How I Learned (Painfully) That Patience Isn’t Just a Virtue … It Can Also Keep You Out of the Hospital

“Self-love is the key to patience, persistence and success.”   ~Unknown

I’ve been wrestling with the reality of patience vs. impatience for many years – with healthy signs that I’m making progress.  But I still experience times like the following situation, when I wish with all my heart that I had stopped and asked myself: If I really loved me, what would I do right now?

After grocery shopping for an hour, I arrived home with a trunk full of bags to unload by myself, and the awareness that I would have to put them all away.  I was tired, my patience exhausted, and all I wanted was to get this chore over with and sit down to relax.  I grabbed two of the last four bags in each hand, noticing that the ones in my right hand each contained a half gallon of milk.  I didn’t think about those heavy bags, just that if I could close the trunk of my car right then, I wouldn’t have to come back out to the garage to do it.

Reaching for the trunk lid, I swung my right arm up above my head, attempting a Michael Jordan slam dunk, grabbed the lid and pushed down.  But it took more strength than I had with the weight of the milk containers and I knew as soon as the lid slammed shut that I had hurt my shoulder.  By the next day, the pain had not abated so I sought medical help.  I had a moderate injury to my rotator cuff that would not require surgery, but would take time to heal, and I would have to limit the use of my right arm, including not being able to drive for a while.

Why was I in such a hurry that I abandoned good sense, acted without thought and chose to do something that would compromise my well-being?  If I had taken a moment to think, had a moment’s patience, I would have realized that what I was doing was not only risky but unnecessary.  Surely I had already had enough not-so-good experiences with impatience in my long lifetime to learn this lesson.  I can remember as a child my great-grandmother, Amanda Hampton Crownover, would wag her pointer finger at me and say, “Act in haste, repent at leisure.” Was I ever! Ouch!

Yet, when an issue, such as patience, or the lack of it, sticks in my consciousness, and won’t go away, I know it’s an indication that it’s way past time to focus on this lesson.  My modus operandi is to turn within and realize any insights, apply them in my life to assist me on my spiritual journey, and to share them with other interested souls who also seek to know how life on Earth is meant to work.

As the thoughts began to gather around the current issue – my lack of patience – I recalled that in at least three instances over the past few years, my impatience resulted in some totally unnecessary, minor – yet painful and inconvenient – health challenges.  Many seniors would just chalk those experiences up to aging and let it go at that.  Not me.  I want truth.

When I asked my inner guidance what I’m to learn from these situations, I was told that if I want to continue experiencing life on Earth, I have to take better care of the sacred vehicle (body) that allows me to do so.  As usual, part of that aspect had to do with getting the maximum nutritional value from the foods I ingest, and also exercising a little every day to keep all the organs functioning at an optimal level.  I’m seriously working on each of these.

But the most important – as well as the most surprising, and vital bit of information – was that I needed to face, heal and release the mental and emotional aspects of me that cause the impatience.  In other words, the major insight in this specific situation turned out to be that I evidently had much more inner work to do on loving myself.

Actually, I honestly thought that after all the years of daily inner work I’ve done to heal and release the childhood feelings of being undeserving, unworthy and unlovable, that I was now nearly “home free.”  Not so.  Evidently I still have layers of undesirable energies that if I want to keep moving forward on the spiritual path, need to be acknowledged and worked with until they too are in alignment with what is for my highest and best good.

As I began the process of plumbing the depths of me to discover insights about my impatience, naturally the first thing I thought of was what I, and perhaps others, consider the real-world definition of patience.  It goes something like this:  Patience means gritting our teeth, digging in our heels and putting up with some undesirable and negative condition, person or situation.

Now I know that while some of this may be true, it’s obvious that there’s a lot more to the full meaning of patience than most of us realize.

After several days of soul-searching and no instant insights, I realized that the only way I was going to make any progress was by going within and looking at my own life.  The first thing that popped up was the fact that when I answered God’s call to be a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart more than twelve years ago, it took not only great daily patience but also long-term persistence (and faith) to stay on my spiritual path.  It wasn’t and still isn’t always easy to stay strong and face the challenges and blockages that pop up from the core of my being.  More often than not, it was extremely humbling.  But the patience and persistence I have managed to gain continue to help me stay lovingly present and conscious of what is happening on my spiritual path so I can open to the insights and fulfill my purpose by sharing them to help others on their life journeys.

As to my inner work, after going within and releasing any negative feelings about my periodic “attacks” of impatience, I released any unloving feelings about myself.  At that point, I got it that patience in its true fullness means first and foremost that we are to be patient with ourselves.  This also means being compassionate, and forgiving, and loving ourselves at every opportunity, because we are all works-in-progress, and we deserve all the help we can get.

What I believe we all need to remember is that we have our human aspect and our Godly side.  While we are human and can choose to express anger, fear, impatience and jealousy, we also have and can express the God-qualities of compassion, caring, joy, love, patience and persistence.  I consider myself reminded Big Time that patience means being loving to me first.  This opens up the opportunity to give any decision the time it needs before I abandon loving myself and act impatiently.

The other insight I gained was that when we can grow into having patience with ourselves and the process of life – whether or not we’re committed to a spiritual path or just want to create a better life – we will automatically realize that self-love is a vital part of our truth and that it requires daily practice.  Actually our universal life mission is to truly love ourselves.  It’s been said throughout eons of time that before we can love another we have to love ourselves.

Oh, BTW, if I had had the patience in my garage to put those heavy things down and to ask myself the question: “What would be the loving thing to do?”  The answer would have been that a truly self-loving person would never consciously choose to risk injury just to save a few moments of time.  Knowing what I know now, I choose to strengthen my self-love, and to claim that patience and persistence guide my life.  I can hear my beloved great-grandmother saying: “Finally, better late than never.”

      I daily claim and practice self-love, patience and persistence.  

With patience I hold on, hold fast and hold out for the best life has to offer.

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Copyright © 2014 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart, (April 2013); “Tea with Elisabeth,” recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction;  “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World,” (Nov. 2008); and “The Heart Knows the Way – How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within,” (Feb. 2008), are available at Amazon.com, other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.

