How to LOVE after Moving, Infidelity, Divorce, Death and Menopause

 

 

“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” – John Lennon

 

Please join me on Saturday, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, for a FREE Weekly Call. Our intention that day will be to cultivate love within ourselves, open our eyes to the love that happens in the smallest moments each day, and explore how we use our energy as we move through life and all it has in store for us.

The Weekly Call series will officially begin on Sunday, February 22nd. The details are at the end of this post. But first, how did this call come about?

My Mom, of course.

The drive over the hills that mark the boundary between West Marin and the rest of the Universe is like walking into a movie. On a softly rounded mountaintop sits a glassed and wooden castle.  If you were a princess that fancied BBQ ribs eaten on shag carpets tucked up against a wood-burning stove, you’d feel right at home. The view through their billboard sized windows, I imagine, is a breath-stealer. It must be, because from where I snake my way along and through the Nicasio Reservoir, it’s one big FULL ON natural wonder love fest.

Over the last few weeks, due to basketball and forgotten medicines and life unfolding, I’ve driven every which way through the hills to get to the other side. And each time I get behind the wheel hawks buzz the car, foxes get up from the middle of the road, stretch and bounce out of the way, cows with their winter coats rub the fences with their shoulders, following my car with their steaming hot chocolate eyes.

A massive tree we’ve passed a thousand times suddenly looks like a dog lifting his leg over boulders that burst through spring green grasses to heat their rocky surface in the sun, perhaps hoping to attract a snake for a warm cuddle later in the day.

I turn off the car engine upon arrival at my destination, but remain revved inside, wonderstruck.

The drive has become a time of conscious meditation as I came back from a journey through mourning, letting go of my physical attachments to my Mom in favor of having her forever present in my world energetically. We’ve become remarkably close in the last few months, whereas over the summer and fall I didn’t feel her. It was my Summer of Fun, lots of play, and memories of being in the ocean and having to really focus my efforts to connect with the Earth.

I didn’t feel myself either.

But lately Nature has taken her proper place, front and center.  Animals have been perched in otherworldly places, lending their guidance in unusual, and often playful, ways.  Miraculously, on the mornings I don’t have The Dudes, I’ve bounced out of bed before sunrise and hit the sands at Stinson Beach for a moving meditation.  I feel connected to my breath, my soul, my guides. My mind is content to play a subtle, practical role as I lead with thoughts and ideas that begin in my heart.

Mom has been working long shifts on my behalf, sending signs, reminding me of the importance of making good choices, grounding in the present moment, and believing in my intuition. Just before Christmas, when the bank account reflected the dent left by scrounging together enough money to pay for The Dudes ski trip, I received a second invitation to study with Eckhart Tolle, a rare opportunity. The gathering is for healing and teaching professionals.

That’s not me. I write. I’ve got a B.S., not a PhD. Fish out o’water.

When I first received the invitation I deleted it. The second time I received it I told Mr. Ellen DeGeneres that I had to be there. It was a necessary part of coming full circle here at HGM. It needed to happen. I spoke it with the conviction of one who can see her future unfolding with perfect timing.

Three days later an unexpected check arrived in the mail. From my Mom.

I RSVPd that day.  

Those events came together because I could hear the messages loud and clear, those coming from inside me. I trust them. While they often tell me to take risks, make bold moves, I trust that those risks are important steps for my continued evolution. Having that trusting, supportive relationship with myself has kept me grounded and centered as the world settles around me after what was, in hindsight, a ridiculous collision of life-altering events. (moving, infidelity, moving again, divorce, death and menopause)

It’s taken three and a half years to get here. That seems like a pretty decent amount of time to revolutionize the way I live my life. Gosh, it took me 45 years to chisel all those bad habits and porous boundaries and unconscious-ness into a daily way of being. Three and a half years to radically alter my life in every single way without having to do anything that could be considered aggressive or take any measures that really pushed the boundaries of extraordinary? Without ever feeling deprived? With a steamer trunk full of magnificent encounters, remarkable experiences, fond memories even when they included gut-heaving sobs?

Three and a half years. That’s less than half the time it takes to get a PhD. Yea. I can teach this. I actually LIVED it.

And so the idea for the Weekly Call was born. And along with it came a vision of a snake.  I asked for a guiding energy, an animal to lead us.  Within seconds a gorgeous, miles long snake, with all its negative connotations discarded, sliced through the hills of West Marin and has been making the journey with me. She is here to support us.  You won’t be surprised to find that her message is this:

The snake is close to earth energies and represents life force. Since it’s a reptile, the snake spirit animal is reminiscent of unconscious drives and primal instincts. When the snake spirit animal shows up, pay attention to how you use your energy, and where you draw it from.

If you see the snake as your spirit or power animal, be sensitive to your healing abilities towards yourself or others. Cultivate sources of energy and support, especially as they relate to the earth and nature.

In ancient traditions as well as modern times, snakes are symbols of healing powers and opportunities. 

It’s exciting to add another layer to the magic of the community we’ve created here at HGM. Those who are experiencing betrayal, divorce or major life upheaval of one flavor or another can tap into the optimism, wisdom and practical but magical strategies that we’ve all shared in the words of HGM, written by so many over the last several months, including my Mom.

For one hour we’ll gather and explore and make magic. The energy stirred during the call will resonate with you for the week, helping you to swing on your pendulum with confidence knowing that you are one rotation closer to center, that it’s okay to take risks as you evolve, and that you have a place to come to ground yourself in love each week.

I haven’t hosted a radio show for…three and a half years, but the chops are still there. And so is my biggest fan – my Mom, who never, ever missed a show.  

I’m excited to get back to the airwaves, although these waves are accessible through your phone or browser. In the Unites States a toll free number will be provided along with a link to International numbers in 35 countries.  Or you can fire up Chrome.  (Yes, you will need Chrome to join online.)  And if you’re online we will have a live chat.

Please join me. All the details are at my new site, Cleo Everest. The blog remains close to my heart, right here, where I will still post each week.

There are only 100 spots on the Valentine’s Day call so register right now. Come get filled up with love on what I call a ‘Hallmark Holiday’, but it does buzz with the magic of the world pondering what it means to love!

Love yourself,

Cleo

PS: Please connect with me at Facebook or Twitter.  The book, His Giant Mistake (with killer reviews) is available here at Amazon...Here’s what one reader had to say:  

I stumbled upon your book during a bleak, dark circuitous vacuum in my present reality. The words, vision, and hope you paint are visually inspiring. I dont know about tomorrow but because of your amazing words, today I can put one foot in front of the other to cope with this devastating event in my life. Thank you. I feel like there are tears dripping into my soul. – David