<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><rss xmlns:atom='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' version='2.0'><channel><atom:id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916</atom:id><lastBuildDate>Wed, 21 May 2008 12:07:33 +0000</lastBuildDate><title>Monica Who's Psychic &amp; Spirituality Blog</title><description/><link>http://www.monicawho.com/psychicblog.html</link><managingEditor>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>45</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-5416307230290889787</guid><pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:25:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-04-28T10:25:57.907-07:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>coincidence</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>spirit</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>synchronicity</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>destiny</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>subconscious</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>free will</category><title>Spirit and Synchronicity</title><description>Synchronicity is one of the most common ways that Spirit communicates with us, yet it is often overlooked or regarded as &lt;em&gt;simple coincidence&lt;/em&gt;. Carl Jung coined the phrase "synchronicity" in the 1920's to refer to his philosophical concept of "meaningful coincidence." Synchronicity is simply described as the experience when two or more events occur in a meaningful manner without a causal relationship between them (none of the events directly caused another, but rather they happened simultaneously or in a short period of time without any causal connections between them).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Have you ever had a series of "coincidental events" lead you to a life changing experience, or a chance meeting with someone special? It happens far more often than you may think! Our angels and guides communicate with us on a subconscious level &lt;em&gt;all the time&lt;/em&gt;, and when we respond to seeming "random thoughts" it can set off a whole chain of events that you (and maybe even your favourite psychic) never saw coming!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The experience of synchronicity brings to mind many questions of free will and destiny. Is the Universe playing you like a puppet? Is Spirit influencing your thoughts on a subconscious level in order to manipulate your free will, thus &lt;em&gt;creating your destiny&lt;/em&gt;? Personally speaking, I believe so. I believe synchronicity is a perfect example of &lt;em&gt;limited free will&lt;/em&gt;; that is the belief that we only have free will if it does not directly conflict with the Universal Will, or God's plan, whichever term you're most comfortable with.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please share your thoughts and experiences about Spirit and Synchronicity! I would love to discuss this topic with you. (Your comments to this post may be quoted in future blog articles.)</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2008/04/spirit-and-synchronicity.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-1182604435055675738</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:59:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-04-27T12:05:51.140-07:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>website updates</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>announcement</category><title>Web Site Updates</title><description>Well, after a weekend of &lt;em&gt;manic web design&lt;/em&gt;, eating nothing but pizza (bad girl!), drinking copious amounts of cappuccino, and testing the patience and understanding of my partner, I have finally finished the necessary updates to my web site.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There have been a lot of changes to the pages of &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/"&gt;http://www.monicawho.com/&lt;/a&gt; in the past 48 hours! A new appointment service has been made available and the web site has been fully updated and modified to provide access to the new service as well as information and interactive tools to help you make the most of the new appointment service and the web site.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here is a list of all updates made to the site:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;~ the new telephone button (graphic) was added to all pages of this website, including the blog template&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;~ a new page "Arrange a Call" was added at &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/callpage.html"&gt;http://www.monicawho.com/callpage.html&lt;/a&gt; to provide web site users with quick access to the new private appointment service including instant payment buttons for all appointment length options, links to the appointment scheduler utility, information and instructions for arranging a call, etc. Also all pages of the website were modified to include prominent links to the new "Arrange a Call" page.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;~ the main page of the website &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/index.html"&gt;http://www.monicawho.com/index.html&lt;/a&gt; was modified to include the new call button, updated information about the web site and services, etc&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;~ a new page "Web Site &amp;amp; Service Policies" was added at &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/policies.html"&gt;http://www.monicawho.com/policies.html&lt;/a&gt; to provide detailed and clear information regarding the policies of this website and services offered by Monica Who. Policies include privacy, payment processing, full and partial refunds, appointment cancellation/rescheduling, acceptable use of services and information, etc.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;~ the "Clairvoyant Spiritual Psychic, Monica Who" page at &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/spiritualpsychic.html"&gt;http://www.monicawho.com/spiritualpsychic.html&lt;/a&gt; has been modified to include additional and updated information regarding the psychic and spiritual services offered by Monica Who. This page also includes useful tools for customers, such as a reliable currency converter and world clocks.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;~ the payment landing page has been updated to provide detailed information and instructions to customers after they have completed the payment transaction step for arranging a call with Monica Who&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;~ a new page "Special Offers &amp;amp; Promotions" was added at &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/specials.html"&gt;http://www.monicawho.com/specials.html&lt;/a&gt; to provide details about any current offers and/or promotions available&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;~ the "Site Map" at &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/sitemap.html"&gt;http://www.monicawho.com/sitemap.html&lt;/a&gt; has been updated to include the new web site pages&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;I'm sure there will be some small adjustments made to the web site over the next few days, but the major changes have all been implemented now.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After sending out an email newsletter, I will start working on a FAQ--Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have any questions you would like to see added to the FAQ, please feel free to post them in the comments for this entry or send them to me in an email.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2008/04/web-site-updates.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-1874780783397304106</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:15:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-04-27T13:19:37.553-07:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>special offer</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>promotion</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>free</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>announcement</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>bonus</category><title>Special Offers for May 2008</title><description>&lt;strong&gt;Free Ebook with completed purchase of an appointment*&lt;/strong&gt; Offer applies to all appointment purchases that are completed by &lt;span style="color:#990000;"&gt;11:30 pm GM7+2&lt;/span&gt; on &lt;span style="color:#660000;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May 8, 2008&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. Purchases are considered completed when the funds are received in the PayPal account for Monica Who. The free ebook will be delivered via email or online download on May 9, 2008. This ebook is in .exe format and requires no additional software to view. The value of this bonus is 7.99€.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Free Guided Meditation Video with completed purchase of an appointment*&lt;/strong&gt; Offer applies to all appointment purchases that are completed by &lt;span style="color:#660000;"&gt;11:30 pm GM7+2&lt;/span&gt; on &lt;span style="color:#660000;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May 31, 2008&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;. Purchases are considered completed when the funds are received in the PayPal account for Monica Who. The free video will be delivered via email or online download within 48 hours of your completed purchase. This video is in .wmv format and requires a suitable video player such as Windows Media Player to view. The value of this bonus is 5.75€.