Taking The Reins Over on Your Path to Healing From Lyme

As I said, I have no medical credentials. While I've researched intensively to understand what lyme disease is,  and  and I think I've come to somewhat of an understanding about it,  I don't want to get into a deeply detailed explanatory description of what Lyme is. That's available from many scientific web sites.
Try this site : ww.sciencedaily.com/search/?keyword=Lyme+Disease
I like this one too  : http://www.thehumansideoflyme.net/viewarticle.php?aid=62
 Now why did the second one not come up blue so you can just click on it ?

After my initial 10 week antibiotic, still not knowing much about lyme except for a fast tutorial I gave myself on the internet - while feeling vague and brain fogged... I was scheduled to meet with my Naturapath Samantha Eagle again. Having given it lots of thought and having consulted with that deeper part of me which while it also employs thought for it's musings, relies more on intuition, the interconnectedness with All That IS, and a desire to be naturally healthy as holistic multi-faceted being employing natural means to achieve this. I had decided that more prolonged antibiotic courses were not for me. I was concerned that the terrain of my physical self would be destroyed by the assault of a variety of antibiotics addressing a variety of lyme co-infections. Destroying the good with the bad, the sometimes life saving impact of antibiotics can have as devastation effect on the entire human system which is an ecologically superior balanced self healing, self generating and rejuvenating design unparalleled in it's capacity for returning to homeostasis when properly encouraged supported and stimulated.

I was nervous before my doctor's appointment that I would have to argue about this with my Naturapath. I should have known she would honour & support  my decision not to continue on antibiotics.

She told me she would like me to go on the Cowden Protocol. I am one of those people who need to know everything about anything that goes into my body. Since my late teens I've had a fascination for any books on the human body, even buying medical books when wquite young and poring over them. I also was intrigued by the many aspects of Natural Healing: Herbal, homeopathic, nutritional, emotional, mental, spiritual, orthomolecular... (supplemental) .  From my late teens to today, (I'm 62) I find myself drawn to books articles web sites devoted to a natural healthy whole way of life.

I told Samantha (my naturapath, that I would need to research and consult with my husband on the Cowden Protocol possibility. It's a 6 month program @ 300 $ a month.

I did my research and found many anectodal reviews by lyme patients stating they'd done well on it (many) but some needed to re-do it after the 6 months. One thousand eight hundred dollars x 2 ? That would bring us to $3,600.00 if I needed to do it again. Then I researched the doctor, the protocol products, the research. The studies were done in vitro (test tube). Since lyme and the organisms the tick releases into our bodies are so  adaptive and can mutate to avoid detection as they burrow and lodge into diverse areas of our bodies, how can a one size fits all protocol work for everyone ? Every article I read talks about how differently it manifests in each individual d4epending on medical history, existing conditions and predispositions, mental, emotional, and spiritual dispositions, familial and social support... As with any health challenge the components for returning to wellness are diverse varied and INDIVIDUAL
I also was put off by the company which makes the Cowden Protocol, nutramedix. I saw that they tweaked the natural make-up of Devil's Claw, removed some alkalanoids and surprise surprise, patented the resulting product. The reason Devil's Claw is used by alternative care practitioners and their patients is because of the observation of indigenous people's succesful application of it in inflammatory conditions. Do you think these natives brought the herb into their labs and improved the natural chemical composition of Devil's Claw before using it ?
Do you think they then made it into capsules ?

Over thirty years ago I was very clearly told. You have cancer. You should abort "the fetus" you've been carrying for 4.5 moths and allow me to give you a radical hysterectomy, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. I very clearly said goodby and went on to design and follow my own natural program of recovery. I was told my baby wouldn't have a mother for long.

To encapsulate - if you haven't read previous postings or the about me section, I used natural means to recover, the fetus is 30 years old and has a 28 year old brother. I still have all my "female innards" and have never had a relapse.

During that time I felt vulnerable fearful and terrified (for my baby).  After watching Under Our Skin (a well known film about lyme), , and reading many case histories, medical reports and papers, articles and news reports  on Lyme I felt the same.
Somehow I knew I would get my power back by taking the reins over on the path back to health.

