En Clair Summer 2015
The Quarterly Newsletter with Soul
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In the middle of a reading!
Editors Note....
Hi again!! What an overwhelming and amazingly positive response to the 7irst edition of En Clair! Thank you, I am so grateful for the thought, effort and time so many of you have put into expressing your gratitude through the numerous emails and messages that I have received over the past couple of months. It has been not only validating but has served as inspiration as I develop my own voice through the written word. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and anticipate that with practice and nurturing, as with anything in our lives it will become more natural, 7luid and stronger in time. I trust that for the most part, you all have had a break from the monotony over the Christmas and New Year period and hope the bringing in of the New Year also saw you 7ill your cup with a fresh vitality so you are ready to face the year with energy abound. I raise my hand and join with those who are not quite feeling abuzz with vibrance! Just go with it for the time being and remember that it will pass. Be sure to read the article on Summer Storms page 7! I must apologise for the major delay in releasing this edition! It has been a hectic time in which much has unfolded and juggling everything all of the time is not always possible! 2
I know this will ring very true for so many of you as this has been quite an unsettling and challenging time for many over the last 12 months. Most people who I spoke to were very grateful to see the back of 2014. The main theme that I have seen arise in the past few months has been one of individuals developing a deeper sense of inner strength through listening to and following their inner truth. This can be seen with so many of us who are being tested in our beliefs and our lives and for some it seems to be coming from absolutely every angle at the same time. Inner strength exists within you it never leaves, it is with you at all times. Recently though there has been a deepening of awareness of the limitlessness of your individual inner authority and wisdom. Cultivate your inner strength and you will get through the changes that have been unfolding within you and all around you, know this is truth and hold it deep within your heart. In the meantime, open up to those who you love and who love you and ask for the help you need. Know that there is no shame in reaching out, it is an absolute sign of strength. Shower yourself with the same love, compassion and forgiveness that you deserve and so readily give to others. Redirect your mental energy to think positively, even if it means having little notes set for yourself on your phone. Do something to help your spirit sing and support yourself to feel good about yourself. Go out and have a good laugh with a friend or even watch a funny movie to get you giggling. Love and laughter are the best medicine and they are free!
Get your body moving doing something that you love, dance in the kitchen or take a walk at the beach. Constantly re-‐focusing on the positive will help to build your energy reserves. It will get you out of the doldrums and actually get things moving in a more positive direction. You will be able to experience more motivation and success when you are able to strike the balance right. Through focusing on the positives in life, on what gives us joy and pleasure, what makes us feel good we divert our attention from any perceived source of the discomfort/ pain. We empower ourselves instead of depleting ourselves. A simple choice that we all have the power to make bringing profound shifts. Feeling discomfort and pain are normal human experiences, so know that you are not alone, you are being supported in your life and that trying times bring the greatest gifts to us, be patient and continue to seek out the silver lining. You can choose to live the life that you want to live, the life that you deserve but hold back from. Let go of all that is holding you back and take some little steps in the direction of your dreams. Nurture them and watch them grow. I invite you to come along for the ride with me as we continue to enjoy the season of Summer!! Even if you are already back in full swing make sure to set some time aside for the lighter side of life, share your smile and some laughter today with those around you. You might just lift them up a bit and it wont cost you a cent.
Angelette
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EN CLAIR spiritual guidance and insights to inspire and uplift
EDITION 2
Summer ISSUE: 2015
GOT BALANCE?? Learn to recognize your triggers so you can maintain a greater sense of balance within yourself and your life. Below, continues page 4
Harmful or Helpful??
Dear Abusive Car Park Stranger
Resolutions Page 6 have been on the minds and lips of so Nature is our greatest many people teacher of ourselves. as we start Page 6, continues page 7. the new year. So is the
Summer Storms
CONTACT DETAILS & EVENTS Page 8
Create Space...
responsibilities and peripheral noise of the physical world going on about us finding the balance is nothing short of a challenge. In fact at times it can become an illusive and seemingly insurmountable and unachievable task. So wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could just pack up and hide ourselves away in a mountain and just turn our back on everything and everyone who didn’t please us?? Yes, possibly it would be easier but is this really the answer?
