Want Intimacy? – Be honest
At the beginning of the year we asked you to complete our survey on what you most wanted for 2015. We got such a huge response, thank you for your beautiful and important feedback.
At this time of Valentine’s Day, the day of love, I want to tell you what the huge winner was for those who completed our couples questionnaire: they wanted more intimacy. It was so interesting – it didn’t matter if they were male or female, their age, or what part of the country they were from, their answer was that what they most desired was more intimacy.
As someone who was a divorce attorney for 20 years and who now does so much work with couples, I can tell you the fastest, quickest, most efficient and surest way to bring more intimacy into your life (whether with your partner or friends or relatives, any relationship of any type) is to be honest – you be honest and allow the other person to be honest.
It’s amazing to me how many people respond to this concept with – “I can’t be honest, if I were honest, he/she would leave me (or be angry with me, or would never understand or I’ll hurt them”) — everyone’s got a story about why they can’t be honest. If you had that response, I will tell you, my friend, unless and until you figure out a way to be honest with your partner (or your friend, or your parents, or your siblings, etc.), the relationship is doomed to failure. It may take awhile, it may die a slow, agonizing death, but it will die.
As they say in AA, “our dysfunction is only as big as our secrets”.
And stop telling yourself that what you’re doing is telling little white lies.
There is no such thing as a white lie, there are only lies. Period.
Allowing the other person to be honest and taking them off the hook. So if you say you want intimacy, then that means you’re going to have to be honest AND you’re going to have to allow the other person to be honest. I’m sure many of you are telling yourself that you always allow the other person to be honest, but do you really? Honestly?
What happens when they even start to broach something that they know is going to be sensitive to you? Do you immediately have a reaction? Do you immediately get upset? Do you have an automatic response when it comes to certain things (what your partner “should” be doing, how they “should” be behaving, what they “should” be interested in, aware of, talking about, etc.). If you find yourself using the word “should” a lot (or thinking it), you’ve got yourself a problem.
It won’t be possible for your mate (or partner, or friend, or child, etc.) to be honest with you if you can’t provide a safe place where they can be honest with you. If they know they’re going to get blasted, guess what they do? They shut up. And whose fault is that? Both of you, but you can only take responsibility for your part in this, not theirs.
The only way to allow them to safely be honest with you, is if you make a decision to take them off the hook for what’s going on. If you truly want them to be honest with you, it can only be done in the space of love, not the space of judgment.
There are many areas where judgment will be automatic and where you will be telling yourself, of course I must be angry/upset/not okay with this. Please understand that I’m not talking about condoning or encouraging hurtful behavior – an affair, an addiction, illegal or immoral acts. You must ask yourself, do I want to know or am I willing to live in (unblissful) ignorance? My experience is that once everything finally comes out into the open, it turns out that pretty much everyone either knew or suspected, it’s the elephant in the room that no one is talking about.
And in most situations we’re not talking about something as awful as criminal behavior. It’s most often this feeling of “does he/she love me anymore?” “Why doesn’t he/she treat me with the same kind of love and respect as they used to?” “Why does he/she care more about the kids/their work/sports/their friends than they do about me?”
If you truly want more intimacy, you have to have the guts to ask the questions – “how are you doing?”, “is everything okay?” – and then be willing to listen and receive the answers in a space of non-judgment with an open heart. Even if you start to hear answers that aren’t what you hoped for. If you can listen with an open heart and respond with an open heart, the path to a new level of honesty can lead to a path of incredible intimacy. It can be amazing.
But for many of us, we simply don’t know how to create that kind of space, or to ask the right questions or even to open our hearts in the first place. That’s why doing a Sedona Soul Adventures Couples Retreat can be so extraordinary. We’ve had so many people come to us who were on the verge of divorce and during their time here everything got changed around – they were able to go into that space of acceptance and love and connection. And even better, they are able to re-kindle that spark, that juiciness that they had at the very beginning of their relationship.
And did you know that last year we were named the #1 Couples Retreat in the US by Guidedocs? What an honor – but the honor came because what we do works!
It’s so ironic that after spending 20 years as a divorce attorney, I’ve now spent 13 years (and counting!) of helping people stay together. It’s a much better feeling and way more fun!
Jim and Kate say that after their Soul Adventure “the depth of our relationship is far beyond anything we expected”
“Sedona Soul Adventures completely surpassed my expectations. If you had told me that the connection between my partner and myself could be this deep and spiritual, I would have said it couldn’t be done. The depth of our relationship is far beyond anything we expected. We also have the skills to keep that bond, and keep working on our individual journeys. Sedona Soul Adventures has changed our lives, forever! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Jim & Kate, Oak Park, Illinois
So if you want to find the intimacy you’re craving, come and do a Sedona Soul Adventures Couples Retreat. Call and speak to one of our Angel Guides – they’ll speak to each of you together and separately and really get an idea of what’s going on, what’s happening, and what both of you would love to have happen and then they’ll design the perfect retreat of one-one-one private sessions utilizing over 40 of the most incredible and experienced practitioners here in Sedona. Your retreat will bring both of you into that love and connection and intimacy that you’re craving and into the relationship of your dreams.
Call us toll free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada). For our friends outside the US and Canada call 01 928-204-5988 or click here and we’ll call you.
This coming Saturday is Valentine’s Day, the day of love. What better gift could you give to each other than the gift of rekindling your relationship?
Wishing you a week of hearts and flowers and juicy love.
Many Blessings,
Debra Stangl, Founder
Orange – bring in creativity and abundance (do this process & see what happens)
Lately, the color orange has been coming into my conscious awareness a lot.
When things like that happen, I am always asking myself, what does that mean?
