The Power of Change: Embracing Growth, Trusting the Journey & Listening to Spirit

“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”  - Alan Cohen

Buckle In, Buckle Up, or Get Yourself Cozy - ✨you’re in for a ride.✨ Oftentimes when I'm chatting with Spirit about what I want to share with you all monthly, they are oh so quick to respond with some insight, direction, and beautiful supportive contributions.  So for the past couple weeks, every time I sat down to work with them to channel through an inspirational newsletter, I kept hitting a wall.  Thankfully I know better at this point – I just need to simmer and it will all come. 😉 What I had assumed we were going to send your way, went in a completely different (and somewhat humorous,😂 at least I think so!) direction – but I’m hoping it moves you with a giggle or two, and then some beautiful pause to dig into supportive ah-ha’s about YOU!

This past weekend in the Workshop Room inside Reflective Harmony, we had this incredible Drum Maker (and all around great human!), ✨Dan Maxon from Vermont✨, come in to facilitate a class on literally Birthing Your Own Drum. We worked with Elk hides, beautiful wooden drum frames; we cut and stitched it all together – literally created a drum from scratch, from soup to nuts!  And it was a process that exceeded every one of my expectations and beyond anything I could have ever seen myself doing.  I've used a drum in my healing practice for almost a decade now and it's served as one of the most powerful tools in my practice in countless ways. There is something so very sweet about the vibration that comes off of it – not only does it empower me, but often the person that I'm drumming for/over also receives this beautiful shift of energy.  I feel like it’s a great game-changer for someone’s energy that is so intimate and pure, and so incredibly unique just like them.

That existing drum came from a Shaman in Vancouver; I'd ordered one specific drum off his website that I thought was appealing and would be a good starting point.  I was so wrong; within an hour of placing my order he emailed me to say that his guides told him that I needed something different and he was going to be overnighting that different drum to me immediately at no additional cost.  And when my drum arrived those many years ago, I was intrigued to see this beautiful Phoenix painted on the main parchment; the remaining parts were muttered with these brilliant orange, red, and yellow colores. It reverated so beautifully and I immediately knew it was meant to be mine.

As time has gone by I knew I wanted to acquire another drum but one that I could use just for myself for my own healing or insight; something that wouldn’t be used as a tool for work.  The drum that I made this weekend…is literally Just.For.Me.  It's one of the first tools that I've acquired in years that is literally only for me, and as it's finishing its drying process, I can't wait to be able to use it and see what experiences it will support me with.

Beyond telling you about me and these magnificent drums, I had a very interesting experience during the Workshop that I really wanted to share with you.  As we eased into things, we started off sharing why we were here, what we hoped to get out of the workshop, and our intention for our drums. That followed with getting cozy on the floor with some blankets and cushions, and being led on a shamanic journey by Dan and one of his beautiful drums. He'd asked us to go on a journey and ask for a guide to meet us there; we could also ask a question to receive insight on too. (Key…A QUESTION…NOT 10 QUESTIONS😉*)*  I’m not new to this process – I've done more journeys than I can count, meditate more than the average person, and talk to dead people on a daily basis. In theory what he was asking us to do is completely my jam and should have been so easy.  Instead, as I was cozy on the floor and being loved-up by all the energy in my office, I started thinking about everything under the sun EXCEPT what we were supposed to be doing. My mind raced from groceries, to volleyball details for my kiddos, to what I was going to pack for an upcoming trip, to things I forgot to order in the groceries that I was thinking about moment prior, to office details I still needed to complete, blah blah blah. I was a mess. 😂 And when I was finally able to get myself back on track, I attempted to go to my normal sacred space that I love and adore, and I couldn't get myself there. I attempted to go to a couple other spaces that I will often travel to in my mind’s eye while doing shamanic work, and I couldn't get myself there either.

