Record Affirmation And Abundance Statements

Why didn't I think about this and do this before?  Okay, that is a rhetorical question, but I found something that works great for me.  Maybe you have discovered this already, but if not, hopefully it will help you.

As you do affirmation or abundance statements or whatever it is that you may do for your life, why not record these.  After all, hearing your own voice say these words is like you talking to yourself.  It is more powerful.

If you have a smart phone such as an iPhone, you can use the app called "voice memo".  Record it on there and then sync it up in iTunes.  Once you have it in iTunes, you can create a playlist if you want to so that you can play all of them at one time.

If you have a smart phone other than an iPhone, there is probably a way to do this, but I have no idea how you would get that done.  Please feel free to comment and share the steps someone would do to record on their particular brand of phone.

Then you can schedule a reminder and listen to your affirmations or abundance statements at any time.  Make it frequent throughout the day.  You can also listen to them just before you go to bed and just when you wake up in the morning.

If you are speaking to your higher self and doing it in your own voice, then I think it stands to reason that it is more effective.  You're not just thinking about it, but now you are thinking about it and hearing it in your own voice.

More than likely, you will listen to yourself when you do abundance and affirmation statements.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/8/16 by Don Shetterly

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The Caterpillar And The Butterfly

The day was like any other day.   The birds were chirping and soaring through the bright blue sky.  The little caterpillar was slowly trudging along the ground through the bright green grass.  The sun was shining down warmth upon the earth.

The little caterpillar noticed the beautiful butterflies flying here and there through the flowers and vegetation.  They seemed to go at ease and have no cares in this world.  "It wasn't like they needed to worry about getting stepped on like I do" the caterpillar thought to himself.

Finally after watching this for a significant part of the day, the caterpillar called out to the beautiful orange butterfly circling around.  "How do you soar and fly like that? he asked.  "Do what?" she asked.

The caterpillar cleared his throat and amplified his voice asking one more time, "How do you soar like that?"

The butterfly responded, "It is actually very easy, but you must first become a butterfly to fly like we do."

Perplexed, the caterpillar said, "I would like to become a butterfly.  I will do anything to fly like you do and enjoy a world far above my view.  Do I just make an affirmation and believe it is so?"

The butterfly explained to the caterpillar exactly what she meant.  She explained that he would have to surrender his existence into a cocoon and leave all that he knows.  He would completely transform from the shape and form he was now, into a butterfly.  Once he did this, he would not resemble anything that he is today and he would not be able to go back to this life that is his.

The caterpillar was confused.  How could he transform into something that he was not, and he wondered if it would be painful.  What would happen if he surrendered into this new form to become a butterfly?  All he had known was the life that he now lived crawling around on the ground.

The butterfly went on to explain that even though the change may seem difficult and confusing and it may not make complete sense, it is the only way for a caterpillar to become a butterfly.  It is a marvelous transformation, but the only way to find out is to surrender and let go of the life that you know.  It doesn't happen overnight, but takes some time to complete.

We are much like the butterfly and the caterpillar.  Until we surrender to all that life holds for us, we will not transform into that which we are meant to be.  We will remain a caterpillar crawling on the ground, wondering what the butterfly sees.  Yes, the transformation may not be easy. We will need to lose our self in the process so that we can discover who we truly are.


Check the following website out if you want to know more about how a caterpillar transforms and evolves.  How Caterpillar Gruesomely Turn Into Butterflies.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/7/16 by Don Shetterly

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Moments In Life

We all have those moments we go through that we would like to forget.  No, I'm not talking about being drunk on a Saturday night and wishing you had never gone out.  I'm talking about those core moments in life where things were tough and you muscled your way through it.

The moments where people were more irritating then welcoming to you.  The moments where you didn't know if you could go another day.  The moments where you weren't sure how you were going to pay the bills, put gas in the car or buy enough food to eat.

It is in these moments that we learn so much, even when it is more difficult then we can imagine.  It is in these moments when we find not only our limits but our strength of endurance far beyond what we thought was possible.  It is in these moments that we see our life more clearly than ever before.

I'll admit that going through these moments in life is not fun.  I've had my fair share of them and all too often they exhaust me.  I also know that they have helped me get to the moment of life I am now in.  Without these times, I might have skated right past them and missed the dance.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/7/16 by Don Shetterly

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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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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/6/16 by Don Shetterly

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When Neural Pathways Are Blocked

A brain system is made of many neuronal pathways, or neurons that are connected to one another and working together. If certain key pathways are blocked, then the brain uses older pathways to go around them.

• Book: The Brain That Changes Itself
• Author:  Norman Doidge, M.D.
• Page 9

A Little Boy Afraid Of Power

Years ago in a little village in another world, there was a little boy that was over powered by all the leaders of the village.  Even if they demanded that various atrocities be done, the little boy had no way to stop them.  He wanted to alert everyone and the world outside the village, but everyone was too afraid.

As the days went by, the little boy had no choice but to do what the big leaders of his village told him to do and demanded of him.  He had no way to stop it.  He had no way to fight back or change it.  The only thing he could do was try to endure it.

