happiness

Break Free from Your Self-Imposed Prison

January 13, 2015 By SpiritMedium Leave a Comment

What if at this moment in time you could be happy and fully accept every circumstance in your life as being 100% perfect as it is? Do you know what that looks like or feels like? Let’s freeze frame this moment in time right now and examine our lives. Right now, I am sitting here writing this article, which is an activity that I love to do. You are reading it, which I hope is an activity that you love to do. There are many aspects to both of our lives that may seem imperfect or problematic, depending on how you look at them. For instance, I am a single woman who has spent many years searching for a great partner to share my life with. I could be very upset, depressed, or feel hopeless about prayers that seem to have gone unanswered, or I could see and fully embrace that there is an important reason or reasons why, up to this point, that I have remained single. I can tell you this, it is not because God is punishing me, or that I am not worthy of reciprocated love. It is because that was the path that I was supposed to take in order to get me to this very moment in time. From this point forward, anything can happen.

Infinite Possibilities
By letting go of any preconceived notions that I have about how my life will go, or even my day, I open myself to infinite possibilities. Stop and think about that for a moment. Drink it in. Allow your mind to expand to the fact that anything can happen; that your life does not need to go down a certain path, but that it can go down any path at any given moment. Just because certain circumstances have occurred in the past, it does not mean that they have to occur that way in the future. You are not handed a script each morning for the events of your day. Anything can happen…even your most heartfelt dreams coming true. Let yourself envision all of the wonderful possibilities for you. See your dreams coming true, and feel it in your heart. Know within your entire being that you are meant to be happy, and allow that knowing to permeate your entire being – your thoughts, your feelings, your heart, your spirit.

Let Go of the Wheel!
The desire to control each and every aspect of our lives actually closes us off from divine intervention that could help us in our efforts on earth. Frustration, anger, and disappointment can end up ruling our thoughts when events do not turn out the way we think we want them to go. These negative emotions have the potential to cloud our judgment, making it difficult to see the positive in seemingly negative situations. It could be that if your life had gone in the direction that you were trying so hard to steer it in, that you would miss out on even greater opportunities for happiness. By letting go of the desire to control circumstances and others (which is futile, by the way), you open yourself up to allowing the universe to step in and answer your prayers in the best possible ways.

Telling the Ego to Take a Backseat
The human ego is the mechanism in our minds that drives that desire to control, and it was put in place as a challenge that we are meant to overcome. The ego is very persistent, and is constantly looking for opportunities to jump in and heap on a slew of negative thoughts that are based on the illusion created by fear. It loves to try to make you think that events are more important than they really are by pressing you with guilt to perform certain actions, such as throwing an expensive birthday party for your kids or buying that “must-have” gadget. When you learn how to recognize the ego’s presence and voice in your thoughts, you can thank it for doing its job well, and let it know that you are not in need of its services at this time. You can be stronger with your dismissal if it persists, and the best way to dismiss it is to embrace the love within your heart that you have for yourself and others. Let the voice of the ego fade into the background, and give rise to the voice of your spirit which will guide you to your heart’s desires.

Action from the Heart
By the way, letting go of the need to control outcomes does not mean that you take no action. It means that you take actions that bring you happiness and you find joy in each moment, no matter what the task. It also means that you let go of expectations and allow your heavenly support team to step in and help you. There are many ways that guidance will come to you. The easiest to recognize is when it comes through repetitive thoughts and messages to take positive actions. Please note that the ego may try to step in and tell you that these actions are far-fetched or impossible to carry out. For instance, I have been given guidance to write my next book. By following the guidance and writing it, I may be triggering events that will answer my prayers. If you find yourself dragging your feet about taking a certain action, it may be time to thank the ego again for doing its job, and let it know that its services are not needed at this time. If you are having difficulty recognizing guidance from your heavenly support team, you may want to perform some emotional and spiritual housekeeping to help you to open up.

Many of us carry the pain of the past in our hearts. The human ego loves to dredge up this pain to keep us mired in feelings of futility. Remember, it is the ego’s job to place challenges in our way, and it will use whatever means necessary to block us from happiness. It is our job to recognize its tactics in order to move past the obstacles, and embrace the light within our spirits from which true guidance is born.

