With the Fall season making an abrupt transition to Winter rather quickly, it is a great time to not only cook fresh homemade soup, but to literally take "stock" of your life. When making soup, you need to occasionally taste it and adjust the seasonings. Opening the doors to your hopefully well-stocked pantry, or turning the pages of artfully crafted culinary cook books might invigorate your inner chef.

Perhaps in your inspiration, you might add some interesting and unexpected seasonings, spices and ingredients that appeal to your taste and sensibility. A hint of cinnamon or cardamon, which are warming spices for this cooling off season of Fall may call to you. Their orange and reddish colors also reflect the soon-to-be changing hues of the leaves in our landscape. In addition, you may want to remove an overbearing bay leaf, and instead add a sprig of thyme (time)!

As your soup cooks on the stove, and the savory aroma draws you into an introspective space, you might want to check in with your inner guide and most wise self, to determine whether you feel like you are where you need to be, or whether it is best to realign your direction in order to move you on the path that you envision. This activity is great for a rainy or cool Fall weekend, to be pursued in solitude or with a trusted friend, coach, or loved one.

As I mentioned in my February Rye Patch column, Creating Your Future by Examining the Past, many of us are stopped from reaching for and attaining our dreams because of unseen stories, values and beliefs we have about ourselves that may arise from our past.

The following process will help you to identify those stories and create new, more empowering ones. You might begin by simply making a list of all the things that you have always wanted to do and still desire, both big aspirations or small ones. Using a beautiful journal book with a lovely pen might also inspire your journey on this exploration.

Next you might ask yourself the following: "Am I happy and pleased with where I am now?" Just a yes or no will suffice.

Then ask yourself: "What is the story of my life?" Now this is a huge question, but try to keep things simple. You might take a deep breath, give yourself a hug (which calms TW-the stress meridian), check on your soup and have a cup with a piece of crusty french bread, before proceeding with the following questions that might serve as guidelines:  

• "Who has greatly influenced me in my life, both in a positive and negative way?" This might be a parent, other relative, teacher, religious leader or significant historical figure?
• "What values, behaviors and characteristics did I learn from them that may not truly reflect who I am?" 
• "What are the positive qualities I learned and emulated that I want to keep?"
• "What circumstances have greatly influenced me in my life, both in a positive and negative way?" This might be the first day of school, a move, a job, marriage, birth of a child, death of a loved one or event from history. Just a reminder that this need not be tackled all in one day, so those of you with a type B personality, go ahead and take a break, have more soup, perhaps this time with a glass of Pinot Noir or Shiraz, which are 2 of my favorite red wines. The type A's out there, you may, if you like, continue on with your excavation.
• "Is there anything in my story that is inhibiting me and keeping me from being, doing, and going in a different direction to achieve my dreams?"

If so, during this transitional season of Fall, it might be a perfect time to recreate these stories and beliefs about yourself.

I invite you to share, tell, or write a new story or chapter in your beautiful journal with details, values and qualities that better represent your most authentic self. 

Included in that new story or chapter, explore where you want to be, what you want to do and where you want to go. If you have any new dreams, desires or goals, create a new story around it.

You might want to use your imagination, like a child role-playing and trying on different costumes or masks. Explore, visualize with your mind's eye, act it out by yourself, or with a trusted friend or it might even be a group activity. See how that feels for you, does it fit, feel to tight or too large....keep going until it feels right for you!

"Who would you be without your old story? Who might you be with your new story?"

Use your imagination like a child, your emotions like a paint brush, or music video! Make yourself the central character with complete creative freedom and full self-expression!

"What appeals to you? What inspires you? What is your dream if you knew dreams do come true?" You might explore these ideas or express yourself in words, collages, singing or dancing to your favorite music, painting, photography, or in any way that you experience your highest self. (No self-judgement about your artistic talent, please! That story does not serve you!)

Remember that life is always an unfolding process. Everything happened and happens for a reason. New ideas, thoughts and desires develop every day both in the dream and wakeful state. Be mindful of your inner whisper. Heed its soft voice in your ear. Allowing and inviting your most authentic self to come forth will bring your dreams to life and give you the life that you want!

For those of you interested in starting a group to do this work, let me know as I can help facilitate the process with you. We will be able to use EFT to release what no longer serves you. 

We will use Energy Medicine tools to stimulate our Radiant Circuits for joy, excitement, imagination and inspiration! Your dreams are already there inside you just waiting to come out.

With these tools, the right environment, friends and artist's colors, journals and fabrics, you will find it easy and fun to embrace beliefs, values and behaviors that will help take you from where you are to where you want to be!

I look forward to hearing from you! Email me at areissner@optonline.net or call me at 914-921-0442.

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Check out my website at www.VitalEssenceHealing.com

I send you hope, joy, courage and love!

Amy