Giving... a part of the manifesting process... But HOW to give when we got no $$$$!!!!

When we talk about manifesting what we want in our lives, we hear a lot about the act of clearing out clutter and giving to others. For many of us, the act of "giving" brings up immediate comments and feelings about "how can I possibly GIVE to others when I, myself, am in so much need??"

But, alas, everything we read or watch related to manifesting indicates that when we give we seem to be opening the doors for the universe to bring about "more" in our own lives. Giving is paramount. But let's get our heads out of the clouds and get real for a minute. How the heck does someone GIVE when they seem to have nothing TO give? 

Last week I put my "request" out to the universe. I asked that money just come to me and said "I am open to receiving" any and all money. And then nothing happened. Well, nothing miraculous anyway! In fact, what I got instead was a friend in NEED of some money! Well, even though I didn't have much to give, I sent some anyway. At this point, I had sort of forgotten that I had asked the universe to bring money TO me. I sent it without an expectation in return. And what I got was so much more than what I had sent. Just after that - I got a two month subscription for free. And the bigger (in my mind) thing that came about was that the following day I got an email that my Ad-Sense account had been approved again! 

There are a few people who know that this whole ad-sense thing and monetizing my YouTube videos has been a thorn in my side for the past six months at least! (Ever since YouTube changed their rules!) So, for me to get this email was a HUGE moment of gratitude and happiness!! 

You see, at first I didn't make the connection between the different incidents, because when you look at them on the surface, one doesn't have anything to do with the other. But, in the grand scheme of things, I believe that they ARE in fact interconnected. I honestly believe that the act of giving helped to open those doors to the others. 

But I do realize that it isn't always easy to give when it comes to money; especially when you're struggling to make ends meet. Trust me, I get that! So I wanted to talk about other ways we can give. Ways that are (maybe) a little more manageable when handing out cash isn't an option. 

1. Cleaning out a closet and donating what you don't need. It can be simply dropped off to the Goodwill OR you can make a post on Facebook (or Facebook Market) and offer it for FREE. Take it a step further and donate clothes to a transgender teen or young adult who may be struggling with other expenses. Or donate your "professional" looking suits to a charity that gives clothing to people just entering the workforce. 

2. Make something and give it away for free. Are you crafty? Have a specialty? Can you whip up a knitted hat and scarf set in no time? In the hospitals, the maternity wards always need hand knitted or crochet hats for the babies. And I'm pretty certain anyone who is homeless would love a hat, scarf or blanket in the cold weather. Maybe knitting isn't your thing- how about drawing or painting (if that's your thing) and donating your pieces somewhere. 

3. Offer to help someone with a task. I don't necessarily mean cleaning or yard work here. It could be something as simple as helping someone edit their blog post or showing someone how to set up a web page for their new business. 

4. Got some knowledge to share? Teach a quick workshop online or in person and offer it for free. Online can be done in a live video presentation or in a classroom platform such as Zoom. In person, can be done at your home or even at the local library. You can even offer to tutor kids at the local library. 

5. Send some energy healing out to someone! Maybe you know Reiki or some other form of energy work. Maybe you can just send out some loving pink light instead. 

6. Send a handwritten letter to someone in the military. We often forget how meaningful handwritten letters and cards can be. And as we go about our busy lives, we tend to neglect people we know who are serving our country. They may be busy too, but getting a quick letter from you may be just what they needed that day! (Don't know anyone? PM me... I got peeps!)

7. Send a letter to someone serving time in prison- if you know anyone! They are often VERY appreciative of letters! (Don't know anyone? PM me, I got these peeps too!)

8. Offer to babysit or elder-sit for a mom or dad who could use an hour or so of free time!

9. Got a truck? Offer to help someone who needs to move something or pick something up. (within your town/city). 

10. Have old towels you were going to toss? Bring them down to your local animal shelter or pound and donate them instead. Maybe grab an inexpensive bag of dog food on your way. While you're there, show some love to a few animals!

11. You know all those extra things we get in the mail? I'm talking about those little note pads and free things companies send in order to get a donation. My mom gets tons of Native American "God's Eyes", small/thin blankets from animal charities, and so much more. Why not gather all of those things together and donate them to a school, church or convalescent home? Or even a homeless shelter? 

12. Did you go through menopause? Or get some form of birth control where you no longer menstruate? Sounds super weird.... but I can tell you that tampons and pads are VERY hard to come by when you're a homeless woman! If you're not using them... DONATE them! 

When we really take a minute to look around - we have SO much more to give than we may initially think. I have seen the homes of people who live in other parts of the world and can tell you for a fact that we in the USA are truly blessed beyond measure. Anyone who has ever seen a stray dog or a homeless person sitting on the corner- has seen a NEED. 
When I look in my kitchen and see those crackers that I bought that I think taste like shit. Or the instant rice I got for convenience, and then realized I don't like the taste- I am looking at STUFF that someone else can use and that I can GIVE. I can go on and on with so many more examples!