To move forward with an open heart, accept your past and thank all of the circumstances that have led you to this moment in time. All of the situations you have encountered have served an important role in the growth of your soul, and now it is time to release any lingering sadness or negativity, and move forward with love and understanding. Envision a beautiful, soft pink light in the center of your chest, which is also known as your heart chakra. Truly feel the loving energy as it sweeps away the past with acceptance and forgiveness, and replaces it with the lighter energy of love that grows to encompass your entire being. Allow yourself to revel in loving energy so that you can recall it any time you feel the need to release or re-release any negative feelings that may have tried to accumulate in your heart. The past is over and cannot be relived, and the future is yet to be. Only in the present can we truly live and enjoy each moment, and in this very moment, everything is exactly as it is supposed to be.

Setting Yourself Free
By embracing happiness and fully accepting every circumstance in your life as 100% perfect as it is, you are putting your absolute trust in God. You are loving every part of you, just as you are. You are accepting that you are in the perfect place for you right now. Most importantly, you are living, embracing, and accepting this moment. Here are some of the affirmations that I use to reaffirm my acceptance and faith in the perfection of this moment:

I place my absolute trust in God, and know that the universe fully supports me.
I am safe, and I am loved.
I love every part of me, just as I am.
What I think of me is more important than what anyone else thinks of me.
I am in the perfect place for me right now.
I know that I am loved absolutely by God, and that he wants me to succeed in life, and will help me to do so.
I am open to the guidance I receive from God and the angels through repetitious thoughts and messages that are guiding me to my true heart’s desires.
I know that God’s idea of success in life has to do with how much love I share with myself and others. My success does not have anything to do with the size of my bank account or the type of job that I have, but about the lessons in love that I incorporate into my daily existence.
I forgive any and all who have hurt me, knowing that we are all human, and that we all make mistakes.
I accept that every situation and experience in my life has made me into the beautiful person that I am. I thank God for all that has transpired, is transpiring, and will transpire in my life.

The Effects of Freedom
My life has changed in profound ways through the freedom I have embraced with these concepts. I am happier and much more relaxed. I can see on a daily basis how I am being helped by God and my heavenly support team. By no longer being attached to specific outcomes or trying to control events, I find myself flowing much more easily with the events and circumstances that come into my life. This change in my outlook came about because I felt like I was constantly fighting my way through life. I was tired, and I asked and pleaded to God to help me. I did not want to spend my life battling uphill. I want to be happy and to enjoy all that life has to offer. In the weeks after, I kept hearing the words “let it go” in my mind whenever I was struggling with a particular issue. The hilarious part is that the song from Disney’s Frozen® would then play in my mind. My guys and gals in heaven have a great sense of humor.

By sharing this information with you, I hope that you, too, can experience a level of happiness and satisfaction with your life that enables you to make the most of it. Everyone, including you, deserves to be happy…and you can be when you set yourself free.

Namaste!

With Light and Love,
Karen T. Hluchan

Spirit Medium, Motivational Speaker, Reiki Master, & Author of How Have You Loved?

www.HealingSpiritWithLove.com

Endings are New Beginnings in Disguise

June 24, 2014 By SpiritMedium Leave a Comment

Throughout our lives, we meet many people. Some of those people will become good friends, best friends, partners, or spouses. When we welcome people into our lives, it is with the hope that the relationships will be long-lasting and bring much happiness to our lives and to the lives of the people with whom we are involved. Sometimes, though, people grow apart and discover that they are no longer compatible, or we truly see someone for who they are and not who we wish them to be. At other times, relationships gradually fizzle away because one or both parties are not actively putting in the effort to maintain the connection. Whatever the reason or the cause, it is important to know that not all relationships are meant to last a lifetime, even if that is what we hoped for and prayed for in our lifetimes.

