Info Overload in a Pandemic (or Any Other Time)

Full disclosure…this is my first global pandemic. I’m trying to figure everything out, just like you. There’s TONS of information available through various outlets and while that’s amazing, it can also lead to overwhelm. What do you do to stay informed but not stuck in fear?

Today I wanted to share a few quick tips that I hope will help you now, and in the future:

• ·         Seek guidance from appropriate sources: In our panic to get the latest information, we often fall victim to misinformation. Much of it well intended but probably more akin to gossip than fact. If you’re looking for specific health information, for example, consult your most trusted health source and organizations such as your state health department or the Centers for Disease Control. This is not the time to give a lot of attention to what your cousin read on Facebook. Go to the source you already trust.
• ·         Limit the time when you consume news: In my opinion, I feel most confident when I check in both morning and night to get news updates. While our life situations are changing fast, I believe to keep mentally, spiritually and emotionally healthy we need a break from the constant barrage of news. I absolutely want you to be smart, be informed and take action when indicated. Just be mindful of when, and how much, news you choose to absorb each day.
• ·         Take time to just BE: Go outside, if you can do so safely, and sit under a tree, watch the birds and experience nature. While many of us are in a panic, I notice the trees are starting to bloom, the rivers are flowing and I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face. Nature continues and so will we. The world will look vastly different after this pandemic passes, but it will find balance. We have an opportunity to do the same.
• ·         Your true foundation is your spiritual practice: What gets you through this, and any crisis, is your connection to something bigger than yourself. God, Source, Universe…I call it Love. What helps you feel connected to the intelligent, creative, expansive energy that creates galaxies and makes the tides rise and fall? Connect to that. I do it through meditation, prayer, journaling, time in nature. Find what works for you and make this the cornerstone of your day. Every day. Not just in times of stress. Your spiritual practice is what you stand on in challenging times and in joyful ones.

I know the world is a scary place right now. And yet it’s the only home we have. We must find a way to love ourselves and each other through this and commit to become better because of our shared experience.

Here’s one more tip for you. Remember to find joy in each day. It’s a reminder to our human self that our divine self is only a thought away.

How to Stay Present in a Crazy World!

I'm not one to contradict Buddha...but I sometimes struggle with the statement above. Do you?

I've studied ancient spiritual wisdom as well as the teachings of modern mystics and they all mention the value of "being present." I understand the concept. To me, being present is having your full focus, attention, thoughts and feelings on the person or situation right there, in the moment you are experiencing.

Yeah, that's easy enough to do. 

Not. Even. Close.

I mean, come on...do those mystics deal with family issues, car accidents, health scares and financial problems? These are just a few of the real-life events clients talked with me about last week. They’re facing challenges and doing their best to live from their own divine core while they face the uncertainly of life as a human.

That’s exactly what mystics do. They understand our challenge is to be anchored in love while we live our daily lives. Why? The rewards include less stress, more confidence, a feeling of being in flow with life and feeling “on purpose.” Add to that a happier, more joyful life experience, a sense of oneness and desire to be in service all while enjoying a sense of deep peace. And there’s more…people who consistently live in the present moment have described feeling “more freedom.”

I know when I’m focused on the present moment, I’m free of stress created by my relentless rehashing of the past and free from worry about the future. That’s when I’m best able to align with my inner wisdom, and fully receive the guidance that leads me to the life I’m here to live. I’m guided to love, to service and back to the truest part of me.

Is that easy? While I believe it can be, it hasn’t been for me.

I have a long way to go to consistently be present and yet I’m daily reaping the rewards of my efforts. A life dedicated to love is far happier than the one I used to live that seemed to be dedicated to stress, overwhelm and worry. Go figure…

If you want to be more present, here are a few tips to try:

·       Commit to a daily spiritual practice: I recommend starting the day with what I call “the 3 M’s” to incorporate mind, body and spirit. Total time spent is up to you…start with a few minutes on each and work up to a more substantial routine. Yes, you have time for this:

.1.     Meditation:  Even starting with five to ten minutes a day can make a huge difference in your ability to feel calm, happy and more present in your life. If you’re new to meditation, check out free apps like CALM or INSIGHT TIMER.

