Blog

MASTERING THE MUNDANE WORLD

Posted on by Lori Otruba

There are times in my life where I tend to be more quiet, observational, and contemplative, and the past few months, this has been the case for me. These times always help me see things from a different perspective. They help me arrive at a new awareness that can be a bit surprising for me, but these are the moments that are so important, and I’m learning to embrace them. 

My message to you will always be the same – that each of us is unequivocally uniquely different and yet the same. For example, one person will experience emotions much differently than another, and you are the only one who knows how that feels for you in your body. No one, and I mean no one, can tell you how that feels for you. Not society, not your family, not your partner; you get my point. It’s your experience, but how you choose to react to it is your responsibility. I’ve come to realize that our reactions to life are made up of many different facets, aspects, and conditioning of how each of us sees and views the world consciously and unconsciously. This is how uniquely different we are.

Now, I want to focus on the word ‘life.’ This has been my contemplation for the past few months. Not so much the meaning of life, but more about mastering life in the mundane world. 2020 forced most of us to slow down and assess things. 2021 is helping us take a good look at things we put value in and choose to innovate from. Either way, whatever the year’s background frequency theme is, I’ve come to realize that each of us is here to experience and master life, simply what it means to be human and to be alive in a physical form experiencing life in the mundane world. I’m not saying life doesn’t come with its own set of challenges, but we chose those before reincarnating, so there needs to be a sense of acceptance with that. But my contemplation is on the mundane world and how we are mastering this part of life.

So, what do I mean by the ‘mundane world?’ Well, the world we’re experiencing doing mundane tasks such as grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, cooking, even gardening, for that matter. I believe these tasks are something that we’ve been conditioned to think of as just something we have to do or not. There’s always a duality here. But whatever tasks we choose to put into our mundane world, could you think about those tasks? How did you start out doing them, and how do you do them now? I bet you don’t do them the same way. This experience, practice, and repetitiveness create the expansion to question if there is a better way, a more effective, and efficient way of completing these tasks.

For me, this is the definition of mastering life in our own mundane world. I believe we start with this mastery to expand this same concept and apply it to other areas of our life. However, with the instant gratification and the fear of not being good enough that our society perpetuates, we’ve lost sight of allowing for patience with the process, so we don’t even try. And here’s where we can give our power, freedom, and control over to others, all while blaming, shaming, and wishing for something better for ourselves. We give up on ourselves, thinking we have nothing of value to offer because we’re not trusting in the process of mastering our own lives in our own mundane world. It’s just easier.

So, my question to you is, what other areas of your life would you like to apply this same process of mastery all while allowing for the patience within yourself and the process with no expectation of anything more than just the experience?

SHINING OUT FROM WITHIN

Posted on by Lori Otruba

Shining Out From WithinI captured this picture the other morning while I was having my coffee. There was a bit of fog and mist lifting as the Sun was rising, and it was just too beautiful to pass up. It’s these moments that I cherish the most, as they are so fleeting. I look at this picture in wonder because it symbolizes so much for me.

One of the many representations of the Sun is our Heart, and I teach living from this place, the Heart-Centered Space. When I feel into this picture, the Sun shining through the mist represents my heart reverberating out into the world. I don’t think I could have found a better picture that showcases this symbolism and teaching.

This reverberation can be on many levels, sometimes negative, sometimes positive, sometimes with lots of love, passion, and gratitude, and sometimes with hurt, anger, and envy. The rays shining through the trees are the pieces of my Heart that I am allowing and want to reveal. Why are there only pieces shining and not my whole Heart? Because the tree represents a block I need to work through.  As I overcome that block more of my whole Heart will be exposed.

Ah, and there’s that word … EXPOSED … Many think that word means raw and vulnerable, but does it really? You may feel vulnerable at the beginning of the unblocking process, but after a few times it no longer feels that way. And, I ask you, what do you want to reverberate out into the world? Each of us is a part of the collective whole, and if each of us focuses on what we’re reverberating out into the world and starts to heal, guess what happens to the collective whole?

I encourage each of you to save this photo as a way to channel your Heart space, even if it’s only for a couple of minutes a day. I ask that you feel into this beautiful and sacred space, sending yourself, others, and Mother Earth love, forgiveness, and gratitude daily. As you practice this, send those Sun Rays (Heart Reverberations) out into the world. Each day, each moment is a choice on where our focus is going to be and what reverberation we are going to emit into the world. What are you going to choose?

