“Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun.”
~ John Lennon

My theme this month is “Harvest.” How appropriate that, this afternoon at 3:05 pm EDT, the Harvest Moon will shine. The earth, moon, and sun move into a straight alignment so that the earth-facing side of the moon is completely illuminated by sunlight. (It’s so bright, it can appear to be full a day or so before and after the actual full moon.) The Harvest Moon, technically the full moon appearing closest in time to the autumnal equinox, gets its name because of the brilliant natural light that shines on the crops ,giving farmers more time at the end of the day to harvest.
That all makes sense, even when you think about the Harvest Moon in terms of Feng Shui. According to the teachings of Feng Shui, each season and seasonal transition has an element. This Harvest Moon time is the brief transitional time of Earth Energy that ushers in the Metal Energy of the Fall season in October. Just as the Harvest Moon literally shines bright, beautiful light on the crops, it also shines light on our lives. This transitional time allows for a period of introspection giving us an opportunity to look closely at our lives and contemplate what we’ve done and the seeds we’ve sown earlier in the year. In essence, the moon is putting a spotlight on our “personal harvest” as well as the traditional harvest.
The earth-facing side of the moon is illuminated and the element of the transition between summer and fall season is Earth. Because this transition begins the time of introspection, it’s appropriate to make sure you feel grounded, nurtured, and supported as you examine your life in the bright light to determine if there are changes you’d like to make. The fire energy of summer, which helps create the earth energy of the transition, has waned and the lightheartedness and somewhat hectic/frenetic movement of summer changes into a more quiet, subdued feeling.
Enjoy the quiet and the light of the beautiful Harvest Moon this evening. Pause and think about the turns your life has taken since January first. Are you doing what you want to do? Are you living the way you want to live, the way that feeds you soul? Throughout the  year have you planted seeds of attitude and perspective that will bring you a joyful, loving, compassionate, abundant harvest? Do you see changes you want to make? There’s still time. Every day we plant the seeds for the future harvest.  During this Harvest Moon, set your intentions and begin to plant the seeds for the harvest in the new year.

Namaste,
Carol

“Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds!. Shine.”
~ Buddha

“We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest." 
~ Orison Swett Marden, an American inspirational author and founder of Success magazine.                           
Post-Labor Day September....summer is truly gone (despite straggling high temperatures). There’s a change to the breeze and the air feels different. As I cleaned the sidewalk in front of my house on Monday, I found a fallen leaf, still green for the most part, but with edges dipped in red and gold. The first of many I’ll clean from the front walk. For those of us who live in the north, it’s  the time of the year when we reflect on the warmth and fun of summer, and look ahead to longer nights and winter cold. I’ve lived in the south, too and although the temperatures don’t change much with the coming of fall in the southern climates, there is still a perceptible change in the air. With this change of season and perspective we begin thinking about the harvest and getting ready for winter.

People who have traditional vegetable and flower gardens may be focused on gathering the last bounty and thinking about how to preserve the vegetables for use throughout the winter. As a child, I clearly remember my Mother, Grandmother, and extended family preparing vegetables for canning and freezing - it was a yearly ritual.  But, even if we get our vegetables from the local farm stand or farmer’s market instead of a backyard garden, the harvest and winter aren’t far from our thoughts at this time of year.

Last week I wrote about seeds of attitude and perspective and how our harvest is determined by the seeds we plant every day. Going hand-in-hand with that thought is the idea that what we freely give comes back to us multiplied. If you’re concerned about getting through the winter, either because of cold, harsh weather or because of difficult circumstances like career, financial, or relationship issues (or a combination of both), try to focus on the quote attributed to Orison Swett Marden at the top of this week’s blog: “We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest.”  

It’s true! When we are struggling, our instinct may be to hold on tight to what we have....to gather more and more “stuff” in order to feel safe and secure. Take note - that’s your ego talking and it offers a false sense of security. That’s fear and insecurity encouraging a “that’s MINE!” sort of reaction. When you feel yourself reacting in that way, take a deep breath and recognize where it’s coming from. Perhaps even tell yourself, “it’s going to be OK. Don’t worry.”

Please understand, I’m not encouraging you to run around giving away all your money and possessions with the plan that you’ll get it all back and then some.    Another guiding principle of the Universe is that you must try and work to help yourself. One of my favorite stories from the Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love”  is when she talks about the person praying to God and wondering why God will “never allow” that person to win the lottery. I’m paraphrasing here, but when God is confronted with this question: God, please, please let me win the lottery. Why won’t you let me win the lottery?  God responds: “Buy a ticket.”   Yes, if we want to win the lottery, we’ve got to buy a ticket.  In other words, we have to take steps to help ourselves (look for a job instead of waiting for one to come to us, watch our spending and curb our budget instead of expecting a miraculous event to cover all the bills that month, etc.)

But, taking care of ourselves and taking steps to help ourselves isn’t the same thing as being stingy, greedy, or fearful that you will have “enough.” When I say, give more to get more, I mean it. When you see a person or an individual in need and you feel called to help them. Help them! The good you do and the encouragement and friendship you offer will come back to you ten-fold. Perhaps you don’t have much money to give, but you might be able to give some of your time. Remember, whatever you give with a loving heart will come back to you.   

I’ve personally experienced this. After my mom’s passing, I felt called to volunteer with Project Keep Warm to deliver coats to homeless people. That program distributes coats from the same building my mom worked in before I was born. She taught me the value of giving and I felt that that volunteer time helped me grieve and was very healing for me.

Don’t give with an expectation of compensation in return, but give with the peaceful loving understanding and knowing that what goes around, comes around....what we give will come back.  We don’t know when our good deeds will be returned to us, but we can rest assured that they will come back to us when we need them most.

Volunteering in one way or another has always been a part of my life. When I lived in Florida and taught Feng Shui classes there, I would often take my students to a facility for women who were victims of domestic violence and we would “Feng Shui” their space. Creative, giving Dara, (of http://www.daradubinet.com ) was one of my students then. She gave of her artistic talents to help create a brighter, happier “home” for the women to live in.  We also visited shelters for homeless men. We provided a kindness and a service for them, but that time and expertise was returned to us in many ways.  Not only were life-long connections made among the volunteers, but our hearts were filled with the gratitude of the residents.