.2.     Motivate: Turn off the news, put down your phone and read or listen to something that inspires and motivates you. I start the day with the daily lesson from A Course in Miracles plus time reading an inspiring book.

.3.     Move: Stretch, do a few yoga poses, walk or go up and down the stairs to bring awareness to your body first thing in the morning.

·       Ask questions when you feel overwhelmed or stressed in a situation. Questions could include:

.1.     What do I really know to be true, right now, in this moment? Is that really true?

.2.     What’s it like to be me in this situation at this instant? What would it be like to be a happier, more peaceful and trusting version of me right now?

.3.     Where are my feet? (I love this one that I learned from my mentor, Robert Holden. It brings me out of your head and back into my body every time.)

·       Get back to nature: Any time it’s possible, take a mindful walk in nature. Relax. Breathe. If that’s not possible, bring fresh flowers into the house or office, pet your cat or take a break and look at nature photos. All will help shift your brain chemistry and bring you into the present. Whatever you do, be mindful of the activity and give it your full attention and focus.

·       Heart Breath: My number one way to be present is to imagine breathing in and out of my heart space. I teach clients to breathe love in the back of their heart and radiate love out of the front. Start with at least five repetitions.

There are few things in life as sweet as finding your balance, experiencing joy in small moments and feeling at peace about the past and future. Learning to live in the present moment does this and more. Still need a bit of help? Ask Love to guide you.

Exploring the Moon and Beyond...

On July 20, 2019 the world celebrates the 50^th anniversary of American Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon…a first for mankind.

I remember the day well.

My parents had piled my brother, sister and me into the back of our station wagon and driven over 2,000 miles to visit my dad’s brother’s family in Worthington, Minnesota. Coming from a small Virginia town, summers in Minnesota seemed magical to us kids. We looked forward to Aunt Elna’s cooking, Uncle Bill’s hugs, hand me down clothes from our older, “super-cool cousins” Jane and Jill, time at the lakeside park and running from the gigantic Minnesota misquotes. I loved all our visits, but that trip in July 1969 holds special significance.

“You kids come here; you need to see this!” I heard my Uncle Bill’s urgent call to us from across the house. We bounded down the two steps from the kitchen, through the hall, past the master bedroom and into the family room to see “the adults,” staring at the television, chatting nervously. We didn’t know exactly what was going on, but it seemed important. The grownups had been watching the Apollo 11 coverage for days, but they were really into it now. “This is IT,” they said. Whatever IT was.

I sat down on the floor in front of the group, wanting to appear interested and much more grown up than my tender 12 years. As we took our seats, and got quiet, we could sense the weight of what we were about to see. I remember my dad saying, “Settle down! You’re going to remember this for the rest of your lives.”

That seemed a bit dramatic, but I trusted my dad. Turns out, he was right.

I remember the afternoon sun streaming into the room as we strained to see the grainy picture on the TV, perched in the corner in front of the built-in bookshelves. I can still hear the soothing voice of Walter Cronkite as he described every detail of Armstrong’s descent down the exterior ladder allowing him to be the first human to set foot on the moon. I remember the sense of wonder, excitement and accomplishment that spread throughout that beautiful, wood paneled family filled room. Mom and Aunt Elna were grinning, but it was the men I remember most.

My dad and Uncle Bill, both proud WWII vets, were beaming with joy, relief and an unparalleled sense of American pride I never saw before. My aunt and uncle lived in a close-knit neighborhood and when we went outside to play later, I remember it seemed like everyone on the block, across the street and yes, even the entire town, were lost in a united celebration!

It’s hard to describe the enormity of this event to people born after the mid 1970’s. To my knowledge, this was the first live television event of it’s kind and a whooping 94% of American households with TV tuned in, together, to experience this amazing feat.

