Practicing the Emotion Code on Myself

My annual accountability post :)

Nicolle shares how even the worst Mondays can end with a grateful heart.

Nine Chances to See Me During Spooky Season!

Every year, I publicly review last year’s goals and how I did with them, and I announce my goals for the new year. I don’t make resolutions because they tend to be cliché and easily forgotten. I make goals that I can measure and show progress toward. Being a Capricorn and type A, I need goals to keep me motivated and always moving forward. These are the big ones that I want accountability for over the course of the year. 2023 Goals – How I did Visit one new place. I visited Canton for STM Monster Fest and enjoyed my weekend so much that I’m going back this year – not so much because of Canton (although the NFL Hall of Fame was cool!), but because Monster Fest was a blast, and I made several new friends there and finally met some of my favorite podcasters and film makers in person. I can’t wait to see them again! Make more money to pay down debt. My annual raise at work helped, and I paid off the HVAC system that I had to buy in 2020 nine months early! Attend at least one paracon (and maybe a writers’ conference, too) I attended STM Monster Fest , and I’m going back this year! I didn’t get to a writers’ conference because I ran out of time off and money (because paying off debt was a bigger priority). Continue to improve The P.E.E.P. Podcast and grow its audience. This one is ongoing because it’s never really done. My niche podcast is growing slowly, and that’s okay. I had to take a couple of breaks in 2023 (for health and travel), and if my audience was huge, I might not have felt like I could do that. Timing is everything. Complete and publish the myth/fantasy novel that I started writing over a decade ago. I’ve made progress, but it’s not anywhere near complete. With only half the story told, it’s already longer than any other novel I’ve written. I joined Ream in November, and I’m using it to hold myself to a writing schedule because if someone is willing to pay to read it as I write, then I’d better keep writing! Grow my healing practice. Technically, it grew, but not the way I envisioned it. Over the course of 2023, I realized my energy was better put into the podcast and writing because they are more scalable. Great is the Spirit still exists, and I’m happy to take on clients, but I’m not actively advertising it. Expand Triangle Energy Healers I have several awesome healers listed on the page, and that’s as far as I’ve gotten. The biggest lesson I learned in 2023: When I try to do too many things at once, no one thing makes the big impact I want it to. While that’s probably common sense, it seems to be one of those things I keep having to learn for myself repeatedly. 2024 Goals Visit one new place. I’m not sure where it will be, but this is an annual goal, and I always make it happen. Travel expands the mind and spurs the imagination. Make more money to pay down debt. This is my other annual goal, and while I know home ownership is full of surprises, I’m trying to be more prepared for them with each passing year. Most of my current debt is from home/yard improvements and student loans, so it’s the kind of debt that most of my generation deals with and all of us are tired of. But I took it on, and I’ll pay it off. Complete “Daughter of the Mystic Moon.” The beginning of the fantasy novel I found in journals from over a decade ago is my current work-in-progress, and I’m finally actually writing new chapters after spending last year transcribing it from journals to Word. I like the story, and I can see it becoming another series. Once I finish it and hire an editor, my next project will be the third Rayna Smith novel, especially since people are asking for it! I also have an idea from several years ago for a sci-fi/parallel universe novel and one from this year for a superhero story. I have many ideas and not enough time to write! Attend at least one writer’s conference (virtually or in person) to help hone my craft and business sense and to make connections with other authors. I didn’t get to do this last year, but I’m aware of one local workshop/conference and a couple that are hybrid or virtual that I’ll try to attend this year, assuming they are affordable. Say “yes” to exciting opportunities to get my name out there without compromising my mental health or finances. The best marketing for podcasts, books, and energy healing is word of mouth. (If you like mine, please tell people about them.) The second best is being in public. My library talks are a way to reach locals who might not otherwise hear of me, and this year, I’m seeing additional possibilities like those outside of Wake County to add to my calendar. I won’t say yes to everything because that’s a surefire way for me to burn out, but I will say yes to the ones that my intuition tells me will be good for me. Practice Swedish Death Cleaning , make a will, and create a Death Bind er . It seems morbid, but we’re all going to die. Why not make things easier for our loved ones when we do? My job as a content writer means I learn about many aspects of life and death that I may not have otherwise considered. This year, I’ll put some of them into practice to show my family I love them, even if the results aren’t needed for many years down the line. Those are my goals, and I’m excited to see how 2024 plays out for them. What are yours? Feel free to share them with me on Facebook or Twitter.

It’s the time of year when Christians send Christmas cards to each other, often with the phrase “peace on earth and goodwill to men” across the front of them. That’s me. I’m a Catholic, and my cards are typically Christian-themed, except when I know I’m sending one to someone who practices another religion or tradition. But even for my non-Christian friends, I wish them peace. How often do we actually stop and consider what “peace on Earth” would really mean? As a Reiki master, I meditate over my Reiki grid after breakfast every morning (and as a Christian, those morning meditations include prayers to God). People that I feel need a little extra healing energy and intentions that need a little extra oomph go on my grid. Sometimes those are Emotion Code and Reiki clients, some are friends or family members going through health crises, and occasionally, I put myself on there. For example, after over a month of post-nasal drip related, nearly non-stop coughing, I finally added my health to the grid earlier this week, and I’m coughing much less today. Everyday since I started the Reiki grid practice, “world peace” has been on that grid. I mean every single day for almost two years. So, every day, I reflect on what that phrase means. When I was younger, I thought it simply meant no more wars, but as an adult, I realize the lack of war doesn’t guarantee peace in the world because there will still be crime, drug abuse, mental illness, grief, physical disease, and all sorts of suffering. We’re humans. Those things typically come with humanity, and they disrupt our personal peace. But as humans, our collective goal should be that each individual finds peace, despite or beyond all those aspects of being human. We can pray for world peace, but without action on every person’s part, it’s not going to happen. As Michael Jackson sang, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways, and no message could be any clearer…” (I hope that’s stuck in your head now.) While the man was very flawed, the message of that song hits the mark. We must find peace in our own hearts first before we try to help others find it. Only by experiencing the true joy, contentment, and happiness that comes with a peaceful heart can we find the inner strength to help other people work on theirs. And really, if we all just put in the work to become more peaceful ourselves, then the whole world might experience peace. Think about it! If for just five minutes, every individual in this world experienced personal peace at the same time, what a true miracle that would be! It’s not impossible, but it won’t happen if we don’t try to make it happen. So, while you’re doing whatever it is you do during this time of year, I challenge you to be more mindful about what brings you peace and how you can incorporate more of it into your everyday life. Whether that’s your first sip of coffee during the quite of the morning, meditation, yoga, sitting on a garden bench, working the soil, crafting, painting, watching children play, listening to a favorite song, visiting a holy sanctuary, or whatever – savor it and make sure it’s part of your daily life.

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It's my favorite season - Spooky!

Keeping Myself Accountable with Your Help

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