"Oh, God! Here I Go Again" or "Thanks, God! Here I Grow Again" ... The Choice Is Up to Us

The difficulties of life are to make us better, not bitter.” ~Unknown

Some of you may recall that I have previously written about a fractured family relationship that has caused me great heartache and sadness for decades.  Unfortunately, I experienced another emotional episode with that same person a while ago.  This time, though, after years of spiritual work, instead of being hooked into the same-old, in-kind reaction, I knew I was okay enough to not only withstand the barrage of anger but to do something about it.  OMIGOD.  What a breakthrough.

I immediately remembered that it takes two people to keep this negative cycle going, and only one to stop it  At that moment I promised myself I was going to be the latter.

Being unaware of the source of the breach between us, I tried many times through the years to ask the person for forgiveness, but to no avail.  Back then I thought it was because she enjoyed having the power to deny my hope for reconciliation.   Now I know it’s because I was meant to recognize the fact that if I’m suffering, it’s my problem, and I need to heal enough to allow whatever I’m holding onto to be faced, felt, and released.

While my inner guidance provided me with the Inner Work technique to use in such situations years ago – the truth is that I seldom saw this individual – so I turned within to focus on this issue only when I was the recipient of another emotional outbreak.    By then, I would be so upset by the depth of the emotions within me that I just wanted to get past it.

This time, however, I knew instantly that I was through with being a handy target for these emotional outbursts and was determined to learn my lesson, grow through it and come to peace with this issue.  I went into prayer and after centering myself, I realized that my inner guidance was urging me to re-read one of my favorite books.  It was by Arun Gandhi, the fifth grandchild of Mahatma Gandhi, and is titled “Legacy of Love – My Education in the Path of Nonviolence.”

Not only did I re-read several chapters, I clearly recalled being at Arun’s presentation that evening back in 2010.  Since I thought that I was in for a history lesson about India’s trials, tribulations and victories, I didn’t expect it to touch me personally.  I was wrong.

His profound insight was that humanity views violence as only physical, therefore missing the awareness that we daily contribute to passive violence.

According to Arun, we do this in many oppressive and disrespectful ways, including gossiping, name calling, blaming, bullying, teasing and insulting, as well as venting our anger on others. As I remembered this statement, I realized immediately that there’s probably not a person on Earth who hasn’t at one time or another unknowingly indulged in some form of passive violence. 

He explained that passive violence generates anger because the target doesn’t know how to deal with it positively, and the only option seems to be to resort to some form of physical violence, or to keep stockpiling resentments.  So, I was actually adding fuel to the fire of my undesirable situation by blaming the other person.  Now I see why no healing was ever possible under those circumstances.

The next insight I gained was that this dysfunctional relationship was somehow linked to my early-childhood experiences in a large family that left me feeling unlovable, unworthy and vulnerable.  This was surely the reason that as an adult I was addicted to being treated with loving kindness and respect.  And when the reality of the unkind and disrespectful relationship with this individual didn’t fit my desires, I reacted with animosity, blame and a prayer that she would eventually learn her lesson and act accordingly.

I seized this latest opportunity to clear and release this sad situation for all time.  I immediately began daily forgiveness work for each of us.  When I began to feel centered, and could come from a level of love for the other person, I started the Inner Work.

After an unusually powerful and tearful energy release, my inner guidance drew me back in my mind’s eye to when my “adversary” was a newborn baby.

My first thought was if this is to “soften” me up, it won’t work.  I was born the seventh of ten children.  And while I loved babies and had enjoyed (most of the time) being in charge of my younger brother and sisters, I was only eight-years-old and just wanted to be free to play outside with the rest of the kids.  When my mother appeared, she took the infant from the baby’s mother and placed her in my arms, indicating that she had volunteered me to care for the baby after school each day and on the weekend.  I was overwhelmed.

I sensed it wasn’t wise to speak up, because my mother made it quite clear the baby was “sickly” and the mother needed help, and we were “family.”  I decided to do what I had to do, but as I girded myself for this unwanted act of charity, I also actually felt a slight hardening of my heart toward this infant.  Just then I got the message my inner guidance was orchestrating.  I had rejected this fellow human being from the beginning, and I had to accept 100% responsibility for my part.  She had chosen to give back to me (unknowingly) the rejection I had set in motion.

When I started to judge myself harshly for what I had done, my inner guidance stopped me in my tracks.  I was to ask myself these questions: Did I do the best I could as a young child? (Yes.) Did I see life differently then? (Yes.).  Did I know then what I know now? (No.)  Would I have acted differently if I had?  (Yes.)  Am I willing to forgive myself for making a mistake, and not realizing the consequences it set in motion?   (Yes.)

At that moment, I relaxed into the process totally, for I knew from past experience that I was being guided into the insight-healing I sought. I was now face to face with the infant, looking directly into her sparkling blue eyes.  I was also the adult I am now, and was captivated by how lively she was, for I knew the life challenges she would face.  As she smiled and gurgled her way into my heart, I felt the plate of armor dissolve and love flowed freely through me to her. WOW!

I recalled soon after the visioning, that by the time this baby was two-years-old, and I was 10, I had chosen the path of love for my life journey.  As a result, I spent many hours – and most of the money I made, (25 cents an hour) from babysitting neighbor children – in trying to add joy to her life as she faced continuing health challenges.

I also realized once again how powerful our thoughts are and the importance of mastering them to assure they yield desirable instead of undesirable results.

When I fully accepted that I was totally responsible for my part in this situation, and my counterpart was 100% responsible for her reactions and responses, I vowed to continue the Inner Work and claimed freedom from this issue for all time. (See the Inner Work steps in the February essay or on the author’s Web Page at: www.FernStewartWelch.com.)

Hip, Hip, Hurray and Hallelujah!  What a gift, and it couldn’t and wouldn’t have happened until I chose to face the truth and to grow through life instead of continuing to suffer through it.

I meet every life experience by smiling, standing tall and saying: Thanks God, here I grow again.

