in I N S ID E T H IS IS S U E:
t i r i p S
V OL U ME 2, I SS UE 2 J UNE 20 09
MAGAZINE
Produced in conjunction with The Australian College of Mediumship, inSpirit Magazine is designed to provide a respectful forum for likeminded souls to share in a community which aims to provide informative views, opini on s and edu ca tion regarding the experience of living with Spirit.
FROM THE EDITOR
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LI VING YO UR SPIRIT AN INTE RVIE W WITH SON IA CHOQUETTE
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OVERCOMING FEAR
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A WAKE N YOUR SO UL’S CALLING WIT H ANGE LITE
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LIG HTIN G THE WORLD, ONE CANDLE AT A TIME
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BRING ING PEACE INTO YOUR WORLD
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Phone: 0416 070 141
CWA King St
BACK TO BASICS
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Published by: ACOM
Campbelltown NSW, Australia
HO W WE LL DO YOU MA INTAIN B ALANCE?
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Website: www.inspiritmagazine.com
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TOP 10 WA YS TO COPE W ITH JOB TRANSI TION
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T HE POWE R OF GRAT ITUDE
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R E SOUR C E DIR EC TOR Y
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Mission inSpirit MAGAZINE
Statement
Managing Editor: Kerrie Wearing
Someday soon, you’re gonna catch that dream you’ve been chasing... Natalie Bassingthwaite
Disclaimer: While every care has been taken to provide the reader with accurate, inspiring and thought provoking information, the publishers take no responsibility for the accuracy of information and views expressed by the contributors. The views and opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily shared by the Editor or Publishers.
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FROM THE EDITOR of a Plan B. Well, our faith paid off and we are delighted to be able to bring you her wonderful interview. She has so much to give and is always inspiring. I hope you gain from reading it. Also in this issue is an interview with Janice Erwin. Living her Spirit and following her passion has led Janice to working with people affected by grief and helping them to find a way out of that. We’ve included some articles on Bringing Peace into your W orld, Getting Back to Basics and Overcoming Fear. These are all designed to help you help yourself in some small way. And remember that should our efforts lighten your day, we’d love to hear from you, however small or insignificant your thoughts may be. Putting this issue of inSpirit Magazine together has been an interesting experience, one well worth sharing with you. Each edition seems to have it’s own energy and evolves into a life of its own. Back in February/March, the committee knew that this edition would be about Living Your Spirit. We personally live our own lives with this as a mantra and are huge fans of Sonia Choquette. When we were planning this issue, we of course knew, who better to interview and grace our cover than the Living Your Spirit expert, Sonia Choquette. There was a time during the planning when we weren’t sure as to whether or not our interview would be granted. So we decided to back ourselves and manifest it. We created a mock up cover page with Sonia on it, and decided to not even entertain the idea
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Until next issue,
May the Spirit in You seek to be expressed! With Love and Gratitude,
Kerrie Regular Contributors: Kerrie Wearing, Rita Maher, Andrea Kaldy, Val Maher.
Contributing this issue: Mark Webster, Ohio, USA
Send your stories, feedback or just drop us a line to: InSpirit Magazine Email: mail@inspiritmagazine.com Web: www.inspiritmagazine.com
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At last count the world was populated by some 6,780 ,073,589 people, all of whom are going about their lives, some with no direction, floundering in a sea of not knowing, while there are others with inspiration, d r ea m s a n d cl ea r direction. Amongst all of these people there are the few that shine so bright you could see them from the moon.
Australia? Sonia: I don’t have any plans yet but I would like to get there some time in 2010. I would love to come back there.
Sonia Choquette is one of those people. From a young age she knew that she would be giving back to the world, sharing with us the inner wisdom that so many of us have let go of. She is the author of many books, including Diary of a Psychic, Trust Your Vibes, The intuitive Spark and The Answer is Simply Love Yourself, Live Your Spirit . Sonia has inspired change in the lives of so many people through her workshops, B Y RI TA mentoring and countless interviews. She is gentle, kind and understanding. When you talk to her it is like talking to your best friend, someone who will give of themselves without asking for anything in return. In a world where so often it is ‘dog eat dog’ it is refreshing, uplifting and inspiring to speak to someone who is changing our world on a daily basis through her life’s journey and to feel welcomed to do so. I sat down with Sonia Choquette for a one on one interview about Living your Spirit. Sonia was the inspiration for this edition of the magazine and we do feel honoured to be able to talk to her in such a candid way. Here is what she had to say:
Rita: The inspiration for this magazine edition was L i vi n g y ou r Sp i r i t, something that you are passionate about, which is what immediately drew us to you. For those who don’t know, what is Living your Spirit? Sonia: Living your Spirit is l i vi n g you r u tmos t authentic self, living fearlessly, living your passion, living from the heart and expecting the best from life.
