by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Nov 20, 2019 | Holistic Healing, Life Transitions, SoulTalk |
Closet Clutter Clearing Therapy…
“We’re in contract.”
One sentence that culminates a whirlwind search for where to live when my husband retires.
It began with a one day trip to the beach at Ocean Shores,
where my husband indulged my need to stare at the ocean with my feet in the sand for 5 long blessed hours….
Something I’ve been craving since Mother passed.
And then a short drive around the peninsula…
A discovery of a new fun beach development…
Sandy lots available at just $15,000 each…
and a flicker of hope in my subconscious mind..
That maybe, just maybe, despite the 2008 crash and subsequent losses…
Maybe, just maybe, we could have our own little place again…
And maybe it would be a bungalow at the beach…
A few conversations with realtors and mortgage brokers,
and we were amazed to be “invited” back into the world of the living…
Where people who are considered trustworthy are offered mortgages to buy houses…
We are invited to get back into debt.
Imaginations ran wild.
Lighthouses.
Boat storage business.
Merry go round.
Kite store.
Short term rentals.
Oh, the possibilities!
Eventually coming back to earth,
We realized that retirees who build dream houses in tiny beach towns eventually leave…
for health reasons…
or for better amenities…
and houses where there is no real job market don’t appreciate…
And if we were really going to get back into home ownership, where would we REALLY want to live?
Eenie meenie mienie mo…
Where on earth do we want to go…
We wrote our wish list and started studying housing markets…
“We’re in contract”.
The decision is done.
But the work has only just begun.
Clutter clearing, here we come!
I watched a sappy sweet Christmas movie,
turned on a sentimental Christmas music playlist,
and headed for my closet.
Yep… the closet I couldn’t really clean when I went through
Clutter Clearing Class the first time a couple years ago.
This time, with the promise of a beautiful new home as motivation, I began.
Touching each piece of clothing, I muscle tested yes or no.
Yes to keep and no to let go…
The yes’s stayed on their hangers…
The no’s made it to the closet floor.
Some were obviously past their prime…
Hidden deep in the closet I’d ignored them for 3 years…
But some surprised me…
They were things I still wear…
Things I like, even…
And some brand spankin’ new…
But never worn….
Why were they never worn?
Because I had changed.
I became a new me –
And this is a new day.
Ready or not…
The music jangled on…
But my tears began to flow…
Do I really have to let go?
Yes What am I letting go of?
Why am I crying?
What is this fear?
It’s not the clothes.
I am letting go of the me that I was when I wore these items every day…
When I was young and slender and lithe and quick and vibrant….
I am letting go of the pain I felt when I was so sick
and my children cleaned out my closet of many favorites,
thinking I would never get well again…
they thought they were doing me a favor…
and maybe they were,
but it didn’t feel that way then.
“Let go of the old, you you can make room for the new.”
That’s what they say, but when you’re not ready,
it feels more like pain and grief and loss.
What if letting go of the old releases the loss?
What if letting go of the old empowers you to live fully in the present moment?
I feel the energy lift.
I lived 20 when I was 20.
40 when I was 40.
And now as I am now…
Wiping the tears away, I continue…
This time, on purpose…
the letting go is totally on my own terms.
“We are under contract”…
Which means we made a conscious choice for where to live
for the next however many years we’ll be embodied on this planet as Kevin and Jo Lyn…
It’s been a journey of faith,
of conscious choices,
and careful budgeting.
Good stewards.
Good stewards of the resources we know we will have for the long term…
And if you’re health is such that your world shrinks to the size of a box…
I say, let that box be beautiful!
Take only what you really want.
Bring with you only what serves you in the now.
Accept and be the you that you are today…
Jeanie Brosius King and Marie Kondo would be proud of me.
I am proud of me.
I manage to pick up the pile of clothes from the floor an armful at a time.
My balance a bit wobbly – I am grateful for the door moldings that my fingers hang on to,
Supporting me as I shuffle from here to there.
My thoughts flicker to my friend who can no longer walk at all…
I muscle test each item on the bed.
Separating them into piles,
one to keep,
one for my daughter,
and one to let go…
The keep pile is small,
And as the other two grow,
I find my words changing from “let go” to “give”.
And along with the words, feelings of gratitude flow…
Give.
Give.
Give.
And Live.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
It has only just begun.
