Many years ago, my closest friend and I were talking of our dreams. I said how much I'd enjoy being wealthy and she was shocked. She was raised that it was evil to seek wealth, and instead we should be of service to others. Knowing a bit about her family and their church affiliations I was not surprised, but I countered with this thought.

"You're struggling to make ends meet. You can't serve yourself, let alone anyone else, if you're in poverty. How many people could you feed, or house, or clothe, or educate, if you had pots of money?"

She responded that she had not thought of it that way, and I know that something in her spirit opened that day.

I know several entrepreneurs and practitioners in this holistic/ metaphysical/ well-being community who feel much the same way. "I'm not in it for the money." Well, why not??? Of course It is quite a different thing to be in it ONLY for money, for gain, for power. But how many more people could you support and serve if you had simply scads of cash? 

Aim for wealth, aim for expansion, aim for growth. Create a plan for what will happen when you do, what your dreams of service are. What we focus on grows, and that's how we create our reality. So take action now toward those dreams of service...what steps can you take now to get those pots of cash?

It's good to be resilient. It's good to be flexible. It's good to stand strong.

Until it isn't.

We all struggle at times with decisions, with change. When something is not working in your life, you have choices. You can stick with it, push against it, examine it from all angles, wish it wasn't that way, complain, fight against it, or ignore it. In most cases all that does is exhaust you.

When that wall is up for a reason, you can push all you want but it won't budge. It's like a Weeble. (Remember the toys? "Weebles wobble, they don't fall down.") Weebles don't have a tipping point. When pushed they pop right back up. And when they pop up they can bop you in the face!

Sometimes when you push, you find out that the obstacle in question is a container of liquid, and when you push, it spills all over you and everything else. You're left with a mess to clean up, but no solution.

I believe that God, the Universe, whatever you call "it," is showing you a block for a reason, especially if you have been asking for help. That "something" that is no longer working is not the best option at this point in your life. You are being asked to see the block, move around it, and move on.

And so your choices are to continue to push and push and push...or to move on.

Move on in what direction? Only you can sense that...but you can.

I've found that the key to uncovering options, possibilities, non-Weebly choices, is to get quiet. Sit in nature silently, with an open mind and heart. Hold the intent of uncovering your absolute best possibilities. And allow.

I recently lectured and taught a class on how to discover your life theme. You see, we all have a running soundtrack of sorts, one that's playing in the background, creating opportunities to co-create with the universe. 

That theme song is not consistently playing all of the time, and in fact may change a bit or a lot over a lifetime. 

Let me explain.

If you follow my writing you probably understand a bit about the Law of Attraction (or Manifestation, or Co-Creation). The energy you put out comes back to you in some form. If you constantly say (and believe) that "I can't," then indeed you can't. The Universe will show you more reasons you can't. 

And if you believe that creating what you want in life is easy, then life shows you more reasons to believe that. 

So, consider your life right now. Is the sound track playing a dirge of "life is hard and I can't get ahead"? Or is it playing a lively jig: "WOW this life stuff is fun!"

How can you tell? Think of your interactions with others - easy or hard? Your success, your satisfaction, your contentment - all present and accounted for? Watch your words - are they positive creations or negative? Neither is wrong, but both create - choose your creations carefully.

YOU GET TO CHOOSE! You're the composer, the orchestra, AND the conductor. Decide what you want your soundtrack to sound like, and have fun with it!

Last month I had the most recent of OH-so-many synchronicities (i.e. "co-incidences") in my life.

At the close of a business conference I was attending, the speaker invited questions from her audience. A woman seated at a nearby table stood and introduced herself, then asked a very insightful question of the speaker, worded in such a way that indicated to me that she had a similar outlook to mine, an understanding of our co-creation with the universe. I was also very intrigued my her business name, which (as mine does) had a spiritual meaning.

"Something" told me to write down her name and business. Soon after the event, I looked up her website and was blown away...this woman was speaking my language! I wrote to her to tell her so, and tell her of the "still small voice" that told me to pay attention. Her response was to express her amazement and delight that I'd contacted her, as she'd been focused on manifesting someone like me to help her with a major business project.

We met for lunch, and immediately connected. We do indeed speak the same language, and share a deep commitment to shifting the world from fear to love. And further, as we discussed her project, every single item on her list of immediate needs was something that I could fulfill!

Had I not been paying attention, or had I not felt that nudge, what a powerful connection would have been missed to meet a like-minded (and like-hearted) woman with whom I could also enjoy a transformational business opportunity.

The moral of the story? Listen! Know that the messages and road signs are always out there. Allow yourself to focus on the knowing that the universe (by whatever name you choose) always, ALWAYS has your back. But you have to be ready and willing to reach out.

No, I'm not talking about what car you drive to a meeting or what you're wearing! I'm talking about how YOU show up to others as YOU! Do you put on a mask or do you show your true self?

I grew up as a very talented people-pleaser, and so that's how I showed up...as whatever others wanted me to be. I paid close attention to cues so I would know how to adjust for the situation. I had no clue who I really was, at the core.