L I V I N G YO U R SPIRIT MAHER
Rita: What a great definition, I love the fearless part. Sonia: Yes and it really does feel like that. Rita: So on a daily basis what do you do to live your spirit? Is there a routine?
Sonia: Yes I do have a routine. I don’t get up too early. I set aside some time for meditation, for easing into the day. I set aside time to have some fun. I spend about an hour a day doing something creative. This can be anything from writing a book, working on a video or baking a cake. It’s important that every day I am doing something creative. I like to spend time connecting with people I love, even if it’s on Facebook or Twitter. I always check in with that and send some friends love and make new friends. I laugh a lot, I dance a lot and I pray and thank the good God and Jesus for my wonderful life.
“Living your spirit is living you utmost authentic self, living from the heart…”
Rita: Firstly, thank you Sonia for allowing this interview to take place. It is a great honour. Sonia: It’s my pleasure.
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Rita: The first thing people asked me when I told them that I was going to interview you is when will you be coming back to
Rita: It’s so important isn’t it to be praying and saying thank you? Sonia: Yes, exactly. To be saying thank you really helps, I really do thank God for all my blessings, even my challenges. Rita: It does allow us to be lifted in those times. In today’s
world, especially when we have so many challenges that are portrayed by the media, the doubt and uncertainty that fill some people’s minds. How do you feel about that? Sonia: Well, what I feel is, that’s a perspective. That’s someone’s perspective; it’s like someone looking out the window and their window may be dirty. So I can choose to see that way from someone’s perspective or I can choose to focus on what is beautiful in my life even when it is a challenge. I can learn something from that so I set my intention to perform in my life. And this year I have had some big challenges. I had two sudden deaths in my family, and what I got from that was to LIVE as both of them were here today and gone the next day without any warning and it just really left me with a very strong love of life because what we have we should love. Rita: So many of us get caught up in the day to day and we don’t live. We are just walking through life surviving. Sonia: For many people living is no longer an option. For them it’s just surviving, and that’s just the ego being afraid. You know whatever is going on today, we have been through worse before. This is not the worst in human history, it’s just a drama. We are resourceful and really say that there is no lack of abundance, just a lack of imagination. So it’s time to use your imagination in new ways. Be grateful, you may discover you have a whole new set of gifts. Twenty years ago I was a flight attendant and we were all laid off at the same time. Half the people were like, oh my god, we are laid off and the other half were instant entrepreneurs. So when we have a challenge we have a choice. You know, life is life, but we have a choice whether we are going to embrace it or sit and fear it. Rita: For those that are coming from the fear base of ego and they don’t know how to let go of it, what would be your advice? Sonia: The very first thing I would encourage those people to do is to breathe. Fear makes you hold your breath and when you hold you breath you physically go into a state of fight or flight. So it keeps the cycle. It is also biologically impossible to breathe deeply and be stressed out at the same time. So it’s something everyone can do. Breathe! Secondly, get outside and start looking around, and notice all the things that are beautiful: nature, people, life; just get out of your head. I love this quote that a friend said to me “A lot of horrible things have happened to me, some of which actually occurred”. It’s so true, because most of the time what we are doing is getting so stressed out and dramatising our lives with what could happen, instead of realising what is happening. So, get outside and move - walk about, say hello to you neighbour, to people in the shop, wish people well - and that way you interrupt that negative internal thought in your brain that’s the ego. Thirdly, you can change your vibration and bring back the present power. Start by doing one thing a day that is crea-
tive. You have the power: you can rearrange the furniture in your house, get a new hairdo, you can write a poem, post a video doing something creative. Because if you feed the right brain you allow intuition and inspiration and no matter what you are facing you open the door to that part of yourself that can find a solution. Rita: It is such an important thing to be able to open that side of the brain, to reconnect with that intuition that a lot of us close down. You grew up in an environment that fostered that, being a very normal thing to have that intuition. What would you say to parents so that they can allow this to happen for their children, so that they are not trying to reconnect as there has been no disconnection, it is just allowed to flow through their life? Sonia: Well that’s a very good question, because intuition is either cultivated or killed off. I have written a book about it called The Intuitive Spark. The thing is, children are naturally intuitive, so you don’t have to make them intuitive. You just have to get out of their way. So, when they offer feelings about themselves, give it importance and tell them, “I am listening”. Instead of giving them answers and trying to control their lives, ask them early on, from a very early age “Before I answer that, what does you heart say, what does your instinct say, what does your spirit say?”