My Love Story With a Rodent!

Meet Skittles, a Western Gray baby squirrel. He's about 6-7 weeks old and had an unfortunate encounter with our cat Precious. Precious brought him home to us the other night and we were unsure if he was harmed or not. He was able to run when we found him, but it was more like a wobble, so Rob took him in the house in a cardboard box. What next? Thank goodness we can google pretty much anything these days!

We quickly realized that bringing him in was the right thing to do, because a baby squirrel still completely relies on mama to get hydration, nourishment, warmth and protection from predators. Out alone in the cold night, he would probably have died. But what were we supposed to feed him, considering he was still nursing?

We started to hydrate the little guy with a solution of warm water / sugar and salt administered orally with a syringe the vet had given us after our cat was spayed. He was shaking, so we wrapped him up in an old baby spit-up blanket. The next day, I kept reading up on what to do and we ended up buying a little hamster cage with a dispenser bottle and some puppy formula (which he loved!). Already, I was starting to get attached to Skittles.

As a mammal who's had two children, I just can't help but feel love and compassion towards a helpless, orphaned creature! The fact that this one was simply adorable didn't help my obsession. I bonded with this little critter like he was my own. It felt like I was hard wired to act this way, almost like I was on automatic pilot. When I looked into his tiny little brown eyes, it's as though consciousness itself was staring back at me. We were connected by pure Love, because that's what we're all made of, regardless of our varying shapes and sizes. Beyond the illusion of our separate physical bodies, the squirrel and I are One. Sounds a little nuts, I know.

It's the same for you and I, regardless of our current understanding of time and space. We are also One in this very moment. It's sort of like our cells in our body. If our cells start fighting with each other because they "disagree" and are greedy, this will harm the equilibrium of our body (the whole). If, on the other hand, our cells cooperate and lovingly help each other, our body thrives. What if you and I were just like microscopic cells in the body of the Divine? Being part of oneness is difficult for us to comprehend in our three-dimensional perspective, but we remain connected all the same.

Back to squirrel talk. After a couple days of nursing Skittles back to health, he was full of life and energy again. He's a lucky squirrel, because his mama somehow located him and spent a good 48 hours on the outside wall of our house waiting for the right moment to approach Skittles! Here they are, getting reacquainted with each other in the pictures below.

Skittles is now well and free again. I'll miss you, little squirrel. You have shown me yet another expression of real Love. When we look beyond our ego, we can see true Love glowing everywhere.

Warmly,

Lise
Health Coach / Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

Do You Want Peace, or a Roller Coaster Ride?

Are you feeling like you're on top of the world right now? I hate to burst your bubble, but what goes up must come down. Reversely, if you're currently feeling in the dumps, it's just a matter of time until you dust yourself off and reach new, blissful heights. Some of us experience extreme variations of these polarities, while others have more moderate highs and lows on the roller coaster of life. Until we're able to transcend the illusion of duality -an illusion that has us convinced that we're trapped in an unpredictable world of polarities- we will stay on this roller coaster ride, and lasting peace will remain out of reach.

Let's face it, many of us like the ride. It's thrilling, it's entertaining, it's distracting. Peace sounds rather boring. Why not take a chance and fall madly in love with someone, even if that means that we may have to experience excruciatingly painful heartbreak down the road? Why not take a financial risk and launch the business of our dreams, even if that means we make ourselves vulnerable, we put everything on the line and even flirt with the very real possibility of bankruptcy? Well, I'm not saying not to do those things. Life is an adventure, and if you never take any chances, or prevent yourself from feeling anything, you might as well be dead.

However, there is a way to have it all. You can explore the highs and lows of this world without actually being on the out-of-control-roller-coaster. That's right, you can fully experience the complete spectrum of emotions that come from both the dark and light sides of your persona, while still being in a state of lasting peace. No, I'm not trying to sell you drugs. I'm simply describing yet another benefit of becoming more aware, or conscious.

Consciousness transcends the world of ego that is often at the root of our extreme emotions. Instead of remaining completely identified with our emotions -I AM my pain, my joy, my anger, my excitement- we begin to observe our emotions from a more detached perspective -I feel the anxiety, I notice the anger moving inside me, I observe how this jealousy is creating compulsive thoughts, I see how this feeling of positive anticipation energizes me. It may take us decades before we realize that we're getting a little dizzy from the ride and we'd like to give peace a chance. When we've finally had enough of the drama, then the curtain rises and real magic starts to happen in our lives.