Where did I end up, you might ask.  Well friends…I ended up in the literal bog/swamp scene from Star Wars (Empire Strikes Back) where Luke crashes his x-wing and goes to look for Yoda. #truestory  As this unfolded in my mind’s eye, I almost burst out laughing 😂 and thought this now has to be the most ridiculous thing that I've ever encountered with Spirit and why on earth am I allowing myself to go here on this journey. 🤦🏻‍♀️ All I kept thinking about were these details and how immersed I was in this non-existent bog-swamp in some galaxy far far away. And the icing on the cake - guess who show’d up as my guide…Yoda. 😂  At this point I don't know whether I was questioning if I had lost my mind, hit spiritual rock bottom, or if this was some strange experience that Spirit wanted me to have. 🤦🏻‍♀️  And of course, remember when I said we could ask a question – yeah, that didn’t happen.  Next thing I know I’m asking Yoda (who’s still in the bog/swamp in a galaxy far far away, lol) rapid fire questions about everything and anything that is going on with me, what I'm doing with Spirit, blah blah blah.  And ironically as I kept ripping questions out faster than I was even processing them, I couldn't get over the stillness that I felt and the judgment that I started releasing. And then Yoda started drifting away from being, well Yoda, and into this ominous presence of soft green-golden energy and the bog/swamp in a galaxy far far away, moved into this hazy place of warm stillness.

I'm still not sure where I was or the new energy that was necessarily with me, but started to shift so gently and sweetly, was the following:  You have the answers you need; You know the direction to take; You have the tools required; You just need to release the fear of stepping forward with them and putting them in motion.  And I definitely was fighting the urge to ask more questions, but as quickly as those urges came up, they were settled down by another sweet message saying:  Everything has already been answered; You have the tools, You have the direction, You have the insight, and You do have the knowledge.

So first - welcome to the wonky world of Kelly and Spirit, ha!  But in all seriousness, that experience and the journaling I did afterward has provided me with some beautiful answers, some ✨polishing✨ I had been asking Spirit for, for some new courses, and some incredible ah-ha’s about our path and work together.  Perhaps those answers were sitting at the surface and needing a little bit of extra space to come out all along?  Maybe I needed something silly to grab my attention to really be present?  What if this was a lesson of what growth can feel like, and allowing yourself to move into a space of non-judgment and leveling up how we receive?

It's so easy for me to creatively and energetically problem solve, manifest, and dig into majestic plans with Spirit for my students and my clients. I often feel happiest when I get to work with Spirit in that way. And so now as I'm digging into myself and understanding the next pieces and parts of this journey, how they're utilizing me, the tools that they're allowing me to use, and the path that we're going to walk down – I'm happy that Spirit is supporting me in creatively and energetically problem solving!  Now more than ever I think being around like-minded people, putting good, love, and kindness out into the world, and choosing to empower ourselves and others is so deeply needed.  And we don't need all the answers – heck, we don't even know how we're necessarily going to get there but we just have to start.

So I wanted to post some questions/prompts from Spirit that I received in the journaling after my wild shamanic journey – these are for YOU!  ❤️ If you are feeling a little stuck on your journey, overwhelmed on how to start, or just maybe a little sad and a little lost and not knowing what's next.  I hope these prompts will support you with the tools and love TO CHOOSE YOU, and support you in taking whatever step forward you need.  I hope that they ignite you with excitement and joy of knowing that YOU WERE PUT HERE TO DO BIG THINGS, and that YOU HAVE THE COURAGE to embrace wanting to be part of something big. And I hope that they help YOU TO SEE YOUR BRILLIANCE and to allow love and energy and to soften your heart space, and to be open to anything that supports your highest and best good.

❤️Rediscover Your Inner Strength: Think of a time when you felt truly strong and confident. What were the circumstances, and how did you harness your inner strength to navigate that moment? How can you reconnect with that sense of strength to guide you through your current challenges?

❤️Envision Your Future Self:  Imagine yourself five years from now, living a life that fills you with joy and purpose. What does your daily life look like, and what steps did you take to get there?  What advice or encouragement would your future self offer to your present self?

❤️Identify Your Passions and Joys: What makes you feel most alive and excited? How can you incorporate more of these passions into your daily life, even in small ways? How does embracing these joys can lead you to new opportunities and a sense of fulfillment? What does Joy mean to you?  Is there one piece of Joy that you can add into your day, today?

❤️Gratitude and Self-Compassion:  What are three things that you are grateful for and three qualities you love about yourself?  How can these three things and three qualities provide a foundation for your growth and happiness?  How can you cultivate gratitude and self-compassion in your day to day life?  How can you start to open your heart to all that life wants to offer you?

Thanks for staying with me and listening to my journey.  I’m here in the trenches with you, holding space for YOU, as you grow, heal, and shift!  You’ve got this!