. You know, little tiny children from three to four years old, they understand that, so give them that. Listen to your heart and follow that and if your body feels uncomfortable, then don’t do what you are thinking of doing because it’s not right for you. If you feel tension, if you feel nervous, then your body is not comfortable. You have a decision to make, then let it rest, talk it out and if you still feel tension then maybe that’s not the way to go. This is a very good tool for teenagers. They have so much pressure, so if you start them off early, they have this tool that they can use when they get peer pressure. I have just raised two teenagers to adults and when they got pressured they could say, “No, I have bad vibes”, and that was enough for people to stop pressuring them. It provided protection and I think that children do what parents do, so if you show respect for your intuition, and you treat it as natural and valuable, then you don’t even have to say anything to your children . Rita: We do owe them a lot as being their teachers and allowing them to grow up with that lovely gift of having their sixth sense. Sonia: It’s our natural inner essence, our inner radar. We need it to be able to stay on our path. Rita: I was blessed to have grown up in a family that allowed that intuition. For those who are not taught about it, what do you think is the block that stops people from even allowing themselves to be open to receiving their intuition? Sonia: Well, they have been seriously injured by things thrown in to stop that. The good news is that intuition is incredibly resilient and it doesn’t take much for even the worst case sce5
nario to reactivate their intuitive feeling with a little playful explanation. You don’t approach it like a test as that is way too stressful. You approach it like a game because that is more enticing. One of the best games to play is ‘I wonder’ … I wonder who is on the phone … I wonder what the cheque will be for… I wonder where we should park our car …I wonder what he really thinks … and opens you to that vibration. The two words “I wonder” are an invitation to cross the bridge from your intellectual, logical brain to your intuitive, receptive part, and it’s fun. Make it fun and the more you get playful the more it attracts your intuition. Another thing is talk about your intuition with language that feels comfortable, like in our family we call it vibes – it’s comfortable. For some, it’s “my heart” or “my gut”, whatever you want to call it. I find that language sometimes is the wrong language. Some people are very comfortable with the word psychic, like me, I am very comfortable with it, but most of the world is not comfortable with that word so don’t use it. Come up with another word - intuition, vibes, hunch, my inner voice. All of those words people use and accept allowing it to be a lot more relaxing, to express your vibes with a language that doesn’t feel alienating. It’s important to talk about your vibes - if you name them you claim them, is the rule of thumb I have. So, one of the easiest ways to tune into your vibes is to put your hand on your heart, where your spirit, your centre or intuition originates from, and just say, “My heart says” and “My vibes tell me” and speak it out. The reason it works is because you are giving voice to it. When you say, “My heart says”, and you give it strength verbally, then your intellect cannot interfere. You have to speak it out. Rita: I think intellect is one of the things that can get in the way a lot of times. Sonia: This is what I say about intellect: it gives you information based on the past and from other people, where your intuition gives you information that is directly centered on the present and what is coming. It is a more current perception and more accurate perception because you are fully in the present, dealing with what is right in front of you, instead of trying to compare it with something from your past. Rita: I have never looked at it that way. That’s very eye-opening.
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Sonia: Isn’t it interesting? You say, well, of course I want to listen to my intuition. The whole point of Living your Spirit and listening to your intuition is so you make better decisions. The best decisions you make come from the best information, and the best information comes from the present versus recollection and memory from the past. And that’s why you should use your intuition as it is the most current form of information you can have. People live thinking that this is some form of willy-
nilly weird cloak, when actually it is a very reliable, predictable part of your sensory awareness. The most important thing is to make the decision on what is happening right now. Rita: What inspires you? What motivates you? Sonia: Well, that’s a good question. I really love people and I really love life. I love adventure. I love connecting with people around the world. I love the fact that as much as we are different, we are more similar and we are all really alike. We want the same things, we are all equally unique, fearful, and creative. It’s so warming to my heart. I love helping people see through a fresh perception. I love seeing people get out of jail. I love springing people out of the jail of their fears, that’s how I feel like I am giving them life and releasing them from jail. Rita: If there was only one message you could give to everyone, what would it be? Sonia: Love your spirit. Falling in love with your spirit, falling in love with the blessed things that you have in your life, your vibes, everything about you and your life, is incredible. We are all very beautiful, exquisite and extraordinary people and we are all worthy of love and it starts from our own hearts. Rita: It is amazing to see people lift when they fall in love with their spirit. It is a privilege to be a part of seeing that gift. Sonia: Yes, it is incredible and when they fall in love with their spirit, it’s the gift that keeps giving because others fall in love with your spirit, the people around you fall in love with their spirit. Rita: Yes, it has a wonderful flow on effect that you cannot ignore. Sonia: And that’s how I believe that we are going to heal the planet. A hundred times fall in love with yourself and that we can do . Rita: What a wonderful way to heal our world! Thank you so much, Sonia for your time and your sharing with us today Sonia: Thank you for allowing me to be able to share these messages. I am so grateful. Rita: We look forward to seeing you in Australia in 2010.
