~  the Full Moon shining brightly into a darkened bedroom

~  the smell of Fresh Bread baking in the kitchen

~  appreciating the Full Blown Roses in a vase on the craft display shelf

~  knowing there is Home Made Pumpkin & Vege Soup for lunch

~  being able to support late risers who run out the door and leave lights on and jobs not done (still working to get in alignment with this JOY!)

~  being able to help out with dead car batteries while dealing with early morning car fumes rushing into the house and up my nose

~  indulging in a little “Birthday Magic” while organising gifts and cards

~  receiving fabulously supportive and inspiring emails from lovely friends

~  knowing I can spend the day working in Angel space …

Ahh, JOY.

Actually, Sunday started fine.  I got up and had a fabulous morning coffee and began my Swaps for Lovely Ozzimum’s Team Swap, due next week.  Although challenging, my design turned out ok, in the end.  It was freezing cold when I went outside to the car – oh, my goodness.  Thanks to whomever designed Fingerless Gloves ~ I LOVE them!  I wrapped up my hands in my favourite gloves, popped the heater on, turned on Doreen Virtue and drove off to the Supermarket.  The Deli girl was lovely.  The ideas for meals were being stimulated.  The Butcher created a fabulous Roast Pork meal with easy to follow instructions.  The Checkout Operator was Just Gorgeous! 

And, I realised that I was feeling crappy. 

So, I treated myself to coffee and a magazine, before going home (after all, the temperatures outside were about the equivalent of the inside of my fridge so I figured my frozen goods would be ok for half an hour).  It was wonderful.

And, as I walked out of the bakery, back towards the car, I passed a mother and her small child.  The child was intrigued and filled with wonder at the fountain … it was then that I realised that sometimes, when life is being crappy, you have just got to get off your backside and Notice the “Little” Things.

So I did.

I noticed the Raven as I walked to the coffee shop, chatting away to itself (or that’s what it looked like) then to me.  I noticed the fabulous ‘oldies’ music in the coffee shop, then realised I could sing ALL the words (what does that say about my age??! LOL).  My coffee was just delightful.  My magazine was stimulating.  And … there was what looks to be a fantastic recipe for Rhubarb Muffins!  What a bonus! 

If I hadn’t decided to take myself out for coffee, I wouldn’t have bought the magazine and found a recipe I am excited to try. (Translation: Crappy Energy becomes Happy Energy.)

If I hadn’t rung my nephew for his 3rd birthday, I wouldn’t have spoken to my brother and heard the Happiness in his voice about spending time with his grand-daughter.  (Translation: Feeling Crappy can be counteracted by Chatting with Happy People.)

If I hadn’t had to go grocery shopping alone, I wouldn’t have Noticed all the “Little” Things. (Translation: Be Proactive.  Get off your arse and Find the JOY.)

If I hadn’t decided to start writing the JOY EXPRESS newsletter, years ago, I wouldn’t have known about Noticing the “Little” Things. (Translation: JOY occurs Everywhere, All the Time.  You’ve just got to stop long enough to realise that it’s there and you CAN notice it.)

So, why was I/am I crappy?  I’m crappy because I have spent a whole week not talking to the people I normally talk to (largely because they were sick or their kids were sick or they were stressed with work or they were away) and I haven’t been able to share what’s on my mind.  I have had a sore neck, a sore shoulder, a headache on and off for the week;, life is busy, and full and I have to make all the decisions – usually without any interest from family members and no appreciation for the fact that I do make all the day to day decisions; the weather has been GREY and dull and damp and cold; and I am ready for a holiday/time out/sunshine/peace and harmony.

See?

Back to feeling crappy.

Where did I find that ‘Happy Energy’?

Oh, that’s right.

It started out with a phone call to my nephew for his 3rd birthday (he was having meatballs for breakfast ) …

Ahhhh.  Being proactive, again.  Happy Energy is filling my awareness.  Noticing the “Little” Things …

And, he is often tormented by that same magnificence.  It really is hard work living with such an extrovert personality and larger than life attitude to, well, life.

What I Love about him is his Passion.  He knows what he wants, and what he loves, and he goes out and gets it.  He knows he is Magnificent.

Today, I am off to “Angel World”, my Day of Indulgence at Essence of Isis.  I LOVE being in the shop ~ I love the energy, the space and freedom, hanging out with Suzie, and being given the opportunity and permission to share Angel Readings with clients.  Really, it is my Bliss.

