Dreams & Desires Archives - Empowered Cardology

Jun 18 2016

Perfectionism- Is It Keeping Your Reality Conditional?

Is perfectionism keeping your reality conditional?

Is perfectionism something you are always striving for? Or, is it your Achilles heel?

Do you tend to think that, “Once everything is perfect, then I can… (fill in the blank)?

I’ll admit, it’s something that I’ve struggled with.

Mine started as a very small child with a father who thought if one wasn’t perfect 100% of the time, they were worthless. Even as a 4-year-old, he’d set traps for me to show me how imperfect I was….

It has been one of my bugaboos for 50 some years.

Any of us with Virgo prominent in our birth charts (my Venus is in Virgo) have a perfection tendency in some area of our life.

So when our guides kept bringing up this topic (and the week they did, I also came across the article about the war against perfectionism Alicia Keys is doing), I paid attention.

The topic also came up in the session we did about the Orlando shooting, so I think it is worth expanding on.

Our Guides have been referring to it frequently because right now, my life is very out-of-sorts. I’ve been taken out of my comfort zone in many ways over the past few months. As well, Randi and I have been working diligently to get the website “perfect” and our schedules “perfect” and come up with a perfect routine, when in fact, we’ve been experiencing much chaos…which sets my teeth on edge!

As a coach and an entrepreneur, the topic of perfectionism comes up a lot.

We procrastinate because we think all has to be perfect before we are official.

One of my coaches taught that “imperfect action trumps non-action” because so many people put off things out of the feeling that all must be perfect to begin.

Whether it is school, our job, our relationships or our bodies, perfectionism can be the demise of way too many dreams and goals.

Below is a section from a session on the topic of perfection. The “ritual” mentioned is Randi’s usual way of getting ready to channel, with the lighting of candles from her altars honoring the four directions, above and below and her intention setting. She felt that she had to do this “getting ready” ritual in order to be able to channel. She needed things to be just so to feel that the channeling would happen as it should.

“We are wanting to remind all of you that your omniscience is as immediate as you perceive it to be. The rituals are excellent because they are focusing of energy; they are so excellent at setting an intention and honing in on a particular frequency from all frequencies that exist. So with Randi lighting the candle, she is preparing her energy to receive us, but what we would say to her is that it is not necessary. During a busy day, and wrangling the fans, and scratching her mosquito bites, and trying to get a session in before the baby starts crying or the parents get home, and allowing enough time for her treat of Game of Thrones… we would say in all of that, her ritual is just as immediate, in the sense that she take a deep breath and she do the next thing on her task list.

We are saying this as a general indication to everyone that your reality is what you perceive it to be, and if you always believe that the perfection of reality is only when you do a certain set of things, then you’re keeping your reality conditional. Whereas simply being in the now, and no matter how chaotic or wild or non-orderly that the now might appear to you…we would say to be in the now. Cherish the now for what it is and allow for the perfection of your reality to be happening always, rather than waiting for certain things to be in order and in place. For there is beauty, there is evolution, there is growth, there is poignancy IN THE NOW. Enjoy it; be in it. That is where eternally we are speaking to you from.

In understanding just how powerful our perceptions are, I’ve been able to shift a lot in my life. It works the same way in every single area of our life – no exceptions.

If you think that certain things have to be in place before you can achieve, receive, experience, feel, know or do…then THAT perception is the ONLY thing blocking you. You’ve placed a condition on your reality and experiences. YOU. Not your boss, lover, parents or circumstances. YOU. And then what follows is a conditional reality.

So, WHY do we do that?

Back to my father – one positive thing he did teach me was about the topic of “perfection” (ironically).

Here was his analogy: We tend to think that a perfect piece of chalk is right out of the box, all smooth, unused and tall. But, the perfect piece of chalk is the piece that has been used so much that it is hard to even hold. It is “perfect” because it is being used as it was intended. I like that analogy. I’ve been using that analogy when I feel out-of-sorts and that I want my “perfect” situation. I see how my situation is perfect because it is doing what it is meant to do.