Overcoming Fear With Kerrie Wearing Fear is an everyday emotion. It drives us to do things which we would not normally do. It has us acting and behaving in ways that are not who we truly are: divine beings of love, created in the likeness of God. Each day, we are inspired by the energy of love to be who we truly are. Yet we react with fear, and ultimately let ourselves down by not believing in ourselves, lacking the faith that we are beautiful beings in our own right, worthy of giving and receiving as we so deserve. When was the last time you truly acknowledged this to yourself? When was the last time you gave for the sake of giving, expecting nothing in return but rejoicing in the feeling and emotion of giving to another in such a way? When was the last time you gave that very same gift to yourself? Self-love is the enemy of fear. Feel fear and do it anyway because you love yourself enough to overcome life’s hurdles that are placed before you. Feel fear and do it anyway because you love yourself enough to say to another, “I’m sorry, but right now you have hurt my feelings and the disrespect I feel is unacceptable to me. I need your understanding right now”. Feel fear and do it anyway because you love yourself enough to accept that the Universe is how it is right now. You may not fully understand it all but trust and know, that because you are created in the likeness of God, all will be right in time. One of the hardest things for any self-aware traveller to do is to identify when one is operating and living with fear, especially when it’s influencing our choices and actions. Some tell-tale signs to look out for are: An increase of negative and self-doubting thought forms A knot sitting in your stomach which isn’t going away An inability to see things clearly Masking your true emotions Procrastination Dreams which contain symbols of fear – being chased, falling, attacked etc.
Any dream where you experience the emotion of fear in the dream. An inability to make a decision moving you forward Overall loss of direction Frustration Over the years I have come to understand that each time I reached a part of my journey where it was time to receive a new insight about myself and let it go, there was always fear precipitating the gaining of that understanding. This reflected directly in my work as a Medium. Each time I released and overcame such an obstacle, my Mediumship was vastly improved the very next time I made a connection with a loved one in the spirit world. By letting go of any negativity completely and replacing it with love, my energy and its make-up also experienced that change. As my aura is heavily involved in the communication process with Spirit, this change allowed a more seamless energy exchange between myself and Spirit, which therefore saw much clearer and better quality information coming through. Less negativity and blockages in my own energy meant Spirit having a clearer channel to communicate through. This to me has been proven time and time again, not just personally but also with many of ACOM’s developing Mediums. We are able to apply this theory in every walk of life, not just Mediumship. Experiencing the same changes of new understandings and letting go of blockages and fears will lead you to assimilate energetically more seamlessly into the Universe and its power of creation. This would allow you to bring forth your dreams and aspirations as you work towards manifesting your goals. Do not underestimate the power of energy and selfawareness as you become more aware and uncover what it is that holds you back. Now we know what to look out for and how important overcoming fear is, what are some simple everyday actions we can do to move away and let go of our fears? Breathe Yes, I do mean that you become more aware of taking much deeper breaths and really filling your lungs. Be sure to appreciate and enjoy the gifts that sustain life. I also want you to think about it on a much larger scale and ask yourself the question? Am I really “Breathing Life”? Am I taking it all in? Take time to come back to what lifts your Spirit and makes you feel good. Is it such activities as going to the gym, walking the dogs, being with friends, taking a bath, enjoying a rock concert? Take some time to just enjoy! 7
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Take Action Once you uncover the answers above, then it becomes necessary to take action. There is no overcoming fear without this. Failure to do so will result in stagnation which can last years, even a lifetime if we allow it. When it comes to taking action, it’s okay to take small steps in your own time, just as long as you are moving forward. For example, should you be unhappy in your work but not quite ready to make a big move, then start with researching the job advertisements. It’s a step which can lead to another. I find at this point it helps me to play the “worst case scenario” game. I ask myself, “If I was to do this, what would the worst outcome possibly be and if I didn’t do this, what would the worst outcome possibly be?”. I find that it helps me to clarify my thoughts and fears once I realise that the worst case scenario is usually something I can quite easily deal with. There is one other simple, yet fun technique which I’d like to share with you. This technique I learnt from Peggy McColl, a New York Times bestseller and goal achieving expert. I think it is a too invaluable tool not to pass on to you. Take a balloon and as you blow it up, be conscious that you are blowing all your fear and negativity into that balloon. Once you have blown it up enough, don’t tie it, but let it go so it flies around the room making that silly noise. Laugh and enjoy as you let it all go. Notice how much lighter you feel. Fear holds us back in so many ways. It is our choice however as to how much we allow it to control who we are and the lives we live. Breaking down a little fear each day is progress and goes hand in hand with allowing more love in your life. May you find, acknowledge and love the ugly duckling within as you release any fear keeping you from being the beautiful swan.
