On my way to the grocery store this morning, I approached the coffee shop and remembered that a business contact I wanted to connect with would probably be there, so I decided to swing in.  As I pulled up, I noticed a car with an angel bumper sticker and smiled.  I decided to play a little game I like to play and asked the angels to make their presence known to me, somehow, while I was in the coffee shop.  "I want to experience some MAGIC," I said in my mind, "and I want it to come in a way that I know without a doubt that it is you."

Strolling into the coffee shop, I noticed that the woman I wanted to speak with was busy. A friend happened to be sitting at a table that had an open chair, so I joined her.  "Want to pull some cards?" my friend asked as she grabbed a deck of goddess cards out of her bag.  "Sure!" I nodded, taking a few decks of angel cards out of my own bag.

Just as I started shuffling a deck of cards, a gentleman seemingly appeared out of nowhere and approached our table.  Our eyes locked, and he asked, "What are these cards all about?" pointing at the cards spread out all over the table.

"Ohhh, these are cards used for inspiration.  They actually come in all kinds of themes; there are cards that use nature, animals, spiritual leaders and all other genres.  Even the Dalai Lama made a deck of cards," I said, not knowing quite what to think of the inquiring visitor.

"Oh," the man continued, "and what kind of cards are these that you have?"

"These are angel cards," I told him.

"Then you get to know about me," he flashed a knowing grin that suggested he was aware of something I wasn't.  "I'm Michael," he said, his eyes twinkling behind his mature, dark skin.  "My name is Michael," he repeated, this time louder, and he shuffled his feet as he turned to gather himself up and leave the shop.

My friend and I stared at one another, smiling.  "MICHAEL!" we both exclaimed at the same time.  (For those of you who do not know, Michael is the name of a very well known archangel, who happens to be one of my favorite angel icons.  As a matter of fact, this same friend and I happened to look for an Archangel Michael card (to no avail) in a store the day prior. I should also mention that I have another favorite angel who also shares this name.  I'll just say that he's an angel that created the moonwalk.)

"That was MAGIC!" my friend beamed.

"Get this," I whispered to her, "before I came into the coffee shop, I asked the angels to play with me, and I asked specifically for MAGIC -- and, synchronistically, you just said magic."  My friend's eyes widened as she almost spit out her coffee.

Turning to watch Michael as he swaggered toward the door, I noticed the back of his jacket. "MAGIC," it read, in puffy, embroidered letters. "Oh, God, look what Michael's jacket says on the back," I said to my friend, as I nodded my head toward the exit.  Her jaw fell open and I raised my eyebrows, feeling my smile grow so big that my cheeks hurt.

Getting up to connect with the woman I initially came for, I looked out the window and continued to watch Michael as he walked away down the sidewalk and out of site.

I've learned to just smile when things like this happen.  I'm glad I asked for the angels to play with me, and I'm especially glad that I asked them to bring some MAGIC.

Recently, in an airport in Phoenix, AZ, my husband and I walked into a Mexican restaurant to grab a bite to eat before departure time.  Scanning the small venue, we quickly noticed that all of the tables were full.  Instantly, I was drawn to a table that would allow me to sprawl out with my feet up on my suitcase and have a good view of the bar, game and patrons.  I wanted to relax, take in the scenery, and make the most of the experience, as I soaked up the last hours of a short vacation.

"That man over there said we can squeeze in next to him," my husband suggested.

"We have time, "I whispered, "a table over there is opening and we'll have a lot more space," I explained, as I noticed some people crouching their heads under a table in the background, apparently gathering up their items from the floor to move on to their next destination.

"Come on," my husband pulled.  "Let's just squeeze over there."

"I'm really feelin' it with that table over there, hon," I gave my knowing look that some of you have seen me give.  "Look, the man is paying his tab," I pointed with an opened menu in my hand.

Winking to the patron as he got up to leave, he extended his hand out toward the table. I accepted his invitation with a nod and a smile as I rolled my luggage into a prime spot for a footrest, and plunked down into my seat.  "Hi, Julia," I smiled at the waitress, noting her name tag.  "How's your day going so far?"

