5 Secrets to Success

Last year, or maybe it was the beginning of this year, I asked you guys what you wanted to see from me and the resounding answer was Not Business Stuff. Which is perfectly fine because I love writing about the heart, mind, and spirit.

Then I realized how much my heart, mind, and spirit are connected to my business.

I wanted to share some of the stuff I know so I put it all in a handy dandy notebook... er... ebook.

5 Secrets to Success for online heart-centered businesses that incorporate crystals, energies, art, oracle + tarot cards, bits of your soul and/or other hippy-dippy woowoo practices.

That's officially the title. 

There's so much business advice out there (wonderful, fantastic, advice!) but sometimes we forget that there are tools within ourselves that need discovering and cultivating. That's what I want to remind you! You can look outside of yourself all you want to figure out how to make your business perfect and how to make it shine, but if you neglect those things that you should be working on internally, you won't get very far.

If you're already signed up for the newsletter it should be in your inbox now! Want to take a look? Check out this page to sign up for your free copy!

I hope that you enjoy!

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An Island of Solitude

Today I wanted to feature a card from the oracle card deck Earth Magic. If you are signed up for my newsletter then you probably know why I'm feeling this card.

The Island a place of solitude.

Looking at this picture evokes a different reaction for different people. Some might look at this and see a lush little island with a blooming tree in its center. A tree that is perfect for sitting under alone with a good book, or laying on your back, staring up at the sky.

Or maybe all you see is the empty space. The things that you couldn't do. The things that you should be doing that would be impossible were you alone on that chunk of rock with nothing to do.

Everyone sees something different, the same person might see something different at different times. What do you see?

Even in isolation there can be life and beauty and growth.

This card is a reminder how important it is to spend some time in solitude and in silence. Even when you have other things to do. Ah, such a hard lesson to learn, especially in today's society when we have so much to do on a daily basis. It's hard to step away from life and responsibilities and family.

It's hard to sit in silence.

The past few weeks I have felt myself approaching burn out. That feeling you get when you know you're approaching mental exhaustion. Either you push through it or you put on the breaks and take a break. The Island is a reminder to do that. To take time for solitude and silence when we need it.

Take time to enjoy silence and peace without worry.

When was the last time you created space for unstructured solitude?

This last week has been full of that for me and it was a beautiful and sacred time. No rushing, no worry, no unpleasing sounds, no people, no masks. Just pure, authentic, me time. It's amazing how good you feel when you are stripped of your roles and responsibilities and are allowed to just be.

It was hard pushing away my responsibilities and telling myself 'no' when I felt the urge to fall back into my roles, to work, to do something other than the things that soothe me. It was a very healing experience and helped me to create boundaries within myself. Sometimes your inner self must create boundaries with the other parts of you.

She knows best.

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Daily Prayer

I'm a very spiritual (though not religious) person. I bring things into my life that call to my soul, whether they originate in Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Wicca, or what have you, it doesn't matter to me. If it calls to my soul, if it nourishes my soul, if it feels good, then I know that's what I need and I embrace it.

I don't discriminate with soul-food.

I love that Blessing Manifesting is for all faiths, at least I try to make it so that it Universally connects to people regardless of what they believe. I love the 'Namaste's 'Amen's and 'Blessed Be's that people share with me and that everything I do translates for many faiths.

I am entering a soul and spirit phase.

I've talked about how my spirit levels heighten towards Autumn and Winter. I think those are the times of the year where I go into a sort of 'hibernation'. My attention turns inward, I start to really focus on myself and less on the outside, on projects, and on other people. Turning my focus inward definitely allows me to turn my attention to my spirit.

At the beginning of the month I made a promise to myself that I was going to make time to pray every single day, no excuses. So far I've kept to that promise and I've seen some great changes in my life just in the last few weeks, mainly my stress level has gone way way down. Before I go to bed every night I light a stick of incense and then spend a little time talking to Spirit. It always feels like a good chat with a best friend right before sleep and it's become a favorite part of my day.

