This morning while I was considering what to write I kept hearing this toot toot behind me. It was very playful and it sounded somewhat like a kids toy. I asked what was that about and felt it was to encourage myself to toot my own horn but not just mine, yours too! While it isn't my job to toot someone else's horn, I am quite good at it. As with most people I imagine, it is easier to talk of someone else's skills, abilities and what they have to offer than my own.

When I am talking of someone else's accomplishments both of the physical and spiritual I am quite prolific. Ask me to talk of mine and I will downplay it and act like it's nothing of what I have accomplished. Some of this comes from feeling like it really hasn't been that hard but when I look and really pay attention to where I was and where I am and where I am going, I have a strong urge to go Whooaaaaaa (shout out to Lisa Ketcham who does the best whoa in the world!).  So I wondered, if I am willing to acknowledge it to self and can be reasonably comfortable stating it to others why can't I toot my own horn, which by the way would be one that goes ahuuuuggggaaa, cause it makes me giggle.

Some of it comes from my upbringing. I will always maintain that my parents did the best they could with what they had because the blame game doesn't work in my world but that doesn't mean I can't look at it and be in awe of the progress I have made from that upbringing. In my world it was encouraged to read well, speak well, do for others but not act smart. It wasn't until recently that I realized that is one of what I would call a whiplash message. It spins your head from left to right so fast it gives you a sore neck. Now, I take responsibility for believing that being smart would bother other people but I can also acknowledge that that belief is just not based in truth.

So often what holds us back is stuck in those beliefs and we may not even be aware of what they are or where they come from. Or if we are, maybe we don't want to look at it for fear it's bigger than we think. It doesn't really matter because the solution is the same; being willing to look and being willing to toot!

What beliefs are you hanging on to that you could release so you can root a toot toot with me? What voice do you hear in your head that isn't yours? What messages did you receive that just don't serve you any longer? It is ok to drop them and to allow the new messages to flow in. It really is and if you need help with this, feel free to call. It's amazing to feel like you are in your own skin and that you have choice with life and I, for one, am going to not only toot that I am going to sing it from the rafters! I am going to be the example of a smart person who looks for that next belief that can help her excel and love her life.

So, to get you started, try a few of these statements:

• I am _______________
• I love ______________
• I giggle when _________
• I want to _____________

See what comes up when you use these open ended statements. If nothing is there, that is ok, leave it for later and let it germinate in your being.

My answers would be, at least for today,

• I am loving, funny, smart, charismatic, thoughtful, curious, industrious and enlightened.
• I love the potential in life and in a person.
• I giggle when I have a great one liner that is slightly ironic and hits the point.
• I want to help people feel fantastic to their soul so that they will toot toot toot along with me in the band of life.

It's not that hard and can lift your vibration significantly if you allow it to.

Your challenge for today...... tell someone else what is great about you. One thing, you can do it!

Viewing and tooting and generally enthused with life,
Vicki

How do you know something before you know it?I heard myself ask this of a client last week and thought, hey that's a pretty good line. So often we put intense pressure on ourselves to KNOW what we don't even know yet. The pressure to perform, to be perfect, to be the knower of all information which just is not feasible. I am a true believer that everything is possible but to know everything would not only be a lot of pressure, it would be boring as there would be nothing else to learn, right?

When we are a child people applaud when we learn something new, like walking or finding our mouths with a cheerio. Something people have done for ages and yet we clap for it. Why don't we do this for adults or the older children we expect to have all the information simply because we already do, or do we?

Why don't we celebrate the fact that someone doesn't know but is willing to learn? It seems we have shifted from a place of comfort and excitement in being able to say, oh wow, I don't know but I can find out, to a place of fake it and hope no one sees that you don't know. This faking place not only takes you out of alignment with your soul that came here to learn, it feels awful, mostly because it takes you out of alignment with your soul. Cycles are fun aren't they?