Shaking Hands With Lyme - Initial Care Plan Outline

I now feel I have to go back and organize the information I found online and in books I have. Then I have to hone in on putting together my thoughts and designing a plan. Have to keep chipping at it in the meantime.
I've gathered up a shitload of info - and what I do w hen I research is eventually write an outline and a paper for myself (with info & research references included so I can remember 'why' I decided to take something.
I definitely want as much as I can to originate from the country I live in now. Roots and barks don't   have to come from a rainforest to be powerful. Of course there's more mystique in foreign "cures".
My body has always responded to hot water infusions/teas better than tinctures so what I can find in that form I'll probably take in that form.

I'm thinking I need to organize substances I'm interested in into several categories :

Biofilm Busters, anti-viral anti-bacterial anti- microbial anti-fungal anti-parasitic substances.
anti-inflammatory and pain substances

Detoxifiers and Cleansers:   for the endocrine system and the skin and the bowels where some of the slain spirodudes end up. And some substances (especially upping my water intake) which can offset herxing which is too intense.

Rebuilders: rejuvinators, revitilizers -  and health enhancing substances foods and practices ...
I need to incorporate physical stretching, balance building and strengthening movements into my day.
Spiritual, mental and emotional cleansing andpractices substances to help anxiety and the famous Lyme rage and to help me sleep, and support the adrenals since all this stress drains them.


It's making me tired just looking at all that. I first consulted my intuition and then went looking around the internet and I see that a lot of Lyme veterans did and do some of the things I instinctively arrived at. Rotating the phases above and I also think I may go on one plan for a month or so and rotate plans too, so the spirochetes don't adapt to whatever I'm doing and find ways to withstand.
Having a high deductible as I've always had when I did have insurance has probably saved my life. The people I know who have good insurance have all been persuaded to be good cash flow patients on multiple prescriptions, getting tests and having appointments all the time. I have a strong aversion to doctors, (Naturapaths especially the wonderful one I have now has dispelled some of that)

 I think that aversion is my will to live intuition. I know that the real doctors of long ago, herbalists, energy healers and midwives, were burned at the stake long ago, and those who still remain are under frequent threat of harassment & persecution from the AMA.

I hope I have enough energy left to me to finish off this fight favourably and just live in some semblance of peace, comfort, and tranquility for the rest of my life.
At the very least I can at least give it my best.

Shaking Hands With Lyme.

 On October 24th while showering I felt what felt like little skin tag from a cut high up on my inner thigh. I looked down and saw a red spot with a little darker spot in the middle where I had felt the 'raised skin'. My first thought was that my big exuberant 90 lb. dog Ringo must have nicked the place with his huge toenail while jumping up on me. Something he's still having a hard time with.  For some reason I brought the "piece of skin"  into my line of vision instead of letting it go down the drain. I don't wear my glasses in the shower but as I thought I saw movement I picked them up from the edge of the tub, put them on and saw several tiny black legs waving at me from the alleged "skin"...

I got out - found a jar to put the tick in and finished my shower. Although I've always been a health nut I never read much about ticks or Lyme Disease because I had left Connecticut around age 18 and settled in Vermont. Lyme was not thought to be a problem in Vermont. Hell, Lyme has been downplayed in every state of the Union, even in Lyme Connecticut. I, unfortunately was in the middle of switching from one insurance to another so I didn't go to the doctor until 10 days later when I woke up to a huge tomatoe red swollen spot 8 to 10 " in diameter on the inside of my leg. Being as I'd  been on a photography kick, and taking a lot of photographs lately and I didn't know how soon I'd be able to see a doctor I took some photos of it.

I was able to get an appointment for that day. The doctor, a new one in town impressed me with a lively intelligence, respect for the patient, and a down to earth empathetic approach. She said that since I didn't have the bull's eye rash she believed I didn't have lyme but an infection from the tick bite...   She put me on Doxycycline an antibiotic used for lyme for two weeks.  I'm not sure why she prescribed an antibiotic routinely used to treat Lyme, except maybe her intuition knew it was lyme.

Two weeks according to those medical practitioners who are what is described as an lld (lyme literate doctors)  is not enough at all. When I went home I took my first dose and as the day progressed Began to experience the worst chills I've ever had,  a fever, (which I rarely have as I have hypothyroid (Hashimoto's Disease and have always had sub "normal' temperature),  a raging headache which felt like it went from my tailbone to my head, and a deep aching in my joints.
 My son dropped by and stayed home from work because my husband was at work and as my son said later  he had never seen me in such a condition.I had on sweat pants a sweater a bathrobe a coat and several blankets but couldn't get rid of the the deepest most bone rattling shakes I've ever had. I got through that day, and the next day the bite site had turned totally black !  I hardly ever consult with any type of doctor but this was scary shit !

