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Hello Earth Angels! Happy New Year! It is officially (according to me, ahem) the Year of the Unicorn! It’s the year to make all your wildest, craziest, hugest dreams comes true, and I’m here to tell you – YOU CAN … Continue reading
Welcome to the latest post in the Spirit Warrior Series in which I am featuring Spirit Warriors I know. These are men who have made the transition from very ‘normal’ careers to a more spiritual calling. Many men are making this shift from the physical to the meta-physical, and they have allowed me to share their stories with you, in the hopes it will inspire and uplift you, especially if you are thinking of doing the same thing.
The Spirit Warrior I would like to introduce you to is Dirk Terpstra. I was fortunate to meet Dirk in Vancouver, BC, whilst travelling this summer.
MG: Dirk, can you tell everyone what it was you used to do?
Spirit Warrior: Thank you Michelle, for inviting me to your inspiring Spirit Warrior Series. I feel blessed to have met you in Vancouver.
I grew up in a small town in The Netherlands, not far from Amsterdam. I worked for American Express and was responsible for the corporate divisions in The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. It was fun work to do, but also quite demanding and stressful.
MG: What is it you currently do?
Spirit Warrior: In the winter of 2001, I left the company and moved with my wife and two young boys to a rural area in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada. I currently host an online platform called ‘Soul Love’ for which I interview people who inspire me – authors, spiritual teachers and scientists. I am trained at the scientific Institute of HeartMath in California and I coach individuals and organizations to live a more heart-based life. I explain the amazing science of our hearts and help them understand how we can regulate our personal stress levels, which has an immediate impact on our relationships, performance and outlook on life.
MG: What inspired the shift?
Spirit Warrior: During my corporate career, I didn’t find the fulfilment in my work that I was hoping for. I needed a new adventure and a new challenge in order to make a deeper connection with my deepest wishes and desires.
MG: Were there financial implications?
Spirit Warrior: There were definitely financial implications since I was making a lot of money. I voluntarily left this career behind me and chose for living a more adventurous and meaningful life without any idea what I wanted to do. I had no work, no income and a lot of fun. It took me a few years in nature and losing three dear family members (my dad, brother and mum) to find my true purpose. What a spiritual journey!
MG: Did you get support from your friends and family?
Spirit Warrior: Our friends and family were not too happy that we left the country. They didn’t ask for this change. But fortunately, there are always people who keep loving you and supporting you, no matter what happens.
MG: Have you ever been judged, criticised or ridiculed for your decision to transition from the physical to meta-physical?
Spirit Warrior: You know Michelle, there are always people who judge or criticize us, but to be honest, those people don’t interest me. I strongly feel that when my decisions and actions are coming from my heart, I am unstoppable and nothing else bothers me.
MG: Have you ever considered returning to your old career?
Spirit Warrior: No! I am actually surprised that I have never really looked back. I must have found my purpose.
MG: What gets you through the tough moments?
Spirit Warrior: Gratitude. I have so much to be grateful for and that brings everything in perspective. I have also learned that the moments we don’t like, are the moments we learn and grow the most. I now also work with people who suffer from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). But did you know that most people have never heard of PTG? It stands for: Post Traumatic Growth. Look at the most inspiring teachers in the world and notice what they’ve often been going through.
MG: Do you have any advice for other Spirit Warriors who are making the same transition, or are thinking of doing so?
Spirit Warrior: Picture yourself, being 80 or so and sitting on your front porch looking back on life. Did you do everything you wanted to do? Do you feel completely fulfilled or do you have some regrets? Write down these regrets and do them now! No matter what it takes!
MG: Can you share you favourite spiritual practice with us?
Spirit Warrior: Spending time in nature. Just being. We often forget that we ARE nature, and we need to connect with who we are, at the most fundamental level, in order to stay balanced and whole.
MG: Are you more in tune with your inner self? With your intuition?
Spirit Warrior: Yes, very much so. I used to be that when I was a young child but over the years I lost that. I slowly drifted away from that little child inside, because I listened too much to others and what they thought was important (for me). By slowing down, going through some difficult times, and following my passion, I feel restored and whole again.
MG: Do you express your feelings and emotions more easily?
