Intuitively Speaking by Deborah Ilg January is a time for setting goals as well as a time of reflection. When you think back on 2002, in a way, it is easy to feel rather glad the year is over. Note how different your life has become since this time last year. All of those negatives from last year positively helped us to make higher choices, as individuals, as a country, and as a planet. Essentially, we have all been in a classroom learning how to be more conscious. The rougher the course, the greater the learning. We have gained sensitivity, and become more aware of the world around us. World issues hit us hard in our first, second, and third chakras, for a good reason. All year we have been working on cleaning up old patterns, which live in those areas of our physical bodies. (Survival, home, finances/job, relationship to ourselves and others) The emotion that surfaced from all of this was fear. Fear was in our face day after day; we could not help but to look at it. We then had to choose to buy into it or to grow from it. Imagine the whole planet looking at its stuff and growing from it - that is amazing. It definitely happened last year, slowly yes, but it did happen. With all of us becoming more conscious than ever before, we continue on our own individual paths this month and this year with heightened awareness and choice, knowing to our core that our actions do affect the whole. That is powerful! I am 54 and single. My job as a teacher seems to take too much of my energy and time. I keep playing with different strategies, flows, and appreciations to create and have more personal time. As a single person, I have the challenge of feeling lonely and wanting a nice, healthy partner who has respect for and knowledge of New Age ideas. What do I need to do to attract/find/connect with this partner I am waiting and sometimes praying for. - 54 and Single The Universe has provided you with two excellent classrooms to bring you what you want. The first one is work, and I sense that you love teaching, but the environment does not feel so nurturing or giving to you. Instead of looking outside yourself to get more energy and time, I would love to see you create energy and time just by being aware of how you move through your work day. Be conscious of situations you are in; watch your energy and your thoughts. I see you putting a lot of extra energy out to people and not to yourself. I am not just referring to the people you are teaching, nor I am saying you should only think of yourself. Rather, I am suggesting it would be healthy to bring yourself into your life. I am talking about the stuff you cannot see - your energy and thoughts. Energy and thoughts are big, they are the things that actually create your physical reality. Given that, use your intuition to feel yourself in each situation you are in, sensing where your energy is. Are you being nurtured by each situation? If not, how can you shift yourself and your energy, rather than your environment. I realize you have been playing with different strategies and such. Perfect. Now, using your intuition and the same passion you direct towards others, shift attention towards yourself. Simply sense what feels nurturing to you and take action. This actually will alleviate your loneliness. You will fill yourself up so you can attract a like-minded person. This leads me to your second classroom: relationship. Knowing what you like and what feels good will make it easier to know intuitively what direction to take in life. I realize I have not been talking about what you can do physically to attract a partner to you. By looking at, being aware of, and taking regarding your energy and thoughts, you will change your physical reality. Being in control of your energy and thoughts, along with prayer, will bring you the life you desire. I don't know why I'm not liked by people I like. I meet people (both men and women) I'd like to become friends with, but they don't feel the same way I do. I had a coworker I liked, and I hoped I could become her friend. I didn't have much a chance to talk to her, but I know that she knew I liked her. A month before we were going to be laid off, another coworker and she became close friends. I never changed my working relationship with her, but I felt that she didn't like me. I do not work with her anymore. I feel sad not being liked by the people I like. I don't know how to overcome this situation. How can I change myself? - Like Not Attracting Like I sense that you know what you want in a friendship. I feel such a stillness, though, in regards to the action you take toward your goal. You may not see it this way, so next time watch yourself and your actions around friends or the people you wish to be your friends. Even though you think you are making your intentions clear, I am actually seeing the opposite. I am not seeing action proceeding from your initial thoughts of friendship. The goal of meeting and keeping friends feels big to me, and a bit overwhelming. Right now, I sense you waiting for their response before making a move. I am suggesting that you to take action - small action. For example, start out with a conversation, and make sure that by the end of that conversation you make your intentions clear. If you want, make plans to get together again (a bigger action). The pattern I am seeing is that you are waiting for them to make the first and second move. Asking for what you want will help you to strengthen yourself, and it will eliminate any doubt in your mind about how people feel and whether people want to be your friends. The first step is observing yourself, so you can see what I am talking about. The second step is taking a small action that will lead to your goal of friendship. And, of course, relax and have fun. I'm an artist whose art has not yet gone commercial, but will soon. I treasure my art and what it means to me, and I am dreading turning it over, as most aware people would. Any recommendations on how to deal with seeing one's inspiration go commercial? - Edged Out I understand what you are saying about dreading turning over your art, yet when I look at you, I see it is your choice to do so. I do see that half of you does not want to, and the other half of you thinks you need to do this. If you move forward with only part of your energy wanting to go commercial, that conflict will surface sooner or later. I suggest making a plan that works for you. To start, look at what going commercial means to you. Make it a positive move instead of a negative in your mind. By doing this, you will be changing a thought pattern. Negative thoughts are stagnant, while positive thoughts have movement. Your choices will then work for you instead of against you. If being a fine artist is where your passion lies, please do not give that piece of yourself up. Learn to integrate, and add it to your plan. Simply be clear with yourself about the choices you have made, then move forward with the knowledge of how this can all work for you. Consider fine art your meditation, because it calms your mind, and understand that it does not have to take a large amount of time. Just schedule it in. In essence, you will be creating the life you want given the choices you feel you have to make. Deborah Ilg, Intuitive Artist, uses her gift of intuition as a professional spiritual counselor and energy worker. Her practice is based in Seattle, and she offers both phone and office sessions. To contact Deborah, email <guidance@intuitiveartist.com> or call (206) 985-6601.