Following Your Intuition to Creativity

A beautiful sunset view of the Hudson River at the Mariandale Center. My intuition helped me to find a writing retreat where I could feel nourished and supported.

I’m currently running an online support group for people as we work through Julia Cameron’s influential book, “The Artist’s Way,” which is designed to help people connect with their creativity and spirituality.

I started the group in part because I had tried to work on the book myself many years ago, but I didn’t get past the first few chapters. Back then, I had started doing one of the major recommended tools - the Morning Pages - which entails writing 3 pages of stream-of-consciousness daily as a way to unblock our creativity and listen to our inspiration.

I got a lot of value out of doing Morning Pages and it was one of the first steps that I took towards understanding and connecting to my intuition. I found that after the first few pages of venting or getting my thoughts and concerns out, towards the end of the 3 pages, my inner voice would come through and resolve the situation or encourage me. I’ve now come to know the inner voice deeply and over the past several years, have honed my ability to channel and receive this information on demand.

What I realized, was that my intuition knows how to access my creativity, what projects I want to work on, and what I could be if I just let myself get there. This, of course, requires not just an ability to listen, but the courage to take action.

In fact, I started the Artist’s Way support group for other people so that I could make sure I do it myself. Sometimes, it’s best to teach when we want to learn the material on a deeper level. My intuition kept coming up with the idea to create this group, and I’m super glad I (finally) listened to it.

So, in the next series of blog posts, I will share a few lessons learned that have helped me to connect with my creativity more and give me confidence.

This is particularly important because one of the missing pieces in people “actually” expressing their purpose is not just confidence IN their purpose, but confidence in themselves and God’s ability to help you succeed (and if God doesn’t work for you, then your concept of something higher than yourself… like the Divine, Great Creator, Nature, or something big like the Universe).

Lesson #1: Your intuition does know the way. Besides listening to it, it requires real action.

You probably have heard that still, small voice in your head that wants you to pursue your big dreams or even just take small, incremental steps, like treating yourself to a dessert that maybe you were denying yourself. From “The Artist’s Way” journey, I’ve found that your intuition will come up with crazy, mundane, seemingly foolish, insignificant, or frivolous ideas — ideas that seem like a waste of time or money. But, these ideas yield the most fruit. They put you in a state of flow, joy, and abundance, without actually having to do much.

It is, after all, just a rational perception that your ideas of how to improve your life are insignificant or useless. Imagine, that having the joy of delighting in your favorite dessert is actually the nourishment your soul (and your mental health) needs.

According to Julia Cameron, this example of treating yourself to something you love, like your favorite dessert, can help put you in a state of luxury and flow. It can not only give you joy, but it can unleash ideas and help you strengthen your pathway to following your intuitive ideas, which can open up your creativity.

My intuition guided me to look for singing classes, to connect with people who are also creative, and to take courses that inspire me and help me hone my craft.

All of these ideas, though, require action.

I had to spend quite some time on Google searching for a writer’s retreat when my intuition came up with the idea that it would nourish me to go on one for the first time. I searched high and low for a retreat that met my requirements — it had to be close by, affordable, and have a buffet option available because I absolutely love buffets and that was a treat that I wanted for myself.

I also had to get through the barriers of all the excuses that my rational mind came up with. “I didn’t really want to be away from my kids… what a luxury to just leave and spend time for myself… I could probably spend that money on other, more useful things…. if I’m not planning on immediately writing or publishing a book, why would I go on a writer’s retreat?…” All of these thoughts flew through my mind and they could have stopped me entirely, if I had listened to them.

Instead, I kept being in the inspiration of the idea, looking at retreat centers, checking out their accommodations and amenities, and feeling excited about the possibility of having this time for myself.

I ultimately found the Mariandale Center in the Hudson Valley area that offered different workshops, private rooms that didn’t break the bank, a cafeteria, beautiful views of the Hudson River, and grounds to explore. I was proud of myself when I finally registered for it. This action, while it may seem small and mundane to some, was a big step in investing in myself as a creative artist again. I used to easily take these steps when I was younger, but since becoming a mom, it became harder to carve out this time for myself and my creativity.

At the Mariandale Center, I attended a workshop retreat that was on writing a life memoir, taught by someone who had published her own memoirs. It became my first solo trip away from my kids in six years, made possible by my husband who watched the kids for the few days I was away. I felt giddy and free, like I was in college again, which meant I felt decades younger!

During the workshop, I also felt empowered in my voice and ability as a writer. I loved writing for the sake of telling a story, and not for any business or marketing purpose either. I realized I have so many stories inside of me from my personal life, ideas, musings, and reflections that I would love to write about. I also learned about ways to submit my work to publications or anthologies and was moved emotionally when I read my work out loud and my words healed inner wounds and resonated with others.

I’ve since submitted my work and while I haven’t heard back, I feel empowered to stand in the possibility that my stories are published in different ways, not just in a book that I know I will author in the future.

My intuition was right yet again — I really could and did benefit from going on a writing retreat. I am also grateful to have found a place that I think of fondly as playing a role in nurturing my soul and voice. This is a lesson that I’m sure I will keep learning — to keep listening for and following my intuition, and to have the audacity (as Julia Cameron likes to say) to share my work with others.

Reflection Questions:

1. What does your intuition ask you to do?

2. How do you want to treat yourself?

3. What would help you nurture your creative voice?

4. What actions do these ideas require and how can you take a small action (like a Google search) to keep the ball rolling?

