There are so many ways to describe the feeling of a new year coming in. There is an excitement that is in the air, our emotions and the celebration of time moving on. This excitement can get mixed up with the reviewing of the previous year. While I do believe being willing to look at where you have been can be very rewarding, it can also be that pit of woe is me that doesn't get anyone anywhere.

I am going to challenge each one of you to take some time over this New Moon, New Year and create a list of the things that you have accomplished this past year. A list of the attributes you have expanded on and the milestones you have reached. Look into the essence of you and find all those really great things that get hidden because bitching is much more common then bragging. Remember to count each and every one that comes to mind. The walks you took instead of giving excuses, the ways that you stepped out of your comfort zone (Personal training in a gym full of people for me. You want to challenge a fear of being on stage, holy macaroni that will do it for you.I love a stage and it still caused some really big doubts.), the people you contacted, the breaths that you took before losing your temper or even the breaths that you took admiring the flowers and scenery. Whatever the movement, great or small, acknowledge it because they matter all. (Like that? It rhymes.)

Then, if you wish, you may do a list of what you would like to see in 2014. Please remember to include the emotional, spiritual and connective journey as well as the physically manifested one for in order to really appreciate the physical, the rest must be in attendance.

I wish all of you the very best and know without a doubt that you are amazing.

See you in the New Year!

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

“For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice.” T.S. Eliot

I love this quote for the fact that it so succinctly points out how people see the new year. It is a chance to shift who you are and how you acted and somehow it is a magic eraser that takes away any marks of the last year too. While I am grateful we have such a great tradition, I believe that we have this ability every day. We can shift in any moment and we can be true to our language, even learning a new language, at any time. We have that ability. Everyone does, regardless of circumstances but for some reason we save it like prized dinnerware for the first of the year.

While this post is about using the time to help yourself as well as the energy of the coming year, universally, you are in charge of your own, I am going to encourage people to get the idea that they are magical and can decide on the spot to shift up how they are being and reach for that better feeling.

2014 is a year of opportunity. Now, every year is as well but this one has turbo fuel behind it. Energetically it feels like someone is manufacturing rocket boosters for all of us. Those that are willing to strap them on and do some clarifying and allowing are going to LOVEEEEEEEE this year. Those that are not so fond of change and accepting of others may not be so gleeful. As stated probably a hundred million times by myself, we have choice. We always have choice in how to respond to a situation, how to inspire ourselves and how to leave what does not resonate behind but how many of you are brave enough to stand in that choice? How many are willing to say, "this is who I am, how I operate and what I want." without checking in with the masses? I hope you are one of them because it is going to be a heck of a ride and you are going to want to check your limitations at the door in order to take advantage of the energy of this year.

What does this mean to you? Well, that is a personal thing but what it can mean is that you are showing up with who you really are and not giving a flying fig if others don't like it. I don't mean you are being confrontational, I simply mean you are able to say, I love me and this is who I am and I know that others opinions have no say in who that is. (If you have challenges with this, come see me, it seems to be a specialty of mine to help others see their own shiny self!) The ability to be willing to hold this vibration is what makes it really cool to be human, in my humble opinion. We have the drive to be better than last year with the intelligence to seek that out, whatever the mechanism.

Let's face it, we may be on this planet with billions of other people and beings, but we are still alone in the who we are as individuals. I don't say that to depress people but to encourage them to be good with that alone space and to truly love who they are so others can then love them too. You are the only you, do it up!

What does your voice say about you? Do you offer up kind words when talking to others and yourself? Do you hear yourself repeating how others feel and it isn't exactly how you do but you follow along anyway? Do you know what you really want in life, in this year, in this day, in this moment? If you don't, that's ok. Spend some time with you and ask those questions and don't be afraid to answer them. Honesty above all other traits is the most important when connecting to self and others. You may not like what you first hear and that is ok too! Often the things we don't like help us to get pointed in the direction of what we do like. Thing of clothing sizes, jobs that don't fit, friends that aren't real friends or relationships that don't light you up. All these things that aren't just right are helping you to figure out what you would like and hopefully you are open enough to hear them and chart a course of improvement.

The energy of this year is in complete support of our best selves. It is the most giddy energy I have felt since 2008 so I am so freaking ready to be in it! I, for one, will be adding to the energy by figuring out how I really want to be in my own skin and soul and creating movement to allow that to happen. Some may not like it but I am not going to hold back on my souls path because others are stuck in theirs or they just don't like what I decide. It may sound cold to some, but I know I filed a flight plan of my own before I got here and as the pilot, I get to decide where I go. Are you ready to fly with me? Have you tuned up your engine and checked your wings?

Grab your goggles and scarf, let's go see what we can create!

Loving the view from up here!
Vicki

"Being thankful isn't about taking inventory of what is in your life at any given moment. It is a way of being in your life in any given moment."vb

I do love this time of year. I love every time of year because we have amazing seasons here, but this year I am especially grateful for November. The last two Octobers have really been challenging and I was not sad to see this years pass by and segue into November. I am one of those odd ducks that really does believe that everything happens for a reason and if I am aware enough, I can see it and move through the parts that are a little squishy, faster and with more ease. 

I keep reading how everyone is thankful. Thankful for the week, the holiday, the snow, the sales, the vacations, the time with family, the coming hibernation (although I kick into high creative gear in the winter...I know...odd duck.) and the list goes on. I am so happy that people are grateful and being conscious of being thankful, but couldn't we do it every day? Couldn't we see what is there for us to be thankful for? Of course we could, but will we, that is probably the best question to ask.

Will you join me in a daily expression of thankfulness? Will you allow yourself to look around and be grateful for what you have in your life? Really grateful not just that platitude we post on facebook or the I'm fine that we give people when they ask. Really grateful for the ability to breathe and to be invested in life and to show up on a daily basis to be all we can be in this body, in this lifetime.

