Following the Breadcrumbs

Recognizing Signs as Calls to Action

We all see signs along the road we call “Life”. Some of us take them seriously, while others don’t; it matters not which path you take, as long as it is your own. Nor does how you manifest your dreams, wishes and desires. I, for one, take the numerological ones seriously, even if I don’t, at the moment, know why they’re appearing. But seeing 1:11 and 11:11 frequently lets me know my intentions are, if not being answered immediately, they’re being processed.

Contrary to popular belief, the Universe doesn’t actually hand you what you’re asking for. Instead, it gives you breadcrumbs to follow; actions to take to get to the actual manifestation part. Take for example my recent car purchase. I’d allowed myself to wait until October or November when dealers are more likely to want to reduce pricing to move more cars. Still, I continued to check inventory at several local dealers, sending inquiries when I saw they had what I wanted on their lot.

This weekend, I followed those breadcrumbs right to a dream deal, and the car is now cozily ensconced in my garage where my little sports car resided for nearly 14 years. Had I not followed those 11:11 and 1:11 breadcrumbs and taken action, there’s no telling when the Universe would have seen fit to bring the perfect deal back around. It isn’t about expecting all your dreams to manifest miraculously, but to take action when right timing comes around, even if you don’t, at the time, realize pieces of your personal puzzle are in the process of lining up perfectly.

Getting Out of Your Own Way

Some of the biggest naysayers of Laws of Attraction are still waiting around for things to turn in their favor. Why? Because they missed the part about having to take action when prompted! It makes about as much sense as sitting in a burning building waiting for the fire to go out, or someone to save you when you’re fully capable of getting up and walking out of the building!

I’m not saying you have to work your butt off for every, single thing you want in your life. You do have to put in some effort though, and pay attention to messages from the Universe (or whatever you call the source of your messages) which guide you to take some kind of action in support of your own intentions.

I thank the Universe, my guides, and my Higher Self every day for the place I’m in, the things I’ve been able to accomplish, and above all, for teaching me it’s OK to spend large chunks of money on myself. For years, I’ve watched my assets grow, and thought to myself “now, I can feel comfortable because I have x dollars in the bank…but wait, things are getting more expensive. Maybe I need a bigger nest egg.”

Once I realized I have everything I need to pay off all my debt, (what little still remains), and live comfortably for many years on both what I’ve saved, and what I have coming in every month, I gave myself permission to spend a little more than I previously felt comfortable spending on things which make me happy. Some is improving my personal space and some is simply self-care, and leisure. The funny thing is, in doing so, I’ve been clearing space in my house too! Boxes which have sat in closets untouched for decades are being pulled out, and emptied or reorganized.

Embracing the Chaos

Each time I make a little space, I seem to manifest the next intention more quickly, even if the space I cleared was a single bankers box! Clearly, it’s one of the many breadcrumbs I’m given to lead me to everything I want and need, and a few things I haven’t even thought about until I’m living better than my dreams.

Interestingly, I had a dream of chaos this week. I woke to a horde of people invading my house; unlikely as that might be. In the process, my coffee maker was taken apart, and pieces of it hidden all over the house, the sofa was attached to the ceiling, and my computer had disappeared. To be honest, I was more frantic about the coffee maker which seemed to have a lot of odd components like a set of springs which we found buried under some sand on a cookie sheet.

I’ve learned from experience, sometimes my life needs a little chaos to shake me out of the status quo before I can begin manifesting again. Here’s hoping I won’t need storms or earthquakes to shake me up any further, but have taken the hint to change things up of my own volition. Most of all, I know any changes I make right now aren’t set in stone. The key is to take action; any action even when you don’t know where you’re supposed to be going. It’s a lot easier to steer a moving vehicle in a different direction than getting it moving in the first place!

So keep setting intentions, but pay attention to the signs, and follow those dang breadcrumbs!

My Gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for learning to recognize the signs, and follow the breadcrumbs.
2. I’m grateful for learning the Universe has my back, but I need to wait for right timing
3. I’m grateful for friends who check in when I’ve changed up my usual pattern.
4. I’m grateful for the things which teach me patience, and those which teach me to leap first, and ask directions later.
5. I’m grateful for days to do with as I choose; whether it’s working, playing, reading, writing, or loafing with my kitties.

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.

“As Within, So Without”

Where Did “As Within, So Without” Come From?

The phrase “as within, so without” is found in the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus which put forth the concept “as above, so below” as well. “As above, so below” theorizes that everything from the simplest cell, to man and animals, to God, to the Universe is all the same. We are part of the same body, the same reality, the same truth. Above, God is man’s counterpart while below, man is God’s counterpart, and we are equally important, indelibly connected.

“As within, so without” takes the theory a step further, hypothesizing that a person (or as in the tablet, a Magician) can effect a change simply by willing it to happen and believing it has happened, much like healing techniques being used in China and India. In other words, whatever we believe to the core of our being will ultimately manifest itself in the physical world.

