upgrades

Raising children is an art unto itself. And I will say that if I knew then what I know now I would never have put my foot in the pool. Gone are the days of staying up until 2am and sleeping in until 10, cleaning the house and having it stay that way, one load of laundry sufficed for the week...gray. A whim could find me out to dinner, at the movies, in Albuquerque for the weekend. Gratefully, my internal clock recognized that I was ready for expansion both literally and figuratively; we were ready for an upgrade. This is when my husband and I decided to become pregnant.

It was a conscious choice that took only two tries for each child, easy pregnancies, natural deliveries. No coursework offered in Parenting 101 could have prepared me for the intensity of this job. Babysitting is one thing that earned me a tidy sum of minimum wage. As far as I am concerned, however, babysitting does not prepare anyone for the real deal. I watch expectant parents with a new set of eyes wondering, "Do they really know what they are getting themselves into? How much freedom (and sleep) they will sacrifice in raising this child?"

The crazy thing is? I wouldn't change a thing. I am so grateful for having this privilege. It set me on the course to becoming a better person (questionable at times), it has allowed me to follow the artists path and I have met other families & people who have enriched my life beyond my greatest imagination.

What I am experiencing now is watching as my children look for their own upgrades like matches, gas masks, Exacto knives and ear piercing. I find masochistic pleasure in rewarding them with their desired upgrade and assisting them into the heretofore previously unknown realm of "danger." Quite frankly I do it because if they blurp it out of their mouth one more time I may do something I regret. IT pushes ALL of us into an upgrade.

Four weeks ago, in preparation for Halloween, my son started in on the ABSOLUTELY mandatory component of his costume...a real gas mask. I couldn't stand it another second. So I bought it. Such a push over, I know. He cannot wait to wear this thing. Pleas of desperation to wear it to the bus stop and to the super market have all been squashed with a firm, "NO!" So last weekend he had other plans. As he walked behind me it wasn't until I saw the oncoming looks of horror did I realize he had snuck his mask into the car...and subsequently wear as we headed down to the orchard. Or then later in the afternoon (still wearing the gas mask) when he was building airplanes out of balsa wood did he look at me with wide eyes, pale face and muffled scream recognizing how close he came to disaster. "Mom, I just saw a flash of skin pass before my eyes." He is learning the treachery inherent with his upgrade; Sniper exacto knives have a silent and deadly capacity of their own volition.

Gas mask aeronautical engineer

As I have consistently discovered, the first born has more inhibitions. The second child has none. If my daughter could have changed her own diaper, she would have. If she could have breast fed herself, she would have. When the highchair and spoon became involved I was to be no where near her field of food. The last time she wore a coordinated outfit was a Onesie. Tatum is a force.

So, I take my daughter to the mall with her posse of friends and then sic it on Tatum that "Today's the day! :) ya wanna get your ears pierced?" With a feverish sweat of exhilaration and terror, all the color drains out of her face as she realizes her wishes are being delivered...but ...there is going to be pain involved. She squirms in the chair as the earrings are locked and loaded and ready for impact. Her hyperventilation renders her catatonic and Tammy and Tiffany bust a move for the dualie piercing.

Tatum feeling the upgrades

We gaggle of girls at the mall also had feathers put into our hair. They all asked if I was going to have one too. This was a one time deal, I figured. Next year I may be seen as an embarrassment so I better hop on this limited time offer. I have a feather in my hair, yet another upgrade that I didn't know I needed. In retrospect, it serves two purposes. I went along with the invitation to be a part of Tatum's joy. The other half, and anyone who has babysat for Tatum, been her parent or older brother, been her teacher in a classroom will attest (sorry for the 3 year old mooning Mrs. Dixon) ... the brave-mother-warrior I am...

I have earned this feather!

...and am proud and grateful for the upgrades I have made and that we, now continue to make together.

Ask Yourself:

What upgrades are necessary in my life?

If this post has made you laugh or given you an opportunity to apply to your own life consider joining JewelTree, LLC on facebook. Daily thoughts, photos and clips that make you go, "Yea!"

