 Since taking my first deliberate steps of embarking on this spiritual journey, learning about my intuitive gifts and expressing more freely who I am, I can't begin to tell you the losses that began to rack up. This whole phase (is it even a phase?) has been detrimental to my ego and sense of self (don't worry, that's a good thing). It started with losing my financial freedom - something I'd worked so hard to maintain for over a decade. Then, stability went out the door. Thus far, it's been 3 years of bouncing from one place to the next - sometimes for a few days, sometimes a few weeks and, if I'm lucky, a few months. Do you have any idea how stressful it is not knowing where you'll be sleeping at night? I've had to rely on the generosity of others to help see me through at times. I'd always been someone who could take care of myself and make things happen and it's as if, all of a sudden, I couldn't stand on my own two very independent feet anymore. Quite a lot of friends have since walked out of my life. So much so that I became gun shy even talking about the intuitive part of me. The person I considered my best friend, who I shared with and trusted the most, couldn't handle it and left too. Their reason was that they couldn't fully support what I do which means they couldn't accept me for who I am. I've had people say I'm treading dangerous water because it goes against their religion. God gave me these gifts - so it stands to reason that I'm not going against God - and doesn't God trump religion? The ego part of me desperately wants to roll in the mire and despair of having lost everything, been abandoned and misunderstood. It's been doing everything it can to prove to me that it's not o.k. to be me - that I can't be loved if I am me - that I will always be rejected even by those I love most. If there's a battle between good and evil, it's going on between my heart and my head. Yet, I'm seeing that it's a necessary battle. How else can I truly know who I am and accept and love myself unconditionally? Apparently I haven't been listening as life's been hitting me over the head with cosmic 2x4's - I mean one after the other. I feel like I just barely catch my breath and another crisis sets in. If our outer reality is a reflection of what's going on internally - I have a lot of work to do still. I once asked my Guides why my life was falling apart and their answer: "it's falling together." It would be nice if this falling together weren't so painful and happened more easily and with grace - which is now my new mantra. It's been brought to my attention that perhaps life is trying to show me that this spiritual path isn't for me. I even wondered that myself, but I have to tell you, my heart fills me with the knowing that it is. I just know it's the path I'm meant to be on. It's what my Soul wants. It's my ego, emotions and lack of trust that are making it so much more difficult. So, as I continue down this path to inner knowing, to inner Truth - I'm shedding what no longer serves me. I release trapped emotions, blockages and programs daily and I can tell you it's all making a difference in how I see and react to things. The observation that everyone is leaving my life and rejecting me is causing me to question - how am I rejecting and abandoning myself? If I want to change what's happening externally, I have to change what's going on internally. Thankfully, I've been provided with the tools and assistance to do so. No more being a victim of life - this girl is getting her self-empowerment back on. I look forward to this journey of connecting to and BEing from my heart. I look forward to shedding the layers that no longer serve me. I look forward to exploring and developing my gifts more profoundly so that I can truly assist others when it comes time again. Last but not least, I look forward to loving and accepting myself wholly and fully - no matter what anyone else thinks or says or whether they stay in my life or not. This is about me finding my way back to who I truly am. - Lots of Love, Adrienne :) 
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 As human beings, we've all been there - we've done something to hurt another. We've been taught that when we do that, we just apologize - preferably in a sincere manner. Just saying "I'm sorry" is only one part of the process of a true apology. Many people tend to look for excuses as to why they did something - they look for justification. Maybe it's a coping mechanism so we can pretend that what we did wasn't really wrong because of x,y and z. No matter the excuses, it doesn't change the fact that our words or actions hurt another. As the saying goes, don't let your excuses ruin your apology. I don't remember where I learned the process below, but I've found it to be the best way to apologize. Most people stop after Step 2, but Step 3 is what really seals and heals the deal.
