Oh how we have lost the true art of taking the time to honestly and mindfully listen to that small voice within. So cliche you might be mumbling under your breath about now. People always say that.

  Just so happens that the only way you’re going to tap into your intuitive abilities is to make the time to be in solitude with yourself , no distractions. This is different from acting on a gut feeling that you may have throughout your day, one that tells you to go right and not left or there is something about a person you encounter that gives you an uneasy feeling.

  No, I am talking about getting to know yourself by being still, and truly listening to what the inner voice is telling you. Not just listening but to trust an act on what it is telling you.

  Now back to my opening sentence. Today’s society with ever demanding responsibilities, rapid advances in technology, and inability to find the time to slow down have prevented us from going within to find answers we seek pertaining to certain circumstances in our lives.

  It’s extremely hard to be still. We are so used to checking every alert that our cell phone sends our way, well, let’s just admit it, a good portion of our daily lives are spent with phone in hand, oblivious to what is happening around us.

  I have discovered that many of the answers I seek regarding specific issues have profoundly been revealed to me during the night when all is quiet. Your intuition will never lead you astray. It is the compass that will guide you in the right direction if only you take the time to listen.

“Some say I am too sensitive but the truth is I just feel too much. Every word, every action, and every energy goes straight to my heart.

_ Unknown

The primary way in which the intuitive can rejuvenate the soul is to experience solitude from the outside world. This does not mean to isolate one’s self for days at a time but to merely find that sacred space in which to relinquish the anxiety, pressure, and energy absorbed from the external environment that surrounds us. The ability to accomplish a feat such as this is difficult at best due to the fact that a good majority of our communication with others and business activities rely on the electronic devices that have become such an integral part of our daily lives.

There is a great satisfaction in contemplative silence that can only be best described as getting back to source. To rejuvenate the empathic soul means to consciously look within and gain an ability to distinguish self energy from the energy of others. The empath must learn to live in the moment and utilize methods to stay grounded versus overthinking in trying to find ways to fix or heal every broken individual that crosses our path. The empath must ask themselves to what degree locus of control; internal or external factors are influencing their life.

This brings me to the core reason an empath needs occasional solitude. As an empath with a master’s in psychology I can recognize that the biggest challenge facing the empath is the ability to set personal boundaries. We are magnets for those seeking validation. We empathize with those who have a tendency to prey on our weaknesses as means to gain access and control over our lives. Grant it not all individuals that seek empathic guidance are out to manipulate however the sole nature of the empath is to see the good in all people regardless of the danger that may exist. Yes, setting strong boundaries and finding solace in solitude not only lets others know what is acceptable and unacceptable in regards to self-preservation but allows the empath to recognize external energies that may intrude on and impact our daily lives.

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” Carl Jung

Darkness does not comprehend the existence of light yet the light illuminates within the darkness none the less. Terms such as” shadow self”, “dark night of the Soul” are but metaphorical terms used to describe the human condition in its most diabolical form. Accepting one’s shortcomings, faults, or undesirable behaviors requires dancing in the dark per say… going deep within the soul allowing light to possibly become the catalyst for change. As an empath and intuitive living in these current times dancing with one’s shadow as means of becoming consciously aware of desired positive change within have become a debilitating experience. Routine practices and methods of separating self-energy from the energy of the collective no longer apply. The boundaries that distinguish self-energy from the energy of others have become ambiguous at best due to the fact that intuitive beings are part of the universal consciousness. Humanity is experiencing a “dark night of the soul”.

The suggestions to not watch the news and disengage from social media are but mere words fallen on deaf ears to the empath. This is not something you disengage from because the empath feels it, breathes it, and experiences the overwhelming existing rage, fear, and division within the collective on a 24/7 basis. What is the empath to do? The phrase, ” If your path demands you to walk through Hell, walk as if you own the place” applies quite nicely. Surrender to it, embrace it and work your way through it. Empathic brothers and sisters be there for one another for support during these challenging times but most importantly utilize your gift of guidance and insight to help others because doing so will help YOU in the process. Many are dancing in the dark. Bless.