A “perfect” piece of chalk has done NOTHING. NO writing on the board. No piles of white dust. Nothing for us to read.

The very used piece of chalk gave us something. Words, images, information. Yes, there are also piles of dust and we might be sneezing and need to clean up – (What a mess! So imperfect! ) – but we GOT something.

The point the guides keep making is that life is never a constant – it is always changing. We are creative beings and that creativity is what keeps us moving forward, trying new things, taking chaos and making it into something that works for us.

When we see a certain rung of the ladder we feel we must climb as that “perfect” place we need to get to, we are losing sight of our ability as creators. Once we are to that rung, we are different, life is different and we need a new rung to go for. Really, there is no “perfect” rung, because we are always changing and what we want is always changing.

That takes us back to the meaning of perfection as: doing what we/it is meant to do.

Again from our guides: There is much more evolution that comes from chaos, then comes from order, yes?

Yes.

Where and when in your life are you wishing for the perfect situation, the perfect person and the perfect conditions?
Where are you creating a conditional reality that isn’t helping you, but blocking you?
What if you saw something that doesn’t seem perfect as something that is meant to do what needs to be done?

May 05 2016

Why You Don’t Need To Have A Plan B

When you want something, do you tend to have a Plan B, a just-in-case scenario, or do you get stuck in the land of What if…?

What if…it doesn’t work…

What if….I fail….

What if…my idea is stupid….

One of the main points we teach here at CTL is that we are all omniscient beings. We aren’t tossed about and controlled by outer forces or circumstances (unless that is what we are allowing). We direct the energy and our own power to those things we focus on and whatever is focused on most, manifests in our reality.

We are the directors and producers of our own show. If we stand by and refuse to direct, we allow others or past experiences to do it for us. (We create by default)

I just went through a situation where I felt out of control and I kept saying “I don’t know.” Intuitively though, I did know. But I thought that if I shared what I was getting intuitively, everyone would worry about me, think I was crazy or doubt me. And being the good little 6 of clubs that I am, I don’t like when people doubt me.

So, I let my fears conjure up a Plan B. It did soothe my scared ego and it was a plan I could tell my friends about. It sounded sane, doable and they could rest assured that I wasn’t going to become homeless.

But, here is how this really works:

When you get an intuitive hit about what you want to do and what is the best thing for you to do and it scares you or your ego says, what the fuck are you thinking?!?! – there are several things that can happen.

You go with the intuitive hit – secretly. (this is what I did) You don’t want everyone thinking you’re crazy, so you don’t tell them what it is that you will really be doing. Sounds ok, right? The thing is, it weakens your energy. You, as the Director and Producer are handing your actors two scripts. You weaken their ability to fully embrace and play out the real script because they are also needing to learn the alternate script as well. Do you see how this weakens your manifesting power?

Your ego will freak out and it will want to hang onto the plan B if that makes it feel better, but when you allow your scared ego to run the ship, you miss out on an empowered, real and magical journey! What you are really after might take longer, or not happen at all because at some point, if enough energy is going to the plan B – it will be what manifests in your reality.

You talk yourself out of what you intuitively know you can do/want to do. This is because it sounds too whacky and you are allowing your ego to fully call the shots. It can only base its decisions on what you already know and have lived (or know someone who has lived it). In other words, it can only say, this is possible if it has something to base the possibility on. It will NEVER feel that a risk or big goal is doable. It will NEVER jump up and down and be your biggest cheerleader if the idea takes it out of the status quo and comfort zone. If Plan B makes it feel safe and secure, it will be all in and that is what will materialize, leaving you to think, well, I guess the other idea wasn’t meant to be after all….

Is that how you really want to live your life? Most who do end up saying…I have many regrets…

The ego wants a linear step by step plan and for you to be safe the whole way through. If it can’t fathom the HOW, it will maneuver to make sure it follows the only HOW it knows. This limits you via lack of knowledge on a topic, or lack of experience or even a lack of support from others.

