In August I graduate from the Alchemical High Priestess process. To prepare for the emergence ceremony I am asked to talk about what alchemy means to me and how I am bringing the high priestess work into the world.

Because I’m a person who analyzes everything, this required some deep thought. I understand the theory of alchemy. It was once about changing lead into gold, but the spiritual process (the high priestess process) is about the transformation of my essence, using the method of alchemy to break down old patterns and limiting beliefs to distill what’s left into something pure and beneficial. But bringing the work into the world left me baffled. I know nothing of magic spells, or enchantments. I’m not an energy healer. And I don’t feel anything like an ancient Druid who commanded the elements of nature. So how do I act as a high priestess? What does that even mean?

Our wise leader, Bonnie Salamon, suggested I think about my gifts. What special contribution do I have to make to others? I thought about that on my walk this morning. My talent, my skill, my gift is with words, working with words, playing with words, creating beautiful expressions of love and feeling and helping others do the same. Words are my passion, hence my company Words of Passion. But how does my passion for words align with being a high priestess? 

As I walked I let go. I surrendered to the movement of my arms and legs. The inhale and exhale. My mind cleared and, as so often happens when I walk, inspiration flowed and with it a realization.
A couple months ago I heard of a new magazine called the Conscious Life Journal. The Conscious Life Journal serves people on a path of conscious awareness, helping those who are just waking up to chart their course and guiding those who are already awake. I wanted to be part of that vision so I offered my editing/proofreading services to the founder, Hope Merrill. I was soon put to work and edited an interview, then a couple articles, then more articles. My good work was noticed and Hope eventually made me a member of the core team as Assistant Editor. The first issue launches this month and we’re already at work on the September/October issue.

For years I have looked for volunteer work to do. I’ve felt a need to give back to the community, to the world, but my stints at the library, the literacy program, and others left me feeling empty. They just didn’t fit. Until now. Now I’ve found a home with the Conscious Life Journal. Not only am I editing articles, but I’m also writing for the magazine and managing part of the production. It’s work, yes, but it’s fulfilling work, work that I can be passionate about, work that I love.

I’m giving back to my community. I’m serving through my talents and skills and doing something I truly love. I didn’t know it until this morning, but this is a perfect example of bringing my high priestess work into the world. 

​There are millions of self-help books written about success and how to achieve it. Jack Canfield wrote The Success Principles. Steven Covey wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. There’s The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell, and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, to name a few. And every year more books are written. You’d think we haven’t figured it out.

I’ve read numerous self-help books on both personal and business success and still haven’t achieved the level that makes me feel accomplished. And many others are in the same place. Do you know why? The answer, for me, is that I wasn’t sure what I wanted.
 
People who get what they want have clear, measurable goals. Rather than saying, “I want to be rich,” they say, “I want to make $100K this year.” Rich is a vague concept. $100K is a measurable amount. If you make $99,999 you haven’t reached your goal.

​When I think about money, especially in terms of my business, I’m often unclear. I usually can’t make up my mind how much I want—$50K, $75K, $100K, or more. When I get into the larger numbers my conscious mind balks. “That’s too much,” it says, meaning it doesn’t think I can do it. But if I set my goal too low, then there’s a big piece of me that wants more.
 
So the first step in having what you want is to be clear about your goal.
 
This year I started reading The Path to Wealth: Seven Spiritual Steps to Financial Abundance by May McCarthy. The first thing that excited me about this book is that the 7 steps are listed in the Table of Contents. How easy is that? Then in the first chapter she gives you an overview of those steps and how you’re supposed to work with them each day. It couldn’t be simpler. The remainder of the book goes into more detail about each of the steps and offers additional help on reaching your goals. 
​

A huge portion of my spiritual growth right now is about deepening my connection to Spirit (God, Divine, Source) and trusting it to find my highest good. I used to be all about controlling the situation and only relying on myself. I felt I had to save all my money in order to have more, rather than being willing to give to receive. Those beliefs are changing. I began working the 7 steps on January 8 and am now into my second week. Each morning I thank my CSO (Chief Spiritual Officer) for all that I have (right now) and all that I will have (as if I already have it). The exercise is fun, exciting, and ever-changing. I haven’t seen a huge windfall of cash or an avalanche of clients, but I am much more at peace and excited about facing every day. And I know the abundance is there because I’m trusting in Source to deliver.
 
