By Monique MacKinnon, Creativity Expert & Hand Analyst, Energetic Evolution 

Are you a seasoned vacationer? Or do you sabotage your vacations because of your fear – of the unknown, change, or that you don’t deserve or can’t time off from work? Yes it’s true, vacations represent a big void of time that’s not taken up with work and/or other tasks that keep you busy. And yet, this void is very powerful. It’s what is required for you to (wo)manifest what you want. (I’ll be covering this in my upcoming teleseminar… please see details below.)

Unfortunately, many of us don’t give ourselves that powerful and much-needed time off, often enough. And yes, while it’s counterintuitive that you’ll get ahead if you regularly take vacations, time away from work can allow you to reconnect to your “happy place”: what makes you happy. Don’t get me wrong: this doesn’t mean you’ll need to take a vacation every time you want to be happy (*smile*). Here’s some great news: since the mind doesn’t know the difference between reality and imagination, you can strengthen your happiness muscle — and be happy anytime.

So, anytime you feel pain, as opposed to pleasurable feelings like happiness and fun, ask yourself: What is this pain trying to tell me? Perhaps it’s your body’s way of saying: I’m alive! Please stay connected to me; I’m your friend. Contrast this with emotionally checking out or numbing out when you’re feeling fearful. Using these latter strategies will make you feel worse and over time exacerbate your conditions: internally and externally. The advantage of befriending your pain is that you’ll create a new neural connection between your pain and what it’s all about. This higher level of presence (consciousness) will allow you to see the world in a new, more constructive light and bring you opportunities that you’re now energetically aligned with.

Consider this notion, that pain (including fear and anxiety, for example) is simply information. When you release or access it, it can work wonders for you. For instance, when Mother Nature calls, is it healthier to hold it? The answer is obviously “no”. The same goes with when you’re feeling moody. It would be far better for you to do a quick (15-minute) meditation, walk or phone call or email to someone you care about (maybe even yourself?), to help you release what’s bottled up inside.

WalkYourSoul Nudge: As you approach the vacation-rich season of summer, please do yourself this favor: Schedule your vacations for the rest of 2011. And yes, that includes you, my self-employed friends. Don’t delay… do it now, as a means of reserving this powerful, sacred space for yourself.

By Monique MacKinnon, Creativity Expert & Hand Analyst, Energetic Evolution

Be careful what you ask for (*smile*)! Ask for a deeper relationship with your romantic partner or friend. And you will get it… plus more than you may have bargained for. The bonus is potholes along the way, which will test your readiness for and prepare you for what’s already on its way to you. This was my reality back in November 2009, when I asked the Universe for a new car to replace my 10-year old, beginning to get rusty one. I got IT all, all right… in the form of a minor car accident. Let me backtrack a bit. Immediately after my morning workout, I met face-to-face with a coaching prospect. The combination of coffee and lemon bread dropped my blood sugar levels to a dangerous low, and rushing to get to a virtual networking event I was co-hosting with a JV partner, made me less alert and more anxious than usual. And you guessed it. My reflexes were a little off. I’m sure you can fill in the rest of the details.

Here’s another little story to drive home the point of this article: When I met with my friend Kita over dinner, a couple of years ago, I felt like I had hit a plateau with her. I didn’t share my feelings at that time. Instead, I asked the Universe to help me transcend my relationship with her. Fast forward a few months later… in May 2010, we met at a café and at the tail end of it, we agreed that we would write a book together… Tipping Point to Happiness. I remember feeling both exhilarated and little scared too. Why the latter? Because I knew from that point on, things would never be the same between us. In fact, I was ready to let go of our 5-year friendship, so it could be replaced with something deeper and richer, which it did thankfully become.

I can’t say that transitioning from friendship to a business partnership was entirely easy. As highly creative souls, we would at times become oversensitive about the language we would use to describe each other as we were promoting our book. For example, it was a turnoff that she called me a ‘business colleague’ instead of a ‘business partner’. When we compared our respective definitions for both terms, we quickly discovered that we weren’t on the same page about them. No wonder we had a bit of a fisticuff with one another (LOL). Interestingly, by revealing a deeper level of sensitivity to one another, we also discovered the enormous strength we both had within. Up-leveling any relationship is not for the faint of heart… but for us to stand confidently behind Tipping Point to Happiness, we ‘knew’ that we needed to further open our hearts to one another. Has the ride been worth it? A+-bsolutely!

While the accident and tiff were unfortunate, it was clearly evident to me at the time that both happened for grace (the Universe) to step in to give me what I asked for: the new car and a deeper level of emotional intimacy with my friend. Plus… subsequent lessons about unconditional love and respect of self (or Self, if you prefer) which is the most important and only relationship there actually is. Outside of that, people come into, stay and go from your life depending on two things: (1) the growth you ask for and open yourself to (allow on a conscious level) and (2) what you resist in life (as what you resist, persists).

So, the next time you hit a proverbial bump in the road in a relationship, ask yourself this question: What about me that isn’t serving me (and others, who are a mirror of me) do I need to let go of or stop resisting to re-create the life, including personal and professional relationships, I love?

WalkYourSoul Nudge: Identify the relationship or other issue you are avoiding the MOST. Choose to work with it now, and its power over you will vanish.