Post #97: What You Should Know about 12/12

Well here it is, the much anticipated December, 2012. An exciting time, to be sure, but confusing as to its significance. As I talk to people, watch TV, and notice my own inner process, it's clear that there's a palpable change happening. It's been coming on for years, but has heated up dramatically during 2012. And now, in this final month, there's growing anticipation about what this change will usher in.

While some folks prepare for mass destruction and chaos, others light candles and anxiously await the onset of a new Golden Age. Of course, what will actually occur this month remains to be seen.

Because 12/12 prophesies and theories are so diverse, confusing, and sometimes esoteric, I wanted to present to you what I consider to be the most essential and relevant information; so here it is:

December, 2012 Basics 

• 12/12 represents an extraordinary window of opportunity for an evolutionary leap, as well as the closing of one chapter and the opening of another (as in one Mayan cycle ending and another beginning).
• The new energy coming in now is a sort of "light" or increase in vibration that should eventually shift our consciousness out of the darkness (ego, fear, greed, hatred, duality, etc) that we've been living in for a long time.
• At this time, your intentions and state of mind can play a large role in how the shift affects you and your loved ones. Those who welcome new beginnings and go with the flow will have an easier time than those who become agitated and cling to the old paradigm.
• The dates, 12/12/12 and 12/21/12 hold particular meaning and serve as a passage into the new era. Amariah Mara writes, "You are set to see global insights come rushing forth on or around the date 12/12/12. This day will be the gateway to what will be a final walk-through on 12/21/12. One date is preparation for the other." So where you are and what you hold in mind on the 12th may set the stage for what follows.

Please join me in embracing this special window of opportunity by holding the highest intentions possible for yourself, your loved ones, humanity, and our beautiful planet.

You may comment below or contact me at jvshinn@WakeUpSweetheart.com  

Post #96: You've Got It, so Flaunt It!

As I mentioned last week, I love the show, Once Upon a Time, and my favorite character is the bad guy, Rumplestiltskin/Mr.Gold. The actor who plays him, Robert Carlyle, is brilliant, and I realized I'd seen him somewhere before, so I snooped around and discovered he had played the lead role in the 1997 film, The Full Monty.

If you haven't seen it, The Full Monty is about a group of men, woefully unemployed  misfits, who decide they're going to make money by putting on a one-night-only striptease show for the townswomen. They are ridiculed because no one sees the men as particularly sexy or talented (and because they're promising to take it all off). It's a joke to the town; that is until the moment when these courageous men step onto the stage and into their magnificence. It was one of the most surprisingly inspiring transformations I had ever seen on screen, and I loved it.

Watching the old movie trailer recently made me realize that it's not how smart or creative or young or fit or good looking we are that makes us shine. You don't have to have perfect pitch or straight teeth to be a star. And you don't have to be a star to put out a lot of light. It's all in how you show up and the fact that you show up in the first place. It's about saying to yourself, "This is who I am, and I'm pretty hot!"

This week, I'm asking you to take a moment to notice if there's an old, worn-out story you tell yourself (and others) about why you can't get what you want or be who you want to be. Maybe you believe that your weight or your age prevents you from finding a partner, or that you have to earn another degree before you can get a decent job. As long as you believe these stories, you will block your dream. The only real problem or limitation lies in failing to shine your unique light bright enough to match what it is you're looking for.

If you don't believe me, look around. Notice the difference between people who radiate confidence and go for it, and those who do not. This week, please join me in questioning that story, or busting it altogether. It takes courage to accept responsibility for the energy you're putting out there, but it can truly set you free.

I hope you have a bold and exhilerating week. And remember, you can leave your hat on.
Click to see trailer for The Full Monty

Post #95: "Once Upon a Time," and Beyond

Do you ever get tired of fantasy tales of good versus evil? Nope, me neither. Whether it's Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Heroes, Avatar, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Sleeping Beauty, or 101 Dalmatians, we humans love a good archetypal fight, and good almost always wins out.

Why is that? Are we mortals so inherently positive or do we sense (or even know on a deep level) that this oh-so-colorful earth/life experience is a collective drama enacted by us for some greater purpose? That the reality beyond the veil is that good always triumphs?

Perhaps you've seen the televison show, Once Upon a Time. It's a fascinating story about a group of popular fairytale characters (Snow White, Red Hiding Hood, The Mad Hatter, Belle, Pinocchio, etc.) who are cursed by the Evil Queen and transported (condemned, really) to the present-day, "real world" town of Storybrooke, Maine. They are stuck there, in joyless lives and having forgotten their true identities. Their only hope is Emma, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who escaped the curse.

