You are Guided, Protected and Loved

You are guided, protected and loved..... If I have uttered those words once, I have said them a thousand times. I repeat them to myself many times a day. And I especially say them if I am having an unpleasant experience.  I say them to reinforce what I know to be true. And I feel better when I "remember" these truths. It wasn't always that way - oh my goodness no! It has been a long and interesting journey in order to get to the point that I say those words with confidence and live by their meaning. 
So today I want to share with you about why it is that sometimes we don't feel very guided or protected and therefore not too great in the acceptance of our being loved. If we are so loved why do those crappy things happen in our life? Disappointing or even horrible things sometimes occur. But still, I know that I, you , we are loved. And if you happen onto this blog and read it I would tend to believe that you were guided to this site... after all it has been quite a while since I have published anything.  If the truth be told, I am feeling rather compelled to write this evening. I have a feeling that someone needs to find these words of comfort and know that they are not alone.

So, why do things go so wrong sometimes ~ especially if we are loved. There are several valid answers and one in particular that I would like to have you consider for now. It is a good one because it empowers us.  For one thing we live in an orderly world of natural laws. We can't constantly drive above the speed limit and expect to never get a ticket. We can't eat nasty food and expect to stay healthy forever. We can't treat people with disregard and expect to have friends. You get the idea. In other words there is a cause and effect to life. So sometimes what happens to us is the effect and frankly we are the cause. It does not negate the fact that we are guided, protected and loved. I think it is fair to say that in all the prior examples we got the promptings to change our ways. (Can't you just "sense" a police officer waiting in the bushes as you go zinging by? Oops - should have paid attention to the feeling- oh yes, of course and maybe should not have been speeding as well.) 
As a therapist I often hear people say "you know, I knew I should have done that differently, but I just didn't  go with it. I know it would have turned out different if I had." I have said and experienced that enough times myself before it dawned on my that I need to LISTEN and pay attention.  Those sort of messages are just one of the ways that we are guided and protected. (But we are never forced.)
If life seems to be getting worse and worse and things just keep going wrong.... stop! Take the time to be silent, to be not busy...to be still. How can we expect to receive the guidance we are so  naturally given if we don't stop to hear it? Think about that for a minute. You know how we've all had the hunch that the phone would ring, or the "feeling" that something was going to occur.  Those premonitions are a valuable sign that there is more to the world than what our senses tell us. We read energy and we don't use just our eyes or ears to do so. Our guidance system is built in. It is awe-some!  But if we never look at the radar screen we are going to miss a lot of things; good opportunities drift by without our recognition and bad things broadside us.Those wonderful little (and big) synchronicity moments occur more often when we attend to them - giving them the attention, respect and gratitude they deserve.
There is a natural flow of goodness and love that is steadily available for each of us. That flow never changes.  It  might be thought of as an outpouring of love and light. God does not play favorites - Love is constant. However, if we step out of that flow we aren't going to feel very happy or  see life as free flowing, abundant and filled with gifts. Not at all. But it is because we have stepped away from that flow not the other way around. Think of a stage with  spotlight shining from above on the actor. As long as he or she stays in flow of the light everything is clear. But if the actor moves out of the light, he stands alone in the darkness. It isn't the light that stopped shining on him. I hope that metaphor makes sense and is one that you can see in your mind's eye.
One of the ways to stay in that flow is to remind yourself that it IS there. Take the time to be still.  Watch for signs of it. ASK for it to show itself to you. And when you experience it ~ know that you indeed are guided, protected and loved. 
Until next time~
Doc DyAnn

The Flip Side of the Coin

 2012  End time..... or beginning? 

 When you think about 2012 what comes to your mind? Certainly there are many opinions on this controversial subject. Ancient writings including the Bible refer to this as the "end of time" or "end days" in what is known as apocalyptic prophecies. Destruction is a common theme in the works of Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce and various  indigenous cultures .And  let's not forget that the Mayan calendar runs out ---ends, kaput...nothing! Pretty scary stuff. It has some people stockpiling supplies for survival, including weapons.Like I said, pretty scary.