Prayers Answered
The endings can be sad; however, they can also open up our lives to new opportunities for happiness. God and the archangels hear our prayers, and they know what would ultimately bring us greater happiness in the long run. The ending of a relationship may be their way of making room in your life for someone or something better. The ending may be temporary, or it may be permanent. Either way, when the ending occurs, ask God and the archangels to help you deal with the change. If you need more faith to believe in the positive outcome of the situation, ask for it. If you need help healing your heart, ask for it. Be open to the assistance you receive. It may come in the form of a calmness in your heart caused by the gentle acceptance of the situation, or it may come in the form of a friend or family member who helps you through the challenging times

Trust the Path You Are On
To help yourself to heal and make the most of your experiences with a relationship that has ended or is in the process of ending, take a look at the relationship as a whole to see what you have learned from the experience. Express gratitude for the lessons learned and the love shared, express forgiveness to yourself and others, allow yourself time to heal, and then move forward with your life with the mindset of an adventurer. New experiences and people await discovery in your life’s journey, and by opening your heart and your mind, you give yourself the opportunity to embrace the changes that are a part of your soul’s evolution. Let go and let God steer the ship for a while. He is an excellent captain to have at the helm, especially when stormy seas are tossing you around. God will bring you safely into harbor, where you can explore the adventures that await you through the new people you meet and the situations you encounter.

Look Forward to New Beginnings
Remember, endings are new beginnings in disguise. In order to make room in your life for your prayers to be answered, sometimes it is necessary for one relationship or situation to end before another, more positive, experience can begin.

Namaste!

With Light and Love,
Karen T. Hluchan

Spirit Medium, Motivational Speaker, Reiki Master, & Author of How Have You Loved?

www.HealingSpiritWithLove.com

Five Essential Actions to Turn Your Dreams into a Reality

April 6, 2014 By SpiritMedium 1 Comment

The dreams you hold in your heart are like an eternal flame that lights up your spirit and illuminates the paths that you will take in life. The flame is always lit; however, it is up to you to determine how brightly it shines. I would like to share with you five powerful actions that are essential to stoking the flame of your dreams to the brightest of heights.

Provide Service from the Heart
Speak and work from the heart at all times. Remind yourself of the reasons behind your dreams. Why are you doing what you are doing? Is your main purpose to bring joy, happiness, healing, and light to others? When taking action toward your dreams, whether it is interacting with others or taking care of administrative details, hold your intention within your heart. By doing so, you will naturally take the most beneficial actions toward your dreams, and you will be rewarded with personal fulfillment that comes from providing service from the heart.

Give and Receive with Grace
Give of yourself from the heart. When you give, do so without the expectation of receiving anything back but the satisfaction and joy that comes from giving. Know that you will be the recipient of unexpected gifts from the universe that will be given at the perfect time and place in your life. Remember to include yourself in the giving cycle. Be attentive to your own needs, and give yourself the gifts of time for relaxation, joy by participating in fun activities you enjoy, and love by appreciating the beautiful light of your soul.

When receiving a gift, be gracious and thankful, knowing that you are fully deserving of the abundance being conferred upon you. There is always balance in the universe. For every action, there is a reaction, and for every gift you give, you will receive one in return if you remain open and receptive to the flow of love to and from the heart of your spirit.

Gifts given and received may be in the form of physical objects, services granted, opportunities, time, and support. Remain alert to opportunities to give and receive, as they may appear when they are least expected. Some of my best experiences have come out of situations in which I touched the heart of a person I just met, and that gracious giving led to the gracious receiving of a host of gifts that touched my heart and helped me to move forward with my dreams of service to humankind through my gifts of mediumship.

Be Passionate and Let Your Light Shine
As you take action toward your dreams, it is important to live in the moment and enjoy the journey. Each step in the process can be as exhilarating as the actual fruition of your dreams. When you share your natural excitement and passion with others as you go forth in the world, you will draw others toward you who want to be a part of your mission. This will lead to a cycle of win-win situations. As you help others, others are helping you, which in turn, helps even more people. Let your light shine brightly in this world, and you are guaranteed to generate even more light and passion through the help and support of others who are drawn to your genuine enthusiasm.

Honor the Spirit within Each Person You Meet
Each person on this earth wants compassion, love, respect, and a sense of belonging. Successful interactions occur when you honor the spirit within each person you meet.

To begin, give yourself the compassion, love, respect, and sense of belonging that you desire. You can spend a lifetime looking for it outside of yourself, when all along it was waiting to be discovered within your own heart. Once you have learned how to honor yourself and your own beautiful spirit, it is easier for you to recognize and honor the spirit of others. You know how it feels to be loved and appreciated because you already provide that for yourself. You can share your appreciation and love with others by honoring boundaries, listening and speaking with respect, being kind, and being open to giving and receiving through the heart of your spirit.

