The Ripple Effect......

How often do we let “our issues”, whether anger, impatience, fear, judgments, or opinions affect the people around us? If you have not seen the movie “Crash”, then I highly suggest seeing it. When I first saw the movie, I was shocked at how real it was and how easy the ripple affect can take place. It doesn’t take much to affect those around us and how we can easily alter their mood and experience. In simple terms, remember as a child, the simple joy of throwing a pebble in a pond and watching it expand and branch out, ultimately fading away upon reaching shore; where it lost it’s momentum? What ripples do you cause in your life? Are they positive, loving and encouraging and helping those around you to create a better day? Or are they negative, judgmental, critical, or an anger release for yourself? You don’t always “see” how you affect people and how it affects those they then come in contact with. You don’t know if your harsh words or your frustrations with whatever is on your plate, passes onto someone else, who may be depressed, feeling hopeless, abused and mistreated, and to the extreme of maybe wondering about continuing to live their lives. Nor do you know if they are happy, self assured, enlightened, and happy with themselves and can take your negativity and reflect it and stop the ’ripple’ affect to some degree from affecting them. You also don’t “see” how they take that out in return. Do they take it out on their children, spouse, or co-worker and friends? No one knows because we only “see” a small portion of each other’s lives. We have no idea what it is like to be in their shoes, and are very presumptions to think we do. So go lightly when you toss that pebble in the water. Settle your own issues, frustrations, and anger before you step out to face your day, pick up the phone, log on face book/my space, or what ever your connections with people may be. Take the time to place your frustrations where they belong and with whom they belong. Is it “my” fault your mad at the telemarketer, the boss, your spouse, your friend, sister, mother, father, brother, or the guy/gal driving so slow on the way to work? No it isn’t. Nor do I necessarily want to hear about your negative experience, that you are trying to now pass on to me.
I challenge you to think of how often you may do this? Take a day and pay attention to how you interact with the people around you? Are you passing negative energy or positive? Are you letting your emotions spew onto others? And if you are, try to take a moment before you shift from one person to another. Take a moment and breathe, relax, file that issue in your head and be done with it, before you proceed to the next. Simply, leave work at work, leave home at home, leave your issue with your kids, sibling, parent, spouse, salesmen, with them and don’t take it out on others. And take the time to recognize when you are doing this very thing. I also challenge you to recognize what it feels like. Head out one day in a bad mood and see what happens to those around you? Then head out in a totally great mood, and see that affect. Then decide which felt better? We all have emotions to handle in the course of our lives, from anger to joy and they all have value and need to be processed and released. It is how we handle and release those emotions that are the issue of today.

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The Writer’s Guild

Conversations with God
*an uncommon dialogue*
By Neale Donald Walsch

Suppose you could ask God the most puzzling questions about love and faith, life and death, good and evil. Suppose God provided clear, understandable answers. It happened to Neale Donald Walsch. It can happen to you.
You are about to have a conversation…….
(I found this book incredibly thought provoking, interesting, and challenging to read. It will challenge your ability to not be judgmental of this man’s experience. If you can get past that first initial judgment, there is a lot of value in what he experienced and has to say.)

Power of The Witch
(The Earth, The Moon, and The Magical Path to Enlightenment)
By Laurie Cabot with Tom Cowan

“Certain things are everlasting. Magic is one of them. Magic belongs to no one culture, society, or tribe-it is part of the universal wisdom…To me the word Witch is a delicious word, filled with the most ancient memories that go back to our earliest ancestors, who lived close to natural cycles and understood and appreciated the power and energy that we share with the cosmos. The word Witch can stir these memories and feeling even in the most skeptical mind.” -Laurie Cabot
(This book was a real insight for me and helped explain a great deal about my personal experiences with the spirit world)

Wifey
By Judy Blume

Sandy Pressman is a nice suburban wife whose boredom is getting the best of her. She could be making friends at The Club, which her husband keeps encouraging her to do. Or working on her golf game. Or getting her hair done. But for some reason, those things don’t interest her as much as the naked man on the motorcycle…

