Friday, October 24, 2008
Staying Positive in Negative Times...
We are living in turbulent times and even the most optimistic person may have feeling of uncertainty and concern about the future. We also know that the Law of Attraction suggests that what we focus our thoughts on is what we will attract into our lives, and surely anxiety and fear are not what we want to attract! Here are the steps I am taking to keep my focus on the positive and hope you will find them useful as well.

1. Turn off the television.

Let's face it, television news is 90% doom and gloom, and listening to pundits as they strike fear into your heart and mind is not healthy and can really bring you down...often without you realizing the impact their negativity can have. Sure you want to know what is going on in the world, but do you really need to hear the same fear-induced reporting over and over and over? I don't...so I have stopped watching the local news (seems to me all they ever report on is rape, murder and what bad thing has happened). I also limit the amount of time I watch national and cable news - I may catch the beginning of the program where they give you the headlines, but that's it. I read the newspaper every day, but refuse to read past any negative headline and instead search out the informative and inspiring stories.

2. Stay focused on the blessings.

Every time I catchmyself in "what if..." mode I consciously release that thought process and make the choice to focus on all of the blessings I have in my life and give thanks for them. I also give thanks for all of the wonderful blessings that I know are on their way to me, too! (For ideas on how to do this see the articles on Visualization, Relaxation and Meditation on HealWithHope.com. Also read about Journaling - a great way to let go of fear and anxiety by putting them to paper and then tearing it up to let it all go!)

3. Be aligned with what you want to think, feel, and be.

The more you think about what might go wrong, what bad thing could happen, you are more likely to attract this kind of energy. So make the choice right now to let go of self-defeating thinking and simply choose to know that everything is fine, and everything will be fine! It's really all just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, of accepting things for what they are - you might not be able to change everything, but you can reduce its power by detaching from it and acknowleding that "it is what it is."

Join me in the knowing that we are on the right path, headed in the right direction, and that good things are on the way for all of us. ~ Andrea :-)
Written at 7:33 AM by Andrea.
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Friday, October 17, 2008
Your Feelings, My Feelings...
I knew that my blog post last week might offend some people, but I didn't realize the hostility and anger it would arouse. If you didn't read that post, I spoke about my support for Barak Obama because I believe his optimistic attitude, sense of hope, and ability to bring people together would help to move our country past the divisive atmosphere that that has eminated from Washington for the 8 years. I suppose a website about natural health and healing is not the place one would expect to read someone's political views, but to me the upcoming election is about more than political views, but about the kind of energy and attitude we want from our leaders. I strongly believe that the energy we put out is the energy that we attract and I personally want to elect a President who is positive, hopeful, and open-minded - not one who is angry and bitter.

This is my opinion, what I feel in my heart. I may be right, and I may be wrong...but these are the feelings I own. And I can tell you that in my experience people who judge other people's feelings are creating an unhealthy environment for themselves and the world. Sure I get annoyed when I feel strongly about something and others don't see things my way...actually I admit that I am a pretty opinionated person...but I have come to know that the only way to survive is to learn to accept that not everyone will agree with you, that people will disappoint you sometimes, and that things will not always go according to your plan.

I learned a very valuable lesson many years ago when my husband and I went on a Marraige Encounter weekend. The weekend is spent focusing on learning to communicate without judging. The premise is that "feelings are feelings, they are not right or not wrong - it is what someone feels and therefore should not be judged." This philosophy has served us well in our marraige - we just celebrated our 35th anniversary. And I also try to live by this in all of my relationships - as mother, friend, sister, neighbor and professional. It isn't always easy, especially when you are a know-it-all, as I can sometimes be. But I try to be aware of this and take great pains to remember to do my best to honor and respect other's feelings and opinions, particularly when they differ from my own.

I know in my heart that the people who criticized me did so because they too are worried about our country, their families, and their future. I pray for the day when we can all stop fearing one another because we have different opinions, or look different, or sound different. We all come from one Source...and that Divine Power is inside each and every one of us - black, white, yellow,Christian, Jew or Muslim...we are more the same than we are different. And if we focus on the similarities as opposed to the differences our lives and our world would be much the better for it. ~ Andrea :-)


Written at 11:27 AM by Andrea.
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Saturday, October 11, 2008
Voting for Positive Change
I apologize in advance to anyone who may be offended by my political views. I realize this is a delicate subject, especially when being discussed in a blog that is dedicated to good health and healing. But I think if you read on you will understand why I feel so compelled to break my rule of keeping the subject matter strictly to what is in my heart, rather than on my mind.

