LET THE LIGHT LEAD YOU BACK

Good morning Tuesday and to all of you.  Just another summer day!  The weather has been so strange with all this rain but you can still find fun things to do.  I know of an ice cream shop that is supposed to be excellent.  What a great thing to do on a hot summer day.  Not my usual but different is always fun and in this case delicious.

Today's quote, "It's OK to wander off course - the light will lead  you back."   Let's use my ice-cream store as an example.  Everyone these days seems to be drinking protein shakes and taking obsessive trips to the gym.  What happens if one day you trade your protein shake for a strawberry cone and your killer workout for your favorite show on Netflix?   Nothing.  Nothing will happen because the very next day you will be back to your usual routine.

It is that way every single day as we are constantly distracted.  We could be right in the middle of something and then the phone rings, the dog barks, the pasta boils over but when we are done with our call, calming down the dog and turning off the flame, we go right back to what we were doing.  

Isn't life the same way?  We think we are on a certain path and for some reason we are taken off course.  The most important thing to know is that it is not just OK, but it will also be OK.  Get lost.  Wander away.  It may take time but eventually you will find your way back not only to where you want to be but exactly where you are meant to be. 

Take that wrong turn and wander where you never wandered before.  Life is an awesome adventure so don't just watch it happen, be a full participant!


To learn more about what I do, you may visit: https://amykaufman.co
https://amykaufman.co
If you would like to schedule an in-person or remote Reiki session with me, you may visit: https://amykaufman.co/private-sessions. 

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone! ~Love, Amy

GOING INTO THE UNKNOWN AND KNOWING IT WILL BE AWESOME

Good morning everyone!  What wonderful adventures do you have planned for the week?  Nothing?  That's perfectly fine.  Sometimes no plans are the best plans especially on a Monday.  Who knows what the day will bring let alone the week but always be open to possibilities.

Today's quote, "The unknown is not a bad place - it is merely not familiar - go with the expectation that it will be wonderful."  Isn't that the better way to go rather than fearing the unknown.  Fear is the place we go to much more often but you can change it to excitement just as easily. 

You know the place I'm talking about right?  It is anything that is a complete change.   Safe is good.  It is comforting but it is also boring.  Stepping into the unknown can be scary but exciting.  Do you remember the last time you felt excited about something?  I do.  My whole body felt different too.  There is nothing like that feeling we get when we are looking forward to something and when it is completely different  That too is an entirely different feel as well.

We are all creatures of habit.  We all get complacent.  I get complacent, but I relish change and also the unknown.  The unknown includes people too.  It's fun to meet new people.  We've all seen those friends on Facebook who do everything together.  Dinners, parties, vacations, etc.  I used to want a friend group.  Used to is the key word here until I realized how boring it is to do the same things with the same people all the time.

Expanding your horizons is more fun and way more interesting.  Start now!  There is no better time than the present moment!  

Have a wonderful Monday everyone! ~Love, Amy

To learn more about what I do, you may visit: https://amykaufman.co
https://amykaufman.co If you would like to schedule an in-person or remote Reiki session with me, you may visit: https://amykaufman.co/private-sessions/

WE HAVE ALL BEEN HERE BEFORE

Good morning and happy end of the week.  I have to say I am enjoying every day so I don't care if it is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.  Life is to be enjoyed and you are here to enjoy it so please do so!

Today's quote is "We all inhabit the souls who lived before us."  Wow!  I'm really on a role with past lives.  Seems I've been talking about this a lot this past week.  Not a mistake.  Obviously, (to me anyway) this is an important issue.  We have all been here before and I say this with absolute conviction.  You don't have to believe this but let me assure you that it is such.  

You know those deja vu moments?  Those moments you feel you have already experienced?  You have!  You actually have because this is not your first go round.  We live and die but our souls?  Never!  They move on and on and on.  Why do you think you have such a connection to certain people?

Even the ones you can't stand and feel uncomfortable around?  It is because you have experienced their presence before.  I understand that some of you will have a hard time wrapping your head around this and that's OK.  Be comfortable with this or not but to me it is comforting to know that we are cyclical and forever in forward motion.  

