One day in mid May, I was sitting at my dining table looking at the pine tree outside my window. The late afternoon sun was shining in on the bookcase behind me, causing a reflection in the window. Suddenly, I could clearly see a reflection of some of my books exactly in the middle of the tree trunk. It wasn't hard to see the symbolism of the books appearing in the trunk of the tree. What had heretofore been a subliminal worry about how my work as a writer might affect the environment -- using trees, polluting rivers with toxic printing chemicals --came forward in my mind. I felt a kind of mental groan in the face of something that seems very complicated and overwhelming -- especially since it affects my livelihood. These are the very real barriers we face when we think us want to Ado something for the environment. How much change are we really willing to do?

Two weeks later Elizabeth Jenkins, my friend whose new book Initiation: A Woman's Journey to the Heart of Peru, had just come out, and we were on the airport shuttle in Berkeley on our way to give presentations at the IIIHS conference in Montreal. As we chatted, it occurred to me to mention the vision I had of the books in the tree. I shared with her my concern about being an author and being responsible for the results of my endeavors. You're right! she exclaimed. We began to discuss avenues of learning more about the printing process and how we might gather together with other writers. About eight minutes had gone by, when the van stopped to pick up another passenger--a woman. Elizabeth and I later recalled that we each felt an immediate urge to engage her in conversation. Overhearing our conversation, she turned around and we began to talk a little. I asked her what she did. I'm an environmental writer and a Jungian psychologist. Dr. Meredith Sabini was on her way to a conference on healing in Boulder, Colorado. It turned out that good friends of hers already knew of Elizabeth's work in Peru and had mentioned her in their book. Within minutes we were making all kinds of connections, and even the van driver got excited because his sister was just reading the Experiential Guide for The Tenth Insight! Amazingly, Meredith showed us a sample of Kenaf, a plant-fiber paper on which her stationery is printed. It has a lovely feel and is much kinder to the environment, using no toxic chemicals in processing--and it is a sustainable crop which does not use trees!

After this encounter, Elizabeth and I looked at each other in amazement at how instantly the universal intelligence had put us in touch with exactly our next source of information.

I asked Meredith to tell us more about her passion for a simple and ecologically sustainable lifestyle. This began for me with the drought that we had in California twenty years ago. The drought seemed to initiate my awakening process in relation to the environment. Instead of resenting the drought, I learned to work with it. It reminded me of camping, and it put me in a pleasant state of mind. Water took on more value, and my respect for it increased--like a limited inheritance you have to spend wisely. Water became my teacher. I was quite embarrassed that I had the typical western assumption that resources were always available.

My relationship with the drought had a deep impact, and not just about water. I realized that I needed to make major changes so that I didn't consume as much. Jung talks about sacrifice and collective guilt, and I was willing to take on the guilt of using too many resources. As a psychologist, I was already interested in the symbolism of how our country spends so much on defense and so little on creativity, children, and the environment. It made sense to me that our country was facing an energy crisis, since we spend more on defense than anything else. If I had a patient with these behaviors, I would be asking some serious questions.

Tuning into nature and its cycles, and looking at my own lifestyle felt very much like a religious conversion," Dr. Sabini continued. "I published an article entitled In Praise of Drought, and joined with other ecopsychologists in the Bay Area. I stopped buying things that were new. This major shift in attitude allows synchronicity to take place, as I find what I need without making much effort.

I live part-time in Berkeley and part-time in a wilderness area, where I have an electric truck, a telephone, and use a solar cooker and solar light system. I hang laundry in the sun. Each of these activities allows the spirit to be present. Carrying Kenaf with me to a copy shop is part of my devotion. I think this is one way spirit can come into relationship with matter. The process of washing clothes and folding laundry becomes meaningful and enjoyable. Feeling pressured by time and thinking work must be 'hard' spoils the spirit of work.

Anthropologist Edward Hall, who wrote Dance of Life, helped me understand that time was a cultural fantasy. Our culture's notion of time is the collective fantasy that things have to be done fast. Actually, most tasks are voluntary and could be done when the spirit moves us.

This article first appeared in THE CELESTINE JOURNAL in September 1997.

