Inner Focus Reiki

Reiki (part II)

In my last blog, “Reiki (part I)” I was telling you about how I was led (yes, led…you’ll see why I chose that word later) to Reiki. I was telling you that while you may think Reiki is a cure-all to end all cure-alls based on my own personal Reiki miracle experience, there is so much more that goes into your Healing.

Let me be crystal clear; Reiki is NOT a cure-all but I have seen so many miracles that defy the odds. Again, Reiki is energy work. Reiki goes by a Divine Power (whatever you chose to call that Power) to where it is most needed. So if you go to a Reiki practitioner for a migraine, you may notice your knee feeling better but you still have the headache. You may seek out a treatment to sleep better and then find old achy emotional wounds have been dredged up so you can heal them. Reiki goes where it needs to go. It isn’t up to the practitioner to control …that all happens at the hands of God (the Universe, Higher Power, whatever your terminology is).

I’d like to also say that I believe if you are meant to die from or have a disease, there is nothing Eastern or Western medicine can do to change that. Even if you have a powerful mind and believe you’ll completely heal, that may not change the cards you were dealt. Sometimes, we are meant to learn life lessons and one of those might be to experience the disease/affliction to its fullest. If Reiki energy is unable to help your disease, it will go where it is most needed (pain, sleep, emotions, etc.).

I’m reminded of a cherished, forward thinking and upbeat older client of mine. He was diagnosed with cancer and refused chemo/radiation. He went with several alternative healing therapies instead. He repeatedly stated how much better he felt/slept after our Reiki sessions. He did pass away from his disease even though he firmly beleived it wasn’t going to get the better of him.

Once I had a taste of Reiki and saw what it did for me, I couldn’t imagine not knowing more. My thought was if I could take away one person’s pain, even for five minutes, then I would consider myself a HUGE success. I took all my levels of training through Susie and apprenticed under her to get my Mastery degree. In truth, I’m still learning from her.

Once I had my Mastery degree I thought, “What am I going to do with this?” I still hadn’t found a second career and being self-employed scared the heck out of me. But all roads seemed to point to me opening up my own business, so I did. Knocking knees and all.

Let’s talk a bit about what Reiki can do. If Reiki works by unblocking or moving stagnant energy, then there really is no limit to what it can do or whom it can help. Yes, even if you don’t believe in energy work or are Athiest, Reiki will still help. I’ll list a few diseases, but this is absolutely not inclusive as again, Reiki can help with ANY affliction. High blood pressure, anxiety, stress, diabetes, PMS, infertility, chemotherapy, cancer, broken bones, migraines, back pain, sleep dysfunction, anger issues, depression, fibromyalgia, etc.

Reiki works on plants, animals (dogs and horses LOVE it! Cats love it too, but it has to be on THEIR terms) as well as unborn babies. I love, LOVE working on pregnant women and I loved doing my Work when I was pregnant.

Reiki is innate, meaning, we ALL know how to give Reiki. For instance, when you have a stomachache, what do you do? You rub your tummy. Headache? You put your head in your hands. If a child has an owie you kiss it or rub it. How about when someone is sad? You may hug them or hold their hand. Yes, I bet you’ve been working with people’s energy since fresh out of the womb. What I do as a Reiki teacher is to reconnect you with that ability and show you how to be more proficient delivering it. Well, that and I add in some fun tricks, too.

Reiki can never cause harm. I’ll say it again. Reiki can NEVER cause harm. Not to anything. Ever. Reiki simply will not work if your intent is to inflict pain upon someone. To my knowledge, Reiki is the only energy work that can say this.

What does Reiki feel like? Some say they feel tingling or warmth. Others say they feel completely calm. Still others say they’ve never felt so energized. All in all, I’ve been repeatedly told my clients feel relaxed, calmed and in need of a nap. 😉 Unless, of course, you’re that one person who is so completely energized you bounce out of my office. But for the most part, deep relaxation rules the roost in Reiki.

Are there any side effects from receiving Reiki? Well sure! Reiki is a powerful detoxing agent and when you receive Reiki energy, it works with your emotional, physical and spiritual body. It stirs up stuff that is ready to be released. Usually these are run of the mill symptoms like a headache, stomach upset or intestinal distress. I find if you drink more water (preferably with an organic lemon slice or two), your symptoms are less noticeable. Most people don’t experience anything even remotely unpleasant. It all depends on what you’re being seen for and where you are as a whole.

Speaking of being seen, how often SHOULD you go to a practitioner? We are bombarded with negative energy every day (every minute sometimes) and that can sap us. I tell my clients if they are coming to me for a chronic illness, then they’ll usually need more than one session in order to alleviate or eliminate the problem. I mean, if you’ve lived with anxiety for 30 years, it might be a tish unrealistic to think one hour long session is going to be the cat’s meow. It could – again, I’ve seen so many miracles – but for the most part, a grouping of treatments would be needed.

If you’re feeling good and just want what I call a ‘tune up’, then see your Reiki practitioner once a month, once every six months or once a year. You decide.

I’ve much more to tell but will continue in another (ANOTHER!?!) blog…

Reiki (part I)

You’ve heard me yammer on and on about Reiki but I haven’t told you what Reiki is. Here’s two or three blogs dedicated to that subject. Reiki is a 2500-year-old Japanese technique for reducing stress and promoting healing. In a nutshell, Reiki is energy. That’s my spiel for those that ask but Reiki is just so much more than this.