We are all united by the same connective thread that is at the heart of all life—our spirits. The more we recognize and honor this connection, the more successful we will be in making this earth a better place.

Move Forward without Fear
Fear is an illusion that comes from the human ego. It will work against you, alienate you, and block your path if you let it. Know that it was put in place as a way of challenging you to grow as a soul. You are meant to step beyond the self-negating thoughts in your head, and give power instead to the positive thoughts and beliefs about yourself. The true essence of your soul is love and light. When you recognize that and bring it forth, you are tapping into the most powerful and positive energies in creation that sync you up with your soul’s life plan. It also opens you up to the extraordinary help and support from your heavenly support team, as well as your fellow citizens here on earth. Visualize the successful outcomes of not only the achievement of your dreams, but also each step that you take on your journey. Keep your focus on the present, and believe that you can achieve anything you set out to do.

Share Your Dreams
As you fan the eternal flame of your dreams, I would love to hear how you have successfully applied the five essential actions. I encourage you to share your dreams and experiences in the comments section below. You never know how you may inspire others to live their own dreams, or how they may support you with yours.

Namaste!

With Light and Love,
Karen T. Hluchan

Spirit Medium, Motivational Speaker, Reiki Master, & Author of How Have You Loved?

www.HealingSpiritWithLove.com

Your Self-Worth Is Not Measured by the Opinions of Others

March 16, 2014 By SpiritMedium Leave a Comment

Have you taken a non-judgmental look inside your heart and spirit to assess the traits that define the essence of who you are? Have you accepted all of those traits in a loving manner by embracing and recognizing the positive ones, and acknowledging the ones that need a little work?

Self-Awareness and Love
Knowing who you are and loving who you are, are important factors for claiming the power within you that is rightfully yours. When you allow the negative words and actions of others to define you, you are giving other people the power to dim the light within you.

Determining the Reason behind Communications
There is a very big difference between someone providing you with constructive feedback and someone hurling insults and hurtful words at you. The clues to determining the difference are in the delivery and the motivation for the feedback.

When Love Is the Motivator
When people have your best interest at heart, they will speak to you in a respectful manner, and the thoughts they share with you come from the heart. The person who speaks with you in this manner is genuinely interested in your welfare, and would like to help you succeed.

When Fear Is the Motivator
On the opposite end of the spectrum, when people say vicious or mean things to you using sarcastic, biting, or angry tones, they are projecting their own negative feelings about themselves on you. The motivation for such behavior is based in fear. Often, it is because they envy what you possess and are afraid that they will never have it themselves. In this person’s mind, they mistakenly think that putting you down will raise themselves up. Instead of taking responsibility for themselves and their personal happiness, they lash out at you. When facing an onslaught such as this, you need to be strong enough in your own right in order to recognize the motivation behind this behavior, and to dismiss it as someone else’s fears and not a reflection of who you are.

How to Achieve the Best Results
In relationships and communications, it is love, self-love and love toward others, that creates the outcomes we desire. Coming from a place of fear or attempting to instill fear in others may temporarily achieve certain results; however, in the long-term, it eats away at the levels of trust and can ultimately destroy interpersonal relations.

How You Can Choose to React
When you encounter people who are operating from a place of fear instead of love, you can choose to dismiss their comments and hurtful behavior and move on with your life. Whether it was a momentary transgression or a more problematic aspect of someone’s behavior, try to take a more understanding and compassionate approach by knowing that each person is doing their best to grapple with the issues that we contend with on earth. We all make mistakes, and, hopefully, we learn from them. Within your heart, mind, and soul, forgive the person for their transgression, and wish them love, health, and happiness.

You Determine Your Self-Worth
All in all, when you love yourself for who you are and you operate from a standpoint of love, you can more easily recognize when someone’s behavior is motivated by his or her fears, and not genuine feedback that you should take to heart. Your self-worth is a value that is defined by you, and only you. The actions you take and the thoughts you share display to others the value you hold for yourself in your heart, mind, and spirit. Believe in you, and love who you are, because you are a beautiful light in this world who deserves an abundance of happiness and love.

