Author: Kim Woods
Kim Woods, Business Strategist & Master Astrologer, is on a mission is to create rich and powerful leaders through her success-making Do You Know, Like and Trust Yourself® Methodology that combines ancient feminine wisdom with masculine logical strength. She teaches business leaders how to achieve their personal, professional and financial triumph. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and welcomes her children, Nick and Katy, when they return home from college. She loves being on the ocean, gardening and cooking.
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What Do I Want for Mother’s Day?
“What do you want for Mother’s Day?” my husband asks me for the fourteenth time now.
I roll my eyes and think to myself, “What do I want for Mother’s Day? Well, let’s see, where do I start?”
I could cheekily answer him by saying, “Gee, how about world peace? Or, I know, renewable energy that reverses climate change, or affordable locally farmed organic goods for everyone.”
What do I want for Mother’s Day? I really loathe this question because I cannot be completely honest with my answer. And, I loathe it because some part of me wants him to just KNOW. I also loathe it because it’s really not a day. It’s a moment. It’s a complete misnomer – Mother’s Day. There is no DAY in Mother’s Day.
When asked this question, the answers in my head are so different than the ones that come out of my mouth.
When the kids were infants, what did I want for Mother’s Day? I wanted to sleep the entire day – the ENTIRE day and through the next night. I wanted so desperately to sleep.
When the kids were toddlers, what did I want for Mother’s Day? I wanted to walk upright for one entire day without having to lean down to hold someone’s little hand, hunched over taking micro steps to keep him or her from falling.
When the kids were in the incessant questioning period, what did I want for Mother’s Day? I wanted to be mute – completely mute for one entire day.
Now, what do I want for Mother’s Day? I want food to fall from the sky. I want it to appear magically, completely cooked and ready to eat, without my having to have anything to do with it.
What do I want for Mother’s Day? I want my husband to know. I want him to know without asking me what I would like for Mother’s Day.
What do I want for Mother’s Day? I want the day – the whole day, not the 15 minutes or so where the kids are excited to give you their gifts, which are awesomely made by the way, and there is a breakfast of sorts and then, it’s over – completely finished.
“Can we go get the poster board I need for school now?”
“I need a ride to practice.”
“What’s for dinner, Mom?”
“He’s touching me…she’s in my way…he looked at me…MOM!!!”
“What do you want for Mother’s Day?” my husband asks me and I think about it.
You know what, I know exactly what I want for Mother’s Day. I want a whole day – one entire day. I want a day
– where I can be alone for part of it, just basking in the moment, where I can see a really close friend & we just immerse ourselves in a delicious conversation.
– where I can spend some time alone with my husband, or where I can get a pedicure, buy some flowers, walk on the beach, laugh with my children.
– made up of perfectly luscious moments.
I want a lot apparently and it’s completely unrealistic to imagine a Mother’s Day where all of these things will happen. This is not a movie where your life is flashing by in perfect synchronization to the music. This is real life and in real life what I want for Mother’s Day will come and go in a moment. Flash, blink, gone.
So, I have a plan. I have a plan this Mother’s Day. My plan is take many moments over the next few weeks to bring myself what I want for Mother’s Day. Create the perfect Mother’s Day just for myself. Who says it has to only be a day?
When I am at the market getting the food that will fall from the sky, I will buy myself a bouquet of flowers.
When I am making dinner one night this week, I will call a really close friend and make plans to see each other – soon and for a nice amount of time.
I will
mark the calendar to have dinner with my husband.
make an appointment for a pedicure.
make space one morning next week to walk the beach.
spend Mother’s Day basking in each moment, laughing with my children and enjoying my husband. I will do this and not be annoyed when I am asked to help cook dinner or to drive someone somewhere or to stop a fight. I will completely relax and enjoy this Mother’s Day, because I know I will have these totally pleasurable moments coming up in the next few weeks.
“What do you want for Mother’s Day?” my husband asks me.
I smile secretly and answer him honestly, “For Mother’s Day, I just want food to fall from the sky.”
As always wishing you joy,
Kim
Categories
May 2021: Mixed Bag
How do you drop into your heart and intuition?
Overall:
May begins with light and fun energy, so enjoy it. In the middle of the month, things run amuck. You feel distracted and uneasy and it doesn’t get better for the next several weeks. Be super clear in communications and get any technology issues taken care of before the 3rd week when Mercury goes retrograde in his own sign of Gemini.