Julie Bowes - Certified Life Coach

JewelTree, LLC

P.O. Box 82

Sherman, CT 06784

203.240.4397 or email Julie@Jeweltreellc.com to schedule your sample coaching session today!

glanzpunkt

Do you have a pivotal moment in your life that consciously registers in your chronology as kick-ass? Like the time that, after hours of diligence, you passed the exam to earn your license or the time you followed through with a blind date and fell head over heals into wedded bliss? Whether you play your intention out loud or allow the still, small voice to urge you forward for reasons you can't quite explain there is a sense of happiness and fulfillment as the Universe rewards you with a gold star.

The German words Glanzpunkt and Sternstunde both convey the similar essence of awareness laced with acknowledgement and gratitude; the MOMENT that shifted perception where everything changed for the better.  These words inherently convey the highs of a panoramic lifescape that were the deciding factor in a choice to take one road over another. After impact you were left standing in your power alive with possibility.

At our dining table every night we have a ritual to discuss the "Glanzpunkt", the shining point, of our day. This practice has very succinct, Praktisch und useful applications; it stimulates positive conversation, generates gratitude and employs the magnetic Law of Attraction.

The rules of the highlight of the day depends who you ask. My husband insists that I have to choose just one thing. I just can't. So I say with this enormous smile, "*The Whole Day*"! My rules dictate that you must be interested and interesting. Therefore, if you have asked a person their highlight, that person must ask someone else. Frequently the question stalls, even on me when I become enraptured in the retelling of my perception...my tornado of happiness...With a hint of martyrdom someone, who will remain nameless, will nudge me back onto planet Earth. No one is excused from the table, however, until everyone has extrapolated the highlight that speaks most powerfully to them. Some moments may even be in anticipation of what is to come in the remaining moments of the day.

On Saturday my son, Trevor, announced that his Glanzpunkt was "Getting to level 100 and", with a Vanna-White-feathered-backhanded reveal of the dinnerscape..."this exotic food."

What, you might ask, where we having for dinner? Amidst the glorious harvest of organic veggies from Fort Hill Farm and fresh venison steaks came the heralded antithesis: Hearty Man Frozen Dinners and gluey macaroni and cheeZe. Yes my friends...this is what my son is grateful for. And you know, I was then grateful X3 because he was happy, I didn't have to cook AND he made me laugh.

Do you find it difficult on some days to come up with something that could be a contender? It doesn't need to be huge...perhaps just the fact that you were able to get out of the house with matching socks? Maybe the impromptu call you received from a friend? Or maybe the food on your table? Perhaps you won Publishers Clearing House (will you be my friend)? Or maybe ladies, you woke up and realized that you were married to George Clooney? My point is that once you choose to see the things that have fallen in your path that you have to be grateful for the more will come to you.

At first you may select from only the palette of effects. As you become more appreciative however, you will begin to be the Cause. Before you know it you may not even be experiencing any thing but giving instead...perhaps also even experiencing someone else's joy as if it were your own.

Ask Yourself:

What is the highlight of my day?

If this post has made you laugh or given you an opportunity to consider and apply to your own life please join JewelTree, LLC on facebook. Daily thoughts, photos and clips that make you go, "Yea!"

Julie Bowes - Certified Life Coach
JewelTree, LLC
P.O. Box 82
Sherman, CT 06784

203.240.4397 or email Julie@Jeweltreellc.com to schedule your sample coaching session today!

snort

Not long ago I had the privilege of a solo trip to Maine. The few friends who were aware of my exploits and envious of these few precious moments of ME time encouraged me to enjoy...more specifically, snort, Portland. Typically that would mean long sunset sails on gaff-rigged schooners, loading my pockets with polished, banded stones from the beach, shopping on lower Exchange Street for the doodads that all those left at home expect and, as my sister would eloquently put it... "running me like a dog on the dance floor" preferably snorting old vine zinfandel.