"Good," she shared, not sounding all that convincing.

"I hope that good becomes great.  I'll take the vegetarian quesadilla and a bloody Maria (tequila, rather than vodka).  Raising his eyebrows at my noontime selection, my husband took a seat. “I’m still on vacation,” I told him, “and I’m living my southwest vacation to it’s fullest.”

Simultaneously, one of the crouching patrons returned to the table in the back of the establishment, I stretched out to relax, and my eyes happened to fix on a tiny, scrunched wad of white, paper, straw wrapper on the floor.  "Did you lose something?" I heard my husband ask the man as I, still stretched out with eyes so relaxed that the floor became a blur, barely made out the shape of a small, round object, just inches from the straw wrapper.

"A pearl. My wife lost a special pearl. It fell off an earring. We searched and searched and couldn't find it.  Something told her to come in a check one more time. She said that we just HAD to come back in."

The moment he said the word "pearl," my eyes focused and I made out the pearl.

"There it is," I pointed.

The man bent down, picked up the pearl, and came up with a huge smile of gratitude on his face.  "I don't believe it.  I don't believe it," said the man.

"Believe it," I smiled.  With tears in his eyes, he thanked us and ran out to join his wife, who was watching the whole exchange through a glass partition. 

Julia placed my drink on the table as I rose to my feet and observed the happy couple who were embracing one another, grateful for their found treasure.  Still standing, I sipped my cocktail.  "And that, is the best bloody I've ever tasted," I said, as my husband and I locked eyes.

We simply smiled as I nodded my head at the entire experience and he shook his.  "That was cool," he said.

"Mmmm Hmmm," I offered.

When it was time to go, I placed a nice tip on the table for Julia.  Walking out, I looked back at her as she approached our table.  She looked in my direction and gave me a big smile.  Her day had shifted from good to great.

Working with a client last week, the topic of "turning our visions into reality" came up.  The discussion reminded me of an article I posted in 2005 about the creation of my first Web site.  As per request,
here is a re-post of that article:

Intention:  Potential Being Made Manifest

Many people these days are talking about intention.  “I intend abundance in my life this year,” “I am intending to meet my soul mate,” and “I want to realize my life purpose,” are phrases I hear on a daily basis from my personal friends, clients and students.  Sometimes it’s “I want to hear my intuition more clearly,” “I want to stop judging people,” or “I want to build my private practice.”  Since ancient times, across many lands, people have used intention -- because it works.

Deepak Chopra shares in The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams, “…when we introduce an intention in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.”  It’s that simple.  We can manifest that which we desire.  All too often I witness people, including myself, perceiving that they have fallen short of meeting their dreams or desires.  Sometimes this happens because, deep down, we don’t believe we can -- even if we think we do.  Sometimes we experience events that we don’t want to experience, so we think that our use of intention is not working.  Sometimes, exactly what we want is coming into fruition -- only it is within a larger context than that which we were envisioning.

Intention is more than the thoughts or written words that come at the beginning of the creative process of conscious manifestation.  Though some believe that by writing down their intentions they can magically have them come into reality.  This is so.  And it isn’t.  It all depends on the inner wirings of what I call our “information tracks.”  You see, some of our beliefs run very deep.  Embedded deep within our subconscious mind, exists layer upon layer of thoughts, beliefs and intentions -- layer upon layer of information loops that continue to play on automatic mode,unless we choose differently.  Some believe these information loops even hold ancestral codes, as well as information from beyond our current lifetime.

Imagine if you will, that we have several ethereal “train tracks” running within the system of our mind.  The inner “trains” of our life run on the various tracks.  We may have relationship tracks, self- esteem tracks, beliefs about how the universe works tracks, and the tracks go on.  These tracks run whether we are conscious of them or not.  We also have our own “beliefs about intention” 

tracks.