Big Star Events:
- Mercury out of bounds: 5/7 – 5/30
- Super New Moon in Taurus: 5/11
- Jupiter in Pisces: 5/13
- Saturn retrograde joins Pluto retrograde: 5/23 – 10/10
- Venus out of bounds: 5/24
- Super Moon/Eclipse: 5/26
- Mars back in bounds: 5/27 (since 3/21)
- Mercury retrograde: 5/29 – 6/18
Week 1: Uplifting
The first week of May offers a long-overdue break from the aggressive energies of the past few months. Minds are opened, perspectives are widened and connecting with others is easier. The lift you feel provides opportunities for sexy encounters and romantic dates. There’s a brief testing point in the middle of the week, but it’s dovetailed by fascinating and fun situations. The end of the week gives you a zany push that lasts until the end of the month. Stay grounded and operate from your intuition to successfully navigate this influence.
Week 2: Boundless Easy Fun
Can you take time off this week? If so, do it. It’s an excellent week for fun and connecting with your friends and loved ones. It’s also a sexy and charming time. There is a pause in the middle of the week when you do feel like buckling down and getting things done. Lean into it if you’re spending your week at work. On the 13th, Jupiter moves into Pisces, so it’s kumbaya time! Dreams, healing, creativity, sensuality and intuition are the name of the game for the next few months.
New Moon: Ideals
Details: May 11 New Moon Taurus @ 3:01 pm @ 21°
Get creative, dream and imagine while you have the ability to make it lasting. Think of the intentions you want to set for the next 6 months as you get ready for the ecliptic pair beginning on May 26th. There’s clarity available that will be elusive for a few weeks, so make the most of it.
Week 3: Unbalanced
There’s an intense energy that urges you to take the long view, do deep research and make moderate plans against the push to be overly optimistic. The Sun enters Gemini to join Mercury and Venus, so your mind goes into overdrive. Your heart is already flirtatious and light, so it’s not a good barometer for keeping you centered and focused on your goals. There’s a slipperiness to the energies this week that contradicts the underlying pull of a longer, lasting tempo. Center, ground, center, ground is the mantra this week.
Week 4: Confusion
Saturn stations retrograde on the 23rd and Mercury on the 29th and there’s confusing and destabilizing energy all week. In fact, it lasts beyond the end of the month. The only good news is the aggressive influences decrease, but with all of the misinterpretations and sticky situations, I’m not sure you’re going to be able to tell. There is opportunity for creativity at the end of the month and that can give you a little relief.
Full Moon: Truth
Details: May 26 Total Lunar Eclipse Full Moon Gem/Sag @7:14 am
TRUTH is the name of the game for the next few weeks. Let’s find out if the world is ready for revealing what’s beneath the surface. I’m hoping so. Gather the reasons for celebrating you and all of your accomplishments and plant the seeds for releasing that which stands in your way. It’s the perfect time to reflect and review in order to renew.
Bottom Line: True KLT is helpful this month
May is a mixed bag, but the more you drop in your heart and tap into your inner knowing, the month becomes magical. May is for healing and developing your intuitive gifts.
Supportive Intuitive Tools
Tarot: Five of Cups – Disappointment
At first glance, this appears to be a negative message and yet allowing the opening of opportunity presents an entirely different view. The five is about mastery of being a spiritual being and a human one and cups symbolizes emotions. Ponder your availability for the emotional realm. Do you let yourself live in the moment to set your heart free? Commit without expectations, listen to your heart’s wisdom and be free of attachment.
Crystal: Aqua Aura Quartz
Aqua Aura quartz allows freedom and enhances other stone’s healing powers. Grab a grounding stone such as black tourmaline, to help dispel negativity and keep your technology and communication paths running smoothly.
Flower essence: White Chestnut
Bach White Chestnut is perfect to quiet your mind. Take 3 drops 3 times a day in water and feel your mind settle.
_________
How to use this forecast: I’ve abbreviated the writing of my monthly forecasts while enhancing their practical uses. Here are my recommendations.
Quickly at the start of each month:
- Peruse the forecast to see what jumps out at you and make a note of the date(s) on your calendar.
- Go through the weekly themes and compare it to what’s on your own schedule. Make slight adjustments if there are particularly startling events on days you have major plans.
- Look over the business tips for the two parts of the month and see what activities to incorporate for you and your staff or clients based on the energies.
- Find intuitive tools and practical tips to incorporate into your month.
Each week:
- Look over the weekly themes and drill down on those jiving with what you have going on in your week.