We were united as Americans and we were united as a planet as others around the globe celebrated with us.

1969 was a big summer. I remember it as the summer of the Manson murders, the height of the Black Panther movement, the scandal at Chappaquiddick, the summer of love at Woodstock and Nixon’s first year in office. It was a scary time to be a child and I often felt unsafe. I didn’t know what would happen next. The daily news was dark.

On Saturday afternoon in my beloved aunt and uncle’s family room that July 20^th day in 1969 I saw a glimmer of hope in the eyes of my parents. It made me hopeful for a better future for all of us.

As we mark this 50th anniversary, I hope it’s the sense of unity, hope and shared adventure we remember most.

While our current issues seem overwhelming, if we can put a man on the moon, certainly we can unite to solve the problems facing us now.

I have an idea.

Let’s start with exploring the depths in the truest part of our own hearts.

As we look deeply within, we not only find that divine connection that is us, we find that it is what connects us all and makes us one.

That’s where the answers lie for this next evolution of human development.

The Power of Your Thoughts

This is it. The key to a happier, more fulfilled life. 

YOU hold the power to change your experience in every aspect of your life by changing the way you think about it.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL. Not your jerk boss, cranky kid or some politician in D.C.

YOU.

Controlling your thoughts doesn’t mean you escape life challenges; it means you are equipped to move through them with more grace and ease. Let me explain.

Recently, an accident occurred that injured a family member. When I first heard the news, I was scared, and my mind went to the worst possible scenario as I waited for the details to slowly emerge. I made an important discovery in the following days:

While we can’t change the trauma, succumbing to drama is optional.

I realized my fearful thoughts did not change the facts or the outcome. Although many saw my fear as “justified,” “natural” and even encouraged legal retribution, none of that helped me feel better or allowed me to lovingly support other family members. 

For me, only one thing helped.

I went back to the Be Love Principles and asked the divine within:

• How can I greet everyone involved with an open heart, without an agenda?

• Show me the divine essence in this situation.

• Teach me how to forgive everyone involved quickly, completely and unconditionally.

• Remind me that everyone is part of the light of All.

I did my best, minute by minute, to be the presence of love and stay in that space as we moved through the situation. I did it for me and my family. It wasn’t easy and, at times, I failed to stay centered in love. It happened whenever I fell back into fear, anger and overwhelm. Once I became aware of those thoughts, I went back to love as quickly as I could. Full disclosure, I wasn’t the most popular with some people who didn’t understand my perspective. They thought I was “naive,” “nuts” or in denial. 

But I remembered the truth. I am responsible for my thoughts and how I react to life. 

Here’s an important point: I allowed myself to feel my feelings as they came up. Feelings that are ignored simply go underground then resurface later. I’ve learned that too! The difference here is that I felt my feelings then consciously decided how I would think about them. I could continue to fuel the fear, or I could choose to be the presence of love, as much as I could, throughout the challenge.

I’m grateful to add our situation has had a much better outcome than I first feared. All is well. And I understand that while Life wil certainly present more tough days in the future, my thoughts will dictate my experience of both life’s joys and sorrows. 

I choose to experience both with love.

P.S. Check out this episode of “Heart-Centered Success with Diane L Haworth” on “The Power of Your Thoughts”  for deeper insights on the topic and for more on the Be Love Principles, visit www.BeLovePrinciples.org. 

Birthdays, Reflections, Letting Go and the Birth of New

This year I did something very special for my April 21^st birthday. In the predawn hours, I drove up to Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park and watched the sunrise over the Shenandoah Valley…and over the next phase of my life. I wanted to meditate there, on my birthday, by myself. Just me, God and the beauty that surrounded me.

It was glorious.

As I was driving the 45 minutes up to my perch, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my life…all of it. Memories of the good, the bad and the ugly chapters flooded back to me as I marveled at the thousands of experiences that make up my lifetime so far.

My birthday fell on Easter this year, like the day I was born, and I took this as a sign. I started asking questions up there on the overlook, watching the sun rays illuminate the valley below.

