To Ponder

"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive."
~Elbert Hubbard

Conscious Eating

It seems like food is always a topic in my house; when are we eating it, what we just ate, when we're going out to buy some more . . . food food food.

If you really are what you eat, then for the past 2ish weeks I can proudly say that I would be a healthy bowl of spinach lentil soup or a vegetarian chili. I've been eating really well, and I can feel the difference. My husband and I have gone on a challenge of sorts to only eat non-processed foods "from the Earth." We took out bread and pasta as well. And you know what? I really don't miss it that much.

It makes me wonder why I eat bad food in the first place, because it makes me feel, well, bad. If I sum up my eating for my life as a whole, I think I would be a bowl of pasta with a side of bread.

Yeah. I was due for a food makeover.

During one reading, a guide was advising his student to eat better, calling all of the processed foods and sugars that he was consuming "poison."

If someone had said that to me, I probably would have laughed and called that pretty dramatic. But it's kind of true. Our bodies are machines, and the synthetic lab-made ingredients that are now in most of our food are doing some real damage.

We haven't been 100% perfect. In a moment of weakness, I caught my husband sneaking a Fresca after dinner.

Me: "Is that a Fresca?!"
Him: "No caffeine!"
Me: "Are you trying to claim that Fresca comes from the Earth? I haven't seen a Fresca farm before."
Him: "It has citrus in it . . ."

And I haven't been perfect, either. I admit that I made myself some blueberry pancakes.

But we're really, really trying. It's hard to be conscious in all areas of your life. I was pretty good at prayer and kindness, but I was playing dumb when it came to taking care of my body. No more.

We definitely live in a world where the way our society is set up, you could live very unconsciously with disastrous consequences. I'm contemplating taking up this challenge and applying consciousness to another area of my life where I've been hiding in darkness. Not sure yet what it is . . . but if you have ideas, send me an email!

Yay America

Unless you've been living in a bomb shelter, you probably heard about Conan O'Brien getting a pre-mature kick in the pants and being booted off of The Tonight Show after only a 7 month run. NBC executives were trying to appease two late night hosts and attempting to make cash at the same time, and Conan just wasn't going for it.

Like many, I was swept up in the madness. For the record, I love Conan's brand of comedy long before the rally cry. My husband and I saw him when he came to Chicago for a week in May '07. I played hooky from work and went to the fabulous Chicago theater (shhhh . . . don't tell). I am a sucker for red hair and self-deprecation.

I changed my Facebook profile picture to this snazzy poster and watched online clips as the jabs escalated to total punches.

My favorite joke from the whole debacle might be when Conan addressed the audience in his monologue on January 15th, saying, "I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it too."

At one point, I felt the absurdity was a bit much. Some people have been unemployed for a year. People are dying in Haiti. We still have soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why is everyone getting riled up about who will host a late night comedy show?

But there is something really uplifting in this. It's wonderful to see that Americans still have a hard-working spirit that will fight for those they think have been treated unfairly. Conan has been painted as the loser in this mess, and it's apparent that what Americans want everyone to have is a fair shake.

Conan's escapades have restored my faith in Americans. Well, maybe that's a bit grandiose. Let's say it's half restored my faith? Pie slice restored my faith? Hmmm . . .

To Ponder

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ins and Outs of the 9 to 5

As you can imagine, there isn't an owners manual on using your medium abilities in this world. Navigating this career has cast a spotlight on my flaws and my talents all at the same time.

Lately, I've had a hard time dealing with the reality that this stuff is just crazy to most people. Most people have never met a medium, talked with a medium, or gotten a reading. I do my best to anticipate common questions and concerns on my website, and I always ask first if they have any questions about my process or how I work. But each day is a battle against phantom ideas of what a psychic is or isn't.

Mostly, my gripe is just that I am guilty until proven innocent. I'm considered a fake, a phony, and people talk to me with a wary voice and a squinted eye until I've given them some sign that I'm "the real thing." There is a permeating belief that these abilities are just not possible for humans. So giving as little information as possible and with a guarded nature, people ask fuzzy and vague questions followed by a pregnant pause.

