Dear Ones,

A few weeks ago I had a day that did not—in any way at all—go how I imagined. Do you know those days?

Students canceled their figure skating lessons at the last minute. (Yes, I also teach figure skating.) A lunch engagement that I had been looking forward to was postponed. I then went to do some shopping errands and the products I needed were not in stock. And, to boot, some personal issues that I thought had been resolved came unraveled. I felt like the universe was playing a little joke on me saying, “nope, nothing is going the way you think it is supposed to.” All in all, I could have felt quite frustrated and upset by the end of the day. But I didn’t! I felt happy, light-hearted and accepting. So how did I get there? That’s what I want to share with you…my new “silver lining playbook.”

When I arrived at the rink at 6am only to learn that my lessons for that morning had canceled, I heard my inner voice  asking, “what’s the silver lining?” Immediately I discovered that answers were available to me: I’d had a precious and very helpful phone chat (hands free) on my drive to work; I had a delicious, relaxing cup of coffee at a cafe; and I saw and hugged two dear friends who were at the rink. None of these events would have occurred if I had not driven over an hour in rush hour traffic to get there. Actually, I felt pretty good. Since there was nothing I could have done to change the situation, my guides asked me to notice the positive in the situation. Consequently I did, and I found a happiness and peace that was surprising and wonderful.

As my day continued, and as plans continued to shift and seemingly fall apart, I continued to ask, “what’s the silver lining in this?” I kept finding it. And each time I did, I noticed the sensation in my body went from tight and tense to more light-hearted and relieved. I was truly surprised how I was feeling throughout this day.

The universe’s lesson carried on into the evening. But by now, this was a game for me and I continued to find the bright side in each new situation. I was completely amused at how happy I was given “the day I had had.” I woke up the next morning with a more positive frame of mind than I would have imagined. My energy felt ready to welcome the new day.

Since then I’ve tried to make this part of my daily practice. It’s not that difficult decisions don’t keep arising, or that I don’t find myself in challenging situations. I do—and I still get upset. But now I move more quickly to a different perspective and a change of heart. Now when I notice my negative thoughts or the physical sensations associated with those thoughts I am choosing to look for the silver lining. My energy shifts to a much more positive one—and positive energy begets positive energy. My new playbook is helping me not to sweat the small stuff.

So, I invite you to begin to develop your own silver lining playbook that takes those challenging, difficult or unexpected circumstances and finds the hidden, perhaps small, perhaps magnificent gem in the midst of continuous change. My hope is that you find a greater sense of ease and feel yourself more at one with the flow of the universe. A shift in our perspective—even just one tiny shift—will have an impact both internally and externally, and that can make a huge difference in our relationships and in our day.

I want to hear from you

• Will you try it for a day? If you do, and please do, I’d love to hear how it goes for you.
• What kind of situations were easy to find the silver lining, which were difficult?
• How did you feel each time you found a silver lining?
• Are you struggling to find the silver lining?
• How did you feel at the end of the day?

Work With Me

If you are struggling to find the silver lining in a situation or if you want to amp up the positive, loving energy more, let me know and we can schedule a session to work with it. Please contact me if you would like a reading. A reading is also a beautiful gift to give a friend or family member.

What else I’m up to

~ My husband, dog and I recently returned from a rejuvenating trip up the coast of California. We walked and played on the beach, visited with friends and I did several readings for clients up there. It was a nice blend of work and relaxing.

~ I just finished reading John Edward’s Afterlife and Eben Anderson’s A Proof of Life.

~ Work is being done on our property to help our home feel more like a sacred refuge. I am grateful.

With love and light,