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* These bonuses can be combined and are automatically applied to completed purchases.</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2008/04/special-offers-for-may-2008.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-577991129094741493</guid><pubDate>Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:58:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-04-26T07:58:23.394-07:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>service</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>appointment</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>paypal</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>announcement</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>payment</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>change</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>schedule</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>availability</category><title>Service Updates</title><description>Over the next few days, you will see some changes to my website.  Starting &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="color:#006600;"&gt;May 1, 2008&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, I will be offering &lt;strong&gt;private appointment calls&lt;/strong&gt; to my customers using my business telephone number in &lt;span style="color:#333399;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Finland&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;.  Long distance charges will apply to your private appointment calls; check with your telephone service provider and inquire about connection rates to &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="color:#333399;"&gt;Finland&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;Making an appointment with &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;Monica Who has never been easier!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;br /&gt;Now you can select and manage your appointment time(s) using my online appointment scheduling service.  You need to Register for your free customer account in order to schedule a private appointment with me.  Appointments can be scheduled up to two months in advance.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Appointments will be available in blocks of 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.  Payment is handled with PayPal, and online payments must be completed no less than 24 hours in advance of the appointment time.  If payment for your appointment is not received 24 hours prior to your appointment time, your appointment will be officially cancelled.  No refund will apply unless your payment goes through at a later time.  In the event that your payment is delayed and your original appointment time needs to be cancelled, you can reschedule your appointment without paying any additional fees once your payment is received.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;More information on rates, special offers and discounts, payment options, hours of availability, detailed terms and conditions, and appointment scheduling instructions will be published on my website and announced in this blog as soon as the service changes are implemented.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;P.S.  &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Special promotions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; will be available in the first week of service as well as throughout the month of May!!  Stay tuned for more details!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;P.P.S. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Special Hours and Offers&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for &lt;strong&gt;European&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="color:#333399;"&gt;Finnish&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; customers will be announced soon too!</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2008/04/service-updates.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-5776315335423691648</guid><pubDate>Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:16:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-01-15T10:19:03.902-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>website updates</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>availability</category><title>Availability &amp; Blog Updates</title><description>I hope the New Year has gotten off to a great start for all of you! I wanted to apologize for not blogging as frequently as I usually do. I have been very busy working on two books right now. My creative energy is very high now, and I continue to find inspiration for new projects all the time! I know this is happening for a reason and it's important that I follow this path without resistance. I hope you will forgive me for being unable to write frequent blog articles at this time. I will return to regular blogging as soon as possible.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Although I am currently not blogging, I am available to take your calls during my regular hours. If I am busy or away, please arrange a Call Back and I will take your call as soon as I'm able. I will not be travelling this month because my stay in Canada has been extended a few more weeks, so I will be working during my regular schedule through the rest of January.</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2008/01/availability-blog-updates.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-8850766140974427091</guid><pubDate>Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:52:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-01-05T10:02:27.294-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>website updates</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>guided meditation video</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>Law of Attraction ebook</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>availability</category><title>Availability, Website Updates, and New Video</title><description>I'm sorry I haven't been available for calls lately.  I came down with a flu at the end of December and had to get some dental work done this week.  I expect to be available again during my regular schedule tomorrow.  I will also take arranged calls this evening.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are some website updates I wanted to tell you about.  First, there is a new guided meditation video available.  Visit &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/downloads.html"&gt;http://www.MonicaWho.com/downloads.html&lt;/a&gt; to learn more about it and order this new video. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In addition, there is new poetry available on my website.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I also wanted to let you know that I'm working on a new book that should be available for download from my site in six to eight weeks.  This book will include a free trial section--absolutely free content that will help you use the Law of Attraction in your life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I hope you all had a beautiful, blessed and safe holiday season and I wish you all the best for 2008 :)</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2008/01/availability-website-updates-and-new.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-7275184589694770389</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:13:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-12-25T12:34:27.681-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>sale</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>seasonal</category><title>Limited Time Christmas Sale</title><description>&lt;a href="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/erinewho/holidays07.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/erinewho/holidays07.jpg" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Merry Christmas everyone, and have a happy, healthy and blessed New Year!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;I'm offering a limited time Christmas Sale--call me for only &lt;span style="color:#ff0000;"&gt;$2.50/min&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;(Regular price $2.99/min)&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;Your call starts for &lt;strong&gt;free&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/12/limited-time-christmas-sale.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-3686865478212182793</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:22:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-12-21T12:24:16.295-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>sale</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>availability</category><title>Availability Dec. 21 - Dec. 24</title><description>My holiday travel plans were changed suddenly and I am in Calgary a day earlier than expected. I will not be available to take your call again until Dec. 24th.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I will be online in the EVENING on Dec. 24th, with&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;EXTENDED LATE NIGHT HOURS AT A SPECIAL HOLIDAY SALE PRICE!!!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Please arrange a call for Christmas Eve to ensure that you get through during my Christmas Eve Sale.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I will be available at my regular rate all day Dec. 25.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/12/availability-dec-21-dec-24.