My purpose is to explore and express my love of beauty and the beauty of love. Here’s some of what I’ve come up with.

Break A Habit in 21 Days – Are You With Me?

Tofino sunset photograph

“Blessings” – Transformation Collection. Available in many sizes /mediums.

  1. I woke up Saturday morning thinking “enough is enough”. It’s time to make a change …
  2. I’m choosing to tell you this because, well, that’s what I do. Plus, I look forward to writing to you again in 21 days to tell you how it went.
  3. You’re now officially my Accountability Buddy.
  4. So what’s this habit I’m ready to let go of?
  5. No movies for 21 Days.  Yikes! Yes! OMG!
  6. For you to understand what a big deal this is, let me explain.
  7. I usually get up between 4-5 am every day.  My workday starts soon after that.
  8. I paint, write, attend professional development training or networking events, work on marketing & finances, do intuitive readings, do trade shows, set up exhibitions, etc.
  9. I’m far from lazy. Just want to make that clear 🙂
  10. By late afternoon though, I’m wiped.  My energy is low.
  11. Since I don’t have a man, kids, or even a pet in my life, my time is mine.
  12. Sometimes, I take a dance break on my mini-trampoline or go for a walk.  Occasionally, I’ll see friends… as long as it’s not too late.  But being quite the introvert, I’m simply not as social as most.
  13. These days, I’m in bed anywhere between 4-7 pm with my laptop and Netflix watching 1, 2 or 3 movies before falling asleep.
  14. Here I am teaching about creating a Life by Design, and I’ve slipped into an over-dependency on movies. No worries and no regrets. It’s simply time for a course-correction.  
  15. I’m so grateful for all the movies I’ve had the opportunity to watch. I’ve not only been entertained, but inspired and educated. Sometimes though, I’ve also been disturbed … all depends on what movie I chose to watch.
  16. It’s not like I’m giving up movies for good… I’m just open to more variety in my life.
  17. Creating a Vacuum

  18. So what am I going to do with my time?
  19. I have no idea yet. That’s the beauty of it.
  20. The Universe abhors a vacuum.  The same principle applies whether you de-clutter your house, your schedule, or your mental space.
  21. Once you ask, the Universe will fill that space with whatever is in your Highest Good.
  22. So I’m asking. “Dear God and Guiding Spirits, Angels of Light and Love, guide me on my path to my Highest Good.”
  23. I’ve long heard it takes 21 days to either break a habit or create a new one.  So that’s my commitment to myself.  21-Days movie-free! You’re the witness.
  24. Join Me?

  25. What about you? Would you like to join this energy and break or make a habits in 21 days?
  26. Tell me which one below and come back here if you want to share your ups and downs along the journey.
  27. RESULTS PUBLISHED HERE. 
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The Law of Rhythm: Enter the Mandala

Law-of-Rhythm-Dominique-Hurley

 

Welcome to the Law of Rhythm. This is  Mandala #11 in the Enter the Mandala Project, an artistic and spiritual quest to better understand the 12 Universal Laws.

The Law of Rhythm tells us that nothing is random. There’s order in the Universe through the repetitive movement, patterns, and cycles in everything:

  • the waxing and waning of the moon and planets
  • the ebb and flow of the oceans
  • the cycle of the seasons
  • the peaks and dips in the economy, politics, spirituality, and relationships
  • the ups and downs in our emotional, physical and mental energy
  • the successes and challenges in business,
  • etc.

Everything is either growing or dying.

By understanding this rhythm, we can act accordingly and sensibly.

Mastering the Law of Rhythm means finding balance and equanimity no matter which way the pendulum is swinging.  

It’s about getting off the emotional roller coaster to be in a state of inner peace and joy, no matter what.

Before getting more into the specifics of how to use the Law of Rhythm to your advantage, let me take you through the intuitive and creative process behind this painting.

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Listen In

I love the Guided Visual Journeys my team of Divine Helpers take me on. 

I ask a question, close my eyes, and start downloading a mini-movie filled with amazing imagery and symbolism. The interpretation comes later.

Listen in – this is the intuitive reading that gave birth to the Law of Rhythm mandala (18 minutes).

And here’s the Spirit Calling Card spread I got at the beginning of the reading.  They were right – the symbolism they gave me for this painting was very clear.

SCC-Template

Would you like an intuitive reading to support your path to your Highest Good?

Learn More

The Creative Process

I didn’t know the names of all 12 laws before I started this project. But when my Guides asked me to do 12 mandalas on the Universal Laws, I found the list of 12 online. Right before I start my intuitive reading, I read an introduction sentence or two on each.  But it’s only after I’m done the Guided Visual Journey and painting that I like to read what others say about the Law online.