For instance, I lost my cell phone in October. When I replaced it, I was just about to get my customary black phone cover (which of course, I can’t see in my black purse or the black interior of my car), when one of my friends (whose favorite color is orange) suggested I get an orange cover, so it would be noticeable and I wouldn’t lose it. My first thought was that was a practical idea, but it would be difficult to find something orange that I liked.
Instead a few days later by what seemed like an accident, I found the most beautiful cell phone cases online (I was searching for something else). The cases are photos of the red rocks of Sedona with the sun shining on them – the rocks are the most beautiful orange color. I can’t tell you the reaction I’ve had to this cell phone cover. When I travel, people on planes see it and have an instant reaction and we have a beautiful 10 minute conversation about Sedona. If I meet someone who hasn’t been to Sedona, I show them my phone and say “it looks like this and this hasn’t been photo shopped”. They are always amazed and then I have (another) beautiful 10 minute conversation about Sedona and how incredible and beautiful it is. So this orange cell phone cover has brought me so many sweet conversations and connections that I know wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Plus, my friend was right, I always see where my phone is!
Two weeks ago, one of the speakers at Sedona World Wisdom Days wore the most beautiful orange tunic. It’s that beautiful bright orange that I was then reminded is the color that the yogis and sages in India wear. This tunic just emanated light and it was almost a spiritual experience to look at it and watch her move in it.
Last weekend, I tried on an orange top. I’ve never thought orange was my color, as I have reddish-brown hair and I’ve always thought the red and the orange clash. When I came out of the dressing room to look in the mirror, one of the other shoppers (who I didn’t know) suddenly said “oh my gosh, that color is perfect for your hair and your skin”.
Suddenly, I’m surrounded by orange. What’s up with this? As I contemplated it, the thought suddenly hit me. Orange is the color of the 2nd chakra, the creativity center and sexual center. With the Egyptian goddesses, the 2nd chakra and orange is associated with the goddess Hathor, the goddess of creativity and love and music and abundance.
I started realizing how during this past year, my creativity and abundance and my flow of love to everyone in my life and my appreciation and need for music has increased so dramatically. In the past, I would probably have been doing something like concentrating on the color orange to manifest these things. But instead, the color orange was manifesting itself for me to see, as if the Universe were saying to me, “hello, Debra, look at all these amazing things that have happened in these areas, we’ve sent them to you and let’s have a little acknowledgement!”
So not only am I acknowledging that (thank you, thank you, thank you!), but I’m inviting you to do some playing with the color orange yourself and see what happens.
Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Focus on your 2nd chakra (the area just a few inches below your navel). Visualize orange energy (like a fiery ball, or a sun, or a juicy orange, or whatever helps you see the color orange). As you see that energy, imagine what the feeling of being creative feels like. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a creative person, just feel for a moment what that might feel like.
As the 2nd chakra is the sexual center, go ahead and muster up some sexual energy. See that fiery ball as an example of sexual energy moving through you. The sexual energy is the most creative energy there is. The energy of the sexual chakra is so powerful that when a man and woman come together they can create a child, a new being. Think about that!
Now that you have the energy flowing, think about some of the things or experiences you would like to create in your life – love, peace, more satisfying work, happier (and more fulfilling) relationships, a body that you feel really good in, more harmony, more joy, more creativity. Visualize those things and experiences and then flow that fiery orange energy toward those desires.
Feeling good? Orange you glad you did that? (sorry, I couldn’t help it – it’s my 6th grade humor coming through again!).
If you’re having trouble flowing the energy or imagining what you want or even knowing what you want, you might have some kind of block that is happening in that center. If so, that means you’re blocked from the creative life force, and that makes life awfully difficult. Worse, it makes it almost impossible to manifest those wonderful things and experiences you so deeply desire.
If that’s happening, come to Sedona, connect with the beautiful, transformational, orange energy that is here and transform everything. Because that’s what happens when people come here and do a Soul Adventure. The blocks are removed and suddenly their lives completely open up.
Call and speak with one of our Angel Guides – they’ll connect with you (or both of you, if it’s a couple) and then they’ll design the retreat that is perfect for you. Your retreat will be one on one sessions with Sedona’s best and most experienced practitioners (we have over 40!). The combination of our customized retreats, our amazing practitioners and the incredible, transformational (orange) energy of Sedona will transform your life or your relationship. It’s almost unbelievable to me what happens.
Call us toll free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada) or click here to request a complimentary Angel Guide Session. For our friends outside the US and Canada call 01 928-204-5988 or click here and we’ll call you.
Wishing you a week filled with lots of creativity and love and music and abundance and orange!
Many Blessings,
Debra Stangl, Founder
Keely says her Sedona Soul Adventure was by far one of the most important experiences of her life.
“On a scale of 1-10, I would rate my Sedona Soul Adventure a 10+++! I am growing, I am finding me, NOW, so much I cannot express. This is by far one of the most important experiences to date in my life’s journey.”
Keely S., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Come to Peru and Machu Picchu Jorge and I – June 17 – 30, 2015 – we’ll be at Machu Picchu for the Solstice!
Have you always dreamed of going to Machu Picchu? If so, give yourself the gift of this amazing journey. We’ll travel in Peru for two weeks (including 3 full days at Machu Picchu), spending each day with our amazing shaman and teacher, Jorge Luis Delgado. Can you imagine doing ceremony at Machu Picchu on the Solstice? Join us.
For all the information on our amazing Day to Day Itinerary – Click here
For all the information on Pricing – Click here
Wishing you a week filled with lots of creativity and love and music and abundance and orange!