What I love about this show at this time in evolution is that it's so symbolic of the mass awakening that's going on for humanity. While I don't subscribe to the belief that we were ever truly cursed, many believe that there was a great Fall of Man (Adam and Eve in Christianity) whereby our disobedience caused us to be cast out of paradise, left to fend for ourselves in a cruel world. We would forget our true identities and lose our mystical powers. Love would be possible, but elusive, and would often lead to profound suffering and loss.

But, eventually something would change---a glimmer of hope would light the sky. Inevitably, this new energy would cause a huge ripple, even provoke a battle from those who would oppose it. The commotion would awaken the sleeping, and sharpen the focus of the partially awake. It would be a big deal---the end of one era, and the beginning of another.

For us, not unlike the characters in Once Upon a Time, things have heated up. It's a wonderful, frightening, breath-taking time to be alive. I believe we're in the process of getting our "powers" back and remembering who we really are. This week, I invite you to step back and notice the magic in your life that wasn't there before. And please, do share---I'd love to hear from you. (Comment below or write to me at: jvshinn@WakeUpSweetheart.com)

Post #94: The Long and Winding Road...

Last week, the music of The Beatles filled my home as my husband practiced several of their songs for a Sunday performance. I was taken in by the beauty and meloncholy of The Long and Winding Road, which seemed to sum up our human/spiritual trek:

The Long and winding road, that leads to your door 
Will never disappear, I've seen that road before
It always leads me here, leads me to your door...

This is a song for our weary moments, but it's also a validation of the heroes journey that we are all on. No matter our age or our circumstances, if we're born into human bodies, we share a common DNA that knows the joys and the hardships of having a physical experience in a dualistic world.

In our very cells, we hold the sorrow and the strife of forgetting who we really are, and continually having to find our way back home---back to our Higher Self, or God, or our soul's immortality. This is why Joseph Campbell called it a heroes journey---this long and winding road is not for the faint-hearted.

As I listened to the lyrics of the song, I thought they were perfect, except for, "Anyway, you'll never know the many ways I've tried...," because I believe spirit knows and honors every ounce of effort we have ever made, no matter what the outcome.

Interestingly though, this morning when I looked up a video of The Beatles performing the song, Paul had changed that one line. He sang, "Anyway, you've always known the many ways I've tried." I loved how this, along with his scruffy beard and compassionate eyes, seemed to perfectly demonstrate just how the journey works. The road to spiritual awakening is long and winding, but I believe it's the very road we all came here to travel.

This Thanksgiving, as you contemplate what you have to be grateful for, please take a moment to appreciate all the progress you've made during your life, even if it doesn't feel like much. Know that appearances can be deceiving, and that everything you've ever done, thought, or felt has led you a little closer to where you need to be. Happy Thanksgiving.

Post #93: Do You Have Time to Smell the Roses?

Does this year feel---I don't know---odd to you? I keep hearing people say that they feel reality changing, or that time seems warped, or that their bodies feel different. Have you noticed how many relationships are breaking up? Big shifts. 2012 stuff.

I know there's been a lot of talk and build-up surrounding 2012 prophesies, the ending of the Mayan calendar, cosmic changes, etc., but there was also a lot of hype about Y2K, and I don't remember much coming of that, or at least not in an obvious and direct way.

But this is different. It's like being in the washing machine and going through the gamut of cycles. It's deep and watery, agitating, still for awhile, until spinning out of control. Then it stops and you get thrown into the hot dryer, or hung out to dry. It's exhausting and disorienting, but it's cleansing, and a bit thrilling, too.

I know we're all busy and there's much to be done, but there's also quite a bit that we cram into our days that is unnecessary and just plain stressful. There are so many great opportunities in modern life, and we love to schedule fun and enriching activities, but how many of these turn out to be time commitments that take us away from spending a peaceful moment alone or with the ones we love? I think of this as "party-hopping mentality." You can't say no, so you do it all and end up wishing you'd stayed home and painted your toenails!

Life is changing (I believe scientists have actually verified that time is speeding up), so in order to slow down and smell the roses, most of us now have to make a conscious decision to do so. With the holidays approaching, I am vowing to keep life as simple as possible, which means being very conscious of what I say yes and no to. I try to remember that it's okay to respond, "Thanks for asking! Let me think about it and I'll get back to you," or, "I'd love to, but I'll have to check my schedule and see if it works for me." This also goes for invitations and expectations we place on ourselves. Self-bullying is when you force a trip to the gym when it really doesn't fit.