It’s amazing how this time, almost all the symbolism that’s in the painting was talked about on other sites. What great confirmation!

My Guided Visual Journey was accompanied by sound this time – the rhythmic tic tock of the clock or metronome. My first 3 layers of repetitive patterns and cycles were created to this rhythm.

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The Symbolism Close-Up

The Ginger Bread Man

The symbolism for the Law of Rhythm was really clear…

Except for the gingerbread man.

It was cute seeing him rock side to side as he walked to to the rhythm of the tic tock.  I smiled when he appeared again swinging from the pendulum. But if it wasn’t for Google, I don’t think I would’ve figured out why he appeared here.

Do you remember the story of the gingerbread man? I didn’t.

He escaped from the old woman who baked him only to be chased by a pig, cow, and horse. In the end, a fox tricked and ate him.

According to Wikipedia, the story “depends on rhythm and repetition for its effect with one event following hard upon another until the climax is reached”.  That’s life – rhythm and repetition. The trick is not letting it take you off guard. Don’t let it eat you up!

In my painting, I linked the gingerbread man to the emotional roller coaster that comes from not understanding the Law of Rhythm. What goes up must come down. But if you get that it’s all part of the ride, you’ll enjoy the journey more.

The Monk

In my vision, I saw a monk sitting on an island of calm.

I painted him under a 3-D disk of gel. When I apply this medium, it’s white. But it spreads for hours and takes about a day to dry. Observing this process reminded me of the patience and time it takes to train the mind.

 

Take a look. The roller coaster that started at the extremes turns into gamma brain waves on each side of the monk. This represents the transcendental mental states scientists found while studying Tibetan monks in meditation.

Your Turn

Can you see how the rhythm of nature is reflected in the cycles of life and everything in it?

How is this true in your

  • health & fitness?
  • relationships?
  • personal finances?
  • productivity?
  • emotions?

Are you living in the world of extremes or finding balance to overcome the negative downturns?

Know that the pendulum will keep swinging. If it’s down, know that it’s going to head back up. Don’t sabotage yourself by lowering your vibration and getting depressed. If it’s up, don’t overindulge so that there’s nothing left when it starts heading down again.

Examples

If your income is flowing in big time, don’t spend it all. Save some for when there’s a natural slow down in cash flow.

If you’re in a peak physical state for some competition, know it won’t stay that way forever. You’ll need rest. You can’t keep pushing yourself to the max year-round.

If the contracts / clients aren’t as frequent during a period of the year, take the time to learn new skills and create new products.

If your relationship is going through a rough patch, focus on being more unconditionally loving – to yourself and your partner. It doesn’t always mean it’s over.

If you’re mentally tired and not as productive as you’d like, don’t give up.  Take advantage of that natural flow to schedule time in nature or networking opportunities.

Basically, don’t fight the cycles. Work with them to your advantage.

Can you think of other examples to help us understand? Please add your comments to the discussion below.

 

Go to Mandala #10: The Law of Polarity
Go to Mandala #12: Law of Gender
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Purchase the Collection of Original Paintings.
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2 Steps to Wellness

"Wellness" from the Blossoming Photography Collection

“Wellness” from the Blossoming Photography Collection available in my shop

 

Today, I’d like to share 2 simple steps to increasing wellness in your life.

I love Abraham Hicks‘ explanation that wellness is being in vibrational alignment with your Higher Self / Source Energy. 

So is there a recipe for well-being? Absolutely! The ingredients will be different for everyone, but what you dish out will be the same – a healthy, happy life.

Let your alignment with Well-Being be first and foremost and let everything else be secondary. And not only will you have an eternally joyous journey, but everything you have ever imagined will flow effortlessly into your experience. There is nothing you cannot be, do or have – but your dominant intent is to be JOYFUL.
~Abraham Hicks

So here’s what you need to do to feel good in body, mind, and spirit. These are your steps to wellness:

  1. Figure out what brings you into alignment with Source Energy.
  2. Add more of that and take out the rest.

“There is a Life Stream that flows to you, and this is a Stream of clarity, a Stream of wellness, a Stream of abundance – and in any moment, you are allowing it or not.”
~Abraham Hicks

Step 1 – Understanding Your Recipe

You’re unique. There’s no one on this planet exactly like you.

Doesn’t it make sense that your recipe for well-being will be different than mine?

I appreciate the guidance world knowledge is providing me, but I’ve learned to check within to see what’s true for me. Take diet for example.  I’ve seen lots of articles on the benefits of tomatoes and onions, but I react to both. So what’s healthy for most people isn’t necessarily healthy for me.

Take a look at the ingredients in your life right now.  How do they make you feel?

