“Every human has four endowments-  self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom… The power to choose, to respond, to change.” – Steven R. Covey

This is a guest post for Powered by Intuition by Evita Ochel.

There are powerful reasons to increase your self awareness.

We are living in pivotal times, where many of us may find it challenging to keep up with our own life changes and personal awakenings, as well as those of our world.

Regardless, it is clear that we are motivated to pursue various paths of personal development. Whether it is a quest for truth, enlightenment, personal mastery or just happier living, there is a common thread to all personal paths that is at the root of their unfolding.

What is necessary for each of these aspects to become real for us is an increase in awareness, specifically self awareness.

On a more specific scale, a personal journey may focus on attaining success, learning forgiveness, finding a sense of purpose or improving personal relationships. What will dictate how easy or challenging a journey it may be, comes down to our level of awareness.

When we commit to increasing our awareness, everything takes on a different meaning in life, things become easier, and the benefits are many in every area of our life.

Let’s examine 10 powerful reasons to increase our self awareness, which will benefit every area of our life, no matter what we may be seeking or what path we may be on.

 1. You Get To Know What Your Unconscious Mind Is Up To

If you ask the average person if they are aware of their thoughts, words of even actions, most of us are quick to reply, of course! After all, if we don’t know what we are up to, who does? Yet there is a whole other piece to this equation.

While science isn’t clear on the exact percentages of the mind used (not to be mistaken with brain), what we know for sure is that most of the time we function from automatic or unconscious mind patterns, with the conscious mind playing a very small role. This is where the difference between the conscious and subconscious mind cannot be over emphasized in its importance on the quality of our lives.

Most of us neglect to factor in this difference when it comes to how or why we do, say or think the things we do – if we are even aware of them. We simply may not realize how much the years of conditioning from various sources have impacted us, becoming today programmed thoughts and behavior patterns that do not even represent us, or what we want.

The more self aware we become, the more we learn to become aware of our thought patterns, their origins, wound triggers, and so much more!

We start to function from ever increasing conscious mind patterns, over unconscious ones. We start to re-gain control over our life, rather than living on auto-pilot or as if some “external” force is in charge of things like our health, happiness, inner peace and joy.

2. You Become a Nicer Person

Rather than approaching the world from a reactive state of being, the more you increase your awareness the more mindful you become of how your thoughts, words and actions may impact others. You therefore become more mindful of what you will or will not say, or do. You become a more considerate spouse, a more patient parent, a more conscientious worker, and a more positively contributing member to your community and our world.

3. You Become More Honest With Yourself (and others)

According to Sigmund Freud, human beings can lie and not realize they are lying. Freud found that we have the ability to deceive not just others, but also ourselves. Our capacity for self-deception is so powerful that many people, especially when they lack the self awareness that allows them to peer into their deepest motivations, actually believe their own distortions of reality.

For example, you may think that you are helping make the world a better place by doing x, y, or z, when in truth the motivations are for nothing more than your personal status, power or financial gain. Self-deception runs deep and can affect every area of our life from weight and health problems, to financial and career advancements.

 4. You Don’t Have to Suffer From Guilt or Regrets

Ignorance is bliss, until it catches up to us.

We may forgo doing what we feel is right in our heart in the moment like not giving an employee a day off when they look ill, not contributing to your friend’s new charity, not telling your spouse the whole story of what really happened, not taking the time to learn about the medication you gave your child, or not paying attention to the environmentally destructive qualities of the product you just bought, etc. But when the moment of our ignorance or unconsciousness wears off, that is usually when guilt and regret sets in.

The more self aware we become, the more we triumph over ignorance and not have to pay the price of guilt and regret in some future moment. Awareness means we take some effort to consider how any one of our actions may impact us, others or our world.

5.  You Are Able To Know What You Want

If we look around, many people are not following their dreams, or passions, or getting that certain job or partner, because in truth they do not really know what they want. When we allow the external environments to blind us, putting us almost into a comatose way of living, we are less inclined to be conscious of what is going on within us and what our real needs, desires or aspirations are.

The more self aware we become, the more we are able to come into alignment with our inner being and follow our soul’s plan at any given time, knowing what we want and why.

6. You Have An Easier Time Making Decisions

This idea goes hand in hand with the points above, but it expands even further. Each day we have to make decisions or choices, and it is clear that some of us seem to have an easier time with this and others. We have all felt indecisive at one time or another, but for some people this becomes a daily way of life whether they are picking a new pair of socks or a new career path, making life seem very challenging.

The more self aware we become, the more we begin to tap into our inner essence, rather than being influenced by external sources, of what it is that is best for us at any given time.

7. You Gain More Inner Peace

The more we increase our self awareness, the more we begin to respect the divine flow of all that is. Rather than live in resistance to what is, which in turn creates turmoil in our life, an expanded awareness allows us to better grasp why things happen as they do. Although we may not always know the full reason for something, we find inner peace in knowing that nothing happens in our Universe without being in perfect alignment with divine creation and evolution for the benefit of all those it touches.

 8. You Become More In Tune With Nature

When we pull our attention within, we start to not only live from a higher state of appreciation for nature, but also more in harmony with nature. Becoming more self aware translates into having a connection with all living beings, and being mindful of how any of our actions impact them. The changes within can be as simple as no longer complaining about the weather, to as profound as feeling the life force of all species within us in that we can not inflict any violence on any of them, as we become aware that we are one.

9.  You Increase Your Intuition

Increased awareness also correlates to an increase in our intuition. We enable ourselves to detect subtle energy changes, we become more in tune with our feelings, messages from our bodies and our environment. All of these play a role in helping us tune into the inner knowing, also called intuition. As one can imagine, the benefits of this are numerous and have compounding benefits in many of the other areas we discussed above, like being a better decision maker, etc.