My challenge for you, if you are of a spiritual or religious inclination, take time out everyday this week to spend time with spirit, whether that means prayer for you or something different. See how it changes things in your life. Connect with that part of yourself. See how it adds a bit extra to your life.

Do you have a daily prayer practice? 

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The Call of Whale Song

I have been obsessed with whales ever since the first time I saw Free Willy or maybe it was Ocean Girl, which was a pretty awesome show. It was about a girl who swam and talked to whales and considered them family.

I digress, but my point stands whale = awesome.

Whales are the largest mammals in the world and they all exhale through their blowholes. I've talked about the breath and how letting out a big exhalation can relieve stress. You've probably even done it unintentionally when you are frustrated or angry.

So many creation myths start with the sea and this has given the whale to be a symbol of creation as well as creating. Getting in touch with whale energy can help you to be more creative and embrace those energies that are around you. This is especially true if your creativity involves song or sound.

Whale teaches us to sing our song.

To discover our voice and use it. To communicate with it. In doing those things we also learn how to listen to it. To hear that inner voice that calls and sings to us. To be vocal inside and outside of ourselves with our gentle yet powerful song. Our song, our voice, is unique and beautiful.

With everything there must be balance. 

It might also be time to dive deep deep deep into the depths of the water, allowing it to engulf you and allowing you to dwell in silence. Aside from their song, silence is something that I also associate with Whale. It has the ability to dive thousands of feet beneath what we know of the world. When you think about it, it's a pretty amazing thought.

Dive deep into the waters, allow the silence to engulf you, and when the time is right, sing your song.

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Are you performing psychological necromancy?

Thank you Dresden Files for this wonderful phrase. Psychological necromancy. What's it mean?

Reviving old memories and emotions and using them to torture yourself.

We drudge them up from where they've been buried in the past and we give them new life. Sometimes it's an accident, sometimes a bad mood triggers it, sometimes we just want to drudge it up to punish ourselves for the mistakes we've made.

I am a huge believer in the wisdom of the past. It has so many things to teach us about our behavior and about how far we've come. The past is a story that we can read to learn a lesson. Sometimes we need to read it twice (or more) for the moral of the story to sink in and for us to truly learn from it.

We learn the lesson but we keep reading the story.  

We've changed the behavior, made amends or attempted to, learned the consequences of those actions, and yet we still relive them in our minds. We replay events in our heads, wondering about the what-ifs and should-haves but thinking those things does nothing but turn those memories into brain eating zombies.

There's no use to it, nothing good comes out of it, and at the end of the day all you're left with is a bad mood and a burden of regrets.

The past is meant to be learned from, it's a map of where we've been. We get to cross those places off on the map with the knowledge that there are better places ahead and we are better equipped to handle them. Drudging stuff up after the fact is just no good.

The ABCs of combating psychological necromancy.  

Accept that the past does not define you. You get to make better choices. You get to rise above it and be something better than what you were.

Be in the present and remind yourself where your path is leading you and where you are going. Ground yourself firmly in the present and in the now.

Commit to actively working through it. When gunk from the past crops up, ask it what it has to teach you, look at the situation and ask yourself if there's anything you have left to learn. If the answer is nothing then commit to mindfully moving past these thoughts and feelings.

How do you deal with those yucky feelings and emotions from the past?

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Hey You Beautiful Soul.

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Story of the Selkie

The Selkie is a being who lives as a seal in the water but can transform into a human on land. The Selkie's story is usually a sad one as they can only stay on land for a short period of time unless their pelts are stolen.

There tales are usually of a Selkie falling in love with a human and then having to leave them to return to the sea. Alternatively, if their pelt is stolen they must remain on land and are unable to return to the sea.

The Selkie is torn between worlds.

Her ability to choose is taken away. The Selkie represents how important it is for us to make our choices and embrace our freedom and authenticity. Her story is for those of us that have forgotten our strength and freedom and our right to choose again and again and again.

We are so blessed.

We get to choose who we get to be with, we get to stay with our families - shall we choose to, to dance as we will, to worship as we please. We get so many choices on a daily basis, and when we compare that to the past, to the histories of our ancestors, it's so amazing to think that we have the ultimate control of so many aspects of our lives and story.