Stay in The Flow

A year ago, realtor SUE CHRISTENSEN had no idea that she would be starting a whole new life. I first met Sue at a writing retreat with Tom Bird in Sedona in July, 2001. Sue's dream at that time was to write a novel. She kept describing herself as a novice at fiction writing. As I listened to her, my intuition told me something different. This woman was so vibrant, so focused, and so interesting, I could not see her as a novice at anything! Finally, I asked her, "If you could write something about real estate, what would that be?" She laughed and said, "Oh, I would write, "How to Make a Six-figure Income on Your Terms!-Without working nights and weekends" No hesitation. No explanation. She just said it. Little did she know that she was setting in motion the driving force for her coming career as an author and workshop trainer.

The Call and the Crossroads

Sue, fifty-five, has been a real estate agent for twenty-five years. She has also been a married woman for thirty years. Her marriage ended a few months ago, and suddenly, life has other things in mind for her. "I have been dealing with my personal struggle for some time, but in February I came to a crossroads. I needed to move out of the problem and into a solution." Like many of us, she felt a call to something "else," but didn't have a clear idea about the form it would take. "I decided to visit my sister in Tucson for the weekend," Sue told me. "By this time I had already written my book on how to earn six figures in real estate and still have a balanced life, but I didn't have a clear idea of what to do with it. My sister and I went to lunch at the Congress Hotel, which is a beautiful historic building. I have had a lifelong fascination with historic architecture. As we were sitting there having lunch, I was not in a very happy emotional state, but in looking around, I had a flash-probably the most profound synchronicity of the past five months. I heard myself saying to my sister, 'What if I moved to Tucson, and what if I bought a historical home that could provide space for workshops for 20-35 people?' I went on to tell her that maybe I could use my book as an instructional guide for these workshops. It's been my observation that most realtors are either working too much or working without direction, and not making the money they want to make. I want to show them another way. The whole focus of my interest is how to be very productive but not at the expense of one's personal life.

"This stream of thoughts," said Sue, "came as a huge shock to me. At the time, I was married and it did not seem at all like a realistic projection that my husband and I would move to Tucson, or that I could move ahead with this idea. And yet, it was so clear I felt it was a distinct possibility for me. It was a one-of-a-kind experience. My sister told me that my whole face and body language changed when I told her this vision. She said I talked with great animation, but the minute I started thinking about 'reality,' my whole demeanor changed."

Taking Action

Soon afterwards, Sue returned to her home in Flagstaff. She and her husband had a long talk about where they were in their marriage. He said he was ready to let go. "That was a turning point for me," said Sue.

Two weeks later, Sue came to Tucson with her vision in mind. Within two days she had bought a house. "I decided that the practical thing to do was buy something relatively inexpensive and easily maintained. I felt this new place could be an investment property because I still wanted to find the historic home of my vision. The one thing that has remained crystal-clear is that I want to do the workshops. However, as I looked into the area of historic homes, I found that parking for large groups would become a huge issue."

Let Your Questions Take You Where You Need to Go

Like many of us who have a partial vision of a new business or project, our mind takes over and wants to know the plan. Sue's burning questions were: How long will it take to establish my business? Can I fill all the workshops I have scheduled? Is my audience likely to be local the first year? How and when should I expand? How do I meet the right people?

Since Sue was new to Tucson, natural curiosity prompted her to explore the real estate community via the Internet. She found the website for the Tucson Association of Realtors and their calendar of events. "The Real Estate Expo on September 24th jumped off the screen to me. I wanted more information about the Expo, so I went to their office, and told them I was new in town, and had just joined the Association. I introduced myself as an author, speaker, and trainer, and asked them if this Expo would be a place to promote my workshops. They jumped at the idea and said it would be perfect.

Sharing the Vision With Others

"In our conversation, I mentioned that ultimately I would be looking for a historic building, and described my vision of the workshops where people would go away with written affirmations, a written business plan, and a twelve-month marketing plan. I mentioned that I could see people sitting at round tables actually working on their plans, not just sitting and taking notes. I also said I wanted to do a nice lunch and have an afternoon break with a Victorian tea. The woman I was speaking to said, 'Oh, Sue do you know about the Manning House?' I didn't, but it turns out to be a lovely mansion with a number of meeting rooms. I saw it online and fell in love with what I saw. It was exactly what I had envisioned, and obviously it bypasses the risk of my buying a property and running it myself. I made an appointment to meet the woman who owns and runs it.

"But my story gets better and better," said Sue laughing. "I had been invited by a real estate friend to attend a meeting of the Women's Council of Realtors-which turned out to be at-you guessed it--the Manning House! Here again I met new people in real estate, to whom I introduced myself by saying, 'I am an author, speaker, and trainer.' I let everyone know that I will be offering workshops in the fall. I also mentioned that my book would be available in a few weeks. Everyone responded very positively, and three other really great things happened.