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Copyright © 2014 by Fern Stewart Welch  

The author’s books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart, (April 2013); “Tea with Elisabeth,” recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction; “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World,” (Nov. 2008); and “The Heart Knows the Way – How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within,” (Feb. 2008), are available at Amazon.com, other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.

To Thine Own Self Be True … But First You Have to Know Who the Person in the Mirror Really Is

“Be Yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

~Oscar Wilde

 

After a decade of trying to be the Real Me – the  me I was born to be – circumstances still come up that remind me I have a way to go when it comes to being my authentic self.  This means knowing what I want and don’t want, and having the confidence to let people know me as I really am. For example, I recently turned what had promised to be a lovely week into seven days of personal torment, and all because a friend invited me to an event I didn’t want to attend.  So why didn’t I just say no, thanks?

Fear:  Fear that I would hurt my friend’s feelings.  Fear that I would be seen as unfriendly.  Fear that my reputation as an enthusiastic participant, always ready to go, always someone you could count on would be jeopardized.  If I didn’t go, what would she think of me?

Then I asked myself, if I do go what will I think of me?  I knew the answer to that one: I’d think that here I am again feeling that I have to live up to someone else’s expectations of who I am and what I should be doing instead of knowing myself and having the courage to reveal the real me to the world.  

 

Everybody does this to some degree, and sometimes with much more serious results than an unpleasant evening.  We’ve all gotten ourselves into undesirable situations by not knowing who we truly are, and giving others a false impression of who we are.  Going to events you don’t want to attend is just one of the minor ones.  Consider some other choices: marrying the wrong person, investing decades in the wrong career, accepting a promotion you don’t want because it’s expected, and in general just letting other people determine our lives because we don’t have the self-awareness to know who we are.

 

Fortunately for me, I’m at least on my way to finding out. I am committed to growing through life instead of just going through it. This means I recognize the fact that I now know what I need to do to continue working on resolving this self-identity challenge. I trust the technique I learned years ago to help me do “inner work” to release invalid thoughts, beliefs, life patterns and idealized and false self-images that block my ability to be the real me. I happily share the technique later on, but first want you to know how the process works in me.

 

The preparatory work normally unfolds like this:  After the unresolved life-issue I’m facing becomes clear, I withdraw into a quiet, alone time so that I am super aware of the thoughts that come into my consciousness. In this specific situation, (the event invitation), the following phrase immediately popped into my awareness and took up residence: “To thine own self be true.”  I realized from past “inner-work” that I was in the first-stage of the process and needed to stay focused and open to the thoughts that were being drawn to me.

 

As the thoughts continued to gather, Oscar Wilde’s quote wafted into my mind: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”  I loved that because the humor made me laugh and lightened my approach. Then, to keep me on track, the original phrase popped up again, “To thine own self be true.” 

 

After several days of quiet contemplation, I realized a number of things.  The initial insight was that we all probably agree with the wisdom in these quotes.  The rub is that many of us are walking around presenting personalities that are a patchwork of characteristics that we’ve slapped together since childhood so that we would be more acceptable to others and society.  I understood that by the time we are adults we have totally submerged or at least camouflaged our authentic selves to the point that no one knows who we really are, including ourselves.

 

I also vividly recalled that at an early age I sensed that it was not only wrong to be who I was it was also unsafe.  Being a highly sensitive introvert, it wasn’t long before I had crafted the persona I thought would bring me the acceptance and joy I craved.  It didn’t. Now, I realize that all the time I was growing up I was also trying to be someone I wasn’t.  It felt like I was disconnected, incomplete and separated, and had to hide whatever and whoever I really was.  There was also a fear because I was faking it that at any time I could be unmasked for who I wasn’t, so my ego obviously had to do double or triple duty to keep the Real Me under wraps. 

 

I also was certain that if this is true for me, it’s true in some form or degree for many of us.  It saddened me to think that we could live our entire lives without ever fully knowing the truth of who we were born to be, and to live authentic lives.

.

At that time, I realized I had no idea of Shakespeare’s full quote so I looked it up on the internet and discovered another dimension to the importance of discovering our real selves.  The full quote goes like this: “To thine own self be true, and as sure as night follows the day, thou canst then be false to no man.”  So, if I didn’t know the Real Me, how could I be true to me and was I always therefore false to others?  Wow.  No wonder we live problematic lives, and relationships are so incredibly challenging.

 

What I recognized some time ago was that I was no longer comfortable pretending to be what I am not. Most assuredly this was enhanced by my advancing age, and a deep soul urging to experience “being” as much of the Real Me as I possibly could.

 

My latest opportunity to do so started with the telephone invitation from my friend.  I really didn’t want to go to the event.  All I wanted was to be open to the process within me that was triggered by her call.  This meant I needed to focus 100% on what was happening within me, and to continue using the technique daily. Every day I wanted to call and cancel, but just couldn’t do it.  I was sure she wouldn’t understand.

 

By the time the friend turned up at my door, I had spent a week wrestling with all the conflicting emotions and, without even thinking, I simply told her my truth. Her response was amazing. She admitted that she really didn’t want to go to the event either and didn’t know why she asked me.  As we tearfully and happily hugged each other, I smiled for I knew the pure joy I experienced was surely the direct result of being true to me.

 

While I recognize the Truth that who we are at the core of our being remains totally available to us regardless of our cover-ups, I’m certain that we’ve all tried so hard to be what we’re not that it has caused us a great deal of unhappiness and sadness.  I believe we crave being our real, authentic selves, who we were born to be, and to live the lives we were born to live.  We just need a desire, and the know-how to do it.

 

I know that this type of inner work requires commitment, resolve, and tenacity, but I also know that this is one of the most important lessons one can ever learn.  After all, if we don’t know who we really are, how can anyone else every truly know us.

 

Whether you want to commit to making a difference in the world or are simply seeking to create a better life for yourself, the following technique will prove helpful.  Either way it’s a win-win situation, for just by living a better life you will make a positive difference. If you desire additional information on this technique, check out Chapter 2 of my latest book, “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart.”

 

 

·         Inner Work Technique:  Center yourself by sitting quietly, saying prayers, listening to beautiful music, meditating or whatever process resonates within you.  Write out your intention: I claim release of any energies, thoughts and emotions that block the Real Me. Say it aloud, adding: I am divinely guided, guarded and protected.