Spirit Warrior: Yes, I believe that I am more present now and easily recognize what I feel. With my new circle of friends it’s easier to express these feelings. I usually don’t pay much attention to my emotions. They come and go.
MG: What has been the best and worst parts of making this shift?
Spirit Warrior: The best thing is that I DID it, despite my initial doubts. I fell in love, why would I stop that feeling? There’s nothing bad really about making this move. There’s nothing bad in life. All events are perfect lessons that make me more experienced, wiser and more resilient.
MG: If you could go back in time and change the past, would you choose to do it all over again?
Spirit Warrior: I would never change anything of my past. And YES, I would make this decision again tomorrow. I can’t tell you enough how much it made me feel come alive. This aliveness is crucial in life. That’s why we’re here.
MG: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Spirit Warrior: Follow your aliveness, no matter what others might think or say. When something feels good in your heart, trust it and go for it. Your heart is always right. It’s who you are.
MG: Thank you so much for sharing your story with me, and with my readers!
If you would like to check out what Dirk is doing his links are below. Thank you for reading, there will be another Spirit Warrior featured very soon!
Interviews: SoulLove.com
Website: DirkTerpstra.com
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WOW! I was totally blown away yesterday, by the incredibly generous sponsors who have brought my current fundraising total up to £231.62!!
I am so very glad that I put decided to do the sponsoring page now, I wasn’t planning to originally, but I figured that every little helped, and even if I was able to raise enough money for one person to have a happy Christmas, it would be worth it. But to have already have raised enough for 10 people to have a warm Christmas? Incredible.
A big thank you to all my sponsors so far – Becky, Sally, Marc, Megan, Helen, Donna, Rachel, Annette and George. You are all superstars and I love you all!
Here is another video that has touched me. It started off as an experiment, to see if people would give to a homeless child, and then something happened during the experiment that had me in tears. Watch to the end, and have some tissues.x
[youtube http://youtu.be/2Rsc-2oMB0s]I wasn’t expecting to do an update so soon, but thanks to my beautiful sponsors, my total has increased a lot since my post yesterday, and now stands at £96.62! (With gift aid, it’s over £100, which means that 5 people will have their Christmas at Crisis paid for!) One of the donations was from my dad, who was feeling upset because his wallet was stolen, but then he read my blog post and realised that there were others out there who were worse off than him, and that he was grateful that he had food, shelter and friends. He recorded a song to capture his gratitude, which you can see below. Thank you Dad.
If you would like to sponsor a few pounds, the link is uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MichelleGordon7 It all goes to Crisis and is all very much appreciated.
[youtube http://youtu.be/LexiU4-q5RU?list=UUs-aCJmGY65U8N1NfB4fCeQ]As promised, here is a video that has touched my heart, and highlights how homeless people have become invisible on the streets.
[youtube http://youtu.be/u6jSKLtmYdM]
There are times when I feel like giving up. When I don’t see the point in writing another book, because as an Indie Author, it costs me money to publish, and as yet, I can honestly say I have not made that money back, and I am certainly not making a living from it. I have also wanted to give up on life. I know that depression and suicide is a hot topic at the moment, in light of recent events, and I know that some people really get it, really understand why some souls wish to leave this planet, and there are others who don’t get it at all.
I get it.
I have been there. When all seems lost, pointless, and hopeless. I haven’t been there just once, but several times. Throughout my life. I have never sought any help for these feelings, and I have never been on medication. Instead, I have my own form of therapy.
I write.
I weave my feelings, my despair, my heartbreak, my loneliness and my anguish into my stories. My characters do things that I wish I could, but can’t. Because when it comes right down to it, I know that I cannot leave yet. That I came here with a mission, and I have not completed it yet. Usually, when I have one of my moments of giving up writing, giving up publishing my books, I get a beautiful email, or message from a reader who tells me how much my words have helped them, and I am reminded of why I continue to do what I do.
Yesterday, I received an email that I know will prevent me from ever having one of these moments again. Because I plan on posting it on the wall as a daily reminder of why I write, and why I am here.
The email came from Janine, a beautiful lady I met last year who runs the Freedom Inside, Books for Prisoners program. I donated some copies of The Earth Angel Training Academy to the program, and when prisoners like the book, they write letters to Janine, and she passes them onto me. The one I received yesterday was from a prisoner who had decided he wanted to give up. That he’d had enough, and it was time to go. But he had a copy of my book in his room, which he said kept calling to him. And finally, he decided to delay his end in order to read it. I have posted some excerpts from his letter below.