After doing some research and reading and talking to lyme patients I felt that  Samantha Eagle my ND (naturapathic physician may be more lyme literate than a mainstream allopathic physician so I called. She and her colleague had just returned from a Lyme Conference in Boston !!!  Samantha is a wonderful doctor who respects her client's intuitive knowing about their own bodies.When I went in for my appointment I brought the photo of the bite which had improved somewhat. She looked at my photo, examined the real thing, left the room to consult with her colleague and returned to tell me that she and her colleague, who had also attended the Lyme Conference, concurred that the  bite site which had somewhat subsided was a lyme reaction .  So, I was put on 8 more weeks of the same antibiotic, Doxycycline. A long standing IBS, Chron's kind of condition was absent throughout the antibiotic course and returned after it was done. I felt pretty bad while taking the antibiotics otherwise. When I was done with the course the spirochetes resumed their partying in my body with a vengenceand once again I felt lousy , but not in as immediate a crisis mode as right after the reddening of the bite.

Shaking Hands With Lyme is a phrase lyme patients will see in a different  way than others because as the organisms (spirochetes)  which a tick releases into it's host's body through it's bite rushes to it's favourite spots, which include the deep tissues, joints, brain and nervous system lyme  can cause tremors and shakes.

I may change my entire  blog title to this post title,  Shaking Hands With Lyme,  because lyme, once you're diagnosed with it, and even before if you're bitten and don't know you have been , can take over your life.

 I don't want to be a lymey, a lyme sufferer, lyme patient, or lyme survivor.I don't want to define myself by this one aspect of my life. Once lyme spirochetes take over your body, they infiltrate every area of your life and it can become a struggle to have any life other than fighting the diverse and constantly changing symptoms. But it's a struggle worth fighting. Our lives are wondrous gifts, and meant to be lived joyously and I intend to fight for that.

Some of the areas of your life lyme may change (and not necessarily forever - to use one of my favourite phrases around this Lyme situation these are some of the parts of your life which may change "for now":

 Work:  many people become unable to work afraid that their brains and bodies which have become so unpredictable will not hold up.
 Relationships:  unless you're married to Christ himself or Mother Teresa, your relationships will be strained by many challenges. You may confide in some of your family or friends about what you're going through, and find  there will be big disbelieving silences from the other side, or they wont respond to an e-mail where you've answered their query " How have you been?"
Keeping up with your home: Sometimes you'll have to let a let of chores go at home because every move hurts and you keep dropping things or banging into things because your strength and balance are screwed up.
Recreation: ,    Even reading has been compromised and since I'm an ardent bibliophile (book-aholic), that's upsetting. Spirochetes can affect the eyes. The fatigue keeps you from going places and by the time you get what you really need & have to do done (whatever you can manage to do), sometimes you've used up all your zing for the day.

ExerciseMy many daily walks which are like oxygen to me have had to be shortened and cut down some for now.
 Creativity: Last night I took out my guitar  feeling the desire to play some old songs and write a new one.  I hadn't realized all my zing for the day was gone. It felt sad to put her back in the case without having really felt the spark I usually feel when she's in my arms. An the new song that had stirred awake while I was walking with the dogs evaporated... for now... I keep that phrase "for now" alive in my heart because
Emotions: are all over the place. Depressed/hopeful. defeated/determined. despondent/encouraged... There's even an edginess which varies in intensity from individual to individual which has been dubbed "lyme rage".
IQ ! : Your IQ may not change but it sure may seem like it,  if the spirochetes decided to have' Spring Break' in your brain. Things which were your forte, like spelling for instance may go haywire. Your ability to c'connect the dots' so to speak may diminish.
Spiritual: I have always felt a deep conncection to Spirit and my spiritual world but at times, illness can stand between your and your idea of God/ess. It's almost a challenge to your commitment to your connection to spirit

When I was 30 and pregnant with my second child, I was diagnosed with cancer, as I may have written in the "About me" part of this blog. I was 4 and a half months pregnant. A young hotshot oncologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospitel (my 4th opinion) told me if I was his patient he would urge me to treat it aggressively ; abort 'the fetus', (my baby !), and have a radical hysterectomy followed by chemo and radiation. I told him that what he called the fetus, was already "the baby" in my heart, and I was not willing to sacrifice my baby's life for mine. He assured me that if I didn't follow his recommendation "the baby" (said somewhat dismissively) would not have a mother.