 10. You Learn Who It Is That You Are

Last, but not least, there is perhaps no better reason to become more self aware, than to get to know yourself (or know yourself better). The more self aware you become, the more you get to know the “real” you—not the Ego you, not the pain-body you and not the “shaped-by-others” you. With increased self awareness, you begin to tap into the deep essence of your being—your soul—and are then able to align with your true purpose in this lifetime.

Closing Thoughts

Now that you are aware of the numerous benefits of increased awareness and their importance in increasing the quality of your life, the next step is learning how to increase your awareness. The great news is that numerous resources, from many disciplines, exist today to help us achieve this through various forms like meditation, stillness sessions, philosophical studies, and ongoing education on all topics.

Wishing you a wonderful journey of increasing your awareness!

Are you on a journey of self awareness? In what ways has becoming more self aware been of benefit to your life? What is the best way to become more self aware?

If you enjoyed this post please share it on social media. Thank you!

P.S. While you’re here subscribe to the posts and weekly updates via email and get a free gift too~!

Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN – is the founder and editor of EvolvingBeings.com – an online monthly magazine to awaken and inspire people to grow in consciousness and connect with a heart-centered way of life. She is also a nutrition and healthy living expert, and the author of the newly released book “Healing and Prevention Through Nutrition”, as well as the editor of EvolvingWellness.com – an online publication featuring numerous resources to help people attain optimal health and wellness.

The more love and care you send out toward a person or issue, the more you come into alignment with your spirit, and the more your intuition comes on-line. –Doc Childre and Howard Martin, HeartMath Solution

Did you know we each have two hearts?

One heart that beats in our chest and an invisible one pulsing with light and love? I’m talking of course, of your “spiritual” heart. The spiritual heart is the center of love within each of us.

If you have ever watched your young child in a play at school and felt your chest fill and your eyes brim with tears of joy, these reactions were generated by the spiritual heart.

The intoxicating feeling of falling in love is also born from the spiritual heart.

And so is the compassion and empathy we feel when we reach out to embrace and comfort someone who is going through troubling times.

The intuitive heart connects us to all living creatures

Through the intuitive heart we sense how others are feeling. We can “read” the pulsations of energy sent out by the intuitive heart and know if someone is sad or glad and we don’t even need to be in the same room!

The intuitive heart is a constantly broadcasting our own emotional state and picking up the emotional state of others too.

To honor your intuitive heart this Valentines Day try tuning in to the broadcast being sent out by the ones you love.

Do an experiment:

Close your eyes and visualize the spiritual heart of the person you wish to connect with. You can see it in the shape of a Valentine heart or you can visualize the actual physical heart or see it as a ball of pulsating light. As long as you know whom you wish to be connected with the image you choose to focus your mind on doesn’t matter.

Now send this person as much love  as you can muster straight from your own intuitive heart center. See the love you wish to send as a ball of swirling pulsing energy being absorbed by their intuitive heart. Now you are connected to that person.

Next, see the person’s face in your mind’s eye. Allow yourself to examine whatever thought, image or feeling that comes to your attention.

What came to mind? Did you feel an emotion or physical sensation? Did you hear a word or thought? Did you “see” something similar to a dream fragment or memory?

Whatever reaction you became aware of immediately afterward is related to this person because you set your intention upon connecting to them.

We are always intuitively connected to the people we are closest to

When a mother senses that her child has been hurt it is due to the strong intuitive bond she has with the child. When you know without a doubt, what your spouse is thinking it is because of these same strong intuitive connections. Even longtime friends will have forged these intuitive bonds.

Open your intuitive heart to the world

Did you know you can extend your intuitive connection beyond your small circle? You can forge an intuitive connection in an instant to anyone you wish to. All it takes is using the little example I gave above. Set your intention on someone and instantly you’re connected.

We can be intuitively connected via the heart to the homeless person we pass each day by the bus the stop when commute to work. We can be be intuitively connected by our heart to the stern looking police officer directing traffic and even to people we may dislike.

Each time we choose to connect heart to heart to another person we are exercising the intuitive heart

And you know what happens when we exercise a muscle, right? It performs better. The more often we practice using the intuitive heart to connect to another human being the more intuitive we become. We get better at sensing another person’s mood or pain. We expand our capacity for empathy and compassion. We become less judgmental too. In other words, we begin to evolve spiritually.

Years ago I was privileged to meet the father of my dear friend Vicki. Her father, Dr. John F. Cogswell, practiced psychology in California. Many of his clients were aspiring actors. He developed an exercise to help them over come their inhibitions and insecurities about performing.

During group sessions he had each of them take a turn “walking” as someone else in the group. He instructed them to stand, take of their shoes and “walk” back and forth while telling themselves that they were now “so and so” from the group.

As they walked back and forth pretending to “be” this other group member they were instructed to give a monologue on what they were feeling and thinking as this other person. Dr. Cogswell thought that doing this exercise in front of the group would help the person get over their self-consciousness and develop their confidence.

What Dr. Cogswell stumbled upon quite by accident, was that as each of the actors practiced walking they became highly accurate intuitives!

The mere act of setting one’s intention upon connecting to another human being had opened up some channel between them where the person “walking” as the other group member was able to accurately “read” what the the other person was feeling. Not only could they accurately describe it but they also felt it deeply too.

We become “one” with the other person in a spiritual sense

“Walking” or just setting the intention to connect to someone to feel what they feel helps us to experience our “oneness” with each other. While each of our spirits appears to be contained in a “separate body” we are no more separate than a wave is from the rest of the ocean.