Create Balance... Life is undoubtedly full of extremes but there is a centre, a balancing point. Ultimately it is up to us individually to prioritize what is important to us in our lives. To also know our own personal limitations and boundaries, to find the equilibrium within ourselves. When we are able to find that centre point within ourselves, we find ourselves walking the middle path.
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In life though sometimes things are not as simple as they seem on paper and in theory as the demands,
Our world is getting faster and louder with more ways than ever before to grab at our time and attention. Our phones are now computers which go ping and buzz in the night, strapped to us perpetually so we are available and reachable, traceable at every moment. We have so many more distractions to fill our time all of which scream for our attention that it is easy to loose all sight of finding the balance within ourselves when we live in such an externally focused world. It is understandable that we negate and deny our needs or entrust our needs to be filled by another, absconding from our true responsibility as we rush about trying to do it all... in an attempt to have it all.. at some point we have to ask ourselves “What for?” Continues on page 2 3
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For years I deluded myself. Ignorantly, I believed that balance would be achieved through the rearranging of external circumstances and situations. I have to admit that I must be a slow learner as for much of my life I manipulated my external world in an effort to find the balance that I was seeking to attain. Seriously though, please take my word for it that this is an exhausting and pointless pursuit which is akin to choosing to use a colander as a life-raft. It’s just not going to work as a sustainable solution!! Slowly I have learnt, very slowly in fact and now I have more of an awareness of when I am in balance. Essentially for me it has been about making the time and space available to listen within. I know what my centre feels like and for me it is a definite feeling of calm, a deep sense of peace within myself, an unshakeable grounded-ness. I can maintain it within most situations but on occasion, I still go spinning off centre. I know what this feels like too. It is a scary blur, a whirling, falling feeling of not knowing what is up and what is down. Confused and overwhelmed would be the best words to describe my state of mind when I am not centered. We all have a different view, a different concept of what balance means for us in the context of our lives. As one person’s balance point could possibly be another person’s breaking point. It is an interesting observation and I suppose one that is part of the human condition that we quite often tend to overlook. I see it as being part of the acceptance of our individuality, our character, that line that we draw in defining you as you and me as me. As even though we are made of the same stuff, we are all individuals each of us unique. We must firstly have awareness of what our own sense of balance feels like. We will thereby be able to sense when it is that we are no longer feeling in this state of balance and in knowing these things we are able to gather some very important information about ourselves. With practice we are able to spend most of our time in that space of internal balance. Firstly we can anticipate what situations may trigger us and send us off center and by knowing this information we can be more aware of our thoughts and feelings during these moments. With practice, this enables us to bring our awareness back to a central point faster. So instead of something or someone setting you off and it lasting for a whole day, you are more likely to be able to catch yourself from staying in that energy or from it affecting you at all.
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real consciousness and then relearning a new way to function in the same or similar situations. We know our triggers that send us spiraling and we know what we can do for ourselves to dig ourselves out. In theory on paper this sounds like a very simple and straightforward concept and it is but, like most things it is just a jumble of useless words unless action is taken and it is all put into practice. Practice means we give it our best but we can expect to make some mistakes, we will sometimes get it wrong, we may also fall back into our old and comfortable habits that have seen us through those tough times or uncomfortable situations for so many years. Keep in mind though, all of that is normal. It also means that we keep moving forward and don’t allow any setbacks to hurl us into self destructive behaviors. Never ever give up on yourself. I have to say that in my perspective it is a part of everyone’s personal journey. In a world where we are spoilt for choice to the extent of being overloaded with information, it is especially so in the realm of self help and personal development. There are so many different schools of thought, so many gurus, so many individuals all claiming to know many presenting conflicting advice. My path towards balance was made possible through meditation. This does not mean that it is by any means the ONLY path as there are many. Neither does it make it the best path. It is merely the path that I chose and I have found success. It has enabled me to open up a sacred space within myself for myself. Through it I have found a clarity that has cascaded into all other areas of my life. At all times, remember that there is no “right” path, whatever works for you as an individual is the right path for you and to find what works, it is sometimes necessary to try a few things that don’t work. There is no race, there is no finish line so there is no need to fret. Nothing is ever a waste just as nothing of value is ever lost. Creating balance within opens up a doorway to a way of living that you may not have thought possible. When we have balance within our external environment naturally follows suit. So give yourself some time and some space to invest in yourself, you will thank yourself for it. I promise. S
So, how can I find my sense of internal balance?
