I was leafing through old journals over the holidays.   I wanted to burn a few that I felt I was ready to let go of and  I made this part of my New Year’s burning ritual that I shared with you last week.  It was time to release old dynamics and patterns that had been documented and processed through already.

As I was reviewing these journals I noticed how many “soul seeds” I had planted and how they evolved, grew, or flowered into something else.  All the while there was growth.  That’s what soul seeds do.  They are small, energy packed seeds full of potential and with your desire and action, can manifest.

I also realized that many of the tools I share with you here, in my one-to-one work and in my workshops, I’ve been actively engaging in for many years.  So, I’ve done the research!  I used to make lists, long lists of what I wanted to attract in my life and I was very descriptive and detailed.  I was bold in the asking and then I let go.  I let go of  the outcome manifesting exactly as I had envisioned.  This is an important step as sometimes what shows up is sooo much better than what you dreamed up.

There’s something powerful about writing it down and sharing it with people you trust; it makes it real and possible.  This is one reason I love the work I get to do.  I get to believe in you, your dreams, hopes, and most importantly your healing.  I hold the space for you with all the light and might that I have available.

So now it’s your turn to go within and listen.  Listen for the whispers of your soul seeds.  They’re waiting for you to see them.  I’ve created a worksheet to rustle them up from your soul.  Remember, if you don’t have an answer right away, simply ask yourself the question and move on. You may receive an answer when you are making the bed, driving, or taking a shower.  All you have to do is invite an answer and stay open.

Wake up your soul seeds with this worksheet:  PlantingYourSoulSeeds

Stay tuned for the next vision step, next week, Creating a Safe Harbor for Your Soul.

All leading to——> my Vision Board workshop on 1/26/13.  For more information, you can find me on Facebook  Coaching for Your Soul .

My website is currently being remodeled, the walls are down and my designer is hard at work. Thanks for your patience and for visiting me here.

” Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.  Your Vision is the promise of what you shall one day be.  Your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.” ~ James Allen

As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve,  we have a tradition in my house of opening the front door to let the new year in and opening the back door to allow the past year to exit.  There may be some banging on pots and pans or some yahoo’s for fun.  There’s meaning in this tradition as it has become a metaphor for allowing and releasing.

Traditions and rituals are an energetic bridge between heaven and earth; they are a physical act of a prayer.  Michael Davis, author of “Rituals-Light for the Soul” writes this about the meaning of ritual; “the value in any ritual comes from its ability to connect you to a larger context that clarifies your relationship to yourself, others, and your place in the universe. Whether the names used are God, nature, ancestral wisdom, or the great mystery, a relationship is established that both nourishes and instructs”.

There’s been lots of talk  about goals, resolutions and new year planning as there usually is at this time of year.  This turn of the year is not just a number, it’s your life.  I’ve heard many people state that they don’t believe in resolutions, making them or keeping them.  Others say new years eve is just a day.  Resistance can appear in them there statements. Sometimes a deep-seated belief in unworthiness about the importance of your life and future, shows up in not wanting to consider yourself.

“This new year is your clean white canvas and you get to create it or paint over it at any time. “

I love this time of year because there IS talk about reviewing, creating and planning.  This is the kind of process I do all year-long with my clients and myself.  When you are awake and aware, you get to choose your response.   There’s personal power in that.  Let’s harness the focused creating energy that abounds right now and create a vision for your 2013.

Every year I hold the space for a Vision Board Workshop in January.  During this workshop we go within and tap into the deep well or our soul to create a vision board that represents our deepest desires. This board becomes a visual prayer, a reminder to the subconscious to pay attention and be on purpose.  I’ve been facilitating these workshops for over 12 years and I’m still amazed to hear about the manifesting that happens.  It’s not the board that does the work, it’s so much deeper; it’s your intention, your willingness to ask and have reverence for yourself and your life.

Today I’ll be sharing the first step in creating a vision for your 2013, and each week I’ll be adding another step to the process here on my blog, all leading up to my workshop on Saturday January 26, 2013.  Whether or not you’re attending the workshop, these prompts can open the door to you stepping into your life with intention.  If you are attending the workshop, these steps will be clarifying for your vision.

Here’s a few guidelines for your vision process:

1) This is not about being perfect, getting it right, or knowing all the answers right now. If you cannot answer a question, move on and allow the question to float in your subconscious until something appears.  Remove any pressure to know it all right now.

2) Dream your dream, in your own size. Your dream doesn’t have to be “BIG” or out there in the lime light, but it might be.   Is any dream “less than”?  Not here, not with me, ever.  Whatever desire or dream that wants to flow through you is already just the right size and purpose for you.

3) If you’ve held a quiet wish within you for a while, the time is now to plant it on your vision board.  It may or may not come to pass this year, as some dreams take more time.  However, the seed must be planted to get things growing.