The Cobblestone apartments Pasadena Texas was a place in which mamma would take us kids to swim during the hot Texas summers. The pool was an inviting and magical place for a  four year old who loved nothing better than to wiggle her toes into the cool water and gaze upon the  Sun’s dancing reflection rippling across the pool. Mamma’s best fiend Elfrita would invite us over for a fun day of swimming and adventure.     

As I sat on the first concrete stair of the pool looking down into the water mamma was talking with her best friend and a neighbor a stones throw away from my perch. How did I slip in off the stairs unnoticed? I found myself submerged completely a calm peace embraced me. No fear just silence. Who are these 4 Golden Light Beings surrounding me? No facial features yet illuminating with pure love. Suddenly I am viewing the pool from above and notice a young woman possibly 15 in a one-piece Black bathing suit dive off the diving board from across the pool into the water and swoop me up into her arms. Mamma after realizing what had happened was clearly shaken while witnessing her young child coughing and gasping for air. My NDE event changed my life.     

I was under the impression that everyone could see and hear spirit. Mom don’t you hear that person crying and look up into the attic ceiling fan don’t you see that Purple and Blue scarf wrapped around the fan blades. Who is that man staring into the window? Seems as though my intuitive and mediumship abilities heightened following my near drowning. So began the journey towards the discovery and development of my intuitive abilities.

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” Carl Jung

Darkness does not comprehend the existence of light yet the light illuminates within the darkness none the less. Terms such as” shadow self”, “dark night of the Soul” are but metaphorical terms used to describe the human condition in its most diabolical form. Accepting one’s shortcomings, faults, or undesirable behaviors requires dancing in the dark per say… going deep within the soul allowing light to possibly become the catalyst for change. As an empath and intuitive living in these current times dancing with one’s shadow as means of becoming consciously aware of desired positive change within have become a debilitating experience. Routine practices and methods of separating self-energy from the energy of the collective no longer apply. The boundaries that distinguish self-energy from the energy of others have become ambiguous at best due to the fact that intuitive beings are part of the universal consciousness. Humanity is experiencing a “dark night of the soul”.

The suggestions to not watch the news and disengage from social media are but mere words fallen on deaf ears to the empath. This is not something you disengage from because the empath feels it, breathes it, and experiences the overwhelming existing rage, fear, and division within the collective on a 24/7 basis. What is the empath to do? The phrase, ” If your path demands you to walk through Hell, walk as if you own the place” applies quite nicely. Surrender to it, embrace it and work your way through it. Empathic brothers and sisters be there for one another for support during these challenging times but most importantly utilize your gift of guidance and insight to help others because doing so will help YOU in the process. Many are dancing in the dark. Bless.

“A blessing as well as a curse”. Empaths who have the foresight to understand and acknowledge their gift will proclaim those words as profound truth. The blessing is having the ability to feel what others are experiencing and acting on those feelings as a means of providing guidance and direction. The curse is neglecting the cardinal rule of observation versus absorption. The skill to identify and separate personal feelings from the feelings of others around us can be challenging for sensitives.

The state of affairs within this current 3-D existence has produced an energetic vibrational overload for empathic beings. Feeling drained, sad, restless, and often times agitated have become an all too common occurrence. What can I say? We feel it all… the good, bad, and the ugly. Lost in translation, YES that is it! There is no instruction manual for what we are experiencing…. no deciphering the meaning, reasoning, or logic of the menagerie of feelings encompassing our being. Like a predator that subtly overtakes its prey… caught off guard the empath has been blind-sided to the fact that what we are experiencing is the emotional upheaval from the collective consciousness; fear, pain, sadness, uncertainty, and loss.

Personal preservation of the empath at this time is not only crucial but involves un-plugging from every situation occurring around you. You may say easier said than done. The point is that you must disassociate in order to achieve balance, health, and well-being. There are many ways in which to accomplish this. First, limit media input in a manner that is not all consuming…Television off, music on. Social media has become an integral part of our lives and often necessary for business and communication needs…scroll on by posts that you know may have an negative impact on your psyche. Meditation helps in all situations and above all get outside into nature. Appreciate the simple things in life and enjoy solitude in your sacred space. The proverbial question you must ask … Are these feelings that I am experiencing truly mine to own or are they the result of what we are encountering as a collective? Learn to distinguish the difference. Be gentle with your-self, C’mon empath… You got this!!!

