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A Third Eye Perspective

A relationship you've probably never considered before, but should...

2/13/2021

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As it's Valentine’s Day, it seems like a good time to take a moment to look at our relationships - especially one you have probably never considered before (more on that in a moment). If anything, this global pause has allowed us to take the time to take stock of our relationships, the ones we value and the ones needing changed. Our relationships extend past romantic interests and include family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. There are also spiritual and religious relationships. What we tend to forget, though, is that the most important relationship is the one that we have with ourselves. 

I’d like you to take a moment to think about how your relationship is with yourself. Is it a loving one? Is it abusive? Do you pay more heed to the inner bully, the inner critic? What kind of conversations do you have with yourself? Are they positive and encouraging or are they more self-deprecating? More often than not, do you tend to love yourself or hate yourself? Do you embrace yourself fully or do you wish you were different? From a young age we are taught that we must please others, live up to external expectations, and tend to our external relationships - all while paying little to no heed to ourselves. It is not selfish to focus on your relationship with yourself - in fact, it is necessary. 

We are spiritual beings living a human life. Most of us tend to get to know ourselves as our ego, but rarely take it further to get to know the divine aspect that we also are. We are so much more than what we believe. We often tend to look to others to fulfill what we feel we are lacking - love, worthiness, happiness, compassion... All of that exists within ourselves. We have to take the time to re-learn how to tap into it. Meditation is a great way to start. If meditation is too challenging, begin by setting the intent and desire to get to know your true self. You can journal, have a conversation with  your Soul, or look at yourself in the mirror and begin to look past your layers of ego identity. Peeling back all of the labels, acknowledge that aspect of who you truly are - your Soul self. Every relationship begins with and is sustained by connection and communication. 

Another relationship you should be taking a look at, especially in these times, is your relationship with fear. - Fear? - What?  - Why? I know, seems a little crazy, right? The truth is, we have greatly misunderstood fear. We have given it a monster-like identity that doesn’t allow us to see the whole picture. Though it may feel like it at times, fear is not there to make our lives miserable. Fear serves a far greater purpose. It's also important to know that fear plays a much bigger role in our daily lives than we realize. It shows up disguised in our beliefs and our emotions. You might be surprised as to how many of your decisions are actually fear-based. 

We are all being impacted by fear on a continual basis - consciously, subconsciously, and collectively. Due to the range of events over the past year, the collective fear has been very intense. It may seem like it’s completely out of your control, but it’s not. Did you know that you can form a partnership with your fear and be empowered in your response to it? It’s absolutely possible, for anyone. 

I have put together a free live intensive training on seeing fear through a new perspective. It’s called Fear: The Other Side Of The Story. In this webinar, you will see fear in a new light, you will learn where fear actually comes from (the 5 contributing players), you will see where fear plays a role in your daily life, you will learn where fear hides and how to tap into it, and you will be provided with tools to help you soothe and work with your fear. It’s more important than ever to become aware of fear’s role in our lives. Isn’t it time we stop allowing ourselves to be manipulated through fear - especially when we do it to ourselves without even realizing it?

In this month of love, remember to also turn it towards yourself. Take the extra time and effort to let those you have a valuable relationship with know how much they mean to you. Lastly, I challenge you to show your fear some love by gaining a new perspective on it, which you can do by attending the live webinar training. I wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day.
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Heart hugs and love to you, Adrienne :)
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Click here to register for the free webinar - Fear: The Other Side Of The Story
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La piñata

10/8/2020

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These past few weeks I’ve felt like a piñata. Trying to meet deadlines and a launch date and it all kept going wrong. So many stressful little things kept happening and then came the 2x4s. From my computer giving out (whack) to my new computer being defective (whack). In the course of one week, I accidentally poured freshly boiled water over my hand (whack), got the worst food poisoning I’ve ever had - resulting in 20 consecutive hours of vomiting - (whack, whack, whack), and my car decided to stop working in the middle of the interstate, needing a tow that took 4 hours to arrive, and over $700 in repairs and expenses (W-H-A-C-K). That was the blow that finally did it. I retreated. I’d had enough. My nerves were shot and my guts were starting to spill - and they weren’t candy.

Over the course of a few days, I went through a few stages. First, I was the victim - life, god, the universe, whatever it is, was beating the crap out of me. Why? How many beatings was I supposed to take? Why did I become the punching bag? What did I do to end up on the universe’s shit list? I noticed a lot of deep resentment and dread - what’s next? How far will this go? Will I be pushed past my breaking point?

Then, I got mad - furious, actually. I went from being the piñata to holding the proverbial stick and I started swinging. Of course there was no piñata for me to hit back since god/source/universe is such an abstract construct. I was just swinging into empty space - hurling my frustrations and curses into nothingness. It was so exhausting and, frankly, even more infuriating.

Next, I decided I was tired of the game. I didn’t want to play anymore. Bills, responsibilities, my project - all got pushed to the side as I binged Kdramas and chocolate. Reality was really sucking and I needed a break. It’s easy to get sucked into distractions, especially when you’re in a state of sheer overwhelm. I let myself disconnect, but I also knew I had to deal with it all sooner rather than later or I’d just be making things a lot harder on myself.

“It could be worse” - I really hate it when people tell me that. Of course it could be worse, but the situation at hand isn’t so swell either. When someone tells me that ‘it could be worse,’ it feels like they aren’t acknowledging how challenging and hard it already is; like they’re dismissing or discounting my experience and my feelings around it. What would be helpful is someone saying, “Wow, that’s awful. Is there anything I can do to help? I’m just glad the situation's not any worse.” ‘That’s awful’ acknowledges the experience and how I feel about it. ‘Can I help?’ can feel like a lifeline even if there’s nothing they can do. ‘I’m glad it’s not any worse’ allows for some space to open up in order to hold gratitude that it isn't any worse. The way we word things really does make a difference. 