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Crystal Healing Am I on the right path? What is right for me? What should I be doing? We have all asked these questions at some time in our life, probably more than once. Things get in the way - bills, work, family commitments. All of these can weigh on us but we need to stop and ask ourselves: are these commitments put there to make us stronger, can we use what we have? Asking the universe for guidance and strength in our lives is one way that we may help ourselves to learn our true path. Meditation is useful for connecting in with our guides, our angels and asking what our next step in life is or how we can use our knowledge more wisely to make us more aware of the gifts we have. One way to help gain more understanding and greater connection during our meditation is to hold a crystal that is appropriate to our needs. Angelite is one crystal that is known to open a channel between us and the angelic realms. It is a beautiful blue crystal that in large pieces has veins in it, giving it a wing-like appearance. As with all blue crystals, it has a peaceful, calming effect. As it is formed from Celestite over many millions of years, it contains many of it’s traits, so when using this stone, you should also look into the properties of Celestite as well. Angelite is a powerful crystal used by healers, as it brings balance to both the physical and etheric realms. It unblocks meridians and energetic pathways. Angelite deepens attune-
By Val Maher
ment and allows for greater perception. Angelite is the stone of awareness: it helps us to connect with our angels, spirit guides and higher-self. It allows for spiritual inspiration and raises the connection with universal knowledge. This is a crystal that brings deep peace and compassion, allowing you to understand the things that cannot be changed. Angelite allows you to speak your truth as it resonates with the throat, dispelling fear and anger and encouraging forgiveness. It is a very useful crystal in times of turmoil, allowing you to see the other side of an argument. All of these attributes make Angelite a great crystal for meditating on which direction you need be looking, what questions to ask or where you should be headed. It helps to find your true gift in life. Hold Angelite during meditation and allow the connection from the angelic realm to come through to show you how to use the gifts you have, whatever they may be. Angelite awakens your awareness to all around, both spiritually and physically, thus inspiring you and awakening your soul’s calling.
Have a question regarding Crystals and Crystal Healing? Please Email mail@inspiritmagazine.com
Lighting the World, One Candle at a time
Living passionately - how do you live your life? Are you passionate about it, or about what it can be? Does your life feel like you are living in survival mode or are you truly living, and by living I mean with gusto, with energy that carries you through the day even when the day is as dark as it can be? Are you living your spirit? How many of us take the time in our lives here, right now, to truly live the way we are meant to be living. What is it that you are passionate about? What makes your spirit soar higher than the other highs? Don’t know? Give up? Unfortunately that is what too many of us do: we don’t know and we give up. Then why is it that among us all walk a few that dare to live the passionate life? They dare not to just survive or not to play ‘keep up with the Joneses’; they dare to walk the path they chose to live with Free Will and in doing so they change the world by lighting one candle at a time. Janice Ervin is one of those people. Just spend five minutes talking to her and you will know that she is here to touch the hearts of so many. Janice is a well know Hospice Specialist, Spiritual Theorist, Paraphysic Lecturer and Event Coordinator. Her earlier career days saw her answer a patriotic calling to serve others, so she joined the United States Army for four years. To this day there are still strong ties to that camaraderie she shares with being a part of that community. She regularly donates profits from her Open Mind Colloquiums events to help those who have served and those who have lost and suffer with grief. Janice had a traumatic childhood, suffering abuse and losing all that was near and dear to her. Rather than wallow in this, she chose to embrace her childhood. She described it to me as, “Not all bad things happen because it was designed that way. It is our free will and we get to choose how to mould it”. Through death and abandonment she lost all her family, and it is through this adversity that Janice is now able to truly have empathy towards others who have suffered. She knows what it is like to feel worthless and be thinking that, “If you just knew me you would like me”. Taking that on board she quotes Tolstoy, “It is only a prison if you make it one in your mind”. While Janice has experienced great loss in her life, it is this loss that led her to question what she saw in life, as it did not fit in with her conservative Catholic upbringing. She recounts how, sitting down with a priest some 25 years ago, she was asking the question: Why? The response was, “Have faith”. Janice questioned this. Sometimes it is not enough to have faith; they are hollow words to someone who is lost. She recounts how, sitting with some dear friends over breakfast, the