When your body expires your soul says good bye and moves on.  Be nice to everyone you meet because one day you will meet them again!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone and a great weekend! ~Love, Amy

To learn more about what I do, you may visit:https://amykaufman.co
https://amykaufman.co If you would like to schedule an in-person or remote Reiki session with me, you may visit://https://amykaufman.co/private-sessions/

CHANGING YOUR DESTINY

Good morning.  Why is Thursday here?  That's a strange question to ask right?  Thursday is here because yesterday was Wednesday and tomorrow is Friday therefore Thursday is destined to be here today.  Have you ever questioned why you are here?

Today's quote is "You arrived in this world to fulfill a destiny but can change it after your lessons have been learned."  I'm not talking about a profession, I am talking about the things you came here to learn such as trust, compassion, forgiveness, hope.  We are all here to learn something.  Very few of us come to this world knowing it all.

Let me give you an example.  If trust is what you came to learn that lesson will pop up in the most obvious but also the most unexpected places.  If I told you this before, forgive me.  Many years ago I went to see a medium who told me my life lesson was trust.

My eyes bulged because I did indeed have trust issues and not on the surface but very deep seated.  She told me that certain people were in my life because in previous lifetimes they failed me.  I wanted to trust those people but they let me down.  Thank goodness these lessons have come up frequently enough so that trust for others in my life is really there.

I am a very trusting person so perhaps my destiny has been changed.  I believe in the good of everyone and don't meet new people with a skeptical eye so I would say that yes, trust for me is no longer an issue.  Don't think this has happened to me overnight because it hasn't.  Trust was an issue for many lives.

Think of that "over night sensation.  There is no such thing.  The public only sees when the rock group, actor, musician, singer is famous yet never gets to witness the struggle.  Same thing with our lessons.  They are repeated over and over again and then boom, like a V8 moment it hits you.

Learn your lesson and change your destiny, not that simple but when it happens it is as simple as that!
Have a wonderful Thursday everyone! Love, Amy

To learn more about what I do, you may visit:https://amykaufman.co
https://amykaufman.co If you would like to schedule an in-person or remote Reiki session with me, you may visit: https://amykaufman.co/private-sessions/

LEAVING THE STORM OUTSIDE

Good morning.  Wednesday here.  Weather has been crazy!  Storm sun, sun storm.  Nothing you can do but ride it out.  At least it's outside and we are safe inside or are we?  Today's quote, "If a storm surrounds you let peace prevail within you," is a reminder that that is what we need to do.  We need to remain calm.  If we allow outer turmoil to affect us think of how that will only increase our anxiety level.

The world is chaotic these days and sometimes so is our immediate one.  There are times when we can control what goes on around us but also times when we have absolutely no control.  When there is nothing we can do.  What we can do is try our best to keep calm.  We need to let go of what we have no power of and remember that we do have power over ourselves.

At times of crisis we forget that and just how important it is.  Panic does nothing.  It is the same as worry.  Nothing is accomplished by panicking or worrying as it only serves to give you more of the same.  What you need in stressful situations is faith.  You need to have the faith to know that everything will work out in one way or another.  

I know that's hard especially when awful things are going on around you or in your own personal life but you need to approach every situation with courage and strength.  This is not advice.  This is how we all must learn to live.  Wouldn't it be great if conflict never arose in our lives but life doesn't work that way.

I, along with you have learned very slowly to remain calm.  Know that you are getting advice from the original worrier!  Yes, me!  I always remember a story my mom told me.  When I was about 8 or 9 I had a worried look on my face to which my mom asked what was wrong.  I told her I was worried that I might never learn to drive.  

Can you imagine being that age and seriously worrying about something that wouldn't happen for another 7 years?  I can imagine because that was me but I also know I am not alone in worrying about things large and small.  Control what  you can, release what you can't but do your absolute best to take a long deep breath and remain calm. 



To learn more about what I do, you may visit:https://amykaufman.co

If you would like to schedule an in-person or remote Reiki session with me, you may visit: https://amykaufman.co/private-sessions/

https://amykaufman.co Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! ~Love, Amy

NOT TO YOU BUT FOR YOU

Good morning!  When was the last time something great happened to you?  It could have been yesterday or a week ago.  Think hard.  Now try and remember when something bad happened to you.  We tend to remember that much more easily and when we do, we say, "I can't believe what just happened to me!"  This could refer to something really major or just something as irritating as a speeding ticket.