I teetered on the edge of snorting someone elses ideas. There was a sense of cagey anxiety that tried to push me down a dark hallway to embark in endless activies that, by the end of the day I could display as my accomplishments. However, I was there to BE. And in that BE-ingness it was (is) most important to follow that quiet inner voice that says, "I'd like to _______ because it brings me happiness." So I did.


This trip, ME time was spent with my champion sister, swimming in the ocean, one massive holy-God-thank-goodness-I-don't-live-in-Portland-full-time-to-have-to-subject-myself-to-hot-yoga-every-day-drown-in-my-own-sweat snort, and what I least expected... falling in love with Gus.


His luxurious embrace, long golden hair, rich brown eyes, an ever-ready smile, the embodiment of harmony in his ability to balance alacritous adventure and cozy time on the sofa are the qualities that swept me away.

I love this dog. But really, I challenge you to introduce me to a dog I don't love. Gus is so patient. He is so happy. He is so appreciative. He loves with such abandon. He has such a great BODY....of hair. This was my heaven. He obscured and magnified every semblance of joy I ever conjured as a child with Barbie's synthetic locks and every dream I had of becoming Rapunzel. I spent a good portion of my mornings brushing Gus, the golden retriever, because it made US happy.

I snorted Gus.

Ask Yourself

How do I snort life?

Join me on Facebook! Call to schedule your sample coaching session today! Lots to gain and nothing to loose.

JewelTree, LLC ~ p.o.box 82 ~ sherman, ct 06784 ~ 203.240.4397 ~ inquiries@jeweltreellc.com

your fortune

Apparently, I am going to be given one Million dollars and learn Kung-Fu. My daughters' fortune telling gizmo has predicted this to be. The proclivities I have towards even numbers, sunset purple and melon orange narrowly averted me from abject poverty, eating worms for dinner and loosing all my teeth. Had I known how high the stakes where I am not sure I would have ventured forth.

Judging by the tattered edges of this origami finger workout it is clear that it has predicted many an outcome for the eight and under contingent. Although I don't believe anyone to have lost sleep over the fortune garnered therein there may be a couple curious youngsters, however, pursuing the most effective way to enhance the taste of earthworms.

What risk does one face when some of the options they have included on their fortune teller are less than ideal? Nothing at all. However, playing the game of life with the same possibilities floating in your field of intentions, the stakes are higher, and the likelihood of the negative manifesting increase.

That then leaves the concept of "negative" up for debate. Those who integrate positive operating systems would tend toward the view that negative is all relative; the perspective is largely based on faith that the circumstance has been drawn to them as a necessary tool for growth in preparation for the next step, without which greatness would oscillate just out of reach.

Take a look at Claude Monet, one of the most influential artists of all time. His mother died in his mid-teens. His father, a grocer, was a very practical and hardworking man. It was Mr. Grocer Monet's sister, an artist as well,  that helped raise Claude. She supported Claude whole heartedly even after he got married and started a family of his own. Pursuing a career as an artist, Claude and his young family couldn't even afford to pay for heat in their small, cramped flat. What do you suppose would have happened if Claude's mother hadn't passed away? My two cents is that he would have been the most miserable stock boy in the south of France. The point being, what side of this story do you see?  It's all in the perspective.

I dare say that Claude didn't have the luxury of this new thought during the grief and mourning of his mother. Rarely can a Westerner truly inhabit this perspective under the age of 40. What he cultivated throughout his life as a painter, however, was the most astute ability to find beauty in the light and how it made his subject matter morph into completely different palates. Beauty was found at every time and condition of the day. Even emotionally at the moment of death of his beloved, second wife was beauty found and immortalized through his painterly skills. By keeping the intention and focus clear he became one of the most influential artists of all time, thus serving the world through his vision and passion to make beauty manifest.

No one "likes" difficulty but no one can live a life without it. It is how one is able to see through and within the lessons that lend dimension and grounding. You must have the rain to appreciate the sun. Perhaps, for some, the reverse may be true. The juxtaposition of the positive and negative create the depth and power that lies behind the evolution of every being on earth. It is most beneficial to already be of this disposition as this need for buoyant perspective becomes necessary. A way to practice this is by consciously appreciating the goodness displayed before you while it is in progress. By thanking the Universe for what you receive, what is taken away and what is yet to be conjured on your behalf: remaining in a state of gratitude in a big picture mentality is always to your benefit.

