This week I had coaching sessions with three different clients, from three different parts of North America.  All of them had experience in the healing arts, and were either working to, or wanted to, earn income using these skills. And each of them had challenges receiving money for their healing gifts.

My energy-work teachers told me there has to be some sort of energy exchange whenever I do healing.  Sometimes, the energy exchange can be as simple as a heartfelt thanks.  It could be something that is done in trade, for example, cooking a meal for me.  Or it could be money.  Because money is just another form of energy.

In several different courses I have taken, the teacher has had the room raise their hands if they are comfortable giving help to others.  Almost everyone in the room usuallt raises their hand.  Then the teacher asks how many of us are comfortable receiving help from others.  The number of people raising their hand is far less.

Our society teaches us that, “It is better to give than to receive.”  (I’ve been told that the original quote is, “It is better to be in a position to give, than be in a position where you need to receive.” I haven’t been able to verify that, but I like it!)

But if all of us are giving all the time, who is receiving?  And if I do not receive when someone else is giving, then I am robbing them of the pleasure of giving.

So how can we become more comfortable with receiving?

Practice.  Start with receiving compliments without diminishing them, or immediately giving one in return.  Let it land, and just say thank you! If you have to, give yourself compliments by saying them into the mirror. As you get better at receiving compliments, it will become easier to receive gifts, and money.

In conversation, be fully present with what the other person is saying.  Take your time before replying, and don’t plan your response in advance.  I know for myself this one can be challenging.  My mind likes to get ahead and think about what I’m going to say, or how I am going to answer. Don’t worry, the right words will always come, and the other person will appreciate having the opportunity to truly be heard.

Tell yourself you are worth it!  Many times I have found that a difficulty in receiving, especially money, comes from a feeling of unworthiness.  And if no one else has said it, I will tell you that you are absolutely, definitely, 100% deserving! (Just say thank you, and receive it!)

The bonus of practicing the art of receiving is that you will have more and more to give!

Where else in your life can you practice the art of receiving?

Blessings,

Mary

Two weeks ago I wrote about taking Inspired action, because I took one!  Well, now the ramifications are starting to hit.

I joined one of those massive online Giveaways, and I am SO glad I did.  This one was in total alignment with my ideas and beliefs, because it’s all about Self-Improvement, which is something I am constantly striving for.  (If you’re not one of my recent followers from the Self Improvement Gifts, I urge you to check it out, because there are some amazing freebies!)

So, a ton of people have downloaded meditations, and a bunch more will have requested my Abundance BELIEFS Coaching Session.  I’m going to be pretty busy over the next few weeks, but I am very excited to meet other people from all over the world who are also interested in self improvement!

So if you haven’t yet signed up for a sample coaching session (it’s free!), check out the Self Improvement Gifts website and search for me! And if you already have requested it, please book your coaching session soon, as they are starting to fill up!

Blessings,

Mary

Ok, so today’s post has absolutely nothing to do with guided meditation or spirituality.  Not a thing.

I found a really cool site when I was looking for a site to recommend to a friend for audio software.  It’s call Giveaway of the Day, and every single day they give away a piece of software that you can download to your computer.  Absolutely free.

What’s the catch?  Well, you have to make sure you install your software the day you download.  There’s no free tech support like when you purchase software, and no free upgrades.  And you never know what will be up there, so you have to keep checking back.  Which is a great way to get repeat visitors to your site!

So check out Giveaway of the Day.  I hope you find something useful!

Blessings,

Mary

There’s a new meditation available for you. Download for free here…

Monday nights are coffee nights for me.  It’s social time with my spiritual group.  Being right in the middle of the holidays, there weren’t many of us out this week.  One of my friends was having a difficult time.  At one point I said I wished there was more I could do to help her.  She laughed and said she did too!

On the way home, inspiration struck.  Or my spirit guides or higher self spoke to me, however you want to look at it.  I wrote a guided meditation specifically for her and her recurring challenges.  I wrote it, recorded it, put it to music and had it on a cd in less than 3 hours.  And it is something I have said I wanted to do: write custom guided meditations for people.

As I was looking for inspiring messages to include, I came across a site that I had to share: Words From Spirit. Well, it’s actually part of a bigger site, so feel free to look around more. I know I’m going to.  One piece in particular really spoke to me though.  So I’m sharing it in its entirety.  Thank you, Susan Williams.

The Souls Progression

When the soul is heavy it means progression is near
Hold your own council and listen to the voice within
You ask for guidance but you need it not
Be still and listen to your heart speak
Let the emotion within lead you
The soul knows its journey, let it speak
Don’t deny yourself that which you are, that which you can truly be
Let not fear or doubt veer you off course, give it thought, then dismiss it
Walk your pathway with honour and pride
There are none who should judge you, only yourself
Freedom to be who you are is not bestowed, it just is
In the truth of your being, you will find that which you are
In the freedom of your expression, you let those about you know who you are
The love of God is given to all man
Have faith and trust in who you are
Walk wisely, touch many
Do not be responsible for another, only yourself
The road will ease, the pathway widen
To know the joy, take the pain and anguish
To be who you are not, to be as another would wish you to be, cannot be,
For the soul within you shall live in torment
Find balance and peace within
Go within , grant yourself the love you give to others and return to your pathway, knowing you are on the right road
Walk forward in the knowledge that you are who you are supposed to be
A unique being, a child of Spirit
A soul whose journey shall be never ending
A light that will brighten the path of many, a beacon of God’s love
Go forward knowing you are never alone
Walk on in peace
Shine !!