I LOVE feeling that I am Being All That I Can Be … that always happens when I am doing Angel things.  This coming week has lots of Angel Energy with Angel Brunch on Monday ~ a variation on the regular ‘lunch’ session to change things up a bit ~ and workshop preparation for Saturday’s event, Let’s Talk Angels!  Whenever I am indulging in this energy I feel great!  Oh, and it’s the full moon, so I will be making up my next crystal essence.  Woo Hoo!

Often a client comes for a reading because he or she is at a loss and doesn’t know how to move forward from where they are at.  Many people come and have a reading because they want answers.  Answers to all the questions of the Universe but mostly about Love and The Future.  It’s almost the exact opposite of why I used to have readings ~ I only wanted to visit the past, my Past Lifetimes and any previous incarnations I may have shared with people around me.  I guess that was my way of understanding the future … I found out about the past, gained understanding about relationships/choices/decisions then used that knowledge to help make decisions/choices in the here and now.

I began to gather the Pieces of Me and weave them into a tapestry of Michelle.  Which is how I started the journey to Discovering My Magnificence.

Many clients are kind of ‘beaten down’ with life and living and find themselves challenged on the self worth front.  I am there to remind them that they are wonderful, and loved by the Angels, and to reignite their connections with their own magnificence.  When we share that feeling of ‘Champagne Bubbles’, we realise that we really are Magnificent, and the world seems much more manageable.

Life really is all about Remembering Who We Are ~ Magnificent Souls, Magnificent People.

George Seaton ~ “Miracle on 34th Street”

This month’s theme at Meditation was “Faith”.  Funnily enough, it was only after the session that I happened to look down at my little “Expect a Miracle” Window Card and noticed that the message was all about the same topic (see above quote)!

Norma guided us through a meditation to visit that energy/space of “Faith” and my experience was most interesting.  I realised that Faith is a belief where no words are possible.  It’s difficult to describe, especially to others, and when visiting that space, I realised that my visualisation was unusual because I didn’t actually get a ‘picture’.  I always get pictures!  This time, all I saw was colour, which changed several times.  The non-dominant hand exercise which we completed after the meditation was hard to record for exactly the same reason – there really was no picture (and I get quite ‘thingy’ about recording what I see accurately, which is pretty hard when using my left hand!).

And I realised that “Faith” really is beyond words.  It just “IS”.

So, I’ve been contemplating this concept, how it fits into my reality and how I see the world.  One thing I have noticed as I’ve got older is that there is only one view on the way things are, and that’s the one which belongs to ME.  I have a perception of how things are which is tempered and influenced by external sources but essentially it’s just mine.  I can only BE all that I can be according to how I see things … not how others would prefer me to see things.  Which, on the whole, isn’t a huge issue until that approach to life – the one which involves Honouring ME – collides with the approach to life which I was brought up with. 

I find the contrast of being a child and being a parent a tricky line to walk.  But, if I adopt the same approach to parenting – that’s the one which honours how I view life – as I do to living my own life, I believe I am honouring my kids as individuals and equals, too.  The only time(s) this gets difficult is when their perception is radically different from mine!  But, eventually, I notice that they are wise, too.  They bring in new perspective, new approaches, fresh knowledge to living, and I benefit from that.

I believe in them.  I believe in ME.  “Faith” is not logical, nor describable.  It’s a belief which allows Me to live the best life I can, be True to Myself in the face of stiff opposition, and to still be JOY-ful.

I’ve been seriously stimulating All Morning!

Which is FABULOUS.  It’s like having caffeine injected straight into my veins (and on days like today a little coffee goes a Really Long Way!) on  a continuous drip!  Woo Hoo!

And, if I happen to shower in the morning, on a day like this, which I did this morning, then the combination of water and massaging my brain following on from my morning cuppa means IDEAS, IDEAS, IDEAS!  (and, I seem to need to write with lots of exclamation marks! LOL)

This tends to mean that I spend a lot of time bouncing around and not feeling very grounded.  Which is ok for a while but not great when I still feel the effects of the first coffee/idea of the day later that evening, or even the next day.

That bodes badly for the next week, or two, or three, because it is a sign that I am about to sleep less and that means I’ll be stressed more.

But, at least I know that!

I am still in Creative Mode ~ thank goodness for the July Creative Challenge Girls: Beverly, Davine and Jenny ~ which I’m thoroughly enJOYing.  I’ve done heaps of variations on a few of the awesome UStamp projects (another one is on the list for today) and I’ve been experiencing some lateral thinking regarding the Stampin’ Kids workshop, this weekend.  Ahh, it’s Very Exciting.