So today when you don't know something, I am going to suggest you say, I don't know but am excited to figure it out. I am also going to ask that you celebrate yourself for being willing to say you don't have all the answers AND for seeking them. Then perhaps you will know something you didn't know before you knew it and feel empowered by the process. There may not be a lot of people surrounding you applauding that you did it, but I promise you, you will know you did and that is more important than what anyone else thinks anyway.

Viewing life as a continuous learning experience,
Vicki

Vicki's website
vicki@vickibaird.com

It is a gorgeous day here in the Berkshires and an abundance of green, sunshine and cool crisp air can be found. There is something about the combination that makes one feel so alive. I am very grateful for not only the opportunity to experience it but the awareness to take the time to appreciate it. This has been a challenge for me for the last few weeks, awareness. I have been both hyper aware and mind numbing unaware. (ok, that second part may be to too many hours viewing House Hunters International but the data is still out on that. )

I had mentioned in my last blog that the energy is a doozie right now and we were in the middle of something amazing and ridiculously challenging at the same time. I  stand by that description today. WOW has it been a challenge to not overreact or to bite someone's head off or to say, GIVE ME SOME SPACE! How about you? Are you feeling the compression of the energy yet? Appropriate that we are going into Labor Day here in the States because I feel like my head is being squeezed through the birth canal again. Luckily, I don't remember the first time and I was happy about that. I am not impressed. I am however completely stoked (can you say that if you aren't a surfer or a pot head? Does anyone even say it anymore? Well, I'm going to. ) about the ushering in energy.

I vacilate between this is so great that I can feel what is coming and man, I'd like to be oblivious for a bit so the pressure cooker will turn down. I'm nosy though, so I would probably always pick the prior. There is no doubt that we are moving to a higher frequency and what that means is both our soul selves and our physical selves need to adjust. If you are finding you are more tired or lack inspiration to do what you would normally do in a day, give yourself some space and compassion and perhaps rest and take care of you for now. If you find you are using the energy as an excuse though, reevaluate why you don't want to do something. Perhaps there is an emotional or a very logical reason you just don't want to do whatever it is.

As I have stated before, I believe there to be a BIG breathe of fresh air, universal, not Berkshire fresh air, September 4th. There is a feeling of great relief at that time and I am using it as a beacon for my sanity. I am asking each day "what can I learn from this" so that the turmoil, one doesn't have a say over me and two, will be put to good use.

Along with this energy is a great deal of sadness. I do believe that it is the purging that we go through as individuals as well as universal collective energy. Hey, we asked for it so it is being delivered. I know there is a supposed Blue Moon and I say supposed because there is so much disagreement in the astrological world about whether it is or not. I say who cares if it is a Blue Moon, a green moon or a moon made of cheese, we have another full moon, just like we do every four weeks or so, to use for our advantage here. The full moon is fantastic for releasing and letting go of what no longer serves us. So, did the moon cycle come first, absolutely, did the energy that is present add to the full moon effect, yup, can we use it our benefit. You betcha baby!

What do you want to release? What is no longer serving you? What would you like to have in your life? Use this cosmic 2x4 energy to help you find that. Write up a list of what you would like to release and then burn it outside to release it to the universe. If you can't burn, a good shredder will do the trick but be sure to take the papers outside to the trash so that the same principle is applied in releasing.

Along with the ushering out of old behaviors, there has been a huge amount of people passing lately. I recognize that it is the nature of my business that I encounter the emotion of loss on a daily basis but there is more of a frequency of souls transitioning lately. You will notice I do not use the word die. We don't die, we transition to another form. Life goes on not only for us but for those that have transitioned. I have seen time and time again where the one who has passed is comforting those of us here in the physical by acknowledging how awesome the process is. Let's face it people, we are all going to transition. The sooner we find a place within us of the gorgeous nature of that, the more fun the physical plane will be.

I know everyone is on their own path and they will come to that place in their own time and it may take passing to get there, but they will and for that I am sure as well as grateful.

Many of the souls crossing are doing so simply because their journey has completed. They have learned whatever they were here to learn and they are releasing themselves to the other side. Not to cease to exist but to learn in a different energy.