  • what you focus on – is your glass half empty or half full?
  • your perceptions of people, things, the world in general
  • the stories you tell about yourself and your life
  • the people you choose to spend time with
  • the movies, TV shows, books, magazines you take in
  • your lifestyle choices
  • your environment – what you surround yourself with
  • your work
  • your diet
  • etc.

Often it’s not what we eat or do, but how we do it. About 10 years ago, I had what some would call the perfect vegan diet. Plus I was wheat and sugar free and avoided the long list of foods I’d become sensitive to. I stuck to it 99% for 3 years.  But I was so strict on myself that medical intuitives pointed out it wasn’t serving me.  My intentions were good, but I wasn’t being loving. So it didn’t matter what I ate…  Now I check in on a daily basis and my body tells me what I need. Last month, I was moved to eat a hamburger I spotted in the freezer in the natural foods section. I hadn’t had a hamburger in years. But because it was an answer to an inner call, I felt great about it.

Are you aware of how your choices make you feel? Do they help you spiral upwards on the Emotional Scale or spiral downward? Do they bring you closer to joy, empowerment, love, appreciation? Or do they bring you closer to fear, grief, depression, powerlessness?

Everything moves you.  But which way are you moving?

It takes practice to increase your moment-by-moment choice-by-choice awareness, but it’s worth it.

The cost of repressing, denying, avoiding, or overreacting to our emotions, is high. We’ve been paying it all our lives. As children, we learned to fulfill the conditions of everyone around us, trying to make them happy and ignoring our own emotional guidance system. The result is that we’ve lost touch with the messages of our bodies, minds, and spirits and end up in a state of physical, mental, or spiritual dis-ease. We end up unhappy and unhealthy. As Abraham  explains,

“Until the stakes are really high, most of you are … chronically holding yourselves away from the vibration of alignment that is so natural to you, so a little bit of attention to how you feel as a determination to feel better more of the time will take an effort.”

Step 2 – A Little More of This, A Little Less of That

Once you’ve tuned in to how things make you feel on the Emotional Scale, add more of what nourishes you in body, mind, and spirit.

  • Reach for the thoughts that make you feel good.
  • Read the books and watch the movies that uplift you.
  • Bless and appreciate the food you feel drawn to on any particular day.
  • Make time for the hobbies you’re passionate about.
  • Focus on the parts of your life that already bring you into alignment with Source Energy.
  • Add love, beauty, and positive energy to your life.
  • Find ways to connect to your Higher Self and Source.
  • Take an action step in the direction of your dreams
  • Appreciate those people, places, and things whose presence raises your vibration.
  • Get the coaching, treatments, or services that resonate with your True Self.

And when you become conscious of what stops you from allowing wellness in, remove those things from your recipe.

  • Get rid of the objects you associate with negative or painful times in your life.
  • Change your job or change your thoughts about your job and co-workers.
  • Stop filling yourself with substitutes to unconditional love: binge eating, drinking, drugs, shopping, etc.
  • Don’t participate in gossiping, complaining, blaming.
  • Recognize that some relationships aren’t meant forever.
  • etc.

What’s your recipe for wellness? Listen in. Your answers are within you.  As you journey through the world, pay attention to what makes you feel good and leave out the rest. 

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The Law of Polarity – Enter the Mandala

Law-of-Polarity-Dominique-HurleyWelcome to #10 in the Enter the Mandala Project, a series of 12 mandala paintings based on intuitive readings for each of the Universal Laws.

By entering this mandala, you’ll better understand “The Law Polarity”

What does it  mean?  This is how my Guides explained it. See if you can spot how I represented it in the painting.

We live in a dualistic world. It’s what makes existence possible. 

There’s no

  • left without right,
  • big without small,
  • north without south,
  • light without dark,
  • up without down,
  • hot without cold,
  • plus without minus,
  • success without failure,
  • etc.

The beauty is that there’s a whole continuum of existence between those polar opposites.

When you focus on the opposite of what you don’t want, you start moving along the continuum towards what you want.

Where attention goes, energy flows.

So if your thoughts aren’t serving you, think the opposite. If your actions aren’t serving you, do the opposite.  You always have a choice.

Which way do you want to tip the scale?  Which escalator will you get on?

Don’t criticize or condemn where you are. It’s what makes the opposite possible.

In every problem lies the potential for a solution. In every failure is the seed for success.

Learn from it.  Grow from it. Use the Law of Polarity to your advantage.

But don’t focus on the problem or failure.  Just know that it holds the opportunity for the opposite.

This reminds me of The Work by Byron Katie.  Through a series of 4 questions, you identify and examine the thoughts that cause anger, fear, depression, addiction, and violence in the world. These 4 questions help you turn that around to truly experience peace and happiness:

  1. Is it true?
  2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
  3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
  4. Who would you be without the thought?

It’s up to you to explore and experience life to its fullest.