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Sep 14, 2019 | Happiness, Jo Lyn's Blog, Life Transitions, Money, Personal Empowerment |
Review of my website dashboard revealed this post from a couple years ago… I wrote it, but held too much fear and pain in my heart to publish it at that time. I’ve grown since then… but it still may have value to those working through similar processes. Sending love and blessings for your journey…
Scarcity and Abundance – Patterns of Perception and Response
Growing up in a family with a predominate viewpoint of scarcity was certainly a challenge – but also a blessing. My family taught me how to work – how to be industrious and creative in solving problems of daily life. But looking over my mother’s shoulder as she struggled to pay the monthly bills also taught me that money was something always in short supply. I determined early on that if I wanted to have anything in this world, I would need to work for it – and I did so with great strength, courage and enthusiasm. I held the certainty and hope that hard work would bring me things I wanted to have and a certain amount of worldly riches, or at least enough resources for basic support and comfort.
Growing up in a family with a religious heritage was also a challenge – and a blessing. I seemed to come into this world with my own strong sense of the worth of souls and the value of service to others. The religious training I received from being raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has supported my deep sense of spirituality and added depth and richness to all of my life experiences.
But there were also inner conflicts aplenty, which seem to have originated from habitual family patterns of reacting to life challenges from a perspective of fear and scarcity rather than responding from a space of love and abundance.
Therein lies my quest – to honor and appreciate the goodness of my family heritage and to release and let go of old patterns and perceptions that have kept me stuck for years in scarcity and pain.
I cannot tell the whole story of my journey to a life of generosity and abundance in one blog post. But I can share one small episode as an example.
Recently, I became aware that someone I cared about was resentful of us. It appeared that he had the impression that we were “rolling in the dough”, but wouldn’t help him in his financial trials. He had no clue that we were going through the same economic storm as everyone else we knew – and not faring very well.
When I learned of his opinion, I was triggered. My anger flared dramatically. I was immediately offended that he set himself up to judge us as unworthy of affluence. He had no true knowledge of our efforts to grow and expand beyond who we were and try to become “successful”, only to see it all wiped away during the economic downturn, and have to start all over again.
My husband saw how the conversation triggered me. He touched my arm lovingly, and whispered in my ear that the conversation was not meant to hurt either of us, but just to be an opening for improved communication. I grew silent and kept the rest of my thoughts to myself as I realized that the real problem was my emotional flare – something in me was definitely triggered by this conversation.
My thought process:
What is the real reason for this person’s resentment?
Have I actually caused him any harm? No.
It appears that our offense was to work hard to try to overcome scarcity mentality.
We were successful for a while, then seemingly, not.
All our hard work did not “pay off” and bring us “riches” as we had been taught as children that it would…
At least, not for the the long term.
But even then, why would this person be angry if we did achieve “success”?
Isn’t that what we all were encouraged to work toward?
And even deeper than that, why did his opinion even matter?
Why was I triggered emotionally?
Trying to make sense of what was going on inside my own psyche, I turned to The Body Code app and began using my muscle testing skills to discover some deeper answers.
“Is there an underlying reason for this flare of anger?
The Body Code led me to Energies > Post Traumatic > Inflammation
Underlying the inflammation energy were twin causes, 1) an addictive heart energy and 2) an energy of parasitic pathogens.
My intuition kicked in, and I muscle tested further, verifying the thoughts and memories that flooded into my consciousness.
The inflammation and parasitic energy were intertwined, and related to the perception of never-ending scarcity.
My scarcity beliefs began with an addictive heart energy inherited from my mother before I was born. Mother evidently experienced some kind of deprivation and fear while she was carrying me, and that energy was passed on to me at my birth. This distorted belief was then proven “true” by early childhood experiences (ask me some time about “Life Savers vs Tootsie Rolls”), and later childhood experiences of never enough money and not being deserving of receiving or spending money. I also discovered a deeper and darker sub-conscious belief that my very existence was not a blessing to my parents, but instead, that I was perceived as a burden, physically and financially. I believed myself to be a financial parasite to my parents – an “unprofitable servant” so to speak. Hence, my addictive heart energy of feeling desperate for love, my willingness to do anything anyone asked of me even if it was harmful to me, and the underlying belief of being undeserving and worthless. Oh, how I groan as I see how these negative patterns have played out in my life!
Even while I have been successful in many things, these and other inner conflicts have held me back from becoming all I can be. Sigh…
Let me be clear about one thing.
My parents never consciously intended for me to be hurt, or to cause any inner conflicts. I think they wanted me to be rich and happy, and while they taught me how to work, they didn’t truly believe I could ever really achieve anything substantial because I am a girl, and therefore in their world view, incapable of success or wealth building. I think they thought that for me to ever be rich, I would have to “marry money”.
Subsequently, I grew up with a self sabotaging psyche. I worked hard. I tried to work smart. I created a certain level of financial and business success, but not knowing how to manage during the economic meltdown, self-sabotaged myself right out of the abundance I had created. It was a nightmare to actually experience that self-fulfilling prophecy of scarcity.
