TOOLS WITH HEART NEWSLETTER
INTUITION
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
IN THIS ISSUE:
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DIVINE INTUTION
In her book, Divine Intuition, Lynn Robinson demonstrates that we each have an unwavering and reliable source of wisdom to guide our lives. Without naming it, I have relied on my inner wisdom to find my direction in life. Most of us do, whether we call it divine intuition, instinct or logic. We may consult with others about decision-making, but don't we mull it over in our hearts and minds before we move on someone else's advice? If we take a moment to listen carefully, we can hear more than one voice vying for our attention. And, if we're fortunate, we follow the direction for our highest good.
Use your journal to dialogue with your voices, whether they are nagging, hungry or whining; listen for those whispers for your highest good - mentors, friends or guardian angels. They may be urgent or not, loud or dormant - whatever is calling for your attention - be on notice! Keep your journal and pen handy for these calls.
Ask Questions
Most of Tools With Heart journals have questions or prompts to jump-start your journaling, because we know that facing a blank sheet or canvas can be intimidating at times. In order to build a relationship with your own intuition, ask for guidance with one of your own questions. Use some of our blank sheets. "How do I feel right now? What is utmost on my mind right now? What relationship would I like to cultivate or heal right now? Where do I go from here?"
A friend of mine felt lost, disconnected to his purpose in life, at a crossroads, not knowing which way to turn. In his meditation, he asked repeatedly for guidance, "What's my next step? Where do I go from here?" He wasn't getting answers. He was prompted to change the question he was asking to "What is in my way? How can I create the space into which my next opportunity will show up?" He got answers about what he needed to rid himself of. He created the space by letting go of what was no longer working in his life.
"Anyone can spot wrong answers. It takes a truly creative mind to spot wrong questions." ~ Anthony Joy
Keep a Journal of your Intuitive Hits and Flashes
For me, I get intuitive "flashes" when just waking up and coming out of a dream. It could be a remnant of a dream as a vivid image or words, or it could be guidance in the form of a message. A flash is more unexpected, a surprise, a message seemingly coming from nowhere. A hit comes in the course of a day like an item on your "to do" list. For instance, the other day, I woke up with the notion to go to a particular pharmacy and ask if they have something I could take internally for itchy skin. I did, and they did! In fact, there was more than one solution to this problem, but I probably would not find it in an ordinary drug store. I consider this a hit. A flash may hit more like a bolt of lightening or ray of light.
Keep these hits and flashes in a special part of your journal; the more you notice them, the more your intuition will serve you.
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CREATING SPACE
What better time to get a sense of clearing, cleaning out the old and dusty to make way for the fresh and new than now? Take your cues from nature and notice the first spring blooms reaching toward the sunlight. Spring is a time of growth, and spontaneity, curiosity and an open mind are important to experiencing the energy of spring fully.
Where in your life can you create space for something new? Look inside as well as outside. What feels cluttered, congested, in the way? What are you stumbling over? What's that niggling voice saying? Ask yourself in your stillness, "What do I need to let go of in order to let something in?
Where you find stillness to journal is in your mind's eye, in an open heart and in your personal environment. Some of us are more sensitive to our environments than others. Julia Cameron is most inspired while flying in airplanes (me too). She also wrote prolifically in her parents' basement. My daughter, Amber, finds her inspiration in cafes, and so many get away from it all - to a sand dune or a seascape - to find their sacred space. Your writing instrument could be a Bic ballpoint or an antique fountain pen; your paper could be lined or unlined sketch paper. Whether it be the smell of fresh coffee or lavender-scented candles, the sound of music, traffic or silence, early morning hours, a lunch break or just before turning in for the night, create the space to invite your guidance in. More than anything else, it's creating the space for intention, invitation, opening - making way to see what shows up.
Tips
Try changing places for inspiration
Lie on the floor, sit on the roof, stand on your head
Invite someone into your space, maybe even a circle of friends
Take your journal to dinner
Tell us where and how you create space and are most inspired to receive inner guidance. All entries will receive a package of our spring refill for your journal.
