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Many individuals take gemstones at nominal value, such as gemstone beads; i.e., jewellery to wear just for cosmetic purposes. But gemstones are also thought to have many healing powers, such as (depending on the stone) the power to promote self-confidence, encourage positivity, improve concentration, relieve anxiety and headaches, and help calm the mind.

In this article, I will cast an eye on a small variety of gemstones and their commonly believed recuperative properties. A disavowal before we go any further : The details of this article are based on a collective belief, and there is no assurance as to the effectiveness of these gems and their claimed restorative powers.

Amethyst
Amethyst calms the mind and boosts increased harmony and serenity. It quashes self-destructive propensities and aids self-healing. Amethyst also gives honesty and wisdom on the wearer.

Haematite
A strong gemstone which bestows strength and assists willpower. Useful for harmonizing the body and spirit. An anchoring gemstone which cuts down stress and is believed to prevent insomnia.

Moonstone
Lifts emotions, boosts the forces of intuition and boosts the ability to gain access to the subconscious.

Sodalite
boosts the power to communicate and to empathise with other people. Useful for the development of spirituality and intuition.

The above-mentioned stones are merely a tiny selection of stones that are claimed to possess medicinal powers. The only true way to discover if these stones can help you is to actually wear such gemstones if you suffer from a complaint that a gem is believed to help ease.

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“Some people call the still, small voice insight or intuition…Our insight is a gift from God, not to be taken lightly or for granted… If we acknowledge that the voice doesn’t just pop up in our mind like some haphazard jack-in-the-box, that it is available to us always, we have the most important source of assistance in building our dreams. We can turn random intuition into regular inspired insight.” From Building Your Field of Dreams by Mary Manin Morrissey

Inspired Intuition - Following Your Inner Voice

I have a wonderful story to share with you - one that comes from a client who has given me permission to share her story. This client (Jenny) was on a journey of self-discovery, acknowledging her life’s dream (working with plants and landscape design), and being open to the possibility of exploring her dream. A natural fear that kept popping up was how to pursue her dream and generate income at the same time. Along the way Jenny got her answer and if she had ignored her intuition, she might have missed it!

Here’s what happened: Jenny always received a quarterly newsletter from her alma mater which she normally tossed without reading. One quarter,when the newsletter arrived, an inner voice (intuition) told her to read this particular newsletter. In the newsletter was a request for a sorority house mother. Reading this, Jenny got very excited, because she also dreamed about being a house mother and working with young people (something she is very good at by the way). Quickly her mind kicked in and said “Oh, why bother to call? They’ve probably filled the position”. But following her heart and intuition, she called anyway and was immediately asked to come for an interview. The sorority loved her and hired her on the spot.

Now here’s the best part - she received a salary, a furnished apartment in the sorority, all meals, cleaning service, holidays and summers off, a chance to work with young people, and time to take all the courses she wanted in landscape design right there at the university! And all because she followed her intuition (reading the newsletter) and acted on the synchronistic event (the opening for a sorority mother). This is a perfect example of SynchroDestiny - trusting one’s intuition, acting on synchronicities, and following one’s natural path (destiny). When we do this, we are on the path of least resistance, and resources line up to support us.

How many times have you had a hunch, inkling, a gut reaction or other display of intuition and failed to act on it? Sometimes our intuition is a warning; other times it’s a nudge to do or follow something. What happens when you don’t follow your intuition? Do you regret it later and say: “I knew that would happen!”? Here’s a personal example when I am playing golf: I am ready to play my approach shot to the green and my intuition (first reaction) is to take a 9 iron for the shot. But then my mind takes over and says, “What are you crazy? You’ll never get the ball there with a 9 iron! You need a different club.” And so I talk myself out of the 9 iron, reach for an 8 iron, and hit the ball over the green! Then I say: “I knew the 9 iron was the right club! Why didn’t I trust my intuition?” I find that the golf course is an excellent place to practice listening to my inner voice!

How do we know when it is intuition? Things happen synchronistically; there is a feeling of effortlessness; there is a feeling of elation or inspiration; it just ‘feels’ right; and it keeps coming up. (Remember the story).

Are you paying attention to your intuition? If not, what’s an area in your life where you could start listening to and following your inner voice? Pick one area and over the next week listen to your internal guidance. What is it telling you to do or not do? Take a chance and follow the guidance. The more we pay attention to and act on this guidance, the clearer it becomes. And with clear guidance comes more synchronicities leading you on your natural path. Voila! SynchroDestiny!

