Stepping Out of the Shadows

Leanne-Williams-HTHSomething I learned early on as an only child was to hide away in the shadows. It kept me from getting caught in the crossfire between my parents arguing in their dysfunctional marriage. Invisibility was my friend. It kept me out of trouble and offered me protection from what felt like a very unsafe world.

Sometimes friends stay with us throughout our life, while at other times they serve their purpose with us and then we let them go. In my case, I held onto Invisibility as my constant companion for far too long, hiding in the shadows where I could go unnoticed, safe from judgment and criticism.

Each year at school my teachers were constantly amazed that although I was so quiet in class I actually got consistent straight A’s on exams. I realized I was way too sensitive, an easy target for bullying, as well as feeling different to everyone else and too scared to even speak up and express an opinion. Public speaking was definitely a far greater fear for me than death.

So how did I turn things around to the point where I now feel quite comfortable speaking in front of audiences around the world on many topics, including those that some might consider rather “woo-woo,” such as how to communicate with angels and connect to Divine Guidance?

From my teens I was passionate about a vocation helping people seen as the underdog. Perhaps it was because I really wanted someone to help me. I definitely wasn’t part of the in-crowd. Bit by bit I discovered I could do things that other people couldn’t, but which for me felt perfectly normal. My sensitivity was the forerunner to my intuitive and psychic gifts beginning to open. The spiritual books and guided meditations I was drawn to – not to mention the life-size apparition of my deceased mother appearing to me one night – helped to open me up rapidly. My passionate enthusiasm for learning and reading everything spiritual connected me to my soul’s yearning to teach, especially how to teach energy healing that channels healing energy from a higher source.

I was being given a “divine shove” to say goodbye to my Invisibility friend once and for all and to start teaching others the spiritual knowledge I was amassing. The very first time I was to give someone a Reiki initiation I was so filled with fear that my tummy gurgled loudly all the way through the 20 minute initiation!

Committed to my daily spiritual practice, including meditation and energy self-healing, things began to move quicker and quicker. More workshops were taught as well as facilitating overseas healing retreats and even Spiritual Egypt Tours. I reached deep inside to find the courage to push myself a bit further out of my comfort zone every day, no matter how uncomfortable it felt at the time. Baby steps, baby steps…

Whether you are following your life purpose or need a bit of a divine shove to align with it, one thing you learn is that the only thing that is constant is Change! None of us are immune. Eventually I got a strong nudge to take my healing business global, meaning I would need to be talking in front of large groups online to promote my work and for people to get to know me. Being completely authentic, open and exposed with the probability of being judged and possibly humiliated by strangers was incredibly scary. I felt the presence of angels holding me and whispering lovingly to me, “You can do this Michelle. You can do this.”

Was it easy to take my business global? No way! It meant dealing with constant levels of fear that would emerge each time I was shifting vibrationally to a higher level. Was it scary that I found myself with spiritual gifts that allowed me to scan a person’s energy field from the other side of the world and give that person detailed feedback on what I was being shown by the angelic realms and then facilitate incredible healing work with that person as I witnessed the angels working on her directly? You bet! I still have no idea how I manage to do this, but I can just effortlessly tune into the right “frequency” to tap into all this information.

My daily Inner Work through my spiritual practice has been the key to the success I now enjoy globally, as I continue to confront and love every part of myself to wholeness, even those suffering parts that other people term their “shadow.”

One of my favorite quotes is from A Course in Miracles, “If you knew who walks beside you on this path that you have chosen, fear would be impossible.” Every day I embody greater Faith and Trust about who walks with me. I feel myself truly embraced by the Divine. Even publishing my new book Embraced by the Divine – The Emerging Woman’s Gateway to Power, Passion and Purpose, I hear the angels whispering lovingly to me, “You can do this Michelle. You can do this.” There is no need to hide in the shadows anymore.

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Michelle Mayur, in partnership with the Divine, co-creates transformational energetic shifts in people who are ready to make a bigger difference in the world. She specializes in assisting women to dissolve limiting beliefs and energetic blockages so they can step fully into their Power, Passion and Purpose. Both the angelic realms and the Divine Feminine energies of Love and compassion are strongly present in her work. Compiling author of “Embraced by the Divine – The Emerging Woman’s Gateway to Power, Passion and Purpose,” www.EmbracedByTheDivine.com she is a visionary leader, international speaker and the conscious entrepreneur creator of the Heal the Healer community www.heal-the-healer.com.