·         Declare with emotion/resolve: I call forth the energies (past or present) that I have invested in the issues that have been repressed and depressed.  I thank them for serving me well, and am ready to release them.

·         Waiting:  It is our responsibility to trust, wait and allow the release.  I soon learned to raise my hands, with palms facing, and with great clarity to declare:  I am balanced between vulnerability (left hand) that allows the energy to rise within me, and equally empowered (right hand) to allow me to stay with the process.

·         Waiting patiently:  Usually I felt the energy begin to gather in the area of my sternum, and focused on just allowing it to be.  Quite often there were tears as the energy gathered force and I was able to fully face, feel and release it … without any idea of what it was about. 

·         Still waiting:  Sometimes I was led to add another affirmative prayer: I give every cell, organ, function of my being permission to release anything that isn’t for my highest and best good – no  matter where it is being held or how long it’s been held.

·         Success: The energy would build and finally crest in tears and sometimes sadness, but always followed by a notably strong energy release and a sensation of peace at the core of my being. 

·         Closing:   I gratefully ask the Universal Life Force-God-Good, to fill the now-empty spaces with light, love, blessings and freedom.

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Copyright © 2014 Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart, (April 2013); “Tea with Elisabeth,” recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction; “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World,” (Nov. 2008), and “The Heart Knows the Way – How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within,” (Feb. 2008), are available at Amazon.com, other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.

It’s a New Dawn, a New Day, a New Year … Why Not a New Life?

“We may be products of our past, but we don’t have to be chained to it.  Joyously release the past, all false beliefs in lack and limitation, along with all conditions and situations that may have been attracted to us due to those false beliefs.”    ~Anonymous

I spent the past three-plus decades seeking to understand the way consciousness – life – works and why some people are successful in achieving their heart’s desire and others are not.

Like millions of others searching for such understanding I read all the books, listened to numerous speakers and had the information spelled out for me many times through the years by philosophers, visionaries and others.  The concepts embraced by these individuals allowed them to achieve amazing goals and realize equally amazing lives.

But until a dramatic personal experience happened in my life, I didn’t realize what a profound difference there is between being aware of something and having the discipline (and courage) to put it to the test—to act on it and to actually live it.

At the time, I was facing the lengthy decline and deaths of my husband, my mother and my younger brother.  I knew there had to be a better, more enlightened, loving and life-affirming way to help my loved ones through their final life journeys. I didn’t know how to accomplish this, but, somehow I just knew it was possible.

After a number of years of trying, I finally realized that I wasn’t able to discover this amazing pathway simply by force of will.  By expending so much energy, I ended up stressed and physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted.  Finally, in desperation I turned within seeking the guidance, love and support of the eternal and sublime spirit – God – that is within us.  Surely my answers would be found there.

My resolve was never to give up or give in, and to have this personal spiritual connection that would enable me to help my loved ones, or know the reason why not.

It took a lot of time, self-discipline and courage, but eventually I did accomplish my heart’s desire.  And I received the support, love and guidance that transformed the experience of accompanying my beloveds on their final life journeys from sadness to a reaffirmation of life.

I wrote about my personal relationship with God and the self-transformation that followed in the book:  “The Heart Knows the Way – How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within.”

That was my first fully conscious experience with trusting my inner wisdom and actually putting what I believed to work in my life with the unwavering intention to continue until I was successful.

Now I know for a real-world fact that aligning with these essential truths can determine our health, wealth, success and happiness, as well as our tomorrows.  The initial step is to dig deep within and decide how you want your future to unfold, and what your true heart and soul desires really are.  Hold fast to this wisdom, as it’s the key to open the door to your heart desires.

Many people that I have talked with through the years have expressed a similar desire to do something to make a difference in the world.  It wasn’t until this past decade that I connected with the truth that it is vital to have a personal relationship with God.  The fact that I and so many others had failed to take this step is the major cause, I believe, of the depression, sadness and feelings of going it alone that define the lives of so many individuals.

I now think of the inner urge from the core of our being as a message from our souls urging us toward our inner heart desires: that which we were born to accomplish or move toward in this lifetime.  This is why we are here.

True happiness – our life purpose – is there just waiting for us to give it a chance.  When we resonate at a soul level with how we are expressing the gift of life, we will know we are connected with our life purpose, our reason for being.

Scientists have already proven that all life is energy; you, me the Earth and everything in the Universe, all energy.  Cars and other solid objects are simply vibrating at a lower level, and in a more condensed form.

When someone is not experiencing an abundant and fulfilled life in all aspects, it means that the vibrations in the person’s energy field are out of harmony and therefore out of balance.

 

If you think of vibrations in the form of a symphony orchestra, when each individual instrument is vibrating at a correct frequency, the result is harmonious, beautiful music.

To put it another way, when you choose to become a fully conscious and aware human being, then the energy at the core of your being that has been striving to be expressed has the opportunity to work in your life.  At that point your consciousness will guide you to make choices that are for your highest and best good, and in alignment with your soul and life purpose.

You will need to develop a consciousness of trusting in this innate goodness and be able to allow whatever your heart desires to manifest in your life.  You will also need to move from a consciousness of wanting, which always places your desire(s) in the future to a concept of having, as a present reality.  This makes a huge difference!

Once you trust and have faith in the goodness of the universe, you will be able to let go and release your desires to the powerful action of the eternal energy that permeates, activates and sustains all life.  Then you can do what you are led to do on the physical plane and release the how-and-when this manifests in your life to the Infinite Intelligence of the universal good.

Staying centered in trust, having faith in the process, and keeping an attitude of gratitude is necessary in order to open the door to your true heart and soul desires.

It is a New Year and a fortuitous time in the evolution of mankind.  As we choose a new, positive way of living, we help elevate the consciousness of humanity, create better lives and a kinder world that works for everyone.

When we change our thoughts our lives change.  This wisdom holds the energy and inspiration of the many souls throughout history, who courageously followed these truths to change their lives, fulfill their purposes and leave footsteps for others to follow.  This is my heartfelt desire for each and every one of us.