Is there a real way out of this quandary of inner conflicts, self-defeating behaviors, and feeling like an unwanted vagabond on the face of the earth?
Yes, of course there is.
Everything begins with energy…
The energy of spirit…
The energy of thought…
The energy of emotion…
The energy of response…
The energy of choice…
The energy of action…
The energy of manifestation….
There is much more to share…
“Come along with me, the best is yet to be.”….
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Mar 9, 2018 | Jo Lyn's Poetry, Life Transitions |
During meditation, I feel clear,
having let go of unhelpful thought patterns,
self-deprecating beliefs and old, dysfunctional resentments…
Scarcity and fear no longer motivate my words.
But when it comes time to create something new,
I am finding within myself a strange emptiness…
Or perhaps, too many possibilities of directions to go.
Oh, that I could feel inspired by the Light within
to bring into form something
beautiful, vibrant, worthy and welcomed
by those with whom I am meant to share.
– Jo Lyn
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Oct 28, 2017 | Authentic Wholeness, Compassion, Jo Lyn's Blog, Life Transitions |
The Deep Waters of Grief
Each stage is a season, bringing both a blessing and a shadow.
How you fare through the transition is a matter of perspective and choice.
And of course, it helps to reach out to compassionate hearts
and kind hands to help you on your way.
DENIAL
The Blessing:
A merciful temporary shield of protection.
An insulating numbness,
protecting your psyche from the magnitude of what just happened,
Denial mercifully allows you retain the strength needed to step up
and do what needs to be done in this, your most immediate hour of need.
The Shadow:
Denial can be so deceptively comforting you may be tempted to stay here forever.
Don’t stay cocooned here too long, or you’ll miss out on the rest of your life.
ANGER
The Blessing:
A catalyzing, actionable energy.
Anger brings with it the ability to effect powerful change in split-seconds.
The Shadow:
Be aware.
Misdirected through ignorance, blame or imperfect perception,
Anger can damage and destroy a sensitive, fragile new beginning,
plunging all back into depths of despair.
BARGAINING
The Blessing:
An opportunity for introspection.
Bargaining allows you to look at all the angles of your tragedy,
and realize the magnitude of the part you played in each scene.
Such conscious awareness can enlighten the soul for the highest and best good.
The Shadow:
Endless examination of what went right and what went wrong,
and all the “coulda’s, woulda’s, and shoulda’s”
that may or may not have been done differently
can imprison you, powerlessly, in the past.
DEPRESSION
The Blessing:
Stabbed and wounded,
Depression becomes your respectable retreat, your safe space,
where you are allowed to process this epic truth –
Your Life, as you knew it, will never be the same.
Do not fear the pain.
Acknowledge it.
Even embrace it.
Fully feel the twisting blade of despair,
And share your anguish with a trusted, nonjudgmental soul.
Only then, when the magnitude of your loss is fully validated,
will the sharpness soften and the tide recede and you discover
there is rest and renewal to be found in these quiet depths.
The Shadow:
Excessive indulgence in Depression can become endlessly disabling.
Do not succumb to the temptation to wield Depression
as a weapon of self-pity against your present and your future,
for left unchecked, it will steal your ability to love,
and that, my dear, would be the greatest tragedy of all.
.
ACCEPTANCE
The Blessing:
Oh blessed is the day when you awaken from sorrow and hear a song of joy again!
Acceptance peeps slowly, gently, up through the receding pain,
Just tiny moments of awareness seeking sunlight through snow frozen field.
You still breathe the breath of life.
You LIVE.
And alive, enlightened by the lessons, you can choose to walk more meaningfully.
The Shadow:
Defeat is the shadow side of Acceptance.
Giving up is the sin.
The true sorrow is if you let the pain dim the light of your soul
and the world loses you… and your purpose… and your natural expression of joy.
Yes, you were horribly hurt.
Yes, you felt powerless in your pain.
Yes, it happened to you.
But you are not alone.
You did not drown.
In avoiding the shadows and embracing the blessings contained in this prose,
you can climb into the ship of compassion
to safely cross the seas of change.
Blessings,
Jo Lyn
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Oct 17, 2017 | Life Transitions |
“Do more of what makes your soul happy” I read.
What makes my soul happy? I asked?
Nothing.
Blank slate.
Nothing.
I feel so differently than I did just a few months ago…
What with clearing away all the karmic distortions…
the ancestral dramas and traumas…
The old fears I felt for so many years….
The emotions that drove me then no longer affect me now.
Now… I feel just – blank.
Hoping this is just a resting space…
That soon – my soul will realize it is free and begin to shine….
