Positive Ponderings

I will see clearly...

2018-06-18T14:49:00.001-03:00

The world we see is a reflection, only as clear as the lens of our perception. This photo reminds me of that. The mirror, aged and worn, distorts the images reflected upon it.

What old beliefs do I hold which make my worldview distorted? I'm discovering them by listening to my emotions. My feelings, when positive, let me know I am seeing clearly. When I have some negative emotions, these are letting me know there are spots on my mirror of life, which I have the power to lift.

I love the time-worn appearance of this mirror and I am choosing to love my negative emotions--they are invitations to choose another path.

I will see clearly.

Self portrait, by Jaclyn Trecartin

Thank you, Lilacs and Lupins

2018-06-12T10:05:00.000-03:00

For me, simple is really powerful. Simple, to me, means easy- not a struggle. Effortless, like calm breath.

Purple delight (photo by Jaclyn Trecartin)

These lilacs and lupins are touchstones of the simplicity of the abundance all around. Beauty IS everywhere. These flowers and the vessels they are in are examples of gifts freely given. The lilacs are from the tree the previous homeowners planted (thank you for that). The lupins are garnered from wildflower havens on a walk (two of which two little girls walking with their grandfather picked for me as our paths crossed). The vases they reside in were gifts from people who know I love handmade items and have a soft spot for cats.

A willingness to see the loveliness, and welcome it in is a powerful decision. It shifts perception and the reality created. I believe we all are worthy of remembering this. Here's to celebrating the ample gifts and glory around us. No matter how off a day is, how cranky I am, when I remember I can see the beauty and choose to look for it my mood lifts. Simple. Empowering.

Thank you, lilacs and lupins.

Wild dancing lupin! (photo by Jaclyn Trecartin)

I Choose Light

2018-06-11T13:10:00.000-03:00

Inspiration welcomed on an errand venture. Canterbury Street delights, Saint John. Photos and poem by me (Jaclyn Trecartin). I do choose light.

A little love note...

2017-03-03T09:19:00.000-04:00

Dear you...

Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling things others seem not to does not automatically make someone "crazy." It could just mean their experience of life is more varied. And the more we experience, the more we grow.

May you have a peaceful day,
Jaclyn :)

(P.S. If you want the Thriving Sensitives newsletter sent to your inbox, sign up at tinyurl.com/ThrivingSensitives ).

Ground Yo'self!

2017-02-28T11:11:00.000-04:00

Ground yourself--connect to the centred calm within to maintain yourself. You need this centring to remember who you are, keeping yourself anchored. As a sensitive soul, it can be easy to forget this and to allow yourself to slip out of this centred place. When this occurs, you are losing yourself--becoming overstimulated by data you have intuitively sensed. To effectively sort through this data for empowered knowledge, you need this anchor.

Grounding keeps you present. It keeps you in the NOW. Energetically, it is refocusing your consciousness upon yourself and your experience. Biologically, it resets your nervous system to homeostasis. Psychologically, it roots you in the present, mindfully aware and not ruminating over the past or possible future.

There are as many ways to ground as there are people incarnated--anything which brings your awareness to your calm centre will do. Meditation, affirmation, visualization, going outside, moving your body--anything--can be grounding. You need only to set the intent to ground and so it shall be.

Whichever methods work to ground yourself, try doing twice daily (once in the morning and once in the evening) as well as anytime you feel called to do so throughout the day. It need not take long, as little as 30 seconds can be effective. Begin to know what it feels like to be centred, and wire your brain to achieve this state. With practice, you will be able to return to this centred state more and more readily. You will begin to notice when you're not feeling grounded and consciously choose to become centred. You will find yourself becoming more empowered with your sensitivity--making a conscious decision to be at peace, regardless of the energy and events external to yourself.

Play around and explore different ways to become centred consciously. Reclaim your calm. Thrive.

May you have a peaceful day,
Jaclyn :)

(Want tips for managing your sensitivity sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for the Thriving Sensitives newsletter....tinyurl.com/ThrivingSensitives)

Making Sense of Clairsenses...

2017-02-26T20:17:00.000-04:00

Any, and all, of our five senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch) can be heightened. Some people hear dog whistles, others have more than 20/20 vision. Tactile, taste, and smell senses can also be more sensitive than what is typically considered "normal." And any of these senses can be heightened intuitively. Intuitively simply means one is picking up on data not typically acknowledged.

We all have one mode of sensing and interacting with the world which is more relied upon (even if we are not aware of this fact). For sensitives, this means one of the five senses will be more heightened. When a sense is intuitively heightened, it is commonly referred to as a "clair." Clair, means pure and clear, providing insight. So, when it is placed as a prefix in front of any other word, it merely means clearly-(whatever that word is).