If you are interested in joining my next online support group for The Artist’s Way starting in early February 2025 (the support group is currently free and we meet on Zoom on Thursday evening every week on Eastern Time as we go through each chapter of the book), or would like to have more information, please complete this registration form here or reach out to me directly at julie (at) beingmypurpose (dot) com.

Feelings are the Key to Your Manifestation

Feelings are important parts of the manifestation process.

Early on in my spiritual awakening, I first learned about the Law of Attraction, which refers to the idea that your thoughts, and more importantly, your feelings, play a role in shaping and creating your reality.

Specifically, like attracts like. What we focus our thought and emotional power on — whether consciously or unconsciously — then attracts similar situations.

I have personally manifested my ideal jobs, relationships, apartments, houses, and amazing experiences. For each one, I focus on the feelings of joy, awe, and wonder that come “at the end” when I am experiencing the result I want or right after I’ve achieved it.

One of my favorite examples of manifestation occurred when my husband Rob and I were first experimenting with it. We were on vacation in Arizona and were excited to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time. I had only seen pictures of it and knew seeing and experiencing it for the first time would be unparalleled.

We were both in the middle of jobs that were stressful in different ways, and we both desired something more. This vacation was a much-needed break and change in scenery.

The line of cars to get into the national park was long. We patiently waited in line in our car, when out of nowhere, a car cut us off and somehow managed to get in front of us!

We were floored at the audacity of the person to cut in front of us, when we were basically in the middle of the growing line. In previous situations, Rob would’ve let loose some choice words and gestures, but this time, we decided to let those emotions go and instead, implement the concepts of manifestation that we had just read about in a book.

We sat behind this car and focused instead on the amazing feeling of seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. I imagined seeing the beautiful vistas, excitedly snapping photos on our new DSLR cameras, our jaws dropping and marveling at this natural wonder.

We sat there, basking in these feelings and it felt great. I actually didn’t care about the car that cut us off — some people are just like that, and this was not going to mess up my level of peace.

A few minutes later, the park service ranger then walked down the line of cars and stopped in front of our car. “You!” she said, pointing at us through the windshield, “Start a new line over there!” and she pointed at us to go to a different ticket booth.

Rob and I looked at each other incredulously as we moved to the front of the line. We paid for our ticket and drove smoothly into the park. The driver that cut us off? He ended up being at the back of that line. We couldn’t believe it, but we knew that this Law of Attraction thing actually worked!

Since then, I’ve learned many things to hone this creative skill, including one mention that sometimes we get what we need and not what we want. I believe we are co-creating with God (or perhaps you see it as a Divine Creator, Source Energy, or an interconnected intelligence that is greater than all of us). In this moment, I felt that there was a larger force showing us that there is more to this world than meets the eye.

I share this story to inspire you to pay attention to your feelings and to know that you are also not your feelings.

You are the Higher Self who is able to be consciously aware and discerning in how you focus your attention.

In that sense then, creatively strengthening your “muscle” to feel, to be attuned to your emotions, and to be able to generate authentic feelings, can then be useful as you move towards your goals with intention.

If you’d like to learn practical tips and exercises to strengthen your emotional muscle and awareness, so that you can leverage your feelings to manifest your ideal life or career, then join me for my next virtual Purpose Lab workshop on Wednesday, June 26th, 2024, 6pm-7:30pm EDT.

We will be deep-diving into ways to get in tune with your feelings and tap into your intuition to help you manifest with ease.

Tickets are $20 with limited early bird and scholarship tickets available if you are facing financial challenges right now.

I will also be holding the space for you to manifest something you desire, so come with ideas for what you want to experience in your life, whether it’s a new job, money, a relationship, or something else amazing!

Let your path open up with ease. Learn more and register here. As a bonus, all registrants get a free ticket that you can gift to a friend!

Share the empowerment skills and deepen your practice.

***

To reflect —

What feelings take up a majority of your waking time? Are they generally of joy and appreciation or worry or feeling a loss of power/control over your life?

What would you like to manifest in your life or career? What do you feel when you imagine it happening?

Creating a New Way of Living through Real Estate

When my son was around 3 years old, he talked about how he wanted all his friends and grandparents to live in little houses with backyards and gardens that were all in a circle so that he could see them all the time.

He didn’t understand why his grandparents and cousins lived separately and in far-away places. He wanted all the people he loved to gather together all the time.

At first, I thought it was him being his usual bubbly and extroverted self, spouting idea after idea. But then it occurred to me that he was envisioning a new way of living — where his favorite people could just blend together and be accessible in-person, not just through the phone or Facetime. The creation of this ideal, intergenerational land, this utopia, was what led me to become an urban planner in the first place.

When I do purpose readings for my clients, I see similar themes around not just improving their home life, whether it’s their decor or choosing another city or geography to live in, but also creating a new way of living and interacting with the world.

In my own life, my intuition and my purpose became intertwined with real estate as well, leading to getting our first home (a fixer-upper that has been a labor of love and creativity) and then learning about real estate investing strategies.

My husband and I became excited about building generational wealth instead of spending an obscene amount on rent (have you ever calculated how much rent you’ve spent so far?) and finally not having to answer to a landlord to make a space our own.

We also have so many dreams of making an impact through real estate. Years ago, I mentioned that I wanted to be a real estate developer, a philanthropist, and a conservationist. We’re now living the “essence” of this through the way of life we’ve crafted for ourselves after our move north of New York City for more nature and open space.

