Storm Wisdom Blog

“With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.” HRH the Dalai Lama

How was your holiday? I hope you enjoyed your celebrations. In addition to the 4th of July we had a beautiful Super Moon on July 3rd. Some of you may know it as a full ‘Buck Moon’. Energies that appeared along with those supporting freedom and independence included: more clarity, desire to accomplish goals and let go of negativity. Some of you may have felt emotional but recognized that being intentional and focused served you better. Patience was cautioned.

Wow! How confident did you feel this week? Did you want to seek input from other people more than usual? Was there any desire to have someone else make decisions for you? If so, you may have been more sensitive than usual to the Lunar and universal energies. Don’t worry! Remember how far you’ve come on your journey of self-awareness and personal growth. Remember how much of the power you’ve given to others you have taken back! Remember how confident you’ve become and how you’ve learned to trust yourself more! Remember how sensitive you are and can feel energy and its influence. Remember to ask, “Is what I feel mine or does it belong to someone else?” If it’s not yours then intentionally release it!

What does your heart desire? Don’t rush and feel like you’ll never receive it. Wait for more clarity leaning into your self-confidence and ability. Imagine, visualize, engage your senses and you create your intention. You may want to create a vision board with pictures, affirmations, and words to make it more real for you. Activist and politician Nelson Mandela has said “Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.” Your potential is limitless as you open to receive more of it. Let your confidence blossom. Remember that your thoughts, beliefs and words are powerful and matter. Remember how far you’ve come on your journey. You are not the person you were yesterday or a week ago! You are more.

This is a great time to believe in yourself more. Take a few minutes each day to quiet your thoughts, deep breathing helps, and check in. Ask, “Who am I now? How do I feel about myself? Do I believe and trust that I’m strong and confident enough to create the life that I want? Am I enough? Are there others that I can ask for help?” Professor and author Brené Brown has said “Believing that you’re enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic.” Remember that you are deserving and enough!

Are you confident enough to believe that you are?

I’m holding space for you as you navigate this week. I’m interested to hear if you’ve felt any energy shifts as you focus on yourself! Remember to hydrate more than usual with these high temperatures. Stay cool. I’m sending each one of you lots of love.

I’m available for private coaching and channeled information sessions at Storm Wisdom on Tuesdays from 1p – 6p by appointment. Please call Storm Wisdom, (602)334-1204 to schedule. I’m also available by phone or Zoom. To schedule please go to victoriabarna.com.

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist monk

This week brings celebrations, family gatherings, BBQs, fireworks, and a holiday weekend commemorating the Declaration of Independence signed on July 4, 1776. Wow!! Freedom. Happiness. Independence. A time for reflection. Having celebrated many 4th of July’s I wondered what the spiritual meaning for this momentous day was. I found a site called Forever Conscious created by Tanaaz who is an intuitive astrologer and she shared how energetically powerful this coming week will be – “As the Cancerian sun and Sirius meet the first week of July becomes a powerful and potent time for making conscious changes, spiritual advancements and bringing new insights into the world.” Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the signing of the Declaration of Independence occurred during this time.

Once again the universe is providing us an opportunity to change. I wonder how our forefathers felt as they presented the Declaration of Independence to be ratified by the Second Continental Congress. Were they happy after so many hard fought battles? Perhaps in the moment they were! What an accomplishment. Our democratic freedoms are to be cherished and not taken for granted. I’m happy to be here now and saddened by the divisiveness in our country. I know that we can make different choices. Recently a dear friend reminded me that happiness is a choice. How we respond to experiences is a choice even those that create challenge and struggle. HRH the Dalai Lama has said that “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” Thoughts and beliefs create things. Why not choose to BE happy? I realize that there may be moments that knock our socks off, so to speak, but how we respond to the unexpected surprises is a choice we can make, isn’t it? When I feel happy it’s easier to feel grateful and see the many blessings in my life. It’s easier to seek understanding and feel compassion.

How often have you felt out of sorts and made a choice to focus more consciously on feeling happy, grateful, kind, loving, or compassionate? Did it shift your response and attitude? When I’m in a funk I have to consciously make an effort to stop, take a few deep breaths and then shift my focus. It’s an ongoing practice for me. Remember, we are free to BE happy! The Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle has said that, “Happiness depends upon ourselves.”

I trust as you celebrate and enjoy your holiday that there is much laughter, joy, and love. Happiness is a choice and depends on you! I’m sending you lots of love and holding space for you. Please stay safe and cool. Remember to hydrate!

I’m available for private coaching and channeled information sessions at Storm Wisdom on Tuesdays from 1p – 6p by appointment. Please call Storm Wisdom, (602)334-1204 to schedule. I’m also available by phone or Zoom. To schedule please go to victoriabarna.com.