Clairvoyance refers to sight, clairaudience to hearing, clairsentience to feeling, clairgustance to taste, and clairsalience refers to heightened smell. What makes a sense truly intuitive is when one is properly managing it, and effectively integrating the data received. Clair senses are skills that deserve some honing and care. To get the clearest data, one needs to be properly grounded and have the intent to receive only truth.

It can be very useful to develop a meditation practice, journeying inward to re-discover your beautiful clair sensing. Personally, I find a mantra, such as "I effectively recognize my sensitivity, it empowers me rather than cause distress" very useful for preventing sensory overwhelm.

There is nothing strange, weird, or wrong about having heightened senses. I believe our natural state is to engage with our intuition, for clarity and empowerment. When we learn about ourselves, including our sensitivity, we can truly thrive.

May you have a peaceful day,
Jaclyn :)

(Want Thriving Sensitives tips sent to your inbox? Sign up at tinyurl.com/ThrivingSensitives)

Sensitive Souls Need To Come to Terms with Their Sensitivity...

2017-02-24T11:11:00.000-04:00

Your sensitivity is not a curse or a hardship. Really. I KNOW it can feel that way at times, but that is the ego speaking. I believe the truth is this: before coming to this planet you elected to have your sensitivities--you made a choice Ask and ye shall receive...and you received.

What makes your sensitivity SEEM like a hardship is a lack of proper management of these skills. You CAN learn to manage them, and be empowered by your sensitivity. But first, you need to release any hang-ups you have about being sensitive. It is time to let go of the tendency to see it as a weakness. Your sensitivity is not weak. You are, in reality, very very (very!) strong!

To kick-start this remembrance of your strength, I offer you this affirmation: "I effectively recognize and release information garnered from my sensitivity. My skills empower me rather than cause me distress." If you feel drawn to it, you may wish to end the affirmation by thanking the universe/god/love/truth/any other helpful energy for supporting you in this endeavour.

I recommend saying the affirmation aloud twice a day (morning and evening) for a week (you can say it more as you feel drawn to). Also taking a few minutes each day to see/sense/FEEL yourself effectively using your sensitivity is another strategy. The point is to begin to recognize you have the skills to effectively manage your sensitivities, and begin to prime a neural pathway in your brain making it easier to access this state. It's traditional therapy, neuroscience, and the law of attraction all at play.

By reframing your mindset from hardship to empowerment, you are making a shift. This is a shift you deserve and are capable of experiencing.

May you have a peaceful day,
Jaclyn :)

(If you want tips and techniques for managing your sensitivity sent directly to your inbox, sign up for the Thriving Sensitives newsletter @ tinyurl.com/ThrivingSensitives)

Crystals...a gift for the sensitive soul (Thriving Sensitives)

2017-02-22T11:11:00.000-04:00

Nature has gifted us with many wonderful tools. Crystals are one such resource. While the term "crystal" technically means a geometric substance, most of us use it to refer to gems and stones from the earth. These offerings from the soil have properties we can benefit from--properties for our health.

As sensitive people, we can become over-loaded and over-stimulated at times. The ultimate goal is to be more centred than un-balanced, but some days this feels bit more difficult than others.

Personally, when I am feeling stressed or physically unwell it is more challenging for me to manage my sensitivity effectively. At these times, tools and aids are a godsend! I especially love crystals, and rarely leave the home without some piece of the earth on my body (I did a typo and wrote that "peace," which I find very fruedian-slip-y).

As an offering, I have created a free 'lil ebook on using crystals for helping your sanity,if you'd live a copy, sign up at tinyurl.com/crystalebook.

If crystals are something you have worked with and are interested in, I'd love to hear from you!

May you have a peaceful day,
Jaclyn :)

(Want more tips for successfully managing your sensitivity sent to your inbox? Sign up for the Thriving Sensitives Newsletter at tinyurl.com/ThrivingSensitives).

Love Filters!

2017-02-19T10:59:00.000-04:00

"All You Need is Love..."

Love is all you need.

As sensitives we can find ourselves feeling weighed down by the non-love crap surrounding us in the ethers. Not only are we dealing with the awareness of non-love and how it is pretty sucky, we can sense the actual energy of it. And, I think you'll agree with me here, that shit don't feel good.

You know what feels good? Love. Love is the most powerful of all energies. It can effectively filter out all the crap. It's like wearing UV filtering sunglasses--it lets in the good stuff while keeping the other bits away.

