We already have enough fake people in this world - we really do.
And yes, it takes one to know one. 
Putting up a facade is a way we've learned to protect ourselves. We needed to say, do and be what society expected so that we can 'look' good enough to fit in and feel like we belong.  

We've gone a bit over the edge though.  Artificial intelligence is being planted in the minds of our youth - the 3rd grade scholastic news had a picture of a humanistic robot with the title asking kids if this will be their new best friend. WHY? Why would we possibly want a best friend that has NO EMOTION - or has software to make you THINK (not feel) it does -

I do love technology when it works. I get the draw to it too  -How nice is it to be able to say a command, have it heard and then actually done. Some'thing' actually listened to me - I didn't have to repeat myself or explain why I wanted to look up a specific topic! It just did what I asked, without any questions! As a Mom, that sometimes can feel miraculous.  However, that ease creates even more frustration when actually talking to another human, resentment and competition become wrought  - we're are setting ourself up to compete with a machine. That road feels treacherous.

Seriously though ~
Have we become so afraid of emotions that we are willing to create a 'fake' person - a robot - artificial intelligence (AI) just so we can feel like we are in control - that someone is listening to us? or should i say someTHING?  Are we so afraid of feeling lonely that we are creating another layer, another level of a fake, phony & pretend people. We have enough of that already, we really do! (That statement needs repeating).  There are so many people in this world that do not know how to be authentic - don't know how to deal with emotions so they isolate themselves and say it's the rest of the world's fault that they don't fit in.  We are human, we have emotions and the emotions we wish we didn't have are prevalent in everyone.  People who can acknowledge and FEEL their emotions are authentic, real and inspirational!  Those emotions that most people have deemed to be monstrous, have emotions! Rejection knows when its being rejected, resentment knows when it's being resented and rage knows when it's being contained.  Emotions have the reins on our life, our ability to manifest and create experiences that blatantly show us how they are feeling.  They key is to listen to our emotions. It's really quite simply - our emotions just want to be acknowledged instead of rejected. They will continue to get louder if we don't acknowledge them, creating destructive situations until we learn the lesson, until we listen ( which isn't so simple)

Until then, we will feel lonely in a crowd of people - who are all pretending to be happy. That's the facade I keep saying is a fake person. However, we are suddenly creating an entire new level of fake, just so we can pretend to ourselves that we don't feel sad, or lonely, or . . .name your emotion.  The most dangerous lies are the ones, not only that we tell ourselves, but that we've told so long - we actually believe them.
 
The term fake and phony certainly gets our attention doesn't it? It triggers our grief, our anger - it brings up feelings of betrayal and abandonment.  All feelings we wish we didn't have - all feelings we've been told DON'T BELONG!  We are human and as part of this experience, we NEED to feel. Humans have basic needs to survive ~ shelter & food - anyone can watch one episode of Naked and Afraid to know we don't actually NEED clothing - although it is a comfort we've woven into society as a need. (ok ok, cold climates it IS a need) We're not taught though, that we also NEED to feel connected. That is a NEED.

Having come back from disease that cuts off feelings (MS) to now feeling so much, I get it - I do, feeling our feelings and expressing them in constructive ways puts us in vulnerable position for others to judge and shame. And yet, thats the name of the game - without being vulnerable - there's no connection, no communication, no collaboration, no creativity!  We as humans need connection to thrive, to be powerful, to stand for what we believe in.  Take away our connection to other human beings, distract us with easiness and undetected isolation and before we know it, we're living in a world that doesn't consider compassion or empathy.   THAT is  the patriarch's intention. Not masculine or men, mind you, because many woman have bought into it as well.  That may seem harsh, saying we've bought into, but saying it any other way sugar coats it in a way that may not get the message across directly.  We've bought into making life easy, comfortable and predictable. We've bought into the idea that keeping everything easy, keeps our emotions in control.  Well, thats all fine and dandy until we have an experience that triggers the shit out of one emotion and it explodes out us in the wrong place at the wrong time! Making us want to isolate even more (meanwhile other emotions are lining up - let me explode out too - yikes). 