It really doesn't take a lot of time and I promise you, it takes less energy than complaining and ALL of us find the time and energy to do that. So, this is my challenge to you for this week. Every day, several times a day if you would like, find something to be grateful for and acknowledge it. Give it a high five or simply smile and know that you have the best secret ever; gratitude leads to more things to be grateful for. Amazing isn't it?

I am thankful for all of the experiences of these last two years and proud to know somewhere deep down I knew that lamenting wasn't going to get me anywhere but clicking into who I really am and being silly and enjoying the fact that life is everywhere would.

I am also thankful for all of you. However I have come to know you or even if we  have never met. The world does not exist without each organism offering its presence. That is very cool to me and I appreciate whatever balance your energy brings to this greater whole.

I wish you the best this week has to offer you and more!!!!!!!!

Greatly filled with gratitude,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

"When the inclination is to use Finally, insert Timely, because that is much more accurate." vb

If there is anything I have learned in the last few months, it is patience. During the process of the store changing hands and then coming back, there was a great deal of uncertainty. What were we going to do? What were our options legally? Should we sue and be caught up in the energy longer and tied to a situation that was less than pleasant? Should we let it go and take the road of class and integrity or scream from the top of our lungs about the unfairness of it all? A lot of what should we do and then I remembered life isn't about stuff. It isn't about who won or who lost and it certainly, in my world, isn't about changing who I am to join a lower energy of deceit so our only option was that high road while learning how to protect our assets a bit more, emphasis on the ass part!

So, here I am two months later and I could say it is finally done but as I remind a good friend of mine, timely is what it is really is because everything happens in the best time if we are able to be in the flow of energy. I won't lie, it has been one of the hardest times of my life but it has also showed me who I really am and that no matter what happens, I can shine.

I have heard that people miss the newsletters and blogs and trust me, I miss writing, but there was a need to take care of myself, and my immediate family, and make sure whatever I was offering was of the highest vibration and sincere. I have learned it is very healthy to say I am mad, sad, frustrated, not going to bend to your every whim and that others needs will just have to wait. This is HUGE for me so once again, I am grateful for an experience that is less than ideal but evidently exactly what I needed to get to the place of self care. Having said that...I'm baaaaaack! Ha!

I am sure it isn't a surprise to you that the energy has been INTENSE! I feel like I have been going through a wringer washing machine backwards and all my stuffing is coming out! Wouldn't that be nice if the stuffing came out, but I digress, it has been challenging lately. The full moon that we just passed was hugely gorgeous as well as pushing us to be clear about what we would like moving forward. This is not the time of indecision. You know those cosmic 2x4's I talk about in my book, well, here you go. If you don't listen to what your body needs, your emotional heart, your brain, there will be more wringing out going on and it will feel awful.

The good news is that once you make a decision, and it can be as simple as I want to feel good, the energy will shift into motion again and you will feel the relief of it throughout yourself. Keep reminders around you of reaching for that higher energy feeling. If you are angry, reach for neutral, if you are frustrated, reach for inspired.  A simple adjustment will have that radio frequency you are singing beautifully. There just isn't tolerance for fake any longer in this amazing universe we have. Relationships that weren't working before will show their cracks even more and decisions will have to be made. Careers that don't line up, even for those of us self employed, will reveal new layers or a complete packing up of the gig. Most importantly for me, the practice of putting off self care will no longer be tolerated by self.

Yes, people, we are moving into a healthy version of selfishness, which simply means to take care of oneself. Do it or experience your body, mind and spirit pushing you in other ways. How often have you not listened to self and then ended up on the couch with a full blown cold or flu or twisted ankle because you needed to stop and rest but wouldn't allow yourself to? Well, I'm telling you, you are going to want to listen so that this isn't created and so you don't have to learn through a limiting experience to embrace your expansion.

There will also be less tolerance in all of us for untruths. I had this experience this am. I had a practitioner that was giving me an excuse about why my prescription wasn't called in. Now, I am patient with these things because I know how overwhelming the amount of phone calls, emails, texts and facebook messages I get can be so I tend to give leeway. But when I can't breathe, the less tolerant Vicki shows up. I had to remind myself while I was there, in person because that always makes more of an impression, especially when you can't breathe, that pushing was only going to beget more pushing from their part. It is a natural energy response. So, I took the deepest breath I could and used my mama voice (The kids always said I was scary when I got quiet and emphatic, best info they every gave me.) and calmly stated, you can continue to lie or we can just speak the truth here and get to a solution that hopefully includes me breathing. Thank goodness I am aware of the energy or I could have gone a bit bitchy there. I do have that ability. ;)

I personally am a fan of honesty and am glad the energy is shifting so that more people will line up with their own version, wherever that may be on the scale. Take some time to assess where you are in your honesty with yourself first, because it always starts at home, and then pick a couple of items that aren't in alignment with your new honest Abe self and address them. You don't have to change everything in one day, that rarely works, but movement forward is necessary if you don't want to get swept up in this next wave of clarification the universe is doing.

I know the question from most of you is how long is this going to last? Well, good question, how long are you going to be a soul...eternally. This is not going to change. How you respond to it will over time. See it as an exciting challenge to always tell the truth. Be aware of your delivery, manners still count and remember your truth is not the other persons, so be respectful of others.

The energy is going to shift though within the next week, by next Thursday is what I am calling, Thanksgiving, how appropriate. Use it to help you decide what kind of life you would like to be living. It only hurts a lot if you swim against the current, it is a lot of fun if you get on the inner tube and ride it down the river!

I wish you the best in this process and am so grateful to those who hung in there with me during this last transition. Goodness gracious!

