"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