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Jul 3, 2017 | Life Transitions, Personal Empowerment |
The Healing Process of Grief
A friend recently reached out for help after her parents died. She expressed that she is wavering between lost, stuck and numb, and not sure how to move on in life.
Lost, stuck and numb… symptoms of deep grief. It reminded me of the grieving process our family went through upon the death of a grandson (just 12 days old)… and when we went through bad economic times (and lost our properties)… and when one of our extended family members divorced (I lost a sister in that mess…).
Life can be messy – even when you think you’re “doing things right”, things can go wrong, and people can get hurt.
And so… we grieve.
There are five basic stages of grief, outlined by medical researcher Elizabeth Kubler Ross years ago.
I learned about them in the BYU Nursing School…. it’s funny what sticks with you through the years. There’s so much from college I’ve forgotten – but I still remember these stages of grief:
We can go through these stages in any order…
And when something triggers our memories of our losses, we can go through them all over again.
And we can stay stuck in any one of them for any length of time.
We discussed the grieving process in the caregiving classes I used to teach. I remember presenting this list of five stages of grief, and asking if anyone had any experiences they wanted to share. One of my students jumped up and said “YES!” She explained that she had been stuck in denial for 15 years following her husband’s death from a car accident – and only “woke up” when her son graduated from high school. She had missed 15 years of his life, numb-stuck in the pain of loss, which she drowned in alcohol at the local bar… while her parents raised her boy. Her son’s high school graduation was the trigger that made her realize that when her husband died, she allowed herself to “die” too…. and wasted 15 years of her life. Yet there she was, open and excited to tell us her story. She had found help, stopped drinking, was sober, and was training to become a caregiver and contribute to the world around her. She was amazed to feel fully alive. It is never too late to begin again.
Each stage of grief serves a purpose to help us process whatever it is that hurts so much. Like navigating any life experience, it is in our best interest to listen to the Divine Spirit within us and to choose a good path going forward. It is possible that through conscious awareness, we can choose our emotions, our mental state, our thoughts and our behaviors. Basically, we are in charge of creating our own world – our own life experience.
Denial serves the purpose of keeping us from feeling the full effects of what happened, while we deal with the immediate issues at hand…. like getting through the funeral. But depression becomes part of the problem when we stay stuck there, unwilling or unable to find new ways to live.
Anger gives us the emotional power to take needed action in a decisive moment. Such action can be the “saving grace” in some situations. Misdirected, however, anger can be devastatingly destructive.
Bargaining is sometimes the chip that makes things better – as in negotiating and compromising with someone for a win-win. But when we’ve experienced the death of a loved one, we may try to bargain with God – as in, “bring them back and I’ll be perfect forever”. Promising to God that we will be a better person is a good thing… unless it puts unrealistic or impossible expectations on ourselves or others.
Depression is a process of acknowledging and processing the fact that the actual event really happened… and that our lives are irrevocably changed as a result. This is a time for honoring our loved ones and what’s been lost. In it’s best form, when perceived from a sense of conscious awareness of the purpose of life, depression blooms into gratitude for the blessings we experienced.
Holding onto our sorrows as a crutch, however, can change depression from a healthy part of the grieving process into a clinical dysfunction.
Acceptance is a state of allowing ourselves to grow… and to heal, as you, simply in reading this, are showing that you are ready to do. One of the very best things you can do in your process is to partake of the pure, unconditional love that The Great Creator of All Things, has for you. Say yes to prayer. Yes to studying the holy scriptures. Yes to seeking solace at church. Yes to reaching out to friends and family. Yes to calling upon God in your darkest of hours. And yes to thanking God for grace… and peace.
Validation
I remember as a little child, upon learning something new, I’d be so amazed that I would run and tell whomever I could find about the amazing new thing I had learned. If they ignored me, or brushed me off (yes, I was a chatterbox) I was not deterred… I’d simply go tell someone else… and someone else… and someone else… until finally, someone would look me in the eye, hear what I had to say, and agree with me that it was amazingly wonderful. Then, with that validation, I was free to go on and learn something new.Compassion
In the same way, pure compassion validates the human experience. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” can be the kindest thing to say – or to hear – when you’re in the depths of despair over a loss in your life.
But if you don’t have anyone you can reach out to for comfort, know this… that you have God-given capacity within your own heart and mind to send yourself some compassion for what you’ve been through. It’s perfectly okay for you to love yourself. And to accept the healing power of available to you simply by tuning in to Divine Love.
“I am so sorry for your loss”. My prayer is that you will find it in your heart to forgive yourself and others for any imperfections in your relationship with them – and with those who have passed on. And that you can forgive them for leaving you. It has been said that some people come into our lives for a few moments, some for months, some for years, and some for a lifetime or longer.