Blessings,
Vicki

"Release the demons and the allow the diamonds to show up."vb

This is a statement I said to a client today while in a session. We were discussing how cute we are as humans when we hold on to things that are no longer serving us. We are tenacious sometimes with who wronged us or things that didn't go our way as well as if it happened to a perfect stranger. I agree compassion is a lost art sometimes but so is moving on it seems.

There has been A LOT of moving for me over the last few months. I am sure you can tell because there has been less posts than even normal for me and there has been some periods of pure silence. This is not intentional to keep people out of the loop, this is so I can navigate the loop! There are these twists and turns and inversions and other loopdiloops that will not only turn your stomach, they will create a feeling of discombobulation. (I love that word. I have since it was on our vocabulary list in sixth grade!) Which end is up and where am I going?

As you may be aware, in August we sold the store and practitioner space at Connections. I stayed on for the transition knowing that in order for it to shift and grow I would have to exit stage left. I did this in the beginning of October. I found the cutest office just mere feet from the old location and settled in for what I hoped was a collaborative relationship. This did not happen. I found out, after some other people, that the new owner felt it necessary to close the store. While the reasons are not important, the hole I felt was. I felt a great loss of community and a great sadness for those that for three years had found comfort and a place of acceptance in Connections. Sure, some didn't have any money but the scent of incense was free and the feeling of being safe for just a few minutes was priceless. I also felt powerless to solve this. It is, of course, not mine to solve. This was a BIG realization for me. I would just have to let go and continue to move on.

I could hold on to the disappointment, the sadness and even the grief of something that we poured so much energy and heart into or I could realize this disappointment may be my greatest teacher yet. Things didn't go as I saw them going (enter other people's free will) and I wasn't in a place of power to do anything about it although I tried. I brainstormed with Howard, I cried, I yelled, I pouted (not proud of that one) and eventually realized I had to let go. I had to back up and let things come to a halt in order to go forward again. I can't speak for the store Connections because legally we don't own it but damn it, I can speak to the energy that was Connections and turn this demon into a diamond.

I can thank each and every person who came across our path in the process of creating the store from the suppliers, to the customers near and far, to our amazing practitioners, to the people who wandered in and didn't have a clue what we were. I can thank Spirit for whispering (yelling) in my ear to open a store on North Street. I can thank the employees over the years and the incredible support we received from community when people would call to check on Howard after each of his surgeries. I can thank our families for putting up with empty chairs at functions because we had to open the store and I can thank all of the little kids who ever played in the fountain. I can thank our neighbors in the Central Block for being so fun and for caring as well as our landlords for being great people and answering the phone when Vicki called and said, "did you know the water is running continuously in the janitor closet or Did you know the alarm is going off?". ahhhh, Rich will probably not miss me too much. :) I can thank ourselves for still showing up when we were exhausted and not sure we could go on or make a profit or even wanted to talk about incense and rocks ever again.

I have been thanking each and every aspect of this process and yes, if I hear one more time that I will know what the lesson is soon enough, I may scream but I'd be screaming at me because I keep saying it to myself. You see, I don't believe I am an effective intuitive coach if I am not willing to look at my own stuff and walk this walk of blending the physical life with spirituality!

I believe that the disappointment of these last two weeks are helping me to appreciate the beauty around me and all the things I have in this life and for that diamond, I am incredibly grateful. The demons of yesterday and many decades of issues have shifted and for that I am thankful. I am sure there will be other levels of releasing and perhaps even grief as we move through the next few months, but ya know what? I create diamonds wherever I go and I am so grateful for the knowledge that it is even possible.

I thank you for reading this and wish you great happiness and diamond gathering as well.
Vicki


www.vickibaird.com

"It takes courage to imagine your life different." Lindsay TF

This is one of my favorite quotes because it really does take that courage to look and see that things could be different for you. It also takes bravery, a sense of adventure and a just a little bit of silly to start making those changes that you would like to see. It is also one of my favorites because I actually know the person who said it! It isn't just a random collection of words from someone afar, it is someone I have had the pleasure of seeing grow and use that courage on many occasions. 

I am seeing a lot of people lately who are digging deep into their own fears and moving forward in whatever form they would like to see their lives unfold. This is really exciting to me as a person, soul and coach. As a person it helps me to remember to look at challenges as a fun thing, as a soul it makes me happy to be part of this time in our universe and as a coach it excites me for it means we are growing as a people and I get to be a part of that! Sweet!

I said to a client yesterday that what if the feeling she was feeling wasn't doom and gloom, but rather a feeling that she was about to bloom? Using a plant as an example, they have to push through the dirt and the layers of Earth to show up and reach the sunshine. I bet that is uncomfortable at some point but the plant, knowing that stagnation is certain death, isn't going to just lay there and lament, it is going to keep reaching for that breakthrough. Nature is amazing isn't it? We are amazing aren't we? I believe so. 

So, the next time you feel like you can't do something, remind yourself that you have the same innate knowing as the plant or you wouldn't have come here to learn and grow. You would have remained an inert being simply floating around the stratosphere. I, for one, am glad you decided to push through that dirt and show up and we got to be in this garden together!

How are you riding this wave of energy? Do you feel like you need a seat belt for life? That is how I am feeling. A cross between a whoaaaaaa this is intense and wheeeeeeeeeeee, I want more. We are coming off of another wave of energy that went from the last week of June through the last week of July. THAT was intense! Things were cranky and we were being pushed to bring clarity to what wasn't working in our lives. Now we always have these waves of energy but they don't usually hang on for FOUR FREAKING WEEKS! phew, I feel better just yell typing that.

Hopefully you were able to use that time to clarify what you really want in life. For myself it came with a clarity of no longer wanting to run a retail store. I adore the customers, I love the product and hey, I'm pretty fond of the staff too, but phew, I was stick me with a fork done. This energy helped me be honest with myself first and then be able to formulate a plan to allow the store to grow to the next place and in turn, allow myself to grow. FOR FOR FREAKING WEEKS! oh, did I mention that already?