How do you feel when you read or hear about this kind of stuff? It scared the dickens out of me. Holy cats, if the oceans rise due to the melting of the arctic caps, then  according to the maps the area I presently live in will be under water. Deep water. And what about the "pole shift"; what's that all about anyway? Do I need to move, warn people, find a group of stock pilers to take me in?! Make amends? Beg for God's mercy?  Talk about feeling helpless!

My "default mechanism" when faced with a problem is to gather information. And there is plenty out there; the real work is wading thru it. As I explored I found an interesting and hopeful pattern. I would describe my discovery process as being similar to flipping a coin. However ,for the most part the literature seems to describe only one side of the coin- it's always heads...Disaster! But certainly we realize that with any coin you pull out of your pocket  and  flip, you would eventually see "tails" as well as "heads".  And that's what has been missing or at least more difficult to find in all the writings that give us hints of our future .With that two headed coin we have not been getting all of the information. Perhaps we see the stuff that frightens us into helplessness and just stop looking. 

 Like I said, my default mechanism is to explore and once I find the information I am compelled to share it. I don't consider myself an expert, but I  have traveled my way thru many books, articles, videos, CD's, web sites and anything else I could get my hands on. In this blog article and others planned down the road, I plan to share what I found.

In a nutshell ~ there is hope. BUT we have choices to make - life altering choices. We cannot afford to sit by idly. What we think, say, do and believe affects our future in profound ways.  Those who have attended my seminars have a head start on knowing what I am talking about. Everything comes together like a giant puzzle. When we step back from it we can see the pattern. This time it is a pattern which reveals hope as we pull together both the old and the new.


We live in an exciting time when the often mysterious writing of seers of long ago comes together with modern quantum physics.We have come to realize that our individual responses to life's challenges do not impact merely  our personal outcome. Together we create a collective outcome. What YOU do, the choices YOU make have real power. "All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particles of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. ...We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter" (Gregg Braden).
And one day the eyes of your spirit shall open, and you shall know all things. (The Essene Gospel of Peace)
It is no accident that at this time in history the literature has been flooded with information about the "Divine Matrix" (Intelligent Mind or God, Holy Spirit, Creative Energy) and the Laws of the Universe and in particular the "Law of Attraction". In my opinion the Law of Attraction got a bit glamorized and over-simplified. Think "Lamborghini" and it will come to you. A more educated explanation of the Law of Attraction comes from the ancient texts: You shall reap what you sow. (More on that in another article- we truly DO create.)

Getting back to 2012.  Is the state of the world we live in the playing out of a collective cause and effect? Have we plundered the earth and  disrespected its resources to the point of getting the natural backlash? Are we personally responsible for what is happening?  I say yes and it's a good thing. Before you judge me harshly please read on as I tell you why it is a good thing. What it means is that there truly IS a cause and effect. If you, I or we do "X" then "Y" will always follow. In other words the outcome is predictable. That being said, we are not blind toward nor helpless in regard to our own future.A Universal law states: "Life is the experience of your choices." Our combined choices as a group,(whether a family, circle of friends or co-workers, neighborhood, community, nation or world)  result in increased power, or larger impacts.think about that in a positive way. A woman refusing to sit at the back of a bus, joined by others who felt the same created astounding change.


The ancient scriptures are absolutely loaded with hope. If you look closely you will see that. The word apocalypse for example has its root in the Greek word apoklypsis which means simply and nicely "to disclose or reveal." The ancient prophets were trying to show us possible outcomes which were based on the conditions of their time.
When John in Revelation asks his angel guide why these things are happening in his vision of a possible future here is what the angel replied:
Man  has created these powers of destruction. He has wrought them from his OWN MIND. He has turned his face away  from the Angels of the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother, and he has fashioned his own destruction.
John asks if there is hope ~ here is the reply: There is always hope, O thou for whom heaven and earth were created. (The Essene Gospel of Peace, Book Two)

 More to come...there is hope!
Namaste my friends

Dr DyAnn 

 

Your "Not So Private" Thoughts.