Namaste!

With Light and Love,
Karen T. Hluchan

Spirit Medium, Motivational Speaker, Reiki Master, & Author of How Have You Loved?

www.HealingSpiritWithLove.com

What to Do When Past Pain Resurfaces

February 16, 2014 By SpiritMedium Leave a Comment

As we go through our lives working through challenging personal situations, healing from them, and accepting them for the lessons they taught us, the old pain that you released may rise to the surface again when we least expect it. Days, months, or even years after you think you have successfully handled the feelings and emotions from the past, you may encounter a situation that is reminiscent of the ones you thought you had a handle on.

Thrown Off Balance
At first, you may be thrown off balance as thoughts and emotions from the past threaten to overwhelm you. However, you are not encountering this situation for the first time. You have already been through this, and you have already learned better ways of handling this situation. For instance, let’s say you are in a situation in which you feel that a person with a forceful personality is trying to manipulate you by insulting you, belittling you, demeaning you, or twisting your words around to suit their needs. Having dealt with this in the past, you are more likely to recognize the manipulative techniques that this person is trying to employ. While it may make you upset to find yourself dealing again with someone who displays this type of negative behavior, you may actually be handling it better than you think.

Reacting Differently through Assertiveness and Love
In this particular situation, it is important to note that the person who is attempting to be manipulative is acting from a place of fear and ego. He or she is not acting from a place of love. It is this person’s intention to force you to bend to his or her will because he or she is afraid of losing power. What this person does not realize is that the perceived power has already been given away the moment he or she decided to allow fear to take over his or her thought processes. When you recognize this, you can choose to react in a manner that does not feed into the fear that this person is projecting. By knowing who you are, you can stand up for yourself in an assertive manner, which is representative of the love that you have for yourself. It is important to note that reacting with aggression, rather than assertion, will only feed into the negative behavior of the other person and drive the situation away from a positive resolution. Stand strong and confident in the love that you have for you, and for the positive and fair resolution of the problem for all involved.

Forgiveness Ushers in Healing
Try not to be upset with yourself if you initially get angry or distraught over the circumstances you are facing. It can be very challenging to deal with situations that are similar to those that brought you pain in the past. Allow yourself to acknowledge your feelings, and then release them. Be at peace with yourself. In your heart and mind, forgive yourself and the person who treated you in this manner, and let go of toxic feelings. Holding a grudge will only serve to hurt you and prevent you from moving forward. Pray for this person’s health and happiness, and let go of the negativity by recognizing that this person has not yet learned to operate from a place of love. Your prayers may help them to move forward, which will mean one more person in this world who embraces the light and love of which we are all a part.

Help Is Available
If you need help working through the emotions and feelings that have arisen from the situation that triggered the resurfacing of past pain, ask God and your angels for help, and speak with friends and family members who are supportive of you and your goals.

Silver Linings
No matter how negative a situation may appear on the surface, there are positive reasons for why they occur in our lives. Once we have lived through the challenging circumstances, we can look back to see what we have learned and decide which route we are going to take if we encounter them again. Situations that rehash pain from the past is not a punishment, but rather an opportunity to put into practice the lessons we have learned and to confirm the growth that has taken place within our spirits.

Namaste!

With Light and Love,
Karen T. Hluchan
Spirit Medium, Motivational Speaker, Reiki Master, & Author of How Have You Loved?

www.HealingSpiritWithLove.com

The Purpose of the Human Ego and How to Manage Its Effects

February 2, 2014 By SpiritMedium Leave a Comment

When our spirits are in heaven, negativity does not exist. It does exist on earth because it was built into the program for beings to experience an accelerated path for the growth of their souls toward enlightenment. The human ego, the driving force behind earthly negativity, is a mechanism that is built into us when we receive our human bodies. It is placed within us as a personal obstacle that challenges us on a daily basis with its pessimistic views that have the potential to drag us into its shadowy depths. It is important to note that the negativity, worries, fears, regrets, and self-doubt it projects upon our psyches is all an illusion. None of it is real. It certainly feels real, and it certainly can have a very real effect on our lives if we allow it to take over our thought processes. It is the most significant and persistent challenge we face as spiritual beings on a human journey.

