Add that to my tab!

Some of you have heard this. I used to joke every time I found a penny, “Pennies from heaven! Yeah! Now send me twenties from heaven.” I found a twenty neatly folded under the front tire in a parking lot within days. I helped a lady who ran out of gas, and she shoved a twenty in my purse even as I protested. It actually freaked me out that I was getting my way.

Over the years, I’ve become accustomed to it! Now, when I like something, I go on about it with delight, if only to myself. “I love my clients, God! I love them! I love these types of people. Send me more.” Over the years, I have grown to truly love and respect the clients I work with to the point of feeling humbled every day. Years ago, I attracted a few I didn’t care for as much. One such person often arrived drunk and incoherent. The reading felt like a waste of time. I stewed about it, got more of the same, and then finally shifted my thoughts. “Dear God, I want only clients whom I can truly serve, who want what you have to offer through me, who can benefit from it, and with whom I can have a mutually uplifting relationship.” Certain individuals dropped away. The wish has come true. For those of you in the helping professions, borrow this prayer!

Likewise, when I’m working on something, be it physical or emotional, I notice improvement when it happens, pause, and give thanks for it. After a little yoga, I take time to revel in how good I feel. After a few minutes in the sun, I stop and feel the deliciousness of light on my skin and grass under my bare feet. After I shift my thoughts, I pause and bask in the relief of feeling good again.

I have a little joke with spirit that started from realizing that the more I focus on what I like, the more I get. When I love something, I say humorously, “Love that! Add more of it to my tab!” I don’t have a running tab, of course, with spirit, but I imagine I do. They’re adding up everything I’ve ever wanted to it and, like a good restaurant, will eventually deliver.

When I have a healthy, tasty meal, I take time to experience the joy fof it! “Ooh, I love meals that feel and taste this way. Add this to my tab, please!” When I have a great snack at a cute coffee shop, I will pray, “Add more of these quaint little places to my tab.” I meet a kind person. “Add more of these delightful souls to my tab, please!” I get a great product that helps me with my garden. “Love this product. More helpful things like this, please.” And on it goes! Recently, when Photoshop (the app) is cooperative rather than possessed, I’ve started saying, “Oh! It is working so beautifully. I love it! More sessions like this, please!” It seems to be working better lately 🙂

It is fun to make up little games to amplify the good in our lives and pivot from focusing on the not-so-good. It all exists, of course. My life is not all wine and roses in a purely objective sense. I’ve had big repair bills lately. I didn’t get nearly enough sleep before my family visit (more on that next week when I’m back to life as usual!). People aren’t always easy. But instead of evaluating life as I used to, I’ve started to simply look at it, as the angels say, as experiences and stepping stones to the next.

I either like what just happened or I don’t. I can either “Add more of that to my tab,” or think of something else I’d prefer. If I were sitting at a restaurant and ordered a dish I didn’t like, I could silently stuff my feelings and eat it, whine about it and never come back, or I could learn to like it, return it, or try something else. We have choices. Everything we experience offers us the next choice. We can’t change what has happened, but we can refine our path ahead.

Here are a few tips to help you use all your experiences as stepping stones to more.

1.  Bless the mess and ask for the next

If you’re not happy with what is in front of you, bless it as a catalyst and use it to refine your next set of desires.

The new job isn’t what you thought. Make a list of all the qualities you want in a new job. Focus on how that feels. Wait for the universe to reveal it to you rather than trying to force something to fit.

When someone you love leaves, be kind to yourself, but also acknowledge your desire for connection. Put that connected feeling “on your tab.” Focus on where you can feel connected to anyone with love—a person, a dog, a tree… In time, even such small connections lead to more connection.

If a difficult person is in your path, think about the kinder, easier people you’d like to see. Or imagine getting along with this person if you can. Add kinder individuals to your tab!

2. Flip the complaints

Every time you have a complaint, write down:
I don’t want ____. I want this instead: _______.

By flipping your complaints to the better outcome, you immediately begin to focus on and create better.

3. When you like something, dial into and reinforce the feeling

When you encounter a situation, person, or product you enjoy, dial into the feeling you feel and then reinforce it. Go on and on about how much and why you like it or them. Tell your friends. Journal about your positive experience. Thank a person. Write a good review for a product.

The more we focus with good feelings on something we enjoy, the more we’ll get.

Eternity is hard to comprehend. There’s no end game, really, to any of us. We will die, but that’s not the end. We may reincarnate, but that’s not the end. We may have lives in other realities, but that’s not the end. The more you think about it, the more it makes sense to enjoy the journey as just an experience that will always change and give us new opportunities to create more

Life is an experience. We project our eternal soul into space/time to dance with others and create. We can’t fail. We can learn, enjoy, and grow.

Death is an experience. We withdraw our essence back into the non-physical realms, celebrate our growth, review areas where we could learn more, reconnect with the love we have for all involved, and either enjoy whatever we like in these other dimensions or plan another leg of our eternal journey.

Everything in between is an experience that we either like or don’t. Each step fuels and catalyzes our new intentions. And each phase of the eternal journey can become more enjoyable, more enriching, and filled with more love. The less we stay stuck on what feels unloving and the more we pivot to what we want instead, the quicker the journey returns to grace.