What is the difference between a whisper and a shout...a whisper and a thought? Which is more powerful? Someone measured the distance a shout travels and determined "your voice carries barely fifty yards". Hmmmm my neighbor yelling for her kids out distances that measurement! In regard to our thoughts and how far they travel - oh my that is a whole different matter. Our thoughts travel around the world and assist in the creation of our life.
You would think that your thoughts are private, right? I have often joked with my clients "Aren't you glad you don't live in a comic strip where your thoughts are printed in a bubble above your head?!" You know, those kind of thoughts we all have such as when a friend blows you off for a second time: ("I don't even want to talk to you; you're such a @#$%!!") Or your spouse says something kind of "off": ("Do you live in a cave? You have GOT to be kidding me!") How about a boss ...("What the @##@!*. If s/he didn't have connections s/he would be soooo out of here. I can't believe I work for such a dip$$$$").
We've all had those sort of thoughts but hide behind the mask of niceness or compliance. I'm not saying that is bad - don't get me wrong. Thank God we don't live in cartoon land because thoughts based on raw emotion aren't the whole picture. They are only a part of what I call our "Internal Committee' or many ego states. We can have many, varied thoughts on one single subject. That's normal.
But those seemingly meaningless, harmless PRIVATE thoughts....they do travel further than inside your own head. They travel to your cells and turn on or off a multitude of switches that change your chemistry. Depending on the type of thoughts that can be good or bad....we can raise our own blood pressure with excessive worry or calm our self with remembering and playing back a time of personal joy and happiness. We have more control here than many of us realize.

But the really intriguing issue centers around the fact that thoughts are vibration- they travel as far and as fast as radio waves. No, people don't hear them with their ears - but still those vibrations are out there in "space". They are "heard' in some way. It has been established that thoughts create. This is where it gets to be fun and interesting. In my seminars and in some of my blogs I have talked about Dr Emoto, the highly respected Japanese scientist. He specializes and has published his research relating to water and our thoughts. Yes, regular water that is all around us and something like 70% of our body. As a quick review Dr Emoto did a fascinating study with two test tubes of water drawn from the same place. His research assistants were instructed to think positive loving thoughts around one of the tubes and in another area the same assistants thought negative, demeaning thoughts and words. Sounds kind of weird if you have never heard about the science of energy! The results were phenomenal. The water surrounded by positive thoughts grew beautiful crystal structures. The other - no, not at all. It was almost as if that water died. Think for a minute the implications in our own body, with the seemingly harmless thoughts we carry around....
Thoughts tend to become true based on the intensity of the emotion they carry and their duration. It is almost as if we hypnotize ourselves. As the old adage goes : if you believe it's true - it is true. Our repetitive thoughts bring the point home.
Not only that, but those thoughts we believe to be private? Not exactly. In a way we are all kind of "mind readers". We get a hunch about someone when we see them. And we sense danger where there is no proof there is danger- but we just know because the hair stands up on our arms. Or we have a vague feeling someone will call and sure enough the phone rings and it is them. I remember years ago when I suddenly had a really awful, restless feeling on a relaxing Saturday afternoon. The phone rang and I was told that my son had been involved in a car/bicycle accident (he was the one on the bike) and was in the hospital. Clients have told me about "knowing" things which did not make sense in a logical way. Sure enough they were right. You might even recall similar occurrences. Interesting, isn't it? How does that happen?!
Frank Laubeck in Prayer, the Mightiest Force in the World writes:
Thoughts are contagious. "What you whisper in secret," said Jesus, "shall be shouted from the rooftops." Yes even your thoughts shout though others may not know it is you who are shouting....Our thoughts are the threads weaving the garment which the world tomorrow will wear. You and I created a piece of tomorrow in our thoughts today.
What kind of garment are your thoughts weaving for your tomorrow?
We are all connected thru the web of life, thru what scientists now know is not just "empty space". The rhythm of life and the vibration of our thoughts intermingle with this web and carry their energy along its pathways. Our thoughts do very much touch the lives of others.We all know when we are in the presence of someone who loves and cares for us. We can sense it- that is built into us. The people I love dearly came to mind as I read Laubach's beautiful passage. The idea of my negative and positive thoughts eventually reaching them and weaving the world they live in inspired me to be more aware of my thoughts. After all, they really aren't private. They truly are powerful - immensely so. And I want to weave beautiful tomorrows for you.

