Lately when head out, I’ve noticed that people are talking to me. 
Not just sometimes. All the time.
 
And it’s not that just they’re talking to me, which is usual when you're out and about.
It's that they’re talking to me in a NEW way.
 
And I’m wondering if this is happening for you too? For example:

• While walking in the small college town nearby, a woman makes a beeline toward me and starts talking to me like she knows me. She isn't just friendly or chatty. She's talking to me like she KNOWS me—personally, closely.

• Getting gas, the attendant starts talking to me like we're family members.

• A woman decades younger than me, whom I don’t know, calls me sweetie four times in a conversation. Not in an annoying way. With deep familiarity and affection..

• A woman crosses the street to me and starts asking me how I'm doing and how my day is  going—and I’m quite sure I’ve never seen her before.
 
All of these interactions are replete with more connection than I used to experience, even a year ago.

This is interesting to me, because I head out in the world in a pretty open state.
But this… well, this is MORE.
 
Something has shifted: either I have changed—which I know I have, or they have changed—which I am guessing they have. Or perhaps we have all changed, together.
 
What it feels like to me, is that there is more soul connection in the air.
 
The collective SHADOW being brought to our attention by politics and the media  has allowed us to take a long, hard look at who we really are.
 
It’s becoming more clear, to more people—even people who never realized it before—that separation is a myth.
 
Separation is a myth.
We’re One soul, in it together.
And we are starting to connect. 

Are you experiencing it too? 

Have you ever felt stuck, or do you feel stuck now? 

You know: STUCK. 

That numbing state, where you know you're unhappy, but you don't know which way to turn, which path to take, what to do next? 

And the more you try to figure it out logically, or even with spiritual tools such as meditation and direct connection with your guides, the more confused you get? 

Even the synchronicities around you don't make sense: they're happening, you can see them. But they don't tally up. You can't figure them out. 

One of the biggest thing you learn about living a guided life... a life in which you let the Universe lead instead of trying to push the river... is that stuckness is okay, chaos is okay, not knowing is okay.

These aren't our favorite places to be, but they are a part of the cycle of change and growth that we each embark upon every month, day.. .sometimes several times a day! 

You can look at the process of change in three stages: 

• Stuckness, in which you are moving against the Universe
• Gap or Chaos, in which you are in free-fall, you don't know what to do
• Flow, in which you're moving effortlessly in synch with the Universe once again

At the beginning of your spiritual understanding, most of spend a heck of a lot of time in Stuckness: we stay in there because we are in fear, in pain, distracted, numbed out. 

It takes a lot of courage to stop hanging onto the cliff with your fingernails and just let go... trusting that net is going to show up, even if you can't see it yet. 

But after you've done the process a few times... wow! 

Your spiritual understanding increases, you begin to TRUST the Universe, and you begin to learn how to quickly, even instantaneously do the process: Stuck to Gap to Flow. 

I often ride my bike at an 800-acre wildlife preserve near where we live. I ride a lot—four times a week if I can. And each time something different happens.

I'm often trance because of all the green: it’s a chlorophyll high out here, all these trees and bushes and grasses soaking in light.
 
My brain stops thinking.
My soul starts soaring.
 
And every time I’m on that bike, in that mind space, hurtling through green and light and breeze, I am met by something the Universe would like me to understand.

On yesterday’s ride, two very special things happen (I’ll mention one today).
 
I’d reached one of my very favorite parts of the ride, a long downhill stretch that lets you cry out “whoo hoo” as you sail down, wind in your face and speed at your back.
 
And as I started flying down the hill, three raccoons scooted across the path in front of me.
 
They were small, healthy, young adults. They moved fast and furtively: first one scampered across and then motioned the others to follow.
 
C’mon!
Hurry!
Faster!
 
They scurried across like scouts, and then the first one saw me, commandeered the others into the brush, and froze in place—sentinel at post.
 
Three young raccoons, crossing my path in the middle of 800 acres.

The chance of this is not coincidental.
The Universe doesn’t do random.
 
Whenever I receive an animal sign like this—when nature shows up out of the blue—I always relate it to totem animals. But don't use a spirit animal dictionary.
 
Instead, I relate it to the emotion I am feeling, or the memory I am remembering, or what I am thinking about at the time.

In this case, I thought of three. I saw the three raccoons, and I thought of my children, three young adults, all away this summer, going about their lives all over the world.  
 
The message from the Universe was clear: all is well.
Everyone is safely crossing the road.
No problem. No worry. All is well.
 