Today's quote, "Nothing ever happens to you it happens for you."  Those are two very different thoughts.  That annoying speeding ticket you got could have prevented you from going too fast and getting in an accident.  That job you thought you deserved but didn't get?  The Universe could be protecting you from being miserable in a job you thought you wanted.  

When anything bad happens we always take it way too personally as if it is an attack on us.   It is not an attack at all but the Universe sending your angels to protect you or show you something.  Here is an extreme example but an example none the less.  There is a beautiful jazz singer named Melody Gardot who wasn't always a jazz singer.  She had a devastating accident that left her with severe memory loss and many physical impairments.  

Her doctors recommended music as a way of helping her heal and so Melody began writing music.  Never having touched a guitar but unable to move from a reclining position, she taught herself how to play while flat on her back.  She then put lyrics to her music and began to sing.  Voila!  A career began and a very successful one at that.  

Had that accident never happened we would never know Melody Gardot and she herself would never know the amazing talents hidden inside her.

Now go back to my original question of remembering something good and something bad happening in your life.  Does it make sense now?  I hope so.  Things happen for us not to us.  The Universe makes sure of that!

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone! ~Love, Amy

SO YOU FAILED - TRY AGAIN

Good morning all.  Hope you all had a lovely weekend.  Mine was jam packed with everything I love doing from Friday night until yesterday.  I saw live music and had a great dinner with my husband Friday night, spent the afternoon at my new monthly venue for Reiki sessions, KHALO in beautiful Pound Ridge, went to a great blues concert that same night and kinda chilled on Sunday.  Fun can be tiring!

We're back now.  Back to the work week and even though my summer is mine, I'm working at what I love.  It hasn't always been that way.  I have been pursuing my passion of Reiki for several years and leading Guided Meditation classes for almost 4.  Being an author is even newer than that.

Today's quote, "Failure is still trying - if you failed you tried if you tried don't give up - try again."  I've spoken before about timing and how the time for me to pursue my career as a Reiki practitioner was light years ahead of when I thought I was ready.  

Now let me share with you my foray into Guided Meditation and Chakra Therapy.  I began giving classes in a small yoga studio in a terrible location but I was not deterred.  I thought why have classes once a week?  I'll have them three times a week AND twice a day!  A little overly ambitious?  Perhaps but I forged ahead.  

There were days when I had 4 people and days where I had no people.  There were more days with no people than days with people but you know what?  I went anyway always hopeful that maybe someone would show up.  Was I discouraged at the end of the summer?  Absolutely but instead of giving up, I cut my schedule down to two nights.  

Same thing.  Was it the location?  Maybe.  Was it me?  I was hoping not.  Sometimes people came and sometimes they didn't but I never gave up.  A few months later I met someone who introduced me to another venue at a much better location and little by little people came to my classes.  Over time they grew and grew.  Notice I said over time and not right away. 

Currently I have classes at two venues.  Did this take time?  You bet it did.  Did I want to give up?  You bet I did.  That little kid in me would be angry and annoyed and say to herself, "why am I bothering?" but then the rational side of me kicked in telling me that if you want something,  you just can't give up. 

Giving up is the easy way out.  It gives you the opportunity to place blame everywhere else but on yourself.  I have succeeded but it took time.  I was failing in the beginning.  Really failing but I refused to give up.  Everything takes time.  We may here that phrase, "overnight success," but that's all that is.  Success takes time.  Failure happens.  Don't give up.  If there is something you really believe in then hold tight onto that belief as you will succeed in the end!
Have a wonderful Monday everyone! ~Love, Amy

STEP INTO THE LIGHT

Good morning.  Ahh Friday.  No matter if you are working or not, Friday always has a special feel.  You absolutely feel a Monday.  It's when all those muscles tighten up.  By the time you reach Friday your posture is completely different.

Doesn't it feel better to be relaxed?  We are so much more ourselves and are able to enjoy things.  Being ourselves is what it's all about!  Today's quote is "Step outside of your shadow and into the light."  We can do that when we are relaxed and when we are who we are.  We need to do that not just on Fridays but Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.  

I spelled it out because you need to see it.  You need to realize that so many days of the week we are not ourselves.  We are busy performing and doing for others and not saying what it is we need.  It's time to recognize yourself.  To step away from the role of caregiver and take care of yourself.