I also have a vision of creating shared housing and home ownership for single moms with children, that can make it easier for families with financial challenges to live communally and creatively together. With mindset shifts and learning new strategies, we’re closer to this vision than ever before.

If you’ve ever had dreams of owning your own space, making an impact through real estate or land to create the communal living/gardening/art space/youth empowerment camp you’ve always wanted (just one idea!), or want to learn about different investing strategies (even if you don’t have much money), then I’m thrilled to share this new workshop.

This month, our Purpose Lab workshop, “Regular People Investing in Real Estate & A New Way of Living” is on Wednesday, May 29th, 2024, from 5:30pm-8:00pm EDT.

We will have meditation, individual and group exercises to help you identify and envision your real estate or home-related dreams, and guest speaker (and my husband) Rob Sanchez will be sharing investing strategies and ways you can prepare to invest in real estate.

Rob is a licensed real estate agent with Christie’s International and has expertise in creating spaces from a vision, including fashion manufacturing incubators, startup spaces, podcasting studios, and our own 100-year-old house.

We’ll talk about gardening, farming, land, commercial properties, and buying your personal home or multifamily property.

We’ll also create manifesting space to help you envision creating a new way of life — whether it’s communal living, intentional living, or something else that you believe the world needs. This will also be helpful even if you don’t have much money right now.

There’ll also be Q&A and networking to meet other conscious people.

Tickets for the workshop are $20 with limited early bird tickets.

Every participant will have an opportunity to schedule a 45-minute Akashic Record reading with me after the workshop on the highest guidance for you related to home or real estate dreams. The reading is by donation after the intuition session, so thank you in advance for your positive energy out in the world!

For details and to register, click here!

Please share widely with your friends and colleagues. The more who have the courage to pursue their dreams, the better our world becomes as we all step deeper into our purpose.

For your reflection — what does your ideal home life look like? What kind of impact do you want to make through real estate and how?

Leave a comment below or let me know in the workshop on May 29th!

Springtime Inspiration - What's On Your Seed Packet?

I hope everyone is enjoying the springtime now that April showers have brought the bright blooms of daffodils, tulips, and cherry blossoms

I wanted to share a few upcoming events and musings to help you get excited for the energy of spring.

First, join our next virtual workshop on Wednesday, April 24th, 6pm-7:30pm Eastern Time for Purpose Lab: Leveraging Intuition & Manifestation in Your Life & Career. Whether you’re new to intuition or manifestation, or have used it before, you can learn practical steps you can apply immediately to create your new job, career, or perspective shifts. Learn more and register here. Use “ILOVEPURPOSE24” for $10 off as a thank you for following my blog!

Now, on to today’s musing and takeaway:

What’s in Your Seed Packet?

If you love gardening, then you already appreciate the joy of putting in the work to cultivate nutrient-rich soil, planting seeds, watering and waiting, and then seeing the fruits of your labor/love as the seedlings grow.

Being mindful of this process can be helpful when you think about making improvements in your life or career, especially if you’re looking to try something new.

You know how the seed packets have important information in them, like how much sunlight the plant needs, the gardening zone it would thrive in, how much water it requires, how far apart to plant the seeds, and other key topics?

These all help us to figure out where to plant the seeds in the garden, how we take care of them, and how we create the ideal conditions or environment for them to grow.

I see the same thing for how we approach our goals related to career or life.

Let’s say you’re interested in finding a new job. There is a lot of cultivation required before you can leave and land a job offer.

It requires first asking yourself — what is it that YOU need to thrive? What information would be written on your seed packet?

What kind of work or job functions do you love? Do you love mission-oriented work or working with numbers? Do you need praise and credit to be given freely and authentically by your supervisor or colleagues? Do you like an atmosphere that is serious or playful?

How much do you want to grow? Do you want a job that allows for you to grow as tall as possible, where you’re not tied to a job description but can expand and grow to gain new skills?

These types of questions will help you to figure out your must-haves so that you start with intentionally creating the ideal conditions for yourself.

For example, I had a job once where office party life revolved around drinks and happy hours.

I personally don’t drink alcohol because of medical reasons and I frankly never acquired the taste for it, but over time, it became a bit uncomfortable for me to always decline drinks, or have to explain this to people. For my next job, I wanted an environment where people could relax and converse with people without alcohol.

I became clear on the kind of culture I wanted and it became part of my manifestation. No matter how you view it - as co-creating with the Universe, or as praying to God for what you desire, my intentions led to the actualization of this in my next job.

My colleagues and I had fun talking with one another, eating at restaurants, exploring new neighborhoods, and bonding over arts and music.

There was a deeper level of connection with people that I found necessary in my job environment. This was what I needed on my seed packet to thrive (among many other things).

If you’re interested in how to create this for yourself, then join us at this workshop on Wed, April 24th! If you can’t attend live, I will share the recording with you and you can still receive an intuitive reading afterward.

If you have friends or colleagues who are experiencing any challenges in their career or life, please share this workshop with them! It may give them the tools or perspective to make lasting shifts.

What do you need on your seed packet? Share in the comments below!

My tribute to Ralph: What I learned from my beloved dog

[Trigger alert: detailed information about death, dying, emotions, grief]

Ralph was my first dog ever. I’ve had many different types of pets growing up as a kid (somehow my mom allowed us to have hamsters, goldfish, a parakeet, a chicken, and a rabbit… not all at the same time!), so I distinctly remember the feeling of really, REALLY wanting a dog when I had my own apartment with my husband, Rob.