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It definitely requires patience and persistence as it is a process of mapping your own mind. Learning how our thoughts, behaviors and feelings can spin us off our axis. Unlearning any of the negative coping mechanisms that we may have been using without any
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2015..... Resolutions or no resolutions....
! It is still early in the New Year and as with every passing year there has been a whole lot of talk about it. I have heard and read so many different people encouraging their own version of the ultimate plan for the ultimate success plan, of how you can find your perfect existence, and create your perfect life.
The interesting thing is that all of these things are focusing our attention on how it is that we are not satisfied with ourselves and how it is that we are not able to accept ourselves and our life. It’s a little like squeezing a zit, you are guaranteed to be left with a mark larger and more noticeable that the initial problem, but how often do we go ahead and squeeze anyway.
! It has actually got me thinking about this strange but very popular tradition. For years I have tried many methods, from resolution lists, to elaborately set out time maps, to personal contracts, vision boards and collages and guess what the main theme of all of these annual year maps are? They have all depicted what I believed that I lacked in a personal or physical sense and the purpose to fix said shortcomings.
These resolutions all leave me feeling somewhat discouraged and with a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. Because in reality would I necessarily be a better person for loosing 10kg? No not at all, it doesn’t make an ounce of difference to who I am as a person. ! Also in my experience even the most well intentioned of us with our ‘hit list‘ to start the year can so quickly run out of steam when the reality of our life kicks in and takes hold and somehow all of the well devised plans begin to deteriorate and quickly fade into the background.
Mostly focused on material goals like loosing 10kg (which I could still do with) or renovating the house (yep, I should get that happening...) Cutting addictions Coffee, cigarettes and sugar... (OK,/ok I know) Exercising more (Enough already!) Getting out more socially (OK stop it I have had enough!!) I’m sure that you get the picture! Resolutions are about giving ourselves a direction for the year but more often than not they become a measuring gauge of our self dissatisfaction. An act of self abuse camouflaged as an honest attempt at self improvement. A list of self perceived failings and shortfalls which imply that last year wasn’t good enough and maybe I am not good enough. A set of goals that will make me more like I think I should be and if I don’t measure up to all of my expectations I will feel guilty, repeating the whole process year after year.
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You also find that once you find one thing that is unsatisfactory, there are ten or fifty other things that quickly join the list. We may think that we are doing our work by trying to improve but when we start picking out the faults and highlighting them we are not giving due attention to how far we have come. As a recovering perfectionist I am well versed in being my own best critic, but isn’t it time that we looked at it from a different perspective? Now although I know that it sounds like I am contradicting myself, I am not against goals in any way and I think we all need a good boost of motivation from time to time. Tell me though, what harm would be done should we nurture ourselves a little more by accepting where it is that we are? What if we spent less time trying to improve and build
on ourselves and more time just learning to accept and what if we were to show ourselves a little more love and compassion. If we whip ourselves do we get to our destination any faster or do we just miss out on the gifts along the way? This year for the very first time I have decided to do away with a New Years Resolution entirely. Initially I resisted the idea but after the panic subsided I realized that I still have dreams that I am working towards, I have a direction and a purpose but I am doing things a little differently. This year, my dreams are set in my heart and not on paper and many of them cannot be achieved within the short space of a year. None of them have a used by or a best before date. I know that they will come into being when the time is right. I have let go of tormenting and forcing myself into making things happen as I think they should happen and am allowing things to unfold as they are meant to. I must admit that being quite a control freak at times, this whole process has started off quite confronting! With practice there has been some improvement and already I am finding myself being more flexible, less stressed and actually more able to go with any uncertainties that life throws my way. Life as they say is all about the journey not the destination. So often we get it all around the wrong way focussing too much on the destination and miss out on the entire journey. Or we spend so much time planning our ultimate journey that we miss the one available to us. If nothing else, make the promise to yourself to enjoy your journey for the year of 2015 and allow it to be your best year yet. You deserve it. P
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running car when one of these occasions occurs then that is where it is. I apologize for my ignorance to the carpark etiquette that exists in your mind. I do not own a copy of your rulebook to life and was actually not even aware that rules exist about the length of time I was permitted to park for, nor that once you approach your car, there is a specific time allocation before you vacate said parking space. In fact I was not aware that I was under any obligation to you what-so-ever.