You follow your intuitive hit fully with 100% focus. This is how we are to live. If you feel excited and this idea won’t leave you alone – it is the right idea. Why? Because you know, within your body and being when something is right for you. You feel it. You might be a bit nervous – anything new or different feels scary to some degree (and that is also your ego making sure that you don’t kill yourself), but if it is what YOU want, then it is 100% possible. Your FULL focus and “owning” of it empowers you and the actors go all in on that script and create the play for you. You trust. You allow. You follow the paths that are revealed and you let the players that Source sets up to help you, help. If anything that looks like an obstacle enters the picture, you check in on your own attitude and you see if the “obstacle” is a mirror of what is going on within YOU. You course correct. You SUCEED.

You don’t need the Plan B.

If your close friends are going to abandon you over what you know is right for you, then are they really the kind of friend you want? They might think you are whacky for a time, or worry about you (which is really only about them and their personal worries), and they might not see how it makes sense (because it doesn’t make sense for them), but any true friend will stick with you and accept any of your intuitive hits – because it is what we all want. To be who we are, to be respected for our choices and to be supported even if what we choose to do isn’t what others would choose.

Trust your intuitive hits. Trust and go for your true wants and ideas and goals. Those hits are why you are here and what you were meant to do.

Feb 02 2016

8 Reasons To Awaken Your Venus

It’s February! We know what that means, right? The stores are exploding in red and pink and we are either dreading that middle of the month date, or trying to come up with a plan…

Whether we avoid, hate or love Valentine’s day, are single, married or it’s complicated, there is one topic that all of us are always focused on and that is our relationships.

That brings me to the topic of the planet Venus.

I’m going to be exploring the planet of love, beauty and art all month – and how she can help us with our relationships. All relationships – with ourselves, our friends, our family, co-workers and yes, even our lovers and spouses.

What about our relationship with our creativity? And with our fans/followers as a Creative? Yep, that too.

The reason I’m discussing the planet of Venus is because she is all about what we love, what we are attracted to, how we relate to others, what brings us joy and what turns us on.

Knowing our soul stats (I call all of the information that astrology, numerology and the cards gives us, our soul stats) – and in this case our Venus stats- (our Venus cards/sign and house) helps us not only with our relationships, but also with our creativity. She is what inspires us and what helps us attract those things we desire into our life.

We each have a Venus card in our birth card spread. That card lets us know more about ourselves in the area of love, attraction, our sociability, what gives us pleasure, what brings us joy and how we connect (or don’t connect) to all the people in our lives.

Relationships, our sensuality, our attraction, how we see beauty and art and all the feminine/receptive aspects of who we are is covered under Venus. We can learn a lot from her about ourselves and those we love by understanding and utilizing our Venus stats.

Instead of dreading this month, why not use it to discover more about yourself and those you love – how to relate to them better and how to enjoy your life more, because when you are enjoying life, more joy comes to you!

How connected are you to your Venus?

Are your passions lying under the weight of familial expectations?

Do you embrace what lights you up – or go along with the projections placed on you by those you love?

Our Venus is there to help us be authentic. To truly understand and embrace that which lets us shine.

There is a lot that She can help us with.

Here are 8 reason why you should awaken your Venus:

Understand, own and embrace your true beauty and genuinely let it show
Magnetizing yourself so you attract your true desires
Owning and enjoying your true erotic and sensual nature (and healing any wounds to those parts)
Know how to let others in your life understand and value what you need, want and desire
Seriously making your needs and pleasures a priority with no guilt attached
Waking up to what inspires you so you can play with and romance your creativity
Heal, restore and enhance all of your relationships
Own, use and be illuminated by your feminine nature

If you don’t know what sign your Venus is in, you can get a free astrological chart here.

If you don’t know your Venus card, you can get my free chart to see what the cards are in your birth card spread here.

I’ll be sharing more details in upcoming posts about each Venus sign and card – so stay tuned!

Aug 30 2015

8 Ways to Fail Effectively and Never Feel Like a Loser Again

8 Ways to Fail Effectively and Never Feel Like a Loser Again

Are you feeling a sense of failure because your book isn’t finished, or your art work is still just sitting in your studio?