Clear Intention and Sharing the Vision Creates Effortless Unfolding

"The first great opportunity was meeting a woman who is not only the incoming president of the State Council for next year, but also the person who arranges for speakers at the national level. She asked if I would be available for state and national speaking presentations! Secondly, she then gave me the name of the person at the Tucson Association who could walk me through all the requirements to get my workshop certified for continuing education credits. This was a step I would not even have thought of. During this one event, I became aware of opportunities I had no idea existed. I have saved so much time in discovering these possibilities and finding the exact right person to contact!"

At lunch, Sue's third new opportunity unfolded. She was seated next to a woman who asked if she expected to become active in committees. Sue responded, " 'Of course. What committees do you like to work with?' She said she was the chair of the sponsorship committee. It turns out that for a small fee I can sit at a special table as people come into the meetings. I can promote my books and workshops to my target audience! I could not have imagined how perfectly effortless it would be to market my new business. I am astounded!"

An Open and Optimistic Attitude Creates More Flow

As Sue stayed in the flow of exploring new information, she set up a meeting with the owner of the Manning House. "I was already practically euphoric. At that meeting, the owner and I had a wonderfully personal conversation. She was very generous in her desire to help me get my business going, and even offered a small storage place for my workshop materials at no cost. So now I have the exact location for the vision I had of my workshop setting."

Finally, Sue told me, "Since the theme for this year's real estate Expo is 'Get Away for the Day,' I wanted to give away a weekend in Santa Fe (my husband and I own a hotel there.) as a drawing prize for my booth. When I mentioned this to the woman who was processing my booth application, she said, 'Oh, would you want to pay for that prize yourself, or would you rather have the Association award it as a Grand Prize? Then we could give you your booth at not cost."

Isn't that incredible? Never in a million years would I have thought of a trade-out. Another synchronicity!

The Power of Affirmations

Last year at our retreat, I clearly remember Sue saying to the class, "My affirmation is that 'I feel like the whole universe is engaged in a big conspiracy to help me achieve good things.'" It seems the Universe is.

A simple acronym can help us stay centered when we are at a crossroads.The idea came to me as I was preparing material for seminars based on my new book, When Life Changes, Or You Wish It Would: How to survive and thrive in uncertain times. I wanted to give students an experience of knowing that the unconscious — or intuition — will direct our attention to something we need to know—when we ask! The word AIM, as a mnemonic device, popped into my mind.

First of all, when you focus your attention on something—such as AIM—you tend to see it everywhere. We’ve all had the experience of wanting to buy a certain kind of car in a particular color, and then suddenly seeing those cars everywhere on the highway or in parking lots. As you read this article about the word AIM, you are sensitizing your conscious mind and programming the unconscious mind to notice this word. Therefore, tonight when you listen to the news, read the newspaper in the morning, pick up a book, or talk to a friend, somewhere you are going to see or hear this word AIM. It will be a gentle reminder that you can “put yourself on assignment” to find something you need, meet someone, or receive a new opportunity.

What message will AIM remind you of when you see it?

The word AIM will be an acronym, which answers the five most common questions that people ask when facing Life Changes or finding their Life Purpose:

1) How can I get clarity about what I’m supposed to do? 2) How do I choose between several options? 3) How do I know something is right for me? 4) How do I deal with the fear of making a change? 5) How do I stay focused and on track?

In this context, let’s look at the words that AIM might represent:

A = Authenticity, Attitude, Assignment, Awareness I = Intention, Imagination, Intuition M = Motivation, Moment

Each of these nine words is a reminder of how to move forward during times of uncertainty, so let’s define what they mean...

AUTHENTICITY is the feeling that who you are and what you do are one and the same. Authenticity is feeling that the inner and outer You are consistent.

The feeling of being authentic—that is, acting in tune with your values—automatically provides courage and confidence. A woman named Shirley from Las Vegas told me, “I went through some difficult times with my divorce, but because ‘I knew who I was,’ I could weather being stripped down to my core, and come out of the experience shaken but okay.” The suffering did not strip away a basic knowledge of who she knew herself to be—a survivor with a keen intelligence and a sense of humor who would inevitably spring back. When you make a choice, make sure it’s in alignment with who you really are. You’ll know you are on the right track if your choice makes you feel good about yourself.