If you don’t like where you’re standing on the continuum, turn around. Look the other way. You’ll naturally flow towards where you’re pointing. 

Keep reading to learn more about the intuitive process, creative process, and symbolism in this Law of Polarity mandala.

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The Intuitive Reading

The imagery in this reading was so much fun! I couldn’t wait to start painting.

You can listen in here (13 minutes). It starts with a Spirit Calling Card reading and then goes into one of my guided visual journeys – the mini-movies I download from Source / my Guides / The Universe.

These are the Spirit Calling Cards that started the intuitive process. SCC-TemplateI knew it was going to be great!

The Creative Process

In my usual intuitive painting process, I only know where it’s going one layer at a time. But because of all the symbolism given to me in the intuitive reading, I have more of a direction before it starts. Watch it evolve.

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More on the Symbolism in the Law of Polarity Mandala

The Circus

Life’s a circus. It’s power to engage, empower, educate, excite and entertain you rests in the kind of circus you choose to attend.  

There’s the boring ones where the animals are mistreated and the the staff is disgruntled, unmotivated, greedy, abused, abusive, and angry. Think freak shows, pickpockets, deadly elephants, and debauchery behind the scenes.

Or there’s the one created from a spirit of camaraderie, excellence, skill, balance, stamina, creativity, imagination, artistry, beauty, and daringness. Think Cirque du Soleil.

You’re the acrobat, the unicycle riding juggler, the clown, and the rider in this circus of life.

With focus, training, and motivation you can create the momentum to travel to the side of the continuum you want to live on. You can have the relationships, circumstances, abundance and happiness you want.

The Tower & The Tools

One of the characters in my vision was under the illusion of being trapped in a tower (the outer ring of the mandala). But there were staircases all around that tower! She just wasn’t looking the right way.

The tower symbolizes the mental and physical limitations we create within and around ourselves. It’s our self-limiting beliefs.

Law-of-Polarity-detail-Dominique-Hurley-DLH_2816At the top of that tower lay tools and symbols of various faiths (mala beads, prayer rug, sacred books, etc.).

It felt like a buffet of resources. There was something there for everyone. It didn’t matter which tools or belief system you picked up, as long it supported you in your desire to live a full and happy life.

This meant using the tools for the Highest Good.

But as history shows, these same tools can be used for the opposite. They’ve led to war and fanaticism. It’s all part of the same continuum.  But where war and fanaticism exist, so does the opportunity for peace, harmony, unity, and respect.

Stonehenge

Law-of-Polarity-detail-Dominique-Hurley-DLH_2830Although Stonehenge was only one of the symbols I saw at the top of the tower, I was moved to give it more prominence in the painting.

When I looked up its symbolism after I finished, I learned that new studies suggest it was built as a symbol of unity and peace between east and west after a time of intense conflict.

According to the same article, it was a centre of balance in a world of polarities.

The solstice-aligned avenue between the stones sits on a series of natural landforms which mark out the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, suggesting people may have seen the spot as the “centre of the world”.

I especially liked the description on another website that describes what you can experience after you enter the symbolic gateway.

From then on, attaining the intermediary zone of the structure meant achieving the fullness of the human nature. That mostly meant surpassing his own contradictions and rediscovering unity beyond oppositions: fear and aggressiveness, sadness and anger, doubts and credo etc. Opposites as doubt and credo are overcome by trust. Similarly, the resolution of the antagonisms like sadness and anger is accomplished by compassion. As for the dilemma between fear and aggressiveness, it can only be solved by love and sharing.

The same author describes the central zone as a reconciliation of opposites –  day and night, light and dark, and a world of duality. By becoming One with the centre of the world, you reached “Unity at the source of the manifestation of everything”.

Learning how the Law of Polarity works will help you create a life of balance, gratitude, abundance, unity, and harmony.

It depends on your choices and willingness. With self-awareness, education, experience, and belief, it’s all possible.

The trick is to accept whatever shows up in your life instead of resisting it.  Know that your challenges happen for you and not to you.  What gifts, what seeds, what opportunities do they hold?

Then turn around and head the other way, shaping the outcomes you desire.

How can the Law of Polarity work in your life today? Please share your examples and reflections in the comments below. Trust that you’ll inspire us all. Thanks.

 

Go to Mandala #9: The Law of Relativity
Go to Mandala #11: The Law of Rhythm
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Purchase the Collection of Original Paintings.
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How You Make Your Day in 17 Seconds

yellow bird in pink flowers in Bali

“Garden of Light” from the Connection Photography Collection in my shop.

What do you wake up thinking every morning?

How do you feel?

Did you know you had 17 seconds to set the pace for the rest of the day?