Take a moment today to consider what you can give to help another. Do you have clothes that are taking up space in your closet “just in case you need them”? I guarantee that there are people who need them today. Could you take some time that you spend watching TV or being on social media every week and offer to assist a local organization that helps others? Even an hour a week can make a difference to organizations that rely on volunteers. You may be strapped financially and struggling to pay your bills, but do you still buy a coffee out once or twice a week or purchase your lunch instead of brown-bagging it? I’m not suggesting you deprive yourself of the occasional perks (we all need those) but if you save the money you spend on your weekly specialty coffee (even one cup), or cut your “going out to lunch” by one, and put that money aside, you can made a donation at the end of the month that will make a difference to an organization or a person in need.  There are many ways to give: you can give your time, your treasure, or your talent - or you can give all three! Try it and I guarantee you will find joy. I also guarantee the kindness you share will come back to you when you need it the most.

Namaste,
Carol                                        

 “What are you planting today to harvest tomorrow?”
~ Lailah Gifty Akita, inspirational writer from Ghana.

September is upon us! 2016 seems to be flying by. With September comes (hopefully)
cooler weather, thoughts of the final harvest of the growing season, and preparation for
the fall and winter ahead. Even if we haven’t tended to a traditional garden through the
spring and summer months, we each still harvest what we’ve sown.

What have you sown since 2016 began eight months ago?
Every day we plant seeds. Maybe they’re not plant or vegetable seeds, but they are seeds nonetheless. Have you planted: Seeds of encouragement and confidence, or seeds of doubt and fear? Seeds of compassion and happiness , or seeds of scorn and judgement.? Seeds of empathy and kindness, or seeds of anger and insecurity? Seeds of gratitude or seeds of greed? Seeds of support or seeds of jealousy? I like to call these seeds of attitude and perspective!

How often do we find ourselves in a frustrating situation, when things don’t seem to be going our way? I am a firm believer that the Universe has a Divine Plan for each of us, and what seems to be negative, is opening the way for the positive. Just today, I saw the face of someone that I knew had been kind to me, just as I was kind to her. I couldn’t put my finger on how we knew each other initially, but, after we parted, it became clear. What I did know, was the seed of kindness had been planted between us in the past, and now, she will be working in a store that I frequent weekly. Our mutual kindness will be reactivated in a new arena.

Alternatively, there are some people that, try as I might to be positive, I receive seeds of anger, fear and/or jealousy in return. In cases like this, seeds of compassion are called for.  Generally, these people do not know what they are expressing, but I can see the fear and insecurities that lie beneath their actions. Perhaps, if I react with kindness, their fear will begin to melt away.

We can be sure that what we sow comes back to us. In fact, we have a harvest every single day. As the law of attraction states, what we focus on, we get more of. For instance, I recall a time when finances were tight, yet I stayed positive, knowing things would be flowing to me. Around that time, I started finding $20 bills on the street next to my car whenever I went to the post office This literally happened several weeks in a row. I knew my harvest was on its way! But, if we don’t plant positive seeds, our harvest will reflect that.   An alternative response for me can often be health challenges.  I know that if I do not eat healthy, balanced, wheat/flour/sugar-free meals, then my harvest will be very painful joints. Because I’m human I sometimes fail in this area, but, the pain I experience is strong enough to remind me to treat my stomach with compassion!

Seeds germinate at different rates, just as some flower or vegetable seeds sprout right away; others take quite a while to gather the strength needed to push up through the soil to the light. The same holds true with the seeds of attitude and perspective that we plant each day. When we show compassion and kindness to another person, that compassion and kindness will come back to us. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen. If we encourage others and have confidence in ourselves, that will pay off and come back to us. An example of this is whenever I teach; I typically will review and research, and rediscover information that perhaps I’d forgotten about. I love to teach and share information about Feng Shui. What many may not know is that I receive positive benefits through renewed insights about my own life – every time I teach! So I benefit from sharing my love of Feng Shui and encouraging others, just as much as my students benefit from the teachings I share!

The same holds true for the seeds of an idea or project. Do we sow those seeds by sharing them with others we trust, or do we ignore it or keep it to ourselves? The seeds of an idea or project can take months, or even years, to blossom and grow, just like some flowering trees and bushes who grow strong, but don’t bloom for several years.

It’s not too late. What will you plant today?

Every single day we get to decide which seeds we’re going to plant. We choose the seeds of attitude and perspective that we want more of. Take a moment to think about what you are planting today. It might be a seed that sprouts quickly and presents you with a harvest of new friendship, support, or a kindness repaid. Or, it might be a seed that has to live in the cold, hard ground of winter for several months before it pops through the soil into the spring sun with the
promise of a new season.

Let’s go about our days in a mindful way that allows us to create a daily harvest of joy, kindness, happiness, and success for ourselves and those around us.

Namaste,
Carol

It’s hard to believe that August is almost over!  My focus this month has been “Back to School for Adults." Since the kids have just gone back to school, or are going back soon,  adults have more time to explore the many tools available to us for accessing our inner knowledge. Feng Shui is one of those tools. Bau-Biologie, or Building Biology, is another tool. As a Certified Feng Shui and Building Biology Environmental Consultant, I combine these tools to assess the flow of Chi, or life energy in a space, as well as the “health” of a home or business. 

If Chi is stuck or stagnant, or rushes through a room instead of meandering, evidence of those issues will be found in the life of the person or people who live or work in that space.  Also, if a space has a drain in a certain area of the space, or has a piece “cut out” of the floor plan, those are situations that need to be addressed, or “cured.”  If a home or building is “sick,” that will also show up in the lives of the people who live and work in the space. Building Biology helps us to understand how to mitigate such issues. The spaces where we live and work affect our lives in many ways.

As a consultant using both tools for over twenty years, I’ve seen many examples of how stagnant or rushing energy and sick buildings have drastically affected the personal and private lives of clients.

For instance, one of my clients was having a terrible time getting good, solid, restful sleep. In fact, she really couldn’t sleep at all and her health was suffering as a result. When I evaluated her home as part of my consultation, I discovered that she had a bathroom in the center of her home which, according to Feng Shui, indicates the potential for ill health and requires a cure. I also gave extra attention to her bedroom because of her sleep issues. I searched her bedroom with a meter and discovered that she had an air purifier plugged in right behind her pillow. The air purifier was emitting high electromagnetic fields (EMRs) so the solution was to move it away from her bed. After adding the cure to the bathroom and moving the machine, she was able to sleep more soundly and her health improved.