A very good message, for a mama riding her bike in the woods on a hot summer day.
 
Maybe you’ve seen some animal totems lately? Maybe some animals have been sending you messages? Remember: the Universe doesn’t do random. If something shows up, it is a gift—a sign for you to ponder.

We often talk about flow in a casual way, as something that means moving forward in an effortless way. 

We might say we are "going with the flow" or in a state of "creative flow" or "in the flow"  or "flowing with it" about a  project or activity. 

Yet in spiritual terms, Flow has a very specific meaning. . In a nutshell, the definition is: 
"Flow is a spiritual state in which we are aligned with the Universe." 

So often in our lives, we try to push our path forward from ego/mind/personality. We might be really smart, or have great ideas, or a great ability to work really hard, or we have cracked the code of how to manifest, and we've gotten very good at creating what we think we want. 

Yet none of those states of forced forward momentum are what Flow is about.

Flow is even not about when things are easy and effortless, although those are characteristics of Flow. That's because Flow is not about being led by ego/mind/personality. Instead, it's about letting the Universe lead. 

Flow is all about allowing ourselves to:
• Follow signs and synchronicities in complete trust
• Follow signs and synchronicites as our way of being
• Get out of our own way and let the Universe inform us
• Continually heed the still, small voice that is the Universe guiding us
• Fight back ego and drop into a state of humility
• Let go of the misbeliefs and illusions of society
• Move forward in a state of wonder and awe

To live in Flow is what happens when we surrender to Divine guidance, and begin to live from this understanding. 

A peak experience is a moment in when you become exquisitely attuned to the miracle of Now.

It's common to have a sudden experience of Nowness when you are in new surroundings or doing new and unfamiliar things: the newness creates a heightened perception of your reality.

However, having a peak experience does not require newness, adventure or even adrenaline. 

Rather, peak experiences are often simple and serendipitous, happening when you least expect them. They are experiences of pure presence, and they may be short, such as a few seconds, or long such as many hours or even days.

In peak experiences you enter a portal that takes you to the bliss state—one of the most expanded vibrational states. And you experience this state fully in your environment: fully grounded in the real world, yet at the same time embodied, eyes wide open, all senses operating.

Some of the names: kundalini opening, bliss, nirvana, and so forth imply that there is something you must do to create this state.

But most peak experience happen on their own, without you even trying.
It is a matter of moving aside your distractions, letting go of your identity, and simply being in what is.

Thus, there is no place you need to travel to, no drug you need to take, no adventure you need to sign up for, no practice you need to be doing to have a peak experience.

You simply need to show up to your real life, right as it is this moment, and be in it fully, with all your perception.

To drink a cup of coffee can be a peak experience.
To walk without knowing where you’re going can be a peak experience.
To get up early with the sun can be a peak experience.
o take a shower can be a peak experience.

In this way, you see that peak experiences are ordinary moments, perceived at in an extraordinary way. 

​Most of us are Householders: people walking the spiritual path while deeply immersed in work and family.
 
We work jobs of all kinds.
We take care of children, partners, parents.
We take care of extended family.
We take care of others in the community around us.
Some of us are healer and teachers, helping in one way.
Others are practical helpers, helping in other ways.
 
It’s all valid, and all valued.

And even though we have our hands full with this entire helping and supporting and lifting up of those we love, we want to do more. 

We want to help the world, but we don’t know how. 

Here is one suggestion  from The 33 Lessons in my book Writing the Divine:
 
“The true hero quests within. There is no dragon to slay. There is no war to win. There is no mountain to climb. There is only the landscape of what is within, which is you in the Universe. Which is you as one of the now of the Now. Which is also you, as an earth being, with an earth heart, Surrounding and infinitely connecting to all living beings. Thus, the hero’s quest is for no chalice, no sword, no banner. The hero’s quest in this time is for connection; it is for compassion, it is for love. This is the task of this world you are in now.“—The 33 Lessons

​ When I channeled The 33 Lessons in my first book Writing the Divine, there were some things that didn’t make sense to me back then. 

But over time, I’ve come to understand the Lessons in the light of what we are facing now as global community, and what we are emerging into as collective soul. 

​For example, one of the Lessons states: 
 
“Jesus said turn the other cheek, and by this he meant not to receive more pain, but instead to turn away fully, to refrain from participating, to allow no more of this dark force. By this he meant to shun the experience. 