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Humor/Inspirational

Finding my Spirit Animal

I have always had a connection with the spirit world. I could write a book solely based on all my experiences from the time I was born. One of the most profound experiences happened to me in North Dakota, while saying goodbye to my grandfather, who was very ill. I went to a Native American Pow-wow, which was a celebration was for the local high school graduates. There were many different tribes, all elaborately dressed in their native attire. Each tribe just as fascinating and beautifully dressed as the other. Let me tell you that this was a wonderful experience for me, as I have always had an appreciation for the Indian culture and have always felt a very strong connection to them. I was totally mesmerized by the event and the drumming and dancing were intoxicating to watch. The beat of the drums were racing through my veins, bringing me to tears. I was so in awe of this culture and often felt that somewhere in time or in my genetic memory, I had been an Indian. I must have been, as the emotions that came over me hit me like a mad truck. It was a feeling that I could not explain to you. Feeling like I was stepping back in time and the room was taking on a totally different shape. It was moving in slow motion and somehow I felt like I was not myself amongst these people; I was one of them. I stood watching and saw a man dancing in the circle who was dressed as a wolf. He was marvelous and mystical to me. Every part of his body was covered with wolf hides. His headpiece was the wolf skull itself and I was drawn to him. I watched him continually, as I cried there in this gym with not a soul knowing me. Tears were just flowing and I must of looked like I was some insane lady, standing there. But what could say, I felt like I was in heaven and my emotions were taking over me. I started to take pictures of him and pointed him out to my dad and his wife, who were ready to go and looking at me quite odd. And they could tell I had no intention of leaving any time soon. They also saw him and commented on his beautiful attire, They decided to let me stay so that I could enjoy the celebration. The plan was to come back and get me when the celebration was over. It was glorious night for me and I walked away feeling very honored to share that time with them. It wasn’t until I got home and developed the film that I realized I experienced something a great more than being just a witness to a wonderful ceremony. The wolf man didn’t exist in any of my pictures. There were clear blank spaces in the line of dancers, where he would have been. He was no where in my photos, just as if he vanished and was never there to begin with. My dad and his wife both witnessed the man in the wolf attire themselves and were in shock and validated that he was really there, and I was not imagining it myself. What I found so comforting and to this day and it still give me chills of joy, was that all my life I have had spirits visit me, however, always when I was alone and never where anyone could be a witness for me. I knew deep down he was one of my spirit friends saying ‘hello’. I didn’t know at the time, however, that the wolf would become one of my most important visitors in my future. This will be a tale for another day.

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"If my view is my view. How can I expect you to see my view?"

Maria’s Window…. By Karen Tatro

Maria's Window begins on a boat, where Maria is searching for a mysterious Island deep into the Indian Ocean, an Island no one has ever stepped foot on. She read about this Island, called the Crystal Core, in a small New England bookstore. It describes this Island's magical ability to enlighten your soul and bring your deepest desires to life, with its beauty and tranquility. Maria is ready for this adventure; she desperately needs a break from the mundane stress of owning a small hair salon, filled with a staff of woman, who continually has one issue in life after the next.Maria wants more. She needs more. She needs this adventure! But at what price is she willing to pay to turn her 'life's boat' around? She convinces her companion Sam, a wealthy sailor and his yachtsman, Sumshi, to set sail on this adventure with her. The three set out and soon discover they are in for a rude awakening. The beautiful Island with enchanted waterfalls and natural springs, a lover's romantic paradise, which they sought out, and find in the end; is not as heavenly as they wished to experience. Three set sail for this Island, two arrive, and one returns. The one returning has a secret and returns with a new guest.
　
Just a taste of my novel…interested in reading?
Karen Tatro twowishes1@yahoo.com

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Living with Spirituality….

Who Am I?

There are those of us who ask this question even from a very young age. We are the soul seekers who somehow remember deep within ourselves that there is a place of wonder. We know that there is more to us then the flesh we are born with and the world doesn’t quite seem so black and white.
We are the ones who question everything. We question the stars, the universe, God and where we came from and how it all started. We are natural theologists and seek a better understanding of what we are told to believe. It is not that we are not happy and are unsatisfied; it is deeper than that and hard to put into words. It is that we are aware that we have to relearn how to get back to the source and it is not by using our brain with intellect. As we come into this world, our brain starts working it’s wonders and guides our bodies and life in somewhat a robotic manor, however, deep within us is our soul and that runs by something completely different and often the case is that the soul gets brushed aside. It can’t be explained very easily by intellect. So as we go through our life we are trying to use our brain to rationalize, explain and guide us, but it’s our soul that has the best answers. And that leads us to why there are those of us, who are the soul seekers. We remember our soul and feel it there. And we know Who Am I?