Teaching our children that life is easy, controllable and predictable is a lie, a facade.  We only teach them this because we don't know how to deal with unpredictable & uncomfortable experiences ourselves.  Teaching them this, like we've been taught perpetuates the emotion of betrayal. You know that feeling, when you find out someone has lied to you.  We are repeating history & its getting louder - imagine when they realize life isn't easy or predictable, that shit can happen at any given moment  - imagine the rage that creates.  And then we wonder why we have an outbreak of mass shootings.  

Artificial intelligence (AI) may seem helpful, reliable and gives us an illusion of stress relief, however it's just distracting us from what we are thinking, feeling and behaving.  Distractions are the lie.  To be able to discern what is a distraction, we need to become intimately aware of our emotions - and we can only do that through staying connected in relationships (which can be uncomfortable and unpredictable).  The exact opposite of  AI.

Stay connected, get uncomfortable and LIVE a life full of energy in motion - the definition of emotion.  

My original intention about shame, was to drag it out into the open, out of isolation, blasting it with Light and Love. Ha! Not sure if you heard the irony in that last sentence, but dragging anything out in the open is not done with the intention of Love ~ Light, yes, but Light without Love is simple judgment.

How many of us want to be dragged onto a stage where we already know we're being brutally judged.  Willingly walking on that same stage takes a courage that many of us don't realize we do indeed have, but being dragged means your not willing.  And, when we're not willing that is breeding ground for resentment. So, instead of adding  resentment on top of shame & wonder why it didn't work, I invite you read how i approach shame differently now, and also invite you to try something different in your life today.

My 'something different' consists of getting to know an energy that triggers me and/or scares me.  Instead of running away, or containing or rejecting it - i turn to face it now.  This letter is just one way i work with an energy that seems unapproachable inside.

Hello Shame, I have a new intention. 
Thank you for allowing me to explain. I've realized you are an energy, just like I am, just like we all are - we are made of energy. You, being an energy that I believed was MINE, was ME, I didn't know I had a choice to have you in my life.  So, unconsciously of course,  I blamed you for making me feel like i was something that didn't belong in this world when really it was my own limiting belief.  Instead of talking to you and finding out this truth, I admit, I avoided talking to you for a very long time. I personally know what it feels like to be avoided - not such a loving feeling is it? Thank you for teaching me that the Law of Cause and Affect, aka karma, really does start inside.  You helped me stay hidden, unseen and therefore I felt that false sense of security.

(Some energies are a low vibration. We've been taught (I've been taught) that low vibrations are 'not good'.   And yet, radio waves are a low vibration that carry our voice, our messages and connect us over distances that otherwise,  higher vibrations (or frequencies) would have blown out.  And, in music, it's the low vibrations that gives depth to a song creating harmony.

Dear Shame,
I have misjudged you and i'm so sorry, please forgive me, thank you and I do now accept that you do have a purpose in this world and in my life.  You are a deep vibration. You add depth and character to me and people who chose to meet with you, speak with you and learn from you.  I'm also sorry that my original intention was to 'drag' you out into the open.  I have learned you are shy and if i am forceful, you know how to make a situation explode, creating more shame.  I have learned that if I continue to drag you out, just to humiliate you with the idea that you'll go away - the simple laws of cause and affect kick in - and all i'm really doing is dragging myself into situations that are shameful.  If I continue to do that, what i really need to look at isn't you, shame - it's why I feel I need you in my life.  It seems to me, now that I've talked to you, that I only create more shameful situations to hide the one I asked you to keep a strong hold on in the first place. 

I've also spent the time to look back at where this belief came from, to realized that other people, just like me, didn't know how that deal with, or handle you, shame, in our life.  The way I was taught to deal with something uncomfortable was to distract others by showing them you, shame, in their life.  This way, they'd be so distracted trying to cover up and explain you, shame, away, they wouldn't see that you, shame, are in my life as well and judge me. I wouldn't have to feel what made me feel so ashamed in the first place. I could keep that isolated, contained and avoided.  But here's the thing - doing that to you, shame, back fired and i ended up isolating, containing and avoiding myself.

