We all need to reset ourselves at many points during our lives. Some do this with meditation, some with taking vacations. Others with sleep. Reiki is another manner in which to calibrate your body, mind and spirit. Another method is grounding, or earthing, and in practice it's simply walking barefoot on the earth, releasing your stresses back to their source and receiving relaxing, healing vibrations and energy from the earth's love.

 

 

We are all energetic beings, and everything is energy. Thoughts are energy, feelings are energy, inanimate objects are energy, air is energy, food is energy, water is energy. 

 

Some humans are naturally calm and relaxed as their base level. Some are tightly wound and anxious at their base and only with substances or sincerely determined focus can they truly relax. We are all here together, we are all unique and yet we are all one. This oneness that you hear thrown around doesn't mean we are having the same experience, it means we are all in this collective universal consciousness together, and originate from the same source. Take a minute to think of all of the problems in the world you hear about right now, and then think about the root cause of those problems. Dogs aren't it. Snakes aren't it. Cats aren't it. Trees aren't the problem. Roses aren't the problem. Pigs aren't the problem. Humans create most of these problems, at rapid pace. Society tells us to go about life with a negative and limited outlook, fit in, don't ask too many questions, do the required assignments in the education system and go on to work as a cog in the corporate wheel for 40+ hours a week to earn money to buy a house an hour away from your office so you can spend at least 11 hours of your day busy with all that jazz, so you'll be more inclined to buy convenience foods and not have enough time to do the things that really hit your creative buttons like cooking and painting and rebuilding an old car, traveling, spending the day at the park with your kids, napping, learning and being spiritual. No, obligatory outings to that mega church around the corner on Sunday mornings to sit through rock music and watching a powerpoint while someone yells at you to pay more in tithes so he can take another vacation and buy a larger house do not fucking count as being spiritual. Spirituality is far greater than any of that. 

If you've been caught up in the above cycle of your adulthood, stop. FUCKING STOP IT RIGHT NOW. Think about what you are doing - REALLY think about it. I am one of those people. I've spent 16/32 of my years on this earth in this lifetime working for someone else, minding their rules and handling my business to make them more money, at a lower cost and with less resources. I've worked first for a bank I thought I'd retire from 50 years later, a car dealership selling cars, the US Census Bureau, a bankruptcy law firm just simply trying to keep my fucking eyes open, a very large telecom company, Target stocking their new grocery section, mall security and then a startup that's now going through the largest technology merger in the history of technology. During the days when we were a small startup, I mattered. My presence made a  genuine difference in the company's culture, processes, people and business. I was heard, I was appreciated, I traveled often, I was rewarded and I was satisfied. 

That was all temporary. It lasted about 4 years, until I went through a very challenging relationship and was not as present when I was at work, so my productivity and input began to decline. This job had been my life, and now life was impacting my job, nobody gave a single fuck about asking me what was going on or what had changed. I was suddenly just another employee. My upward trajectory for my career there plateaued. Despite my scrambling to try to get back into the swing of it, back to knowing all the answers, being the golden child again, my efforts were thwarted by external influences such as the parent company taking over, executives changing and now, another company buying out the entire outfit altogether. In two years I went from being rewarded with the trip of a lifetime, to now being 1/140,000 employees that most couldn't care less if I was there or not. And you know what? That's okay. There is more to life than corporate America! There is more to life than working for someone else for the sake of controlled benefits. There is more to life than going to work at an office everyday to solve the same problems over and over and fucking over ... that's the very definition of insanity, by the way.

A major recalibration was overdue and underway.

Late last year, I was granted a bonus to stay through the merger for one year after it closes. A few weeks later, I saw the posting from The Angry Therapist on Facebook about the next Catalyst Course being offered. A 12 week class to get a Life Coach certification through John Kim's guidance and creation. Fucking signed up. I did it. I invested in myself, I put confidence and faith into myself and into my story to help others. Suddenly, the dots connected a bit more. The struggles and experiences I've been through, the hodgepodge of knowledge I've gained in my life suddenly had meaning, depth and purpose. I went into it with an open heart and mind, goals for the future with it and ideas to help others with. I'm building a business and I'm super excited about the possibilities!