It was 2012 and I had just graduated from MIT with a Master’s degree in urban planning. I had never felt this urge before to get a dog. I watched YouTube videos of dogs, looked up different dog breeds that I liked, and obsessed over having one.

I came across Badass Rescue, based in Brooklyn. They rescued dogs from high kill-shelters in the South of the U.S. and brought them up to be fostered and adopted by people in NYC. I followed their story and felt for the dogs that were rescued, and the dogs that were not.

We had put in an application for another dog that looked like a corgi mix since we had an apartment, and we preferred a smaller dog. Another family had already adopted him, and not long afterwards, we got word that our application for Ralph (he was called Ralph Fiennes by the rescue, after the actor who played Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series; not knowing his name was pronounced “Rafe", we called him Ralph and it stuck).

In fact, I felt like I had manifested him. I had already been well-versed in the Law of Attraction and how our thoughts and feelings create our reality. I really wanted a dog that was relatively independent and didn’t slobber, like a cat — friendly, but not the kind to jump on people to lick their face, independent, and capable of just sitting next to you. The perfect dog for an introvert like me. :)

I also met some dogs during my travels to Hong Kong and Japan, and the ones that imprinted themselves in my memory had this beautiful red, brown color and the softest fur. They stood next to me or were content to get belly rubs for hours. I kept these dogs in my heart as I asked for the perfect dog for us.

When we brought Ralph home, I sat holding him in the passenger seat of the car. He was shivering the whole time, obviously nervous and scared with what was happening. He came from rural North Carolina and was around 1.5 years ago. He had a kink in his tail, like someone had stepped on his tail when he was young, and later, it turned out he hated bikes, so we always thought his tail got run over by a bicycle.

His papers said he was a feist, which meant he loved hunting, but we thought he was a corgi, beagle, Jack Russell terrier mix because we could see each of those breeds in his face, elongated body, and intelligence. He had a mischievous streak and had bundles of energy.

We got him at the height of spring. We lived in Queens at the time, and he would lie in beds of cherry blossoms during our walks, rolling around his back and grunting in pleasure. He loved exploring and meeting other dogs. The first time we brought him to a dog park, he zoomed around and around, and was easily the fastest and most nimble dog there. We felt so proud as dog parents, like his aptitude somehow came from our own genes. A little girl even commented on his unique appearance, asking her mom why we brought a fox into the dog park.

I trained him to do all sorts of tricks, including shaking our hands with his paws, waiting until our command to get a treat that we placed on his paw, sit, lie down, and stand up. He also loved running off-leash in the dog park or in the woods when no one else was around. He would point when he saw squirrels and could never really be trusted off-leash, but he learned to (sometimes) listen to “edge” when he reached a boundary and we wanted him to run back to us.

My favorite times were when I walked him for hours on the weekends, meandering through Forest Hills Gardens, one of my favorite neighborhoods filled with beautiful architectural homes and 100-year-old trees. We used to joke that he got to poop on the most expensive grass in the city and had the most glorious dog walks in every season of the year.

We got him when I was exploring my spirituality, after my big spontaneous awakening experience in 2010. His friendly nature meant that we met every other dog owner and he was like the dog mayor of the neighborhood. Everyone knew Ralph. Even dogs that usually didn’t get along with male dogs were surprisingly very friendly with him.

One Halloween night, when the veil between worlds was thin, we walked in an area that had a lot of spiritual energy. We both stopped and I saw tall beings walking by with my actual vision, outside of my mind’s eye, which is a rare occurrence. Ralph was also on alert, standing in front of me and pointing at them with his stance. When they walked by, he relaxed, and I relaxed as well. Ralph could definitely see things and notice things in the other realms.

At another point, I was walking Ralph and the robins (which were involved in my spiritual awakening experiences) flocked around us. Some robins would walk right in front of me, fluttering their wings. Birds were my spirit animals and they would either send me messages or fly super close to me, causing tingles of electric energy up my body and crown chakra.

When I was pregnant with my first child and had recently started my company, Being My Purpose, I got to walk Ralph every day for hours as well, letting me think and admire the beauty of the trees, flowers, and homes. Our goal was to get a backyard one day so that he could run off-leash all the time. In the meantime, Ralph taught me that no matter the weather, I could go outside.. from torrential rains and hurricanes, to more than a foot of snow (which he loved jumping through), and freezing cold temperatures with sleet and hail. He loved rolling around in grass, sunning himself like a cat, and rummaging through piles of crunchy, fall leaves.

When I was juggling a baby and walking Ralph, I saw our mandatory walks outside as a way to gain independence and freedom. I was overwhelmed and sleep-deprived with caring for a baby in the first year, and Ralph would sit next to me when I was up at odd hours. When I sat at the piano to sing, especially when I sang sad ballads by Sara Bareilles, he would sit next to my legs, a furry companion, steadfast and unmoving like a rock, as if comforting me through the emotions.

We didn’t get a backyard until after the pandemic and we stayed in houses in the Hudson Valley area that had backyards. By this time, we had two kids and he was getting older. His face was turning grey and he slept for many hours during the day, but he loved sitting in the sun outside and zooming.

Admittedly, after having two children and working from home, I didn’t spend as much time walking or petting Ralph (our first-born son, as we’d call him) as I used to. I’m thankful my husband and kids got to walk him, but I kept thinking that I wanted to take him on a long, meandering walk somewhere new and not just walk him briefly outside to do his business or hang out in the backyard, but life happened, and I never did.

