A Soul's Legacy of Love

In honor of the third anniversary of the passing of Paul Walker, I'm reposting this!! I woke up this morning to the news that Furious 7, the latest in the Fast and Furious movie franchise, had topped 1.15 billion in ticket sales.  It has had the #1 spot at the box office for three weeks running and it is now the seventh biggest earning movie of all time.  An amazing feat that some are calling the legacy of Paul Walker.

My first for today is that I am going to find my voice [something that has taken me a long time to do] and go up against some folks who are stating that Paul Walker's legacy is that he left this world by having a billion dollar movie.  I know it definitely is part of his legacy, but as I have stated in a previous blog post, the legacy goes beyond so much more than that.

Over the weekend I had an awesome girl's day with a soul sister of mine.  She excitedly asked me how my trip to LA went for the Furious 7 premier (reference Blog Post from 4/9).  Can I tell you how nice that was?  Someone made a point to ask me about one of the highlights of my year.  Heidi, a hug to you for putting that out there.  Again, I cannot tell you how much that meant to me.

I was asked to describe the feeling of being at the movie premier.  This lead me to writing this blog post.  The question brought me back to what I was feeling on that exact night.  While I was standing amongst so many people from so many walks of life, I realized that what Paul Walker's legacy exemplified was sitting right there in that theater on this warm April night.

On April 1st hundreds of people gathered to celebrate not only the release of his last film, but also to celebrate the person that Paul was.  I won't pretend to know him because I had never met him before his untimely death.  To be honest, before his passing, I had never seen any of his films or been familiar with him as an actor.  I am now getting a really good picture of what he truly must have been like upon meeting some folks who were in his "circle".

For that one night, I felt like all was right with the world.  All was right with the world because I felt such true and utter love.  I felt and saw what his family meant to him and what he meant to his family.  His family was not just biological but situational.  His friends and his fans all gathered together in one spot.  All the love poured out and for one night everyone focused their love on one thing - Paul.  How cool that so much energy was so big in one place.  I saw the effects of what everyone focusing love, instead of say hate or anger, had on a crowd and had on the world.

Getting back to that amazing billion dollar mark, here are my thoughts.  I think that for this small moment in time, people around the world are clamoring to get that same great feeling that I did that night in Hollywood.  I see folks leave the movie theater (having seen it again just this past weekend) with a look on their faces of pure and utter love.  Everyone is leaving the theater in a peaceful, yet emotional state.  Perhaps it is giving them all the impetus to reach out and share their love with someone else.  We never know when our time, or that of a loved one, will come to an end.

So, in closing, Paul, I think that your legacy reaches more than just the box office numbers.  I truly believe that your legacy is one of joining the world together no matter what their race, ethnic, financial, gender or any other group may be.  No matter where someone comes from, you have proven that we can all get along together as long as you throw in that component of love.

Until my next adventure,

P.A. Walker

P.S.  Not to diminish other parts of Paul's legacy, please check out his great work with his charity Reach Out Worldwide (www.roww.org).

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxU4kDmRzIw[/embed]

Back Away From the Distractions!

I've been guilty lately of letting distractions take hold of my every day life.  What I mean by this is, spending my time on things that do not take me towards my greatest good.  I have had several days last week filled with phone calls with friends and family members, lunch with others, going for an oil change in the middle of the day, etc.  This then escalated into me making judgements about others, thinking they weren't doing things the right way and so on and so on. Now don't get me wrong.  Having a long phone call with a friend is a wonderful thing to do.  It's when I do it several mornings out of the week with several different friends that it starts to really take away from my work. My soul's mission here on earth is to help folks and to get my word out there.  I can help folks while having coffee but at some point, I should think about giving them the tools to help themselves.

Once I realized where I was throwing distraction into my life, I decided to sit back and see where others were doing it and if I was guilty of doing the same thing.  Bingo!  I have a dear friend who is veering off track with her life goals.  She is spending a lot of time worrying about what others in her life are doing.  Yes, she is not staying in her own lane.  Where am I doing that, I thought?  I was definitely doing that.  It was as if I woke up this morning and the light went on.  It's time to ask myself the simple question as these distractions come up, "Is this in my higher good?". Is the sitting around worrying what others are doing for my highest good?  NO.....  Is letting others dump their stuff on me for my highest good?  NO....

I won't fully stay away from phone calls  with my friends.  They are dear to me.  I love that they are in my life.  I will take my calendar and make sure that I get my work done and the things that are moving me toward my greatest good done.  Once I do this, then I'm happy to sit down and see how the rest of the world is doing.  If I don't get my social time, I start to really miss people and places.

Where can you "clean" up your time?  Are you spending a lot of time thinking about how others can do it better?  Is there some way for you to turn that around and see where it's mirroring something in your life?  Are you giving away a lot of your time that could be used to work on your goals?  It might be time to start looking inward and see where you can make some changes!!

"Whatever you want to do, do with full passion and work really hard towards it. Don't look anywhere else. There will be a few distractions, but if you can be true to yourself, you will be successful for sure." - Virat Kohli

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: Trish Walker or via Twitter (Trish Walker@50foraYear).

Ch-Ch-Changes!

I'm changing!  Yes, that's right, I'm changing and I am loving it.  Since my first book came out, all kinds of wonderful things are happening for me.  I've been doing press (radio, television, newspaper articles) and meeting some really great people.  It's as if my world has shifted so much in just even three months.  As I sit here typing this, I am reflecting on how my changing has had many different effects on other people in my world. Just yesterday I had a television interview air. As I sat there and watched myself, along with my son, I got giddy, nervous and finally, after a great segment, relieved.  The reporter managed to bring out some different aspects of me that I almost didn't recognize myself. It was really cool to see.  After the segment finished, I asked my son what he had thought.  He was featured (via pictures) in the presentation as well.  He goes, "It was a great segment, but I should have gotten more air time.".  Cue the sound of the needle screeching across the record.  Come again, dude?  This started a conversation about how this wasn't about him, but more about me.  I asked him what he was thinking about Mom stepping more and more into my soul blueprint. I could see that my changing is bothering him.  We talked about how no matter what is happening in my life, he is still my son and I am still his Mom, my most important job in life.