Send your journal entry to: felice@toolswithheart.com
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FREE-FLOW WRITING
Along with creating space for new opportunity and information to find its way to you, is the gift of time or no-time, timelessness. Meditation and mindfulness practices create mind-space that allows us freedom from the boundaries of space and time. In this state we are gifted with heightened awareness. Here is where we meet our higher power, connect to the collective consciousness, or simply put, get the bigger picture.
Cynthia "Llovit" Attar, author of Channeling God Within Through Free Flow Writing, says,
"A dancer allows 'upstairs' to work through him to create an inspiring performance. A painter allows the taking over of the paintbrush to create a masterpiece of art. In the same manner, a writer allows 'upstairs' to come through in writing. The main difference is that in free-flow writing, the writer is left with more than a memorable performance or a valued masterpiece. She is left with actual words, messages and insight from god within, in response to self-directed questions."
Free-Flow writing occurs when you write spontaneously without stopping to think about what you're writing. It could come easier when you first awake in the morning while in a semi-lucid state. It could also occur when you are under a lot of stress, when you are distracted from your logical thinking mind.
Try this simple exercise:
Scribble
Get into your comfortable journaling space, put on some music (or not) and time yourself for 2 minutes. Instead of writing, scribble on your paper. Do not lift your pen from the paper for the full 2 minutes. Then interpret the scribble into words. Repeat the same two-part exercise with your non-dominant hand. You should be able to access a part of yourself that hasn't been heard from before.
And when you get stuck, ask for guidance, ask questions, and just start writing.
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FEATURED GUEST - OPRAH WINFREY
"Keeping a journal will absolutely change your life in ways that you've never imagined." ~ Oprah Winfrey
We are very grateful to Oprah for all that she has done to promote self-awareness, emotional healing and worldwide humanitarianism. As you probably know, she is an avid journaler and has recommended journal writing to many millions of people through her shows, her magazine and her Live Your Best Life workshops. The goals of Tools With Heart met those of Oprah Winfrey's, when in 2001 she saw our Woman's Book of Changes. "You finally brought me something of quality," she told her marketing people. We were asked to customize our Woman's Book of Changes for attendees to her Live Your Best Life workshops in June of that year. For those of you who attended one of Oprah's workshops, you would have received her journal. These journals are not available outside of the workshops, but the Live Your Best Life workshop is available on her Web site at www.oprah.com And your entries can be written into your Woman's Book of Changes.
The five categories in Oprah's journal are:
Why Are You Here?
"Your job - today, and throughout your life - is to learn why you are here to create the grandest vision for yourself and get about the business of living it!"
You are Co-Creating Your Life
"Your life isn't happening 'without' you, willy nilly. You are in the driver's seat. Every day you are setting into motion a process that creates reactions. And within that process, you have the power of the universe to help you build the life you want to have."
You Become What You Believe
"Challenge your big beliefs and ideas about what you are and are not, what you can and cannot do, what you do and do not deserve. Look at the smaller beliefs that define you to yourself. What beliefs serve you? What beliefs would you be better off without? Get clarity about your beliefs, and you will take another step toward becoming more of who you really are."
Your Life is Speaking to You
"In little whispers your intuition is telling you something. Did you not pay attention? The universe will speak to you a little louder - with a little tap on the shoulder. Then you get hit in the head by a 'brick.' Still not paying attention? A brick wall falls on you. Still not hearing it? Then you experience a full-blown earthquake! Listen to the whispers; they are the cues the universe is using to guide you closer to the true flow of your life."
Take Your Glory and Run!
"Your magnificence is just waiting on you. The glory of your best life - the best you can give to yourself AND to the planet - is there for you to take! Honor your own glory and surrender to it. Love yourself as the universe already loves you. See yourself as all that you can be."
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Felice Willat writes the Tools With Heart newsletter. We encourage you to forward it to your friends and family who may benefit from it. We only request that you keep it intact including our contact and copyright info.
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