Using intention, as I see it, is more than declaring what we want in our life.  It is more than believing because it is what a guru or the latest self-help book told us to do, or believing in the hopes that a desired outcome will come our way.  It is more than believing period.  Intention is a deep inner knowing of something that really does exist.  Intention is more than an aim, a target, an objective.  Some even say that once an intention is intended, it is has a consciousness of its own that has the ability to co-create with us.

Intention is about living, feeling, and breathing from a mind set or “track” of knowing the 

outcome already exists -- because it does -- even if we have not physically observed it in our reality yet.  We know it is already fulfilled, though we do not necessarily know how it will be fulfilled.  Some may liken the process of manifestation through intention to miracle making. A Course in Miracles notes that miracles are those occurrences that happen in a way that transcend time and space.  More accurately, it suggests that this is the way we experience miracles due to our perception, and that the nature of that which we refer to as miracles actually has the capacity to occur as commonplace, especially when we know it as so...

I've been using a cylindrical bolster, also known as a foam roller to the exercise and yoga community, as a post work-out regimen to massage tight hip and upper leg muscles -- it's especially effective for sciatica issues.  Recently inquiring about where I could purchase one for home use, trainer Jarred at the gym told me he had a pile of them in his trunk and would sell one to me for twenty bucks.

"Okay, done," I replied, and he sprinted out the door, fetching me one.  New foam roller in tow as I headed home, I was surprised at the density and larger width of the roller he gave me as I'd been using a softer, narrower version at the gym.

Trying it out at home, I found it almost difficult to use as the harder and wider material caused a sensation that made me wonder if I might actually bruise my muscles or bones.  Foam roller back in tow a few days later, I planned to return it to it's seller.

"I can't use this," I explained.  "It's so dense, it hurts to use it."

Shaking his head, Jarred shared that it would be a waste of money to get the softer, narrower version. "You'll grow out of it in no time.  I only sell this one because it's a better product.  Adjust the amount of body weight you put on the roller, by using your hands, arms or feet for leverage and see how it works for you."

"I never thought of that," I told him.  "Makes sense.  I'll give it a try."

Open minded, I applied my new found knowledge and actually LOVED Jarred's roller!

On my way out of the gym, I found Jarred.  "Thanks for the education," I told him.

He continued, "I'm fully aware of all the good it can do for you."

"I appreciate the paradigm shift.  You've inspired me and I think I may even write about it in my blog this morning," I smiled, "and I owe you twenty bucks."

If you're experiencing tight muscles or cramping in your hams, quads or glutes, or want to add some new ab or core exercises into your routine and live in the Madison area, I suggest a foam roller from Jarred at Gold's Gym in Fitchburg.

Sitting at my laptop this morning, gazing out the window of a local coffee shop, Tuvalu, I noticed a delivery person wheeling a load of bottled beverages across the street.  His dolly filled to capacity, the delivery man turned to change direction and caught a shifting box of beverages with his shoulder as he stepped into an early spring puddle.

Instantly, I was reminded of a favorite quote.  “Sometimes we need to lighten our load in order to pivot,” my husband, Brian, once told me.  His words stuck with me and have been a mantra ever since -- especially when feelings of overwhelm creep into my life.  Are you feeling a bit stuck in the muck lately? Overburdened?  Heavy with obligation, disorganization or the busyness that life can bring?

Practices currently trending in the self growth realm speak to this idea of lightening our load.  In yoga we deeply exhale, releasing stress and tension.  In feng shui we clear our clutter, removing items which are no longer beneficial to our path.  When we balance our chakras, we let go of repetitive patterns that hold us back from living a life of balance and fulfillment.

Feeling inspired to pull cards about "lightening the load" from Denise Linn’s Soul Coaching cards for myself and my blog readers, we get:

SIMPLICITY/PASSION/PEACE...May we do what truly matters today as we let go of the accumulation of that which is not needed in our lives, in order that we hear our inner voice of inspiration, follow our bliss and experience greater inner and outer harmony.

Enjoy your day!  I’m off to socialize with friends and dream a bit before I tackle my kitchen cupboards!