In another consultation I encountered a client who had suffered a stroke several years after moving into her home. As a Building Biologist, I’m aware that it can take up to three years for the results of being subjected to electric magnetic fields (EMRs) to become apparent. As I performed the consultation, I checked her bedroom and noted that her bed was against a wall that appeared harmless, but when I continued evaluating the space with a meter,  I discovered that the building electric meter was located on the outside of that wall and was emanating high EMR’s. We moved her bed to a safer, lower EMR field location, but it happened to be in front of a doorway, which is not great Feng Shui. That was still the best location for her bed due to the EMR fields, so I provided a Feng Shui cure for the doorway/bed situation. After my consultation, she had no additional episodes and slept much more soundly.

Yet another client moved into a new apartment that had brand new carpeting.  Brand new carpeting sounds wonderful, but it can be dangerous to your health. Within just a few days after moving into the apartment, she was taken to the hospital due to an allergic reaction to the high off-gassing of the new, synthetic carpet.  This is a perfect example of the need to pay close attention to the items we bring into our homes. This client opted to move, but  it is possible to remove the off-gassing from the space with ozone (used while the apartment was vacant) followed by open windows and fans to clear out the toxin.

By tuning into the energies that fill and surround our homes and workplaces, we can better understand why we feel the way we do. Many times when we look for a place to live or work, we don’t give serious consideration to the energies of the location. If your home is a cute little historic cape cod surrounded by two-story homes of 3500 square feet each, you’re probably going to feel oppressed. If your home sits in a cul-de-sac and has the incoming road heading straight to your front door, you’re going to feel that energy rushing into your home. There are many energies to take into consideration. When discussing Building Biology and Feng Shui, I feel obligated to note that there are some serious health risks due to the prevalence of wi-fi. Yes, there have been amazing technological advances that make our lives easier in many ways, but we must also understand that those advances have consequences and be aware of what we need to do to protect ourselves. If you’d like more information about wi-fi and the risks involved, please visit the website of my fellow Building Biology Environmental Consultant Oram Miller at http://www.createhealthyhomes.com/  .  I advise all my clients, at a minimum,  to turn off the wi-fi in their homes before they go to sleep. 

Building Biology and Feng Shui each offer ways for us to work and live with the energy around us in a way that enhances our lives and cares for the environment. If we take a moment or two every day to be still and aware, we can tune in to how we really feel about a situation or a place. That moment each day allows us to access our inner wisdom, while the tools of Building Biology and Feng Shui help us understand the wisdom and dig a little deeper. These tools, especially when used together, give us the opportunity to enhance the flow of life and energy we live with.  You can learn more about Building Biology at   http://hbelc.org/   If you’re interested in a review of the flow of life and energy in your home or business, or have questions about this information, please contact me. I can combine the assessments into one consultation and give you a summary review with referrals to appropriate professionals for mitigation, as needed.

Be wise, be safe. Your surroundings have a huge impact on your health and well being!

Namaste, Carol

When you mention “dowsing” some people immediately flashback to the cartoons of our youth and imagine an old prospector walking around with a “Y” shaped stick, searching for water or gold. Dowsing is so much more! Dowsing can help you discover more than water or gold...it’s a tool to help you access the divine wisdom within.

Dowsing is classically known to access information regarding earth energies, such as underground water veins, ley lines, and geopathic stress which can impact people and plants in negative ways. Dowsing is also a methodology for tapping into our inner knowledge, or as Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist, called it the “collective unconscious” or “super conscious.”

As I’ve mentioned this month with my theme of “Back to School,” there are many tools we can use to gain access to this higher plane of consciousness, and dowsing is one of them. Learning to use dowsing and/or another of these tools is like having a card or a key that allows us access to a library of unlimited knowledge.

There are several different dowsing indicator tools, but I normally use “L” shaped dowsing rods or a pendulum. A pendulum doesn’t need to be expensive, and you can make one out of just about anything....a piece of string or fishing line with something weighted on it ( a button, a paperclip, a Chinese coin, a stone or crystal, etc) is a pendulum. Some metal or crystal objects seem to respond better for some folks, but it’s up to the one doing the dowsing. Some people prefer to use “Y” shaped dowsing rods. It doesn’t matter what type of indicator tool you use; it matters only that you are focused on the question at hand, and comfortable with the indicator tool and how it indicates responses to your questions.

As I mentioned above, I usually use the L-rods in my dowsing practice. Each dowsing session is always started by asking 3 questions: Can I? May I? Shall I? while you hold the rods tightly. The rods will move back and forth to provide the answer to your questions. Once you get approval to move forward, you can ask just about anything you want. Remember to always phrase your questions in a positive way. When you’re focused on a question in your mind and seeking an answer via dowsing, you are entering into a conversation with your higher self and the spirit guides who are there to help you.

In my Feng Shui practice, I look to dowsing when something is puzzling me. For instance, when doing a consultation for a couple whose sleep was being disrupted even though their bedroom was arranged for the enhanced flow of chi, I decided to go to my dowsing rods to find out what was creating the sleep disturbance. My dowsing session showed me underground water veins that were negatively impacting their sleep. Simply moving their bed to another location provided relief. I’ve also used dowsing to stop ants from entering a building. When we dowse to identify  ‘stuck’ energy, and are then able to clear that energy, that clearing opens the portals for us to access our inner wisdom more easily in our own surroundings. Robert and Charmion McKusick, long-time dowsers that I met at my first dowsing training, have built some very interesting products to help clear negative earth energies identified by dowsing. I frequently use their products (as I did when I diverted the ants with success) and  often recommend their products to others. Their products are available at this website http://emfblues.com/biomagnetic-research-inc/ .

Dowsing is also great for finding things. One day I took an assistant along to a Feng Shui consultation in the Pocono Mountain area. We’d brought lunch and planned to stop at a park and find a picnic bench where we could eat. On the way back to the office, we weren’t finding any picnic tables, so, as my assistant drove, I dowsed to find a picnic table location. We came to a street and the rods indicated we should turn right on to a street with houses along it. I asked if the picnic table would be on the right side, then asked if it would be on the left side. As the rods were saying “YES” to the left, we looked and there was a little grove with a pavilion and picnic tables!

I learned to dowse years ago at the annual summer conference of the American Society of Dowsers. The conferences and workshops they offer are incredible. Please check out all they have to offer at their website at http://www.dowsers.org/  .  I think once you investigate dowsing, you’ll see that it’s an amazing tool that offers access to the divine wisdom within.
Who knows, I may teach a class and show you how!