Another part of The Path to Wealth is beginning your day with reading something spiritual. McCarthy recommends the book The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovill Shin. It’s a small book written in 1925 by a metaphysical teacher and chock full of wonderful examples of using universal law and the correct wording to attract what you want. She gives story after story to illustrate her meaning. One of my favorite examples is about asking for more work. People often ask for more work (e.g., more clients) because they want more money. But they don’t specifically ask for more money. So she gives a simple rhyme to cover both bases:

I have a wonderful business
In a wonderful way
And I give a wonderful service
For wonderful pay.​
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​Easy to say, easy to remember, and the wording is just right!
 
So do you have what you want? This is a brand new year, a year to have fun, to expand, to accelerate your growth, and to achieve those lofty goals. Be clear. Trust in Spirit. And expect miracles!

by Ricia L. Maxie

At this most extraordinary time of Christmas we’re reminded of the story of Scrooge with his ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. These ghosts appeared to him to bring meaning, life, and light to his lifeless and dreary existence.  In the end we’re reminded to keep an open heart and give subsistence, time, and love to others.  

Yet what I’ve discovered is that there are three more insidious ghosts that can permeate us and tremendously limit our lives.  These are the ghost of Jealousy, the ghost of I Don’t Count, and the ghost of I’m Not Good Enough.

When I was a little girl, the ghost of Jealousy resided in our home—filled the walls, saturated the furniture, and, unfortunately and most importantly, imbued our family.  Because it felt like there wasn’t enough love to go around, family members tried to snatch pieces of love away from each other.  The love was there; we just didn’t know how to share it.  The ghost of Jealousy didn’t start with my family of origin, though.  It had woven through generations of ancestors, twisting and turning until it landed squarely in our family unit.

The ghost of Jealousy wasn’t the only spirit to live with us.  I remember one day as a child, standing in the dining room, and the only boy—my baby brother—was carried home from the hospital.  There had been four girls up until then, and there was to be another girl after him.  I was so excited watching my parents and their friends bring him into our home.  His sweet little body was swaddled in yellow blankets; gifts of all sorts were bestowed upon my parents because they finally had a boy.  I was most delighted because he was my charge.  I would watch after him until I moved out.  Yet it took me many years to discover what clogged my cells that day, blinded my eyes, and filled my mind.  I couldn’t distinguish it at the time—I was just seven—but I knew something ghastly had happened.  Something was different and I wasn’t ever going to be the same.  Jealousy for that sweet boy wasn’t in my heart.  It was something else, something more devious. It was the ghost of I Don’t Count.  

The ghost of I’m Not Good Enough directed the next thirty years of my life, triggering within me the feeling that I didn’t have enough to offer and whatever was offered wasn’t nearly good enough.  Anything I did, whether for my family of origin, my own family, or for work, proved to me that the ghost of I’m Not Good Enough was always the winner.

Fortunately I met something stronger than all of those ghosts: The Angel of Receiving.  The Angel of Receiving is a significant, winged Being, shimmering of luminous light, and born of the Source, the Light, the All That Is.  She moves through each person, permeating each with a glow of light, love, and appreciation when we let her.

All Light comes from the Divine, often through the Angels, and is the original gift.  This loving Light is given to us, and if we don’t have walls it fills us with kindness.  We then have something to give to others, to the world.  Giving makes the difference because it makes the planet a more peaceful and livable place.  But we cannot give unless we have first learned to receive.  We can only receive when we free ourselves of ghosts that cause shadows and lifelessness.

It’s hard to speak with or give to someone who is closed to receiving, closed to the inoculation of beauty and tranquility from the Angel of Receiving.  They have little or no appreciation for your gifts, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.  I used to give gifts frequently until I learned that giving is nothing without the other half.  One of my spiritual teachers stopped allowing me to do for her until I was able to permit my heart to receive.  Best lesson ever.  When we can both give and receive, the Angel assists us with self-worth and self-esteem.  If we can’t receive, we have nothing to give.  When we’re open to receive then we can give.

If I were to still carry jealousy, I couldn’t appreciate people.  If I still felt I didn’t count, I wouldn’t feel worthy.  And if I believed I wasn’t good enough, no gift of any form that I gave could be from a place of love.  The Angel of Receiving trumps any lifeless ghost.  It’s never too late to learn this valuable message.

​Ricia L. Maxie, An internationally renowned intuitive consultant/mystic, Reiki practitioner, and speaker, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volumes I and II. To order your copy of these inspirational books, click here.

by Judy Keating

We have often been told “it is better to give than receive.” It is truly a wonderful feeling when we are able to give to people we love. Society has deemed the giver a more honorable place to be. 