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-3893111652010498067</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:13:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-12-17T23:10:45.395-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>sale</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>manifesting your desires</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>law of attraction</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>guided meditation video</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>download products</category><title>Guided Meditation Video</title><description>&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:180%;"&gt;Guided Meditation Video&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.ether.com/Mail/Action.aspx?mailId=93080&amp;amp;cd=l8k1%2fKxwgtzkVCLbBrxfnA%3d%3d"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.ether.com/Mail/ActionImage.aspx" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;was $9.00&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"&gt;NOW $4.50!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;A powerful short video to assist you in applying the Law of Attraction to your daily life. The video is yours to keep and watch as often as you need. *Plays on Windows Media Player. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;Click the Buy Now button to order your copy of this powerful meditation video. You will receive the video by email. Download and begin using the Law of Attraction within minutes of placing your order!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;p&gt;This video is a primer to get you started with the Law of Attraction. It will help you:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* start creating your reality with positive thought&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* align yourself with the highest good&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* be more successful&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* manifest financial well being&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* live a healthier lifestyle&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* lose weight and celebrate your body&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* become one with all of nature&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* rise above challenges and obstacles&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;* more!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;Please leave your comments and feedback about this Guided Meditation Video on this post.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/12/guided-meditation-video.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-7489362362084985731</guid><pubDate>Sat, 08 Dec 2007 21:58:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-12-08T13:58:33.948-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>status</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>availability</category><title>Availability Update</title><description>I am available to take calls all day today, but tomorrow I'm moving.  I will not be available tomorrow, but I do expect to be online again on Monday, December 10.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I apologize for not blogging as much lately as I usually do.  I've had some very interesting visions recently, which have guided me into some new areas of study.  I will share some of the information with all of you once I have fully grasped it myself. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Have a beautiful and blessed weekend :)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/12/availability-update.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-6233354094724053056</guid><pubDate>Sun, 02 Dec 2007 23:30:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-12-02T15:31:17.570-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>health and happiness</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>coping with depression</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>Get Outside of Yourself</title><description>One problem with depression is that it causes people to constantly dwell on themselves and their problems.  You judge yourself and engage in all sorts of negative internal dialogue, and you begin to obsess about your problems--effectively eliminating your ability to attract positive energy and positive experiences into your life!  The best way to start breaking this aspect of depression is to get outside of yourself by focusing on others at least once a week (more frequently if your schedule permits).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Take at least a few hours a week to donate your time and energy to others.  Volunteer your time to a cause you feel good about.  Please DO NOT pick something that might make you sad!  If visiting shut-ins or working with abandoned animals will make you sad, you could do something else like volunteer at a thrift store.  Find something that benefits others and will help you feel good about yourself at the same time.  You will feel good about being in service to others, but while you are donating your time you will think less about your perceived problems, which will go a very long way in helping you recover from depression!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I will continue exploring other very effective ways to break through depression, and I welcome your comments, suggestions, questions and personal stories.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/12/get-outside-of-yourself.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-8993057037459781761</guid><pubDate>Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-30T13:01:33.647-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>health and happiness</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>coping with depression</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>Work With What's Working</title><description>One of the first steps to overcoming depression is to work with what's working.  I know, it seems pretty simple, but when you're suffering from depression it can be difficult to even recognize what's working in your life, let alone work with it!  The other day in my post &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/break-through-depression.html"&gt;Break Through Depression&lt;/a&gt;, I asked you to make a list of what's working in your life.  Some people misinterpreted the question to mean "what works to help you get through or avoid depression?"  All the suggestions I received were very good and many happen to be covered in my upcoming posts on this topic.  However, if you were one of the people who misinterpreted the question, what I mean is: what do you have or do in your life right now that you are satisfied with?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There's an old saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."  Depression will trick you into believing that your whole life is a waste and there's nothing good about it, but that isn't true.  Even if your "what's working" list is short, there are some things that you've got going on in your life right now that are good.  If your depression really has a hold on you, it's quite normal for the "what's working" list to be short because depression robs you of the ability to see your life clearly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The chances are pretty high that the things which are causing you pain and sadness are things you are powerless to change.  They're things out of your control, and things you just have to learn to live with.  It takes time to be okay with those losses and disappointments, but the only way you'll be able to learn to live with them is if you &lt;em&gt;start living again!&lt;/em&gt;  In order to do that, you need to recognize your right to enjoy life and then actively seek positive experiences.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now that you have your list, even if it's short, the next step is to explore how you can maximize your enjoyment of these things, and what other opportunities for enjoyment they provide.  If your job is something that's really working for you right now, you may not be able to work more hours to get more enjoyment, and that might not be healthy anyhow.  However, you can explore the opportunities available to you because of your work and you might find additional ways to maximize enjoyment.  For example, does your work provide opportunities for travel or meeting new people?  These are things you could take advantage of to increase your enjoyment of life overall.  Take the things on your list and seek ways to increase your enjoyment of them and ways to celebrate them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Don't tell me that it's selfish to become a pleasure seeker.  You need to realize that you can't be as good a friend, parent, or employee while struggling with depression as you can be when you're happy and healthy.  You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else.  It's time to take charge of your life again and refuse to let depression rob you of any more positive experiences!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/work-with-whats-working.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-7433242776775889243</guid><pubDate>Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:10:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-29T14:15:27.524-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>health and happiness</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>coping with depression</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>Create a "Happy Trigger"</title><description>Events in your daily life trigger emotional reactions; they can trigger joy and gratitude, stress and anxiety, or even sadness and depression.  Something as simple as a scent or a smile from a stranger can trigger emotions.  