There are a myriad of ways to engage this love filter and they all have one thing in common: intention. If you set the intent to ensconce yourself in a bubble of love-energy, which purifies and strengthens your physical and energetic self, then it is done. Yes, there are many wonderful tools to help focus this intent. I love wearing and engaging with crystals, leaning into their high-vibes. Essential oils, plants, mantras, and other aids exist. Use what you feel drawn to and play around with it. Have fun.

A really fun and simple way to engage your love filter is through visualization. Still yourself and take a deep breath in. As you exhale, see/sense yourself TOTALLY surrounded by a pink light. Allow the light to enter your physical body. Note how it forms a bubble all around you. See the bubble's edge. As you inhale, the edge strengthens. Imagine non-love energy approaching your bubble and fading (like mist), unable to enter your sacred space. See your bubble remain strong. Notice how the love-energy all around you is able to come in and make you feel better...and strengthen your filter.

And presto you have engaged your glorious love-filter! Notice how your mental, emotional, physical, and energetic health feel when this filter is up compared to when you don't use it. I know you'll find the love-filter much more peaceful than being without.

As you surround yourself with love, you tap into that energy more easily and readily. You deserve this. And the world deserves your happiness and peace. When one increases her peace, we all benefit.

Thank you for being a champion of love.

May you have a peaceful day,
Jaclyn :)

Winter Thoughts: The benefit of storms

2017-02-17T21:05:00.000-04:00

Within the last week, our region (Saint John, NB, Canada) has been hit with, essentially, a butt-load of snow. Like, where-are-we-gonna-put-it-all?! amount of snow. Schools, streets, and businesses have been closed, including my practice. You see, I have a policy: I am not going to drive in a storm to come to work and I don't expect my clients to as well. So, this week I worked a whopping two days (one of which was actually a half day to allow us time to dig out from the previous day's blizzard). While in the past, that amount of time out of the office (and rescheduling clients) may have initiated a stress response in the past, this week, I am looking (and seeing!) the benefit of the storms.

Mother Nature is basically making it so I have to slow down and chill. When you are snowed in and have 3-5 hours of digging out to do (yes, a snow-blower will likely be something we invest in for next winter), the concept of time kinda becomes a mute point. When I am making a pathway from our deck to the driveway, all the "I could/should be doing x, y, and z" thoughts stop. I have no choice but to be in the moment. It can actually be quite zen to get in the rhythm of shovelling and being outside, noticing how the light twinkles on the snow and hearing birds in the trees. Plus, in order to prevent over-exertion and injury, a slow and moderate pace is better than trying to rush through it, as well as listening to my body (such as, "Lady! Switch arm positions on the shovel and bend with your knees.") And breaks...I try to take a few breaks, incorporating mindfulness/meditation while doing so.

Also, Mama Nature's storm show has encouraged me to connect more with our neighbours. When you are out diggin' and so is the person across the street, you catch each other's eye and wave. Or chat (chatting is really nice, because it encourages a break from the aforementioned snow-shovelling). And, sometimes, you have really nice neighbours who use their snow-blower to get rid of the huge snow-bank the road-ploughs have created at your driveway's end.

I also find that when my husband and I are shovelling together, it is like a fantastic couple-bonding project. We appreciate the work each other does and work as a partnership. Sometimes it takes two brains to figure out where to put the metres of snow being removed from the driveway.

And when the weather clears, there is something so gorgeous about watching the sun rise and set over freshly fallen snow. And the moon? Don't get me started on how stunning a sight it is to have the moon hanging above gentle snow drifts.

Do I love storms which bring piles of snow? No, I do not. I prefer clear streets and being able to walk across my yard without snow reaching my waist. But, I am determined to make the best of the weather, staying optimistic.

May you be warm and happy wherever this post finds you!

--Jaclyn :)

#ShineRevolution

2017-02-17T11:11:00.000-04:00

Last year I started a fun project...sending out thrice-weekly emails with one intent: to spark the light of inner peace.

I call it Shine Revolution, and as fun as it is write the messages and receive feedback from readers, I think my favourite part of this project is getting them delivered to my inbox and reading them myself. If you'd like to join the #ShineRevolution, sign up @tinyurl.com/ShineRevolution.

Thriving Sensitives

2017-02-16T20:20:00.000-04:00

I was in my late twenties when I first heard of the concept of highly sensitive people. It came from working with clients who fit the description and learning more about how to help them. Eventually, I realized I am a "sensitive." (And it really did take me an embarrassingly long to connect the dots and realize the things I was helping clients work through were issues I had had my entire life).

The universe has given me many opportunities to work with sensitives and I have seen how managed sensitivity correlates with a decrease in troublesome symptoms. I have also experienced this firsthand. Certain strategies are more effective for sensitives than others, and I wish to pass along what I have learned.