I've been excited to see the love and outpouring from folks wishing me well on my journey.  I've had people who I haven't heard from in years step in and congratulate me. I've had people I talk to every day not say a word.  As I sit here and ponder that, it makes me wonder why.  Why can't they acknowledge the things that I am doing?  Why can't I even get a "good job"?  It's then that I realize that I am looking for validation when in fact I should be validating myself.  It's getting back into that need to be loved and liked.  As long as I love and like myself, everything else is just icing on the cake.

Bottom line is, when you change out of your "old" self and into someone new, there are always going to be some folks who can't handle it for some reason.  It could be that they have dreams they have put on a shelf or feel that if you change they have to. I'm not asking anyone around me to change.  That's not my right.  What my right is is to step into my best self possible and to share my gifts with the world.  That is my mission right now. I've had incredible opportunities and blessings. I want to pay that forward!

“Sail beyond the horizon; fly higher than you ever thought possible; magnify your existence by helping others; be kind to people and animals of all shapes and sizes; be true to what you value most; shine your light on the world; and be the person you were born to be.”  - Blake Beattie

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: Trish Walker or via Twitter (Trish Walker@50foraYear).

The Elephant in The Room!

"But it's family, you haaaave too."  That's the message that we all can get when it comes to dealing with those folks who share a bloodline and nothing more.  It's family, you have to.  Well, I'm here to dispel that myth. Just because it's family, doesn't mean you have to do anything. You can choose to do it, but you don't have to.  After all, family are humans just like the rest of us. Family seemed to me to be the "safe haven". It seemed to be the place where I could go and get advice, love and support.  In my adult days, I see more and more that I get this love and support more from my friend tribe than I do from my family.  It's making me stop, take breathes and work through some grief issues.  I bought into that family story that they are there for you whatever and whenever.

Today I am clearing out some old patterns. I'm tuning into clear Source energy to move through and clear my energy.  It's taking some work for me, it's tiring me out but today is the first day where I have woken up and see that I can get through this.  I don't have to stick with my story.  I also have to let go of the belief that just because they are family, they will always be there for you.

Let me share with you a way to move through the energy.  You need to get out of your head. You have to start feeling your deeper self. You have to start tuning in and knowing our soul is one of our greatest guides. WE have to listen. One of the ways to listen.  Take a breathe in through the nose, see how deeply you can breathe.  Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and exhale.  What comes up for you?  It's a very healing practice.  It won't get better with the first round, but know that this is something that you can come back to time and time again as a sort of anchor.

Getting back to the "You have to because it's family..." motto, know that you don't have to do anything.  It's time to step up and make my own path.  Focus my energy on my own support group and treasure them for the gifts that they are.  I love each and every one of them.

"Friends are family you get to choose!" - Unknown

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: Trish Walker or via Twitter (Trish Walker@50foraYear).

From This Day Forward!

It was a big, big day.  It's Election Day 2016. Regardless of the outcome, it's been quite the journey.  The signs went up six months ago.  It's been a long six months of opinions, accusing, non-support etc. I tried to stay put today and not go out to much.  However, real life gets in the way.  As I made my way into a restaurant to pick up a sandwich, a young man came at me and said, "Well, who did you vote for?".  His co-worker told him that that was rude and to not ask me.  Thanks for coming to my rescue sir.  The person originally asking the question told me that he wasn't going to bother voting because it didn't matter anyway.  I told him that's one way to look at it but to please not complain because not voting doesn't give him that option.

It's been a day full of wonky energy.  People yelling at family members because they didn't vote for who this person thought they should vote for. People saying they won't judge, but then do judge.  Through it all I have sat back and observed.  I've observed some really bad behavior but also some beautiful behavior.

I've set my Facebook feeds up for high vibe folks for the most part.  Their posts today were beautiful.  One in particular by Michael Franti talked about love.  How we need love right now but more importably how love needs us right now.  It was a feel good watch.

By this time tomorrow, I will know who our new president will be.  As relieving as that sounds, I know that there will probably be six more months of whining, attacks and just plain stupidity.  It's up to me how I react.  It's up to me to make my space high vibe.  It's up to me to make the choice to not hang around folks who try and mudsling and bring into my world a bad energy.  Even if it includes family, it's okay to make the choice to not be a part of their every day.

P.S.  It's the day after and we all know who won.  I woke up to blazing headlines, fear (not mine), again hatred, etc.  A light went off in my head.  I can do this differently.  I can not get sucked into the rhetoric.  From this day forward, I am going to take on a light way of doing things.  I truly feel that this country needed a wake-up call.  It came in the form that it did, whether you think it is good or bad.  The fact that so many people didn't vote but are still complaining is a testament to what I am referring to.  I spoke to my son at great lengths this morning about how we can walk away from the drama.  We can decide that from this day forward, we will put our energies into the good.  When you put energy towards something, either negative or positive energy, it still gives that entity power.  In the case of either candidate, this current mood of the country was going to happen.  We can just trust from this day forward that the good will rise up and that people will start to pay attention to what we need to do to prepare for the next election so that we are not in this situation again.

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: Trish Walker or via Twitter (Trish Walker@50foraYear).

My New Normal: Excitement for the Future!

I am working a new process here today.  My husband is moving out of the house.  It's been a few years coming and I woke up this morning and said, it's here. It's really here.  I am at a crossroads and can do one of two things:  I can sulk and live in fear or I can rock this.  I am going to take the other path and build myself up to my highest vibration. It's been a long run, a long cycle, but we are both going into this new phase with the understanding that we will still be in a relationship (hopefully happy and healthy) where we can co-parent our child. As I sit here at my desk, I realize that I am letting go of an old story and getting ready to build a new one.  It's exciting, it's scary, but most of all it's just that, a blank slate.  I get to put the words on there that I want. I get to decide my experiences, feel those feelings and make my own decisions.  It feels a wee bit overwhelming right now to me, so I am going to take a moment to focus on self-care and love for myself and our child.

