Do You Have Goals?

Goals, I have been told, are essential for getting ahead. When I was younger I didn’t really understand this because my life has a way of magically just all falling into place. I guess as I look back, I was probably setting some sort of goals but they may not have been as detailed as other goal setters would like. Have you ever thought about why you are setting the goals that you are? Do you set goals for any part of your life? For all parts of your life? If you practice manifestation, that is goal setting.
Danielle LaPort speaks to, not only setting goals, but also attaching an emotion to the goal. In her book, The Desire Map Experience, she walks you through the process of setting goals that are in line with how you want to feel. I love the idea of really thinking about how you want to feel and what is most important to you before setting goals.
I think it is easy to set goals because that is what your mother may have wanted for you or because you think it would impress the neighbors. How much time do we spend in life chasing other peoples dreams? It is import that we are able to discern what we want because that is what’s important to us, instead of others. What are your dreams? What are your goals? How do you want to feel once you’ve achieve them?

Dreams become regrets when left in the mind,
never planted in the soil of action.
~Auliq-Ice

We do goal setting in many different ways, even some ways we may not equate to goals. New years resolutions, manifestations, dreams, bucket lists, these are all types of goal setting. Do you have a bucket list? Mine is full of travel. I work in healthcare and there, we are taught to write SMART goals. SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Result focused, and Time bound, is a great way to think about goals when writing care plans for patients. In my humble opinion, SMART goals are not the perfect way to set goals for your life though. You do want to be specific about what you want but not about how it comes to you. You want your goals to be measurable; I can agree with that part. My friend’s husband, when manifesting wealth, says he wants to be Private Jet Rich. That is measurable. I can think about what that looks like. Achievable is meant to be realistic. I think for life goals realistic is not necessarily important. Dream big! My current dream is to be a published author! Some may not say that is realistic but I say it is still achievable! Result focused, we set goals so that we can see the results we wish to attain. Time bound means that you say you want to achieve it by such and such date. I am a Pisces and happy to go with the flow but others may want to see results by a specific date. I will leave this up to the individual.
Happy goal setting! May all of your dreams (and goals) come true!
How do you feel about goals? How have goals helped you? Do you have a good process for working to achieve your goals for life?

Thank you for reading my blog today!

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Beneficial Forgiveness

Who are you unable to forgive and why? What things do you consider to be unforgivable? What mistakes have you made in life that you are still holding tight to because the pain is too much to think about? Being able to forgive others and even more so, to forgive yourself, can be life changing.

Most people do not set out in life to be a pain the the you know what. As humans, I believe we do the best we can, in the time and space we are in. But because of what we are holding on to, sometime the decisions we make will cause pain for ourselves and or others. I think if we realize that people do the best they can in the time and space they are in, it’ll help you leg go of the anger, regret and disappointment in order to find it in your heart to offer forgiveness.

I was in a toxic marriage once. There was verbal and emotional things happening that have had a lasting impact. I stayed in the marriage because I really believed that my children needed a home with a father and a mother. I also did not believe I could be successful in providing my children with a home and the other things they needed without two incomes. I was wrong about both of these things. I stayed because I didn’t know I was wrong. I stayed because I didn’t understand the lasting impact that this environment was having on my children. I stayed because I did not have enough self worth to believe I could leave. Eventually, I found my self worth and did leave the marriage. I am only now starting to fully understand how my children were hurt and affected by this.

So who do I need to forgive as a result of this story. I need to forgive myself for staying way to long. I need to forgive my ex-husband for the way he treated me and the children. I need to forgive my daughter who still holds so much anger at me for staying too long and for not protecting her more. I need to forgive my catholic up bringing that made me think I couldn’t leave. I need to forgive myself for feeling like a failure, because I couldn’t fix it.