What are some other ways we can GIVE without money? 

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5 Things I Appreciate About My Previous Spiritual Paths

Many people who leave the religious beliefs that they were brought up in harbor a great deal of negativity towards that religion. There are few who can look back on that journey and pick out a few aspects of it that can be appreciated. 

Why should we "appreciate" something we walked away from, you ask? Well, for one thing, that path that we WERE on helped to bring us to the path we are currently on! So, in many cases that path was a necessary part of our journey to bring us to the path we may be on currently. And there's something to be said for that! 

Here are 5 things that I have come to appreciate about the spiritual paths and religions that I was a part of before coming to my current spiritual path!

1. Those paths taught me the meaning of DOGMA!

From Wikipedia... Dogma is an English term transliterated in the 17th century from Latin (Latin dogma) meaning "philosophical tenet", derived from the Greek 'dogma' (Greek δόγμα) meaning literally "that which one thinks is true" and 'dokein' (Greek dokeo) "to seem good."

As I journeyed on my previous paths, it became very clear to me that we were to accept particular "truths" without question. Oh, I know, there are many people in those previous paths that will shout out 'No! Not true! You are always able to question!' But to them I say hogwash! I had seen it first-hand that certain questions were frowned upon or simply left unanswered as the inquirer was made to feel "less than". 

I have seen dogmas defend themselves regardless of the alternative facts presented. And I have seen faithful believers cling to dogmas, creating a false sense of security in their lives. 

And it was in seeing these things that I began to fully understand the meaning of religious dogma and how significantly it impacts the lives of so many people. In this knowledge, I became even more adamant on questioning everything that was presented to me, as I began to equate religious dogma to the image in my head of a horse with blinders on. 

2. Those paths gave me a foundation of "religious knowledge".

I've always believed that knowledge of any sort is powerful. And so it has proven true with religious "knowledge" as well. Despite the fact that I may not subscribe to the "knowledge", having that background has helped me to question things that I had formerly accepted as truth. Had I not had this indoctrinated education, I would not have been able to put some of the pieces together to even begin to question them. 

As an example- if I were to look at a major religion that I have little knowledge about, and someone were to state a "fact" about that religion; I would not be able to debate it or discuss it with considerable certainty as I have little knowledge of those "religious facts" (as they are taught). Knowing the historical basis of certain religions has helped me to see a BIGGER PICTURE in regards to religion and its place in history. 

3. One path showed me the reverence of RITUAL

Fun fact... I went to Catholic High School. I can recall having to attend "chapel" and often bailing out of it to hide out in the Guidance office... or anywhere really! Well, this one day I had nowhere to go and we were all corralled into the chapel. As I surely wasn't interested in what was being said, and couldn't hear most of it anyway; I was whispering about something completely off topic to the friend sitting at my side. It was then that one of the teachers pulled me aside and explained the importance of showing respect and reverence despite the fact that I may not follow that path. 

From that point on, I would attend and sit in respect. And in doing so, I observed those "rituals" and the more active participants. I realized that when performing a ritual of ANY sort, one is showing respect, not just to the faith, but to the energies and deities that you are calling upon. This respect for the reverence of ritual practices made it a natural progression for me when I began to show reverence for my ancestors while on my current path. 

4. My previous religion showed me that what someone does within church walls is not as meaningful as what one does outside those walls.

I can remember sitting in a service years ago and hearing the preacher flat out tell everyone that "we do no good while sitting here, the only real good we can do is that which we do outside of these walls". He then went on to say that it didn't even matter that all of us were sitting in that church if what we did outside of those walls didn't show others that we live our beliefs. 

This was probably the last time I even sat in a "church" to be honest! For it was then that I had the epiphany that how I lived my life was of far greater importance. This realization instilled in me the importance of "living my truth". 

5. I appreciate that one path taught me to "Avoid the Appearance of Evil"... and here's why!

I can remember arriving to an evening church service in my beat up Dodge Aspen with newly applied Grateful Dead stickers plastered all over it. Oh, the looks I got! At the time, I was young and absolutely had no idea what the big deal was! Finally, one of my friends pulled me aside and explained the "evil" in that music and why it "didn't look good" that I had those stickers on my car. 

He went on to share a (hypothetical) story about a man who is seen parked in front of a liquor store even though he had been going into the adjacent food market. Explaining that because he happened to be parked in front of the liquor store, should someone impressionable see his vehicle there; it may cause that impressionable person to lose their faith. 