TRUST THE WAIT

Posted on by Lori Otruba

This morning I woke up rather out of sorts and very tired. I looked outside only to see the weather reflecting my mood with overcast skies and snow. While I watched the snow fall, collecting on the pine trees outside, the words Trust, Patience, Gratitude, and Detachment came to me. I started thinking about each of these words, knowing full well what their meanings are for me.

 

The first two (Trust and Patience) I have heard several times over the past few months. I have always been the type of person to push myself, wanting to accomplish so much in this lifetime with the single-minded goal of helping and serving as many people as I possibly can. And my Type A personality feeds into this as well. Since I was a teen, I have been a knowledge-seeker. This knowledge-seeking has happened during several different phases of my life. And once again, I find myself in this knowledge-seeking and gathering phase. As I reflect on each of those phases, including this one, I notice that they are periods of massive growth, seclusion, and an overwhelming sense of aloneness. Now, I know I’m not alone; we are never alone. But, when you try to explain to someone what you are going through, if they have not had the experience themselves, it is very hard to put into words and to be understood.

 

So, here I was totally immersed in my thoughts about these words, and this is what came to me.

 

TRUST

When I focus my attention on this word, I know it means for me to Trust the process, that all is well. Most importantly, it means for me to Trust my abilities. After many years as a healer, I still struggle with this piece of me. It’s a wonderful way of staying humble in this profession; however, I am still blown away with what comes through in my sessions and the physical manifestations of my person when massive healing is taking place for the person I’m serving. I’m in awe of this, and there are absolutely no words that can describe the experience I’m having with each session. It’s an incredibly humbling experience.

 

But, now, I’m in another phase of my life where solitude is required as another ‘leveling up’ occurs for me, and this is forcing me to really look at what’s going on deep inside me and acknowledge those pieces that have been hidden from view for a while. On some level I’ve always known they existed, but to truly look at these, feel through them, and then release them is at times a bit overwhelming. Yes, I have the free will choice to continue to avoid these, but then that slows my growth, and others are affected due to this, so free will in this instance is not an option; therefore, in this space of solitude I am learning to Trust at a capacity I didn’t know existed. But, this brings me to my next word…

 

PATIENCE

As I sit in this solitude, learning to Trust ALL OF IT requires Patience, and what I’m realizing is there are different forms of Patience. I have the Patience of Job on many other things in my life, such as my husband’s 12-year journey to make a career switch that benefited many people (immediate and far reaching); however, that form of Patience does not filter over into my world. I tend to set a very high expectation for myself and disappoint myself when I haven’t met whatever expectation.

 

Today, I realized that Patience with the process and Patience with this new level of Trust is also very much needed here. This Patience with the Self is self-love and self-care at its best. As I gather, seek knowledge, and level up in my current state of solitude, I need to remind myself that this is all part of the journey to my destination. I WILL get there, but if I’m resisting Trust and Patience along the way, it will take me twice as long to achieve any of it, and it will continue to persist. Embracing ALL OF IT is the only option.

 

While I was thinking about this, I realized just how ungrateful I sound, which brought me to my next word…

 

GRATITUDE

As tough as this is to feel the feels and work through it all, I realized that gratitude is the next part of this process. I am being provided a beautiful opportunity to grow in order to share my gifts with the world and become the best version of myself, and I’m over here wallowing about what’s not happening fast enough in my world and how its all supposed to look. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me? There are people out there that would love an opportunity like this. Honestly, I have no idea how long any of this is going to last, but being ungrateful for such a beautiful opportunity to learn and grow, well … this is not an option either. Which brings me to the last and final word…

 

DETACH

While I was finishing up with the word Gratitude, Detachment jumped in. That’s when I realized that I needed to detach from whatever outcome I think it should be. In all of our lives, the possibilities are endless. This is based on our pre-destined path we chose to come in with as well as our free will. They go hand-in-hand, but when we place our own ‘HOW’ to the equation, we limit any other possibilities. Honestly, I have no idea how any of what I am doing is going to look like in the future. I have a feeling and intuition of the many possibilities, but if I don’t remove my attachment to what I think the outcome should be, I will limit myself on many levels which then effects everyone I am supposed to encounter in this life, and again, this is not an option.

 

I wrote this, because I felt there are people, maybe not with the same circumstances, but who are having their own experiences and these words may reach them at just the right moment, helping them through. Also, people need to understand that just because you were either born with these gifts or developed them over time, we are all very human and struggle with the best of them. The key here is learning to Trust, have Patience, be Grateful, and Detach in each situation or circumstance, opening yourself up to a broader, bigger picture, because the more you open yourself up to ALL OF IT, the possibilities are endless and your suffering disappears.