Each day I joyously claim releasing the past – and all false beliefs in lack and limitation – along with all conditions and situations that may have been attracted to me due to those false beliefs.

[To further assist you on your path, go to – www.FernStewartWelch.com – click on How To’s at the top, then click on How to Fulfill Your Potential and follow the 10 Ways to Clear Now and Create the Life You Desire.]

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Copyright © 2014 Fern Stewart Welch

 

The author’s books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart, (April 2013); “Tea with Elisabeth,” recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction; “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World,” (Nov. 2008), and “The Heart Knows the Way – How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within,” (Feb. 2008), are available at Amazon.com, other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.

C'mon God ... Did I have to be an Introvert and a "Highly Sensitive Human Being," Too?

 

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Many great souls have said there are no mistakes in life; that everything happens for a positive reason. So, help me understand, God.  Why did I receive the Double Whammy of being both an intensely shy flower who felt threatened by attention – good or bad – and, at the same time, one of those people constantly wounded by the huge boulders of life casually tossed around by stronger types, as if they were tiny pebbles? Wouldn't just one of these conditions be more than enough of a life-long challenge?

You may recall my mother’s stories about when I was very young and strangers came to the house.  She would have to cover my head with a blanket to quell my “screamin’- meemie fit.”  Even though I was born into a large family, I felt alone and vulnerable.

The happiest time of my young life was when we lived in a rural area and our house was surrounded by wild woods and a massive paw-paw patch.  My imagination took flight as I swung on the magical vines that hung from the magnificent stately trees, and played in the bubbling brook that was fed by an underground spring. I called it my home and the memory has never paled.

 

After we moved to the city and I started school, I lived in terror of being called upon in class despite the fact that I always knew the answer.  I soon learned to lie about the good grades on my report card because if you were too smart you were hassled.  And, yes we had school-yard bullies way back then.  I had no choice, I thought, but to start crafting a mask that would keep the real me hidden for many years of my life.

Fortunately, in fifth grade I met Mary Elizabeth, an equally bright youngster who was also an outsider, and the two of us became bosom friends.

While Mary was just like me in many ways, I realized quickly she could hold her own with the other kids. Also as the years went by, if Mary came to my house to get me, my parents never questioned what we were doing or where we went. They seemed to trust her quiet assurance.  We had bus passes and the municipal library in St. Louis, near the Soldier’s Memorial, became our home away from home.    We were each allowed only 10 books at a time on our library card, but in the summertime by the end of the week, we had read all 20 books. By the time we were starting high school we had devoured many of the classics, the selected works of Shakespeare, and a number of mysteries by Mary Roberts Rinehart. 

Mary helped me choose my first bra in the basement of Famous-Barr department store, and told me the facts of life, because my menses started at school.  She found me crying in the bathroom because I was having a hard time accepting that I was dying at such an early age.

During the summer before our sophomore year in high school, my family moved out of state, and soon thereafter Mary and her family moved to Sikeston, Mo., and we lost contact with each other for about thirty years. 

When I arrived at my new high school, I quickly realized what a boon it was to have known Mary.  As a lonely outsider once again, I just put my head down, concentrated on school, went to summer school and had enough credits to graduate in three years instead of four.  I had managed to get close to one person over the summer, Barbara Jean, and when college started she was the only person I knew. 

The junior college campus was somewhat small at that time, the sun shone 300+ days of the year and everyone seemed to be at ease with each other and happy to be alive.  I realized that I didn’t want to go through life being so out of what I thought would be a more desirable way of living.  I decided to draw on Mary’s ability to overcome her introvert-ish tendencies. I began to smile and say “hello” to everyone I passed.  It worked.  By the end of my first year, I was one of the most “popular” girls on campus, won all sorts of titles, and was elected vice president of the female student body. 

From the surface it all looked grand and wonderful, but inside I was still exactly the same, a loner, an introvert, scared of my own shadow and wanting to be the star of my life, but still suffering terribly every time I had to speak up or out.  Apparently I put on a good act. I graduated as the Most Outstanding Female Student, with a full scholarship to the local university.  Yet, Barbara Jean was my only friend and confidante throughout my college years.

The good news is that I had mastered the extrovert role enough to be able to draw on this experience when I needed it.  It would eventually play a vital part in my future.  But before we get to that, I was destined to spend another 20 years, including a marriage and motherhood, trying to balance being a highly sensitive introvert and a practicing extrovert.  The worst part was being born a Leo and wondering what was wrong with me, for at the core of my being I always felt I was meant to be a contemplative in a monastic environment.

When forced as a single mother to be the major breadwinner, I entered the corporate world as a public relations professional (what irony), and while successful, I always felt like there were rules that I never knew, and no one would tell me.  It was very stressful.  I would drive into my carport each evening and have a good cry before I could go into the house and face my children.  A male friend came by my office one day to take me to lunch.  He told me afterward that as we exited the high-rise building I became myself – and when we returned, as I stepped inside the building – I took on a robotic persona that was the norm for the corporate world at that time, but it wasn’t the real me. That comment stuck with me. 

Some years later when I founded my own public relations firm, it was stressful but I was determined to live by my rules.  I was successful because I was more facile at balancing the role of an extrovert to the degree necessary to set my clients at ease – and to spend time alone to nourish and nurture the inner me.

My writing had always been a vital part of my repertoire and had brought me a level of achievement that was comfortable for me. This ushered in an incredibly wonderful decade of my life.  I helped found and directed a holistic medical foundation which bore the name of my dear friend, life coach and mentor, Dr. Gladys T. McGarey.  I met and worked with many of the leaders of the mind-body-spirit approach to medicine, including the late Elisabeth Kűbler-Ross, M.D, who single-handedly elevated the way humanity thinks of death and dying. She became a dear friend as well as a mentor. 

During that decade of being with enlightened souls who were living their dreams and making a difference in the world, I discovered a new-found peace, and was empowered enough to act on my inner soul urging to turn within.