Once we see that we're in fact the writers, producers and actors of our life script, we can begin to enjoy our movie from a clearer perspective instead of being totally lost in the roles we've assigned ourselves on some higher level. Instead of getting carried away by our reactions, we can pause the movie, observe what's happening and take a breath. Once we master the art of being the witness, lasting peace becomes our reward.

If we're able to rise above the polarities of this fear-based world, even for just a moment, we'll understand that we come from a place where only love is real. This week, see if you can practice being the witness of what's happening inside and outside of you. No judgements, no guilt, no shame, no resistance, just observe what's going on. See what happens...

Warmly,

Lise
Creator of Conscious Kids and Conscious Health
www.lisevilleneuve.com

What You Can Do To Feel Better Now...

"Spiritual practice is key to our power as light-bearers, for we cannot extend peace if we do not cultivate it. Our thoughts and attitudes need persistent training in a world so intent on convincing us that we are who we are not and that we are not who, in fact, we are. The thinking of love is completely opposite the thinking that dominates this world; that is why we must be constantly reminded of the light. Just as you take a shower or bath in the morning to get yesterday's dirt off your body, you do your spiritual practice in the morning to get yesterday's thinking off your mind and heart." -Marianne Williamson, The Shadow Effect

That quote really resonates with me. It's easy to forget that if we want to feel good, we have to continually make a conscious effort to nurture and get reconnected to our inner-light. The minute we stop doing that, the world around us will gradually make us gravitate towards our darker side. Unfortunately, this is the default on this planet at the moment. Turn on the television, read a newspaper, go to the mall, go to work, and the negativity, heaviness and anxiety of the world become evident. Even the happiest, brightest of souls will eventually become depleted and drained if they don't regularly recharge their battery in the light.

For the majority of us, recharging ourselves is not common practice. On the contrary, we often push ourselves beyond physical and mental exhaustion, and then we wonder why we feel depressed, anxious and lethargic. On top of it all, we guilt ourselves for not feeling fabulous, happy and balanced all the time! We wonder what's wrong with us? Why can't we function optimally?

The truth is, living in a state of balance, peace, joy and love takes work. We have to commit ourselves to happiness, there's no other way around it. It's a choice that requires daily effort. Regardless of what our current external circumstances are -our job, our house, our partner, our health... our happiness is determined by the way we feel right now. Not tomorrow. How are you feeling right now? Do you feel a strong resistance towards your circumstances? Is the resistance beneficial in any way? Is there a sense of peace in your life, or do you feel like something has to happen first before you can feel good? Don't be fooled by the ego.

What can you do to foster your sense of well-being right in this moment? How can you nurture and reconnect to your inner-light? What brings you a sense of peace and joy? It's different for everyone, but here are some suggestions that work for me:

-Spend some time outside, close to nature (walking barefoot is a great grounding practice)
-Eat whole, unprocessed foods high in vitality such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds
-Drink more water
-Sit quietly and observe what your mind is saying / how your body is feeling / meditate
-Do something you love
-Do something expressive and physical such as dancing, singing, exercise, stretching...etc
-Help someone out
-Allow yourself to play!
-Be grateful for all the things you have
-Breathe deeply
-Immerse yourself in water
-Talk to a friend
-Listen to music
-Make a list of all your positive attributes and keep your focus on the things you love

Try doing 3-5 of the suggestions on this list each day this week, and see how that makes you feel! Do you have any other suggestions or would you like to share ideas that work for you? Write it in the comments below. Thanks for reading, and happy recharging!

Warmly,

Lise
Health Coach / Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

Are You Afraid Of Your Shadow? I am...

Image: www.holistic-alternative-practitioners.com

I'm sure you must have heard somewhere that we are all "whole, complete, perfect beings." The feeling I got when I heard this saying was not too different from the sensations of nauseousness I experienced during pregnancy. To me, it just sounded like an unfounded statement that begged the question "what about all the horrific acts of violence that people engage in on a daily basis? Are murderers, rapists and criminals whole, complete, perfect beings?" Their behaviours are the antithesis of good.