I was led to Reiki back in the early 2000’s. I had developed a physical affliction that the medical community said the only option was surgery. If I had the surgery, I wouldn’t be able to have children. Dum de dum dum DUM! Nope. No can do. No siree bob. The no meister. No thank you sir. And, no drill sergeant, I do not want another.

I was faced with a disease that was one stage away from cancer. Oddly, that wasn’t what scared me. What scared me was the fact that if I had this surgery, I would never be able to have children. Even now, I’m wondering why I didn’t freak out about what could have been.

As you can imagine, I had a complete meltdown. I turned to Charmaine who said, “Why don’t you try Reiki? Susie does that. Check with her.”

At the time I didn’t know what Reiki was but I was familiar with Susie’s Work as I was a client of hers. I knew she was an amazing Intuitive but I didn’t know squat about energy work.

Susie invited me to receive a Group Healing. A Group Healing is where any number of Reiki practitioners get together to work on a particular person(s). These practitioners can be anywhere in their Reiki training; level 1 through Mastery degree. I had one Group Healing and it was powerful and profound. If you can imagine how it felt to have all these women coming together just to help me, well, it was humbling to say the least.

After the first session, I knew I needed one more Healing. I just knew it. I wasn’t the Intuitive I am today, but I was starting on my spiritual journey and I knew one more session was all I would need.

I assimilated all of that energy and in a month’s time and I went back for another Group Healing. This Healing was so completely different. It was some of the same women who worked on me previously, but some different ones as well. The energy I received was so powerful, I was moved to tears several times during and after the session. My body was tingling and I felt like I was floating. I couldn’t concentrate and my head felt fuzzy even though I was aware of everything that was going on.

After that session I knew, I KNEW my condition was gone and that surgery was no longer needed. I returned to my medical doctor and she confirmed what I knew, however she was puzzled as to how my condition, in the stage it was, had gone away. I don’t think I told her it was energy work. Nor did I tell her I was working extremely hard to bury the negative self-worth/self esteem issues I was left with after the death of my marriage. (See my “Abuse” blog for more information on this.)

Now, before all of you start thinking Reiki is a cure-all and was 100% responsible for my miracle, there is more to the story. Ah HAH! You see I believe the mind is a powerful tool. It can make us believe we are sick, healthy, beautiful, ugly, skinny or fat. It can make us believe what our abusers tell us, whether that abuser is an outsider or ourselves. It can make us believe we are destined for failure and don’t deserve love. It can also make us believe we are worthy and loveable. The mind is unbelievably powerful.

Whatever you repeatedly tell yourself is what’s going to stick. Just like when we tell ourselves we are ugly…the mind believes that. Tell yourself you’re beautiful and the mind will believe that, too. It may take some practice to sway your old way of thinking, but it DOES work.

Anyway, I digress. I did write the blog entitled “George” that talks a little bit about this, but I may blog about this in depth another day. It’s obviously something that is near and dear to my heart. So many blog ideas, so little time. 🙂

For me, I knew my disease had developed because I thought about myself in a horrible way. I had just left an abusive marriage where my self-esteem/self-worth and personal power had been flushed down the old crapper. I knew, on some level, I needed to believe and empower myself once again.

I started to rebuild, mentally, emotionally and physically. I created a mantra that I silently said over and over whenever and wherever (it was, “I am healthy, happy and whole”). I started to believe in myself once again and I believed my physical condition was gone.

In about three months time, after two Group Healings and me excising some emotional demons, I returned to my doctor’s office convinced I was completely cured. I obviously wasn’t completely convinced because I still wanted the confirmation of the medical community.

So while Reiki played a huge part in my Healing, I was – my MIND – was also responsible for the Healing that occurred.

Click here for part II…

Frightened

Something happened that while wasn’t totally unexpected; it was jarring and, apparently, has triggered some deep feelings of fear inside of me. My husband lost his full-time job yesterday. ‘Conflict of Interest’ was what he was told. I get it. He gets it, but neither one of us expected it to happen like this and certainly not NOW.

Trinity has long had a dream of being self-employed and he started his own part-time A/V business in 2011 (www.trinspin.com). His goal has always been to provide exemplary customer service and that tenet wasn’t always in harmony with his previous employer. This is nothing against his employer – not at all – this speaks to my husband’s personal and spiritual growth and wanting to do more, be more and deliver more.

When he told me the news, I panicked. Maybe not my finest moment for being there for my husband. You know how it goes, money – although the Guys say it’s ‘just an illusion’, that ‘illusion’ pays the mortgage and the daycare and our health insurance. Sometimes I want to tell the Guys I’ve got their ‘illusion’ right HERE!

I had to sit for a moment and ask myself what was really going on with me. Not an easy thing to do when my face has lost all of its blood and I’m on the verge of hyperventilating. I’m being a bit dramatic, but here’s what was going on in my mind.

Immediately, not unlike the rest of you, I jump to the absolute worst-case scenario. For me, among other things, that means….uhh…. leaving Inner Focus Reiki and going back to Corporate America (insert gagging sound). That’s giving up a job I adore and love so I can do something I don’t love and adore all for a paycheck. I’d do it. I’d absolutely do it if it meant health insurance, food on the table and a roof over our head. You bet your sweet arse I’d do it. But I don’t want to!

