2014 is almost complete! Seriously, it is almost finite, closed, put away, in the archives never to be seen again after 11:59 pm. Chances are good I won't see that time as unless my nose is stuck in a book, I rarely make it past eleven so let me just say a few things.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you for being in my life and for helping me to spread the work of this wonderful universe. Thank you for laughing along with me, and hey, if you are laughing at me, that's good too because at least you are laughing! If there is one thing I will do while in this human body is, I will inspire those to not take life so seriously. Have reverence for this life but lighten up people.

Thank you for trusting yourself, your path, your life, your loved ones and bringing those who have croaked in my office, on the phone, Skype, social media or the occasional conversation in the grocery store!

Thank you for the feedback of this blog and how you enjoy my view of this sometimes zany, often challenging and amazingly interesting life we share.

Thank you for being you. Thank you for contributing your unique energy to this last year and the ones before that. Thank you for stretching and growing even if you didn't particularly feel like you wanted to. Thank you for trusting me to help when you couldn't see where to go next or needed that blend of comfort and no b.s. I've been told I possess.

Thank you for teaching me how to be a better person. Some of you may never know it was your judgment and not so kind words that helped me be kinder. It gave me a reference point of who I do not want to be and inspired me to dig deep past the confusion, to look beyond your insecurities and embrace true compassion. For this, I thank you. You may never know because it was this behavior that helped me bid you goodbye as we will bid this year goodbye soon. I am truly grateful.

I have a very full heart and soul and am very excited to see the next year come but before I do, I will review and revere this 2014 masterpiece. I will open my arms up to change while appreciating myself for being willing to be here. I hope you will do the same. I hope you will look at this year and count all the amazing growth you have had. I hope you will be nice to you if you feel you could have done more. Of course you could, and you get another chance to. How cool is that?

Before you toss the year in the recycling bin, give it one more look and give thanks that you even experienced it. Open up to the love that is around you, be willing to receive that love and then offer it out again. That is a recycling plan we can all get behind don't you feel?

So, as we wind up this year, I wish you all the best your life has to offer and more. I wish you the feeling of contentedness of self with a dash of curiosity to keep you wondering....what will this year bring?

See you next year,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

If you join the band that is. Every year has it's own vibration. This year has had a theme of in your face. So, basically, anything that you were avoiding was brought to your attention. For some it was their health, for others relationships, career, spirituality and that long time question of who am I?

While each year has a theme, we are ultimately responsible for creating a life that works and is joyful so no blaming the year, ok? Take responsibility for your emotions and your choices and every year can rock.

The year 2015 has such a giggly feeling to it, I for one, am very stinking excited to see how that reveals itself for everyone. This year has a vibration of fruition with it. So, any energy you have put into creating your life will have the extra battery pack of this year. Now, that also includes if you are holding onto anger or blaming someone else for your issues. If you are holding onto that, you could very well create some challenges that will present as learning curves of their own. Don't do that.

This year represents, in my humble opinion, the moving forward point. For the last six years, SIX YEARS, we have been in a pattern of slowing down so our messages can be abundantly clear, although some still don't listen. After slowing down for the first three, the second half of the six years, starting in 2009, were about the messages being in your face. Did you see them? Did you pay attention to the messages that said this relationship has to change, that this job is no longer serving me, that YOU had to change?

If you didn't, you aren't doomed, you would benefit from some self reflection, but screwed you are not. It amazes me when people don't want to look at themselves and see where they could grow. I understand how scary that may be but you are the only one who can do it, so be brave for at least five minutes and take some inventory of yourself and be willing to see what you would like to change. No one is listening to your inner most thoughts, thank goodness right? If you don't listen though, your thoughts can become behaviors and then your behaviors become belief systems and then belief systems become habits and then you have to shift them again when you realize that doesn't feel good either. Sooooooo, if you were willing to hear them when they popped up first and willing to address what doesn't feel right, think of the time and self judgment you could save! If it seems too challenging to do by yourself, come see me and we will re-pattern those belief systems and have you on your way to creating the successful life you dream of.

So, what can you do to harness the energy of this year? You can be aware of some goals or success points you would like to experience this year and put some time into creating a loose plan to follow. You can clear your house with sage so you start the year in clean slate energy. You can reach out and connect with a support system to help create the best year yet! You could decide to be happy. That one can be challenging for some people. One must decide to be there in order to manifest it and the habit of happiness. It is a choice whether to be happy or miserable. Make a choice for the next year (Please choose happy. I honor your free will but come on people, miserable is NOT effective.)

You can also take this next week to assess where your dreams are and if you even have any. Be nice to you as you do it. If you find there aren't any dreams there, allow yourself to daydream and see what happens. Use the phrase what if... but use it in wonder. What if I really did trust myself to hike alone? What if I took that class and I aced it? What if I believed I matter, imagine what could happen?

(My gift this year from my husband so I guess it really is true! I'm not the only one!)

What if you made this the best year you have ever had and you shared the joy with others. Imagine the world we could have. In the words of John Lennon, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." Join me in the dream that life can rock and the intention to have it do so.

I wish you the best of 2015 and am so grateful to have all of you in my world.

Blessings,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

I am so grateful to my mother who insisted we read, learn vocabulary and strive to speak in an intelligent manner. I am also grateful, most of the time, for the English language. I say most of the time because I can get frustrated with the lack of descriptors for what I am feeling but that may be more an energetic issue than the language. Perhaps we don't have the words available in any language for the depth of emotions, both in the high sense and the sad sense. That is something to look forward too I suppose. Perhaps we will create a thesaurus of words to build on happy, exuberant, or ecstatic! I am hopeful because I don't know about you, but I am a bit done with epic!

Our language is a great deal of fun though if you think of all the words that can mean something else if the context is changed. For instance, if I said are you content? You would know I was talking about a feeling. If I said, what is the content of that box?  You would know I was referring to what is inside the box. Two different contexts, one adjective and one noun, but they both mean what is inside, don't they? What if I combined them and asked you if you were content with your content? It is a bit redundant but it is fun. I know all the teachers out there are going to ask me to reference that thesaurus and find another word, but for the moment, play along with me.

We all have content, whether that is our physical self with arms and legs and a head or whether that is our emotional self and the availability of feelings, we have content. Some of the content has been deposited by others early in our lives and some we have purchased for ourselves. It is good to have content, it makes us interesting and it creates a desire for others to get to know us too. But are you content with your content?

What if you did an inventory? Would you find that you really did like all that was in that box? Do you feel in alignment with yourself or do you feel discontent? (See what I did there? Yet another use of the word. So FUN!)

• Do you like you? 
• Do you feel happy most of the time? 
• Do you laugh on a daily basis? 
• Is your heart open to love? 
• Do you have an interest or hobby that adds to the content of your life? 
• Do you play well with others?

These are just some of the questions you could ask yourself to get started on that inventory. Everyone has value and the more we see our own value the more we will contribute to the whole. So if one is content with their content, they will still want to grow and strive for more, but they will do it in a flowing way. 

If you aren't content, that is fine, recognizing it is where you can start. Don't judge it and don't whine, please don't whine. Observe that you could be happier and open your eyes and hearts to ways to create that. Pretend you are making a shopping list. Create a list that helps you to see in the physical what could change and then pick one item and decide to specialize in that for this week. Be easy with yourself about this and hey, if you are willing to take those silly tests on social media to figure out what you were in a past life, you can do this. It is a way to truly connect with who you are TODAY!

Satisfied with my content....for today, :)

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

For some reason, this year's solstice seems to be greatly needed by many whether they realize it or not. For those of us experiencing the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, it signifies a shift to longer days and the offer of more light. Now, we go through this EVERY YEAR so why is this one the most challenging? My feeling is it is because we are entering the energy of 2015, the year of fruition. The culmination of whatever you have put into place in the last few years so energetically, we are perceiving this coming and perhaps getting antsy. More on this in a later post but it is a really good thing. YAY! 

The solstice, as experienced in the Northern Hemisphere, is happening December 21st at 6:03 EST. Often, it is celebrated with ritual as it is the return to light and the giver of life. Little by little, the days will get longer leading up to the Summer Solstice.

I believe the days leading up to the shift can be best served by taking a little inventory of self and what could perhaps use a little light. There is a tendency to want to rush right through the darker days and not appreciate what they have to offer. Dark is not bad, it is where brilliance may actually lie if you would listen and realize you won't get stuck there if your intention is to bring light to whatever you find. It also offers the balance of yin to the lights yang. Personally, I can not sleep in a room where there is light, so to the dark I say thank you. Thank you for the sleep that is necessary to reboot my system! 

We are very fortunate to live in a region where we have seasons. I believe we could honor all of them and in doing so, find a balance in our joy factor of life! 

If you want to enter into this transition into 2015 with a clear energy, I would suggest you consider smudging your home, car and work space if possible. Smudging is the practice of using sage to clear a space. There are many beliefs about how best to do this. I tend to go to the less is more place. One, acquire some sage from a metaphysical, health or online store. Light the bundle and ask for your team to help you clear the space. I then ask for anything that is not of the light, to go to the light. This can be any energy left from arguments that happened, illness or generally cranky energy. Be sure to open a door, window and use exhaust fans if you have them. You want the energy to travel out of the house. To not ventilate will cause the energy to stir up and add to whatever was going on when you first started to clear. After you finish going around your entire space, be sure the sage is out and enjoy your cleansed space. 

Another great thing to do on any solstice or full moon is to create a list of what you would like to release. They can be emotional, physical or spiritual. Anything that comes to you about what could be ready to go. Write it down, wrap it with red string (This is not a big deal if you use another color. Intention is much more important than supplies.) then burn it and send the energy out into the universe to be released. If possible, please do this safely and outside. If this is not possible due to restrictions or laws, you can burn inside but afterwards, remove the ashes from the home immediately after they cool. If you really can't burn, a shredder works well too just be sure to remove the shreds immediately as well.

Give yourself the gift of appreciating the long night and the allow yourself time to spend in silence. Tap into what is in your head and heart. Connect to the heart and know this is your true GPS system that offers balance much like the solstices do. Trust that the brilliance of the earth is within you too. A balance of light and dark, noise and silence, physical and non-physical. A beautiful compilation of winter and summer meant to be eased into with fall and spring. Be easy with yourself as we travel into a new year. Take that inventory and be sure to appreciate the good moments too. 

Leaving the headlamp off and wrapping myself in the blankey of darkness, 
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Are you attributing the feeling of stress lately to the holiday schedule and the perception of obligations for this time of year? While this may be a contributing factor, there is a lot going on in the energy of the universe that is assisting in the perhaps less then tolerant feelings you are having lately. 

Now, we are all responsible for what we do with the feelings we have and how we conduct ourselves through behavior, but when you know there is something kicked up energetically, you can be a bit more conscious about your choices and respond rather than react. 

There is always an increase in the speed of energy at the end of a calendar year. It really has nothing to do with the calendar and the numbers that we follow, but more to do with the reaction we have to that. Every being in this universe contributes to the vibration of our world. That includes you. So if you think you being in a mood, depressed or generally cranky is only affecting you, think again. Everything that we do and thought we have goes out into the collective and creates a ripple effect. I am not saying this to have you be in constant observation of your thoughts, but rather to have you connect to self and realize you matter; a great deal. 

All emotions are valid, what you do with those emotions are up to you. Feel, please feel, as I know that will help us to be nicer to ourselves and others, however, at the same time, be willing to choose how you want your energy to go out and be a contribution. It's fine to be frustrated and even valid to be angry or sad, but how long you are willing to be in those feelings is up to you. Feel them, then move on and up in vibration so we can help all of us to really connect with what this season is about; love. 

Yes, another year is closing and for some reason we feel we have to fill up every space with something to do or buy in order to avoid the feeling of time passing. I am suggesting we slow down and that will in fact slow the energy down and have this time of year be one of celebration of what we have learned thus far and give us a calm space to contemplate what we would like to create in the next year. It is like driving a car at 65 miles an hour and expecting to be able to handle a hairpin turn without any consequences. Chances are if you drive like that and try to round the corner, you are going off the cliff. Slow down and take it with skill and appreciation of the built in message of care and being present will get you to the next place in one piece and aware of the journey. 

The energy right now is one of pushing, there is no doubt, but it is pushing us to appreciate where we are in the moment and not to rush so far ahead that we can't even remember what the heck we had for breakfast. You did eat breakfast didn't you? 

When we feel pushed we may want to push against another. We may want to call names or talk louder to be heard. Please know that the others aren't pushing you or pushing against you. Your soul is placing a guiding hand at your back encouraging you to recognize that anything another person does is not a direct reflection of you; what you do is though, so stop and consider how you can use this energy to your benefit. Do you really want to be a better person or are you just saying that because you think you should? Would you want to be an example of compassion and acceptance or does that seem too hard so you will continue to complain and blame others for the way you feel? 

Yes, it feels like someone is squishing us when we are growing but if you give the acknowledgment and ask what can I do to expand and take responsibility, it eases and you can go ahhhhhhhhhhhh. 

Now, having said all of this, you may want to have a way to release the squished feeling and a way to release energy in your tool kit, as not everyone is going to take that leap and ease into the next year because they have gotten used to drama and the feeling of being rushed. That is ok, everyone in their own time. Be the example yourself and when others ask why you are so calm during all of this, you can say, I have learned that I don't want to feel torn up and I can fight energy or I can go with it. I choose to go with it and enjoy my life here! 

Having the ideas at the ready will give you a place to go when you want to explode. During the next few weeks the best course of action is going to be to move that body! Think of yourself as that caterpillar leaving the chrysalis to become the butterfly. You've got to move and groove to be able to leave it with your wings ready to fly! 

Releasing pent up energy is not only great for kids, we adults are still wired in the same way we were as kids, so get out there and boogie! Let's dance through the next week of this energy and be able to say, man, I really loved the way we spent the holidays this year! 

See you on the dance floor, 

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

We all have a team on board. We have a committee that is here to help us be our best selves, whatever that may be for each of us. That committee is made up of our soul, our mind and our body. Each of us has this committee even if we aren't aware any longer or we plug our listening ears to it.

Our soul is like an individual GPS guiding us on a path that absolutely has a plan, a loose plan. A blue print, so to speak, that acts as an outline for our journey here. We get to fill in the rooms and the add ons but there is one, I promise. Within that blue print is a theme each of us is here to learn. Every soul sets an intention it believes the person can carry through and learn. Isn't it nice to know that your soul believes in you? It doesn't know everything as it is growing and expanding too, but it has vast knowledge to pull from and when we learn to include it, that information is available. Perhaps knowing it is there is the first step.

The mind, including the brain, is an amazing computer. It processes, categorizes, and strategizes for the best of our selves. It has, through it's experiences, created a data base that is wonderful and can be very supportive. While it can contain corrupt files and lead us astray, it is a valuable asset when it is well trained!

The body is amazing at picking up signals and processing information and sending it to the computer of the mind while receiving guidance from the soul at the same time. All while chewing gum and walking! If you don't find that amazing, I have nothing else here for you. The body gives us that gut reaction and inner voice that while subtle, never lies.

So, when you combine them all and actually use them, it makes this life thing a whole lot easier. Believe it or not, it gets to be very fast so you can determine if you want to go to that party for instance or whether you would benefit from taking that job, on the spot.

They can all work independently but that is a lot of work. It saves a lot of time on the crazy train when your brain wants to over think something and when your body feels everything around you if you use them all. The balance of all systems go creates a seamless process. In the beginning it may be a bit like driving a stick shift, but you will get the coordination down soon enough.

How do you do it? Well, first give yourself permission to acknowledge all of these places and use them simultaneously. Then, when you feel that pull or desire for more, you take a moment to tap into that soul self and feel the support. Then you can employ the mind and ask of it "what is it you would like?" After you hear a question or use this example, drop down into your body and feel what the direction could be. When we connect to feelings we get a very keen sense of what is in our best interest.

So, start with something you are not attached to such as, do I even like broccoli or am I eating it out of habit? You could tap in, allow yourself to inquire as to what would be fulfilling in this moment and then feel the answer. However you decide to do it, the time you give yourself will be the real connection point. I wish that for you. That connection to self and then the collection of the team!

Rah rah sis boom bah!

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

A fun thing is happening to me this holiday season, every time someone says "I am so stressed, I have to buy a present for..." I start giggling, not because they are stressed but because I love irony.  People rush around to buy things for various reasons, because they think they have to, to validate their love, to prove something to someone, and sometimes, because they really want to, while secretly hoping for the appreciation to pour their way.  The irony here is they are creating stress buying presents and totally not being present.

I know I am not the first person to recognize that the holidays have become so hectic, everyone is trying to rush through them to get to January and be done with them. I miss the wonder of the season when it was about decorating, seeing pretty lights, my mother's braided cinnamon bread (the irony here being I have probably been intolerant of gluten my whole life but MAN was it good!) and the sing along we did on Christmas Eve. I wonder when someones company became less important than the latest wish list.

I love giving gifts so I'm not suggesting we forgo that, to anyone under the age of 18, but that we bring some presence into the season. Perhaps we can each ask ourselves what really matters to us and be the teacher of time being precious, not stuff. Not one soul who comes through to me wishes for their stuff but there is always an appreciation of the sweetest memory. I appreciate that my friends and I do time together rather than exchange gifts. Dinner out or a movie or snuggling into the couch with a cup of coffee and catching up is soul food. It nourishes at a level that is hard to explain. It validates we are connected to others and it gives value to the effort that is necessary in any friendship. I'm very blessed to have friends who get this.

How could you be more present this year? Would you like to volunteer? Would you want to say no to a holiday party you didn't want to go to anyway and stay home in your jammies while starring at the lights and giving thanks for whatever you learned this year? Would you like to start a tradition that the family only buy for those that are under an age or height limit? I don't know about you but I don't want to receive a gift someone has stressed over buying. Think of the energy associated with that. blek.

Give yourself the gift of time this year. Set an intention, if it feels right to you, to forgo the pressure of the manic shopping and perhaps make a donation in your family's name to a cause you believe in. I did this one year when I was younger and I remember the surprise of people's reactions but then the appreciation of being part of something they had no clue about but felt so good. I didn't realize then what I was doing had so much meaning, I probably thought it got me out of shopping too, but I am grateful to be aware of it now.

I wish you the gift of being totally present in your own life and seeing the magic that can bring. Sparkles, glitter and miracles.

Blessings,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

I am so grateful to the souls that come to me for communication. Those that are in the physical and those that have passed. The lessons I have learned from them have helped me immensely to appreciate my own life. That is a value that is immeasurable.

Often people ask me what is the opinion of those on the other side. I have to be the bearer of information that they really have no opinion. They have an intention that each of us will live our best lives but they don't have a desire to give their view on how we should each do this.

A few weeks ago I was doing a group session and someone who is pretty familiar with my work asked me questions on what her loved ones were doing on the other side. I was happy to respond with what they were giving me as their activities. Her next response was to go into a story of how they were like here. A very common next move.

It is often difficult for people to wrap their minds around how someone was here was because they were humans learning to appreciate they have a soul too. In all the beauty that is humanity there are also limitations. These limitations do not exist on the other side. Once you transition you begin to realize that limitations are something that are very human based and something you don't have to adhere to any longer. I feel like this is very refreshing for us when we cross and therefore those who are on the other side are no longer willing to entertain the idea of limitations any longer. Isn't that fantastic?

The next line goes to total credit to her loved ones for it was a wonderful example of how we can lock ourselves up into the story of how someone may have suffered or may have been committed to their own belief systems. The quote that her dad gave me was their lives were all part of an equation that includes us but it's the sum that is important not the different components. I took this to mean that each of our own experiences add up to a greater experience but we have to be responsible for our own part of the equation. When one crosses they will continue to be responsible for theirs but it won't be through a less than experience, meaning a lack view. It will all make sense and the focus is on the total number of their life not on one specific beliefs system or experience when they were here whether that was a physical limitation, an emotional one or a view of life.

Her dad, in his soul self, was able to articulate that it was fine if she wanted to continue running her own story or beliefs but he would appreciate if she didn't assume that they were still running those beliefs on the other side. What a wonderful teacher he is. What a great gift to be able to communicate what is observed in his experience. On the other side you begin to realize your own stuff but they (and eventually we) don't run their stories anymore because it's no longer pertinent to them (us). It was all part of the equation but it's the sum that's important not the different components. I love this. 

What if you could adopt this as a knowing? What if you allowed yourself to let go of all the little things you judge about you and started looking at your total number? Imagine the relief you would feel. It would be like croaking without having to! Thanks Karen's Dad! 

Give this a go and start appreciating you! The added bonus is this makes math fun! 

Totaling my own experience as I type, 

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

How does it get to be the holidays so fast? It seems like one minute we are planning picnics and summer vacations and the next there are decorations out for December holidays in October. I know time doesn't exist on the other side but it seems to be flying on this side.

This year I have had a new perspective of the holiday season. I've never been a traditional gal. I don't get super excited to shop and trust me, cooking is never a woo hoo moment for me so planning a meal does not make me gleeful. I do love the music and the lights and the little kids excitement but the rest of it seems like too much fuss directed at acquiring more stuff and stressing us out. At some point this last year I decided I wanted experiences to be my gift to me this year. I can't say where it happened but I am glad I became aware that stuff couldn't make me happy, I had to do that myself!

I wonder if this perspective wouldn't help others enjoy the months of November and December and beyond! So often when someone says Happy Holidays (and yes, I am totally happy with this expression...it has happy in it!) they don't mean it. They may not even believe that a happy holiday season is possible. There may be so many stressors that they are only wishing to move past the time of holidays and get to a more normal schedule. Does this sound familiar? Do you want to fast forward past the parties and shopping and wrapping? Do you want to stay solvent in your energy as well as your wallet? Do you miss family members, either because they passed or because there is family tension and Happy Holidays seems nauseating?

What if you decided to take this holiday season like you would take a hairpin turn? What if you downshifted, held the wheel with confidence and trusted that you have come through other holiday seasons and you will this one too, with the added benefit of enjoying it too!

What if you decided that time with someone was worth more than any item you may have to dust? I don't want anyone stressing over what to give me. I want to see a smile. I want to hear you donated to a charity instead of buying me something, or I want to hear, Vicki, want to go to dinner and we will enjoy each others company AND eat out? (Remember, I don't cook!)

What if we slowed time down and realized the holidays are really for celebrating and honoring all of what we already have? If you take that corner too fast you may not stay on the road and risk a crash, but if you are conscious and take it with care, it will be exhilarating.

Try something new this year. Listen to you and really ask what you would like to do on a day of honoring. For Thanksgiving this year, I am thanking my body for supporting me this year and rather than stuffing my face I will be doing a race that raises money for enrichment programs. We will have a dinner with the kids at another time, but this is what I want to do this year and I am giving myself that gift as well as providing an example of authenticity. Traditions are important but how do new ones get started if we don't give ourselves permission to navigate those turns?

Whatever your holiday celebration is, I wish you the best of you and the time you get to spend with others. The saying is so true that we can't take items with us when we go, but I promise you, we take the connections we have made and we hold them dear. How we spend our time here matters when we are no longer physical, shouldn't it matter while we are?

Celebrating you in my life,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

I have heard myself saying to people lately, let's take this a step at a time, the incremental movements will add up, I promise you. This is very interesting to me when I see a pattern happening. I used to think I was in a particular advice place then I realized they were patterns that were showing up in peoples lives and I was picking up on that pattern by offering what I knew to be the most helpful route to whatever they were wanting to create in their life.

It is also interesting to me because one of my challenges in this lifetime is slowing down and taking things piece by piece rather than thinking I have to do the whole project at once. Over the last year I have realized that I am much better balanced when I give myself permission to relax and accept that warp speed is not always the most productive. I would vacillate between being so busy I couldn't see straight and non-movement. Oh, it might still look like I'm moving because I always have something I  am working on but to me it felt like standing still...in cement...hardening cement. Not a great feeling to be mired in your own energy.

When I decided this past summer to not teach any classes, I was relieved then completely freaked out by what I would do instead. A good indication you have a hard time relaxing is when you give yourself a break, you immediately fill it with something else. Luckily, I caught myself wanting to fill my schedule with other commitments. I decided perhaps I wasn't a cold turkey sabbatical person. Perhaps I had to open my schedule a little at a time until I was comfortable with, gasp, a whole day without something scheduled! A little bit at at time was a good way to ease myself into a new way of life.

 Of this I was clear, I wanted a way of life rather than a way to life.  I wanted to learn how to be as relaxed as people thought I was. I wanted to feel inside that calm, confident, everything really is ok way that my soul knew is true. I want to know I lived life. That I experienced it. I wasn't just here to pass the time. I did it one step at a time. I know this is something I will put into practice every day of my life as it is too easy to get pulled back into the frenetic energy. It takes some concentration and commitment to live the way I want. It also takes the ability to hear oneself. How do you know what kind of life you want to have if you can't hear yourself through all of the static?

I decided, I say with a tongue in cheek because I feel pushed, to walk El Camino in France/Spain in 2016. It is the five hundred mile hike through mountains, forests and farmland depicted in the movie The Way. As is the way of the universe, as I decided I wanted live a way of life, this movie was introduced to me as well as a few books. The clincher was when I was cleaning the bathroom and opened the cabinet we have had for over a year and the stamp on the inside was Camino brand. Seriously? I don't need to be hit with too many cosmic 2x4's before I listen anymore. I started researching. It typically takes people around a month to walk the path. Do you know how they do it? One step at a time. This was confirmation to me that I was on my own right path and that little by little does work.

How do you want your life to be? Do you know? Can you be nice to you and recognize that you didn't learn to walk overnight? Can you be accepting and loving of the path you are already on, while fine tuning it to what you really want?

It seems to me that when a way of life is practiced, this living thing could get really fun because we will be in ease of who we are. Doesn't that sound exciting? When you know how you want to be, the knowing of what you want and what to do follows suit. In case there is any question, just look in the cabinets or closets you've had for years....it's written right there even though you couldn't see it before. Amazing.

Willing to see the signs,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Have you ever heard that expression, don't allow others to occupy space in your head rent free? I love that expression. So often we do that. We allow the ones who aren't even in residence to drive us to that frustrated place. This may be because you still hear the voice of your parents even if you are an adult yourself or you consider what the house of they is going to say rather than be able to hear what your own thoughts are. 

The house of they? Well, those are the people we always hear referenced, they said we should live like this, they think I should wear that, they know me better than I know myself, WHAT? Who are these they people? I want to talk to them.....exactly...just try to find them when you need them! 

What is the benefit to giving away all of this personal power and confidence to the house of they? I believe it is because it keeps us from taking responsibility for what is in our own consciousness. If I blame them or hand power over to them, I don't ever have to admit I did something or heaven forbid, I don't know something. If I blame my parents for what THEY did to me, I can act like a dufus now. I don't know about you, but that one isn't working for me anymore. I can feel myself losing patience when someone wants to go on and on about what happened to them and why they can't move forward. It isn't true. There may be circumstances that stunk in your childhood, but if you can drive a vehicle or vote, newsflash, you aren't a child anymore. It is time to take inventory of what is really taking up space in your house and do some clearing out! 

So, how about we start in the attic? What is your thought process? Is it someone else's fault you don't like you or that your life isn't going how you would like it to? (pssst, the answer is no, but if you think it is someone else, you could look at your thought process here.) Do you have a supportive thought process? If you do, give that thing a hug! You will want to reinforce it with more love. 

Speaking of the parents, how about some childhood issues? We covered that a bit but what others could you be hanging on to that aren't serving you any longer? I used the phrase, my parents did the best they could with what they had at the time, repeatedly to help me move through some childhood stuff. I have used this same phrase when talking with my kids. I have also said, see me in twenty five years and tell me you did everything perfectly and then we can chat about our screw ups. 

Could you use a cleansing? Do you want to clean off the old stuff you continue to carry? Good for you! Great answer, for in the cleaning up of the old perceptions of others having more power over your happiness, you gain self love. A great trade isn't it? 

What about your restful self? Are you resting? Are you allowing your physical body to be honored and restored? There isn't an award on the other side for the greatest martyr you know. Sorry to disappoint you. Rest up, read a good book, take a nap, stare at the clouds, meditate, do whatever helps your being be and appreciate that you are taking care of your physical housing too. 

Something that can be very restorative is creativity. This comes in so many varieties that I won't even attempt to nail it down, but you can, for you! If it feels good and lights you up and uses that creative fire, go for it....as long as it's legal. :) 

Now formality can be a lot of fun, but please don't save the good china for a special occasion or wait to tell someone you love them. Dress up and go out to eat, learn to ballroom dance or speak a foreign language but leave the formality there. Get squishy with your family and your feelings. Let them know you care, in your way. This one has been a challenge for me, but I am working my way through my house of me and I'll get it yet! 

Family comes in so many different rooms and decorative styles. I LOVE that about family. I have birth family, marriage family, soul family, adopted family, community family and animal family. We truly are blessed to be able to add on to our family in anyway we wish. We are also blessed to be able to decide when family is no longer a reason to stay connected. This is a tough one but when you realize you don't have to put up with anything that isn't respectful, the family either heals or goes it's own way making room for that soul family. 

It is not easy but it is a way to let go of the past and realize where you want to be today. 

All of this is a way to check in with you and see what is getting attention yet not helping you. If you are one to air your dirty laundry, or someone else's, you would benefit from a home inspection. Something in the upper floors is not satisfied if you are operating out of the basement energy. Someone else is taking up space and not paying rent if you are looking for the drama high of dirty laundry viewing. This includes gossip. The rule I follow; Don't say anything about someone you wouldn't say to their face. It will keep you honest and help you to stop the habit of gossip if you have developed it already and then your laundry will be so stinking clean, they will call you to do a detergent commercial. (There is that elusive they again!)

Have some fun with this exercise and see where you are living in yourself. I wouldn't suggest collecting rent though, just follow through with the eviction process and shift to a higher vibrational way of living. One that is love thy neighbor....and thyself! 

Happy to help you move your stuff, 

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Once a month I do an event called Share an Evening with Vicki. It is two (or two and a half if I have a hard time stopping...sometimes three...I need help but that's another blog.) hour event where people can attend to receive guidance, messages and this month, stand up comedy!

It was such a fun group that I was even more laid back than normal. It could also have been the prednisone and inhaler I am on, but we will give most of it to the energy of the people there. They were all willing to have fun, share tears and grow. SO STINKING FUN!

There were a lot of gems that came out of the night as I remember the responses but can't remember what came through. One they reminded me of though that I thought, hey, that's rude enough to be a blog, was the vomit discussion. Don't worry, that's as gross as it gets, the description. I didn't have much of a filter that night so the description, while appropriate, is well, gross.

I was talking with a young lady about how she was leaking energy and if she didn't patch a few holes, her health and happiness would be effected even more than it is. See, we all have an energy field and when we fail to recognize that and take care of it, we can get holes from all the demands of our lives and other people in our lives. As I looked at her field, I realized she had a few people in her life that were vomiting energetically on her and she was not only vulnerable, she was inundated with others crap and couldn't hear her own thoughts.

When people spew on us, it feels even heavier to be yourself and you have sadness you just can't connect to anything. One way people energetically relieve themselves is on social media. My goodness, you can just read some of the posts to realize who was just looking to get rid of energy and used the outlet to do it. Then it gets picked up, kind of like the flu virus, and spread because someone responds with "OH NO!" "You should......" "What are you going to do?" "How could someone do that?" etc. All that drama lowers the energy field and creates the exhaustion that so many people are walking around with.

One way to be healthy and not catch or throw energy, is to not pick up that ball when someone tosses out the whining, complaining, or generally ticked off at the world post. Scroll right on by. It doesn't mean you don't care about the person, it means you are not willing to carry their germs. This is true if the person is right in front of you too. Ask the people close to me. It has to be annoying that I won't get mad when they do, but I know it isn't going to solve anything so why go there? If you truly cared, you would call it universal precautions and say, hey, I'm helping both of us to be healthy right now by not keeping the virus going.

Another way is to be healthy yourself. Make sure you can recognize when you are feeling less than and either shake the energy off by exercising, cleaning something, singing, dancing, playing, cooking, stomping your feet or clapping your hands, anything that will help break up energy. Take responsibility for your own feelings and be willing to fumigate if necessary!

You can also make sure your light is lit so if someone else is having a challenge shining theirs, you can help but not take it on. Imagine a flashlight shining from within and emitting a light from you. It will allow you to create an energetically neutral zone as well as show others that being energetically healthy is good!

This is something that is year round happening and there really isn't a shot for it, you have to be willing to do the journey yourself.