There are others that are choosing to up their exit date because they are not all too sure they want to go through the next wave of energy that is coming. Most of the time these souls had a hard time being on the Earth plane to begin with and have had challenges with addictions or mental health issues or plane ole don't feel like I belong energy. Some of these will be at their own hand and some will be at a divine intersection from anothers. There are no accidents and there is choice in everything so let's honor those that felt they were complete or were just so sure they didn't want to do this any longer (suicide, overdose,deliberately putting themselves in harms way) and remember them for their lives and thank them for being a part of yours.

There is also a group of souls that are leaving that will help us to the next level of learning or expansion and as a soul felt they could assist better from the other side. I saw this right before September 11, 2001 as well. So many are leaving here in order to be able to assist in a higher manner.

My point is that each and every passing is by choice and while that is challenging to believe from a human point of view, I hope it brings some comfort to those that are grieving the supposed loss of their friend, lover, parent, child, pet, local hero, sibling, etc. They aren't lost, they are still present and they are still able to communicate. It may take processing through your own grief to be able to feel that but I promise you they are there.

So, while this weekend may be bumpy energetically, why not find the time and space to be with those you love and spend some quality time with them and allow yourself to learn how to LIVE in every aspect of the word. Allow yourself to feel and allow yourself to become clear about what is in YOUR highest interest.

I believe in the strength of all souls whether enjoying their physical life or their non physical life and I believe in the love that is there at all times to be felt. Allow that love to comfort you and allow whatever feelings come up, not just in the next few days, but for your entire journey. I promise you, you will be glad you did. When your energy or your behavior wants to go to complaining or pointing out someone else's faults, take the time to look at yourself and perhaps learn to let go of whatever that anger is and allow the love to come in. Remember, where you put your attention is what you get in return. A little awareness goes a long way.

I do wish you well on your journey here in the physical and to those amazing souls reading this from the other side, I thank you for your teachings for I know it is because of them that I trust this whole process of transition and trust the vice grip will release itself soon.

Choosing to view from the heart,
Vicki

 Vicki Baird website
info@vickibaird.com

Well, how is life going for you? I have found this last month to be an absolute roller coaster of energy, emotions and everything button finding and pushing! Amazing, it has truly been amazing.

I decided a few years ago to not publicize too often the energy that was present and upcoming as some people can't balance the knowledge with allowing. They often want to jump on the drama of it and in turn, creates more and more of the negative wavelengths. I have stuck to this as I didn't want to promote a reason (even though that was not what I was saying) for people to audition for their Oscar performance.

It became very apparent to me this week that I was allowing a few reactions to overrule the positive effect it can have. Sometimes I have a slow return rate but I always get the point eventually!

So this is what I am seeing and feeling in the energy. HOLY SHITTAKE MUSHROOMS as my daughter would say. It is moving so fast that I feel like I am in the white water rapids competition in the Olympics and I didn't even go to the qualifying round or training! While I feel this is all leading to a fantastic awareness of self as well as the how I connect and communicate with others, I am not sure at times I have the fortitude to hang on to the oh shi*t handle on the tube to make it through to the finish line....which keeps stinking moving!

So, if you are feeling like you are on some kind of fast forward button and are having a hard time hanging on to your handle, well, hang on because much like the bucking bronco ride in the honkytonks (isn't that a great word?), the energy will require you to throw that arm up and just move with the motion of the ride and hopefully, laugh like a fool while you are doing it.

The reason for this isn't very glamorous...it just is. We are ready collectively to experience the next level of energy evolution and believe it or not, have been asking for this. We are asking ourselves and others to be more compassionate, we are asking ourselves to connect our soul to our human self in a cognitive and inclusive way and we are now trusting that we can carry out this mission.

Over time we have had some  huge openings and it hasn't been talked about or advertised but we made it through so just imagine if you had a heads up and were able to approach this next one with some reminders to breathe and to trust that if our soul has traveled this far, it will be able to lead us further with some ease and acceptance of self and others.