I will tell you I have worked through this and have been able to forgive. Much of this processing and healing took place in the BWCA, with Emy’s support and love. I was able to touch those very painful emotions that were pushed down deep inside. I was able to feel them and understand them and eventually let them go. I was able to understand that my ex-husband was doing the best he could in the time and space he was in. He had learned how to be a family from his own family. Perhaps what had been modeled for him, when he was a child, was also not healthy. I came to understand that he had his own inner demons and probably did not like himself very much. He did not know how to deal with or heal these things. So it came out in these ways that harmed our family. Once I had some understanding of why he acted the way he did, I was able to forgive him. This forgiveness was a gift to him but more importantly it was a gift to myself. Forgiving him freed me from wallowing in the hate and self loathing. Forgiving him allowed me to get to the place where I could forgive myself. Forgiving him allowed me to let go of that “failed” marriage and give it blessings for the experiences I had and the things I learned as a result of it. Forgiving him gave me a new found freedom and a new found peace. Forgiving him was far more beneficial to me than it will ever be to him. Forgiving my daughter is easy. I pray the someday she will forgive me. Not because I feel I need forgiveness but because it will free her and allow her to heal. Forgiving my catholic up bringing was easier once I realized that it was a result of good intentions on my parents part. They were doing what they thought was right. They were doing the best they could to raise their children. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. I think when we can see the good intentions behind the things that hurt us, it is easier to find forgiveness.

The hardest forgiveness that took place from the story I shared above was forgiving myself. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. We do not allow for our own mistakes. We take these perceived “failures” and hold on to them. We often feel they are unforgivable. None of us are perfect. Once I was able to realize that I too did the best I could in the time and place I was in, I began to see that I was able to forgive myself. I forgave myself for staying too long, for “failing” at marriage, for the mistakes I made in the midst of the marriage that made situations worse. The freedom of no longer holding on to these things allowed for a sense of freedom. The chains had been released. I was able to move on. I was able to work on myself and become a healthier version of me. I was able to find a relationship that is happy and healthy.

What in your life are you not able to forgive? Yourself? Others? Situations? Is there a way that you can see these situations from another perspective and find forgiveness? It will change your life. Forgive others, not for their benefit but for your own benefit. Free yourself from having to hold on to that disappointment any longer.

Do you have a story to share about how forgiveness improved your life? Do you have things you are currently working on forgiving yourself for? Do you have things you have learned along the way you would like to share with others?

Thank you for reading my blogs today. Feel free to share it with others you feel it may help. May your life be filled with healthy forgiveness. Blessings, Stacy

Free Services?