HEART SONG

Posted on by Lori Otruba

I have wanted to write this blog for a while now, even since Archangel Sandalphon stepped forward while administering reiki to a client a few months back. At first, I wondered why he came forward, and then I heard him clearly tell me it was to help that person become more in touch with the music of their soul; their Heart Song. So for this month’s blog, I thought I would go a little deeper into Archangel Sandalphon’s Message to Humanity from August’s Newsletter.

Finding our Soul’s Resonance

One of the first things Sandalphon mentions is, “He would like us to find our soul’s resonance, or “Heart Song”, by being still and quiet to find the music within …” Finding the discipline to sit quietly and listen can be challenging, especially when our lives are filled with so many distractions. I’m sure many of you can relate to the fact that I’ve lost hours scrolling through Facebook when I should have been doing something else more constructive ;-). While the occasional stroll through social media is fine, problems arise when that distraction is used as avoidance. According to Tony Robbins, a leading life coach, one of the six human needs is to avoid pain and seek pleasure; avoiding the pain of change or introspection by distracting ourselves doesn’t make the pain go away, it becomes an ever-constant nagging that gets louder and louder the more we ignore it. Seeking stillness, quiet, and meditation eases the pain bit-by-bit, causing a resonance for the mind, body, and soul to align with each other gradually. Aligning with our music within is a slow process, and we need to have grace for ourselves throughout.

Inner and Outer Worlds

Sandalphon states, “I want you to find your Heart Song and send it out into the world. The song of your heart will share its pattern and harmonize with the song of the Earth—sit in the quiet and appreciate the beautiful music of your song and the Earth’s song working together. They are different tunes, but they work together in harmony.” As a human race, we seem to have lost track of the intricate connections between the inner the outer world. We’ve lost the connection of our inner world, where meaning is created, balance is found, and a sense of self is reclaimed. We’ve lost the connection to the outer world (nature), where we spend our physical time and reflect our true selves in the outward appearance of our lives. Humanity is starving through its isolated, separate selves, as we lack the needed nutrients of the inner and outer meaning that feed the mind, body, and, soul. These inner and outer connections are created living through the heart, grounding to the Earth, and appreciating the cycles of nature and life (the falling away of the old and the rebirth of the new).

Out-of-Tune Waves

As Sandalphon states, “All too often, humanity forgets its song … people forget to listen, and they get off track, and they fall out of tune. The trick is to make sure those out-of-tune waves coming at you don’t change your internal song.” He’s asking us to listen to what’s being spoken on the inside. If we feel off track, we should simply listen to our internal voice, course correct, and head back on our path. He’s also asking us to pay attention to those out-of-tune waves that come at us on a daily basis. These out-of-tune waves come from people-pleasing and doing what others expect of you, instead of living by your own expectations. They come from the consistent, ceaseless noise of what we see and encounter with any form of media. It is affecting our way of thinking about the inner and outer worlds, keeping us separate and isolated from one another. We need to be vigilant about out-of-tune sounds, so we stay steadfast and on track with our Heart Song.

Invitation

Your Heart Song is an invitation to revisit the connection within. It’s the still, small voice of calm, calling you back to reclaim your true self. Your Heart Song is not the judgment and ridicule of society screaming, “you’re not good enough!” Your Heart Song speaks to you gently, lovingly, reassuringly. It leads you within, telling you not to fear what waits inside you, hidden from view. When you tune into your Heart Song, the Earth’s tune hums along, creating a beautiful melody. Can you just imagine the music we could all make together? I guess that’s why Sandalphon sings the lyric: “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. I’d like to hold it in my arms…”

I encourage all of you to get in touch with your Heart Song, as Sandalphon advises, “If your heart-centered purpose is your destination, then your Heart Song lights the path you walk to get there. That’s the easiest way … if you stay in harmony, that’s the easiest way to get to where you need to be.”

Have a great month, Everyone!

GRACE FOR OURSELVES AND GRACE FOR OTHERS

Posted on by Lori Otruba

Empathy

Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, whereby this ability to understand and share in another’s feelings creates grace … grace for yourself and grace for others.