I don’t like being a victim, being the person trying to hit an invisible piñata isn’t satisfying either, and just taking myself out of it all by burying my head in the sand with distractions can only work for so long. I decided I needed a new way to look at things. If my suffering is connected to my thinking, to my perceptions, then that’s where I have to shift. I think it begins with curiosity. I find it curious that so many challenges came up one after the other and then some of them completely stopped me - the food poisoning kept me in bed for days, the car left me stuck - all at a time when I needed every hour in order to launch. What message was I not getting that those cosmic 2x4s had to come in? Needless to say, the universe has my attention. I guess it’s time to turn off Netflix and figure out what it’s been trying to say.
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The mountains were calling...

8/12/2020

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It’s been nearly four years since I last posted in this blog. After writing weekly for three years, I decided to take a break. I didn’t realize that my hiatus would last this long. A lot has transpired since I last wrote, both in the world and in my own life. To catch you up a bit on where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to, I’d like to share about my time living and working at a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center pertaining to the Dalai Lama. 

For several years, Menla, known as Tibet in the Catskills, became my home. It’s a peaceful and beautiful retreat center nestled in a valley, high up in the Catskill mountains in New York. I love this place for so many reasons: the nature, the people, the quiet, and its mission as part of Tibet House US to help ensure the survival of Tibetan culture. For an empath, it was like medicine for mind and body. There’s a special energy there that’s similar to Sedona, except it’s not as intense and is more embracing and nurturing.  ​
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Dewa Spa
I worked in the Dewa Spa on property. Dewa Spa is distinct in that there’s a focus on Tibetan medicine and healing. I highly recommend the KuNye massage by the way. I still worked with clients doing my Emotional Blockages Release sessions, but I mainly worked as a spa coordinator and  assisted in keeping the spa running - from booking appointments to stocking treatment rooms to picking the flowers that would go into the special baths that we ran for guests. Ironically, the job was far from relaxing, but the space itself, and most especially the people, are what made it great. I have never seen so many talented massage therapists under one roof. Healers in their own right, the before and after differences in the guests said it all. My co-workers were more like family. Some of the biggest-hearted, most wonderful people I’ve ever met. 

Hiking was literally steps from my back door. There are multiple trails on property from easy to challenging. The water, sourced from a mountain stream, is the only water I’d ever drink straight from the tap - it’s that good. There are phenomenal gardens which source flowers for the arrangements found around property and veggies, greens, and fruit for the kitchen.  A true farm to table with no toxic chemicals used. The mainly vegetarian kitchen prepares some of the most delicious food. Who knew that watermelon salsa tastes so good on black bean tacos?! Hiking up the mountain, I could feel where the wifi would drop off. There’s no cell service or TV at Menla which provides the perfect opportunity to connect with yourself and with Nature.
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View from the top, above Menla.
Probably my favorite part about Menla is the wildlife. I felt like I was inside a show of Animal Planet. On my 8 minute walk to work, I could encounter a group of wild turkeys, deer, black bears and or snakes - all up close. The deer would show up at the spa and wait patiently for us to bring them a treat - usually apples. The bears were hilarious - napping in the apple trees, hanging from the enclosure door while trying to access the trash bins, rooting through the compost pile, or just chilling wherever. 
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Snack time!
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Mama and cubs
Though Buddhist by nature, Menla is a place where you can connect to that aspect, but it isn’t forced. Michael, the co-director, would generously lead classes for staff that would dive deeper into the practices and teachings - which I appreciated. I always enjoyed hearing Bob Thurman speak.  Bob is a scholar of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies and friend of H.H. the Dalai Lama. Side note: Bob and Michael created the graphic novel Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet which is a  very good read.  Isa Gucciardi, a Buddhist shaman, is a definite favorite. I had some amazing shifts and insights due to her journeys and teachings when she would lead retreats at Menla. 

As with anything, life changes and chapters come to a close. Menla, and most especially the people I worked with there, will always hold a special place in my heart. I was able to learn new skills, immerse myself in nature, and my EBR sessions continued to evolve as I met new clients. It was a challenging time, it was a healing time, it was a time and space for me to connect with my true nature. As John Muir aptly stated, "and into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul."
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Heart Hugs, Adrienne :)
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Trump won, now what?

11/9/2016

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I refuse to be defined as racist, misogynistic, sexist, etc. just because the man who was elected as president appears to represent these traits. I am not my government. I am a human being. I am a human being who does her very best to break down the social filters and see my brothers and sisters with love. I don’t care what color you are, what sex you are, what religion you practice, what country you’re from, or who your partner is. I accept you for you. I've had the amazing opportunity to have lived in other countries and experience many other cultures. What I learned is that we may look different and act differently, but essentially we’re all the same. We all want to be loved and accepted for who we are. What I hold dear about the U.S. is that we're this beautiful melting pot. I love our uniqueness and our differences. Think of how boring it would be if we were all the same. How would we ever learn and grow from each other without our differences? Having lived in NYC, I can tell you that peaceful co-existence between people from every culture on this planet is not only a possibility, it is a reality.

As a woman, who has had enough experience with living in a yanged-out (over masculinated) society, I can join the bandwagon and lament how the outcome of this election sets us back. Or, I can allow it to make me stronger. The president does not represent me. I represent me. If I want to find peace on this planet then I will start with myself. I will do my work. I will commit to my own healing. Trump may be an elected official - but he does not represent or define me as a human being. One of my biggest peeves traveling abroad was that I was automatically judged and criticized for being an American. I had to remind myself - I am not my government. I couldn’t understand how people, who did not know me or bother to get to know me, could look at me and treat me with hatred just because of my nationality. Fear does that you know, it divides and it conquers  - if you allow it.   