Today I want to teach you how to create a "happy trigger" that can pull you back into a state of joy and optimism whenever you need it, regardless of other events triggering different emotional reactions. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you read my post yesterday, &lt;a href="http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/break-through-depression.html"&gt;Break Through Depression&lt;/a&gt;, then you've probably made a list of things that are working in your life and you might be wondering what to do next.  Don't worry--I'll come back to that.  Today, see if you can add at least one more thing to that list...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I want to teach you how to create a "happy trigger" right now because it can take some practice and I want you to start right away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Think about a time in your life when you were truly happy.  Think of your happiest memory.  Close your eyes and recreate that memory in your mind with as much detail as possible.  Hold it firmly in your mind; replay it a few times until that blissful emotion fills your heart completely.  Now place your right hand over your heart while you replay that memory.  Feel your heart beating while you experience the joy of your happiest memory.  Breathe deeply and evenly.  Hold your hand over your heart for three to five minutes while you focus on the emotions triggered by your happiest memory.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Repeat this exercise twice a day for a week.  If you find your mind drifting, think of other happy memories to prevent boredom.  As you recapture the positive emotions of your joyful memories, breathe evenly and hold your right hand over your heart.  You are training your mind and creating a "happy trigger."  Soon you will be able to place your hand over your heart, take deep and even breaths, and &lt;em&gt;instantly experience deep feelings of happiness&lt;/em&gt;.  It will take practice for your mind to associate the gesture of placing your hand over your heart with experiencing positive emotions, so continue to work at it every day until you are able to experience instant joy with this simple gesture.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Use this trigger to bring you back to a state of joy whenever life starts to get you down.  When you're in a state of joy, it's much easier to see your life as a gift and you will find it much easier to face challenges with optimism.  You can start to find and act upon solutions to your depression once you have a positive and optimistic perspective. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Depression will tempt you to hold onto pain, to wallow in it until you feel nothing else.  Depression will lie to you.  Depression will tell you that the slightest upset, disappointment or set back in your day means that you will never be happy and your life is worthless.  Depression will tell you there's no way to restore hope, and that Monica's "happy trigger" suggestion is stupid, pointless and will never work.  These thoughts can be so convincing, but they are lies.  Remember: you were happy in the past which means &lt;em&gt;you can be happy again&lt;/em&gt;!  It isn't even as difficult as your depression wants you to believe.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/create-happy-trigger.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-4590983397849307422</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:27:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-30T13:02:17.045-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>health and happiness</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>coping with depression</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>Break Through Depression</title><description>The holiday season can be a difficult time, especially if things aren't going right in your life or you're struggling with unfulfilled hopes and dreams. This is the time of year when depression can really sink in. One thing I've learned about life is that &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;life is really cool!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; It has a way of surprising you in the most unexpected ways. However, depression robs you of the ability to step back and say, "Wow, life is so amazing!" When you're depressed, everything seems to get worse and worse.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I say this because I know depression. I have dealt with and overcome severe depression and I know how difficult it can be to break through it. I want to do everything I can to help others break through and be able to experience the awe and joy that life has to offer! Over the next little while, I'm going to post several articles about overcoming depression, with specific tips to help you get the most enjoyment out of your life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences with comments or private emails. Talking about it is an important step to breaking through it because it helps you to see that you're not alone. No one will ever have the same experiences that you have or feel the same way that you feel because you are unique in every way, but seeing that others have similar experiences and feelings will benefit you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first thing I want you to do is take an honest look at your life and answer this question: what is really working for you? You already know what isn't working, your depression reminds you of those things multiple times every day, but if you honestly look at your life, you will discover that &lt;em&gt;some things really are working&lt;/em&gt;. Maybe it's just that your cat purrs when you give her love--but that's something! Make a list of everything that is working (and feel free to add it to the comments for this post). Writing the list might even make you smile--and tomorrow I'll write about what to do next.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Last year at this time, I found myself struggling with the most severe depression of my life and I wasn't enjoying the holiday season. I had always loved Christmas time, and I was honestly angry that depression was robbing me of that! I was enjoying my work though, and that gave me something to start with. I took an honest inventory of all the things that were working for me and it helped me regain hope and be able to see some solutions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;I look forward to helping you discover your solutions too!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/break-through-depression.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-3431231094465113231</guid><pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:13:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-27T11:19:35.535-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>Resolving Conflict Through Communication</title><description>The best way to resolve conflict in any situation in your life is through communication. Regardless of the nature of the conflict, the same communication strategy can work to resolve the conflict. The first thing you need to do is &lt;em&gt;be a good listener&lt;/em&gt;. If you try to convince the other person that you're right and they're wrong, you're not likely to get very far and the conflict will probably escalate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The first step toward resolving the conflict is to get the other person to express their point of view as clearly as possible. Set aside your emotions and your point of view, and ask the other person how they see the situation. Be calm and express that you are genuinely interested in hearing their side. Listen closely without becoming judgemental or defensive. If there's anything you can agree with them on, point it out, but reserve your disagreements for later. Don't tell the other person, "I can see where you're coming from," if you honestly don't see their point of view clearly. If you still don't understand, ask questions and encourage the other person to keep talking until you actually do have a good understanding of their position.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When the other person feels they have truly been heard and understood, they're far more likely to listen to your point of view with the same level of respect you gave them. After you listen to everything they had to say, and pointed out any aspects of their position that you could really agree with, you can express your side of things and the points you disagree on. You need to be as calm and rational as possible, and if any of your points are based on emotional reactions, try to explain your emotions clearly &lt;em&gt;from your point of view &lt;/em&gt;without passing judgement on the other person. For example, you might say, "I feel like you don't consider my feelings when you..." rather than saying, "You never think about how I feel when you..."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After both of you have had the opportunity to express your opinions, beliefs and points of view, you probably have some mutual understanding to work with and you certainly have created an atmosphere of &lt;em&gt;mutual respect&lt;/em&gt; that will go a long way in helping you resolve the conflict! If you have found some common ground that you both agree on, you can brain storm together about possible solutions to the problem you're facing. At that point you've transitioned from conflict to cooperation. If neither of you have been able to agree with any aspect of the other person's point of view, you either have to agree to disagree (which only works if there is mutual respect) or you need to continue trying to understand each other better, but in most situations you will actually find some common ground that will be your starting point to resolving the problem.