It’s nice sometimes to just sit in the dim light and reflect on the things around me. As I was typing the Table of Contents for the upcoming Horizons Magazine, I looked at the graphic image of the rosebud. Tight in a bud ~ I could almost feel the tightness. I got a sense of anticipation, of tension, of a wanting to relax into fullness, of a wanting to ex-press oneself. (Express: to make known, to force out, to subject to pressure so as to extract) I thought, that’s true of so many of the people I know now. So many on the verge of bursting forth and ex-pressing themselves. That’s why I chose a rosebud and the accompanying Anais Nin quote on the Table of Contents: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”  We all know there’s a risk to blossoming, especially when those around us are blooming left and right and catching criticism for it, but what of the risk of remaining tight in the bud? Isn’t it the greater risk to do nothing, to keep the same old job, to stay in the loveless relationship? Isn’t it riskier to keep the same old diet, keep the same old habits, keep the same old beliefs and attitudes? Yes, it IS the path of least resistance, but isn’t that usually the riskiest path to take? Isn’t the path of least resistance usually the riskiest path to take? Sure, because what you’re risking is total inertia and boredom in a changeless, joyless life. Excuse me, but YUK! and no thanks.

OVERCOMING INERTIA
That’s what so many have a chronic case of right now. Inertia and boredom. Lack of inspiration. Lack of motivation. Waiting for something to come into their lives and motivate them. Sitting at home in front of the tv, channel- surfing 6 hours in a row every day of their lives waiting for something to knock on the door and motivate them? Hmmm… I’d exercise my free will and try to find something that interested me. If Life is getting boring, it’s because you’re not looking deep enough. Stop dog paddling on the surface here and dive deep for the pearls that await you. Stop right now and take a deep breath and prepare your mind to dive into something new. Say 9 times in a row once a day for the next 30 days, “I’m ready to see my life from a deeper perspective. I’m ready to expand my vision and understanding.” Then hold on for the ride, because you WILL be taken deeper. Inertia is the biggest obstacle to success, it’s not money, money can be found by the truly motivated; however, not having money is often our excuse for our inertia.

NO EXCUSES
What I’m saying is: if you’re not interested in anything, get interested in something. You have the choice of doing nothing or getting up and doing something. We’re all on this planet together, so let’s meet each other. Read through Horizons Magazine, call someone whose article or ad you’ve read and tell them what you think of it. Don’t care if it’s long distance or not. Tell them your opinion. Ask them theirs. Promote yourself, tell them what you do and what you’re available for. Take a class or join a study group; go read the bulletin board at the health food store and say Hello to everyone you see. Expand your mind a little and your world literally will change before your eyes.

THIS IS ACCELERATION
I keep hearing, “oh, these times are so accelerated now, time is speeding up, it’s the 4th dimension coming in, it’s the vortex energy…” Nothing’s new here, we’re just waking up to the world around us, we’re just becoming more conscious to what’s been around us all the time. Just because we weren’t experiencing rapid changes before was that we’d not yet reached the level of consciousness we had to achieve before having that experience. We’re now creating more sensitive instruments, we’re measuring things that always existed that we just had no instruments to measure before now. It feels like acceleration because you’re asking to be woken up, you’re asking for more knowledge and you’re feeling the influx of energy in answer to your call.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE AN ISSUE?
Of course the more people that come into your life, the more opportunity to overcome any issues that may be holding you back from reaching your full potential. Stop and take a look at the issues in your life right now. You have an “issue” if there’s anyone or anything going on in your life that aggravates you, saddens you or limits you in any way. Anything that triggers an emotional reaction in you shows you where you have an issue to work on.

HOW DO I KNOW WHO MY ANGELS ARE?
Just as there are issues going on right now, there are also those around you right now that can help you transcend, or work through, that issue. These are probably the folks who aggravate you the most; they’re probably the ones you think are the most ignorant, most obnoxious, most arrogant and irresponsible people you know. Since we attract to us those who are like us, why do you suppose these people are in your life? They’re here to help you get over some issue ONCE AND FOR ALL so you can get on with your happy life, that’s why!

YOUR ENEMIES ARE YOUR ANGELS
Every single person who rubs you the wrong way is an angel sent directly from God to help you learn a lesson and be on your merry way. What “flaw” do each of your friends all seem to share? Lack of money? Loser mates? Unfair bosses? You’ll get the same types in your life over and over and over until you work that issue out of your life. You’ll date a dozen men like your ex-husband, it’ll be the same guy time and again, and only the names and faces have changed. Until you work it out. Until you’ve learned that lesson. And the ones to learn that lesson with are the ones in your life right now. And you’ll find magic in the process.

THE SECRET FORMULA
You don’t have to go to a workshop and pay $125+ to raise your consciousness. You don’t have to spend 3 days and nights alone, silent in the mountains to become enlightened. You don’t have to have a certificate saying you’ve ascended. All you have to do is look at your life right now, pick the person who aggravates you the most and ask yourself what lesson is there for you to overcome. Make a list of every one who aggravates you and write down what they do to upset your peace, and then meditate on what that could be reflecting.

UNDERSTANDING IS THE KEY
I want everyone to understand why they have problems in their lives. I want everyone to know the secret formula for getting themselves out of the problem and into deeper understanding. Friends, the more we understand, the more fun Life becomes! The deeper my understanding of my world around me, the easier things get. Entertaining myself becomes easier and cheaper which is paradoxical, since money begins flowing faster!

ALBATROSS OR ANGEL?
My own angel was a former associate who didn’t really rub me the wrong way but, oh, how he tried! The fact of his persistence in my life let me know there was an issue to work on. I sat down to make a list (my favorite!) of his characteristics and did so in very exaggerated form for purpose of example. I wrote down “arrogant, a know-it-all, preachy, thinking he needed to tell everyone how to run their lives, full of spiritual pride, always seeking attention and validation.” Hmmmm, no mirror there, Andrea….. now what on earth could MY lesson be? I’m WAY too highly evolved to have someone like him still in my life.”

ENTERTAIN NEW NOTIONS
Once I entertained the notion, that is, contemplated, that I may have an issue to work on, once I entertained the idea that maybe I need to work on what I see wrong in him, once I did that, my awareness expanded, my consciousness raised and I ascended into greater understanding. As I took steps to tame my ego and be less intrusive, that person left my experience, as we no longer vibrated in harmony as we once did. There’s no higher or lower here, we are merely friends on different paths and, the reason for our association having been fulfilled, we were then left to each continue our own journeys.

LET’S SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN OUR VISIONS
The point is, take the risk, contact new people. Work at resolving your issues and helping friends resolve theirs. Be less critical, have a kind word for everyone. Connect with people even if it’s just once. Reflect deeply on what’s important to you and why. Let others know what you think. Listen deeply to their ideas. Let’s support each other in our vision of a better world, our vision of a world where brotherhood and cooperation reigns, where everyone has enough, where everyone feels happy and united, where our youth is becoming focused and responsible, where our elders have the respect and comfort they deserve, where everyone is finding their niche and loving Life. Let’s hold this vision in our minds for a few minutes each day for the next few hundred years and see if we can impart our idealism to those around us. By reading this, you’re all supporting me in my vision and I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.

LISTEN FREE: Connecting with your Angels, Guides and Teachers