You’d think me being an intuitive, I could just tap into some of the Guy’s knowledge and make this all go bubb-bye. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, at least not when I’m in a snit. When things are messy in my head, I can’t see/hear straight and even though the Guys may be yelling to me that “all is well” it doesn’t FEEL well. I doubt what I am hearing and I don’t trust myself to be a clear channel.

After going back and forth as to if I should call Susie (I, um, don’t like to ask for help), I called and said, “I’m frightened. Please help me. Lie to me if you have to, but I can’t get clear and I’m really, REALLY frightened.” True to our friendship, she said what I felt in my heart; yes, everything was going to turn out beautifully and soon. Just hearing her calming voice validate what I thought I knew was reassuring. My rabbit breathing started to return to quasi-normal.

After having a chance to get a dang grip (kind of), I reflected that we had financially prepared for this. We can’t go very long without the type of income he envisions, but we can make things work short term. My husband has already been pro-active on finding health insurance and ways to keep his family fed. And, last but not least, Trinity has never let me down. Not once. He made a promise to my dad that he would always take care of me and he has never gone back on that. In reality, he’s taken care of himself for a lifetime. He’s rolled with the punches and made beautiful things out of crappy-crap. He knows what needs to be done and he’s so got this. I’ll do whatever I can to assist but I’ve got to trust and that, my friends, is the reality of it all.

We visited more about things and Trinity admitted that he was frightened. Part of me was like, “NO! I’m frightened! You can’t be. You’re the man, you have to tell me everything is going to be resplendent!” Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!! Sheesh! Obviously I am still working on feeling less like a child and more like an adult. (See my Abuse blog for reference).

But then a part of me said, “Melissa. Can you imagine how your sweet husband is feeling? He IS the breadwinner of this family and has always been the provider for his families. I bet he’s feeling like he was punched in the gut and like he’s under the proverbial gun. He knows you abhor the thought of going back to Corporate America and he’s already told you he’s trying to get some income rolling in, etc. This is happening to HIM and maybe he’s feeling the overwhelming stress of it all. What can you do for him?”

Gulp. I like that side of me better. 😉

With that, I focused on the positives. I even had a tish bit of my humor return. I found myself wondering if I could reuse toilet paper or even ‘spare a square’ here and there. Hey! I’m so not even kidding! This little girl knows how to be thrifty.

My honey was out the door by 7:30 this morning with a whole list of things to do and people to see/contact. His parting comment was, “I’m kind of excited!” and I believe him. I’m taking his excitement and trying to work on getting my flip-flapping frightened FREAK OUT-ON under control. Breathing here……..breathing……..

Abuses

(This blog is a continuation of my previous blog entitled, ‘Abuse’.)

And take back my Power I did. It wasn’t easy though. Don’t be fooled into thinking it was. I had opted for divorce over suicide. Good decision, don’t you think? But you have to understand, when you’re in something that is so harmful and most of you is gone, you think you don’t have a choice. I was caught between strongly wanting to honor my marriage vows (I did marry for life, after all) and not wanting to leave a marriage that wasn’t ‘all that bad.’ Again, when sober, my husband was everything to me. Why couldn’t he see that? Why couldn’t he change?!

Well, maybe it was because he wasn’t ready to change or maybe it wasn’t for him to change. Maybe it was for ME. I don’t know. You can only change yourself (I learned that in counseling, too).

As any woman who has been in an abusive relationship knows, there is a ‘cycle’ or a rhythm that happens. This cycle will not change until one person decides to do something differently. For me, the cycle was: drink, fight, sober, apologize. Then, one month, one week or one day later, it would all begin again.

I’d tell myself, “This is the last time. If it happens again, I’m filing for divorce.” And then it would happen again and I wouldn’t be ready to take the next step.

When I was ready, I did break the cycle. I told my husband I wanted a divorce and he laughed at me. He said “don’t threaten me with that.” I leveled my gaze and felt 90 feet tall. I said, deadly calm, “Do you honestly think I would joke about this?! I. Want. A. Divorce.”

Either his laughing or thinking I was bluffing was all it took to get a little bit of the Melissa I used to be to assert herself into the Melissa I had become.

Listening to the women’s stories the other night triggered some powerful memories and emotions for me. Out of those memories/emotions came these blogs. I know there are so many of us (men and women) who are suffering abuse. Abuse can come at the hands of another or at the hands of ourselves. Sometimes I think the abuse we heap upon our own shoulders is the most insidious.

Who hasn’t thought, “I’m worthless. I’m a failure. I’m fat. Nobody will love me. I’m stupid.” If you’ve never had a thought about yourself like that, then I applaud you. At times, thoughts like those plagued me and sometimes still do! Told you I was a work in progress. But, as with external abusers, you don’t need to put up with that. As with anything, if you want it to change, then change it yourself.

One of the things I did to combat my negative self-talk and heal from the death of my marriage was to find things that were empowering to me. I hired a personal trainer to help me feel physically strong. I broke the ties of most of my old friends and found new ones that supported and encouraged me. I found fabulous spiritual mentors who helped me see the World through different eyes.

