On to the next ...

My last post about genetically modified products was the most read post of any I have ever written. Thanks for reading and sharing!

I just finished a book called, "Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America" by Helen Thorpe. It is a very interesting book in the concepts it brings up.

This book is basically highlighting the immigration problem we have in the United States. It really challenged me to truly think how I felt about this issue being that I became a naturalized citizen myself. 

At the time Helen Thorpe wrote the book she was married to the mayor of Denver. She wrote quite a bit about a Senator at the time and his views on immigration. I started to wonder what his views would be on other hot topics such as: genetically modified products, Keystone XL, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiation and so on. 

This got me thinking about the current representation we have in Congress and the biggest question of all:

Are they really representing me?

Do you know who your representatives are? Do you know if they truly represent your values? Did you really vote for them or just check the box based on party affiliation?  

I can answer that question for myself and the answer is "no" on all accounts. I never have taken the time to understand politics. It really is not something that has even interested me until now. 

Google is a beautiful thing!

I started with a Google search about Congress. Who are it's members, how many in the Senate and how many in the House? How do the different states get their number of representatives in the House?

I moved to search about Colorado. Who is the mayor of Denver? What are his values? Who is the governor of Colorado? Who are the members of Congress for Colorado? 

It is my mission to understand these people better. They are the ones voting on my future and that of my children. 

Taking control 

Some of you are super knowledgeable on these topics presented in this post. I admire you. I hope to become like you one day. 

In the meantime, if you read this post and struggled to name your mayor, governor and senate representatives, please join me in the quest to take a little more control of our future.  

Let's vote for the person who represents us and our ideals. If they get elected, then let's hold them accountable to their promises. If the person you didn't vote for get elected, then also hold them accountable. It truly is the way to get our voices heard.

Your thoughts ... I'd love to hear them! 

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
 
Vote strong!
Mary 
 
 

It was only a matter of time ...

before I posted about genetically modified food! For those of you who are friends of mine on Facebook, this post will come as no surprise to you. What is the deal with Monsanto and genetically engineered products anyway?!

I know people differ in their opinion of GE (genetically engineered) food. Some think they will save the world and others think it will destroy everything we know to be real food. I am not here to debate anyone's opinion because I respect your opinion to be yours.

Just label it and we'll be happier

My biggest issue with it is why the secrecy and deception around labeling their products. Let the consumer make their own choice but let the consumer have a choice. Why spend millions trying to defeat labeling laws instead of standing strong behind their products and labeling them with pride? 

Is there maybe nothing to be proud off? Why is it that Europe has successfully imposed labeling laws. Why is it that Kellogg's corn flakes is GMO free in Europe but not in the United States? Do Americans not care? Do we not deserve better food? 

The amount of chemicals used in growing genetically engineered foods is of the biggest issues I have with the whole process. In addition to the fact that it is not food, in my opinion, if it started it's life in a laboratory.

Currently, the only way to guarantee that you are not getting GE products in your food is to buy organic. Even if you buy all natural products, that is not a guarantee. If you buy all natural chicken then chances are that chicken has eaten genetically modified corn or some other GE product. Let it be my choice if I am OK with that for myself and my family. 
  
Seven Generation Sustainability as printed on Wikipedia

Seven generation sustainability is an ecological concept that urges the current generation of humans to live sustainably and work for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future. It originated with the Iroquois - Great Law of the Iroquois - which holds appropriate to think seven generations ahead (about 140 years into the future) and decide whether the decisions they make today would benefit their children seven generations into the future.

"In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation... even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine." This is an often repeated saying, and most who use it claim that it comes from “The Constitution of the Iroquois Nations: The Great Binding Law.”

Are we practicing Seven Generation Sustainability?

We all have an obligation towards the generations to come. Are we all doing our part? Are we recycling, consuming less, keeping our waters clean, minimizing our impact on the environment and so on? After all, the likelihood that we will be living in the future generations back on Earth are extremely high! 

A very information documentary on Monsanto and GE foods can be found on YouTube called "The World According to Monsanto GMO documentary." It was definitely eye opening for me. 

Your thoughts ... I'd love to hear them!

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com
 

Your Spirit Guides

My three kids are snuggled up in their beds while I write this post. The house is perfectly quiet, my fireplace is on and I am blogging - something I love to do! It is pretty awesome.

I have been wanting to work lately without compromising my "stay-at-home" role. Ideas? I'd love to hear them. I have been asking for divine help on this topic too. To who in specific, you ask? Good question!

Spirit guides - who are they?

I probably have written about Spirit Guides before but they are such an important part of our spiritual journey and as such, definitely worth another post. Spirit Guides are exactly what their name implies. They are spiritual beings whose job is to help you with your journey on Earth. 