When we are in the spirit realm for a time, things are much simpler, calmer, and more peaceful, which provides a contrasting perspective to the entrenchment of our Earthly existence. When we are living in the 3D heaviness of the Earthly plane, we are experiencing challenge, struggle, duality, triumph, awareness, and, hopefully, enlightenment. Practicing empathy and grace throughout the Earthly challenges can be very valuable.

Each of us is on our own journey with specific lessons to learn, growth to pursue, and karmic imbalances to overcome. As we reach our 20s and venture out to pursue our dreams and desires, we start asking the important questions: “who am I?” “why am I here?” and “what is my purpose in life?” Finding the answers may take a decade, a lifetime, or possibly another go-around—or several!

Patience and Understanding

Since we’re all on different timelines as we tackle our spiritual to-do list, we need to practice patience and understanding with ourselves and with others. Having the patience to appreciate everyone’s struggles in this Earthly life will quiet the Ego and settle us into our own heart-center. This heart-center is where each of us learns to be true to ourselves, to follow our heart’s calling, and to find empathy for our fellow man. It is not to say you should sacrifice yourself or your own journey for someone else, but simply to understand that everyone is going through the difficulties of spiritual growth. On Earth, the struggle is real. 😉  Often times, this perspective is enough to diffuse a difficult situation, especially if you can step back and look at it from an observer’s standpoint. Practicing removal or detachment will help reduce general life stress, as well as easing conflicts in personal or professional situations.

Perspective

If we are willing to look at things from a different perspective, our awareness expands, and we are able to experience Grace for Ourselves and Grace for Others. It can be a pretty awesome and valuable tool to use throughout our lives, creating space for love, peace, calm, acceptance, and freedom. In practicing Grace, we can find an acceptance of ourselves and others, and a freedom to be who we truly are.

Have a blessed month, Everyone!

ESCAPE TO CONNECT

Posted on by Lori Otruba

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently, my family and I went to Maui, a trip that we take every year. It is our escape to paradise for self-care; it’s a time for us to reconnect within ourselves and come together as a family once more; it’s a time for us to remove ourselves from the trappings and stressors of day-to-day life; it’s a time for us to slow down, to quiet down and listen within; it’s a time to stop and listen to our hearts.

Escape to Paradise

So, what’s your escape to paradise? Paradise can mean different things to different people. It’s all in what the definition of paradise means to you. It may mean a beach vacation to the gorgeous Caribbean, or a cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, or a staycation to enjoy some down time at home. For some, it may mean finding paradise within your life: finding those quiet moments within, making a safe space for yourself, making a happy place that you can go to and listen to your heart. Whatever your paradise is, remember it is NOT an escape to avoid problems. It needs to be a time to reconnect with oneself and rebalance, rejuvenate, and rest. The goal is to look within in order to move forward. Grant yourself permission to feel vulnerable as you get in touch with your heart, honoring the power and fragility that coexist therein.

Be in the Present Moment

One of the things that came to mind before I left for Maui was that I needed to be more in the present moment during our trip, and I made every effort to do so. This was my angels and guides reminding me to quiet my Ego when I go on vacations, as I tend to spend a lot of time thinking about what I’m going to do when I return home and mentally planning instead of enjoying my actual vacation. This line of thinking gets me in trouble because I’m not enjoying the beauty around me or the time I’m spending with the people I love the most.

Setting NO Expectations

Another temptation when we get away is to set expectations for how we think our vacation should go, how our family should behave, how the weather is going to be, etc. When we set ANY expectations, we are always met with disappointment, resulting in a different outlook and perspective of our time away. So get rid of those expectations and embrace the adventure.

Spending Time in Nature

Another way to reconnect during your escape is to be in nature. As a Taurus (Earth sign), nature is awe-inspiring, powerful, and intuitive to me. Listening to the waves was a great way for me to tune into the quiet rhythms of life and listen to the whispers of my heart. Taking a walk in the woods, going for a hike in the mountains, or leaning up against a beautiful tree in the park are all great ways to reconnect, center, and ground your energy.

So, use this escape to a paradise of your choosing as a way to release your white-knuckle grip on the trappings of life. Quiet down the busyness and let go of the Ego. Listen to your heart-centered purpose. Escape with intention and introspection. Escape, not as a means of running away, but as a means of quietly looking within.

Have a blessed month, Everyone!

STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF

Posted on by Lori Otruba


Archangel Gabriel’s message to us this month is to ‘Stay True to Yourself.’ So, just exactly what does she mean by this? How does a person stay true to themselves?