Now, to this day, the little boy still struggles with power.  He is afraid of it.  He is afraid of what others do with their powers and sees this play out every day of his life.  He is even afraid of what would happen if he was powerful.  It is just easier at times for the little boy to endure the struggle as he did since he was a small boy.

Everyone tries to tell the little boy that he is able to rise above those that would use their power to harm.  Everyone tries to tell the little boy that even if he had powers, he would not do the same as the harmful leaders did to him.  He has learned from the past and now he would know what to do with his powers.

Unfortunately, the only world the little boy knows is that power hurts others and it is extremely hard for him to see things differently.  He continues to try and let go of the past, but images of yesterday seem to be as real as if the events were happening today.

The little boy hopes that in the future, power will be used for something good, not to harm others or tear others apart.  He hopes that he will learn that using power in the right way is beneficial for all, not necessarily something that harms, frightens, and silences other people.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/6/16 by Don Shetterly

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Be In This Moment

Sometimes I get nervous.  Sometimes I freak out.  While good stuff is happening for me, there are times that I see the struggle to get where I need to go and it is like I feel that I'm never going to get there.  I see the difficult moments add up and the next thing I know, I'm walking out that door.

Yet, I know that especially in the beginning of starting something new, things aren't always going to go smooth and as planned.  There are growing pains, adjustments, and challenges.  All of these will be met in one way or another.  I get that.  It is just sometimes not easy.

For me, I keep learning that I am right where I need to be.  Things are happening just as they need to be in this moment, even if I can't see the complete journey ahead. They are there even if I struggle to see they are there.

If I begin to ask the right questions and discover all that I can, then I am in the frame of mind that I need to be.  If I take a deep breath and just allow myself to be in this moment today, then I will find the next moment.

Worrying about what I need to do and where I need to be or how I will get there will drive me crazy.  I just need to be okay with being in this moment that I have today.  Nothing else is where I need to be.  If I don't fight it, I will find the next thing and the next thing after that.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/6/16 by Don Shetterly

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I Did Not Listen To My Body

I did it again.  I did not listen to my body.  Nope!  I just kept pushing and shoving through, acting as if my body never needed the rest.  Sure, I write about this frequently and after what I've been through, you would think I would have learned by now.  Evidently, the lesson got lost along the way.

Starting up my business, I've been going nonstop. I'm kind of a one man band for the most part and often joke that I wear the hats of Information Technology, Graphic Artist, Human Resources, Accountant, Sales Person, CEO, Manager, janitor, warehouse purchaser and many others.  In fact, it really isn't a joke, because I do all of these things and more.

The only thing is, I knew that as I was approaching Christmas time, things were going to get more intense.  They always do for me.  I've made tremendous progress in this part of my life, but around Christmas, the difficulties I face with family issues weighs hard on me.  You could put a 2000 pound gorilla on top of me and it would not be any more difficult than what I experience.

Regardless, I kept going and pushing my way through it.  I discounted and neglected the signs my body was giving me.  I kept lining up events, working with clients, and doing everything that I could to not stop in any form or fashion or slow down.  Sure, I progressed along quite nicely with my business, but it was at the expense of my health.  I thought a couple of moments rest here and there was plenty.

Unfortunately, I kept ignoring my body.  I kept ignoring it until it said, "hey dude, enough is enough" and that's when it happened.  I got what seemed like the flu and was so tired I could barely keep myself awake.  Abdominal pains that got so intense, I cried out in agony.

Sure, I could have run to the doctor and they most likely would have run tests and prescribed some type of medication.  It might have helped me get over this, but I knew deep inside what was the cause.  The cause was exhaustion and stress.  I had pushed my body way too far.  This isn't the first time I've done this and one time I paralyzed myself as a result of doing this to the extreme.

Maybe I needed to have the lesson replayed to me again because I must not have learned it the first million times.  Now, all I can do is rest and repair and build my strength back up again.  I choose to not use drugs and medications and supplements because I know that if I listen to my body, I have more than I need within me to function in a day.

It wasn't that long ago that I almost did myself in with a job that sucked the life out of me.  I'm still building up and getting over that, so why I thought I could push myself this hard, I still don't understand.  Yes, I know without an income net, the urgency is there, but if I do it at the expense of myself, what will that profit me?

We all do what I just did and then we stop and wonder why we are sick with illness.  We wonder why we have physical issues and complaints.  Even if a doctor tries to explain that it is stress or we are working too hard, we still don't accept it.  Unfortunately, if we would look at the cause/effect of what we do in our days, it would come into view more clearly.

For now, I'm resting and trying to come back up to full speed.  I've got to learn how to regulate my days more and rest.  Yes, the urgency of starting a business is important, but I've got to learn that taking care of myself is as important as the business that comes in.  I can't be there for others if I can't be there for myself.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/7/16 by Don Shetterly

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I Can Only Do So Much

Sometimes I have to remember that I can only do so much.  Sometimes I have to remember that others have to do their part and if they do or they don't, I can only do so much.

I will always try to be there for others giving everything I have to help them, but if they give up before I do, then I can only do so much.  I will continue to try, but others will have to step up, for I can swing at the ball for them.

