1. Set the intention to be free of all struggle. We literally wear ourselves out and dampen our ability to connect with our intuition by believing that life is a challenge. Taking time each day to fully express joy in everything that you do, allows you to move past old limitations and open the cosmic doorway to overwhelming prosperity. Each of us has the personal responsibility and ability to uplift ourselves and commit to achieving our highest potential. Each day write out your highest and best intention and you will soon start to keep track of your dreams which have manifested.

2. Recognize that you are unique and that it is easy to operate in a greater awareness capacity then we realize. Allow yourself to take time to become still several times each day. Becoming acutely aligned to what is going on inside of you, this is one of the best ways to strengthen your intuitive muscle. Pay attention to your subtle energy and notice what events, people or things cause your energy level to shift. Know what makes you feel good and connect with that energy.

3. Believe that you have been gifted with incredible potential. Most of us never fully engage our ability to tap into potential energy. Working at this level allows you to become free of self-imposed boundaries and limitations. You will start to see yourself moving past the things that you felt were holding you back.

4. Recognize that extraordinary experiences happen to you everyday. Operate in a trust mode and learn to integrate this in every level of your life. Trust that life will awaken new opportunities for you to thrive and prosper. Recently, I set an intention to be in the audience of the Oprah’s premiere show entitled, “The Ultimate Fan.” Crafting an email that reflected the creative and positive way she has turned on the inner light for others, I received a phone call two days later from one of the producer’s. The phone call ended with the young lady telling me that, “this phone call is no guarantee that you will be the audience. That decision will be made at a later date.” Listening to the call with me was my husband of 15-years. Without hesitation, I told him of my intention to be in audience for the Oprah Ultimate Fan Show. I decided to express the highest joy about my being on the show and relaxed into my being a part of the experience. If you’d like to read more go to http://www.shereefranklin.com and read my blog entitled, “How to Be On the Oprah Show.”

Turning inward to vision your internal blueprint for success will allow you to thrive and prosper. It is imperative to base your future on stepping forward each day with clarity of what you intend to experience. Cultivating this habit will allow you to connect with the awareness that thought creates experience. You benefit by participating in life at the highest level and connecting with your intuition. When we choose to consciously move past our physical world,you are endowed with experiences and characteristics that will expand your life.

Our feelings are all around us and are difficult to control, but gaining this ability has the power to transform and accelerate healing in all areas of your life. In my work as an Intuitive Counselor and Coach, my clients suffer from anger over everything from relationships breakups, mistreatment by their parents to not having achieved their potential. Regardless of the experience, the lesson is always the same, when we recognize our internal boiling point, we have the ability to control the outcome.

Sometime ago while walking with my husband we were debating a number of issues in our relationship. I became so engrossed in our conversation that suddenly a small barking dog appeared at my feet. The dog’s owner quickly answered my question about it’s arrival and told me, “it is barking like you are.” Within an instant my level of anger rose to the point where we exchanged some very heated words. Suddenly we were waving fingers, saying things that could have resulted in physical violence.

In a moment of clarity, I became consciously aware of the danger and choose to disconnect from the experience. This is where practicing emotional hygiene becomes so powerful, because each of us moment by moment can choose to create to change anything we want. After expressing to the woman my desire for “peace,” and a willingness to accept blame for the anger outburst, I choose to consciously disconnect and started to walk away.

My reaction was met with a great deal of resistance from the woman, and she continued to follow us. With her yelling behind me, I willed my mind, body and spirit to focus on peace and love. Covering us both with a protective layer of white light, we resumed our walk and the woman at some point disappeared.

This experience served as a vital lesson for my work with my clients. Teaching people to be intuitively aware of their feelings allows us to collect the data that is needed to change any circumstance we face in our lives. This capacity is vital to understanding our choices, options and alternatives to achieving a prosperous, healthy and long life.

The book, Infinite Mind by Dr. Valerie Hunt is one of the first truly scientific understanding of the relationship between energy field disturbances, disease and emotional pathologies. Best known for her pioneering research in the field of bioenergy, Dr. Hunt’s visionary approach coupled with a rigorous adherence to the highest scientific standards has won her international acclaim in the fields of physiology, medicine and bioengineering.

Each of us has the capacity to recognize the emotion of anger and to control it. If you observe yourself being angry and allow yourself to step back intuitively, this will give you the power to make a different choice.