Imagine if every day that you went to work, your boss, co-workers, and clients didn't believe that you could actually do what you say you can do. Picture an architect after 2 years on the job reporting for duty with a "test."

"Hey Jake, I know you've been doing this for a few years, but just prove it to me. Sketch me a super great building that demonstrates that you can actually do what you say you can do. Right now."

Or a surgeon at a hospital.

"Dr. Smith, I know you've completed hundred of operations at this point in your career, but I'm not sure that I trust you. Walk me through a knee replacement surgery, be detailed, and don't skip any steps. I want to make sure you're the real McCoy and not some phony doctor."

After a while, you'd probably be a little miffed. All of this proving, all of the non-believing. It gets kind of old. It's kind of like being treated like it's your first day on the job every day. I still have friends and family members who look at me like I have three heads. I was a nice, respectable girl with my teaching job until I jumped on the deep end with this "talking to dead people" mumbo jumbo.

And of course there's not really a union or support group. I always wonder if other psychics have the same problems. Does John Edwards get this stuff? Would I have it easier if I had a ghost-hunting TV show or if I worked for a police station?

Probably not.

But at the end of the day, I have to remind myself that this isn't about me. This is about their issues. If a stranger walks up to me, completely suspicious that I "claim" to be a medium, how can that be my fault? Of course it's based on their own past observations and experiences that they approach me with distrust. How could I have done anything to someone I haven't even met?

But when those feelings of being attacked wash over me, I picture Buddha laughing at me. At our ability to always make it about us. Of course their eagerness for witch-hunt has nothing to do with me! Once again, we make our world into this big reflection ball where we see ourselves in everyone and everything as if we are the center of the universe.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine seemed to be in a pretty bad mood. She was irritable and not really making eye contact, so I thought I would be brave and finally said, "Did I do something to offend you? Are you mad at me?"

She hastily replied that her bad mood actually had to do with her job. We've all been there. Making it about us when it has nothing to do with us at all.

I know that the suspicions directed towards me are from hundreds of years of phonies and cheesy Hollywood movies, and I will just have to keep knocking down walls that I never built.

But can I have a pity party complete with a hot fudge sundae please? Just every once in a while?

On to the next caller.

To Ponder

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one, wild and precious life?"
~Mary Oliver

My MLK Day

So for MLK day my husband was off work, and we always try to do something special or different since it's a three-day weekend. I woke up this morning with no plan. After meditating for a minute, I suddenly had the thought to go to the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette. It's something that's been on my to-do list since, oh you know, 2007, so I thought it was high time to get it done.

I laughed as my husband, dog (oh yes the dog came too), and myself got in the car. How many 20 somethings are headed to the Baha'i Temple on their three-day weekend? I don't think it tops many lists. But then again, I'm usually not found doing things that people my age would be doing.

If you live in the Chicagoland area, it's definitely a place to visit. The architecture is just gorgeous. There are only 7 temples in the world, and Wilmette hosts the only Temple on the North American continent. One feature that I really love is that you can find symbols of major religions carved into the stone. In one of the pictures above, you can see a Christian cross, the Star of David, and one of the symbols for Jainism. You can read more about the temple on the Baha'i wikipedia page.

After spending just a few minutes inside, I realized what an appropriate field trip this really is for Martin Luther King Day. In essence, those of the Baha'i faith believe in one God, the validity and honoring of all religious faiths, and the unity of all humanity. It is a religion that focuses on the unifying threads between all major religions and all people. It is also decidedly activist, with core principles that include elimination of all forms of prejudice and equality among men and women among other aims.

Surely this is a place MLK would be proud to visit on his day. Not going to lie, I had a moment in the temple by myself. I cried. After sitting in a seat and studying the architecture of the place, I sat for a moment in silence and meditated on the mission of such a church, and it brought me to tears. I am not a practicing member of any religion, but I am highly spiritual. Core to my beliefs is the assertion that all are one and all devout paths seeking truth lead to God. In that moment, I was overwhelmed with the spirit of God and the purity of this belief.