Many Blessings,
Debra Stangl, Founder
“On a scale of 1 to 10, everything about the Peru trip was a 10! Everything was even more than I expected! It is the trip of a lifetime…..for many reasons. Jorge Luis Delgado is exceptional, a kind, caring, wonderful teacher. My life feels richer, my thoughts feel wiser and my intentions are more clear to me. What a pure gift you and Jorge have given through this Peru trip!”
Debra Hicks
Living your life on fire
Living a life on fire. Isn’t that the juiciest idea? It says it all. Having your life just be on fire all the time in every area – your work, your relationships, your health, the way you move through the world.
This was a recurring theme of different speakers this past weekend at Sedona World Wisdom Days. Sedona Soul Adventures was one of the sponsors and I was very excited to be asked to introduce one of the speakers who spoke about this. As I sat there throughout the four days listening to different people say this in different ways, I just got all excited.
Because I realized it doesn’t take a whole lot to turn your life into a life on fire. You just have to amp everything up a little bit.
For example, if you’re mostly satisfied with your work, decide you absolutely love your work and you’re so grateful and excited that you get to do this.
If you’re pretty happy with your relationship, make a decision that you absolutely adore your partner and you worship the ground they walk on.
If you feel your body is okay, then determine that you are completely in love with your body, appreciate all it does for you and just stay in constant waves of gratitude around it.
If your children aren’t completely horrible, make a decision to praise all their gifts and overlook where they aren’t perfect. Do everything you can to maintain a state of total gratitude that you have the gift of your children.
If your money situation is okay, be really happy that you can support yourself and your family.
But wait a minute, some of you might be saying, I’m not happy with my work, my partner is driving me crazy (or I don’t even have a partner to drive me crazy), my money situation sucks, I’m 50 pounds overweight and my kids are ungrateful and lazy. So if any of those are appearing as true for you, let me say a few things to you:
If you have a roof over your head, food to eat and transportation, you are doing better than 98% of the world’s population.
If you have your health, steep yourself in gratitude. If you have a health issue, be thankful it’s not worse and that you’re still alive and realize how many people have it worse off than you.
If you have a partner who is driving you crazy because she nags you all the time or he won’t pick up after himself or do the dishes, go back and remind yourself why you fell in love with them in the first place. What can you do to re-kindle that spark? How can you go into gratitude for the things about them you love and respect and admire?
If you have children who have shortcomings, think of all the people who would give their right arm to have children. People spend billions of dollars each year on fertility processes or trying to adopt. Remind yourself that you gave the precious gift of life to your children, they are the fruit of your connection with the life force of the Universe, they are a direct reflection of the God energy and simply because of that, they deserve your love and respect.
By the same token, YOU are the fruit of connection with the life force of the Universe, YOU are a direct reflection of the God energy and simply because of that, YOU deserve your love and respect. Are you giving that to yourself?
Are you feeling a little more appreciation for your life yet? Here are some ways to amp it up:
If you enjoy going outside and into nature, you have the means of instantly going into gratitude and appreciation. Spend some time in nature and go into deep thankfulness for the amazingly intricate beauty of this world we live in.
If you have the least bit of creativity (not only for the “arts” but cooking, baking, dancing, thinking creatively), thank God that you have that ability and bask in it.
If you feel happy some of the time, make the decision that you are going to be really happy, all the time.
These are all simple, easy decisions.
It takes a commitment to staying present.
It takes a commitment to staying focused on the parts that you like, as opposed to focusing on the parts you don’t like.
It takes a commitment to talking about what you like and not complaining about what you don’t like or don’t have.
Making these simple decisions in every moment can bring you into living a life on fire. Sometimes it will be a roaring bonfire, sometimes the flicker of a flame, but it can always be on fire.
But if you’re finding that you can’t get the fire lit, much less going in the first place, you might need to do something more. The first time I came to Sedona I was completely burned out and it felt like I might never be on fire again.
In that situation, I would invite you to come out and do a Sedona Soul Adventures retreat. Your lack of fire is most likely due to some sort of block or some life event or thoughts that you keep thinking over and over again that are keeping you from living a life on fire. When you speak with your Angel Guide, he or she will identify those blocks or situations, and then design a custom retreat for you (or both of you if it’s a couple) of private one on one sessions with Sedona’s most incredible and experienced practitioners. We’ll move you through the blocks and gunk and into the kind of connection that results in a life on fire. And we’ll give you tools to not only maintain that, but continue to deepen it as you continue to live a life on fire.
Wanda says she found her life purpose through her Soul Adventure
“The reason I came to Sedona was to search for my soul and find my purpose in life. Thanks to the Sedona Soul Adventures team, I have found it. My life has changed after Sedona. I am more close to God than ever. I am connecting with my Angels everyday. And I have a more positive outlook towards life. While I was in Sedona, I had a spiritual transformation; when I went back home the next day, I felt like a new person. By far, my Soul Adventure was the BEST thing I have ever done for myself.”
Wanda C., Las Vegas
Are you tired of being sick and tired?
Are you tired of just living the same old same old day after day?
You deserve to live a life on fire.
If you want to have a life on fire and you can’t figure out how to do that, I would invite you to come out and do a Sedona Soul Adventures retreat. Your lack of fire is most likely due to some sort of block or some life event or thoughts that you keep thinking over and over again that are keeping you from living a life on fire. When you speak with your Angel Guide, he or she will identify those blocks or situations, and then design a custom retreat for you (or both of you if it’s a couple) of private one on one sessions with Sedona’s most incredible and experienced practitioners. We’ll move you through the blocks and gunk and into the kind of connection that results in a life on fire. And we’ll give you tools to not only maintain that, but continue to deepen it as you continue to live a life on fire. Call us toll free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada) or click here to request a complimentary Angel Guide Session.