Many years ago, I listened to some tapes from a motivational speaker, Tony Robbins. Some of you may have heard of him. While listening, he made a profound statement that has stayed with me throughout the years. Tony stated, “The past does not equal the future.” Well, that statement opened up my world, because I realized in that moment that just because a person may have been raised or conditioned a certain way does not mean their future has to maintain that lifestyle or those beliefs. You have the power to change all that, but, most importantly, knowing WHY is the key. WHY are you changing your lifestyle, changing your belief system, following your passion? The WHY is your guide post, your inner compass, your heart-calling toward your True Self.

The journey will be a bit challenging as you listen to that heart-calling while you are transitioning. Let me make something very clear here: this is not meant to scare you or discourage you; it is to INSPIRE you to hope for a better future for yourself. YOU are your greatest investment. You can always raise yourself to be the best version of you, no matter what phase of your life you are in. Don’t ever forget that, and don’t ever give up on yourself! You’re just too valuable!

Now, let’s talk about some of the challenges you may be faced with in your pursuit to ‘Stay True to Yourself.’

  • Overcoming societal and generational conditioning
  • Accepting or adopting what others say about you
  • Living by other’s expectations
  • Crabs in the Bucket Syndrome
  • Preconceived notions of what other people think

Societal and Generational Conditioning

Let’s think about this for a moment. Go back to when you were a child, watching TV. What were some of your memories and thoughts when you watched a show that had an impact on you? Think about social media for a minute. Do you think that all the stuff in your newsfeed is true, or is it possible that there are things placed there to condition you to be in fear? Which is your newsfeed, positive or negative? This is societal conditioning. The best example of societal conditioning is all the glamour magazines you sift through seeing one gorgeous model after another and wondering why you can’t look that way. Then the negative self-talk comes pouring in and before you know it, you are body shaming yourself for not looking like those models. Photoshop is a very powerful societal conditioning tool, don’t you think?

What about generational conditioning? This type of conditioning is the lifestyle, traditions, belief systems, etc. that have been passed down from generation to generation in each of our families. Not all of it is bad; however, in order to ‘Stay True to Yourself,’ you will have to overcome some of it. You can start by incorporating the following habits into your daily life:

  • Stop reading and watching the local and world news. This has no other value other than instilling fear within you.
  • Start reading positive, inspirational, and motivational material such as self-help books, spiritual books, autobiographies from successful people, etc.
  • Distance yourself from toxic, negative environments and people (including family members). This is so unfortunate, but there are friends and family members who, no matter what you do, will never be happy. They will try to keep you at their level, because they are not ready to move forward in their own lives (Crabs in the Bucket; I talk about this a little later on in the blog). Following their pressure to stay in place will delay your progress, and remember: it’s not about them; it’s about YOU. Moving on your own path will result in a happier and healthier you, both mentally and emotionally.
  • Surround yourself with people you aspire to become like, as well as people who have a more positive, happier outlook on life.

Accepting or Adopting What Others Say About You

Throughout our lives, you will encounter friends, family members, and others that have unwarranted opinions about you. Most times, these people are unconsciously projecting their negative inner thoughts about themselves onto you. The important thing here is to become aware of whether you have accepted or adopted as true what these people have said about you. For example, I once had a family member who would make fun of my physical appearance. My zodiac sign is Taurus, which is the bull, and surprise, surprise, I have large eyes. He would make fun of me–calling me cow eyes–and, being young and not knowing any better, I became ashamed of how I looked. His negative opinion caused me to think negatively about my eyes. It took most of my childhood, as well as compliments from other people, to overcome that obstacle and change my beliefs. So, before you believe something to be true based on another’s opinion, please take a deeper, longer look at who is saying something to you. You may be surprised what comes up.

Living by Other’s Expectations

This is a tough one, because sometimes we don’t even see that we are doing it, and we can’t figure out why we are so unhappy. It’s because we are living for everyone else but ourselves. Yes, we have responsibilities as parents, as spouses, as children, and we have our own expectations as to how we may play any of these roles; however, often times there are family members, spouses, friends who have their own set of expectations of what you can do for them, and you may receive pressure from them about this. Unfortunately, the one thing I have noticed about other’s expectations is that you are never asked what you want; there is only a single focus of serving the other person. But, living by your own expectations first and foremost helps your inner compass stay the course and brings you into alignment with who you truly are.