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Remember that successful conflict resolution isn't necessarily about being right or getting your way; it's about being understood and finding a solution that works for both of you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/resolving-conflict-through.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-6639507594846099112</guid><pubDate>Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:21:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-23T12:40:30.809-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>Obligations, Promises and Integrity: Food for the Soul</title><description>Our lives are full of all sorts of obligations including work, promises made to friends and family, and even obligations based on spiritual beliefs and personal integrity. All of those demands and pressures can weigh you down and cause you to feel like life would just be a whole lot better if you didn't have any obligations at all!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Broken promises erode the trust between people as well as the credibility of the individual or organization that made and failed to carry through with the promise. If you fail to carry through with your obligations and break promises you have made, people will have no choice but to withdraw some or all of the trust they placed in you and they are more likely to turn to someone else in the future. This is the same in business as it is in personal relationships, although in business there's often no opportunity to redeem yourself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It's easy to see what you stand to lose by breaking promises and reneging on obligations, but do you realize all that you stand to gain by fulfilling them? Of course there is the benefit of building even more trust and credibility, but there is an even greater reward. When you fulfill your obligations and promises, it builds your confidence, self esteem, self-respect and sense of integrity--providing you with a surge of positive energy that is fuel for your spirit! You will also have less need for validation from external sources in order to feel good and worthy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While it is true that you can't break promises if you avoid making any in the first place, this mindset does not help you achieve the deep sense of purpose and value that your spirit requires for living. Life without obligations might &lt;em&gt;sound easier&lt;/em&gt; but in reality it's much more difficult because you have no direction or purpose. If you're finding it difficult to meet your obligations and fulfill your promises, try focusing on the benefits you'll receive, especially the ability to feel even better about yourself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/obligations-promises-and-integrity-food.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-3369095273398820504</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:25:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-22T13:29:45.109-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>health and happiness</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>meditation</category><title>Take a Brief Meditation Retreat</title><description>If you're feeling stressed, run-down or burnt out by your hectic life, get instant relief and spiritual enlightenment by taking a &lt;em&gt;brief meditation retreat&lt;/em&gt;. You will need to physically retreat to a private location such as your bedroom, the balcony, a quiet spot outdoors, or any other place where you can have privacy. Turn off your cell phone and remove any other distractions--this will be a relatively short break from your hectic life (ten or fifteen minutes will do), so you don't need to worry about the phone or anything else. Make yourself comfortable. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, or even a light snack during your retreat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That's the retreat part of the plan, now onto the &lt;em&gt;meditation&lt;/em&gt;. Use this short time to ponder a concept, idea or question. Some good examples are the nature of love, the benefits of friendship, the idea of unconditional trust, etc. If you are troubled by an issue in your life, such as conflict with a co-worker, you can use it as your topic for your brief retreat but just don't be too specific. (This retreat is not to be used for fretting about specific issues of your day-to-day routine.) For example, ponder a related concept such as competition or a question like, "How can I improve my communication skills to reduce conflict with others?" During your retreat, think about your chosen concept, idea or question and exclude all other thoughts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Your &lt;em&gt;brief meditation retreat&lt;/em&gt; is a light meditation session. The privacy and relaxation will help refresh and recharge you, and the meditation will lead to deeper understanding of the issues in your life as well as spiritual enlightenment.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When your ten or fifteen minutes are up, return to your regular routine even if you have not reached a deep understanding of your concept or answers to your question. Don't worry--you can continue pondering on your next retreat.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Make the &lt;em&gt;brief meditation retreat&lt;/em&gt; part of your daily routine to promote inner peace, enlightenment and wellness. This his how I start every single day, and I take several brief retreats throughout the day (anytime I need a short break) and it helps me to recharge between sessions with my clients, remain centered and develop a deeper understanding of myself, interactions with other people, and life in general. Some people feel too busy for a half hour or an hour of meditation every day, but anyone can make ten minutes for a little relaxation and meditation!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;P.S. If you need a really good meditation topic, one that will keep you thinking endlessly, I highly recommend my personal favourite: &lt;em&gt;the reality of illusion and the illusion of reality&lt;/em&gt;. I guarantee this one will continuously challenge and expand your perceptions for the rest of your life!</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/take-brief-meditation-retreat.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-1140997566291121165</guid><pubDate>Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:18:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-21T13:21:21.229-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>dream interpretation</category><title>Dream Themes &amp; Symbols: Infants and Children</title><description>People often ask me what infants mean in their dreams, and they wonder if these dreams mean pregnancy is just ahead in their future. I want to remind you that while we do have prophetic dreams from time to time, the majority of our dreams contain messages about the past and present. To understand the meaning of an infant in a dream, you need to consider the common ideas associated with infants and birth, as well as your personal associations.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you had a new baby in your life your responsibilities would increase, which is why most dreams about infants convey messages about responsibility. Babies are completely helpless and require a lot of care, so the message in this type of dream can be that you feel helpless about something in your present life, or that you're experiencing a strong desire to be taken care of or to nurture someone else. Another concept connected with infants is creation; your dream could be telling you something about what you are manifesting in your life right now, or even creative endeavours. People sometimes refer to special projects as their "baby," and infants in a dream can also express messages about an important project you've been working on or are planning to start. Consider these associations when you explore the meaning in your dreams about infants. Of course, if you are already pregnant or trying to conceive, your dream probably expresses your hopes or fears.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Children in dreams can represent innocence, playfulness, inexperience, learning, youth, and memories of your own childhood. If you are already a parent, dreams of children can convey messages about your own children (or how you view your children) even if the dream children don't resemble your own kids. Quite often, dreams of children involve messages regarding your &lt;em&gt;inner child&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As always, the events of the dream and your emotional reactions hold important keys to unlocking the message. You should never jump to conclusions about your dreams: carefully consider all the elements and events of the dream, ask yourself how it relates to your present circumstances, and be open to receiving guidance from your dreams.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/dream-themes-symbols-infants-and.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-6437011938970704595</guid><pubDate>Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:24:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-20T13:29:29.473-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>manifesting your desires</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>health and happiness</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>Prepare for the New Year and Manifest Your Dreams!</title><description>You might wonder why you should prepare for the New Year now because there's still six weeks left in 2007, and you probably have to make preparations for the holiday season.  