Eight years ago when George W. Bush was running for President, long before I understood the principles of the Law of Attraction as well as the impact that the energy we put out is the energy that will come back to us, my instincts told me that there was something about him that lead me to believe he would not be a good President. He seemed arrogant, and lacking the intellecutal ability and intelligence I believed was needed from a President. I wrote an editorial to the local newspaper addressing these concerns and that I that believed that his divisive attitude and shallowness would lead our country to econonmic decline, as well as to conflicts in our relations around the world. Sadly, not only were my instincts right, but things have actually turned out to be worse than I had ever imagined were possible.

And so it is 8 years later and once again we are getting ready to elect a new President. And once again my instincts tell me that only one candidate has the intelligence, energy, and attitude that will lead our country away from the angry, closed-minded negativity that has pervaded Washington - and therefore the world - for the last 8 years.

John McCain has proven time and again throughout this election process that he is not the man that is going to change anything - he projects anger, bitterness and an unwillingness to be true to his professed qualities of being able to bring about positive change. I'm not worried that he will bring "more of the same" to our nation, but that things will actually worsen because he is so lacking in optimism and openess.

I am supporting Barak Obama for President. I believe he has the wisdom, attitude and energy to move our country in the right direction. I see in him a calm, pragmatic, and deep intellecutal ability, as well as a positive attitude and energy...and because I know that the energy we put out is the energy we will attract in return, I believe that his positive nature, and his judgement to surrround himself with like-minded people, will bring about not just a change in policy, but a change in energy that our country so desperately needs.

I suggest the next time you have the opportunity to watch John McCain and Barak Obama - don't listen to the words they speak, but the way those words are delivered...the body language...the demeanor. And I think you will see the calm, assured, optimistic energy coming from Obama, and the tense, angry, negative energy McCain exudes. If you believe that we have had enough negativity and negative energy in Washingon, I hope you too will consider bringing about positive change by casting your vote for Barak Obama, too!! ~ Andrea :-)
Written at 8:03 AM by Andrea.
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Thursday, October 2, 2008
Once a Type A, Always a Type A...
I'm about to make a confession, but please don't tell anyone as it might ruin my reputation as this very zen, spiritual being who preaches to anyone who will listen about living in the moment, and staying connected with your inner sense of peace and calm, even in the most hectic of circumstances.

Ok, here's the confession - I've just discovered that once you are a Type A personality, you will probably always be a Type A personality!! I know my inability to know-when-to-say-when was a major factor in my illness - I pushed and pushed and pushed until my body couldn't hold up any more. I was a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and managed a business - and always felt I had to do each to perfection.

Illness taught me that if you don't respect and honor your body, mind and spirit there will be a price to pay. And yet, here I am working like a mad woman the last few months, and most particularly the last several weeks. It is all for a good cause, and I am loving every minute of it, but I am pushing myself nonetheless. The Heal With Hope website is being completely redone, I am finishing a book I have written, and working on developing a line of inspirational products. There is creative work, accounting decisions, and legal ramifications to be addressed...this is in addition to my regular responsibilities of maintaining the current website, answering reader questions, and planning future articles...and of course caring for myself and my family.

I share all I am currently involved in because it is important to the central theme I am trying to put forth - that once you are a Type A you are probably always a Type A. What I have also found is that just because you know better now doesn't make it any easier to walk away from the things you see as your duty and or responsiblity, but it does meant that you are more aware of the price you may pay for all the pushing, and therefore it becomes easier to make the decision to expend your energy on things that really mean something to you instead of wearing yourself out trying to make the rest of the world happy (and believe me they never will be - the more you do, the more you are expected to do!).

The old Andrea would have sat and fussed with this blog posting until it was up to my usual gold standard...but tonight I am going to show the world, and myself, that although I may still be a bit of a Type A, I am now smarter and wiser and know when to say when...and so I say good night!! Because this on-her-way-to-being a former type A is tired and needs to go to bed. Sweet dreams... ~ Andrea ;-)
Written at 9:55 PM by Andrea.
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