I can't tell you how appreciative of my husband I am (I need to come up with a term for this new reality but am stumped at the moment).  He has given me my child, financial stability for years and just always has been there.  Why then, do you ask?  We also have been caught in a gerbil wheel of enabling each other to not be our best selves. It was when I finally became uncomfortable in my dysfunction that I discussed with him our need to go our separate ways.  For once, he agreed with me.

As I navigate my new normal, I am going to keep going back to my "roots".  My spiritual practices each morning, my work-outs, and my having fun.  It can get easy to get caught up in what others think you should do: drama, blaming, etc.  However, in this one, we are 50/50.  We both have verbalized that we wish no drama.  In fact, I'm not sure folks will even know what is going on because it has been that low key.  I love this.  I love this new way of thinking and not conforming to what society deems a separating couple's way to act.  How cool is this?

I'm looking forward to my new future.  It will have it's ups and downs, but the tools I am acquiring are giving me strength like I have never had before.  I spent a good part of today wallowing in a feeling that I don't think I have felt before. Was it sadness, grief, fear, or something else?  I'm just not sure.  I reached out to someone today and they said to keep moving.  Stay active and keep moving so those old thoughts and patterns keep moving out of my body.

Again, I look forward to my new future, new adventures and this life that I am now living! For each day, I am grateful.

"The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless your forgive the situation, unless you realize the situation is over, you cannot move forward."  - Steve Maraboli

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: Trish Walker or via Twitter (Trish Walker@50foraYear).

A Moment of Calm with Adam Levine

Adam Levine and his band Maroon 5 sure know how to rock out with a crowd.  I went to see them in concert Saturday night and was pleasantly surprised by the energy, talent, and fun that can be had at one of their shows.  It also gave me a big taste of how completely disconnected this world is becoming.  It left me with a feeling of sadness along with a side of hope (more on that later). As the warm-up band began to play, the two ladies sitting to my left immediately pulled out their phones.  Wait, let me re-word that because they didn't have to pull them out, they were glued to their hands.  Now these were no teenagers, these were middle-aged ladies such as myself.  This makes it even worse.  Anyhow, over the next two or so hours, these two ladies proceeded to take a selfie, post it on Facebook, keep checking Facebook to see who commented, video every song (will they ever watch these videos?), and finally, deep breathe in, start to play Candy Crush when they got bored.  Excuse me ma'am, but why did you come to the concert?

I started the evening getting very inflamed that this was going on.  Why didn't I say something?  Well, they were so many cocktails in, that I figured that it would be more work than I could imagine.  In the midst of all of this, I decided that I had a decision to make.  I could continue to let them ruin my night, or I could switch things around.  I chose the latter.  During the break between bands, I turned to the young couple behind me and we started to talk.  Yes, have a conversation.  This in turn, started to include a few more folks who saw what we were doing.  We talked about how there is no connections in the world.  These two young folks were high school teachers.  What they told me about kids and phones proceeded to break my heart.  Again, a choice. I have a son.  I can start by making a difference with both him and myself.

As the show continued on, it became very apparent that there was a lot of phone usage. At one point in the show, Adam Levine (bless his soul) actually said to the crowd that it was time to try something different during the next show.  He asked everyone to please put their phones away.  There were one or two folks who just couldn't part with it, but overall, the arena got really still, quiet and the only sound you heard was Adam and his guitarist belting out their song.  The energy shifted to one of folks being present, engaged and creative.  It was unbelievable.  Alas, after the song was over, Adam told folks they could go back to their old ways.  He did pause long enough to say, "Wasn't that really nice?".  I hope that a few folks really saw the connections and might make a difference in their lives.  Well, I'm sure you were wondering about Thing One and Two next to me.  Their phones came right back out!!  I wish them well on their journeys.

The concert was the highlight of my birthday weekend.  I knew every song, loved the music and had a great time.  The last song of the night that was played was Purple Rain by Prince.  It gave me chills and made me realize that our time here on Earth is short. We can spend it on our phones, creating drama in our lives, or we can hook into a collective of connection, love, friends and family.  The world right now is one of chaos, commotion and lack of connectiveness.  My hope is that something shifts soon. I can do my part, help my son to do his and send love and best wishes to everyone else.

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.” ― John Lennon

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: Trish Walker or via Twitter (Trish Walker@50foraYear).

Be Your Own Hero!!

At a lovely dinner last night here in Park City, I had a conversation with a good friend of mine.  We were talking about finding your purpose in life and how it feels when you just don't know what that is.  We talked around the subject and then came to the realization that you know your purpose, it's inside of you just waiting to get out.  There are quite a few folks in the world who are already living their purpose, but I would have to guess that there are more who are not.  They are stuck in jobs they don't like, relationships that aren't working and are not saying yes to their souls. Fast forward an appetizer or two, and we came up with the lovely conclusion that you do have your purpose inside of you.  It's the unlocking of steps to get you to that a-ha moment, that lovely, yummy version of yourself.  The one where you no longer feel that emptiness inside and that voice inside your head that says, "I know there is more!"

So, the inevitable question becomes how do we get there?  How do we unlock those steps?  For me it was years of workshops, coaching, therapy, etc.  It's just what I had to do.  It can get frustrating but it's that one coach who will give you the tools to get the job done yourself who will be the most valuable.  We all go to the workshops and hope that "they" give us the answers.  How many of you can relate to this?  When you make that switch to "I can do this!", the answers will flow more easily.

As I continued to talk to my dear friend, we realized that you can work on finding your passion at night while still in your day job.  Just start!  Just start with small steps and it will keep the momentum building and the energy going forward.  It's when you stop and try and re-start a few months later that you have problems getting the energy up to full speed.  Try it, just do three things a day.  Sit down and write three things a day that you want to accomplish.  The feeling of completing those three things will have you feeling so good, you will continue with the rest of that long to-do list.  Baby steps, my dear, baby steps.