Interview by Rita Maher conversation turned to the loss of the friend’s child. The mother, a devout Catholic, said, “I always used to think that God was here, and an integral part of my life. Now he is up there, far away, watching it all”. That was a dark time for that couple, and Janice wanted to create a bridge to those who have lost and have questions. They have nothing to hang on to, yet they want to believe. This, along with over twenty-five years of researching and studying Tarot, Mediumship, Kabbalah, stages of grief and much more, Janice has formed her core value of beliefs that remain open to new developments, however they remain true when put against the challenges of life. Hence, Janice has embarked on her journey. Her soul’s calling, working as a Hospice Specialist has been integral to her work on filling the void that is left for the survivors of grief: that of those whose world has been rocked to the ground, their belief system shattered and in need to be put back together. A need to an end saw Janice become an Event Co-ordinator, where she allows people to find the answer that they have in a safe and secure environment. The events allow others to experience and explore healing and delve into the connection of mind, matter and the eternal consciousness. She has made a video titled, Health Effects of Grief. She has written an e-book Hidden W ounds - A Bereaved Body After the Death of a Loved One. She often lectures on the effects that grief has on our body and has many other articles, that can be found on her website http://www.janiceervin.com, which are her truth. She regularly speaks on radio sharing her wisdom and understanding of the spiritual and emotional knowledge that helps those left behind answer the question of WHY? From her work in the hospice, to that of Event Co-ordinator, Author, and Lecturer, Janice is able to help people cross over 9
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the bridge, one that allows them to move back from the depths of despair to a place where hope exists, a place where the sun will shine on a dark day. When speaking with Janice I asked her about what touches her heart and inspires her. She replied, “It’s the moment when the light bulb goes on. When they see that there is a way back from all that hurt and loss. They will never forget, but they are able to move forward in a positive way and be able to live again. Those people then get to take this learning forward with them, and it has a ripple effect, as their positive attitude and new understanding inspires and touches others”. Janice is a big believer that not everything happens to us for a reason but more so that we can find meaning and growth in all that happens. At the end of the day, it is our free will that will shape the life that we have. This belief has inspired her to be currently working on a set of educational videos which will allow people to understand that what happens in life is not always about them. Sometime they are just the vessel that another has unloaded on and when we can let that go we can have forgiveness and empathy in our hearts for others. We can move through our life not being trapped by ego, and therefore enjoy cherishing and embracing all that life has to offer and reach our highest learning whilst we are here. Her hope for the future is to cause a global shift. Right now, at this point, when we all feel so much uncertainty, she speaks from the heart. Everything about life is cyclical: the way we have winter and summer, the movement of the Moon and the Sun. There is no end - all storms are followed by the rainbow. We can move through the uncertainty of today as it will pass. You never know what you can handle until you move through it and then it’s in the past. I have seen people who have
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lost and shown amazing courage to take one breath. She has said, “If someone could hand me a microphone and stand on top of the globe, that’s how loud I would talk that this type of awareness can stem the tide and turn things around and operate from a place of heart. I am hoping that this will ignite others and create a global shift, helping individuals one at a time as it shuts down the bad”. Making a global shift and having us all operate from a place that comes from the heart, from our divine centre where ego does not reside and fear is released, where we have compassion and forgiveness for our fellow man, is a true passion for Janice. When the words, “Have faith” have lost their meaning and they echo in a hollow soul, Janice Ervin is there, lighting the world one candle at a time. For more information on Janice Ervin and the incredible healing work she does with those who are suffering from grief, please visit her website http://www.janiceervin.com
Do you have something of interest to share with others? We’d love to hear from you to share your stories and expertise.