I recently read a great description about fear that I feel is very important to share. "Fear is the baseline negative state. Not just some of the time, or even most of the time. All the time. (...) Fear is nothing. It's a parasite. It has no core, no life force of its own. It feeds on life, so when its stories don't take you in, and you don't react to them, but instead just observe it, you deny fear a place to feed. And when it has nowhere to feed, it begins to dissipate. Every time. So each time you look fear in the face, it will weaken, shrink and finally disappear." (Book 3 of The Grandmothers Speak, Sharon McErlane). Simply, fear is just a parasite - it’s your choice whether you will feed it or not.

It’s time for we the people to rise up and BE the change we want to see. Stop looking outside and blaming others. Take our own responsibility. There is so much fear in the world - it is projected on a daily basis through ignorance, anger, rage, hatred, you name it. You always have a choice to feed that fear or not. It’s your choice to buy into it and allow it to grow  -or to see it for what it is, not participate and allow it to weaken. It's time we stop pointing fingers and do our own work.

I’ve seen a lot of comments about 'what will I tell my daughter?' You tell her the truth - there are people out there who are confused. They only see the surface of someone and act from a place of social conditioning that is no longer acceptable (and never should have been in the first place). This does not change her worth. She is not less than just because someone else says so. Eleanor Roosevelt hit the nail on the head: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Encourage her to step into the beautiful person that she is and to see others through the same loving, respectful eyes that you ask her to see herself.

This election actually provides us with the amazing opportunity to really make this world a better place. We know what we don’t want, so let’s focus on what we do want - love, acceptance, joy, community. Be loving and accepting of yourself and share that energy with everyone you meet. Some may not be that open to it as they’re too entrapped in the fear and ego game. That’s o.k. You send them love anyway - they really need it. We are only set back as a country if we the people allow it - it comes down to our own individual actions. So as it goes with free will, you have the choice to perpetuate fear, ignorance and division or BE the loving Soul that you are. It doesn’t come down to Trump, it comes down to you.


Love, Adrienne :)
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An ending and a beginning

9/25/2016

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"Success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape." 
- Andy Andrews

“Commitment is doing the thing you said you would do,
long after the mood you said it in has left you.”

- George Zalucki

I made a commitment to myself that I would write a blog entry every week for 3 years straight. No matter what obstacles would jump in my way, I was committed to writing and publishing a blog entry to be sent out every Wednesday.  Well, 3 years later, this is blog entry #156. I'm really proud of myself (and amazed) that I maintained my commitment. I had naysayers along the way telling me it didn't matter if I skipped a week (or more)  or making sure I got my blog out was not a priority. To them, it wasn't, to me - it has been. This is probably the longest commitment I've upheld and not many can understand the importance this holds for me.

It can be scary and unnerving to put yourself out there. The whole point has been to share perspectives and connect with others who may resonate with what I express. The determination to write this blog - no matter what - came from a place deep inside of me. I'm really happy that I followed the feeling that this was something I needed to do - even if I wasn't really sure why. At the very least, I proved to myself that I can and did fulfill my commitment.

I have decided that I will continue to write, but not on a weekly basis. To those who have read and followed the blog - Thank You! To those who commented either on the blog itself or through email - Thank You! I'm grateful to everyone who has accompanied me along this 3 year journey.


Love & Gratitude, Adrienne :)
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5 Key Truths

9/18/2016

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There really are no adjectives that perfectly describe how this past year has been for me. Challenging to say the least; a huge learning experience to say the most. Other words that come somewhat close are intense, painful, confusing, liberating and healing. This journey of healing, getting to know the real me (not the ego scripted version I thought was me) and breaking down my walls and barriers has been hard, even grueling at times. Regardless, it's a journey I'm committed to and I know it's the most important and rewarding of my life. In today's post, I would like to share a few key truths that I have learned and lived over the past 12+ months. 
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1. Our mind is like an iceberg; the conscious mind being the part that we see on top, what we are aware of; the unconscious mind is the massive part that hides below - we have no idea what's there until we go looking for it. Our lives and reality are mostly run by the unconscious part. You want to change your life, you start chipping away at the unconscious and bring it to light.
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2. Our inner child plays a huge role in our daily life. Just about any issues we have present day can be traced back to needs that weren't met when we were children.  Inner child work is a powerful tool that enables us to take a huge step forward towards healing and shifting our reality as we know it.
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3. No emotion is bad or useless. Every emotion we have is an indicator of how we're feeling, which is an indicator of what we're thinking and believing. Our emotions can lead us to the thoughts and beliefs that we need to change so we can feel better.  Every emotion is valid. While not very pleasant, it's good to feel the anger, sadness, despair - they are there to get our attention. Stuff them down or ignore them and they will pop up again and again until they do get your full attention - i.e. manifesting as a physical illness. Every emotion has a message for us.
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4. We can’t force forgiveness - it happens when we’ve achieved our own healing. We can set the intent that we wish to forgive, but it truly won't happen unless we do our own healing work to get there. It comes about organically when we’ve worked with and healed our own wounds by getting at the real root issue of the pain that we feel another has caused us.
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5. When we feel enclosed in our own darkness or imprisoned inside ourselves – there is always an open door leading out of that darkness/jail. It's an open door that leads us to our own freedom. We just have to explore and find it. We have the choice to stay "locked up" or we can look for that open door – everyone has one.
Love, Adrienne :)
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Gypsy Soul

9/13/2016

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I saw this picture on Facebook and absolutely loved it. The phrase 'Gypsy Soul' sums up my life now as well as a past one. I have moved A LOT. I've moved over 30 times across the U.S. and abroad. It's always a bit scary to pick up your life and move to a new place, especially if you don't speak the language, but the pros far outweigh the cons. I love meeting new people, seeing new places and learning new things. When I'm abroad, I love soaking up the culture wherever I happen to be living. The idea of settling down and living in one place seems foreign to me. In fact, I don't know that I'm capable of it. A home base is probably far more reasonable for this Gypsy Soul.