In the last few months of his life, his body started failing. He would bounce back from getting sick every time, so I wasn’t expecting him to go that quickly. Over Christmas and New Year’s break, our plans suddenly changed so that we stayed at home instead of traveling. My readings for myself also asked that I plant bulbs in the backyard for springtime, and that the deadline to do so was by the end of that week.

I finally decided to do a family walk and bring him to the playground with the kids. He had a lot of energy the night before, but could barely walk now. Rob carried him to the playground, and Ralph sat on the grass and sunned himself. After a while, I noticed he had gotten up and moved a few feet. Surprised, I walked over to him, picked up his leash and he started walking with purpose across the baseball field. I kept asking him where we were going, but then it hit me, that he had mustered up the energy to walk like we used to.

I knew this was something special, and that he had gifted me my last walk with him.

The next day, we took Ralph outside while we planted flower bulbs, with the kids digging in the yard. We spent hours outside and the weather was unseasonably warm for New Year’s Day, like the sun was shining down on him with love.

We brought him back inside, and I petted him as much as I could, telling him we loved him. I told him I was sorry I didn’t spend as much time with him as I used to, and that I was so sad and felt guilty for that.

I took a quick break upstairs and saw a video memory that popped up on my Facebook from exactly seven years ago to the day. On New Year’s day, Ralph was running around off-leash in the woods in our neighborhood park. He was young, spry, and happy. I knew then, that Ralph had sent the video to tell us that he wanted to be remembered like that. He timed it such that he was going to pass away the moment I went downstairs.

I petted Ralph through his last breaths. With tears streaming down my face, I told him that I loved him and that he could let go. I told him that he would see all his friends who had crossed over, including Cosmo, his first best friend, who was a French bulldog. I told him the names of all my relatives and friends who had passed away, and that he would see all of them as well.

I saw the light leave his eyes.

I petted him for a while afterward, feeling the softness of his floppy ears, and the scruff of fur around his neck. It was my first time seeing someone I loved pass away in front of me, and I wanted him to know he was not alone, and that I was there with him.

At 13 years old, he would’ve been 91 in dog years.

As Rob cared for him later, I saw his spirit in my mind’s eye and with my actual eyes, several feet above his body. He was young, energetic, and spry again. “It’s me! It’s me! I’m here!” he said. He felt exuberant, like he was free from an aging body that didn’t work for him anymore. He told me that he knew I felt guilty, but that everything happened so that I was there with him at the end, when it mattered most. He said that my lesson was about self-forgiveness. That he loved me and did not blame me for not spending as much time with him.

He mentioned that whenever I felt the need to work or do the dishes instead of spending time with my kids, that every time I chose to spend time to engage with them (even though I worried about something else not getting done), that I should say, “Thank you, Ralph.” That was the major lesson - to engage in the moment, to be present, to not let ideas drag on until it was too late.

Was it too late? No, he said it was perfect timing. Things happened in order for me to learn. And now that he was in spirit form, he would counsel and lead me from the other realms. What I didn’t realize until later, was that he was more than just a dog; he was my spirit guide in this life as well.

This gave me solace, but the next few days after he passed were filled with grief and guilt. I understood how people could fall into depression and not be able to get out. A few days later, he spoke to me again, and even visited my daughter in a dream. She said in the morning, that Ralph was free and happy, and that he did not have a leash on.

He’s since visited and advised us, encouraging us to spend more family time outdoors, to hike, and to follow our intuition.

I’ve learned a lot during this time. Ralph taught us how to love and how to be present. He taught me to explore the outdoors with curiosity and vigor. He taught us to be friendly to everyone and have a zest for life.

In honor of Ralph, we plan to plant a cherry tree with his ashes so that he can always roll around with joy in the cherry blossoms.

Hug your pets and loved ones a little harder. And when you feel the urge to work or do something instead of playing with them, choose to play. You can thank Ralph later.

Creativity for the New Year: A Channeled Message

I hope you are enjoying a time for reflection and relaxation during these last few days of 2023. As you gear up for the new year, I share a recent channeled message for you and reflection questions to help you spark creativity. May you be well served by this perspective.

Note: All capitalized words are intentional, as channeled from the Akashic Records, and denote words that are emphasized, or more important, for their meaning. Each one can serve as a source of reflection and journaling for you to discover what they mean to you and how you feel about them. I’ve italicized the reflection questions for convenience only.

***

As this year comes to a close, we encourage you to reflect on the following themes and envision what the next year could look like for you.

The year of 2024 is all about CREATION. There is an incredible yearning as a planet to create, to be witness to the shaping of something new, like transforming a block of clay into something that has lines, shapes, planes, and eventually, a face and body. The PROCESS of creation is one that we recommend you be familiar with and be in LOVE with. To love creation, is to be like God – to turn a wisp of an idea that exists in the unseen dimensions into the 3-dimensional reality of Earth. 

We want to remind you that God, in our sense, refers to what you feel is right for you. Whether it’s the Universe, Source, the unlimited energy, the infinite, the spiritual source of all that is and all that can be. It is unlimited possibilities and it requires a DIRECTION, a DESTINATION for the energies to CHANNEL THROUGH. It is this act of channeling, of moving the unlimited into something tangible, specific, and SEEN that is the ultimate for this next year. 