If you have ever been in a relationship where you are always giving, in most cases you become resentful, even if it is unconsciously. Brené Brown, who is world famous for her work in helping people with shame, vulnerability, and worthiness, shared a personal revelation. Do I as a giver have a judgment about the receiver?  Sit with that. Have you ever felt like the person you were giving to was weak or “needed your help?”  

If so, than in your giving you have possibly devalued that other person and it is no wonder that you feel uncomfortable receiving. In our society being weak or needy is paramount to the plague. This mindset muddies the water of being in a relationship. 

When we are in conscious equal partnership with another, we honor, believe, and expect that the giving and receiving will go both ways. Being open to receive is essential. Imagine that you could only breathe out. Eventually you would pass out due to lack of breath. When we breathe in, we receive; when we breathe out we give back and the plants, trees, etc. benefit. What an incredible system that is, automatically set for giving and receiving because it is a natural cycle. Yes, receiving is indeed as virtuous as giving. Without the cycle being completed and flowing in both directions, the energy becomes stagnant and without life force.

Receiving takes vulnerability. It is the art of being open to what life wants to gift you. Are there things, people, and accomplishments in your life that you desire?  Are you ready to receive? 
Here are 3 ways to increase your ability to receive:

1.    Be grateful for what you have. Not the platitude of gratitude. Put your hand on your heart, think of someone, something, or a place that you love. Then breathe into that love and send thanks and appreciation. This helps anchor the gift that appreciation is a way of receiving on a deeper level what someone has given you.

2.    Do not attach to what you want having to come “your way.” We have all tried to figure out how to get something the way we think it should happen. This blocks receiving from many other avenues. And it can prevent us from seeing other potentials and opportunities.

3.    Read Gay Hendricks' The Big Leap which uncovers upper limit beliefs that prevent us from receiving more love, goodness, money, health, or happiness determined by our Upper Limit internal set point. This is about understanding your unconscious beliefs about receiving and ways to change them.

The most profound way you can improve your ability to receive is to notice what you feel when receiving anything—a compliment, help with a heavy door, an unexpected gift or bonus, or someone saying I want to give you (fill in the blank).  Stop and notice what feelings, sensations, or thoughts pop up. Do you deflect, shrink, or feel uncomfortable? Just notice what happens. Becoming conscious of how you receive will give you valuable information about ways to better your acceptance of being open to receive what you desire most—connection, joy, and gratitude for all you have been given.

​Judy Keating M.A. is a co-author of F.A.I.T.H, Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. She is a Master Certified Shift Your Grief ™ Coach, an intuitive healer, Reiki Master, Crystalline Consciousness Technique Advanced Practitioner, sought-after Workshop Facilitator, and Public Speaker. See her website www.innerlifecoaching.net for more information.

by Terry Crump

It’s really important to be able to receive love and receive compassion. It is as important as being able to give it. – Pema Chodron

As the end of the year approaches and the holiday season gets into full swing, I have been reflecting on our practice of giving and receiving gifts.  I have realized that in some ways it has been somewhat easier to accept the gifts that others offer to me during the holidays, a discreet period of time, rather than throughout the year.  Like a distinct badge of honor, I’ve carried around this notion of it “being better to give than to receive,” allowing this belief to resonate from my being, defining who I am—a giver. I’ve also looked around and seen that there are some pretty happy folks who do just fine with receiving. No, these aren’t particularly selfish, self-serving, or needy individuals. Instead, they are ones simply more free in accepting what others offer to them, making no apologies for taking what is given. They are confident with or without the gift.  With this observation in mind, it’s become apparent that one possible root issue around discomfort with receiving is feeling as though one is undeserving of what is good without working hard for it.  There is a lack of confidence in our worthiness and value when we struggle to accept the kindness being lavished upon us without “paying our due.”  We believe, “I must do something to earn this gift.”  

Having lived part of my life in the Caribbean with strong ties to the culture, I can say that there is absolute disdain for “laziness.” So it can be unsettling to think that we are accepting something for which we have not worked.  Can you identify with this? There is also the air of pride that we have worked for everything have.  We are independent, relying on no one, even if that self-reliance comes at a very high cost (e.g., bitterness about how hard a struggle has been, poor physical and/or emotional health after we’ve pushed our bodies beyond what is humanly possible).  Truthfully, sometimes we have underlying feelings of resentment of “not getting back what we give.”  Yet, we still refuse to allow opportunities for reciprocity in receiving acts of compassion. Perhaps we fear how we’ll be perceived for accepting help, or want to avoid feelings of indebtedness to another person because of their generosity. In the end, we may push others away and essentially avoid the intimacy that comes with giving and receiving.