That took me awhile to get to my new intention, but here it is:  Shame, i intend to let you go. Although that may mean that what I asked you to contain will come out, i am willing to face the judgments of others, knowing that the only reason they judge me, is because they are simply trying to distract me from seeing (sensing) that there is something in their life, that they hate themselves for and blame it on shame. I Am willing to hold space, showing us a way to accept ourself - for where there is acceptance, not judgment, there is Divine Love.  

Are you willing to speak to your shame, releasing it's strong hold on you so that you can receive the gift of Love in your life? I may not be ready, but I am wiling.

When it came to sexual abuse ~ women rose together and #metoo was born. It felt powerful and it was . Men in  'powerful' positions were threatened ~ some even came crashing down.

"A woman feels her power when her voice is being heard" Karen Drucker

How can we shut women's voice's down?  How can we take their power? What are they so ashamed of, they won't ban together, numbering in the millions? Abortion.

One out of four woman - 1 out of 4 women have had an abortion!  Brené Brown researches shame - she found that secrecy and silence keep shame thriving. Meaning, the more we talk openly about abortion, the shame factor can lessen. But boy, shame tempts us to keep silent. While we sit in silence, men in powerful positions are taking advantage of our silence, they're taking advantage of the shame we feel and manipulating it to breed more shame!

Wether or not you had to face this choice, someone you know, sits in silence, in shame. For the women who have had to face this choice, my heart goes out to you. No one can explain the complexity a woman goes through before she makes a choice to abort. And, for the women who have faced this choice and kept the baby - that was designed for you as well, not to swell into pride and righteousness, but to realize that, at the very least, you had the freedom to make a safe choice. Not just for the fetus, but for the mom and for life after birth. 

Pro-life isn't just about a fetus, it's about everyone's LIFE involved.   It's about being able to make a choice that was designed for you to make. That your life, and voice and choice matter, that you are free to make that choice! Pro-Life is Prochoice!

Confusion is so confusing!
It can absolutely consume your mind and freeze forward progress. Have you ever needed to make a decision, but both sides of the coin made sense? What do you normally do when you feel confused about a situation. Many times people ask the opinion of someone they look up to and trust, or maybe take a survey trying to get the pulse of the situation.  And, how many people, after they ask that trusted friend or mentor, take their advice? Meanwhile they find   find out later that their own original response to this situation was right all along and now they have to dig themselves out a mess that they were led into. 

Why do we do that to ourself?

I personally wasn't taught as a child to trust myself.  The adults knew best and they were always right, even if they weren't.  The child becomes the adult, and now that adult doesn't trust or even believe in them self. So much so that they begin to collect evidence to prove that they shouldn't trust their gut  ~ this is the vicious cycle of self sabotage, (wether we're aware of it or not.)  Awareness, hopefully, eventually comes in with hind sight. After taking people's advice over and over and over again, just to regret it later, somewhere we begin to wonder why we keep failing or why people keep steering us in the 'wrong' direction. When we decide to not make a decision, we've actually made the choice (or decided) to give our power away.  It's time to own our personal power!

HOW? How do you find the confidence to do just that? How do you make a decision, follow it through and  not regret it - because let's face it - it's so much easier to blame someone else, to get mad at them - "I took your advice, but you were wrong'! instead of make a choice for ourself.  What happens if it goes wrong - the only person to blame is yourself, talk about a vicious cycle! We haven't been taught to own (or be responsible for) our choices.  However the BLAME game destroys our confidence, the blame game simply distracts us from our own uncomfortable emotions.

Of course, there are also those people who have the weight of the world on their shoulders & they always have advice for people. They blame themselves for someone else failing, are told it's their fault and they end up becoming  consumed by trying to prove their advice to be worthy. Meanwhile, that's just it - those are the people who feel worthless. But, that's another day, another blog. 

I also wasn't taught the power of prayer or that I was good enough to receive help from powerful beings, like angels or Ascended Masters.  I have learned how to take a confusing choice - you know the one, you can see both outcomes and but don't know what to do OR you do know,  but that choice scares the life out of you. One way, I make big choices is by including a request (some may call it a prayer) to a power much Higher and Wiser than myself - and it goes a little like this:

Dear (insert Word -Universe, God, Spirit), 
I am about to do something I have never done before and leap on (insert opportunity). However, not only does it scare me, I can some some potential disappointment and disaster if I'm wrong. So, if this choice will cause harm, disappointment or loss, please catch me. However, if this choice truly is for the Best for all involved, then I thank You  for Your wings to help me Soar. So be it! (or Amen)

Then, watch and listen - are you meeting a ton of resistance? Has the choice suddenly become extremely dramatic or difficult? Or, are doors opening and things are going smoothly?  
So, 
​Did you find yourself in the Universe's Netting, or were you given wings. Either way -  feel grateful, you've done something different- you've trusted in yourself and asked advice from Someone or thing that actually knows where and how to guide you. 