One way to do that is to literally find the light.  It's easier to remain in the background and to stay hidden.  Sometimes we are just too busy to realize our importance and sometimes it is fear.  Whatever it is let yourself know your time has arrived.  

No need to jump.  Take small steps if you need to.  If you are not yet ready to be completely in light, a partial shadow is still stepping out.  Know you deserve to and know your worth for when you do the sun will shine above you!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone and a wonderful sunny weekend! ~Love, Amy

BE AN AUTHENTIC FRIEND

Good morning to you all.  I hope you are well.  I also hope you know that when I say that, I mean it.   Today's quote, "Authenticity is lost when you are only there in times of joy but not sorrow."  It's so easy to be there for someone when things are going well for both of you.  What about when things suck?

Can you be a true friend when you are truly needed?  That can be a hard question.  If we are honest with ourselves we know that sometimes things are hard enough for us and we just don't have it in us to really care about anyone else.  Why do we need to be a support for someone else when we need it too?  

Real friendship.  True friendship means that you are there through thick and thin.  Through good times and bad.  Of course we want life to be wonderful for everyone and ourselves but it isn't always the case.  The next time you ask someone how they are, do it with real feeling and meaning.  

Whenever anyone asks us about our well being we always say we are fine or everything is great even if our world is crumbling down around us.  In order to be supported by a friend, be honest with a friend.  If you can't be honest with your friends then you need new friends.  

In this case it is quality versus quantity.  You don't need a million people who couldn't care less if you stopped breathing.  You need just one true friend. 
I really and truly care about my friends and all of you reading these blogs.  Reach out anytime as I will always be there for you!

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone! ~Love, Amy

BITTERNESS IS BITING

Good morning.  It's the middle of the week once again.  I love the long days of summer and that it stays lighter longer.  I can't imagine anyone who doesn't.  The daylight brings a vibrancy to us all.  We feel better, we have more energy, we're more productive and happier.  We don't have that same sense of urgency as when it gets darker earlier, that rushed feeling where we need to get it all done.  

The light lengthens our day and even if we have the same amount of hours we still feel as though we have more time.  I, like many of you do not like the darkness of winter.  The fact that by 3:30 the sun begins to disappear.  Notice I didn't say, "I hate the winter." 

Today's quote, "Bitter feelings leave an imprint of bitterness on your soul."  Maybe you think that is an extreme example but not really.  Any time you use the word hate, it remains with you.  You feel it to the core.  Try it out right now.  What do you feel?  Now say the word love and feel the warmth bathing over you.

Both words are palpable.  Our bodies feel whenever we say such intense words.  If we feel so strongly and we do, those feelings remain on us and in us.  When you taste something bitter the first thing you want to do is spit it out.  It should be the same with our feelings.  We want those bitter feelings out of us so we can move forward.

Bitter feelings stop us from progress.  I am working on that one as well.  There are always things we have to do that we don't want to and places we have to go to that we don't want to either.  The first thing that we usually say to ourselves is, "Oh I hate doing that" or Oh I hate going there." 

What if we changed our mind set.  What if we told ourselves it won't be so bad and that we'll make it through because you know what?  In the end don't we always?  Whatever it is we dislike is only temporary.  You will not be going where you don't want to go or doing what you don't want to do forever.  That I know for sure is a fact.  

Next time you feel the urge to say hate, take a deep breath and let tell yourself, this isn't what I prefer at the moment, but I know this moment will pass.  It is much less damaging on your soul and more soothing to your senses.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! ~Love, Amy

THE UNIVERSE IS IN CHARGE

Good morning.  A gorgeous Tuesday ahead.  I'm off to the beach today with my daughter.  She works many days and many hours so when she is off, her reward is the ocean and sand and I am pleased to reward her!  

Sometimes I think I could live on the beach.  I love the feel of the warm sand on my feet and I even like sitting on the wet sand watching the waves roll in and out.  That scenario comes up often in my summer Guided Meditation classes.  That and fireflies.  I love when I get scenario requests.  I'm right there with everyone who meditates.

I haven't always been doing this, this being Reiki and Meditation.  Somehow the Universe was preparing me for the role of Reiki Master and Guided Meditation leader.  Today's quote, "Whatever gift you have will open itself at the time it is meant to when the Universe knows you are ready."  