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BRINGING PEACE INTO YOUR WORLD BY MARK WEBSTER
Peace-Tranquility-Harmony-SerenityFreedom-Happiness Take a deep breath; focus on each of these words for a moment. Turn off the constant thoughts in your head and feel the presence of the words through your mind and body. How does it feel? Anger-Pain-Fear-War-Destruction-GreedHatred Take a deep breath; focus on each of these words for a moment. Turn off the constant thoughts in your head and feel the presence of the words through your mind and body. How does it feel? Although the Peace related words probably feel much better to us, we are more accustomed to the words
around Anger. The energy associated with anger/fear has covered much of human society for many centuries. It has kept us from realising our full potential of becoming divine beings of love. Throughout the many struggles in history, the human race has had multiple opportunities to develop, grow, and expand their awareness and understanding of the world around them. This pattern of thought is no longer necessary; in fact most of society has truly outgrown it as a child outgrows their tantrum fits. Unfortunately, this anger/fear energy still seems to have a firm grasp over our collective human mentality, but this is quickly slipping away. Never before has it been so easy for people to grow out of their fear/anger perspective to one of love/peace. As a variety of planetary shifts are going on in all levels of Earth and her inhabitants, humanity can now easily change to this new path of love/peace. This shift starts off within the individual. It is done with a choice to leave behind the mental patterns of
fear, hate, jealousy, greed, anger, etc. (lower parts of the brain) and move to the higher patterns (and more developed parts of the brain) of love, compassion and peace. All it takes is that desire to remove yourself from the human drama of fear/anger and shift your perspective to sincere compassion for all beings. This is nothing new, as the masters and saints of all religions have laid out the same concepts throughout time. As our culture becomes more globalized, and our actions have an ever increasing effect on the rest of the world, it has become increasingly important for us to switch to this love/ peace perspective. Each day, more and more people are awakening to the truth. Many people know it and feel it at the core of their mind and heart. Peace and love are the ultimate truths and all else is a fabrication of illusion. Upon realizing this truth, one’s life begins to switch gears as you step back into becoming a compassionate being. You begin to shift your perspective into seeing that you are a spiritual being of love that is having a human experience. This shift will let love begin to flow through one’s heart and out into the world. As you bring peace into your own life it begins to ripple out to the rest of the world.
Mark W ebster is a psychic medium that lives and works in Cincinnati Ohio, USA. He has used his gifts to connect loved ones for over 10 years.
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BACK TO BASICS WITH ANDREA KALD Y Everybody would be familiar with the phrase “go back to basics”. My yoga teacher uses it frequently. Juggling career, family, social life, finances, self-development, health, heaven knows what else. It is hardly ever that we have time to do maintenance on ourselves. Yes, I use the word “maintenance”. Is our body not a vehicle for our Spirit? With our lifestyle being so extremely distracting, we forget that we need to service out bodies as well as our minds for them to work for us at their full capacity. We don’t have warning lights to say that we have reached a certain number of kilometres and are now due for a check up. With so many distractions, we only stop to listen to ourselves when we are made to come to a screeching halt by some illness, personal trauma or some other kind of dramatic event that forces us to re-examine our lives. What could be more common sense to do in a time of turmoil than going back to the elements that were considered as the building blocks of life since the dawn of time. Through the ages many cultures defined the five elements, the basis for existence, as Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Spirit. Many cultures have these built into their spiritualism, with some slight variations throughout the globe. They are used to describe and denote such things as archetypal characters in ourselves and our outer world, aspects of the Divine, medicinal properties of herbs or even historical eras. Air is the element for intellect, memory and communication. If you find that you have difficulties in those areas, this is the element to work with. As with everything, balance is the key to working with the elements as well. Too much of one thing will tip the scales in one direction and you are back where you started from. We go through cycles and our needs change. Listen to your body and change your routine to best suit the path you are on at any given time. Don’t just stick with something out of habit. What can I do? The simplest and most basic thing you can do is breathe. When I say that, I mean that you breathe “consciously”. Breathing is the most natural action our body does but have you ever actually taken notice of your breath? Sit in an upright position with a straight back and close your eyes. Take a deliberate breath through the nose for the count of three and hold it in for the same. Then release the breath for the same count with the same deliberation. Continue with that for a few more breaths,
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each time being aware of your lungs expanding and contracting with the rhythm and the effect the exercise is having on your physical body. Taking a walk in nature is another excellent way to connect with this element. Getting fresh air is always a good way to clear the cobwebs of your mind. I bet you haven’t thought of taking a stroll on the beach or in the park as a way of consciously and deliberately getting in touch with the Air element of nature. Burning some incense or smudging your home can also be part of that exercise. Remember that reference to “the winds of change”? Think outside of the square. Singing, for example, is a fun and exciting way to help bring about the change you require in your Air aspect. When singing, our lungs get a good workout and our chest cavity expands as well. We change the vibration of the atmosphere around us with the music, as well as get more oxygen to our brain through the breathing. Whether we do it at a party, playing Singstar® at home with the kids or just while doing the vacuuming, we still get the full benefit without having to go out of our way. Not to mention the confidence boost we get from the liberating feeling of having sung our hearts out.