I hope your own MLK day was just as uplifting!

To Ponder

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."
~Epicurus

Please Help

So this is becoming a regular thing now, me plugging charities. Oh well!

If you haven't donated your time or money to help the disaster relief in Haiti, please take a minute today to do so. Every bit helps. As you can imagine, going into business in 2009 means that I'm not exactly set to retire early. I did my taxes this weekend. Ouch, Uncle Sam. But I scrounged up some credit card numbers (yes, they were mine) and donated through the Red Cross. Please pick a reputable charity and get clicking.

If you're not convinced, go to google news and skim the top 5 articles related to the situation in Haiti right now. I really can't imagine that you'd need more explanation than that.

Isaac Newton was a Total Hippie

"To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction."

I've been pondering Newton's third law a lot lately. I remember when we first discussed this concept in 6th grade. I was so freaking excited because something that I learned in science class actually made sense to me. I would chant it in my head like it was the mystery of life. Like I was Sir Isaac Newton himself.

Which by the way, Isaac and myself share a birthday. Same day, but he beats me by 340 years. I think I had this same haircut in the fourth grade. I also have brooding eyes and often look over my left shoulder. Coincidence. . . . ?

Anyway, it seems that lately this is the message that the universe is throwing at us in a hard, hard way. I've been pondering on all the ways our society wants to be able to throw out an action without an equal an opposite reaction. We are overworked. Overfed (and fed poorly). We abuse our bodies with alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and drugs of all kinds. We want to have money, successful careers, and many material things . . . but at what cost? And do we do these actions with the full understanding that there will be an equal (and opposite) reaction?

And now it seems as though it's all coming back to us. Obesity, cancer, heart disease. People are losing their jobs and their health. I can cite my own back problems as part of this phenomena.

It seems that in the past there has always been a certain amount of lag time before what we send out comes back to us. After 20 years of eating poorly, Sam has a heart attack. After 8 years of ignoring her marriage, Suzie gets a divorce.

But now it seems like the boomerang effect is on fast forward. The action we take today is coming back to us tomorrow. I think we can no longer act foolishly with our bodies or our time and get away with it for very long at all.

So I'm going the chiropractor and the back is improving. I'm also taking a 30-day health challenge with my husband to eat only natural foods, nothing processed. Getting a regular workout routine is last on my list once I get this back thing under control.

So if the boomerang was coming back to you today, what would it bring?

ReBlog from my Friend Rebecca

Sadly,I cannot take credit for the magnificence of this post. It was written by my friend Rebecca on her blog.

Certainties & Possibilities
January 3, 2010

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. Today I bought my 2010 wall calendar.

What is it about picking it out a calendar for the new year (50% off, of course - thank you, Borders) that excites me so? Well, I'm one of those people who loves to write down all of her appointments and outings, special dates and anniversaries. In fact, I even love to write things down on my calendar after I have done them. (This is very similar to my love-of-lists issue.)

Yes, I have a problem with wasted time. I don't need to have something to do every hour of the day, but I do like to see that I've actually done something with my days, largely because I fear that I've wasted a lot of time. Maybe I have, maybe not - but that's an issue for another post (or three).

Today I'm going to be excited about my new calendar featuring pictures of one of my favorite things...schnauzers. Yes, 2010 is going to be the year of doing things that make me happy, and it starts with the schnauzers. Sure, I probably should have gone with the myriad of options that would donate a portion of the profits to charity, but 2010 is not about guilt! It's about happiness, dammit!

Here's another thing I love about a new calendar: it has certainties and a myriad of possibilities. I love filling in all of the year's special dates on my calendar. I am certain that my birthday will be in September, my mother's will be in October, my friend Tracy's will be in August, etc. When I was teaching, I knew exactly when I would have spring break and when the last day of the school year would be. Certainties. And then there are all of the blank days. Like right now I'm looking at April 21st. I have no idea what will happen on April 21st, but it might be amazing. It might be the day I win the lottery or the day I get a great job offer or the day I meet a new friend. I just don't know.