The energy that came in yesterday a bit like a freight train on speed, is much lighter but just as fast moving. It is propelling all the changes that were made during that time. It is fast and it is taking no mercy. The reason I came up with the wave is the visual I keep seeing is lying on my back with my head toward the vastness of the ocean and my feet facing the beach. I am lying on my back and just riding the wave into the beach. The interesting thing to me was that I was on my back. I wasn't boogie boarding or directing, I was allowing the energy of the wave to guide me in safely and totally trusting that I would end up where I was meant to be. A very cool feeling. The learning to put my head back and just ride may have taken some time to develop, but it is so worth the journey to get here to be able to look at the sky and listen to the ocean with my ears under water and to smell the perfect saltiness of our largest body of water.

This trust didn't come over night, I have really been conscious of where I put my energy and how I use it, especially lately and that clarity of what I want to do as opposed to where there is a perception I should do something is so freeing. Sure, people may get disappointed but what they think of me or how I am living is none of my business. You read that correctly, it is none of MY business. I want my wave to continue to move forward and to use that expansiveness at my head to my fullest potential. If I pay attention to them, that won't happen, so here I am floating away creating my bliss.

This is not to be considered a warning of energy, this is to be considered a helper. Use it wisely, the energy that is, what you do with the blog post is up to you.  Use the frequency of it to propel you forward to create the life you really want to have. Looking back and complaining will only turn you in circles, so why not put your head back and look at the sky with me.

This energy will phase out by Sunday ushering in a calm...for a little while. :) September is setting up to be another very fast month so please learn to slow down now and find the beauty in meandering, or floating or watching grass grow. Whatever works for you. If you are slow when the energy is fast, you can create amazing leaps and manifestations. If you get all wired up when the energy is fast, you will only create anxiety. I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of frenetic energy.

When you are feeling like the world is spinning too fast, just return to your breath or that meandering and be grateful you KNOW there is more going on then with you and if you relax you can reap the benefits. How nice to be in the know, isn't it?

Kicking back and catching the wave,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com 

Doesn't this look absolutely Divine? Doesn't it just invite you in to take a rest and stare at the trees and water and whatever wildlife are around while you just veg out? It does to me. Too often in our culture we have to schedule the downtime. Think of the last vacation you took, did you vacate or did you run everywhere trying to cram as much into the time as possible and then needed a vacation from your vacation. Maybe you haven't taken a vacation and that could be the one thing you DO get done today, scheduling it!

I decided this summer I was not going to look back and have no quality of life and I also wasn't going to move through the warm months here in New England without enjoyment. The vacationing I like to do is a four day non scheduled, go with the flow kind of vacation. So, I scheduled one every month for the months of  May, June and July There were the typical critic head messages saying, you have to work, you have bills to pay and the what will you DOOOOOO? They were there, but I didn't have to listen to them. I decided that I was going to mix it up. So in May Howard and I went to Virginia to see family and friends as well as Washington D.C. In June I planned to go camping with some friends and July I planned on attending a wedding in California. I'm glad I had the go with the flow mentality because the camping trip was a washout! The wedding in California will be wonderful I am sure but I won't be attending as responsibilities will be creating a staycation for me, which I probably need more anyway. I didn't plan anything in August but the universe put one together for me in September combining work and play, which is the perfect scenario if you ask me!

What will  you do to relax this summer? To just lie around and not be on the go? I personally believe that we should have this every day, a little vacation in every single day, be it  meditation, a walk, listening to calming music or laughing with loved ones. Something in every day to allow us to shut off the mind chatter and to create a break in the noise and the rushing. I will admit that it takes practice to create this because it took practice to create the madness, but I know you can do it. Howard recently built a porch on the front of our house. I have been enjoying the being out and not running so much, I've fallen a bit behind in my writing but that is ok, because the break will create genius....I hope.

So, here is to longer days where we have more time to practice this time of checking in with self, breathing and perhaps an iced coffee or two! I wish you the best of summer seasons whenever it happens in your world and I wish you the relaxation of a summer day all year round.

Viewing life from my porch, wave if you drive by,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Energy, Energy, it is all Energy and boy is it flying lately!

 

Isn't it? Are you feeling like something wound you up and is creating havoc in your electrical field? Are you crankier than usual, yet hopeful at the same time? Yup, we call that energy and I call it an energy upgrade. So, hang on to your shorts, or long pants and rain coat, if you are in the Northeast, as it is getting better and better and better.

 

I waited until today to mention this as I wanted people to not wind it up any further. It is all about me you know and the energy I perceive. HA!  So, the really cool thing about June 10th, besides my niece's birthday, is it is an opening or energy boost. We have these several times a year and they are getting closer and closer together. You can feel the momentum building if you are willing to step out of the perception that it is all about you. :) It will last for another few days and then balance out at this higher frequency. Cool huh?

 

Whenever there is an energy surge or opening, it amplifies what we are already looking at or working through, BUT, it also helps us to move forward. It is up to us if we use the energy in our greatest interest or if we use it to go further into our stuff. It is always a choice how we respond. We all have old tapes in our heads and they can be quite effective but eventually realizing the technology has moved us to digital and a faster medium is amazing and very freeing.

 

This energy is also bringing a great deal of change to people's lives. There are houses selling galore, people moving, businesses changing, relationships moving to new levels, getting clean, spiritual changes to the max and an amazing amount of letting go happening. GO YOU!

 

Take these next few days to be especially aware of your words and your mood. If it isn't forward moving or positive, please don't share it. If you have a hard time getting to a higher vibration of energy, take a walk, look at nature and it's amazing ability to be flexible and malleable. The energy will be intense for the next two days especially but your words will live on beyond that and so will anything you create in this time.