May the choice you make empower you, build your confidence in your partnership with the Divine and help humanity! 

Happy Valentine's Day!
Today we super focus on love, having a love, sharing love, giving things to show our love. We give roses and chocolates and cards because thats what we're supposed to do, right? If that works for you, then go for it! If today is a day you remember to show someone you care, then do it.  

I've read quotes and blogs where people complain, i want flowers  on a random day because you care and not because you have to. Complaining only perpetuates lack, not good enough and entitlement.  Shift your perspective - at the very least, if you received something, whether or not the giver 'had' to, you still received something, you still have someone in your life that thought of you.  When we complain, a token of caring wasn't good enough, you're simply setting yourself up to 'get' more things that make you feel under-appreciated.  And, that sends the giver a message that they aren't good enough either.  Yikes! what a vicious cycle that can be.  On a day were we are so focused on love, it seems to create more disappointments and bitterness.  Too much sugar in our system literally overloads our pancreas and what was meant to be sweet turns bitter.

Here are some tips to enjoy the sweetness of life and receive love:
1. Appreciation goes a long way. You know yourself, when you feel appreciated you are more willing to go the extra mile.  Appreciation breeds love, our heart swells and our smile radiates out to the world. If you aren't feeling appreciated - try appreciating some one or something that you over look most days. Try appreciating someone that is a such a constant in your life, that you tend to forget to tell them how much they mean to you. Show appreciation, not because you want it back, but because you can. It automatically goes through you first! The more you show appreciation, the more you will feel appreciated. It's an inside job anyway - if you appreciate yourself, you automatically begin to attract people and circumstances that appreciate you as well. And, today is a good reminder to do just that. So, if you plan on giving someone a gift today, fill it with true appreciation first. Wether or not the intended recipient can accept the gift of appreciation is on them, not you, because YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!

2. Compassion. Compassion comes when you see someone doing something that you've done yourself.  Today, a day focused on love - where's the compassion. To me, love and compassion go hand in hand. Compassion is a sense of caring for someone who hasn't quiet learned lesson that you have, and instead of judging them to be ignorant, you feel for them because you remember when you learned the hard way.  On a day focused on love, infuse compassion, understanding and patience into your experiences.  Give the gift of compassion. Maybe you give that gift to yourself first by being gentle on yourself - you're doing the best you can. Pause before you grumble today. Look through someones else's eyes, see their point of view - wether or not you agree with their point of view isn't the point. It's agreeing to disagree respectfully, full of compassion.  
The gift of compassion lasts a lot longer than a box of chocolates. 

On a day we are so focused on love, remember, love is all around you and if you can receive it and allow it to flow through you,  you just became the gift of Love so many people are searching for.  

May your day be full of Appreciation and Compassion & may you receive Love and allow it to flow through you.  Happy Valentine's day 

Just testing out how this really works with a thought of the day. The ice storm blew in, temperatures dropped and the ice lingers. The trees are bowing or breaking and, the person that I am, wonders about the symbolic meaning the Universe is conveying. 

Bow or break under the weight. The trees that have bowed are magnificent and radiate beauty, strength and victory. Their roots deeply anchored, allowing the tree to bow deeply without caving. 

The parts of the trees that broke or were snapped off, let go of a part of them that was becoming a burden, no longer healthy and strong, but rigid and weak, unable to bow.  

What in your life do you perceive as a burden, that under the weight of that perception, will break you? Can you shift how you see this weight?  Can you surrender to the moment, bowing instead of breaking? For me, when I find the gratitude, accepting the moment as it's been designed so that i can be grateful, the weight lifts and the beauty of the experience reveals itself.

May you all find the beauty while you bow.