It’s a quiet day. I have several projects that are necessary to complete before flying off to India a week from tomorrow. Fortunately, it seems like I have enough time to get it done without getting harried at the end.

We return on Monday, Sept 29…that is our body will. Not sure how even the body will acclimate going and coming as I have never before taken a 14-hour flight. Yup, we fly from Reagan National to Newark and the flight directly from there to Delhi is 14 hours. Whew!

All the travel literature suggests not sleeping more than a couple hours at a time because it’s necessary to get up to stretch and exercise your leg muscles to avoid deep vein thrombosis (blood clots that can go to the lungs). That’s already…I have never perfected the art of sleeping on a plane before anyway.

I can feel my inner being going deeper and feeling more at peace as each day passes. There’s no doubt I am being called there. Will discover what that means and let you know when I return. In many ways this trip feels profound.

There will be no blog entries from me in September. Hope your month reaches your expectations! “Til October….

As a child, my Dad was the most powerful person in the world, my world. In any circumstance - what I ate, when I went to bed, who I could play with - he had the last say. I knew power was a force outside myself that I would do best to respect and obey.

The more I have become self-aware and self-directed, the more I realize that power comes in many forms all of which only influence over me because I choose it so. In most instances, external people or circumstances only have power because of my fear.

Without fear, nothing and no one can have power over me. It seems, therefore, that I am the source of all power, even power that seems to be external to me since I choose to fear it or not. Even laws have no power beyond the concent of the governed.

It was a shock recently when my father (now getting up in age and still try to make sense of life without my mother who passed in April), actually admitted to his own fears. He is planning a trip to see his grandson in Texas, but shared a need to work up his courage to make the trip.

This revelation is totally inconsisent with my view of my Dad’s power from my childhood. Yet, rather than disappoint me, it has only deepened my love for him. I long ago stopped fearing him and needing his approval for my life and behavior (well, not really so long ago). Still it is quite astounding that, like the Wizard of Oz, there is really only a human being behind the image I had of him.

Hum? How many other places in my life did I give away my power to the appearance of more powerful people, when in reality their power was a result of my own perception, flawed and immature to be sure.

How about you? Where have you given away your power due to fear? Is it time to acknowledge the powerful person you are and that all power originates from within you.

I suspect each of us has a long-standing issue in our life that drains energy like a hole you your tire or covers over your joy like a wet blanket. It is hard to believe that I have spent 90% of the last 50 years disgusted with my body and worried about my weight.

Writing that last sentence shows me how familiar I am with body self-hate. You can imagine how shocked I was a couple days ago while showering when I heard an inner voice say “How would your life be different if you no longer had to worry about your body?

Now that is a shocking statement. Wouldn’t it be so for you? Is there a self-critical aspect of your life that you have been burdened by for many years? It doesn’t have to be a weight issue. It could be anything. What if you just gave up the story, the struggle, and the complaint?

That’s what I have been pondering. You see I have through various methods lost 30 pounds over the last six or so months and am as close to normal as I have been in many years. I feel good, people (and my hubby) say I look good, and I am back to doing yoga better than ever.

However, even with arriving at a comfortable weight, or perhaps because of it, I have noticed how darn much time of my day I spend thinking about what I eat, how I look, if my clothes fit right, blaa, blaa, blaa…

What a waste of energy! At the age of 62, it just isn’t so important any more. I am not trying to snag a mate. I have the best possible partner for me and he loves me and my body (even at many pounds more). So why do I still torture myself with critical thoughts about my body?

It’s the “monkey mind” again. The mind is like a machine that once programmed perpetuates the same function until something powerful comes along to reprogram it.

How would my life be different if I didn’t perseverate on my body all day?

My mind would be free to create, imagine and explore new ideas, new possibilities and new actions. I will start today to stop every time I become aware of another “body thought” and replace it will a thought about something I like about myself, something I have done for another or something I will do to make life a little better. No more wasting energy as in the past.

Got something you’d like to reprogram? Join me.

“What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you writing?” My inner Critic has her finger wagging at me this morning because it has been six weeks since I wrote a blog entry.

In fact, I haven’t been writing much of anything lately, though I did manage with some effort to put out my monthly newsletter the beginning of the month.

It is not for lack of ideas that swirl around and through my mind, but none have become words on a screen, except for the necessity of daily emails. There is an inner ferment that I don’t comprehend and it is easily kept hidden.

Summer is the perfect time to take a break from doing anything. Half of my neighbors are gone vacationing, for example. I have grown an amazing bronze just from enjoying our condo’s pool.

People who see me ask if I have just returned from vacation. “No,” I say, “I work from home and take my lunch hour at the pool.” How blessed am I!

Still, I am aware of thoughts and ideas that will eventually seek life on a page. And if I ever hope to produce the book that is inside me, I’ll have to find a disciplined rhythm of writing that will permit others to share in what is arising in me instead of hoarding them within me.

So I celebrate this day by valuing the fermenting inside me and offer my intention to climb over the resistance and petty excuses for not writing even a few paragraphs every day, something of the awareness that is bubbling up within me.