Hmmm..... well, I can tell you it didn't change my mind about the stickers OR the music; but it did bring to light a more powerful message in my eyes. People will judge you based on what they see, even if they aren't seeing the whole picture. 

What are some of the things that YOU appreciate about the spiritual paths you have been on in your life? (The ones that you are no longer following that is!)

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Be Grateful for Struggles??

They say that the teacher will come when the student is ready. 

In retrospect, this always makes so much sense. But as we are going through our struggles we can often wonder why we had to wait so long!

For the past several months I have been struggling with my Adsense account! Now, to many people this may seem quite trivial! But to me, somehow, in some way, this was akin to a thorn in my side! With each denial, I struggled to figure out exactly what I was doing wrong. Each time, researching various topics and basically coming up against a brick wall. 

It wasn't until this recent time that I sat down to research some solutions that I discovered the need for various pages on the blog. Now, why on earth hadn't I noticed this in the past?? Was I not ready? It didn't make sense!

Or... is it possible that I needed to look at this from a different perspective? 

Maybe it isn't so much that I wasn't ready, but that I needed to go through the struggle in order to arrive at this exact point? The "teacher" or "expert" in this field came to me when I needed it in the form of the correct web page and information. Were the others that I had encountered prior to this simply "bad" or "un-usable"? Absolutely not! They also helped me on this leg of my journey, to grow, learn and realize smaller pieces of the puzzle. 

When I give readings, I share what I am seeing with my intuition/clairvoyance/etc. with my clients. Oftentimes, what I am seeing may not be what they are ready to hear. Someone may come to me seeking insight into a relationship that they so desperately want to come to fruition. Yet, the images I am seeing suggest that this isn't the case. The relationship won't last. And many times the client will not want to hear that information, and so it is presented in as gentle a way as possible. 

You see, in that case, the client is not ready to realize that the relationship will not blossom as they hope. My ego mind may believe wholeheartedly that it is in their best interest to realize this fact and move forward with their life. But spirit has a very different idea. The client needs to travel down this path in order to reach the next path in their journey. There are lessons and trials that she will need to work through during this part of the journey that will better prepare her for the next part. In this case, my job as "teacher" or "guide" is to help her gently navigate this part of her journey.  To help her to realize smaller pieces of the puzzle. 

This reminds me of something my mentor Alea Dawn has spoken about on many occasions. As we go through our various life paths and journeys, it's important to remember that even when we are dealing with what appears to be a struggle in our life, it may well be that this is a necessary part of our path to prepare us for what's ahead. And rather than curse and swear about our struggle... (as I so often do!), instead let us try to express gratitude and appreciation. That sounds absolutely crazy to ask anyone to express gratitude and appreciation for struggles! But, if we are looking at it from a different perspective: that this is preparing us for the next phase; then surely we can see that we should be grateful for the "training"! And quite possibly it will make the road that much smoother! 

I challenge you to try expressing gratitude when you're in the middle of a struggle! Whether something small and mundane or something a bit more serious and involved. Share in the comments below how the change in perspective has helped you on your journey! 

Do you stay PRESENT even in the UNCOMFORTABLE times of life??

I can remember being pregnant with my fifth child and one of the biggest "lessons" I learned from that time. As so many people who have had children know, when you are pregnant with your first child everything is so new and "unknown"... Then as you are pregnant with subsequent children, you really FEEL everything so much more. You feel those Braxton Hicks contractions more. You seem to feel everything MORE. 

Well, during the time I was pregnant with my fifth and last child, I went through a period during the final three months where I was just done! I can remember feeling as though if I could just take this heavy belly OFF for a little while and pack it away in a closet... just for some relief. I was quite large... rotund... heavy.... ;) and I was tired! 

As I was driving in the car one day the thought occurred to me... 'this is where you're meant to be right now'. It was a tough pill to swallow at the time when I was FEELING all of the discomforts of pregnancy so vividly! But I let myself simmer with that thought for a bit and started to have a lovely realization. Yes, this IS where I am meant to be at this moment in life. I am exactly where I needed to be. And I could lament the discomforts... OR I could savor them, knowing that I would never be here again. 

Through the remainder of that pregnancy, I revisited that thought many more times... including when I was in labor! And it was then that I began to train my mind to be more PRESENT in each moment. EVEN the moments that don't seem comfortable! I began to really apply this principle to every area of my life. The good times AND the not so good times!

I am here and I am present. This moment in time may not be one of the most comfortable moments, but I am here for a reason. It may be a lesson to learn. It may only be to experience the contrasts in life. But it is THE MOMENT that I am meant to be in at this time in this life. And I will FEEL all of the feelings that come with that moment. And I will allow myself to experience those feelings in their fullest, being grateful... and appreciative... that I am able to experience this moment so fully. And I will own them... if only for that moment; because, good or bad,  I know that the moment will not last forever! 