Keys To Living Your Biggest and Brightest Life

By collaborator Lorraine Cohen www.lorrainecohen.com/blog/

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~ from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson.

woman-purple-oasisWe use the word power in many different contexts. Words have different meanings for each of us; different concepts, points of reference and interpretations.

The notion of Power might hold a negative connotation for you. For another, having power and feeling powerfull might be a positive state of being.

When you hear or think of the word ‘power’, what words or phrases come to your mind?

Do you have a negative reaction that turns you right off?

Do you have a positive response that feels uplifting and empowering?

A negative response to the word power might be:

~ Manipulation
~ Abusive
~Oppression
~ Money hungry
~ Controlling
~ Helplessness
~ Pain
~ Unkindness
~Fear

A positive response to the word power might feel uplifting and empowering:

Feeling Unstoppable
Being Source
Magical
~ Becoming a deliberate Creator
~ Fearless
~ Freedom
~ Limitless possibilities
~ Confident
~ Having unwavering strength
~ Being in alignment with spirit
~ Living a value-base life
~ Sense of holiness

Perhaps you have a mixed reaction to the word Power and what it means to you?

When I talk about power what I am speaking about is your personal power because when you stand in your truth both as a human and spiritual being, how you show up is personal for you.

True power comes from being authentic and true to who you are, rather than solely focusing on your accomplishments and status. It means remembering that the Source of everything you seek that has created worlds lives within you, through you and as you. In this context personal power/authentic power is holy and Divine, individually and collectively.

Breathe into that. Feel that in your heart and in your body

Authentic Power is the relationship between your personality and your soul to create a life of meaning and purpose. Struggle happens when parts of your personality are in opposition to your soul’s intentions.

To create an authentically powerfull life you need to align your personality with your soul to have:

* A life with more joy and less pain and struggle.
* A life with more peace and love and less fear and drama.
* A life that allows your heart to blossom; to give and receive love freely and do things that make you feel vital and alive.

You stop trying to make things happen and start allowing life to bless you. What you are doing is fulfilling, nurturing and life seems to flow with ease and Grace even during challenging times.

What you believe, think, feel and say about power is critical to living your purpose and divine destiny. To deny and shy away from owning and embracing who you truly are as a powerfull co-creator is to separate yourself from the real you and God/Higher Presence.

This place of separation is caused by thought patterns, thought concepts, cultural conditioning, family/mental rules, and past experiences of unresolved pain and traumas.

In this incredible time of awakening we are being called to uncover where we are misaligned with our truest selves; to heal our hearts, and reclaim the life we came here to live.

You might be feeling stuck, scared, confused, overwhelmed, frustrated as well as excited and optimistic…. You might be feeling a deep inner yearning for something that something that wants to be expressed or released….

This is a time of breakthroughs, miracles and magic. The most important relationship in creating an authentically powerfull life is the one you have with God as the veils of separation are thinning.

The bond you have with the Divine is an essential key to create heaven on earth and live your biggest, boldest dreams. The time is NOW to make those dreams happen.

The Divine is reaching for a deeper connection with you. Do you sense that?

This year holds a very different energy – one that is full of promise and joyful manifestation. This is a year of Magic and Fulfillment; to give yourself permission to have what you really, really want and not what you think you need to settle for.

Can you feel that too?

This is your time. Go, make some magic! 😀

Love and blessings,

Lorraine

Founder of Powerfull Living, Rev. Lorraine Cohen is an internationally recognized life strategist, soul guide, inspirational speaker, heart healer, and charismatic broadcast personality. For more than 25 years, Lorraine has used her extraordinary spiritual and intuitive gifts to support spiritual women who want to make a difference to release fears, traumas, and not feeling good enough to live a soul-fulfilling, abundant and happy life.

Collaborator to a soon to be released books, “Embraced By The Divine: The Emerging Woman’s Gateway to Power, Passion, and Purpose.” and “Unwavering Strength Volume 2.”

Learn more: http://lorrainecohen.com

How to Say Yes When Everything in You is Screaming NO

by Therese Skelly www.HappyinBusiness.com

Just know this…

Everything in you is WIRED to seek safety and minimize risks.

There’s that crazy reptile part of your brain that is forever assessing how you can be harmed, what to do to avoid that, and ways to stay ahead of any potential threats.

But then there’s the heart, or soul, or Guidance in you that is following a different plan.