It took me 50 years to finally see what my purpose here on earth was.  Some folks are blessed to find it way early and some way later than me.  It's that acceptance of knowing that it is inside of you and that you eventually will have the tools to tease it out that will make your life so much richer!

“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there’s love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” —Ella Fitzgerald

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.” — Georgia O’Keefe

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Check out my new book @ https://www.amazon.com/honey-just-getting-started-Consciously

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: Trish Walker or via Twitter (Trish Walker@50foraYear).

Rock Your Life!

There's been a lot of sad stuff going on here in Park City this past month.  The deaths of two 8th graders due to suspected drug overdoses have sent the town into a whirlwind.  The energy feels heavy and sad.  I'm doing my best to continue on a high vibration while still offering kind words to those in need.  These issues brought up a thought in my mind this week that has kind of been a continuation of something I have been experiencing the last month or so. I just sold my townhouse and moved into a rental for awhile until the next steps of our lives are figured out.  It's a lot of change, a lot of sadness but for me, mostly hope that life will continue on in a thriving manner.  We get just one life to live and I want to make mine really count.  By doing so, I feel as if I am providing a good role model for my son who is 11. The death of these two young boys has been a learning experience for the school-aged and parents alike.  It's given us lessons of paying attention to our youth more, making sure they don't make some bad judgements and letting our kids know that life can turn on a dime.

One of the themes that has popped up is one of gossip, judgement, rumors, story telling etc.  It started for me when I decided to put my house on the market.  I saw a lot of people avoiding me, asking others about my business and not just coming to me for the answers.  I don't bite people.  If you want to know what is going on, just come to me.  If you are afraid, then it's probably none of your business anyway.  I'm sorry, but my life is probably not as entertaining as you are making it out to be.  I taught my son that if someone is discussing your business behind your back, then they probably are not paying enough attention to the business that is right in front of them.

This brings me back to the stories of this week.  The police have told us that they don't have a reason for the deaths as of this writing, however, the stories are running rampant throughout my town.  It's a small town, I get it.  However, until we know exactly what happened, let's spend that energy helping the survivors and snuggling our own kids more at night.

To get off my soapbox now, my messages for this blog post are, life is short, it's time to rock it!! Rock your next day, your next year, your next decade.  We have but one beautiful life.  I"m going to do my best to make mine count and leave behind a legacy that I could be proud of.

“If there's one thing I learned, it's that nobody is here forever. You have to live for the moment, each and every day . . . the here, the now.” ― Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: Trish Walker or via Twitter (Trish Walker@50foraYear).

What John F. Kennedy Jr. Taught Me About Life!

Happy September.  It's been awhile since I have posted, but life has been busy.  What you are about to see is the changing of the tone of this blog.  I've finished up my goal of doing my 50 for a Year.  It's turned my life around.  I'm very, very close to the publication of my new book, "Oh Honey, I'm Just Getting Started...  Consciously Create Your Next Decade".  This is opening up avenues to me that I never thought possible.  I'm booking some speaking gigs, launching coaching programs and enjoying the "new me".  If you asked me a year or so ago if I would be writing a book and fulfilling my Divine Purpose, I would have looked at you with crossed eyes.  I'm here to tell you that today, I'm stepping into that Divine Purpose.  So hang on tight as I explain the day that I had yesterday. A beautiful friend of mine, who just happens to be a shaman, decided that she could assist me in figuring out why my right foot has been hurting for over two months.  I broke my foot last year.  It healed up but started to hurt me again this summer.  I've tried everything from chiropractic, to acupuncture to energy healing.  So this particular day, I decided to ask my friend to release some energy in my foot and see if that would help.  Little did I know that it would be an adventure that I hadn't planned for.

As I was lying on the table, my friend had me down deep in relaxation mode.  In an instant, I started to feel as if I were under water. I told her that I was feeling "murky".  It felt like my current life situation at the moment.  As she was working on me, I started to have a very clear vision of John F. Kennedy Jr. who died in a plane crash way too young. It was as if he was there with me in the water and at some point started to push me towards the top. I literally felt like I was in the water looking up through a layer of water.  It was something I have never felt before.  As I was experiencing this, I had a true feeling that he was trying to give me a message of "Life is too short.  Get out there and live your true purpose.".  "It's too late for me, but you still have time to live your best life ever.".  Wow!  What a lesson and what a message.

Since this particular session, I've been trying to put into play what I "heard" that day.  I have been trying to figure out how to do this.  I don't doubt what I went through in that energy session.  I have been feeling more and more like the veil is getting thinner and that those that have passed come back around to help us on earth live our best lives! Hey, if John John tells me to get out there and live my best life ever, you can be sure that I am going to listen.

As my life moves forward into unknown waters, I am adapting the attitude of just let it flow.  Don't get too caught up in details, or try and control the outcome of things.  The Universe is there to back me up and I know I have a "team" that is there for me.  There are some days where I don't trust this but always return to my beliefs.  I take some deep breaths and know that I have back-up.

As part of my life shifts, this blog will be re-named shortly.  There is a lot of exciting things coming down the turnpike for me.  Stay tuned!!

"Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work."  - A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Until My Next Adventure,

Trish Walker

Heaven's Not Ready for You Yet!

I just finished watching a Super Soul Sunday on the OWN network.  Oprah Winfrey was interviewing comedian Tracy Morgan.  If you recall, Tracy survived a horrific car crash in 2014.  He was in a medically induced coma for 10 days, during which time he said he talked to his deceased father a few times.  His dad told him, "I'm just not ready for you yet!".  You may not be a believer in the spirit world, but I have had too many instances of things happening where I cannot not believe. After watching the interview with Tracy, I came away with several comments.  He seems still baffled by it all but grateful for the life that he still has.  He doesn't remember the accident but is certainly well aware of the outcome of it.  He said he is not mad at anyone, just very lucky to still be alive.  He treasures each day as the gift that it is.