To know that because of my words, one soul decided to stay on this planet, rather than leave, makes everything worth it. And I will be writing to him to let him know just how grateful I am, for his beautiful words too.
… because you already have the answers. You already have everything you need. All you need to do is find a quiet space in which to hear that inner voice, your inner wisdom, and the voice and wisdom of your angels.
We live in a world of constant change, constant improvement. Which is not a bad thing, but when we want every change and improvement to be instant (because indeed, we live in an instant gratification society) we can become inpatient and find ourselves continually searching for the magic switch.
Let me explain. Just recently, I have become aware of this idea of the never-ending search for the ‘thing’ that will sort everything out, provide the answers etc etc. I know people who are reading every self-help book recommended, going on every course, seminar, talk or workshop, searching constantly for the one thing that will make their life better. But chances are, they’ve probably already read, or been taught, a hundred different methods or ideas that would vastly improve their lives, but they’ve missed them – because none of those things change everything instantly, they all take implementing, using daily, and adopting as habits.
I know this, because I have done the same thing. I have read book after book, searching for the answer. The solution. The magic potion. But nothing worked. Mainly because I was too lazy to actually put any of the methods into practice. I would do affirmations for a few days, then forget. I would keep a finance diary for a week, then forget. I would meditate for 20 mins, then never do it again. As you may have gathered by now, I have a bad memory and short attention span. And so, many methods or solutions are just not practical for me. But sometimes, it is simply that I am trying to make things way more complicated than they need to be.
The other day, I was having a minor freak out over a problem I couldn’t see a solution to, and my partner said to me – “You haven’t asked your angels, have you? You haven’t asked them for help, you haven’t listened to them, connected with them.”
And he was right. I was stuck in my own head, panicking rather than reaching for the simple solution – Ask for help. Within fifteen minutes of asking the angels for the tools I needed to sort out the mess, I received an email which basically sorted it all out. And after I jumped around like a nutter for a while, thanked the angels and my partner profusely, I relaxed. The problem was solved. And in the simplest, easiest way possible.
I didn’t need to read a book, or watch a video, or take a course in order to solve the problem, to find the answer. I just needed to ask for help, be open to receiving it, then show my gratitude for it arriving.
Practising gratitude is no doubt the best way to solve most problems. Because by thanking the angels or the universe for something, you are certain that it will arrive, and you are remaining in a positive state. When you are in this positive, receptive state, things are more likely to flow to you easily.
Just to be clear, I am not knocking the self-help books, videos or courses – I think they are excellent for reminding us of things we already know, for making us aware of things we didn’t know, or had long forgotten, and they are a good way to connect with others. But they are not the magic solution. And the methods will not work unless you implement them. Not every solution comes as quickly and instantly as mine did, some things take a little longer to grow and evolve, and this is where having faith in the outcome, and having patience with the process is vital.
So instead of jumping from one thing to another, and being on a never-ending search mission, my advice would be this – choose a method, then try it out. For at least a month, longer if possible. Give it a proper chance before moving onto a different method. Or, if you’re like me, and you find it hard to form habits, then go for simplicity. Ask you angels for help. And then stay open to signs, because I promise you, they are there, just waiting for you to ask for their assistance.
So very thankful for the amazing people who are supporting the I’m Here Book Tour!
… because they rock!
Without them, the I’m Here Book Tour would not be possible. They are the following awesome people:
Liz Chukwu, author of Kismet. Liz is such a beautiful soul, and is always so encouraging and supportive. When I told her my idea for the book tour, she immediately offered to help make it a reality. Thank you so much, Liz.
Without madappledesigns, the covers for my books wouldn’t be so amazing, and I am so very thankful for my awesome sister, who is the genius mad apple 🙂
Peace of Stone has generously sponsored the tour, and they are also going to be a distributor of the free eBooks, so with every purchase in the shop throughout June, you will be offered a free copy. Peace of Stone will also be the first to stock the print versions of the new Visionary Collection, and they…
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Upon hearing the sad news of Stephen Sutton‘s passing (the amazing guy behind Stephen’s Story, who raised £3.2 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust) I started thinking about how it is that people who face the biggest challenges often are the ones who are the most determined to do amazing things. I can think of so many examples of people who have shone so brightly, creating beautiful music, amazing art, and having a massive impact, despite facing incredible difficulties, hardships and illness.