Sometimes we think we are ready for that next phase in our lives but we really aren't.  I was formally introduced to Reiki a little under ten years ago.  I knew I was meant to heal but I never gave that healing a name.  I began to work with a Reiki Master until I became one myself and thought, "OK, I'm ready!"  

Wrong!  I was not ready.  I only thought I was.  Being ready for something does not only include you.  I had young kids.  Ones who still needed my help with homework, ones who still needed rides to soccer, ones who still needed me (of course they still do!).  Where was I going on a Monday night at 7:00?  No where.  

I may have been ready but the time was all wrong.  Did that mean becoming a Reiki Master when my kids were young was a waste?  Not at all.  This preparation was setting me up for my future.  I may not have known that but the Universe certainly did.  That's because no matter what, the Universe always has our backs.  The Universe will know when we are ready for that next step in our lives.

We are all the same.  We want everything now!  Immediately!  At this very moment!  Everything happens when the time is right.  Keep that in mind when you think you are ready to forge ahead.  Be prepared, be ready but know that even if you think you are ready, the Universe will be the one to let you know!

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone! ~Love, Amy

DRIVE MAKES IT HAPPEN

Good morning to you all.  The beginning of a brand new week.  Early in the blog to ask, but are you happy where you are and with what you are doing or do you dream of more?  If I'm correct I think we all want more.  More what?  Well that is individual.  Some of us are perfectly content with our lives and honestly, that's awesome but if you aren't, what are you going to do about it?

Today's quote, "Without drive potential is non existent."  The one who is in charge of your life is you and only you.  If you want something you have to go for it.  No one will do it for you.  I love what I do.  I'm lucky to have found my passion.  I also know that in order for people to know who I am and what I do, I am the one who needs to get the word out.

So much easier to want something and then do nothing to make it happen.   Drive and desire is the fire that gets it going.  Loving what I do is not enough.  I needed to let people know what I do.  This didn't happen over night but over time.  I post on Facebook, Instagram and I write a blog.

I wanted to gather my quotes in a book with no idea how it was going to get done.  I wanted a website with no idea how that would get done either.  These were important to me not only as personal goals but also to help my business grow.  I was blessed and lucky to have met the right people who helped me but without drive, without the desire to accomplish this, nothing would have happened.

When you truly know what you want it will manifest but even that takes drive.  We are all so capable and creative.  Use that creativity to get what you want and to figure out how it will happen.  Life has a wonderful way of giving us what we want but you are the one who must steer yourself in the right direction.  The one of your dreams!

Have a wonderful Monday everyone! ~Love, Amy

WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE

Good morning.  Another weekend just about upon us. I am looking forward to a wonderful day today and an adventure tomorrow.  I'm going kayaking with my husband on the beautiful Hudson River.   In case you haven't noticed this is my summer of adventure.  

I'm really a home-body but even us home-bodies seek fun and excitement.  It's always nice to mix it up.  Not everyday is a thrill ride and that's perfectly fine.  Sometimes the status quo is just what is needed.  If I was out and about every single day on some exotic exploit I couldn't help those I am meant to heal.

Today's quote is, "There is a purpose for every soul on this earth."  I do believe my soul has found it's purpose on this earth.  This is not our first go round.  Every time I speak with a medium the first thing they ask is if I am a doctor.  True!  The healing energy that surrounds me is not just something new to me in this life but has been within me throughout many lives.

Not everyone believes in past lives although I think if you are one of my readers your doubt has been cast aside.  Whether you believe in them or not does not matter.  What matters is the present and the fact that we are all here for a reason and a purpose.

Just think about the people in the world and some of their accomplishments.  Albert Einstein, Ghandi, Steven Spielberg!  An array for sure but the point is we are all here for something.  To bring something to this earth in this lifetime.  Bad people too?  Charles Manson?  Yes.  And why?  Because that soul still hadn't learned its lesson.  

I'm sorry that I had to bring that one up but I also know that you would be curious as to the purpose of human monsters.  Unlearned lessons are the reasons for those souls to reappear.  If there is something you are drawn to, something you love doing that becomes your life's work, then you have found your purpose.  

