solitude
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
I first learned of the HALT acronym when I joined Alcoholics Anonymous many years ago. In hindsight, had I applied its simple, yet powerful technique, I might have avoided several slips along the path to my sobriety. I also realize now that the HALT concept is an integral part of loving ourselves, and it thus assists us more on our spiritual path to greater serenity.
HALT is an acronym for:
H – Never get too Hungry
A – Never get too Angry
L – Never get too Lonely
T – Never get too Tired
During one of my heavy drinking episodes, many years ago, I was working a job which required me to be away from home constantly. I was working extensive and erratic hours with a team of co-workers who were all heavy drinkers.
At this time I was subject to everything in the HALT scenario. I was often hungry, because we were pretty much on call to travel anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice. I never knew when I would next be able to eat. In hindsight, I guess I could have been better prepared with personal emergency provisions, but we were always promised that the next trip wouldn’t be so grueling.
I was also constantly angry at the company for exploiting me. The amount of erratic and long hours we slaved was not what we had signed up for.
Becoming Your Best Self
Know that Spirit is always beckoning you to become your best self. Stay open for the positive to emerge and, with open arms, joyously welcome the blessings of health and wellness, inner peace and wisdom, blissful love, streams of prosperity, and all that your heart desires.
Make a huge effort to quiet the chatter in your world and listen to your inner voice. This may mean muting your television, or not checking in with social media as often. Your quiet time might also manifest through long walks in nature, or soaking in a tub of warm water scented with your favorite essential oils and surrounded by candlelight.
However you choose to silence the outside world and tune in to the sacred realm, trust that your experience will be golden as Spirit will be guiding you to become your best self ever.
Know that you have the gift and ability to visualize and actualize the life you are seeking. See your life as you would love it to be, and ask Spirit to help you define your very best self. Often we set the bar far too low for our best selves. In this manner we cheat ourselves and miss out on fulfilling the divine purpose of our lives.
Sacred Space
Have you noticed that a certain physical space can influence how we feel? How can a room affect us in this way? Well it’s all about energy. When you walk into a room and people have had a fight there, or received some awful news that may have caused great sadness, we tend to pick up on the energy. We often sense it, without really knowing why we are suddenly feeling angry, sad, or drained.
One of the scripts that I use with hypnotherapy clients is to visualize your own sacred space and then picture yourself inside that space. Just thinking about such a space, where you feel safe, happy and calm, can help to relieve anxious feelings for most people.
There are also just some spaces that seem to promote a sense of belonging and trust that everything is okay. For some people their sacred space may be a certain place in their home, while for others it is simply outside in nature. It doesn’t really matter where your sacred space is, as long as you feel good inside it.
A Few Minutes Of Daily Self-Care
I often tell my students to take some ‘me time’ each day, even if it’s only five minutes for self-care. And I have heard 101 excuses as to why someone cannot do this, ranging from parenting responsibilities and career, to house cleaning and maintenance. These excuses typically start with the words, “I have to…”
At one workshop, I had several people offer their excuses for not having even a few minutes for themselves on a daily basis. Then I narrowed it down to a simple question. When you have to go to the washroom, do you hold it in all day long, and all night, because you ‘have to’ do something else? After the laughter stopped, because I did do an exaggerated imitation of someone ‘holding it’ by rolling on the floor in agony!
And then I asked the next question. By holding it all day and night, and writhing in pain and agony, what did I accomplish? How much time did I waste focusing on this issue of ‘I have to go,’ but ‘I don’t have time.’
This is the simplest way to explain time management versus wasted energy and time. I take a bath or shower each day, as do most people. I am usually at least a few minutes under the water in some way. Water is my peacemaker and my calming force. It energizes me and charges me for the day.
Self-Care Is Health Care
Some of us grew up thinking that self-care is out of the norm. We were taught that it took too much time away from our families and work. But nothing can be further from the truth.
My Guide recently came to me in a dream in the form of a loving angel of light. He sat across from me at a table and poured each of us a cup of tea. I really enjoyed this dream, because I had set an intention to get a message from Spirit so that I can help people to feel more fulfilled. I asked what I can do to help people, and my Guide told me to teach people the importance of self-care. I would be doing my part to help people get along better and be more present.
Those of us who grew up with people-pleasing parents may have seen them not being very happy, even miserable. I remember many moons ago sitting in church one Sunday and watching a women, who was head of the children’s ministry, get up and address the church. Her aura was always anything but showing calm energy. She was anxious and looked like she was on the verge of tears. Her husband always looked frazzled and the kids were unkind and craved attention from anyone who would give it to them.
Never Judge A Book By Its Cover
Many people like the idea of being psychic, but sadly do not have the gift. I know this because I have a friend who is a great astrologer, but she herself is not psychic. I know this because she has confided in me. She does not have any psychic ability; she does readings by looking up people’s birthday information in astrology books. She doesn’t pick up on other people’s emotions when around them. This was confirmed when she was invited to join me and a friend, who had just recently lost her mother and was deeply saddened, she couldn’t feel what this women was going through and didn’t pick up on her feelings.
But my astrologer friend does look like someone who could be psychic. Is there a psychic look? Do psychics look differently than people who don’t have the psychic gift? I don’t think so. I have learned over the years that you can never tell who is psychic, or who is not. I think we tend to judge people based on their appearances way to much.
Night Owls
I am a typical night owl. ‘Night owl’ is the nickname often given to people who are typically awake late at night, while the rest of the world are asleep and dreaming. I believe as long as one gets enough sleep to maintain your health, it really doesn’t matter whether you are a night owl… or an early bird. ‘Early bird’ is, of course, the nickname that is usually assigned to the early risers.
This brings up a question that my clients and students ask a lot. Why do I wake up almost every night between 3:00 and 4:30am? Well, it’s traditionally called the ‘witching hour.’ As a psychic medium I know from experience that this is the time when spirit can come through more easily, because there is more moisture in the air at this time of the night. We are bio-electrical beings and spirit is pure energy. With water being a conductor for electricity, it makes sense it would be easier for them to communicate with us at this time.