That means, you will get extreme joy and satisfaction, meaning and fulfillment every time you create. Whether it’s baking a cake, drawing a picture, coming up with an idea when you’re in the shower and then brainstorming and implementing the idea – bringing it into life… all of these things will generate joy. It doesn’t have to be a lucrative business idea. The point is that ANY act of creation will put you in the JOY, the expanded consciousness that will ALLOW things you desire to manifest, to be in the sphere of your influence. This influence is in the etheric realm, and it is how synchronicities happen, when the things that support your CREATION keep occurring in beautiful and miraculous ways.

You may have seen instances of this in your own lives. Search for them, expect them, and be curious about them. Ask the Universe for what beautiful and awe-inspiring ways they can support you in your desires. Because all desires are borne from the yearning for CREATION. They desire the final manifestation – the feeling of COMPLETENESS and WHOLENESS of the creation process at its end. This then makes way and makes room for the next spark of genius, the next creation process that makes the Universe as joyful and as in AWE of the way of the Universe – that which is magic – as you. 

To reflect, what do you want to create in the new year?

What do you want to create in your personal life for fun?

As a society that focuses on work so much, you have forgotten how to TRULY have fun. It is not just about escapism or numbing of feelings through substances, repetitive motions, or addictions. It is about the PURITY of fun – when the heart alights with JOY and LIGHT. This starts the lightness of being, feeling as light as a feather, floating up in the sky like a balloon – that effervescence and transcendence that life is all about. 

***

What came up for you from this message and your reflection? Please let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you.

And, don’t miss the opportunity to have a free 20-minute clarity call with me and receive your top two words or images to help you catalyze 2024. I will go into your Akashic Records before we even meet to channel this information and during the call, we’ll discuss what comes through and I will coach you on how to implement it into your life. Book this free call with me here.

Have a lovely end of the year and may the next be filled with joy and creativity.

New Home, New Beginnings: How Your Home Environment is Important

This is not my house, but it certainly is what I love! A cozy porch, dappled sunlight, and serenity.

A lot has happened over the past few years for me in terms of spiritual experiences and living on purpose. Most notably, my family moved out of New York City at the end of the pandemic for more nature, open space, fresh air, and new experiences. We bought a fixer-upper house in a somewhat suburban/rural area north of the city and have been learning all sorts of things about 100-year-old homes and renovations.

For someone who has only ever lived in rental apartments with the hustle and diversity of urban life, it was a profound change — one that I never thought would happen since I had refused to entertain the thought of leaving the city.

It took identifying what lifestyle we truly wanted as a family before we decided to try it out by staying in upstate Airbnb homes for months at a time, getting to know what kinds of houses and “feelings of community” we liked, and being inspired by other people’s decor (one of my favorite pastimes).

By going outside of my comfort zone, but leaving room to test it out, this journey has allowed even more growth and new experiences that I am immensely grateful for.

During the past few years, I’ve had numerous experiences relating to houses, the metaphysical realm, and purpose, including a few terrifying (and yet, illuminating) spirit encounters in an Airbnb we stayed in and some beautiful experiences in the home we ended up buying.

I would channel messages in these houses and discover that each house has a purpose, a deeper calling for how it can impact people, families, and communities.

My deeper lesson throughout all of this was to transcend my identity as a lifelong New York City resident and to choose to see the possibility, fun, and connection of a new place instead of focusing on the fear of the unknown.

This has led me to have a much deeper appreciation for homes, where we live, the energy of “place,” and what conscious choices we make to shape our external environment — from where and how we live and decorate, to how we treat the planet Earth.

I share this to invite you to reflect on your life and the past few years as well. Have you encountered recurring challenges or situations in your home environment, career, relationship, finances, parenting, or something else? Are you wondering what there is for you to learn, grow from, or transcend?

In the wake of the pandemic and everything going on in the world now, from flooding and natural disasters to war, I’m finding that PERSPECTIVE is the one thing that matters the most. How we perceive is more important than the situation at hand.

And, at the same time, your purpose may relate to making a brave choice about where you live, how you live, and what your home environment looks like. This has a ripple effect on everything else in your life.

I’ve coached many clients and channeled their soul purpose, and have seen how their home environment comes up often as a major area in their life that is yearning for change. Where you live (the city or place), whether you have a home base or are nomadic, who you live with, how you decorate, what senses are engaged when you are at home, and the intention and consciousness when you create or enter spaces — all are important parts of what can give you joy and nourishment on a deep level. It can also shape the impact that you have on the world in seen and unseen ways.

Some questions I suggest reflecting and journaling on are when you think of a situation in your life you want to transcend:

1. What do you think is the underlying soul lesson from the challenges or situations you’re experiencing?

2. What resistance do you feel?

3. What identity are you holding on to?

4. How can you shift your perspective to something positive and hopeful?

5. What can you do today to make your living environment a place of joy and beauty for you?

As you reflect, remember that life is like a spiral, going around and around revisiting similar situations and calling for you to have an ever-expanding perspective and awareness. When you can thank challenging situations as just opportunities to help you live your purpose, then you can have the peace within to create the vision you want from a place of possibility.

***

Knowing and expressing your purpose boldly will create deep transformations in your career, relationships, home environment, abundance, and the impact you make in the world.

If you are interested in understanding the deeper lessons in a challenging situation you’re facing, or you want to learn more about what your purpose is, as channeled through your Akashic Records (or the purpose of a house or place that’s important to you), please book a session or the Discover Your Purpose Coaching Package!

Learn more about my services here or set up a free 20-minute Strategy Session here to learn more about how I work and envision what you’re looking to achieve in 2024. During this session, I’ll also share the top two channeled words or images I receive in your Akashic Records to activate your purpose. 