- Include a different, lighter or deeper approach depending upon the weekly theme.
- For each lunar cycle, use the natural power of the Moon to ramp up energy for success or to release and overcome obstacles.
- At the end of the month, take a quick glance over the month to see what works and what doesn’t to make adjustments for the upcoming one.
Thank you for reading and sharing with family and friends.
As always, wishing you joy,
Kim
© Copyright 2021 Kaleidoscope Enterprises Corporation. All rights reserved.
How Do You Set the Stage for Love in Your Life?
Overall:
This month is the perfect cocktail for True KLT. April gifts you with the ability to know, like and trust yourself more. The key is to quiet your mind and drop into your own expression of love.
As I summarized in the 2021 forecast, April is a mixed month beginning with fiery and fast movement, then declining into low energy in the middle of the month. We become frustrated as we’ve just hit our groove. We’ve been moving so quickly doubts and fears arise about the new, so we yearn for the comfortable and familiar. Don’t fall prey to the pressure. Let’s embrace the complexity and wholeness of our beings while seeking simple solutions for healing and moving into our highest purpose.
Big Star Events:
- Stellium (lots of planetary force) in Aries– On the plus side, there’s lots of energy, drive and movement for awakening or beginning anew. On the other hand, there’s impatience, agitation, aggression and the potential for violence.
- All planets direct until the 27th when Pluto is the first big planet to turn retrograde.
- One more lunar cycle, New Moon on the 11th and Full Moon on the 26th, with all planets direct.
Week 1: Sparky Fires
As March winds down and bursts into April, your mind is restless, impatient and ruthless about – everything. This is a lot, in fact, it feels like too much and for the next two weeks – it continues relentlessly. The key is to bring your energy from your mind into your heart and will. When you do, there’s tremendous healing and loving power. This fiery energy sparks creativity and momentum to bring you the life of your dreams. Deepen, center and ground yourself to allow your natural magnetism to create opportunity. Remove your mind from the equation as it’s too assessing, wanting to move more quickly than is possible. Breathe.
Week 2: Mind Opening
Your mind has a change to broaden its perspective, see with a wider lens and innovate new ways of doing business or loosening constrictions in your daily life. Allow your mind to slow down, take things in, connect to your heart to feel its wisdom. Observing, perceiving and intuiting are the name of the game right now. The fiery forces are igniting your ability to accept new ways of learning and taking in knowledge. This can be life-changing for you if you allow it.
New Moon: Self-care & Self-love
Details: April 11th at 10:32 pm ET at 22° Aries
The Aries energy is explosive right now pushing you to be fully you without any interference from anyone or anything. There’s positivity about your future you want to embolden you in deep and meaningful ways. You have the opportunity for open and honest communication with yourself and others. How are you deconstructing yourself to be truly who you are? How do you feel about your life right now? What types of healing and support will you allow? What elements of self-care do you embrace? Make a commitment to yourself right now during this New Moon.
Week 3: Softening Influences
Finally, the personal planets begin to move into Taurus for a softening and patient influence. Phew – another Aries cycle has been survived! As the cosmic forces deepen your energy, you feel more capable. You can sense your power, put together opportunistic connections and fall into a smoother flow throughout your days. There’s positive influence here for business and life. Take advantage of it.
Week 4: Love Conditions
Love comes up for review. Learning how you love yourself and are loved by others is a theme this month and heightens during this last week of April. There’s electricity you can plug into to find answers on how you love and like to be loved. You can get answers to your burning questions. Are you open to the various ways of love? Do you allow soothing and soft influences as well as passionate and fiery ones? How does loving support show up for you? Why do you like to be loved in certain ways? What types of loving expressions come naturally for you and which ones don’t? Explore each question and welcome the answers that arise. This week feels lonely and isolating, so is a wonderful to go inward and reflect. Ponder without judgment.
Full Moon: Life’s Simple Pleasures
Details: April 26th at 11:33 pm ET at 7° Taurus/Scorpio
The power of life’s offerings flourishes and then plunges deeply into your feeling world. Emotions come to the surface for review and either acceptance or rejection. What will you keep? What will you discard? Allow your feelings to lead you to answer questions you have about how you want to set up your future.
Bottom Line: Perfect cocktail for True KLT
April’s energy dives deeply into how you know, like and trust yourself. Your mind runs amuck, but has the chance to take a beat and let the heart drive for a bit. Go into your own feelings and senses to open to your energy in different ways. Take this month to move forward on your dreams and set the stage for love in your life.