I was always drawn to songs such as "Gitan" (Gypsy) by Garou and "Gitana" (Gypsy) by Shakira. One of my favorite films is Chocolat. I love this film on multiple levels - the chocolate, the themes of rebelling, holding your boundaries, determining your own destiny and the scenes with the river Gypsies. Some aspect of me has always, in some way, identified with Gypsies. A few years ago, I was shown why a part of me is drawn to them.

While doing an Emotional Baggage Release session, I was able to see into the past life of the person I was working with. In that life, she was a Gypsy and lost many of her friends and family to fires set by a group of, let's call them, anti-Gypsy people. I could see her on the ground, watching the flames, sobbing and yelling. I felt that she was focusing on her best friend who she knew was trapped in a wagon turned ball of flames. In that moment, I realized - I was the best friend in that life. Needless to say, I was shaken up, but we continued with the past life healing repair until all of the trapped emotions for her were released. It took me a few days before I could sit quietly and let myself go back to that time. I saw what 'I' looked like, but mostly I could feel what 'I' was feeling during that event. I saw that they had barricaded the doors of our wagon and there was no way out. I saw who else was with me. I could see other wagons burning and knew this would be our fate as well. I felt the panic, the disbelief, the heat... It was pretty horrific. I did my own releasing and healing repair for the situation.

So, at one time I truly was a Gypsy. It's interesting how a person I'd never met before these sessions turned out to be a Gypsy Soulmate. I was once an actual Gypsy and now I live this life going from place to place. For me, this is another confirmation that there is nothing random about life. 

Love, Adrienne :)
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Past lives, time travel & healing

9/5/2016

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Sometimes, the trauma that we experience in a past life can carry on through future incarnations. I grew up swimming in pools, lakes and the ocean - it was something I enjoyed. I remember about 14 years ago I was in Greece and had jumped off the boat I was on and into the water. I was treading water and realized that the lower portions of my body were really cold, whereas the upper part of me was still warm. This made sense as I was in deep water, but all of a sudden, I was struck with fear. That fear didn't leave me. Every time I would swim in the ocean over the next few years, I would have this petrified fear take over. I don't like fear very much, so I decided to face it by learning how to scuba dive - in the Great Barrier Reef of all places (full of fish and jellyfish that can kill you). This did help me a little bit with my fear, but the nagging sensation was still there. About 9 years later, I was in a past life regression where I felt myself die while swimming in the ocean. My fear became clear to me and made sense. Something about that day back in Greece had triggered a past life trauma memory and it affected my experience in this life. 

There was also a time in my late 20's when I would wake up in the middle of the night and see a spider hanging over me. To my mind, it was very real and very terrifying. After what felt like an eternity, the spider would disappear into thin air. This went on frequently for over a year. It was so frustrating because I couldn't figure out why I kept seeing this. Fast forward about 1.5 years later, I was having a Reiki session and had mentioned the spider issue. My Reiki practitioner was able to see into a past life where I had been imprisoned and starved to death. There were spiders all over my cell. I had been left there by a lover. It turns out the past life lover was someone I was close to in my present life at the time of the spider visions. In this case, the spiders were acting like a warning - to be careful of low self-esteem and to draw my boundaries - both of which were issues from the past life and my present life. When I got this message, I never saw the spiders again.

I've learned a lot from my own past life experiences and from working with clients. I have learned that time travel is possible. I have learned that we actually can change the past - not  the events per se, but the fallout from the events. It has occurred in many sessions where I will see a client's past life and we will have to do emotional repair work that ends up helping the past incarnation as well as the present one. Often, we will use visualization where I describe the situation of the past life to the client and ask that they visualize that they are there. Usually I ask them to comfort or hold space for their past incarnated self while we release the emotional trauma. I remember one time when a client and I were in one of these visualizations and the past incarnated self looked at me and said, "I can see him" (meaning the client). This left me dumbstruck. I'm used to the past incarnations seeing me, but to see the client as well, it blew my mind. Through these sessions, it became clear to me that we can travel to past lives and that by doing the emotional release work, we can change how it affects both the past and present incarnations of the person I'm working with. It just goes to show that the wonders, perplexities and mysteries of life never cease to amaze.


Love, Adrienne :)
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To be or not to be or to be again?

8/29/2016

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There is a new movie coming out in January of 2017 called A Dog's Purpose. It's about a dog that reincarnates multiple times and ponders whether there is a purpose to life. I find it interesting that we are seeing this theme play out in Hollywood. Cloud Atlas is another excellent film that revolves around reincarnation. Many different people hold many different beliefs. To some, this is the only life we have. When we die we either disappear or we go to be judged and sent to Heaven or Hell. To others, we come back to live out our karma (fate based on our past actions in other lives). To others, we come back to live out our dharma (life purpose) and grow our Soul some more. Many people on this planet do believe in the possibility of having multiple lives.  More than a third of major religions and belief systems believe in reincarnation.