As hard and as uncomfortable as it gets, I can only do so much for someone that needs help.  The rest is beyond my control.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/28/15 by Don Shetterly

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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

Voice Of The Mind

There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind— you are the one who hears it.

From:  The Untethered Soul
Author:  Michael A. Singer
Page 10

Fact And Fiction

Some days life perplexes me.  I see people following things that just don't make sense to me.  Whether it is new age practices or politics or some belief system, I find it difficult to understand.  In my eyes, too much of it doesn't add up, but maybe I'm missing something.

I see people following a sales page for some product and exclaiming the item works miracles.  Unfortunately, I don't see any hard based evidence to back this up, other than what they think it is doing.  Then, the claims that it is the best miracle since life began are regurgitated and spread around as fact.

I see people following belief systems that don't add up.  They may have some nice things in them and some very believable things, but they aren't all there in my view.  It is like, sprinkling some sugar on a doughnut.  It might make it taste better, but is it really needed for the doughnut.   Maybe 50% of it is based upon things that are true and the other 50% of it is based upon what the person or group thinks is true.

I see people following politics and news items of the day that make me really roll my eyes.  It is like their political view or their political candidate is the true one - the right one - the one with all the answers.  They degrade and shred all the others using name calling to prove their points.  In fact, most don't even realize they are calling names.  It has become such a common every day practice.  No one tries to listen to another and in all reality, the politicians have hoodwinked everyone.

We have to be careful in what we believe and follow.  Some of it is just pure horse pucky.  Some of it gets so lost in the stuff that isn't true that it makes it hard to sort out what is true.  Facts and fiction become one and the same.

Most of what is said in a day is not necessarily fact, but we all treat it as fact.  Too much of it is opinion coated with a sprinkling of facts.

It is time that we all start watching what we say and question our own words and intentions.  If we're not careful, we'll have people following what we say as if it were the foundation of all life, when in fact it might be nothing more than quick sand.

There are probably times on this blog that I make the same mistake, but I try hard to let you know when it is my opinion or belief.  I try to separate that from fact.

It is all part of being human and there are the people that try to separate fact from fiction, all the way down to the snake oil salesman.  Unfortunately these days the snake oil salesman are getting quite crafty and sneaky.  Its sometimes very hard to tell them apart from those who truly do understand fact and fiction.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/4/16 by Don Shetterly

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Triggers

Announcement!  Announcement!  They are everywhere ladies and gentleman.  Look for them in your closets, your doorways, the trees outside or on the roadways.  Triggers will show up everywhere they can.

I know, we're taught to ignore the triggers and act like grown up adults.  We're the ones in control and we don't let those little pesky triggers rule our day.  That's for those that don't have their lives together, right?

WRONG!

Triggers are everywhere.  They lurk in the shadows and sometimes meet us at the waters edge.  They show up when we least expect it and often while we are running so fast, they outpace us.

Triggers can take you down to your knees or they can just continue to allow you to feed by nibbling on them each day.  Triggers can present themselves as the sustenance to your life while all the time sneaking up on you from behind.

Triggers can make us think we are dying or they can make us think we are experiencing something we are not.  Triggers are very good at being deceptive and altering their appearance so as to not be detected.

Often triggers leave you lying by the roadside as if you were kicked out of a moving car.  They leave you for dead as if someone that has been beat down so badly in life.  They run over you like a speed bump.

The thing though about triggers is that they are just that - a trigger.  They really don't have power or control over you, unless you give it to them.  They really don't have an agenda, other then to show up and ambush you.

Yes, they are everywhere.  Yes, we can be impacted by them daily whether we want to see them or not.  The trick though is to recognize when they show up and let them know who is boss.  After all, they are not the boss of your life.

Triggers can be tough to deal with and believe me, I know that first hand.  Sometimes they sneak up on me so quickly, I barely know they have attacked.

Sometimes it takes me awhile to see what has happened, but if I can hold my awareness and stay conscious, then I have the option of taking back my power from them.  It may be easy to give our power up to them, but we can also take it back.

So, the next time you see a trigger advance, take note of it and identify it.  Let it know that you are calling it out of the shadows and that you are the one in control.   If it has already attacked, just do a post game analysis and be more prepared for it the next time the trigger tries to attack.

To read more, check out the articles on Triggers at Somatosync.com.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/28/15 by Don Shetterly

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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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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/3/16 by Don Shetterly

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Bullies With Pitchforks And Torches

I really don't understand people these days.  I read something online of a lady who posted a drunken rant against a restaurant in Indianapolis Indiana.  There is nothing about this rant that was good or right or decent.

After all, a customer had fallen ill and had a heart attack.  To complain about this or somehow make it into a rant against a business such as the restaurant, is beyond my comprehension.  The restaurant's response was good and right I thought.

However, I saw people commenting on Facebook where the drunken rant lady worked.  It was in a salon and spa.  So, since this individual shut down her Facebook account, goodie two shoe people started commenting and urged people to go to the salon's site and leave comments.

Keep in mind that this salon had actually nothing to do with what happened.  None of the salon people were there and they were not connected to it in anyway except for this one employee.  The pitchfork mob though on social media determined that somehow they needed to take down the Salon's site with their holier than thou approach.  They were angry if the owner was trying to stop them from posting these comments on the Salon's Facebook page.