Tracy talked about what a strong woman his wife was and still is during this whole process.  How would I act in a situation like this?  I'm hoping that I would have the fortitude to see it through to the conclusion.  However, this is not about that.  This is about the fact that your life can turn on a dime.  Tracy said that he was on his way home from a gig and next thing he knew, he was waking up in a hospital.  He doesn't remember the accident but became aware three weeks later that it claimed the life of his mentor and long time friend, Jimmy Mack.

I could tell you repeatedly that you are lucky to be alive.  Some will get it and others will take it for granted.  If one of us were in that situation, how would we react?  Tracy said that if it weren't for his wife and small daughter, he doesn't know if he could have ever pulled out of that coma.  That is a testament to his marriage and child.  Just the positive thought of seeing them both pulled him out of his downward turn.

I hope and pray that I never have to see what I would do in this situation.  This got me to thinking that I am stronger than I give myself credit for.  I've survived the sudden death of my dad and being the one who found him on the floor. I've survived the diagnosis of my mom with Alzheimer's and the almost ten year battle that she went through before she too passed away.  I've gone through more than most people I know and I am still standing and breathing.  I'm tapping into this to get me through my next chapter which will include a lot of changes, hard work and several different outcomes.  I'm happy to be alive, breathing and be at a crossroads in my life where I can basically choose where I want to live and how I will get there.  As I am typing this, I realize that I alone am responsible for my life and what I choose to make of it.  Sitting around down in the dumps could be one way to handle it, but I am making the choice to step up and run my life in a matter that not only my parents would be proud of, but one that more importantly I am proud of!

Every day takes lots of energy to get through certain things in my life.  I'm blessed to have a great tribe with which I can giggle, get hugs and caring advice.  I'm so, so grateful for this.  However, in the end, it's me that has to get it done.  I can make the choice to step up and come out of certain situations whole, intact and thriving.  This summer is all about shifts and learning new skills with which to move forward with these shifts.  I look forward to see what the fall of 2016 will hold for me!

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." - Maya Angelou

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).

It Really Is All About Me.....

It's all about me.  Yes, that's right.  That's what I said, it's all about me.  Now I'm going down the path that your brain just automatically went down. I'm talking about how I realized today how much I get in my own way.  I harbor anger against others that should be anger towards myself.  Someone very wise pointed that out to me today.  She said, all this anger you have towards others, what is really about?  It seems it was about how I have anger against myself.  Anger that I didn't make certain life choices, or I sat around and let others take care of me, or anger that I didn't set boundaries and let others take advantage of me.  It hurt so bad, my liver was actually glowing inside my body.  Ouch.  Sure way to come down with something life threatening. Now the next steps.  Now that I made that realization, where do I go from here?  How do I move on from that realization and move forward instead of sliding back into old habits?  If I slide into old habits, I will cause myself even more anger.  It's just now hitting me how much time and energy I spent focusing that anger on others and sitting around waiting until they changed, if they ever changed.  Phew.  That felt good.  That just felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders.  Funny how this all works.

Where do I go from here can be answered with a variety of ways.  The one I am relying on at the moment is quiet introspection.  Getting up early and meditating and asking, "Please show me the next steps to take.".  We all think that we need the final answer to the question instantly but I am coming to realize more and more that it truly is one step at a time.  Let me give you a for instance.   The past week we made the decision that it was time to sell our house.  The timing is just right as this will free us up to take the next right steps in life and to have some cash in the bank to pursue what we really want to do in life.  I leapt right into action with calls to agents etc.  However, I got the clear message that this might take some time but the outcome will be favorable.  I re-arranged and decided that a "soft" opening would take place.  What I mean by this is first tell some friends, then perhaps advertise on Facebook, etc.  This situation will take care of itself.

I've already had the inevitable, "Well, where are you going to go?".  For the first time in my life, I don't have the answer and I am feeling really calm about it.  I know I do need to take some steps to try and narrow it down and do some research, however, in the end it truly will flow as it should.  This is so a whole new way of thinking for me.

Today's message is just this:  it's time to go inward.  It's time to take the blame off of others and use that energy to work on your own "stuff".  It's amazing how liberating and powerful this can be.  I've already noticed a shift in my relationships around me because I am working on myself and staying in my own lane.

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”  ― Ernest Hemingway

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).

I'm No Longer the Life of the Party!

I used to be the first one out the door when someone had a party.  However, today I realized that hat didn't fit anymore.  My family left me home alone (woo hoo, did they hear the door slam on the way out?) tonight as they went to a gathering at a friend/old neighbor's house.  I made the conscious choice not to go.  I thought about it all day and then realized that the reason I was getting into a bad mood was because I had too much on my plate today and most days.  It is time to slim down my calendar and take better care of myself. I could have made the choice to go, but this week for some reason, I have been feeling an overwhelming energetic pull on me.  I have been steering away from conversations that pull me down such as politics, world and American events.  People look at me like I have three heads when I choose not to partake in these discussions.  My reason is, if I am not willing to step up and do something big about these topics, it's best to put my energies into something that will move myself forward.

Don't get me wrong.  I love the folks that would have been at this particular party, I just don't love the mood I am in right now.  It's best for me to stay home, continue on the path I am on, and use my time for my creative efforts.  If I were to have said yes to tonight, I would have ended up being in a far worse mood because I didn't stop to rest and do self-care when I knew that my body really needed it.  It's time to say yes, just to myself for today.  You know what?  That's perfectly okay!

I used to be that person that thought you had to say yes to everything.  Believe you me, I was a pro.  If I didn't go, so and so would be upset with me.  If I didn't participate, they may never ask me again.  I finally realized that this was pretty egotistical of me because you know what, they are all right with this.  They don't pay that much attention to whether or not I come to a party or not.  What I mean is, they are not keeping score because I still get invitations.  I also think that on some level, there are probably ten other people who upon hearing that I stayed home, secretly wished they were doing exactly what I was doing.  That's okay.  A Saturday night spent in your jammies reading a book, writing a blog or watching a show is awesome.