Theresa

Many people these days are talking about intention.  “I intend abundance in my life this year,” “I am intending to meet my soul mate,” and “I want to realize my life purpose,” are phrases I hear on a daily basis from my personal friends, clients and students.  Sometimes it’s “I want to hear my intuition more clearly,” “I want to stop judging people,” or “I want to build my private practice.”  Since ancient times, across many lands, people have used intention -- because it works.

Deepak Chopra shares in The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams, “…when we introduce an intention in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.”  It’s that simple.  We can manifest that which we desire.  All too often I witness people, including myself, perceiving that they have fallen short of meeting their dreams or desires.  Sometimes this happens because, deep down, we don’t believe we can -- even if we think we do.  Sometimes we experience events that we don’t want to experience, so we think that our use of intention is not working.  Sometimes, exactly what we want is coming into fruition -- only it is within a larger context than that which we were envisioning.

Intention is more than the thoughts or written words that come at the beginning of the creative process of conscious manifestation.  Though some believe that by writing down their intentions they can magically have them come into reality.  This is so.  And it isn’t.  It all depends on the inner wirings of what I call our “information tracks.”  You see, some of our beliefs run very deep.  Embedded deep within our subconscious mind, exists layer upon layer of thoughts, beliefs and intentions -- layer upon layer of information loops that continue to play on automatic mode, unless we choose differently.  Some believe these information loops even hold ancestral codes, as well as information from beyond our current lifetime.

Imagine if you will, that we have several ethereal “train tracks” running within the system of our mind.  The inner “trains” of our life run on the various tracks.  We may have relationship tracks, self- esteem tracks, beliefs about how the universe works tracks, and the tracks go on.  These tracks run whether we are conscious of them or not.  We also have our own “beliefs about intention” tracks.

Using intention, as I see it, is more than declaring what we want in our life.  It is more than believing because it is what a guru or the latest self-help book told us to do, or believing in the hopes that a desired outcome will come our way.  It is more than believing period.  Intention is a deep inner knowing of something that really does exist.  Intention is more than an aim, a target, an objective.  Some even say that once an intention is intended, it is has a consciousness of its own that has the ability to co-create with us.

Intention is about living, feeling, and breathing from a mind set or “track” of knowing the 

outcome already exists -- because it does -- even if we have not physically observed it in our reality yet.  We know it is already fulfilled, though we do not necessarily know how it will be fulfilled.  Some may liken the process of manifestation through intention to miracle making. A Course in Miracles notes that miracles are those occurrences that happen in a way that transcend time and space.  More accurately, it suggests that this is the way we experience miracles due to our perception, and that the nature of that which we refer to as miracles actually has the capacity to occur as commonplace, especially when we know it as so.

Consider a belief track that we will call “track A.”  If our thoughts are running on “track A,” we intend and then wait for certain steps to occur in order for our desire to be experienced, often stopping the process due to non-belief, self-doubt or distraction, rather than taking the opportunity to just experience it as so.  If we are running “track B,” we intend and then observe ourselves experiencing the intention that already exists in our expanded reality.  As we merge ourselves and our life with the intention, we live as if the intention exists within our reality, even though we may not have experienced it fully in the physical, because we have the understanding that it does exist.  It is an extension of us, a part of us; and us of it.

As we expand our consciousness, or field of potentiality, and truly allow our inner system to run on tracks that are in alignment with our intentions (or that will support them coming about more fully), we have an increased observance of not only experiencing our desires, but our desires naturally grow and expand themselves as our intentions evolve, as if on auto-pilot, through our navigation of the synchronicities we experience in our life.

The possibilities already exist within us and the world we are experiencing.  As we live with a constant knowing or awareness that our intentions are already within the matrix of our reality, even if not seen with the physical eye in our immediate surroundings, we can deeply connect to the essence of them.  We can live as we engage with their essence as we experience and follow the intuitive impulses that help them to be realized and further experienced or expanded by us. To illustrate further, I share a personal experience that I hold very dear to my heart.