Crabs in the Bucket

I use this phrase quite a bit in my coaching sessions. Essentially, ‘crabs in the bucket’ is a situation where you have a bucket of crabs, and one crab climbs over the others to reach freedom. When the other crabs see this happening, they take hold of the breakaway crab and pull him back in the bucket. Metaphorically speaking, these crabs are people who will try to pull you back in the bucket. They are not concerned about your needs, wants, or desires, and they have no interest in helping you get where you want to be. Their only interest is to keep you with them and to continue to pull you back into the bucket. The sad part of it is they usually have no idea that they are doing it. These are people who will try and prevent you from true happiness by attempting to keep you down with them – Misery loves company, you know?

Preconceived Notions

The definition of preconceived notion is “an opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence.” For example, how many of you create anxiety within yourself over a situation, when you have no idea how the reality of it will turn out? This is a preconceived notion. It’s also a lovely moment to practice self-awareness: your Ego (mind) thinks it’s going to die and talks you out of moving forward with staying true to yourself.  Stay vigilant against this pattern of thinking.

Growth Happens in Phases

All those challenges I mentioned above will ebb and flow as we journey through life, but always know you must have contrast (opposition) in order to continue your path and hone in on your true self. Growth is subtle and comes in waves and phases, so we are able to handle things as they come. It’s analogous to building strength within your physical body: just as hard workouts and recovery build muscle strength, spiritual challenges build emotional strength. The end results are fortitude, steadfastness, hope, love, trust, faith in yourself, and something far greater than we could ever imagine. Accept who you are and what makes you unique. There is no one else on Earth that is just like you. Embrace and love who you are, and remember, “What others think of you is none of YOUR business.” So, love yourself through it all, the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly. You’ve Got This!

INSTANT GRATIFICATION, RESILIENCE, SELF-RELIANCE & A SENSE OF HUMOR

Posted on by Lori Otruba

 

It’s March already, and the energies have insisted that we go inward since January. Not only has it been a process for myself, but I am seeing it in many places for many people. We are in times of spiritual awakenings and continued ascension. If you are resisting in any way, this can be a very difficult process. I asked the Angels what the message was for March, and I was told to write about Instant Gratification, Resilience, Self-Reliance, and having a Sense of Humor. So, here goes…

 

 

Instant Gratification

We have gotten so accustomed to instant gratification that it has become extremely hard to separate this emotion from other areas of life. Advancements in technology have allowed us to click a button and download a Kindle book or place an order to be delivered to our doorstep. Gone are the days of being inconvenienced to go to the store, and this impatience now filters into all areas of our life. We no longer have the patience to wait for things to manifest—we want it all RIGHT NOW.

The current energies do not allow for Instant Gratification. You can’t click a button and manifest your spiritual awakening; or overcome the things you were placed on this Earth to learn; or start a business and have your products sell instantly; or have clients lined up outside your door on opening day. In order for any of that to happen, there is a process of slowly awakening, recognizing who you truly are, and learning how to live your life from a heart-centered purpose. I like to think of it this way: one of my favorite hobbies is counted cross stitch. I love watching the picture come into view as I stitch the colors into their dedicated spaces. But in order for this picture to be fully realized, I have to devote passion, dedication, patience, and time. When it’s finished, it’s a beautiful masterpiece, and I have a sense of pride, confidence, and accomplishment. The exact same process applies for the kind of life we want to create, the business we want to grow, or the spiritual ascension we want to have.  It is up to us to put in the passion, dedication, and time, all while maintaining patience with ourselves as we continue to work toward that goal. There is NO Instant Gratification with this process. That emotion can’t even compare to what you will feel when you have reached the goal you wanted, all because you chose to roll up your sleeves and get dirty for a while as you worked hard.

Which brings me to the next point, Resilience.

Resilience

Resilience (ri-ˈzil-yənts / noun/ the ability to continue to bounce back, no matter the circumstances; the fortitude to keep moving forward WITHOUT TAKING THINGS PERSONALLY or thinking the Universe is conspiring against you)

Now, I don’t want you to be frightened by this, because as you grow, so does everything else. But you can’t accomplish growth without the duality of good and bad. You need contrast as you hone in on your exact wants, and the process allows you to become the greatest version of You. All of this takes Resilience. The best way I can describe it is EGO Deconstruction. With all forms of change, things must deconstruct before they can reconstruct, and let me tell you, an EGO does not like to deconstruct, especially if it has been in the driver’s seat for a while. It is our job to recognize when our EGO decides to take something personally and tries to make us give up. It is our job to KEEP GOING! Following the cross stitch analogy, it would be like using the wrong color in one section—I could get mad and pitch the whole project, or I could simply remove that one color, replace it with the correct one, and keep stitching toward my masterpiece.  Just. Keep. Stitching.