There are many books out there which speak on this topic. Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Weiss is well-know. I just finished reading Dr. Dyer's last book, Memories of Heaven, which shares stories of children remembering Heaven and some of them speak of past lives. It is not uncommon for children to remember their previous lives. Over a period of 40 years, Dr. Ian Stevenson looked into over 3,000 cases worldwide of children claiming to have past lives. He is internationally recognized due to his research on reincarnation. If this is something that interests you, you can read about past lives or you can even have a past life regression which takes you into your past lives. It took me a full year before I worked up the nerve to have a past life regression. I still remember that regression quite clearly and a lot of things in my present life actually made more sense after the regression.

I know some people firmly believe that there is no such thing as past lives and that's o.k. For those who do believe and for those who are curious to know more - it can be a life altering experience. I've seen people cured of their phobias due to past life healing work. While it's interesting to know more about our past lives, it's also important to remember that our primary focus should be on this life. Past life regressions and healings are just another way to help us along on our path during this incarnation.


Love, Adrienne :)
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5 Perspective Shifts

8/22/2016

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I love when I'm able to see things in a different way. Shifting your perspective will most definitely shift your life. I've come across some neat statements that have helped me see exercise, age, time, selfishness and issues in a new light. I thought I would share them here. Perhaps one of them will help prompt a new way of thinking for you...

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The topics that are touched on in these posters are usually held in a negative light. If you have to drag yourself to the gym, you may not be going for the right reason. Shift your mindset and exercise can even become a celebration of how amazing the body is. Growing older is something many people fear and dread. We all get older, so why not be more lighthearted about it? By changing your words to 'it's not a priority' instead of 'I don't have time,' you are inviting in more clarity and self-empowerment. It is not selfish to live your own life how you choose - it is your life. Viewing our problems and issues as opportunities places us in solution mode and we aren't as dragged down by the ego who says it's impossible. Be open to seeing things from a new perspective - doing so will most likely increase your joy factor in life.

Love, Adrienne :)
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There are no wrong paths

8/14/2016

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I love this video with Oprah. In just 3 minutes, she touches on some profound, life changing wisdom that we can all apply to our own lives. Have you ever felt like you're not on track? Like you took the wrong fork in the road? That you made a mistake? Or, maybe that you completely failed at something? I know I can identify with these for multiple choices I've made throughout my life. It would really bother me as I wondered - did I take the wrong path? Did I screw up and miss out on something in my life due to the decisions and choices I made? Am I not even living the path that was meant for me because I kept taking "wrong" turns? These thoughts really weighed me down.

As I've been doing my Spiritual work, and as Oprah states in the video, I've learned that there are no wrong paths. You can get side tracked, take different paths or end up on a detour - but there are no wrong paths. Whew! That really takes the pressure off. So, now that we know that ultimately there is no wrong path, how do we try to stay on the path that resonates most with our Soul? Luckily we've been given road signs - such as how we feel and what life is reflecting back to us. If you feel uneasy, agitated or unhappy with how your life is going, then you've stepped off your Soul's path. It's an indication to move in another direction. Failures and losses are another big road sign. As Oprah says, they are there to wake you up, to redirect you and point you in a different direction. Losses and failures are some of the biggest and toughest, yet most rewarding growth lessons there are. What feels like a lose-lose, is actually a win-win as it provides direction and growth for your Soul.

Another thing that Oprah talks about that I love is that our life is bigger than the moments. How often do we let certain moments define us? We are so much more than any singular event or circumstance or ordeal. They may be defining moments, but they do not designate who we actually are. They do not define our entire life or our Essence.

In order to make our way through life we must become aware of the signs, learn from the hard times and focus on what the next right step is. We often tend to become overwhelmed or focus solely on the problems instead of on the solutions. Oprah offers great advice: 'What is the next right move? From that space, make the next right move and the next and the next.' If during those steps, you find it's not the right move, then you know it's time to change course and start again with the next step that resonates and feels right to you. It's all about the steps, resonating with your path and understanding that, ultimately, there are no wrong paths.


Love, Adrienne :)
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Who are you not to shine?

8/9/2016

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Image from dwellbeautiful.com

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

- Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

This is such a beautiful quote by Marianne Williamson. You might recognize it as it went around  social media for a while erroneously attributed to Nelson Mandela's inaugural address. It brings up a very interesting perspective - that we actually fear our brilliance more than we fear our inadequacies. How often do we play small? Why do we hold back when it comes time to play big? What is it that we're really afraid of? We tend to focus so much on our humanness and all of the ego aspects that get in the way - fear, rejection, discouragement, procrastination, etc. If we could focus more on the real part of us - our Light, our Essence - how different would our lives be?

Kids really do just shine their Light. I can see it in their eyes, their smiles, their laughter and their curiosity. As we grow up and follow our ego and its script, that Light becomes hidden. It is up to us to reconnect to that part of us - to grow that spark and shine our Light out into the world. To BE who we really are. We are all Source. We all have and are this Light. We just have to dig through the layers and walls our ego has created to let that Light shine through. How do we do that? Meditate, do emotional release work, work with a professional who can assist you with tapping into your unconscious and help you change your ego's script. Most importantly, set the intent to connect to your Light, your true Essence - and be committed to it. Ask for guidance along the way from Source, the Angels, your Guides or whoever you pray to. Your Light is waiting for you - tap into it and SHINE.

P.S. - If you are drawn to the image above, Erica Sooter is offering it as a free printable on her website along with a lovely and heartfelt blog entry. Click here.