I'm disturbed these days by what happens on social media.  It is basically an avenue for bullies with pitchforks and torches.  Heck, we might as well get the torches and burn whoever we disagree with at the stake.  I know I'm writing a little on the wild side here, but it honestly is what it feels like.  We can't disagree these days without getting the pitchforks and torches out.

I hate to see someone's business demolished because of a group of people who think they are better than everyone, trashing the site of someone with absolutely no relevancy to what took place.  We need to start thinking a little more what we do on social media than just burning everyone down.

There is far too much unconsciousness on social media.  People just share everything that comes along their news feed without giving a thought to what they are doing.  A little moderation goes a long ways and that's missing on social media.

It is sad though how people react with get the pitchfork mentality and convict someone, try them and sentence them without even knowing most of what happened.  The even sadder part is that I don't see this changing and improving any time soon.  I wonder what it will take to get people to wake up.

Years ago, we had online forums and message boards.  Time and time again, if you were a moderator, you had to watch out for the ones that would just cause endless terror on these sites.  It was just too easy for someone to type whatever they wanted to a screen without giving thought to what they were truly saying.  It was almost like there was no human on the other side of that conversation.

I've seen some contacts and people I am connected to on Facebook and Twitter do some of this very same action.  I find it disturbing and sad.  I wish it would stop.

We talk about bullying in schools, but we allow it among adults.  It is time it stops!  Let's throw the pitchforks in the fire and maybe sit around the fire and get to know one another.  Let's work at finding the common ground.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/3/16 by Don Shetterly

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Am I Enough

Am I enough?  I'm not sure is the answer in my mind.  Can I be there for someone who needs me to be in that role while they find their way back to life?  I'm not sure is the answer that comes to my mind.

It would be easy for me to give up.  With Christmas stress weighing on me hard, I could just say enough is enough.  Most years, I hibernate during this time, but this year, I've had a challenging client who needed me to be there for them.

Am I enough?  Do I know enough?  Do I know how to find my way through this healing moment with this person.  Those are questions and doubts that try to flood my mind.  I'm resisting them entry, but maybe I have to surrender to them, just as I am asking this client to surrender.

I feel shaky at times.  I try to be there, but am not certain if everything is as it should be.  Am I enough?  I don't know.  I feel like someone has to have more answers than I do right now, but yet I'm not sure most have been in some of the deep dark places I've been and where this client is at.

I try to trust that I am enough.  I try to have faith that I'm doing all that I can do and if I am not, that I'll see what it is that I need to be doing.  I try to trust that what I need for this moment is here in the present offering itself to me.

I try to believe that I am enough for I've been through this in my own life.  I know the path ahead.  I know how to get out of the hole.  It may not be as easy for another person right now, but maybe just my familiarity with where they are at is enough to know that I am enough.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/23/15 by Don Shetterly

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Cow In The Road

Did you ever hear that story?  The one that gets shared about the cow in the road?  If not, let me refresh your memory so we can all be on the same page.

There is a person driving through the country enjoying the nighttime peacefulness.  The road is winding and narrow.  All of the sudden, he sees this car coming towards him barreling at a fast speed.  It is honking its horn frantically and flashing its lights.  The driver of that car is hanging out the window hollering "cow" at the top of their lungs.

Of course, this person wonders what kind of a crazy fool is that, hollering and honking their horn.  They must be crazy as they were driving erratically and screaming.  The person thinks how rude and horrible this person driver is.

However, as the person rounds the corner of the curved road, he sees the cow in the middle of the road.  The crazy oncoming driver was trying to warn him before it was too late. 

We are just like that person driving that fails to see what is before us. We think we have it all together and so we portray that to the world.  Yet, we don't see the parts before us.  We act as if everything is okay and that if you get the alerts, you disregard them.

Our society is like that.  Alerts are there and the behavior that others are doing to one another is there.  Yet, we fail to see them.  We think everything is fine.  We think it is the other guy that has the problem but not us.

We can keep going through life oblivious to what is right before us, thinking that we have it all under control.  If we keep doing that, we will be like the driver rounding the curve in the road not even aware of what lies ahead.

It is our choice what we do, but our actions have serious impacts on the road ahead.  We can either be aware and see them or we can continue to hide our head in the sand.  Which will you do?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/24/15 by Don Shetterly

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Grounding To Ocean Wave Sounds

Sometimes in life, I need to find centering and grounding.  Nature is one of the best places for me to do this because when I'm in nature, I feel like I am home.

This week, I got the chance to go to the ocean and walk on the beach on two different days.  There is something about walking on the beach in bare feet with the sand covering my toes.  Feeling the cool ocean water rush over my feet is an exhilaration.

Just seeing the waves crash off shore, hearing the roar of the ocean and seeing the sun glisten down on the water is so calming and centering and grounding.  Seeing the clouds roll through and change shades of white and grey is a pleasant backdrop.

Seeing the birds scamper back and forth with the ocean waves as they forage for food almost looks like a symphony to me.  They repeat this behavior in unison, barely caring if I need to walk by them.  