Some believe that they could be a deceased loved one, some believe that they are definitely not anyone related to us, some believe that guides come and go as our lives dictate ... It really doesn't matter. All these things are technicalities. Just keep in mind that they are spiritual beings that are available to help you 24/7. Isn't that amazing?!

Problem is ...

The problem with having Spirit Guides is that we need to ask for help. Some believe that Spirit Guides will not interfere in our lives unless we ask them to. I don't know if I believe that and again it doesn't matter. I actually think that if we're not asking, then we are not in a space to receive or listen for the answer.

Our guides will make our lives so much easier if we just asked for their help. Nothing is too silly or small and absolutely nothing is too big. If we feel it is a burden or we need help with it, then it is legitimate to ask for help. 

How to ask for help?

The easiest way to ask for help from your guides is to just state what you need. It is actually very simple. If you are looking for a job then ask that they help you find one that suits you and will make you happy. If you are looking for a soul mate then ask for them to bring him or her to you. 

Your gut feelings are your guidance. Follow them! I can't stress to you enough how important it is to follow your intuition. Sometimes, it feels silly or far-fetched to follow your gut but trust me, it will never betray you. 

Simply put

Ask, ask and ask some more! Spend time in meditation so that you can connect with your guides and receive their guidance for you. If you need help meditating, send me an email to mary@marysalfi.com and I will give you some ideas. 

Thoughts, questions, comments or ideas?

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com 

Have fun connecting!

It's a New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I just realized that it's been years since I wrote a post. I had said that I would start a long time ago but here I am, yet another resolution that didn't find it's way to fruition. It's time to let myself off the hook and just say that I will do what I can when I can. I am on a cleanse today so that should count for something as far as resolutions go, shouldn't it?

A life changing book 

I recently read a great book that I highly recommend called "The Game of Life and How to Play it" by Florence Shinn. I was at a bookstore picking up a book for a friend when the lady said, "This book is a life changer". Of course I had to buy it at that point. She was right. I read it twice all the way through. It's on my Kindle so I constantly go to a part that I have highlighted to reread the nuggets of wisdom in it. 

It really is a book about the Law of Attraction and I love anything to do with the Law of Attraction. I think it's because it is so empowering. This idea puts you in the driver seat of your life. What a great place to be. 

Law of Attraction

The Law of Attraction states that we manifest everything in our lives. We may think that our thoughts are perfect but truly when we spend time in a meditative state, our truth is revealed. 
Meditation is key to everything. It is the ability to connect with that higher power that is here to serve. 

I have been meditating quite a bit lately and through that I have realized a lot of the unnecessary chatter that is within me. My chatter is usually in the in the form of fear and/or worry. I have started to say things like, "let go and let God come and take the place of that fear and worry". 

Practice, practice and then practice some more!

I thought about myself a few years back when I was a lot more confident about everything and had to understand why. I was meditating on a daily basis and I was practicing being in that state of gratitude and manifestation.

I have started this week on a great cleanse to purge all the excesses of the holiday season. My intention is to purge all the chatter too. It is time for it to go. I am going to do that by practicing controlling my thoughts. Want to join me on my journey? I would love to hear from you!

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

The Truth Will Set You Free!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE Oprah! I’ve been taping her Lifeclass series and watching it with Mia during the day. I feel it’s good for my daughter to be exposed to awesome messages even at two months old.

What is my truth?

The lesson the other day was about speaking your truth. Oprah showed snippets of a show she did with Ellen DeGeneres when Ellen announced that she was gay back in 1997. Oprah’s point was that when Ellen spoke her truth and revealed her true identity, she was able to reach her potential without anything dragging her down.

I started thinking about what is my truth and what was I hiding. At that moment, I realized that my truth was that I was intuitive and that was truly my life path. Whether I wasn’t going to admit it or not, really didn’t matter as to who I really am.

I’ve always known and felt things

I remember being a kid and looking behind me constantly because I felt someone was following me. I knew when my Grandmother died.

I felt my dad’s presence the morning I took government exams in Lebanon. This is actually a cool story. Before being accepted into college in Lebanon you have to pass government exams. That morning, I was going to take my math test. I woke up really early and my mom gave me a cup of coffee in my dad’s mug. She didn’t realize that it was his mug but it took me aback a little. It was only a couple of years after he had passed and the grief was still very raw. I thought to myself though that I was going to drink out of his mug and have that be my good luck charm. When I got in my car, I kept looking over at the passenger seat because I swear I thought he was going to materialize at any moment. I felt his presence all the way until I picked up my friend. I ended up getting the second highest possible score in all of Lebanon on that math exam.