For our friends outside the US and Canada call 001 928-204-5988 or click here and we’ll call you.
Come see us out in Sedona and let’s smolder together.
Wishing you a week filled with fiery flames!
Many blessings,
Debra Stangl, Founder
I shouldn't
Have you ever been at the end of your rope? Feeling so discombobulated that you just simply don’t know what to do?
That’s exactly how I was feeling 16 years ago this week when I came to Sedona for the first time. This week I celebrated my 16th anniversary! When I came here for the first time, I was living in Omaha, Nebraska and I was just starting my 20th year of law practice, as a divorce attorney. Here was my situation:
• I hated my work. I loved the part where I was helping my clients, but I hated fighting with the other attorneys and fighting the system and it seemed like that’s what I spent most of my time doing
• I was working 60-70 hours per week
• I weighed 40 pounds more than I weigh now
• I was in an unhappy marriage
• I was $50,000 in debt. Although my practice had been quite lucrative, a strange set of circumstances happened and I suddenly found myself with this debt that I couldn’t seem to get rid of no matter how many cases I took on or how much work I did
• There were days when I could hardly drag myself out of bed
Can you relate to any of these things? Problems with work, money, body, relationships? As I look back now, I can see that these kinds of basic problems are all a reflection of our connection. When we are connected on all the levels — physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, our lives are a breeze. When we are out of connection on any of the levels (and as you can see, I was out of connection on all of them), our lives become really difficult, almost unbearable.
I was doing work with an energy worker in Omaha at the time, and the message came through that I should go somewhere and take care of myself somehow. My first thought was “I shouldn’t spend money on that”. Through another strange set of circumstances, I ended up coming to Sedona for 3 days and staying at Ranjita’s Rest. Before I got there, Ranjita asked me if I would like to schedule a healing session with her in addition to staying there and I thought “I shouldn’t spend money on that”, so I said no.
But when I got there, Ranjita and I talked and it was so clear to me that I needed to do a session with her. Thank Goddess I did! In that session, my High Self came in, appearing to me as the winged Goddess Isis. She told me:
• everything is going to be all right
• you have to change your life
• you have to leave your law practice now, or you’re going to die like your mother did
I was 46, exactly the age my mother was when she got cancer (and died 5 years later). My mother was unhappy and dissatisfied for the last 10 years of her life and I could see how unhappy and dissatisfied I had allowed myself to become.
I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I knew I had to leave my law practice and change my life.
Here’s what happened:
• Within 2 weeks, $50,000 dropped out of the sky
• Within 6 months, I closed my law practice (having taken care of all my 175 cases and the people who worked for me)
• Over the next 3 years, I started coming to Sedona almost every other month and stayed for about 30 days each time, always doing healing work with different practitioners that I would hear about or come across.
• 2 weeks before 9/11, at another session in Sedona, my High Self came in as Isis again and said “it’s time to move to Sedona”
• I went back to Omaha and sold my house in 3 days (the real estate agent said it would take 6 months) for $30,000 more than he said it would sell for
• Moved to Sedona and started having dreams about other people coming here and doing sessions with the amazing practitioners I had found
• Started Sedona Soul Adventures on July 4, 2002
• Within 5 weeks of finally deciding to stop dieting and doing excessive exercise, 40 pounds melted off and I am now a size 6, eating and drinking whatever I want, whenever I want
• I’m happy
All of this has come out of coming to Sedona for 3 days and doing that fateful session.
So if you can relate to any of the things above, if you are having issues with your relationship, your body, your work, your financial situation or you are feeling unhappy, dissatisfied or you feel like there’s more to your life than how you’re living it now, all I can say is, come to Sedona!
Do you keep telling yourself “I shouldn’t…” when it comes to taking care of yourself?
Do you think you shouldn’t be spending the money?
Do you think you shouldn’t be taking the time?
I thank God every day that I allowed myself to spend the time and money to come to Sedona. It has completely changed my life in every single way.
And I know it can change your life or transform your relationship. I know it can, because we’ve been doing this work now for over 12 years and we’ve changed thousands of peoples’ lives.
Don’t spend another day telling yourself you shouldn’t. Let this be the year you finally do become the happy, vibrant, alive person you came to the planet to be.
Much love,
Debra
Jeanne says “this is the best money I have EVER spent!”
“I have to admit I was skeptical at first about the whole “life-changing” claim about Sedona Soul Adventures. But, I have to say this is the best money I have EVER spent! I was a person who was just kind of existing in life. I love my job but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more out of life. I knew I had a lot of sadness/pain inside but had NO idea just how much AND how great it feels to be on the other side of that. Everything now just looks different and more importantly, feels different! I feel I have a greater connection to myself and to life in general. The “life-changing” claim is 100% true! I would do it all over again in heartbeat! Thank you and everyone involved for giving me an opportunity to truly LIVE life, however I define what life is for me!!!”
Jeanne H.
Give yourself the best gift of all, the gift of loving and taking care of yourself. Come now to do a Sedona Soul Adventures retreat. Call us toll free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada) or click here to request a complimentary Angel Guide Session. Your Angel Guide will connect with you (or both of you, if it’s a couple) and they’ll design the perfect retreat of one-on-one sessions, utilizing over 40 of Sedona’s most incredible practitioners, leading you to the life and the relationship you’ve always dreamed of!
If you are outside the US and Canada call 001 928-204-5988 or click here and we’ll call you.
Wishing you a week filled with lots of “I should do that!”
Many Blessings,
Debra Stangl, Founder
How to clear your mind and achieve more
January is a wonderful time when we’re thinking about what we want to have happen with this brand new year. It’s so exciting to be in that energy of all possibilities.
