There are times in your life when you may feel as though you are stumbling through, destination unknown.  Maybe you are.  And then time passes and you begin to see the stumbling was really moving you forward to a truth or goal that had not yet been revealed. 

 Years ago I received great advice – take one step each day toward your goal.  Of course, the “goal” may be defined differently during the many phases of your life, but it is that forward energy that is most important.  This energy drives your ability to gently expand into your fullest self easily and effortlessly. 

 It’s ok that there are periods in your life when you are confused.  In fact, expect it.  But know this is a phase.  As annoying as this truth is, confusion is an opportunity.  Confusion usually stems from some need inside of you not being met whether you are consciously aware of this or not.

 Try journaling or reading about places or people that attract you.  Meditate.  Talk to friends you admire.  Listen to the compliments you are receiving in your life right now.  And most of all - move toward your dreams and goals – no matter what they are. 

 One step, each day.  Read an article.  Make a phone call. Send an email.  Take a class. Create something. 

 When you focus on your goals and desires (even the fleeting ones!), you focus on what you want in life – not a negative, self-defeating idea of what you don’t want.  Your thoughts direct your words and your words create your deeds.  Your deeds are your life. 

 It all begins at the same place – choice.  Free will.  You chose to take that step each day or not.  So, what are your thoughts creating in your life today?  Is it leading to your goals or not?

Why are some people happy and others not?  There are certain factors that contribute to one’s ability to be “happy” under most circumstances.  These are a few…

 1.         Flexibility.  The old saying “once you make a plan, God laughs,” has proven true time and time again in my own life.  Being able to adjust to changing life events, even as minor as dinner plans, with flexibility and ease leads directly to happiness.  Why?  Flexibility means forsaking control – willingly.  Quite a feat to be sure, but a gift - only to be received if you are willing to give up control first.    

 2.         Don’t take it personally.  As my father wisely once said, “Some people are just a@@holes.”  You can be assured in your life that your will encounter some real “pains in the bottom”, difficult situations, unfairness, and other assorted crap.  Promise.  And the person sitting next to you, same thing.  The same goes with any other person you meet in your life too.  We are all stumbling through at times.  So, relax, take a breath and imagine what you would like to happen in whatever situation is causing you difficulty.  Focusing on what you want enables you to emerge from any frustration with clarity.

 3.         Humor.  Once you are able to either laugh at yourself or whatever the situation, you bring lightness to your heart.  Laughter feels good.  Watch funny movies, read amusing books, talk to a friend who always makes you laugh, go bowling.  Just by adding more laughter to your life and you will notice, gently a quiet lightness entering your thoughts and being.

 4.         Positive attitude.  I am not suggesting to live like some annoying, over-the-top Polly-Anna, but to live your life on the foundation that, “all is well.”  This isn’t to deny there are problems or tragedies in life, but it does focus on solutions instead of the difficulties.

 5.         Gratitude.  Happy people are reminded each day of their blessings – the good and the difficult.  As much as it drives me nuts, challenges are opportunities.  Opportunities to learn, to grow and most importantly, to know yourself better.  True gratitude is born out of compassion – just as much for yourself as others.

 6.         Confidence.  Not swaggering, but a calm knowing of ones own abilities.  Confidence also means knowing you will stumble on occasion, but the confident person knows not to make a habit of it. 

 7.         Presence.  Happy people live right now, in this moment – not dreaming about yesterday or fantasying about tomorrow.  Here and now - laughing about the things that others might be frustrated by, and knowing all is well… 

 8.         Choice.  All happy people know happiness is a choice.  Some days it’s easier to be happy, while other days may be a bit more of a struggle.  However, knowing that you have the choice to lift yourself up or push yourself down – often leads to better decisions.

 Happiness is not derived from one isolated event, but by attitudes and beliefs.  Gratefully, like choice, each of us has the power to change our attitudes and beliefs with time and attention. 

 Happiness isn’t for someone else, it’s for you.  It is for each one of us to sink deeply into the happiness of this moment, however mundane the pleasures.  May you discover happiness already waits for you, deep within.  