How? I’m so glad you asked! I believe we incarnate to learn lessons. Some are powerful and some are gentle. Sometimes we learn them and sometimes we don’t. For me, I think I came back to learn I had the power inside of me to help myself and I didn’t need to give that away to anyone else.

I’m fully at peace with what happened during my first marriage. I forgive my ex-husband and myself. Sometimes though, I really want to ask him if he can forgive me. You see, I believe he and I agreed to come together in this lifetime in order for one or both of us to learn powerful and profound lessons. I love him for the part he played in my spiritual/emotional growth. That sentence took a whole lot of healing on my part, but that’s where I am. For all I know, he saw a glimpse of what I’d become if he did this or that and he decided to give up some of his own happiness so I could become radiant. I don’t know. But there are no coincidences in life. That I DO know.

I will not stand for abuse in my life. I’m by no means the authority on it, but I know what I deem as abusive. Remember, abuse takes many forms. If you are belittling yourself and calling yourself names, then I’m telling you that’s a complete travesty to your beauty. Stop it. Stop it right now. You do not deserve to see yourself as ‘less than’. You do not deserve to treat yourself so poorly. Ever. You are a child of God, no less or more important than the next person.

Choose your internal/external words wisely or you may be unknowingly teaching this kind of abuse to your children. I’m betting the legacy you’d like to leave is filled with positive, loving and uplifting words. I know that’s the legacy I’m trying to create for our daughter.

If you’ve glimpsed yourself in these two blogs, do what you need to do for you. You are just as important as the next person. Believe it. Own it. Know it. You DO have choices. What will be your catalyst for change?

Abuse

Last night I was privileged to sit in on the last session of an 8-week Wellness program. I wasn’t expecting the reaction I had. When the group was asked what progress they had made, one beautiful fighter said, “I’ve lost 190 pounds. This morning, after years and years of trying and struggling, I asked my husband to leave.” Gahhhh. It wasn’t her words that got me; it was the energy coming from her. It was the fact she was finding herself again and had the courage to start taking back her own Power. It awoke some pretty powerful personal memories for me.

Two other women shared their stories and I had similar responses to them as well. Then I focused on the moderator. I know her personally and professionally and I know what she’s had to overcome. The fact that she was taking a piece of coal and turning it into a diamond by supporting, encouraging and empowering these women, moved me to tears again.

Super. I’m there to do a meditation and I’ve teared up four times already. In 15 minutes. How professional! But, I do have a blog forming in my mind on crying so I’ll save my thoughts on that until later.

Whenever an emotion hits me so strongly, I’ve learned I need to examine what it’s triggering inside of me. This one was rather easy. I did survive an abusive marriage. I did find the courage to walk away. I did find the strength to examine my part in the abuse and the death of what I now call my ‘starter’ marriage.

Let me take you a little deeper into my old life. I won’t go too far as the pain is, even now over a decade later, still achy.

I married for life and I loved the beautiful man I’d married, when he was sober. When he was drunk, he became a man that scared me. I used to call it the ‘Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde’ syndrome. Again, this man was larger than life to me when he was sober but when he wasn’t? I was afraid of his temper and the man he would morph into.

Was he like this when we dated? Yes and no. We both drank a lot. I just thought he’d ‘outgrow’ the drinking part once we were married. My thought about his drinking was this: going to the bar is a social thing you do when you’re single and looking. I thought once we were married there wouldn’t be so many nights spent at the bar and more nights spent at home.

Well, I was half right. I spent more (lonely) nights at home and he spent more nights at the bar.

Yes, we went to counseling and while that was a disaster for us as a couple, it did help me personally.

A one point, probably one of the lowest points, I remember sitting on our stairs thinking, “I’m either going to kill myself or I’ve got to leave this marriage.” I wasn’t sure which would be easier or which one I would choose. I didn’t believe in suicide but…. When you are being mentally/emotionally abused, your self-worth/self-esteems goes right into the crapper. You start to believe what you’re being told (‘you’re the reason I drink so much’ or ‘if you wouldn’t have said that, I wouldn’t have drank so much.’). The person you were slowly fades to a mere shadow of your former self.

I tried to find ways to cope. Those ways usually involved alcohol, trusted friends and avoidance. I blamed him for everything when in reality I held an equal share of the blame. I didn’t discover this aspect until years later when I had forgiven him and myself for so many horrible things.

Back then I wasn’t spiritual. Not at all. I didn’t even know I was intuitive or I had the support of God. I felt all alone, as most abused women do. My mom was gone and my family was not a huge source of support for me.

One night after a particularily horrible fight, I curled up in a tight, protective ball in the corner of our walk-in closet. All the doors were shut and if they could be, they were locked. I was so damn afraid. I was shaking and crying uncontrollably. Counseling later taught me you NEVER engage a person who has been drinking. NEVER. But I didn’t know that then.

I called my sister who, being 18 years older than me, had literally helped raise me. My mom was sick most of my childhood and teenage years so my sister stepped in even though she was a state away and raising her own family. I trusted her. I needed her. I relied on her. She was, essentially, my second mom. Unfortunately, this conversation did not go well. Or maybe it did, depending on how you look at it. I had made the call when I couldn’t get a hold of myself. When I apologized for calling, she responded, “Well, Mom’s gone now and I guess this shit falls on my shoulders.”