© Susan Williams – 16/10/04

Blessings,

Mary

PS. Watch for more guided meditations to be available soon!

I had a conversation recently on facebook with a friend of mine about faith and trust.  I was planning to copy that conversation and edit it for today’s blog post.  Facebook is not letting me see that message thread right now, so instead I have to have faith and trust that I can rebuild my thoughts on the subject!  How’s that for irony?

My friend was questioning a decision she had made.  She saw it as a test of her personal values, and was questioning the Source that would challenge her in this way at this time in her life, and given other recent events.

The first thing that came to mind was a line from a Babylon 5 episode: Confessions and Lamentations.  In the episode, an entire species (the Markab) was being wiped out by a plague, and the remaining Markabs were quarantined in a part of the space station.  None of the doctors knew if the plague would affect other species, and so they were left to themselves to die.  An ambassador of the Minbari, Delenn and her assistant, Lenier, who are of the religious caste of their race, go in to the quarantined area to give what comfort they can to the last Markabs, not knowing if they will succumb to the illness or not.

They come upon a little girl who is crying:

Delenn: She has separated from her mother. Please find her.
Lennier: [looks around, somewhat lost] How?
Delenn: [to Lennier] Faith manages.
Delenn: [turning to Markab girl] What is her name?
Markab Girl: Mama.
[Delenn turns and looks at Lennier again]
Lennier: Faith… manages.

This quote rings through my head whenever I am facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge, and I have no idea where the solution will come from.  As long as I believe that everything will work out, it usually does.  They did find the girl’s mama, by the way, and Delenn and Lenier survived, though the Markab race was completely wiped out.

Going back to my friend, I reminded her of some of my beliefs.  They may or may not be your beliefs, and that’s ok.

I am a soul having a human experience. I *chose* to come here, and I *chose* many (all?) of the challenges I have faced in this life before I came. Why? So I could experience things my soul may not have experienced before, or perhaps so I could choose to respond differently this time.

The Earth is a big playground, where all these amazing, all-powerful, creative beings have come to experience EVERYTHING! However, on the journey here, we forget that we are amazing, all-powerful creators. So we struggle. But the playground is essentially harmless. It is beneficent even. What is my ultimate goal here? Experience everything with joy and gratitude. So even when, ESPECIALLY when, something “bad” happens to me, something painful, something WAY better is just around the corner.

But do I BELIEVE that? Do I TRUST that the playground is harmless, that it is here to fulfill my every wish? Or will I let myself get bogged down in the pain? Do I celebrate when I pass a test of my resolution? Or do I rail against the Universe for testing me in the first place? As the creator of my Universe, I would only be railing against myself.

Do you see the joke? Once you see it, and can laugh at it, challenges become easier to face.

So I choose to CELEBRATE! In my friend’s case, she could see the pattern of where her previous choices have not brought her joy, and now she has chosen differently! While it may seem painful at the moment, something WAY better is now available to her because she learned and exercised her power of choice. Woo hoo!

Wishing you the vision to see  and the sense of humor to laugh,

Mary

PS. Facebook came through at the end and let me see the thread.  You know, once I had mostly finished writing.

Each of us has been given gifts to share with the world.  Sometimes these gifts are obvious, like a young person who hears a piece of music and can then play it back, or the person who can perform complicated math calculations in their head.

Sometimes our gifts take some investigation to uncover.  We may go through a process of trial and error, learning new skills and deciding whether we like them or have a particular talent at this or that.

And sometimes, other people recognize our gifts long before we do ourselves.  Like when several people I met at a business forum said, “You’re a coach, right?”

This has been the case with me recently.  I have been in transition for a while.  I’m good at my job.  It provides me with opportunities to learn and grow, and to be with people.  But I am not passionate about my job.

I am passionate about my spirituality.  I love learning and growing, and helping others to do the same.  This must be one of my gifts, right?  Yes! So I have been giving it away.  While I am happy to give my gift away, I also wonder how I can bring my gifts into alignment with my work.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Do what you love and the money will follow.”  I’ve been doing what I love for nearly nine years, and I have yet to earn any real income from it.  So, while I have been doing what I love, and what I am passionate about, I’ve only been playing at it.  Dabbling if you will.

Now my task is to put those gifts and talents into service.  I am committing to my mission: to play with the Divine and to help others discover the Divine spark within themselves.  To put my gifts into service means bringing all aspects of my life into alignment with that mission, including my financial house.  To have my gifts in service means they are part of the flow for me financially as well as spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

I have been using my gifts to serve others, and now I am putting my gifts into service for myself, so I can continue to serve others.  It’s a fine line of distinction, and I am not sure I’ve made it clear.  So I would love your comments to see how you understand the difference between “in service” and “of service”.

Blessings,

Mary

I am on a whole bunch of different email lists for one thing and another, and I rarely find time to read all the emails.  I have the best intentions when I sign up, really I do.  Usually there is something I want to learn from the writer, or I like his or her style, or I resonate with the topic.  Many times I will read the first few diligently, but eventually, I end up trashing the messages unread.  I just don’t have the heart to unsubscribe, at least until my mailbox maxes out.

Well, I’m glad I read this one before I trashed it.  There was a link to this incredible video.  It’s 20 minutes long, which may as well be 4 hours for the short attention span on the internet, but it is undeniably worth the time.  See for yourself:

Blessings,
Mary