This brings to mind a film I saw called, “Powder.” The film was about a young man who possessed the ability to truly “feel” what others felt. He was what we now call an “empath.”

In the film he takes the hand of a hunter who has just shot a deer and places it on the dying deer. Because he is holding the hand of the empath the hunter is able to feel what the deer feels. He experiences exactly what the innocent creature he has just shot, is going through as he is dying. The emotions he senses overwhelm him and he yanks his hand from the clutches of the young empath.

As the camera closes in on the the hunter’s expression we clearly see that he was deeply affected by this experience.

Feeling empathy for another living creature can and does change us

Just imagine if we were all to set our intention to open our intuitive hearts. Could the swell of empathy for one another change the way we interact as people, as communities and as nations around the world?

Yes, I think it would.

Kindness, empathy and compassion are sorely needed now more than ever

This Valentine’s Day commit to open your intuitive heart. Let’s celebrate our oneness. “Walk” as another person today and open up your heart to the “oneness” that is the true reality we are here to discover and, I suspect, the true meaning of Valentine’s day.

Tell people about this. Share this practice.

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day and let’s see if by next Valentine’s Day we might be celebrating living on a more peaceful, loving planet full of open intuitive hearts.

Have you ever experienced your “intuitive heart opening?” What were the circumstances? How did it change you?

If you enjoyed this post please share in on social media. Thank you!

P.S. While you’re here subscribe to Powered by Intuition to get updates and post and receive a free gift too.

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“The purity of a person’s heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals” –Author Unknown

The love for our pets is eternal.

How we miss them when they are gone.

The love they share with us while they are with us is their gift to human kind.

Today I have the great pleasure of introducing you to another beautiful soul, Jeanne Miller of The Pet Medium.

Jeanne loves animals as much as I do!

What area of the intuitive arts do you specialize in?

I’m a Psychic Medium specializing in animal communications.  I am able to connect people to the thoughts, words, and feelings of their pets either here or passed on.
Why were you drawn to or how did you come to develop this particular specialty?

I have had a deep love for animals my entire life. I always yearned to find a way to work with them, but did not want work in a  veterinary clinic.  After being in and out of psychic development for many years, I attended an animal communications seminar one day.  I opened up very suddenly that day and haven’t looked back since.

What is your history – how did you come to practice the intuitive arts?

Although I was fascinated with this field, I had no idea that I could do this type of work.  But around age 35, some odd things started happening to me.  Astral Projection, sensing and feeling spirits around me etc.  I didn’t know what was happening to me until I went to have my very first reading from a local Psychic Medium.  She explained what was happening to me and I went into psychic development training with her at that time.  Although life events would pull me out of development, it wasn’t long before I went right back in. It just kept calling to me.  But it took almost 20 years for the time to be right for me to do this work.

How does your intuition come through for you? Can you describe it for us so that even non-intuitives understand?

My intuition comes through in many ways.  When I give a pet reading, I work through my guides.  They will often send me visuals, like little film clips.  They also will either talk to me or just “download” information to me.  I will suddenly just know something, that I have no reason to know. The knowledge will just suddenly be there, as if it had always been there for me to draw on.  I often times hear sounds and my communication with the animal is also very direct.  I see them in spiritual form and they talk to me.  I hear their voices, not with my physical ears, but my inner ear. The same way people hear their voice in their head when they are reading or thinking.  It is a very natural feeling.

If you could change anything in your life up to now regarding your intuitive development or intuitive practice what would it be?

I would have tried to find more like minded people.  Before I opened up completely to psychic communication, my teacher had passed on and I had no one to answer my questions or help me along.  I think being with others in a group would have moved me into this world more quickly and would have helped me with the self doubt that I felt.

How has being intuitive influenced your life and/or those around you?

In all honestly, for a very long time, it made me feel alienated from people.  I didn’t have anyone I could talk to in the early days as they wouldn’t know what I was talking about.  Most of the people who were in my life while I was developing are no longer around.  So now, I lead a more isolated life, which I think has helped me to not feel like such an outcast.  Luckily, I have a sister who is also just discovering her gifts in this area, so I am able to talk to her about anything and this helps a lot.

What exercise/courses do you recommend to readers to develop the kind of specialty you have?

The first thing I would recommend is to read some animal communication books to get an idea of how this work is done. It will also show people who are interested in this line of work, that they will find sorrow as well as joy in their communications. Once they have decided they would really like to continue on this path, I want to tell them that they don’t have to have Mediumship abilities to talk to animals on this side.  But they would need to develop in that area if they want to speak to animals who have passed into spirit.

I would recommend taking a psychic development class from a gifted psychic medium.  If they have latent  mediumship abilities, they will most likely start to emerge in psychic development.  The first step is to put a daily meditation in place.  There are so many different ways to meditate that this doesn’t need to be daunting. Even 10 minutes a day will help them fine tune their minds to a higher vibration.

They must also learn, if they are working with Spirit, to surround themselves with white light before communicating, as this will protect them from lower vibrations.  But this is more important for mediumship  readings then regular pet communication.

Picture the pet in your mind’s eye.  Ask a question, and wait.  Write down the first thing that comes to your mind, even if you think it is off base. They should practice on their friend’s pets if that is more comfortable for them.  Learning to trust the information is the hardest part.  So if you practice with your friends, they will be able to verify what comes out.  And starting this way, with friends, is a safe and comfortable way.  You won’t have to worry about being embarrassed or being wrong.  They are friends.  They love you and will help you to attain what you want. If they make you feel silly or embarrassed…get some new friends. (great advice Jeanne! AA)

What’s one action that readers/listeners can take this week to move them forward in their goal of becoming more intuitive?

