The more you engage your spirit guides or follow your intuitive impulses by setting intentions and taking action, the more your intuition and your ability to manifest grows. Everything and everyone in the Universe responds to attention -- the more you pay attention, the more fluent you become in the language of Spirit. There is a momentum involved in your dance with the Universe.
Can you hear me now? You've probably heard this all before -- I have -- but if you don't take some physical action -- if you don't respond beyond thinking or wondering or contemplating, it's kind of like people saying hello to you and your sitting there like you haven't heard them. They may repeat what they said if they're really trying to get through to you, but if you just continue to sit there, as if you are deaf or unable to respond, they will assume you haven't heard them, you're not listening, and move on.
Actions speak louder than words. You acknowledge Spirit or the Universe not only by your words or your thoughts, but by your behavior.
Andrea Hess posted an incredibly simple, practical exercise for establishing the short-term intentions and actions that will lead to the greater momentum. If you're starting from scratch, this is a great way to begin, with a time-frame of only 3 days.
Advanced Momentum I'm not saying I'm a pro or that I don't have anything to learn -- actually, I'm going to tell you a story about what it looks like when I "fail" on the follow-through. I do consider myself a seasoned veteran and I've had enough "proof" that these techniques work in my own life to operate from a place of faith and confidence.
Chaos Surfing I've noticed that from a position of constant practice living in a flow state -- I think of it as riding a wave of synchronicity, or surfing chaos -- my intentions in and of themselves create a conveyor belt effect. The intentions unroll a red carpet of actions that carry me, even when my will fails.
Let me give you an example of what happened to me last week as the result of this exercise.
The Ring of Fire Seven years ago I underwent a horrifying series of medical nightmares: I was diagnosed with a "terminal" illness and fell through a rabbit hole into an alternate reality of blood work, specialists, and facing my mortality. The emotional, mental, psychic, and spiritual stress ultimately produced even more profound physical breakdown… A vicious cycle that climaxed with my having a stroke and being partially paralyzed for almost a year.
Some people, myself included, require a near catastrophic crash or meltdown in order to make the critical, foundational shift in perspective that leads to greater enlightenment. More and more people are waking to this awareness without having to be forced kicking and screaming -- let's hope that you are one of them… I was not.
I underwent a spiritual transformation that changed my life for the better, but in the process, I actually lost my health coverage. I'm not alone in living with this profound uncertainty. The challenge for anyone with a grave, pre-existing condition goes beyond landing a "good" job with benefits or being able to financially afford health insurance.
I am un-insurable. I am also self-employed… The list of obstacles is stacked quite high, such that my only options are a bureaucracy of government-funded programs. Still, I knew what was required to climb back to a place of safety.
It has taken six long years to get there, and I started this month with the awareness that there were only a few hoops left to jump through. When I read Andrea's exercise, my short-term intentions were to secure my health care again.
The 3 Remaining Actions required were simple:
- I must photocopy all my financial materials, medical records, proof of state residency, etc -- all the details I knew the case managers would require to tackle the red tape
- I must make some phone calls to track down the social workers who had successfully handled all this for me once before, or determine who currently occupies those positions
- Schedule a meeting and let the professionals help me -- I believe in spiritual guidance; I believe in professional guidance, too
Light at the end of the tunnel -- simple enough, right -- what did I do? Nothing.
I procrastinated. Why? I told myself I was too busy this week, but I was close and after such a long wait, a few more days wasn't the end of the world...
On an emotional level, I was terrified to revisit that personal hell. Just setting foot in those offices again… Yes, I'd lived through it all once before, but voluntarily doing it again. Oh, God, help me. (And I mean that, quite literally.)
Three days after setting this intention, identifying the relatively simple steps required to take action within three days, and then choosing not to do them… I woke up with what I feared was strep throat.
Two years ago, I got a case of strep throat and had to seek emergency room care in order to be diagnosed, get a prescription, etc; without health insurance this is an extremely inflated out-of-pocket expense.
So, I found myself on the phone, calling everyone I knew, looking for clinics that might see me. Ultimately, I ended up calling to make an appointment through social services and when the nurse gave me the address and directions… Holy hell, the clinic was the office one floor below the case managers I dreaded going to see.
I immediately recognized what was going on -- the Universe was kicking my ass into the car and literally forcing me to go to That Building. Instead of going to the clinic for a case of strep throat, I gathered up my folder full of paperwork, stopped at Kinko's on the way, and climbed an extra flight of stairs.
Twenty minutes later -- after six agonizing years of dread and uncertainty hanging over me -- I walked out of that office with my health coverage reinstated.
The swollen lymph nodes, the sore throat, the symptoms I was experiencing had evaporated somewhere between the copy center and parking garage.
I used to set my intentions, point my surf board toward shore, and start paddling along; these days, I trust that the big waves will come and carry me.