Please comment below on what you discovered as you reflected on the questions. Or, send me an email directly to share your insights. I’d love to hear from you!

How to (actually!) listen to your Intuition

Lately, I've noticed how my intuition gently nudges me to take an action, like start a project, flesh out an idea, or reach out to a person or organization that interests me.

My ego-mind (the part of me that is rational and focused on survival) then comes up with all sorts of excuses to NOT follow that nudge. My ego says things like "It's too much work," or "I'm busy" or "That's an interesting idea, but it's just not as important as taking care of the kids/work/other urgent matter right in front of me."

I keep getting that nudge -- repeatedly and gently -- over time, until I decide to listen and go ahead with it.

The action I finally take after months of ignoring my intuition, let's call it action A, then leads me naturally to take action B, which then leads to action C, which then somehow leads to something that I truly wanted for a long time to actually become reality (a miracle!).

In that moment, I am in awe of the Universe, of just how complex and intelligent it is to somehow orchestrate this web of actions, people, and desires.

Tip #1: Write down those nudges and every time you receive them. Perhaps seeing them repeat themselves on paper will get you to acknowledge them.

Tip #2: One action can start a whole chain of events that ultimately leads to something you want. Just take one action, even if it's small, to get the ball rolling.

Tip #3: Notice your ego and how it may suppress your intuition. Awareness can help tame your ego and all the excuses it can throw your way. It also helps to label which "voice" you are hearing in your head by saying out loud, "My ego is saying ____ but my intuition is saying ___."

Bonus Tip #4: Just be in awe of the Universe. I find that being in that state allows for more goodness to come about that begets more "being in awe."

Let me know what you think! Leave a comment or reach out to my directly. I'd love to hear from you!

***

If you’re looking to learn more, I’m holding a FREE virtual Purpose Retreat tomorrow, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 from 6pm-7:30pm EDT all about intuition.

We're excited to feature special guest Dr. Anna Yusim, who is a Yale and Stanford-educated psychiatrist and author of "Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life." She will lead an interactive workshop to help you to better understand the nature of intuition and how we can use it to live a more soul-aligned, purposeful and fulfilling life.

Whether you're new to or experienced in tapping into your intuition, I invite you to this workshop to release blocks and gain deeper insight into an area of your life.

You'll be doing exercises including journaling, meditation, small group discussions, and writing a letter to your future self (which will be sent back to you one year after this workshop).

This event is part of a series of virtual "Purpose Retreats" where you can experience inner wisdom, creativity, and community. The event includes my signature singing meditation (an expression of my own purpose), an exercise to help improve an area of your life that is facilitated by a special guest, and a chance to connect with inspiring people around the world.

I hope you can join us and please share this with your friends!

The event is FREE though donations are always appreciated (suggested donation $15).

For details and to register, click here.

Community Spotlight: Kristy Sundjaja, Founder of Exceptional Artists Foundation

I’m so impressed with what people in the Being My Purpose community are doing as they boldly explore and express their purpose out in the world.

What drives them is both a commitment to make a positive impact and a recognition that this brings them joy. Whether they are creating a nonprofit, starting a business, doing meaningful work in their job or artistic expression, these people inspire me to keep exploring and being out there as well.

This will be a series of blog posts that spotlight people in this community from around the world. My hope is that you will also be inspired to follow your purpose, face any obstacles along the way with a higher perspective, and keep sharing what you’ve learned so that others may have an easier path.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Kristy Sundjaja, Founder of Exceptional Artists Foundation

Kristy is the founder of the Exceptional Artists Foundation (EAF), which empowers artists with disabilities by providing individuals with the tools, support, and outlet to live an expressive, purposeful, and happy life. To accomplish this goal, EAF creates events and initiatives to draw awareness about the Exceptional Artists' talents, develops a marketplace to sell their artwork to foster independence, and funds arts education, therapy, and training programs. Her brother, who has Down Syndrome, is an accomplished artist. She is also Senior Vice President of People and Operations at Taboola, a tech company in New York City.

1. How would you describe yourself in a few sentences?

I love people and I am an optimist. I believe that everyone has the potential to achieve something exceptional in her or his life. To that end, I enjoy creating opportunities for people to unleash that in different communities, from my own family and friends to in schools and at work. In fact, I realize that throughout my personal and professional journey, I gravitate towards doing that in all different types of settings and organizations. 

I am also grateful that someone(s - more than one) tapped me and supported me, seeing me beyond who I was at different times. My mentors opened up my mind, believed in me, and encouraged me to take more exciting and rewarding challenges in life.

2. What projects, activities or moments give you purpose?

I don’t have specific projects, activities, or moments. Living a full life and doing my best on what I choose to do gives me purpose. My philosophy is that if you are not happy, don’t blame others because you chose to do it.

3. Can you give a quote from your intuitive reading that particularly resonates with you and explain why?

My intuitive purpose reading with Julie mentioned how I love learning and gathering knowledge, and that I have the purpose to share all of this knowledge with the world.  I do feel that I am doing that as a leader on a daily basis with my communities.

Sharing my experience (regardless of whether it is positive or negative) authentically with others often creates positive impacts. This, in turn, alters how I approach different experiences now; I will take any experience and do my best since I know that both myself and others will learn from my experience.

4. What is your favorite way to connect with your intuition?

 Meditation. Giving yourself a moment to quiet down and breathe.

5. What would you say is your biggest life lesson that you want to share with others?

At some points in life, you will realize that life is full of uncertainties. Over-planning will become less relevant than being agile and being present to the opportunities right in front of you. Instead of worrying, take action, and be open-minded. Embrace uncertainties because they can make life more interesting.