It's so, so important these days to do self-care.  If we run ourselves ragged, what good are we to others??  Not very much.  So use this as a hall pass on your next invitation that starts at 5:30 and you realize at 5:20 that you didn't even have the energy yet to get up and take a shower!  That was my hint that it was okay to stay home!

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).

Put Your Oxygen Mask on First!

I had an amazing break-through just this very morning.  It had been building up for a few days and finally materialized in one big, juicy collective breathe after breakfast.  It was the ever so simple, "Stay In Your Own Lane".  Now I know that I have brought this up on this blog before, but it showed up again this morning.  It reminded me to get back to a simple routine that needed to be done over and over again.  This healing process is a life-long experience.  Some people think it can be fixed with one phone call or one pill, but I am living proof that it is always evolving. By staying in my own lane, I take all the energy I would have ordinarily used to try and "help, fix or rescue" others and turn it back towards myself.  Some of you will know what I am talking about. I had a long conversation this morning with a friend of mine.  She is on a similar path albeit a few levels back.  I've been giving her some tips to use on her own journey.  She takes what she needs or wants to use at that particular time. Today she asked me to remind her about the simple steps again.  She keeps stepping into other's "stuff" over and over again.  She is realizing quicker and quicker how it sucks all her energy out and the other person usually doesn't appreciate or need to hear what she has to say. Needless to say, when I reminded her, it took me to a moment where I needed to hear those exact words this morning.  When we jump in to save the day, are we really saving the day?  In fact, what I ended our conversation with was "By trying to help people, are we more "not helping" them?"  She got what I meant, and I hope you do too.  Folks need to figure out their own journeys.  They may think they need help but when it comes right down to it, the answer is right there in front of them, they just want you to give them the answer and not search for it themselves.  When that Aha moment hit me this morning, the rest of my day was completely different.  When I had more energy to work on my own things, the day went a lot smoother.

There are just some of us humans who want to love on folks.  We want to fix, teach, rescue, etc.  It's our nature.  It takes a lot of work to get out of this pattern.  Sometimes the person you are "rescuing" tries to put even bigger hooks into you, but hold strong and remember at the end of the day, it's your health and well-being that are the most important.  As you hear on that airplane, "Put Your Oxygen Mask on First".  If you don't keep yourself whole, how can you help others??

When you say yes to others, make sure you're not saying no to yourself!!!

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to discuss how I can help you to make your next chapter better than your last.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).

Finding Myself Through My Travels!

It's been a few weeks since I have made a blog post.  I was away for an extended road trip and was processing a lot of my stuff while in the car.  What do I mean by this?  I was doing a life examination and seeing where I could make some changes and what needed to go.  I'm back home and ready to rock it.  I had some huge Aha moments and some that threw me for a loop.  I highly recommend this process to anyone who feels stuck. It's a great way to get away and work on some of your "stuff". It's hard to go there, but if you want different results in your life, it's the way to do it.  I realized that you can't sit around and wait for others to change, you have to change your response to things.

Back in my "happy place" - Santa Barbara, Ca., June 2016

I'm a fan of Doreen Virtue (Google her if you aren't familiar, she's amazing!) on both Facebook and Instagram.  Doreen has some great posts just about everyday that always seem to hit me right in the head.  Today's was, "Stay out of the drama, even if for just one day!".  Wow, that's great.  I went out for a bike ride and decided to do it.  Guess what, it was amazing how many ways people tried to bring it to my handlebars.  I'll give you one example.  I had a beautiful monarch butterfly land on the front of my bike. They were all around.  I stopped to enjoy them.  A gentleman was walking by me.  I told him about the butterflies and hoped he would enjoy seeing them as well.  He looked at me and uttered, "Yeah, well this place is also filled with snakes!".  I looked at him and said, "I'm going to focus on the positive!".  That felt really good!  Butterflies vs. snakes, what will you choose?

I'm feeling really good about the future because I realized this past week that you shouldn't even go to the non-existent future.  Take one step at a time.  I was feeling overwhelmed because my book is going to be coming out here very soon.  Why was I not excited?  I was feeling overwhelmed because there is still a lot of steps between here and there.  This is when I realized to stop looking at the future, and to take it in small bites.  Case in point, make a list every day of three things (yes, just three things) to do.  I will let you know that when you feel so good about just getting those three things done, your list will grow and you will have the energy and spirit to finish it.

After driving nearly 2,500 miles, the Aha list was very long.  With my new thinking, I'm going to take that list one at a time.  As long as I do this, I will keep moving forward and my future will sort itself out.  There is a reason I am in the situation I am in right now. It's preparing me for my best self.  If I don't stop long enough and learn the lessons that are being thrown at me right now, how will I ever move forward in a positive manner. As someone wise told me last night, "Different forest, same trees!".  Basically, if I refuse to figure my "stuff" out now, history will just repeat itself.  Take that nugget and go out there and get at it!!

Dinner View at Duke's Malibu!

“You've got to find yourself first. Everything else'll follow.”  ― Charles de Lint, Dreams Underfoot

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to schedule a complimentary intuitive coaching session to discuss how to make your second half of life better than your first.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).

Life is Like an Open Book

I'm in the process of finishing up all of the work required to put out my first book.  I'm very excited about the whole thing, but am realizing more and more how much appreciation I should have given to all the authors of all of the books that I have read up until this point in my life.  It's a long, hard process.  I didn't realize it until I find myself in the middle of being in that process.  I can see the finish line but am trying to muster up the strength to see it until the end: publication date! I'm currently working with several people including book designers, both inside and out.  I'm also working with an amazing editor who has helped me immensely throughout this whole process.  It's not unlike having a whole staff of people at my beck and call.  I appreciate them and the hard work that they are putting in to help me see this through to the completion.