 

Also take these few days to really get clear about what you would like in life, or maybe your are like myself and would like to create a life! Get creative, get moving and allow the gift of possibility to be in your life.

 

With you on the roller coaster of energy life with my hands high in the air,

Vicki

 



Ever have one of those experiences presented to you that you KNOW is in your best interest but your gut tells you that it is going to be BIG and maybe a little scary to show up to? Kind of like a root canal or committing to a degree program, yeah that is what this week had felt like to me so far. Actually the degree program would probably be less stressful and I would get to buy school supplies, who doesn't love that?

A couple of months ago I had agreed to speak at an event where I would be challenged to encourage change, teamwork and a can do attitude. I thought, oh that's easy, I can do that, I do that every day in my work and LOVE it. So I readily agreed. Did I mention that this would be at the place where I had spent a lot of time and did a ton of growing, not always in a loving way and sometimes in a contortionist ouch that hurts way? No? Well, yes it was. I still thought, oh good, full circle, this is good too Vicki, just do it, kind of like Nike!  Get in there, do your talk, we all know I can talk, and be grateful for the experience. So I did.

Let me preface this by saying I am VERY grateful for the experience and truly believe in the place still. So, here come the hard part...IT WAS HARD! It was difficult to go in and not be a part of the organization but as my former favorite roommate at this place would say, the red headed step child. I never really got that statement until this week. I have had times, like all of us, where I didn't feel like I fit and most of the time I can just roll with it and ask what am I supposed to learn here and be done with it, yeah, a little harder here. It was harder because the rules had changed. I wasn't an employee, I was the hired help (well, technically the not hired help as I waived my fee because if you are going to be in pain, you may as well do it for free, right? Oy.). I was the one that was questioned when I first got there what service could I possibly provide (yes, this was said out loud to me and not an ego thing, although it could become one if I let it, I didn't.) and they hoped my talk was interesting. No pressure right?

So, long story short, I did my talk and I didn't like it. You know why I didn't like what I said, which was the same things I had written out and loved? I didn't like it because I bailed on me. I conformed to what they wanted. I gave the talk some did not want to hear, as was evident by some hand gestures in the audience. Here is a clue to those of you attending talks, WE CAN SEE YOU doing those faces and gestures and I can only assume the subject made them uncomfortable and send compassion. Later I could have a melt down but in front of people, no way.

I allowed a situation to dictate who I was and pull me out of the alignment I work so hard to maintain. I allowed someone to say to me, it is ok you are an intuitive but don't use any of that here. Deja vu I gotta tell ya, daja vu. So in that very moment when I was driving away from the venue I made a commitment to myself that I would only do events that were in alignment with who and what I am and the others can hire those that will give speeches that align with their desire to repeat past patterns. I was not the chick for the job. That was so clarifying and freeing because if I'm not me, no one else will be so I gotta rock this intuitive Vicki thing.

The reason I share this besides the fact I am an open book, is that you may have had similar situations and not known what to do with the emotions or the reactions that come up. Well, you look at them, you examine your part and you let it go if someone else doesn't like what you have to say. You show up for YOU and you embrace all your wonderful qualities and allow those that want to point fingers to do so, but don't agree to be on the firing range.

As the quote says, your vision will become clear when you look inside of you. I'm here to ask you to do that BEFORE you walk into a situation no matter how much you want to believe people change and are accepting. Some just aren't, bottom line. How you feel about you is the most important and perceptions of others, well, they just aren't that important. Should you find yourself in the situation, don't panic, just take a breathe and line back up with what you know to be true.

I will take this experience and still be grateful for it for I truly believe there is a message in any situation. Then I will be thankful to myself that I have been willing to change and am excited for any opportunity that can help me do it some more. I know I will be less likely to do the contortionist thing again because I will see it so much quicker next time. The beauty of life experience.

Here is to learning how to navigate this spiritual experience in a human body one glorious lesson at a time.

Viewing life with just a little bit more awe,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

....You never know what life is going to present you. Sure you can prepare by being attentive, clarifying what you would like and sure, seeing an intuitive that has the ability to see your path, but even then, you really don't know for sure. It isn't that said intuitive isn't accurate, it is that there are so many variables and how you shift on a moment to moment basis can effect so much.

The reason I bring this probably not news to you is that there is great fun in not knowing but most people are uncomfortable with the unknown. I would like to help them be so comfortable with themselves that whatever is going to happen is a non issue because they know they've got it!
 It is one of the reasons I became a certified life coach, to be able to offer that service in addition to my movie screen of information. Does that give me an edge as a coach? Perhaps, but it is the genuine desire to help people feel their value that is really most important, don't you feel? To be able to trust in themselves so much that they embrace what is still unknown to them.

When people trust in themselves they are tapped into the energy more too. Have you felt the energy this week? Whoa baby it has been moving, moving, moving. If there is an unfinished project on your list, I would suggest you dig out the list and see what you need to move the project forward. Energy is always moving but when we get these surges it can help the productivity along. Think of it as rocket fuel!

It feels as if we will have a full week of momentum, so it is up to you whether you use it for your own benefit or you allow it to freak you out. For instance, if you know your business needs to shift and calling a marketing person has been on your list, take a deep breath and do it. (Call me, I know a good company.) Or perhaps you have been putting off taking a class, call the college, dance studio, library or private tutor, do it! Maybe there is a relationship that is stagnating and you've had ideas of how to help it but have been hesitant to say anything, say it! Believe in your ability to carry it through, whatever that it is. You can do it!

Last week I accomplished more in one day than I had in weeks. Recognizing the flow of energy I got on that puppy like a surfer catching a great wave for when we are in alignment with the flow it will take us great lengths. I used it again today to clean the house to usher in the energy and the dirt out!