Acknowledge truth of life, and of death… and “the truth will set you free”.
The truth is, that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.
This world is not perfect, nor was it meant to be.
It was set up in a way to allow us to explore, and to grow, and to become closer to being our highest and best selves.
It is designed so that we can become more consciously aware of our power of choice, our ability to respond rather than react,and the power of love over fear.
And the truth is, some of this life stuff hurts, and when you’re in the middle of it,
it can be very difficult to see your way out.
Some people give up. You have reached out.
You are choosing to live.
You have chosen life.
Therefore, life has chosen you.
I am excited to see what you make of it!!
Sending you blessings of hope, encouragement and love…
Jo Lyn
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Jan 26, 2017 | Career, Life Transitions, SoulTalk |
Just need to express myself for a moment… One of my 3 web services clients just cancelled.
I’ve served them for over 3 years… and all the details their new web service guy needs he has already gotten from the website and social media I built for them….
Alas… I feel adrift and sorrowful that they no longer want my services…. or that they allowed themselves to be persuaded by someone else…. I consider them my friends… I made personal visits to the establishment every month… I championed them as a business… they won a write up in the local paper due to my online work on their behalf… and this is how they repay me? By cancelling my services?
Asking…
Is it okay for them to move on?
Yes
Is it okay for me to move on?
Yes
Did I serve them well?
Yes
Did they limit how much they would allow me to serve?
Yes
Have they grown beyond my capabilities?
No
Have my capabilities I grown beyond them?
Yes
OK. I agree. Perhaps the change is a blessing.
Still, it feels like a loss.
Am I allowed to grieve this?
Yes.
Denial.
Anger.
Bargaining.
Depression.
Acceptance.
5 emotions in grief.
I feel better just writing this down.
Thank you.
Is there a lesson here?
Yes
Something I could have done better?
Yes
Could I have built a better website?
Yes, but they did not allow you to.
They chose the limited services that matched them at the time.
Now that you have expanded who they are through your work,
They now feel ready to grow beyond what you created.
Should I try to get their business back?
No
It is time for you to move on.
You are capable now of so much more.
Is there a message in this?
Yes. Keep going. Keep growing. Keep giving your gifts.
As you expand and explore in your new energy
of affluence, ease and joy,
newer and better opportunities will come to you.
Prosperity, joy and abundance are flowing your way.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…
I go forward in the calm confidence of divine guidance…
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It is only just begun.
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Nov 29, 2016 | Happiness, Jo Lyn's Blog, Life Transitions, SoulTalk |
This Thanksgiving was different.
No houseful of family or guests.
No hours in the kitchen preparing turkey and fixings….
We let our grown children experience their holiday without us…
And as new “empty nesters”,
we chose something different.
He wanted food and football…
I wanted chocolate and sweetness…
and added in some service as well.
Thanksgiving Day with my husband’s sister and her husband…
Dining out, we enjoyed exquisite meals…
Grateful for this experience of Affluence, Ease and Joy…
Then a movie… Marvel Adventures of Dr. Strange…
A traditional doctor of western medicine…
Experiencing a traumatic wake-up-call,
Broadening his awareness into the
World of Energetic Power and Force…
Chakras… Astral Bodies… Dealing with Offensive Entities…
Altered Perceptions… Spells… Crystals…
Manipulating Space and Time… Portals… Vortexes…
“Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My”….
If you understand the world of energy… you’ll love this!!
Friday Football on the Big Screen,
A comfortable night in our own bed,
Saturday morning service at the Seattle LDS Temple,
Then a “quick” trip across the State to visit my sweet Mother….
Who currently lives with the friends who “bought the back pasture”
over 40 years ago, and established their homestead there.
It quickly became evident that her caregivers’ health is precarious.
His bulging disc and 6 months of sciatica pain
led to back surgery scheduled for Monday…
and they had made no provision for extra help for Mother…
just planning to leave her “home alone” while he is in surgery….
Some optimists live in a state of blissful denial…
And keep going despite overwhelming odds…
Until they just can’t anymore.
I know.
I did that.
The ostrich syndrome.
Works only in the short term.
Not for the long term.
Change is always coming.
We can resist… and struggle…
Or accept… and shape the change…
Leave my 94 year old Mother “Home Alone”?
We decided to stay longer….
“What if he doesn’t get better, Jo Lyn?” she asked. “What shall we do?”
I lean toward her in compassionate strength…
“We will deal with it together, one step at a time.”
He no longer has the strength to serve Mother’s needs,
And she is too frail to manage the wheelchair…
And it’s clear to us that it’s time for her to move.