How Well Do You Maintain Balance? If trying to maintain balance in your life makes you feel like a tightrope walker, you’re not alone. Most of us have so many demands on our time and energy, life can feel like a three-ring circus. Take this quiz to see how well you are meeting responsibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and wants. Circle True or False T F 1. The only way I can successfully manage my life is to take care of myself physically and emotionally. T F
2. Nurturing myself enlarges my capacity to help others.
T F
3. I eat healthfully and exercise regularly.
T F 4. I get check-ups, go to the dentist, and take preventative precautions. T F 5. I set aside personal, quiet time for myself, whether I’m meditating or simply letting my thoughts drift. T F 6. I experience the gifts of each season: ice skating, sledding, bundled-up beach walks; gardening, hiking, more time outside; camping, swimming, barbeques; harvesting the bounty, gathering wood, spending more time inside. T F 7. Creativity nurtures me, too. I do what I love, whether that’s cooking, drawing, painting, writing, dancing, singing or another creative pursuit. T F 8. Reaching out to others enriches my life. I spend quality time with family and friends. T F 9. Contributing to the world provides connection and purpose, so I give my time, energy and experience where it is most useful. T F 10. I notice and heed the emotional signals that tell me I’m out of balance: irritability, overwhelm, resentment. TF 11. If I feel that I’m catching a cold, I realize I may have stressed my immune system with over-activity, so I stop and take care of myself. T F 12.When I need or want to, I say no to requests for my time. T F 13. I listen to and honor the requests my body makes for such things as a nap, a walk, green vegetables, hot soup. T F 14. If I have something planned for myself, I don’t just toss that aside when someone makes a request of me. T F
15. I’m busy, but I find time to do the things I want to do.
T F 16. I’m happy. I regularly experience well-being, contentment, even joy.
Top 10 Ways to Cope with Job Transition Job transitions can be stressful - whether they’re due to layoff, a new job or working extra hours because other workers were laid off. If you’re facing one, consider the following: 1. Take an honest look at yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses, skills? How did those influence - positively or negatively - your transition? 2. Step up your self-care. Major changes are physically and emotionally taxing. You need self-care now more than ever. 3. Engage your curiosity. What went wrong, or right? What could you have done better? What worked really well? 4. Focus on what you want, and less on what you don’t want. Keep your eye on the prize. 5. Find support. Since your transition affects your family as well, it may be better to seek the outside support of friends or professionals. 6. Work on your thoughts. Calm your fears and reinforce your sense of hope
7. Reassure (or avoid) those who are threatened by, or jealous of, the change. 8. Create your own rite of passage. Ceremony and ritual help with all transitions. 9. Let go of how things were “supposed to be” and accept “h o w th i n g s a r e.” Fi n d appreciation for what is. 10. Keep things in perspective. Or try on a new perspective.
If you answered false more often than true, you may want to take a look at the questions to which you answered false and see if you can incorporate something of it’s message into your life.
Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications
Author’s content used under license, © 2009
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The Power of
The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from surgery. But while we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a thanks giving word. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit. And that can take some time. That’s why practicing gratitude makes so much sense. When we practice giving thanks for all we have, instead of complaining about what we lack, we give ourselves the chance to see all of life as an opportunity and a blessing. Remember that gratitude isn’t a blindly optimistic approach in which the bad things in life are whitewashed or ignored. It’s more a matter of where we put our focus and attention. Pain and injustice exist in this world, but when we focus on the gifts of life, we gain a feeling of well-being. Gratitude balances us and gives us hope. There are many things to be grateful for: colorful autumn leaves, legs that work, friends who listen and really hear, chocolate, fresh eggs, warm jackets, tomatoes, the ability to read, roses, our health, butterflies. What’s on your list? Some Ways to Practice Gratitude • Keep a gratitude journal in which you list things for which you are thankful. You can make daily, weekly or monthly lists. Greater frequency may be better for creating a new habit, but just keeping that journal where you can see it. It will remind you to think in a grateful way. • Make a gratitude collage by drawing or pasting pictures. • Practice gratitude around the dinner table or make it part of your night-time routine. • Make a game of finding the hidden blessing in a challenging situation. • When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel. • Notice how gratitude is impacting your life. Write about it, sing about it, express thanks for gratitude. As you practice, an inner shift begins to occur, and you may be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. That sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work.
Author: Kerrie Wearing. Kerrie is a psychic medium, heart &and soul coach. She is also the founder of The Australian College of Mediumship. You can contact Kerrie at www.kerriewearing.com.
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Thank You
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Resource Directory AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES
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www.psychicmedium.com.au Psychics &and Mediums
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Rita Maher ACOM Accredited Platform Medium
Grief Assistance
Ph: 0434 867 426
Janice Ervin Andrea Kaldy
www.janiceervin.com
www.intuitivecards.com.au Ph: 0434 867 426 Healing Modalites
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