So let’s get started with a New Year’s Eve ritual, the first step is letting go. Download Worksheet #1 here to begin: Letting Go Worksheet – Part 1

There is no better time than right now to be intentional about your life. Times are a changin’, and the energy is shifting,. Ride the wave of this energy by declaring what your heart and soul desires. I’m holding the vision with you for a 2013 filled with heaven on earth and in your life!

Hello 2013!

Kin-dle; to light up, illuminate, or make bright.

How is your inner light these days?  Does it burn brightly like a well stoked fire or can you barely find the embers aglow?

I’ve been in a flurry of “doing” activity this December; work and holiday prep, probably like many of you.  But before heading to the office this morning, I nestled into my comfy old chair to read the daily mediations from three books I have turned to all year.   After dusting them off…I found a common theme for the day in all three- light. And when I pulled a Denise Linn Soul Coaching® Card it was LIGHT.  Synchronicity at work and a message held within.

As the end of December is upon us, the religious holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah arrive along with the winter solstice that occurs on December 21.   With these, and many other celebrations taking place around the world at this time, the reason is light.   Ancient people celebrated light at this time of year by making roaring bonfires and bringing greenery inside the home, all meant to bring life and light to a darkened landscape.   These rituals represented hope for the coming of spring.

There’s lots of talk about the Mayan calendar ending on 12/21/12 and what this might mean.  The ancients who came before us marked time and seasons to track natures rhythms.  They didn’t have The Weather Channel or the Farmer’s Almanac to rely on.  They were also closer to the earth than we are now, and they listened. These ancient people observed the slightest changes in the elements.  Listening closely hones intuition.  So what did these ancients intuit about this time?

I  don’t believe that the  Mayan calendar is an end to the world in a cataclysmic sense, but rather a shift in consciousness.  It’s a time for us to awaken and become who we came here to be. It’s also a time for us to consider reverence for our home planet, all inhabitants and ourselves.

It seems that in the darkest of times, we must go to the depths to find our reservoir of strength and light. Like the trees, bushes and plants, we too must push our roots deep within when winter arrives in our lives. We all have a place within us that is pure light  – our Soul.  If you desire a deeper connection to yourself, align with the nature of this season.  Take time to get quiet, listen, feel, re-evaluate, take inventory, let go, and feel the light within you expand.

The following are 5 ways to begin stoking your internal fire and begin glowing;

1. Create a gratitude list – write down who and what you are grateful for in your life.  You’ll discover how prosperous you truly are.
2. Choose to be around people who empower you and lift you up.
3. Be generous with your time and talent and give in the most unexpected way.
4. Journal – a great way to connect to yourself, your Soul. Journaling says to your Soul; “you matter”.

By connecting consciously to your internal light, you affect not only yourself but those around you.  To quote Marianne Williamson, “and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same”.

May your Soul shine even brighter in 2013!

As I gazed into his * twinkling * eyes, my eyes got bigger and wider as I found myself looking for the magic.  It only took a second to say yes to having a photo with Santa.  In an instant, I went back many years remembering visiting Santa in our local department store and sharing my list with him.  I was always listening for the hooves of the reindeer on the roof of the store!  My inner “little self” showed up and I have to admit, it took me by surprise.  I left the business holiday open house I attended with added an extra sprinkle of happiness in my step.

YOU  have an inner “little self” inside too.  Sometimes this part goes into hiding if it wasn’t safe to express yourself when you were a child.  However, if you make this part feel safe now, he/she has much to share with you.   This younger self can hold; innocence, wishing, curiosity, adventure, expression, silliness, play ~ all attributes that keep life lively and you growing.

If you feel life is serious or there’s too much “to do”, you are missing out on potential joy that doesn’t have to be extravagant or costly.    All you have to do is invite curiosity into your life and remain aware.  There’s magic all around you ~ stay open.  I wish your “little self” some * sparkly * magic this season!

If you’d like to invite more curiosity into your life, I’ll be offering workshops this month and in 2013.   Here’s a  list in my latest newsletter:  http://icont.ac/1pTBQ 

My website is currently in process of an update.  Thank you for following me and I look forward to sharing my new site with you in January 2013!

This is your BIG, beautiful life. Savor it. Pay attention. And, most of all listen to your inner voice.

I wrote about savoring in my recent Soul Notes newsletter (you can sign up here) and I’ve been practicing the idea of savoring all summer long.

savor |ˈsāvər|    Relish, enjoy (to the full), appreciate,delight in, revel in, luxuriate in, bask in.~Webster’s Dictionary

Summer is my favorite season and I usually find myself wanting to squeeze all the juice I can out of it!  I take this practice of savoring into my daily life so that I remain aware,  awake, noticing, being present.  This is not only important in the work I do as a counselor, but in my daily life too.   I want to be fully here and experience what is in the now.  What does being fully here mean?