As I gained life experience (i.e. I aged!) I learned that it was not only very uncomfortable to work so hard at pleasing others and never myself, but it no longer worked! The time had come to show my true colors. I discovered in the process that others much preferred that authentic self, with humor and wit, love and compassion, confidence and strength. When I saw those qualities in myself, I saw them in others - funny how that works!

I am now part of such a large, caring community of holistic and metaphysical people. For the most part, we all show up as we truly are, hearts exposed. That by no means implies we're doormats or overly vulnerable, but it does mean that we are not afraid to be authentic. 

I recently met a woman who showed up as domineering, mean, abrupt and rude. I was shocked as I've been unaccustomed to dealing with that kind of energy. I don't know whether that is authentic for who she truly is. I can't judge, but also it is not important to me - it's doubtful I'd see her again. But it got me thinking about what seeds she's planting with that energy.

I choose light seeds!

Did you know we all have "set points"? Points during past, present, or future lives in which something significant happened?

I was recently reminded of this during a new meditation I was trying, in which an alternate "version" of me brings me a gift of knowledge. This "other self" had an awareness that I am currently seeking, and the gift was to bring that awareness in to my present-self consciousness.

This probably sounds odd to some, but makes perfect sense to me. Time is a man-made construct, so any concept of "now" and "then" is just our perception. 

My studies and my experience have taught me that any time something amazingly wonderful, or alternatively, traumatic, happens a set-point is created, rather like a re-set point on your computer. 

As well, other "mes" have understandings, knowledge, experience that you either do not yet have or have forgotten. 

I find this topic fascinating, and have had some amazing experiences playing with those other Hollys. If it is a topic you wish to explore, seek out the best resource for you, whether a YouTube video, mentor or teacher, or healer, and give it a try. Release judgment and accept the gifts!

I was recently speaking with a friend with whom I have a great deal in common. We both had awareness lately of how we occasionally slip into older, less enlightened thoughts and behaviors. That's human nature, isn't it? The ego gets in the way of progress, working hard to keep you safe (by the ego's definition), when you know a better way to be.

In WordPress, Google Docs and other programs, there is a Revert function that allows you to reset a page to a previously saved version. When a problem occurs with the newest changes, you can simply click to go back to a version of the page that you prefer. 

When we practice that better way and that is our "normal," the backtrack feels off somehow. The awareness of "off" is what allows us to re-engage that new, more aware way of being. That is our chance to hit the "Revert" function in our internal software! "Oh, wait, no wonder this doesn't feel right. Things have been going so well with my newer thought patterns and manifestations...but I slipped. Let's go back to these better ways - Undo - RESET!"

Pay attention to the manifestations you're experiencing. If they are not what you would choose, then reset to a better way! 

It's interesting to be a solo-preneur as I approach retirement age. I've been able to let go of the societal, workplace prejudice about the "older American" and tired work habits, and really delve into work that delights me.

Are there workplaces which truly value the skill that older people can bring to their businesses? I haven't found them. But an experienced worker as a freelancer...now that's another situation.

The entrepreneur's image is necessarily based on their work ethic, personality and talent. A young adult stepping out into entrepreneurship may be perceived as not yet having the skill and authority necessary to not only run a business, but also to provide superior service to clients.

However, a middle-aged individual (and older) has reserves of business and life experience just waiting to be tapped. The sage, the expert, the wisdom-keeper. Assuming we have good work records, we have earned the respect of our associates and network. People tend to think, "Well, if he (she) has come this far, he (she) must have a lot to offer."

I am happier in work than I have ever been, and happier in my life as well. These, of course, are closely intertwined. Now, I am grateful for that shove off the cliff, although at the time I was terrified. I have, like that wonderful bottle of Cabernet, aged to perfection...and I know I will share my "sage-ness" with clients for years to come!

Everyone is talking about resolutions for a new year - pro or con? Or about goals - pro or con? I prefer the concept of visions. No, not mystic visions, although those are fine too! But as a process of manifestation, I like the idea of creating a vision of not only what I want my life to look like, but how I want it to feel.

Many spiritual teachers talk of using emotions as your guideposts, and I agree. For decades we've heard about, "My gut instinct was...." When you are faced with a decision, for example, and one solution feels better than the other, then that's the one I'd go with. My "higher self" knows what she's doing, mingled in there with all the other spiritual energy and guidance available to me. She communicates with feelings.

When I feel "off" I know that feeling is a message, and I quietly seek the reason behind it. Sometimes there is no actual solution, as it's a temporary energetic imbalance. But sometimes the feeling is related to my thoughts, or something I should not have eaten with food sensitivities, or perhaps something I'm contemplating doing.

I remember what life was like when my feelings were awful and I didn't know that they were symptoms. My creations were usually negative. Many years later, now I have seen the results of using positive feelings to guide me to achieving my visions. And when I feel and express gratitude for my creations, I get more of them!

I like the multi-sensory (i.e. holistic) approach: vision board (literally, vision), aromatherapy, movement (keeping the energy flowing), drawing or writing my goals (kinetic), meditation. These tools allow me to connect with those wiser energies to make my visions, what and who I want to be, with a physical reality.

However you do it, allow yourself to vision for the new year!