Self-Reliance

In my line of work, I have witnessed people wanting Instant Gratification, looking to myself or others to fix them, trying to shortcut the process of creating their own Masterpiece of Self. Healers, doctors, and other providers can only do so much for a person who does not want to help themselves. Pushing the work onto someone else or taking a pill for a quick fix is not how lasting change is built. This is not how life works. Providers can offer tools, tips, and guidance, but it is the action of the individual that creates lasting change.  The individual must seek change for the better, RELY on themselves, and avoid RESISTING the people who offer solutions.

Let’s go back to the counted cross stitch example. In order to finish my masterpiece, I must rely on myself to finish it, overcoming the mistakes I may make while creating it. It is up to me to rely on myself to complete the job and know that it will be worth it in the end. Ahem … you are worth the investment. YOU are your GREATEST investment.

Sense of Humor

Lastly, having a Sense of Humor about this process is essential. As a society, we have gotten so serious about everything, and we are slighted by the simplest things. I get some of it, but at the same time, we really need to learn how to laugh at ourselves when we stumble, fall, and get back up again. Yes, life can be overwhelmingly stressful at times, but having a good, healthy Sense of Humor reduces that stress significantly.  Humor allows for a better outlook on life, and it has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve your mental health. When you don’t take life so seriously, you actually learn to laugh at yourself more. I have a friend who has a very stressful job, most days having someone else’s life in the palm of his hands. He has several ways of alleviating that stress through varied hobbies, but one of the main things he does is laugh. He not only laughs at himself, he is able to bring light respectfully to many situations, even when very dire. He also incorporates humor into his life through watching comedians or shows with his sense of humor. They say laughter is the best medicine, so learn how to laugh more, resist less, allow more, and love yourself through the process.

Bottom line, you are the Masterpiece, and becoming the person you desire to be is a process. You have to remove the illusion of Instant Gratification from this part of your life, becoming Resilient, Self-Reliant, and for God’s sake have a Sense of Humor about it all. You’ve got this!

FOLLOWING YOUR HEART

Posted on by Lori Otruba

The other morning, while having my coffee, I was thinking about something I read recently about the Heart. This got me thinking about the Heart on other levels, so I would like to take you on a deeper journey and higher perspective of the Heart and what it means to follow your Heart.

The Soul

Others may disagree with me, and that’s okay, but I believe this is where our soul lives…in the Heart. If my heart is telling me something, it is never wrong, and I have learned to listen to this. Our Soul lives in our Heart because our Heart is the central location and connection for all the other chakras. When I was first experiencing my spiritual awakening, I was in a meditation, and I asked myself two questions to bring myself back into the present moment, as there are times the mind (EGO) really loves to have its way with you. I go into further detail about this below. I asked “What time is it?” and “Where am I?” and to my surprise, the answers came rather quickly. The answer “Now” came to the first question, and the other wasn’t so much an answer but an awareness and feeling. The word “Here” came, but the location was in my heart. This was my Soul telling me it lived in my Heart. So, this leads to the next question, “What is it about listening to my Heart that leads me to feel my Soul and myself are acting true to both?” Well, when you are listening to your Heart, it is Soul-guided. When listening to your Head, it is EGO-guided. Which one would you listen to?

A Message: Taking Your Power Back

I’d like to share with you a message that came up from my guides back in November 2016, when the election happened, and the world was in emotional chaos. It still is, but I feel less of the collective currently … let’s just say that’s a good thing for me;-). Anyway, as I mentioned above, the Heart Chakra is the central chakra that connects all the other chakras in the physical body. My guides were telling me that if people followed their hearts and their heart-felt desires, that from a collective standpoint, reality would change for them. This was a huge message, as most of my clients were asking questions about the future, and this was the message … focus on YOUR desires, not the desires of others. When we have a mass consciousness focusing on their heart’s desires, it changes the world, and you take your power back instead of giving it to those who don’t really care about you. Let me expound on what “taking your power back” means. Taking your power back is not allowing the fear to settle in when you see something on Facebook or watch something on the news. Taking your power back is staying centered in the face of a life storm. Taking your power back is recognizing when you do not have control over situations and carrying on with your life despite that. Taking your power back is not allowing those to manipulate you or intimidate you. Taking your power back is living in your heart-centered space, growing as a person, and accepting change as it comes. Taking your power back is living by your expectations of yourself and not what others expect from you. Taking your power back means not letting someone or something have control or power over you through fear-based tactics. Taking your power back means not expending anymore energy on a person or situation through your thoughts.