Due to this, I have begun a newsletter, Thriving Sensitives. If you'd like to sign up, please go to tinyurl.com/ThrivingSensitives. I am also going to share the tips and tricks over here. I hope you enjoy it and I would love to hear your comments and questions.

Have a peaceful day,

Jaclyn :)

The Oneness of Us All

2017-02-14T14:30:00.000-04:00

"We are all one."

What does that even mean? Over the last few years I have been really considering these words. We are one.

To me, it means we are equal. We come from one source (call it God, call it the big bang from where life stemmed, call it whatever), so we cannot be better or worse than each other. And...every day we have the opportunity to remember this. And not just once a day, but several (several) times a day.

We are all the same. We are all one. When we remember this we do not have conflict (inner or external). We do not have fear. There is no competition. There is only peace. We can only choose love, for ourselves and for others. I also believe we all come from a loving source, which has created us as pure love. So not only are we equal, we are all equally fantastic.

Of course, we do not always go in this vein of joyous communion with our brothers and sisters. We believe we are capable of attack, so we feel attacked. We believe there are levels of humans--some better than others--and we gauge ourselves according to how we stack up against this imaginary measurement. And the cool thing is, when we have deviated from the knowledge that we are all equal, we do not feel good (and yes, this is a good thing). We have negative emotional responses. This is because we have stepped out of synch with what we know to be true (and we really do, underneath all conditioning telling us otherwise): that we are good and so it, underneath it all, everyone else. I have been reading and listening to lectures on the Law of Attraction, especially those by Abraham-Hicks. The Law of Attraction suggests when we have such a negative response, it is a call from our inner guidance system to re-adjust our thinking. This adjustment allows us to remember the truth, to remember equality.

So, recognizing and allowing ourselves to feel our negative emotional responses, with the purpose of learning from them and re-aligning ourselves to a happier place, is very empowering. Do not judge yourself for feeling these feelings. Thank these feelings as the cautionary alert system, which is driving you to remember that we are all one.

Let's take a moment to look at this closer. Say I am driving and the person behind me is tailgating. Maybe I have thoughts such as, "That jerk isn't being safe--what if I stopped short?!" "Whaddaya in such a hurry for, buddy?!" "It's silly of me to be going this speed...I am inconveniencing them....I should pull over. I'm not a very good driver." These thoughts don't feel very good. So, in this scenario, let's say I recognize my negative emotions are indicating I have forgotten the fact that we are all one. So, I try to bring it back around. It may take some time at first. "Well, we may be all equal, but he still shouldn't be following me this closely." That doesn't make me feel too great, but I have reintroduced the concept of us being equal, so I feel a bit better. "I feel good driving at this speed. If he'd like, he'll have an opportunity to pass me in a moment. If I want to pull over, I can. I think I would feel safer if I pulled over, so he can go along at his preferred pace. It does not mean I am weak or a timid driver to pull over. It will take an extra half-minute or so for me to do so. Some people travel at different paces. He can choose the pace he'd like to go at. This looks like a good place to pull over. I hope he has safe travels." I'd be feeling much better after this train of thought than the previous one I was on.

Currently, I am making my way through the Hickses' book, The Astonishing Power of Emotions: Let Your Feelings Be Your Guide, which goes into this concept in greater detail, so this philosophy is on my mind. Personally, I have seen how effective it is and also I am seeing results when my clients begin to engage this process of adjusting their reaction to negative emotions. If you feel called to learn more about the Law of Attraction, and Abraham-Hicks, I hope you find it serves you.

Peaceful days to you!

--Jaclyn

P.S. Linking is done to share resources, not for affiliate purposes...meaning I don't benefit monetarily if you choose to buy the book.

Positive Ponderings...REVAMP

2017-02-13T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hello All....There are some changes afoot here.

Things are gonna get sparkly!

All the old blog posts are gone...WHY? Well, Positive Ponderings is undergoing a revamp. When it started in 2011 it was a personal interest blog where I posted mainly about crafty and recipe DIY projects. It was a fun ride. However, I hadn't blogged here since 2014...three whole years! The original momentum of Positive Ponderings was not in alignment with what I wanted to speak about. I still like crafting and such, but the urge to blog about it has faded (although it may pop up now and again).

This blog is going to focus on my ideas (or ponderings) for personal empowerment. Getting rid of the old posts is to create space, and a fresh energy for this place. The overall aim--positivity--has not changed.

I look forward to this new chapter of Positive Ponderings and I hope you enjoy it as well.

...free image courtesy of pexels.com