I’ve also enJOYed the stimulation I’ve received from the Creative Mode to try out some different meals …  the Vietnamese Soup was very successful but not quite perfect.  It’s a great excuse to try again!  I LOVE this type of food, especially since having experienced it at the Central Market in Adelaide while away on an amazing weekend with Angel Julie.  Gosh, that brings back fabulous memories!  Isn’t it wonderful when you can revisit food or other experiences which, in their original guise, came with such magickal energy?!  Last night, I made Thai Salmon Cakes from the Jamaica Blue booklet which Kels and I picked up last week, at breakfast.  They were yummy, too!

So, Brain Dumping is the next thing on my agenda – again!  I’ve already ‘dumped’ once, today, and obviously need to do it again.  I AM INSPIRED!  I am inspired to Create Workshops ~ Crystal & Angel & Stamping ~ and Make Fabulous Food ~ tasty and healthy ~ and I’m even inspired to catch up on the chores! 

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas … they are a neverending source of JOY.

While being sidetracked on creating cards, chocolate covers, double pocket purses etc, I have been trying to ignore the “5 Year Plan” thoughts … I just don’t know where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing and I am even a bit scared of committing to doing something ‘just in case’ it goes awry.

But, I didn’t realise that those things I mentioned before were even possible in my “10 Year Vision” (this is why it’s great to go and have an Angel or Tarot Reading – it stimulates those otherwise dormant thoughts about what you might like to achieve in life).

I’ve been thinking about what I could set as goals for the next 6 months, what I am likely to achieve between now and the end of the year, and I find myself, yet again, reticent to Make a Commitment.

Why is that?

My artistic/creative side doesn’t like to be ‘locked in’ and it’s influencing my decisions a LOT, at the moment.  I am So Inspired to Be Creative!  Being Practical has been a challenge although I think I am able to ‘convince’ my Creative ME that my Practical ME needs a little time, today … cleaning, and Angel Workshop Preparation, MUST be a priority. LOL. [I can hear Creative ME already: "but, but, but ..."]

So, an easier way to commit myself to something is to think about what life may look like in 5 years time … it’s sufficiently far enough away that I can’t feel threatened by the commitment or the Fear of Success issues I experience or anything else.

In 5 year’s time …

my health will be in Great Shape

I will have a consistent income and be well on my way to being Financially Independent

I will have travelled to all the parts of Australia that I have ever wanted to see

I will be Living My JOY and Sharing that JOY with many people around me

Kels will be close to the end of her schooling and I will be close to the end of my more immediate parenting responsibilities

I will have my own car

My business premises will be organised/arranged and I will be in the process of refining my team of practitioners

I/we will be Giving Back to the Community ~ not sure how, yet

“Expressing JOY” will be my mantra.

Gosh! It still amazes me what comes through when I write these lists of thoughts about life in the future.  I feel they are a bit repetitive but that’s where my life is at, right now.  A lot of my ‘holding back’ comes from having a 12 year old who still needs her mother’s involvement (although not as much as before ) and that will naturally change as time moves forward.

Hmm.

Food for thought.

Maybe I might be able to think about what I want to achieve for the rest of this year now that I have broken down the next 10 years a little bit. 

By the end of the year I will have …

awareness

friendship

magical experiences in nature

lovely people who understand the difficult times and are there to support you

lemon myrtle soy melts

morning coffee

dressing up

making creative projects up from talented designer’s recipes

girlfriends who finally discover the magick of stamping!

receiving my next team swap in the mail

angel readings

facilitating workshops

planning lunches, coffees, gatherings

earning my own money

Being Awesome!

This is what I LOVE.

Being in this energy/space gives me a jumping off point for ‘painting a picture’  of what my life will look like in 2020 …

I will be 56 years old;

My kids will be 29, 26 1/2 & 22 (Gosh!!);

David will be 56 almost 57;

We will be living in our current home but in the process of relocating;

We will be traveling overseas at least once a year;

David will be my business manager and continuing his “Rock God” path, on the side;

I will be handing over the reigns of my company/business to a trusted employee which will free me up for travelling;

I will be considering a new book contract;

I will be fit and healthy ~ exercise will be a regular and committed process, maybe including personal training and yoga; I will enJOY spending time with Stillness allowing my mental health daily ‘time out’;  I will have a regular committment to working in the garden, getting my hands dirty and being renewed in energy and good health; I will have clear and constant access to all things spiritual and have integrated “5D” with “3D” realities; my diet will fulfill all my needs and be Easy;

I will own my own car ~ something mid-sized and sporty;

I will be Financially Independent;

I will be embarking on the adventures of a lifetime ~ Great Love and Journeys with David.

