Preschool Preparation

As you prepare your child for his/her first foray into school, it is of utmost importance that you really SEE and FEEL the texture of your child's soul. Some children thrive in the highly social school environment whereas others may take years to ease into a societally "correct" choice that is not really a great match for their interior. Of my three children, my middle child Piper suffered from separation anxiety in these early school years. Much later, I understood that for her—an ethereal, non-competitive child—the transition into a highly charged environment with no alone time was extremely difficult for her nervous system. Today at age twelve, Piper is self-aware enough to understand for herself that her spirit requires an abundance of purposeful downtime to simply BE. After attempting an all-girls' summer camp for three and a half weeks that my older daughter dearly loves, Piper voiced that although beautiful and right up her alley as far as being surrounded by nature, she simply could not function well in nonstop interactive environments for that length of time. So, it is we as parents who must feel for the energetic texture of our children and teach them to consciously become aware of the voice of their own soul, for it is inner resonation that is one's true compass.

Parents Unplugged

It is vitally important that parents model themselves all expectations that they have for their children, including time spent immersed in technology. Family rules such as no hand-held devices during family outings, family mealtimes, family discussions and before 8am/after 8pm should be across the board within a family if parents desire children to follow suit readily. Too, much time must be spent not only discussing appropriate technolgy use, as well as the pros and cons, but a true effort to introduce children to universal, life-affirming themes—self-love, transparency, authenticity, gratitude to name a few—to be integrated into everyday life alongside the advanced technology of our day. Life lessons both on and off the keyboard can only be processed within the heart and mind if the entire family remains unplugged for portions of each day, especially during times of increased opportunity for face-to-face, soul-to-soul interaction that can be hard to come by in today's modern world.

The FLIP

In our family, we refer to seeing the gifts and possibilities in all life experiences as THE FLIP. We teach our children that there are two sides to every coin and with a commitment to maintaining a high state of being, one can always discover the unseen yet purposeful gifts in life's challenges and in the mundane. Through flipping any situation, you uncover the divine dichotomy that offers the and/both approach to life rather than the either/or approach. For example, three sick days can be perceived as disastrous and a time for quiet, rest and solitude. Sitting peacefully in your backyard for two hours can be perceived as wasted time and deep contemplation. When life is looked at more closely, multiple angles surface exposing the infinite possibilities to perceive every life experience in any way that you choose. The FLIP falls on each individual—you may either remain locked into a singular, tunneled perspective or open effortlessly to an exquisite and vast viewpoint.

Divine Flow Energy Moment

About six years ago, I was driving in my car en route to pick up my son from a playdate while listening to an Eva Cassidy song called People Get Ready. Suddenly, the idea for my next career after ten years of being a stay-at-home mom floated across my mind. The moment the thought registered that I desired to become a professional soul nurturer, I had a mystical experience. The entire car filled with indescribable JOY as my body tingled all over and the top of my scalp opened to allow heightened energy to pour into my entire being. I wept as a breathless feeling of total ecstasy enveloped me. There were intense feelings of LOVE, ONENESS, and absolutely no hesitation or fear. It felt like my soul was pulsating, "YES, YES, you understand your mission." The beauty of the whole experience will be with me forever. I have since had many similar experiences that I now call my DIVINE FLOW ENERGY MOMENTS. They always occur when I am alone and unattached to my thoughts. During the experience, I desire it to last forever. However, after they are over, I am filled with peace and now understand deeply that the joy of these experiences lies not only in the experience itself, but also in each moment that leads up to the next one.

The “Sex Talk”

     The most important aspect of the puberty conversation with any age child is that their body should be intimately loved, acknowledged, and appreciated, as they would love, acknowledge, and appreciate their own child. A physical body is a gift like no other. Each tiny part of the body is an integral and all-important aspect of the whole system. This relationship of the human body to all of its parts mirrors an individual soul’s relationship to God. It is this magnificent system, your physical body, which is currently a home to your soul.