One thing I would like to suggest is something very simple.  Take a walk by yourself.  Do not bring a phone unless you are expecting an emergency.  While walking, start taking in sensory information.  Focus first on sight…how many different colors do you see? As you go along, focus on your sense of smell.  Concentrate on any scents that come to you, whether it be trees, flowers, or if you are in a city, bus or car exhaust.  These all count.  Focus on each smell, one at a time.  Next move to hearing.  What different sounds are you hearing?  How many.  Without looking, can you identify what you are hearing.  Now finish your walk by just being alone with your thoughts and let you mind wander to wherever it wants to go.  This is an excellent way to start fine tuning your senses and focusing your mind.  Now this isn’t to say you aren’t supposed to pay attention to what is around you.  If you are near busy areas or intersections, do pay attention to this world too!

Can you share a personal story about working with your intuition?

My friends kept telling me I would love the Harry Potter books, but I hadn’t started reading them until number Four was out.  I ravished those in no time flat.  By the time Order of the Phoenix came out, I was thoroughly hooked and chomping at the bit.  I called every book shop I could find and they were all sold out.  Well, I gave up on it and was disappointed but had errands to run.  On the way to one of my errands, I had to pass a complex that had a Kmart in it.  I never shopped at Kmart, as I’ve always been a catalogue or online shopper.  But I suddenly got a strong urge to pull into the complex.

Of course, I ignored it, not realizing it was a communication.

I ran my errand, and drove back the same way.  This time I got a strong voice saying: “Go to Kmart.  What you want is at Kmart.”  It was kind of loud so I figured I’d go even though I thought I was going batty.  I wasn’t even sure that Kmart sold books.  Well they did and directed me to them.  There were 2 copies left. I bought one, thanked my guides and went home to a fun night of reading.  This was the first time that I realized that our guides care about the little things we want as well as the larger things.  As long as what you want isn’t going to be bad for you, your guides will help you find it.  They love you. It is never too soon to start talking to them and thanking them for watching over you.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned via your intuition?

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned…the one that has had a profound impact on me….is how very much our pets really do love us.  I have seen first hand, the loyalty they constantly show us and  how often they put our wishes before their own.  And I was also surprised and pleased to find that cats are every bit as loving and loyal as dogs are.  It was amazing to learn that our pets find humans fascinating and they love to watch us as much as we love to watch them.   As one cat put it:  “I like to watch my Mom.  She can do so many different things with her hands.”

Do you have any questions for Jeanne? Have you ever felt as if you could understand your pet? What did it feel like or what happened?

If you enjoyed this post please share it on social media. Thank you.

P.S. While your here subscribe by email and gets posts, the newsletter and a free gift too!~

Jeanne Miller is an author and psychic pet medium from Vermont. Her website is The Pet Medium (www.thepetmedium.com). If you want to understand what your pet is thinking or feel the lasting bonds of love with a pet who has passed on please do contact Jeanne.

She’s read for my pets several times and she was phenomenal! AA

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Do you know the top 10 ten signs that your intuition is more developed than you think?

Are you wondering whether you might be highly intuitive?

People visiting Powered by Intuition for the first time take the Intuition Quotient test and are surprised at how high their scores are.

The fact is, most people are intuitive and — much more intuitive than they believe. There are common signs that appear throughout the life of intuitive individuals. Each of them is a “calling card” trying to get your attention.

Here are the top 10 signs that you might be highly intuitive:

1. Do you feel drawn to learn more about the workings of intuition? Does the idea of developing your intuition appeal to you? You wouldn’t be pulled toward learning more about intuition unless a greater ability then you are aware of first existed within you. Everything outside of us mirrors something from within. In other words, if this latent ability didn’t already exist within you – you couldn’t have an interest in it because it wouldn’t be part of your “awareness.”

2. Have you purchased and read books about the lives of people who are intuitive? Do you find the topic fascinating? This is similar to the first sign. You wouldn’t be pulled to read about this topic unless you possessed these abilities within you.

3. Did you ever take any intuition development courses? Again, even if you left there without feeling that you were an accomplished intuitive or ready to “read” more into things you would not have taken the courses unless you had within you this ability.

4. Do you have moments where you feel you are reading another person’s mind but then dismiss it, thinking it was just a coincidence? Do you know when the phone is going to ring? Do you find that many times you know who is on the phone before you answer? Are you a really good judge of character? Do your kids find it spooky that you always know who the “bad” kids are? Do you just “know” things without knowing how you “know?”

5. Do you have vivid dreams that you remember? Many intuitive individuals have action-packed dreams in full color that they remember for years and  years. One of the earliest “calling cards” from your intuition are frequent and vivid dreams. The problem is that most people ignore their dreams. When you start paying attention you’ll  find a lot of intuitive guidance coming your way via your dreams.

6. Are you attracted to the healing arts? Are you interested in taking courses in energy healing, Reiki, hands on healing or massage? Have you had treatments by a spiritual healer? Many latent intuitives are attracted to study healing modalities. They are intensely drawn to heal others and possess great empathy. They are also fascinated by working with “energy” or aware of “energy” and feel you have an understanding of how to transfer or send energy to others. You might even practice on your spouse, children, friends and even your pets.

7. Are you interested in systems of divination? Do systems such as the astrology, Tarot, I Ching, palmistry, numerology or scrying fascinate you? There are hundreds of other systems of divination that I didn’t mention but, you get the point. It doesn’t matter which one as long as you’ve found yourself drawn to it. Did you find yourself drawn to study the art of divination from a young age? I began reading the Tarot when I was eleven years old.

