“There is no coming to consciousness without pain.” -Carl Jung

At this time, I started channeling Michael quite a bit and the collective patiently explained to me, “As with all human beings, the pain you have been experiencing has always been an invitation to change. Now that your pain is acute, you have a heightened awareness that your soul is begging you to shift – yet you are terrified of what that means to you and to the system in which you exist. For years, you’ve identified more with pain than joy. If you make the changes that allow you to create authentic joy, you are afraid you will lose it all – including your family, your friends, your career and most of all, the identity you have worked so hard to build. All that is fear. All that is ego. All of this is what you are invited to release.”

“Awakening is uncomfortable because in that instant, you are aware that life can no longer be happy as you have been living it. That in fact, your own beliefs are holding you back from fulfilling the promise you made to your soul and to Spirit…to evolve. The spell is broken. The illusion dashed. Your only choice is to consciously change in order to honor and realize your soul more completely.” -Michael

At this point, I was completely overwhelmed. How could I possibly step into this? How could I begin to release my fear and my ego? Michael’s instruction on how to move forward was simple and in sharing it with you, I hope it may help you in your own series of awakenings. Michael said, “Start with paying attention to how you really feel versus how you should feel. Be mindful and assess if you are comfortable or uncomfortable in the moment. Locate how you really feel, then use those core, essential feelings to guide your next conscious decision – remembering that embedded in every conscious decision is both accountability and responsibility. Know that when you elevate your consciousness to the level required to create true inside-out happiness, you give others permission to do the same – for in your heart, you realize it takes quite a bit of courage to be happy.”

I began my happiness practice that day and have never looked back. Practice helped me realize just how fear-based I really was and made it clear that I needed to release all sorts of personal beliefs that where holding me back from joy. Practice showed me that change didn’t need to be so scary after all. Practice helped me understand that when I am unhappy, others around me pick up on my energy and are likely to be unhappy too. Practice illuminated the importance of authenticity and that my friend, Dr. Robert Holden, is so right when he says, “If there’s something missing in your life, it’s probably you.”

“Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.”  -Pablo Picasso

So my message is this, no matter how tempting is is to call an anesthetist and go back to “sleep,” try to embrace each and every awakening – because each is there to serve your higher good. Have no doubt that you are already gifted with all the infinite wisdom you need to step through every life lesson and go through the required changes with grace. Know that life is not a neat linear ascent – a big upward line along which you get to possess everyone and everything along the way; life imitates nature – working in a series of mystical cycles containing both release and gain. Release your fear and take comfort – for every awakening is ultimately about creating space for whatever is required next to allow us to more completely recognize the brilliance of our souls. We are part of a miraculous Universe that has imbued all of us with the divine courage and capability to evolve and be happy individually and collectively.

Voice of the ego and voice of the soul, by Barbara Harris Whitfield

 Enjoy this experiment called life!

- Nancy

 Are you feeling gritchy and frustrated too?

Gently Michael helped us to understand that in fact we are indeed very successful. And for me they indentified my major accomplishments over the past 2 years:  1) I released a relationship in which I felt dismissed.  2) I embarked on the hardest and longest journey – switching from operating from my head to operating with an open heart. (Years ago I read somewhere that the longest journey one can take is the 17 inches from the head to the heart. I didn’t understand what that meant when I read it then – now I do!) And 3) most importantly, my children are happy. They watched and learned from me as I engaged in my happiness practice. (Happy Mom = Happy Children. Who knew?)

What are your accomplishments?

Indeed, the rewards of these accomplishments of what I call ‘my self work’ are far greater then any rewards and recognition of my past achievements. The knowledge that my children are equipped and empowered to create happy lives is my greatest achievement and the answer to my deepest hearts desire. Who would have thought that one of the gifts of divorce would be happy children?

 What are your rewards? What requests were answered by your ‘self-work’?

Michael helped me understand that these accomplishments amount to being in a sense ‘reborn’ and that I am now engaging in the world in a completely new way and they invited me to co-create with the universe from this new place – with my open heart. Michael also encouraged me to bring a sense of accomplishment to my conversations and activities and it is amazing what is unfolding as a result.

What would you like to co-create with the universe with your open heart and feeling accomplished?

With Lovitude,

- Nancy

 “You can not release what you do not acknowledge.  As soon as you acknowledge your thoughts and feelings then you have the power to release them.”

Michael then worked with me to help me acknowledge that one of the mental tapes I have playing is a belief that there is always “just enough”. This seed of belief was planted early in my childhood – there was always just enough;  food, money, time, attention, even love and I have continued to water this belief daily throughout the years - all on my own. Now my hearts desire is to live with abundance – on all levels.

And so my homework from Michael is to say an affirmation for the next 30 days first thing in the morning and also whenever I realize that the old mental tape is playing.  Doing so will allow me to first acknowledge that my old mental tape is playing now and with consciousness release it by empowering myself to play a new mental tape, there by planting a new seed of belief.

Below you will find the affirmation Michael gave me. If you have mental tapes playing that are no longer serving you I invite you to experiment with this for 30 days along with me and share what you are learning and experiencing with others.

I realize that in the past I have viewed myself as _______, but now I realize that I am ­­­__________. I celebrate my skills of _____, _____ & _____ and today I will make every effort to put them to use in a confident, caring, and committed way without appearing for feeling arrogant.

Happy Practicing!

- Nancy

It’s during these unique ‘practice opportunities’ as Linda and I call them,  that I find myself digging deeper into my happiness toolkit for more insight and tools from Michael such as; releasing expectations of self and others – for expectations are the breading ground of all disappointment.  Another one I really like is forgiveness, which is the gift we give ourselves by allowing the other person to be exactly who they are – which is not always the person we want them to be! This past weekend I also practiced being open to receiving -  if someone offered to do something or take care of something that needed to be done I gratefully and graciously let them. WOW! Did that feel good!

As the summer festivities unfold I invite you to look at these special events as opportunities to practice happiness at a deeper level and encourage you to share with us your practice tips.

In gratitude,

- Nancy

As we all know (yet need to be constantly reminded), change starts within us first then it ripples out to others. So starting today I am adding to my happiness practice the mediation Michael they gave us last night on releasing feelings of insecurity and will focus on being more aware during the day when I find myself not doing what I want out because of my feelings of insecurity and release the fear by stepping into conscious and compassionate action.

How do you release your feelings of insecurity?

With new awareness,

 - Nancy