When you consider that these people may be experiencing a great deal of pain, their determination and motivation to make the best of what they have is so incredibly inspirational. I was blown away by the music of Zach Sobiech, who passed away last year of cancer. Along with his friends, he composed and wrote several songs that made me cry the first few times I heard them. I have no doubt that the lives of his friends and family, and all who have heard his music, will be better for his presence.
[youtube http://youtu.be/sDC97j6lfyc]Another inspiring man, is an American called Art Berg. He was in a car accident in his 20s, and was left quadriplegic. He was told he would never do anything for himself again, and yet he went on to get married, have kids, build several successful businesses and become a motivational speaker. His book – The Impossible Just Takes a Little Longer is an amazing read.
I had the honour, a couple of years ago, to work for an amazing guy called Jason, who is just a little younger than me, but relies on carers for all his physical care. Despite this, he has more enthusiasm and passion for life, and for experiencing everything he can, than anyone I know. He loves creating things, he loves going to the cinema and theatre, taking fantastic photographs and his latest love is going on cruises! He is also able to use the internet through a single button, which helps him to connect with others. He taught me a lot about determination and perseverance, and also gratitude.
I also wrote about two other inspiring men, back in 2012.
All of these incredible stories, these incredible people, lived or are still living extraordinary lives. And though I believe that everyone has within them the power to be extraordinary, it would seem that it often needs to be triggered by something life-changing. But what if we could just choose to be extraordinary? Right now? For no reason other than it’s amazing to be alive right now, and we want to create beautiful music, beautiful art or make a massive impact and help people? (Or all three!)
I would like to think that it is possible. I know there are many people already doing so, living to the fullest, making the most of all the gifts and talents they possess, and putting 150% effort into everything they do. But there are too many of us who are living as though life is something that will continue forever, and as though we have plenty of time to do what we really want, there’s no need to do it now. But what if we lived as though every day were our last? What if we gave our all to every moment? How extraordinary would our lives be then?
We all have the power to be extraordinary. Now is the time to unleash that power. Because really, now is all we have.
I know that I am not the only one who has noticed just how quickly life seems to be changing at the moment. To me it feels as though my life has been a constant series of changes since around 2006. More has happened in my life in the last 7 years than happened in the previous 22 years. Why is this? Is it simply the idea that time speeds up as we age, or is it more than that? Because it is not just that things are changing quickly, but that things and situations are being rapidly manifested.
Just four days after writing about Twin Flame Relationships, everything changed for me.
I met up with my own Twin Flame, for dinner and to chat. Despite not having been together in a relationship for more than 6 months, we still missed each other’s company. He was the one who had sent me the video on Youtube of the stages of a Twin Flame relationship. He had recognised our relationship in the patterns described, and thought I would find it interesting. We talked all evening, and met up a couple more times over the course of the following week, and by the end of the next weekend, (14th July) we were back together. He asked me to move in with him and so here I am, just 20 days after writing about getting a second chance to be with a Twin Flame, with my Flame, living the life that I had always wanted to live.
Did I manifest it? Or were we fated to get back together? I was only in the area because my dear Faerie friend from Peace of Stone had invited me to stay with her for the week. What if I had refused the invitation? Would my reunion with my Flame not have happened? Or was it because I chose a parallel universe where we were together? Have I skipped to another dimension, another reality?
I suppose the real question is, does any of that matter? I had hoped that perhaps I would be able to offer some guidance and wisdom to other souls out there who know their Flames but are not with them. I guess all I can say is – if it is meant to be, then it will be. And don’t hold on to the past. It was only when I truly and completely let go of the idea of being with my Twin, only when I accepted that it may well never happen, cut all energetic cords and ties to him, that it finally did happen. I was willing to move on, to live my life without him, and to make the best I possibly could with what I had.
So perhaps gratitude for whatever we have in our lives, even if it’s not what we really want, is the key to manifesting what we do really want.
What do you think?
Twin Flame Blog 