"One day, Lucy, BANG, ZOOM! Straight to the moon!"

I believe most of us can relate to people who rub us the wrong way, perhaps because they're being difficult or perhaps because we're being difficult! Either way such a rub creates friction. From an energy standpoint (IC Truth #1 Everything is energy), friction or interference stops the flow. A friend of mine has an analogy I like, she says it's like we're all five pointed stars and our star points just don't fit together with some people, they just clank and get stuck. Well said. So what to do when this happens? I've found the practice of Metta or "Loving Kindness" most beneficial. I believe it's Buddhist in tradition, and it's basically well-wishing for yourself and the other. There are a few statements of good wishing that go something like this (I've made some adaptions to fit individual intentions):

May you be happy.
May you be healthy and strong,
safe and protected, free from inner and outer harm.
May you live in your world with ease and grace.

First, when friction arises and I feel the charge, I begin well-wishing the above statements for myself, then I extend it to the other. I use Metta also as a daily practice for myself, my cherished ones and lastly (once I'm feeling more kind-hearted) to those whom I find difficult. To me, Metta draws out the good in myself and others, literally recognizing, acknowledging and increasing it. Try it peeps, it sounds simple but it's most effective. I believe Metta addresses IC Truth #2, Energy never dies it just changes form. Metta notices friction and transforms it with well-wishing. If you find this practice intriguing, I would highly recommend Sharon Salzberg's book, Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness.  Well, that's all for today. Next time you start to feel the BANG, ZOOM!...don't knock anyone to the moon, instead try the practice of Lovingkindness.

The Call to Right Relationship (Pun Intended)

Happy Summer Solstice, IC Peeps! Hopefully you took advantage of every summery minute of the longest day of the year yesterday. I did, I went fishin'! Well, I was actually supporting from the shore while my beloved did a bit of catching and releasing.

While out there on the river banks, I got to thinking of relationships. Relationship seems to be the number one North Star a client brings into session: how to acquire the perfect one, how to get rid of a pesky one, how to be a better companion, spouse, parent, etc. Interestingly, as I began pondering this North Star, I had two wise counsels pop up, one was a story in the newspaper about five-time Olympic medalist, Bode Miller. The article sums up Bode's no-holds-barred skiing style applied to fatherhood and his desire to learn how to be the best parent possible. He's ga-ga over his little girl, Dacey. She's his North Star, beyond skiing, beyond metals, beyond anything. I believe Bode understands one of life's most important keys: prioritizing. In the age of twitter, facebook and over 40 texts a day on average (100+ for teens), a person is, um, let's say a bit distracted. This brings us to wise counsel number two...a graduation ceremony I just returned from, where retired Senator, Dean Florez, gave an address entitled, "Power Down and Power Up," expounding on the rapid rise in mobile phone use while engaged in face to face time with others. The numbers were astounding. I drove home pondering a second relationship key, building off priority: attentiveness. When I analyzed my own relationships, I recommitted to making my interactions with people my #1 priority and the sole focus of my undivided attention. This already includes volume off and fasting from my cell phone, affectionately named, "Smarty Pants," when I'm with others. I also take once a week, all day Saturday fasts, it's heavenly. So much so, that if I just happen to drop Smarty Pants in the toilet while texting, I might just go ahead and flush her down the drain! 

But, back to the call to right relationship (pun intended), my keys are: prioritizing and attentiveness. Let's hear yours. It's been a while since an IC challenge. I want to hear your keys, and in so doing, you'll be entered to win a free, gifted Skype session. Read the details of the IC challenge and let me know your secrets to right relations with loved ones (non-cellular please:).  

Resiliency of the Human Spirit

Sorry for the long silence, I just returned from an ACEP (Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology) conference and am officially back in full swing again. I learned gobs of information from top psychologists in the field of Energy Psychology from most recent research to the latest quantum energy techniques, but you know which talk had the greatest impact on me? Project Light: Rwanda. A woman by the name of Lori Leyden has taken meridian tapping into the trenches and is working with genocide survivors in Rwanda with incredible success. She shared the transformations she's witnessed, and we skyped with a young Rwandan Project Light ambassador who shared his experience with regaining hope and happiness and becoming a leader for resolution in his country. The most powerful part of the talk was when Lori described first arriving at the orphanage and upon hearing the young people's stories, realizing her own resources were terribly limited and an infusion of grace was needed. She introduced an acronym that was part of a formula that served her and the genocide survivors well: GLJW

Gratitude
Love
Joy
Wonder

What are you grateful for? We were asked this question and given 1 minute to generate a list. "How many of you have 36 items listed?" Lori asked. No one in our group of about fifty people raised their hands, the closest was 34. "The reason I chose this number," Lori explained, "Is because that's how many items one genocide survivor listed the first time I did this exercise."

What makes you feel loved? Or, what is it you love? Think on these things every single day and generate the feeling inside. What brings you joy? Do these things, acknowledge them and increase their existence. What are you in wonder about? Really contemplate this question, for me it brought awareness of everyday miracles I take for granted. What am I in wonder about? The resiliency of the human spirit. Most of us, perhaps due to good fortune, are barely scratching the surface of our capabilities. I give a big thank you to Lori Leyden, Project Light: Rwanda, the Project Light Ambassadors and all the good people that gently remind us of our incredible human potential.