This book will mark something more than just becoming a published author.  It will mark me finally seeing a project through until the end after a very long time of floundering with what I wanted to do.  You see, I stepped out of my corporate role when my son was very little.  I wanted to stay at home with him and enjoy his growing up years.  I didn't realize that somewhere in that process, I would lose my sense of self. This book is me re-inventing myself and not getting lost in the saga of "I've stayed at home for six years and now have nothing to show for it except seeing my son bravely step into the world after I have prepared him for that role".  I'm so proud of both him and myself for forging on and finishing up what life has shown us so far.  My book is the sprinkles on the sundae after making sure all are happy and healthy.

The book is a compilation of stories from this blog.  Each chapter shares a story and then has a section at the end that will give the reader some ideas on how to make their next decade their best decade.  I'm looking forward to sharing these stories with my readers and will be thrilled if it has a positive impact on someone who will be inspired to turn their way of thinking about that next decade into something positive and motivating!

I look forward to hearing from my readers about any stories that this book sparks them to have.   The book should be released sometime next month.  Stay tuned.......

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation to discuss how we can work together to make your second half of life better than your first.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).

Drama Knocked on the Door & I Didn't Answer!

I'm noting a trend in my life this week - drama is coming from all directions.  It made me stop and ponder, since I am the common denominator, where do I need to make some changes?  When you start making changes in your life, it causes a ripple effect among those closest to you.  They see you making changes and wonder if they too, need to do the same.  This produces some interesting reactions.  We've talked about this before on my blog, but since it is coming up yet again, I felt like there needed to be more discussion around it. As you rise on your path, you will find that you are having some folks closest to you try and bring you down.  It's disappointing to say the least.  Case in point, this week I had someone very close to me share news of someone that just wasn't her's to share.  It traveled around, was shared with me, and next thing I knew, I was feeling like I was the bad guy when in fact I tried to shut it down by telling the person sharing it that it wasn't hers to share and I was going to forget she told me.  Confused?  I was too!

Drama will come to you from all avenues, it's your reaction to it that is what matters. It's a struggle but you will find it easier and easier to rise above each time.  The less time you spend reacting to it, the less drama will come your way.

I'm choosing to take back my power in this situation and cut cords to those that stirred up the drama in the first place.  The Universe is obviously trying to tell me that I need to, yet again, pull in my circle of influence and surround myself with those that lift me up.  It's those folks that create an issue and then don't take personal responsibility for it that will find themselves on the outer layer of my "circle".

I am seeing a trend for what I am calling "rescuer energy" lately too.  I've been there and done that.  Let's spend our day working on other's issues so we don't have to spend time on our own issues.  I get it, it's so much easier that way.  Why bother to address our "stuff" when we can get in the mix of others?  I'm making the choice to no longer step into drama.  There are days where it will show up on my doorstep, but I know I have the personal choice to pretend no one is home!!

“Free yourself from the complexities and drama of your life. Simplify. Look within. Within ourselves we all have the gifts and talents we need to fulfill the purpose we've been blessed with.”  ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at pwalker2650@gmail.com to schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation to discuss how we can work together to make your second half of life better than your first.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).

A Weekend Full of Good Food & Fun!

A weekend spent in the Phoenix/Tucson, Arizona area is a weekend full of fun, hot weather and great eating.  I've gone to this area a couple of times in the past, but this weekend I was able to, for the first time, spend some quality time driving around and really enjoying the cities for what they are.  It was super hot, but the many air conditioned restaurants and misters in the gas station serve to keep one cool. I landed in Phoenix just in time to join my Arizona-based brother for a lunch at the Tempe location of Culinary Drop-Out (http://www.culinarydropout.com).  A funky, cool vibe greets you when you pull up to the valet stand.  In the Arts District, the building is big, loft-like and filled with small white Christmas lights, wood accents and big, garage-like doors.  It offers both an indoor and outdoor seating arrangement.  As it was super hot, I stuck with the indoor one.  My chicken salad was to die for!  I also partook in the pretzel and fondue appetizer.  Needless to say, very filling.  It was a bit much to eat those and then climb in the car for the 1.5 hour drive to Tucson.  However, I got her done!

My Friday night started out with a wonderful meal at Tavolino Ristorante Italiano (http://tavolinoristorante.com).  This fine eatery had many surprises in store.  I started the meal with the traditional mozzarella caprese which was very yummy.  Fresh tomatoes and mozzarella combined to make this an amazing appetizer.  My main course consisted of sharing a plate of beet raviolis with my cousin.  We also passed around a plate of butternut squash raviolis.  Have to say, the beet raviolis were the winners hands down.

Although the air outside was over 100 degrees of "dry heat", inside things were warm with laughter, love and good food.  I hadn't seen all my cousins in one group in a few years.  It was so great for me to be around all this good energy for lots of laughs, tears, and toasts.  There is just something about being around those you grew up with for you to be able to let your guard down and hang loose.  These particular cousins grew up across country from my native New Jersey, however, once I moved out West, we not only re-connected but also bonded deeply.  They are my "happy, healthy" family members who I love to be around.

The weekend continued on with graduation parties, shopping and even a squeezed in work-out at my new addiction, Orangetheory Fitness.  We have a new franchise here in Park City, and I was able to join in on a class in Tucson at their new location.  This one hour work-out (www.orangetheoryfitness.com) consists of sessions split into intervals of cardiovascular and strength training with heart rate monitors to track intensity and maximize metabolic burn.  I have never stuck to a work-out routine before, but for some crazy reason this one is addicting.  The one-hour work-out goes super fast.

I finished up my time in Arizona with a ladies' brunch at Agustin Kitchen (http://agustinkitchen.com) in Tucson.  I arrived early and was able to spend some time getting to know the fabulous Jamie behind the bar.  What a sweet, upbeat young lady who clearly enjoyed her job and excelled at it.  She was a whiz at mixing up beautiful mimosas, Bloody Mary's and anything else you could want on a hot Sunday morning.  My cousins and I ordered off the brunch meal.  We started off with a huge, home-cooked cinnamon roll that tasted like a sugary cinnamon/gingerbread mix.  Only order one for the whole table because they are giant.  Well worth the extra calories.  I had huevos rancheros that were amazing as well.