8. Do you find that you sense other people’s emotions? Do you easily become emotional? Can you sense both the joy and pain in other people? Do you feel the “oneness” all around you? Does joy bring you to a state of tears? Are you drawn to animals? Do you feel you understand them? If so you are highly empathic and open to your intuition.

9. Do you  see your life as filled with meaning and symbolism? Do you see repeating number patterns? Do you wake in the middle of the night and see the same time on your digital clock? Or do you see these repeating numbers on license plates? Do “signs” appear that answer your questions such as song lyrics, license plates, billboards, conversation with people who know nothing about your question?

10. Do  similar coincidences pop up to guide you as to whether you should do something you had been contemplating? Do people and solutions arrive in your life just at the right time? Do you feel that you’re lucky?

Review these ten clues to see if any or a few apply to you. If so, you know your intuition is much more developed than you think.

What did you learn from this post about your intuitive inclinations? Are you much intuitive than you thought you were? Which of the ten clues sounded most like you?

If you enjoyed this post please share it on social media: Tweet, FB & G+. Thank you!

P.S. While you’re here do subscribe and get the first chapter of my new book, The Intuition Principle as my thank you gift to you. To be notified when the book is ready add your name to the “notification” list.

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The channels of intuitive knowledge are opened according to the intensity of individual need. –Jane Roberts

The intuitive art of moving energy and facilitating clarity – an interview with Joy Holland of Facets of Joy.

Planetary Coding (Photo credit: true2source)

Today I am speaking with Joy Holland from Facets of Joy about her intuitive practice and her skills. Read the written interview or listen to the recording below.

1. Joy, what area of the intuitive arts do you specialize in?

I am an empathic intuitive clarity worker. I specialize in moving energy and facilitating clarity to reflect a person’s inner truth.  Everything I do circulates around energy movement and is based in a foundation of love and peace.

I physically move energy through a person, or energetically reflect to you an inner truth that enables you to remove a block or embrace a joy that will allow you to experience inner peace.

2. Why were you drawn to or how did you come to develop this particular specialty?

I was born with my gift..to be the love and light in the room, always, regardless of external circumstances.  I live fully present in this moment..a practice I was born with, and have cultivated and invested in as I’ve grown.

Four years ago, I made the choice to honor an intensive year of study and immersion in learning to live in alignment.  I lead a heart based life, which means I invest in only that which is life enriching and spirit enlivening. If I feel a barrier to flow, I do inner work to remove the barrier.  I am constantly moving energy in a positive manner.

3. What is your history – how did you come to practice the intuitive arts? 

I was born with my gift, so I was born practicing. Before I had words to describe it, I was living it.  This is my truth.  I am living love, from day one.  And, energy movement is based in this love.

When you read my words on a page, the words I have personally typed, you may feel this love from the words.  When you are in a room with me, you feel this love.  Because I have done the work to remove barriers, this feeling of love and light just flows from me.  When I focus that on a particular person or situation, it is powerful enough to move energy.

4. How does your intuition come through for you? Can you describe it for us so that even non-intuitives understand

My intuition is a feeling.  When I am sharing space with a person, without even trying, am able to read them.  I believe that we are all energy, so it is my energy connecting with yours, but more than that I am you, and you are me, so I feel you and see you.

It often surprises someone how well I can know them from a look or smile…and people often say they feel as if they know me..they do, because they are me…in an esoteric way for those who are unfamiliar.

My process for working with clients remotely is to send them a survey to complete. When I read their answers to the questions I  get intuitive information far beyond what they have written.

5. If you could change anything in your life up to now regarding your intuitive development or intuitive practice what would it be?

I believe everything happens as it is meant to, so I wouldn’t change anything.

For most of my life, energy work was very much outside of mainstream of my career in the established medical field so I was often the one “dimming my light” in the room in order to not be too much for people.  One cannot really dim a light, the mind/body connection is huge for me, so dimming my light meant dimming me, and that made me physically ill.  This was part of my journey, and how I learned to release layers to be fully me, fully present to me and fully present to others.

6. How has being intuitive influenced your life and/or those around you?

Being intuitive influences my life because I live in alignment and am so aware that I know with certainty what step to take, I see with certainty who I am so I know that what is in my life is as a result of what I have drawn to me.

This also means that my life truly is as magical as I allow it to be.  When I am living in alignment, fully present, I am in flow and anything is possible.  Because I allow myself to be vulnerable where many people do not,  my experiences are to a depth that many do not experience, and my life is one of great simplicity and beauty.

This influences those around me, because as I shared previously, one may tap into my energy at any time. If you share space with me, the magic, simplicity, and beauty in my life is yours to experience as well, just by sharing space.  I know it sounds odd to people who are not familiar, but it is absolutely true.

7. What exercise/courses do you recommend to readers to develop the kind of specialty you have?

A simple way to move your own energy is the concept of raising your vibration.  There are many methods but, the most effective one I know is to be right where you are and in that moment focus on the positive.  I call it “breathe in love, breathe out gratitude”.  In this moment, you can focus on one thing you love about this moment and take a deep breath, inhaling that love fully into your body.  And then as you exhale it all out, think “thank you for that love” and you will feel gratitude.

This is a simple way of showing you: how to raise your vibration without changing anything around you, and: the concept that external truly has no bearing on internal.

You can allow every moment to be this full of love and gratitude…which is peace and flow.  We tend to complicate the simple, there is no need for expensive gadgets or external anything..you have this ability within, breathe it in and breathe it out.

8. What’s one action that readers/listeners can take this week to move them forward in their goal of becoming more intuitive.  

We are all intuitive, but life tends to be so layered that our intuition is buried.  If you want to feel your intuition, it is at first best felt in quiet/stillness.  So, take time to be quiet and still within the space that you are currently in.  I prefer to be in nature, so I live steps from the ocean.