Namaste,
Carol

It’s back to school time, even though it’s early August. It seems that school starts earlier every year, with some schools in the south starting in the first or second week of August. While we’re surrounded by sales and advertisements for back to school supplies and clothes for kids, let’s take a look at “back to school” can mean for adults.
When I was a child, I got very excited about going back to school. I think we, as adults, can get just as excited about this time of year if we look at it as a time to continue our education in non-traditional ways. As I mentioned in my Chi Insight video on Wednesday, I started working on inner development and looking inward at a very young age. I remember being told, “everything is inside you” and “you contain all the wisdom” but I didn’t understand that as a teenager or when I was in my twenties. Now I understand and realize that we each contain the wisdom of the ages, we just need to learn to access that knowledge. There are several tools we can use to tap into our inner wisdom.
This week I’ll look at the I Ching (pronounced ee-ching), an ancient Chinese book of divination based on eight symbolic trigrams and sixty four hexagrams which are interpreted in terms of the principles of nature and yin and yang. When using the I Ching, we can throw sticks  or Chinese coins have a yin side and a yang side. When you look at the coins or sticks after the throw, a pattern emerges creating 2 trigrams, or one hexagram. After the pattern is discovered, the I Ching book, "Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth" by Hua Ching Ni,  is consulted to look up the pattern and see which characteristics are noted for each of the hexagrams.
The I Ching doesn’t tell us what to do, but instead offers insight and things to think about regarding whatever decision we're contemplating or issue that’s on our mind. The I Ching offers a new perspective and ways of thinking about an issue and, in that way,  helps us access our inner knowledge and guidance. We all have the inner knowledge we need, but sometimes we don’t trust it or ourselves.
To learn more about using the I Ching, join my class in Lansdale, PA at The Lansdale Public Library, 1:00 - 2:45 pm  on Saturday, August 13th.       Follow this link for more information  http://www.carolcannongroup.com/upcoming-events.html
There are many ways we can access our inner knowledge and various tools, like the I Ching, can help us. This month I’ll be taking a look at several of those tools. The important thing to remember, no matter what tool you use, is to take a deep breath, get focused, and learn to trust ourselves and our knowing of the ageless wisdom.

A couple more things....

My birthday was August 2nd and it’s been a wonderful week! In gratitude, I’m offering a gift to you for my birthday. I’m offering two Birthday Specials only available until 11:59 pm on Sunday, August 7th. For more information follow this link
http://www.carolcannongroup.com/services.html

And, there's still time to join the Feng Shui Your Prosperous Life series in Hamburg, PA. Videos are available for any classes you might have missed. Contact me for more information.

Namaste,
Carol

"You are a Divine Being. An all-powerful Creator. You are a Deity in jeans and a t-shirt, and within you dwells the infinite wisdom of the ages and the sacred creative force of All that is, will be, and ever was."
~ Anthon S. Maarten, "Divine Living: The Essential Guide to Your True Destiny"

Over the last month, I've been looking at "community" and what it means to be a member of a productive and positive community that meets your inner needs and feeds your soul.
As I've proposed, there are many different types of community that go far beyond the neighborhood you live in. Whether it's a social community, a work community, a volunteer community, a spiritual community, or a family (by blood or choice) community, there needs to be a balance of energy within the community for it to be healthy.
Have you heard the expression, "too many cooks spoil the broth" or maybe "Too many sergeants and not enough soldiers" ?
Those are ways of saying too many people want to be in charge and give orders and not enough people are willing to do the nitty-gritty work. Have you ever been part of an organization that was trying to produce an event and there were plenty of people willing to make decisions about how the event "should" go, but not enough people willing to work at the event to make it go that way? That's a perfect example of "too many sergeants and not enough soldiers."
It takes all sorts of people to create a positive and productive community. It takes cooks and servers, sergeants and soldiers, leaders and followers, expressive people and quiet people. That, in essence, means that a nurturing community is made up of many types of Chi, or life energy, and there needs to be a balance of types of energy to make that community a positive one.
If we look to the Five Elements of Wood, Earth, Metal, Water and Fire, we can find answers to who fits each situation the best.
Every community needs people who are willing to be leaders, offer direction, and speak up and out.  The ‘Wood’ person has this type of chi, just like a tree, it moves upward and collects wisdom to effectively lead.
Just as important are the folks who would rather stay behind the scenes working diligently. They may not speak out or offer to lead an event or program, but they help get things done. For this, the person with strong Earth energy fits the need. They love to help, be rewarded, and work tirelessly for others – but don’t necessarily want to be in the limelight.
If you need order in your community, call on a Metal person. They love to create order, make great bookkeepers and accountants, and will help define whatever guidelines the community needs.
The Water person will be there to go along with whatever everyone needs. They may have introvert characteristics, but if you need research done – call on them! They are the ones who can fulfill the position that requires solitary work – it fulfills their introspective nature!
Finally, there is the Fire person. They will be your ambassadors – or your marketing gurus – shining in the delight of their charisma. Don’t hold them back, they love to be out in the limelight!
The balance of Chi is essential to a happy, positive, healthy community.  As in Feng Shui, a balance of all of these Chi types will create harmony in your community. To learn about what an individual type is, I look to the Four Pillars of Destiny. Based on birth information, I can determine which elements are your stronger points, and which are weaker and need support.
Learning to understand what type of chi we have leads to better placement of our talents in any community. Take a look at your existing communities – do you think you’ve got a balance of ch’i? If not, seek out the elemental characteristics in members of  your communities to see how each person can work to their strengths and benefit the community as a whole.
There is a place for everyone – make sure you recognize that and place people in their most favorable level of comfort to create your ideal community!
 
Namaste,
Carol

“Kindness, quite simply, is the rent we must pay for the space we occupy on this planet.”
~ Robin Sharma

Throughout July, my focus has been on “community.” I’ve discussed finding the community that aligns with your inner needs and taken a look at how community relates to prosperity. In my most recent Chi Insight video, I talked about being a valuable community member. Continuing with that thought, valuable members of a community give back to their community by being of service.

In any sort of functional, positive relationship (and that’s what  being a member of a community is: a relationship) there has to be a balanced exchange of energy. You get back what you give. When you receive, you should share with others. That’s one of the first social concepts we teach young children.

As I’ve mentioned several times this month, when you use the Bagua to look at the flow of Chi, or life energy, throughout your home or office, one thing a Feng Shui consultant will look for is balance between areas of the Bagua. For instance, if you’re looking for recognition or fame through your career or some other aspect of your life, a Feng Shui consultant will not only look at the “fame” area of your home or office, which is situated in the the center space of the back wall, but also the “career” area which is directly opposite  and located in the center space of the front wall of your home or office.