It took me awhile to really understand this concept, and my comprehension was enhanced when I developed a better understanding of the nature of our reality. In plain English, we live in a world of duality and contrast. The way we can understand and make sense of everything around us is by comparing what we already know. I'm sure you've heard the analogy about the fish in the aquarium that had no idea what water was...until he was lifted above the water and was able to experience what an environment without water felt like. Only then was he able to say "yeah, I know what water is now", even though he had spent his entire life in the substance! It's really the same for us, we need a frame of reference upon which we can integrate new experiences and information.

The new information that comes in via our senses automatically gets compared, categorized and analysed in relation to what we've already experienced. We can't fully understand what "hot" means until we experience "cold" (damn, that Katy Perry song just popped in my head). We don't really realize what health is until we become sick for the first time. The same goes for our emotions, we can't know the meaning of happy until we've been sad. We make sense of reality through contrasts. Duality is everywhere. Yin-Yang / Positive-Negative / Good-Bad.

Credits for this image go to www.tigerfreedom.com

Once we acknowledge this, the idea that we are "whole" beings starts to make more sense. Just like the Yin-Yang symbol above illustrates, we all carry the complete array of emotions / feelings within us. Some are located on the bright, open side, others are on the dark, shadowy side of our persona. We tend to hide our emotions from this dark side from others and even from ourselves, because we've learned over time that it's not acceptable to express these "negative" feelings. We feel like we're only allowed to express positive emotions and something must have gone terribly wrong with us if negativity comes to the surface too often, right? Our sense of "balance" of these two sides is actually quite unbalanced!

Is it realistic to expect ourselves to always be happy, confident, grounded and strong? How would we even understand these states if it were not for their opposites that have a healthy place in our psyche? As I've said before, all our emotions are important, they deserve to be validated and expressed in an appropriate manner. If we deny our darker side and always repress the anger, the rage, the fear, the sadness, the resistance, the jealousy, they will inevitably blow up in our faces. That's when we are the most likely to do something really stupid we'll regret.

Yes, we are indeed whole, complete, perfect beings. Obviously, our behaviours are far from perfect, but we can improve, simply by allowing ourselves to fully embrace the full spectrum of our humanity. Let's give ourselves a break! Let's be courageous enough to face our shadow, because it's beautiful and in the end... it makes us stronger.

Warmly,

Lise
Health Coach / Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

My Anger Got The Best Of Me Today...

I'm a little ashamed of what happened today. It occurred when I went to the grocery store with the kids. This is an activity I generally dread, because being able to clearly and quickly focus on what I need to buy when the kids are there is a little bit like trying to run in my dreams. The process is slow and frustrating, and I don't seem to get anywhere. Actually, the kids did pretty well in the store today, they went off on their own and kept themselves busy. I thought I might actually escape gracefully from this shopping adventure, until we got to the cash...

I was packing the food in the bags as quickly as I could, then I noticed the long line of people waiting behind me. The food was piling up, and my kids were just standing there, idly staring into space. Usually, they have no problem helping out with the packing, they might just need a reminder -which came out in a frustrated, impatient, angry tone today.

Our circumstances today were really no different than any other shopping day, except for the presence of a volcano I felt suddenly erupting in my core! As I heard my reprimanding tone of voice, I was actually taken aback and a little surprised by how quickly I had lost my cool. I literally felt a wave of heat rush through me, as the anger bubbled to the surface. I immediately thought to myself "Ok, I've got some serious negativity to deal with here..." Then I took a deep breath.

I am thankful for this new, growing awareness that allows me to separate the actual event (the kids not spontaneously helping out) from my own personal baggage that is at the root of my strong reaction today. Regardless of how the kids acted, it didn't justify my anger in that moment. The anger was real and needed to be validated, but I now know better than to simply point the finger at the kids and say "they made me become this angry." No they didn't. They were simply the trigger that caused my already present (but repressed) anger to surface. I could have just as easily communicated what I wanted without getting overwhelmed about it, but I blew up instead, because I didn't pay attention to the anger I was already carrying. If I had been more in touch with that growing negativity, I could have found a more appropriate way to express it (such as writing, exercising, meditating...etc). Oh well, lesson learned.