So tonight I'm going to enjoy writing little notes in my calendar (It's made me downright twitchy not to have one for the past two days.) and thinking about things I know will happen and about the thousands of other things that I can't even imagine yet.

Chakra Clearing by Dorren Virtue

As part of my book review series, this one is simple, sweet, and highly useful. Chakra Clearing by Doreen Virtue is a guided meditation that takes you through a process to clear your energy beginning at your root chakra and ending at the crown chakra. It only takes maybe 15 minutes or so to do, and I always feel immensely better after having completed it.

My copy is a tiny pocket book, although it looks like the only version they have now is bigger. But you can buy the book and the CD for only $12.21! I'd say that's a deal to have a daily process to start and end your day right.

A Beautiful Meditation/Prayer

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

Just Ask

We're hopping back into the time machine to go to September 2009 again. I had just come from a family funeral and was on my way to Louisville, Kentucky for a Healing Sound Conference. Part of me was just so wiped out from the funeral that I had no interest in going; but my belief is that once I RSVP to something, the universe takes note and sends the appropriate people and opportunities to help and be helped. Really! So I couldn't help but think who will be there that I should meet? Who needs to meet me? I really believe this. Consider this the next time you're feeling too tired, lazy, stressed, etc. to keep a prior commitment.

And so I went to Louisville.

While I was there, I saw a lovely artist that I had met before at another expo. Her name is Beverly Stephan, and she is a mystical healing artist. In a session with Beverly, she spends about 3 minutes connecting with your guides and loved ones, then asks them to communicate with you through her art. It's such a memorable and fun experience. The picture in this post is of Beverly going over her art session with a client.

When I first saw her work, I really wanted to try it, but I thought that I really shouldn't spend the money. I go to the expos with the intention to meet clients and hopefully bring in enough pay to cover the cost of the trip. But when I ran into Beverly again, I had a harder time saying no. I felt compelled to meet her, and so I just said this little prayer in my head: "Please God, allow me to have this unique experience with Beverly and help me cover the cost so that I don't worry or feel guilty about it."

I walked over to Beverly and had a lovely session. As the paint was drying, she held up the work and pointed to different aspects of the art with her laser pen. As she was almost done explaining and the paint was almost dry, she suddenly dropped it. It was slightly smudged on one side and a small paint splatter now graced the left of the art.

Beverly sighed, "Oh no! I'm so sorry Brittany! This has only happened to me once before! This almost never happens! I am so so sorry honey. This one is on me."

I smiled at Beverly and said, "How about we do another one too and I'll pay for that one?" So I walked away with two gorgeous lifetime paintings! But more than anything, it made me smile and buoyed my faith that when we ask for things that are good for us, God is always helping us make our dreams come true.

Honoring Your True Feelings or How My Pride Cost Me $500

So let's jump into our time machines and go back to September 16, 2009. It's a Wednesday and I'm going to a lovely yoga class and then rushing home to do my radio show. About 30 minutes in to the class, we went into this pose at the top.

Just kidding just kidding, we went into the pose on the bottom except without the wall. Just put your feet up in the air said the yoga instructor. Go for it.

Once I got into this position I felt an excruciating.pain.in.my.back.

Really.bad.

I wanted to scream in class. My inner monologue was something like holy Jesus mother ow ow ow make it stop make it stop crap crap crap.

But I looked around, and no one else is screaming. No one looks distressed. This looks effortless to everyone but me. So what do I do? I decide there's no way I'm putting my feet down since no one else is. Either I'm weak or I'm doing it wrong or both. My feet are staying put.

After class, I nonchalantly slink over to the instructor and our conversation goes something like this:

"So, that move where we're making a 90 degree angle, is that supposed to be excruciating? Because no one else was screaming but I really really wanted to."