Identifying a person’s cycle is critical in my work as an Intuitive Counselor and Coach. The first thing I do when working with an individual is to ask, “Where is this person in the stage of their life? The three cycles we all face are:

1. Achievement – this is the cycle we all want to be in, but it is the hardest energy level to maintain. To be in achievement we must do unique and innovative things. An example of a person clearly in the achievement cycle is Don Thompson, President and Chief Operating Officer of McDonald’s USA. He has the tremendous responsibility for setting the strategic tone for 32,000 McDonald’s restaurants in 117 countries. Despite a very heavy workload and travel schedule, when Thompson is home he is there 100% for his wife and children. Also, he has a philanthropic spirit which keeps the achievement cycle continuing.

2. Plateau – this is the stage where we stop taking risks. We get comfortable and don’t feel the need to change. Most of us stay in relationships, jobs even apartments or houses longer then we should. One obvious example of an industry that has been stuck in the plateau cycle has been the American automotive industry. Recently, we’ve seen signs that Ford has made tremendous efforts to focus on quality. One of the most powerful ways to shift into achievement is to analyze the past, identify what you’ve done wrong, and to actively work to change.

3. Upheaval – many of us will do anything to avoid going through upheaval. Being in this cycle actually is one that can lead to our greatest growth and development, because how you act when you are in upheaval determines how long before you are in achievement again. A female client who stayed in an unhappy marriage for close to 20 years made the decision to file for divorce two years ago. As she feared, the legal battle has been a difficult one. In addition, nine months ago she was also downsized from a 6-figure position. Despite the pain and anguish, this 50-something year-old Baby Boomer has started to regain her footing and has learned some critical life lessons. First of all, she has broken the cycle of attracting a “bad boy,” and is now dating a man who values and appreciates her. In addition, the picture for success does not include the Fortune 500 companies she would have typically sought for her next position. Instead, she is looking for work with an organization that reflects her desire to give service.

Those who express a willingness to recognize and explore the inherent patterns in their life will open the doorway to change in less time with less stress. Each of us has ample talents and abilities to live the highest version of our life plan. When we gain a deeper understanding of our cycles it will help guide us to creating what we want in our lives.

1. Forgive yourself. As human beings we all here to grow and evolve. A big part of our growth occurs when we realize and understand the value of our mistakes. Letting yourself off the hook for past wrongs goes a long way to helping you to analyze and decide the best things to do to fix a problem. If you need help with clearing the energy around things you have done wrong in your professional and personal life, consider reading the book, Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping and the free website by the same name www.radicalforgiveness.com This is one of the best tools to energetically help you shift out of anything that is holding you back.
2. Admit what you’ve done wrong. Sitting on a problem and not talking about it only magnifies the issue when it is discovered. As members of the human race each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses. Most of us don’t know how to properly access our strengths. Every person knows intuitively what we do well, but we cloud that information with our own set of insecurities or society’s conditioning about what “we should do.” Take time to make a list of your strengths. If you need help in figuring out your best attributes then ask a trusted friend or even a former employer what makes you unique.
2. Set things right as soon as possible. Heightened development occurs when we take responsibility for our actions. We each have a choice to live at the fully expression of our highest self. Framing things in a positive context will allow you to present what you’ve done to fix the problem as an enlightened experience.
3. Develop a way to internally handle mistakes. A 2,500 year-old Buddhist meditation practice found in Judith Orloff’s book, Positive Energy is one that you might find helpful to keep in your wallet or purse:

May I be free of worry.
May I be well.
May I feel safe and ease.
May I be at peace.

4. Write down what happened. A business owner who recently did a presentation for a large corporate client spent time analyzing the different styles of her competitors. One person didn’t talk about her company at all and instead set about a fact-finding mission on the potential client. Since my client had been courting the client for at least 6 months many of those answers she knew and instead focused on the strengths of her organization. Unfortunately, others in the room didn’t have the same background knowledge and the feedback generated indicated that the fact-finding style was viewed more positively. Going over this scenario over and over again with me, the insight I offered was to write everything that happened down. Being able to review what has occurred allows the our intuitive insight to flow, once we have disconnected emotionally. In my client’s case she became aware that the corporate client was not a good fit for her company. This opened the doorway for exploring different presentation styles on the next venture, as well as letting herself off the hook for what had occurred. Writing down the lesson learned in our experience allows for your intuitive insight to expand. With the clearer knowledge, wisdom and insight you are less likely to repeat the same mistakes.