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SummerStorm! ! !
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Summer Storms
Growing up with Queensland summers fills my mind with memories of mangoes, melons, beaches and zooper doopers but the smell of an impending afternoon thunderstorm transports me instantly to my childhood faster than anything else. It was your expectations of my behaviour ! ! The walk home from and not my behaviour which set you off. I primary school was a lone adventure Dear Mr Aggressive Abusive, feel for you and the pain you carry. I feel for everyday. Passing the “haunted” timber your family as with so much anger there can I wasn’t expecting to meet you. I didn’t wake shack always shot my imagination into not be much space left to experience joy in up this morning with the knowledge that we your home. The young child who witnessed overdrive and I would scale the school were going to cross paths but I am grateful fence to trespass the overgrown yard, your outburst and your wife sitting in the that we did. For if it wasn’t for you, I weeds towering over my head as I passenger seat experience living in that wouldn’t have been able to see how far I would to try and peek into the dusty energy permanently but hopefully one day have come. they too will stand up for what they believe boarded up windows. Searching for in. You may just be one of their greatest clues to the secrets that the walls kept. In my heart I know it was not my intention teachers. ! During the long, hot summers, to set you off into a fit of rage. I am sorry every afternoon walk was accompanied that is what you choose to believe to be true. I can see you Mr Aggressive, in all of your It saddens me that the pain you carry is so by the rolling in of the storm clouds. I colours, even though our interaction was less great that you avoid it by projecting your would smell it long before I would see than five minutes in duration. I can see you. I pain onto others. Because we all know that it, metallic and earthy, a promise of find it challenging to keep a straight face hurt people hurt people. In your case maybe imminent rain. The beauty and when I am presented with the child within anger was your chosen avenue to express magnitude of the green/grey/black an adult who is having a tantrum. Because your hurt. ! clouds as they rolled over each other, you don’t see the child, you see the grown blanketing the sky with an eerie up who just hasn’t yet grown up. I have no idea of the burden you carry from luminescence. Blocking out the sun’s the past or what is currently going on in Luckily for me I have kids and I know that blistering heat in their eagerness to your life to make you feel that verbally sometimes you don’t give them what they share their nurturing bounty. So quickly abusing anyone is acceptable. That is all want. They don’t like it and they buck back the afternoon was transformed into a none of my business unless you are sitting in but sometimes not getting what you want mystical vortex where time slowed front of me for a reading. gives you what you need in life. So it is my down. The distant grumbles which But don’t you dare for a second pretend that hope that you can take what you need from slowly grew near accompanied with the that experience today to help you on your I caused your anger or your pain for that subtle shakes of the solid earth path. matter. I don’t care who you are. Those underfoot and the spectacular light wounds that you are carrying lay far deeper I thank you for the opportunity to stand up show streaking across the blackened sky. and it is from those you are running. Those for myself, for showing me that I believe in The first few drops of rain, so large and very wounds are ruling your whole life myself. That although less than half your cool they stung at your face and arms. experience, colouring your perspective and size in stature, my spirit still shone in its ! It was the buildup before the creating your reality. strength. I haven’t done this much in my life, storm that has always been a most choosing to play small instead, shrinking I was minding my own business as I stood sacred time, I can’t help but stop to take myself into the shadows and playing dead. beside my car on the phone with my own it in. There is an electricity, an But something has been changing within me child seated in air conditioned comfort. excitability in the air. Every cell and and I’m not playing small anymore, I am no pore of my being can feel it, even the Mr Aggressive, unless you are a master at ones victim. I have a voice and I’m not as birds all become more active, more vocal telepathy or are highly attuned to the spirit little as I look. and frantic as they take their perch and world then I am assured that you had no I didn’t play into your game, I didn’t let you then all go still and silent just before it idea of the motivations behind my actions. be my bully. I didn’t play your victim. Mr lets go. That my phone conversation was not to be Because in reality, I am not. I was for you just a convenient target to attempt to dump some of your hurt. An object who did not comply with your rules but instead stood up to your verbal tirade and fought back for what I believed in.
overheard by small ears, that I too have stuff to deal with in my life and if it so happens that it’s standing outside of my parked
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Aggressive, You gave me a wonderful gift today and I am grateful.