Supportive Intuitive Tools
Tarot: Five of Wands – Oppression
The five in the Tarot is about life’s mastery. There’s so much fire at the beginning of the month, there’s destruction as well as construction. Let the fire destroy the unhealthy elements and allow it to build up the healthy ones. Liberate yourself from the confines you’ve set up to keep you ‘safe’. There’s no safety in oppression, there’s only constriction. Being free means taking a risk. You are worthy of risk in all of the ways of love and life.
Crystal: Diamond
Diamond calms and brings you gifts of thoughtfulness and consideration. It reminds you of your soul’s purpose. Let this shiny and treasured stone show you the value of YOU. You are valuable and worthy. Demonstrate this to yourself and others will follow.
Flower essence: Impatiens
Aries energy is always in a hurry. Sometimes this is productive, but other times it pushes you out of balance. Instead of falling into unnecessary stress and drama, let Impatiens flower essence help soothe you. This essence also promotes inner trust.
Supportive Practical Tips
Quick tip:
Make love your mantra this month. See what comes in when you welcome all the ways of love into your daily habits.
Affirmations: choose one or two.
- I am calm.
- I am creative.
- I am loved.
- I love.
- I accept the natural flow of life.
- I am successful in love.
- I love myself.
- I am lovable.
- I am worthy of love.
- I welcome loving support.
- I receive and give in equal measure.
- I am whole in and out of relationship.
- I relax.
- I am patient.
- I allow my heart to reign.
- I listen to my heart’s wisdom.
Business:
1st ½ of the month:
Self-love doesn’t seem to relate to business, but it does exactly. When you demonstrate self-love, you actually create opportunities and welcome support. Ground yourself against the forceful and impatient pushing energies the first week. Take a deep breath if the sale doesn’t happen or you don’t know when or how to make the next step. Be patient. You are planting seeds for the future. Your business relationships are going through change right now as all others are. Get creative. Use this energy to open new ways of relating and connecting. Deepen your offerings, take a step back and review your strategy. Innovate to solidify your foundation the first 1/2 of the month.
2nd ½ of month:
The 2nd ½ of the month is a great one for doing business. Things click, prospects respond and you finally feel in the flow. Ride the wave, but don’t get carried away. The last week plunges you back into the depths as it widens cracks and gaps. Remember, this is opportunity too. Pause, breathe and find ways to repair the gaps.
How to use this forecast: I’ve abbreviated the writing of my monthly forecasts while enhancing their practical uses. Here are my recommendations.
Quickly at the start of each month:
- Peruse the forecast to see what jumps out at you and make a note of the date(s) on your calendar.
- Go through the weekly themes and compare it to what’s on your own schedule. Make slight adjustments if there are particularly startling events on days you have major plans.
- Look over the business tips for the two parts of the month and see what activities to incorporate for you and your staff or clients based on the energies.
- Find intuitive tools and practical tips to incorporate into your month.
Each week:
- Look over the weekly themes and drill down on those jiving with what you have going on in your week.
- Include a different, lighter or deeper approach depending upon the weekly theme.
- For each lunar cycle, use the natural power of the Moon to ramp up energy for success or to release and overcome obstacles.
- At the end of the month, take a quick glance over the month to see what works and what doesn’t to make adjustments for the upcoming one.
Thank you for reading and sharing with family and friends.
As always, wishing you joy,
Kim
© Copyright 2021 Kaleidoscope Enterprises Corporation. All rights reserved.
Categories
March 2021: Dreams Get Real
What are you doing to make your dreams come true?
Overall:
The frenetic influences of January and February seem as if they never happened as March floats in like a dream – all gooey and yummy. Relish these softer tones as March turns midway and becomes fiery and forceful. Remember the old adage, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”? It’s the opposite this year as March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion.
Join me in our Power Up Your Intuition group as I give you insight into the energies at a much deeper level. I’m going LIVE on Tuesday, March 2nd at 9:30 am ET. If you miss the live, no worries, you can always catch the replay.
What I wrote in the 2021 yearly forecast:
We can open our minds and hearts in wonder and compassion. However, we may be overly sensitive, deluded and wired into the wrong signals. Our energy is going to be low and it’s a good time for healthy habits as we want to keep our eye on the virus and its boundless continued spread. We may be more susceptible this month than others. The good news, the 3rd week of the month, we gain insight, energy and drive to create the new. We suddenly have our mojo back.