If you have chosen to be a stay at home mom, dad, artist, floral arranger, dog sitter and you are happy doing that, then you have found your purpose.  Enjoyment and love of what you do is a true purpose and if you have found that, you are very very lucky!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone and a wonderful weekend! ~Love, Amy

YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER

Good morning everyone.  What a gorgeous week it has been thus far and what a lovely time it was to be away.  Being off for the summer months is a vacation in itself but still it is nice to have a change of scenery.

I am happy being back home too.  Mia missed me.  My kids?  Not so sure.  So what is it that we are talking about today.  Here is the quote of the day, "You can look for answers outside but they can usually be found within."  We love asking people for their advice but we never like to take it.  That's because we just love asking and because we are not just asking for advice, we are asking for affirmation.  

Ahh, yes.  Did I hit a nerve?  It always starts with that question, "what do you think?" or "what should I do."  We don't really care what you think or what you would do because when we get the answer we don't want to hear we get irritated and annoyed.

Soul searching starts with the self.  I don't know about you but I talk to myself all the time.  Honestly the best way to solve a problem is through conversation and it does matter who you converse with.  If you need answers look to the person it will be affecting the most and then look within to find them.  

Our intuition is our biggest guide.  Our intuition tells us which direction to take.  All we have to do is listen.  

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone! ~Love, Amy

DISTINGUISH YOUR TRUE DESIRES -

Good morning.  It's Wednesday and I told you I wouldn't leave you!  Hudson is beautiful by the way.  I'm staying in a wonderful Inn.  Eco-friendly, organic, farm to table breakfast and the lovely sounds of birds and soft summer breezes.  My kind of heaven.

Today's quote, "Make the distinction between what you cannot do and what you don't care if you accomplish."  I can give you a perfect example for this one.  I have a friend who is going to India in November.  I'm totally jealous!  Traveling to India is a dream of mine but at the moment it is not ready to be a reality.  My friend is going there for her 200 hour yoga training.  

I am not a yoga teacher.  I don't want to be a yoga teacher.  I will never be a yoga teacher.  Guess what!?  All of that is fine.  Do I want to go to India? Yes.  Do I want to be a yoga teacher?  No.  I am a Reiki practitioner.  I am a leader of Guided Meditations.  That's what I do and I am completely satisfied doing just that.

It is very important to know your capabilities and to know what you want.  Can I be a yoga teacher?  Honestly I don't know but I also don't care because that is not my goal.  What are your goals?  What do you care about?  What don't you care about?  Knowing those things are so important.  

Once you know what you want, what you don't want, what you can do and what you can't do you are halfway there.  It sets you free so you can concentrate on your chosen path.  We can't be everything and do everything but we can do what ignites our inner fire.  Making that distinction is so important.

Focus on what makes  you happy, what you care about and what is realistic for you.  In the end it is you that needs to be happy and excited about tomorrow!  

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! ~Love, Amy

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

Good morning.  Tuesday today and all day.  I'm taking a two day break.  No not from you guys!  From life as usual.  I'm off with my husband to Hudson, NY.  We both could use a little R&R.  Even though most people would think I live in the country I like the looks of this beautiful state even further up north.  Needless to say, I'm looking forward to exploring a new destination.

Today's quote, "We make decisions every day - big ones - small ones - important ones - good ones and bad ones - for all decisions made give proper credit to the person who made them, you."  Taking a short break from reality is a small decision.  One that I give myself credit for doing.  One that will make two people very happy.  

It's easy to give yourself credit for something good but what about a bad decision?  Do you own up to your mistakes?  Do you take responsibility when something doesn't turn out the way you want or are you a blamer?  If you are the type of person who finds fault with everyone and everything but themselves then how could you ever move forward?

Listen everyone,  Mistakes are O.K.  We are human and as humans we make mistakes and we make a lot of them but we need to learn from them and not repeat them.  Please give yourself credit for all the wonderful decisions you have made in the past and will make in the future but also recognize the bad decisions you have made as well.

If you are outside at all today, decide to put on sunscreen.  That will be a decision you will not regret!  
Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone! ~Love, Amy

PARENT YOURSELF

Good morning.  Hope your weekend was fun.  It's Monday today.  Onward and forward.  I have a question for everyone this morning. When was the last time you felt guilty about something?  When was the last time you said something nice about yourself or did something nice for yourself?  Why do we always do for others but never ourselves? 