Of course you don't &lt;em&gt;need &lt;/em&gt;to prepare for the New Year, you can just go with the flow and see what happens, but it's your future and I don't think there's any good reason to skip planning for your happiness and success.  Next year you are going to manifest your dreams, in accordance with your highest good and the highest good of all concerned!  Especially if you have never tried manifesting before, I want you to give this a try...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sit down and spend some time really thinking about what would make you truly happy next year.  What would make you feel fulfilled and also benefit the people around you?  What would make your life easier?  What do you want to accomplish in 2008?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now get a piece of paper and get ready to make a list.  At the top of the paper write, "I will receive guidance and support to make these dreams a reality in 2008."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Write down your dreams and goals for 2008.  You may want to break your list down into categories such as: family life, social life, romantic life, spiritual life, financial life, material possessions, and self improvement.  Think about what you want from your personal relationships, where you want to be living, things you want to own that will make your life easier, and definitely do not forget any improvements you intend to make for your mind, body and spirit.  You can also add dreams that simply increase your enjoyment of life such as your hobbies, travel and recreation. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Be specific about your goals; instead of "make more money" you may want to write "increase earnings by 30%."  Of course there is no limit to how much you can manifest in 2008, but you do need to understand that you and God are partners in manifesting your dreams and God will only allow what is in your highest good.  For some people, a sudden windfall of money (like winning the lottery) can cause a great deal of turmoil if they are not prepared.  It would not be in your highest good to suddenly have ten million dollars unless your personal relationships are strong and healthy enough, and you have overcome any addictive tendencies, for example.  This doesn't mean you can't manifest lottery winnings in 2008--but if you want to add that to your list, be sure to think about what else you might need in order to cope with the financial blessing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When you have completed your list, read it over several times to make sure you didn't overlook anything.  Finally write at the bottom of the list, "My dreams for 2008 will be fulfilled in accordance with the highest good for myself and everyone concerned."  Then fold up your list and put it away where you will not be tempted to read it.  I bury my list in my bowl of power stones, but another good idea is to put the list with your holiday decorations so it will be stored through the year and you will not have access to it again until the holiday season near the end of 2008.  The idea is to put the list away and forget about it: not to forget about your dreams, but to put the list out of sight and out of mind.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you have never tried manifesting your dreams, you might be skeptical.  That's okay; I was skeptical my first time too!  But I wrote down my goals for the following three years and long term goals I intended to achieve within ten years.  You may want to do this as well (just make the necessary adjustments to the statements you write at the top and bottom of the list.)  When I did go over my list a year later, I was very surprised.  I had not only manifested 80% of the dreams for the first year, but in my first year I had also manifested several items listed for two and three years ahead!  The dreams I was not able to manifest in my first year were dreams that did not serve the highest good of two very special people in my life, so I had no problems accepting that these dreams did not come to pass.  I know they will manifest &lt;em&gt;when the time is right&lt;/em&gt;, so I do not need to give up on those dreams--I just need to be patient.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go ahead and make your list today, before you get too busy with the holiday season, and get ready to enjoy the best year of your life so far and the start of &lt;em&gt;even better&lt;/em&gt; things to come!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/prepare-for-new-year-and-manifest-your.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-4916023730578190978</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:31:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-19T10:37:01.319-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>addictions</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>health and happiness</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>angels</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>coping with depression</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>That Hurts, Stop It!</title><description>As a young child, you may have learned that touching a hot stove causes pain and therefore you should not touch a hot stove. Physical pain teaches us a very simple and logical lesson:&lt;em&gt; stop that and don't do that again.&lt;/em&gt; So why then do so many of us refuse to learn the exact same message from our &lt;em&gt;emotional pain&lt;/em&gt;?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The truth is that most people fail to realize that our pain is a result of something we are doing and instead, we seek to blame the pain on an external source. We blame other people, circumstances, and even God for our pain. This leads us to develop the false belief that something else is responsible for our pain and therefore we cannot heal or prevent further pain ourselves. In some cases people do blame themselves and then begin to punish themselves, which leads to even more pain! Stop looking for someone or something to blame.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'm not saying that the actions of other people cannot hurt you--but I seek to remind you that you have the power to &lt;em&gt;learn from your pain&lt;/em&gt; and to stop doing whatever you were doing that resulted in the emotional injury, just as you would learn to not touch a hot stove after being burned. If you don't start learning from your emotional pain so you can heal and grow, you will start learning how to numb your pain through addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, food, or other activities. Perhaps you have already started using addiction to avoid learning from your pain, and addictions (regardless of the form they take) always lead to more emotional turmoil and troubles in your life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The next time you find yourself broken-hearted, crying your eyes out, blaming someone for your pain, shaking your fists at God, or turning toward addictions, stop and take a long look at what has happened to make you feel such pain. Rather than placing blame on any outside influence or punishing yourself, ask yourself what you could do differently to stop this pain and avoid it in the future. The answer may be tough to face, and the solution may involve taking an action (such as getting out of a toxic relationship) that you hoped you wouldn't have to do.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Turning away from, numbing or ignoring your pain &lt;em&gt;will not help you&lt;/em&gt;; it is a deliberate choice to ignore the opportunity for growth and healing. Truly facing and learning from your pain takes courage and strength and you may be afraid to do it on your own, but you don't have to do it alone! True wisdom includes asking for help when you need it: ask your angels for help, seek the guidance and support of a therapist or counselor, or participate in a twelve step support group.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you burn yourself on a hot stove, you learn to not touch a hot stove again and you tend to your injury to promote healing. When you learn from your emotional pain, also stop and take care of yourself as well. You may get hurt in different ways in the future, but you will truly benefit from taking the time to really learn the lesson your pain is trying to teach you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/that-hurts-stop-it.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-8652307485692306110</guid><pubDate>Sun, 18 Nov 2007 21:25:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-18T13:43:16.230-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>health and happiness</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>angels</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>psychic abilities</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>meditation</category><title>Introduction to Meditation</title><description>Meditation is a practice that brings inner peace and harmony, spiritual enlightenment, healing, balance and overall wellness for your mind, body and spirit. Meditation is a vital aspect of spiritual growth and it can also be used for getting in touch with your innermost feelings and developing greater awareness of your body. Regular meditation will help you cope with stress and toxic emotions, feel stronger and healthier, and can even help you overcome problems such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, post traumatic stress, eating disorders, addictions, phobias, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and much more! Meditation is also the best way to initiate contact with angels.