What am I ready to let go of in my life? What beliefs are no longer serving me? Which stories am I finally ready to release?

I know my thoughts create my reality and wondered what thoughts could still be holding me back at this stage? Time to let them go. For good. Thoughts of lack, limitation, “not enough,” “too old” and “too late” were quickly banished on that mountaintop.

So what now was ready to be born? How could I consciously embrace the truest part of me and live from there? The divine part that knows no limits? The part of me that is only love?

As I sat, overlooking the brightening landscape I said a simple prayer:

“Show me.”

My heart heard the message God whispered in response.

The Solution to Chaos

I see my nation and world rife with turmoil, hate and fear. Egos rule and we are all suffering the consequences. My recommendation to the President, Congress (and all of us) is a simple one.

Surrender.

Surrender to love.

Forget political party, stubborn rhetoric and “dug in” positions. Surrender to love. Forgo “saving face,” talking points on the cable news shows and your political legacy. Let your legacy be love.

Love of country, ALL of the country, every man, woman and child, citizen or not.

Love of humanity, regardless of race, nationality, social or economic standing, gender or gender preference.

Let your legacy be love.

Not the soft, warm, fuzzy feeling of love when you hold a puppy. The strong love. The real love that comes not from ego but from the divine wisdom within.

Tap into the love that guides you to make strong and fair decisions for the highest and best of all. Not just your constituents, not your campaign contributors, but for the highest and good of all those living on our shores AND for the good of our neighbors on this planet. Long gone are the days when the impact of our decisions were confined to our boundaries. We need to be loving global citizens. Period.

We are a nation of people living together, held by the glue of love. We love our families, our jobs, our communities…we are a nation that loves. Beyond our current love of wanting to “be right” we have to want to “be love.” We need to remember who we are and what unites us. We want the same things. To be free to love, and be loved. We want to be healthy and happy. We want to “live love.”

So how do we do that? By living the Be Love Principles:

• ·        Greet everyone with an open heart without an agenda
• ·        See the divine in everyone and everything
• ·        Forgive quickly, completely and unconditionally
• ·        Remember you are one with everyone in the light of love

I know many will view this opinion as naive. To you, I have a few questions: How well are current ego-based systems working now? Do you want a nation and world ruled by ego or love? What stance do you think will ensure a bright future for our world?

I say to all who will listen, surrender to love.

#TheBeLovePrinciples    #LessPanicMorePeace   #SurrenderToLove

www.DianeHaworth.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

This is always an exciting time for me. It’s a time of reflection, review and remembrance. 

This year I’m reflecting on the events of May 19th when I was given what I now call “The Be Love Principles.” This experience was truly life changing for me and you’ll hear more about it in 2019. I’m reviewing my business and what worked and what didn’t. I’m celebrating my successes and noting things to change. And I’m remembering, with gratitude, the people who impacted me this year. Not all those “impacts” were pleasant, by the way. But each unpleasant situation gave me an opportunity to realize I was being called to be more loving, compassionate and kind. Not always an easy lesson, but it has become my life’s work.

I’m also remembering those who were here to celebrate last year and this year are not. Life is indeed short, and I understand, more than ever, we’re here to live love in the way we’re being guided.

One more thing that I understand. How the new year unfolds for me is up to ME. Oh, I love the numerology, astrology and other predictions that I see this time of year. Who doesn’t want a sneak peak into the future? But I understand that nothing, not what the President does, the stock market index, how my husband behaves, my health, what money comes in…NOTHING is as important as my thoughts about each of those things. 

As I do my best, day by day, to keep my thoughts dedicated to love and to being the presence of love for myself and others, my experience of the world is more at peace. No matter what the TV news reports.

In addition to the success review I discussed in the last blog, I’ll be asking myself these questions as we ring in 2019:

• What is most important to me now?
• How can I live more deeply into that truth?
• What new habit(s) do I want to anchor into the new year to support me?
• How open am I to allowing spirit to guide my actions? 
• And how can I be even more open?