Today I am waking and stirring. Tomorrow I intend to wake and stretch.

Our global interconnectivity is being shown through the environmental crisis as it become more obvious. Everyone everywhere is affected when the ozone layer thins, when the PH of the ocean acidifies, and when acid rain affects forest far away from industrial smog. Even the Internet in the past decade has awakened many to the incredible interconnected world when in a matter of seconds news and rumors can be spread like a virus, infecting or informing even remote villages if connected by satellite.

Soon it will be more than just “enlightened beings” that know we are all one. But what are the implications of this interconnectivity?

The word Unanimity is derived from the root words “uni” meaning one and “anima” meaning soul. If we recognized that we (humans, planets, animals, EVERYTHING) are part of one interconnected global Soul, how would our life be different?

•  Our actions would be decided based on the outcome for the other person, since if we are connected our behavior affects us just as much as others.        
• Our judgments of others would become judgments of our self since if we are one Soul any criticism is actually aimed at you.
•  The loneliness and lack of belonging that is felt by many would disappear by the awareness that we are parts of a whole.
• Acts of kindness to others would increase since they would be known to be acts of love to our self.
• Polluting or damaging the environment would feel awful since part of us would be harmed.
• Interpersonal conflicts, wars and other conflicts would be unspeakable as we recognized that negotiation and listening to others’ points-of-view are an act of learning to know ourselves at a deeper level.
•  Eating could be seen as a celebratory act of appreciation for the plants and animals who had shared their life with us.

There could be many more possibilities for living harmonious, fulfilled and joyful lives when we understand Unanimity with creation!

What other thoughts do you have that could add to a vision of a world that worked for everybeing?

I was recently interviewed by MSN Money for an article titled, “Get Your Dream Job…at 55.” It was a delight to discuss how I left my corporate job to become an astrologer five years ago.

Since the article was posted, I have heard from friends who mention how inspiring the article and video clip were. It seems there are many of us who, as we are nearing retirement, seek to finallly follow our passion after years of deny it.

For over a 25 years, I have had a love affair with astrology. At first I would consult an astrologer when I needed an outside perspective and that made me appreciate the value of its grounded practical insight. But with time, I became determined to know what that astrologer was seeing for myself (though you can never really see your own chart objectively).

When I finally quit my corporate job, I really didn’t know what I would do next. I had been doing readings professionally for 8 years by then on a part-time basis, but it never occurred to me that I should make a career out of what I love.

I grew up being told that work was just that - work. If you want to have fun, you do it after you finish your job. You might say I was preprogrammed to expect no satisfaction or enjoyment in my career.

After four months, I began mediating on what I should do next. I asked “Where does my joy meet the world’s need?” and heard “astrology.” It had never occurred to me to try to make it my career.

My fear was that if I took what I loved and made it an everyday task it would take the joy out of it. WRONG! Now five years later, I can tell you that has not happened.

Sometimes I just stop and marvel at the miracle of getting paid for doing what I love to do - help people appreciate their Soul’s journey and bring more joy and fulfilment into their life.

Of course, there are parts of running my own business that I like less than others. Yet, as an entrepreneur I can always hire assistance for those tasks and leave the rest of my time to focus on what I do (and enjoy) best.

My life has proven that it’s never too late to follow your passion. When I counsel clients and friends about career concerns, I always like to remind them that life has meaning and purpose and so do they. Discover your purpose!

If you are not doing your passion, contributing your skills and abilities toward work that makes your heart sing, then you are contributing to disharmony and distress in the world. For if we all worked at what makes our heart sing, this would be one harmonious planet - a symphony of wonderful tones coming from happy, fulfilled people.

Are you following your passion?

I have long appreciated and valued the qualities of Optomism and Determination, but now the president of Gallup, the pre-eminent polling organization, has this to say…

Entrepreneurs have the rare gifts of optimism and determination, which are, and probably will remain, the new most valuable resources in the world. Optimism and determination are more valuable in the equation than creativity and innovation because they are rarer. (complete article here)

As an entrepreneur myself, I have to say this statement couldn’t be more confirming. It takes a great deal of optomism and determination to step out of being an employee (working to fulfill someone’s else’s purpose) and forge a new path working toward your own purpose.

Being an astrologer, a profession that is scorned or disregarded by a significent measure of the population, doesn’t make the entrepreneurial step any easier.

However, where does optomision and determination come from? In my experience, it comes from the drive to live life and make a contribution on your own terms, the terms that bubble up from inside - what I call “Soul-Inspired Livelihood.”

Though my optomism and determination is not constant and at times I falter and have doubts, there is nothing in me that would go back to corporate life. I followed my heart’s call five years ago and never looked back.

So if you find yourself irritated because your work does not express your inner values and motivations, start now to formulate a plan toward answering your heart’s call. It may call you into entrepreneurship or it may call you to another form of work, but don’t waste your precious life feeling unfulfilled.

My worst days as an entrepreneur have all been better than my best days as an employee. That could be true for you too.

I will be exploring this and more on April 26 in my new workshop titled “Soul-Inspired Livelihood ~ Answering Your Heart’s Call.” If you or someone you know would be interested, information can be found here.

