Do you ever struggle to find a purpose in your life, have difficulty shedding light on a challenging situation, or feel stuck in visualizing your next steps?   Many times in my life, I have been paralyzed emotionally, inflexible, and in my turtle shell.  

Until I am not! Until I literally open my arms to the unknown mystical magic of the world, trusting that the answers to life’s puzzle are within me.  I embrace the spirit of trust, expansion, self-belief and openness.  

There are helpful inner growth tools that help to create this shift, allowing our body, mind and spirit to hear our highest wisdoms guiding us.  One of the tools is learning to be in the present:  Breathe in and out slowly and deeply, and notice this moment within this breath.  Little children are IN the moment naturally.  We need to learn from their innocence.  It only takes a matter of seconds to shift. Corral yourself into the NOW. 

Then…look up.  Look up at the unlimited expanse of the sky, and breathe it in.  Know that you contain this same unlimited potential!

Being in the present, inviting less to-do’s and more silence, changing your posture, looking upwards, and even forcing a smile…will provide us with a sense of increased joy.  Shifting into these new behaviors helps us to set up the right internal environment to hear our purpose, our answers, and our map for how we could create a more positive life of more moments of joy, inner peace, love and compassion.  

In 1995, I was happily teaching music, movement and imagination to babies through age 5.  Suddenly, the Federal building in Oklahoma City was bombed.  Everyone’s life changed.   I wanted to help, but didn’t know how.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, a professor at the University of Oklahoma called me.  I did not know her.  She said she owned my albums, used them professionally and personally, and then asked if I could I come out to the University and do a peace, hope and healing concert.  The “Woody Allen” neurotic, insecure, inflexible and fearful side of me said:  “Why is she calling me? I am just a music teacher for kids, and I have never done a concert nationally before.”  

However, the part of me that listens to the whispers and is willing to expand my definition of myself found myself saying…YES!  Before I knew it, there I was on the amphitheater stage with deeply grieving people in front of me.  Although most of my being trusted that I would be guided to know what to do, I was still in doubt-actually terrified-even minutes before I began.  

Suddenly, a beautiful butterfly flew onto my microphone, flew around me and landed on my left shoulder.  I sensed that this was yet another whisper and sign, telling me that I was right where I was supposed to be, doing what I was supposed to be doing.  I was living my new purpose, and I recognized the whispers and signs.  

From that moment on, I knew that one of my spiritual gifts was to connect people with people through my open heart and healing music.  If I hadn’t been a person who was open to listening to the whispers and signs, I would not have experienced this moment, write a book, find the love of my life, meet people in the most synchronistic manner, and let go into prayer and surrender personal situations in which I had no control.  

Create an inner spaciousness, open yourself up to the unlimited Mystery and magic of our universe, and notice the signs and whispers gently guiding you along your way. The answers are all inside of us, and we all can be our own Guru of wisdom, light and love.