 There will always be things on the to do list but boy it feels good to cross off the ones that take up so much energy just thinking about. Do you have a pile of papers that need going through, do you have to make an eye doctor appointment, do you have to call the IRS? If you do, ask for agent 10748526, she was a sweetie! Regardless of what you would like to accomplish, allow the tail wind to propel you forward this week and enjoy the ride!

The adventure of life is why we choose to come here as a soul, to learn, to play and to grow but mostly to have fun. So put that on your list and do it!

Arms out in balance, riding the wave,
Vicki

                   HAPPY EVERY DAY THAT YOU ARE ON THE EARTH!

Saying Happy Mother's Day has always been a challenge for me. Oh, I can say it, I just don't understand why we have to make a day to celebrate motherhood when a daily intention makes more sense. I also have a challenge with the narrow perspective of the definition of a mother, at least in our culture. I for one, have many titles, mom, step-mother, grandmother and I am sure a mother of another type when I have annoyed people. I have also been an honorary mother to friends of the kids, partners to my kids, younger clients that look to me for guidance and to a few furry kids as well as some amphibious charges. 

I have in my experience had a mother, grandmothers, mother in law (although the jury is still out as to whether I am in the family or not. :)), honorary mothers, mentors I recognized as filling a mother role for me as well as a child of Mother Earth. Did I mention I have four older sisters? The mother energy is everywhere. Just because the birth process is defined in the dictionary as creating that role, it is not accurate in my estimation. A mother to me, is someone who loves the people in their lives and offers compassion as well as guidance when asked. A person who allows and can see the young ones in her life as having their own journey and honoring their spirit. A person who does the hard things and doesn't look for a reward for it, but rather sees her own strength and growth as a result of the process. 

So, where ever you may see these qualities or hold these qualities, honor that this Sunday and every day from there and see just how filled up you can become with the wonder of a life process.

This weekend I will celebrate with my kids and grandkids and I will have a wonderful time. Just as wonderful as when we get together on a non mother holiday and I get hugs and get to see them growing in their lives. Rumor has it there is grilling involved too. yum!

I wish you the best of all weekends and beyond, 

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

One word expresses the pathway to greatness: voice. Those on this path find their voice and inspire others to find theirs. The rest never do.”               Steven Covey

The voice is an amazing thing. It conveys content of our brains and emotions. It can carry a tune and can generate great joy with humor, inflection and inspiration. It can also be very missed when it isn't working to what has become accustomed to being "normal". I have found this out this week. What I thought was a few allergies last week has blown into a full on cold with laryngitis and a cough that would impress the keepers of any tuberculosis ward.  During this time I have been perplexed, as anyone who knows me can tell you, I am a talker. I can talk to ANYONE and often have a great time doing it. I have a pretty good vocabulary and can carry my part of the conversation quite well.....but not without a voice. The only one who understands my flailing hand signals seems to be the dog! Mostly because he's just hoping there is a treat associated with the flailing.

I have tapped into what this could be about, what am I not saying in my world and because the throat chakra is about listening too, I asked what am I not hearing? I have both been relieved that I didn't have to talk if I didn't want to and frustrated that people find it funny to point out my recent silent retreat like they've been waiting forty three years for this silence....and perhaps they have....I am a good talker as stated before. :)

Stick around any philosopher or self awareness class long enough and you will hear someone say where are you not using your voice? Where do you feel you are not expressing yourself? I have asked these questions of others myself and obviously of myself this week. They are fantastic questions to ask and I would suggest doing so before creating a health issue for self!

When we aren't using our voices to express what works and what doesn't work in our lives, the energy gets all backed up and can create everything from a tickle in the throat, ear issues to thyroid issues and other glandular challenges.

Where could you be using your voice more effectively? Where would it feel good to you to express how you are really feeling? Do you hold back because you are afraid what someone else may think? Perhaps you just need a jump start in expression.

This can be done in any number of ways. You could literally speak or sing your truth , you could do an art project or you could write a letter or a journal entry. Keep in mind if you write a letter, you do not have to send it. You can rip it up or burn it to release whatever had been pent up inside you.

If you are interested in the journal idea, feel free to sign up for a free account at my journal site www.coachingjournal.vickibaird.com. It's a great way to express right at your finger tips and completely private. Another way technology is here to help!

However you find your expression is fantastic and a gift to self and one never knows what is hidden under unexpressed emotions. Sometimes it is our genius just waiting to get out. I certainly hope this is the case with myself and one more good cough is going to release it!

I am certain my voice will be back and stronger than ever (this could be seen as a heads up) and when it is, amazing a ha's for my life along with it. That is the fun part, the a ha. Now if you'll excuse me my doctor is going to assist with the return of my voice so I can go apologize to the woman at the coffee drive thru for having to put up with my squeaky request this morning. Amazing the places we use out voices and don't even think of, isn't it?

Formally known as chatterbox as a child,
Vicki

"If you are trying to find balance in one plate while spinning twenty others, eventually, they will all fall and that will be ok, because then you will truly be able to access the situation at hand." vicki

I heard myself say this to a client last week and thought, well that is pretty good, now do you think you can listen to it Vicki? I have always been someone that does well with a lot going on around me, or so I thought. Once I realized the chaos was causing stress and a feeling of being that proverbial hamster, I knew I had to do something to change how I saw my life. Just because I was busy didn't mean that I was productive or happy about what I was doing and that is what I really wanted, to be happy being busy and being still.

I also realized that the busyness was really a procrastination method of not getting to know myself. If I kept going and putting out fires and making sure everyone else was ok I didn't have to admit I wasn't completely satisfied with myself or my life. Sound familiar?