The two areas, which are opposite each other on the Bagua, need to be in balance and harmony. It’s good to note that the “career” area is also considered an area of service.
If there are missing pieces, cut outs, or issues that need “cures,”  in either the “career” or “fame” areas of your space, that depleted energy can manifest in both the “career” and “fame” areas of your life and you can end up struggling to achieve the recognition or fame you are seeking. The imbalance can also manifest in your sense of community. Both areas need to be examined to make sure the career (and service) energy, as well as the fame energy, is supported and enhanced.

It’s important to ask yourself, “am I of service to others?” “How do I help or serve others on a regular basis?” “ How do I give back to  my communities?” This can be of particular importance to retired people. They may not be seeking fame  or recognition through their career any longer, but they have skills and experience that can be of benefit to others and those gifts should be put to good use.

As I’ve mentioned earlier this month, there are many, many types of communities and there are just as many ways to be of service. A warm smile costs nothing to share. Offering to share your career experience with another person on that path can make an incredible difference in a life.  Initiating or volunteering to help set-up for a gathering helps nurture the group in a variety of ways.. Just talking with new members of the community is welcoming and compassionate. Think about what you enjoy doing and do it!

The happiness you feel will be shared with others. What you give will be returned. Service to others is an important way to feed your soul.

Namaste,
Carol

“Follow your bliss. If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be. If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn’t have opened for anyone else.”
~ Joseph Campbell

This week I continue my look at “community.” When the topic of community comes up, many people immediately think about their neighborhoods, or  groups or organizations, such as rotary, YWCA, church or spiritual center, ethnic clubs,  etc.,  they belong to. Those are certainly our communities. But, we should be looking deeper into and beyond those groups and organizations by looking at alignment and our spiritual comfort level to determine if they support us and help meet our spiritual needs. If they don’t, we may feel the need to create community for ourselves.

Do you feel at ease with the members of the organizations you belong to? Hopefully, you are in agreement regarding goals of the organizations and groups, but do you feel truly comfortable with your fellow members? Do you feel at ease around your family and friends, because they are “community” too? Do you feel like there is a balanced exchange of energy, or do you frequently feel depleted after you’ve spent time with these people? Do you come away from gatherings happy and lifted up?

Those are questions to ask yourself regarding alignment and spiritual comfort and the communities you are a member of. If you frequently feel “dragged down”  or frustrated after a group meeting or gathering, it could mean that the group, or a majority of the members, is not in alignment with you and your needs or your spiritual level or vibration.

During his recent visit to Pennsylvania, my friend and mentor Bhante Dhammawansha , a Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk,  said we should spend time with people who are at or above our vibration, or spiritual comfort level. That way, we can maintain our vibration and lift it. We should not stay in relationships or communities that are spiritually uncomfortable for us or not within alignment.

As a Feng Shui practitioner and certified consultant, I use the Bagua as a template to lay over the floor plans of clients’ homes and offices in order to improve the flow of Chi, or life energy, within the space. If the flow of Chi throughout your home and/or office is disrupted or blocked, it will manifest in certain areas of your life, depending on where the disruptions or blockages occur in your space, and you’ll most likely feel it.
 
If you’re feeling that your life is lacking strong and  supportive communities, or that you aren’t in alignment with the communities currently in your life, look at the “relationship” and “knowledge” areas of your home. These areas sit in opposite corners of the Bagua (relationship in the back right corner of the home or office and knowledge in the front left corner). These areas must be in balance with one another to feel a supportive and uplifting balanced sense of community.

If you feel you’re struggling with community, feeling left out of one, or feeling dragged down by those you participate in, look again at the relationship and knowledge areas of your home and/or office. Is there a missing piece in one or both of those areas? Is there something detrimental, such as a sharp angle, or an imbalance of elements, that requires a “cure” or an enhancement? Once you look at the knowledge and relationship areas and enhance and balance those areas, you’ll find it easier to find and create communities more suited to your needs and spiritual comfort level, or vibration.

I’ll repeat what I said last week, “creating community, and a sense of connection, is essential in life.” It’s important, especially in this age of virtual connection via devices, that we recognize that true human connection and interaction are vital to balance, happiness, and fulfillment. As extroverts and introverts, we each need a different amount of direct interaction, but that’s what we must discover for ourselves. By looking carefully at your needs and desires, you  can determine and create the best and most supportive communities that feed and nurture your soul.

It seems fitting that I close with another Joseph Campbell quote:
“We’re not on our journey to save the world, but to save ourselves. But in doing that you save the world.”


Namaste,
Carol

My focus for this month is “community.” Community is an essential component of a balanced, happy life for many reasons, but it’s frequently overlooked when considering and striving for prosperity. Prosperity and community go hand-in-hand and it’s really all about balance.

Prosperity is directly linked to community. In Feng Shui I use the Bagua as a template to put on the layout of homes and offices. The “Wealth” area of the Bagua falls in the far back left corner of the space. Many times, when people are struggling financially, they look to the wealth corner to see if enhancements are missing or if there is something detrimental to wealth that requires a “cure.”  All of that is a wonderful start, but I take the evaluation of homes and offices further by looking in the same way at the “Helpful People” area of the Bagua, which is in the front right corner of the space.

The “Helpful People” area lies at the opposite corner of the “Wealth” area and is just as important when working towards prosperity. The definition of prosperity, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “the condition of being successful or thriving; especially economic well-being.” I think that definition compliments quite beautifully the way I look at prosperity through my knowledge of Feng Shui. Wealth alone does not make you thrive or create success. In fact wealth alone, without community, creates quite a lonely existence. But, wealth with community brings prosperity, “the condition of being successful or thriving.”

Creating community, and a sense of connection, is essential to life. Communities come in many shapes  and forms. Community is all about connection: from our neighborhoods, to our spiritual centers; from our old friends, to new friends met through work or volunteering; from our biological family to our chosen family; all are communities within our lives. To engage actively in our communities reinforces connection and the balanced flow of energy (money and wealth are a form of energy).   To move forward towards our goal of prosperity, we must help others because that builds community, and through community, others will help us.

It’s important to remember that what we give will be returned, that’s the balance of life.

Namaste,
Carol

Over the last month I’ve focused on self-care, reviewing why it’s important and some of the many ways to care for yourself. As I’ve mentioned before, self-care doesn’t have to break your bank. If fact, try thinking about taking the time for self-care as a savings plan. When you practice consistent self-care, you reduce your stress, anxiety, and general wear & tear on your body and mind. You’re able to focus, work efficiently, and increase your productivity - all while feeling better physically, emotionally, and mentally.