But how best to accomplish all the things you want to accomplish? It can be so overwhelming.
Here are three simple steps I’ve used for many years myself and also teach to my coaching clients. I’ve found these three steps to be life changing. And you’ll be able to tell, I’m a huge fan of David Allen and Tim Ferris. Here are the steps, with deeper explanation below.
- Make a list of absolutely everything you want or need to do and faithfully add to it as new things come in.
- Prioritize the list so that you always know what comes next.
- Identify 2-3 things each day that if you got them done, you would feel like you’ve really accomplished something and then do those things first.
Do a brain dump and have all your To Do items in one place.
I can’t tell you how liberating it is to know that you have a list of absolutely everything you need to do in one place. Many people use a huge amount of energy just trying to remember everything they need to do. If you have everything listed in one place, an amazing thing happens. On a mental level, your brain knows that everything is on the list, so you don’t have to expend any energy remembering everything there is to do. On an emotional level, there is a relaxation that happens, a feeling that everything is covered. Wouldn’t it be amazing to start to feel relaxed about everything you need to do?
The easiest way to start this is to simply sit down and type or write absolutely everything that comes to mind. Do a brain dump. Even the smallest things should be included in your list, because how many times don’t you keep nagging yourself about doing some little thing that needs to be done?
I do everything in a Word document that automatically re-numbers everything. This helps immensely with prioritizing (see below), so as I take something off the list, it’s priority is automatically re-numbered.
For many people, the hardest part is simply doing the list. I invite you, I implore you, to take 15 minutes after you finish reading this, to make your list. I promise you, it will make your day.
After you’ve made the list I find it’s most effective for most people to have the list broken down into Categories. The ones I use are:
Business (I break these down into long term, short term, things I’d love to do if I have the time and projects (with each project broken down into specific actions)
Personal
Phone Calls (I usually set aside a certain amount of time for phone calls and do a bunch of them at once)
Errands (so I have them in one place when I’m out running around)
Things I need to buy (so I do it all at once, especially because I buy a lot of stuff online as beautiful, tiny Sedona has very little regular shopping)
The critical piece here is to be continually adding to the list and updating it. The most important element of this is having everything in one place and your brain knowing that you have everything in one place. You can’t imagine the amount of energy (and time) you save from the relaxation that comes from knowing that everything is in one place.
Prioritize your list so you always know what comes next.
Whether you are talking about your work or your personal ‘To Do list’, you will be amazed at what happens by knowing what to do next. Again, there is an energetic that happens because your brain always knows that you already know what’s next and you don’t have to think about it or remember it. But most importantly, when you’ve finished one thing you don’t waste time in figuring out what to do next, you already know. It also keeps you focused so you do the next thing you’ve already identified, as opposed to letting yourself do something that’s not productive. On on energetic level you waste less energy because you always know you are working on what you’re supposed to be working on and not worried about the other things on the list. The worry and concern about the other items dissipates because you know (both consciously and unconsciously) what you’re supposed to do next. It helps you stay much more focused and present.
Identify 2-3 things you are going to do each day and then do them first.
In our hectic world, so many people feel like they never get anything important accomplished. They’re doing stuff all day long and sometimes into the night, but by the end of the day it feels like nothing got done. That’s a really terrible feeling. And, of course, all of this is about feeling good and feeling productive.
There is something positively magical about identifying 2-3 things that you can (realistically) do each day that if you do them you will feel like you got something accomplished. Because first of all, you are starting off by setting the intention of “if I do these, I will feel like I got something accomplished”. You’ve already made that deal with yourself.
The key here is the realistic part. On some days, you may only be able to realistically do one thing. It might be something that is so complex that it will take all day, or all the time you have allotted. But how often have you put something off thinking it’s going to take hours and hours and then when you do it, it only takes 20 minutes or you discover that there is some other piece of information that you need? Getting “just” that one thing done will make you feel really great.
The other key is to do these one or two or three things FIRST. This is especially true in your work or business. Do these things before you read email or answer phone calls, unless you think there might be some precious information in an email. WHAT? Don’t do email first, are you crazy, Debra? That’s right, this is about YOUR time and your precious life energy and not allowing others to dictate what you give your attention to.
Because this is truly what this is all about.
Your precious time.
Your precious life force energy.
Your conscious awareness.
What you focus on during this precious time you have on Earth.
Wishing you a week feeling relaxed and accomplished! And I’ll see many of you at Sedona Wisdom Days!
Many Blessings,
Debra Stangl, Founder
Darren says his life has changed completely because of his Soul Adventure
“I truly believe and know in my heart that I would not be living life today had I not found Sedona Soul Adventures. My beliefs have changed. My heart is full. My patterns are different. My old self that was full of pain and prevented me from moving forward was left in the desert somewhere. My new self is pure of thought and full of love for myself and those around me. I am the being I was meant to be born into this world. There may be those who read this and are saying to themselves “ya right, how can anything change a persons’ life that much?” That resistance is a great indication that this is for you as I was that person at one time. The resistance I had was the refusal to look at myself. I choose to face myself and did the work and gained my life back. Sedona Soul Adventures is the single best decision I have made for myself and the ones I love. My life has changed completely. Difficult decisions have become easy. Difficult people at work have become pleasant and easy to deal with. My relationship with the lady I love is deep and loving. My children have become happier, outgoing and confident. Good things are happening in a short period of time because I changed me. If it sounds simple, it is! Change ourselves and everything around us changes. Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings. Forever loving and grateful.”