It means not hiding or running from what is.  It’s about leaning into life and creating what you want to experience.  For me, it’s the simplest things that bring me most pleasure. My yard feels like a huge ranch to me, even though it’s not and I live in the suburbs.  There is so much life in even a few square inches of grass.  You’ll notice too, as you slow down your outer pace. That’s when savoring happens.

Here’s a poem I wrote while sitting in my yard this past Sunday.  It was a savoring moment and I got out my poetry net to catch a few words about my experience.  Won’t you share it with me?  Come on out into nature for a moment…and savor.

Savoring Sunday morning

Sunrise peering through coffee steam

The coolness calms

And begins to soothe

The summer heat

That loosens its grasp

Giving way to autumn

A black crow caw

Pierces through the sky

Announcing the transition

Parting the atmosphere

A rustle bustle of squirrels

Perform on balance beam fence

Marshmallow tufts lull over canvas blue

Grasshopper clings to screen

We all slow down

Moving inward

To rest

Into ourselves

by Susan Cadley 9/9/12

What do you love about summer time?  What would you like to make sure you experience this time of year?  Writing down goals creates a momentum of energy for things to actually manifest, so much more than hoping and wishing do.  My comments are open, a great place to type it up and manifest your memories.  Share your list below and let’s grab a hold of the bounty summer offers us.

Ode to Summer:

This summer I intend to include:

An outdoor concert, eating watermelon outside, going to the Farmer’s Market often, the beach, spending lots of time on my swing, reading fiction (taking suggestions), painting flowers plein air (outdoors), walking in the sunshine, picking flowers, and swimming.

Your turn, what do you want to make sure you experience this summer?

Claim it! I’m holding the space for you here.

MEMORANDUM

TO: You

From: Your Bad Mood

It has come to my attention that something is amiss within.  I’ve created some signals to alert you to this matter that may include; frustration, pouting, depression, anger, sarcasm, aloofness, crabbiness, etc.

Sit with me, allow me to offer you information and awareness.  Take a few moments to get quiet.  Talk it out with a trusted friend.

Your task is to ask yourself; what is this bad mood about?  Then, allow your subconscious to offer you clues. Write down what you hear.

Listen. To your inner talk as your day unfolds.  Ask; is this my mood?  It might not be if you are sensitive to others emotions. If so, ask this feeling to move on. Outloud.

If you choose to ignore this memo, please be advised that you may receive additional memos like this one in the future.  I’m here to assist you in being clear and in touch with your soul.

Every month I create a full moon board inspired by Creative Living Coach  Jamie Ridler,  as a creative project and a way to tap into my inner dreaming world.  It’s become a meditative practice as I take time to connect to my soul and with curiosity, see what shows up.  This month is full of blues, greens, ease, fun, and illumination.  Growing. Blooming. Glowing.  My wish for you as well!

I love coffee. I love the smell of it, the taste of it, and the warmth of the coffee cup in my hand.  Savoring that first cup in the morning has become a ritual that I look forward to.  However, it’s time to take a break from coffee.  I’ve been listening to my body and this is what it’s telling me.

The first step with change is making a decision.  So I’ve decided.  Now comes the sticking to it part and the temptation.  This morning I recieved an email from Starbuck’s offering me a special; if I purchase a coffee drink in the morning I can recieve a free drink in the afternoon.  First thought, sounds good, I like it! Second thought, ha!  a temptation.

Sometimes when we make a change, we will get tempted to go back to the old way.  I look at it as a reminder about why I’m making the change; better sleep, calmer countenance, easier to meditate….lots of reasons.

If you’ve decided to make a change and a temptation appears, instead of lamenting about what you are missing out on, focus your attention on what you are recieving by NOT engaging in something.  Focus on the feeling you are working on creating with the change.  Feelings facilitate positive change.

Off to have a cup of oolong tea.  Perhaps I’ll be writing a love letter to tea soon.

I thought stopping by my favorite art store for some acrylic paint would be a quick in-and-out process.  However, I ended up meandering for longer than anticipated.  When I couldn’t find the lemon yellow I stopped in for, I turned the time into a sensory experience.  I wandered through all the aisles, touching papers and products, and drinking in the colors, textures, and tools.

Taking in all the color with my eyes, my vision expanded and brought me joy in the moment.  Color for me is energy, and it fills me up.  Looking at all the colors below moved me into what I call “possibility thinking”.

If you look at this photo and choose your favorite color, or one color, what happens to the rest of the colors?  When you finally make THAT decision, your choice has narrowed.

There are a plethora of possibilities when considering how to change, create, re-route, update your life experience.  Narrowing and deciding is an important part of the process, but it’s an end point.

When’s the last time you wandered and savored without choosing or selecting?  Stay open to more…more color, texture, feelings, ideas, things you haven’t thought of yet.  It’s a palette of possibilities out there. Oh yes it is.