We left the store and I explained to the kids that there were two things to address. The first one was the issue of helping out. We calmly discussed expectations for next time. The second thing was mommy's anger. I apologized and told them I got carried away because I didn't realize that I had allowed a little volcano to grow inside of me! I told them how much that experience had opened my eyes, because the anger instinctively wanted me to point the finger "out there", when in fact, the source of it was "in here" within me.

The truth is, things/people/situations that trigger us and make us react the most are our greatest teachers. We have to pay close attention, because our strong reaction is an alarm bell that says "you're trying to protect yourself from a wound, from a disowned part of yourself that is too painful, too humiliating to look at right now". We are often blinded and incapable of seeing the wounds within ourselves, so instead, we unconsciously project our resistance to our weaknesses onto others.

At lunch time, the kids and I had interesting conversations about the "Shadow", which I'll save for another post. Thanks for reading, I'm thankful that you're here.

PS. Look at what 10+ years of raising kids has done to me. This is my "before" picture. Above is the "after" picture. Lol.

Warmly,

Lise
Health Coach / Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

The Secret Ingredients Behind The Happiest Time Of Your Life...

In my previous post, I asked the following question: "Can you think of a time when you felt the happiest you've ever been? What was it about that time that made you feel so good? Be specific."

I received these two beautiful answers:

• Mountain hiking with my grandfather, gathering mushrooms, flowers, medicinal herbs. In the mountains and away from things and people, one is peaceful, silent and fully taken by the beauty of this world. (from anonymous)

• For me, it was back in a time when life was simpler, life was complete, friends, career, money, love all good. ( at least in my head) A worry free existence for that special time when the months flew past and life had a special spark to it - mid 90s. Times spent in the US and Europe. Looking back there was much more colour and clarity, whatever happened? life, and the uncontrollable nature of the world we live in.- The ego within not developing or being questioned, lack of self awareness and a desire to satisfy the people that mattered most at the expense of self. (from Indominable Spirit, or "S")

The reason why I asked this question is because it gives us a destination to reach, a goal. Very often, we feel stuck, frustrated, confused, and we don't know where we want to go. If we have no destination, we simply remain in the same place. I think that if you're reading this blog, you are looking for ways to gravitate towards more peace, happiness, balance, joy, meaning and love in your life, correct? Who doesn't want these things! 

Thinking back of a time when you felt your happiest is a very powerful exercise because it shows you that it's entirely possible to feel great, you've been there before, and you can get back there. I think you are probably very aware that "there" is not so much a physical place or a certain set of circumstances, but a state of mind. So let's continue the exercise, if you're willing...

1) Close your eyes and go back to that time again. Immerse yourself back into that experience as much as possible. Allow yourself to see, smell, taste, hear, touch and feel everything that is going on. Notice how your body is responding (because it remembers!) Notice what your mind is doing. Breathe in deeply and continue doing this for a few minutes.

2) Once you have really allowed yourself to reconnect with this experience -this state of mind- ask yourself honestly what it would take to recreate that feeling right now. Not tomorrow, right now! If you are game, write in the comments below what your list of secret ingredients consists of. What do you need to get yourself back to that place of bliss right now? Try to do this exercise in the present, not the future, because feeling good happens now, not tomorrow!

I encourage any readers to jump in and participate in this blog exchange that will be going on for a little while. You may learn something about yourself in the process.You can simply comment as anonymous if you like (click on "comments" below). The more, the merrier!

I look forward to hearing from you,

Lise

Health Coach / Reiki Master

www.lisevilleneuve.com

I Dare You To Answer This Single Question...

Dear S,

I'll call you S for privacy's sake. At this point, you don't even know I'm writing this blog to you, but you probably will soon. So that you may identify yourself as being "S", please answer the following questions. If the answer to all of these is "yes", then congratulations, you are most likely "S"!

1) Did you mow your lawn yesterday (May 10, 2015)?
2) Do you like to sail?
3) Do you frequently eat yogurt in the morning?
4) Are you a runner?
5) Are you the youngest of 7?

Hi "S", how are you today? ;) If you are not "S", that's ok, I still have an important question for you too. Keep reading!

"S", I was wondering if you'd consider anonymously having open-hearted discussions with me on this blog? The reason why I ask is because I know that you have the potential to help many, many people simply by sharing what you are going through right now. Without having to reveal any details about your personal life or identity, if you had the courage to openly talk about what you are going through (prompted by questions that I will be asking you), I think that it would help you gain clarity and accountability, and it would certainly inspire others who are experiencing similar challenges right now. You are a brilliant individual and your perspective is important and valid, that's why I'm suggesting this exercise. Feel free to tell me to mind my own business!