I am so grateful for your support and surround you in love, light and the truth of who you are.
Happy New Year!

Obstacles on the Road of Life

You know what I mean…those obstacles that you believe prevent you from living your best life.

Divorce. Health crisis. Family drama. Death of a loved one. Financial issues. Yep, in one form or another we’ve all experienced road blocks, obstacles and difficulties on our life path. But what do you do with the road blocks? That’s the challenge.

Sometimes the obstacle is just a bump in the road, sometimes it feels like the only bridge “off the island” has been washed away and you feel “stuck” in place until you can be rescued.

I know the feeling. While I’ve weathered my share of obstacles in life, I realized I was given a fresh insight recently. I’ll explain.

My sister and I were traveling back from a delightful weekend at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York where she attended a workshop. I spent a blissful few days reading, writing and walking the grounds of this beautiful wooded campus.

On our way home to Virginia, my sister was mindfully driving south on the busy interstate through a rocky and winding section of Pennsylvania. We were talking, laughing and enjoying the trip when we rounded a corner and suddenly – in our lane – was a heavy industrial metal double sink and additional debris. In an instant, she navigated traffic in the adjacent lane to miss the wreckage and bring us safely forward.

In a split second it was over. I looked at her and realized our lives could have taken a drastic turn if she had hit the debris which could have propelled us into on coming traffic or plunged us off the steep ledge into the valley below.

Scary, but it happens.

We both gave a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you, God!” several times as we continued our journey. Not ten minutes later, in an even more perilous situation, more dangerous road debris suddenly appeared. This time an unsuspecting car merging into traffic from an on ramp, sped forward not knowing my sister had to quickly cut him off to avoid the rubble thus risking a collision. She didn’t have a choice. No time to react, no safer way to avoid a crash. She just did it and, again, a chorus of “thank you, thank you, thank you!” resounded through the car.

Evidently my sister can drive like Mario Andretti. Who knew? Not me!

As I marveled at her driving skill and tried to calm my nerves, yet ANOTHER near miss occurred. I can’t make this up! A tractor trailer in front of us quickly swerved to reveal some sort of huge beam that spanned the entire lane…another brush with disaster that my skillful sister avoided “just in time.”

We looked at each other in disbelief. That was the last brush with possible tragedy for the day and we arrived safely home a few hours later.

Thank you God, thank you Sis!

Within twenty-four hours, I was driving the fifteen minutes from my home to town and took “the back way” along an unmarked country road to enjoy the summer day. As I rounded a tight curve, I saw a downed tree blocking my lane. Whaaat!?!

Not knowing if a car was coming towards me and not having an option to pull over or turn around, I swerved and safely avoided yet another possible calamity.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?” I thought, truly terrified and fearful I had been cursed and doomed to certain catastrophe.

Then it happened.

Amid my frantic thoughts, a calm internal voice arose.

And I knew. I suddenly knew, without a doubt, what had happened.

My sister had repeatedly avoided certain disaster the day before by instinctively following her inner guidance. The divine within her safely ushered us both around the road blocks to safety.

No question. I was there. She didn’t have time to recognize, assess and react to the road conditions. We couldn’t discuss her options, Google possible scenarios or call anyone for advice. She followed her guidance, without having time to think about it. And we were safe.

The next day, yet again, I was delivered from danger by surrendering to my own inner guidance. Following my unconscious “instincts” brought me to safety. Again.

I got it.

I suddenly knew that the road debris was a symbol for “road blocks” in life. Whether it’s stress over upcoming bills, concerns about weight, relationship challenges – the specifics don’t matter. The truth is that the God within each of us, that inner divine spark of the Universe…whatever you want to call it, knows how to navigate life for our highest and best. Our job is to relax into spirit and trust. I realized the “rescue team” comes from within. 

Once I understood this message, I was suddenly calm, my breathing steady. I felt totally serene.  

I get it. Rest assured I’ll be doing my best to fully utilize my internal GPS in the future and I hope you do too. What does that mean?