I have often given away my services for free. Friends and family, charity events, and even co-workers have benefitted from my skills. When I voluntarily give the gift of my talents, it make me feel happy and helpful, but often people will ask for free services and this has made me feel frustrated. I would never ask one of my friends who is a massage therapist, mechanic or stylist to provide their services for free. I thought maybe this was just because people under value my services. It has crossed my mind. I don’t have a formal education for my holistic healing services, so perhaps this makes them value it less. I reevaluated these ideas today after I read a Facebook friend’s post. She is a family law attorney. Defiantly nothing frou frou about that. She put in her time getting her education and experience. So why do people think it is okay to ask her for free advice?
In the past, I myself have undervalued my training and talents. I did lots of readings for free. I felt bad charging people for this. I have also done this with my nursing career. Responding to a Facebook friend who was looking to hire a nurse to fly to another state and help transport her aging parent back to Minnesota. I had the flexibility to do it, so I responded that I could. I was asked what I wanted to be paid for doing this. I told them they could pay me whatever they wanted. Can you imagine your plumber saying, just give me what you think is fair. In the end they paid me much less than I would have made if I had worked the shifts I had lined up for the same timeframe. I ended up losing money. I was happy I could help them get their very sweet senior back home, but I felt foolish for not setting and getting a price that was fair.
Do you suppose that this happens in all career fields? Do the mechanics and electricians get asked to do things for free? How about pilots? My husband’s dad was an electrician and he said it happened to him. I also heard a story about a physician who would not tell anyone what his profession was when he went places, because so many people asked for free advice or to take a look at something. My father was a mason and I know he built many fireplaces for free over the years. This weekend, I was telling a friend about the idea for this blog. She said her sister is a paralegal and frequently gets asked to write letters for people and even businesses for free. I am amazed at how wide spread this practice is. Why do we not feel we should pay people for their time and talents when we ask for their help? When we are asked to give away our time and talents, why do we feel bad saying no?
I do believe in “pay it forward” and I also believe in helping others because the whole world benefits from a rise in vibration. I am always happy to trade services. I used to belonged to a healers co-op for awhile. We traded services all the time. It was awesome! I felt the healthiest I have ever felt without the fustration. There are lots of ways to find trades for services. Social networks have become a great place to put out that you are looking for X and offering Y in exchange. There is a neighborhood social media site called nextdoor.com that connects neighborhoods. There is also a program called Hour Dollars that helps people exchange services. Put in your time in the areas you work best in to gain hours towards something you need. If you need a service that you can not afford, I would encourage you to check into these options. You can always ask a friend but be willing to do something to repay their kindness. There are so many things that you could offer. House cleaning, yard work, organization, artwork, child care, make a meal, pet sitting, or any talent you possess, that they need, could be offered.
The attorney I spoke of had a list of rules for who can get free services from her. Not a bad idea to at least come up with criteria for yourself. (even if you don’t put it out there for everyone to know) Establishing who you are willing to give free services too. If you do decide you will do it for free for someone, where is the limit to this? Say you are a painter; will you paint one room in someone’s house? Paint their whole house? Paint their entire house every time they get the whim to change color schemes and ask you to do it?
I have said in the past that if we don’t ask, we do not give people the opportunity to say yes. Just be sure, what you are asking for, is fair. If it is a big request you are making be willing to have an offering in exchange. I feel that if all we do is take, take, take in this lifetime, eventually, Karma will even things out. For your own karma and relationships, please think twice before you ask someone to do something for free. When you are asked to do something for free, please think about it before you respond. Remember that your time and talents are special and worth something. Remember to value yourself and those things you have to offer the world. Try to respond in a way that feels good and allows you and the requester to know the value of your time and talents.
What are your thoughts on all of this? Do you think people should do things for free? Do you feel that your friends and family members should not expect to be paid when they do things for you? Where do you think the line is drawn? Do you get asked to do things for others for free?

When the Last Interaction Is Not Positive

One of my friends died today. Our last conversation keeps repeating in my head. It was not a happy conversation. Would I have delivered the same message if I knew his days were numbered? Would I have done it in the same way?
I do not believe that I am an unkind person. I am, however, direct and even blunt. I will deliver the messages that others shy away from. This was the way this conversation went. I was trying to help my friend understand how others perceived him. I feel none of us truly knows how we are being perceived unless someone is brave enough to tell us. This was my intention in my last interaction with this friend. I wanted to give the gift of honesty. I wanted to help him grow and be a better version of himself. It did not go well. I had thought he had received my words with openness and was taking some time to process. When I learned of his death, I also learned that he had un-friended me on Facebook. Apparently I had hurt him. This was never my intention. Many people have un-friended and re-friended me over the years. I don’t let it bother me, most of the time. I do, however, feel bad that this interaction had caused enough pain that he no longer wanted me to show up in his news feed.
Sure, they say, “truth hurts”. That doesn’t help me feel any better about it. I wanted to help him become a better version of himself. Instead, I now have the opportunity to become a better version of myself. If I had known his days were numbered would I still have delivered the message in the same way? Would I have felt the message was important to share? What is the cost of personal growth? Both his and mine. Did it really matter? I am left to wrestle with these questions as I come to terms that my friend has transitioned into another way of being. What would he tell me now that he has access to the wisdom on the other side?