But six months ago she adamantly refused the offer of change….
A Sunday evening open discussion at my brother’s home
produced three good options from which Mother can choose.
Meditative prayer and Soultalk sessions.
Intuitive guidance received.
A list of specific actions to perform for specific family members.
So much to do, in this healing process of love…
Mother requested an outing to the bookstore on Monday.
She selected her books and went to the check stand…
Where a 60’s something customer stood by,
Who, “in-cahoots” with the clerk,
Paid for Mother’s books before she could even get out her wallet.
“Merry Christmas”, the lady said.
Surprised and startled, Mother said, “Thank you.
What just happened?” We all laughed, delighted at the exchange.
Three ladies in the store obviously recognized Mother from
her decades of Church service in the community…
But Mother no longer recognized them.
“Mother, she gave you a Christmas gift – she paid for your books.”
“Well, Thank You!” she managed again…
“And Merry Christmas to you, too!”
The ladies gather round, watching, smiling,
as mother slowly makes her way to the door.
“Merry Christmas… Merry Christmas… Merry Christmas….”
In the car, heading home, she said again,
“Why did she do that? I don’t know her from Adam or Eve!”
“Mother, she gave herself the gift of giving,
She honored you for your years of giving in the Church and community.
They knew you… perhaps you taught them as children… or led them in song…
or served at a dinner… a funeral… or helped at a wedding…
or knew them in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers….
They knew you, and honored you.
In some way, at some time, you blessed their lives,
and today, in this way, they blessed you with a simple gift.
And in blessing you, it blessed them to be able to give.
Lunchtime. A simple meal.
A request for healing for her caregiver,
who was still waiting for his surgery.
“I am concerned for him, and I am concerned for you all…”
opened a gentle discussion with Mother.
Her preferences explored…
An interim support system in activated…
She chooses my brother’s place.
It’s closer, and already designed to serve her mobility needs.
“But I will have to get rid of a bunch of stuff before I move…”
“No worries, Mom, we will help. We can work it all out.”
Traveling home before the roads ice over,
“She wants to come to you… “
I love Mother dearly, and would love for her to come to us…
To care for her for the rest of her days,
However short or long that may be.
But to be able to manage her needs with ease,
Another change is needed.
Unpacking, in a quiet moment,
I sense my departed father near.
“Hello, Dad,” I say. “Are we doing okay for Mom?”
Is it right for her to go to my brother’s place?
Do you want her to come to me?
Then here’s what I need you to help me with…
A more generous size home.
Closer to my husband’s work.
And within our stated budget.
There are Angels Among Us…
On both sides of the veil.
Aligning all for the highest and best good.
Blessing energy flows abundantly,
Bathing us all in an abundance of Affluence, Ease and Joy,
As much as we are willing and ready to receive…
I am grateful for this Gratitude Weekend…
For the spiritual gifts I am able to activate for myself and others…
for the results of my SoulTalk healing sessions…
Empathic clearing of ancestral and present emotions….
The feedback I am beginning to receive is amazing…
My sister’s disability released enough that she was able
(and courageous enough) to drive her car for the first time in 12 years.
My nephew now free of rage that trapped him for years in fear and pain and isolation.
My disabled son now working… taking on life responsibilities in a new way….
Funds sufficient for our needs…
Simple, but profound, the blessings are flowing…
A real estate transaction resolution… “Your check is ready”…
I am excited to see what shows up next.
Thank you, thank you, thank you….
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | Aug 10, 2016 | Happiness, Jo Lyn's Blog, Life Transitions, Personal Empowerment |
The Purpose of Unsolvable Problems
I didn’t do it.
I didn’t cause it.
I couldn’t control it.
It was bigger than me.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t fix it.
I had told God that I wanted a different life.
And that’s what I got.
But I didn’t like the chaos that ensued.
I wanted to keep the good things I had…
Family, faith, friends and financial support…
And my dream house, too, of course.
But I found out that to get a different life,
I had to let go of the one that I had.
Well, partly, anyway.
Denial.
Anger.
Bargaining.
Depression.
Those first four stages of grief dominated my life.
The struggle and resistance consumed my focus for seven years.
I could see the writing on the wall.
But I kept trying to fix it.
And I couldn’t.
It was bigger than me.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
My intent was good.
I thought my approach to living life was right.
I cared. I served. I gave. I worked.
But if I was so right,
Then why did the bad stuff happen?
Terrible
Horrible
No good
Very bad
Stuff.
The stress of it broke me.
It almost killed me.
And I wanted to leave this life and go elsewhere,
Because I thought my brokenness
Was burdensome to those I loved.
But their love kept me here.