Darren W., Canada
Last Call for Egypt – Feb. 15-March 1, 2015
Has Egypt been calling you? If so, it’s time to answer the call! Our next amazing, incredible, fantastic trip will be on Feb. 15-March 1, 2015. We’ll be seeing all the must see places — the Great Pyramid, the Sphinx, the treasures of King Tut, Karnak, Abu Simbel and we go places the typical tourist doesn’t usually get to see — the Isis Temple at Philae, the Hathor Temple at Dendara, the Horus Temple at Edfu, Abydos, the Osirion and much more! And new this year (and a dream come true for me), we will be going to Alexandria! We stay at 5 star hotels and have a 5 day cruise of the Nile on our 5 star ship, stopping at the temples along the way. All of the arrangements are handled for you and the price is virtually all-inclusive, all you’ll be paying for is your drinks and shopping (and don’t get me started about the shopping!). Experiencing Egypt on a spiritual journey with other like-minded travelers is exactly how Egypt was meant to be experienced. Come with us on this trip of a lifetime.
For information on the Day to Day Itinerary – Click Here
For all the information on Pricing – Click Here
You can also send me an email at debra@sedonasouladventures.com or even better CALL me – I love talking about Egypt! Call now toll free – 1/877/204-3664. For our friends outside the US or Canada, call direct at 01/928-204-5988. Or Click Here and I’ll call you. I hope you’ll join me on this incredible journey.
Wishing you a week feeling relaxed and accomplished and I’ll see many of you at Sedona Wisdom Days!
Much love,
Debra
Last Call for Egypt Feb. 15-Mar 1
I am so excited about this year’s Egypt trip, which is Feb. 15-Mar 1, 2015. First of all, it’s going to be a very small, intimate group. Right now we just have 5 people going, so it will almost be like a private tour.
Also, for the first time ever, we have added going to the City of Alexandria. I have been going to Egypt since 1983 and I have always wanted to go to Alexandria, so this is a dream come true. Can you even imagine going to the Mediterranean Sea in addition to the Nile in February?
Our two week trip is so incredible. In addition to the must see places that we’ll be going to:
– Great Pyramid
– Sphinx
– Cairo Museum to see the treasures of King Tut
– Abu Simbel
– Karnak
– Luxor
We’ll also be going to special places the average tourist doesn’t go to:
• Isis Temple at Philae
• Temple of Abydos
• Hathor Temple at Dendara
• Horus Temple at Edfu
• The Osirion
Plus we’ll be doing ceremonies and meditations, discussing the alternative theories of who built the Pyramids, who built the Sphinx (and when) and why are there carvings of a helicopter, a tank and a submarine in the walls of the Temple of Abydos? Our amazing guide even reads hieroglyphics!
The price is almost all inclusive – all you’ll be paying for is your drinks! It includes round trip air to Cairo from New York (JFK), 3 flights within Egypt, 3 meals each day, 5 star hotels, 5-day – 5 star Nile Cruise, all transportation, entry to all sites, even tips and travel insurance.
And to go on a journey like this with like-minded travelers – it’s just the icing on the cake. Don’t be concerned if you don’t have a companion to travel with – our groups are typically in love with each other within 48 hours, making friends that last a lifetime.
One of the most common questions people ask me about the Egypt trip is “Is it safe to go to Egypt?” I agree with what the London Times said: “Egypt is safe for travel and no one is there, it’s the time to go”. I have been going to Egypt since 1983. The Egyptian people are some of the nicest, friendliest, warmest people I have ever met and they love Americans. I have been taking groups to Egypt each year for 11 years (since 2004). I have taken 3 groups since the revolution (the last one February, 2014) and these 3 trips have (in my opinion) been the best ones.
For information on the Day to Day Itinerary – Click Here
For all the information on Pricing – Click Here
Even better CALL me – I love talking about Egypt! Call now toll free – 1/877/204-3664. For our friends outside the US or Canada, call direct at 01/928-204-5988. Or Click Here and I’ll call you.
Or if you prefer, send me an email at: Debra@SedonaSoulAdventures.com
I hope to connect with you on this magical journey.
Many blessings,
Debra Stangl
Founder
“The trip to Egypt was truly the trip of a lifetime.”
Stephanie Morrison
You want WHAT for 2015?
There’s a feeling in the air that 2015 is going to be incredible! I’m feeling it – do you? I think this is the year to pull out all the stops, the sky’s the limit.
But first, as with all things, it’s important to know what you DO want.
Complete this 3 minute survey. It might help you to get a little more clear.
Please note that all answers are anonymous to protect your privacy
Click below to start the survey:
Call us toll free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada) or click here to request a complimentary Angel Guide Session.
If you are outside the US and Canada call 001 928-204-5988 or click here and we’ll call you.
If you knew what could happen, you’d be calling right now.
Wishing you a year filled with the best you ever,
Debra Stangl, Founder
The Worst Christmas Ever
I had the worst Christmas of my life in 1978. Our whole family came home — my 4 brothers and sister — and our mother was dying. Mother was only 51 years old and I knew that we all had the thought that she was going to rally from her battle with cancer, as she had continued to do during the past 5 years. But when I got home from law school and saw her, I knew.
We all knew. And there was nothing we could do.
One of the worst parts about it, was that I was 26 years old and had no way of knowing how to communicate how I was feeling. None of us did. We didn’t know how to talk about how we were feeling. I knew we were all frightened, I knew we were all incredibly sad, but we simply didn’t have the tools to deal with any of that. The fact that mother was dying was the pink elephant in the room that nobody was acknowledging or talking about. As I look back, it was one of the most surreal and awful experiences of my life.
One month later, my mother died.