When will this happen, well, it is already in motion but the culmination feels like it will happen around September 3rd of this year 2012. I find it very appropriate that in the United States we will be celebrating Labor Day as the energy feels like I am going through the birthing process again only remembering it this time. I'm not a fan but I am tenacious and I am nosy and I know you are as well so we will get through this and breathe well after the 5th and well, then it will start up again in November but hey, at least we will have a month or so between sessions.

What can you do to help yourself through this? You can remember to take time to yourself, to be kind to you and to be excited about every challenge which presents itself,  because I promise you, if you are experiencing difficulties they are there to help you clear them before this opening so on the other side of it, the messages aren't big enough to be cosmic 2x4's upside the head!

Another way to help yourself is to say this too shall pass for it will and things will calm and then we will assimilate the new energy and then it will kick up and then it will calm and then we will assimilate.....do you see a pattern here? yup, the same one that has always been there it is just more intense now. Maybe it is because we go so fast ourselves we are adding kinetic energy to the process or maybe it is so we can vibrationally expand and use more of our abilities or maybe it is just the process of life that when we accept that there will be changes and things will go on and on and on. Then we will relax in whatever the energy is...which is really full circle to this post because if you just relax and ride with flexibility, your experience will be fast but it doesn't have to be frenetic.

So, what will you do to get some practices in place before that first weekend in September so when the energy is challenging you, you see it is as a personal request from self to be more than you were and to be proud of yourself?

I am going to keep with the promise I made to myself to walk and bike and breathe and visit with self. This became a necessity when I first started feeling this wave come in as I felt I was going to explode and was so overwhelmed with life where normally I see everything as an adventure. So perhaps you can borrow some of these too or will find your own but whatever happens, I am going to ask you to hold the energy that this is a FANTASTIC thing and that you will be with me in the excitement of the changes happening, rather than add to the fear.

I trust you will be there when I am careening down those rapids or challenging that dang bull for a redo because the view from here is spectacular!!!!!!!!!!!

Vicki

Change really is a good thing. It doesn't always feel that way when you are right in the middle of it but one of the gifts of life is that there is always change. The secret is getting good with it and realizing if it is always going to be there, it may be in your best interest to embrace it.

Now, you can embrace it with the wimpy hug some people give, you can go in with gusto and squeeze the stuffing out of it, or you can greet it like a dear friend, a good squeeze with an honest to goodness happy to see you feel.

I choose the last one for the most part. I feel that if nothing is stagnant then I better be good at going with the flow and recognizing what is in front of me so I can use it to my best interest. I have learned over the years that if I go in wimpy, I freak myself out. I will over analyze, I will be in my head way too much and I will inevitably create an outcome that I really don't want. It is best to see it as an opportunity to grow and to assess where it is I still require some patience.

Recently, I decided if my business was going to grow in the direction I would like it to, I had to start making some decisions and changing how I do business. Basically, it had to grow up. It had to become a business with an intention of moving forward and it needed me to be decisive and not so go with the flow. So there is constantly tweaking in this change process I am realizing for myself.

I also had to stop worrying about how others would be when my business changes and instead be the example of that loving change with grace and humor. My current task is in hiring an assistant. Someone who could be independent in their thinking but get that when I say there is a deadline on something, I'm not kidding and I'm probably not going to hug you when it isn't met. Someone who loved what they do as much as I love what I do and would be willing to grow as my business grows. People say they want to but a lot of the time that is a platitude they are offering because they think that is what I want to hear rather than what they really want.

So, this time the change is being methodical, business oriented and clear about what I am expecting and not being willing to settle because the person is a good soul and just needs a chance. This has been my pattern in the past and it doesn't work, does it? Have you ever giving someone a job, or hung out with them or kept them in your circle because they were a good person but you didn't really align with them? I realized how condescending that was the other day. Like I was the only one that could help them? Please. They have to help themselves and want to and no amount of me wanting them to is going to get anyone anywhere.....and often the job didn't get completed so there was the universe with my cosmic 2x4 telling me, Vicki, seriously, do you want someone to do a job or do you want to offer a safe haven. Ummmmm, option number one please!

