The Only Constant Is Change

Actually, it’s Love but I’ll focus here on change from a human perspective….or maybe a little of both.

Yes, I was on Casey Key....again. Guess I still had unfinished business. Facing the Gulf in front of one of the vacation resorts lining the beach is a huge heart fashioned with love and white clam shells. Carol is the artist. She'd regularly hike up the beach a distance for more construction material (clam shells) carrying them back in a bag. These can get quite heavy. I know personally having collected many myself. (You may have even seen a few transformed into Mermaid Trinket Trays.) **
                                                  

Carol greeted me with her usual cheery, “Good Morning!” Then words came out of my mouth, “You sure get your workout lifting people up!” Her face lit up with happiness as she responded, “Thank you so much!” Thank You Spirit/God/Angels/Universe for giving me just the right human words for the situation. Often, I find myself saying things I hadn’t planned at all, sometimes even using words very uncharacteristic of me, and think immediately after, “Where the heck did that come from?!” But deep down I know.

That was the morning I got the history of how the Shell Heart began. I’d photographed its previous version last year thinking it was a big beach Valentine. Turns out it was more than that. It was a tribute to John and Carol’s son who passed on 3:16 – March 16. Now I understood the shell with the writing inside of Brian 3:16. I knew what John 3:16 usually referred to and this was a loving combination of such. This year, Carol added a shell with her and her husband’s names with their anniversary date. A couple days later, someone else added one with theirs. A few more began to dot the heart. Carol decided to put a cup in the sand filled with markers with a shell next to it encouraging, “Write a message”. And people did. Colorful and varied messages of remembrance, love, encouragement and appreciation are what the shell heart is now made of. It’s doubtful one could walk around reading all the inscriptions and not be deeply moved. I bow to Carol for the profound difference she has made to countless people with her heartfelt act of love!

My life seems to personify change. Especially the past decade. If anyone would have suggested to me 20 years ago I’d be living this gypsea journey, I’d have laughed outright. No home. No defined plan. No end in sight. As many have read in Baring My Soul and Planting a Dream, there is a place I would like to plant myself on this earth - that tropical beach home I can almost touch. It just hasn’t manifested yet so I do my best with each change to enjoy my tour of life and BE in the NOW.

“Changes are what allow your spirit to expand into a greater awareness of your true nature. Through change you witness the many forms and faces of the Divine, for every living being, every inanimate object, every blade of grass, every mountain, every animal, is simply an embodiment of the One love. As you look into the mirrors of creation, you gain a greater awareness of the true Self within. People may come and go but the Divinity that animates them can never leave you. The very love that animates all of creation is One, peering at you through countless eyes, made manifest in oceans, trees, breezes, mountains, and the smallest single-celled animals. In every thought and every breath there is only One love.

Your soul will feel great freedom if, instead of fearing change, you embrace it wholeheartedly. Trust that change is the result of your growth – individually and/or collectively. Trust that your changes, when embraced with love, ultimately lead to a more conscious and happier life.”
~ VisionsofHeaven. com

You have your own individual journey of change whether it is visible to others or not. If you’d like a boost and a little company on the way, perhaps Wellness Couching by Phone will help brighten your trip!

On theme of the sea and experiencing change, one of my dear friends, Rod Thomas, has listed this beautifully restored Island Trader 46’ Ketch Rigged Motorsailer. https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1982/island-trader-motorsailer-46-3147170/?refSource=browse%20listing  Cruisers are a fun lot who are no strangers to change. If you are one or know anyone who might be interested in this newly restored gem, please contact Captain Rod for more details.

Thanks to cruiser friend Manuela for sharing this appropriate video recently on fb. I also recently “heard” it playing in my head one faintly lit new moon predawn morning. The stars still shown overhead as I stood in the sand, cool waves washing over my feet. You know that it’s “Time For a Cool Change”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKwRW0l-Qk&feature=share

** Mermaid Trinket Trays are available in our  Mother Daughter etsy shop Gifts From The Sea and Other Treasures. Please swim by, browse and perhaps pick one up for you or your favorite mermaid.

As always, my heart overflows with appreciation for the ongoing support of all manner and the love that forever swirls between us! Aloha ~

Technology – Can’t Live With It Can’t Live Without It

Hope your 2019 is off to a fabulous start. Mine has been delightful in some ways and disappointing in others. Of important note - the disappointment was all in the way I imagined events. 