What choices have you made? What choices will you make?

There's so much beauty and power in our choices. The world is open to us and ready to support us in whatever path we decide to take. Now is the time to dance and celebrate your freedom. Here is a reminder for you: Your life is yours to control. Don't give up your power. Don't fall into complacency by allowing others to make your choices for you.

Don't believe that you are stuck where you are.

You aren't. It might hurt to get un-stuck, it might be awhile before things better, it might take a lot of energy or work to follow through with your choices, but at the end of the day, you get to make them, as well as the choices that come from your choices.

Embrace it.

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Do You Celebrate?

The other day I was hunting for incense to burn. I must admit something here, I am a huge incense junkie. At one time I had a collection of nearly 100 scents, all hand-dipped in essential oils and each scent stored in a ziploc bag and labeled.

Anyway, I picked a bag at random and saw that it was one of my all time favorites. Instead of burning one I put it back.

"That one is special. I'll save it for later."

Do you ever do that with random things? I've done it with tea, and clothes, and candles, and lotions, and perfumes, and paints, even books, I kid you not! If there's an author that I love and she releases a book, I'll wait to read it, put it off for a later time, when I need something good to read instead of treating myself to the reading of it now. That situation usually turns into "Why didn't I read this sooner?!"

Sometimes it's good to use those things that you're saving for a special occasion.

Especially if you're one of those people that keeps waiting and waiting until you forget you even have that thing to begin with. Pull out the good china more often than you do. Get dressed up just because you can. I don't think that it takes anything away from the big occasions.

There's something to be said for celebrating the everyday.

To say "this day is good enough just because" is an awesome feeling. Each day is wondrous and magical and extraordinary if you allow it to be.

Do you ever do this? What things do you save for special occasions? 

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Aromatherapy: Sweet Orange Oil

I go through phases of my favorite essential oil. Sometimes it's chamomile, oftentimes it's lavender, I am a huge fan of lemon and also of it's citrus-y cousin orange.

Cheery, energizing, wake-you-up sweet orange oil. 

Orange is the ultimate happiness-inducing oil, or maybe that's just me. I love oranges so it would be natural that I just love the smell of oranges too. It puts me in mind of orange groves and country breakfasts. Maybe that's why I find it energizing too!

I use a sweet orange perfume oil, which is a mix of a carrier oil, sweet orange essential oil, and a wee bit of alcohol, I like it way better than traditional perfume and it smells wonderful. 

Orange is great for bringing feelings of joy, it cheers you up, chases away the grumps and makes room for joy to rush in. It reduces fear and also helps you to rediscover your belief in yourself. It's also good for relieving stress and has even been known to lower blood pressure by a small amount. If those are things that you struggle with you can mix sweet orange essential oil with a carrier oil for a massage or to dab on yourself. One of my favorite ways is to put it in an oil warmer, which will dispense the scent through out your home. Because the scent is strong you only ever have to use a drop or two. 

If you aren't into the whole essential oil thing you can still add orangey-ness to your life.

I use Nivea Touch Of Happiness body wash, which is orange scented. You can also make potpourri out of orange rinds. You can either boil them in water and let the scent diffuse through your home, or dry them out and mix them with spices for a dried potpourri. There's also candles, lotions, bath soaks, and so many other ways to orangeinize your life.

What's your favorite way to use oranges? What's your favorite essential oil at the moment?

When using essential oils remember to do your own research, dilute the essential oil, and don't use if you are pregnant, nursing or have a medical condition. This is not a substitute for medical advice. 

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Don't Put Your Happiness In One Basket

Are you guilty of pinning all of your happiness on one thing? That thing goes wrong or it doesn't go your way and suddenly life just sucks? *raises hand* I am guilty as charged but I am trying to do better.

Just because one thing sucks doesn't mean everything has to suck.