ATTITUDE is your best chance of taking change in stride—and of course, that means having a Good attitude! You aren’t going to be able to stop your life from changing, and you are not always going to be able to change the things you want to change. However, it makes all the difference in the world if you have an open, curious, and optimistic attitude. Remember that old Zen story about the farmer who tells the Zen master that his horse ran away? The Zen master says, “Hmmm, who knows if it’s good or bad?” That’s having an open attitude.

ASSIGNMENT is the process of stating what you want to have or what you need to know, and then watching for it to show up. I have a good friend, Cori, who writes travel articles. She once had an assignment to write an article about golf courses from A to Z. She easily found a golf course for every letter of the alphabet except X. She kept searching for an X, but couldn’t find anything. Just before her deadline, she was driving somewhere and noticed that the car in front of her had a bumper sticker advertising the Winchester Mystery House near San Jose, CA. It said, “X Marks The Spot!” Since her intuition was highly attuned to “X,” she saw this bumper sticker as a possible answer. She decided to investigate golf courses in the San Jose area and found a noteworthy one, which allowed her to finish the article on time. Similarly, you, too, can put yourself “on assignment” whenever you are facing a decision or need to gather new information. Stay alert to whatever catches your attention.

AWARENESS of the potential gifts within a seeming obstacle helps you to stay open to all kinds of information, even when at first something seems to be an impediment or setback. There are no accidents, and everything happens for a reason.

INTENTION is the state of mind where you intellectually and emotionally deeply desire something. This goal or person may not be in your life at present, but you intend to do it or have it. If you don’t specifically know what you want (and many of us don’t know or are afraid to ask for what we want), concentrate instead on describing how you want to feel. You may not know where your next job is going to be, but make a list of feelings you’d like to have (e.g., “I want to feel excited when I get up in the morning.” or “I want to work with a really good group of people where I feel comfortable and creative.”) By your intention, you set a direction, while remaining open to something even better coming along.

IMAGINATION is that act of setting the intention and visualizing something that matters to you. Imagine eating a piece of chocolate mud pie with whip cream on top and a sprinkle of finely chopped walnuts. Imagination is the powerful radiating message that you send out to Life. It’s the magnet which starts to attract good things. Some teachers believe that daydreaming or imagining what you want, even for as little as 60 seconds a day, starts a mysterious chain of events that attracts into your life what you need or want.

INTUITION is the messenger that tells us something we need to hear that will move us in the right direction. At a crossroads, we tend to get caught up in fear, paralysis, depression, rationalization, or procrastination. These negative states tend to block true intuition. The good thing is that intuitive thoughts tend to be persistent. For example, you often think to yourself, “It would be good for me to go to graduate school.” or “It’s time to start my own business.” Usually the message keeps coming back.. Although you may feel a slight amount of fear about starting the new direction, intuition is usually not warning you about something as much as it is encouraging you to move outside your comfort zone in order to develop new or unrealized aspects of your life.

MOTIVATION is your reason for doing something. If you are making a choice for the wrong reasons (e.g., you feel desperate, you feel needy, you want to be taken care of, or you think you can get something for nothing), your project will ultimately bring you some form of failure or suffering. If you want to know if something is good for you, take a moment to ask yourself, “Why would I be doing this? Why do I really want this?” You may not get a completely clear answer, but your intuition will be your best source of guidance, even if it takes you twenty years to see that clarity in retrospect!

Staying alert and present as you participate in the MOMENT is a good way to surf through the chaos of being at a crossroads or uprooted chaotically. You cannot control events. You cannot control other people. Synchronicity happens when you work with what life presents to you. When you are worrying, you are either thinking about what you did in the past, or feeling anxious about the future, which cuts off your intuitive and rational process. Accept what’s in front of you, and stay alert for synchronistic messages that validate your positive intentions—for now. For example, I received an email from a client whom I am coaching in order to help her land a position in a certain company. She wrote,

This story shows: 1) she is enjoying the present moment after her meeting; 2) she is listening to the small voice of intuition even though she doesn’t know where it’s leading her. 3) Her previous intention creates the attention and awareness that immediately recognizes the three-faced clock as a synchronicity that validates her interest in the globally-based company. 4) By buying the clock, she further increases her intention and her confidence so that she can continue to enjoy the process of how her goals will manifest.

So….until next month…Take AIM!

