Dear Julia,

Like you, I'm a professional psychic. I'm writing because I have had a pretty rough year, and can't seem to break free of all sorts of problems. I've had lots of money problems (including bankruptcy), lots negative people in my life, and lots of strife. (I'm about to be named the president of our homeowners association because no one else is qualified, and I really don't want to do it! It involves trying to please a bunch of screaming people who are always mad at the association.) On top of all this, I have to work two jobs in order to bring in what we need to survive, and I have health problems including extreme fatigue and joint pain, head pain, stomach troubles, numbness on one side of my body, and memory problems. I feel my problems are a punishment from either a past life or this lifetime. I was also sexually abused as a child, and feel there is a connection there. I know I should be working with the law of attraction, but I'm just too exhausted. I work all the time, live in fear, and then I'm bombarded with negative people who just drag me down. It's dreadful! Can you help?

-A.

Dear A. ,

Even people with great spiritual knowledge can find themselves stuck in frustrating patterns of experience. This is because they may consciously know what to do to turn things around, but on a subconscious level, there are issues rearing up that must be addressed.

You wrote that you feel your problems are punishment for something you did in the past. If you believe that you deserve to be punished, even if you don't consciously know what for, you'll keep manifesting all sorts of unhappy circumstances from a subconscious level. Similarly, blaming other people for your woes or expecting problems will lead to all sorts of conflicts and chaos in your life.

Please know that the Universe never punishes us for anything we've done, and we don't deserve to suffer in any way. It doesn't matter what happened to you when you were a child unless it left you feeling like you don't deserve to enjoy a good life. This is all about healing your relationship with yourself so you can love yourself well.

So if you are being punished for anything you've done in the past, it's only because you're punishing yourself. As the old saying goes, Healer, heal thyself! Continuing to try to heal, advise and lead others when you're exhausted, sick and dispirited yourself will only wear you out. To avoid a breakdown, you need to take some time to turn your own life around.

While karma will lead us back to lessons we haven't mastered yet, that's not a punishment; it's an opportunity to grow. Even then, karma doesn't keep us stuck, for how we handle challenges will determine what we experience. In every moment, we have the power to break free of limiting patterns and ignite new personal potential.

Hypnotherapy can help you uncover whatever is happening on a subconscious level that is preventing you from manifesting a higher level of experience. It can guide you in developing more empowering beliefs, in forgiving yourself for whatever you feel you've done that deserves punishment, and in healing old wounds that are holding you back from manifesting true happiness and well-being.

Once you've healed any deep issues and limiting beliefs, you just need to learn how to create and maintain a high personal vibration to manifest a whole new level of experience.

Whenever someone is in a rut, the first thing they must do is open their minds to doing something DIFFERENT. People will argue with wonderful advice by coming up with all sorts of reasons why they can't, don't want to, shouldn't have to or just won't change. That's fine, but if they keep doing the same things, they'll keep getting the same results. To spark change in our lives, we must first change our approach.

Not working with the law of attraction is like having a hole in your boat and bailing water instead of fixing the hole. You're exhausted because you're working hard but you're not working smart. If you fix the problem, you won't have to work day in and day out just to stay afloat. Then you can focus on sailing where you want to go.

How things are going in our lives does not determine how we feel; how we feel determines our vibration, which determines how things go in our lives. So the key to aligning with a higher level of experience is to first get a high vibration going. When we're in a high vibration, we feel calm, happy, optimistic, cheerful, open and grateful for our blessings.

There are three things I've learned to focus upon in order to maintain a high vibration. When I keep these habits up, I can ride a wave of positive energy indefinitely, and manifest all sorts of fantastic breakthroughs, blessings and opportunities.

First, SLOW DOWN. Rushing breeds stress and makes us irritable and insensitive to the needs of each moment. By slowing down, we stay calm and peaceful, centered and aware. This empowers us to respond wisely to whatever comes up. It also aligns us with a feeling of abundance instead of a feeling that we lack enough time.

Second, SOOTHE. Whether I'm talking to another person or thinking to myself, I look for how things are already okay and will work out fine. This leads me to accept and surrender to whatever is happening. It keeps me knowing and flowing the truth that all is well. It lifts me above resistance to whatever I don't want, which empowers me to maintain a high vibration and manifest what I desire.

Finally, SHINE. We are all divine creators, full of divine light. There is something awe-inspiring and powerful about someone who is really letting their light shine. We've been taught that it's arrogant or conceited to act like we're magnificent, but that's so not true. We're only conceited when we believe we're better than anyone else. When we remember that we are all magnificent, divine creators and we let ourselves embody our own divine perfection by shining our inner light wherever we go, wonderful things happen.

When we let our divine light shine, it's like the sea of problems and obstacles we've seen before us parts, and we flow forward toward whatever we need in amazing ways. People appear with answers; signs and synchronicities guide us; doors open; magic happens!

Since you're already overwhelmed and exhausted, take this slow and easy. Try just slowing down at first, and wait until that has become a habit before you add something else.

It will help if you also read something on the law of attraction for a few minutes every day. In fact, whenever you feel overwhelmed or fearful, pick up an inspiring book and just read a page or two. This will very quickly shift your vibration! You can get a lot of great law of attraction books at the library. Here's a list of authors I recommend you start with: Catherine Ponder, Florence Scovel Shin, Dr. Joseph Murphy, Shakti Gawain, Ester Hicks/Abraham-Hicks. There are many more; let your intuition guide you from these to whatever will best help you next.

In summary, first seek spiritual healing for whatever is holding you back on a subconscious level. Then just remember these three things to keep your vibration high while you work with the law of attraction: slow down, soothe and surrender. If you develop these habits, you'll make a quantum leap into a wonderful new life!