Think about it, and if it's something you'd consider, I suggest you create an anonymous email and reply to this post in the comments below. Oh, and if the idea is scaring you to death...good, it's supposed to!;) I'd love to be able to gradually help you along on this journey and offer you some feedback that could also be helpful to others. Win-win-win, right?

I'll start off with a single question, and I encourage / dare anyone to answer it in the comments below (maybe we could have multiple participants?) Here goes: Can you think of a time when you felt the happiest you've ever been? What was it about that time that made you feel so good? Be specific.

Warmly,

Lise
Health Coach / Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

I Feel Completely Inadequate...

Disclaimer:

I hope I'm not getting too annoying with the increasing frequency of my blogging, but lately the inspiration has been pouring out of me, so I'm just allowing it to take form here. I really do enjoy writing, despite the fact that English is my second language and words don't always come as easily as French. Yet, something is pushing me to continue in this direction right now.

I want to take this time to thank you for being here, whoever you are! I really have no clue who reads my posts, all I know is that the numbers are increasing daily and I'm honoured that you're here. So don't be shy to contact me directly if you feel inclined to, I'd love to hear from you! (my contact info is on www.lisevilleneuve.com or you can post comments directly on this blog.)

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I Feel Completely Inadequate...

After having worked with many different people as a coach / counsellor, I can say with certainty that most of us feel like we are inadequate, myself included. We feel like there is something fundamentally wrong with us. We just don't fit in, we never have, and we're afraid that sooner or later, someone will figure us out! So what do we do? In order to avoid facing this threatening feeling of lack and these dark emotions that rest at the core of our being, we run like hell. Your ego is probably denying this right now!

Many of us spend our entire lives running away from our true, whole, Selves, because we (our egos) believe that we are not enough and never will be. Bullshit. We run from the pain of our past that we refuse to feel and instead bury deep inside, naively hoping that it will never resurface. We are experts at keeping ourselves distracted from our inner-world by finding something, anything to DO. Standing still is not an option because once our mind gets bored, it starts to wander into our forbidden zones. Being alone often presents the same threat. Does this sound familiar to you?

From this false premise that we are not good enough just as human beings, we build a lifetime of protective layers -such as the roles we hide behind, the career that defines us, the daily dramas that allow us to point the finger out there, the various successes that make us feel like we are temporarily important. But do they really make us feel like we're worthy? For how long? The ego is never fully satisfied. Before we know it, we're craving the next new thing, thrill, relationship...etc. There's nothing wrong with wanting these things, but few of us realize WHY we really want them. If we're brutally honest, we'll see that it's to keep ourselves distracted from this deep, unconscious belief that we're simply inadequate. Maybe by doing more, by being more, we'll feel better someday? What will it take, what will you have to do to finally get there? When will it be enough?

If we want to feel happy and at peace with ourselves, the first step is to realize that we've probably been looking in the wrong direction -outward. We have to come back to those disowned parts of ourselves and gently embrace them again. We have to find the courage to face our demons from the past. Emotions get stored in the body and can turn into discomfort or disease if they are not released. The truth is, we are already whole and worthy right now, even with all our imperfections. Don't let the ego fool you! The bulk of our healing work has to do with peeling off our multiple protective layers and allowing ourselves to feel ALL our emotions -especially the unpleasant, frightening ones.

So whenever you hear that little voice that pressures you to DO more, BE more, GET more, KNOW more, just tell it to ph*que off. Pardon my French. If whatever you desire is coming from a place of passion, enthusiasm, and joy, then that's your heart speaking to you. Go for it! You are beautiful just the way you are. Always remember that.

Warmly,

Lise
Health Coach / Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

Shit Happens. Are We Going To Let it Control Us?

I was in Cuba a couple weeks ago, splashing around in the warm, turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Our little group was discussing what makes a good vacation. Was it the hotel amenities? The food? The company? The beach? We concluded that a combination of all these things made somewhat of a difference on our overall level of enjoyment, but the most determinant variable was our state of mind. Were we committed to having a good time from the start, or were we ready to complain at the first inconvenience?

