Where have you gone Jo? I have received this question so so so so many times over the last few months. And the person who has asked this more than anyone else is me. Every time, my answer has been the same. “It has been crazy busy but things are going to slow down after this week.” And then it would move to after the next week. And the next. And and and…

Does this ever happen to you? You get caught up in that swirl of trying to balance what you want to do, what you need to do and what you have to do. Blogging doesn’t seem to fit on the list of “need to do” items, but for me, it has become surprisingly important. There is something very grounding about finding a direction for my thoughts and feelings. The nebulous and unclear suddenly become meaningful opportunities to learn or view life from a new perspective. And between you, me and the internet, I could use a few extra perspective shifts.

But lately (and by lately, I mean the past few months), time seems to be in short supply. My earlier post about daylight savings time made me laugh but it also caused me to notice that I truly have felt the hours disappearing before me. I can’t help but smile at this little snippet of irony as my belief is that time is basically a big honkin’ illusion (this would be the same illusion that I have allowed into the driver’s seat of my life over the past few months).

As of this moment, I am once again under the impression that normality is about to be restored (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – I heart you!). Please keep in mind that I’m not actually sure what “normal” is, but I do sense more quiet moments ready to break up the incessant scheduling. I don’t know. I guess I’ll see what happens after this post. But for now, for this moment, I feel good and I am hopeful.

Big big hugs to all of you. I have missed you tremendously and hope you are doing well. Jo

So I have a little question for you. If you have a moment, I would love your thoughts on this. If not, that’s okay, too!

The quick summary is that I have been offered a lovely opportunity to give a class on the basics of intuition and how to tap into it in your life. I know that the basics may be a thing of the past for some of you, but I imagine that this is not true for many others. I would genuinely appreciate your letting me know what kinds of topics you would want to discuss or questions you might ask given the opportunity. I truly value your noggin and any helpful thoughts it might kick out!

Thank you again dear friends. Have a lovely week! Joanna

Is this a job or a calling? A few days ago, I would have responded “If you have to ask, you have your answer – and calling is not it.”

Over the last few months, I have felt like I have been stretched razor-thin in an effort to live two work lives – the job and the calling. As many of you have noticed, I have been M.I.A. from the blogging world for quite a while now. The “job” is what I do from 8-5 every work day, and, lately, it has been anything but 8-5. It gets the bills paid, and I am truly thankful for the work, the company, and most of all the people with whom I work. Then there is the “calling.” This is the part where I get to work with people on an intuitive level and see lives, possibilities, and beliefs change before my eyes. It is hard for me to find words to describe the divine connection that flows in those moments. The spirituality of the sessions is not felt in a light undertone but rather an in your face “holy mackerel Batman!” kinda moment. How can you possibly beat that???

Are these two lives really as different as I have made them out to be? Or does this difference fade if I can shift my perspective, my perception, and, ultimately, my choices in how I move throughout the hours of my day?

A couple of days ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend a lecture given by a fabulous speaker and author by the name of Marianne Williamson. I’m sure that her name says it all for some of you, but frankly, I was not familiar with her work. She is a student of “A Course in Miracles.” That would be another item on my list of “Stuff I Don’t Know Anything About Yet But Now Want to Learn.” One of my major takeaways from her incredible talk was that any disconnect in your life reflects a disconnect with God’s Love. I am not referring to a “you are a stinker and therefore are getting what you deserve” kind of disconnect. This is about the way you move through your life and how or maybe the better word is if you allow God’s Love to guide your decisions and reactions.

Where does this fit in with the job vs. calling theme? Well Marianne discussed the job and the calling, and then she said something that absolutely broke my noggin wide open. “Every business is just a front for a church.” If the word “church” eeks you out, change it! Maybe think of it like this… “Every business is an opportunity to have a connection with God and others” or “Every business offers endless moments to grow spiritually as an individual and a community.” I really like that last one because it feels so very true for me.

I realized that I had been feeling so pulled apart because I was stressed about the spiritual roller coaster I was riding throughout my days. Way up high in some moments, and hurtling back down to earth the next. The funny part of that metaphor is that like a roller coaster, you never really get to walk away from spirituality and your connection to God (Source, Love, you pick the word!). Faith doesn’t dissolve because you have left your place of worship, you aren’t currently in heavy prayer, or you aren’t meditating. Angels don’t stop keeping watch over you because it’s lunchtime. It doesn’t ever stop. Never!

So if God’s Love is working 24/7, that tells me that every one of those moments is an opportunity to invite Spirit to live in you, to allow God to speak through you, and to encourage yourself to make a higher more loving choice with every challenge that comes your way. Am I telling you to get in the face of colleagues and preach the good word? Not so much, but please know that I’m not judging that either. I just wasn’t raised with that kind of approach. To me, that’s like trying to get close to a butterfly. If you make too much noise, you scare them off. If that’s your bag baby, go for it and own it with joy! I personally prefer a more gentle method of sharing my faith. This is ironic because I am gentle like a brillo pad with regard to everything else in my life. However when it comes to faith, I believe that people should be allowed to move at the pace they choose. It’s their journey, not mine, and I believe that it is their path to choose and follow. But I’m always ready to talk as soon as the door is opened.

Ultimately what I trying to convey is that no matter where you are, no matter what you do, no matter if you have a job or not, you always have the choice to live your calling! Speak genuine truth. Act with kindness and honesty. Listen to your guidance and do the right thing. Deal with rude goofball people who push your buttons with as much patience as you can muster, and ask for forgiveness and spiritual reinforcement when that utterly fails. Send love and light to everyone around you, especially those you would rather throw darts at. Pray for blessings for those in your home but also send love to those in your office, school, and all those you connect with each day (and that includes your postal workers because while many think they are grouchy, I assure you that they take a serious emotional beating from their customers every day – I have seen it and I am sure you have as well). And most of all, when you fall down and choose the exact opposite of God’s Love, know that you can make a better choice the next time. And if that flops, you’ll get another chance. Ask for guidance, pray for divine grace, and just keep moving toward the best you that you can be. Maybe you can’t make the best choice on your own, but the awesome news is that you don’t have to. (Please see God’s 24/7 Love and divine grace.)

Stop listening for your spiritual calling because that phone never really stops ringing! God will update your spiritual inbox and to do list as you go. So is it a job or a calling? It may be a job, but if you choose, it can be a calling, too. So make the change and take the call!

I have missed each of you so very much and thank you again for all of your wonderfully caring emails and messages. Big hugs to all of you!! Joanna