Regret is… an unavoidable result of any loss,
for in loss we lose the tomorrow that we needed
to make right our yesterday or today
~ Gerald Lawson Sitter

How would I feel if someone was brave enough to share with me how I was being perceived? People have from time to time, and I welcomed the information. Sometime it throws you off for a minute as you have to integrate the message that they shared. What have I learned? To be as kind as possible always. Yes. To not share the truth? No. I will still share insights with others. I still want others to share insights with me.
To my friend – “Peace, Love, and a smooth transition to the other side. Please forgive me for causing you pain. It was not my intention to hurt you. Thank you for being my friend in this lifetime. Safe journeys”.

What are your thoughts? Was I wrong? Have you had similar experiences?

Than you for reading my blog today. May your friendships be open and help you grow.

Allowing Dreams to Come True

Too often in life we talk about what we want, but we are afraid to believe that we could really have it or are even worthy of it. We want to believe but we may feel we are just making a wish list of things/experience we want. In our heart of hearts we do not believe it will really happen or that it could even possibly really happen. Over the years I have made vision boards, done gratitude journals, employed techniques to keep my vibration high, and written manifestation lists for; New Years, New Moons, and other various events. I have used mantras such as “Money comes frequently and easily” and “I have endless energy and plenty of time”. In the beginning, it never seems true or possible.

I recently commented to my husband that I would really like to start participating in 5Ks again. I used to live in Florida and participated in many such events. When I moved to Minnesota, I had plans to continue, but I never really got into the groove of it there. Part of my problem was after years of running in Florida, where the running season starts in the fall, in Minnesota it was growing cooler or even cold and the running season was ending. This conflicted with my usual excitement/energy to start the season. Maybe this was just a cop out for not doing it. Whatever the reason, I have never done more than a few events since moving to Minnesota.

I think that manifesting at times is a bit like scales. On one side is the manifestation list. On the other side you have what you see as reality. As you start to see things on the manifestation side of the scale come into being, that side of the scale starts to drop and gets heavier and heavier. This is where the magic happens. All of a sudden you start to think, “Wow, this stuff really works!” Which brings more into being. Lets go back to the 5K story. When I told my husband I wished I could do more 5Ks, and told him my excuses/reasons why I just can’t seem to do it in Minnesota, he calmly said why don’t you go to Florida and do them with your friends. My job allows me the ability to travel and do this if I want, so this wasn’t really outside the realm of possibility for me.

The magic started to happen when my friend, Donna, called and asked if I would come to Florida in February to do a 5K with her. Wow, crazy right! Then an amazing opportunity showed up for Marty and I to buy a boat as a vacation home in Florida. This would mean we would be in the state more often, making the reality of participating in weekend 5K events more likely!
We completed a 5K yesterday, Marty’s first. It was as fun and exhilarating as I remember. At supper with friends last night we started making plans for future 5Ks.

Don’t give up on the dreams, my friends! You will see how those scales will start to tip until more and more of your dreams are coming true. As you see them appear in your life, you will believe even more strongly. Keep believing in the possibilities. Before long they will be a part of your life.

Do you have magical manifestation stories you would like to share? We would love to hear them!