This topic of Who Am I is such a complex topic as there are so many aspects to it. First, think of who you are physically? Your body is a physical thing. Then there is the DNA of you; your genetic history. It is the total sum of all of you and your entire DNA link. Every genetic family trait is neatly wrapped up in a nice package and passed down from one generation to the next. I often wonder how much our genetic history pops up in our memory, like little air bubbles in a pool of water, just coming to the surface. The question of Re-incarnation comes to mind with this thought process. Is it re-incarnation or a genetic memory from an ancestor in the 1700’s? That is a topic of it’s own to ponder on. Then there is you, the part that is the Mind. The “I” in the picture that is all about ego and beliefs and thought processes and emotions. The mind is a powerful thing, we have all heard this, and boy it true. The mind has the ability to fool your body, both physically and mentally. For someone who has ever taken Martial Arts or has studied the practice of meditation, and for that matter experiencing child birth, you know that you can use your mind to shut off pain or to give your body the extra strength you need, or to see something that isn’t there. There are many examples of how people have used their mind to alter their physical body. The mind is a trickster.

A simple tool that I was taught and use to this day when I am being judgmental, is to sit in a room and pick an object in the room that you will focus your attention on. When you have, focus on it and tell yourself the object is beautiful. Give it a few moments. Ponder the beauty of the object and study it. Then do the same thing, however, tell yourself the object is ugly. Continue this practice, using many forms of description. Say it is bold, bright, big, and little, what ever you can think of. In no time you will actually ‘see’ how your mind will create what you tell it to see. It works and is a great realization of how you see things.

The third part of who you are is your Spirit, your Soul. There is the trilogy that is used in so many ways to define the same thing. Mind/Body/Soul, Father/Son/Holy Ghost, Subconscious/Conscious/Super-conscious, and so on.
So when you seek to discover who you are, you have to search all the aspects of you. There are many great tools and services out there to help on your quest. Learn them all. Challenge your beliefs and learn about different religions, cultures, people, thoughts and ask yourself, Who Am I and What Am I exactly?

In my magazine, The Mirror, I plan to help you do that. I will not only spark the conversations and the questions, but I will also have a list of resources and information on the different services and people that are available for you. My magazine is all about helping you on your journey to being able to answer that question.

"All life has a branch of that foundation and develops or focuses in on what it wishes to be."

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Parenting with a view…..

Attention Please??????

It doesn’t matter what age you are, whether you are 3 or 50, you want your parent’s attention. It doesn’t have to be for hours on end, just a few moments will do. Actually, at times you don’t want it at all, but there are those times when you need something more from them and boy does it get frustrating when you want it, no matter what age you are and don’t get it.
I remember when I had moved my hair salon from it’s location in town, to my home. I had a small four seasoned porch that my husband converted to a salon, so that I could be home with my children. I learned just about how giving attention was exactly what I had to do. The majority of the time I worked, I had young high school babysitters that came to my home after school and it worked wonderful for all the years I ran my shop. But those in-between babysitters were really a challenge. My clientele were very supportive and being mothers themselves, totally understood that I had small children at home with me. They didn’t want to cancel their appointments and wait for the new sitter. They were all very encouraging to just say what the heck, we’ll make it work. And we did. Sometimes for me though, the constant interruptions drove me nuts. A half hour hair cut, sometimes could take a full hour. It was stressful. I did the usual things, set out toys, put in a favorite movie or TV show. But what really ended up working for me was the sound advice I got from a loyal and wonderful friend Vicki, and our great Dr. Boxer.
Dr. Boxer explained that children want attention, and they don’t have the developmental ability to sometimes control whether they are getting it in a negative way or a positive way. Attention is attention, simple as that, and they will get it any way they can. As a parent, I know I have asked many of times, “Do you like to get in trouble”? I’m sure you have asked the same thing. So the advice was to try to give as much positive attention as possible.

Vicki told me that when she needed to get things done, she would set aside a simple 15-20 minutes to play with her son. No matter what he wanted to play? And sometimes it was just being in his room watching him play, or listening to him tell a story and show her stuff. Just by giving him that 20 minutes of time, would then allowed her to go about her task. Everyone was happy. And believe it or not this really worked for me. So in that time period of in-between sitters, I would schedule a break in-between each client and would play with my son. Everyone happy!