This didn't come easy, and it didn't happen overnight. Last year's relationship challenges put a lot of shit in front of me to make me question everything. 

What is love?

What is the purpose of romantic relationships?

Am I meant to be partnered in my life?

Am I lovable?

What do I bring to relationships?

Where is my professional career going?

Do I belong here (geographically) or should I relocate to somewhere that suits my liking?

What are friendships?

What is a friend? 

What is the value of money?

What is safety?

What is security and what makes me feel secure?

What am I doing with my life?

I had a life threatening scare from a Craigslist creepo and was forced to reset, recalibrate and relieve myself of what was holding me back from being my best self. We are always in growth mode, otherwise, we aren't living. 2015 was a heavy growth period for me, especially the last half of the year. Many evenings were spent meditating, repeating mantras and affirmations, cleansing my space, taking cleansing and rejuvenating baths, resting, relaxing, writing, reading, contemplating the above questions, giving gratitude, asking the universe for things to come to my life for my best and highest good. I burned candles, incense, had fresh flowers in my home, swept and mopped, Feng Shui'd my place, wore leather shoes more often, ate healthier, simplified my life, made donations of my unnecessary personal belongings, relocated to a quieter and more peaceful home and cleansed my life of people that were no longer serving a positive and loving purpose. 

As the year came to a close, I wrote down things for 2016 I wanted to accomplish, receive and do. I've done this exercise for the last few years, writing in my notebook by category the things I want to learn, do, experience, create, receive. Keeping an ongoing list of goals, wants, desires, dreams and ideas is important for manifesting the life of your dreams. It is perfectly acceptable to want things, material or otherwise, and let no one else tell you it's not okay. Your intention behind wanting these things is what matters, so be true to yourself, and bloody ask for what you want! 

My good friend Melissa Drake reminded me of an old saying last weekend: If you never ask, the answer will always be no. Seriously, ask for what you want. Ask the universe, ask yourself, ask the waiter, ask your parents, ask your partner, ask your boss, ask your mechanic, ask whoever you feel has something that you want or need. Do not do this selfishly like a child begging for candy, but do this with an attitude of gratitude and of humility. Life is about choices, exchanges and growth. I have always been afraid to ask for something I wanted, from anyone. I carry this underlying layer of guilt that permeates everything I do in life, and am working to get rid of it, piece by piece. Asking for help from others has been uncomfortable, asking someone to dinner or a movie is always covered in guilt of thinking they are too busy or they wouldn't want to anyway ... but you know what? What if they do want to see a movie, or have dinner, or take a walk, or take a trip? If the answer is no, that's okay! But don't let that deter you from enjoying yourself. Now, if the answer is always know, like after many questions and invitations, then re-think the relationship with the person you are asking and make your decision on remaining in their life. Relationships are give and take, there must be a balance and mutual respect. 

 

Asking the universe for something you want should always be followed with the phrase: this or something better. Do not limit yourself to the immediate request you put out, but be open to what the universe and life have in store for you. There are numerous manifesting rituals out there, or you can develop your own, and that's another blog post for another day. Think about ways in which you feel most at ease, the most peaceful, the most calm. Consider bringing these things into your life to recalibrate your vibration: 

 

Reiki

Massages

Float Spas

Acupuncture

Walking in nature (barefoot is optimal)

Being near or in natural bodies of water

Taking trips to beautiful places

Experiencing love - if you can't name a human that you love spending time with and that loves spending time with you, go to your local animal shelter and adopt your new best friend. 

Growing, cooking and eating wholesome foods

Writing (pen on paper, not typing)

Meditation

Yoga (Bikram yoga is optimal)

Spending time in a sauna

Many more activities - whatever speaks to you is what you should explore and experience. 

 

Take an action for yourself today, live well, change often. 

 

Cheers,

The Organic Catalyst