Love Angelette. a
Continues page 7.
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The anticipation of the brief moment during a storm where you know that the entire storm is encompassing you. As far as you can see, only heavy dark clouds span the horizon and the noise of the thunder begins to shake your very being, almost as if you are at the very epicenter. It is in this moment I have always felt an unmistakable and awe inspiring stillness within the turmoil. An experience completely beyond words and vision but centered within the realm of feeling. ! There is an overwhelming sense of vulnerability when faced with the raw and unleashed unpredictable true power of Mother Nature. A reminder of our utter insignificance and our complete dependance upon her. She shows me my smallness in the face of her grandness but also my own grandness in her small gifts and offerings. ! She is so destructively and passionately powerful yet so nurturing and gentle in her expression. A paradox unto herself, exquisitely and unmistakably beautiful. From the destructive capabilities of the wind, the hail, the lightning and the rain, there is born life and peace again presides. ! The world feels cleaner, fresher and more alive, infused with a boost of life giving energy. A new zing in the air that has no equal which leaves the earth nourished and fertile, abuzz with hope of the new growth which will emerge 7
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from the chaos and destruction. How alike these storms of nature are to the storms we all face in our lives! The buildup, the release and the new growth all steps within a cycle. ! ! I’m not talking about the teacup storms or the little bumps in the road but the true storms of life which come and bring with them drastic changes. The huge and oftentimes scary ones that turn your world upside down, whip the rug from beneath your feet and leave you bewildered, wondering where to step next or in fact if you even can. ! These storms of life are ones that we all will face at some time or another. Perhaps it is walking through these storms that makes us who we are or at the very least gives us the chance to be able to see who we are truthfully. Most storms bring the opportunity for change. ! The life storms build in a similar way to those spectacular Summer storms that Mother Nature shares with us. They can be instant, with little warning although sometimes they take time to brew. ! ! When in the midst of a life storm, we can be filled with an underlying anticipation and uncertainty of our future, commonly having more questions than answers. We may be aware that something is not quite “right” and then as a result we start to look deeper, asking ourselves and others questions to build on our knowledge and understanding. !
! During these times in our life it is important to distinguish between what is fact and what is fiction. What we have taken on as truth and what it is that our hearts tell us is truth. ! When finally the storm clouds open up to release their bounty we find ourselves more focused and have most of our questions answered, we begin to allow ourselves to express what we are experiencing within the situation. ! We find we have more clarity and may even be starting to feel a stronger sense of resolve and generally are well positioned to make an unemotionally charged decision. This is the time where taking action is important and through gathering all of the knowledge together we are able to make a sound move in the right direction for us. ! We finally have the clarity and the impetus to effect change. Our lives are once again filled with hope, energy and new life. We step through our storm and are able to acknowledge the gifts that it brought. ! Please remember when you find yourself in the middle of one of life’s storms, that it will pass, that you are safe and at the end of every storm, there is a brilliant rainbow. The rainbow is you, the full spectrum of you and with every storm, it becomes bolder and more vivid and who knows, one day you might even get to uncover your very own pot of gold. u
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In Conclusion... Thank you for joining me for this Summer edition of En Clair. Again I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and I trust that you have been able to take something from my words that will be of use for you on your journey.
I am still open to any requests that you may have in regards to content that you would like to see within the newsletter, please send me an email with your details and suggestions. My website is currently undergoing construction and is
not operational although will be in the near future so I will keep you posted on how that project develops. I have a temporary email that I will be using until my new one is fully operational also. Current contact details are on the
bottom of this page and I apologize for the inconvenience that this may cause. The new webpage will streamline everything that is related to my healing work and will include everything in the one place!! something that I am looking forward to
immensely as it should make my business life easier! Next edition is due out in only a few short weeks so I had better get a wiggle on!! Until then all the best to you and your family. Much love, Angelette xox
Upcoming Events 27 & 28 FEBRUARY & 1 MARCH 2015 BRISBANE - Mind Body Spirit
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.� ALBERT EINSTEIN
CONTACT www.angelette.com.au
angelette@rocketmail.com
0412 226 316 41 Penarth Street, Brisbane. QLD 4113
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