As parents we often forget that our children are not little servants to please and do all we want them to do. They are their own beings, sharing our time and life together. And they need our attention. Life is not all about us; sometimes it needs to be about them. It’s a give and take.
So think about how often do you make the time for your child, no matter what age, whether a toddler or a grown adult to listen or play with them? Are you involved in their lives? Do you really try to be? And what really keeps you from it? Is it your work, your time, your issues? What ever it is, try to carve out in your day time for them.

"One must learn your true self."

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The feathered and furry friends…..

In memory of Whispers “Woobie” Causey Aug 1995-2009

Whispers passed peacefully the morning of Monday, August 10, 2009. Memories, that flooded my mind like an old-fashioned picture movie, occupied much of my thoughts in the days preceding her death. A Maine Coon cat, just shy of turning 14, was declining in health and I was faced with a heart wrenching decision. My faithful companion since she was six weeks old. I found her in a parking lot, disheveled and sickly; it was love at first sight. Over the years, she truly proved to be my earth angel ~ my constant companion, confidant, and the epitome of a presence of unconditional love.
Selfishly I wanted her to live and I tried to rationalize the medical lengths I could go to. And so the debate between my heart and mind ensued. And then I received a message…
Sunday, August 9th was a muggy, overcast day and I was out mowing the lawn. While in the backyard I sensed a presence. A keen awareness of wildlife is something I am blessed with. So I looked, for what I assumed was a deer looming in the woods that border our yard. While scanning the woods, I became aware of the crispness of the trees, the incredible definition of the landscape. The “sensation” intensified and then in my mind’s eye I saw her. Dressed in a white sheath, a translucent veil covering her head was a woman standing amongst the trees. The details of her face were unclear except for her smile. A wide, closed mouth smile is what I received, and next to her, by her feet, was Whispers. My beautiful, bright-eyed, healthy cat radiated peacefulness and love. I believe that this was my message from the angels waiting to receive her on the other side, a message to comfort me. As they faded into the surroundings I was brought back to a more conscious state; the sound of the idling lawn mower, the breeze, and the stirring of the birds and insects. I knew what I must do for her.
On Monday morning my 4-year-old son told me, “It’s time for Whispers to go home”. And with my decision made, I took her to her veterinarian. I am so thankful and grateful that I was with her until the very end, telling her that I love her, and hugging her tight when they told me that her heart had stopped. Her spirit was now free.
I feel an incredible ache in my heart, now that she is gone, but I am comforted by a wonderful gift from beyond. On the evening of her passing I asked for a hummingbird to visit, to let me know that she was okay. As I finished my plea, one flew to my feeder for a drink and perched there for a moment. I know that she is at peace.
I love you, Whispers,
Mommy

(Heather L. Goehringer- Causey)

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The Horoscope’s View…

September 23rd to October 22nd Libra

Good Points: Charming, easy-going, friendly, loving
Bad Points: Indecisive, changeable, extravagant, naïve.

Libran babies collect compliments with their beautiful, sweet looks from the day they are born. When they smile, the enchanting magic lights up the whole room. A little Libran can melt the hardest of hearts, responding to adoration gracefully with appreciation and applause. He soon learns that smiling can work miracles to help him get what he wants. However, Libran children should always be encouraged to make their own decisions, in their own time, even if it does seem ages before they decide which foot to put their sock on first. If your toddler is reluctant to do something, it’s not because he’s lazy, it’s just that little Librans generally take longer over tasks than other children because all decisions have to be well-balanced and considered thoughtfully and carefully beforehand. So try to be patient while he makes up his mind. Vibrant colorful clothes will catch his eye from and early age, but watch your bank balance-little Librans have an eye for quality and can have expensive tastes. A born performer, his Thespian and musical talents should be nurtured…you could be producing a star!

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A View from The Kids...............

If a child lives with Criticism, He learns to Condemn

If a child lives with Hostility, He learns to Fight

If a child lives with Ridicule, He learns to be Shy

If a child lives with Shame, He learns to feel Guilty

If a child lives with Tolerance, He learns to be Patient

If a child lives with Encouragement, He learns Confidence

If a child lives with Praise, He learns to Appreciate

If a child lives with Fairness, He learns to be Just

If a child lives with Security, He learns to have Faith

If a child lives with Approval, He learns to Love himself

If a child lives with Acceptance and Friendship, He learns to find Love in The World.