May you be blessed and surrounded by beautiful thoughts and energy on your journey of life. May you bless yourself, those you love, and our world with your thoughts. It does not take a large percent of people to change the world, simply by the power of their thoughts. You DO make a difference. For that I am thankful!
Until next time,
Dr. DyAnn

A Holiday Story

This is a holiday story - a true story. And like all true life stories it has both its high points and low points. As you read it I am confident that it will speak to you with whatever messages you are meant to hear.

I first met "Brandon" and his dad "Tim" when Brandon was in big time trouble in college for failing grades and drug use. Tim, a highly successful businessman, was mad as hell and worried sick about him. More than anything he wanted his son to be happy in life and he knew that Brandon was going about it all wrong. In our individual sessions it almost hurt my own heart as I listened to this father who had such obvious love for his son. And I knew that Brandon was not liking dad's tough love approach so things were pretty rough for a while.

Even though it did not seem like it in the midst of the counseling process, I always knew that Brandon would "get it" some day. He had the deep sensitivity of an old soul but he was living the life of a wounded young man who never got beyond some childhood issues including the ugly divorce his parents went thru and his mother's continued bitterness.
We made our way thru the counseling process and Brandon was successfully launched on his life path. I continued to counsel Tim at various junctures in his personal life as time passed but had not heard from him in several years.
Just before Thanksgiving I was delighted to get an e mail from Brandon. Until I read it, that is. His father, who always took excellent care of himself had literally dropped dead at age 59.

Brandon was heart broken. You see, over the years he and his dad had built a wonderful father~son relationship. They enjoyed football games and other "guy stuff" including Tim advising Brandon about finding the right special someone to share his life with. Now in what seemed like a bad dream it was all gone.
There is never, ever a time that is "better" than others to lose someone that you love deeply; but losing someone special during the holidays is especially harsh (whether they die or any other level of loss of a relationship). Memories that would normally be gladly embraced feel empty and haunting. The joy of others becomes an irritation and Christmas, rather than something to be celebrated is something you just want to be over with.
To make matters even worse for Brandon, his family did not draw closer together following Tim's death. He had made the effort of a Thanksgiving get together as some sort of healing family event but was met with tremendous negativity.
When it came to making Christmas plans he shared with me some of the e-mails that were exchanged between his siblings as well as his mother. As a therapist I could see that they were the misplaced feelings of unresolved layers of grief, pain, poor communication and all that would no longer be. But to the eyes and heart of Brandon they were blaming, dismissive, nasty and and among some members just plain hateful! "Happy blanking holidays" as he said. His family had never been close but now he had this additional loss.
It was now a pivotal time in Brandon's healing process. And this is what makes this a special story. Remember that I said I always knew that somehow Brandon would "get it" some day? He sent an e mail to me today and in the subject line it says "I made it"; that is in reference to the celebration of Christmas.
He did join his family for a few hours but he also "visited his dad" at the cemetery. He shared with me that they had a talk. Brandon came to realize that all his dad wanted was for him to be happy. He shares with me in his e mail:
"My happiness is totally dependent on what is inside of me, not what anyone else says and does.... I feel free and happier than I have ever been. Somehow throughout my life I have always received just the right guidance at the right time from that god/goddess in the sky and I know that will continue to be true.... My goal is to be the best person I can possibly be and I really embrace that idea."

I know that Tim is very proud of him.

Blessings and love to you during this holiday season. May your heart open to receive what ever it is that you need. Like Brandon you never know when there is a miracle right around the corner, just waiting for you.
Until next time~
Dr. DyAnn

What is your Purpose?

Have you ever asked yourself "why am I here?" That question might be asked in frustration (!!!) or it might be a very literal wondering what your purpose is in living this lifetime, with these circumstances. I certainly know I have done both. It is much more pleasant to be asking from the second perspective ~ which is perhaps a search for personal meaning in your life. That being said, when we get more clues and understanding as to the "why" we'll find ourselves a lot less frustrated or asking "why" in that" what the bleep" frustrated way!!!