I bring this up because often our change involves others around us and the tendency is to hold back on our expectations for desires for a fantastic life while we wait for others to join us. This waiting can lead to frustration, resentment or a really nasty attitude and then who wants to hang with a person like that..except others that know you are really a good soul and they are waiting for you to show up....what a cycle we get into.

I know the person I end up working with will be a good soul, because we all are inherently, but I also know that because I looked at an old pattern and decided to change it that we will match well and not only be productive, but FUN!

Where is there a place in your life that requires some change? What could use a little cleaning up, changing up, fluffing up to where you feel like you have seen change, met change and been excited about it? If you feel some resistance to change chances are you have already grown past it and just don't want to admit it. We have a class this weekend that would help with that...if you are ready for some change.

Take one small step today to address the area you feel could use some change and then celebrate yourself for taking action. It really will feel good to do something about it instead of sitting in the what ifs of it all. THEN you can start creating the life you really want to have.

So, as I sit on my couch typing this is occurs to me I will want to have something written up as I meet with all of the applicants to remind me that I've changed....and it is for the better. :)

Viewing life with new eyes and intention,
Vicki

s many of you may know, I can be a bit sensitive. I am very proud of that fact and even strive on a daily basis to expand on that sensitivity, not just for the sake of my business but also for my own soul's growth. While this wiring can be challenging at times, for the most part it is an absolute delight and hey, I am never bored!

I bring this up because what I have noticed over the last few days is a desire to whine about how sensitive I am. whaaaaaaaa. Ok, got that out of my system. I figured if the energy of the last few days is throwing me, I'd be willing to bet there is a whole gaggle (great word) of people out there who are experiencing the same.

So, over the last week or so there has been an increase in vibration in the universe that is having my head spin and my husband saying that I concern him. Why do I concern him, well, the simple tasks have not been so simple lately. Normally a very independent person and I feel quite intelligent, I couldn't figure out how to use the new smoothie machine I bought. Now, we aren't talking about a machine that would be in a smoothie store where hi tech explanation would be necessary. We are talking about a glass, a mini blender and only three parts. Now it is very funny, then, not so much. I could have chocked it up to being tired...I had already gotten up and gone for my morning walk. I could have chocked it up to stress....there is tons but I don't give it drama energy. I could have chocked it up to a moment where all cylinders were not firing....and boy have there been times of that. But, what I realized as I was giving Howard the deer in the headlight look is that my vibration was going higher and I couldn't figure out how to be on Earth and do that kind of stuff and allow it to go wherever it needed to.

Luckly, my wonderful husband gets this and just calmly takes whatever I am struggling with and shows me how to put it together. Probably while assessing me for a stroke, but he doesn't mention this part...out loud.

So, if you are feeling a bit spacy lately and you are not quite sure what has stolen your brain and when it will return...relax. It will only be a bit longer. There are, I am sure, many reasons for the shifting and someone with an astrology or physics back ground could explain it in their way but in my way it is all about how are you feeling? Be willing to look at that and then ride with the not so smart moments and you will be great.

What is happening is your physical self and your non physical self are trying to assimilate and come into some kind of alignment so that the skills you have, like basic reasoning, can be used and not leave you staring at the ingredients for a smoothie and not be able to factor it out.

There has also been a great deal of sadness around with a lot of souls not knowing how to handle that either. Our emotions are so powerful, they are a good indicator of where we are and how much we are dealing with. While they are wonderful and I believe we wouldn't have them if we weren't meant to use them, often they are effected by the vibrational frequency in the collective universe. So, if you are feeling more lately and you are not sure what to do with it ask this all important question first, is it mine or is it someone else's? Very often it isn't even ours and that can lead to all kinds of misdirection and sadness that is carried but not effective in pointing out the direction that is best for us individually. If it comes back to you that the emotions aren't yours, well, wish whomever they belong to well and step back from the energy.

