I needed to do in order to heal myself. Everyone sat there in silence offering snippets of wisdom but I honestly think no one really knew the best course of treatment. I can remember lying there in the hospital bed wondering if this was all I could expect to be a part of for the rest of my life, paralyzed, barely able to speak, move, feel, sense and think. I was nothing more than an existence at that point. Yet, life would not let me slip away for good. I knew at that moment that there was a reason why my life would not end and I knew it would not be easy.

Where life is going at this moment, I have not got a clue. All I know is that I'm trying to focus on this current moment I have and not succumb to the fears that are bashing me from every angle. I'm learning to get in touch with the past so as to allow it to teach me about all that I am and all that I have the potential to be in my life. I'm trying to be patient and understanding of those that are clinging to beliefs instead of discovering the evolution and awareness within themselves.

Many years ago, I knew this would not be an easy path and it has not been for one moment. These difficulties are the things that keep me centered and grounded and down to earth, not some off the wall new age concept person. You might think I am being too harsh on new age people but I just desire and hope that they will begin to open up to what truly matters in this world. There are so many that are chasing the false illusions of reality and missing the gift within themselves.

Tomorrow is a day away and as I continue to step out in faith, I am reminded of the sounds of the ocean waves that lull me into the present moment. The ocean does not worry about which wave it will send to the shore, nor which one will come back. It just allows itself to be there, connecting and being part of a greater and larger part of a body of water. It has no agenda, nor a perceived time of when waves are to come to the shore. It just functions in the moment absorbing all that there is and giving all it has to give. Even when pains and hurts are inflicted upon it, the waves still function and they never give up.


Blog Post & Images (c) 4/15/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Life Looks Easy For Everyone Else

Life looks easy for everyone else. Me, I have struggled all my life and every moment has been tough. People have explained it one way or another as to why it has happened. At the end of the day, some things resonate and others I question. In fact, many I question.

I don't understand fully why I have experienced the things I have but yet, somehow I have made it this far in life. On all accounts, I should be dead but I was given a second chance. It was not my time that day in the hospital. With everything I have been through, the odds are not in my favor.

Sensitive sums up my life and the more I discover about myself, the more aware I become, I see just how far that goes to explain my life. I cannot even begin to describe what all I sense but it is often overwhelming. Many times I am frightened and confused by that which I sense.

Most just see me as knowing things but sometimes it is a living hell to me. I'm not always sure what to do with this information that I sense. Neither do I trust it fully. It is like a beloved and hated twin. At the same time, I want to know more, discover more and understand more of that which is around me and that which I sense.

There seems to be nowhere to turn. All the people who act as if they have the answers don't understand enough to really know what they are saying. Yet, it does not stop them from trying to offer or sometimes force their answers upon you.

I know that this journey I am on is one I must walk. I know I have to hold on to the courage and strength that I have deep within my soul. Deep down, I know there is a purpose for the struggles I have endured. However, it has not been fully revealed to me in full clarity. I sense it is not yet time for this to occur.

So, I continue to walk step by step hoping that as I do, all of this will be revealed more clearly. I attempt to keep my fears at bay, as I continue to ready my ship for sail.



Blog Post & Images (c) 3/24/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Ask, Listen And Connect

There are moments in life where it seems more difficult than others. The struggle seems to prevail over the joys that are abundant. Even though life may look this way at times, the picture is being viewed upside down.

Often when it seems that things aren't going well, it is then that we need to stop and listen. For if we keep going, we may trip over the rock before us instead of noticing it in our path. Sometimes the rock is there for navigation purposes and not just an obstacle in our path.

Too often we see the cloudy day and forget that the sun has been shining for the past 100 days. We see the rain as ruining our plans instead of nurturing the earth. In fact, as we already know, both the sunshine and the rain are needed in our life to make it complete.

Just know that when you spend some time in your day asking the questions and listening for answers, you will be pleasantly surprised. You are not as alone as you sometimes feel. You are not wondering this path without support, guidance and love.

Take a moment to ponder these things and connect with how much is there for you. Let go of the doubts, fears, and worries for those things only slow down your journey.


Blog Post & Images (c ) 3/23/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

The Sacred Journey Of Healing

This was something I wrote for my friend, Trish Kalhagen, as her first post on her new blog, Trish is a wonderful person who specializes in Reiki, Labyrinth Workshops, Spiritual Direction and Personal Rituals. Hopefully you will check out her new blog and keep an eye out for future posts by Trish.

As we travel through life, we overcome the difficulties by challenging the fears we hold and seeing the possibilities of our life. We view the improbable as nothing more than a path that has not unfolded. This becomes our sacred journey through the individual path of life. The journey connects the spirit within me to the spirit within you. May we together embark on a journey of sacred healing moments as we uncover every cellular component of our life.





Blog Post & Images (c) 3/13/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com