What if we removed our typical capes of helping, doing, and saving others, just allowing ourselves to be nurtured? Flip the script and exchange roles. Consider the fact that your refusal to accept a gift/gesture impacts the other person as well. It may translate to that person as rejection—of their thoughtfulness, sacrifice, general need to be of service, to feel appreciated for some act. 

Starting today, you can choose to recognize your own value. You are enough, just as you are, without embellishment or action or change. You deserve to receive life’s gifts and to simply say, “Thank you!” By receiving, you are affirming yourself, as worthy of the gift, and affirming the giver, recognizing that what s/he has offered you is of value. These are very powerful and meaningful interactions.

​Terry Crump, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist, board certified clinical hypnotherapist, and owner of Crump Wellness Services, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. - Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of the book, click here.

by Suzanne Baker Hogan

Receiving is about opening ourselves up to love, but too often in my life I have blocked it. I have been given wonderful gifts only to fear receiving them. I have worried about putting people through too much trouble, and very quickly, I have felt beholden to them. I immediately assume that I have to give something back in return because too often in my life I have felt unworthy of being given to. And I have closed my heart for fear of feeling vulnerable. And so, I have accepted people’s gifts like flattery that doesn’t stick, and this constricts the natural flow of life – the balanced exchange of giving and receiving.
 
At the end of the day, I have learned that to restrict the exchange of life honors no one. Restricting is an act of separation that leads to immense struggle. It begets a weary battle of taking and losing.
 
Although we may feel vulnerable when we open ourselves up to receive, this effort echoes human courage. It harkens back to the plan we are all acting out here. We didn’t come to this earth to be restricted and to struggle; we came here to be vulnerable and to grow with love. We are here to receive from others, and in that receiving, find great healing that benefits us forever.
 
Receiving heals, and it is one of the most important lessons that I am learning on my journey. And what I am remembering most is that I naturally know how to give and receive. In fact, it's as easy as breathing.
 
I have simply forgotten how to breathe – how to take in and give back effortlessly, without restriction. And it starts with feeling worthy again of this natural exchange, with remembering that I am already an integral part of everything. Self-love gets me back there. It returns me to myself.
 
If I allow myself to truly engage in the spiritual intimacy of life and not fearfully shy away, I make myself available to unfolding gifts of staggering beauty. Receiving and giving then happen effortlessly, without any planning whatsoever. Without recompense of any kind. This is how we each rediscover our immense value and honor each other in the dance of life. It is where both the giver and receiver bask in gratitude and awe-inspiring love.
 
Nature reminds us how. If a tree were to take in water and not give anything back, it wouldn’t be part of divine balance. It wouldn’t sustain us in its essential way. This is what you are here to do, brave soul – sustain us in the ways that only you can, and this requires that you also receive.

We’ve just ended the month of November, the time for Gratitude. Now we’re easing our way into December, the month usually reserved for Giving. The holidays are upon us and it’s all about giving presents. There’s a wonderful scene near the end of The Bishop’s Wife where David Niven, who plays the Bishop, talks about giving. “You give me a book; I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer and Uncle Henry could do with a new pipe.” We do our best to “get” what our loved ones want. To “give” so they’ll be happy.

But giving is a two-way practice. When you give a gift, you’re giving more than the item. Shopping for gifts involves time and money. Baking cookies involves food and baking skills. Knitting a sweater includes yarn and crafting expertise. Every gift takes something special. But the most special gift of all is love. You give because you care about the person.

That caring raises a huge question. What about you? The person doing the giving. Who’s taking care of you? Are you getting what you want? Are you getting what you need?

Giving is a wonderful act of human kindness. It warms the soul and is truly an act of love. But if you spend all your energy on giving to others, you’ll be worn out, frazzled, frustrated, and depleted. 

We often concentrate so much on giving we fail to receive.  When was the last time you treated yourself to a movie? Went out for dinner? Got a hug? Had someone tell you how beautiful or handsome you are? 

Lavish gifts are not required. Even a simple “I love you” will suffice. As long as you graciously and willingly receive. If you’re the type of person who feels embarrassed when someone does something nice, get over it. It’s time to receive. Receiving is absolutely necessary for good health. 