​Other great beings have brought this message. These great messengers and teachers all chose the path of nonviolence, the path of love, the path of turning the other cheek—not to receive more, but to show that they do not participate in these acts of violence, anger, the hot steaming energy that prevails so much in your world.” —The 33 Lessons

This is the great question we face today as souls, and that we have faced many times, in many lifetimes.
 
If you are hooking in to darkness—if you are playing attention to drama and crazy and rage, you are invited to instead  to turn the other cheek.
 
Recall: what we give attention expands.

Thus, what if we were to not clamor against darkness in our own rage and fear? 
But instead, to shun darkness?
To not feed it? 

To turn the other cheek—away from darkness, and toward Light.

Back when I was a kid watching Star Trek every afternoon with my best friend Judy, there was an episode in which Spock goes amok: Amok Time.
 
In it, Spock does things like gets in fights, tries to steer the Enterprise to Vulcan instead of stay on course, and creates general chaos. He gets violent and weird and acts in definitely non-Vulcan ways.
 
Spock has gone amok.
 
And the reason he’s amok? As all you hard-core Trekkies already know, Spock was suffering from his need to fulfill pon farr (which basically meant he must mate or die.)
 
Spoke went amok, because his needs were not met.
 
It seems to me, no longer watching afternoon TV in my parents’ basement, but now instead observing an endless stream of Twitter and Fox and Morning Joe and Huffiest, that  we’ve all gone amok.
 
For the same reason: our needs have not been met.
 
It’s easy to point fingers and place blame and get depressed and be in rage about how things are moving backwards, not forwards; about how the most basic things we need: human rights, a healthy planet, healthcare, peace…. are being reduced to rubble every day.

And here we are, looking at all of this gunk—this non-conscious way of living—and we are realizing just how much work we still have to do.  How amok we have become.
 
Almost everyone is feeling this amok time.
Empaths feel it especially.
 
And if this is so for you, here is a suggestion:
Don’t be a part of the crazy, the hate, the rage.
Stop going amok, take a deep breath and remember: 

You're an infinite soul. 
Hold your Light high. 

Many people are going through a spiritual awakening right now.
 
It’s like consciousness, going viral.

Yet while awakening sounds so exciting, when you’re suddenly in communication with guides, angels, the Departed— it’s not easy to integrate that experience into your perceived reality.

If this is happening to you, understand that the road to awakening extends perfectly, and contains all the time you need to shift, change and transform your consciousness.

In my own situation, it took a full eight years from the time of my near death experience in 2000 to my full spiritual awakening when I received and wrote The 33 Lessons.
 
I was reluctant, very determined to hang onto the idea that I could control things.
 
It took a lot of heartache until I could finally let go of those ideas. Even now, 10 years later, I am still opening, deepening, growing.
 
It’s a life journey, this stuff.
One you’re awake, you can only go forward.
 
So much better to stop fighting, stop being in fear.
Just aceept you’re a soul—that this is who you are.
 
Take the next step on the journey. 

The Universe continues to ask us to let go of what we are not, so that we may move forward into who we are becoming. 

This often means relationships. 

This might be family and relationship—for many of you, this is where the hammer is going to hit the nail, soundly on the head. Take a look at your family, your relationships, and ask yourself: "Is this serving me?". Not serving the small me, of ego/personality/fear. But the big me, which is your soul essences. 

Is this serving me? If you are in a relationship filled with toxicity, blame, fear—and certainly, if you are in a relationship that is abusive in any way—it's time to Let Go, and Say No. 

If your current challenge aren't in family relationships, but are around other relationships, such as business, career, groups, associations, friendships and other relationships such as these, the question is the same: "Is this serving me?" 

Not the ego you. Not the you that has goals and ambitions and so forth. You as soul. 

When we ask this question, "is this serving me?" the key is to be very clear on your answer.

For many of you right now, as you've been trying to stick with relationships that just don't work, I'd guess the answer is going to be.... NO. 

No, this relationship is not serving me. 
No, this association is not serving me.
No, this friendship is not serving me. 
No, this workplace is not serving me. 

And when you know this clearly... and you will know it resoundingly, in your heart and soul and gut, the idea is to Let Go and Say No...

And to do this WITHOUT FAULT OR BLAME.

To let go of relationships that are not serving you, and to do so without creating anger, a need to find fault, a need to pin blame. 

To just understand that CHANGE is  the WAY of the Universe... and that sometimes, we grow out of things when we least expect it...or others grow out of us... or we grow out of each other. 

No anger. No fault. No blame. Simply holding boundary, and releasing in compassion. 

Take a look today, at what is bothering you,. what is stressing you, what is in conflict. And then, meditate on whether the above applies.