In my quest for Gainful, Compensated Employment in return for Significant Contribution ~ I’m connecting with people I haven’t seen for more than a decade (almost 2 decades in some cases) and having conversations that I haven’t had to engage in for some time now. Job Seeking is tiring and can leave me feeling depleted. Job Landing so far eludes me ~ and it is HERE where I begin my reflection on the fact that Dreams Can Ask A Lot of Us.

I don’t have a Dream Job in mind ~ in fact, my dream is actually to consistently partner in the financial maintenance of my family; in a way that benefits all involved from all the experience and wisdom I’ve accumulated over the years. The challenge of packaging my diverse skill set continues to keep my brain synapses firing ~ and it’s also suffering a bit at the mercy of existing systems in place for screening submitted resumes.

This week – a few things surprised me, caught my attention in a way that has my Imagination at work to find a way for me to shine on this playing field that is not conducive to showcasing my offering. I’ll share two of them with you in case you are also experiencing challenges in this area and maybe have advice to share, or – at the very least, you can leave here with a sense that you are not alone.

You are not qualified – for almost anything …

I enjoyed a phone conversation earlier this week with a woman I admired immensely in my Professional Life Before Children. She was smart, she was focused, she did not suffer fools well, she cut to the chase, distraction didn’t exist and, when she was ‘off the clock’ ~ she was warm, compassionate, thoughtful with a good sense of humour. This woman has an MBA, an Honours BA and an impressive career history with regards to results and position power. Now, she’s contracting as an Executive Search Agent ~ and she contacted me to give me advice on my existing LinkedIn Profile and a Resume I sent for her perusal.

Part-way through our conversation, she admitted that Job Searching is a really humbling experience. She shared that she’s been to Job Search sites where you can input your information and determine how qualified you are for certain careers ~ and that many find that, in spite of their education, degrees, etc. ~ they come out as qualified for very little. That would be humbling. I haven’t actually done this yet, it’s one of my Next Steps in this quest ~ but I’m grateful for the heads-up so I don’t leave the computer feeling completely shattered.

Don’t put THAT on your resume …

The second ‘surprise’ I’d like to share is how many times I’ve been advised what NOT to put on my resume if I truly desire to be considered as a serious candidate. Many of my Right Brained skills, for instance – the creativity and insight and perception that flows from an ability to step out of a situation and see it through the eyes of Imagination. You know, that skill that allows Innovators to Innovate.

While sharing my skills and gifts inventory ~ there is a respect and admiration for the many offerings I have at the ready to bring to wherever I end up – and an admitting to the fact that there is a necessity for someone like me in the workforce today. In spite of that however, I’m told these same skills and gifts are best left OFF my resume as they may not give the right impression in the professional realm – or they may intimidate others in the field who will not want to work with me, etc. So, in essence, this is a process where you hide the ‘unacceptable’ parts of who you are – keeping them for more personal aspects of your life, or easing them into your professional life once you’ve got in the door and have been deemed ‘acceptable’ first.

I completely understand where this advice is coming from – and that it’s being shared in the spirit of helping me.

The paradox that arrests me and keeps my thoughts in a spin, is this: in a time when differentiating your product, service or outlet is critical to your survival – and being unique yet useful can build, and grow, customers and loyalty (thus sales and profit) – - why are we still being encouraged to fit a certain mold before allowed access for consideration as a significant, contributing member to the team and/or organization?

And this: In these times where many in the workforce feel like the Spirit has been sucked right out of them ~ why is it not beneficial to highlight the fact that infusing Spirit with energy, confidence, motivation and purpose happens to be one of the things you do best?

Again, I know the standard answer to these questions – but I do think that, while everything as we know it is changing all around us ~ many systems in many aspects of life no longer support the reality in place … and the disconnect is hurting us all. Our schools are filled with children not receiving the learning and education to which they’re entitled, our planet is filled with people not receiving levels of health care they need, not getting the food, clean water, love, support and safety that really should be a birth right. There is so much that we could be doing better, so much in need of improvement or rebuilding or recreating … and yet the supporting structures remain fixed and very much part of the overall problem.