Guidance Provided by Spirit.

Three Reasons to Be Optimistic Right NOW

I’m always surprised when a quick note on Facebook gets more attention than I expected. Maybe it’s because often my “well thought out” topics are more ego driven than I’d like to admit and the “quick posts” often come from a deeper part of me. The part that really knows what’s going on. The same divine part that’s in you.

One of those posts came through a few weeks ago. I remember that morning being aware I “needed” to post on my business page when this popped into my head and I quickly typed:

Three reasons to be optimistic:

1. You're alive.
2. You're responsible for the life you create.
3. The tools/resources/opportunities you need are within your reach NOW.

Go inside and ask the divine intelligence within you for guidance. Keep asking, be open to answers and ALLOW the divine to work through you.

Yes, it can be that simple! I've found that when my life was the hardest, my thinking greatly contributed to my difficult experience.

There's always another way. Your ego loves the drama, your divine self loves to see you happy and peaceful. Which inner voice will you listen to?

So why did people respond to this? Maybe it resonated with a current personal issue or maybe it reinforced their own beliefs. Here’s a few more thoughts on each point:

1) You’re alive. 
No matter the physical or emotional condition, humans on some level know where there’s life, there’s hope. There’s a chance to change something of consequence even when the only thing that can be changed are your thoughts about the situation. THAT changes everything. When your perspective changes, your experience changes.

2) You’re responsible for the life you create.
Here come those pesky thoughts again! While you may not believe you create issues such as family drama or serious situations like tragic accidents, natural disasters or acts of war, you are totally responsible for how you react to everything in your life. Your thoughts about life situations – big and small – create the quality of your life. Will you grow from challenges or stay a victim of circumstance? Do you want a more peaceful, happy life? Are you willing to stretch out of your “comfort zone” to find new ways to be in the world regardless of the situation? It’s not easy. 

I find encouragement from the words etched on a favorite bracelet: “If you want something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done.” These words remind me that I must change my thoughts and actions to create anything new in my life.

3) The tools/resources/opportunities you need are within your reach NOW.
When you can relax into this truth, everything changes. EVERYTHING. Just like MacGyver can think his way out of any dangerous situation, so can you. And you don’t need fancy science tricks to do it (but that IS super cool). While your ego thrives on fear, stress and overwhelm the true part of you, call it your soul, divine self, highest self or whatever you believe it to be, knows only peace, love and joy. Even in the most brutal situations, it is possible to tap into your divine core for guidance and to find the peace you crave. 

Remember this: the divine intelligence that is in you knows exactly what to do. Use prayer or meditation to go inside and ask that part of you, the part connected to all there is, for direction. I often ask, “what is my next best step here?” Sometimes I have to ask more than once. Or several times. That ego is strong when I’m fearful. But it’s not stronger than love. Love is the energy that will manifest in new ideas, a call from an old friend with an exciting opportunity or a new workshop on just the topic you need. Whatever you need to go forward will be provided when you allow divine intelligence to direct your actions.

And yes, that divine part of you is present in everyone else on the planet. While it’s tempting, and sometimes feels justified, in pointing out when others are acting from ego, it’s not your job to judge others. You’re responsible for your own thoughts and actions. Period. Trust that everything is happening for your ultimate good and, just maybe, the actions of others are giving you an opportunity to choose a more loving life.

Yeah, I know that doesn’t seem fair, but I didn’t make up this life thing. I just know life is better when I understand, accept and act from these truths:

1) I’m alive.
2) I’m responsible for the life I create.
3) The tools/resources/opportunities I need are within my reach NOW.

What's your word for 2018?

I've often heard my friends say they pick a specific word to guide their journey at the beginning of each new year. I've never done that. At least not consistently or consciously. I'd pick a word that I thought sounded intellectual and oh, so spiritual to respond to my friends queries when asked. But I can't say I was dedicated to living from my word. Until now.

I have a word. And it was given to me by my inner divine voice.