"No, that move should not hurt at all! You must have been arching your back. You had your abs engaged, right?"

Crickets.

I continue my life. I go on walks, I go on the road, I do my workout videos, life goes on. Starting in November, my back starts screaming bloody murder. So I finally go to the chiropractor in January, and after just 205 easy payment installments of $45 , I will be pain free.

Obviously, I should have just stopped the move. But I was so worried that people would think I was a loser. I was afraid I was doing something wrong (I was) and I didn't want anyone to notice.

Well of course there are some advantages to this. Who doesn't love a massage covered by insurance? Or how about a legit reason to buy a ridiculous assortment of pillows to take to bed? Or how about a doctor's orders that I am not allowed to clean the house! Or shovel snow! Party party 2010 people!

I will tell you that after 2 sessions with my chiropractor I feel indebted to bestow upon her years of Christmas cards and apples in gratitude. So things are looking up.

Not gonna lie, I'm having trouble getting excited about doing yoga again . . . maybe 2011.

My Love/Hate Relationship With New Year's

Oh New Year's. Every year you rear your ugly head and we have to do this "I love you/I hate you" dance round and round.

What I love about New Year's is that it is the most existential holiday we have. It's the only holiday that provokes introspection. What were the defining moments of my past? How do I move forward to a bright future? We ask all the important questions on New Year's. If there's any time of year that's best for evolution on a large scale, it's New Year's.

Now here's my beef. First of all, let's be real, those questions are scary. Most of us keep our inner search pretty shallow and leave it at "Learn to knit, Lose 20 pounds." I think the questions that are invoked are so weighty that we freeze. And of course, if you're truly trying to improve yourself, you're doing that year round, right? So in one way I feel like new year's is a missed opportunity to do some serious soul searching.

My other issue is that the way we celebrate New Year's is just silly. If I was going to organize a New Year's extravaganza, there wouldn't be slinky black dresses, champagne, and party hats. My New Year's fest would be at a retreat center with notebooks for writing down revelations and meditation sessions for authentic and powerful inner discoveries. No one would ride home slumped over in the back of a cab.

I know what you're thinking. That kind of party will catch on like wildfire, right? Yeah, I know! We could call it "A Nerdy New Year's Eve." Maybe I'll put one together in 2020 . . .

2009

How will I top a year like 2009? Honestly, I have no friggin' clue. 2009 was a roller coaster of awesomeness. Here are just some of the bullet point highlights:

• I quit my teaching job (well, technically I quit November 2008, but trust me, it didn't sink in until '09)
• I graduated with my master's degree in Educational Policy Studies
• I started.my.own.business
• I applied to and was accepted to 3 PhD programs
  
• I found myself a personal direct pipeline to saints, angels, loved ones who've passed on, and other such lovely beings
• I had my first (and perhaps last) radio show
• I became a reiki master/teacher
• I began my journey in learning the art of hypnotherapy
  
• I found my love for reading and for the library again and made up for serious lost time
• I got to enjoy spending almost 24/7 with my adorable dog Rocky
• I got out on the road with my new-found career and have gotten to meet nice, lovely people all over the mid-west
• I took meditation to a whole new level
  
• I found a way to help people in the most meaningful, loving, spiritual way possible that is just perfect for who I am

Quite honestly I haven't had a year like it in my 27 years. It was courage-making, heart-breaking, love-quaking, Earth-shaking, and now it's over. My life will never be the same because of the surprises, gifts, and discoveries of 2009 and it's left me reeling. Is 2009 a taste of what's to come? Will other years pale in comparison? Is this the kind of year you have once a decade or once a . . . year?

Hiatus

I'm back! Methinks I made a rather awkward exit by just stopping the blog without a formal "happy christmas/merry new year" post, but I think we can all move past this, right?

Well, in my hiatus, I've learned the importance of meditation in my life, renewed my love for pineapple upside-down cake, and discovered that my spine is perhaps more important than I fully realized.

Much more revelations to come of course.