So to circle back to where we began …

I’m learning through all this that Dreams Can Ask A Lot Of Us. Seldom do they show up in a bright, shiny, red wagon with a tooting horn and stars galore. Often, they are the reward you receive for investing the time, effort, focus, resourcefulness and diligence necessary to bring your vision to fruition with intelligence, creativity and ingenuity. Along the way, we do our best to ‘Live and learn from fools and from sages’ and to always, always always – Dream On …

[If you're reading this post via email - a video of Aerosmith's 'Dream On' follows. Click here if you'd like to be taken to the web page and see/hear it.]

This month, I’ve developed a professional profile on LinkedIn and have been establishing connections there. Defining myself for a flat screen appraisal has been challenging, to say the least. Words, after all, are merely words ~ and they can be cleverly crafted to create any image or impression you desire. I’ve been writing for decades – and my key strength is in my ability to transform the words into an experience the reader can feel and relate to, without ever having met them or needing to know them. But I’ve been around long enough to also know that the way one present’s oneself ‘on paper’ can be a far cry from who that person actually is in reality. And as such, I feel rather limited by this first entry point to a Recruiters awareness; as good as my words are, my Presence and Experience and Wisdom bring more.

Having said that, I’ve crafted a Professional Profile that captures, I hope, the kaleidoscopic dazzle of all that I am – and, I’ve published it.

It’s taken me some time to wrap my mind, body and soul around the thought of entering back into a world I left more than 16 years ago. I had a brilliant career; actively engaged in work I enjoyed, with people I liked and respected, with compensation and reward that aligned well with my effort and enthusiasm. I’ve had a brilliant experience here at home; learning, growing, nurturing, providing, guiding, teaching, coaching, problem solving, leading by example, motivating, inspiring, volunteering and tapping deeply into wells of creativity and intuitive guidance I had not know was available to me before.

I am not the same woman who walked away from it all in mid-October, 1995; in every way, I’m better. It is this that I turn to when insecurity and doubt, rooting in the gap between then and now, starts to rise; the fact that this time, I have so much more to offer than a keen intelligence, a willingness to learn, an enthusiasm to achieve and a drive to excel. This time I also bring Wisdom, Compassion, Understanding, Creativity, Higher Order Thinking, Relation-Building Techniques, Insight, Perspective, Patience and the ability to Get In Behind the Eyes of Anyone to the table. I plan to contribute with meaning and serve with significance. Again – these are all just words – except, of course, for the fact that they’re infused with Passion, Integrity and Experience.

I’m a firm believer in the existence of Something Beautiful. This is a phenomenon available to all of us ~ but tends to be experienced most often by those who believe in it and actively seek its emergence. Briefly, the theory goes like this: Life presents us with people, events and circumstances that provide us the opportunity to rise up and meet our Better Selves. Some call these gifts ‘issues’ or ‘difficult people’ or ‘hard times’ ~ I see them as learning and growth opportunities that allow me to practice skills and tap into qualities and values that may lay dormant until called forward by a specific person, circumstance or event. At some point, while frustration rises or upset peaks or overwhelm threatens – an Awareness within me whispers, “What is this here to teach you? How will you meet this? Don’t get lost in the emotion – face it, meet it, get through it, and in so doing – you will meet your Something Beautiful.”

So, I persevered through the discomfort of documenting my skills, experience and value for potential employers to use as an initial assessment of my fit and alignment. I’ve identified the best Resume Format to showcase my talents and abilities and I’ve crafted one of at least three Resumes needed to best highlight the fields in which I’ve got the most to share. I’ve sourced sites that feature opportunities in the kind of employment I seek and I’ve even submitted Resumes for jobs I know I’d be great at. All in the knowing that taking each step toward the ultimate goal also brings me ever closer to my next Something Beautiful.

Reaching out and making Connections was difficult for me too. I’m an Introvert by personality and have become quite isolated from others as a result of being home with children for so long. Sending Connection requests to people I hadn’t seen or spoken to in more than 16 years has been an exercise in Courage for me. I did it though – and as a result, I met my Something Beautiful: everyone remembers me, they all seem happy to have heard from me and they remember me in ways I’d forgotten I’d ever existed. I can’t even BEGIN to tell you how empowering it feels to be Seen and treated with such Kindness and Respect. Yet I’ll try – it felt Wonderful and Validating and Encouraging. And it’s given me the energy boost needed to continue on, step by step, into my Next Best Chapter of this Life I’m so Grateful to be living.

My point in telling you all of this?

So often, the best gift we can give another is our attention, a kind word, a respectful demeanour ~ and the sense that, in the moment of the interaction – that person is the most important person in the world to you: the first, the last, the everything.