We each have a truly unique purpose which no one else can fill. It can be anything: being the best parent you can be and changing the cycle of abuse that has gone on for generations in your family ~ being the best crossing guard your local school could even dream of by maybe adding joy and humor ~being an advocate for an aging parent, even if that parent seems unappreciative ~loving a significant other (and yourself) enough to set boundaries around alcohol abuse ~ teaching forgiveness by letting go of something really nasty that was done to you or your family~speaking up when it is the right thing to do and you know it in your heart. The list is as endless as there are people in the world.

Here's the point: you don't need to try to be someone special because you already ARE somebody special! Too often we give notice and credit to someone who is famous or renowned or popular, thinking that their life is more important or they are more valuable than your own self. Nothing could be further from the truth. Think about it;

- for the person who breaks that cycle of violence could you ever count the blessings bestowed on future generations?

-for the child who sees that joyous crossing guard every morning, do you realize that may be the only person he or she really feels a connection with because there is the sense that they actually care?

-for the staff who observes you as a tender advocate with a parent who is unappreciative, do you realize what a role model you might be someone in a similar struggle?f

- in setting boundaries you may be the one and last opportunity that alcoholic has to get life back on track because you respect yourself and him/her enough to say "no more"

- by practicing forgiveness can you even imagine the impact on the person who committed the betrayal?

- or in speaking up, have you ever considered the rippling effect that goes out into the world?

These and millions of other examples give us the message that what we are doing right now may be exactly what our purpose is. Perhaps taking the time to realize that what you are doing now is vital and important is what the missing piece is!

Bless you on your journey ~ and may you realize how important it is, for we are all connected, we are all one.

Until next time~

Dr. DyAnn

Seasons of the Mind

This blog discusses the mind and its many wonders. The more we know about the mind the better, for it is the computer that drives our whole system. If we are wise we learn about how to work with this precious powerful resource. While I totally believe in and have read the scientific evidence about the power of the mind, we also need to be aware of some of the things that can seem to go wrong.

So here we are at this time of year when summer has quickly turned to fall. For some of us that means our favorite season is over with, while for others it is just beginning. I was talking to a young woman earlier this week and she mentioned that while she was happy with the progress she is making in working her way out of depression she is rather apprehensive about the possibility of "winter blues" bringing her back down. So, I thought this would be a good time to discuss the subject of Seasonal Affect Disorder from the perspective of what is going on within the mind.

At best this condition can put a damper on the fall/winter season, but at its worse it can really wreak havoc on our lives and bring about deepened depression. Let's talk a little about what it is (if you want more info you can just google it). In general SAD is a grouping of depressive symptoms but what makes it different from general depression is that it is related to the seasons. We can track the occurrence of SAD like a weather map: the shorter the days and the more northern the location, the greater the chance of it occurring. Herein lies the key: the decrease of daylight is really the culprit.

Our brains could be described as chemical factories and one of the keys that brings about the typical symptoms of this condition is melatonin. Less light = more melatonoin produced in our brain. It almost seems like we go into hibernation - we have increased appetite and weight gain, we want to sleep more and may become sleepy during the day, we have less energy and not as much interest in activities and we crave carbs!

So what can we do when this occurs?

Discussing what is going on in your life is almost always helpful - whether it is just the effects of the slow down/grinding halt of SAD or some other issues that perhaps need to be processed. The chemical change brought about by the difference in the amount of melatonin produced by your brain can often change your mood and thus your ability to tolerate life's ups and downs. Another possibility is to talk to your health care provider about medication during the fall/winter months. For most people SAD thankfully leaves along with the last whispers of cold weather and/or gray skies.

Mayo clinic among others gives a solid thumbs up to Light Therapy (phototherapy). It makes sense that if too little light (cloudy conditions and shorter days) helps create this problem, then the addition of light via a light box will help to reduce it.

Above all remember that our thoughts produce our feelings. Feelings are as chemical as melatonin --- We may not be able to move to a sunnier climate but we all certainly have the ability to use the power of our minds to create a happier life. If you believe you will be more depressed this winter you will; if you believe you will be able to do better, you will. Either way you are right.

Until next time~

May you see your many blessings...

Dr. DyAnn