He was implying that if I didn't do it his way, I would die. This infuriated me and I basically said "Sayonara" (goodbye in Japanese). My journey back to wellness is the subject of a book which I've been writing for far too long, called Blueprint For joy. I'm lucky to have this experience in my history because it gives me some confidence in this journey through the mysterious abyss of this Lyme Disease.

This blog will be where I explore symptoms, treatments, my experiences and those of the many people who have materialized in my life who also have lyme. It will help me to organize and outline my own custom made wellness plan and to share it with others. As I said to a fellow lyme challenged person - WE SHALL OVERCOME !

TOXIC PEOPLE

TOXIC PEOPLE Circumstances and people in our lives, sometimes call upon us to take refuge. The first time I heard someone call another person “toxic” I was shocked. It seemed so harsh & sweeping a condemnation. IT may have impacted me harder because it was uttered by “More Spiritual Than Thou” Sort of person who taught a spiritual practice. I decided it would be a phrase I would not use.. Yet, my work with people as a Life Coach and hypnotherapist has clearly illustrated that some people habitually and continually fall on ways of communicating with others which seem to poison nearly every interaction they have. Perhaps they begin as sarcastic witticists, poking jokes and passive aggressive digs at friends & relatives… or sometimes they are fixers and “helpers”; continually offering unsolicited advice … Their modes of delivery vary. Their motives (known or unbeknown) vary, but their effect on others is somewhat uniform. We try, throughout our lives, to keep a forward motion, roll with the punches, go with the flow and to keep a high focus, with our line of vision set at a hopeful, reasonably confident level, so we can function at our highest potential and proceed towards our goals. I have always felt that my most intimate relationships must support this .Most have and do. Over time, some relationships deteriorate, or we come to see them more clearly and find that they consistently lead us to feel hurt, criticized, ridiculed or diminished and /or angry. Anger in my experience is often a cover up for other emotions which cause us to feel disempowered. So it is the impetus of pain, disappointment, anger and a sense of having reached a “last straw” point in a relationship which has caused many people to arrived at a “ cease and desist “ stage in important relationships of long standing in their lives. I never thought I’d be one of them but recently, in the past year I’ve discovered a new found protectiveness emerge over how I spend my time, and who I surround myself with … I call this gathering my Allies, something I do in my spiritual and in my physical life. Thich Nhat Hahn discusses taking refuge as creating "an environment where you are safe from assailment or attack." In his book "Going Home - Jesus and Buddha As Brothers“ , Hahn quotes the 4th Mindfulness training: "Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech, and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and deep listening to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speak truthfully with words that inspire self confidence, joy and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain, or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to split apart.. I will make every effort to reconcile all conflicts however small." (The 4th Noble Truth ) When will all learn to really be open and loving in all our communications ? When will we be vigilant to not attack, or defend preconceived ideas & opinions, leaving ourselves closed to new information or views? When will we cease to be inflexible and confrontational waiting for an opportunity to jump in and negate the ideas and opinions of others as invalid, while continuously attempting to drive home our "superior “ truths ? Most of us have, or have had, people like this in our family, work or social lives. Sometimes we have found ourselves drawn into a downward spiral of drama, accusations and defenses, spending an inordinate amount of time ruminating, brooding, trying to determine our part in yet another conflict with these people in our lives, agonizing on how to remedy or resolve the situation. We must speak the truth, speak out against injustice (even against ourselves). And it’s essential that we establish, enforce and request that others respect our boundaries and wishes to be allowed to create and sustain for a peaceful balanced, harmonious life. Such a life requires us to be diligent in being aware of what we allow into our personal sphere of influence. I have been working on this for some time and have decided that in order to take part in world change I must undergo a transformation. I decided to stop eating meat as a symbol of my stand against violence and due to my compassion for all sentient beings. I make a great effort not to engage in gossip and abstain from over exposure to negative sensationalist news, foul or uncharitable talk and any activities and influences which derail me in my efforts to live my life as I would like to see the rest of the world live. The culling away of undesirable elements from my life has resulted in a parting of the way from habitually angry people, liars, those who purposefully diminish the reputations of others for their own gain, people who find it necessary to use foul language most of the time, people whose ethics are not in alignment with mine, and those who frequently attack, insult, criticize and belittle me. As many of you have experienced sometimes no one can do this as well as an close friend, or a close relative. Heartbreaking as it can be to those desiring to keep old ties and close family contacts intact, sometimes people must, after repeated failed attempts to establish those clear boundaries of what is and what isn’t acceptable to us, sever these ties and bless and release these people out of our lives. This doesn’t mean you should set out to remove all difficult people from your life. Personal emotional mental and spiritual development requires that we The result will be clear to you, immediately after your clear cut decision. The amount of time this will free up in your life is amazing, as is the “incredible lightness of being.” You’ll feel as if you’ve taken a stand for your self and your life, and although you may mourn what could have been, if your attempts for a redefinition of the relationship with new parameters and ground rules could have succeeded, I believe you may feel as I do, free to be your Authentic Self without censure and eager to continue with the fulfillment of a life less hampered by, not “toxic people”, but toxic relationships, and the ensuing damaging emotions they arouse .

