Selling My Soul

From a young age I despised selling. It conjured up images of swindling, unscrupulous salesmen

Anoush Stanboulian Art

taking unfair advantage of trusting people interested in making their lives better. As I got older, I realized it wasn’t only the door to door variety of salesmen that were manipulating people – or the ones in the stores. There were actually people selling ideas and beliefs with the same manipulative “selling” tools – basically brainwashing. My disdain for selling increased. Then, I was in the position of selling. Selling myself, my skills and products in my business. Oh, I loved how I helped people but never really got comfortable with the selling aspect.

Since then, besides my business Universal Wellness, I’ve had experience selling in a plethora of arenas. Selling houses, land, cars, boats, and a hotel. I’ve sold motorcycles, bicycles, treadmills and other exercise equipment. My experience spanned dozens of selling platforms for real estate and more including Craigslist and venues social media has to offer. Even got myself kicked out of one for selling banned items – visualize stiletto heeled shoes triggering a weapon alert. I could write a book about selling and the entertaining aspects thereof including prospects’ behavior. “Oh, I didn’t actually read the ad.”  “No, I didn’t look at the pictures.” “This WILL fit in the back of my SUV!”  Don’t look for it though, as it would bring me no pleasure reliving all that.

Beauty I’ve had difficulty selling has been my Gifts From the Sea. I have always been artistic - blossoming via a variety of mediums. Combining my love of the beach and creativity was only natural. Over the years, I joyfully hand-crafted numerous sea treasures – always with the loved ones in mind who would delightfully receive them. Needs arose making money (in my  as little money as possible world) necessary. At first, it was difficult to even create my masterpieces without a specific person in mind. I overcame that imagining mystery recipient being excited to have it. Envisioning the loving energy with which it was infused enhancing their life also helped. But then there was that thing about charging money. It was like charging money for love. Then again, if everything we do is with love, the money we get for anything is for love. Thankfully, there are some people who understand that and pay….with love 💖

One of the things I’ve had varying degrees of success selling – depending on how you measure – is of a concept. I thought I’d be starting a tropical spa retreat many moons back. Hundreds of people were interested in participating in one manner or another. Years have flown by yet the perfect retreat location remains elusive. However a surprising number of supporters continue to fuel the flame with their belief. Periodically I get a reminder asking about “progress” or confirming their faith in me. I still don’t know whether this place will be manifested or not. Still have no substantial news to share about it. To all you wonderful Loved Ones, I swirl my continued gratitude. You mean so much to me! What I do know is I am still selling a concept.
The vision is of a brighter way of living. Imagine entering another level of consciousness in which we are powerful, beyond our current imagination, and can create our own worlds. And no, I am not selling by manipulation or force. I am not seeking only personal gain – although the more people living in joy benefits everyone else. I am selling by my example – giving people a glimpse of other possibilities. If they are interested, they can proceed on their own without obligation. Their innate - inner guidance will take over, if allowed, with the best path for each individual. I have basically bared / sold my soul for this endeavor. I am not here to show you The Way. I am selling/showing/shining you A Way. Now it’s up to you if you want to use any of my ideas or example in helping you forge a new, blissful, loving path for yourself!

Now I ask you….. What are you selling?

Valentine’s Day Forever

My favorite holiday ~ Valentine’s Day ~
approaches. Yet again, its spirit being one I embody all year through. Having a special holiday for Love💟, the collective Love Quotient of humanity energetically spikes around this time - similar to when disaster hits and people rally around to assist with love and support. The delightful bonus Valentine beauty is that this love beam radiates more intensely as a result of positive prompting.

Although the general interpretation is a romantic connection 💞between two people, that is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg of what Love fully encompasses. Unconditional love💗 is a concept most humans have yet to grasp. Some think you loving them unconditionally means you will be physically there for them no matter how disrespectfully they treat you. That’s far from the truth as, if you did that, you wouldn’t be honoring and loving yourself. The closest example I can think of humans feeling unconditional love is when a mother holds and gazes upon her newborn baby for the first time. Words just can’t express the emotion and Love 💛enveloping the two of them as time stands still. And (I know this is controversial) even if you aren’t a mother now, everyone in some lifetime has been a mother, unless you are a "newbie" but that's a topic for another day. Everyone can conjure up a semblance of that sublime feeling. Just imagine how it will be when everyone shares unconditional love with all other beings on the planet! “Imagine all the people…” Our thoughts/emotions are mighty and this is an extremely potent time for positive shift.