Being the best person you could be

The other inspiring thing I heard on the Oprah show was how her best friend described her. She said, “The greatest thing about Oprah is as she’s pulling herself up with one arm, she’s pulling someone else up with her other arm.” That is probably the greatest compliment a friend can give to another.

I thought about the concept of paying it forward. How awesome is it to do good deeds and not worry about getting anything back. Just do what you want to do without keeping score, drawing boundaries and worrying about it. I’ve always struggled with setting boundaries and being able to say no. This is not the same thing though. This is about being the best person you can be without borders and rules.

I love Oprah!

Have I mentioned that I love Oprah! She is truly a gift to this generation and we are lucky to have her. She said that she was the same person on stage and off stage. I thought about that too and if I ever try to be someone I am not. I realized that was only the case when I tried to be “normal” and not intuitive. Then I thought, what’s normal anyway? We are all intuitive beings. We are all spiritual, it’s just whether we decide to tap into that or not.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

I feel like this is a conversation that is still going on. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and what is your truth. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

Loving this Lifeclass series!
Mary

Believe so that you can see...

I didn’t know Oprah had her own TV network! I truly feel that Oprah has enriched my life in a tremendous way. I never was a person who had to be home when her show was on just to watch it. However, I did watch it when it was convenient and I always learned so much from her.

Asking for guidance

I’ve been asking for some guidance from God lately. I feel extremely fulfilled that my family is complete. I do feel though that I have a purpose that is bigger and outside of the home. I felt that doing readings and classes was awesome and I’m wondering if that’s where my destiny lies or is it in something else. Any time I’m in a pondering state, I up my meditations and I start asking for signs to be shown to me.

I was on Facebook the other day when I saw something about Oprah having a new series called Lifeclass on her network. It immediately caught my eye and taped Wednesday night’s show. The show was essentially discussing The Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction basically says if you believe it, then it will come. You have to believe above all.

Believing before seeing

It was intriguing to see Jim Carrey on there. She had a clip on there from a previous show where he had mentioned that he would sit in his car and imagine all these great things coming to him way before he was famous. He said that it made him feel better to imagine that all these producers and film makers were interested in him.

He also wrote himself a check for $10 million dollars and gave himself three years to have that come true. He said that a few weeks before the three years was up, he was offered $10 million to make “Dumb and Dumber”.

A few weeks ago, a few of my wonderful girlfriends had a party for me to celebrate Mia’s arrival. It was really a great way to realize that the grief and worry are over, the journey is complete. Although it was a tremendously difficult journey, the end result is fantastic. It was truly a celebration. I bought each of them a gift to say thank you for a great night. The book I picked up for them was called “Believe”. The book emphasized that you have to believe in something before you can see it.

Mia was the result of my believing!

I really did that with Mia. Despite all the heartache, grief and anxiety, I believed there was one more baby out there and she was coming. I had a doctor tell me that it was crazy for me to consider having another child. I had a few readings that were all over the place.

It really didn’t matter what I heard or didn't hear, deep down, I knew. I knew that Mia was coming. I took a picture of my boys around Christmas 2009 and I could see the silhouette of another child between the boys. I never stopped believing despite anything I heard.

Getting back on track

Sometimes though that belief gets rattled and we have to get it back on track. I feel that way with my life purpose. I feel that when I was on more of a spiritual path, times were a lot tougher. I realize that I have linked the two.

I know that I have fear of stepping back into doing readings and classes, but at the same time, I feel drawn to that. I probably should start with accepting that the two paths didn’t have anything to do with one another. I was most likely going to have three pregnancy losses no matter where I was in my life and no matter what I was doing.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

It's obvious that the sign for me is to believe!
Mary

Life is too short to fold underwear

I’ve started to do some household chores in the evening lately. That seems to be the time when I can get the most done. Kids are in bed and settled, house is quiet and I can just get to things much quicker. I was folding laundry the other night. I started to fold some underwear when I realized that life is too short for that activity.

Way too organized

For those of you who know me, you know how neat and organized I am. I like things orderly. It’s always a challenge for me when things get a little chaotic. Having a two-month old in the house along with two older kids lends itself to some chaos.

I learned with my oldest that I had to let things go; things couldn’t always be as perfect as I’d like them to be. Then when the boys started getting older, I had time to make everything look perfect again. Now, I’m having to readjust again.

Then the thought came to mind, is it really a big deal if I threw the underwear in the drawer rather than having them be stacked up nicely? I’ll answer that. No, it really is not a big deal at all. As a matter of fact, it’s a big ole “who cares!”

Is it clean?