Big Star Events:
- Throughout March, all planets are direct
- March 20 Equinox as the Sun moves into Aries
- March 22 Mars trine Saturn & conjunct North Node
Week 1: Positive Opportunities.
March begins with fun and excitement. You may have good news, fortunate connections and lots of opportunities. Sign up for a new class, book a trip or seal a business deal. It’s a great time for connection and communication. You feel social, romantic and rich. If your finances can handle frivolous spending, it’s time to splurge. Enjoy the good news and light energy. You deserve it!
Week 2: Intuition Surge!
This is a dreamy, love-filled and healing time. It’s wonderful for your intuition too. Get healing, spend time relaxing and enjoy these lazy influences. Your recent good news and lift in resources have you sitting back and enjoying the fruits of your labor. Savor this as the energies pick up toward the end of the month.
New Moon: Positive Change.
March 13th at 5:23 am EST at 23° in Pisces.
The Sun and Moon kiss in Pisces, all soft and cozy, yet underneath it’s all about healing and transformation. The 23-degree is a 5 in numerology and equals positive change. The forces kicking you around for the last handful of weeks seem a distant memory, but they did happen and are sitting right underneath the surface. Let them come up so you can witness, process, release and heal.
Week 3: Profound Power
Dive deeply into your mind, heart and will to transform your life into the one you’ve been dreaming about for the past few years. Create your future by letting go of the things, people and choices holding you back. The energies become intense and powerful, giving you the push to know your value, embrace your prosperity and enhance your success.
Happy Equinox!
On March 20th at 4:37 am ET, the Sun moves into Aries to fire you up, so you step into new beginnings. Think of it as a new dawn. If you haven’t set your intentions for the year yet or wish to refine them, now is the perfect time. Your heart is brave and your mind is filled with possibility. You’re in the midst of magical power, so make your dreams real.
Week 4: Discern Your Past
You have the fortitude to cut through difficulties and to resolve problems. Your thinking is in overdrive, impatient and aggressive. Your mind gets ahead of your heart and will, so become aware of the ways you can gain courage. You want to choose your future without throwing away your past, to be as wholly you in relationship as you are without and to discern rather than judge.
Full Moon: Loving You, Loving Others.
The Full Moon on March 28th at 2:50 pm ET pits the Sun and Moon against each other at 8°, opening the channel of healing to love yourself and others in balanced fashion. Notice how you love yourself wholly and love others fully. When you bravely look at yourself as a complete person and take responsibility for all of your actions, you gain incredible healing.
March winds up in healing ways and garners your bravery for trust and faith. You can make your dreams into reality when you allow these transformative and powerful energies to help you.
Supportive Intuitive Tools
Tarot: Trust – Six of Wands
Belief in one’s self and the universe. Trust yourself. Be confident that you have the abilities and opportunities to realize your goals and dreams. Have faith in yourself and the courage to be yourself. Relax and simply concentrate on the task at hand and you will succeed. Trust in the goodness of the universe. The world is built on trust, so build your world based on trust. Trust your instincts and intuition.
Crystal: Sodalite
This crystal stimulates trust, brings emotional balance and encourages interdependence. It unites logic with intuition, harmonizes the third eye and deepens meditation. It’s an excellent stone for grounding, balancing and centering your energy. Sodalite is aligning as well.
Flower essence: Aspen
Aspen tree, known as the Goddess Tree, helps you on your transformation. This tree essence helps you overcome your fears, claim your inner strength and find your inner peace. Think of this essence as a sage guiding you in the right direction for your life. It helps you trust and have faith that all is happening in your best interest.
Supportive Practical Tips
Affirmations: choose one or two.
- I trust life.
- I say YES to opportunity.
- I am magic.
- I dream big.
- I trust myself.
- I am intuitive.
- I welcome positive change.
- I am filled with possibility.
- I envision my future.
- I am pure power.
- I heal easily and gracefully.
- My inner strength guides me.
- I have faith in the universe.
- I have faith in myself.
Business:
1st ½ of the month:
There’s momentum for everything business in the first week. Concentrate on lead generation, connecting with prospects and reaching out to make deals. Make sure you read the fine print as your head may be stuck in the clouds with this overflow of enthusiasm.
The second week slows everything down, making you frustrated and impatient. You just got into the flow and suddenly it all stops. Use this time to solidify your platform, train new employees and create marketing plans or offerings.