I stand there and soak in the sky, watch the ripples in the water…and I add the practice of breathing in love and breathing out gratitude so that my inner self is love and peace..and I listen.

9. Can you share a personal story about working with your intuition?

This past week, a friend shared with me a link for an inspirational video.  In this video, one of the characters had an app on her cell phone that enabled her future self of ten years to text her about decisions she was making in the present.  I was thinking , “That is actually quite cool. I wish I had that.”

A few weeks ago, I received an email request via my contact form about someone requesting a complimentary email clarity session.  I sent her a survey to complete and didn’t hear back from her;  I followed up, no response.

The day this week that I watched the video with the cell phone app, this client returned the survey and I responded to her.  That night I woke at 2:30 am, my dreams had all been around a certain question regarding an important connection and when I woke my being needed reassurance that my decision was correct.

I felt the prompt to check email from my phone (which is not ‘regular’ for me to do) and there, received at 2:32 am, was an email from this client who is roughly ten years older than me, apologizing for sending such a late email—explaining that she was prompted from her own sleep to send these words…and the email was so right on in affirming the answer to my personal question, as she told her story her words affirmed ‘my answer”… and she ended with the words “Miss Joy” which is what my close friends affectionately call me.. and how I address myself.

She wouldn’t have “known” about my wish for advice from my future self nor that I woke at 2:30 am, nor that I am called “Miss Joy”..and the timing shows this is what we may draw to us when we choose to tap into flow.

10. What is the biggest lesson you have learned via your intuition? 

My biggest lesson is in the power of presence, when I am present to my self (not ego, but self as in my being) I am then able to be fully present to others and to world.  Presence is unconditional love and it is the greatest gift I/we can share.

You may also listen to the recorded interview here:

Thank you Joy (Miss Joy) for sharing so generously with us here.  Please feel free to ask Joy any questions about being a “clarity worker.”

Have you ever had a “clarity” session? What could you use more clarity on in your life? How would having more clarity around this issue impact your life?

If you enjoyed this article please share it on social media. Thank you!

While you’re here do sign up to get my updates and newsletter delivered right to your inbox. As a thank you I’ll send you the first chapter of my forthcoming book, The Intuition Principle.”

Joy Holland is an Intuitive Empath, Energy and Healing Facilitator sharing her gifts to assist clients to come to know their personal truth and live it, while finding and releasing the fears that block them from their highest self. With this unique blend of skills, she is able to swiftly cut through your barriers to your inner core, where Truth lies waiting to be identified and expressed. To discover more about Joy and her services, visit Facets of Joy. (facetsofjoy.com)

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Knowledge has three degrees — opinion, science, illumination. The means or instrument of the first is sense; of the second, dialectic; of the third, intuition. –Plotinus

Today, I am sharing three brilliant questions on intuition development from readers.

Even if you don’t see your exact intuition development question here you’re sure to find an answer that will apply to your own situation.

1. My life feels stuck. I need change now but, nothing seems to be happening. How can I get guidance from my intuition as to what to do to  get my life moving again?

If you’re life is ‘stuck” and you feel you “need” answers now the best thing to do is to relax as much as possible about it.

The more stressed out and emotional you are over a problem the more difficult you make hearing your inner guidance.

The solution will come when you relax and take your mind off the problem.
Go for walks in nature or do anything that takes your mind off the feeling of being stuck.

Before you go to bed tell yourself that you want an answer to this problem.

Give yourself one week to either have a dream in which the answer comes to you or to discover the solution during the day through a “sign.” Read “Navigating by Intuition” to learn how to identify these hidden signposts.

Signs are always around us, all we need to do is create the intention to become aware of them.

Keep reinforcing that you will get the solution before you go to bed each night.
It might come the next day or it might take the full week.

2. How do I remain truthful to my intuition and not let thoughts get in the middle?

To be truly aware of your inner guidance and not let thoughts get in the way takes practice. In the beginning you are bound to be unsure of yourself. That’s natural. We all want to feel confident and happy about our lives and decisions.

What you need to do is to incorporate hearing your inner voice into your daily life. Make a habit of checking in with your intuitive guidance before making decisions. The more you do this the more experienced you will become at knowing what your intuition feels like for you when it comes through.

For example, you could ask yourself how you feel about certain things that you are unsure about doing in your personal life, relationships or business.

Say, you need to decide whether you will buy a new car or spend more money on repairs on your old one. You’re not sure which is the right course of action to take.

Go somewhere quiet, shut the door and take some deep breaths and relax. Put your palms on your abdomen now ask yourself, “How would I feel if I bought a new car.”

Pay attention. Notice the first thought or feeling you have.

Did you get a pang of fear in your gut? Did you notice a slight feeling of anxiety or shortness of breath? These are physical signs from your body’s intelligence warning you that you are not ready to purchase a new car.

If you feel good with no second thoughts (such as I can’t afford it, it’s not in the budget, I shouldn’t) then you have your answer to proceed with the purchase of the car.

Intuitive guidance is all about feelings and first impressions.

3. Should you always follow your intuition?

Yes, I believe you should always follow your inner guidance, that is if you are sure it was your intuition and not your rational mind posing as your intuition.

I say yes  for two reasons: One, because our inner guidance is always the truth of how we really feel about things in our life.

And, second, because our intuitive flashes is the source of our most original and inspired ideas. Inspiration is never found in the day to day sequential thinking we do. It comes when we least expect it usually while we are doing something else. If you want to live an inspired life rather than you do need to listen to your intuitive hunches. And if you want to do what is “right” for you and not what other people say is right you must be in touch with your intuitive guidance.