I retired in 1999, because my husband was in the last years of his final life journey.    I wanted to help us through this challenging time in the most loving and conscious way possible.   To me this meant turning within and seeking a personal spiritual relationship with God.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that committing to that relationship also meant following all the guidance I received, which I was perfectly willing to do to help my husband have a more loving and peaceful death.  Where I resisted and had a grueling emotional time was in realizing that the guidance included publishing books that chronicled my spiritual journey, and that revealed the truth of me at the core of my being. I also had a deep-seated fear of publicity tours required by publishers for commercial purposes, and thought of them as a form of crucifixion. 

Since traditional publishers would have nothing to do with someone who wouldn’t go on the road and sell their books, I knew I would have to be a d.i.y. publisher and totally trust in God. I was also told the Law of Attraction is stronger than advertising and promotion, and those seeking the books would find them.  At the time, this was equivalent to imagining a wheelbarrow on a high wire with an invisible force pushing it and, trusting enough to get in the wheelbarrow.

That’s why it took me a decade to release my latest book, “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart,” which I did in April of this year.  I had to be able to say from the core of my being—that I seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, and completely release the book to God.  As long as I had one twinge of desire for what I wanted for the book, or held any trace of fear for what I would have to do out of my comfort zone, I wasn’t able to release it.

I had been told more than once that I would have to become the energy of the book before I could release it.  I finally understood this meant to quit focusing on trying to convince others of the truth, and to focus on becoming that truth. This meant I needed time and space to spend within, creating a closer, deeper, more constant and aware personal relationship with God.

Now I’m just beginning to see and understand that my lifelong journey/travail has been what psychologists call a redemptive life story, because I (unknowingly) accepted obstacles as an opportunity in disguise. Overcoming them to any degree is a sign of mental health and well-being.  In the process I figured out what I was to contribute to the world and got busy doing it. 

Surprise!  Being a highly sensitive introvert was perfect preparation for a contemplative life, communing with God-Nature and writing about the insights I gain to help others on their paths. Every day I give thanks for my life and for getting to do what I love, which feels like swinging on vines and landing softly in the paw-paw patch.   I get it, God.  There are no mistakes.  Thank you.

I was born an original and refuse to be a copy. 

The Real Me is priceless beyond measure.

There will never be another me.

____________________________________

Copyright © 2013 by Fern Stewart Welch
 
The author's books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart," April  2013; “Tea with Elisabeth," recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction; "You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World," 2008; "The Heart Knows the way - How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within," 2008, are available at Amazon.com, other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.

What If Following Your Bliss Is Only a Thought Away?

 “If you touch the phenomenal realm deeply, you touch the ultimate realm, which is Nirvana.  It is God, and it is available to us twenty four hours a day.”     ~Thich Nhat Hanh

I recently returned from a holiday in San Diego celebrating among other things the publishing of my latest book, “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart.” During the trip I began to realize that for the prior few months and throughout the trip, I had been experiencing a longer and higher level of contentment, joy and peace than ever before.  Strangely enough I didn’t become fully aware of this blessing until I returned home and noticed it was slowly slipping away.

Instead of continuing to be at peace with What Is, I was drifting back to the more normal human condition of feeling isolated and separate, which can make us perceive ourselves as inadequate, disgruntled and dissatisfied with our lives.  Wanting to reverse this situation, I quickly turned to the part of me that is committed to seeking a closer, more constant and aware personal relationship with God. 

Even though I had experienced fleeting flashes of inner bliss before, they were few and far between.  When I turned within and asked what am I to learn from this experience, I realized it was to continue serving my life purpose which is to grow through life and share my insights with others.  I already knew that this wonderful state of bliss was so desirable that I wanted to learn how to live in and from this level of consciousness on an ongoing basis. 

Almost immediately I started thinking of biblical stories of instantaneous spiritual awakenings, along with some more recent contemporary examples, and the impatient childish part of me kicked in. I indulged myself for a micro-moment wondering if that kind of instant spiritual transformation might be in the future for me.  But good sense and a strong memory of how long it had taken me to get as far as I had on the spiritual path prevailed.  I immediately gave the child part of me a mental hug that said, “It’s all good.  No worries.”

This was also meant to be a reminder to my inner child, my ego and me of the uselessness of spiritual fantasizing.  I realized I was a budding spiritual seeker when I was 10 years old, and then life happened, and it wasn’t until decades later that in desperation I seriously turned to God and was determined to have a personal connection.  I was successful in doing so in 1999, and after my husband’s death in 2002, I answered yes to the call to become a spiritual warrior of the heart for God.

During all these years, there were a few times when I wondered what it would feel like to be in an accelerated spiritual process.  My Higher Wisdom Self let me know immediately that my soul knew the path, pace and timing of my journey to God.  I was also guided to do daily inner work to release invalid thoughts, beliefs and life patterns to further my ability to align with a higher energy vibration. The changes caused by this release of energies, I was told, would require time to be totally integrated into my body, and the slower pace was to allow this and protect my health and well-being.     

I’m well aware that it took more than a decade for me to heal enough of the doubts, fears and invalid thoughts that created resistance to my finalizing the spiritual warrior book and to releasing it for publication.   From my experience, it’s obvious that we’re meant to follow our own inner timing in preparation for our journey to enlightenment.  I’ve settled into mine and am content with the pace of my individualized process.

I also realized fully that instant spiritual awakenings don’t happen that often, and they usually happen to individuals who – subsequently and sometimes surprisingly to themselves and others – are then fully prepared to step forward and be a light for others.  They willingly do everything in their power to help humanity evolve by lifting the veil a little higher between us and the mysteries of Life. This confirms that my purpose as a word-warrior-messenger is to plumb the depths of my ongoing process and to write about the insights I gain to help others.

Still, because of my recent experience, I wasn’t surprised that spiritual awakenings that touched on bliss continued to intrigue me.  When I returned home, I picked up a copy of a New York Times bestselling book titled, “My Stroke of Insight,” by a Harvard-trained brain scientist, Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.

The author, at age 37, experienced a massive stroke that rendered the left hemisphere of her brain unworkable. This is the part of the brain that allows us to talk, walk, read, write and operate in the external world. 