What if the eight items on your fortune teller read what you'd be able to GIVE instead of receive? This would automatically infer that you were engaged in your pure, abundant intention so intensely that a degree of philanthropy could enter into your thinking, possibly extending far beyond your wildest dreams.

Opportunities like:
You will give a million dollars to your favorite charity, Expect an invitation to speak at the commencement ceremony at your University, Donate a week at your home on the coast of France to the library's silent auction, You will transport a human heart through Angel Flight,  You will donate the fresh veggies from your garden to a family in need, You will donate blood, You will have the privilege of delivering a baby, Expect the opportunity to practice compassion,  You will help drill a well for fresh water in Africa, Just by Being you are Worthy. Even if you decide to write: You will Save the Earth (because it is the only planet with chocolate) you will do millions a huge favor. THINK BIG...think abundant...think compassionately.

Calling upon your intention to be of service to others is the greatest of life's makeovers. In sculpting this type of reality there are no downfalls. The drama feeds only through experiential thermals of helping delight rather than the dregs of "what's-in-it for-ME" despair. Although the edges of  the vessel in which you collect this fulfillment may show signs of wear I can guarantee you it will never be flawed. How will you craft your fortune teller?

Ask Yourself 

How may I serve? Who may I help today?

Join me on Facebook! Call to schedule your sample coaching session today!

JewelTree, LLC ~ p.o.box 82 ~ sherman, ct 06784 ~ 203.240.4397 ~ inquiries@jeweltreellc.com

romance & love continued...

Hum. Maybe...just maybe I am wrong.

My most recent blog has cavorted within me and has birth to more thoughts on the topic of romance. More has yet to be expressed. It's clear...I am not going to live as a monk. Why?...because just like you the gravitational yearning and pull of sacred love (the divine cousin of romantic love) is too much to resist... That, and I look shitty in saffron.

Romance does exist; ideally not as an end in itself but as the window dressing for love. Because, quite frankly, I can't go cold turkey and stop loving romance movies or listening to love songs. They are the delicious breadcrumbs along the path of life to witness and experience the heady intoxication and proof that Source love does exist. I am never going to be able to wipe the smile off my face when I watch a couple newly in love as they lope down the aisle of the grocery store. Love just makes me so damn happy.

When you find someone that is a true spiritual partner, I do believe that you can do more together than you can apart. I do believe that by removing the romantic sand in the hourglass and replacing it with the sand of alacrity, gratitude and sacred, substantive love the two can be of great influence. But this type of relationship requires join responsibility to the Universe to make the world a better place. And if this can be done together with such devotion and commitment to ones self, one another, the community and the world...to be of such pure intent that the ripple you create inspires more purity within others then you can have your cake and eat it too. You can be "selfish" with your desire to hear the proclamation of loving devotion  AND share it with the Universe together. Ohhh. that sounds yummy doesn't it?

It strikes me however, that with a perfect condition such as this you have to abort your personal agendas towards ego enrichment. And once you decide to leap off that ledge nothing else matters except loving everyone. And at that point it is hard to just love one person...and then to decide to love everyone and experience the joy of love that your partner feels for another through your own heart without ego/jealousy. Hum. It gets wacky and heady only when the ego says, "Hey, wait just a minute....the universe revolves around me!" Strap on your seatbelt for that ride.

However, if we go back to the idea of establishing the "control experiment" within the confines of your own Soul and taping into the frequency of love then it is a blissed-out, self-sustaining climate. It's a smooth ride without 911 to all the kings horses and all the kings men. It's safe, satisfying and delicious.

Nothing is right or wrong or more virtuous than the last. It is the ebb and flow of experience and of choice. It is about making the choice, minute by minute to sculpt who you truly are and make manifest your intention to leave the world a better place than when you arrived. And that can be done with or without another person. You decide. It's your choice.