I challenge you to acknowledge the moment in time that you are experiencing right now! Allow yourself to be totally present in the moment! 

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Grateful, Thankful, Appreciative...

"I am Grateful. I am Thankful. I am Appreciative."

Don't these words just mean the same thing?

So often I hear people say they are "thankful" especially around this time of year. This got me thinking about the differences in being thankful, grateful and appreciative. I know you're thinking- 'what's the point? Aren't they all just the same thing really?' 

Well, I don't think they ARE the same. When we talk about manifesting, we also talk about how important it is to express gratitude and appreciation. So, if both of THOSE terms are mentioned, it stands to reason that there must be differences; albeit subtle ones!

Some references will tell you that being grateful and being thankful are synonyms for each other. And in today's day and age, they are often used interchangeably for sure. However, if we really analyse the words, we can see that they do in fact have some differences. 

Generally speaking, being grateful is a noun. This is something that we ARE... and often after the act of being thankful - which is the adjective. So, in essence, when we express thanks for something, we then become more grateful.

The same concept holds true for the word appreciative. Many sources will indicate that being appreciative is a synonym for being grateful. Appreciative is an adjective as in "showing appreciation".  One can truly only show appreciation for something that they are both thankful for AND grateful for. To show appreciation is to recognize and realize internally, the beauty or value of the thing which you are speaking of. 

Can you be one without being the other?

I can be thankful for my job, but certainly not be grateful for it or even appreciate it. However, if I am grateful for my job, then it stands to reason that I am also thankful for it and had expressed that thankfulness at some point. But, alas, I still may not be appreciative of it! 

I may be thankful for the dinner being served on Thanksgiving, but that in no way would mean that I had taken the time to really appreciate the food that is going to sustain my body. 

And, I certainly know that come Christmas time, my young children are thankful for the presents they receive- but are they grateful? Have they really internalized how grateful they are to receive presents? And going further, are they appreciative of those presents and what it may have taken in order to get them under the tree? Since many Christmas presents (toys in particular) become forgotten or stuffed away somewhere only a week or so after the holiday, I would have to say that gratefulness and appreciation are quite probably not in the mix!

So, what is the answer?

So, after much research into this I have come to the following conclusion: (particularly in regards to putting these concepts into action with the Law of Attraction and manifestation in our lives). 

I believe that the first step is to be grateful. This means that we need to really FEEL that feeling of thankfulness. Internalize it.  We start with a feeling of being grateful for what is before us. I believe this involves our senses in a way. So, we look at our home and realize we are grateful for having a roof over our heads. We hear our children and realize we are grateful for having people in our lives who love us. We smell the food cooking on the stove and realize that we are grateful for that food. And only then do we turn that inward feeling into an outward expression. When I am grateful for (the job, the person, etc.) I then express thanks to the universe for that thing and am able to realize more fully just HOW thankful I truly am. 

This brings us to being thankful. Being thankful is an outward expression of the feeling of gratefulness.  Whether that be to an individual, entity or even just putting it out to the universe. I believe that thankfulness is that outward expression. It is when we say to someone "Thank you" (for being there, for this job, etc. etc.). It is important to express this thankfulness regardless of circumstance when we want to manifest in our life. You may hate your job! But, there must be SOME aspect of that job that you are thankful for- even if it is ONLY that you get a paycheck every week. No matter what it is, express thanks for it. Verbalize it. Put it "out there" to the universe, God, the Goddess, your guides, whoever you choose. The important thing is that you express it. Sort of like saying an affirmation. In this step you are simply saying it. But, that alone will mean nothing until we move on to the other part.

Finally, we must have appreciation. Much like when one is looking at a piece of artwork, we must really feel how this gratitude we have impacts our lives. Once we have had that feeling of gratefulness and then taken the time to express it outwardly with thankfulness; we need to then simmer in that feeling so much so that it creates such an intense appreciation for it. To really appreciate it as one would appreciate great artwork, is the true meaning of this step. Realizing, acknowledging and understanding that your world and your life is a better place because of that thing which you are appreciating. 

I challenge you to mindfully take each of these words and make them real in your own life! As we spend time with families, friends and loved ones this season; take a moment to feel the gratefulness within you. Express the thankfulness and then take time to simmer in it and really appreciate it. Find something, ANYTHING, in your life that you feel gratitude towards. As you do this, I am certain that your life will be more abundant for it! Take a moment to share in the comments below some of the things in YOUR life that you are grateful for, express thanks for, and appreciate fully. 

~ Raven Haze Healing and Divination

Find me on the web at www.ravenhaze.com and on Facebook at Raven Haze Healing & Divination as well as my GROUP at Raven Haze Group