Feel-a-holic?

As you know, I am just two weeks back from Sacred Sedona, a place where I met many true and valuable new friends, and met my new "self" as well. I'm still deciphering the new life's blood coursing through my veins and have realized and made peace with the fact that it takes time to make life impacting decisions. 

One of those decisions has been to dive deeper into myself and live true...to me. 

I recently received an email response from a new (and newly dear) friend, Gary Finnan, who helped all of us at the writer's retreat with our self-discovery and exposing the tip of the iceberg to my own essence. 

In this little email exchange was a challenge. After reading my blog he "challenged" me to use one of the greatest things I think we all learned while in Sedona: how to be COW's. Would you believe it? This sacred place developed and run by practitioners of Tao Fellowship teaching people how to be cows? Well, that's "C.O.W." not, cow, as in, "Mooo..."

C: cool head

O: open heart

W: warm belly

This is the formula for being at peace. It has to do with your Chakra energy but, I think you get the point (this isn't going to turn into a lesson in Taoism, I promise). The point is, he's challenging me to use the essence of our being--the warm belly- where all of our feeling essence lives, instead of my head, as in, becoming a Feelaholic instead of a Thinkaholic. 

I accepted his challenge. I am going to start using my belly-my essence-to feel my way through for a while, instead of my head and always trying to 'think' it out. In Taoism, if you keep the water energy flowing through your body (chakra centers) properly, you keep your head cool. A cool head is a calm and peaceful head=a calm and cool, peaceful you. 

Now, I am not Taoist and won't become a practitioner any time soon. I have my own beliefs and I've written about them here, often. But, keeping a cool head is not a bad idea. I'm going to give the feeling a try and hold off on the thinking for a while. I have always shared my ideas about not letting yourself be run by your over-thinking mind and it's time I really put that into practice. 

I have a lot of "feeling" to do, though. I'm giving myself permission to really get down into myself and "feel" what makes me happy and start doing it. 

Speaking of giving myself permission...I have an article to finish and I've carved out some time to finish it and submit it without fear. 

Wish me luck!

Peace,

Nanette

*PS: for more info about my new transformation, view my newsletter by clicking here. 

All of my new found friends at the Wellness and Writing Retreat in Sedona, Arizona.

Photo courtesy of Julie Colvin and Wellness and Writing Retreats

While I Was Away...

I haven't written a post in a while. I just got back from the most wonderful experience in Sacred Sedona, Arizona. I met the most wonderful people there and learned so much about myself and this incredible journey I'm embarking on. It was a writer's retreat set amidst the red rocks 5,000 feet above sea level, nestled away from the rest of the world--literally. There was no TV and very little to no WiFi. But, it was all good. I had been needing that for a long time.

As a matter of fact, I had been manifesting it for some time. When I was 17 I left home one week after graduation to drive across the country from Illinois to California. Not the greatest decision, considering, but a necessary one, I can see now. That is where all my maturity began. I grew up after that 6 month stay in California. Starting a few years ago, I had always planned to go back; this time with my husband and our son. I thought it would be a great summer vacation after graduation to take our son on. Well, things turned out a bit differently than I thought, and we never got the chance to go.

I always kept that desire, the desire to see the red rocks again, on the surface of my "wants" list, telling my husband about the grandness of seeing those wonderful monoliths in the setting sun. That was the best part of the trip, you see; the best and most memorable. I just wanted a chance to do it right this time, with someone I loved and wanted to share with. Maybe I just wanted the chance to re-live it 'properly' and really get the joy out of it that should have happened the first time. Whatever the reason, it never happened...until now.

The second thing I sort of coveted was the thought of going on a solitary and spiritual retreat like I saw in the movie "The Shift" with Wayne Dyer. It takes place at Asilomar  in Pacific Grove, California, a beautiful conference center known as "the refuge by the sea." As soon as I saw that movie, I was hooked. With all the chaos and demands in my life, especially over the last three years, I needed, longed for a place like that where I could get away and really focus on what I needed.

As I arrived at the Mago Retreat Centre in Sedona, a beautiful place run in the tradition of Tao Fellowship filled with beauty and serenity and wonderful ways to connect both to your being and your spirit, I realized that I had made my own wishes come true. I was in the most sacred part of Arizona as close to the red rocks as I could get...for now.

The events that lead me to this place: a Hay House seminar, meeting Julie Colvin, creator of the Wellness and Writing Retreats and Consulting , going to Arizona for 6 days and meeting a fantastic bunch of new friends that will, undoubtedly, change my life forever is something I know I will always be grateful for.

I never thought I would be where I am, right now, and I'm only at the beginning. My last few newsletters have been about forgiveness, making things simpler for yourself, beginning your journey and mastering the process of decision making. I have been following up with a blog post that coincides with each newsletter, but I got behind...forgive me?

I have really had a lot of decision making on my mind, threatening to overwhelm my senses into shutting down and causing me to just plop myself right down on the ground, arms and legs crossed in defiance like I did as a child when I wasn't getting my way.

But, this weeks newsletter, "Mastering Decisions" is something so very close to my heart right now. I have always had some trouble with committing to one definitive decision. I, like a lot of you, just want to be sure to make the right one. I have been struggling with what to do with my life for some time, now. Just when I think the answers have come, I analyze just a tad more and talk myself out of any assurance I had. My major decision, right now, is all about the career: finances, freedom and faith (in myself to allow everything to just happen as it should). It's a scary prospect, letting go. I could really screw things up if I don't make the right decision. There is a lot riding on me, and I have a hard time relinquishing control. But, at what point is it proper to relinquish that control? I have witnessed nothing short of actual miracles in my life from things falling directly into place when I needed (and expected) them to, to getting exactly what I needed when I least expected it.

I have faith that everything happens as it should, but I just don't know, you know? How do we get around this paralyzing indecision? The one certain thing I know that has worked for me so far is patience.  Not so much patience that we become idle, but enough to just be still and listen. Quiet the noise inside your head. Give your thoughts room to flow easily, not cram up on top of each other like groceries on the conveyor belt that the cashier forgot to turn off. Give them some room to breathe!

Take your time with your decisions. Provide yourself with the space to sit with your contemplations easily and without rush. I know there are decisions that need to be made hastily; major life decisions like career changes or where to move is not one of them. Allow yourself the time and place to meditate on what you need from your higher self to be at peace with the decision you make, and that can only be done when you are not under duress.

That's what I'm learning to do. That's why I create the newsletters--I do the research you might not have time to do because it's all stuff I need in my life, too. But, that's also one of my decisions: what to keep up with and what to stop doing if it no longer serves me. You see, taking care of yourself is one of the major premises. We must learn self-care, for without it, how can we care for another?

Thank you so much for being here today. Please leave a comment if you have one...questions, too! If you happen to check out the newsletter, let me know what you think...keep it up or let it go? And if you LOVE it ;) let me know that, too (and maybe even share it!),


Thanks so much for reading,


Peace,

Nanette