Before booking this trip, we all read the Trip Advisor reviews to have a better idea of the environment we were about to immerse ourselves in, but the truth is, we never have full control over our circumstances, no matter how much we prepare ourselves. Shit happens. This rule doesn't just apply to our vacations, obviously, it applies to our daily life. The good news is that even though we have limited control over our external circumstances, we have full control over what happens in our inner-landscape. By inner-landscape, I mean our thoughts, our emotions, our perceptions and our reactions.

Let me illustrate this with an example. First, we think a thought (such as "this hotel room sucks, I got ripped off"). Thoughts automatically translate into emotions in our body, so we may suddenly start to feel frustrated, even angry. Now all our perceptions become tainted with this anger, so we're more likely to notice more things that justify and increase our frustration. "I can't believe they gave me this crappy room, I don't want to be stuck in this dump, it will ruin my vacation." Next thing we know, we are yelling at the reception, having a full-blown tantrum that doesn't get us anywhere because no other rooms are available!

Thankfully, the story didn't end up like this for me, but I did have a below-average room in Cuba. The air-conditioner, safe and fridge were out of order, the room was full of mosquitoes and was on the first level, which was very loud with no view at all. I didn't feel good in this room, so I decided to use this negative situation to my advantage. I learned fairly recently that any time we are feeling bad and don't like what's going on around us, it's a golden opportunity to clearly affirm what we would like to experience instead. It takes a little effort to remember this at times, but our thoughts really do create our reality, so staying stuck in negativity and complaining about what we don't like only brings us more of what we are focusing on -bad things!

I began to imagine myself in a nicer, quieter room, higher up, with a beautiful view of the ocean. That felt good, and I truly believed it was possible to make this happen. I calmly went to the reception, explained my case, but was told there were no other rooms available. They told me to try my luck again tomorrow. I did, and was very pleased to be upgraded to the top floor, corner room with no neighbours, ocean view, with a complimentary bottle of Rhum! The maid even made beautiful swans, boats and animals with the towels every day! I was very grateful for this turn of events, it made my vacation even better than I decided it was going to be!

So I got upgraded, no big deal right? The point I'm trying to make here is that I could have arrived at this same result more aggressively, by complaining, by resisting, by raising my voice, by thinking and feeling thoughts/emotions that are unpleasant and create unnecessary stress for myself and others. That was a choice I had. Acting up and being demanding doesn't mean we'll get what we want faster, on the contrary. We're not naturally conditioned to act this way, but if we're able to be crystal clear about what we want instead of resisting the hand that's been given to us, we actually have more power to alter our circumstances.

So when the food is repetitive and cold, the mosquitoes are eating us alive and the pool smells like sewage, we still have control over how we are going to interpret our reality! Can we actively do something to change our situation? If the answer is yes, we can focus on taking action without falling into the trap of negativity, complaining and resistance. If the answer is no, we might as well focus on something that will make us feel better, unless we want to attract more negative circumstances our way! It's a matter of perception.

What determines if we are going to be happy or unhappy is not actually the events and circumstances that are occurring in our lives, it's always our personal interpretation of these events! We can have complete control over our inner-landscape if we learn to observe and tame our monkey-mind. Once we master this, nobody / nothing has the power to make us react any more. I'll let you know when I get there! It may take a couple more lifetimes! ;)

Warmly,

Lise
Health Coach and Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com

There Is Only One Kind Of Love

I just got home after a wonderful 2 weeks away. I spent my first week in Cuba with some dear friends, and this is the view I enjoyed each morning from my room. I still feel completely elated right now, it's difficult to describe. Have you ever felt so completely filled with love that the people around you probably wanted to punch you? Sorry, but that's how I feel! My heart is overflowing with compassion, gratitude, peace and joy. I feel this deep empathy towards every living creature right now. Am I on drugs? Only coffee!

So what the hell happened to me? How long will this ecstasy last? How do I bottle this feeling and sell it on ebay? Lol! One way I can explain this euphoria is that I took really great care of my body-mind-spirit over the past few weeks, and I was completely open to growing in awareness. I ate lots of raw fruits and veggies, got some sun, did plenty of snorkelling, had great conversations, danced under the stars and laughed lots. When we do the things we love and take care of ourselves, this actually raises our energetic frequency. The higher our frequency is, the more we attract positive circumstances in our lives. A higher frequency also allows us to have a clearer connection with our higher-self, thus we are more intuitive and receptive to our spiritual guidance. When we feel good and in balance, it's easier to open up our hearts and allow the divine love to naturally flow in. I feel like I got flooded by this spiritual elixir and I'm still a little drunk from it! It makes me want to share the love!