In my recent Friday morning blog posts and Chi Insight videos (posted on Facebook and YouTube on Wednesday afternoons) I’ve mentioned meditation, exercise, good nutrition, and getting enough sound sleep as ways to care for yourself. Another important way to practice self-care is to make sure your environment at home and work supports you by enhancing the flow of Chi, or life force. As a certified Feng Shui practitioner for over 20 years, I’ve helped thousands of people adjust their environments to make them more relaxing and peaceful, conducive to productive work, and welcoming and nurturing to relationships. There are so many small ways we can take care of ourselves, that offer huge rewards. We just have to make the self-care time a priority.

The following checklist from “Renewed: Finding Your Inner Happy in an Overwhelmed World” (www.LucilleZimmerman.com) is a wonderful tool for checking in with yourself to see if you’re providing consistent self-care. Put a check next to each of the  statements that apply to you and see where most of your check-marks can be found. In the first half of the list, or the second half?  This exercise will help you see how you’re truly feeling and whether or not you’re practicing adequate self-care.

Self-Care Checklist
Do you....

___ Overspend, Overeat, and overindulge

___ Expect others to read your mind and meet your needs

___ Withhold success from yourself

___ Ignore your deepest desires, but seek to fulfill the desires of others

___ Ignore your real emotions and put on a “happy” face

___ Allow others to emotionally, physically, or sexually abuse you

___ Deflect compliments

___ Say “yes” because you can’t say “no”

___ Avoid time along

___ Over-exhaust yourself because of your need to feel important, needed, or worthy

___ Fear emotional intimacy

___ Try to do it all yourself, never asking for help

___ Try to appear perfect


OR, do you...

___ Take time for yourself

___ Allow yourself to make mistakes and to be open about your weaknesses

___ Spend time with friends

___ Rest

___ Play

___ Exercise

___ Eat well

___ Spend money wisely

___ Pursue your dreams

___ Share honestly with others

___ Enjoy and make time to enjoy and be intimate with those you love

___ Forgive

___ Allow others to be disappointed in you

___ Appropriately express emotions, including anger and sadness

___ Tell others what they mean to you

___ Be present for your children

___ Receive love from others

___ Say “yes” and “no”

___ Create a powerful support system for yourself

___ Celebrate accomplishments big and small

Once you begin to practice consistent self-care, you’ll find yourself in contact with others who also take the time to care for themselves. Maybe you’ll strike up a conversation with someone you see walking regularly in the park at the same time you walk, or you’ll meet someone in a meditation group. Perhaps when you visit the local farmers market to purchase quality  vegetables, you’ll share a recipe with another market regular. That’s how communities are built. Before you know it, you’ll have a supportive self-care community.  I’ll talk more about community during the month of July.

When we hear the term “self-care” we often have visions of elaborate spas and resorts offering daily massages, manicures, pedicures, and wonderful fresh food delivered with one call. That all sounds lovely, and then we look at the cost of such an outing and compare that to our bank accounts. We face reality and know that while a self-care resort experience might be a rare option, it’s probably not something we can do on a regular basis. We need to keep in mind that self-care doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective.

According to information adapted from RAINN.org, UK Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, self-care includes “any intentional actions you take to care for your physical, mental, and emotional health.” The best self-care routine is consistent, not expensive.

We hear a lot about meditating, deep breathing, and journaling for self-care, but we don’t always immediately think about what we can do for physical self-care. Physical self-care involves actions we must take everyday (eating and sleeping), so if we give those actions a little extra thought, we can make sure we are truly taking care of ourselves. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Food: eat regularly, even when you have a full, busy schedule. One self-care goal is to eat something, even a small amount, for each meal. Don’t let a busy day force you into eating something that you know isn’t going to truly feed you in a positive way, just because you don’t have a lot of time. Plan ahead by taking along some fruit &/or nuts to get you through the day without a stop at a fast food restaurant or convenience store.
Exercise: a quick walk at lunch time or after work can be calming after a stressful day or put a smile on your face when you’re feeling down. Set a goal of walking at least two or three times a week and then put those “appointments” into your schedule and you will feel a positive difference.
Sleep: the amount of sleep needed to feel rested is different for everyone. Pay attention to what your body is telling you to determine how much sleep is enough. Look at your bedroom with a critical eye, is the room conducive to solid, restful sleep? If not, what can you do to create an environment that helps you get the sleep you need? Perhaps closing the blinds at night to shut out outside lights, turning off all electronics at least one hour before bedtime, and going to bed at a regular time each night are self-care goals you can work towards.

None of those suggestions will cost additional money. We have to eat, so why not make every effort to make positive food choices? Taking a walk doesn’t mean you have to have a gym membership. Walking outside and enjoying the flowers and the birds while clearing your mind is free. Adjusting your night-time schedule and bedroom environment costs nothing, but can reap huge benefits. Remember, self-care can be free, but neglecting yourself is very expensive.

“Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting.”
~ William Shakespeare, Henry V.

(Some information adapted from RAINN.org, UK Violence Intervention and Prevention Program)

I’ve been focusing on the theme of self-care over the last few weeks in my writing because my friend and teacher, Bhante Dhammawansha will be visiting the Lehigh Valley area in a week to offer some meditation events.

Meditation is one of my primary self-care activities because it clears my mind and allows me to move through the day with a feeling of peace. I started meditating at the age of 19, and it was challenging to begin a regular meditation practice. For the first 20 years I believed that I could only meditate if I were with a group of people, so meditation classes were a part of my weekly schedule. When I started living alone for the first time in my life I found that I was able to meditate alone, but I still love to meditate with others, too.

About nine months ago I discovered an app that helps with my daily meditation. That sounds like a contradiction: how can technology, help with meditation?  I was originally looking for an app that I previously had downloaded to my phone that sent Himalayan Singing Bowl sounds at pre-planned times. I used those sounds as a reminder to meditate at various points in the day. What I found was the Insight Timer app that allows me to time myself while meditating, to awaken to the sound of a singing bowl, and the use of a guided meditation, if I want to choose one.

Insight Timer is a free app that can be downloaded onto Apple or Android devices that offers something for everyone from beginners to those who have been “sitting” for years with a dedicated practice. Meditation means different things to different people. Some people see it as a sacred, quiet, and solitary experience. Others believe sharing their meditation experience enhances it. For some, that changes day by day and Insight Timer offers a community for all of those people.