And gave me the courage
To let go of the fighting
And to seek understanding
Of why bad things happen to good people.
And I learned
To shift my focus
From what I didn’t want
To what I did want.
And to lead with my heart
Instead of my ego.
To give it to God,
And to lean on the Lord.
Acceptance.
In this last stage of grieving
Comes the healing.
I didn’t do it.
I didn’t cause it.
I couldn’t control it.
It was bigger than me.
And no matter what I did, I couldn’t fix it.
Until I could.
I gained a new perspective
And began to align with The Divine.
I stopped resisting the loss of what had been,
And began accepting what was.
And then the doors began to open.
I allowed the needed changes,
And my joy in life returned.
Accepting.
Allowing.
Receiving.
Rejoicing.
Authentic Healing is possible,
And it’s easier than we may think.
The purpose of an unsolvable problem
Is to turn our hearts to God.
Because With God, All Things are Possible,
And therein,
Is the solution to the problem.
It is time
To Align
With the Divine.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
The joy has only just begun.
– Jo Lyn Cornelsen
by Jo Lyn Cornelsen | May 14, 2016 | Jo Lyn's Blog, Life Transitions, Mindfulness, Personal Empowerment, SoulTalk, Spirituality |
Black Wolf, Dark Horse, Sleeping Girl
THE AWAKENING
I awoke really early this morning – 4 am. My husband is working till after midnight tonight at a special event… so I’m doing whatever I want during this day alone today. I studied this morning – another of the 67 steps, then researched the YMCA swim times to see if joining would work with how I want to schedule my life – turns out free swim is early morning or late night… bad timing for me.
I needed to get out of the house– so I went to the grocery store just to walk around a bit and pick up a few small items. On the way I pondered this morning’s training about creating a consulting business using just a computer, a phone, a landing page, a thank you page with a video, a survey (which qualifies the client) and an appointment calendar for intake phone calls. They said the system works well in any niche, so I contemplate my options.
I already have the capability of creating that marketing funnel with the software I have at hand… it’s simply a matter of choosing the right niche, identifying my skills and what the market wants and create an attractive offer and a targeted advertising campaign. I need to muster up the focus to BEGIN and FOLLOW THROUGH. For that, I need to create a multifaceted plan for how to create meaningful and lasting success.
First… becoming clear on what I have to offer:
I have 3 main areas of expertise – holistic healing, internet marketing and eldercare… and people come to me asking for help going deeper with their own healing work, for mentorship with AFH startup, and for help creating a blog so they can have a voice. I continually get requests in all three, and yes, a few sales.
But what do I really want to focus on? What is in my heart to do in this next phase of my life since I closed my care home? This wavering of clarity, associated with an underlying feeling of loss and unworthiness has kept me stuck and spinning in study mode for the last few years. My recent path has been one of learning to energetically let go of scarcity and step into health and prosperity by raising my conscious awareness and aligning with a higher level of functioning.
I came back home and studied some more.
I’m still wondering what I want to do with my days, but this aloneness is fine, even restorative. But I feel that I am ready to reach out and meet people in this new community I live in. We’ll be here for 5 years while my husband finishes out his years of work before retirement. I have the blessing and the freedom to focus on anything I want. I am appreciative of the peace and quiet and REST… but I know I am capable of more.
My online search failed to produce volunteer opportunities that felt right. I looked for nursing jobs, thinking I might enjoy working part time. I found several daytime RN case management jobs that may be a good fit, paying $80-$100 K / annually, but they are full-time. Initially, my muscle testing said NO. I continue to ponder. What would God have me do?
At this point in my life, to create a sense of a life well-lived, I need to be contributing in a meaningful, generous way, not from fear or lack or scarcity, but for the joy of experiencing the beauty of learning, giving, feeling alive and sharing the light as it is given to me… and yes, for the feeling of receiving respectful compensation.
I studied until I fell asleep on the sofa…
Late afternoon naps are tough to wake up from… and I dreamed.