I have many clients who wish to live a more magical life, but are unclear as to how to make this happen.  Somehow this concept of “this is for someone else, I don’t have it” keeps coming to the forefront.  Let me just be clear, you do have it – you just have to find a way to access it.  Here are some tips to open the door to a more magical life…

 1.  Look for connection.  I firmly believe there is a valid reason for everything, both bad and good.  Instead of viewing yourself as being a victim of circumstance – what if you chose to belief things happen for a reason?  What if you detached from life and looked for the pattern?  If you truly witness your life, you will see patterns emerging.  Those patterns are happening for a reason.  What are they saying to you?

 2.  Listen to the words people are speaking to you and also pay more attention to the words coming out of your own mouth.  Often the advice we give is really for ourselves.  Sometimes virtual strangers offer the most profound opportunities – out of the blue someone says something that hits you just right.  Do you listen or dismiss these moments?  The more you listen and accept these opportunities – the more often they will happen.

 3.  Go buy some divination cards or runes and begin playing.  Any divination tool takes time to build confidence, but I will tell you a secret – sometimes beginners are more pure and can get awesome insights just because they don’t “know too much.”  Angel Cards are a great place to start because they are single words, pick one every morning for a week and discover how this works for you.  I bet you will feel more connected.

 4.  Look outside in nature – animals, plants, etc.  Several years ago, I bought the book Animal Speak (go to my resources page to find the review/buy) and was immediately hooked.  It speaks of living in a connected universe with animals having specific meanings when they appear…Luckily, I live in a place with lots of natural animals (I just saw a bald eagle a couple days ago…) and I am always on the lookout.  Which is a big part of living magically – watching for it.

 5.  Surround yourself with people who do believe or seem to have “magic.”  Being around these people will serve as a model – how do they react to new information in their life?  I remember meeting a wonderful mentor years ago and she just sparkled – there was just something special, lighter about her and all I could think was, “I want to feel/live like that.”  We worked together for awhile and I discovered that light was in me too, but I had blocked it for years for various reasons.  Once I was able to release those stumbling blocks – the magic poured in and I was able to transcend my limiting beliefs unlocking a brand new life – JOY!!!

 In the beginning, you consciously need to create opportunities for magic to enter your life (cards, looking to nature…) and then suddenly, you will discover - it is all around.  You’ll even be amused to discover it has always been here, just waiting for you.  You hold the key, in your mind and in your heart.  Come, the magic is waiting for you to step into…

 Each of us would love to “peak forward” a bit and gain insights for a better life.  Psychics offer this possibility, however there are some things to know before making an appointment…

 1.         Psychics are not always right.  Most good psychics will tell you only about 80% (on a good day!) of future predictions will come to pass.  Why?  Well, I tell my clients, what I am showing you is possibilities – you still have sway over future events both positively and negatively.  I like to use future events to empower your life today.

2.         Get referrals.  I suggest only making appointments with people you have been referred to, researched online or spoken to yourself.  Let’s face it, there are scams everywhere - so be smart.  Lots of psychics have web sites where you can read about them, styles of intuitive reading(tarot, runes…), articles they’ve written, etc.  Discover what resonates with you.  This little extra work will pay off in a good reading.

3.         Bring specific topics to look into for your appointment.  Chances are - the psychic will touch upon your big issues without need of your input.  However, I believe each of us gets the reading we “need” instead of maybe the one we “want.”  So the psychic may not immediately focus on the topic you desire without guidance from you.

4.         Be open.  Chances are the psychic will tell you some things you were not expecting, both good and bad.  Some of the words will resonate with you at the session while others words will become clear in your mind days, even weeks later.  Most psychics offer to record the appointment so you can go back later and listen.  Often, as you listen again, you will hear things you missed the first time.  

5.         Have fun and remember this is information.  I have been going to psychics since my early twenties and have been reading for others since 1996.  I love psychic or intuitive readings – however, over the years, I have seen persons who have been completely wrong as well as persons who are on the money nine times out of ten.  Use the information gleaned from your session to empower your life, not a crutch to wait for the inevitable outcomes.

  Psychic readings can be a powerful tool to transform your life.  They offer a chance gain insights, heal old wounds, to begin to live your best life today.  May it be so.