She captured my rapt attention by describing in detail the euphoric bliss she experienced in the right hemisphere of the brain, which she termed “Nirvana,” or God.  This section of the brain is considered the creative/intuitive part that isn’t concerned with the details of living in the external world.

While Dr. Taylor was tempted to live in the blissful right hemisphere, she knew as a scientist that by making that choice it would mean existing as an invalid, in bliss, with no self-awareness or connection with the external world.

After eight courageous years, she was able to fully reclaim her life, knowledge, memory, skills and career. Knowing that the information she shared about her experience was a gift to all spiritual seekers, peace activists and stroke victims, she has embraced every opportunity to spread her message – which is the wonder of being human, and that people can choose to live a more peaceful, spiritual life.

 Now I understand more fully why I am so fascinated by such spiritual transformations; whether they’re instant or not.  It is the heart and soul desire of every spiritual seeker and rational human being to make a difference in the world. When a fellow soul is spiritually awakened and living life fully at a higher level, this is Life-confirming and we are all elevated by it.

When I thought about the widespread acceptance of Dr. Taylor’s book, I realized it is already bringing hope to countless stroke victims who seek to heal from their brain traumas, and this translates as a challenge to the medical profession to change their approach to the care and treatment of those patients.

I believe that such awakenings are a gift from the Universe reminding us that many individuals are needed to turn within and learn to create better lives and a world that works for everyone.  Every human being is destined to evolve into a personal relationship with God, and when it’s our time (whether by choice or desperation) there’s a deep soul urging that rises from the depth of our being that cannot be denied.  This primordial energy activates our desire to create a healthier and more humane world. That’s why we’re here on Earth.

This is also why so many of us are moved and uplifted by Dr. Taylor’s accomplishment.  In a dire situation, she was able to scientifically “map” the physiology (function) of the right hemisphere of our brains as a receptacle of bliss-compassion-Nirvana-God.  I imagined that it’s like an electrical outlet designed specifically for us to plug into when we do so with a true heart and soul desire.   

Her enlightening experience caused me to reflect on my own journey, and I gained the following insights.  I’m now totally clear and greatly relieved that I’m not in line anytime soon for a humongous spiritual awakening.  Actually, knowing the good that has already come into my life – and the fact that my daily d.i.y. approach to God is now resulting in flashes of bliss – this is way more than enough to keep me on the path.  Also I’ve moved past the stress of thinking the only way to connect with God was by somehow controlling my wild monkey-mind.  There were times in the past when sitting quietly was simply an invitation to melt into the moment and I either fell asleep or visited the Twilight Zone.  When I “returned,” I judged myself harshly for being more human than holy.  No more of that negative thinking.

Now when I go within, after walking in nature, reading uplifting words of wisdom, or dancing, or singing along to beautiful music, I know that God-bliss is only a thought away.  And the best part of all is the knowing that whatever does or doesn’t happens is okay and … I can do nothing wrong. I simply speak the following intentions, then in trust and faith … Let Go and Let God:

Today I bring everything I am, was, or ever will be into God.  I claim being open to the evolutionary process of Life.  I claim living in and from God-Bliss-Love-Truth.

Copyright 2013 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart” (2013), “Tea with Elisabeth” (recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction), “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World” (Nov. 2008), and “The Heart Knows the Way—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within” (Feb. 2008), are available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.

 

The Practiced Ear Hears the Song of God in Nature

I sense a deep primordial kinship with the fall season.  As the Earth's energy slows down following the boisterous display of summer, I instinctively know it is time to draw within and spend quiet time in contemplation.  The need is strong, and the sometimes cloudy, cooler days complement this desire.

Lately, I find myself reflecting on the creativity of nature and the similarity of thoughts and seeds.  Whenever I plant a sunflower seed in my small patio garden, I can rest assured that the germinated seed will produce a sunflower.  So too will the thoughts I focus on produce their own likeness, and whether they are deemed desirable or undesirable depends on the quality of my thoughts.  It is important to choose my thoughts carefully so that what springs forth in my life is as dependable and desirable as what flourishes in my garden.

In joyous anticipation of partnering with nature, I pick up my pruning shears and trowel and head for my small back patio garden to view the results of the Southwest desert's harsh triple-digit temperatures. Despite appropriate care, some potted plants have not survived, much like some of my misplaced thoughts and desires. I bless them and with a sigh, scoop them up and recycle them into the earth.

I am heartened though that while some umbrella plants are brown half-way to the base of their sword-like leaves, they are still alive and worthy of continuing attention and care.  I know that with judicial pruning, some plant food and lower temperatures they will have a rebirth and soon settle in -- healthy and strong for the milder winter months.

It is with great pleasure that I notice the gentle breeze that cools my brow and plays a melody on the chimes.  I survey the healthy green of the large jasmine bush and the heavenly bamboo that long ago sent down their roots deep into the earth.  They can easily withstand the summer heat and the cold of winter.

I realize that many of us also seek to anchor our trust and faith into something greater than we are that will sustain us and enable us to not only survive but to thrive despite the traumas, trials and tribulations of life.

For sentimental reasons, I usually plant red tulip bulbs in pots and place them in a box of sawdust in the garage to prepare them for an early blooming period in a process known as "forcing."

Each time the brilliant red tulips reach full bloom in the still-cold days of winter, I honor the many flowering plants that have "nursed" me through trying times in my life.  They serve as gentle reminders to my yearning heart that spring will eventually burst forth once again in all of its full frolicking, rollicking and riotous splendor.

While surveying the ravages of summer on some of the plants, I realized I finally understood my late husband's seemingly blasé approach to flower and vegetable gardening.  As a master gardener as well as a practical  person, he would give the seeds and sprouts all the tender loving care necessary for optimal growth and then say, "Shape up or ship out."

He gave them every chance to survive, but when it became obvious that they weren't going to make it -- into the compost pile they went.  I now find this not only a well-reasoned approach to the mysterious vagaries of plant survival, but to the choices we make in life.  If our thoughts-decisions bring good results, excellent.  If not, we uproot them and choose new ones.