Sometimes, I don’t get that ‘new month, time to turn the page’ feeling until the 2nd, 3rd or 4th of the month ~ yet I enjoy the process none-the-less.

Every Christmas, I buy myself two calendars. One is for marking special days, appointments and events ~ the other, is displayed like Art in its own blue, wooden frame. Both hang in the kitchen. Both must bring something beautiful to my heart every time I look at them. It can take me some time to select which two calendars will share the next year with me – and it’s worth every moment invested.

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen – which is why I choose to hang them there. On the days I turn the page from one month to the next – I like to spend time with the image, and/or the inspirational quote if I chose a calendar featuring that, and imagine a story. I don’t necessarily have to be in the story. For instance, in this Month’s illustration – I was captured by the beautiful plants, in pots, not part of the traditional garden – but thriving none-the-less. I noted with pleasure the two watering cans – one in the picture itself, the other near the last day of the month down below. I am drawn to watering cans, you see. They make me happy.

Something I like to do that brings Magic to my day is a little thing I call Spirit Sleuthing. It’s a fun way to create space for my Intuition and Inner Guidance to emerge and share information with me that I might be missing while whirling in the thoughts in my head. I imagine this is my greatest reason for loving the process of turning the page from one month to the next ~ because it allows me the opportunity to Spirit Sleuth a photo I’m not expecting to see … and to interpret meaning from it that, applied throughout the month, can help me experience my life with more attention and presence as I seek out my Something Beautiful(s) that are just waiting to show up.

As you read that last paragraph, did you allow your eyes to drift to the image? What caught your eye, or perhaps held your attention beyond anything else? What did you think of when you looked at this scene? Did a memory rise up out of nowhere? Did you hear a song in your head? Did a story about what you were looking at take form?

This is all information you know. Getting out of our heads and into our imaginations leads us to insights and perspective shifts that can truly change the way we’re experiencing something before us. This information, once interpreted and applied, can bring clarity to confusion, clear steps to overwhelm – Magic to the mundane.

I imagine I love watering cans because they bring nurture and sustenance to all they water. Using a watering can rather than spraying with a hose can be rather meditative. As you go back and forth to the hose, or the rain barrel, or whatever the main water source happens to be to the plot needing the nurture, the drink – its mindful activity bearing meaning, significance, and – with luck – harvest and fruition.

Watering cans also tend to be used once the hard work of planting the seeds or flowers or vegetables or herbs is done. The use of these devices brings attention to what has been planted with an eye to helping it grow, flourish, mature – in its own time, in the knowing that the effort will likely lead to effective results.

The beautiful flowers in pots outside of the traditional garden bears meaning for me too. Just because things don’t tend to go the way I’d expected, or perhaps even hoped, doesn’t mean that things won’t turn out for the best anyway. In fact, things may thrive and be even more beautiful for having been removed from the plot of ‘the way I’ve always done it’.

And finally, the fact that the watering can appears twice – and at both the beginning and the end of the month ~ well, I take that as reinforcement that nothing that has been done up to this point in my life has been wasted. In fact, it can all be considered Planting for what is about to come next. And what will come next will grow as a direct result of the time and attention I put toward its sustenance now.

Is there a difference between burying and planting? Maybe. But the message for me, this month, is to remain mindful of what I’m trying to grow, what I’m hoping to achieve ~ and to be disciplined and diligent in the watering and nurturing of those goals, while also accepting that just because some aspects have been removed from the garden I thought I was growing ~ they are rendered no less beautiful or spectacular as a result.

In Life, it’s important not to get too caught up in what you’d hoped and expected when things were different ~ because Magic can be found when you’re ready to Turn the Page.

(By the way – what did YOU see in this month’s calendar image, and did it bring insight or a perspective shift to a situation you’ve been thinking about?)

Putting aside the sadness that society has gotten itself to this point, where qualities like Gratitude, Happiness, Presence and Connection have to be so actively cultivated and worked on rather than existing naturally in our lives, I am a firm believer that Gratitude and Appreciation are powerful methods of perspective shifting and mood altering. Finding something to be grateful for, appreciating the little things in life ~ creating time and space for the Awareness necessary to pull ourselves out of the stories of our past and the worries of our future to see the wonder and beauty that exists right here, right now ~ well, that’s a gift that more than the enlightened deserve to enjoy.