Yep, that's where it came from. I was in meditation, minding my own business, being lost in the vast nothingness of the "all," when I heard - yes, HEARD - "Your word is expansive."

"Ugh, what?" I thought. But it was clear. Expansive is my word. But what did it mean for me?

And that came as well. In a flood of images, feelings and a strange knowingness it all came in. 

I'm dedicating my year to more consistently tapping into the creative, intelligent, expansive divine spirit within to expand in all areas of my life. 

I'm expanding into love, understanding, compassion and peace. 

I quickly found out that my ego is still very much in play as my immediate thought was, "OMG! I don't want everything to expand! My belly doesn’t need to get any bigger!" Silly ego.

I had to start again. I had to remind myself that the divine within wasn't trying to "trick" me into gaining weight, losing friends or becoming too "woo woo." That's all ego stuff.

I think my opportunity is to learn to expand beyond my usual self judgement, fear and worry. To really allow myself to expand into the consciousness of love as my guide in daily life. 

And when I fall short of that goal, I’ll choose again.

Heed the Small Voice

To me, the week between Christmas and New Year’s is sort of a “bonus time” to play, connect with friends, even allow yourself to be just a little lazy (and read that new book for several hours instead of doing laundry). It’s a time to relax and enjoy yourself. It’s a time to reflect on the events of the last year, and prepare for the new. That’s exactly what I was doing last weekend when an interesting thing happened.

I woke up the Saturday after Christmas, still in bed, thinking my main goal would be to find the perfect robe at a fantastic “after holiday” price. Yep, that was my plan. My sister was busy, my daughter and son-in-law were visiting his family out of town, and my husband was working so the day was mine, and mine alone. “No problem,” I thought. “I’ll get in and get out of the stores quickly and be home to catch a SyFy movie and snuggle with the cat by the afternoon.”

Even before I got up, I had this thought, “Go to the garden center.” I didn’t need, or want, anything from there, so I quickly dismissed the thought like the fleeting shadow from a fading dream. As I fed the cat, took my shower and got ready to leave, the image of this specific garden center about 25 miles away kept appearing in my mind. “No robes there,” I laughed as I climbed in my car.

I listened to holiday music as I made my way to the shopping area where I was sure my soft and delightfully priced robe would be waiting for me. Still, I kept seeing the garden center and feeling as if it were calling to me. Now I’ve seen and heard some interesting stuff, but this intensity was new even to me. “Hmm, maybe I should swing by there before I go home,” I thought as I headed in that general direction. The center is just a couple miles past the shopping area I planned to visit.

“I’m right here at the store so I might as well stop here first,” I said out loud. My car didn’t stop. I drove right by and heard, “go to the garden center first.” OK, I can be a bit dense, but I know when I’m getting Divine direction. I eventually get it, at least.

Off to this huge garden center I went. I parked in front and walked in, curious to find the treasure I was sure must be waiting for me. After all, I’d been directed to come. I expected some unbelievable deal on a unique holiday ornament or maybe one of the table top water fountains I loved there. But I found nothing. I wandered every isle totally open to whatever Spirit was directing me to find. And then it happened.

“Diane!” I heard from behind me as a woman I know called my name. It was she who I needed to see. The details aren’t important. What is important is that I listened to the small voice inside that kept gently directing me to this meeting which we both benefited from. If I had stopped at the store first, I’d never have had this “chance” encounter. And this was a lovely way to connect with someone who lived out of the area who I didn’t usually see.

So who or what directed me? Angels? My guides? God? Source? I just know it was Divine. And when I look back at the last year, I can see how my life made miraculous turns when I heeded this small – but persistent – inner voice. I could also see how I struggled when I made choices that didn’t “feel right” or were opposite this guidance. For the coming year, I’ll be sure to pay more attention to this little voice and take the path that is presented to me. I’ll let this loving energy guide my actions. That’s the plan. I encourage you to find your own inner voice and notice the guidance you’re offered and see what happens. (Meditation is a quick and easy way to connect with this inner knowing!)

Oh, and I did find the perfect robe.