The word THRIVE is defined as “to grow, flourish and prosper.” The idea of thriving to me is the experience of being aware and alive: ever growing and expanding my sense of my Self, who I am and why am here - my purpose.  

This feeling of thriving can exist in the midst of difficulty when challenges are great and yet you know you are growing in conscious awareness and performing what is your purpose in the midst of the stress. This I experienced when I was engaged to a dear soul and he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. I was his caregiver to the end. 

Thriving is realized when you are open to every experience in life being a gift of awareness. It can be felt when things are going well, money is manifesting, loved ones are kind and giving - you feel in the flow. 

But it is when I learned to thrive in uncertainty, that life became a friend instead of my being the victim of life’s circumstances. I learned that if I choose to open to new learning and engage with the present moment as a present wrapped and ready to be discovered, I really did prosper, though I might not have noticed how at the time. That prosperity has come to me in friends, associates, opportunities that I could never have dreamed of if I hadn’t chosen to see uncertainty as the source of unlimited possibilities.  

The image I hold is of a balloon that flies ever higher as you let go of the string. The funny thing is I don’t think we ever really have a hold of the string. I believe there is a greater plan or synchronicity that exists and if we get out of the way, what happens is even better than we could ever have planned for ourselves. 

This has been proven to me over and over, but never more clearly that when my now beloved husband showed up in my life. Just 11 months after burying my fiancée, along came the partner I had always dreamed of. Not a perfect man, but a man who is perfect for me. 

Therefore, I seek to encourage others to open up to how they can thrive in uncertainty - the goal of my workshop on March 9.

I came across some interesting information provided by Molly Hall, the astute Astrology Guide at About.com about this week’s plan by NASA’s Deep Space Network. Here is what she shared:

Early next week, with five planets in cosmic-traveler Aquarius, NASA’s Deep Space Network will be beaming the Beatles’ song Across the Universe toward Polaris, the North Star. “Send my love to the aliens,” was Paul McCartney’s message. And Yoko Ono had this to say: “I see this as the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the Universe.” We may not get a musical response from E.T. right away, since it’ll take about 431 light years to get to its destination. But it’s an auspicious New Moon in Aquarius thing to do, reaching out to our fellow beings in the galaxy.

John Lennon was an Aquarius Moon, and now his voice enters new territory. Once again, his essence is ahead of its time, and the Beatles are an innovative archetype worthy of representing Earthlings. Will Beatlemania sweep the solar system? NASA is inviting everyone to join in on Monday, the 4th at midnight GMT, by listening to the song at home. If you make contact, be sure to share your experiences!

I just can’t help imagining who/what might be listening to this broadcast. Now that we have discovered planets circling in other solar systems, there just may be a new audience this music.

I’d like to think we won’t need another 431 light years to learn how to welcome and make friends with beings that are different from ourselves. But only time will tell since we haven’t yet mastered that skill with fellow human beings.

The beginning of a new year is always a good time to look ahead. After reviewing the joys and challenges of 2007, I view the year before me as a blank canvas on which I can create whatever I want if I follow the following recipe: 

BLUE SKY + STEPPING STONES + OPTIMUM TIMING = SUCCESS 

The first ingredient = BLUE SKY 

Begin with all your hopes and dreams — you know, the ones that you may have been languishing from the past, the ones you thought were impossible. Also include newly identified high hopes. Be sure not to skimp on this ingredient or leave out anything that calls from your heart. Write them all down to make them more real and tangible.  

The second ingredient = STEPPING STONES 

Now take your top five (save the others for another time) and begin to think strategically. What will it take to accomplish each dream? Get very clear about the tasks necessary to move in the direction of achieving your dream. Are you willing to do what it takes?  

Here is where commitment comes in. If you are unwilling to “stay the course” to get to your goal, then the dream is worthless “mind candy.” Let it go. Spend your time planning the steps to accomplish the dreams that your mind and heart say “yes” to.  

The most important ingredient = OPTIMUM TIMING 

Have you ever tried to accomplish something when it felt like you were walking through molasses or pushing a noodle uphill? That’s what happens when you do not include this ingredient. It has been written “for everything there is a season.” This is true for every human endeavor.  As an astrologer, timing is my specialty. I see how it works in my client’s lives. It is what I provide when exploring their year ahead. Just as earth has seasons, so does your life. If you are trying to launch a new business when your own personal season is more like winter - meaning a time for inner reflection - the result will be flat. Understanding your own personal season or optimum timing can significantly increase the success of any endeavor. 

In general, 2008 has good promise for manifesting dreams and launching entrepreneurial businesses successfully. However, the first two months of the years are much better spent doing strategic planning and letting go of limiting beliefs.  From March through September, the cosmic weather looks good. It is encouraging for anyone who has wanted to move toward work that makes their heart sing. Go for it! But rather make rigid structures, create flexible plans so you can modify and innovate as you learn and grow. October begins a period of uncertainty and changes that flow into 2009, so catch the positive wind that blows from March through October by using this recipe for success.