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Carol
Adrienne's work and teachings have been a great
inspiration to me! In August of 1998, about four months after my
father passed away, I read about one of Carol's
workshops in a Learning Annex catalog and
synchronistically found her book on a bookshelf at the
bookstore. The themes of her teachings were
familiar and comforting, as they confirmed the thoughts
and ideas my father had shared with me shortly before
his passing. Her books and workshops ignited my
spiritual curiosity, setting me on my soulful life path,
which led to the very creation of
SoulfulLiving.com! Carol's participation has been
an integral part of SoulfulLiving.com, at its soul
level! Thank you, Carol, with all my heart!
~Valerie, Founder and Soul, SoulfulLiving.com |
Trusting the Flow in The New Year
Reflecting on our lives at the beginning of the New Year is
a proper and essential endeavor. Two months ago, my friend,
John Austin—who managed the website for celestinevision.com
unexpectedly passed away after a week’s illness. John is
sorely missed by all of us who knew him. He was indefatigably
upbeat, open-minded, and dedicated to his work on the
spiritual path. I am sure that his love and support are still
coming from "the other side."
Recent international events have deeply affected each of
us. Let us hold those who have gone before us in our hearts,
and honor them by making good use of the time we have left
before we follow, as we must. For those still suffering, may
we let our compassion, donations, and prayers flow to them.
This is a good time to be quiet, to love one another, and to
move toward what it is that we have been putting off. Friends
of mine who live in Phuket, and came through the devastation,
ended their note to me with the Thai saying, "Be good to
your heart,"--a good thought to hold at this time.
I want to share a couple of stories that I collected in
2004 as an example of living life authentically—with
commitment, trust—and heart. Each speaks to different ways
we can "show up" in the world. One is a woman who
shares her passion for writing with young people. The other is
a woman with a strong sense of community, and who lets walking
her dog become a kind of meditation.
Finding the Poetry
Jennifer Anderson emailed to share a writing project for
kids that she was doing last summer and fall. She put together
a self-expression/poetry workshop through Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Los Angeles. The kids both read and wrote poems,
and also received a journal to take home and write in.
Jennifer says, "I want to use poetry as a means of
self-expression, communication and creativity. What is
important to me is that we (myself and the other writers who
participate in this) create a loving, supportive, fun
environment in which kids can be empowered to express
themselves. I think we can really make a difference with them.
Some kids have had traumatic lives already, and we can
possibly give them an outlet to express their feelings and
experiences. We can also send the message that someone cares
about them. Through my experience of being a Big Sister, I
have seen that you never know what is going to make a huge
difference in a child's life - just a few words of
encouragement can alter someone's life. My Little Sister, for
example, is Latina. She’s from a poor neighborhood, and is
being raised by her grandparents. No one in her family
graduated from high school, but she avoided the common trap of
getting pregnant and dropping out. She has graduated from high
school with honors, and is now going to college in Santa
Monica.
"I think working in a creative way with young people
is a great opportunity," says Jennifer, "to make a
difference and contribute. I also think this could be a great
way to network with other writers, since writing is such a
solitary endeavor. In sharing my passion for writing with the
kids, I benefit by recapturing the fun and play of writing
(something I need)."
Is there a passion you have thought about sharing with
young people? This could be the year you do it!
Walking the Path
The next story is from a woman named Barbara, who began
walking her dog Toby when he was a puppy and she was helping
with her son’s newspaper delivery.
Over time these walks helped her to unwind, calm down, and
to appreciate the relaxing, tranquil effects of nature.
Barbara says, "Everyday for several years, Toby and I
have walked down the hillside on the vaulted forest pathway to
the saltwater beach where he loves to swim. We meet people
along the way. I believe that these people are on my 'path'
for some reason, so I usually establish eye contact and give a
greeting. Part of my desire to greet people is to create a
safer atmosphere in the park with Toby's assistance and
wagging tail. There has been 'mischief' by partying teenagers
and some homeless people attempting to reside there. Through
repeated efforts and time, many of those who walk their dogs
have become good enough friends to hug!
"As Toby and I walk, I pick up after him. I also
attempt to pick up litter and trash to keep the park and the
beach looking nice for others to enjoy. One early spring day,
we were walking up the path. It was already twilight and
particularly peaceful. Suddenly he smelled something and
bounded through the ferns, undergrowth, and boggy area before
I could restrain him. I called, whistled, clapped my hands,
and firmly urged him to come back--to no avail. I had no idea
what to do. There was no path, it was almost dark, and rain
would soon be upon us. Even with a flashlight I would not have
been able to find him in the dense undergrowth and the tricky
footing in the deep forest.
Up till then, I had been alone on my walk, but at that
point, a woman came into view. She was walking her dog, and
she stopped and asked what happened. I mentioned I'd lost my
dog in the forest. I was about to keep walking, when she
mentioned that her dog was a herding dog and he loved to guide
her family on walks. She told her dog to go find Toby. That
was all she had to say. Immediately, he picked up Toby's
scent, went bounding into the dense undergrowth. Within
minutes he came back, leading Toby. I thanked her profusely.
My new friend said that they always walked this way, but on
this particular day, they were delayed and were later than
usual. The serendipity of this moment has remained with me. It
has enabled me to realize that my arrival or delays on a
particular day or moment may be helpful to others in a time of
need."
We see in this last story that all we really need do, is
just live our lives and be as present as we can be. We can add
something positive to whatever experience we participate in,
and we can trust that our needs will be met when the time is
right. We will be in right place at the right time—either to
further our work (destiny) or to complete what we have come to
do.
Make this a wonderful year!
Carol Adrienne
© Copyright 2005 Carol Adrienne, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
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FORECASTING 2005: In January and February I
am offering a special 50-minute consultation to forecast
possible developments in your life for the next twelve months.
Please email me for details. |
Carol Adrienne, Ph.D.,
is an internationally-known workshop facilitator and
author whose books have been translated into over fifteen
languages. Her latest book is When Life Changes, or You
Wish It Would. Oprah hailed, The Purpose of Your Life:
Finding Your Place in the World Using Synchronicity,
Intuition, and Uncommon Sense a must-read. She is also an
intuitive counselor and life coach who has helped thousands of
people work through doubt, procrastination, and obstacles to
create the life they want to live. Visit http://www.CarolAdrienne.com
to register for free newsletter subscription; free numerology
birthdate analysis, or order numerology charts and forecasts.
Private consultations and coaching available.
Visit
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- NEW Stay tuned for Information on new Tele Class Series
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