Love, Adrienne :)
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Others' opinions

8/2/2016

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Credit Denise Linn
We all want to be liked, accepted and respected. It’s human nature. All too often we allow other people's opinions to shape who we are or who we think we should be. We cater ourselves to be what others want or expect so we will be liked and accepted. We begin to identify, or even over identify, with what others think. To have to look a certain way, to have to act a certain way, to have to be a certain way – where’s the freedom in that? It’s like putting on masks and stepping farther away from your true self all for a false sense of belonging.

It hurts when someone holds a negative opinion of you. Instead of taking it personally, which I know can be very hard, try to look at it from two different angles: 1. Someone’s opinion about you says more about them than it does about you. 2. Look at it as an opportunity to get to know who you really are. Let’s say someone calls you stupid – are you stupid just because they say so? Do you know for a 100% fact that you are, indeed, absolutely stupid? Of course not. Maybe you did or said something that was “stupid,”  so learn from it, remedy the situation and move on. It’s not who you are.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received is “It’s none of your business what anyone else thinks of you. It’s only your business what you think of you.” My life has become a lot more freeing since I started to follow that advice. I was always easily hurt when someone would say something mean about me. Now, it doesn’t get to me as much. I’m empowered because 1. What they say tells me more about them than myself. 2. It’s another opportunity for me to question my identity and get closer to the core of who I really am.

It’s beautiful and freeing to be who you truly are. Your Soul knows your authentic Essence. Meditate and connect with that aspect of you. Get to the heart of your true identity and allow that part of you to unfold in your daily life. You are not your body. You are not your mind. You are not your past. You are not your mistakes. You are not your emotions. You are not the opinions of others. You are your Soul. You are a part of the Divine. You are more than you could ever have imagined. 

Love, Adrienne :)
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Where do we go?

7/24/2016

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Photo by Saul Vazquez
Recently, I had a surgical procedure done. I asked the anesthesiologist how long it would take to knock me out and he replied that it would only take a few seconds. I didn't believe him. Turns out, he was right. I remember him saying, "we're starting now" and they put an oxygen mask over my mouth. I think my last thought was - 'we'll see how long...' and I was out. It was a very disconcerting feeling for me to wake up in recovery and realize that during that time, I had absolutely no idea where "I" was. Did "I" hunker down and rest? Did "I" leave my body? Was "I" visiting with spirits that still roam the hospital or was "I" meeting with my guides? I'm well aware that we are able to leave our bodies. You can read just about any near death experience where they describe how they left their body and could see and sense what was going on around them. Yet, in my case, I have no idea where "I" was during the 1.5 hours I was knocked out. From this experience, I can better understand some people's fear of us just ceasing to exist when we die.

A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Facebook that caught my attention. A man took a photo of the scene of an accident in KY and captured something quite interesting. Snopes is convinced it's just dust, some say the photo is altered (Saul swears it isn't) and others believe it could be the victim of the accident. If you look at the photo above, you can see an image above the state trooper between the two ambulances. The man who took the photo, Saul Vazquez, posted this along side it:


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Charles Deadman did pass from the injuries he sustained. Some say he may have died on scene, others say he died at the hospital. The naysayers challenge that the image couldn't be him since he died later away from the scene of the accident. What they don't realize is that our Spirit can, and often does, leave the body during times of trauma. Regardless, I think this photo is a beautiful reminder that we don't just disappear into nothingness/blackness when we die. We continue on. We just take a step out of our body, from this plane to the next.

Love, Adrienne :)
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When to make the internal shift

7/18/2016

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We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are. - Anaïs Nin


There is a story they tell of two dogs.
Both at separate times walk into the same room.
One comes out wagging his tail while the other comes out growling.
A woman watching this goes into the room to see
what could possibly make one dog so happy and the other so mad.
To her surprise, she finds a room filled with mirrors.
The happy dog found  a thousand happy dogs looking back at him
while the angry dog saw only angry dogs growling back at him.
What you see in the world around you is a reflection of who you are.   - Author unknown


I love this story. It makes a very valid point. Though, I would like to clarify that what you see in the world around you is a reflection of who you are as a human with an ego. Who you really are is your Soul/Essence.  Most all of us wear the tinted glasses colored by our beliefs and thoughts. Every event and situation that occurs in life is neutral - it is not bad, it is not good - it just is. A situation takes on meaning for us when our thoughts, beliefs, emotions and conditioning define it for us. Hence, as Anaïs Nin says, we do not see things as they are, we see them as we are. Most of the time we are not even aware of how we're seeing a situation as we are conditioned to react. The unpleasant and hard times in life are our greatest teachers. They let us know that something is not right, not aligned since we are experiencing misery. They are an indicator of a lesson for soul growth. We can ignore the lesson, dwell on the negatives of it, or we can use that lesson to learn and grow.

Your perception of the world is dictated by what you hold internally. As within, so without. If you see the world as a horrible place where people are cruel and someone's always trying to screw you over - it's not the external world that needs to be changed - it's you, at an internal level, that needs to change. To see change in your life, you have to shift your perception. This is easier said than done. To change your perception, you have to first become aware of it. You have to figure out how and why you even think or feel the way you do. Then, you have to shift from the old thought patterns to new ones. I know very well that this is no easy task. But, if you want your life to change - you have to change. Your emotions are the perfect guide to lead you to what your thoughts and beliefs are (which are often subconscious/unconscious). Then, you need to choose new beliefs.

How we see the outer world is a reflection of what we have going on internally. If you don't like what you're seeing in your life, it's time to make the internal shift. The next time you're in an unpleasant situation or find yourself reacting negatively to something, try to stop yourself from automatically reacting and ask -  what is this situation trying to tell me? What can I learn from it? What beliefs, thoughts and or emotions are coming up that are coloring my perspective of this situation? How can I see it differently? As you begin to practice shifting your perception, your life will most definitely start to reflect that change. It's how we grow. It's how we begin to take those tinted glasses off.