The hustle and bustle of everyday life has a way of leaving one feeling drained at the end of the day. I have found that as an intuitive feeling drained is escalated when we do not take the time to regenerate our energy through solitude and quiet. Sacred space provides us with an opportunity to commune with spirit as well as raise our energy, vibration, and intuitive powers. Sacred space can be manifested anywhere in which you feel empowered and attuned with the energy. Outside spaces provide an opportunity to ground and connect with nature however inside space allows us to be creative in ways tailored to our particular personalities or journey. Sacred space may include musical instruments, divination tools, crystals, sacred herbs, or a number of  other items that allow us to find peace. On the contrary  experiencing sacred space may be just sitting in a room in which we quiet our minds and focus on each breath. The point being that it is extremely important on a daily basis for empaths to retreat to a sacred space so that regeneration of mind, body, and spirit can occur.

Hmmm… the title of this post reminds me of a song written by two of the world’s most accomplished composers. If you take the time to read the lyrics you will find that the meaning behind the song stirred up quite a controversy. Some would say it was a song of pain, anger,and a feeling of loss…some would say it was discriminatory others would say it was a plea for wanting a current situation to return to the way things were before. Whatever the interpretation one perceives, the fact of the matter is that change is almost always met with some kind of resistance.

     As an intuitive I really try my best to be more of an observer than a participant when change ruffles feathers so to speak. The saying, “ Too many chiefs and not enough Indians” holds so much power especially when those who are considered to be followers see themselves worthy enough to hold the title of chief. What does this have to do with change you may ask….if you think about it… many chiefs were once followers that have let their new position go to their heads. Ultimately the followers become disillusioned when chiefs begin to fight amongst themselves; yes,continually competing to be the most knowledgable and greatest  in all the land.

     The followers want to be chiefs so badly, they would do anything to say stop, I can be a chief, I am worthy but if being chief requires competition and constant battle maybe the title isn’t worth the price one has to pay. My point is that we are all worthy enough to follow our own paths one that will help enrich and improve the lives of others along the way, however, if you lose focus on your original purpose while being in a leadership position one that is supposed to set an example for others, maybe it’s time to step back and re-evaluate why you wanted to be chief in the first place.

“Oh” the excitement, the anticipation, the insight…yes, yes, yes….what everyone wants and needs another medium whose sole ambition is to help others in their time of need….NOT…, don’t misunderstand the statement, it’s not those in need I am referring to, it’s those others who will stop at nothing to prevent you, “the intuitive” to succeed.

Blasphemy they will say, we are all one and to share is to care…ok…yes there are Mediums, Psychics etc.  that have no insecurities about their competition and wanting nothing more than to spread the love…But Beware, the Spiritual profession is a highly competitive business. I can only attest to this as a Newbie that has observed the tidal wave of social media guru’s who have discovered the internet as a platform towards entrepreneurship.

Yes, the possibilities are endless, the ability to provide readings or courses to clients across the globe in real-time is nothing short of amazing however within the last 4 months I have witnessed the good, bad and ugly in regards to the ethics, business practices and behaviours of a few who conduct their Spiritual business on-line. I am going to be brave enough to provide some pointers to those of you who wish to venture out into oblivion for your lively hoods.

The following are pre-requisites if you stand a chance for e-Commerce success. First, exposure, you need to let others know who you are to achieve this you must have a website with a domain, a blog, FB page, a group or groups , and go Live. YES, you have to get over the fear of FB “LIVE.” One of my mentors stated that how are you going to let others know your personality, authenticity, and sincerity if you don’t let your audience see you for who you really are. Second, you must have disclaimers for protection and make it clear in no uncertain terms that those who wish to undermine your business goals that any type of slander or defamatory remarks will not be tolerated. Third, your business is your domain you have the right to ban, remove, or report those whose purpose is to infringe on your efforts. Fourth, oh yes those angry faces scrolling across the top of your “Live” feed. Ignore, let me repeat myself, IGNORE, acknowledging these poor souls only adds fuel to the fire and ultimately gives them the attention they really are seeking. Smile and continue on with your readings or presentation there are those who appreciate your help and will most likely drown out  the haters with love hearts.