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I cannot tell you how many times people have asked me how to meditate! First, I want to tell you that meditation is not difficult; with just a little practice, you will be on your way to achieving all the benefits of meditation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Relaxation is a key element to any meditation. You may want to meditate lying down with your eyes closed, but you might find yourself drifting off to sleep. If you want to meditate in a sitting position, make sure to employ good posture, with your back straight so you can breathe evenly from your diaphragm. Breathe deeply and evenly, and release all tension from your body.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There are countless ways to meditate, but there are two general methods of meditation. The first method is to &lt;strong&gt;focus your thoughts&lt;/strong&gt; on a concept, idea or image and the second method is &lt;strong&gt;clear your mind of all thoughts&lt;/strong&gt;, enabling messages from your angels, spirit guides and higher self to flow into your mind unencumbered by your mental clutter. You will find the first method much easier at first but both methods require a great deal of concentration, which is not a natural state for the human mind! For whichever method of meditation you choose, you must first train your mind to concentrate.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the beginning it's best that you do not try to force concentration, rather begin by allowing your mind to wander freely. This can be both entertaining and enlightening as you learn more about your innermost thoughts. Once you have allowed your mind to wander freely, you will find it easier to focus your thoughts. I recommend that you give yourself fifteen to twenty minutes of roaming thought before you settle down and attempt to focus (use a timer). As you develop your skill, gradually reduce the time for rambling thought until you no longer need to give this freedom to your mind.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Concentration and focus can be achieved through several means. Here are a few that I find useful:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;Focus on the sensations of your body. Control your breathing, listen to your heart beat, become fully aware of the air surrounding you and the feeling of the surface you're sitting or resting on. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Think of and make yourself fully aware of just one part of your body, such as your hand, and exclude all other sensations in the rest of your body. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Repeat a mantra over and over, either out loud or within your mind. Phrases from the Bible are useful mantras when you want to connect with angels and feel closer to God. A good example is, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," but of course there are many others that would work. Choose any phrase that inspires inner peace for you. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Visualize a simple object, shape or colour and think of nothing else until your mind is fully focused and undisturbed by any other thoughts or images. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Focus on one single emotion (love is best when you seek to connect with angels) until you fully grasp the meaning and experience of it. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Focus on a physical object such as a burning candle or power stone.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Focus on a mandala (an image portraying religious or mystical concepts; generally an image within a circle inside a square, with intricate or kaleidoscopic patterns.) &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;Training your mind to focus and concentrate may not be as easy as it sounds, but with continued practice &lt;em&gt;you will achieve success&lt;/em&gt;. Include meditation in your daily routine to reap the full benefits for your mind, body and spirit, and in time you'll find that you can meditate in any position, anytime and anywhere!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;P.S. Stay tuned--in a few days I will post about a simple yet beneficial meditation practice that even the busiest person can incorporate into their daily routine. I understand some people feel they cannot make time for extensive meditation every day.</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/introduction-to-meditation.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-7618736862971474362</guid><pubDate>Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:20:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-17T12:26:47.724-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>love and relationships</category><title>Don't Fall in Love With Someones "Potential"</title><description>This is one of the most common mistakes people make in romantic relationships. You can clearly see how wonderful the other person &lt;em&gt;could be&lt;/em&gt;, and you stay in the relationship because you're holding out hope that your partner will achieve the greatness you see in them. Believe me, I know all about this relationship mistake! I'm particularly prone to making this mistake because I see the divine in all people, and I have had to make a determined effort to avoid repeating the mistake of loving someone for &lt;em&gt;who he could be&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You need to know that &lt;strong&gt;everyone has the potential for greatness&lt;/strong&gt;, but some people have not realized their own potential yet and others have deliberately resisted being all they can be. It is good to recognize the divine in all people and to acknowledge another person's potential, but it's not something you can build a romantic partnership upon. If the other person isn't living up to their true potential, there is very little chance that you can change them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, we can inspire growth and positive changes in others but the process is more effective in other types of relationships, such as friendships or mentoring relationships. Healthy romantic relationships are built upon equality (among other things) which cannot be achieved if you're on different levels of growth and perspective.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If your partner isn't treating you the way you want and deserve to be treated, and they aren't giving you tangible here-and-now reasons to love them, then it really makes no difference what their potential is. You aren't likely to help them achieve their potential, and if you actually manage this there is a high likelihood that your partner will leave you and go on to be a great husband or wife to someone else! It happens more often than you might think, and it's because of the inequality taking place in the relationship. Sometimes people do fall in love with their teachers and mentors, but that is the exception rather than the norm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Do you want to build your relationship on hopes for &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;two very rare exceptions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;? It's rare to be able to inspire change and positive growth in your romantic partner, and it's just as rare that they'll stay with you if you do help them to grow and change.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/dont-fall-in-love-with-someones.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-5674634155761588742</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:26:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-17T12:28:59.799-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>spiritual protection</category><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>prayers and visualizations</category><title>Spiritual Protection: The Armor of God</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Many people have expressed to me that they're very interested in developing their connection and communication with angels, but they also have fears about opening contact with the spirit realm. It's normal, healthy and wise to be concerned about encountering evil spirits--they do exist and do try to trick people. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, Paul writes, "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." It's important to take contact with the spirit realm very seriously--this is not a parlor trick or something to do for amusement. With that said, I would like to teach you the most powerful and effective spiritual protection prayer and visualization I know: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Armor of God.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The best way to protect yourself is described in Ephesians 6:11-18, where Paul writes about the Armor of God.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Belt of Truth:&lt;/strong&gt; Satan is a great deceiver and that will be his first line of offense. He will try to trick you and will lie to you about yourself, your life, the people you care about, and worst of all he will try to lie to you about God and try to make you lose your faith.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Breastplate of Righteousness:&lt;/strong&gt; Sin leaves us open to attacks from evil forces. While we are by nature sinful, we must always strive to avoid sin and live a holy life. Confess your sins to God daily to receive His forgiveness, and keep your thoughts focused on Him. Avoid temptation and be strong to the lures of the enemy.