This month our FAITH authors explore the topic of receiving and how to open yourself up to having more. 

In the meantime, start practicing receiving. Savor the wonderful feeling that comes when you give to yourself or when someone else gives to you. Take it all in. With practice you’ll become a pro. Not only will you get used to receiving, you’ll enjoy it. Imagine that!

​Nanette Littlestone, author, editor, writing coach, and publisher, is a frequent blogger and visionary leader behind F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volumes I and II. To find out more about these books, click here. 

by Angela Rodriguez

A day ago I was graced by an experience that reminded me of the great joy of choice.

I went to a going away party for a co-worker of my boyfriend Damian. I opted to drive myself so Damian could stay later and enjoy himself. 

One of his co-workers, whom I was meeting for the first time, shook my hand with the cupping fashion of over and under, which to me is the best type of handshake as it forms a full circle from the heart chakra, down the arm, through the hand, up the other arm, and back to the heart chakra.

As he moved on to greet more people, I turned to Damian and said, "He's a very special guy. I like his energy." Damian smiled in agreement and said, "You can tell all that from a simple handshake?"

Hours passed and it was time to go. As I said my goodbyes, this same genuine man said, "I don't know if you've been drinking, but I saw the police setting up a DUI checkpoint on Broadway Street. To avoid it all, you should take El Camino home."

It was brisk and dark outside. I kissed Damian farewell, then swiftly continued to my car.  I talked myself into taking El Camino, even though it would add another 10-15 minutes to my commute home.

As I approached El Camino, readying myself to turn right, my eye caught the shadow of someone in the crosswalk. In my mind, this someone was definitely taking to long to cross. I let out a deep sigh, while my inside voice said, oh c'mon, hurry up already!!

The figure grew closer, and I realized it was an elderly woman with a cane and rolling basket full of groceries, who was so dutifully attempting to get across the street with all of her might.

I took another deep breath, and suddenly my breath caught in my throat. My headlights caught the front wheels of her cart and one of the wheels wedged itself in a crack in the street. The woman moved her cart to and fro, but it would not budge and almost tipped over. 

I watched her for a good 30 seconds, conflicted in helping because she appeared to almost get the cart out herself. 

Time slowed down in my internal clock and headlights started to line up in my rear view mirror. I knew I had to help her. I jumped out of my car, approached her gently, then smiled broadly at her as I asked her if she needed any assistance.

She looked at me with delight, smiled back, and said, "Oh, yes, please, it's so hard for me now that there aren't many taxis."

I lifted her cart of groceries up and out of the crack, then placed the cart on the sidewalk. I heard her gasp with surprise at my strength, which made me giggle. The headlights behind my car were now 5 car lengths deep, and the light had turned from red to green, however not a one was honking with impatience. A pleasant surprise. I walked back into the crosswalk to assist the lady to the corner. I took her elbow and guided her safely up the curb. She thanked me profusely and told me she was fine now and lived close by. 

As we quickly said our farewells, a man rolled by on a bicycle. His eyes locked with mine, and he simply said, "God bless you."

I climbed back into my car and finally made that right hand turn onto El Camino, saying to myself, "That was Jesus." The entire incident, from beginning to end, was divine flow. Gratefully I chose to listen, to allow, to serve. In the end, I was blessed with the full circle of love which all started with a handshake that wasn't so simple after all. 

With Gratitude, dear readers, listen to the gentle flow of Spirit and ride on its breath. Happy Holidays!

Angela Rodriguez, Sergeant of Police for the San Francisco Police Department, an Advanced Reiki Practitioner, and Intermediate Channel, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here. 

Rebecca Kirson 

I’m an observer . . . I’ve been honing that skill as far back as I can remember. I love to study people, the way they think, the way they process what happens to them in life, and how they choose to create their lives either from an empowered place in alignment with their truth and desires or one of being disgruntled, negative, and stuck in victim mode.  

What fascinates me is the space between these two opposite positions on the spectrum.  

Libraries have been written on both camps and why individuals end up choosing to affiliate themselves with one perspective over another (and yes, it is a choice).  

In my humble opinion, the simple difference between Camp A (empowered, aligned, and happy) and Camp B (disgruntled, negative, and a victim) is . . . ATTITUDE. 

A person on the left side of the spectrum generally displays an attitude of gratitude which generates feelings of happiness, expansion, and light heartedness.  Seriously, let’s look around at our reality. We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We have freedom, choice, access to unlimited resources like technology and communication like no other time in history. We are surrounded by abundance, community, and creature comforts.  We have an unlimited amount of things to be thankful for! 