As you can see, I spent most of my Arizona time soaking in the amazing food.  We are a little understated here in Utah when it comes to great food, so when I go out of town I have to make up for it.  I totally did that and more in Arizona....

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

It's easy to impress me. I don't need a fancy party to be happy. Just good friends, good food, and good laughs. I'm happy. I'm satisfied. I'm content.  - Maria Sharapova

Looking at Life Through New Eyes

This past week has been a series of ups and downs.  I'm moving ahead in my business but seem to have trends of going backwards in other areas.  It's almost as if there are forces out there that say, look how good she is doing, we better throw her a curveball. What I realized after a while is that perhaps I'm the one throwing out the curve ball. I'm the one that is making the choice to accept the part in drama.  This just has to stop. I can make the choice to either participate in the distraction or walk away from the distraction. Case in point, yesterday was Mother's Day.  Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms, step-moms, etc. out there.  My day was wonderful.  Cards, gifts, getting waited on and slipping under the covers to read my latest novel while it poured rain out.  Then, the drama showed up.  (Cue the music for Jaws here.)

I had sent out a group text to all the mothers in my family in the morning, wishing them a great day.  I got back the usual responses, "You too!", "Have a wonderful day.", then the one showed up that triggered me.  It came from a relative who has devoted her life deep into religion.  The text showed up with a bible verse of some kind.  Now mind you, I'm not against religion, I just choose to do it in my own way.  She chooses to do it in her own way and makes sure that not only does everyone know, but tries to judge us when we don't get onboard her bus.  It started me down a path of how dare she, who does she think she is?  It took me awhile and a few phone calls with my tribe to bring it back down to not judging or basically doing the same as her.  She is entitled to her opinions/thoughts, it's just when she tries to put it on others that it irritates me.

I had a great phone call this morning with one of my ladies!  She has been in a similar position and summed it up by saying that this relative is a salesman (the religious one in the family).  She thinks she is here on Earth to sell this program and won't rest until everyone is on board the train.  No matter what I might say to this person, she won't hear it.  Again, her prerogative.  What I have to decide is, do I jump in the fray or remove myself from the situation?  I'm going to choose to remove myself from the situation.

I started out today with feeling like there were tentacles trying to pull me down a few energy levels.  However, I quickly realized that I have the resources within me to not go down that path.  It's taken a lot of years and lots of new tools, but I'm happy to report that it is getting easier and easier.  The outlook for this week is that it is going to rock!!!

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at twalker.wellness@gmail.com to schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation to discuss how we can work together to make your second half of life better than your first.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).

Building Your "Version" of Family

Last Saturday ended on a beautiful note.  It ended in a way that restored my faith in the Universe and in Spirit.  Let me explain. It was a day full of endless errands and my to-do list: cleaning, meal planning and shopping.  As the day wore on, my energy felt more and more depleted. There were people running stop signs, flipping people off and just energy all around that felt off kilter.  During all of this, I was getting more and more text messages from family members.  It was almost like they all decided to reach out on the same day.  I was feeling like the information booth at the rest-area.  When is so and so's graduation, what are the emails for these relatives, and on and on.  I stopped and thought to myself, how exactly did I get to be the information booth for my extended family?  On one hand, great, I'm happy to help.  However, on this particular day I was feeling depleted. It got me thinking about how my role in my family has changed.  I have become the "different one".  Can you relate?  Are you the one in your family who is bucking trends and deciding to reach outside the box to figure things out and not repeat family patterns?  If so, you know how gratifying yet exhausting it can be.

Awhile ago, I changed from being the one with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to the one who started saying no.  I started saying no to things and family events that I knew would again, deplete my energy.  I realized that it is okay to say no to some things.  If something didn't feel right or would take me away from my immediate family, I was going to say no.  Well, you can imagine how this was met.  It was and still is a bone of contention amongst certain family members.  I'm starting to see, though, that they take it personally.  If I say no to something they invited me to, they think it must be about them.  It must be something they did wrong.  Hate to burst your bubble, but it probably has nothing to do with you.  It has to do with me and keeping myself healthy either financially or physically.

Since I have started to say no, certain things have started to happen.  I feel liberated.  I feel healthier and I am happier.  That day, however, I had a back slide.  One that made me feel as if saying no was somehow wrong.  Maybe saying no is something that would be causing me guilt.  After all, I'm told, it's family and you have to go.  I wallowed for all of about two hours and worked through it all using both energy techniques and meditations that I have learned.  I got back on track and realized that it really is okay to say no.

Once I was back on track, I started down a path of feeling some grief.  After all, my family doesn't seem to be the Norman Rockwell version that America seems to think we all need. I realized that I don't really have a close relationship with any of my four siblings.  We are in five different states for a reason.  We have nothing in common.  We all have different interests, different families and different ways of life.  While that might seem sad, I was reminded today that I have made (and am still making) my own version of family.  I have wonderful friends and a great group of like-minded folks that I am growing to know and love.

That day ended on a great note that made me feel warm and cozy and that the Universe had my back.  A wonderful couple who I have met recently (they reside in Arizona) were in Utah for a family event.  They went out of their way (mind you, they were traveling with kids and grandkids) to meet up with me long enough for ten minutes of chat and some warm hugs.  They went out of their way for me.  I can't begin to tell you how much that gesture meant to me, especially that day when I was processing some grief. Thank you both!!

I wish you all a happy, healthy tribe around you.  If that includes your family, kudos to you.  If you have worked to create your own family, even more kudos.  Know that you are not alone in your path to your "family".  I am living it too.

Until My Next Adventure,

P.A. Walker

Are you ready to say yes to your soul by shifting your perspective to create something extraordinary? I invite you to contact me via email at twalker.wellness@gmail.com to schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation to discuss how we can work together to make your second half of life better than your first.

Please also follow me on my Facebook Page: The Second Half or via Twitter (Patricia A. Walker@50foraYear).