“I don’t know who I am.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that from clients over the past year. “I just don’t know who I am any more.” How many times have you felt that way? How often have you sat and contemplated and meditated and journaled and questioned, “Who am I?”

I have another question for you, several, in fact. What is it that you do not know? What is it about yourself that you feel you need to name? How would you live differently if you “knew yourself”?

Here’s another question. What are you not doing because you don’t “know who you are”? Which leads to yet another question. Do you think you can ever truly know who you are? Every moment you live, every decision you make, every decision you don’t make, leads you to the next moment, and the next, and the next. And with each moment, there are new experiences, new opportunities, new possibilities, that lead you to the next choice, the next step. And with each moment, with each step, with each choice, your life changes irrevocably. Can you not, then, assume that who you are changes too? So with each moment, your life changes and you change. How, then, can you ever “know who you are” when you are constantly changing and shifting from one moment, one decision, one step, to the next.

What is it that you need to know about yourself before you can embrace the beauty and wonder and color of life? What do you need to know about yourself before you can feel what is stirring within you? In each moment, can you find that place within that is aware of how you feel, of what you desire, of what is calling to you? In that moment? Can you open to the magic that exists around you, in that moment?

If you ask me who I am, I will answer this: It is an unanswerable question. Who I am cannot be known. I simply am. And I am engaged in life every moment, unconcerned that I do not have an answer to “who am I?”.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr. Seuss

I had an interesting conversation with someone not too long ago, a young man I’d never met before who had come into Crystal Way. He wanted a tarot reading, and asked how much it would cost. I explained the duration and cost of readings I offered, but he wasn’t happy with my fee schedule. Instead, he said, he preferred to have the reading and then afterward pay me what he felt the reading was worth. He should be able to determine the length of the reading, as well.

I found that response to be quite interesting, as I hadn’t mentioned that I work on a donation basis, so I pursued the conversation. “Are you asking me to let you tell me how much my reading is worth? You would like to be the one to place a value on me?” He smiled and nodded yes. It was “more spiritual” that way, he explained; I was pretty sure he thought that would appeal to my “spiritual” side and I’d see the error of my ways. I explained to him that I did not work that way, thanked him, and walked away.

But that conversation got me thinking. How interesting that this stranger wanted to be the one to decide what my work was worth, and by extension what I was worth. This is something that I talk about in depth in my Reiki I class, and it feels important to share that discussion with you. Let me set a quick foundation first.

In the Level I Reiki class, we focus on the ways in which we create disease in the body. As part of that focus, we discuss the role that our seven main chakras play in the manifestation of disease; if our chakras are blocked, our chi, or life force energy, cannot flow smoothly, causing stagnation of energy in the body, causing disease. Our 5th chakra, the throat chakra, is our communication chakra. It is not just about speaking, it is about speaking our truth, speaking what comes from our core, that center of authenticity. It is the willingness to say what is in our hearts, even at the risk of rejection.

That risk of rejection is the reason why so many people don’t speak their truth. They are afraid of losing what they have, of what they’ve created. They are afraid of being judged, of not being accepted, of not being loved. This fear of rejection causes people to try to please everyone else, even if it means not speaking the truth, in order to be accepted and loved. They begin to see themselves, to value themselves, through the standards and judgments and opinions of others. It triggers their lack of self-love, their belief they are not worthy of being loved. Their self-worth is reliant upon what someone else thinks of them, and that opinion can and will change continually depending upon how the other person feels in any given moment. How can anyone know their true worth, their true value, when it shifts moment to moment, person to person?

A different outcome to my interaction with the young man in the store could have been that I acquiesced to his request. I could have been afraid of losing a potential client; I could have questioned whether I was being “spiritual” or not; I could have doubted my fee schedule; I could have let him determine what my worth was. Perhaps I might have done so at one time; like many people I’ve had my own challenges with self-love.

And while I may, as many people do, face my shadow of self-love on occasion, it seldom has control over me (I still love myself even when the call of chocolate becomes much too loud to ignore and I overindulge!). Especially when it comes to my work; I do not need the approval or validation of anyone else to know the value of what I do. I did not even for a moment consider accepting the conditions this young man had wanted to place on a reading, but did appreciate the opportunity he presented to revisit this issue of self-worth and self-love.

Do you still struggle with your shadows of self-worth and self-love? Call me to schedule an appointment, and let’s face, and resolve, those shadows together!

“Imagine when you look in the mirror that the face looking back at you is someone you truly love. Just imagine.” – Isha Judd

As a Reiki Master/Teacher and Practitioner, I am always on the lookout for new ways to enhance my clients’ health. That’s why I’m so excited about an herbal supplement called Protandim. Why am I so excited about Protandim? It’s the only product on the market that’s been clinically proven to reduce oxidative stress by an average of 40%!*

Yep, I thought the same thing you’re probably thinking. “So what?” Well, oxidative stress is the damage done to our bodies by free radicals, those organic molecules created by environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke, and herbicides, as well as physical and emotional stress. Now, the resulting oxidative stress doesn’t cause disease, but it does give disease a foothold in the body and, the older we get, the more difficult it is for our bodies to combat the oxidative load. Protandim slows down the rate of cell aging to the level of a 20-year-old!*

Some of the conditions linked to oxidative stress are:

     • Age-related physical and mental deterioration (e.g., Alzheimer’s)
     • Age-related vision loss 
     • Alcoholism
     • Arthritis
     • Cancer (e.g., prostate, lung, and breast cancers)
     • Crohn’s disease
     • Diabetes
     • Glaucoma
     • Heart disease
     • Hepatitis
     • High cholesterol
     • HIV/AIDS
     • Infertility
     • Memory loss
     • Migraine headaches

And the list goes on. For a more extensive list of the conditions linked to oxidative stress, please click here.