Technology dilemmas have plagued me since I started using it. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve just want to disappear to my junglebeach and forget all about technology. But then I remember to be grateful for all it allows me to do at this time – including being in touch with loved ones. My previous computer, which was happily welcomed into my life as a gift from an Angel Friend, started to have issues shortly after I got it. Technology issues can be particularly difficult to resolve when someone moves around a lot. The amazing team at AXICOM did everything they could then we still ended up sending it back to Dell since it was under their warranty. Dell had it for almost 2 months. When I got it back, it still had problems. However, I didn’t want to deal with them because it was so effortful communicating productively with Dell in the first place and not having my computer at all was worse than having it with the problems. Pages could be written about the saga of my computer but you really don’t want to read about that any more than I want to relive it by writing. Toward the end of last year, Costco came through miraculously for me. In spite of my computer being out of warranty, and all my dealings with their less than satisfactory concierge,

I serendipitously found the magicians in the company who actually granted me a refund. Now, here I am feeling blessed on my new laptop. So that’s a bit about my computer. In an ironic twist, shortly after my previous post My Gypsea Life saying I didn’t desire a smartphone, I acquired one – another long story I’ll spare you the minutiae of. Mainly, I accepted it because one of my work exchange hosts wanted me to communicate with him via WhatsApp. Usually when I go to another country, I just purchase a simple, inexpensive phone there. Verizon assured me the smartphone was unlocked and I could use it with any other carrier. Turns out it would not work with any carriers in the region. For all practical purposes, I still did not have a smartphone. My work exchange situation was complex – as have been many in the past. I wasn’t in the location I anticipated and the work not quite as described….or particularly respectful. The only internet I had access to turned out to be a known spammer IP which compromised my computer. This resulted in my email being hacked over and over thus preventing me from accessing my main email. Had a couple other technological issues as well but you get the point. Again, a big shout out to all my bright Technology Angels, including AXICOM and Thinking2, who remotely held my hand to help get me through these experiences!

Time after time, I get the feeling that the technology will never work for me and want to do away with it. Some might also tell you stories of the strange things technology does in my presence. Then, I realize it’s important for my mission at this time. This is a perfect opportunity to Let Go and Let God (or whatever name you prefer for the Divine). I do the best I can and release the outcome. I know all that presents itself in my life is here to serve me and the Higher Good. The more I accept this and be in peace with it, the more powerful my energy is to assist others on this planet and beyond. Yes, some days are easier to put remembrance into practice than others. Now and then I have to have a little pep talk with myself. You’ve heard of the Dark Night of the Soul.

Much of 2018 was a Dark Year for my Soul. Granted, it was still full of love, miracles and blessings at every turn. However, the pep talks I had to give myself were on an almost continuous basis. Life can be like that. We all have challenges to face. They are as big as we allow them to be or see them to be. Conversely, they are as small as we allow grace to help us view them. It’s not a matter of right or wrong. It is just our experience and the choices we play with. 

How about you? Do you have challenges you seem to have to face over and over again? How do you choose to experience them? Is there a way you can embrace the situations thus experiencing them more “lightly”? I do not judge you and encourage you not to judge yourself. Rather acknowledge you are doing the best you can and consciously make the highest choice you can in each moment. 

                                    Namaste!

Who is this blog for?

This blog is for those for whom it is created. Cryptic huh? No doubt those for whom it is written will “get it” though. Sometimes I even wonder why I continue to publish it as I am generally a very private individual and it is a challenge putting so much out there for the world to see. People who know me best realize I could easily become a recluse…..as long as it is amidst a lush tropical beach on turquoise, dolphin frequented waters! Yet every month I get one to three heart-felt responses poignantly reminding me exactly why I continue making these posts. If I assist even one person in picking themselves up or turning their lives around for the better, my efforts are more than worthwhile.

The practical aspect of sharing this information with others I have touched on before in Communication and Technology  In today’s fast paced, high tech world, with the ability to connect with thousands regularly and meeting new people daily, it is virtually impossible to maintain contact as in days gone by. In what now feels like a prior lifetime, I would annually send out hundreds of handwritten cards for all occasions, birthdays, thank yous, anniversaries, and cheer as well as numerous holidays. I’d call people, not only for their birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions, but just to say hi and see how things were going. Presently, its’s a miracle to keep up in these areas just with my immediate family. Yet so many people, both relatives and friends, ask what I am up to and want me to stay in touch. This blog, in a small way, helps facilitate keeping in touch. Ironically, many folks who wonder what’s happening in my world, won’t read my blog although they’d read the same info in an email or listen enthusiastically over the phone. Each to their own. We all do the best we can 😊

In my years of officially personal training, going to my clients’ homes and offices to coach, it was much clearer what my work was. Wellness Coaching over the Phone - clear as well. Now however, my “work” is far more encompassing and not as easy to define in human words. In addition, by choice, I generally don’t get paid in money for what I “do”.  My beach ministry scores me spectacular views, smiles, leads, invitations, dolphin entertainment, shells, sea glass and refreshment. Often my communication online with a potential host, an exchange site, fb or similar, I get the satisfaction of brightening someone’s day besides providing and receiving valuable information. This leads me to

the topic of free travel and/or accommodations. In just a few years, the number has skyrocketed of folks living alternate lifestyles. House-sitting, care taking, pet-sitting, travel companions, and work exchange situations can be found world-wide. What constantly catches my attention, and makes me laugh, is the regular promotion of “free accommodation” or “free travel”. There are blogs written and courses taught on how to participate in such. Websites have sprung up overnight for house-sitting, work trade and more. I guess “free” is a good attention grabber but, upon reading the content, it is never free. It is an exchange. The ads are particularly humorous that state “free stay” followed by a long list of the work one is expected to do. Don’t get me wrong! I am not against working in exchange for one’s keep. I’ve been doing this for years! Free press trips and FAM (familiarization) trips….same thing. They are not free! These trips are provided and hosted in exchange for the participant writing enticing articles about them (including getting them published) or promoting travel to one’s clientele to the areas traveled. Again, this is awesome, it’s just not free. Perhaps someday there will be a world where things are done and given for free. This bright concept is being cultivated by many, Freeworlder for one. Check it out if this way of life appeals to you. Of course, nothing is still done/given absolutely freely……one does it for the benefits there of. Benefits include smiles on other’s faces, warm hugs, wagging tails, healthier lifestyle and that feeling of joy inside for accomplishing noble actions!