That was an amazing lesson for me to learn that I discovered through SARK's Glad No Matter What. Just because you are sad about one thing doesn't mean that you can't be happy about other things. You don't have to let your emotions bully you into feeling only one thing. You get to be in control, you get to tell 'em what's-what's.

It's all about balance and compartmentalizing your feelings and emotions. 

If you are upset about a relationship it doesn't have to bleed into your happiness about your business or vice-versa. I've gotten into tough spots with friends and suddenly all of the happiness gets sucked out of me no matter what else is going on in my life, regardless of the other things that could and should be making me happy. I ignore them and allow one situation to dictate whether or not I'm happy.

Other times I'll be feeling a bit wibbly-wobbly about my business and then I stop noticing what great friends I have, how much I like my other job, and how amazing life is in general.

Your happiness isn't contingent on one thing.

Remember that, even when it's hard to remember, even when one thing goes wrong and you're tempted to let it ruin your day. You are allowed to be happy and sad. You are allowed to be happy and upset or happy and angry. Allow your emotions to coexist with one another instead of letting one beat the other over the head until it goes away.

Do you have trouble allowing your emotions to co-exist?

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How Big is Your Brave?

I am a huge fan of inspirational music. It makes my world go 'round, it's been a great healing tool for me and provided a lot of food for thought. If you're a big fan of happy and inspirational music, (or you want to be!) you should totally check out the free ebook Soundtrack Your Life. It's full of my favorite happy tunes. And now I have a new one by Sara Bareilles! Brave.

When I first saw the video I got all weepy because not only do I love Random Acts of Dance but the video was so inclusive of all shapes, sizes, and ages and I absolutely LOVE seeing that in the media. It makes me want to throw my fist up with a "Hell yeah!" because that's what I want - diversity. So watch this video and even if the music isn't your thang, appreciate the diversity and the inclusion of everyday people. That's a step in the right direction.

And bonus points if you dance along.

Say what you wanna say and let the words fall out. Honestly I wanna see you be brave.

It makes me think about bravery and how much it encompasses and how different it is for everyone. For one person "Brave" might mean wearing a new shirt, or taking the trip around the world, or taking a step outside of your home, or believing that things will get better even when they suck. Or maybe it's sharing your deepest thoughts and feelings with the big wide blogosphere, even when it's hard and the doubts creep in and you wonder if you are really making a difference, and it's so much work, and you wonder if it's worth it at the end of the day.

It is "your" brave not someone else's. It's defined by your life, your comfort zone, and your limits. It's defined by you. Which is all kinds of beautiful.

What's the bravest thing you've done so far this year?

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What's Your Self Worth?

I was looking through my Angels, Gods, and Goddesses deck when this card called out to me to be shared and it's really appropriate to how I'm feeling right now.

This is for anyone that lets other people undervalue them.

If you are currently undervaluing yourself or letting others undervalue you it's time to stop. Have you ever settled for something or someone because you didn't think you deserved any better? Or you don't let yourself dream that you can have anything better or be anything better because you just don't deserve it.

Or maybe you do believe that you deserve better but you don't know how to say it or how to make it happen or you're scared that it won't happen so you hunker down and settle for something that's not nourishing and doesn't truly make you happy.

It's time to regain your self-worth.

Stop letting other people take advantage of you and stop believing that you deserve it. Stop settling for a life that doesn't make you happy just because you feel like you aren't worthy of anything better.

You are worthy.

Your self-worth is assigned to you by no one but you. Start believing that you deserve all of the things that you want. You deserve to be respected by the people around you. You deserve to have a job that fills you up and makes you happy, but most of all, you deserve to believe it.

Do you value yourself? Do the people around you value you and show it? 

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What's Your Morning Routine?

Life can be ordinary and still be extraordinary. It's the little things that matter.

I have a confession to make, a few weeks ago, I was a grumpy bear. I'd wake up with a groan, after abusing my snooze button multiple times. I'd lay in bed trying to convince myself that I could get out of bed in just 30 more seconds.

The next few hours would be spent in a haze of grumpiness wanting nothing more than to curl up with a blanket for a nap. When the haze of sleepiness wore off I'd put myself in such a bad mood by that time that it really didn't matter anyway. That set the tone for several days and I hated it.