I could walk along the ocean for miles and miles.   I could feel the salt air on my lungs for days on end.  I could just lose myself as I walk through the sands of the beach and listen to the sounds.

Centering and Grounding at the ocean is exactly what I need right now.  I'm thankful I live close enough to do this at almost any time.

I needed to walk on the beach this week.  I badly needed it.  I needed to hear the ocean wave sounds.

My hope and dream is that one day I can get up in the morning and walk on the beach and then before I go to bed at night.  It is my hope and dream.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/1/16 by Don Shetterly

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Why Make Fun Of People

Everyday on Facebook and Twitter and I'm sure a hundred other social media sites, there is just so much shared that is disrespectful.  It is not human.  I just don't understand why people think it is okay and fun and correct to make fun of people.

So what if the person is different?  So what if they have a different color skin?  It doesn't matter if they are gay or small or overweight or have pointed noses and ears.

It is disgusting how people do this and then they propagate it on by sharing and liking it and forwarding it.  Despicable! I have even seen upstanding people who think they are on the right side of politics forward some pretty disgusting stuff.  At the same time, they claim how bad the other side is?

Quit sharing and liking and forwarding the stuff on.  That will help a the entire world a tremendous amount.  Quit seeing everyone different from you as someone you should fear and hate and loathe.  Quit listening to the every day news stories that claims you should hate or dislike certain groups.

If we did this in school when we were younger, we would have gotten in trouble for it.  We expect more from our children then we do for ourselves.  It is like we are telling our children to do what we say, but don't do what you see us do.  Actions speak louder than words.

Why anyone makes fun of people, I don't understand.  We are all cells, tissues, organs and bones.  We all have a heart and a brain, toes and feet, arms and hands.  We are all human and we speak different languages.  We see things differently and we believe differently.  We are all essentially the same makeup biologically.

Instead of making fun of other people, why don't we try see just how much we are alike.  Let's see the similarities with others and try to ignore the differences.  We're not going to survive as a human civilization if all we do is make fun of people each hour of every day.

When we make fun of people, it is the same as when we make fun of ourselves.  We don't value our self enough to see the good in others.  We don't respect our self enough to respect others.

It is time we stop and reverse the course that we are now on.  We have lowered ourselves to such a low level that the mud pit of life is getting pretty crowded.  We're trampling upon each other just to entertain ourselves, but one of these days we will need each other.  Hopefully Facebook and Twitter isn't around to stop that!

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/31/15 by Don Shetterly

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Poor Child Molester

I see it in the news again.  I see it in my family stuff that I'm forced to deal with every day of my life.  The poor old child molester is so victimized.  No one appreciates them and just blames them.  Poor child molester.  What will they ever do!

It is almost like these child molesters forget that they ever harmed another person.  It is like that part of their life never existed.  To them, the victim is the one with the problem.  To the child molester, the victim is the problem and if the victim was silenced, there would be no more problem for them.

In my case, the child molester goes to church and prays and gets baptized.  Jesus has forgiven all his sins so that automatically means that the victim needs to forget anything that happened.  While I know not everyone believes that way, it is the way the child molester in my life feels.  When I see this stuff, I want to puke my guts out!

I don't feel sorry for anyone that is a child molester.  You won't get sympathy from me because you have already sentenced the life of an innocent victim to hell and turmoil for the rest of their days.  You've forced them into living it over and over each and every day of their life.

Once you've been traumatized, your memory never fully forgets.  Yes, you can hide it and run from it, but it is still there.  It lurks in the dark shadows.  A child molester forever changes the life of the victim.

So please, if you are a child molester, don't ask for pity.  Don't blame the victim.  Don't cry a woe is me story.  You made the choice to molest, abuse, and rape the child.  You made the choice to take something so intimate away from the victim.

You deserve nothing as a child molester other than seeing yourself behind bars for the rest of your life.  Unfortunately, few too many child molesters ever get this but the victims aren't so lucky.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/31/15 by Don Shetterly

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Dreams Keep Me Awake

Maybe I am sleeping more at night than I realize.  It just seems lately and especially last night that my dreams were keeping me awake.  I can't be certain because it is hard to watch ourselves at night and I think even though we feel like we don't sleep, I have a feeling we do sleep some.

Regardless it seems, these dreams keep me awake.  It wasn't that these were frightening or scary or turned into a nightmare.  Yet, they were about a subject that I would rather not have ruining the hours I can sleep.  It is bad enough in the daytime, but at night, please I beg you dreams, let me sleep.

After some events that I keep seeing come to happen, the dream takes off going to all these childhood homes and places where various events happened.  There are vivid details that I'm not going to share in public, but it is like my only connection to what my memory truly remembers.

I am careful with my memory on these events because I know how things can get twisted and turned around.  Memory is not a linear timeline of every little detail.  Memory is one that drops little bits of facts here and there among the neural system from what I understand.  So, I'm extremely careful with memories and I don't get to entrenched in the smallest details.

Just like last night though on this subject, dreams keep me awake.  It seemed like the details were very true and helped fill in some of the doubts and missing pieces I long for in my life.  I don't think my mind was creating those events as they seemed to just match and feel right.