6. Can you describe 3 specific things that make up your vision of a better world?  

Love
Faith
Impacts

7. If you received a phone call that would change your life so that you can express your purpose even more, what would this phone call be about? How would you feel? Describe it as if it has already happened! 

I am having a tough time answering this question because I really don’t know what that call will be.  And, whatever I imagine is probably not going to be it.

“My callings” were never expected or imagined by me.  However, these callings are always so beautifully timed and always exceed my expectations. So, I have faith that what I am doing today is exactly where I should be and is the best way to express my purpose. When the time comes for me to expand my impact, the phone will ring. :) 

8. What advice do you have for other people looking to lead fulfilled and purposeful lives?  

Create a space for yourself to get to know who you are and what will truly make you happy.

9. What website or social media would you like to include so that people can learn more about your work?

Exceptional Artists Foundation: https://www.exceptionalartists.org/

10. Does 2020 reshape your purpose differently? Why?

2020 reaffirms to all of us that lives are full of uncertainties!  And when life takes everything away from you, stay in the present, and be open-minded. 

The pandemic shut down all in-person activities for Exceptional Artists. We were wondering what to do for our community! And then we looked around and realized that people were doing more in the virtual world with work from home and school from home.  So we said “let’s do our art experience at home” and we did! In fact, we were able to invite more exceptional artists to join our experience than ever before.

To a certain extent, I feel that 2020 stretched all of our potentials. As an organization, EAF expanded our potential and achieved more than we ever set out to do this year.  We are truly thankful for that possibility.  

***

Kristy Sundjaja was part of our first All Possibilities podcast episode with a live audience panel discussion on intuition, science, and spirituality. Other panelists included a psychiatrist, an entrepreneur, and myself. Listen to that episode here.

What's the best way to be grateful this Thanksgiving?

It’s nearly Thanksgiving in the out-of-the-ordinary year of 2020. With all the upheaval that COVID-19 has caused around the world (and still surging in the U.S.) and the drama of the recent U.S. presidential election, it is a great time to take a moment to reflect and truly give thanks for what we have.

That being said, Thanksgiving feels very much like a consumer holiday focused on eating turkey, traveling and being with family. During a time when the wise choice is to stay at home and choose social distancing instead of in-person holiday gatherings, I wondered whether the Guides of the Akashic Records had anything to share about gratitude so that we could approach it in the best way possible.

How can we be grateful? What does it even mean?

The Guides answered with the following channeling.

“Today, let’s talk about the feeling of gratitude. It is a word that is thrown about a lot, especially during Thanksgiving time. What gratitude means can be embodied in an image.

You saw a rose. As you looked at it, it unfurled from a bud to a full bloom, with layers upon layers of pink petals. It felt stately and beautiful, taking up space by proclaiming to the world that it is here. That it is beautiful. That it is OF beauty. 

This rose is something that just IS. It can be explained rationally for why it brings a positive sense of being to someone -- because it is beautiful, because it helps bees and is part of a larger ecosystem, that it can be food for bugs and worms. What function does a rose have? Do we really need to explain it? Can it just BE? 

Can you be thankful for a rose? Yes. Can you be thankful for its thorns? Yes, because it provides it protection. Can you be thankful for its color and progression of bloom, the awe that it brings? Yes, because that is inherently beautiful and pleasing to the eyes and soul. 

But can we be thankful for the rose JUST BECAUSE IT IS THERE? Yes. That is actually the goal. To be thankful, to have gratitude, to appreciate, to acknowledge something JUST BECAUSE. There does not need to be a reason. There does not need to be a rationale. There does not need to be an explanation for why something brings you joy, or why you SHOULD be thankful because you have learned something from it despite it being difficult or a challenge, no matter how damaging it is. 

The goal is to be thankful, to be grateful for something FOR IT ALONE. Period. Just end the thought there. When you can be grateful for something without an explanation, you are one with God / the Universe because everything has been created just for the creation, the sheer presence of that creation.

How can this be applied to your own life? When you are thankful for the little things, you see the moments of joy. When you are thankful for your difficult relationships, you are thankful because they are of God. When we say God, we ask that you understand this as the Universe, as the Highest part of yourself, of the Divine Intelligence - not as anything distorted by human stories, but of a loving, all-encompassing being that is of us and for us. 

When you feel this and understand this, you can simply sit and BE in the light of creation. You are thankful for something that was created BECAUSE IT WAS CREATED. No matter positive or negative. 

This leaves you feeling peace and at one with creation itself. It leaves you wanting to create as you are an extension of this energy too. For Thanksgiving, and certainly, for after Thanksgiving, be in this energy of gratitude and go forth and create. 

Create because creation is life.”

****

JOURNAL: After reading this channeled text, how does this shift how you approach being grateful? Take a moment to sit in the energy of this reading. Meditate and visualize this blooming rose and practice being thankful for it, just because IT IS.

***

When I reflect on this reading myself, I can see where I always justify everything and provide a rationale. I want to feel better about being stuck in the apartment for months on end and so I am thankful for my health and my family’s safety. But ultimately, I am thankful for my family because they ARE. I am thankful for my health because it IS. I am thankful for the state of the world despite its seeming chaos because IT IS.

It feels like a subtle shift in energy, but it is a powerful one.

May you and your loved ones have a happy, healthy, and virtual / socially-distanced Thanksgiving. <3