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist monk

How are you feeling? We experienced the summer solstice on June 21st and many of you may have celebrated and welcomed it with gatherings and rituals. Others of you may have felt the shift energetically. The Solstice welcomed new beginnings and an opportunity to turn inward. You may be feeling like it’s time for that trip to your inner monastery as you reflect and make choices to continue forward on your journey of personal growth. One of the things that I continue to journey with is accepting myself more! No longer is it ok to be what others expect me to be or to rush to self-judgment and criticism for choices that I’ve made in the past. As I look back on those choices, some I’m not proud of, I realize that all of them have contributed to who I am today. I’ve learned from them. I’m accepting myself more and more. I continue to reflect and ask, “Who am I now?” I continue to grow and evolve!

I feel more peaceful with who I am and I know that my personal growth and self-acceptance will continue. It’s a choice that I’m making. Spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle has said that “Acceptance looks like a passive state, but in reality it brings something entirely new into this world. That peace, a subtle energy vibration, is consciousness.” As I feel more peace the tapestry of life that I’m weaving intertwines with Oneness – with consciousness. How about you? Have you found it easy to accept YOU? Have you found that place of peace? I have to say that I’m still on the journey zigging and zagging a bit but more time is spent in acceptance!

For those of you who would like to sit in your inner world and reflect on acceptance I found a suggestion by the writer Margaret B. Moss. She has said “Imagine unconditional acceptance of your flaws, your past mistakes, your painful regrets. Now imagine your joys, your kindness, and all the things you have done well and right. No caveats, buts or disclaimers. Let that feeling sink in deep. Meditate on it, as if committing a picture to memory. Reclaim that feeling everyday.” This suggestion is a beautiful way to begin your inner exploration I feel. I hope you enjoy it.

I would love to hear how you feel when you imagine unconditional acceptance of yourself! I will hold space for you and send you lots of love! Enjoy your inner journey!

I’m available for private coaching and channeled information sessions at Storm Wisdom on Tuesdays from 1p – 6p by appointment. Please call Storm Wisdom, (602)334-1204 to schedule. I’m also available by phone or Zoom. To schedule please go to victoriabarna.com.

“Don’t be in such a rush to figure everything out. Embrace the unknown and let your life surprise you.” The Red Fairy Project by Genevieve Colmer

Are you someone who likes their life to be carefully planned and has no room for surprise or have you allowed room for the unknown to bring magic and surprise into your life? I have to say that for most of my life I was more comfortable with having a plan. Maybe that was reinforced through my professional life too; however, I remember the time that my mom sent a 10 year schedule to me and my siblings identifying the holidays that she and my dad would spend with each of us. Yes, little room for surprise at that time. I like to think that I’m embracing, allowing and welcoming more of the unknown and surprise now after many years of learning to ‘let go’ of old habits and behaviors. How about you?

Author Napoleon Hill has said that, “It is strange, but true, that the most important turning-points of life often come at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected ways.” Looking back and reflecting on the many twists and turns that I’ve experienced during my ‘awakening journey’ I find this to be true. When I least expected it, major turning-points in my life appeared. Some were magical and joyful and some weren’t. Yet in every case I had a choice to make. Continue to go forward or not. Make a course change or not. Learn from the experience or not. Every experience created a foundation for who I am now and becoming more of.

I was asked by a friend recently, “What are you working on?” I paused before I answered. In the past I could have responded, “I’m creating a book, CDs, class, or workshop. I’m volunteering. I’m teaching. I’m doing something with tangible results!” Guess what? My answer this time was, “I’m creating inner peace, love, kindness, compassion, and more self-awareness. I’m waiting to feel inspired before I want to create more.” Wow, so different. I’m physically active to maintain my health but the compulsion to ‘do’ isn’t there like it was in the past. I find I value my relationships more and notice more of my surroundings. There’s so much beauty in nature. Hearing birds singing, smelling the earth and blossoms along with feeling the gentle breeze touching my skin is magical and a pleasant surprise.

Recently I watched a clip of Britain’s Got Talent. It highlighted a talented young man from South Africa who had moved to the U.K. He had cancer as a child and had a leg amputated. He was on crutches and when asked why he was there he shared that he always wanted to dance. His friends encouraged him to learn to dance and think of his crutch as his missing leg. He wanted to inspire others. Nothing was impossible. The audience and judges were surprised and so was I. The music began and he began to dance. It was magical. I cried. Goosebumps were all over my body. I was surprised at how deeply this young man and his performance touched me. I was inspired! Everyone was stunned and the standing ovation went on for a long time. The audience wanted the judges to let him proceed in the competition with a ‘Golden Buzzer’. After much discussion among the judges and special consideration he received what the audience wanted – the ‘Golden Buzzer’. A turning-point was reached!

Catholic priest, writer, and theologian, Henri Nouwen, has said that, “Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise; whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy, it will open a new place in our hearts where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.” This week is a wonderful week for self-reflection as the Summer Solstice nears. Will you open to, embrace, and cherish the unknown and let your life surprise you? Cherish the surprise!

I will hold space for you. I’m sending lots of love to each one of you!

I’m available for private coaching and channeled information sessions at Storm Wisdom on Tuesdays from 1p – 6p by appointment. Please call Storm Wisdom, (602)334-1204 to schedule. I’m also available by phone or Zoom. To schedule please go to victoriabarna.com.