A person on the right side of the spectrum generally displays just an attitude.  They are continually finding things to complain about, rail against, and blame for their misfortune while spreading their toxicity.  A thought of gratitude couldn’t bubble up in their psyche if it had to because the perspective of being grateful is so far off from how they view the world. It’s impossible to feel thankful for all the wondrous things in your life while also feeling judgmental, critical, and negative.  Two unlike vibrations cannot exist in the same space.   They see what they don’t have and what they don’t like.  They focus on problems and because of their focus, more problems manifest.  

Camp A finds it difficult to relate to Camp B.  Camp B finds it difficult to relate to Camp A.  Two very different lenses from which to view the world.

Working in the personal and spiritual development arena, I have the opportunity to navigate both camps. I can share from experience in my own life and the people I’ve worked with . . . fulfillment and happiness will never be found through negativity and resisting “what is” in life.
  
An Attitude of Gratitude results in us having a life of blessings.

Why?  

Because when we recognize the good all around us and express emotions of gratitude and thanksgiving, more is given to us! 

Life is always demonstrating back to us who we are being. That includes our attitude. 

Beyond our annual celebration of Thanksgiving, let’s take some time to reflect on the perspective we bring each and every day to how we navigate our life.  
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Is yours truly reflective of all that you have to be grateful for?

Rebecca Kirson, Akashic Record Practitioner and Transformational Coach with Your Sacred Truth, is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.

The more you are grateful for what you have, the more you can live fully in the present.  - Dana Arcuri

Five years ago on this day, November 11, I started to learn the real power and presence of gratitude. It began when I found myself in a storm of personal drama, all of which I wanted no part of and was definitely NOT grateful for. My husband was several states away dealing with his ailing parents. My 15-year-old son was recovering from a painful procedure that involved reshaping (or breaking) his ribcage. When he asked me what normal ribs were supposed to feel like, I discovered a large mass at the top of my left breast. Cancer was confirmed the next day. My father in law died 4 days later. My mother in law was diagnosed with advanced dementia, requiring my husband’s care and attention as he dealt with his grief and relocated her to assisted living, managed his father’s funeral, and took over managing their estate. He was not there for me. How could he be? My widowed mother was one state away and barely able to manage her own health and affairs. I turned to a few close friends for support and to my new doctors and nurses for advice. I did what they said, stepping onto what felt like a treadmill for the treatment of breast cancer.  Scared. Overwhelmed. Alone. I scheduled a radical double mastectomy and reconstruction with the first plastic surgeon I consulted for the Monday after Thanksgiving. On Black Friday, I received a call that my mother had broken her hip and would probably lose her other leg to a circulatory disease. She would no longer be able to walk and live on her own. She needed my help. Numb and feeling completely out of control, I could not take anymore. I so desperately wanted someone to rescue me. Someone who had my and my family's best interest in mind, who could see the whole picture and just tell me what to do. I did not want to delay my treatment another day but realized that I had to. I had to be that person I was looking for, not only for me but for the rest of my family, especially my 3 children. I asked myself “What is the worst that could happen?” I could die. No doubt. Was I ready to die? What would that mean? 

I realized that if my time was really up, I wanted no or few regrets. The only way that seemed possible was to live from my heart, with grace, acceptance, and gratitude for Everything because everything was significant. Everything had something to teach us, even or especially the unwanted. I shifted and saw Life unveiled. Beautiful and precious. Richly textured and delicately interconnected. The moments I had left in the experience of my life were finite and mattered so I chose to take each moment as it came, with appreciation and confidence to make the best choices I could in that moment, one moment, one breath, one conscious step at a time.
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Like many people, I did not fully appreciate all that was right with my life until I was forced to face the real and inevitable truth of losing it and the ones I love. Funny how the threat of losing something that is by definition transient was what it took for me to see all that is really right and wonderful and precious. I am so grateful to have learned this while there is still time to live it. My prayer is that we all come to know the power and presence of gratitude in a personal way so that we can all live it while we still have time.

​Corinna Murray, DVM, CPC is a veterinarian, iPEC Certified Professional Coach, and founder of EnHABiT and Veterinary Care Navigation. She is a guest blogger and coauthor of F.A.I.T.H. – Finding Answers in the Heart, Volume II. To order your copy of this inspirational book, click here.