But what is certain for those seeking meaningful partnerships is you have to become the person you want to attract. By tapping into a fully resonant source and embodying that vibration will bring you what you desire more quickly. By *being love* you remove the resistance on all levels until you feel as if you are in the warmth of pure sunshine no matter the apparent condition. This is yummy too. Once you truly feel that you don't need another to help generate these feelings; when you are so consumed with gratitude and love within then the Universe provides a match according to your specifications.

I guess we are looking for yummy x2. To feel it whole heartedly within our being and then have the mirror of your condition appear in a prospective partner...and then stop time to just exist in that state of nirvana forever....and then go forward together with the intention to be love, speak love, act lovingly in everything you do and say.

For those already in a committed relationship where the romantic sand has been depleted, bust open the hourglass. A total romantic sandectomy is unnecessary. It is a sand augmentation that would be the perfect answer to this quandry. Take out all the grains of ego and replace them with gratitude and appreciation. Mine for the good qualities in each other without expecting anything in return. When you commit to yourself to set the example of love and appreciation the alacrity in newfound partnership returns with an easy smile on its face.

So my question to you:
What quality do you need to change or accept in yourself that you'd like to have reflected in a partner?

Take the 2 minute quiz to determine what is blocking your path and call to schedule your free sample coaching session today.

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JewelTree, llc
Holistic Life & Soul Coaching
"Guiding the Seeker to the JewelTree of their Soul through
Energetic Restoration and Heart-centered Healing"

p.o. box 82
sherman, ct 06874
http://www.jeweltreeoflife.com/ ~ 203.240.4397

the illusion

I am going to drill down into last weeks topic into the core of what this blog LIFE....and this human existence is really all about...at least in my bubble. Chez moi, cable TV and the news is purposely omitted. It makes it easier to dedicate my linear mind to align with Gratitude and the Universal Heart. Knowing full well, however, the suffering that exists, I'd like to offer a couple observations that may ease you into a different yet enhanced cloud of perception.

I will confess that I have a library of romance movies and books. It has been a life-long quest of mine to marinate in the thought of lofty love songs, flix and cozy 18th century reads. The amount of money that has been spent on attaining this library is quite impressive and doesn't even take into account the outflow to Blockbuster and Netflix. If there was ever a romance junkie I was it. The Western culture has been conditioned from birth to conform to the idea that we can only be happy and complete when we have met our true love. I felt entitled to this experience and it presented itself to me. I have learned however, that romance and love are two separate things.
Very unexpectedly (and very iinconveniently I must also add)16 years ago, my future husband strolled into my place of employment and filled the roll of Prince. He swept me off my romantic feet and we rode into the romantic sunset. Through the 14 years of our marriage though, I think we'd both agree, it hasn't been a total cake walk. It has taken a fair amount of conflict resolution, ego relinquishment, patience and ...love. 

Not the love you think I am going to talk about. Not the undying love you declare at the altar...not the love and devotion that you swear in blood to commit to...but the love you foster for yourself to stay in your own power and truth while negotiating a sense of identity theft.  Invariably, the challenges that you face as a married couple morph and shift. If you decide to have children this process continues even more acutely. What remains constant is the dwindling notion of romantic love. At some point along the way I started fantasizing about little remote cabin hide-aways and how far I can get with one cent in my pocket...the sand had funneled to the bottom of the hourglass ...and then it broke. So, here is my observation...

Romance is illusory. There. I said it.

Granted, if this concept was understood by the masses it would warp the face of commerce. The sale of diamonds and greeting cards would plunge while wedding planners, D.J's, photographers and divorce attorneys would all be filing Wal-Mart applications. A new category of books would have to be coined called "Romance Fiction" or "Romady". Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant and the like would need to hustle a deck of Tarot cards at Venice Beach. You can fill in the blanks. My point is that as much as the concept of romance has entertained and delighted us for centuries it has a very blunt back swing that, if not approached with realism, will have you hanging in the stretcher next to Humpty-Dumpty.