To take this a step further, in this age of personal branding and community and tribe building for personal/professional gain – I do believe that we have a responsibility as citizens of this planet to not only acknowledge and immerse in moments of Gratitude and Appreciation for ourselves ~ but to also create environments, services and opportunities for Gratitude and Appreciation to be experienced by others. Remembering that we are all connected somehow – and that the happiness or joy or appreciation experienced by one lifts the energy of everyone around them, positively impacting moods, productivity, dynamics and more; well, THIS is magic in motion.

I have great admiration and respect for people who identify their inner gifts and qualities in ways that bring service and meaningful contribution to the lives of others. When possible, I support these people as best I can. Often, with encouragement, support and cheering. And every now and then, financially – through the purchase of a product or service that I feel will benefit me and, as a result, others all around me.

A friend I met on Twitter recently put her Heart and Soul on the line in the material creation of Gratitude and Beauty in the form of Gratitude Tarot Cards. This was intriguing to me on a few levels.

First, as mentioned above, I admire and try to support risk-taking and courage when the end goal is directed to the betterment of others lives in some way.

Second, as mentioned in a previous post, I’m a fan of Oracle Cards. While I’ve never felt drawn to Tarot ~ this deck appealed to me because of the infusion of beauty and creativity employed. The Four Elements spoke to Qualities dear to my heart: Thankfulness, Awareness, Community and Kindness.

And finally, the illustrations are beautiful photographs taken by the Cards’ creator (Teresa Deak) with a view to jump starting the hearts and emotions of users with colour, vibrance, nature, beauty and everyday wonder that often gets missed. The impetus was driven by Love ~ a real life event in her community involving Duchess the Swan that captivated her heart and moved her to create something significant in honour of her life. The venture involved creative collaboration with friends close to Teresa – and something new and wonderful emerged as a result. And finally ~ on a Hope and a Prayer – Teresa put this ‘out there’ in the belief that those who would benefit most from this portal to Gratitude, would find it ~ and feel moved to purchase it, and bring it into their lives.

I received my deck last Wednesday. Equally as lovely as the cards themselves – was this: the fact that it had been lovingly placed in a beautiful handmade bag (by another of Teresa’s friends) with a Tigers Eye bead, a Thank You card – and a special surprise that was very meaningful to me. I feel Teresa’s presence in the room with me when I use these cards – and the energy of the women, Teresa’s personal community, is palpable too.

I did a reading for those of you reading this post. There are as many ways to work with Oracle Cards as there are people who work with them. I shuffle the deck while asking, inside my head, for a message that will benefit those visiting me here; something we perhaps need to know, or look at, right now. It is possible for the same cards to be meaningful to everyone who happens to see them in the moment they’re shared. For in addition to the message provided in the booklet that identifies each card and what it represents – we can also use our intuitive abilities to see information in the colours, the images, the numbers, the symbols. Notice thoughts that come up for you when you look at the card – memories that may arise, songs that may start to play in your head. It’s all information. Maybe the card reminds you of something else – that ‘something else’ will bear relevance too. For now, I will simply share the meaning as depicted in the Gratitude Tarot Booklet ~ but please, apply your own meaning to this reading, because for you – it will be exactly right.

Six of Awareness: The path to satisfaction requires courage and persistence. This determined progress needs the fluidity of your flexibility and the openness of your heart to see its many possible paths.

The Tower: A sudden change is erupting, bringing with it chaos and upheaval. Grounded in Thankfulness, you will see the inspiration of these moving forces and feel the freedom of old structures removed.

The Hermit: You hear the call to go within, to seek connection to the Divine through your most intimate details. Your retreat opens the doorway to your soul.

Queen of Kindness: Allow grace to accompany confidence. Discernment flows within honesty and respect. Humour shines through intensity.

At the end of the day ~ we’re all on this planet, at this time, together. An effective way to bring Gratitude and Appreciation into our own lives – is to say or do something that allows another to feel thankful or grateful. Not in an ‘if I do this for them then’ I’LL feel good’ kind of way – the icky energy attached to THAT kind of giving serves no one. Simply seek to live your life in a way that when others think of you, Kindness and Generosity come to mind.

And may you also find many an opportunity to sing this song in your heart when thinking of others …

The other reason Silence matters to me, I’ve learned – is that Creativity is more likely to emerge when the swirling thoughts and pressures of the day are allowed to quiet down. This can take some time – as I’m sure you all know.