Failure is a Creative’s worst nightmare.

We live with an abundance of ideas, visions and the urge to try new things. It is what allows us to create new worlds in our stories, new images in our art and new ways of expressing what is in our souls.

But what if our idea, or new vision flops big time?

What if we can’t seem to get anywhere with what we originally thought was a great novel idea?

Should we just call it a failure and quit?

Failure is actually our best friend. It is an important part of any endeavor.

If you’re not failing, you’re not trying.

Failure can affect your state of mind or you can chose to take advantage of it.

The most successful people take advantage of it. That is why they are successful!

Use failure to your benefit.

You don’t need to avoid failure. It is a wonderful way to learn and stretch yourself.

All creative acts require failure in the development process. Failing regularly gives you the best chance of long-term success.

Here are 8 Ways to Fail Effectively and Never Feel Like a Loser Again:

Fail quickly. If an idea isn’t going to work out, realize it sooner rather than later. Avoid spending too much time on a faulty premise. It doesn’t make sense to invest your mental thought and energy for months only to realize that an idea won’t work.

At the same time, don’t give up too quickly. Give an idea a fair chance to be successful. Some things take more time than others do.
A story idea might not be going well, but it might not be the idea. The structure, perspective or angle might be the problem. Switch it up instead of feeling like it’s a failed idea.
Switch medias for a bit to free your mind and allow your creativity to resolve whatever mistake you made.

Make sure you’re failing for the right reason. Did you put in the necessary time and resources? If something has gone wrong, determine carefully if it was the idea or the execution.

Have you considered every possible need of your project?
Is there something you need to learn how to do for a particular project?
Can your idea work if you change your approach?

When I was in art class in high school, several of my best pieces were created because I corrected something that wasn’t going as I wanted. What I saw in my mind’s eye wasn’t how it was turning out, but I let what was being created continue.

Fail differently each time. Many people keep making the same mistakes over…and over. Failing loses all of its value if you fail to learn from it. Each time you fail in a new way, you have the opportunity to improve your work.
Keep a Failure Journal. While I don’t believe in keeping my attention on what went wrong or feeling bad after a failure, when we keep notes on what came out of what we tired, we can learn from it. How can you apply that information in the future? Sometimes a failure shows us something new about ourselves that we had not noticed before. Was the failure about technique? Or your lack of confidence? Sometimes a failure can be the best fodder for our art! Did the new medium or method go awry? Did something else come out of it?

Can you use the new information for a future piece of work? Did the mistake give you a new idea for a different style to try out?

Keep an accurate perspective. What is failure? It is simply an undesired result. That is all. It’s not about your intelligence, worth, or future. There is absolutely NO reason to take it personally. It was an idea that didn’t work out as you thought it would. Stay detached from your results and keep moving forward.

The great coach, John Wooden, stated that he hoped no one would be able to tell if his team had won or lost based on the team’s demeanor after a game. That’s detachment.

Be resilient. Your feelings of self-worth aren’t dependent on your results. You can feel good about yourself even when you don’t achieve your desired outcome. Be proud that you were brave enough to fail and continue.

If you find yourself constantly beating yourself up over mistakes, then work on “acting successful.” As you work, imagine friends and fans telling you how much it moves them. Imagine the people who will want to buy it. Pretend and the feelings will follow. Those feelings will then help you successfully accomplish your goals.

Keep failure and fault separate. We learned in childhood that admitting to mistakes resulted in taking the blame. Whether you’re working on your own project or one with others, keep blame out of it. A group mistake can be a gold mine opportunity for a brainstorming session that leads to something even better than the original idea!

Failure should bring you closer to an optimal solution. The more challenging the goal, the more times you can expect to fail before achieving success. Write that down. Post it where you work. Make yourself feel PROUD for taking on a big project! Know up front that the bigger the project, the more possible failures!

Effective failing creates new opportunities. Many of the most important inventions resulted from mistakes. For example, the glue used in post-it notes resulted from an attempt to create a super-strong adhesive.