The most crucial element in this warning statement is that you must seek your own divinity without relying on others to provide you with a sense of self-worth and belonging. Do yourself a favor by "tuning in" to the pure resonance of love for loves sake alone. Learn to love the Universal heart to which we are all connected by experiencing your own love and then choosing to share it through your eyes and soul. By recognizing yourself in another you have the power to transform the world.

On a base level we all seek the same thing: to be understood, acknowleged and loved. By turning over the hourglass with an intention to serve through compassion you will find a richer life's texture and meaning.  If you have found yourself installed in the vestiges of a romantic void, shift your thoughts to take a look into the condition with a lens of gratitude. Gratitude (minus the romantic Ego) combined with the perspective of the Universal Heart are the magic ingredients to healing the human condition.

Our only purpose here on Earth is to love.

So, my question for you is:

Who is the most important person to love?

Visit http://www.jeweltreeoflife.com/ for more details on how Holistic Life & Soul coaching can shift your perspective and illuminate your Soul. Email or call Julie today to schedule your sample coaching session. Inquiries@Jeweltreellc.com or call 203.240.4397

tune in

I grew up thinking my dad's name was Dearheart 1. because it was true and 2. this is what my mom called him when I was little...before my sister and I became...well...annoying  demanding. It was when we started taking up too much bandwidth that I stopped hearing that term of endearment. I liked that name. It made me feel that I was living amidst a frequency of love.

If you have ever found yourself subsisting on sweet elation for weeks and gazing starry-eyed at a new boyfriend you know the feeling; That insular sensation that noone but the two of you exist in this plush haze of omnicontentment. From your head to your toes you are one with the Universe and feel comfortable enough to make up pet names for each other like "schmoopie" or "sweet thing" or "baby doll" or "honey" or "dearheart" or as my husband calls me "Mamma Cat". It's a long story but suffice to say I believe it to have originated out of jealousy that I am the "go-to" for all the household pets. Before I reach seven Mississippi there is an animal at my feet or on my lap. Really...you too can become a animal whisperer if you learn the magic inherent in a can opener.

I call him Pappa. I like saying it. It is a name that is never used in anger and serves as a double syllabic vehicle of relief. Pahhhhhh - pahhhhh. Awww. Love that sound. Same thing with the name of my dog, Kola...Ahhhhh. Which by the way, didn't know this at the time the name chose us, but I have been told that Kola means "Friend" in Sioux. Perfect. He is every bit of that.

How often do we tune in to Love?  I mean that loopy insanity where nothing can shake you from your sweet, feathered nest? I believe it is possible to achieve this state by oneself. It requires noone but yourself. In fact it is even better that relying on someone else to provide it because it would be stupid to self-disappoint. Right?

Just like a transistor radio you have the ability to receive your desired frequency. You wish to listen to the weather on one station, talk radio that's further down the line, classical...way up at the neck. You must deliberately scroll the dial on the radio to pick up your station of preference.  Presumably you avoid the fields of static and choose something that you enjoy. Right?

How great is it to hear of people falling in love or watching two people walking hand-in-hand down the aisle at the supermarket reluctant to be out of each others physical range! That total heady intoxication that you have felt in your past can simmer in your soul now! At frequent intervals it draws symbols of love to you by way of heart shaped chips, puffy heart shaped clouds, painted hearts on the bottom of tin cans in the middle of the appalachian trail, centercuts of wood, surprise hugs, necco wafers in your folded clothes, boston baked beans in your overnight bag...love as a random act of kindness. It feels good to love...just to love...just because. The more you embody love, the more love embodies you.

You can love another, yes. You can love an animal, yes. You can love a vista, yes. Have you ever tried to capture the feeling of love for love sake alone? To allow yourself to love yourself better that you have loved another? To allow it to stream through your body by just knowing that this frequency exists? Relax into the possibility and let your mind, body and soul tune in.

So my random question to you is:
What are the conditions that ilicit your highest frequency of love?