2nd ½ of month:
The power gets turned back on, but it’s not forward moving. It’s a deepening force, so use it do dive deeply into your business and look for its weaknesses. You can shore them up by strategizing to lay the foundation for big growth.
The last week is a great time to solve problems, have difficult conversations and make hard decisions. Get serious about pruning your business expenses, sharpening your resources and prioritizing your growth plans for the rest of the year.
How to use this forecast: I’ve abbreviated the writing of my monthly forecasts while enhancing their practical uses. Here are my recommendations.
Quickly at the start of each month:
- Peruse the forecast to see what jumps out at you and make a note of the date(s) on your calendar.
- Go through the weekly themes and compare it to what’s on your own schedule. Make slight adjustments if there are particularly startling events on days you have major plans.
- Look over the business tips for the two parts of the month and see what activities to incorporate for you and your staff or clients based on the energies.
- Find intuitive tools and practical tips to incorporate into your month.
Each week:
- Look over the weekly themes and drill down on those jiving with what you have going on in your week.
- Include a different, lighter or deeper approach depending upon the weekly theme.
- For each lunar cycle, use the natural power of the Moon to ramp up energy for success or to release and overcome obstacles.
- At the end of the month, take a quick glance over the month to see what works and what doesn’t to make adjustments for the upcoming one.
Thank you for reading and sharing with family and friends.
As always, wishing you joy,
Kim
© Copyright 2021 Kaleidoscope Enterprises Corporation. All rights reserved.
“Do you think he will be there?” one of my daughter’s friends asks her.
“I don’t know, but maybe,” my daughter, Katy, answers to many giggles.
(I am driving 7 girls to the mall as part of Katy’s birthday party and it always amazes me the kids don’t realize that we drivers are listening to their conversations.)
“Well, do you like him?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
“Should we text him?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
The conversation swirls around boys and an escalating amount of giggles. As 6th grade nears its end, the girls are becoming much more interested in the boys and the conversations are now filtered with this boy this and that boy that.
I am calm, however, as I remember a situation Katy and I lived a few years ago that has become a featured reference in our lives.
We are skiing and Greg and Nick are off racing as usual. Katy and I are in line for a four-person chairlift as I notice a few high school girls in front of us. I observe them checking out the high school boys next to us and know they are part of the same group. The girls are definitely interested in the boys as they talk and giggle to each other with effusive gestures and much hair flipping.
The girls hop onto the chairlift in front of us and we get onto one with the boys.
Katy and I are enjoying the scenery as I listen to the boys talking.
“Oh man I ate so much at breakfast,” one of the boys says to the other.
“I know. I had the blueberry pancakes. They were great,” the other answers.
“I ate so many, I am going to burst.”
“The orange juice was great too. I wish I had some now.”
“I had so much maple syrup.”
“The pancakes were so fluffy.”
This conversation continues the entire way up the mountain.
As I listen to the boys, I observe the girls in front of us. They are animated and coyly looking back to see if the boys are watching.
Now, I giggle. Well, actually chuckle. This is hilarious.
Katy looks at me to tell her why I am laughing and I shake my head to let her know I will tell her later.
The chairlift reaches the top and we all disembark to go our respective ways. We ski to the side of the trail and Katy motions me to stop.
“Mom, tell me why you are laughing,” Katy insists.
I chuckle. I just cannot help it as I explain the situation to Katy.
“Did you see those girls in front of us?”
“The pretty ones in the purple, aqua and black jackets?”
“Yes, they are with the boys on our chairlift. Did you notice the girls looking back at us?”
“I did. Why did they do that?”
“The girls know the boys and are interested in them. The girls are talking, laughing and wondering whether the boys are thinking and talking about them.”
“But the boys were talking about breakfast! The whole time.” Katy giggles.
“Yes, they were – the entire time! When you grow up and get interested in boys, remember this. When you are wondering if the boys are thinking and talking about you, know they are not. They are talking about blueberry pancakes.”
Katy giggles again and shakes her head as she skis down the mountain. She is eight at this point and has no interest in boys.
Now, however, whenever the girls start talking about boys. Katy and I look at each other and know. The boys are not thinking and talking about them. They are probably talking about something mundane. They are probably talking about breakfast.
So we look at each other and nod.
At the same time, we mouth “Blueberry pancakes.”
How many times have you wondered if someone has been thinking of you? Have you ever been caught up in the throes of a story you’re reliving in your mind, imagining someone else is reliving it in theirs too?
Maybe, they are.
And maybe, they aren’t.