If you are looking for the next step on your ongoing journey, try imagining some fascinating scenarios just for fun. Focus your attention on something that fascinates you and bring it closer into your life-through learning more about it or taking a class or practicing one of the spiritual principles that you have read about. As you know, my new book, When Life Changes, Or You Wish It Would: How to survive and thrive in uncertain times is now available in bookstores. I continue to gather stories from students, clients, and readers about how they are making changes that align with who they really are. It's important for all of us to see and acknowledge how synchronicity works its seeming magic in everyday life. Change is going to happen to you, and your attitude about it will make all the difference in the world-and it's your world!

I first met MARIA MUJICA when she attended a retreat in Mt. Shasta retreat I co-led with my friend Donna Hale about two years ago. Maria keeps in touch by email and had hinted at some big changes in her life, so I wanted to find out her secrets for creating more flow and synchronicity in her life. She told me that her intention to know herself and her life purpose had been very strong when she attended our retreat, and that she came to the weekend with a desire to use the focused group energy to help jump-start new options. Maria writes, "That was two years ago and my feeling of joy and discovery has increased tremendously since then. Last year I was feeling more grounded and knew that I had made some improvements, but still felt something was missing. I felt that it was time for a huge shift. I had a feeling of wanting higher education, deeper Spiritual work and an adventure."

Maria, in her early thirties, said she wanted to take advantage of this period in her life when she has no obligations through partnership or children--or even debt! She says, "I explored the idea of teaching English abroad, living in a monastery, going back to school, and taking a walking tour across Europe. Then I came across an ad for the University of Santa Monica with a Master's Program in Spiritual Psychology, which was advertised as Education The Way You Always Wanted It To Be. I had no idea what it was about, but something inside me was drawn to it and I attended their open house. It spoke to me on some level I couldn't mentally process. I had no idea how I would be able to undertake this program, but through synchronistic events it all became clear rather quickly. Within days I made the decision to enroll and it is literally changing my life. It is exactly what I was wanting--higher education, deep spiritual work, and an adventure. The best thing is that I no longer feel that ache of 'what am I going to do with my life?' I'm doing it. Finally! I am learning to completely trust my inner guidance and this spiritual process. I was scared to death but I enrolled anyway. I had to trust my inner knowing more than my fear."

Maria's story is a good example of how our inner knowing directs our choices in order that we can develop ourselves in the next appropriate way, even though the direction may be-- and usually is-accompanied by no small degree of fear and uncertainty. Whenever we move out of our comfort zone, we can expect a shiver of terror/anticipation, but there is usually some little voice that says, 'Go ahead. It's worth it.'

Listen to Your Heart-and Trust It Knows More Than Your Mind Does

Maria goes on to say, "I have particularly enjoyed synchronicity. It's like Spirit is shouting 'This Way'! For example, when I wanted to apply to USM I needed $450.00 to hold my space for the first weekend and my first thought was 'I don't have that kind of money just sitting around.' Then I remembered that I had two uncashed checks made out to me just sitting in my drawer that totaled $450.00. Staying in touch with my inner guidance and trusting it has been so important. My heart knows if a move feels right or not.

Take Care of Yourself and Find the Joy of Life Every Day

A big part of following our path has to do with staying open as well as balanced, so we'll be rested and ready to accept new challenges and opportunities when they show up. It's important to create ways to help counteract the negativity that comes through setbacks, listening to other people's complaints, and the media's attention to constant crisis. This can set such a low tone-particularly when we are tired or already depressed, that we begin to feel hopeless and helpless. Maria says, "I know it's important to process setbacks and negative feelings, but on the other hand, I try not to indulge in feeling sorry for myself for too long. I try to focus only on what brings me joy in a situation, and don't let negative thoughts be my dominant state of mind. I also have a healer and mentor who is a resource for me to work through issues, and she helps keep me focused on joy. Right now I go to school one weekend a month, which gives me the opportunity to be with people on a similar path. The spiritual principles are repeated not only through the teaching sessions, but also in the informal conversations with other students. I feel that it is tremendously important to create a community of people that support my values and interests. I also have what I call an 'emergency joy book.' It is full of my favorite children's photos, letters, and pictures of the kids who made it for me. I use it in emergencies when I need a little lift. I also highly recommend renting videos of comedies. Laughing helps turn around negative thoughts and reminds me of another perspective. I have also learned through my spiritual program to use self-forgiveness on a regular basis, since like most people, I am most judgmental with myself. I almost always set the stage for the day by starting with a prayer.

"I hope this helps, and thanks for asking me what I did to create this new stage of my journey. It's been good for me to see what I actually do!"