     The overall purpose of a “sex talk” should move beyond simply teaching your children about sex, but rather instill in them a strong appreciation for their beloved vessel so that they may come to view it as a sacred instrument; and therefore, not abuse it, care for it, and be aware to notice changes in it. Help children understand that they’re meant to be active participants in the care and healing of their own body. It is helpful to acknowledge frequently all of the different body parts and their important functions. Encourage children to touch and talk to their body. At a young age, invite children to listen to their body and recognize what their body is telling them. This profound respect and acknowledgement of the body cannot begin soon enough.

Soul to Soul

Soul to Soul versus Role to Role is about seeing all others as deeply connected to you. It is my view that anyone who crosses my path has the potential to share a gift with me, and the gifts exchanged are always mutual—perhaps a piece of information that I have been searching for, a flash of insight, a mere mention of something meaningful to me, a new lead. Any shared experience with another has the capacity to be synchronistic for both parties if our antennae are up, and we are fully present to the moment at hand. Even a seemingly "negative" encounter has deeper meaning in drawing our attention to something that we need to look at more closely within ourselves. Besides warmth, a smile, and a genuine openness to all souls who cross my path, I often invite conversation by listening to my intuition and offering a question or observation that I feel may hold meaning for the other. If I feel there is something positive to share with another, then I do so regardless of societal "rules" that may make some individuals hesitate to interact. When you view life from the broad aspect that everyone and everything is part of a vast divine web, no contact with another human being, no matter how small, can ever be taken for granted.

Love Her Anyway

Just finishing up spring break yesterday, I was trying to relax in my sunny backyard, but twirling (reliving a conversation in my head that was disappointing), when suddenly a voice popped into my mind that repeated over and over again, LOVE HER ANYWAY! LOVE HER ANYWAY! I had been twirling because I felt that the individual with whom I had just spoken was less than supportive and unable to really see me. I began to think of other times, people, and situations where there had been disagreement, stress, and anxiety due to different perspectives. As that still voice whispered in my ear, LOVE HER ANYWAY, peace and acceptance washed over me and replaced the twirl. Why can't we just love each other anyway? Is it really so hard to love someone who doesn't agree with us, support our every choice, or even fully see our most authentic self? Is that the other person's job anyway?

It dawned on me that we could save our children hours upon hours wasted in twirls, if we could model for them and encourage them to simply LOVE HER ANYWAY, without strings, without a need for validation and support, without a desire to change another in some way that better suits our needs. While it seems so difficult to just LOVE HER ANYWAY, sitting in my chair immersed in the blossoming spring all around me, it was actually quite easy; simply a caress, a gentle wave of total acceptance of myself first, and then an inner knowing that all was well with the other, too. I observed that a beautiful cardinal flew gracefully across the yard as my twirl ended, a sure sign that to simply LOVE HER ANYWAY was definitely the highest choice.

My First Official Blog

Of course, I blog to myself all of the time in my Intuitive-Gratitude Journal, but this is my first foray into the very public blogosphere, all of which is quite new to me. I guess the time has come for me to get used to a larger public audience as my first book is due out in June. All of this "newness" requires a readiness, willingness, and openness on my part to share from my heart without fear or apology. Trusting Annieness, in this full-out, no holds barred way, has perhaps been my greatest hurdle in my lifetime. Threaded just underneath my challenges and triumphs for much of my life has been the seeds of doubt simultaneously coupled with the seeds of glory. The conscious merging of those two, the acceptance of both my humanity and my magnificent potential, has landed me right here where I am today-ready, willing, and open to taking more risks without the need to apologize for my perspective and insights.

My intention in sharing a blog is to create a space, a conversation, where all feel unencumbered by their self-doubting seeds and empowered by their seeds of glory. I hope to cover topics of our day in relation to how they can assist us in accepting and offering our most authentic selves to the world at large. Of course, we must always note that as we adults become capable of this very attainable and sustainable way of life, the effects will be far-reaching as the children and grandchildren of our world are observing us carefully. As our new Shine Forth perspective embeds itself in our every thought, word, and deed, we will finally model for the children of our world what it means to LIVE TRUE. Living True is not only our greatest example, but our greatest gift!

Please join me in living more honestly, joyfully, lovingly, gratefully, and authentically as empowered conscious individuals so that together we may pave the way for our children to do the same...