Whaaaa? I’m bleeding out here and that’s what you say?! I felt like I’d been slapped in the face. Hard. But that little sentence was the catalyst that started the change within me. And change me it did, deeply and profoundly. Something (fear maybe?) started to die inside of me and something that felt cold (determination, maybe?) was replacing it. I wasn’t angry with my sister and the cold feeling had nothing to do with her. Even back then I could recognize that this was all about me. It was as if, after all my life of depending on others to take care of me, I stopped being the child and became the adult in that instant. Or if you’d like to look at it a different way, I stopped being the victim and started being the survivor.

I don’t believe in coincidences. My sister, saying what she did WHEN she did, was divinely inspired. I didn’t think so at the time, but looking back, that ‘tough love’ sentence was exactly what I needed. To this day, I believe that was the turning point for me to start taking back my power and getting control of my life.

And with that, my friends….you’ll need to wait until the next blog entitled, “Abuses.” Awww…I know, I know. But, as my friend Ganesh says, “I’m not worried about a happy or sad ending…it’s the story leading up to it.” 😉

Impatience

Man, I don’t know what’s going on lately, but I have reverted back to being over-the-top impatient. I’m not impatient on everything, just stuff that I think should have happened by now. Here’s why I think impatience happens; I think we become impatient because we’ve glimpsed something we desire very much but it has yet to manifest on the earthly plane. It’s as if we can remember everything about it (whatever ‘it’ is for you) and all of the emotions associated with it, but we don’t physically see it. And this is something we really, really pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top WANT!

I put impatience behind me back in the early 2000’s. I mean, I’m the one, if you’ll remember, that had to wait like FOREVER for the stars to align so I could bring our daughter into this world (and that’s just one example). You can read (re-read?) my blog on “Control” if you need a refresher. I don’t like being impatient. Nothing good comes from it. So why now? What’s going on?

I had a client the other day who said, “If it can go wrong, it will. The last couple of months my world has gone to shit. I feel overwhelmed, frustrated and very chaotic.” Now this is a woman who is very glass half full, full of life and optimistic. To hear her say this (and have her thoughts intuitively validated while she was in session), well, that got me thinking. This is kind of what my life, and my husbands, has felt like for the last couple of months. I’m hearing similar stories from other clients, too. Hummm. Putting one and one together here (no small feat as I abhor math!).

This stuff from the last couple of months has GOT to be energetic. It’s just happening to too many of us. It’s frustrating, especially when impatience just isn’t who I am anymore.

Oh HO ladies and gentlemen! Surprise!! It seems this blog is to have a guest appearance. I’m being asked by my Guys to channel some information directly to the masses. Oh man. I didn’t see that coming when I started this blog. Well, who’s up for some words straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak? Here you go. Public, meet my Guys. Guys…oh never mind. You already know the public. Hey! For the cool factor, see if you can ‘feel’ how the energy is different from my writing style to Theirs.

“Little Ones. We do not wish to cause you harm or timidity. (Melissa’s note: The Guys like to use bigger words than I can get my Norwegian/German/Mutt brain around.) We are expressing great sorrow at how this latest miscalculation on our part is affecting your sweet souls. We were not given a rule book as some may think. We are making this up, or as you humans say, ‘Flying by the seat of our pants’ as we go. We have skill doing this so do not dismay. You are all in safe hands (if we had hands). (Melissa’s Note: They usually do not joke, so I must have tapped into a little bit of their funny bone.)

You ask, Dear One, on behalf of those you tirelessly aid, “How much MORE!?” Will you be angry with us if we use the old saying, “Two weeks”? (Melissa’s Note: GRRRRR! Yes! Angry! Stupid ‘two weeks.’ I know all about those two little words! It means that this part of the energetic shift will be over in two weeks BUT that doesn’t mean things will get better. OOOOH NOOOO! It means a new energetic phase – for better or worse – will begin. ‘Two weeks’ is also a loving joke between the Guys and me due to my, uh, constant questioning in my younger years). We love that you get our joke, Little One. You are such a delight. (Melissa’s Note: Guys, puhleease! I’m blushing here! Ok, I’m really not.)

We will continue, if only briefly, for we have the masses to attend to. You ask, in earnest, when this portion will be finished. We tell you we truly do not know. There seems to be some clearing, if you will, in a few short weeks, possibly around the end of your month of March. We see that your calendar date of April first will usher in new, fresh energy once again. You can look for the stars to align and the grass to grow and all to fall into perfect rhythm once again. We will not disappoint, in fact, we will dazzle. (Melissa’s Note: I’m being shown a night sky with shooting stars. Meteor shower, maybe?)

We will leave you now but are thoroughly glad you allowed us in, Little One. Be patient and you will see the wisdom of our words. All will return with the onset of the spring rains. There will be a ‘rebirth’ of sorts. All that is old and outdated will fall in the gutter. But do not dismay, these old thoughts or feelings will be replaced with shiny new ones. Ones that all of you will polish and keep clean and treasure unlike anything you have treasured before. It is our gift to you. Watch and see how it transpires in your life. We are most anxious to see you smile and for you to raise your heads to Heaven in joy and wonderment. For far too long your heads have been bent toward the earth. Be well. All is well. Be at peace for that is what you shall have. Peace. Wonderment. Joy. We promise this.”