By knowing that the negative voice of the ego is an illusion designed to make us examine our belief systems and thought processes, we can learn how to manage its negating and self-destructive effects. This can be accomplished through thought management, love, and examining our souls for the true lessons that are behind the challenges we experience in our lives each day.

Thought Management
We have the power to control our thought processes. It may not appear that way when negative thoughts, concerns, worries, and regrets seem to race through our minds, blocking out all of the positive beliefs and thoughts we hold in our minds. You can learn to manage negative ego-based thoughts by first recognizing their presence and then acknowledging them for what they are—an illusion. Ego-based thoughts are the ones that tell us that we are not good enough, that we are failures or that we will never succeed, that our ideas are worthless, or that we are unlovable. None of these statements are true, and should not be believed because they are borne out of the ego which projects fear as a challenge. Fears are obstacles that are meant to be overcome. By dismissing these thoughts, we can step beyond the illusion of fear that clouds our vision, in order to see the true spirit that resides within us. We were designed by our Creator as perfect beings of light that are capable of accomplishing any task that is placed before us. We have dreams and goals that we are meant to achieve, and can do so because we have been given every tool that we need to succeed. Our first task, though, is to manage the effects of the ego in a way that opens our minds, hearts, and spirits to the potential that lies within our own souls.

The Power of Love in Its Purest Form
The opposite of fear is love. It is through the power of divine love that our spirits were formed. We were born out of love, and are the true essence of love in its purest form. Our memories of this are veiled when our spirits take on the human form. This is done in order to allow us to learn the lessons associated with the human ego. As we evolve and expand our conscious thoughts, we can break through the veil of the ego that conceals this knowledge from our spirits.

To do this, we need to manage the negative effects of the ego, and learn to truly love ourselves for who we are. Any perceived flaws in our human forms have been placed there as a challenge. We are here to love ourselves, flaws and all. As with our spirits, our human forms were created to be unique. These differences show the beauty and value of our individuality, and should be embraced with acceptance, love, and respect for the unique path that each soul has chosen for his or her divine growth and enlightenment.

When you love and respect yourself for who you are, you are more inclined to make decisions that are more in line with you and your dreams. Circumstances that may have brought you down in the past will no longer have the same hold on you, because the love and respect that you have for yourself will help you to remove yourself from situations that have the potential to bring you harm. Loving yourself gives you the strength and compassion you need to stand up for yourself, and to make the decisions that will bring you the most joy and happiness.

Examining the Lessons
Each experience we have on earth is designed for the growth of our soul. We make choices every day about how we will proceed, and how the events that occur will affect us. We are in control of the choices we that make; we are the masters of our own destiny. By examining the circumstances we have encountered and are encountering, and the choices we have made and are in the process of making, we can begin to see the patterns and lessons that are behind our experiences. For example, we may have had a childhood in which one of our parents was overly stern or harsh in their treatment of us. The negative voice of the ego may say that we deserved to be treated that way because we are unlovable. Instead of giving the ego free reign to spread its fear, we can look at the situation as a lesson in learning how not to treat others. It is also an opportunity to learn how to extend forgiveness toward those who have not yet learned to love themselves or manage the effects of the ego that led them to act out of fear and bring harm to other souls.

All of our experiences have positive reasons for occurring. If we take the time to examine them from a viewpoint of love and determining the purpose of life lessons, we can see the step-by-step progression our souls are making toward enlightenment.

Blessings to You on Your Journey
Be patient with yourself as you learn how to manage the ego. It takes time to break the habit of giving in to the negative chatter that the ego spouts. It is a persistent voice that tried to demand and command your attention in a manner that is similar to a toddler throwing a tantrum. Like the toddler, the ego yells and screams until it is appeased, or until it realizes that its unacceptable behavior is being ignored. And also like the toddler, if you give in to the ego’s unrealistic demands, then you will be rewarded with more tantrums. If you learn how to ignore the ego’s negative rants, it will realize the futility of its efforts, and will begin to recognize that something greater than it is in charge—the true and loving spirit that resides within you.

Namaste!

With Light and Love,
Karen T. Hluchan
Spirit Medium, Motivational Speaker, Reiki Master, & Author of How Have You Loved?

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