The Chakra System

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the energy centers of our bodies, a picture is below. From bottom to top, they are the following:  Root Chakra (Red), Sacral Chakra (Orange), Solar Plexus Charka (Yellow), Heart Chakra (Green), Throat Chakra (Blue), Third Eye Chakra (Purple), and Crown Chakra (White).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I won’t go into detail about all the other chakras right now, since we are only talking about the Heart Chakra. Here’s a quick overview of the Heart Chakra.

The Heart Chakra

The Heart Chakra is the chakra devoted to love and compassion. The Heart Chakra is also known as Anahata in the Hindu Yogi Chakra system. Anahata translates in English to “unstuck.” Chakras can be completely blocked (spinning slowly) or closed or completely open (spinning too fast). Ideally, you want your chakras to be balanced, not blocked and not completely open. These blocks and imbalances also cause physical manifestations such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and heart problems, just to name a few.

If you have a blocked Heart Chakra, some of the signs can be:

  • Refusal or inability to forgive;
  • Lack of empathy and compassion;
  • Refusal of letting go;
  • Low self-worth or self-esteem;
  • Victim mentality or blaming others for your situation.

If you have a Heart Chakra that is completely open, some of the signs can be:

  • Inability to feel or emotions that you have repressed, whether you know it or not;
  • Holding a grudge;
  • Controlling or the need to be right…”my way or the highway.”
  • Competitive…such as in business with the mindset of “what can you do for me, instead of how may I serve you;”
  • Obsession with money.

If you feel like you have either of these in your Heart Chakra, I highly recommend seeing a Reiki practitioner for balancing. If you don’t want to do that, then I would recommend getting in touch with your Heart through a few minutes of daily meditation.

You may be thinking, “But what about the Mind?” Yes, our conscious mind is at play here with respect to how we perceived the situation; however, it is the Heart that is causing the feelings to come up in you. Our perception also plays a big role in how we feel and create emotions and our reality. Our perceptions are based on our belief systems, our experiences, our past life experiences, and our generational and societal conditioning. We as humans are very complex and multifaceted individuals.

The EGO

If you are too much in your head, you are being driven by the EGO or the uncontrolled thoughts of the conscious mind. I love Wayne Dyer’s acronym for what EGO stands for…Edging God Out, because that is essentially what is happening. Spending too much time in your head will cause you to start doubting the direction you want to take. That’s because your EGO thinks it’s going to die! When you start taking a more heart-centered approach to your life, you will experience many times that your beastly EGO will rear its ugly head until you quiet the beast within. When the EGO is quieted, this is when your head and heart are in alignment with each other, and you start to live from a space of authenticity, becoming your greatest version of yourself.

Gratitude

I talk a lot about gratitude in my sessions with clients. When feeling gratitude, it is generated in the Heart. The Heart is the emotion center. When someone has hurt us, we say, “Our heart is broken.” Think about a time when you have felt completely grateful for something, where did you feel the emotion? … It felt like your Heart was going to explode with happiness, didn’t it?

Law of Attraction

In the metaphysical arena, our thoughts create our reality. With the Law of Attraction, we are guided to focus on our desires; however, to bring these desires to us, we have to match the vibration of it through emotion or feeling … “What would it feel like? What would the emotions be if I had that thing or that career, that relationship, etc.?” These emotions and feelings are generated through Your Heart.

I believe having this understanding of where your emotion is generated can really be eye opening, as we can then begin to try and understand why we are feeling a particular way. Upon our understanding, we forge a new path of self-discovery, moving forward in our lives, and it can also be the beginning of our healing and learning how to follow our hearts.

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings and Namaste

STRENGTH

Posted on by Lori Otruba

Strength

Strength

…this word can mean many things. In fact, there are nine definitions in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary on the meaning of Strength. But, the Strength I am referring to is that great inner strength we all have when we are faced with adversity or some sort of challenge. What’s most surprising is how completely unaware most of us are of tapping into that great inner Strength when life gets rough, revealing that Strength. To me, Strength is an opportunity to practice Patience, Forgiveness, Compassion, Kindness, and Courage toward ourselves and others when our normal response is to practice Laziness, Blame, Animosity, Hatred, and Fear. It’s an opportunity to understand the lesson that is being taught in order to grow and expand into even more than we already are.