Cold Shower Practice (Misogi)

For Many years, about 45 years actually, I've ended my morning shower with a cold shower. By cold, I mean COLD, not cool or lukewarm. I don't know why I began to do this, except perhaps that around the age of 16 I decided that I would swim in Lake Candlewood, on my birthday April 23, every Spring, and even in Connecticut the water is cold in Spring. I felt I wanted to be tough enough to just dive in with no toe dipping and cries of shock. I thought it would toughen me in general and help me to adapt to cold weather and discomfort. I retained this practice throughout my life and even when a teenager I also felt a spiritual and emotional aspect stirring from it.

I always felt that morning was the only time that a cold shower would be beneficial. It wasn't until the past couple of years that I found out that one of the health benefits of cold showers in the morning is that it stops the output of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal glands in mammals in the morning. Researchers have revealed a myriad of health benefits and medical uses for melatonin, among which are re-establishing Circadian rythm, aiding learning and memory loss, combating Alzheimer's and mood disorders, insomnia, cancer, obesity, headaches, ADHD, to name a few. Cold showers in the morning help establish appropriate melatonin production, which entails having it being released into the bloodstreams at night to aid sleep.

Circulation is greatly enhanced by the practice of ending one's morning showers with cold water. Warm water brings the blood to the outer surface of the body and cold water accelerates this process at first by dilating the capillaries and pulling the blood from the inner body to the skin, and then sends back to the internal organs. The skin's pores are first cleansed by the warm water and then closed by the cold, as are the hair cuticles. The result is glowing skin and shiny hair. I’m 61 and I’ve been told (even by a skin specialist), that I have very good skin

More physical benefits are:

Anti depressant influence
longevity benefits
toxins flushed from the skin
less toxins from water and self cleaning products absorbed
fertility benefits in men
boost and improve all glands of endocrine system
Improve lymphatic production and drainage
reduce swelling edema and inflammation
skin conditions,
Improve skin elasticity and collagen production
repair and strengthening of the circulatory system
strengthen and regulate autonomic nervous system
reduce stress
Enhance pain tolerance
improve hemorrhoids and varicose veins
Relieve chronic fatigue
Stimulate anti -tumor responses
Increases percentage of brown body fat - the good fat which helps offset diabetes & obesity
Lowers uric acid

It’s best to take a shower finished by a cold shower on an empty stomach.

Beyond these very important health benefits are the mental emotional and spiritual benefits.
Being of Eurasian background, with a Japanese grandmother from a Samurai lineage, I was interested to find that Samurai and seekers of spiritual balance alignment and development regularly practiced Misogi - Harai, the cleaning or purification of body, mind and spirit, through the washing away of impurity or obscuring energies in a cold river or waterfall, or by pouring cold buckets of water over themselves.

Over the years I incorporated an intent to allow water to wash away resentment, grievances, resentments, emotional hurts and any unwanted emotions and habitual thoughts. It is symbolically satisfying to guide your imagination in this way and to see the water flowing down the drain with unwanted emotional rubble.
I will probably finish my showers with 5 to 10 minutes of cold water as long as I’m alive, which, due to the many health benefits and my family background may be for a very long time.

Defying Aging

We are told time is an illusion and at the same time are told to be in the moment. I consulted Spirit on this dichotomy recently after a time of being unwell and not walking, or doing any type of inner work. After exchanging spiritual greetings with Spirit as I always do, I mentioned that I hadn’t been spending any time in Non-Time as I sometimes call walking meditation, trance, and other similar experiences. This is what was given to me...

Where are you when you’re not integrating the spiritual in your daily life? When you are simply and only in the physical you are truly trapped in the finite logistics of time and space. When you are earthbound in this way, you enter the aging experience of a limited earthly existence.