Staying Positive: even when life cancels your flight

How do you handle it when life throws you a curve ball? Can you stay positive even when things are not going according to plan? Remember the movie, The Dark Night? In that movie the Joker is talking about how everyone “losses their mind” when things do not go according to plan, even if the plan is bad. Well let me tell you my story about how my day did not go according to plan and how I managed to (mostly) keep myself positive.
Today is Thursday and was supposed to be the end of my workweek. I was taking a day off tomorrow to go to Florida and spend time in the sun with my husband. I was in Chicago this week for work. The week had been productive and gone according to plan. I headed to the airport looking forward to my direct flight to Florida. When I arrived at the airport there were long lines at every gate. The board was filling up with canceled flights. The airport windows were covered with pea soup fog. I am not a person to be easily discouraged. I worked on manifesting the fog to clear. No such luck. I watched as flight after flight was canceled. Ugh! Finally the airport made an announcement that every flight prior to 7pm was being canceled. The lines at every counter were 100-200 people long. I calmly got on the phone with the airline. Once I was talking to the airline’s very nice customer service person, I learned the soonest I could get out of Chicago was Friday night. Missing 1/3 of my time in Florida. To complicate matters, my husband was flying from our airport in MInnesota to meet me in Florida. He was going to arrive and I would not be there.
While I waited for customer service to answer, I went on my rental car app and found a oneway rental to, a somewhat near by, airport. I asked the airline if I could fly from that airport instead. I still could not get out tonight but I could get a 7am flight. I would land around noon. At least this would give me a little more of my vacation day back. I booked the flight and the rental car. Called my boss while I walked out of the airport. Everyone else was still waiting in long lines. As I was was driving, I called my husband and told him what was up. So far still keeping my mood fairly positive. I heard others at the airport saying their flight had been canceled for the second time. Travel problems are no fun, that is for sure. I also called and checked in with my mom. Despite being in my forties, telling mom where I am, is still a nonnegotiable in her book.
While driving the four hours to the “somewhat near by” airport I called the hotel chain I typically use. I had a moment I am not very proud of… when I yelled some cuss words at the automated system that couldn’t seem to understand what I wanted. Once I was talking to a real person, all was right with my world again. They found me a hotel room for the night. My very saintly friend, Donna, said she would fetch Marty from the airport. I seriously do not know what I would do in this world without the support of dear friends.
So how did I stay positive through all of this?
1. I accepted that I have no control of it.
2. I thought outside of the box. While others waited in line I made a call and found a different solution.
3. Experience – traveling every week for work does give me a certain amount of experience dealing with things like this.
4. Looked for the silver lining. If I would have stood in one of those lines I would have been lucky to get out of town by the end of the weekend and since I have to be in Chicago for work on Monday, there would’ve been no point in leaving.
5. Gratitude. I am very grateful that I could get a oneway rental, a hotel and a flight to get me to Florida by noon. It certainly could have been different.
Life does not always serve us up the experience we hope to have. It often does not work out as planned, despite our best efforts. What can we do? We can keep on keeping on. Keep our thoughts positive, find things to be grateful for, and have some fun along the way.

Thank you for reading my blog today. May all your travel be smooth and your blessing be many.

STOP Shoulding Yourself

We all are so busy telling ourself what we “should” be doing, how we “should” be acting, what we “should” be saying that we make it impossible to live up to the expectations we set for ourselves. When we can’t live up to the expectations we set for ourselves, we start beating ourselves up. We start telling ourselves things we would never tell our friends. We call ourselves names like “failure”, “lazy”, and “dumb”. We hold ourselves to standards we would never hold our friends to. How do we stop this practice and heal our relationship with ourselves?

I have started to write this blog three or maybe even four times. It is a topic I feel strongly about. So why am I having such a hard time getting the words out? Why am I having trouble expressing myself around this particular topic? Does it have anything to do with the fact that I feel I “Should” write this blog? I want to help people with the blogs I write. Inspiring others to find ways to improve their relationship with themselves, is a huge part of my mission in doing this. Perhaps, because of that, I have my own list of “shoulds” around this topic.

I am the queen of high expectations! My husband will try to tell me I am high maintenance, but I am not. I am high expectations. For myself and everyone around me. While attending Buddhist meditation, the monk shared this teaching. He told us that we get upset with others because of the expectations we set for them. Then because we have these expectations of others, when they don’t live up to them, we feel frustrated. If we didn’t have these expectations of others we would not be upset when they don’t live up to them. He illustrated this with a story of meditation. If you are editing in the forest, you do not get upset with the bird because you do not expect the bird to be quiet. You do not think you can control the bird. If you are meditating at home and others in the home are making noise, you feel frustrated because you feel they should meet your expectations. But I digress. I really want to talk about the expectation, like this, that we place on ourselves.