There have also been a lot of souls choosing to pass at this time. Now, the choice would have been made previous to them arriving here but now is when they are leaving. I know how hard it is to experience that passing of another soul,either human or pet family, but if we could honor that souls energy it would be easier on everyone and much more healing than focusing on the space that their physical body no longer inhabits. It is truly a gift to be able to cross, for the path of this lifetime is complete and that is reason to celebrate.

The reason I bring this up is to help you learn to discern where the sadness, emotion, energy, feeling, whatever you want to call it is coming from. We will continue to grow and raise the vibration of ourselves and this universe, as well as all others, and it is an exciting prospect and one that with a little awareness we can learn to celebrate as well as navigate.

So, if you find yourself exhausted and not really sure where it is coming from, it doesn't really matter, just listen. Just take the time to breathe, relax and allow whatever is passing through to pass. Like everything, the less you fight it, the faster it goes. Eventually it all settles into a feeling of expansion and ease..at least until the next time you are growing. Isn't this fun?

Remember you are a soul having a human experience so this growth goes on exponentially and that in itself is amazing. As are you and like any good recipe, the time you take to marinate only makes it better.

Viewing this life as a party in the making,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com
www.vbairdconnections.com
413.499.2060

I thought it might be fun to give away a chapter from my book today, so here you go! This is chapter seven and from the section What to do with IT!


Don’t Name It; Claim it, or Blame It

This is one of my favorite sayings as it puts it so clearly what not to
do and sometimes we have to know what not to do in order to
fi gure out what to do. One of my favorite quotes from Esther Hicks and
Abraham is “often we know what we don’t want to help us figure out
what we do want.” It is simply brilliant in its simplicity and its message
that if you can’t figure out what you want, you most always know what
you don’t want. How do you know? Well, humans complain. It is an
innate talent that is one of our least great achievements as beings on
this planet. We would be hard pressed to find another creature that
will complain when something happens to their habitat. One that
wants to blame everyone for their misfortune or wants to talk about it
endlessly in an effort to name whatever the inconvenience was. We are
special aren’t we? No, really, we are but we could use that specialness
to enhance our life rather than take away from it I believe. Humans
are always saying how we are the more evolved species, isn’t it time we
show that by paying attention to those lesser species and learning how
to be with whatever is happening? (Yes, I am being facetious here, we
can learn A LOT from other species when we pay attention.)

The clearest indication to me when someone is caught in the name,
blame, claim game is the excuses that come out of a conversation. It
seems to be a group effort, no blaming without the excuse cousin. It
is nice that the excuses and nbc (name, blame, claim) get along, but
not very serving of our individual selves. Excuses are the brake pedal
in life. If inspiration and growth are the gas than why would you want
to drive with the gas and the brake on? It would create a great circular
pattern no doubt and perhaps you are familiar with this pattern but is
it serving you?

So can you ask yourself, where are you living with excuses? This
isn’t to point out where you may be procrastinating, this is to help
you understand where you aren’t being honest with yourself, which is
equivalent to the jake brake in trucks, you know that rattling sound
when they have to slow down fast? Yeah, that is your excuseometer. Is
it rattling, squeaking, grinding in any way? If it is, this is where you see
the mechanic to fix it.

What excuse do you hear yourself use the most? Mine is not enough
time. Now, I know that isn’t true as time is relative and while I am very
busy, I always find the time and meet my goals so there is a big ole hole
in my excuse than isn’t there? So, what is yours? I shared mine, go for
it, name it. (Yes, there is a trick in this chapter as we shift from brake
to gas but go with me here.)

Now that you have named it, breathe. Allow yourself to accept it so we
can move forward.