THAT part is often asking you to go where there’s no clear path. Or to follow the desire that seems fricking CRAZY on paper.

voices-businessIt’s the part that is tuned in to your Highest Good and doesn’t give a flip about security or retirement or paid vacation time. Nah. Its purpose is to keep you in Alignment with a capital A. It wants for you to be fully expressed, and doing what you are here for. But listening to that at times is terrifying because so many people around you are stuck in their own reptile/fear brains and will be the Dream Stealers if you give them the power.

So let me be that other voice.

You know the one.

The voice that helps you find your yes and helps you know your truth, and move more into that direction.

(A bit of back-story here)

It was 2006. I had been a Life Coach/psychotherapist and was pretty content with that. But then I saw the newsletter ad that said: BUSINESS COACHES WANTED. Something about that ad both scared the crap out of me, and compelled me. Today I know that the ‘energy’ of it pulled me in but I wasn’t conscious enough back in those days to understand that.

It scared me because the voice in my head told me to apply. Logically, that was insane! My undergrad was in criminal justice (yup, I worked in a prison) and my master’s degree was in Counseling. I served drug addicts, fighting couples, etc., and also worked in a psychiatric hospital for a time. So there was nothing about my experience that should have lead me to ever, ever consider the world of business.

Heck… I had only ever been to one networking event and decided I hated it because I was “too shy.” (Laugh if you know me at all!) I’d never read a biz book, had no idea how to grow business, and felt like a complete and total fraud just thinking that I could ever support someone in this way.

But the ad pulled me. Instead of listening to my monkey mind which was going nuts telling me what a CRAZY idea it was, I listened to the little yes that was asking me to apply.

Fast forward – I got the job and that one decision changed the whole trajectory of my life. As a result of that one seemingly impossible/crazy choice, I have been able to help thousands of people, become the mentor and leader that I desire to be, made tons more money, and have shown my boys what a strong woman looks like. NONE of that would have been possible from the place I was standing at the time.

So let me give you some tips on how you can be more okay with saying yes when your brain is screaming a big fat no!

1.   Notice the energy. This can be subtle, or it can be like a two-by-four over the head. Does something pop off the page? Is there a sensation or delight in your gut? Does the choice or idea seem light? Or heavy? I use the wisdom of the body. Bypass your brain and let your heart of gut decide. Too often we rely on our mind, which will always go to the history of past failure, and projected fear. It doesn’t always get to decide, so tune in to your body and see what’s there. In many ways we have to retrain ourselves from how we have made decision in the past. (I’m not saying to use logic or vet your decisions. But I’m saying let it START at the point of energy, then you can apply left brain thinking later.)

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2.    Notice the objections. What does the fear say? In my case, the nagging sense that I’d trash my revenue because I was gone on 5 trips wasn’t really true. Or if $ dipped a bit, I had to keep reassuring it (me) that I could always make more. Once you hear the fear and apply the “is it true” question to it, it often gets smaller. Or another one to ask is, “Can I live with this if it happens?” Could I have lived with less $? Yeah. Very often if we determine that the seemingly ‘bad’ thing that is being presented is something we could deal with, our bodies settle down and the anxiety subsides.

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3.    Notice the possibilities. This is a fun one. If you do say yes… what’s possible? Let yourself dream. There’s something that is calling for expansion in you. Now what often happens is that we bump into the “But I don’t know how, so I can’t get started” conversation that our ego runs on us to keep us safe, small and stuck. You don’t have to know the how. You just have to feel what would be possible and let that grow in you a bit. Practice more dreaming. See if you can be more in tune with your desire.

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4.    Notice the first point of decision. Again, you don’t have to have the whole bloody plan! Often times just deciding to decide or deciding to be open to more clarity is enough. In my book, decision = creation. What’s one little piece you could decide to say yes to?

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5.    Notice the magic and synchronicity. Try this on for size… “The Universe is Conspiring to Support You.” Not just wanting to or hoping to but CONSPIRING to! That’s juicy!!!! And as such, you need to be seeing all the evidence and seeds of support. Our brains are wired to block out new things to keep us being in resonance with our set points. That means that if you have a belief that it’s really hard to make money and everyone has to struggle, then something coming easy to you would not be trusted. Heck, your brain (because of the Reticular Activating System) may not even let you SEE the new opportunity. This makes it doubly important that you start planting the things you want to see more of as cues all around you.