How many times have I told myself I did not get enough done in a day? I am constantly saying I “should” exercise more, meditate daily, practice my yoga, and keep the housework caught up. If a friend of mine was telling me she felt badly for not doing all of these things, I would tell her to stop being so hard on herself. Why is it that the expectations we hold for ourself are so much harder than what we expect from others. Eat the right things, say the right things, do the right things. We set expectations for ourselves that no one could live up to, and then we beat ourselves up when we are not able to accomplish it all. Stop it! Just stop! Love yourself the way you love your friends. Give yourself the same respect you have for those dear people in your life who trust you with their concerns.

Everyday we all “should” do the best we can in the time and space we are in. We “should” forgive ourselves. We “should” love ourselves. There will be times when we can not live up to these expectations. There will be times that we can not do our best, love ourselves, or forgive ourselves… but there will be moments that we can. There will be blessed moments of clarity when all seems magical and we can be the best version of ourselves. The rest of the time we must be patient as we continue toward our own wellness. The blessed time when we love and accept ourselves as is.

I want to share my appreciation for Paul and Maria in Warrenville, IL. I appreciate you listening to me talk about my blog and my mission to help others find wellness. I appreciate you sharing your stories with me. I wish you blessings and personal wellness in your lives. You both have such potential; I can see it within you! Don’t “should” yourselves.

What I Love About the BWCA!

What do I love about the BWCA?

Have you heard of the Boundary Water Canoe Area (BWCA)? If you are a faithful follower of my blog you have. The BWCA is a magical place. There is so much about the BWCA that I love. Want to know what tops my list?

Quiet! – It is an area for canoeing; truthfully that is your only way in. There are no motorized vehicles, no noisy motors zipping around. You paddle your way through it. You have what you bring in and what nature provides, nothing else. When you get to land you pick up your stuff (including your canoe) and carry it till you get to land. All you hear is nature and the occasional paddles hitting water. It is shocking to come back to reality after so much isolation and quiet.
Nature– It is the only place I have been to where nature is really left alone. The camp sites consist of a pit toilet and a cooking grate, lots of trees, and critters. It is really you and nature. You hear the wolves howl. We saw a moose swimming across the lake, have been visited by ducks, and heard bears over on an island. It is beautiful!
Privacy -The campsites are spread out; maybe 2 on a small lake and 5 on a bigger lake. You may go the whole time and see only the people you brought with you or see others on the paddle in and the paddle out. Emy and I skinny drip. It is so freeing! Why bother with a swimming suit when it is just you and the critters?
Beauty – The BWCA is one of the prettiest places I have ever been. Serene beauty is everywhere you look. Shimmering lakes, undisturbed forests, big skies, and wildlife. It is where I feel God! Nature is my church; nowhere (that I have been) is as undisturbed as the BWCA.
FUN – And a lot of work, but it is the kind of work you feel real proud of when you are done. You feel like “Hell ya! I just did that!”. You can fish if so inclined. Everything is cooked over an open campfire (or a camping stove). You sleep in a tent and spend the rest of your day outdoors. If it rains hang out under a tarp. I am telling you – there is nothing like it!

There are so many more reason I love the BWCA…. but for 7pm on Monday night this is a good start. I love you all and appreciate you for stopping by and reading my blog! I look forward to the next time. Have a wonderful rest of your Monday!

Please Follow the Adventure Sisters:

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

The Adventure Sisters on Facebook

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The Adventure Sisters on Instagram

@stacycrep

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area, like so many beautiful areas, may be at risk from exploitation. If you feel so moved please sign the petition below to save this amazing natural resource!

https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/tell-department-interior-and-bureau-land-management-protect-boundary-waters

Pursuit of Happiness

What will you do when those things, that the universe is bringing to you, show up within your reach? Will you reach out and take them? Will you be afraid? Ii it all too good to be true?

I recently had this happen. I had lived in Florida for ten years about a decade ago. It still feels like home to me. Recently, on trip to visit my friend, I mentioned to my husband that I would love to have a second home in Florida. Of course this was a dream; something I would like to manifest but not anything I believed was within reach for us. Marty said, “Perhaps we are looking at this wrong. Maybe we should be thinking about buying a boat here”. My husband and I have been talking about buying a boat to live on since we first met. It was a dream we shared. What a great idea! We could have a boat in Florida as a second home. Still this was a dream that we didn’t really expect to show up in our lives that same weekend.