At least it wasn't a nightmare like I once had.  Although I know that moments like last night can lead to those horrors, I am vigilant and on high alert.  I can only hope that it will just let loose and let me be, not take me under like in times past.

Maybe it is my mind further processing what has happened and if that is so, then these dreams can keep me awake.  If not, then I would kindly request of my mind to please let me sleep peacefully at night.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/30/15 by Don Shetterly

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A House On The Beach

I know, I'd love to live there.  Having a house on a beach would be a nice thing so that I could get up early in the morning and go for a walk or take one late at night before going to bed.  There is something about having a house on a beach.

The only thing is, it isn't cheap.  One day, I hope that my dream becomes reality but for now, I can only take walks on the beach and feel the sand under my feet and the cool ocean water washing over my toes.

If you're like me and could just live on the ocean, take a minute to gaze in the picture I took yesterday. 

It was at New Smyrna Beach, Florida and was about 85 degrees when we were there.  The water from the Atlantic Ocean was a little chilly, but you could get used to it and some people were swimming.  The sun was out which made it a beautiful day.

Of course, if you don't have the ocean near you, you can always enjoy the CD of Relaxing Ocean Wave Sounds that I recorded at New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/29/15 by Don Shetterly

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Wish I Could Forget Like Child Abusers Do

One of the strange and horrible things about the remnants of child abuse is something that I think affects everyone who has been molested, raped, or tortured while growing up.  It often comes to my mind that I wish I could forget like those who hurt me seemed to have already done.

It is like the molesters and abusers seem to forget that they even did anything.  It is like they put on the cloak of being a victim.  "Woe is me," they say.  "Poor me," they say.  "Look at how miserable they are making my life," the abusers say.

Yeah, like I really feel sorry for those who "F'd" up my life and cause me to struggle through many days of it.  I really feel sorry for those who forced me into a life where I had to deal with all of this and fight my way back.  I'm being sarcastic of course when I say, "I really feel sorry for them".

For them to somehow forget the nightmare blows my mind.  I mean wasn't it enough that this happened from the time I was a very small child and went until I escaped for college.  Yes, let us not forget there was that additional time the night before one of them got married. I assume that is the role of a best man for a wedding?

For them to somehow forget that nightmare not only blows my mind but is so hard for me to comprehend.  There is not a day that goes by where it has not affected me.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't remember.  As Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk said in his book, The Body Keeps The Score about those who survive trauma, you often remember too much and too little at the same time.

Often abuse survivors want to tell someone about how they were molested, raped, or tortured.  Unfortunately they are often so afraid that people wouldn't believe them or that others would think something was wrong with them.  The ones that did the stuff to me already told the world we lived in that I had been brainwashed.

I just wish I could forget like the child abusers who raped me, molested me and tortured me almost every day of my life seem to have done.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/29/15 by Don Shetterly

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WE SCREAM

The only way I know to deal with what I see is by writing.  My words hopefully carry some impact in a way that makes us think.  I try to write to help others see a bigger picture and make sense of what happens in a day.

Please read what I have written below and I'll hold back from saying any more about it.  I want the words I've written to stand on their own.  If they touch you as much as they mean to me, please share it with all you know.

WE SCREAM

Written by Don Shetterly (c) 1/5/2016


We scream, therefore we are human.
We scream, to be heard.
We scream, yet no one listens.
We scream.

We scream, please listen to me.
We scream, you are someone we hate.
We scream, we dislike you.
We scream.

We scream, how much you hate us.
We scream, to be liked.
We scream, we know the truth.
We scream.

We scream, that you are ignorant.
We scream, how great we are.
We scream, that you're so stupid.
We scream.

We scream, how human we are.
We scream, how righteous we are.
We scream, just because we can.
We scream.

We scream, no one listens.
We scream, no one cares.
We scream, drowned out by others who screamed.
We scream.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/5/16 by Don Shetterly

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Afraid Of Fear

We're there!  We've been a downhill trajectory for a long time and now we're just digging deeper into fear.  So many and I mean so many are so afraid of fear that reality isn't even a close relative now.

At one time (maybe it was just an illusion), we all were not a bunch of fear freaks scampering to every potential thing that happened in a day or didn't happen.  Now, we are all waiting it seems to run from anything that might make a whisper.

It is really sad to be honest.  We are at an all time high for panic and depression.  We are at an all time high of trusting no one and fearing everyone.  We're afraid of people who look different than us.  We are afraid of sounds that turn out to be nothing meaningful.

I thought it would balance out at some point, but I think I'm wrong.  We are so afraid of fear that I wonder just how long it will be before we reach the ultimate, point of no return tipping point.  I'm not sure we are that far away from this.

In the meantime, fear is causing not only mental disturbance issues, but all kinds of health issues.  Fear is forcing us to do things we wouldn't normally do and consuming us to the point where normal things in life look frightening.

Everyone thinks that by following the constant minute by minute replays of news, they are somehow giving themselves sustenance and facts, but in many ways, they are just adding to the fear.  News isn't news and it is only designed to hook you and reel you in, but that doesn't stop anyone. 