As an example, my income goal is $25k a month. That’s a big stretch, but for me to start wrapping my mind around the INEVITABILTY of this I have put up little post-it notes all over my office that say $25k on them. Seeing them daily is actually reprogramming my subconscious so I’m more able to receive that amount later on. But there’s one more thing that you really, really need.

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6.    Notice your champions. This is huge. Who are the people in your life who are calling you higher? Who is there for you when you ring them up and tell them that this crazy idea keeps coming and coming and coming up? This is often the case that we can’t do this up-leveling on our own. I’d bet that you’ll most often fall back into the old patterns of the mind that shows you the limits, etc. I know that’s been the case for me. So the trick here is having someone HOLD THE SPACE for your greatness. Someone who will loving remind you that you are capable of so much more, and keep you in alignment with your desires. These are the people you want to find more of because this is how you eventually get to be really okay saying those big, scary Yesses that will guide you!

 

Money mindset mentor and business coach, Therese Skelly works with heart-centered entrepreneurs who are ready to grow their business in a much easier and more authentic way. Blending her background as a psychotherapist, strategist, and business consultant, she masterfully works both the inner game challenges and the outer game tactics. From newer business owners to already successful entrepreneurs, Therese works with individuals who desire to make a big difference in the world. www.HappyinBusiness.com

How To Find the “Blessings” In Every Moment

By Lorraine Cohen www.lorrainecohen.com

blessings-flow-to-you1Gratitude, like faith, is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it grows, and the more power you have to use it on your behalf. If you do not practice gratefulness, its benefaction will go unnoticed, and your capacity to draw on its gifts will be diminished. To be grateful is to find blessings in everything, This is the most powerful attitude to adopt, for there are blessings in everything.” ~ Alan Cohen

This morning as I awoke to the rain falling, I thought, “I wonder what blessings will be coming my way today?” I was inspired to begin my day with this curiosity from a conversation I had with a friend last night.

How you start your day sets the tone and the energy that moves through your day. If you begin from a centered space, you can flow with life with more ease and Grace.

I’ve been playing with the intention of seeing the blessings in everything for many years. Sometimes it has been challenging and yet, when I look deeper, I always find several gold nuggets to enrich my life.

One of my greatest teachers is my sweet 15-year old cat Cassie who is dealing with kidney disease. Despite ongoing bouts of diarrhea and some vomiting she continues to be engaged and playful. What she teaches me is to not see her as ill, rather to see her as “being” who she is and loving her “there.” And when the sadness comes, it is a blessing to feel and release the pain of losing her when it is time to let her go.

She continues to bless me in learning patience, trusting my intuition in taking care of her and myself, fully show up and appreciate the special loving moments we share. She is teaching me to surrender and let go and how to stand strong when my heart breaks.

Blessings come in many forms, shapes and sizes.

Recognizing blessings can be tricky because the mind is so quick to label experiences as positive or negative.

It’s easy to feel gratitude when things go the way you like and want. It’s a common response to resist and react negatively when things seem to go awry or present unwanted challenges.

* The people who push you buttons help you learn so much about yourself
* A difficult relationship can help you find your voice, your value, and your power.
* Losing a job may lead you to your life’s passion and purpose.
* A health challenge may help you cultivate self-love and forgiveness.
* A delay in moving forward may be a Divine redirection to something even better.
* Obstacles may help you discover what you really, really, want.

What if you saw every challenge, every perceived problem, every annoyance, every person and situation as an opportunity to heal, grow, and spiritually evolve AND make a difference in the world.

What if EVERYTHING in your life was brilliantly created (by YOU) to help you dissolve barriers, heal inner wounds, replace illusions with deeper truth, and bring you closer to your higher Divine Self?

What if every experience was designed to bring you “home” to Love and peace so that you could also help to heal the world?

How would your world change?

What would you be thinking, feeling, seeing, saying and doing differently?

Asking the right questions can reveal hidden gifts especially when you stop, tune into your heart and body and connect with your inner guidance..

When facing challenges and repetitive themes, awareness brings illumination.

1. What message does the experience bring? What is your spirit trying to tell you?

2. What have you been resisting that you know in your heart is true? A feeling, an action?

3. What story are you standing in? What is your truth/the truth?

4. What are you being called to claim and OWN?

5. What is yours to heal?

Begin each day with a grateful heart. Look for the blessings in your daily life in the shadows and in plain view.