Transcendence, which you experience in many other states besides your ordinary everyday consciousness, takes you out of the moment into the spaces between the moments, this what you need to integrate into your earthly moments. Playing is transcendental, making music, creating, being in Nature and any activity which takes you out of your customary daily existence in a pleasurable way. These experience expand your consciousness into the wonder and timelessness of Infinity. It is here that Joy resides, and Love in it’s purest form, as a sweet state of bliss and not a human emotion.

The All That Is, is a powerful organic whole which you are an essential part of. Although you may feel small and insignificant you are as important to the workings of the Universe as every small part of a clock is necessary for a clock to keep on ticking.

HOW I BECAME RICH ...

Success and Wealth:

The Secret, Think and Grow Rich and so many other books, articles, talks, lectures, teachers, , Life coaches, gurus, seminars, webinars, workshops and classes, focus on attaining Wealth, , becoming a Millionaire, becoming Wealthy. I capitalized Wealth and Millionaire because these days that’s where the values of society focus. Many condemn the breaks the government gives to the very wealthy , who in the opinion of many own the government, and there has been a voluble outcry against the reckless way in which the small percentage of the wealthy has recklessly attained and maintained their wealth, Despite that in my life coaching studies I’ve been saddened to see the 6 figure income and I’m saddened to see how many aspire to achieve great wealth or to become a millionaire.

This morning I clicked on a link to read a blog by a woman who has overcome some big challenges and is still working on attaining freedom from life’s challenges. I was saddened by this blog although parts of it were right on.

The author was perhaps referring to the law of entrainment . This is no news. There is a term in physics called entrainment which is based on a concept introduced in 1666 when Christian Huygens, a physicist noticed the inclination of pendulum clocks placed in proximity to one another (as in the same room) to fall into the same rhythm. This occurrence falls under the principles of resonance, or sympathetic vibrations. This is no news.

What bothered me about this outlook came next when the writer stated “If you are serious about deliberately creating wealth in your life like I am, begin hanging out with wealthy people.” To me monetary wealth is not a criterion for friendship. It has been my experience in my years on this earth that wealth has many faces. Monetary wealth just hasn’t demonstrated itself to be one of the characteristics I value or look for in a friend or companion. While I have often desired more financial stability and security or abundance in my life, I have rarely found the friends public figures and people I know who are wealthy in finances to be happier, or more secure and balanced than those who aren’t.

In fact, I’ve found many, but not all, to be rather miserable. Many are on multiple anti-depressants and anti- anxiety prescription and/or self medicate with recreational drugs, booze, shopping, drama and gossip, or whatever suits their particular needs. We’ve all read the statistics on the economic analysis of global wealth and are aware that about 90 % of global wealth is distributed throughout North America and “rich Asia Pacific countries and 1% of adults are estimated to hold 40 % of world wealth. According to Richard H Ropers the author of Persistent Poverty and American Prejudice: With Liberty and Justice for Some; the concentration of wealth in the United States is inequitably distributed. That 1% at the top of the financial ladder has a net worth approximately equal to that of the bottom 90%. “ Do I long to be among the 1% holding vast amounts of wealth in cash property and investments ? No.

Lately I’ve realized I am a very rich woman. I am wealthy in rich relationships, family and friends. I have a home and a very small bit of land which I am truly fond of. I have a wonderful friendship and relationship with my husband kids and animal companions. I really value knowledge and books and I have a huge library. I am intrigued by crystals, rocks and minerals and have enough to open a rock and mineral store, but I don’t hoard and store them. They’re displayed throughout my house and yard to gladden my eye wherever it lands, as are my many, many plants. My ouse has been described as a Bolivian jungle.

Do I want to make a fantastic living ? Yes ! The Key word in my last statement is “living”. No need to ” make a killing” which I always found a strange phrase to use to suggest making an inordinate amount of money. I’m interested in making a great deal of money yes, but I want to be enjoying a fantastic life along the way. I don’t want more than I need and I don’t need more than I want. I don’t want to amass wealth at the expense of others. I want just enough money to have financial stability and abundance and to provide abundantly, not extravagantly for myself and my family, to help others in need and to support organizations which are of service to those less fortunate. I want to be able help others achieve the same. I suppose that’s why I do intuitive counseling and life coaching. Through my coaching in the past I’ve encouraged and supported others on their journey to identify and harvest their gifts and to create a job, or jobs they loved while making a “fantastic” living and en-JOY-ing their lives.