Ok, ready? Good, now ask yourself,

• What am I receiving from this excuse?
• How is it benefiting me? Following my example, not enough
time, or too busy, the benefi t I can receive is a feeling of self
pity, self promotion or even a reason to not do other things.
Sometimes it’s not pretty to look at your own stuff, but it
ALWAYS feels better afterwards.
• So, what are you receiving from the excuse? What is your
pay off?
• Now, what is the action you can take to move past the
excuse? Again using my excuse, because I believe a lot of
people use this same excuse, I decided when I heard myself
saying the excuse, or thinking it, I would do whatever it was
I was avoiding because that was the real issue, avoidance.

So, if I had a class to write but felt I was so busy I couldn’t
sit down and do it and the excuse popped up, I chose to sit,
write something and move through the need to have my self
pity fix met. Not pretty, I’ll grant you, but it works when
you are honest with yourself and fi nd a sense of humor
about how creative we beings are.

This is the part where you do not blame it. It really doesn’t matter what
the issue is or what the reason is it has been created. All that really
matters is what you are willing to do to be in a better place in your life
and most importantly, in your soul for the learning you do now will
carry forward.

What can you do right now to move through that excuse you gave
previously? Can you clean out one drawer if your excuse is you are
not organized enough? Can you go for a walk for fi ve minutes if your
excuse was you are too tired to exercise? Can you sit down and write
for fi fteen minutes if you have a paper due and you just don’t have the
inspiration to do it. Write spaghetti over and over again until you move
through whatever it is you are avoiding. It doesn’t matter what you write
as long as you are doing something to move forward. The same is true
of the organization or the exercise. It is also true if your excuse is you
just can’t afford to do anything, you can, you are just using an excuse
to stay stuck. There are a lot of free activities as well as ways to increase
income or decrease debt, some actually fun! Seems silly doesn’t it when
we put it that way, doesn’t it? Remember that old standby, honesty is the
best policy? This is especially true if we are talking about self.
So while you are being honest, give yourself the gift of no claiming. I
don’t feel it is a coincidence that claiming and complaining rhyme so
well. There is a distinct connection between the two. Once you start
complaining you have already claimed whatever it is you are giving
negative attention to. By virtue of giving your attention you have
claimed it. Now, we can’t edit every thought that comes into our mind
for that would make us nuts, but we can learn to focus on what fi lls us
up rather than depletes us.

For just a moment, think of something you complain about often.
Got it? Good now really feel what it feels like in your body when you
complain. What do you feel? Do you feel elated, pumped up, ready
to charge ahead? Do you feel crummy, depressed or lethargic? What
is your body telling you? Please listen because this is the fi rst step in
listening to yourself and rewiring the messages that have been playing
for many years leading you in the direction of drama and negativity.
If you feel pumped up, there is a good chance you thrive on the drama
of your excuses and the excitement you feel is being fed as a type of
addiction that will never serve you well for like a lot of addictions, you
will go back for more and more and more.

If you feel depressed or less than enthusiastic, it is depleting your system
and each time you participate in complaining, you are decreasing your
enjoyment of life over and over. If there were a magic pill for this,
everyone would need a prescription but there isn’t. It is magic when
you realize you have a say in how you feel and decide to make some
changes to feel better and develop habits that support your greatness. I
know you can do it.

When you feel you are sliding into naming, blaming or claiming, don’t
judge yourself, but redirect, move just a bit off the habit toward action.
We all know that actions come after our thoughts so if you can take the
time initially to shift those thoughts and rewire the automatic response
to one of positive action, your actions are going to flow nicely. In this
place you would be focusing on what is now and right in front of you
rather than what is not. So you would have shifted from the gas and
brake driving to the gas and occasionally using the brake when you
want to make a turn. Much like driving, the movements aren’t going
to be fast and jerky, they will be small, slow and constantly adjusting,
no jake brake needed!


I hope you enjoyed this post and if you would like to explore this further, I am leading a group this weekend on this very topic!If you'd like to purchase the book, you can contact the store at 413.499.2060 or order it from any of the popular online suppliers. Thanks!


From a room with a view,
Vicki