I dreamed that I was sitting on a couch type bed in some kind of open sided dugout shelter that had just a partial roof and a small sink. I looked out over the grassy knoll and saw a black wolf staring at me. Our eyes locked, then he looked behind him to draw my gaze to a dark horse carrying a heavily wrapped burden strapped to his back. The horse appeared exhausted, “on his last legs”, and trusting in the black wolf to lead him to safety. I have “known” this dark horse forever. When he recognized me, the horse came right down into the dugout and actually laid down, positioning his bound bundle on the bed… and rolling over right on top of me with his legs in the air. Somehow I managed to slide out from under him in the gaps between his flank and the corner of the armrest… and noticed the form of an emaciated girl strapped and now trapped and nearly suffocating under the horse. I was able to unlatch the wide leather strap and the horse slid away from her onto the floor in a coma of exhaustion. I turned to the girl. Nearly incoherent, but now suddenly relieved of the suffocating pressure and weight, she hurriedly stripped off the dirty ragged scraps of clothing from her starving frame and curled naked into a fetal position, burying her face into the softness of the bed, whispering the word, “sleep”. I felt compelled to care and comfort this vagabond soul, and managed to get her arms into the sleeves of a large cotton flannel shirt, it’s plaid softness covering her nakedness and hiding the dark and dirty sores on her shoulder blades, evidence of lengthy privation. “Sleep” she murmured again, burrowing her face in the bed. I fetched a small cup of water and turned her face. “Here, you need this. Drink”… she roused enough for a few sips, curled up and fell asleep again… deeply this time.
The dream faded, then shifted.
Now I find myself dreaming about dreaming and being unable to wake up. I dream that my husband finds me asleep on the sofa. I reach out to him but I am yet unable to open my eyes. Knowing that if I sleep too long in the afternoon, I will have a wakeful night, so he takes my hand and pulls me up, embracing and steadying me protectively as my own energy awakens.
But I know this is still a dream, and I drift away deeply again.
Upon awakening from this late afternoon nap, I am in a state of knowing. I know that I want to contribute in a greater way. And I know that God is allowing me to CHOOSE. I don’t have to wait for permission or direction to choose what I want to do or where I want to create. Enough healing has occurred that I am strong on the inside again. I feel whole. My physical body still shows residual effects of former lack, but I am inspired and feel sufficiently aligned to know that God trusts me to do whatever good in the world I choose to do. On the inside, I feel I am in a state of capability, energy and grace, which gives me the power and permission to make my own choices.
I can continue to live very quietly and very small in my current situation, resting in the comfort of this concise, cozy and protected existence. I appreciate this time of quiet. It gives me the opportunity to rest and fill my cup… to study, to breathe, to feel comforted, supported and to experience some relief.
OR I can choose to grow and contribute in a new way.
We now have enough stable economic systems in place that I need no longer fear starvation. I no longer feel like a vagabond upon the earth. I know I am okay, even if I make no further effort to create additional income. I have no more need to struggle for my daily bread, just the simple responsibility to manage our resources well.
For the first time since I was a child, I have time freedom. It feels delicious. I do as I please each day… chunking my time to attend to the business of living as well as my studies, but with less stress than I’ve had in years. Currently, I am learning from the 67 Steps to Success… a condensed compilation of wisdom from peak performers from all over the world throughout the ages.
“Life hacking” – is what I call these condensed pearls of wisdom for effective living. I’m using this as a mentoring process to help me integrate all I have been learning and to empower my transition into to a new state of clarity and focus. I ask myself, “What is it that I can create in my life now, that will allow me to contribute meaningfully, and in a manner I find soul satisfying?”
An RN case management job?
A holistic consulting/coaching business?
Authoring another novel?
Complete my SoulTalk book?
Eldercare AFH startup coaching?
Local business marketing?
Opportunities abound, but I have yet to focus and engage fully in one massive course of action.
No worries. The message came clearly today in my dreams…
“Your focus will come soon enough, dear sweet sleeping girl. The knowing you seek will emerge when you are fully conscious and awake. For now, enjoy the sweet peace and freedom of solitude as you rest.”
***
The meaning of the spirit animal totems in my dream:
Black Wolf Totem
“Wolf is reminding us that although we see ourselves as civilized creatures – we are still animals with our own wild spirit. He is here to teach us about our inner selves and to discover our own power and stamina.”
“Learn to balance the responsibility of family needs without losing your identity. Use wolf medicine to develop strength and confidence in your decisions.” – Wolf
Dark Horse Totem
“If horse has crossed your path, know that you have the power to change anything and everything you choose in your life. Understand that the wild freedom of the horse can be harnessed and used for your own benefit and for those around you. This understanding comes only when man and beast enter a silent contract acknowledging mutual respect and awareness of responsibility to each other. Alternatively you are being asked to understand that true power is wisdom found in remembering your journey as a whole. Compassion, caring, teaching, loving and sharing your gifts, talents and abilities are the gateways to power. You are also reminded that all pathways have equal validity. Understanding this will give you insight into the power and the glory of a unified fami
ly and humanity. Understand that every human being must follow a pathway to empowerment before galloping upon the wings of destiny.”
“Believe in your freedom to make your own choices. You are never forced to do anything. The choice is always yours.” – Horse
“Dark Horse Meaning: a candidate or competitor about whom little is known, but who unexpectedly wins.”
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