This week I’ve had many people talk about how difficult it is to be with their families, especially their mothers, during the holiday season. There is a part of me that wants to scream “at least you have a mother to have difficulty with!” I don’t do it, of course, but her loss influences my ideas about families and relationships. The bottom line for me is I believe that we have to do everything we can to maintain love and peace in these sacred relationships. So my message to you at this season is that if you have anyone in your life with whom you are estranged, please do something about it. Whether it’s a parent or a sibling or a child or someone who was once a good friend, don’t let this holiday season go by without taking some sort of step to shift the energy of the situation. Holding onto grudges, upset, maintaining that you were the one who was “right”, will get you nothing except more pain and disconnection.
In my own life, during this past year, I had the situation where a chance meeting led to my coming together with someone from whom I’d been estranged, where we both simply said, “I’m sorry”. We didn’t explain, we didn’t defend our positions, we just said “I’m sorry”, we hugged each other and there were tears. I can’t tell you what a burden that lifted off my shoulders.
I understand there may be situations where it’s not possible to actually contact the person, the situation may still be too volatile. Or the person may no longer be with us. You can still effect healing in these situations using a very simple practice called ho’oponopono. It is an ancient practice of forgiveness and reconciliation, and comes from the kahunas in Hawaii. It has come into Western consciousness again through the work of Dr. Hew Lynn.
Ho’oponopono is a very simple, but amazingly transformative, process. Here is what you do: Think about the person or the situation and say a few times:
I love you
I’m sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
That’s it. You don’t even have to feel the things you are saying for this to work. As my dad would have said, that’s the good part about it. Simply thinking or saying these words can transform situations in incredible ways. I’ve seen it happen over and over again.
If you would like to read more about why this works, the thinking behind it, more about Dr. Lynn, etc., go ahead and Google it and you’ll find all kinds of information. What I’m talking to you about is the peace that comes from shifting around a situation of disharmony and angst. You know that the highest part of you wants to live in peace and harmony with everyone in your life. If there’s someone where that’s not happening, please take advantage of the special energies that are available to us during this holiday season and do something about it.
And keep on remembering that forgiveness isn’t about the other person. It’s about you. Your peace and harmony. It’s the best gift you can give yourself.
How to transform any situation with ho’oponopono
Ho’oponopono is an ancient practice of forgiveness and reconciliation, and comes from the kahunas in Hawaii. It has come into Western consciousness again through the work of Dr. Hew Lynn. Ho’oponopono is a very simple, but amazingly transformative, process. Here is what you do: Think about the person or the situation and say a few times:
I love you
I’m sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
That’s it. You don’t even have to feel the things you are saying for this to work. As my dad would have said, that’s the good part about it. Simply thinking or saying these words can transform situations in incredible ways. I’ve seen it happen over and over again.
If you would like to read more about why this works, the philosophy behind it, more about Dr. Lynn, etc., go ahead and Google it and you’ll find all kinds of information. What I’m talking to you about is the peace that comes from shifting around a situation of disharmony and angst. You know that the highest part of you wants to live in peace and harmony with everyone in your life. If there’s someone with whom that’s not happening, please take advantage of the special energies that are available to us during this holiday season and do something about it.
And keep on remembering that forgiveness isn’t about the other person. It’s about you. Your peace and harmony. It’s the best gift you can give yourself.
Jamie found peace with her Soul Adventure
“I felt a deep, deep calling to go to Sedona. There was one particular thing that was weighing on me that I was hoping to heal and clear out. I was literally blown away by the level of healing that took place. It was all I could have asked for and then some. I had tried everything in the world I knew to have peace with this issue, but it just wasn’t happening. During my Retreat I was able to find a place for my experiences and feelings and resolve things on a soul level. The healing has been profound and lasting. Thank you!”
Jamie Cherland
Give yourself the best gift of all, the gift of loving and taking care of yourself. Come now to do a Sedona Soul Adventures retreat. Call us toll free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada) or click here to request a complimentary Angel Guide Session.
If you are outside the US and Canada call 001 928-204-5988 or click here and we’ll call you.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday and a week filled with love, joy, forgiveness and connection.
Many Blessings,
Debra Stangl, Founder
What complaining about the weather says about you
We’re at that time of the year when people complain about the weather. As it starts to get colder, and things like snow and ice start to happen, it seems to me that a huge number of people incessantly complain about the weather.
So let me tell you what complaining about the weather says about you. And I feel that I can say this to you because I was someone (who until I finally understood what I was doing), used to complain about the weather constantly. I grew up in Iowa and then lived in Nebraska for 30 years. If you haven’t been to Iowa or Nebraska, I will tell you it’s very cold in the winters (as low as 20 below zero in January and I’m not talking about wind chill, I’m talking actual air temperature). In the summer it’s hot and humid, very often over 100 degrees, and sticky. Omaha, where I lived, is also incredibly windy, it seems like the wind is blowing all the time.
So certainly, there were and are legitimate reasons for people (including myself) to complain about the weather. But something happened to me a number of years ago that changed all that. I’ll never forget the day. I was sitting in my kitchen looking out at the beautiful trees swaying in the wind. Suddenly I was filled with this overwhelming feeling of happiness and contentment. Although it was really cold outside (and I’m pretty sure I had been complaining about it earlier in the day), I was suddenly knocked over by the perfection in everything, including the weather.