Goodness!  How Inspiring!  Is that REALLY how my life will be in 10 years time???

Like Daniel starting out on his life’s journey, I am sure that things will change between now and then.  The important thing is to Step Forward Strongly.  Make a Committment to something and go out and get it. 

When I think about where I am at now – July, 2010 – I realise that my life is pretty darn good.  But, having just done this process of Creating a Picture about where I will be in 10 years time (in essence, giving myself a ‘reading’), I realise that having a destination really does help with focusing and grounding my thoughts and plans.

Daniel sets weekly goals with his team … what he wants to achieve in sales for the week.  They are revisited each day, then reset each new week.

It’s probably time that I set some serious goals … not just ‘everyday’ goals like planning dinners or getting through the washing each week, but something which really focuses on the bigger picture.  Kels has been watching Macleod’s Daughters over the holidays and when Kate Manfredi arrives at Drover’s Run one of the first things she does is put her “5 Year Plan” poster on the wall.  That’s always appealed to me.  Maybe it’s time I did “Michelle’s 5 Year Plan”.

Hmmm.  Food for Thought.

How does my Life Look in 5 Years Time?

I’m not sure I can, either.

The only thing I know for sure is that I am on the path that I really, really want to be on, and I am journeying towards – what?  Doing “Lightworker” business full time?  Being Fully Engaged in my Career? Travelling? Earning a Living doing Readings and Workshops?

I guess it’s a bit of all of that.

When Daniel was in the process of leaving school, he was considering exactly this question.  He looked around at people whom he admired and talked to them about their lives, successes and challenges, and formed a picture of the direction in which he’d like to head.  He had a goal of whom he wanted to be like, by the time he was 40. 

This was an excellent process to go through because it gave him a direction to begin with once he’d left school. 

Twelve months later, he has a new direction and a new ‘destination’, and that’s ok.  Because the whole point of asking the question, “Where Do I Want to Be in 10 Years Time?”, is to find a path to start travelling.  The beauty of the path is that lots of options appear as you travel it … side streets, hills, mountains, valleys, new people, different situations … just like travelling in a city or country town.  There are always things to see on the way and choices which can be made, sometimes redefining the original direction, sometimes just making it more interesting.

So, Where Do YOU See Yourself in 10 Years Time?

Visual Pleasure Happiness, for me, comes in the form of …

a freshly made bed

green salad leaves

funky clothing

new colours from Stampin’ Up!

Jonquils

my newly organised and arranged Stamping Shelving

decluttered space

display cabinets filled with delectable edibles, or goddess jewellery

freshly cleansed and energised crystals … these actually allow me to FEEL HAPPY, too

I find it hard to get my brain around people who don’t ‘get inspired’ by Visual Pleasure, but I need to get it sorted because that is so not how David sees life!  I’m still not exactly sure what  kind of things allow David to feel happy, other than going Sailing (which we are booked to do in September!).   

When you know some things that make you happy, you can kind of follow that Happy Feeling through to your Inner Being and understand how you ‘Feel’.  My Happiness Feeling is like a warm yellow cloud of marshmallow … it’s divinely soft to look at  and smells like Sunshine.  My Feelings of JOY are similar but they come with lots and lots of bubbles, like in a glass of Champagne, that rise quickly to the surface and force me to Smile and Laugh and have Sparkly Eyes.

I guess if you are not a Visual Person it is a bit harder to ’see’ what Happiness looks like.  Maybe you can ‘feel’ how Happiness affects you.  Maybe there is some other way of remembering how Being Happy is for YOU so that you can recognise it when it visits again.

If you can recognise Happiness, through your senses, then you will always be able to find it again.  Because, my experience of recent times is that a lot of people have lost their connection to What Makes Them Happy. 

Did I mention that When You Are Happy, All Things Are Possible?!

I am Happiest when I am working with a client in a Reading or Facilitating a Workshop or Sharing the JOY of what I do and what I believe.

I am Happy when I hang out with Girlfriends, a Soy Flat White in a Mug and my current cake indulgence.

I am Happy when I am with David and it’s just the 2 of us and we are talking.

I am Happy when I am traveling and having new adventures.

I am Happy when I am INSPIRED.

I am Happy when I indulge in a favourite TV program ~ currently it’s Grey’s Anatomy! ~ or a favourite author.

And, the list goes on, and on, and on.

Have YOU thought about what makes you happy?  Can YOU answer the question?  Can YOU share your JOY? 

Do You Believe You Deserve to Be Happy?