Copyright June 2003 by Vicki Miller

As a Life Transition Coach I work with clients to identify what’s most important to them and prioritize around these values. I help my clients identify and remove obstacles in the way and bring clarity and focus to their dreams. What is your dream? Are you undergoing a major transition and not clear where to turn? Call (972-306-4489) or email me, (coach.v.miller@verizon.net), to set up a complimentary, no obligation 30 minute coaching session. Download my FREE e-Book, 12 Fun Ways to Change Your Life, or sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter at http://www.thrivingthroughchange.com

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If you hang around me for more than a few minutes, you’ll quickly learn that I love to read! Books are to me what a six-inch turkey sub is to Jared; something to be devoured! Fiction, non-fiction, biographies, classics, it doesn’t matter. If its in English, I’ll read it. Now, I’ve never actually lowered myself to trashy romance novels, but if that was the only thing available, yeah, okay, I admit it…I’d probably satisfy my literary addiction with something that has Fabio on the cover.

When thinking of all the reading I’ve done over the last year, two books really standout:

Stephen King’s “On Writing” and
A novel which shall remain nameless for reasons you shall soon see.

Stephen King has authored over 50 best selling novels and several screenplays. While he is most known for fiction, “On Writing” is an incredible guide that teaches practical literary techniques for writers. With a book of my own, several national articles published and a monthly newsletter, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out why this subject was so well received by yours truly. “On Writing” taught me more about the craft than any English class I’ve ever taken.

So, what does this have to do with you? Hang with me and you’ll see!

Last summer while reading “On Writing”, I was nearly shocked into speechlessness by how King opened himself to his readers. During one chapter, King assigned a writing exercise for the reader…then provided his personal E-mail address requesting the assignment be sent to him when the reader (soon-to-be writer) completed it. Right up front, King said that he couldn’t promise to reply to every message, but the reader should know that if they sent their short story, he would read it.

Six months and 25 books later I happened upon my second favorite book of 2003. While in a completely different genre, this work runs a close second to “On Writing”, but for totally different reasons. While the second standout book of the year was one of the most intriguing pieces of literature I’ve ever read, the follow-up events practically ruined the experience. As writers often use pseudonyms to replace their real names, I, too, shall provide the writer of the second book with a fitting pseudonym: Mr. Snooty.

As soon as I finished the book, my head still spinning with Mr. Snooty’s theories, I went straight to his web page and searched for an E-mail address to send fan mail. I just wanted to share with him how much I’d enjoyed his book and how intrigued I was with his ideas. Now, I didn’t expect a reply, but I thought there would at least be a button labeled, “E-mail the author.” Turns out, I was wrong.

I found E-mail addresses for his publishing house, web master and agent, but not a single way to contact the author himself. Furthermore, there was a note that specifically said any personal mail sent to the author via the publisher would NOT be forwarded. To me, it felt like the author was saying, “Reader, I really don’t care about you or your opinion, and do not care to hear from you for any reason.” Whether this was the intent or not is irrelevant. By making himself unavailable to his fans, I felt I was being snubbed; hence the name “Mr. Snooty.”

So, what do we have here? We have two wildly famous writers, both of whom enjoy a literary success that is enviable. However, that’s where the similarities end. Stephen King earned a huge amount of my respect just by making himself accessible to his fans. I did not bother sending in my short stories, but the fact he openly accepts communication from his supporters makes him not only an admirable writer, but a pretty darned good guy, too.

What does this all boil down to? Accessibility.

Think of an office environment where the boss implements an open door policy. Most employees rarely walk into the boss’s office. Still, knowing they have that access bolsters opinions of the superior. Does it break down the “us & them” dynamic? Absolutely!

This isn’t something exclusive to business settings and celebrities. Think of the nicest person you know; someone who is a virtual saint. Does this person have a wall around them? Or, would you feel comfortable going to them at any time and for any reason? Probably the latter is true.

Why is this? Simple: that person helps individuals feel as though they are important. Others know their opinion is so valuable that they are welcome to interrupt with whatever issue is at hand. People who openly receive others are more respected, liked and appreciated by nearly everyone; both equals and subordinates.

While writing this article, I went to Stephen King’s web site for the first time ever. There, on the home page, was a thank you note to all fans that have sent get-well cards during his recent hospitalization for pneumonia. Does this further reinforce his accessibility? Do fans feel even closer to King knowing their messages were received, appreciated and a word of thanks passed back to them? Well, would you?

Whatever your reasoning, learn from the words and actions of arguably the most popular writer in America: if you are approachable, accessible and open to others, chances are that opinions of you will rise and a flood of respect and friendliness will come your way!

Marcus Engel is a professional speaker/author who inspires audiences to achieve success by making intelligent choices. Blinded by a drunk driver at age 18, Marcus battled through two years of recovery and 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery to reach his goal of returning to college. After graduating from Missouri State University in 2000, Marcus began sharing his story professionally to audiences nationwide. In 2002, Marcus founded his own publishing company with the release of his autobiography, “After This…An Inspirational Journey For All the Wrong Reasons.” His messages of empowerment and motivation have been witnessed by hundreds of thousands through his keynotes, his autobiography and his monthly newsletters. Marcus Engel is a speaker, a message, a story you will never forget! Visit http://www.MarcusEngel.com for more information!

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