I can hear your next question: “Why can’t I just eat foods rich in antioxidants and take antioxidant supplements like Vitamins C and E?” You can, but not in enough quantities to equal what you get with Protandim, which isn’t really an antioxidant anyway. Protandim triggers your body’s cells to produce its own natural defenses, boosting the body’s production of antioxidant enzymes at the cellular level and eliminating free radicals at the amazing rate of one million per second! No foods or vitamins can do that!

Since Alzheimer’s runs in my family, as does cancer and glaucoma, and my aging joints creak and grind more and more each day, I personally am very excited about Protandim and have started to take it myself. I understand fully that this supplement will not cure disease. I am also aware that it will assist my body to maintain optimum health, and that’s what I hope to do. In fact, in just a little over one week, I’m noticing that my tricky right knee hasn’t given out on me nearly as often, and the pain in my right arm from tendonitis has diminished by at least 50%. Can’t wait to see how I feel after a month or two! And, it will be interesting to see at my next eye exam if the pressure in my eyes has lowered (higher pressure, which I have, means greater risk of glaucoma).
 
Talk-show host Montel Williams, who suffers from MS, has been taking Protandim for several years, and has said that Protandim is an integral part of the daily routine he follows. For a couple of testimonials on YouTube, click here and here. Also, keep in mind that everyone responds differently to this supplement. If you’re in good health, you may not feel any different at all after taking Protandim. But you’ll know that you’re keeping your body healthy and strong and in optimum physical condition.

As a matter of fact, I’m so enamored of Protandim that I’m not only taking it, but I have decided to become a distributor of this product. I bet you knew THAT was coming, didn’t you!

If I’ve piqued your curiosity and you want to know a bit more about Protandim, go here to watch an ABC Primetime Special on Protandim and here to view a report on Protandim on the PBS show Healing Quest.

If, after watching the testimonials and the ABC and PBS specials, you’d like more information before you decide to become a customer, or if you’d like to find out about becoming a distributor yourself, let me know. My “teammates” Thomas (Tom) Day and Deanna Washington, the Protandim experts, will be happy to meet with you and answer all your questions. Yes, they’ll even travel out of the San Francisco area, so whether you’re in Sacramento, Los Angeles, or Timbuktu, they’ll come to you!

I’d like to ask a favor. Even if you aren’t interested in Protandim, I’d like you to share this blog with someone you know who might benefit from this supplement. Do you have a relative, friend, or colleague who has Heart Disease? Diabetes? Hepatitis? HIV/AIDS? Arthritis? Or any other condition that is linked to oxidative stress? Do them a favor and send them to this blog. If they have any questions I would love for them to contact me directly.

Thanks so much for your time, and I wish you a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2010.

 
 
 
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Welcome to 2010! A new year, a new beginning, a new opportunity to let go of old patterns and behaviors and beliefs that no longer serve you and open up to a new, authentic, way of living.

2009 was for most people a very challenging year, both personally and professionally. In my role as an Intuitive Consultant, the two biggest issues clients ask about are love and money. Are you finding your relationships shifting and changing? Are you facing concerns about finances? What can you do to facilitate your way through these shifts and concerns?

Life is about change. If you aren’t changing, you’re remaining stagnant. Our relationships often reflect the changes we go through. Some relationships can change and grow with us, and some relationships we grow out of. Where are you holding on to old relationships that no longer support who you have become? Are you still in relationships that do not give you the space and support to reach for the unlimited possibilities that exist for you? Are you keeping yourself small to fit into your current relationship? As you change, doesn’t it seem appropriate that your relationships change, as well? This holds true for all our relationships – family, friends, and lovers. Discover who you are, how you want relationship to make you feel, where you will compromise and what is simply NOT negotiable, what your hopes and dreams are, and then look carefully to see if your relationships support all of who you are at this moment.

If your major concern is about money, look at where you are creating limitation. I personally know people who are doing quite well, even in this economy. Why? They are allowing themselves to “course correct” with the way they earn income. Rather than trying to do the same thing, and getting upset that it isn’t working, they are looking at what the market needs, what people ARE spending money on, and altering the way they do business to fit what the market needs.

Also, become more conscious about your spending. Where is your money going? Are you holding so tightly to what you have that nothing is going out, which also means nothing can find its way in? Or are you spending unconsciously, having no idea where your money is going. I had one client who came in a while ago, moaning about how he so wanted to take my previous Reiki I class, but just didn’t have the money. We looked at where his money had gone, and he was shocked to discover how it had been spent. He realized that with a little consciousness, he could have easily afforded the class without denying himself a dinner out, a movie, or meeting friends at a bar. Be conscious about where your money is being spent, and make sure it’s being spent on that which you consider truly worthwhile in the long run, not just for the moment.

If you need assistance gaining clarity on either of these issues – money and love – perhaps it’s time to schedule a session with me!