Fear Not

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is often said that faith is the the opposite of fear. Both are unseen, created by our beliefs, and both have the potential to effect our lives in very different ways. My belief is that fear is afraid of faith, just as darkness fears the light. Fear cannot exist in the presence of faith, and therefore cowers in its presence. Reminding us of the strength that is realized in the letting go of illusion.

Faith is a surrender. A trust that all will be well. A knowing deep within yourself that what you focus on expands and boomerangs back to you. When you believe in yourself and trust the process of life, every step you take aligns with your desires. Even when your anxieties seep into the crevices of your mind, your recollections will remind you of how far you’ve come. Your worries of yesteryear never came to fruition, reminding you of this reality. It’s the falsehoods we tell ourselves that get us in trouble, paralyzing our momentum until we succumb to the imagined fear. What if we allowed our imagination to fly in faith and empowered our hearts to lead the way?

Many years ago, I heard an acronym for FAITH as Find Answers In The Heart. Moving into the heart of the matter where our intuition resides will open up the pathways to our universal connections, creating an opening for our desires. Will those thoughts be based on fear or faith? Be mindful of what you wish for as the mind is a powerful tool and will catapult those wishes extended from your inner self.

The final, and most important question is, do you believe it when you see it, or do you see it when you believe it? Believe in yourself and nothing will be beyond belief. It’s already created and just waiting for you to step into it. All you need is faith.

Back in the Saddle!

It’s amazing how fast six years flies. But then again, it feels like an eternity. So much has happened in those gut-wrenching joyful years that I completely forgot to write. I recently wrote Sacred Self partly to see if I would have the strength to push the publish button. Writer’s block? More like one big life block. I went through a divorce, moved from New York to Florida, closed up my practice and started over again; and then the whirlwind of March of 2020 began. That sent us all into a tailspin of sorts, but who knew it would manifest so many happenings in the way that it did. Almost like a tornado that spins out of control, and then when everything and everyone drops, the wreckage is so overwhelming you don’t know where to begin. Instead of waiting, I’m choosing to put my foot in the stirrup and begin again.

Interestingly, I’ve been preparing to write for the past few months. I even created a beautiful writing room decorated in pinks and greens surrounded by photos of all that I love. The room is certainly delicious eye candy but I couldn’t bring myself to sit in my lovely green velvet chair and peck the keys. My recently injured knee was even screaming at me to explore what the heck was holding me back, literally feeling stuck in the bowels of cement. A piece of this exploration led me to an amazing Shaman who so clearly directed me toward the center of my healing. The first words I spoke to him when I walked into his space filled with serenity and breathing crystals were, “I’m feeling stuck.” He looked at me and said, “You need to be writing.” Those five words shook me to the core. My soul screaming, “Finally, now listen!” More healing evolved in that session as I laid down on the warm amethyst crystal mat, my legs literally vibrating as we moved into sound healing ringing with tuning forks. With every deep breath, angels began surrounding me, especially Archangel Raphael who is the healer of spiritual and physical ailments. We then delved into a few of my past lives which opened me up to more healing, bringing me full circle to challenges and joys in this life. I left the session with a new perspective and understanding of my sticky stuckness.

There are times in life when we get thrown. As someone who rode horses in my younger years, I couldn’t have imagined how the phrase, “when you fall off that horse, you get back on”, would play out in my life. At 12 years old I took that very poignant phrase quite literally. Every time I fell off I did get back on that horse, fearing I may never get back on again. My memory brings me back to a time when I was jumping through a series of hurdles and my sweet horse, Early Aurora, tripped and threw me through the air, landing with a loud thud. It knocked the wind out of me, which was very scary. If you’ve ever had this happen to you, you know what I mean, you think you’ll never breathe again! Thankfully, I was at a horse show so they were prepared for these kinds of accidents. I remember hearing the whirring siren of the ambulance coming closer and I began thinking, “No, no, no, breathe and get back on!” My fear of giving up was greater than living in fear. What is life, after all, if we live it feeling fearful. Aren’t we here to experience it all, every risk, bump, and bruise? That’s what I was thinking as I lay on the ground. I caught my breath and stood up just as the ambulance reached me. My expression determined, I walked over to Aurora (who was patiently waiting for me), put my foot in the stirrup and got right back on. She was always my fellow warrior so it wasn’t surprising that with renewed resolve, we held our heads high, looked at the jumps once again with our focus clearer this time, flew through them and thrived!

And so it goes, we move forward in this world with the intention to thrive. We all have the ability, the only requirement is to live in faith and trust, knowing that first step builds the monument to your dreams. Every dreamer deserves that castle in the sky, and it is with love of ourselves and others, that that Light in the sky becomes a reality. What is your purpose here on earth? Take that first step; put your foot in the stirrup, focus, gather your strength, and jump! Your Spirit will thank you.

Aurora and I thriving at the Philadelphia Spectrum, circa 1973

*If you’re looking for an amazing heart opening, shamanic experience, click here to schedule a session with Don Reed Simmons at the Om Shoppe in Sarasota, Florida. More information can be found about Don on their website if you scroll to the bottom of the main page and click on “Our Staff/Team”. Happy inner exploration!