Art by Daniel Holeman

As you can surmise, as humanity is only starting to awaken, it isn’t always prudent to look deeply into another’s eyes and say, “I love you” when reflecting unconditional love.💜 I am still paying the price for that – one of the reasons I remain vague about my current location. However, there are no mistakes, only cause and effect, and love will prevail 💖

Art by Daniel Holeman

Here’s a warm fuzzy idea. Consider, this Valentine’s Season, romancing yourself. Fall in love💘, again or for the first time, with who you are – just the way you are. I don’t mean in a narcissistic way in which you simply use others for your personal gain. If you truly love and honor the extension of God that you are, you will respect all around you. The more you love yourself on this higher plane, the more powerful you become and capable of bringing more joy and light to others. Unless your cup is full, yea overflowing, you cannot abundantly fill the cups of others.

Lovingly hand-crafted Hearts of the Sea 💙can help fuel Amor in a unique manner - $8 each plus $2 shipping. Free shipping for orders of 5 or more going to the same address. Of course, there is no rush to get these amorous sea treasures in time to give for Valentine’s Day. Surprise someone any day in a heartfelt way.

A celebration of Love 💚would not be complete without an over sprinkling of gratitude. 🙏Ongoing thanks to all who have assisted and encouraged me both recently and over the years/lifetimes. Donations, food, shelter, leads, purchasing my offerings, sending a few kind words and energetic support are all so deeply appreciated. And most of all….your Love!

Happy Love Day! 💕Happy Love Month!
Remember to BE your own Valentine! May every aspect of your life be infused with the glorious enchantment of Love!

Enlightened Trick or Treat

Is everything a trick or a treat? Is everything good or bad? Actually, nothing in itself is absolutely either way but our perception makes it so. “It” just is. One person can view a rainfall as welcome nourishment for the plants. Another can see it as a catastrophe which ruined a year-long planned event. This can be an oversimplification as some things really do seem awful. However, if one is willing to look, many gifts – or treats – can be seen as a result. You might say our Enlightened Perception allows us view all things, in some manner, as treats.

A few of you are aware that I used to be highly pessimistic (echoing Not All Who Wander Are Lost). I’d say, “Everything happens for a reason and that reason is to &#*@ me!” Thankfully I’ve awakened quite a bit since then. One of my shifts in thinking was and is, “Everything happens for a reason and that reason is to bless me!”

Standing from a place of non-judgement doesn’t mean I like everything. We all have personal preference. It’s part of the reason we became human – to have different experiences.

And that’s a wonderful thing. Imagine if everyone all wanted to live in the same place on the planet. That wouldn’t work so well. People will offer numerous arguments about not preferring many things they are experiencing. There are many layers of that onion to peel – layers that countless books have expounded upon. Layers that one will have to go on their own journey of enlightenment to shed if they so choose.

Trick or Treat?  Two sides of the same coin. One example of such is Te Fiti and Taka. “They” are one being. Taka is her state when someone had stolen her heart. Even I almost wrote “cruelly stolen”. But that would have been a judgement call. The majority of human society is so prone to judgement we hardly notice what is and our opinion of what is. We would probably all conclude that Te Fiti is her preferred state. Today can you shift your perspective a bit to start seeing the Beauty in the Beast? 

A treat in my life, I am observing in gratitude, is I now have many hosts who would like me to assist them in their tropical places. Having a waiting list of appreciative folk is a kinda nice feeling as a human. Someday, when I am more evolved/enlightened, I won’t need that confirmation to get the same warm fuzzy emotion. I acknowledge where I am today and know an attitude of gratitude helps multiply my preferred treats. Perhaps it might work for you?

If you hurry, you can still get some Halloween/Dia de los Muertos Sea Spirits. Also offered are many unique, hand-crafted choices for your Holiday gifting. Here are some samples and there are many more varieties of each! Check out our Gifts From the Sea fb page to view more You can also email with items you are interested in for additional information.

From my stories, you may be aware that technology and I have had an interesting

Even my helper couldn't determine the problem

relationship. I am now in a situation requiring my third computer in less than a year. Not wanting to put my focus on the complex tale, I will leave it at that. Have my blog posts inspired, entertained or enlightened you in any way? If so, and you’d like to help me keep them coming, perhaps you would hit the donate button. Any amount (remember the loaves and the fishes) will greatly help me get on my more peaceful computing way.

Is it a Trick? ….or a Treat?