When we shared our thought with my friend she told us she knew someone selling a boat. Oh what fun it is to dream. We decided to go look at it, just for fun. Well to make a long story short the boat was perfect for us and priced within our reach. Wowzers! The Universe just told us to put up or shut up. The universe plopped our dreams (not one but two) just within our reach. I am still amazed at how events swirled to make these dreams a possibility.

You can probably imagine all of the things that were going through our head. Can we really afford it? Does it make sense? Is this really what we want? What’s the catch? Do we have enough time? Will we regret it if we do it? Will we regret it if we don’t? And about a hundred other “what if’s?”.

So I ask you, are you ready? If the Universe offers you your dreams? Will you reach out and take them? Think about some of those seemingly far off or future dreams. If one of those was put within your reach, what would you do? It may still require some work, some energy, some time investment on your part, but there it is. You only need to reach out, invest the time, the energy, the commitment and it is yours. Will you do it? Do you really want it or did you just think you did?

Marty and I decided we do really want these dreams. We are grateful that the Universe put it in our path. We plan to name our boat Happiness. Live your dreams today.

Do you have a story of the Universe asking you to “put up or shut up”? What would you do?

I wish you many blessing and dreams come true. Thank you for reading my blog today.

My New Favorite Saint (well…almost)

I was raised Catholic. This religion no longer resonates with me because my beliefs have shifted. Still, there are parts of Catholicism that will forever be part of who I am. St. Anthony, if you don’t know his story, is who you call on when you loose something and he will find it for you. It really is magical. Try it sometime and you will see. This morning I was listening to a book and I heard a story of a saint I had not heard before. It intrigued me. Although St. Anthony is my favorite saint, St. Martha is climbing the charts.

Many know the stories of St. George who slays the dragon. St. Martha also conquered a dragon. She did it in a very different way. Instead of slaying the dragon, she tamed it. I think this illustrates the difference between the masculine energy and feminine energy. St. George springs into action and through brute strength, plunges his sword into the beast and kills it. St. Martha, when faced with a similar situation, takes a walk in the forest; nurtures, befriends, and then eliminates the threat through kindness. This is not saying that the feminine approach is better than the male. When I hear a sound in the house in the middle of the night, I am supremely grateful for the protective nature of my husband. I do think though that society tends to dismiss the power of nurturing kindness.

Think about the way that we have the power to change and shift the vibrational quality of the planet if we did it through feminine energy. Nurturing and caring for each other through tough days, rather than sharing anger and raising our fists at the frustration. By validating what the other person is going through and showing them love and encouragement, we can elevate the vibration higher.

Anger has its place and is a very valid feeling. Please do not dishonor your feelings. You feel what you feel and that is not wrong. However, when you feel that anger, acknowledge it and then look if there is a way that you can handle the situation more like St. Martha than like St. George. Let’s say your child comes home from school with a black eye. There are many ways you might respond. Perhaps you get angry. How could the school have let anyone hurt your babe. You are going to call them and give them a piece of your mind right now. You fly off in a rant (probably in front of your child) about how this should’t have happened. In contradiction to that you may hold you child close. Ask them what happened. Get them some ice to put on their eye. Snuggle with them on the couch and have them share how the experience made them feel. Do you see the difference? Both examples are completely based on love for the child. One resonates with St. George energy and the other is more St. Martha.

We are all predisposed to react one way or the other. In life we need balance in all things. That is why we all have both masculine and feminine energies within us. When you see others responding to stress around you, observe the different types of responses. Notice the power that is held by the beautiful soft feminine energy. Just think how things could shift in the world with a little more of that.

What experience have you had with these different energies? How did this make you feel? What would you like to share with others?

Have a blessed day today. Thank you for reading my blog!