I recently watched a lecture by John Cleese on the 5 Factors to Creativity – and he shares the process we can go through when we seclude ourselves for the sake of Creativity with humour. Something to the effect of this: “Okay, I now have 90 minutes to be creative and original in the creation of the solution to this challenge before me. The door’s locked and everyone knows I’m not to be disturbed. Oh – I forgot to tell Mary that I need that report on Wednesday instead of Thursday, which means I have to reschedule lunch with Tom. And I mustn’t forget to buy a birthday gift for Sue on the way home tonight – and my son’s first play-off game is at 6pm and I forgot to wash his uniform. I’ve got 27 calls to make before 4pm and all these paper clips to arrange. And when was the last time those plants were watered. Oh my God, I’ve got waaaay too much to do to be creative right now – I’ll have to schedule this again for tomorrow when I have all the work cleared away.”

I have been accused of being a slow thinker. I understand where that belief comes from – while others can give snap answers to questions posed to them, I tend to process the question, ‘feel’ it from a variety of angles and perspectives, relate all that to the context at hand – and then share my best thought or opinion as a result. Naturally, this is an invisible process where only I know what’s going on. And while it can take the space of one minute or less – that is a life-time to a ‘snap thinker’.

In John Cleese’s lecture – he speaks to pushing through the discomfort of not going with the first answer that floats up, or with any answer for the sake of making a decision. (This does not apply to Decisive Thinkers – those who actually have the capacity to come up with the best possible solution quickly and then lead the action accordingly. This is for those who feel they’re ‘supposed’ to make decisions quickly – or go with an easy option for the sake of finally making a decision without sitting with it long enough for a creative and/or  original and/or decision you can truly live with and implement arises.)

As an example – he referenced his time with Monty Python, and his surprise that he consistently produced scripts that were more creative and original than someone else on the team who considered to hold more talent. What it came down to, apparently, was that John Cleese was willing to sit with the challenge for as long as he was allowed before a finished product was needed – while the other member of the troupe would always create scripts around the first idea that popped into his mind, as that was easier and faster.

Anyone who Journals knows that this is a process that requires more than a few minutes at a time. As you start documenting your day or recording your thoughts and feelings (or whatever you use your Journal for) – you merely tap the surface of all that’s inside of you. The longer you sit with your thoughts and feelings and commit to the process of writing ~ the more often you’re amazed with the insight that presents itself on the page, seemingly ‘out of nowhere’. Clarity and insight don’t always dwell on the surface – to reach them, you often have to dig deep. Like roots, they exist underground – and its important to tap into them, because they breathe life energy into whatever grows from them.

I’ve never really minded being labelled a slow thinker – because I’ve known, inside, it’s not true. I’m a deep thinker, a contemplative — which would render me useless in an emergency situation where quick thinking and immediate decision-making was necessary, but serves well in a myriad of other situations. And my well of thought and insight is fed and nourished in the Oasis of Quiet that I allow myself when needed.

Have you walked a Labyrinth before? This is a Walking Meditation that I was willing to consider when first introduced to it by Shirley McLaine in an Oprah interview – and then later in her most recent autobiography, I’m Over All That. You start at the entry point, and then follow the paths back and forth, around and around, to the Labyrinth’s centre. Walking in Silence is recommended – though of course, how you approach and use the Labyrinth is up to you. Once in the centre – you can sit and actually meditate, simply look around, linger – or turn around and work your way back through the Labyrinth’s paths to the exit.

Being the Spirit Sleuth that I am, I walked the paths while looking around for signs in the trees, the clouds, words I overheard spoken in conversation by others walking by, observing thoughts that floated through my head, etc. When I’d walked in and then back out again, I captured what ‘came up’ for me in my Journal on a nearby bench before leaving. It struck me then how I’d held back from approaching when I saw another woman walking the Labyrinth when I arrived. I was careful not to photograph her while taking pictures of the site. And I lingered some time in hopes she’d leave – both so I would not disturb her process, and also – so she would not disturb mine.

Time was passing, however – so I swallowed all apprehension and just started the walk. The paths weave and wind, the odds were good, I thought, that we wouldn’t cross paths at any point anyway. I was wrong – for in spite of the weaving and winding – it’s all one path (sounds like a Life Wisdom, doesn’t it?) ~ and we did, eventually, meet up.