I was initiated into the joys of gardening in childhood by my grandmothers and my favorite uncle, and my lifelong interest was matched by that of my late husband.  They taught me that nature is the true language of our being, and that we can learn from it whatever we need to know about life.

The invitation is always there for us to draw near the bosom of nature.  If we lean close and listen, we can hear the serenade of God, and know that we are part of Creation and one with all life ... dissolving all fears.
_______________________________
Copyright 2012 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart” (2013), “Tea with Elisabeth” (recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction), “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World” (Nov. 2008), and “The Heart Knows the Way—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within” (Feb. 2008), are available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.

Even When You Think the Other Guy Doesn't Deserve Forgiveness – You Do

“How can we ever have peace on the planet if we can’t have it in our own relationships and in our hearts?” ~Bill Ferguson

It’s soul-baring time again, dear readers. As you know, I’m committed to sharing with you the insights I gain while I grow through life’s challenges – or as I’ve learned to view them: opportunities. Well, here is another one. Forgiving those who I thought had wronged me in some way. And this was a big one for me.

For decades, I suffered emotional and mental anguish over a difficult relationship in my family. This was a person close to me; important to me, but even the simplest communication between us could deteriorate into misunderstanding and hard feelings. And I tried everything I could think of for what I hoped would be a remedy or even a gradual change of heart on the other side.

It wasn’t until I decided years ago to focus on the spiritual path that I learned the following truth: If I was the one who was suffering, I was the one with the problem. And no matter what someone else did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say, the situation was about me and me alone. And all that suffering I endured was self-inflicted and had nothing, zip, zero to do with the other person.

With this new outlook, I understood why no hoped-for miracle healing between us was ever possible. During all those years of not getting along, I blamed the other person and patiently prayed for them to see the error of their ways. My thinking was: If only that other person would be kinder, more accepting, less judgmental – etc., etc., etc. Now I know that the only result possible from that approach was my ongoing pain, which never lessened and never contributed one iota to resolving the situation.

When I opted to take a higher road, I began to grasp what my inner guidance had been presenting to me for years. I finally accepted that humans are hard-wired by our egos to be right, to win – and to emerge from any conflict as the victor. It wouldn't have been enough for me for the other person to want reconciliation – they also had to know that they had been wrong and the cause of our problems all along. This automatic defensive mechanism causes us to react like robots and to blame others, so we can falsely see ourselves as innocents.

By doing this, according to relationship expert Bill Ferguson, we are literally choosing to sacrifice our own happiness, peace and well-being. With constancy, commitment and desire, it is possible to create a new way of living that requires taking responsibility for our lives and situations. I know. This approach set me on the path of clearing my false beliefs, and actually healing my pain and sadness. I also had to own the fact that I was the only person whose actions and reactions I could change.

Once I opened to taking responsibility for my life, relationships and my feelings around them, it became clear that this also meant accepting other people just as they are and not trying to change them. This is a hard but required first and major healing step. My inner guidance indicated that the next vital step was to initiate a daily forgiveness routine for myself and for the family member with whom I had never been able to have the relationship I desired. I understood that this forgiving could take some time for a full healing, and I had to be willing to stick with it as long as necessary to clear out longstanding negative emotions and resistance.

Here is a forgiveness affirmation that I have used successfully for many years: I fully and completely forgive myself for any real or imagined wrong done by me to me or to _______, past or present. I fully and completely forgive ___________ for any real or imagined wrong done to me past or present. I am free. S/he is free.

Once I was committed to taking responsibility for my own feelings and emotional well-being, and doing the forgiveness work, I could allow in new information on relationship issues to help me on my way. For example, another important step for me was letting go of my long-held and very strong belief that people and life were meant to be what I wanted them to be. It wasn’t easy, but as I began releasing this false requirement I could actually feel a healing – a new way of being – starting to take place within me.

From my experience, I can attest that whether the broken relationship is with a spouse, sibling, significant other, friend or anyone else, this is a viable approach to a true healing. Following this path, however, doesn’t always mean there will be a mutual reconciliation or healing. That other person still has the free will to do as he or she determines. It does, however, mean that through inner work we can free ourselves from the self-inflicted suffering and then, with love and blessings for the other person, move beyond the situation.

The good news in this self-focused approach is that we do hold the power to accomplish this within us. Without the other party’s cooperation or even awareness we can transform a negative situation into at least a benign one. We're the only ones we can change, so why not do that?

Actually I also believe that we come in to be teachers for each other. And I’m positive that this particular worthy and blessed “teacher” – the other person in my unhappy relationship – was and is unaware of my inner turmoil and wouldn’t have been able to relate to it, or understand it or help me in any way. It simply wasn’t their problem; it was mine.

I discovered that in taking back my power over my own feelings my life started working in a more desirable way. Once this major heart-ache and unhealthy distraction was off my heart and mind, I was free to love and bless the other individual from afar, and to spend my time and energy on furthering my life purpose.

Letting go of blame and taking responsibility for our lives seems to naturally create an environment of joy, peace and happiness.

I’ve also learned that as long as we still hurt or wish the situation were different, we have more inner work to do. When there’s no more negative energy-emotion around a situation or an individual, we can trust that we are healed.

Although the above approach is sometimes difficult to accept and difficult to put into practice, the truth is we aren’t here to force others to change to please us, or to point out the error of their ways; or they us. An insight I’ve gained from this and other lessons is that this is the way life on Earth works. The key to healing many of our life challenges is to clean up our own invalid thoughts, beliefs, life patterns and idealized (and false) self-images. This truth can set us free.

I believe relationships and families are universal laboratories in which we learn to love ourselves and others. When we love ourselves enough, we naturally seek positive changes that allow us to create more desirable and effective lives, filling our hearts with joy and love and our minds with blissful peace.

"When my life doesn’t work, I take full responsibility. I love myself just as I am, right here right now, and I love and release all others to their own destiny"

______________________________________

Copyright © 2013 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s books: “Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of the Heart” (2013), “Tea with Elisabeth” (recipient of the 2010 Silver Award for Non-fiction), “You Can Live A Balanced Life In An Unbalanced World” (Nov. 2008), and “The Heart Knows the Way—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within” (Feb. 2008), are available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble.