A Birthday Present to Me: Newness

Well, today I am 40. I don't have a pile of attachment to it. I am grateful to have
made it here, I've been told many times that the 40's are great- so that sounds good,
but beyond that I have few feelings regarding the day or the age.

I do however recognize the value of celebration and of ritual and for this reason I
will be enjoying a wonderful dinner tonight and my house is currently infused with the
smell of chocolate cake (the first one baked by my 13 year old son).

My gift to myself this year is going to be Newness. I found myself telling a friend
"In 2000 I was laying in a hospital bed for my 29th birthday, I had a spinal headache from a second spinal tap and a good friend of ours was killed in a bullriding accident-
I haven't liked my birthday ever since!" This is how good of a friend she is- she
challenged me: "Why are you dragging that forward?" she said with an open heart and
looking me straight in the eye.

One of my favorite stories is of the two monks:

Two monks were making a pilgrimage to venerate the relics of a great Saint. During the course of their journey, they came to a river where they met a beautiful young woman -- an apparently worldly creature, dressed in expensive finery and with her hair done up in the latest fashion. She was afraid of the current and afraid of ruining her lovely clothing, so asked the brothers if they might carry her across the river.

The younger and more exacting of the brothers was offended at the very idea and turned away with an attitude of disgust. The older brother didn't hesitate, and quickly picked the woman up on his shoulders, carried her across the river, and set her down on the other side. She thanked him and went on her way, and the brother waded back through the waters.

The monks resumed their walk, the older one in perfect equanimity and enjoying the beautiful countryside, while the younger one grew more and more brooding and distracted, so much so that he could keep his silence no longer and suddenly burst out, "Brother, we are taught to avoid contact with women, and there you were, not just touching a woman, but carrying her on your shoulders!"

The older monk looked at the younger with a loving, pitiful smile and said, "Brother, I set her down on the other side of the river; you are still carrying her."
copied from http://www.fisheaters.com/twomonks.html



This year I am committing to 'newness', to seeing everything with fresh eye's (in my case I will be asking Holy Spirit to help me see the 'truth'). Do you remember the
feeling of seeing a vista for the first time, or a new baby?- ahhhh- without comparing,
judging or making mental leaps- that is where the magic lies.

So, I ask you to be a good friend and call me on my crap. Thank you to all of you
who have sent me well wishes, my heart is truly full.

Resisting the Urge to Play Small

When I went to get my mail last week this sign took my breath away!

I shrunk a little in my car and felt my heart beating faster. I have
been asked do a presentation for our library and this is the advertisement.

So what's with the panic? That's what I asked myself.

In a previous post I shared about a tendency to keep things to myself- hoarding as it were.

When people used to meet me the general consensus was "Fawna is so quiet". A
chameleon, I enjoyed blending into the background and put as little of myself
out there as possible.

I thought I had put this to rest over the past couple of years- but one billboard
reaction shows me that there is some residue laying in there.

I read, I believe and I teach that we are greater than we can even imagine.

I read, I believe and I aspire to serve something greater than myself.

For years in fact my most common prayer is "I'm ready, show me where I might
serve the greater good". Recently these prayers are being answered in spades
as I have greater client numbers and speaking opportunities than ever.

And yet there is that little part that says "NO! QUIET- DON'T TELL ANYONE". I
can see how this has kept me from finishing books, stepping up and 'hanging it
all out there'. Fear of what? Looking weird, sounding like a whacko, seeming
like I'm too big for my britches? Yep, and like all fears- perfect for keeping
me separated from my purpose.

Laughing now, I have reconciled the billboard- grateful to see and LET GO of the
urge to stay hidden. I have things to share, and I know that you do too!

Please join me in laughing away those messages that keep us in our same places, playing small and pretending to be 'not that big of a deal'.

A billboard...geez...

3 Great Tips to Feel Instantly Better!

Today I received this newsletter from my Gratitude Buddy Kerry Sammon,
her three tips today DO THE TRICK!
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezey- enjoy Kerry (I do)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM KERRY:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi~

Here are a few helpful tidbits to pick you up for some weekend Fun!

Warmly,
Kerry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do all 3 in under 5 minutes or spend 30 seconds or less on just one:

Let go of 1 expectation. Think of an expectation you or someone else has placed on you for today. Notice how your heart feels.


Now, take a moment and imagine giving yourself a free pass. Just let go of that expectation. If you get it done great, if not, great. Now, notice how your heart feels having let that go. Ahhhhh. A little improvement goes a long way.



Find Your Beauty - Make one small change to your appearance right now that makes you feel better. Notice what a little spruce up does for your mood. Now, smile at yourself in a mirror and say "Wow, I love your..."
It's amazing how something small can make a huge difference in your self confidence. As you carry that throughout the day, you confidently embark on the next task.



Pat Yourself on the back. Congratulate yourself on one thing you have accomplished so far today. Physically pat yourself on the back. Go ahead.


I just patted myself on the back for getting my car washed. "Good Job, Kerry!" I actually felt joy in my heart while I did it and a little giddiness in my belly. How silly, yet how fun!


I truly wish for each of you, that a small shift, giggle or even a rolling of your eyes at my silliness has improved your day in some way. Sending you peace of mind, heart and soul today and everyday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CALENDER OF EVENTS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Events at Dynamic Ease Wellness Center in Chicago:

March Healing Hour: Wednesday March 16th , 7:30-8:30 pm. Simply respond "healing" to this email if you'd like to attend, or just show up. $10*.
Sit back, relax and enjoy a healing for your grounding, chakras, aura and energy system. Professional healers work neutrally to clear out any blocks and help you fill up with your natural energy.
*Free to Gilda's club members.
Email Readings: Ongoing. $40 Simply respond "e-reading" to this email if you'd like one today. Special offer when you come to an event and check in via facebook.

Creating Your Ideal Body and Fitness Level: Thursday May 5th at 7:30pm. Simply respond "right direction" to this email to reserve your seat today. Seating limited! $20 ahead or $25 at door.
Right Direction Running Director, Alex Dontchos, tells his tale of losing over 100 pounds and turning his life around. Having completed numerous endurance races including the Chicago Marathon and Triathlon, he coaches others on the ins and outs of small changes that make a big difference.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you'd like to develop or strengthen a gratitude practice, simply reply "gratitude matchmaker" and I will happily get you started.

Busy? On the Go? Check out these E-reading rates:
$40: One Question
$70: One Question, deeper look, Healing (Chakra balancing, Aura, Energy system)
$95: Full Session (Framing of Issue, In-depth Insight, Healing, Next Step)

Private session booking is easy. Readings, spiritual coaching, and one-on-one meditation sessions are available via email. Feel free to call or e-mail me. I'm happy to help you set it up.

CD's of meditations and events are available. For a list and order form, simply reply "CD list" and I'll follow up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT KERRY DONTCHOS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kerry Dontchos is a six-sensory teacher, body-worker and healer who helps people who are stuck, stressed or simply wanting more, to tune into their spirit, feel good in their body and enhance their lives.

A Clairvoyant Reading offers insight as you go through transitions in you life. This allows you the opportunity to negotiate through challenges with ease.
As a professional clairvoyant and spiritual coach, Kerry helps you learn more about where you are now, so you can make the necessary shifts to experience the life you desire. Based on seeing you as Spirit, a one-on-one session speaks to your true heart and nature. This helps you to take your best next step.

Body-Work Session: You are invited to relax in loose comfortable clothing on a massage table as you receive gentle hands-on therapy.

As a physical therapist and practitioner of CranioSacral therapy, Zero Balancing and the Healing Arts, Kerry offers holistic care to adults and children. By blending the art and science of traditional and alternative techniques, a session with Kerry unlocks long held patterns of pain and increases your energy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you know other open-minded people who'd like some insight? You're welcome to forward this e-mail to them, preferably in its entirety, including the contact and copyright information.

Warmest Regards,
Kerry

Dynamic Ease LLC, 3424 N. Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60618, USA

Love In Escrow

Today was a day of deep and meaningful conversations (definitely on my bliss list). There were several aha's, but the one I want to talk about has led to something I want to try- and I invite you to try it with me.

I caught myself saying "you loved him all you could- it hasn't gone to waste- that love is in escrow, when he is ready to open to it it will be there for him".

Before I go on- here is the definition of escrow.

"Money and documents deposited in a trust account to be held by one party for another"

I have been trying to be mindful to what I am saying lately- often the advice I give to other people is just as applicable, if not more, to me.

Shortly after saying the statement above I thought "am I holding any love in escrow?" Are there people that have tried to love me that I have blocked. I'm certain of it.

When I go to bed tonight I plan to spend some quiet moments 'allowing'- I'll say something like "I am willing to open to all of the love that is in escrow for me", "I am willing to believe that I am worthy of all the love I've been given". And see what happens!