Are you too busy and/or having trouble keeping your feet on the ground? If so, what could you cut from your schedule? This might be a great time to reassess your priorities and modify your lifestyle. Good luck, and have a beautiful week!

Post #92: Empath-ology

Last week, we started looking at what it means to be an empath. This week, I wanted to give you some ideas for protecting yourself from absorbing everyone else's "stuff." But first, I thought it would be helpful to distinguish between a few related terms. See if you can find your past or present self in these descriptions.

A Codependent is someone with self-esteem issues and poor personal/interpersonal boundaries. Codependency interferes with a person's ability to have healthy, mutual relationships and a healthy sense of self. (Note that this is very common and is readily treatable through therapy, 12-step programs like Al Anon and CoDA, etc.).

A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is someone whose nervous system is especially sensitive, such that social stimulation, loud noises, bright lights, coarse fabrics, etc., can cause discomfort or overwhelm. An HSP may or may not be an Empath. This is considered a neutral trait. (For more information, see the work of Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D).

An Empath is, most likely, a Highly Sensitive Person whose energy field naturally merges with others, often  for the purpose of helping or relieving the burdens of others. A skilled empath has learned healthy boundaries, while an unskilled empath may have poor boundaries and be quite codependent.

Now that we have that sorted out, let's look at some different avenues available for protecting ourselves from taking on too much of other people's energy. The way I see it, there are three main ways of doing this.

1.  Educate yourself on the ways of the empath. Read a great book like Become the Most Important Person in the Room: Your 30-Day Plan for Empath Empowerment by Rose Rosetree. You'll be amazed at all the traps you've fallen into, and how a little knowledge of the terrain can help correct your course. You'll also discover that there are different types of empaths: emotional empaths, intellectual empaths, medical empaths, animal empaths, crystal empaths, etc.

2.  Become discriminating in what you expose yourself to. You may not like the word, "avoidance," but until you become an extremely skilled empath, you might have to avoid all sorts of people, places, and things that non-empaths don't worry about. You can probably think of several examples, such as "toxic" co-workers, unattractive environments, or disturbing news stories or movies that you know may overwhelm or drain you.

3.  Employ the use of energywork techniques, such as grounding, shielding, clearing and chakra balancing. These practices can be very effective, especially when used along with the above. It should be noted, however, that empaths unconsciously merge with others, so awareness and changes of habit are as necessary for protection as visualizing white light around yourself. (See posts #27-30 from August, 2011 to learn more about simple energywork techniques that are perfect for empaths).

Post #91: Are You an Empath?

I'm not referring to science fiction characters here---I'm just talking about normal(ish) people like you and me who possess extraordinary empathic skills. Virtually all humans are empathetic by nature (although people with certain mental conditions appear to lack this trait). So, what is empathy, and how does it differ from sympathy?

In graduate school, we defined empathy as the healthy ability to put oneself in someone else's shoes and  experience compassion for their situation. Sympathy was when we crossed the line and mentally or emotionally merged with someone else's internal situation, often to our own detriment. Great distinction, and an important one, too. Unfortunately the word "sympath" does not exist alongside "empath," and we empaths are known not only for our healthy compassion, but also our willingness to take the emotional hit for someone else (anyone else!)

I should clarify this, because it's not that we're always willing to take the hit----but rather that we are naturally receptive and permeable, so we soak up other people's emotions, stress, etc., automatically. Some empaths don't realize what's going on and are defenseless, living on an emotional rollercoaster and feeling drained, overwhelmed, and often ill. Others become hermits because they know they are affected by other people's energy, but don't know how to protect themselves, so they withdraw entirely. Still others find a way to develop healthy boundaries and filters.

Sounds rough, doesn't it? And being an empath can be excruciating, but it can also be a blessing, because empathy is the glue that bonds humanity, and possessing a lot of it can help us love and have compassion for all forms of life. It's one thing to cheer for your own child, but empathy allows you to cheer for anyone, anywhere, and to be genuinely happy when they succeed. It allows you to care enough about strangers to donate coats and blankets, and then experience the warm satisfaction of knowing you made a difference.

Next week, we will go over a few effective ways for empaths to protect themselves from absorbing too much negative energy, but for this week I'm asking you to notice your shifts in mood. Maybe one minute you're fine, and the next minute you take a nose dive. Or, perhaps, a conversation with your mother or boyfriend leaves you feeling drained or depressed. Just keep an eye out for cause and effect. What precipitated the shift? This exercise will provide important information that'll help you learn to prevent these swings in the future.

                                "Gem" from Star Trek