Since you have read this far already, I will share something else with you, because there is more to this story. Let me back up a little. For awhile now, I've been very clear on my purpose: to help raise the level of awareness / consciousness on this planet. I often ask "how can I serve? who can I help?" I know without the shadow of a doubt that no meetings are accidental. People are brought together when they offer each other the maximal opportunity for mutual growth and expansion. Sometimes that translates into a smooth, harmonious relationship between two people, but often times it results in a difficult and challenging one. Let's face it, we learn much more when we are called to question the status quo and face the darker, more insecure parts of ourselves, right?

So yes, I was put "on assignment" during this trip. I met someone who, within an hour of meeting, showed me the book he had committed himself to reading on vacation. It was about manifesting an ideal life! I told him the book must be working because he already manifested meeting me -someone who teaches awareness and manifestation for a living! Lol. I was standing in line behind him at the hotel reception -a hotel I booked only because my friends from Ottawa were already staying there. He explained to me how he booked a spontaneous, last-minute trip there and had somehow arrived via Bogota, Columbia and France! I suspect if we had tried to arrange such a meeting, it would have been nearly impossible! Yet here we were, unsuspectingly serendipitous.

As the week went on, our little group of four got to share many great moments together. I was honoured to be able to help my new friend see things from a different, more empowered perspective. In retrospect, I now see how he gave me the exact same gift. He allowed me to viscerally understand a concept I had only grasped with my intellect up till now. I hesitate to write about this, because I know many people will automatically make a judgement before they try to sincerely comprehend what I'm about to explain. This will resonate and make sense to those who are able to see beyond the limited scope of the ego. So here goes.

As you may have guessed by the title of this post, there truly is only one kind of Love. The ego tells us otherwise, because it views everything and everyone as separate and isolated, but romantic love as we know it has more to do with attachment and self-gratification. True Love is not jealous, possessive, demanding, needy and insecure like the ego is. We are hard-wired for Love, and it's not an exclusive currency we are only allowed to give to a few select people in our lives. Whether we give it to our children, our parents, our friends, our partners or even strangers, it's all the same essence! It's what we are made of. Love naturally flows through us when we allow it and it's ok to have the courage to freely give it to others without expecting anything in return. Babies are experts at this! They don't hold back their smiles, their radiance, their joy from strangers. They offer their Love unconditionally to everyone in the same way. As they grow up, they learn to only love those who will love them back, to be cautious, to protect their hearts, to demand certain things from the "one" they have chosen to love conditionally. The heart wasn't designed to restrict the flow of Love this way. It's understandable that we get a little confused when physical attraction gets thrown into the mix, because our ego quickly takes over in that department. It sees, it wants, it says "mine, mine, mine"! :)

I was perplexed about my feelings at first and I felt a combination of guilt and resistance towards this strong current of Love that was flowing in and out of me, but then I realized that it was beautiful, sincere, and that it didn't take anything away from my relationship with my husband. On the contrary, I feel even more Love towards Rob because my tank is so full right now! Obviously, allowing the Love to flow towards others and expressing it physically are two very different animals, especially within the context of a marriage! I think it's healthy for couples to honestly ask themselves if their relationship is mostly ego-driven (restrictive), or built on Love (expansive). It certainly raises a lot of questions, and I had the pleasure of having this discussion with Rob. I was pleasantly surprised by his openness and understanding. We have grown closer in the process.

The bottom line is that when we feel loved by others, it allows us to do something that is normally extremely difficult to do: love ourselves. That feeling of being "in love" is nothing but a reflection of the love we already carry deep in our hearts. We may think it comes from the other person, but the loved one simply allows us to express what's already there within us. That Love is everywhere, it's the fabric of this unified Universe. I am so grateful for this profound lesson I have experienced. I now know that it's entirely possible to feel like we are madly in love with life every single day! It's a conscious choice! How empowering is that!?

Love,

Lise
Health Coach and Reiki Master
www.lisevilleneuve.com