On the topic of work trade situations, I am looking for leads again. There are numerous ways I can assist hosts. Here is an example on one of the websites I occasionally look for connections  - LuxuryHousesitting As you may know by now, I am on a Quest of sorts. The ideal place for a win-win work exchange for me is on or in walking distance of a tropical sandy beach. The closer to the description I revealed in Baring My Soul and Planting a Dream the better!  If you have any ideas or know anyone who may be instrumental in landing my next trade adventure, please share.

Thank you all, both new readers and old friends, for being on this journey together. It enhances all our lives in countless ways. YOU are who this blog is written for. Remember to always enjoy your NOW!

About That Tropical Spa Retreat…….

Those who know me or have been “following” me for years are also aware of my pursuit of a Tropical Spa Retreat. Its concept and details were “downloaded” to me years ago (15 or more) while still living in California. Since that time I have contacted thousands of people, researched extensively, traveled to many countries, considered numerous offers/possibilities and, so far, still not manifested this tropical sanctuary.

Obviously, we have infinite possible futures. Every action we take, every word we speak and every thought we think has the ability to shift the path we are on. Perhaps that Tropical Spa Retreat was one potential future and I took some action that changed it. This is not a conclusive fact as there is always the chance for it yet to materialize sometime in my future. I am still open to the possibilities and taking inspired action. Curiously, I cannot say I am passionate about the idea any longer – at least the way it was presented to me all those years ago. What has my attention more profoundly is my tropical home that first started to appear as a recurring night dream described in my blog post Baring My Soul and Planting A Dream Although I did not first conjure up the vision in my waking imagination, the more details I am provided and the more I contemplate it, the more intensely I desire it - which brings me to my next observation.

Often I reference the term “past lives”. The reason for such is, whether folks believe in reincarnation or not, they understand the concept. However, my understanding is that time and space are creations for human minds as most can’t compute everything going on simultaneously. Personally I believe in my living other lives, for one reason, I remember snippets of many of them. An excellent, striking example is My Pirate Story So if everything is going on at the same time, and if I sense so many intense details of my tropical beach home repeatedly, perhaps there is some kind of “bleed-through” from another dimension or timeline. So vivid are the sensations, at times, I really feel I am living it! Just in case it is on this beautiful planet in this present lifetime, I continue to search for doors that may lead me there.

Jumping back to the more current “NOW”…..I thought I was headed to California in January. Even had my trusty Triptik all lined up. Just days before I would have left, a couple Earth Angels generously put a quite comfortable roof over my head in Florida. It was a good thing. The next day my daughter called saying she was coming to Florida to spend time with me for her birthday. My original idea was to just drive to California and surprise my family there. Heaven shifted my plans so I wasn’t heading to California as Natasha was heading to Florida! With only 3 full days together, we had a whirlwind of fun. Beach, working out, pampering, yummy food, introducing to friends, museums, a painting party and, of course, shopping…. Happy Birthday BabyGirl! So thrilled for our precious time together!

As usual, every year after Natasha’s birthday comes another celebration I cherish, Valentine’s Day. Over the decades I have experienced some very heavy reasons to warrant an intense distaste for the annual event. Yet, I am happy to report, it remains my favorite “holiday”. Of course I don’t need an actual day specifically in honor of Love. Just like one needn’t wait for New Year’s Day to make a fresh start. For me, every day is Valentine’s Day when I remember to see and act through the eyes of Love…..unconditional Love, that is!

My next big steps still elude me. Madagascar and surrounding islands off the east coast of Africa are presenting quite a bit. Research on the internet is a given but the Universe hasn’t shown me a way to physically explore yet. Anyone want to take me on a trip there with them? Might be just the ticket for getting out of an old groove OR enjoying some delightful weather OR living an adventure OR possibly being a part of something grand J

At present, I continue taking baby steps walking my talk:
Letting Go of the old that no longer serves me.
Not beating down doors or forcing things.
Listening to my inner guidance.
Making choices that bring most peace.
Living in the NOW.
Going with the flow.

Perhaps you are too?

Some of you Beautiful Beings have been sharing my journey and supporting me for years - maybe lifetimes. Thank you for staying by my side. Others have recently jumped onboard. Whether for a reason, a season or a lifetime, I am grateful for you all. Sending bright energy your way. Happy LOVE Day!