In 2004, I knew that my web site (the Web site formerly known as www.TheresaAnn.com, but which had a different appearance than the current site with the same name) was going to go through a complete transformation.  I felt strongly that I  would be creating the content for the Web site, but that I would not actually be engaging in  much, if any, of the actual mechanics of the technical creation of the website.  Within seconds of confidently intending that a Web architect be a part of my path, I got the intuitive impulse to go to the grocery store.  I told my husband that I was observing an intention unfolding and that part of  this meant that I needed to head to the grocery store to manifest some Web site support.  I needed him to watch our daughter and continue making lunch while I leave

the house to experience some synchronicities…what my husband calls breadcrumbs.  This being commonplace in our home, he understood, and carried out the tasks at hand.

Tapping into the field of potential that existed between me and the Web architect, and feeling as if this “space between” was not far between us, I stated my intentions as I walked out the front door.  I turned on the car ignition and the song Hanging by a Moment, by the band Lifehouse started blaring on the stereo.  Driving down my street, I continued my conscious thoughts. Just then, my next door neighbor turned the corner onto our street and appeared right in front of me.  I was reminded in the moment, that he told us just weeks prior when we moved into the neighborhood, that he created Web sites.  And now, our worlds seemed to gently collide again.  The Web architect already existed within my reality.  I was just not conscious of it, and had not yet integrated this facet into my personal experience.

I shared my “synchronicity” with him, and days later conveyed my vision in more detail.  He shared with me the next morning that he had a dream about my husband and I and that he experienced a vision.  “There was this awesome, radiant light…,” he explained.  He also shared that he created a mock homepage using the vision from his dream as inspiration.  The mock instantaneously became the final copy (as is) upon my first glance. Though a beautiful home page, the site has since evolved and a new creation takes its place.

In Secrets of the Power of Intention, Wayne Dyer states, “the secret to manifestation is having the ability to manage all of the synchronicities that come into our life.”  When we look up the word synchronicity in the thesaurus, we find words like coexistence, co-occurrence, harmony, simultaneousness.

In conclusion, I share the manifestation of this article which came about as a result of clear intentions, management of synchronistic experiences, observance of intuitive impulses and responsible action to see it into fruition.  I woke this morning with an itch to write, though no topic had made itself known to me in my physical or mental playing fields.  Yet another intention was to connect through some form of communication, to those in the Mosaic of Self community in some way that might bring inspiration or fine-tuning to their paths.  Questions regarding “how our thoughts affect our lives” had been a resurfacing question of some of my clients and readers.  I also had a secret desire to support my life partner, my husband Brian, as I knew he was experiencing a growth spurt on his journey.  Remembering that I also needed to engage in some self care and nurturing, I also hoped to put my feet up, light a candle and enjoy a cup of tea at some point in the day.

During lunch, Brian asked me what I was most excited about in life.  He listened as I shared. Somehow, I got onto the subject of intention and he stopped me.  He suggested that I go downstairs to the living room and type what I was about to say.  He also said that he desired to read it as it may help him, even though he had no idea as to the content in that moment.  He scooted me down the stairs as he just happened to put water on for tea.  Following me into the room, he lit a candle and set up a laptop table that allowed me to put my feet up on the coffee table as I worked.  Don’t you just love life sometimes?  So then, is this article a product of Brian’s intention, my intention or the readers’ intentions?  Perhaps it was co-created as a manifestation of our collective field of intention?

Theresa Ann Stuesser 

Madison, Wisconsin, February 2005

My name is Theresa.  In short, the name means one who harvests with grace.  It seems fitting to me as it is my passion to help people recognize the unique gifts they have within themselves and their world, assist them in nurturing and growing these gifts within their relationships and life experiences and support them as they contribute positively in their world.  Just as the acorn holds within it the blueprint to become an oak tree, we, too, have within ourselves an inner teacher who guides our path...when we listen.

Inspired by Gandhi's axiom, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world," my motto is, "Grow yourself...Grow your world."  I have found that one of the best ways to inspire change in the world we see around us is to bring change to the world we know within us.

Thanks for visiting my blog.  It's a space where I share anecdotes, experiences and how-to's for for living holistically, listening to our inner teacher and expressing our full potential.