Ok……uhhh…”we PROMISE this” is not Their usual wording especially when this blog has the potential to reach hundreds, if not thousands of people. So, will hundreds or thousands of people find peace, wonderment and joy? I don’t know, but They said it and I trust Them explicitly.

Alien

I recently had a client who was not from this world. Literally. She was not from planet Earth. I’m not talking about her physical body. I’m talking about her soul.

It’s not the first time I’ve encountered a ‘Superior Being’ (my terminology) in my line of Work, but they are a rarity and beautiful to work on.

Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout, Willis? Ahhh… I’m so glad you asked! Let me enlighten (pun intended!) you. First though, I didn’t get permission to tell her story. In truth, I didn’t ask. Out of respect for her, I’ll keep this as generic as I can. Her story will resonate with only a few of you.

Her intuitive Reiki session began as any other session does. There wasn’t anything different or out of the ordinary. This is where it changes (hear a record being scratched).

I was suddenly struck with the knowledge that she is literally not of this world. I instantly felt humbled to be in this Superior Being’s presence. Yeah, yeah…physically she’s a female trying to find her way, not unlike the rest of us. She has her physical and emotional struggles just like us. For all practical purposes, she’s human. But here’s where she differs from (most of) you and me.

She comes from a place so advanced that if needed answers, you mentally asked your supercomputer brain. I kept hearing, “It’s just energy. It’s just energy.” Meaning this Being came from a place where it was all energy. No physical forms, no houses, no money, no cancer. Just energy. Colors moving and flowing and pulsing. A place where you could seamlessly meld with other energies and access an amalgamation of knowledge.

She’s highly intelligent. School was boring and rather limited. In truth, she maybe could have skipped a grade or two. Again, she is human with human struggles, sorrows and fears. But on top of all of that, she’s also here to solely (souly?) help mankind. She has a huge desire to help people. Let me tell you, ‘helping people’ is what she’s here to do. It’s WHY she came to Earth. It’s programmed into her DNA.

Her metabolism is amazing. Meaning she could eat a bagel for breakfast and still feel sustained and nourished for the rest of the day. Where she comes from, you don’t eat. You don’t need to.

So imagine this Being deciding to come to planet Earth to help Heal the planet and those that inhabit it. She doesn’t understand our mannerisms or speech or non-verbal cues. It would be as if she spoke French and landed in an English speaking culture. She had to learn our language, our culture, why some of us do what we do and others don’t. Learning comes easily to her but she had to do all of this while still trying to figure out how to navigate in a restrictive, physical body.

Let’s roll play (oh goody!). Imagine you’re a guest in another country. It’s still foreign to you, but you’ve been there long enough to feel comfortable. You struggle with feelings of not fitting in. You struggle because it feels like nobody ‘sees’ you. Can you imagine? Firstly, there are not many of ‘your kind’ on Earth, let alone on one continent. Secondly, the odds of finding someone who really recognizes you is minimal. You still long for the unconditional energy you were at Home.

Working on someone who has selflessly and willingly chosen to leave her Home and incarnate on a planet that is filled with murder, hostility and ego is nothing short of amazing. There’s not a lot of these souls who choose to incarnate here. Would you? Would you say, ‘Ok, I don’t speak the language and I’m going to be tethered to a human body that is cumbersome and needs to eat and has strong emotions. Then my supercomputer brain is going to have to work within the constraints of my mostly undeveloped human brain and oh yeah, I’ve got to figure out how to fit in somehow while I’m trying to figure out how to help the world.’

Leaving a place that doesn’t have wars or murder or even death for a place that does sounds like a fool’s game. Not for these Beings. They have such a strong desire to help that they’ll take the odds.

It is truly a gift and a thing of beauty to be able to give something back to these selfless Beings. Namaste, Superior Being. I see you.

Career

There were two professions I wanted to be when I grew up. The first was a nurse. Well, the nurse idea bit the bullet long before it was a full-fledged glimmer in my eye. I thought I wanted to be a Candy Striper at a local hospital. You know, deliver some flowers, get an extra blanket and fluff a pillow. I was allll excited to do this UNTIL the person who was training me told me there was a morgue in the hospital. Whaaa? A morgue IN the hospital? Cue the heebie jeebies for this little 16 year old. I could feel my face whiten and something akin to panic start in my stomach. I had a severe case of ‘flight, fight or freeze.’ I took flight. I couldn’t burn out of that hospital fast enough.

I don’t know why I was so traumatized by the thought that there were bodies in a hospital. I mean, did I think everyone got better? Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t know why I had such a major reaction to that little tidbit of news. I DO know it took me months to return my Candy Striper uniform. 😉 I was just that freaked out. That effectively ended my thoughts of being a nurse.

The other profession was an actor (back then women were called ‘actresses’ and men were ‘actors’). Now that one DID take flight. I loved being on stage and acting. I loved it. I had a real affinity for it. I performed in plays throughout my high school years and then musicals after I graduated. Yes, I said ‘musicals’ and yes, I sang. In public. Without the aid of a shower. To lots and lots of people. Me. Singer. Once upon a time.

While I was in high school, my DECA teacher told me he set up an interview for a part-time teller position at a local bank. Ok. Coolio. Up until then my main source of income was as the “World’s Richest Babysitter” as one family lovingly called me and working in the camera section of White Drug. Banking? Why not?