Love, Adrienne :)
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Don't hate evil more than you love good

7/11/2016

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In light of the recent tragedies of police murdering citizens and citizens murdering police, I expected that things would get ugly again, especially on social media. I shed a lot of tears this past week, but it was due to all of the love I was seeing.  Some of the posts were from last April and were being passed around again. Some of the posts are recent, but they all carry the same message - let's give our attention to love.  I'd like to share a few of these beautiful posts:
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These tragedies are providing us with the opportunity to change - to be more human to each other. To see each other as a person - not as a  color, sex or religion. We are allowed to be angry, we're allowed to be furious - let's let that motivate change in our society, not propagate more hate and division. The bottom line is NO ONE deserves to be targeted. What does deserve to be targeted is hate and that is brought down by love. What deserves to be targeted is racism and ignorance and that is brought down by dialogue and getting to know others for the people they are. Change must happen and it starts with each and every single one of us. At the end of the day it is more important that we "don't hate evil more than we love good" because, quite frankly, #LoveMatters.

Love, Adrienne :)
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Sub stories - from the trenches

7/5/2016

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I used to work as a substitute teacher a few years back. I have a few degrees in education, but I am so beyond disillusioned with our "education" system that I barely put those degrees to use. I know a lot of teachers who are amazing at what they do. They really care and they do their best to be creative and try to keep the attention of their students  - many of whom were raised on sugar and video games. Yet, the teaching field is becoming more and more challenging as teachers are being forced to teach to tests, they are dealing with serious behavioral issues, they have to put in their own money for supplies and their job goes home with them. How many teachers can get all of their papers graded, teach full schedules and plan their classes while filling out non-stop paperwork for the state before the end of their work day? Not too many.

While on a trip to Antarctica, I met a man who worked for the State Department whose job was promoting our education system abroad. I couldn't fathom this. I've attended schools in other countries and can tell you, their education systems are far better than what we're doing here. This is a person who never taught (yet his mother was a teacher) and considered himself an expert. I think we have too many "experts" in the higher up positions and not enough people with the ground experience to say this is what works and this is what needs changed.

I can remember when I subbed for a home economics class, the lesson plan was how to use a microwave - SERIOUSLY???  No wonder the high school kids were so bored and despondent. How about teaching them real life skills like how to balance a check book, how credit cards work, how to do your taxes, how to balance your diet and grow your own food...?

Another time I subbed for a high school science class and the kids had a group test to take. The fact that it was a group test boggled my mind. I caught them cheating as they were able to find the test online and were using their smart phones to tell them the answers. They all laughed when I took their tests away. How about teaching ethics in school?

During a language class that I was subbing, a boy made the comment that he was going to beat the crap out of another student at lunch. I had a quick talk with him about what the consequences would be if he did it and how it wasn't worth it. After the kids left for lunch, I called the office to give them a heads up. When the students returned from lunch, I asked where the (angry) student was and they said he was taken away in handcuffs for punching another student. How about we teach kids how to resolve their problems without resorting to violence? How about we teach our kids how to deal with their emotions?

My last story is about the time I subbed for a  social studies teacher. The A.P. classes played on their phones, talked to each other and refused to engage in the classroom discussion. These are our future "leaders." Yet, the "degenerate" class engaged in a meaningful conversation about present day politics. These were the "misfit" kids, yet they showed more intelligence, respect and critical thinking than any of the other classes. A classic case of never judge a book by its cover. These are the kids who are shunned. Why aren't we teaching kids how to engage in dialogue with those different from them? To understand that their views matter too?

Our education system needs a massive overhaul and more testing is not the way to go. We need to bring humanity back into the picture. We are more than our brains. Bringing back the arts, teaching critical thinking, allowing for the expression of creativity, teaching empathy, teaching techniques on how to handle the stresses of life - these are all things that would put our children on a better path for a better tomorrow. How much further are we going to go down this slippery slope before we decide to generate real change?


Forever learning LOVE, Adrienne :)
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Countless roads

6/28/2016

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Photo by A.Almamour

Do you have a go-to song that just seems to help you get through things?  Or, when you hear a song, it immediately transports you back to the event or situation it reminds you of? We have our playlists that help us get through our breakups and our workouts. We have songs that soothe us and songs that get our bodies moving. There are songs that speak to the plight of humanity and there are songs that raise our spirits and bring us back to our humanity. It’s amazing how powerful music is.

Over the past months, as I’ve been going through a lot of transitioning, there is one song in particular that I turn to. It’s called "Countless Roads" by Swiss singer James Gruntz. His music is a fusion of blues, jazz, pop, soul and beats. I was fortunate enough to see him live and have his CD. The first song on the CD was a little annoying to me because he’s repeating the same words over and over and over. Then, I really listened to what he was saying and that song has become my mantra. The lyrics are:

Countless roads
Countless roads
Shadow and light
Shadow and light
All is mercy
All is (in) mercy
So don’t be afraid
Don’t be afraid

I can’t tell you how much I love this song and sing along to it when I need that boost of inner strength. This life takes us down countless roads filled with shadows and light, but in the end – there really is nothing to fear. We, as an essence of Divine energy, are greater than our fears. We are never really alone as we go down these roads. The shadow and light are there to show the contrast, to help us learn  - it’s how we choose our roads and find our way. This is one of the greatest lessons I’m learning – to not be afraid.

Love, Adrienne :)
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What to do when life knocks you down

6/21/2016

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Photo by Aaron Harris
I recently heard the saying: "We can either allow something to destroy us, define us or strengthen us." I get the point that's trying to be made - we should persevere by allowing our traumas, trials and tribulations to strengthen us instead of staying stuck in them. As I usually do, I thought about the quote to see how it applies to my life. I realized that all of the hardest experiences I've been through have in some way destroyed me, re-defined me and strengthened me.