Now having done this coaching thing for a while now, I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere this way except to more stress and an eventual end of my rope where I hoped there was a knot but a sneaking suspicion, call it intuition if you want, knew there wasn't one. So, I had a meeting with myself and asked just what the heck are you afraid of learning anyway? Once faced I had no real answer, which became my answer. I was afraid of nothing, of there being a nothing, of there being nothing to do, to take care of, that needed my attention or my help. This was where the whole balance conversation came into play. I had to become good with the nothing in order to have something. In order to have that peace I was looking for and that happiness and the space to create the life I really want. I understand energy and know that creating the life I wanted meant there had to be space in the one I had to allow other opportunities to happen.

So, that is what I did, nothing. I did nothing for a whole weekend. A WHOLE WEEKEND! Anyone who knows me well knows this was not easy to accomplish and it wasn't. I chose to use the yin yang symbol as my return point. It represents balance to me so each time my thinking head said "Vicki, there is always laundry to do, blogs to write, classes to create and oh yeah, what about that software you bought to revolutionize your coaching, you could be learning that", my knowing self or soul self or the smarter part of me said, what was your intention? What did you want to create? aahhhh space, aaaaa balance, aaaaaah yin yang.

This is when the picture of the guy trying to balance all the plates came to my minds eye as well and I had a good laugh because if you have all those plates, you do not have focus on any of them. It is not possible. I don't want to be a plate spinner, I want to be a plate connector. I want to know that plate is in my life and that whatever time I had with that plate (you get that the plate is experiences in my life right?) I was present and I was able to connect and enjoy the process without worrying about the potential crashing of another plate next to me.

Now you don't have to drop out of your life and do nothing, although I highly recommend it, but where does your life want to be balanced? Are you even in your life or are you reacting to the current fire and not able to enjoy your experience here on Earth?

What is one thing you could do to bring balance to your day? How about right now you take a deep breath in through your nose, out your mouth with a little sigh at the end. Go ahead, no one is looking. Didn't that feel good? When we breathe like this it aligns the mind, body and spirit, creating balance. Pretty cool, huh? Now in the space that created, what is your spirit asking of you? Do one thing today that will help fill that request and then thank yourself for being a plate connector. :)

The spring Equinox is March 20th for those of us in the northern hemisphere, a perfect time to reflect on balance and to create the support for that balance so you may completely enjoy your spring and summer season.

Happily in a balanced state today,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com
info@vickibaird.com
www.vbairdconnections.com

There is a plentiful amount of vibrant energy here tonight. We thank you for inviting us to be part of your learning. Please know that we are here to help, teach and guide yes but also to walk along side you as friends and collaborators of your great incarnation. This is how we refer to the time you are in. It is the great collaboration between realms and we are most excited to be with leaders such as yourselves. Party on!

This was a message that came through when I was doing the Experience the Realms class this week. We were in the Spirit guide realm and they pushed me to send a message along. I thought it was for the group attending but it turns out to be applicable for all beings at this time so I decided to share, with their permission of course, the guides that is!

So, while there was a lot of energy the night of the class, there has been plenty universally as well. It's all going to be relative to where you are on your path and in your vibration but regardless, it has picked up speed and it has been fun!

 The message I have been receiving myself has been along this message as well. Lately, the spirit world, while active, is not as directive as it used to be. There was a time where in four readings a day, three would have messages from the other side, those who had crossed. There would be direct messages about people here and what was going on with them and what happened that helped the one who had crossed to croak (their word, not mine) and other data like that. Lately though the messages have been coming in less and less. I thought it was my antenna and that things were shifting again as there was a time when I wasn't aware I could hear them, so perhaps it can switch back I thought.

I finally decided to have a sit down with the other side, my guides and the energy I refer to as Source. As I settled in I asked, "so, what is going on with the energy communication lately? Where is everyone and why aren't they coming through like they used to if the energy is more open and there is less work the either side has to do?" The response I received I suppose I could have expected as it wasn't news to me but would be to others and maybe I just didn't want to deliver that news, but, here goes.

So, what is happening is we are moving from a place where we interpret the energy from a higher than us resonance to one of next to or inclusive of our being. That is what the guides meant by they can lead or they can walk next to us and we are learning to work in collaboration. We are entering an energy that is conducive to working with all realms very easily. I understood this and accepted it because I have never felt like the other levels of vibration whether they were guides, angels or Ascended Masters have looked down on us but rather over  as they walked next to us and we were the ones who couldn't see that. What I didn't understand is why that was shutting down one of my communication stations!

I further received that the astral realm, where we go when we croak and is one level above us in vibration, those that are in that realm are no longer interested in playing the position of higher authority or energy either. They want to walk along side of us as if they were here in the physical as well (only with a great gig of no limitations and still learning about their life path without resistance.). They know the importance of moving along with life and not dwelling on how long someone was here, what they passed of or what they didn't do when they were here and they want us to learn that too while we are still on this side. Sooooo, being Vicki, I asked ANOTHER question of, ok, that may be so but why aren't they talking to ME? (cause I'm special you know....in my own mind) The response back and it was LOUD as if everyone on the other side wanted me to hear it this time "THEY DON"T NEED YOU TO COMMUNICATE WITH US ANYMORE! THEY NEED TO ACCEPT THIS IS WHERE WE ARE AND THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE AND WE ARE TOGETHER LIKE WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN". Jeez, you don't have to yell, I said.

I then asked so what is my part? To which the reply with loving kindness was, "just let them know we are ok and if they open their hearts they can hear and feel us themselves and if there is a message that has to get through and we need to use you , we will, but for the most part your job as mediator is complete". WHAT? WHAT? It was like I had been fired! The nerve, interrupt my sleep for seven years and then poof, you are complete. blah!

Once I finished my hissyfit, I calmed down and thanked them for their messages and healing over the years and pouted for a bit. It was not my finest hour. Then in true Vicki style I saw the positive side to this (I know my silver lining view can be annoying to others sometimes, but it is how I roll!). It wasn't that there wasn't ever going to be communication again, it was just that we had evolved as we all come here to do and I am proud of us.