The app offers “members” the ability to select the time and duration of their meditation, a variety of ambient sounds and bells for alerts or to use during meditation, hundreds of guided meditations, and a log of personal statistics and milestones for tracking progress (if that’s something you want to do).  Insight Timer also offers over 2500 discussion groups and local meet-ups with the central focus of meditation and it’s benefits.

The app also lets you know the number of people meditating (using the app) while you’re meditating. I mostly use the timer and the ambient sounds, but I love that I can see that people all over the world are meditating “with me” at the same time.
One of my favorite meditations is the “Loving Kindness Meditation.”             Here’s one version:
May I be peaceful.  
May I be happy.  
May I be well.  
May I be safe.  
May I be free from suffering.
 
May all beings be peaceful.  
May all beings be happy.  
May all beings be well.  
May all beings be safe.  
May all beings be free from suffering. 

The Insight Timer slogan is “peace in our timer”  and the creators believe that meditation can change the world for the better and that their goal is to offer the opportunity for  “a free and meaningful daily practice for all, regardless of financial means.”  You can download the app and get more information at https://insighttimer.com .

 I know my meditation practice has enhanced my life in many ways. It helps bring focus, peace, and balance to my daily life. It calms me in times of stress. It brings me joy to know that I’m a conduit for positive energy and love in the world through meditation. If you already have a meditation practice, this app might be a tool to enhance it. If you’ve wanted to begin a meditation practice, but don’t know how or just haven’t been able to make time for it, Insight Timer could help. It’s another way to take time for yourself in the midst of the busy-ness of life. If we don’t make time to care for ourselves, how can we ask others to do it?

As I mentioned in last week’s Chaos to Calm Blog, “Busy” even though I know I need to take the time to care for myself, I haven’t always been good at making self-care a priority. In the past, I think I might have felt, at least subconsciously, that putting myself at the top of the list is selfish and I was taught that being selfish is not nice.

Thankfully, I’ve learned over the years that taking time to care for myself, and making that a priority, is one of the best things I can do for my business, my friends and family, and for myself!

Of course, I had to learn it the hard way.  There were times when relaxation, meditation, and just plain “fun” kept getting pushed to the bottom of my to do list because I just didn’t have time. I thought there was far too much for me to do each day to take 30 minutes for a walk or even 10 minutes to meditate.

I currently live in Pennsylvania and suffer from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) . Sometimes known as “seasonal depression,” S.A.D. causes people who suffer from it to experience  depleted energy and sometimes depressive symptoms at the same time each year, most commonly in the winter. When I returned to Pennsylvania to live, it didn’t take me long to learn that I must  make going to the gym, keeping my Ott light on, and regular meditation a part of my schedule. Those activities help to reverse S.A.D. and this past winter, I felt much better than the prior winter because I took better care of myself by making those activities a priority when preparing my schedule.

Now I know that when I sit down to review and plan my schedule for the next week or two, I have to schedule time for self-care. Whether it’s a daily walk, a meditation practice, lunch with friends, or time for a massage, I make an appointment with myself in my calendar for that time. When setting work schedules, I treat my self-care time just like an important client appointment. After all, I am an important client.

The bottom line is, if I don’t take care of myself, who will? I also suffer from sciatica. It is mostly in remission, and as a result, I forget that I even have it! Recently, I had an abundance of events that required me to drive my car two or three hours each way. Driving for an extended period of time is historically an activator for sciatica, and I forgot! The reminder is painful, so this week I have taken extra self care/recovery time to bring my body back into balance.  We can’t expect others to respect us and our time, if we don’t respect and care for ourselves.

Take a moment to look at your schedule for the next day or two. Where do you have time scheduled for self-care? It can be as simple as 10 or 15 minutes a day for a walk or coffee with a friend or even time to read a novel or magazine for fun. Remember to put an appointment with yourself and for yourself at the top of the list when preparing your weekly schedule and you’ll be surprised how much these little chunks of time will help you feel better and be more productive.

Busy.
That seems to be the word I often use to describe my life. My friends and colleagues also use it frequently. I’ll bet you do, too.
Does time alone or time doing nothing seem like a dream to you?  An impossible goal amidst all that must be done?
I have a confession. Even though I live alone (with my cat) I find it difficult to let go of ‘doing’. It’s rare that I can simply ‘be’. It seems that as soon as I check something off my “To Do” list, two or three things take its place. In the midst of all this “busy-ness” I know I need to take time to care for myself, but that “To Do” item seems to get pushed further and further down the list to make way for the things that are more important. Why is it so hard to make caring for ourselves a priority?
I recognize that self-care is important so one of my goals this year has been to make time to just ‘be’. I’m working towards that goal with my regular sitting and walking meditation practice. Both types of meditation allow me to clear my mind, and focus on breathing....to focus on just ‘being’.
A change in routine, like travel, can wreak havoc with a regular meditation practice. It takes a great deal of willpower to make sure I take the time and find the right space for meditation during time away from home. I’ve been very fortunate that my professional life has allowed for a great deal of travel. During my first career as a VP at Chase Manhattan Bank and my current career as a Feng Shui Consultant, travel was & is frequently a part of my work. I’ve always made an effort to take some “me” time while I’m away from home for work.
But, here’s my second confession: It’s RARE that I schedule a vacation that is truly a vacation....time away from home without some work to do along the way.

Last week, I felt that pattern shift. I went to visit friends in Delaware. Yes, I planned to help them with Feng Shui for their new house, but we agreed that we would exchange holistic services. This trip was definitely more about having fun and catching up with one another. What a wonderful trip it was! A few days away, just “being” with friends, and caring for my self, fed me in ways I can’t count.
I haven’t laughed so much in a long time. My friends drove me around to see the sights. (I felt like I’d hired a professional tour guide.) I got to spend time with other friends who live in the same area.  But, perhaps most importantly, I fell in love with Jack!
This is a milestone because Jack is a dog. I’ve always been a cat person. But this big, Australian Shepherd remembered me (I think) from September 2015  when he participated in a Himalayan Singing Bowl one-on-one with his owner. I don’t know for sure that that’s what happened, but Jack was happy to see me. He snuggled up against my feet wherever I was sitting and even cuddled next to me on the sofa (there are Jack-proof furniture coverings for him!). I was happy to see him, too. I definitely felt our mutual connection!
This time away from home provided me a major opportunity. More important than any professional connection or meeting. ... I let go. I stopped ‘doing’, I just enjoyed ‘being.’
By allowing myself to just ‘be’ I created time and space for a new presence of love to enter my life. This just ‘being’ is a wonderful, peaceful feeling. I highly recommend it.  We never know what part of us will want to come forward when given the time and space.