Today's quote, "Nurture yourself as you would a child, bestow love and forgiveness to yourself."   It used to be considered selfish to put yourself on the highest rung of the ladder.  Those days are gone.  More and more we read about the importance of self care.  I don't know why it took so long to finally recognize that you can't be your best self if you are always last on the list.

I want you to understand that self care is not selfish.  It is essential.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking care of yourself.  My post today goes beyond the physical but to the emotional.  Treat yourself as your own child.  Even if you don't have children you certainly remember the most important part of childhood was to be loved.  As long as you had love, nothing else mattered.  

Have you made mistakes?  Of course you have.  Who hasn't?  Have you forgiven yourself or belittled yourself.  I'm thinking the latter.  Forgiveness is not just for those you love but for the one who needs your love the most, you!  

Make a promise to not only do something nice for yourself but to say something nice to yourself!  You are worth that and so much more!

Have a wonderful Monday everyone! ~Love, Amy

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

Good morning.  Friday.  Another summer week gone by.  Slow down I say!  This was such a quiet week.  The fourth fell dead center.  Many people chose to take advantage of the holiday by leaving town and what a good time to leave.  Nothing like a heat wave to start a vacation.  You don't have to be away to have fun so whatever you did and wherever you did it, I hope you had a great time!

Some people vacation in the same place year after year because it was so enjoyable it's what's called a no brainer.  Some of us are just lazy and figure if we had fun why not go back?  Makes total sense.   What doesn't make sense is making the same mistakes again and again.  Unfortunately we revisit those too.

Today's quote, "Question why you make the same mistakes the same poor choices the same bad decisions and question what it is you have not yet learned."   Life is our giant classroom filled with many lessons for us to learn.  When we are in school we learn certain things depending upon our age.  When we have mastered what we are supposed to we move up to the next grade.  

In life we don't move up grades but we move.  If you don't learn certain lessons you will be stuck.  You may date the same person again and again.  You may work for the same boss again and again.  All the people and situations you are trying to get away from will never leave you unless you learn those essential life lessons the Universe has sent you. 

I know what you're thinking.  How does she know?  She must be talking about me?  I'm talking about everyone.  Once again I can speak from experience.  A certain type of person used to find their way into every aspect of my life until I finally learned what I was meant to.  Once that lesson was learned everything changed for the better.  

You see we are all students in this wonderful thing called life and the best part is
you are never too old to learn!

Have a wonderful Friday everyone and a wonderful weekend! ~Love, Amy

KARMA AS OUR TEACHER

Good morning.  Another gorgeous day.  Oh how I love summer.  Poor Mia does not.  I can't imagine walking around in a fur coat all day but that's what she does.  The best thing for her is early morning and late afternoon when the sun is not yet so strong.  Maybe in a past life, she was a wolf in the Tundra and needed all that fur and in this life she is a sweet and gentle dog who never lost her fur.

Today's quote, "Karma is not payback or a punisher - Karma is there to show us what we did wrong and the consequences of these action - it is a teacher there to help us learn but it is up to us to absorb the lesson."  Mia did nothing wrong.  She's just a dog.  We've all heard been told when something bad happens it's Karma.  Or when someone does something we don't like we may think to ourselves, wait till Karma gets them.  

If you still think that way then you have it all wrong.  Karma is defined as action and fate.  It is what we put out in terms of negative or positive energy.  Karma is there to teach us what we haven't yet learned.  What I do know is that we have all been here before and we are here again to learn lessons.  And it isn't just us who have been here before but the people in our lives.  The ones you love and the ones you don't.  We are all each other's teachers helping each other learn needed lessons.

Trust is a big one for me and I know there are certain people in my life to help me learn to trust in this life where previously I could not.  Think about issues you have trouble with such as honesty, fear, loss, abandonment, anger to name a few.  If these issues were not dealt with in the past they will come back.  They will come back not to haunt you, hurt you or punish you but to teach you how to deal with them.  

The next time someone says, "Karma's a bitch,  let them know she is anything but.  Let yourself appreciate tough times as well as good.  Karma is your teacher and until that lesson is absorbed, she will be back again and again.