And if that snowballs to 68 seconds (17 x 4), you’ve created the vibrational pull for the Law of Attraction to kick in.

Like attracts like any time of the day. But your vibration in those first 17 seconds are the most powerful. I learned that from Abraham Hicks.

 

Born New Every Day

I love the fact that sleep is a reset button. It’s like being “born new” every day. Isn’t that great news?!

But I’m not mastering this 17-second co-creative opportunity.

I’m told I used to wake up singing when I was a young child. And I’d keep singing in my crib until my mom came to get me. My inner child has a lot to teach me.

Now I wake up with my running checklist in my mind. And if I reach for my phone and see it’s past 5am, stress kicks in. There’s no practical reason for it… I’ve just run that program for so long that it’s on auto-pilot.

My mental checklist has boggled people for years.  It’s set a very productive tone for my days, but not a relaxing one.  I’m still learning to have fun…

For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been aligning with Source Energy more first thing in the morning. I’ve developed the habit of singing my mantra “Love, peace, joy, health, wealth and happiness. Love, peace, joy, healthy wealth and freedom.”  It’s catchy and my brain is catching on.

How to Build Momentum For Your Day

Awareness is the first key. Take the next few days to notice what you’re thinking about upon waking. If you don’t like the momentum you’re building with those thoughts and feelings, change them.

Focus is the second key.  It doesn’t just happen.

You have to decide to be happy to build the positive momentum to create it.

There are days when I wake up in total appreciation for how quiet it is. Traffic and construction haven’t started yet. It’s blissful. When that’s my first thought and feeling, I naturally continue thinking of everything I’m grateful for.

Appreciation is one way to focus and create momentum.

Going straight into meditation instead of reaching for the phone is another.

Can you think of more? I’m open to ideas. Please list them below in the comments.

17 Seconds Throughout the Day

The 17 second rule isn’t only true first thing in the morning. That’s just the most powerful time.

Notice your thoughts and feelings throughout the day. Put a chime on your phone to remind you to pay attention.

And if you’re going to focus on anything negative, complain, or wallow during the day, keep it under 68 seconds. Remember, like attracts like.

Yikes! Now it’s 6:30. Time to get on with my day.

Ooops. Cancel that.

It’s only 6:30 – I’ve got my whole day ahead and have already written today’s blog post!

Was that under 17 seconds?  🙂

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Enter the Mandala: The Law of Relativity

The-Law-of-Relativity-Dominique-Hurley

Here it is! #9 in the Enter the Mandala Project. This is a series of 12 mandala paintings co-created with my Guides to help understand the Universal Laws.

This is “The Law of Relativity”

So what does it  mean?

You create your misery by comparing yourself and your life to what you judge as better people, circumstances, or times. Everything is relative. But do you use the Law of Relativity to your advantage or disadvantage? 

Nothing has meaning except the meaning you give it. Love what is and be happy.

You can break free from your limiting perceptions through the creative transformation of mind and spirit. Use your judgements to teach and guide you out of the darkness and into the Light.

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Read on to find out more about the intuitive reading, creative process, and symbolism in this painting.

The Intuitive Reading

These guided visual journeys make for great entertainment. But they’re a lot more.

Packed with symbolism, they’re a source for creative inspiration and learning.

While you listen (23 minutes), notice your judgments about events in the story. Let your observer-self help you recognize that nothing has meaning but the meaning you give it.

You’ll notice my painting doesn’t include the whole story … I left out the prisoners being roasted on a skewer at the poolside feast…  they didn’t seem to mind their fate, but I definitely put meaning into it.

Here’s the Spirit Calling Card spread from the start of the reading.

Law-of-Relativity-SCC-Reading-Dominique-Hurley

Find out how one of my intuitive readings can help you answer questions in your life.

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The Creative Process

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All sorts of comparisons stopped me from being in love with the present:

  • I tried painting the animals in relation to the size of the children and they ended up lost on the canvas. I painted over those.
  • I kept comparing my representational figures to other artists’ work and to reality – yikes!
  • I  missed the vibrancy of colours in previous mandalas…

It’s only when I stopped comparing that I could enjoy the process.

But my experience wasn’t a loss. It was part of my Guides’ teachings – a gift. Seeing it that way cleared the path for my 12-hour flow the next day.

The Symbolism

Main Characters

Our main characters in this story created chaos through comparisons. Kids and bluejays arguing about games. Rattlesnakes fighting over a book. Rabbits having a tug-of-war with a carrot.

Instead of enjoying their fun, wisdom, clarity, abundance, creativity, and intelligence, they used the Law of Relativity to their disadvantage.

This isn’t good or bad. It just is. These experiences are what led them to the lessons that came after.

The Well

Law-of-Relativity-detail-Dominique-Hurley-DLH_2778

Once inside the fortress, they met a judge, who acted as both their teacher and their guide.