Try taking some time for your own self care. What can you let go of today, and just ‘be’?

​Many people, for one reason or another, have decided to incorporate their office into their homes. As the New Chinese Year of the Monkey approaches, January is a great time to get your space in order. Whether your office is at home, in a separate building, or right in the midst of your daily living area, there are many things that you can do to begin to create a palette for success in 2016. 

If your business requires you to go TO your clients instead of them coming to you, a home office is very convenient. However, if you don't have a room that you can dedicate to office use, it becomes a challenge of how to create a separate area. Photographer Rachel Amelio had just that situation. Note, in this BEFORE picture, that everything is lined up against the walls, without a place to relax and feel 'away from work'. Facing a wall, it was also not conducive to being able to focus on work. And, there was nothing to stop her from thinking about work if she was relaxing on her sofa.

I like to think outside the box, while I'm considering the tools of Feng Shui. Just because a room has an architectural label, it doesn't mean (to me!) that it can't have another use! Walking into a home and having to go through one's office to get to the living space is not a practice that brings peace of mind. When I saw that the dining room was next to a window with bright light, and offered a little more privacy, I suggested that Rachel move her office there and put the dining table in the main living area. The table gets used for projects, as well as dining, but, like many people, dinner is also often eaten on the sofa while watching TV.

lAFTER: Clearing the area for the table, adding a colorful rug and art created a more spacious, calm feeling. A slight angling of the sofa, set up more privacy for the office that is now behind and out of the way of the living space.

​The end result, is that now Rachel has a space of her own, that she can 'close up' after work, and gain some time for relaxing in her own home!  In Rachel's words: "I had a great experience with Carol! She came into my small apartment and gave me some great ideas for how I could better arrange furniture and even artwork. Some of the changes were small but I definitely have noticed a difference in my environment. I feel like I can get more work done and I am just in a much better space mentally as well. If you have never tried Feng Shui before she explains everything and makes it very simple!"
​

Here's a photo of Rachel happily at work at her new, decluttered, desk location! Not only does she take awesome photos of others, but great 'selfies', too! Check out her business site here.

Yesterday, I exchanged services with high school classmate and friend, Kathleen McGinley, who is a Shamanic Practitioner and Coach I received an on target, amazing Sacred Path Card reading that could not have been more precise! On that eventful eve of the first day of autumn, how appropriate that my ‘lesson to be learned’ was demonstrated in the Shaman’s Death card! Letting go, endings, death and rebirth – with a theme of “Returning Home to the Place of My Heart”!

This has been a time where the ‘Inner’ Carol is finally starting to return. Magic is happening, doors are opening, my heart is joyful with the return to the things that I love to do! Feng Shui is one of those things, and another is playing the Himalayan Singing Bowls. With a world fraught with chaos, I am prepared to lead people to a place of calm.

In our exchange, I provided Kathy with a Himalayan Singing Bowl Sound Escape. Little did either of us realize that her beloved dogs would want to join in!  They snuggled up against her and settled in for the journey! Afterwards, Kathy’s comments about the experience: “I flew over mountains and oceans. I not only felt the Universe – I felt that I WAS ONE with the Universe. It was expansive and yet relaxing at the same time!”

Apparently, the puppies felt the same, too. A few hours later, she tagged me in this photo with comment: “Thank you, Carol Cannon, for the lovely session with your Singing Bowls this morning...I am still feeling relaxed as well as blissful!...and the dogs are, too!”  

A final note: Kathy did not tell me until after her session, that she had pulled a card for me before I arrived. The card pulled was “Medicine Bowl”. How awesome is that? She did not know, but I explained, that traditionally, Monks used the Himalayan Singing Bowls for begging, eating, and….preparing medicines!

To experience the bowls yourself, please check out my event page and/or contact me. I might be playing near you, or, we can always arrange to do that!  I’ll look forward to leading you to calm waters!

On this U.S. holiday of Labor Day, thoughts are coming to me of the efforts my ancestors made to come to America to work.  My maternal side of the family has a longer history in the US than my paternal side.  The tracings that I have are that my Great Great Grandparents travelled across the country from New York to Wisconsin, in a covered wagon.  Somewhere I have a photo of that - I'll have to post it when I unpack that box!  They built a beautiful log home, and brought with them many fineries in that wagon.  Yet they toiled hard to make their life work.  Just thinking of the thrill of leaving and going out into the world with no true idea of where one would land is exciting to me.  I think I inherited those genes!

My Great Grandfather, maternal side, was a builder.  Hmmm...more inherited genes?  My Mother has records of who owed him what during the Depression, and she reminds me that he was kind and not demanding of people for payments.  Apparently my Great Grandmother was also a self starter, and she was involved in direct sales - imagine!  This, too, must be in my blood with my love of all the fabulous organic, sustainable, fair trade lifestyles that I encourage the world to embrace!

My maternal Grandfather was an electrician early on in his career, then became a minister in midlife.  It is interesting that my own Father was also an electrical engineer, and, that through Building (Bau) Biology, my focus for many years was on the electro-magnetic radiation and now, the magnetic fields emanated from Himalayan Singing Bowls.  For the past year+, I have also been a Prayer Chaplain at Unity Lehigh Valley. Whew...this is getting eerie - can it possibly be just coincidence that all this background has merged into what I pursue today in my own work?

Paternally, my Grandparents were the first of their family to come to the U.S.. Sent here, without their family, by their parents, at a young age.  I believe my Grandmother was barely a teenager when they married and she started having children (while working!).  Her life was more challenging than my other set of Grandparents, having 8 children (losing 1 at a young age), working, cooking, and a husband who also worked. They both worked in factories, and toiled long and hard.  I can hardly imagine what thoughts they had of work.  I think what kept them going was family.  Work was just a means to an end.

Today we live in a country where people still give up much to come to and live the American Dream. Many Americans are wondering just what happened to their own dream.  I always believe that things happen for a reason.  It seems to me that what has happened economically in our country created a realignment of values.   The happiest people that I know are those that appreciate everything that comes to them in their lives.  Including their jobs.  Which brings me back to today. Today let's honor all who work, and want to work.  Be thankful for what you have and help out your fellow American when you can.  Happy Labor Day!