Many people hear a thought and attribute it to intuition when it is really their ego or rational mind. The way to tell the difference is to pay close attention to how you feel. If there are any “shoulds” attached to this “intuitive guidance,” it is not coming from your intuition.

Intuition feels inspiring, right and like a “knowing” that resonates with us from deep down inside. Thoughts we confuse as being our inner guidance make us feel as if we “should do it” because there are logical reasons and benefits for doing it.

Say, I have an idea come to me while I’m taking a walk about a new book I want to write. The idea excites me and I can hardly wait to get started researching it.

If it came from my logical mind it would be more on the lines of, “Hmm, I like this idea. This is a really hot topic right now. I could sell a lot books if I moved fast to capture the public’s interest in this….”

Do you see the difference? In the first example I am “inspired” because the idea really resonates with me. In the second example I am being led to do something by what society dictates is a good reason for doing it.

I hope you learned from and enjoyed reading the questions that other readers asked. 

What to test your Intuition I.Q.? Take the test here.

What are your questions regarding intuition? Do feel free to ask them right here in the comments section.

P.S. The Intuition Principle is going to be published soon. To get on the notification list when the book is available add your name here and I’ll email you.

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Going without goals an update in the Year of the Dragon

As of January 23, we officially entered the  Chinese New Year of the Dragon.

The Chinese Fortune Calendar website describes the year of the dragon this way,”The Chinese consider the dragon to be unpredictable, untouchable and, people cannot see its head and tail at the same time. Therefore, we might see something unexpected happening in 2012.”

I don’t know a thing about Chinese Astrology but, the Year of the Dragon is fitting for my decision to “go without goals” in 2012. I chose to follow my intuition or what some people refer to as their “bliss,” instead of making resolutions this year.

Following your intuition is known to attract “fortunate coincidences” such as synchronicity and serendipity into one’s life. So, the year of the Dragon is a perfect time to be following intuition.

Setting numerous goals as I always had, was no longer working for me. While I was very productive in 2011 having written three books,  I was also much too stressed out most of the time. I came upon the idea of “going without goals” after reading several of Leo Babauta’s articles on Zen Habits about his experience of letting go of goal setting. Leo had been a proponent of goal setting and productivity but, delving more deeply into Zen Buddhist principles and reading Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher, changed his outlook.

I had a wonderful conversation about “letting go of goals” with Leo Babauta where he clarified things for me that I was having trouble grasping. My main concern was that I wouldn’t accomplish a thing if didn’t set goals. Leo assured me that wouldn’t happen if I allowed my bliss to lead me each day to do what gave me the greatest joy. When he aptly described this as, “Going back to a childlike state of wonder,” it all became clear. (Listen to the recorded interview here)

“That I can do,” I thought. I can allow my bliss or that “childlike wonder” to lead me from project to project without setting goals.

I realized that if there were something I felt drawn to do, that made feel joyous, full of enthusiasm and excitement that it was my intuition or bliss telling me to “go for it!” Whether I called that pull a “goal” or not it really didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I allow that “feeling” of enthusiasm and joy to direct me from one project to the next.

Leo made yet another excellent point that convinced me that following my intuition rather that goal setting was right for me. He pointed out that if we are too rigid we might miss out on other opportunities because we are so focused on completing this narrow set of goals. Having experienced this in the past I knew it to be true. I would zero in doing X, Y and Z but, if A arose I would turn it down because I was so committed to these other goals. Who knows where these other opportunities might have led had I not turned them down? I am determined not to let that happen again.

So how has the process been working so far?

Relaxed

I feel so much less stress. The idea that every day I am doing what I’m led to do rather than what I “must” do has changed my reaction. I may be doing the very same things I was doing last year but, I feel much more relaxed about them.

Creativity

I used to open my in box and go through my email first thing in the morning. I thought that if I got the job of responding to emails out of the way it would leave me time to focus on creating/writing new articles. This never happened though. Instead one email led me to the next thing and the next thing and, before I knew it half a day had gone by without my having written one word.

Now I write first thing in the morning – no matter how many emails I have. This is always what I wanted to do in the first place but, I became to rigid. Having this list of things to do: “Go through in-box” totally messed with my creative output. I write best in the mornings and I’ve always known this. My mind is clear and full of ideas. Waiting until later in the day was making it feel like a grind to write.

Happiness

I’m happier! I feel so excited about what I’m doing. The fun is back. I don’t approach my work as a “chore.” And that has made all the difference. I’m confident that my happier frame of mind is due to being free of goals.

Time

I find the day goes farther. I don’t feel stressed and rushed like I did in the past. This makes me feel that I have “enough” time to complete everything I’m working on whereas in the past I felt that I never had enough time.

Productivity

My fears of being unproductive were unfounded. I’m just as productive as I was before but, without all the stress. It’s wonderful. If I do become more productive than I have been in the past it will be because I no longer multitask. I now focus on doing only one thing at a time.

We are only three weeks into the new year and already going without goals has made a huge difference in reducing my stress levels and upping my enjoyment. I’m looking forward to all the “unpredictable” fortunate coincidences that are to come now that I’m following my intuition and not rigidly stuck on certain goals.

So far 2012 is proving to be a good year:

I was over insured in my property insurance. No need for reinsurance. I received a refund!

Navigating by Intuition has been a best seller in its category on Amazon for several weeks!

Let’s see what 90 days of going without goals brings.

I urge you to try letting go of your goals in favor of following where your intuition leads you to as well.

Did you make resolutions this year? How have you done so far? Would you consider trying this experiment of going without goals with me?

If you enjoyed this post please share it on social media. Thank you.

P.S. Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to have Powered by Intuition updates and newsletter delivered right to your in-box.