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!~Love, Amy

THE POWER THAT EXISTS BENEATH DOUBT

Good morning on this hot hot Wednesday. Drink lots of water everyone.  So important on these really hot days.  I need to listen to my own advice.  I never drink enough.   I don't really like water but I find that when I add organic lemons it goes down easier.

By the way everyone, happy 4th of July!  I hope you all slept in and took it slow this morning.  Nothing like a holiday to force us to relax.  It is moments of quiet and peace that we also reflect.  How many of us reflect on all the great things we have done?  Probably not too many.  We are too busy focusing on our perceived shortcomings.  

Today's quote, "Know your power - rise to find your inner strength - it is there beneath insecurity and doubt."  Yes it is!  Your power center and source of strength comes from your solar plexus.  It is the area of your inner courage.  During my guided meditation classes I focus on different parts of your body, pairing them with the colors of 7 chakras.  

Luminous yellow is the color of your inner strength.  When you feel doubt wash over you, visualize luminous yellow washing over you instead.  It's funny how we could be on top of the world one minute and crash the next.  Sometimes all it takes is one word or one action from someone to bring us from confidence to doubt.  

We don't stop there either.  We begin to doubt everything and when that happens we shrivel up into an insecure mess.  We forget all the good we've accomplished and focus on everything we didn't do and need to.  Well stop!  Right now!  And here's a little secret,  there are those who want to see you fail and delight in opening the door to all your insecurities.

Why?  Envy.  It is unfortunate but not everyone in your life is there to support you.  Support yourself.
Be your champion and allow me to encourage you to help you find your inner strength and courage.  I believe it's there.  You need to believe it too.  Reach down and bring it to the top.  You are more powerful than you realize and stronger than you know. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone and enjoy your day off!~Love, Amy

ENJOY THE RIDE NO MATTER WHAT-

Good morning to you and to Tuesday.  Summer has announced herself loud and clear.  Drink lots of water today as it is going to be a hot one.  Today will be a good day to take it slow.  You may not get to all the things you wanted to.  Mia and this weather do not agree so I will be moving slow along with her.

Today's quote, "You are the driver of your vehicle - the road may not always be smooth - whether there are bumps or detours keep going until your destination is reached."  The heat can easily be a detour as can a number of other things.  Timing, situations, where you are in your life, but these things need not stop you.  That is why I called them bumps and detours.

Things happen all the time.  You are headed in the right direction and then boom.  Road block!  Wherever there is a road block, there is also a sign that says detour.  There are always more ways than one to get to where you need to be.  As the driver you are the one in charge.  You get to decide whether to take the main road or follow those detour signs.  

  

 The destination is the golden carrot but take your time, enjoy the bumps, the detours and the ride. It doesn't matter when you get there, it's knowing that eventually you will. 

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone! ~Love, Amy

THE SITUATIONS WE CREATE -

Good Morning!  It's Monday.  So I thought I would be sleeping in every day but no, my son had to get a job with a meeting point at 6:30 in the morning.  Guess who has to take him!  Yes, me.  Honestly, I'm happy he has a job that pays him well and teaches him responsibility.  All important things for kids to learn as it will only help him in his future.

There are so many stories of young people getting out of college with no plan for their future and no goals in mind.  Suddenly they are 25, 26 and still living in their bedrooms and I can guarantee you no one is happy with that situation.  Not the parents or the young adult.

Today's quote, " No one owes it to you to make your life wonderful - no one is at fault for creating misery in situations ultimately orchestrated by yourself."  Another good one if I say so myself.  Hey everyone!  Listen up.  We are responsible for ourselves and our lives.  No one else!  Got that!

Blame is the easy way out.  What you can have, what you can't have, what you can do, what you can't do.  It's easy to blame someone or something for absolutely everything.  If you have a miserable boss that lives to make your life miserable when you are outspoken then zip it!  Why be outspoken if you know the result?  Your fault.

Would it be great to leave a job you hate?  Of course it would but for so many reasons you may have to stay but you can still find ways to be happy within that situation.  It's all about looking at the brighter side of things.  Takes practice but worth it!  Creating the life you want takes time.  Nothing happens overnight.  You need to be patient.

It is just as easy to create misery and crap so why not focus on making your life the best it could be.  You are responsible for yourself, not your boss, not your parents, not the world, you!  Your dreams are waiting for you and I support you always!

Have a wonderful Monday everyone! ~Love, Amy