I stepped to the side with an apology. She responded with a smile – and as she walked by, she said, “Stay on your path. Stay on your path.” Of course, she likely meant it in a very literal way, as in – don’t step aside for others, it’s not necessary. Stay focussed, keep walking. But in light of the issue I’m grappling with ~ Stay On Your Path actually holds great significance. And I put it in my heart to fan the flames of creativity when doubt sets in.

Whatever you’re facing, however you’re going to move forward ~ know that a helpful strategy along the way, is to create, and enter, an oasis of quiet from time to time where creativity and original thinking can emerge, present itself and maybe – change everything.

I now work with 8 different decks – 6 by Doreen Virtue, and one each by Colette Baron Reid and Carolyn Myss. How you work with Oracle Cards is completely up to you – there is no right or wrong way to handle the cards. Each deck comes with a booklet that offers varying methods employed by the creator to tune in for Guidance. None of those worked for me though – I could not get out from under my mind’s control and always felt that, on some level, I was manipulating the results.

So, I came upon this system for accessing the magic of Inner Guidance ~ and it never ceases to blow me away with what comes up … and those I’ve done readings for are always taken aback by the information they receive as well. I shuffle the deck until the card(s) I need to see jump out and land on the table. This isn’t a result of clumsiness by the way – if I drop cards inadvertently, I always put them back, knowing if I’m meant to see them as part of the process – they’ll leap out again. And this has happened – cards I’ve put back jump out again. It’s a fascinating experience.

Anyway, as I shuffle – I think about the situation I’m seeking to apply the Guidance to. Or – I simply ask, inside my head, what the Angels (or Faeries or Goddesses or whomever) would like me to know. Oracle Card messages elevate your perspective, approach and thinking about whatever has you stuck, confused or struggling. We all know the power of seeing something in a new way can bring about effective new results. That is the power of Oracle Cards for me. They don’t hold answers, they don’t predict the future and they don’t come packed with Next Steps and Action Plans. All of THAT, is up to you. All they do is offer an enlightened new way of looking at what is before you ~ with the invitation to act on the reflection if it feels right to do so.

Today, I’d like to share the Magic with you. I shuffled my deck of Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards and asked to be shown a message that anyone who happens to visit this particular page will find meaningful and useful. Here it is – may it bring Peace, Inspiration and Guidance to whatever may be challenging you at this time.

Transformation:

“You are experiencing enormous change right now, which brings great blessings.

As you go through this period of change, it’s natural for you to wonder if your future is safe. I’m here to assure you that you’re part of nature’s cycles of birth, death and rebirth. To bring in your desired newness, you must first allow old parts of your life to fall away. These changes are to be celebrated, not feared. Give thanks for this shedding of the old! Embrace all of the lessons it brought, and then let it go. Be giddy with excitement at the newness of the gifts that are now being bestowed upon you, and let their magic surprise and delight you.”

Various meanings you can apply to this card, and your situation: Don’t be concerned about endings, as they’re bringing in the new for you. Your prayers have been answered with this change. Let go of the old. Don’t worry about these changes, they’re truly for the best.

As an aside, by me ~ Change often pushes us from one state of consciousness to another. It’s not always easy walking into uncertainty when leaving the known behind – but know this: Potential and Opportunity can be thought about in the here and now – but they actually live and breath through the process of Change.

To make this card’s reflection useful to you in your situation right now, pay attention to the words or sentences that immediately grab your attention in its message. Look at the image, what does it make you think of? How does it make you feel? Where does your focus go and where does it linger? Does a memory or a thought suddenly come to mind? All of this and more holds information about what you’re working through or worrying about. Again, Oracle Cards don’t hold answers – but they’re loaded with clues that can lead you to clarity, insight and harmonious resolution.

If you’d like help interpreting this message in your own, personal situation – please feel free to ask in the comment stream.

I loved that – and have used it often since, especially the ‘are you willing to consider’ part. You see, I don’t always see life the same way as other people do. An English Major by education and a Clue Seeker, Pattern Finder and Theme Identifier by choice ~ I fully believe that I am as much a Detective in this story of my life as I am a Magical Being. In fact, I’m a populous collection of characters – but that’s another story for another day.