I had been reading and studying and believed in my head the idea that all is well, that we’re all creating our own reality, that what we think about we get more of and that we attract what we are thinking and talking about. I knew it on a mental level and I believed it, but I had never had a direct experience of it like I had in that moment. And along with many other realizations, I was understanding for the first time what was happening when I was complaining about the weather:
• I wasn’t taking responsibility for my own creation
• I was energizing the kind of weather I didn’t want and creating more of it
• I was putting myself in a bad mood
• I was putting myself in a bad energy
• I wasn’t accepting what is
• I was pushing against what is
• I was bringing in other complaining people
• I was lowering my energetic vibration
So if you want to know what complaining about the weather says about you, just substitute yourself for me and put it in present tense (“I am not taking responsibility for my own creation”, “I am energizing the kind of weather I don’t want and creating more of it”). Because that’s what you’re doing every time you complain about the weather – you aren’t taking responsibility, you’re lowering your energetic vibrational tone and you’re feeling bad. Wow! It is the trifecta of how to feel terrible a large part of the time.
When this awareness happened, suddenly the weather in Omaha (even the so called “bad” weather) didn’t bother me anymore. In fact, I liked it.
Now some of you may have the reaction of “well, Debra, it’s easy for you to say that, you moved from Nebraska to Sedona where you have great weather almost every day”. You’re right, it’s true, but I somehow think that it wouldn’t have been possible for me to move to Sedona if this awareness hadn’t happened. On an energetic level, I was completely aligned vibrationally with cold, harsh weather. When that finally lifted, it was possible for me to move to and live in a place that has fantastic weather. Does that make sense? It’s a real paradox, but it’s what I believe.
At least, it’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
I’ve been in the Midwest recently and experienced cold weather and snow and even cold rain. I loved all of it. It feels bracing and stimulating and invigorating to me.
I came back to Sedona and it’s sunny and warm and, of course, I love that too.
So the bottom line is, how you talk and think about the weather is a huge reflection for pretty much everything in your life. Are you happy about it and embracing it? Or are you using it as an excuse to keep yourself unhappy, complaining and generally negative? It’s amazing how these seemingly small things are always a reflection of something much larger.
I invite you to notice this week how you’re thinking and talking about the weather. When someone else starts to complain, what are you going to say? Are you going to join in? Or are you going to say something in a loving way to shift that negative energy?
If you find that the way you talk and think about the weather (and everything else) is generally negative and complaining and you can’t seem to stop it, it might indicate that there is something deeper going on. It might mean you are in serious need of a Sedona Soul Adventures retreat. The awareness that I spoke about above started happening after I started coming to Sedona and doing my own personal healing with the amazing practitioners who are drawn here to do their work. I know that this awareness was a direct result of that. All of this was part of the unfolding that led to the founding of Sedona Soul Adventures over 12 years ago.
When you do a Sedona Soul Adventures retreat, we spend a lot of time talking to you before you come (or both of you if it’s a couple). You speak with one of our Angel Guides and they will really get to the heart of the matter of what’s going on, what’s happening and what you would like to have happen. They’ll then design a retreat that is customized for you, consisting of one-on-one sessions with our amazing practitioners. The results are really nothing short of astounding – “life-changing and transformational” are the words that most of our people say, for example,
Peace, connection and clarity – Melissa’s Transformation
“I would recommend Soul Adventures to anyone who is looking for peace and connection. It is truly a life-changing experience that is so personal and so profound that I would urge anyone who is seeking personal growth to do this. I came away with so many gifts and insights that my life experience has truly been enriched and my perspective now comes from a place of peace and clarity.”
Melissa Lassor
If it’s time for you to do a Sedona Soul Adventures retreat, please reach out and call us. You can call us toll free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada) or click here to request a complimentary Angel Guide Session.
For our friends outside the US and Canada call 001 928-204-5988 or click here and we’ll call you.
You can still receive the Turning Your Holidays into Holy Days Through the Sacred Power of Prayer free teleseminar with Andrew Harvey
In Turning Your Holidays into Holy Days Through the Sacred Power of Prayer, renowned scholar-mystic Andrew Harvey shares his insights about harnessing the sacred power of prayer and how to weave practices of protection, adoration, and silence into your entire holiday season. The teleseminar is free and is for people from ALL faith traditions.
Marianne Williamson says about Andrew Harvey:
“Every age has its teachers, who keep the eternal truths alive for all of us. And when a generation is very, very lucky, it encounters a teacher so illumined that the words he delivers must be illumined as well. In the case of Andrew Harvey, the light he sheds is like a meteor burst across the inner sky.”
I’m happy to share with you Turning Your Holidays into Holy Days Through the Sacred Power of Prayer and you can receive it directly by clicking here:
https://shiftnetwork.isrefer.com/go/hihDS/sedonasoul/
Wishing you perfect weather for your holidays!
Debra Stangl, Founder
The Moon is Void of Course today (December 12) at 7:48 AM (Eastern) until December 12 at 10:19 AM (Eastern) and the Moon is in Leo.
The Moon is Void of Course today (December 12) at 7:48 AM (Eastern) until December 12 at 10:19 AM (Eastern) and the Moon is in Leo. Don’t make any important decisions while the Moon is Void of Course. For a deeper explanation of Moon Void of Course Click Here.
Leo is the lion and during this time we will feel strong and confident. We will have a desire to feel beautiful and to be perceived as beautiful. Our inner child is connected with the Leo Moon, so it is a wonderful time to love ourselves a little more deeply.
This is a time when creativity will really flow, so do everything you can to nurture that. A wonderful time not only for creative pursuits, but creative thinking. Leo (and the Sun) always want to be the center of attention, so resist the misconception that “everything revolves around you”. It’s a wonderful time for parties and celebrations. Be especially careful of your heart and spine at this time.
And always remember, Astrology and other tools are simply that – tools. It’s good information to have, but it does not mean that this is the determining factor or controlling your life. We all have free will in all the choices that we make. I like to look at it as good information that can be transcended.
Many blessings,
Debra Stangl
Founder
Sedona Soul Adventures
https://old.sedonasouladventures.com
877-204-3664