So I asked myself why I was doing that to myself.

I knew that I was staying up late in order to get more into my day and even though I knew it was having a negative effect on me I did it anyway. Don't you hate when you do things like that? So I put on my big girl panties, decided to change it, and gave myself a mandatory bedtime.

Then I worked on my morning routine.

Creating a nourishing routine changed my mindset immediately. It turned the ordinary mumble and grumble morning into something that sent me to work with a smile on my face and a positive attitude. I allowed myself to wake up after a full 8 hours of sleep, which eliminated the battle of wills with the alarm clock. I gave myself enough time to get ready for work and have a morning cup of tea as well as spend time communing with Spirit.

It was extraordinary. 

My challenge to you this week is try to find away to improve your morning routine. Add a bit of Spirit to your morning, add a few minutes to appreciate the fact that you woke up and it's a new day and you're here to experience it.

How can you improve upon your morning routine?

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Raccoon Wisdom

I love learning about animals and what they can teach us on a spiritual level. I think that they hold a whole lot of wisdom in the way that they behave and act in nature as well as how they're portrayed in myths and stories.

Today we're looking at Raccoon Wisdom.

Since seeing Disney's Pocahontas I have been fascinated by them. I love their curiosity and the black masks over their eyes. They are really interesting animals. They embody the traits of dexterity, disguise, and curiosity. One of the really cool things about the raccoon is their ability to use their hands. They have very agile paws and can open a variety of things, which gives them the reputation of being little thieves, and they can be, because they take things that they find fascinating.

Raccoons are very curious and are always getting into things that they shouldn't. They love to explore and get into things. 

Raccoon reminds us to indulge in the ideas that we find curious or interesting.

Pick them up (metaphorically of course), feel them out, and see if it's something that you want to play with.

Raccoons have a black mask over their eyes and this allows us to look into the use of masks and disguises. We all have daily masks that we wear, ways that we act that are not being true to how we're feeling. You've heard the term, put on a happy face. Sometimes we have to do this. Raccoon helps us to acknowledge why we wear the masks that we do. How they protect us from the world and the use that they have in our lives.

This may also be the time to start wearing actual masks. It can be very liberating to hide your identity behind a mask, allow yourself to transform into something different than you are. Try wearing a mask while you dance, let your body become something else. 

Maybe hiding behind the mask you will no longer be afraid to be exactly who you are.

What masks do you wear? Do they help you or hinder you?

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Remember Where You've Been

As you may or may not know, I celebrated my birthday, the big 28th last month! My mind keeps reminding me... only two more years until 30, as if something important is supposed to happen then.

I'll be an old spinster.

Hahaha, I know, I know 30 isn't that old, it just feels like I should have something accomplished by then, something important, something big.

It's been a whole decade since I became an adult. In a personal capacity I can't say I've gone very far... ((I just wrote that and started giggling... silly Dominee)) Okay, let me rephrase that, traditionally in a personal capacity I haven't gone very far. No serious relationships, I live in a one bedroom apartment, I haven't even had any pets aside from goldfish. By the standard of my peers, who are married with kids and houses by now, I'm leagues behind.

However when I look at the mental and emotional progress I've made, I want to weep with appreciation for how far I've come. I am a completely different person from who I used to be, and while you can't measure that in a traditional sense, I am still uber proud of myself.

I have come so far.

It's a huge lesson to me in not comparing my journey to anyone else's because you can't measure success by looking on the outside. I think that's a good reminder for us all. We can't use someone else's success as a tool to put ourselves down or makes us feel badly about our lives.

Judge where you are by how far you've come.

We each have a different path and to judge ourselves by someone else's journey is just silliness. So I have an assignment for you: Acknowledge how far you've come from where you were. Acknowledge how many obstacles you've overcome in your life and be so proud that you're here today. Think about the worst thing that's happen to you. You were strong enough to get through it, you, you, were that strong.

You are so amazing.

Do you fall into the trap of comparison? How do you deal with it?

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