My confidence has been shattered, my trust in people became nearly nonexistent, my fears have maintained me in a chokehold, I have felt rejection at every level of my being, I have felt worthless and yes, my heart has been broken - multiple times. I have been abandoned, I have been put down, I have been misunderstood, I have been ignored and I have been defined as someone I am not. All of this has come about through different circumstances throughout my life.

I have felt utterly destroyed. Yet, I realized that it was the false parts of myself that needed to die off. I have had to dig deep to find the healing and compassion that is innately me. I have had to stop looking outside of myself for something I've had inside all along. My happiness is internal. My love is internal. My confidence is internal. It's not out there or in someone else. It's like the Phoenix rising from the ashes - I was destroyed and through that destruction, I was renewed.

For as long as I can remember, I've fought against the confines that I'd been placed in by myself or others. I was in an imaginary prison of who I was supposed to be and how I was supposed to behave and act. If I wasn't a certain way, how would so and so love me? I have learned that I can re-define myself - that I am not how others define me or even how I define myself - especially if it is contrary to the True Essence of who I really am. I do not have to live up to the expectations that others hold in order for me to be loved. I am loved because I AM.

All of the hard times in my life have absolutely strengthened me. That's what the hard times are for. They are meant to grab our attention to make the necessary changes our Soul needs to grow. It's during these hard times when our hearts must be more expansive than ever. The ego may want to wallow, play the victim or the coward, yet we must take ownership of who we really are - an Essence of the Divine who is innately love and compassion. That's who I am, that's who you are, that's who the person who hurt you is - we just keep forgetting or are completely disconnected from that Truth.

The events that occur in our lives can hurt us profoundly as well as introduce us to a pain we never knew possible. Be compassionate with yourself. Work to open your heart instead of the knee-jerk reaction of shutting it down. Let go of the emotions, thoughts and beliefs that hold you back. When life knocks you down - let it destroy you. Let it destroy all of the false aspects of you that no longer serve you. Let it define you - by re-defining YOU. Your ego may feel like it took a huge hit, but your Soul remains undamaged. You are your Soul, not your ego. And yes, let it strengthen you. We grow from every experience we have - in small ways or by leaps and bounds. When life knocks you down, take the time to acknowledge where you're at and how you're feeling. Take the time you need to heal and forgive. When you're ready, dust yourself off and stand back up - preferably with your heart more full of compassion and love.

Love, Adrienne :)
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Find our voice, come from love

6/14/2016

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A lot of unsettling things have happened in the past week or so. Brock Turner's mild slap on the wrist, voter fraud and the massacre in Orlando have been quite the hot topics. Social media can be an incredible tool to promote awareness and move us towards change in a more positive direction. Due to the Brock Turner sentence, people are having a deeper discussion on rape culture. This case is a perfect example - he was the perpetrator, but his father, his friends and he himself tried to convince us that he's the victim - I guess they convinced the judge.  This case brought to light the injustice that pervades our legal system. People should feel uncomfortable, they should get riled up - it's something that must change. It is NEVER o.k. to sexually assault another - yet it's occurring every day.

There have been so many instances of voter fraud. One person filmed that every time they tried to vote for Bernie Sanders, their electronic vote would go to some other candidate whose name I haven't heard of. There were personal stories of people going to multiple polling places, but they all had run out of ballots. The system is either massively flawed or it is rigged - I'm guessing it's a combination of both. This should stir people up, it should get them talking - it's something that needs to change. Our vote is meant to count.

The Orlando massacre is another sad and tragic situation. A lot of people, who were out for a fun night of dancing, leave behind grief-stricken family and friends. This should shake people up - it is something that needs to change. It is NEVER o.k. to hurt other people to satisfy a vendetta.

On all of these topics, people have taken to social media to express their views and opinions. What's disheartening is so many are contributing more energy to the ugliness. The victim blamers and shamers added their 2 cents. A good deal of Trump, Clinton, Sanders supporters had their say, mainly by bashing each other. The anti-Muslim, anti-LGBT and anti-guns are all finger pointing. People are so caught up clinging to their beliefs and going at each other that we're ignoring the bigger picture that needs to change.

We must stop grouping people and labeling or defining them by their gender, ethnicity, religion, social caste, sexuality, political view or culture. A person, is a person, is a person.  What motivates someone to walk up and kill another or go into a crowd and open fire? What motivates a person to physically and sexually harm another? What we're seeing in the news today are not isolated cases. We've seen them in the past and we'll continue to see them in the future until we, as a society, do better. We need to acknowledge how desensitized we have become. All you have to do is turn on a movie, t.v. show or video game - most of which propagate physical and sexual violence. As I was doing some research for this blog entry, I went to the BBC site. Their top stories: the Orlando massacre, violence at the Euro 2016, a Dutch woman convicted by the Qatari court for sex outside of marriage (her drink was spiked and she was raped) and a Canadian hostage killed by a militant group. Yes, it is time for us to do better, to BE better. We must hold each other accountable, promote the best of our humanity and we must come from a place of LOVE - not hate. I leave you with Lin-Manuel Miranda's beautiful words from his acceptance speech at the Tony Awards.

Love, Adrienne :)
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    Hello! I'm Adrienne Almamour, an empathic intuitive conduit. I assist people by detecting and clearing their subconscious emotional energy blockages.  This blog is a commentary and reflection of life from an intuitive standpoint which also incorporates ways that allow us to be from our heart.

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