Little did I know that interview would be the start of my 21-year career. I moved from being a teller to the Consumer Lending side. There I processed loans but I really, REALLY wanted to be a loan officer. Not much later I became a Direct Consumer Lending Underwriter. It was better than a Loan Officer (in my eyes) as I didn’t have to deal with customers. I dealt with branch personnel who dealt with customers. I loved, LOVED that job. But, as you fellow bankers know, time marches on in the acquisition world of banking and my beloved bank was taken over by another.

I moved on to a few different positions until my final position as an Internal Auditor for the ND branch offices. I tell ya, I have an eye for detail and I was goooooood at picking up on what people wanted to hide. I didn’t even know I was an intuitive back then.

Long story short, I was quite happy in banking. I didn’t have a college degree as I opted to go full-time right out of high school. I was being promoted regularly so I must have been doing something right. My dad finally quit saying, “You should go to college” after I received my fourth or fifth promotion. That was a relief because college never did hold any appeal to me. I completely get where my dad was coming from. He knew how important a college degree would be even back in the early 80’s.

Fast forward to 2001. My banking career is over. I was burned out and didn’t want to go back into banking. I just felt restless, like there was something else for me. I received a great severance payment so I was comfortable taking some time off to heal from the loss of my marriage, job and career. I worked at what I called, ‘fun networking’ jobs but, as usual, I was bored rather quickly. Interesting fact about me, once I figure things out I am bored by the repetition of it all.

I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. Can you imagine? At age 17 I was in what would become my career. I didn’t job hop. I stayed with the same bank. So what to do for the old benjamins. What to do…..

Oh gee. I think I’ll open up a business that is based on energy work. And, oh yeah, I’m going to incorporate intuitive messages with this energy work. Yep, that goes over really well in a conservative, conventional, meat and potatoes kind of life.

But I did it. My mom was gone by then and I was scared to tell my dad. Bless his beautiful heart, he said, “Well, I guess that’s alright. Will you be able to support yourself?” I smile at this memory as my dad is gone now too, and I totally understand what he was and wasn’t saying.

Sometimes life takes turns that you wouldn’t even dare think about. If someone had told me I’d be finished with my banking career at age 38, I wouldn’t have believed them. But look how beautifully this was all orchestrated. Can you imagine all the events or things that had to go into making this happen? I left a very comfortable, acceptable, sound career and started one that is very esoteric, un-logical and incredibly rewarding.

While I may not be in the acting profession, I’m very comfortable delivering the channeled messages, being in front of a crowd or in the spotlight. I may not be a nurse, but I am helping to heal people. Doing my Work fulfills both my childhood aspirations. Interesting how it all worked out, huh?

Ain’t life grand?

Agnostic

Melissa’s Note: I didn’t start out writing the blog that this became. In truth, I was tired of repeatedly hearing the word “agnostic” and decided it must be the Word of the Month that my Guys wanted me to pass on to you. I even looked up the meaning in the dictionary (see below), but as usual, when I sat down to compose the blog; something else sprang from my fingertips.

Before I continue, I need to tell you about the other person involved in this story. She is one of my besties and has known me since 1989. She lovingly and kindly took me under her wing when I first moved to Fargo. She invited me into her home and to her son’s football game. We struck up an odd friendship (I was very outspoken and she was very tactful) that has persevered through divorces, deaths, weddings, children and many, many good bottles of wine. She knows the ‘old’ me and the ‘new’ me and I love her dearly.

Recently we met for lunch and she mentioned she talked about me at her bible study. I instantly reverted back to my old, icky insecure feelings of ‘Why? Who would want to talk about me? I’m just some gal from Minot.’ Yes, I know. I’m working on this. Hey! I’m a work in progress, too, you know. 😉

When I asked her why, she said they were talking about wisdom and she told her group I was the wisest person she knew. Well {blink, blink}, I didn’t see THAT coming. Me? The wisest person this amazingly beautiful, gentle, loving gift from God knew was me? ME?!!! Of all the people she has met over the years. Of all the people who have helped her grow and heal and laugh, she said my name?! I smiled and with astonishment said, ‘I AM?! I had NO idea!’ She smiled and nodded her head yes. I asked, “Why?”

She said something that led me to have one of my most profound moments in a long time. I’ll paraphrase this as it’s already been a week and I’m not sure my brain can remember what I did this morning. Ahem. She said she told her group that I used to be rather agnostic. I had to stop her as I didn’t know the meaning of that word. I’d been ‘hearing’ it for weeks and now she just said it. No coincidences, right? She told me the definition and then indicated how the ‘old’ me may have believed in God, but didn’t believe in God.

Ahhhhh grassshopppahhhhhhhh. That got me thinking. I was raised going to church. I was baptized, confirmed and married in a church. But going to church did not resonate with me, not as a child, a teen or even as an adult. Perhaps I hadn’t found the right church or religion, but that’s neither here nor there. I was bored, bored, BORED by the sermons. I didn’t understand the language or the topics. My dad would reprimand me if I was fidgeting. It was an hour of me trying to find things to think about and appear like I was semi-alert. The only thing I truly liked was singing the hymns.