We often see this happen in the form of unpleasant or even disastrous self-fulfilling prophecies as it works whether we believe in the worst that can happen or the best. These days, the theory is being mass-marketed by everyone from Gay and Jerry Hendricks (“Laws of Attraction”), to Rhonda Byrne (“The Secret”), to Eckhart Tolle (“The Power of Now”) and others too numerous to name. Yet they all say pretty much the same thing. The reality you believe with passion will be the reality you see.

Thought Trains

The inspiration for this train of thought came from a seemingly unlikely source. Someone asked a question about the messy bun hairstyle many writers and others who work from home embrace to remove at least one distraction, low hanging hair. I commented that mine is especially messy since I’m trying to cram curls with a mind of their own into a confined space against their will.

It occurred to me that their wild unwieldiness is a reflection of the way my mind works. I can no more tame the monkey mind which insists on rushing in a dozen directions at once than I can, at least without extreme effort, tame the curls which do the same on top of my head. It’s not for lack of trying, both on my part, and in my early years, my mother’s. I think she bought stock in Dippity Doo in hopes she’d get my recalcitrant curls to lay flat the way hers and my sister’s did. But as my curly locks came from my dad’s genes, she was spitting in the wind.

At any rate, I’ve learned to accept and even embrace those curls, giving them permission and even encouragement to twist, turn, and even somersault if they’re so inclined. In so doing, I’ve let my mind know its gymnastics are also accepted and embraced.

What to Keep and What to Toss

In the last few years, I’ve done a lot of decluttering; my house, my life, my wardrobe…you name it, I’ve decluttered it. I realize what people say is true. When you organize your environment, you give your mental and emotional self some breathing room too. But in my case at least, that doesn’t mean compartmentalizing everything. Instead, it allows my creativity room to spread its wings and fly, unencumbered by all of the “coulda, woulda, shouldas” I’d allowed to camp in my head rent-free.

The physical act of cleaning has always been a great way to both burn off angry energy and do something mindless so my mind can come out and play. In the process, I get the added bonus of a cleaner and more organized environment.

That’s not to say my home will ever make it onto an episode of “House Beautiful” or what issues from my mind will inspire billions (I’ll be happy with thousands). I’m OK with that. My aspirations, at least while I’m the housekeeper, go as far as livable and reasonably clutter free. And if I only touch a few souls in the time I’m given, I consider my life a success.

Accepting Ourselves and What Makes Us Unique

We can spend our lives fighting with things we can’t control like our hair, the set of our cheekbones, our height, and even our weight. In the end, we accomplish more by accepting ourselves as we are. What people see on the outside is a perfect reflection of who we are on the inside, if they only took the time to look at us without judging or assessing our flaws. That, too starts with us.

As long as we make disparaging comments about one feature or another, we call attention to it, creating a flaw where, in all likelihood, there’s merely a reflection of our character. For heaven’s sake! There was a time when excess weight was a symbol of affluence. We can thank people like Twiggy for changing public perception of the perfect woman into an emaciated creature with all the feminine mystique of a teenage boy with twice the awkwardness.

It All Comes Down to Self-Love

What it all comes down to is this: when we learn to love ourselves on the inside, deeply, completely, and without reservation, that self-love is reflected, not only in how we look, but in everything we do. The simplest tasks are performed with as much love and care as we’d give to our first child or grandchild. We cherish each day and all it promises. We cherish the people we encounter and the experiences we have. We find beauty in the simplest things, and in their very simplicity, we rejoice.

None of us is perfect, and never will be, no matter how hard we try, or how much we stuff those perfectly natural imperfections into a box. Not only is perfection highly overrated, but “imperfect” and “flawed” are used to try to stifle our uniqueness and make it a bad thing. In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss, “Why fit in when you were meant to stand out?”

There’s nothing wrong with casting out what no longer serves you, be it clothing, personal items, a car, or even a relationship. But while you’re clearing things out of your life, it’s important to hold onto those things, those qualities that make you special, make you unique. If you lose those crazy, funky, different things from your outsides, they’ll wither and die on the inside too. Everything we do has consequences. Some are good, some, not so much. Change is inevitable, and keeps us from moldering in a rut of our own making, but we are in charge of deciding what changes to make, and whether or not they’re for the better. Choose wisely or you’ll lose something within because you did away with it’s counterpart without.

May We Always Find Something To Be Grateful For

My gratitudes today are:

1. I am grateful for the ability to recognize my differences aren’t flaws, but reflections of my uniqueness.
2. I am grateful for people who read and take my messages to heart.
3. I am grateful for encouragement from so many unexpected directions.
4. I am grateful to be living this human existence and connecting with so many wonderful, unique, amazing people.
5. I am grateful for abundance; love, friendship, innovation, inspiration, support, lessons, challenges, frustrations, motivation, dancing, energy, health, harmony, peace, prosperity, and philanthropy.

Love and Light

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a writer, blogger, Virtual Assistant and advocate for cats. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. She is available for ghostwriting to help your business grow and thrive. Her specialties are finding and expressing your authentic self. If you’d like to have her write your expert book with you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author