Everyone thinks that by taking more and more health procedures that we are somehow handling the crisis.  Unfortunately this just takes everyone further and further from being connected to their body.  It takes them further into the dark whole where the health issues compound themselves and grow with unbridled expansion.

Instead of learning to respect and love one another, we treat everyone as the enemy.  We and our politicians degrade anyone that is different than us and anyone that might help us gain more power, money or control.  It doesn't matter which side of the issue we are on, because we all do it through what we mind numbingly share and like on social media every day.

It is sad how we have lost site of where we are and who we are at in a day.  I can see the nervous system spinning out of control in most people I meet, but we still walk into the fog, thinking that we are walking into the sun.

Where will it all stop and reverse?  I am not sure.  I can't see how we can continue on as humans in this manner.  The universe strives for balance and the further we swing one way or the other, the more it will take to bring us back into balance.  May we all do that before it is past the point of no return.

If only we could do little things every day, rather then hiding our heads in the sand.  If only we could figure out what it truly means to be grounded, not just something that we tell the world that we are.  If only we could get back to discovering what it means to be aware of our innermost self instead of looking to blame, ridicule, mock, and disrespect others.

I know, it seems like a dream right now.  It continues to be my dream and my hope.

Listen to the YouTube Video below of Joy Harjo and the Fear Poem. It is powerful!

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/26/15 by Don Shetterly

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Feeling Alive Or Numb In Natural Awakenings

My article just got published in Natural Awakenings for Orlando Florida.  The title of it is called Feeling Alive or Numb?  It is rather a lengthy article, but I tried to pack as much into it as I could.  Click on the image to the right to go to the article.

I am so happy that the editor of this local publication knows how important this topic is and to have given me the opportunity to write it.  I am thankful beyond words for the support of this publisher.

Numbing is something we all do in life.  It is our go to device when life becomes overwhelming or as we struggle to make sense of it.  There are many ways we numb ourselves and while you may think it is everyone else that does this, we only need to stop and look at our own lives.

Most of us live in a numbing state of mind and we don't even know it.  It is such an unconscious state of mind for us to be in.  It happens right in our very own mind and body without any recognition we give to it.

I could go on about numbing, but I'll let you read the article in the Natural Awakenings publication.  It starts on page 17 and continues on for a few pages.

You can also read more about the ways we numb on my site, Somatosync.com .

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/1/16 by Don Shetterly

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Easy Red Pepper Hummus Recipe

Recently I got the Blendtec Mini Twister Jar and I love it!  I was thinking about getting the NutriBullet but since I already had the Blendtec, the Mini Twister jar made perfect sense.

I love hummus but when you buy the commercial stuff in the store it usually has garlic or onions in it.  Those two items make me sick.  These days it is getting harder and harder to find food without garlic and onion.

I adapted the recipe from what was displayed in the book that came with the Mini Twister Jar.  If you want to put garlic in it, feel free or to try other variations.  This is just the starting point.

Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP olive oil (maybe some better oils to use)
• 1 TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice 
• 1 TBSP Tahini
• 7.5 oz Garbanzo Beans
• 1 to 2 TBSP liquid from Garbanzo Beans
• 1 Cup Red Pepper (I cut a red pepper in half)
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  

Directions:

• Add all ingredients into the Mini Twister Jar and place the lid on the jar.  
• While holding the lid on the twister jar, Select the Salsa/Dips/Batters button
• Turn the twister lid counter-clockwise during blending

I had never used Tahini paste before so I went on Amazon and found this product which seemed pretty inexpensive.  Two jars were around $10 if I remember correctly.  The paste tasted good and seemed to be just sesame seed paste with nothing else. It worked great for this hummus recipe.

I had one good-sized lemon and from that lemon, I got about 6 to 8 TBSP of fresh lemon juice just by squeezing it in a little handheld juicer.

Olive oil may not be the best, but use whatever you prefer and see how it tastes.  The cayenne pepper was very strong, but it gave it a good kick.  The original recipe called for roasting the red pepper, but I did not see any need to do this and red bell pepper is very healthy for you.  It is full of phytochemicals.

I love Blendtec and it works very well.  This little mini twister jar is ideal.  It is the right size and easy to clean out especially with the special spatula that came with it.

I don't think I would want to make more hummus than this recipe made because I want to keep it fresh.

Since it was so easy to make, it wouldn't take much for me to make some more at any time.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/4/16 by Don Shetterly

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Walking Through It One Step At A Time

So much is happening.  Some of it is good and some of it is not so good.  I try to stay positive but it is pretty rough waves at the moment.  I'm walking through it, one step at a time.

I know we all have our rough moments, and most of the time I can weather through things pretty well in my day.  However, this feels nonstop lately and I'm trying to keep myself grounded and centered.  Sometimes it is easier to say than it is to do.

From family issues cropping up over the holidays to the anniversary of losing some special people in my life, the other things that hit me seem small in comparison.

It was at this time many years ago, that I got the call my mom had been killed in a car accident. It was just a year ago that I was planning to go see a friend and days before I was supposed to be there, he died unexpectedly from pneumonia.  Another person I felt close to also was in her last days around this time.