Step 1: Acknowledge and accept what you've done wrong. It's shocking how many people will throw the blame outside of themselves. Acknowledge to yourself that what you did was wrong, no matter what your reasoning was. Accept that what you said or did hurt the other person. When you're apologizing to the person you hurt, tell them. For example: I know what I said/did was wrong. I know that it hurt you. Step 2: Apologize. Look the person in the eyes and tell them you're sorry. It's easy to just say "I'm sorry" and not really mean it. It's not easy to just glaze over your apology when you're actually looking them in the eyes. It's also a physical cue that tells the other person you acknowledge what you've done. Most people tend to stop here. It's important to remember the phrase: actions speak louder than words. Step 3 backs up your apology and is the way to move forward from your wrongdoing. Step 3: Take action. After you've apologized, ask the person: What can I do to make things right? Listen to what they have to say and follow through. It's easy to say "I'm sorry," but it takes some work to make amends. Of course, if their request is unreasonable, you stand your ground and ask to work together towards healing the situation. You can also allow them some time to think it over - sometimes the wounds we inflict are much deeper than we realize. What matters is you're offering an action step to show them you're serious about your apology and that you're backing it up. No matter how big or small the wrongdoing, a true apology includes: "I know that my words/actions hurt you. I'm sorry. What can I do to make things right?" Using these three steps sends you on your way to righting the wrong by taking responsibility and taking action. Love, Adrienne :) Corporations seem to be jumping on the bandwagon of promoting conversation for change - especially in the way we view each other. Dove's real beauty campaign was the first to come to mind for me. They wanted to start the conversation of looking outside the stereotypical ideal of beauty. Now, Coca-Cola Middle East has chimed in with their focus being on labels. I personally do not drink coke due to how unhealthy it is - but I'm grateful to have it when I need to clean acid off of my car battery. As unimpressed as I am with the drink, I'm very impressed with the message. As humans, we tend to be very judgmental and we judge and stereotype people within the first few seconds of seeing or hearing them. We tend to react to and treat people a certain way based on the stereotypes we believe in. This reminds me of the awesome Carlsberg beer commercial where 2 people enter a movie theater full of big tough biker men. If you haven't seen this commercial - be sure to click here. In Coke's experiment they have strangers introduce themselves in a dark room. They tell each other how they think the other person is and when the lights come on, it's not what anyone expected. It's a wonderful reminder that there is much more to people than how they look or sound. I would love for Coke to run a similar commercial here in the U.S. We all need to be reminded to never judge a book by its cover, as well as to open our hearts, our minds and our perspectives. Enjoy the video below. Love, Adrienne :)
I saw this post on HONY (Humans of New York) yesterday and I thought - "YES! A voice of reason." If people could really see what their consumerism is doing to the planet, how could they not have a change of heart? But, out of sight, out of mind... The person interviewed made an accurate observation that I'd never thought of before. I'd always heard about how materialistic we are, but it's true - as a society, we don't value our possessions. We're not happy unless we have the latest phone, the latest t.v. or the latest gadget. Companies purposely make their products so that they won't last - which insures more sales and greater profit in the long run. We throw away that which no longer suits us and the garbage piles up. We destroy more and more of the planet so we can have more and more new and shiny things. There is something seriously wrong with this concept. As he stated, "conservation doesn't have to be a huge sacrifice" - it just requires some common sense. I find the definition of materialism quite interesting: "a way of thinking that gives too much importance to material possessions rather than to spiritual or intellectual things." This makes me think of the quote: "People were meant to be loved and things were meant to be used. The reason why the world is in so much chaos now is that people are being used and things are being loved." When they say, "the buck stops here" I believe it also refers to our wallets and the power we hold with the way we decide to spend our money. We have a responsibility to the planet and to each other. Change starts with us. Ask yourself the next time you go to make a purchase - do I really need it? Does it add value to my life? Is it sustainable? The video below has already made its rounds on the internet, but it drives home the point. Pass this video along, so we can help more people take the blinders off and create much needed change for ourselves and the planet. It's time we start heeding the wake-up calls before it's too late. Love, Adrienne :)
 This Saturday, the United States will celebrate its Independence Day. Synonyms of the word independence are autonomy, liberty, self-determination and freedom. Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint; the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. It is wonderful to celebrate our freedom, but perhaps we should also be questioning how much freedom do we actually have? We should also question why it is that we try to restrict each other's freedom.  I believe we all inherently yearn to be free. Free to be ourselves without persecution and free to live our lives as we see fit - as long as they are not infringing on the rights of others. The Declaration of Independence states: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Since time eternal, haven't all people desired these rights? I would like to see this statement changed to all humans are created equal or, even better, all beings are created equal. We need to recognize these rights for each other as well as for other species and the planet herself. We are all created equal and then society puts us into a category - be it of race, gender, religion and or socioeconomic status. Each category has its own restrictions, limitations and persecutions especially if you are considered to be on the recessive end. Why? Why must we always put someone else down? Why must one group dominate another? We are not born differentiating people in this manner - it's what we learn. Isn't it about time we teach and live by the ideals of acceptance?  One of mankind's biggest downfalls is its focus on dominance instead of harmony. If humankind focused on harmony - the face of this planet would be drastically changed on so many levels. Not only harmony with each other, but with the planet which we live on and with the species we co-habitate with. Just look around at the world, it's very easy to see that DOMINANCE = DESPOTISM = DESTRUCTION. I do not believe that our Creator set the intent that one religion must dominate another, that women are inferior to men, that one color is better than another or that some political group is more right and justified over the other. Maybe it's time we start seeing each other for what we are = human beings; or take it up a notch and see each other for what we truly are - spiritual beings having a human experience. Can we truly say we are a free country when sex trafficking is so prevalent? When our corporations source out to countries who treat their workers as slaves? When our freedom of speech is limited to only expressing it if we get a permit or constraining it to the "free speech" zone? When we are forced to hand over so much of our paycheck, yet really have no say in how that money is being spent? When our politicians are just puppets for corporations? When we are forced to participate in a broken health care system and are fined if we choose not to? Some states no longer allow their citizens to collect their own rain water as it's now privatized. Our foods can be covered in a ridiculous amount of toxic chemicals, yet organic farmers have to jump through bureaucratic hoops and pay a huge amount of money to grow food the way farmers have always grown it for centuries. What I've touched on thus far is just the tip of the iceberg. We proudly claim that we are the United States of America - land of the free. I believe that statement no longer holds true. How can we say we are free when there are more and more laws being passed which in turn are limiting our freedoms, but are disguised as being in the interest of our safety and security?
We are a melting pot of cultures. We have an inherent love for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Many come to this country to achieve the "American Dream." I would venture a guess that the vast majority of us would do our part to help someone in need no matter their race, gender, religion or creed. If we could all learn acceptance and harmony - this country would truly be great - just like the founding father's envisioned it to be.  In FREEDOM - Adrienne :)
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October 2024
AuthorHello! 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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