Yes I am, still working on the grout.  Sitting on the floor with my magic eraser.  I took a break from it and today I decided to tackle the bigger expanse of floor right by the front door.  You know the area.  It gets the most foot traffic.  I decided that I would do one or two rows as I do have other things on my plate today.
So I began, watching as some areas were cleaning easier than others.  I finished a few rows before the eraser I was using broke into a bunch of little pieces.  A good time to stop for the day.
The OCD part of me immediately said, "You can't leave the floor like this."  LOL  Yes, Yes I can.
"Will anyone notice?"  If so, so what?
I threw out the remnants of the eraser and walked over to admire my handy work.  Actually, I started out to see just how bad those difficult spots were and was pleasantly surprised.  It looked amazing.  It looked great.  "Well don't stop now!", the OCD voice said.  No I think I will sit and admire the contrast.
Ah-ha, you say.  Gwen finally got to why she is blogging today.  lol  Yes.  Contrast.  We sometimes don't appreciate the contrast in our lives.  And yet, without contrast we can't see the picture or hear music or feel.  Everything would be a steady line, blank screen, you get the idea.  Soooo without the dark you don't have the light and without the dirty grout lines you can't see the difference.  You can't see the distance you have come.   That those imperfections that seemed so big at the time, aren't even noticeable.  And yet again, there is still something deeper in the contrast itself.  The perfection of it all. 
Have a contrasty day.
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Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network
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So I get up this morning and I look at my allergy medications.  Yes, lately my allergies have gotten the best of me in spite of more holistic methods of controlling the symptoms.  I leaned was feeling a nudge to change it up this morning and did a little kinesiology on which one would be the lucky one.  I "leaned into" the homeopathic one.  It was a strong lean but the others had no movement.  This got my mind going on the whole energetic concept.  First off, taking anything like this food or otherwise is really only treating the symptoms.  So what is at the base of the allergies?  As in, what is really causing my body to feel it needs to react like this and not pollen or food?
That question always leads me to my Louise Hay book, Heal Your Body.  I looked up allergies and didn't really resonate with it.  It referred to hay fever too, so I went there and read the words.  One stuck out for me. Persecution.  Hmmmm.  Pulled out my journal and sat down to ponder on this.  I started with what did persecution mean to me.  For me, it means being attacked over your beliefs.  Did I feel like that?  Not in a big way of maybe how things were in the old days when folks were burned at the stake but little comments here and there.  People putting their beliefs on me as to squash who I was and what I believed.  I sat with this.  I guess I didn't pay it much mind but there it was.
Now for you Byron Katie fans, this is exactly the time to do "The Work" which goes like this.  If I feel like others are say persecuting me, then am I persecuting me?  AHHHHH.  There it was.  I could see the little comments here and there that I directed at myself.  Wow!!  
My body was reacting to the little hits I was aiming at me in the course of my days.  Can I turn this around?  Of course, I can.  I need to be more mindful of my self talk.  Be more loving toward myself.  In short order, I should feel the allergies lift and the outside of me comments diminish.  I will continue to support my body in allergy relief until that happens, but soon I feel I will be able to feel a whole lot better. 
You would think that would be the end of the story but of course not.  LOL
I looked outside and the sky was overcast, in SWFL that is unusual.  hmm. Interesting.  Moments later I remembered that Sunday is Easter.  Hey that makes today Good Friday.  There are my Christian roots showing. lol  So I thought to myself well that makes sense that today would be overcast and then it hit me.  Today represented persecution.  Yeah.  very interesting.
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Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network

It is 5 pm on Tuesday.  I am looking at the clock and the list of things I had hoped to work on today.  I can feel the stress of that thought as it creeps in and I stop it in its tracks.  I remind myself that I have had a full day.  I have done quite a bit of work.  The work that needed to be done.  I can feel a little ease as I try to pivot my thoughts to better feeling ones.  Then I see my cards and I start to shuffle.  They just are flying everywhere.  In bunches.  I get them back into a pile and start again and there they go, all over.  Yes.  I did it a third time and noticed they all kind of had a theme to them.  So I thought I would share the top 3.  Can you see how they fit into this exact moment.  Refocus, re-energize and play.  Ahhhh.  In a about a half hour I will be heading out to my crochet group.  Ahhhhh.  Refocus, re-energize and play, tomorrows another day.  Deep breath, relaxing breath and a smile creeps across my face.  
Take a moment for yourself and shift.
Gwen Peterson

Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network

As the card says there are many forms.  Sitting, standing, walking, moving rocks, raking sand and cleaning the grout on my kitchen floor.  LOL  Yeah even that one.  Meditation is all about focus.  Where is your focus?  Being mindful of your focus.  Noticing where your mind goes and why.  I think most folks start out with guided meditation.  It is a way to get our butts in the chair and sit.  It is a great way to learn to focus.  Sooner or later though, silent meditation becomes a thing.  You have to learn to sit with you and all that stuff in your head.  (Insert journal.  Best to have one handy to help quiet down your mind and get a feel for what is in your head.)
A daily practice is what you want to work towards.  It is the only way to find your balance.  Your center.  Your peaceful place.  You pick your name.  When you do, you will quickly see your life begin to take on a more calm vibe.
But back to my floors. My home is pretty much all tile.  Lots of grout.  I noticed recently that it needs a good cleaning.  The grout.  I contemplated hiring someone and then a voice said why not you?  Well I could think of a half dozen reasons why I didn't want to be on the cold tile scrubbing but the voice wouldn't let me be.  So I got out my Magic Eraser and started to clean my grout.   After a few squares, I noticed where my head went as I scrubbed.  Ahhhh meditation.  Let's say that the floor will take awhile to get done but my meditation practice is in a different place with this activity.  I found a new groove (lol) if you will.
Is it time to change up your practice? Get back to it?  Start one?
That voice that nudged me?  That is what comes with a meditation practice.  Find your voice.
Gwen Peterson
Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network

Books are my weak link.  I love to read and so my defenses are down when it comes to reading.  That is, if Spirit wants to communicate with me it will be through a book.  Sometimes it is just a paragraph or two or the title that will speak volumes to me.  Pardon the pun. lol
I usually will share one of many crazy books coming to me stories in my discussion groups.  They are so crazy that it can only mean one thing.
So what are you feeling nudged to read.  Book, Facebook, billboard.  You will know when you have hit on the message because you will feel it in your heart center.  Trust the message you feel.  
Maybe it was this message causing you to open up to the bigger part of you.  Spirit asking you to write a new page in your life's story by Trusting who you are more deeply.
--Gwen Peterson

Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network 

Find things to smile about.  Even if it is the small things in your day.  A bird.  Your dog.  The sun.  A friend.
I think you get the picture.  Once you shift your focus to something that will make your smile you change up the energy you hold and you allow the good in life to flow to you more easily.
With practice, you will not need anything to shift your focus.  Just the smile itself and your body will relax into the moment.  You will begin to see the things around you shift.  Give it a try right now. Right this moment as you are sitting here reading this.  Can you feel the relief?
--Gwen Peterson
Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about the Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network

As you practice more and more your alignment with that deeper part of you, your Soul, you begin to feel or hear nudges.  In addition, to your Inner knowing, you are surrounded by Angels and Guides who also are there for you.  You can be nudged or hear them as well.  They are all working for your higher good.  When you do your work, no matter what it looks like, be centered.  You may find that you will need to stop and re-center from time to time.  Find a good feeling place as you move through your day.  This will let you feel their nudges. 
For example, I spend a lot of my days on the computer due to the nature of my work.  I love to get in a good feeling place first.  It makes the work move quickly and I have come to find that I will get nudges regarding different things I need to do or should look at.  The other day a particular post came up on Facebook and I felt a nudge to click and listen. I tried to dismiss it, but the nudge came back to listen.  I did and found out some rather interesting information that would prompt me to take some action.  It was very important that I had that information and take that action, so I was very appreciative of the 'outside' help, if you know what I mean.
These are friends with the best kind of benefits.
--Gwen Peterson
 Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about the Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network

Refocus. 
Do you feel like you are hitting your head against a wall?  Do you find yourself doing the same thing over and over again with no results?  Yay!  If you are at a point to begin asking yourself these questions then you are moving into an awareness about yourself that will allow for change.  Change can be easy once you begin to understand that you are the one calling the shots.  You call the shots by what you focus on.  You have been focused in a certain way until now.  Now it is time to re-focus.  Take a look at what it is you are trying to do and begin to change the perspective on it.  Can you begin to find a better feeling place with this thing?  You may need your Emotional Guidance Scale to help you begin shifting to a more positive feeling place.  When you start to feel a shift in your feelings around the thing you have been focused on, then the magic happens.  What seemed to be stuck now seems to be moving forward.
--Gwen Peterson
Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about the Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network

What do you want to be and why?
This came up at last night's Art of Allowing group.  It is important where you put your focus.  How can you focus if you haven't taken the time to decide for yourself what it is you want?  Each morning I stop and focus on me. I meditate for a little bit and then I journal asking myself questions.  What does my day look like?  How do I want it to look?  How do I feel?  Where are my emotions at on any given topic?  Do they feel good to me?  Can I shift them to a better feeling place?  
As I answer these questions, I get a better feel for what it is I want.  More important, doing this helps me to center.  That is what I always want to be.  Centered. Why?  Because I can focus on those things that I just sat with.  I will be less swayed by those around me, who don't have any real idea of what it is I want and why.  They can't.  So it is up to me to do the work first.  Before I go out into my day.
--Gwen Peterson
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Gwen Peterson is the Mentor of Insights and Illuminations//Helping others to refocus, re-energize and recreate their lives.  In addition to this work Gwen is the Founder of Spiritual Communities Network//a global community of Teachers and Seekers of Spiritual growth with classes and events held virtually and locally and leads the Naples FemCity Collective//Supporting business women with that Soul connection.  She has been featured in Natural Awakenings Magazine.  To learn more about the Gwen, her classes or SCN, visit: Insights and Illuminations, Spiritual Communities Network