It is never easy to lose someone you love.  There was so much that was left unsaid and unanswered with my mom, but it is not like I can have a face-to-face conversation with her at this moment.  Yes, I talk to my mom, but it isn't the same.  She was the one in the family that loved me and cared about me and why she left all the monsters behind, I will never understand.

For now, I just keep walking through it one step at a time.  I don't know what else to do.  When people mean as much as they do to us, it is hard to just let them go.  It is hard to not be reminded of them constantly.

• And to my Mom, this page and website is for you.
  
• And to my friend, David Bland, I still struggle with you gone.
• And to my friend Randee, I know you're at peace now, but I miss you so much.
• And to my friend Crystal, I found that time was too short.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 1/1/16 by Don Shetterly

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Unconsious But Enlightened

An epidemic is at hand I say.  I mean this is a breaking news story.  This is the "truth" for the moment.  I mean, you need to hear what I say because my product, my belief, my stuff I push upon you is the only thing that matters.

Every day we have far too many in this world that claim to be enlightened and all knowing and have the latest and greatest thing or news or belief.  Yet, being unconscious is at an all time high.

You can recite mantras, you can recite your beliefs but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

You can claim you know how to raise your vibration and clear your evil energy.  You can claim that you know all and those that don't are just not far along on their path, but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

You can claim to have the latest gadget or supplement that will make your brain rewrite every bad thing that ever happened to you.  You can claim to have the latest miracle cure that with one zap cures you of all future illness, but it doesn't mean you are any more conscious than the person next to you.

See, we like to claim how great or wonderful or loving or conscious we are.  We like to claim that we know best and the latest fad we have found will be the savior of the world.  We like to portray just how conscious and knowing we are so that others will listen to us and boost our frail ego.

Being conscious means you need to know what your body feels like from the innermost depths and that's not a one time thing.  It isn't a moment where you've done some work and said, I'm enlightened.  It is a daily process of dealing with what comes your way in life.

Being conscious is about going in and actually feeling the body, not ignoring it because we are numb.  Being unconscious is sitting there in pain and not even knowing it, or sitting there with stuck energy and thinking your life is one happy meme after another.

Unconsciousness is the norm these days.  Very few people go in and really feel what they feel in their body.  Most are too busy being so numb to it that we continue to avoid what we feel each day.

Time and time again I see the unconscious behavior and I'm not just talking about how people act in a day.  I'm describing that when you go and stop for a moment, what do you feel in your body.  I've seen far too many including myself that do not feel a thing until they stop and begin a "PROCESS" of sensing in their body.

It is very easy to numb and avoid and be unconscious.  We can think we aren't, but well that is numbness and avoidance.  It is much harder to be conscious and find an enlightening moment where  you feel something in your body.  The minute you feel something in your body is the moment where you are connected to your body.

I challenge anyone reading this to see what they can find in their own body.  Don't take my word for it that you may be unconscious.    Find the moment of enlightened sensitivity where you connect with your body in a way that you never have.  Then follow that sensation through and feel the edges of where it goes.

There is no greater learning and awareness then when we go deep inside.  We have always been instructed to "know thyself", but we practice avoidance and numbness far more than we embrace consciousness and enlightenment.

By the way, I don't mean by enlightenment that it is some light from nirvana showing up.  It just means that you have connected to something greater within you and an awareness has kicked on.

Go ahead though... test this out and see if you can prove it to be valid or not.  Don't just take my word for it.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/24/15 by Don Shetterly

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Autonomic Breathing With Resperate

I started using this at a recommendation of a colleague.  It wasn't so much for the effect of lowering my blood pressure, although that is what the claims are for the Resperate.  My reason for purchasing this and using it is to help my autonomic breathing pattern and drop my body breathing into the therapeutic zone.

At this time, I am surprised by what the Resperate is doing.  The first time was challenging and I went the entire recommended 15 minutes.  The next time, it was not as challenging and the third time I have tried this, it was much easier.

My breaths per minuted started out at 14.4 the first time, then 12.6 the second time and now today, they were at 10.5 when I started.  Today I only did 10 minutes on it but when I finished, my breaths were at 6.4 per minute which is under the therapeutic zone of 10 breaths per minute.

Since I don't have a blood pressure machine at this moment, I've been using my pulse meter.  I noticed that it has been dropping my pulse down about 20 points when I finish with it and sometimes more.  I know this is an anxious time for me with the holidays coming up, but even to drop it a little is good.

My main goal though is to help work on my autonomic breathing patterns.  I know that if I can kick in the vagus reflex and learn to breathe better, it will help my heart and my life.  Sometimes, I get busy in a day and I just don't think about slowing down or what my breathing is doing.  This is a good machine to help train my body further to do something natural that will help me.

Breath is life and healing and we all need to be more aware of it.  The Resperate is a great machine for helping do this.  It is pretty simple to use once you go through the tutorial and figure out where to place the band around you.  Other than that, it is about just lying there and following the breathing prompts.

I will update this more as I go with the Resperate and share further details.  I have only used it three times.  Soon, I will have a blood pressure machine so I can monitor that as well and give more fact based feedback and reviews on it.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/19/15 by Don Shetterly

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