I believe the Universe is vast – and that I, am small. I say that with Humility and not with self-deprecation. I have honed my ability to be Present, to Pay Attention, and to see what many miss when they lead with characters other than their Inner Detectives and/or Inner Magical Beings. And as you may be able to imagine, initiating conversation about this realm of Being in a world where most believe that they are big, that they are alone and/or unsupported by anything more capable than themselves, that being confused, lost, or overwhelmed is the story to live, the story to continually tell and the proof that you’re fully engaged with life in ways others can only wonder about – well, being a Magical Being in this reality ain’t no place for sissies.

Using Iyanla’s phrase, “Do you believe, or are your willing to consider”, feels like offering an invitation with love in your heart and no attachment to the response. It’s an opening to share wisdom with others open to hearing it – in the knowing on both sides that it’s only information, and as such – can be accepted or rejected at will.  I have helped a lot of people over the course of my life so far – helped them to see a situation, a person or an event in their lives from a fresh, new perspective. Iyanla’s two hour Life Class on Stopping The Pain was powerful on many levels – and in addition to the healing work she facilitated, I’m very grateful for the invitation I can now extend to Critical Thinkers and others who cross my path to entertain the thought of trying something differently when what they’re doing now simply isn’t working.

Once upon a time, I was willing to consider that the Universe speaks to us symbolically. I was willing to consider that we all have within us a source of Inner Guidance or Intuition that, when turned to – would provide clues and insight that could bring clarity to confusion, insight to overwhelm and comfortable decisiveness to decision-making.

This was a new way of approaching life for me ~ so I opted to test these theories in quiet ways; meaning, in ways that were visible to me without anyone knowing that I was looking for things that were not there, listening for things that were not being said and tuning into feelings and intuitive interpretation of these feelings as guidance toward key decisions or challenge resolution immediately facing me. More than a decade later – I can tell you that, for me, the evidence that this approach to living works is abundant: I now believe that the Universe speaks to us symbolically and that we all have within us a source of Inner Guidance or Intuition that, when turned to – will provide clues and insight that brings clarity to confusion, insight to overwhelm and comfortable decisiveness to decision-making. Part of my ‘next chapter’ in life will include the sharing of the HOW of this with those willing to consider it as a possibility. But again, that is another story.

When I find myself in a place of being ‘stuck’, or feeling like I don’t have enough information to move forward in a clear, decisive and confident way – I don my Detective Hat and head out into the world in search of clues that will bring additional perspective to my situation and also, insight. Remember, I am an English Major and a Writer – so that image I just created was a figurative representation of how it looked to the rest of the world: I took the dog for a walk.

I don’t see symbols, answers or clues in obvious ways like some people do. Angels don’t materialize shimmering and beautiful to engage in dialogue with me. Faeries don’t swoop by and change my life with Nature, Laughter and Song and the clouds don’t part so a booming voice can spout wisdom that sets me on a course to immediate success. (Though I’m willing to consider that all of that is possible.) No – for me, the clues are scattered all around like Eggs in an Easter Egg Hunt … hidden out in the open for those engaged in the seeking to find.

So, how do I know something is relevant; a clue holding information that, once applied, holds the potential to change everything? It captures my attention. That’s it. It strikes me as interesting, or particularly beautiful, or coincidentally odd. As I’m going about the business of enjoying what I’m doing and taking in all that is around me, whatever makes me say, ‘WOW’, or ‘that’s weird’, or shows up repeatedly in ways that aren’t ‘normal’ … those are clues.

While walking with my dog last Friday, leaving my grapple with ‘is sharing my more Spiritual Self and how things work in my world a path worth walking down or should I pursue more traditional methods of employment’ at home ~ I was struck by how many Pinecones I encountered. Honestly, they were EVERYWHERE. Not that I live in a place void of pinecones – but I could not find a spot in the grass anywhere on the 40 minute walk where a pinecone wasn’t. As I marvelled at this, I decided to look up the symbolism of the pinecone – what it represents beyond what it is – at my first opportunity.

Here’s what I learned. Pine cones are the symbolic representation of Human Enlightenment, the 3rd Eye and the Pineal Gland. In fact, the Pineal Gland’s name derives from the fact that it looks like a pine cone.

The Pineal Gland is nestled in the brain between the right and left hemispheres and has been the source of endless intrigue in the realm of mysticism.