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Boots of Gospel Peace:&lt;/strong&gt; Keep your feet firmly planted in the truth and you will feel at peace with God, and you can stand strong against Satan's attacks. Walk with the truth and you will not lose your way.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Shield of Faith:&lt;/strong&gt; Trust and believe what God's Word says, and your faith will repel evil and temptation. Keep the faith in all areas of your life.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Helmet of Salvation:&lt;/strong&gt; Remember that God's people will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Think of how glorious that will be! Keep your perspective on that future and the everlasting life that is to come. You are a beloved child of God, don't ever forget it!&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Sword of the Spirit:&lt;/strong&gt; The Word of God is your weapon against all evil. Study the scriptures and pray for discernment and understanding. Memorize scriptures as you study, and you can confidently use the Word of God to rebuke evil and defend yourself.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Visualize yourself putting on these articles of holy armor, and say to yourself as you put on the belt, "I am putting on the belt of truth. I know the truth about my God. He is a loving God. Suffering is the result of sin; my God does not cause sorrow or doubt. I know the truth about my God and evil cannot deceive me." See yourself putting on the breastplate and say, "I have confessed my sins to God and He has forgiven me. I strive to live a holy life each day. I will constantly endeavor to do better and I pray for strength to resist sin in my life. My righteousness will protect me from temptation." Next, mentally put on the boots and say, "I walk in peace with God and keep the gospel message in my heart. I will not lose my way and I will stand strong against evil." As you pick up the shield, say, "I have unfailing faith in God. He hears my prayers and answers them in the best way for me. I know God will always love me and protect me. I have faith in all His works." Put the helmet on your head and declare, "I am a beloved child of God! I will live eternally with Him in heaven. This life is short, and I will not allow it to bring me down into doubt and despair." Finally you pick up the sword and say, "I have the Word of God in my mind and heart. I know and remember what God says about evil and about the ways He protects His people. Like Jesus, I will defeat Satan with the Word of God, and I will be safe from all evil."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To put on the full Armor of God, you must be well acquainted with the Bible and have very strong faith. It will provide you with the ultimate protection, surround you with the love of God and fill you with the strength of God. There is no greater spiritual defense than this.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/spiritual-protection-armor-of-god.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-779726754929263754</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:22:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-17T12:30:20.047-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>dream interpretation</category><title>Understanding Your Nightmares</title><description>Nightmares are dreams that stir up intense negative emotions, which can make them more difficult to interpret. You have nightmares when something in your life demands your immediate attention and requires resolution. They can be a result of stress, fears and insecurities (both conscious and unconscious), general unhappiness and emotional turmoil, or traumatic events in your life. People suffering from Post Traumatic Stress often relive the traumatic event(s) in their dreams and can be plagued with persistent nightmares. Whatever the cause of the nightmare, the simple message is that you need to deal with something now before it becomes a much bigger problem.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In order to understand the real message of your nightmare, you need to separate yourself from the emotional reaction and consider all the symbols and concepts in your dream from an objective standpoint. (Most of the time you need to consider your emotional reactions when interpreting your dreams, but with nightmares the emotional reaction can overshadow the true meaning of the dream.) First consider the overall theme of your nightmare, some common examples are: betrayal, abandonment, loss, violence, and chaos. Also carefully consider all the situations in your present life that could be a source of stress, fear, insecurity or turmoil--is it possible that your nightmare represents any of these real situations? Nightmares that seem to be a realistic portrayal of your worst fears don't necessarily mean that your fears are going to come to pass in your near future! It means you're feeling particularly vulnerable and your fear or sense of insecurity requires your attention now before it gets out of hand and causes real problems in your waking life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You might be confused about the meaning of your nightmare because of the people present in your dream. Sometimes a nightmare involves specific people in your life but the message may not relate to them or your relationship with them at all. For example, a nightmare about your mother dying could be connected to a fear of losing someone you care deeply about rather than your mother specifically.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sometimes nightmares convey messages about things you are passionately concerned about, even if the events of the dream do not directly relate to your everyday life. People who have very passionate opinions about current events, war, human rights, animal rights, etc can experience nightmares about these topics. These types of nightmares are often messages that you should express your opinions more or even get involved in activism. These nightmares are usually quite specific in that they contain details that are relevant to the issue you're concerned about--a nightmare about the war in Iraq can mean you're being encouraged to express your political opinions more, while a dream about war in general often relates to fears of chaos, loss of control, etc.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I hope you will be able to decipher the important lessons of your nightmares so you can get on with dreaming much sweeter dreams!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/understanding-your-nightmares.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7443790616637052916.post-8783205017744231609</guid><pubDate>Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:18:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-11-17T12:31:54.190-08:00</atom:updated><category domain='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#'>personal growth advice</category><title>"I Don't Repeat Gossip, So Listen Closely..."</title><description>These words are printed on a decorative plaque which hangs in my mother's kitchen. I can only assume that someone thought the words were cute and funny, but gossip is neither cute nor funny. &lt;strong&gt;Gossip lowers the spiritual vibration of everyone who participates in it.&lt;/strong&gt; When people engage in gossip, their thoughts turn to judgement and they experience any number of toxic emotions such as jealousy, resentment, irritation, anger, depression and suspicion.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Never forget that words have equal power to hurt and to heal. Whenever possible, choose words that uplift, encourage, inspire and heal others. Speak kindly of others. Do not delight in the misfortune of others. When you encounter gossip, try to gently change the topic of discussion as quickly as possible. I like to say something like, "May the angels speak kindly of her in heaven."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gossip isn't always full of negative judgements of others or details of their bad news. Sometimes people pass on another person's good news, thinking there is no harm in this type of gossip because it's positive--but even positive gossip can hurt. For example, news of a friend getting married or expecting a new baby can hurt someone who is struggling in their love life or longing for a child of their own. In addition, the person you're talking about might not wish to share their good news with many others.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sometimes you might discuss another person or the events of someone else's life because you are struggling with that person or are otherwise troubled by the information, and you require support or advice. In these situations, respect the other person as much as possible. Carefully consider your choice of confidant--do not discuss these matters with someone who cannot advise you appropriately or who is likely to repeat what you have said in confidence. Don't reveal unnecessary details, choose your words very carefully, and avoid judging the other person. Their actions could be hurtful or troubling to you, but they could be reacting to pain and suffering that you are unaware of.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Before you speak about another person, ask yourself why you feel compelled to say something. Check your intentions and make sure that you have every one's highest good in mind.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;May the angels speak kindly of us all in heaven!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;~*~Monica Who~*~</description><link>http://www.monicawho.com/2007/11/i-dont-repeat-gossip-so-listen-closely.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Monica Who)</author></item></channel></rss>