So, I thank my November group for some great laughs and material and for the opportunity to share with everyone else! I wish you health in recognizing when someone, or you, may be over sharing. There are times where sharing is not caring you know! We all do it to some extent, but if we can become more aware, we can acknowledge it in the moment and choose to act in a different way.

I know you can do it!

Get those flashlights beaming!

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Let's face it, even the best intuitive out there can't know everything. While there really are crystal balls for some people, I know they are not one hundred percent accurate. For that I am grateful. Sometimes we fear so much what we don't know, we seek out the people who apparently do and yes, I can see your path and what could potentially happen, but it can't be guaranteed because you have free will and make choices that alter that path a bit. I had a lawyer say to me one time that this was my loophole. I laughed for days about that because while it may sound like one to some, it is really my honesty and letting you know that you have the power to create your life the way you want it to be and if you are willing to see that, oh man, the amazing things that can happen!

If anything I see on a regular basis, it is that people truly do not know their own potential. When someone comes to see me, I see their whole self, their true self and then encourage the meet up of that energy and their human self. It is amazing when you see it click in and people start to believe in themselves. It would be all the payment I would need if I didn't have a mortgage and a ridiculously spoiled canine.

Why is it people don't see this for themselves? I believe it has to do with that fear of the unknown. What if I do exceed all perceptions of me and completely fly and be amazing? What will people think? Will I have to maintain it? How will I know what to do next? Will there be people who don't like it and decide to leave my life? The last one is almost always a yes and can keep people locked up in non movement for a very long time. My question is always, why would you want someone in your life who doesn't want the best for you, even if they aren't it? I have had many friends and family move on and decide I wasn't the cat's meow (I know! Can you imagine? LoL)  and while initially I had a hard time with it, now I can honestly say, I wish them well and hold no hard feelings when they decide this. I honor myself by looking and seeing if I did anything that could change the outcome. When it comes back as a nope, I was being me and they felt they didn't want to be part of that, then I can let it go. Sure, it may take reminding myself that I only want to be surrounded by those that have mine and their best interest at heart, but it is so worth the work.

These people aren't always yes people either. Some of my greatest friends are the ones that will say very bluntly what they feel and help me to continue to grow. They see my potential even when I don't. So, if this is the probable outcome for moving forward and going for that all out, this life rocks, place, why wouldn't you do it?

Where is the fear for you around not knowing what the next step is? Is it really about the next step or are you looking too far into the future and creating a much bigger monster than is really in front of you? Like I suggested last week, bite size pieces people!

Often when I do business consulting (yes, I do that too and I LOVE IT!), the business owner wants to look at the ten year plan. I get that it is a wise idea to have a goal and to set an intention and include spreadsheets of where you want to be, but if you don't take the small steps now, chances are you won't attain that ten year goal. It will keep getting put off because the focus is too far in the future.

What is one thing you would like to see happen in the next few months leading up to 2015? Maybe it is just get clear about what you would like in 2015 (hey, there is a class for that this Saturday! Check it out and see if it resonates for you).

What if you weren't afraid...what if you were curious? What if you shifted the vibration from a place of fear to one of anticipation? What if you realized you have already lived through the unknowing of last year and you are still here to rave about this life process?

What if you believed in you the way I do? Imagine that! Get good with the unknown. See it as a wonderful gift you get to open every day and allow that gift to power you through new opportunities. Fear and excitement have the same vibration in the universe. Use that to your advantage. Shift how you see it, so you can embrace change.

Not knowing is fun! We don't need to know to have a yearning to know. We can continue to grow without all the answers and maintain a balance of wonder.With belief in self, that not knowing is a non issue because you will realize that no matter what comes up, you will thrive in the experience when you are curious.

Curiouser than Curious George,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

We, as humans, were given the gift of the expression of emotion. We have a variety of expressions to choose from too. Some of us have short fuses while others have what seems like unending patience. Each persons experience is as different as they are. It amazes me when I see people who are so in touch with their feeling that they can articulate exactly what they are feeling. Sometimes it amazes me that some of those same people don't have an edit button, but I am still always impressed with their ability.

We have all these beautiful feelings and yet we tend to lean toward negating them. We have all had the experience where we ask how someone is and they say fine yet we know they aren't. It may be very clear they are not fine but they feel they have to suck it up and pretend all is well. I agree that there are times where communicating exactly what you are feeling may not be in the best manners but what about those times where it is quite safe to do so and we still suck it up?

I wasn't always comfortable with emotions because in my family we didn't talk about anything, at least nothing of substance. There was anger expressed, frustration and humor, we are a pretty funny family if I do say so myself. Feelings themselves weren't though and that is pretty evident by the sheer number of people in our family with thyroid issues. I decided a few years ago that I was going to clear up my own thyroid and to do this I had to learn to express myself. Goodness. Give me a stage and I am very eloquent, have a client need to express, cry, scream, laugh,  and I am good, ask me how I'm feeling and you were likely to get a fine as well. Challenge me to ask for what I would like and I would deflect with that humor I learned.

Through my process though I have come to really appreciate this amazing barometer we are wired with. Why would we have emotions if we weren't supposed to use them? I asked someone the other day when we were discussing her tendency to diminish her emotions if rather than diminishing them, she could learn to use them.