Avoid feeling down about failing. View each failure as a step in the right direction. There is much to take advantage of through failure. Embrace failure. Just be certain to fail effectively. You will never lose if you fail effectively!

Ready to build a platform YOUR way? Join other fun and passionate creatives to discover new ideas each day to build a business with your creative work. It’s FREE!

Apr 20 2015

Start Using The Power of Your Imagination

How would it feel if you were living as a working artist making the money you want and feeling blissed out each day?

It amazes me each time I ask a client this question. I get the deer in headlights response.

So many old crappy beliefs rush into their heads, they can’t even sort them enough to answer at all.

Brain freeze.

There is a well-known phrase I’m going to toss out at you right now.

Get your hopes up!

How did you react to it?

Some of us were taught NOT to get our hopes up regarding something we wanted. It was a safety measure, so if it didn’t come true, we wouldn’t be so hurt. (Wow, is that ever an ego maneuver!)

Here’s the kicker and reason that’s the worst advice (however protective and good intentioned it might be).

We are always transmitting an energy signal to the Universe. That signal is transmitted by how we FEEL about a topic. In turn, the Universe matches that signal and its match shows up in your life via your friends, job, home, experiences and things.

If you hold back your excitement about what you desire for your life, believing that will keep you safe, those same non-excitement, safety feelings is what the Universe will deliver.

It’s like standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and shouting in a shrill voice, “LIFE SUCKS!”

What echo comes back? A hearty, LIFE IS GRAND!

No. You get back what you sent out.

It’s all energy. It all works in the same way.

Not getting your hopes up is very counter-productive to what is innately your source of power.

All of your desires allow the Universe to be everything that it is wanting to be.

Part of its unfolding is realized through what you wish to do and be. The Universe is relying on you to make your desires come true. And, it is wanting to actively help you make them come true.

You carry within your being an aspect of the Universe that wants to be expressed.

Read that a few times and let it sink into your body. Feeeeeeeeeel it. Pretty cool huh?

Our source of power, our divine birthright, comes from our ability to express the Universe!

Why not send out the excitement, passionate bliss and thrill of your desire? Because in doing that, the Universe will match it.

We are made from what made the Universe. We are made from what made time. We have been given the ability to express what needs to be expressed.

Are you ready to fully accept and step into that power?

This is why you have an imagination. This is how you use that power!

As a Creative you imagine all kinds of things for your work, right?

Your ability to imagine things that seem so real, you can feel like you’re right there in it.

Take that same power you use for your work and use it to envision what you want as an artist.

Pretend you’re creating a new character. This character is very talented in whatever medium you work in. This character has been given a HUGE grant to do her work.

So huge, she can set up a studio that is perfect.

So huge, it pays all her bills.

So huge, she can even have some fun with it.

So huge, she can take some classes and learn new techniques within her medium.

Do you see her life? See how it looks and what she is doing?

Now, replace her with YOU.

See yourself THERE.

See YOU with what you want to have/do/be as an artist.

FEEL it, feel the spine tingling, school girl giggling, rush through your body thrill of having it.

Get your hopes UP!

Skip, whistle, sing, smile, giggle….cheer to it with your wine at dinner…visualize it as you fall to sleep. Buy a bouquet of flowers as a Congrats! for it. Make a special dinner in celebration of it.

Do this as often as you can, because the Universe doesn’t operate in time as we know it, it just responds to energy.

Become one of those people who took hold of this awareness, accepted it, used it and allowed the Universe to expand!

I’d say that does indeed call for a celebration!!

Take action:

Pretend that you just got a letter in the mail. It announced that you were the recipient of a HUGE monetary gift. You got this gift because your creative work needs to be shared.

This gift will allow you to work as an artist fulltime.

It will cover your bills, buy your supplies and support your creativity.

But, you must make a list of what you’ll do with the money.

Make that list now.

How will your life change?

How do you spend it?

What will you buy?

How does it make you feel?

Each night before you go to sleep, pick something on the list you wrote out and imagine having it.