Everyone had a  different reaction when he showed them a well. They related it to their past.

For the kids and dog, it was a good thing. They remembered drinking and splashing around after playing in the heat.

But for the snakes, it was a bad thing. They were afraid because one fell down a well and the other had to pull him up with the bucket.

The rabbits also judged it negatively. They’d lost a baby when machinery arrived to dig up a new well.

The well on the screen had no meaning except the meaning they gave it.

Traditionally, a well symbolizes a womb, birth, rebirth, forgiveness, Divine Love, cleansing, and quenching our thirst for higher knowledge.

By understanding the Law of Relativity, we too are offered a chance at rebirth.

Chess

Law-of-Relativity-detail-Dominique-Hurley-DLH_2776I’m not a chess player, so I was curious to read why my Guides had chosen this symbol. My first thought was that it had to do with contrast or black & white thinking.

According to vopus.org,

“this game transposes cosmic archetypes, truths about the initiatory road and talks about the ingredients necessary to efficiently fight against the Ego.”

Many who teach the Law of Relativity say that it’s through our tests and initiations that we’re given what we need to strengthen our Light. Mindful effort and step-by-step decision-making will creatively transform our mind & spirit.  This is what the game of chess is all about.

Fortress & Firecrackers

A fortress can mean many things:

  • the obliteration of something at its roots
  • elimination of negativity or troubles
  • security / positive power

Firecrackers represent:

  • a fresh new outlook on life
  • celebration
  • beauty blossoming out of darkness
  • positive new changes

In my vision, the children and creatures strapped themselves to firecrackers to shoot above the fortress walls and back into a better version of their lives.

They broke free from their limiting beliefs and judgments.

Your Turn

Try this.  The next time you have a negative judgment about yourself, someone else, or anything at all, stop.

  1. Figure out what you’re comparing.
  2. Congratulate yourself for noticing it.
  3. Remind yourself that there are no judgments – good or bad, better or worse, until the mind gets involved and compares it to other things.
  4. Analyze what you’re meant to learn here.
  5. Love what is, no matter what. (The Work by Byron Katie is a great tool for this).

It’s your responses to the situations in your life that are important for your growth.  There will always be people who are richer, happier, thinner, more fit, more productive, more intelligent, more successful, etc.  The reverse is also true.

If you’re going to compare your life to others, focus on what’s working for you. Use the Law of Relativity to your advantage, not your disadvantage.

Are you focusing on what’s going well or what’s going wrong in your life.

Are you focusing on the challenges or on the gifts that came from them?

What’s one comparison you’ve made today that led to feeling bad? Turn it around to help you feel better. Tell us about it in the comments below.

Go to Mandala #8: Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy
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Try This At Home – The Back-Splash Story

IMG_9461We all have gifts. Sometimes we recognize them. But other times, we take our skills for granted or limit them.

Others don’t.  They may even assume those skills expand way beyond what or how we’ve ever used them.  They’re often right. We just needed that nudge.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if others hadn’t encouraged, or pushed me.

When I came back from studying visionary art overseas a year ago, my friends helped me find a great place to live. My landlady/ housemate/ friend Orinda and I get along great. And I couldn’t ask for a better setting with trees and a river in the backyard.

Orinda just loved the fruit bowl I added to our kitchen. I’d bought it at a craft fair in Guelph years ago (it usually has fruit in it).

It inspired a whole new colour trend in the kitchen.

First, she asked if I could create something round and red for the fridge. No problem. Here’s a photo of the series of magnets I painted using sheets of magnet from Michaels and watercolour paper.

But then she asked me to create a glass back-splash for the sink and stove. She wanted them to look like my bowl, but one with the spirit of water and the other fire.

I resisted.  I’ll admit, I really don’t like being told what to do (even if that’s not quite what she was doing).

She didn’t give up though. One day, she came home with 2 pieces of glass.

I resisted again. I was scared of ruining it. There’s a difference between painting behind glass and painting layer up layer on canvas. I’d never done anything like that before.

“It’s just glass. I can get more.” she said.

After weeks of sitting in my studio, those pieces of glass finally spoke to me. Now they speak to Orinda too. She got what she wanted!

It’s not hard. Want to try?

IMG_9445

  1. Get a piece of glass in the size you need. Think back-splash, table top, etc.
  2. Get some Fluid Acrylic Glazing Medium (gloss).  It’s white but dries clear. Pour it on thick in the general pattern you want. It will spread. Let go of control. You have little here.
  3. Drip several drops of the colours you want.  Use fluid acrylic paint.  Just drops here and there. Lots of them.
  4. Move that paint around with something like a chopstick.  Don’t overdo it, but make sure some of the colours mix together in swirls.  Let dry for 1-2 days.