It made sense to my head that we could negate or navigate. We could continue to deny that we felt a certain way or we could learn to listen and use them as the north star to indicate where we really are. I know our head will tell us stories but our emotions tend to be right on. Just ask a two year old when they don't want to do something. They aren't being particularly defiant because they don't really know what that is yet, but they are following their disappointment and expressing their desire for a different outcome. What if you listened to your feeling of less than and asked yourself what you could do for you now? One of my besties, Laurie Magoon, always says "how can I support you with this?" Can you imagine being on the receiving end of this statement? If you know Laurie, you have been but really, how great is that? (Thank you Laurie if I haven't expressed that enough. This is gratitude I am expressing!)

What if you said that to yourself when you were feeling discord, how can I support me right now? This could be a gps of sorts for you to navigate emotions. First, allowing yourself to feel them, then asking how you could be of support and then doing whatever your brilliant self comes up with. I would suggest it be of your highest interest so while that pint of ice cream may support the craving for sugar, it isn't helping emotions to be productive, it is just adding to another trip around the block on your walk! Perhaps start with the walk! See, you are getting good at this already.

One of the benefits of the Belief Re-patterning sessions that I offer is it can help you connect with those feelings and become comfortable in having them, in a safe place, and learning what to do with them!

For this week, give yourself the gift of honoring the emotions as they come up. They are telling you something, be willing to listen. Be nice to you during this process. Much like learning how to ride a bike, this is going to take a bit of balancing if you haven't been listening previously. Be patient and be aware others may not know what to do with your emotions and that is fine. It is still very valid to have them. Their emotions are theirs to deal with. Perhaps they haven't been doing that either. We will all arrive in that caring feeling space eventually, it is part of the soul journey.

Off to express myself,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Everywhere you look advertisements shout to us that bigger is better. Super size your order, but wait, buy now and you could have another free just pay shipping and handling and don't even get me started on "enhancements".  Whatever happened to accepting what you have and taking steps to improve on it?

Every day I hear someone reference how they are supposed to be somewhere they aren't already. Either in career, relationship or intuitive abilities. I feel like people are rushing forward to be in the future so much, they don't even know they are in the present. If you aren't present, how in the heck are you going to even know what you want? Creating a future means knowing where you are so you can move forward from a solid place. A place of clarity.

It has been my experience that finding that place of clarity can not be rushed. It would be like plowing your way through dinner, stuffing your face and not being able to taste a single thing because you are so focused on getting to the end, the journey doesn't matter. This is why I am suggesting slowing down and enjoying those bite sized pieces. The irony that I am suggesting this does not get by me as I spent most of my adult years thus far, rushing to the next thing, sure that it would all work itself out eventually. I missed so much and while I can see that now, I know I can't do anything about what is back there, but I can do something about where I am and where I am heading.

During my coaching experience, I have learned this patience and the beauty of incremental steps. I am offering a class in November on this very premise. Creating a Plan for 2015 that Rocks! A three part class, bite size pieces, that helps one decide what the heck they want anyway and takes them through the action place. The best part of all is you can do it in your jammies! Not that we would mind if you wore them here, this class is online. Yes, I have heard all of my wonderful phone and skype people!

We didn't learn to walk all at once. We had to develop muscles that helped us step by step. Sometimes we held people's hands, we cruised the furniture or we wobbled until all those synapses fired and we were off and running! I am suggesting we see ourselves as a wonderful soul that is always expanding and will keep learning whether in the physical or non-physical. We will grow and we will be fantastic if we can come to a place of understanding that it isn't about a magic word and poof! It is about savoring each step and recognizing there is no rush to the finish line

I didn't realize it at the time, but last month when I ran a 5k I participated in this premise. There was a gentleman that did his darndest to keep passing me. I would slow to walk, he would run, I would run, he would walk. We did this dance for most of the race. I joked that he was great inspiration for me and he just smiled, or grimaced, it was hard to tell. Not a big talker, I get it! Fast forward to right before the finish line, something in my awareness beyond gasping for oxygen was he needed to come in before me. I really don't feel it was a competition with me, but more with himself. I could respect that and while I had planned to pour it on at the finish to be under forty minutes (running is not necessarily fast.), I felt at that time it wasn't as important as whatever he was going through. Now, I'm not saying I wasn't important, I am simply saying I was present enough to realize it wouldn't hurt me in any way if I didn't hit my time, but I sensed he would not be nice to himself, so I changed my plan and I kept up with him but didn't pass.

Before you think I am a martyr, hear what happened as a result. The first cheering crowd I came to were cows. I kid you not. They were mooing and standing so close to the fence I bet they would have jumped it if they could. That was hysterical to me. I then got a clear view of my friends on the side line as well as my granddaughter yelling to me that she loved me. Come on! You can't beat that with a two second time difference. His need was greater but I believe my reward was just as great. I stayed present and savored the moment. Years ago I would have checked out and been thinking about how bad I felt about not hitting sub40. Years ago I didn't even skip, let alone do a 5k but my thinking would have been messed up enough not to see that, it would see what I thought was the big picture, failure, rather than, holy schmoley, I did a 5k with a cow cheering squad!

This 5k wasn't going to make my running career, nor was it going to validate me as a person, but it was one of those bite sized pieces of amazing glory that had me glad to be alive. I won't promise to hold back in another race but I will promise to be aware of my surroundings and to savor the fact we aren't running from lions, but rather to feed whatever it is in us that needs the bite size piece at that time.

What would you like to accomplish that seems much too big all at once? Cleaning projects often fall into this category. Can you break it up into smaller pieces so you can comfortably chew on it? Small victories add up to large ones and they offer more opportunity to do the happy dance! You can add cows if you want.

If you don't know what you want to focus on, join us for the class in November and get your self closer to that first happy dance.

Inch by inch, row by row, gotta help that garden grow....great song...great premise.

Be nice to you,

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com