Notice the beauty, the simple pleasures, the things that delight you, the things that stretch you out of your comfort zone to follow your heart, the ways in which you are being called to show up and stand in your power… and be open to see how Divinely supported and loved you really are.

Love and blessings,

Lorraine

Founder of Powerfull Living, Rev. Lorraine Cohen (United States) is an internationally recognized life architect, spiritual guide, inspirational speaker, and heart healer. For more than 25 years, Lorraine has assisted thousands of women who value the inner journey, have the courage and passion to go deeper and create massive changes in themselves to reach higher states of consciousness and be of the greatest service to the world; to live a life that is awake and authentic and to create a reality that is conscious, deliberate and meaningful. www.lorrainecohen.com

EBTD 004: Michelle Interviews Co-Author Andrea Beadle on Permission to be Yourself

Andrea-Beadle-NewThe lead up to menopause is a time in a woman’s life where she can find herself really examining the purpose of her life. We spend so many years of our lives being who we think we ‘should’ be but as we get older, the cracks can begin to show. Eventually menopause leads us to a phase where the only solution is to go within and follow the truth of our hearts. For women, many of the things that were previously important fall away (or disappear) and personal growth becomes a huge driving force. We often find ourselves looking for our purpose and more meaning in our lives. This was the case for Andrea and it was a journey she was catapulted into without much warning or preparation!

  • Symptoms of having lost yourself
  • The process of transformation
  • Knowing who you are and finding your truth
  • The gifts of menopause

A Sample Taste of Andrea’s Inspiring Chapter, Listening to the Voice Within

“I could never have imagined how much of a struggle it would be to balance all the different areas of my life! How could a successful career girl find it so difficult? I found myself being pulled in all different directions … feeling guilty when I was at work and not being able to concentrate on my son fully when I wasn’t.

The house was a mess, I battled the baby blues and all the time I was wishing I could be at home, like many of my friends in more fortunate financial circumstances.

I knew that I needed to leave my job. My heart told me, my gut told me and yet I couldn’t! I didn’t know how. I didn’t believe I could! …

But I knew something had to change. I knew I was dying inside and I ignored it. Not because I didn’t want things to change but because I didn’t know how. My days at work were painfully dull. I was tired, irritable and sometimes it felt as if my whole world was being dragged slowly into a black hole and I was powerless to escape its pull. Deep down I knew that something had to drastically change.

And it did!

Slowly my health began to trouble me. I didn’t know what was happening but each month I began to experience increasingly more painful periods. They began to get so bad that I couldn’t get out of bed in the morning without taking strong painkillers first.

The pain often made me sick, sometimes I would pass out, and, for a few days each month, the crippling pain meant I couldn’t function without strong painkillers. I began to have to take time off work and although I knew something wasn’t right, I soldiered on regardless.

Until one day I read an article about endometriosis. The words hit me like a bolt of lightning and I knew this was what I was suffering from.

In February 2010 there followed a rapid surgical diagnosis that left me totally reeling. The second child that we had hoped for was never going to happen and I was told that I would need a total hysterectomy.

Shocked, I retreated into a period where I wallowed in self-pity.

There was something about being told I needed a hysterectomy that… ”


Buy Embraced by the Divine – The Emerging Woman’s Gateway to Power, Passion and Purpose at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018FCGJDQ to read the full chapter and all the other inspiring and empowering chapters.

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Andrea Beadle (United Kingdom) helps heart-centered entrepreneurs find their purpose and create the business that is the expression of their soul. She believes that your business will only grow as far as you grow as an individual and, using Higher Guidance Coaching, helps you to break through the beliefs that are holding you back so that you can have a healthy life and a healthy business. She is creating the Heart Business Academy for heart-centered entrepreneurs at www.andreabeadle.com

* Catch all the Embraced by the Divine Podcasts on iTunes, such as this one, at
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/embraced-by-the-divine/id1151238002
We would love you to leave a REVIEW on iTunes too!

EBTD 022: Discover Your Soul’s Purpose

Two Embraced by the Divine Collaborators Together! Helaine Harris Interviews Christine Kloser
(From The Money Breakthrough Summit for Spiritual Entrepreneurs)
Liberate your true soul’s expression, discover your gifts and share them with the world.

Helaine Harris Christine Kloser

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* Catch all the Embraced by the Divine Podcasts on iTunes, such as this one, at
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/embraced-by-the-divine/id1151238002
We would love you to leave a REVIEW on iTunes too!