Pineal Glands and pine cones are both keenly affected by the light. Pine cones open themselves up to the sun’s rays and close up during cloudy or stormy days. This is because sunny days offer more arid conditions and the tiny seedlings nestled in the scales of the pine cone can become airborne more easily.  Damp or rainy days are not conducive for seed spreading, so the pine cone just closes up shop during these weather conditions. Symbolically, I, too, can open up my Spiritual Awareness, sow seeds of limitless potential and continue/promote Soul growth when focused on the Light or close up and deny this aspect of myself in the face of so many ‘non-believers’.

For me, the pine cones affirmed my process of being Present to fully engage with inner domains while purposefully opening to increasing levels of light, widening my own Inner Vision while expanding and illuminating the lives of those ‘willing to consider’.

So, Welcome to my World – won’t you come on in …

From the passenger seat beside me, my daughter suddenly wondered out loud, “Who would put Pussy Willows on our mailbox?”

I looked up – and there, hanging from the mailbox hooks, was a lovely bundle of Pussy Willows, waiting to be discovered. I immediately knew who’d gifted them to me ~ and in that moment of knowing I had been thought about with fondness, my fatigue vanished.

It takes so little to make someone’s day. A smile, a kind word, a bundle of Pussy Willows ~ these and more reach through the layers that have accumulated between your day and your heart and say, “I see you, I care about you, you matter, I’m glad you’re here.”

Lighting or re-igniting Hope in the heart of another that you’re appreciated – not always for what you do or how you perform or how much you give ~ but for simply being you, someone worthy of kindness, attention, unprovoked thought ; that is a Magical act.

We’re all Magicians capable of gifting Magical Moments to others; with no need to be there when the Magic emerges, no desire for recognition or appreciation ~ serving simply as the channel through which an infusion of You Are Special flows. We can all be part of the photosynthesis that awakens the buried seed with light, providing the Soul nourishment necessary to remind each other how valued we are.

That’s what I remember every time I see these Pussy Willows …

She lit UP when she heard that. “A letter? For me? Where? From who?”

Is there anything more exciting than receiving a letter from someone in the mail? Well, of course there is – lots of things are more exciting than that, but as an experience – holding tangible proof that someone, somewhere thought about you and invested time in you without you being there to remind them to notice you and without asking to be thought about, THAT’S pretty cool. It was almost as fun to watch as it is to have actually happen to you.

She grabbed the letter with excitement and wondered out loud, “who is this from?” I do that too, at least – I remember I would do that too ~ hold the letter in delighted anticipation of what could possibly be contained inside. My daughter’s approach and my own diverged at that point; where I would linger in that delighted anticipation and then gingerly open the envelope for fear of damaging something inside – she RIPPED into it with wild abandon to get to the contents.

It was a loving note from her ‘second family’: her best friend, her best friend’s Mom and her best friend’s sisters. You see, my oldest missed several days of school recently – felled by a series of infections (ear, eyes, sinus) and a cold. This is not like her – not only does she seldom ever miss school, but she seldom ever is sick. On the afternoon of her fourth day home, a van pulled into the driveway and the doorbell then rang. It was my daughter’s best friend – she’d been worried at my daughter’s absence and asked her mother to PLEASE drive to our house and see if everything was okay. I have no doubt that this loving act had as much to do with my daughter’s ultimate recovery as the antibiotics at work in her system. And once learning about the issue at hand, they clearly bought a Get Well Card, had the family sign it, each with a specific and loving message – and put it in the mail to make a very deserving young lady feel super special.

Friendship is magical. To be seen, to be thought about, to be loved, unexpectedly and for no reason other than you are who you are and are appreciated for that and that alone … pure magic. This captured my heart yesterday and reminded me that Beauty is all around, for those able and willing to see it. And it filled my heart with the reminder that letter-writing is a lost art that is in need of a resurgence. I’m going to get on that …

For instance, while gathering up dirty clothes from each bedroom to take down to do laundry ~ I opened my daughter’s door and was struck by this beautiful sight.

Golden sun, slipping through the blinds, lighting up her body sprays like jewels. I had to capture it and honour it as the day’s Magical Moment. And as I went for my camera, I thought about how good she smells every day, how lucky I am to know her and how blessed we all are.

You can’t always know WHEN magic will show up in your life ~ but you can believe that they WILL show up, somehow – and delight in them when they do.

Imagine how magical it would have felt to be here, in this Belgium station, when THIS happened …