The paint will be on the backside of the glass.  So what you see when you’re creating it isn’t at all what you’ll get when it’s done. Plus it moves around for hours, so really, you have to embrace the mystery. Oh… don’t forget the plastic drop sheet underneath.

Do like me. Ask your Guides to help and trust in the co-creative process.  That’s how “happy accidents” happen.  I tell ya. The studio has been a great teacher for me.

No, I’m not going into the back-splash business. But I’m glad Orinda pushed me. The fact she also pushed my buttons has nothing to do with her. We both know that.  That’s another reason we make great housemates. 🙂

May my growing experience help you too.

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Enter the Mandala: The Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy

Law-of-Perpetual-Transmutation-of-Energy-Dominique-Hurley

Here it is! #8 in the Enter the Mandala Project, a series of 12 mandala paintings based on intuitive readings to better understand the Universal Laws.

This is “The Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy”.  Quite a mouthful eh?

So what does it  mean?  This is how my Guides explained it.

 

Turn your face to the sunshine and watch your reality transform itself.  Through change comes growth, through growth comes change.  It never stops.

Energy is constantly moving in response to your thoughts and emotions. By consciously focusing your attention, you can create the world you want.

The more you understand the Universal Laws, the more power you’ve got to change your life.

 

Here, I’ll share the intuitive reading, my creative process, and the symbolism I used in the painting – with lots of photos of course.

May something here help you change the conditions of your life that no longer serve you.

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The Intuitive Reading for the Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy

This is the shortest recording so far. It’s not because the reading was short. I accidentally deleted it when trying to transfer it from my iPhone to my computer.

But I must be learning. I didn’t overreact! It was still vivid in my mind’s eye, so I recorded what I remembered. That made it even stronger for me.

This is 13 minutes worth listening to. It’s quite the story.

And here’s the Spirit Calling Card reading that I started my reading with.

Law-of-Perpetual-Transmutation-of-Energy--SCC-reading

 

By choosing to align with your Higher Self, you’ll keep on growing and raising your energetic vibration.

Who wouldn’t want that?!

The Creative Process

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Each ring represents a part of the intuitive vision.

  • the sunflower constantly turning towards the sun
  • the release of negative energy (the foam)
  • the transformed energy collected in vials to light the underground hallways
  • the students sprouting gardens from their heads
  • the constant motion of school buses (learning that leads to freedom)
  • the rockets of desire launched from living in a world of contrast
  • the creation of paradise
  • growth through change and change through growth

More on the Symbolism

Paradise

There’s no way I could have painted what I saw and felt as paradise in that outer ring.

Instead, you get to see how my Christian background mixes with my universal spirituality and passions. See if you can’t spot these in the photos above.

  1. harmony and peace between people, animals and nature (look for the lion, lamb & yogi)
  2. re-creation through nature (look for the canoe)
  3. contemplation (the other mountain scene)
  4. abundance and health (No, that’s not Eve eating the forbidden apple… they’re oranges!)
  5. friendship & fun
  6. unconditional love
  7. wisdom & guidance (do you recognize the animals at the top and bottom of the mandala?)

Okapi

I had to Google “brown animal with striped legs” to find out more about the creature I kept seeing in my vision.

It turns out it’s an okapi, part of the giraffe family, but much smaller.

Here’s what I learned from various sites – perfect for this Law and for me too.

  • The okapi totem encourages living in alignment with our Higher Self, no matter if that means living outside the norms of society. As we grow, we help others grow.
  • Okapi medicine comes with clairvoyant abilities.
  • The okapi totem teaches silent truth without fear. Listen, but don’t react.
  • Its stripes represent both spirit and form and the polarity of this world.

Growth & Change

I painted 4 sunflower leaves in the corners. From far they look similar. But they’re unique as they stand strong amongst the waves of change.

I glazed the whole outer edge with the same gold as in my first layers. The mica in this paint energizes this mandala with love and compassion.

The final touch was the pyramid of spirals around the leaves.  I’m big on spirals. In part, they symbolize progress and evolution. I placed them in the shape of a triangle, the shorthand symbol for change. Together they’re also the shorthand symbol for “therefore”

Growth therefore change. Change therefore Growth. 

I may resist change at first, but I’ve thrived from the perpetual movement and change in my life. I’ve lived in over 20 homes on 3 continents, and have grown from everything I’ve experienced along the way. No regrets!

Your Turn

Which symbol speaks to you most right now? Why?

You can bring the shapeless into shape by focusing your consciousness on it. What do you want to create? Inspire us in the comments below. Be specific and have fun with it. Launch those rockets of desire!