Maybe they’re thinking about blueberry pancakes, when you’re consumed with thoughts of them.
How much brain space can you free up by not over-thinking these types of scenarios?
What a self-love exercise and something to ponder.
As always, wishing you joy,
Kim
“Oh no,” I think to myself as I watch my 11-year-old daughter walk out of her new middle school during the first week of September. She looks sullen, moody, and completely lacking in energy.
“How was your day?” I ask gently.
“It was okay,” is her quiet response.
“What is wrong? You don’t look happy.”
“No one is talking to me. I don’t have any friends.”
Okay, Moms, you know – immediate heart bleed.
I contemplate where to go with this and I can calmly provide support. So, I can probe and I can give advice. This is a conundrum as anything I say will have major import and this needs to be handled delicately.
Then it hits me.
“I love cats and I love puppies,” I begin slowly, “I love cats because they’re mysterious, quiet and self-sufficient. I love puppies, because they’re fun and cute and so friendly. They love everyone and always make people happy with their boundless joy.”
“Oh, I love puppies too!” she exclaims, sitting up straighter in her seat. “They play together and jump and chase balls. They’re so fluffy and cute. I just love them!”
“Well, which would you rather be? Would you rather be a cat or a puppy?” I ask.
“Oh, I would rather be a puppy. They have so much fun.”
“Well, at school, which do you think you’re being right now? Are you being a cat or are you being a puppy?”
She thinks about this for quite a long time and sheepishly replies, “I think I’m being a cat.”
“I think you are too. Do you think other people feel comfortable saying ‘Hi’ to someone who’s mysterious and quiet? Or do you think they’d be more comfortable saying ‘Hi’ to someone who’s open and happy?”
“I think…
… they’d be more comfortable saying ‘Hi’ to someone who’s happy.”
…you’re right.”
… I’m going to be a puppy from now on.”
Fast-forward a few months and she’s going to dances and movies and shopping. She has had a Halloween trick-or-treat adventure and is planning a ‘Beat the Winter Blues’ sleepover.
I’m thankful that these words were at the ready when I needed them and we have used the cat/puppy comparison on many occasions since that day.
During this love exploration, I want to introduce the cats and puppies philosophy of life to each of you.
I feel that girls start out as kitties and grow into cats and boys start out as puppies and grow into dogs.
Think about it.
Kitties and puppies frolic and play. They live in the moment, love everyone & everything, and are open, playful and joyful. Little girls and boys are so similar and then as they grow, girls become like cats – quiet, mysterious, independent, self-sufficient. While boys become like dogs – still playful, open and approachable.
We need these differences as they make up the tapestry of relationships, love, and community. However, as women, we have a choice of how we approach our inner and outer worlds. We can choose to be catlike or puppy-like.
When we are cat-like, we feel powerful with our contemplative stares, seeming disengagement, and independence. We reign over others with our superiority. Yet, to be this way, all day and every day, would create a world of one. It would be lonely.
So, at times, we’re puppy-like. We engage others with openness and accessibility. We can choose, so it’s available to us at any time.
Think about the older people in your life. Picture them in your mind’s eye. Who’s happier: the puppy-like people or the catlike people?
When I think about one of the happiest people I had the joy and good fortune to know, I think of my husband’s Aunt Julie. When I met her, she was almost 80 years old and she was telling a story about riding a motorcycle and breaking her leg. She was animated and sparkling and laughing about it. I thought she was telling a story that happened long ago.
Oh, not true. It was 3 weeks prior. I found that out when I looked down and saw her leg in a cast!
Auntie Julie was the most puppy-like person I have ever met and she was one of the happiest. She approached everything with wonder and joy. What a way to live life!
My daughter and I now look at people as we walk by and call out puppy or cat to each other. Bar none: the puppies are happy.
I think I want to live my life as a puppy – with openness, joy and wonder. I invite you to join me, especially in this season of love. Perhaps it can be our intentional resolution for the rest of the year.
As always, wishing you joy,
Kim
“How do you use your intuition?” my daughter, Katy, asks me several weeks ago. It’s a crazy time and I don’t have the ability to focus on a complete answer.
I say distractedly, “Oh, just say yes.”
“What do you mean?”
I think about it and realize this is actually a better answer than the more complete one I would typically use. So I continue, “When your instinct is to bring an umbrella when it doesn’t look like rain, when you think about one of your friends and you reach out, when you know you should study even though you don’t have a test, that’s saying yes. Because it does rain, your friend needed to talk with you, and you do have a test. That’s listening to your intuition and saying yes when it calls.”