Lastly, the most important piece of advice I can give you. What sets you apart from others…what is your competitive advantage? Provide something that no one else has, this can take some time and critical thinking to achieve. There are those out there who will copy you, use your materials, ideas and are only in it for the recognition and money. You must continually be creative and innovative to succeed. Professionalism is the key, brings me back to authenticity, sincerity, and the skill and knowledge one has for their craft or specialty. People recognize a fake when they see one, that in and of itself will open doors for you when people realize that you are the real deal.

Stay positive and optimistic, yes, competition is fierce just remember you can be as prosperous and successful as those who have well established reputable  internet businesses. Perseverance, a good attitude and a love for what you do can move mountains.

     Energy play, it affects our every waking moment whether your aware of it or not. One minute your all smiles and before you know it your feeling sad, depressed, angry, aggravated, or indifferent. On the same token you may have experienced a few of the negative feelings mentioned above and suddenly feel happy, positive, energetic, focused, determined, content, creative, or successful. Why do we experience emotions in a variety of ways throughout our daily existence, it’s all about the way we perceive the situations that we encounter, in other words, “we create our own reality”. Do not for one second doubt that our energy thoughts do not manifest what we experience in life. Positive thinking allows us to manifest what we desire most, our goals, ambitions, dreams and successes however negative thinking will attract less desirable consequences. Easier said than done you say, ok think for one second about a time when you may have been thinking about your current financial situation. What are you feeling, were you worried, fearful, anxious, desperate, unmotivated… all these emotions and feelings are thought process manifestations. What we think we become. Fear can be equated to the following acronym: False Evidence Against Reality, our thoughts are what makes fear real to us. Fear is a choice that  which our thoughts manifest however when finding ourselves in a possible dangerous situation  fear can evoke  a legitimate ingrained  biological response otherwise known as “fight or flight”. Ok,back to your finances. Your down on your luck,not enough to pay the bills for one reason or the other however you think to yourself, I am going to find that job that suits me makes me happy and provides all of my needs. I am going to have an abundance of resources that will allow me to share with others.I am talented, qualified,ambitious, gifted and have what it takes to succeed. See the difference in the thought process? Fearful negative emotions and feelings provoke a self-defeating mentality. Thoughts Have Power… Attract what you deserve!

     Now to external energy that can have an effect on us. Going to be such a great day at work, I am up, had my coffee and ready to get it done… what a beautiful day not a cloud in the sky, birds are singing, life is good. Hang on….wait for it…. You happily walk through those doors into your workplace, you overhear the  boss telling a co-worker that the department is not performing up to company expectations and layoffs are possible, your co-worker approaches you and said did you hear that there may be layoffs wonder who will be first to go. Next, the secretary in the office adjacent to yours rushes past you and knocks your coffee accidentally out of your hand and screams at you for not leaving her enough room in the hallway to get past you. Your cell phone suddenly rings, your car mechanic on the other end of the phone tells you that the part needed to fix your car will not be available for at least another week. Your happy-go-lucky mood just went South.This my friends is external energy at play… all of the above mentioned were circumstances beyond your control. Not your energy to own, don’t get sucked in to that which you cannot control. Oh but how many times per day do we let external energy affect us? I can’t emphasize enough how our thoughts as well as external energy forces can keep us in such turmoil. The secret is to try to stay positive as much as humanly possible and do not let situations that are out of your control dictate your feelings and emotions. Listed are a few practices that can positively affect your life. Live in the moment, meditate, speak self-affirming affirmations, truly love yourself, don’t own energy that you have no control over and above all realize you are not alone there are others in this world who are experiencing the exact situation and circumstance as you. Blessings.