Researchers at John Hopkins in 2005 diagnosed “broken heart syndrome,” as a reversible heart failure that is not a classic heart attack.  High emotional stress was found to be the primary culprit of the symptoms that were produced.  The symptoms include:  heart pain, shortness of breath, and fluid in the lungs.  Middle-aged women are found to the largest segment of the population who suffer from broken heart syndrome.

Recently, a new client came in suffering from a classic case.  This healthy, middle-aged woman practiced yoga and led a healthy lifestyle.  Despite this, it didn’t prevent the severe pain that occurred when a relationship ended.

My client couldn’t sleep at night because of the pounding in her heart.  This can be quite frightening and indeed painful.  In many cases, I’ve also seen people who cannot eat or are nauseated to the point of throwing up.  Once you have ruled out that this is not a heart attack, the treatment course calls for the client to be intricately involved in their healing process.

Communicating directly with your heart it times of stress is one of the most effective ways to heal.  Becoming aware of your heart pain is the first step to working with your body.  Telling your heart that you are listening and believe that the pain you are experiencing is a wake up call concerning whatever challenge or issue you are currently facing.

Placing your hands directly on your heart is a highly effective way to connect with this vital organ.  Breathe deeply and slowly while you are focused on your heart.

Many times, people are ashamed to admit their deep pain, so turning to a professional will allow for support in your process without judgment.  One client who was going through a very painful breakup was told by her mother to “think of her boyfriend as being dead.”  This woman ended up in the emergency room later that same night gasping for breath.

No one can tell you exactly when experiencing broken heart syndrome will be over.  The process you are involved in is a part of something bigger.  It is your intuition alerting you to the need to heal your heart.

One female client who is struggling through a difficult two-year divorce process, found herself facing her worse fear and experienced what I have come to know as, “the dark night of the soul.”  When a moment like this occurs we usually find ourselves crying uncontrollably and are at a complete loss for all feelings of hope and love.

Paying attention to yourself in the midst of inner anguish is one of the best ways to intuitively shift out of what you are facing. Allow yourself a specific time to be able to cry, scream, beat a pillow, or even rage about what is going on inside of you.  If possible, set a clock and give yourself a deadline on when to stop.

After freely releasing all your emotions, bring yourself back to the present moment by focusing deeply on your breathing. You can immerse yourself in the simple and profound teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn and practice mindful breathing:

In Our

Deep, Slow

Calm, Ease

Smile, Release

Present Moment, Wonderful Moment

The key is to immerse yourself into a feeling of hope.  Pray, read something inspirational, put on music that speaks to your soul.   Be gentle with yourself and if you feel inclined seek professional guidance for the challenges you are facing.

My client in her moment of despair chose to go to bed with her arms wrapped around her Bible.  In describing the experience to me the next day she told me of being intuitively guided to take the book.

Paying attention to the ordinary moments in our lives as well as the extraordinary ones is one of the best ways to use your intuition to shift out of any situation you face.  She awakened with a sense of understanding, enlightenment and wisdom about the changes that must be made in her life.

Our intuition responds most effectively when we give our spirit nourishment.  As we absorb the truths about ourselves and the lessons the moment has revealed, the powerful energy of grace has the ability to lift you in an instant.

When we hear a diagnosis about a disease for ourselves or someone we care about, our minds go into an “earthquake mode.”  For a while your brain has problems processing what you are hearing, the options to pursue and how to even organize your life to handle it.

In my earlier blog, on “How to Heal A Soul Wound,” I mentioned a young female client who died from colon cancer after undergoing two severe emotional hurts.  Today I want to give you a formula for creating a new experience for yourself whenever something happens which spins you out-of-control.

After processing the news of whatever situation you are facing, become acutely aware of any or all group feelings of the people who are supporting you.  In the book, Why People Don’t Heal, by Caroline Myss, Ph.D. she calls this the “tribal level.”  She says that how the group absorbs this experience is where most people direct their energy in the time of a health crisis.

Myss like me, urges people to go into the “Individual Mind,” where you move out of fear and despair to seek an inner dialogue with yourself about the issue or problem you are facing.  Try to determine what patterns of strength and weakness that have influenced your life. Innate patterns reveal themselves to show us valuable insights that play a critical role in any healing process.

In my work, I urge people to say and feel deeply the words, “I Will to Live,” when they are in the midst of upheaval.  Myss says in her book to say to yourself a hundred times a day,”The illness is not the issue. The issue is the loss of power this illness generates in my life.”

When we interpret the negative challenges of our lives as a tremendous gift, we realize that we can choose to enpower ourselves by being aware of our patterns and turning to our intuition as a valuable tool  in our healing process.