So, how do you tap into your intuition?
You say yes.
That’s step 1.
Delving deeper, however, using your intuition is a bit tricky. It’s tricky because in addition to saying yes, you also need practice, patience, and action.
Step 2: Practice
You can practice by saying yes to those little nudges. The more you practice, the more nudges you will notice. It’s really easy to practice by saying yes to the simple nudges like taking an umbrella, contacting a friend, or driving a different route.
Listening to these nudges on simple every day happenings is easy and enlightening – staying dry, being there for a friend, or avoiding that traffic jam.
By saying yes and flexing your intuition on the easy choices, you stretch this ‘muscle’ and can rely more heavily upon it for the more difficult decisions. You will need more than quick nudges when your intuition is helping you with these more significant choices. You will need patience.
Step 3: Patience
You need patience when the decisions are more complex, such as; selecting a particular vender, going on a specific vacation, or buying a certain car. Should you change house cleaners, oil providers or bank? Do you go on a field trip vacation to Europe or relax on a beach in the Caribbean? Do you buy or lease a big car or downsize?
These choices require patience as you will need to take a few moments to check in. You will need a few moments of silence to connect to your inner instinct and to listen to the answers.
Step 4: Take Action
It becomes a bit trickier when you need to listen to the answers and take action based upon those answers. What if you really want to go on a field trip vacation to Europe, but your intuition is nudging you to relax on a Caribbean beach? What if you really want a swanky new coupe and your intuition is saying to keep that SUV for a few more years?
Using your intuition is especially tricky when it is nudging you in a major direction you may not want to go in. Should you
stay in your current job or change your career?
stay with your current partner or spend time alone?
continue with your current plans or change course?
When you do not say yes to your intuition, your intuition comes knocking. There are no more quiet whispers or gentle nudgings. There are loud shouts and body grabs. The ‘nudges’ come in the form of plans going awry, situations falling apart, and people telling you directly to stop.
So, bottom line – how do you tap into your intuition?
You say yes.
– to the simple nudgings.
– through practice by continuing to hear and follow these nudges.
– with patience by taking a few moments to listen and connect in silence.
– by taking action.
Thank you for reading and sharing with friends.
As always, wishing you joy,
Kim
This is an excerpt from an article circa 2015 and read on to see how it applies to True KLT love…
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Greg & I are running around like lunatics getting ready for a family visit the other week and we’re getting on each other’s nerves.
Yup.
It’s true. It happens.
“We don’t need to do all of this stuff before my parents get here,” Greg says, “They’re getting up there in years and they probably can’t see the dust anyway.”
“I know, but I need it done – for you, for me, for us.” I respond. “The greenhouse was your love letter to me and this visit is my love letter to you.”
Greg sits down, “What?”
I take a breath and say, “When you spent the weekend putting together the greenhouse and I almost passed out at the beginning when I saw all of the parts and 50-page instruction guide, I realized putting up the greenhouse was your way of writing a love letter to me.
I LOVE my love letter.
When I get you your favorite chocolate, or bake brownies, or make plans to go out on the boat, these are my love letters to you,” I continue, “But, I want to write you a bigger love letter and this whole visit with your parents is a way I can do that right now. I love you and want to show you, so this is my love letter to you.”
Well, that stops him in his tracks, yet it isn’t meant to be a stumper.
It’s true.
Once I say this, I begin to see all of the love letters we write to each other every day. As we….
– drive in circles taking our children to and from school and other activities.
– answer the hundreds of questions throughout the day.
– sit down at bedtime to answer yet another question, when we really want to turn our brains off and watch television.
– take our children and their friends to the movies (Disney again!).
– stay up all night with a sick child.
– call our aging parents to talk about what is going on with their lives.
– make a favorite meal.
– fold laundry, dry dishes, and make beds.
– check in with people we haven’t seen in a long time.
– make dinner and drop it off for a sick friend.
– like a picture on Facebook and write a nice comment.
– hold the door open for someone struggling with bags or packages.
– smile to a stranger.
Life holds thousands of opportunities for us to write love letters to each other every day and we can think of these things as chores or we can think of them as love letters.
I choose love letters.
So, let’s do that.
Let’s write love letters to each other.
Happy writing. 
____________________
Who would have imagined I would write a post 6 years ago that totally applies to our LOVE EXPLORATION month?
I LOVE the universe!
As always, wishing you joy,
Kim