Go to Mandala #7: Law of Attraction
Go to Mandala #9: The Law of Relativity
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Grateful For Grocery Store Miracles

"Receiving" from the Blossoming Photography Collection

“Receiving” from the Blossoming Photography Collection

Have you ever left the grocery store with tears in your eyes?  I did. Yesterday.

I’d just finished telling the lady at the Customer Service desk how touched I was by the all the good service I’d received.

Thanks to the staff at the Stavanger Drive Dominion for caring!

If you’re not familiar with where I live, St. John’s is the most easterly city of Canada, on the island of Newfoundland.

We’re the last stop for delivery trucks in this country. Sure, we’ve got some local produce, but with this year’s cold, blueberries and raspberries are just ripening now…. at the same time!

Back to Dominion’s.

When I walked in, I could see the organic fruit section was pretty empty.

I asked the man placing produce if he had any organic fruit in the back.

I craved grapes. I’ll only buy organic since they’re on the dirty dozen list.  If we get them in at all, they’re often close to the hairy stage.  But I keep hoping.

He said he’d seen some, but they were all gone.

Good news though. They had peaches and nectarines in the back – another rare treat! They were the nicest I’d seen all year. I didn’t mind paying $10 for 5. I felt so blessed!

I then went to the natural foods section to get Vega One protein powder. I’ve been adding this whole foods supplement to my morning smoothies for at least 10 years. I love the berry flavour!

OMG! $20 off in-store special! I could save $140 if I stocked up for 6 months – my usual habit.

But the sale wasn’t for all the flavours. So I asked the man stocking the fridge if some tags might be missing.

He came back with the section manager, who scanned the tag. More good news!

So I asked if the sale overlapped with one of their tax-free days. Yes, on Saturday. That would save me an extra $45. But since they weren’t expecting another delivery, I decided not to wait. I took 7, leaving the shelf pretty bare.

We chatted some more about the Vega products. He was new to the section and appreciated the info.

ChipaholicI had one last stop before leaving.

I may be a health food nut, but I’m also a chipaholic.  They love me back too. Look what I found in my last bag.  I had a coupon for a free bag of chips of any size, so of course I chose the party bag. Another smile on my face.

A few minutes later, when I was in the checkout lane, the natural foods section manager came to find me. He handed me a gift card to thank me for our chat and to help make up for the difference with the tax-free day.

How nice was that!?

The cashier had trouble processing the card, and so I had to wait for a supervisor to come help. I don’t mind waiting. I know I’m in no position to judge anything as good or bad because I have no idea how it fits in the big picture.

I soon found out.

Just as I was about to leave the store, the produce man called to me. He was coming from the opposite end of this huge store, so he’d been looking for a while.

“I found some organic grapes. Did you want some?” YES!  Thank you! I followed him smiling ear to ear. There were 2 kinds! The stems were still green on the Coronation grapes and the green grapes were still plump and juicy.  Not a hairy one in the bunch! I took both.

After paying and giving my compliments at the Customer Service desk, I headed out the store again, feeling truly high with gratitude at the small miracles in everyday life.

Oh – but I stopped to buy a lottery ticket first.  I haven’t checked yet, but either way, I’m a winner.

I received little miracles, great service, and more saving on all my errands yesterday.  

What a great example of many of the Laws I’ve been learning about in the Enter the Mandala Project, including the last one, The Law of Attraction.

Like attracts like. My high from the little miracles of every day life brought more to me. And I’m sure that those who were so helpful on my path are also enjoying the gifts they’ve created for themselves.

What are you grateful for today? Please inspire us to be grateful for the small and big miracles happening everywhere. Comment below.

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Challenges Happen For You, Not To You

Gateway

“Gateway” from the Connection Collection

How did you feel when you read that title?  Do you agree?

Sure, I pray for a life of ease and grace. But I’m grateful for what my challenges have given me.

My 2 biggest ones were:

  • being bullied from the ages of 11-13
  • my ex-husband’s health crisis and its many fallouts in the late 90s

I believe my soul chose those challenges before I was born.  

That’s right. I believe challenges happen for me and not to me.

I wouldn’t wish those experiences on anyone, but I don’t regret them.

  • When I was bullied, I learned to be true to my values and say no to peer pressure.
  • When my ex-husband got sick, my fear pushed me deep into my spirituality and inner resources.  I became so much stronger for both of us and even more connected to my Guides.

I could’ve chosen to be bitter or start throwing blame around. But that wouldn’t’ve served me or anyone else.

It may have taken time, but I eventually recognized those challenges as the gifts they were.

Now if only I could apply that to the relatively small challenges I face these days, like website-building glitches…

Where attention goes, energy flows.  I know that. I need to focus on the learning, not the difficulties. Since I needed the reminder, I thought you might like it too.

What gifts have come out of some of your challenges? Please inspire us below.

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