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If perchance to dream… –William Shakespeare

Dreams can be a valuable source of information.

The two most valuable types of dreams are the intuitive guidance dream and the precognitive dream.

An intuitive guidance dream gives you an answer to a problem in your life and/or insight into a challenge your are facing in life.

A precognitive dream foretells of a future event.

Just recently I two such dreams in one night.

The first one was so unusual that I woke up from it, which is probably why I remembered it so vividly.

I was standing on the sidewalk when a car turned in from the street to a driveway. As the car stopped next to me waiting for the garage doors to go up, I saw a young man in his forties with a bandage on his head in the passenger seat. He turned to look at me. I was startled to see that his eyes were rolling around in his head.

An older silver-haired gentleman was driving the car. As the garage doors went up I saw there was an operating room set up at the back of the garage. In a “flash” I realized the silver haired man was a “Hannibal Lechter” type and he had been slowly cannibalizing this man’s brain. The older gentleman had been eying me while he waited for the doors to open. I suddenly thought, “I better get away from here before I become his next victim.”

I looked at the clock on my bedside table–it was barely 5 am. “I don’t like this it’s creepy,” I thought as I scribbled it down on the pad I keep nearby for recording dreams.

Shortly before 7 am I had the next one:

A friend of mine was a teenager again and living in her parents’ home. She was very fearful, upset and teary-eyed. She kept wringing her hands saying she didn’t know what to do. She asked me several times, “What do I do?” before I woke up.

As I opened my eyes at 7 am my first thoughts were, “My friend is in trouble. I better call her today.”

Many times our dreams are only reformulations of things that happened to us during the day or images we saw on television. And, they don’t mean a thing.

However, if you have trained yourself to remember your dreams and set the intention to receive guidance in this way, then many of the ones you remember will contain intuitive guidance. When we dream we are more open to receiving information via our intuition simply because our conscious mind doesn’t filter the information. The information contained in the symbolism of the dream is pure and uncontaminated by the logical mind.

Our intuition always speaks to us in the most expedient manner. It doesn’t add any “padding” to the information and is always a “nugget” of pure gold. When we are awake it will send up information to us quickly in a burst or flash as a “whole” idea that we immediately grasp. When we are asleep it will encode the idea in symbolism.

Once we have trained ourselves to remember our dreams it also becomes more likely that we will have an occasional precognitive one, like the one I had about my friend.

Interpreting dreams

Dream interpretation is not difficult. The dreams you have will relate to what is going on in your life especially, if you have been doing work on yourself to understand your behavior and the problems you have encountered. Why do you think therapists love analyzing dreams? Your dreams are a window into your true feelings about things that are happening to you in your life.

I knew immediately what the dream about the older man cannibalizing the younger man’s brain meant. Often once you become known for being intuitive people seek relationships with you merely because they want access to your intuitive input. I realized that my intuition was warning me that it was time to be bold and clean house of a particular acquaintance, who happened to be an older person.

Interpreting precognitive dreams

The friend I dreamed of returned my call very late that evening. She is in a job she hates and is frantically searching for a new one. In the morning her boss told her that she was being placed on warning for her absences. She has a daughter with health issues. Later her daughter’s school called to say she was sick and needed to be sent home, which upset her even further. When she went to leave work she found one of her tires was flat. By the time she called me she was emotionally drained and a mess. She said she felt like a “helpless teenager” who couldn’t cope with all her problems.

I knew this was a “precognitive dream” from the way I felt when I awoke. I was alarmed and worried about my friend. My gut told me that she was in trouble.

Dreams are a rich source of intuitive guidance

You don’t have to become a professional intuitive to glean the wisdom of your intuition. One of the best ways to access this wisdom is through your own dreams. And, it’s not hard at all to train yourself to remember dreams. Within a few nights you too can be recalling your dreams and mining them for the pearls of wisdom they contain.

Follow these simple steps to remember and analyze your dreams:

1. Set the intention to recall your dreams. Everything begins with your intention. If you truly desire to remember your dreams you will.

2. Be prepared to write down your dream. Keep a pad and pen on your bedside table so that you can write down your dream as soon as you wake up.

3. Give yourself clear instructions to recall your dreams. Before you go off to sleep tell yourself that you intend to recall your dreams. Remind yourself that you’ve placed a pad and a pen on the table so that you can write them down. Visualize yourself writing a dream down on the pad when you wake up the next morning.

4. Write down your dream as soon as you wake up. If you get up and move around you will forget. We always think we will remember our dreams because they feel so vivid when we wake up but, chances are you won’t.

5. After writing the dream see how you “feel” about it. What is the first association that comes to mind regarding the dream? This is often the key to unlocking the symbolism within the dream. If you’re unsure “play” with a few different ideas as to what the dream could mean. Intuition is all about “feelings.” Always go with the interpretation that feels right.

6. Stay away from dream interpretation books. Interpreting dreams is highly personal and individualized. You are much better off discussing the dream with someone who knows you well than going through a dream book.

Follow these steps until you begin to remember your dreams. It might take two or three nights before you begin to recall your dreams so don’t give up even if it takes a bit longer.

You can train yourself to remember dreams even if you haven’t remembered a dream in years. You can also train yourself to interpret dreams as long as you’re open to examining your true feelings about things in your life. Once you begin remembering dreams don’t be surprised if some of them turn out to be precognitive dreams as well.

Do you remember your dreams? Have you had any that shed light on a problem? Have you ever had a precognitive dream?

If you enjoyed this post please share it. Sharing is the highest compliment you can give me.

P.S. While you’re here do subscribe to my newsletter and updates and receive a chapter from The Intuition Principle as my gift to you.

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