But, as my bestie went on to say, the ‘old’ me didn’t talk about God even though I had a structured religious upbringing. Now, some 15 years later (insert irony here), I have evolved into a highly spiritual person and she says I can’t stop talking about God.

Well, I’ll be knocked over with a feather. She’s right but did YOU see that one coming?! Me either!! That’s what I love about my Work, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

And now on to the definition of Agnostic, as defined by my Webster’s 9^th collegiate dictionary:

to know – more to KNOW
one who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable.
noncommittal, undogmatic, doubtful

I get why my Guys were hounding me with this word. That’s another thing I love about my Work. When I hear words that are repeated and repeated and repeated (you know, until I wise up and look up the definition), there is always a spiritual meaning relevant to you, others or me. For me, I think I’m being told there is ‘more to KNOW.’

Protein

Before I could even get the preliminaries out of the way, I was hearing loudly and frantically that my client needed to eat more protein. The Guys are usually softer and quieter in their approach but when they’ve been trying to get your attention, you get ‘punch in the gut’ loud and blunt. So for this sweet lady, all I could do was stammer, “Protein! You’ve got to eat more protein NOW. You’re body is cannibalizing itself. It’s starving!! You’ve got to get on consuming more protein NOW, NOW, NOW!!!”

That’s not the first time I’ve heard a client needs to eat more protein. I’ve heard it for both men and women of all ages. Again, when there is a reoccurring theme to what I’m hearing, it usually means more people are experiencing the same issue and will benefit from educating themselves about it.

Let’s talk about what protein does for our beautiful bodies. When we eat a protein source, our body breaks it down and then uses it to create new protein that is used to grow, maintain and repair our cells. OUR CELLS…Hello…HUGE!! According to one website http://www.helpwithcooking.com/nutrition-information/protein-guide.html, protein is vital for practically every process that occurs within our body. Think: metabolism, digestion and the transportation of nutrients and oxygen in the blood.

Protein is also necessary in order to produce antibodies. Antibodies fight against infection and illness. Protein is also the main nutrient that keeps our hair shiny and healthy, our nails strong, our skin fresh and glowing and our bones strong and healthy. Little old unassuming protein. Who knew??

So what happens if we don’t get enough protein? You mean OTHER than our body literally eating itself to stay alive? Well, if it’s the precursor to antibodies, then it stands to reason we’ll be ill more often. How about being tired and having skin issues (rashes, change in pigment, hair loss, etc.)? Yep. Definitely. Our hair and nails will become brittle and as was the case for me, my hair broke off in sections. This was when I was nursing our daughter and thought I WAS consuming enough protein. My body said otherwise. I knew better, dang it. I totally knew better!

As a side note, I also know and love a certain ‘all I will eat is packaged and highly processed food from a box’ young teen whose hair has fallen out in a two inch diameter spot and is not regrowing. I knew long before this blog was even a twinkle in my eye that his body was suffering from a diet that was uber deficient in daily protein.

Of all the information the Ascended Ones/Guardian Angels could tell me, of ALL the information they want you to know, they often start out by saying my client needs more protein. Is it any wonder? Protein is so vital to, well, our life!

A question I’m often asked is, “Well, how much protein do I need?” I shrug my shoulders and say, “I dunno… I’m just the messenger.” So for this blog, I decided to make it easy for you to see how much protein you need if you are an average person. I hope it goes without saying that if you are athletic (meaning lifting weights, doing yoga, training for a marathon, etc.), over weight/under weight, bodybuilding, pregnant or nursing, you’ll need to look into amping up your protein consumption.

Here’s a protein chart from the CDC: (http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html).

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein
	Grams of protein needed each day
Children ages 1 – 3	13
Children ages 4 – 8	19
Children ages 9 – 13	34
Girls ages 14 – 18	46
Boys ages 14 – 18	52
Women ages 19 – 70+	46
Men ages 19 – 70+	56

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s briefly talk about protein sources and how easy it really is to get your daily allowance.

1 cup milk = 8 grams

1 large egg = 6 grams

1 cup yogurt = 8 to 12 grams

1 cup cooked beans (black, pinto, lentil, etc.) = 14 to 20 grams

1 chicken breast (3.5 oz) = 30 grams

1 hamburger pattie (4 oz) = 28 grams

1 cup tofu = 36 grams

1 cup nuts (various) = 32 grams

This is just a snapshot of what’s out there. Pasta, for instance, is often fortified with protein. Some fruits and veggies have trace amounts of protein, too. Don’t forget about the great protein drinks/powders out there, either. I find them to be an easy way to get more protein into my body. If you’d like to check out more protein sources, here’s the website I used: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/highproteinfood

Can you get too much protein? Why, yes you can, Virginia! Good question! Our body doesn’t have the ability to store protein, so any excess will be converted into glucose or stored as fat. Too much protein consumption can actually lead to osteoporosis. And if you’re eating too much meat protein, you run the risk of gout, high-cholesterol, heart disease and stroke. Now, what constitutes as too much protein? That you’ll need to figure out for yourself (or consult with a physician, nutritional consultant, etc.).

As I’ve said before, I know just enough about this stuff to be mildly dangerous. I don’t profess to have all the answers. I mean, I’m a Holistic Healer, not a Dietary Aide. I consider this blog as something to, uhhhh, grow on. Literally.