The other aspect that occurred to me was more of a personal one, although I LOVE connecting people here to their loved ones, I light up when I can help someone grow and move in their own incarnation and focus on themselves to be the best they know how to be. Thank goodness I am diversified as I don't know that unemployment covers intuitives whose dead people satellite has interference!

Let me be clear that this does not mean there won't be communications from those that have crossed or that they are ditching us for some fun party in heaven. What it means is you will have more access and more fun when you learn to open your heart and listen. I am sure there will always be mediums and those that can be the conduit to those who have crossed because that is part of evolution too. I, however, am going to respect the wishes of the other side and not go poking my psychic nose in where it is not in our best interest to be. Should they decide to make themselves known to me, I will pass the message along but I do believe I am being lead, pushed, guided in another direction. Wheeeeeeeeeee

How can you help yourself connect? Well, you can trust that those that have crossed have been blessed to do so. They have completed their journey on this Earth for this time around, whether they pass in utero or they are one hundred and fifteen years old. They did what they had to do this round and released their physical bodies. We could celebrate their passing and high five them for their time they were here and the completion of that process. Do you know that I have never been to a service or heard of one where the spirit who passed wasn't happy, bouncy and silly? Do they miss us? Sure, but it is not in the hole in the heart way we tend to act out, it is with a wow, I wish they would realize I was here and I can see, hear and speak with them through love. They don't dwell on it because there is way more fun stuff to do on the other side where growing is expected, encouraged and exciting. Wouldn't it be nice if we COULD learn that lesson here?

I say this with all the reverence my heart and soul can hold, I have completely enjoyed being a medium and I know that will always be an aspect of my energy. I have loved more souls that I have not known in the physical then those I have known in the physical and I am so grateful to all of their teachings. I am excited for those that are feeling more, seeing more and connecting more and I will always be here to guide them as they emerge into their own abilities, at least until I croak and then they will have to use those abilities to chat with me. :)

We all have the ability to communicate with Spirit. Be it the astral realm, spirit guides, angels, Archangels, Ascended Masters, Source or those pesky little faeries. We ALL have that. Now, it is time you remembered that part of you and celebrated it like you won the energy lottery!

Be happy, use white light to surround you and be AMAZED at the awesome universe we live in.

Viewing my role a little differently and doing a happy dance as change is good,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com
www.vbairdconnections.com

Fear itself is not the issue, it is quite natural. Allowing fear to be the prevailing energy is where people get stuck. Vicki

The month of January has been both eventful and predictable in my life. It is moving incredibly fast and has had more growth and learning opportunities than I think I had all of last year, and last year was a doozie. That is to say in a less spiritual language, it has stunk big time. I can take change, I love it in fact, and I can accept that others may not like my path or where I intend to grow, that is their right, but the combination of the two right up in my face and combined with the energy of get er done of this year and it makes for a very tired and sometimes cranky Vicki. Then let's add to the mix, just for fun, the lack of boundaries in the spirit world lately and it makes me wonder if the world really did end and I popped to some parallel universe or something. The predictable part is that there is always something to do and something that wants to shift and grow.

I don't know if you have noticed the shift in vibration but we went from a kind of plodding along and heavy energy to a high vibrational frequency with very little groundedness to it. I LOVE it but my physical self keeps saying, can we take a nap, pleaaaseeeeeeeeee, with a kind of whiny voice. I would love to listen to her and I may this weekend but for now, it is full steam ahead because the energy self seems to be in charge today. Are you able to hear the discord messages within yourself? Are there any? Maybe you are in a great spot of go with the flow and all of you is going along. Congratulations, ride that wave! If not, be sure to listen to all sides before making a decision. I could take half an hour and do a power nap but I don't really think it is a physical need as much as it is a body used to being in the old energy.

This month is all about transitioning the energy from the old kind of stuck energy to the new, what do you want and can I get it for you now, energy. Of course, there is always a choice about embracing the energy or denying it. Either way, it will be clear if what is in your life is not in alignment with what your soul has planned for you. Number one, you will feel awful and number two the reminders will just keep a coming! So what can you do to help yourself? Well, you can be willing to ask yourself does how I am living light me up or put out my fire? Does it feel like I want to keep moving or does it feel in discord with who I want to be? Am I willing to allow others to live their own lives and take the energy I was putting into their drama into my own?

The part that makes us most afraid to grow is that we will grow away from others but that is the very idea of coming into this plane in the first place, to be able to reach that level of individuality as a soul AND THEN connect with others and contribute. We cute little humans tend to have it backwards, totally enmesh ourselves with others and try to find an identity in that. Not going to work. As I say when doing the white light energy, everyone in their own bubble! That individuality is what leads to us being such a fantastic whole.

So, how can you help yourself move through this energy and find your own individuality? You can start by asking, what am I afraid of? Is that fear real or am I creating a reason to stay mired in my own fears? Hint: a real fear is one where there is emminant danger to self and your fight or flight kicks in all the rest are based in our imagination. Never ignore the feeling, but be willing to look at your part of it. I had a client say to me last week when I said well, how much are you willing to take responsibility for, she replied she would take one hundred percent responsibility of her fifty percent in the relationship. I loved it because it was perfect. We can only take responsibility for our portion, but in order to do that we have to be willing to look at it. Are you?

Once  you do, you will feel relief because that energy is there whether you want to look at it or not. Better to get it out and have it be effective rather than destructive. Plus, this energy is going to help so why not take advantage of that?

Give yourself the gift in the last few days of this month, along with the full moon energy, to shine light on what isn't working and be willing to shift it a little at a time.

Viewing life with a bit more clarity,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com
vicki@vickibaird.com