As long as things are clean, then it’s all just ok. That’s my new line with Mia whenever she’s upset. I say to her, “Its ok, it’s just ok” in a melodic voice and she settles down. I decided to say that to myself when I need to let things go too.

There are so many things that we could use to let go of and just enjoy the moment instead. It took three kids for me to finally realize that. They don’t stay small forever so I might as well enjoy.

Being in the moment is key

Everything in time will come; the ability to work-out again or to have a glass of wine or to have a super neat house and so on. There’s always a time and a place for everything. Allowing things to be what they need to be in the moment is really the best remedy. Whether I stress about it or not, it really doesn’t matter, it’ll be what it needs to be.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook marysalfi.com

Mia is sleeping so I’m going to sleep too!
Mary

Time to let go!

Mia turned eight weeks yesterday. I’ve finally started to realize that she’s here. I worried and stressed over having a third child for the past three years so sometimes I have to look at Mia hard to remember that the stress is over. I believe that all that worrying went somewhere and that somewhere is in my body on a cellular level.

I was telling my friend the other day that I feel a little lost as to how to get rid of it. Her suggestion was to release it in the shower and allow it to go down the drain.

This is a meditation that I’ve done for years and love. I realized at that moment that the drain in our shower has been clogged lately. I believe that is a mirror of how my emotional state is right now. I feel clogged. I feel like I just need a major release; it’s time to let it go!

What are the benefits of worry anyway?

The truth about worrying is that the outcome will be what it is regardless of how much you worry about it. I could’ve chosen to not worry during Mia’s pregnancy and enjoyed it more. Instead, I worried every moment I could and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Many people who had similar losses told me that they did the same thing, but honestly what good did that do?

My husband never worries unless there’s truly something to worry about and even then, he finds the positive in all of it. That is truly a gift. I strive to make that be part of who I am.

The experience of losing a baby…

I always say that the experience of losing a baby wasn’t all for nothing. I feel like she was a big energetic broom that swept away all that didn’t resonate with me anymore. Whether that was friendships or experiences or clothes … whatever it was, it was gone and I feel better and lighter due to that.

I have lived a more authentic life since losing that baby and that feels good. I always say the experience at the time was much larger than the benefit. However, I feel that if I spent the rest of my life living authentically, then maybe eventually I’d say it was a positive experience.

The drama is over

Now that the drama is over, it’s time to let it go. It’s time to let the anxiety I’ve held on to go away. I have been walking with Mia every day. During those walks, I’m going to visualize any worry and stress being released from my body and going into the Earth. I’m going to then visualize the Earth turning and churning that worry into a beautiful flower. I love that visual. Taking something that could be a negative and turning it into something beautiful.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook marysalfi.com

Time to bundle Mia up and go for a walk!
Mary

Why do babies have their days and night confused?

At times in the middle of the night while I’m nursing, I wonder why babies have their days and nights confused. I have been thinking about this since Mia was born. I feel it’s because of the need to bond.

During the day, there are so many distractions that keep a mother and baby from truly bonding. However, in the middle of the night, there’s no laundry to fold, or lunches to pack, or a job to go to, it’s really mother and child.

Distractions everywhere

I’ve been playing this game on my phone called, “Words with Friends.” It’s really a lot of fun. I sometimes play it at 4 am when I’m up nursing. I often think about women from hundreds of years ago who didn’t have the distraction of technology. I wonder how much of a stronger bond she may have had with her infant.

I then thought about how many times while my older kids are trying to tell me something my answer is, “Hold on while I respond to this text” or “That’s daddy on the phone, let’s talk to him and then you can tell me what’s going on.” I wonder if by the time I have a minute away from technology, my kids are still interested in telling me their story.

Texting is taking over

I have always made an effort to be available to my kids when they are with me. I don’t watch TV and I don’t talk on the phone. I find though that texting has been getting out of hand a little bit. It almost seems like I can justify it more, because it just takes a few seconds to text someone back. That snippet of time though is probably just enough to break the connection I had with the kids.

I then took it one step further and thought, “How many of us are so technology and smart phone dependant that we can’t leave home without it?” It’s so nice when you’re talking with someone to give them your full attention and to get that in return.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook marysalfi.com

I am going to make a better effort of being 100% available to whomever it is that I am talking to without the distraction of any technology.

Mary

Beyond Thrilled!

My baby is four weeks old today and I am beyond thrilled! My friend gave me a card a few days before Mia was born that I am only now beginning to really understand.

The words on the front are, “After all that – she was surprised to find that she still knew the words to the song in her heart … and she began to sing along.” My friend wrote in the card, “Mary, the song you’ve carried in your heart is about to arrive.”

The Song in my heart

I have carried the song in my heart for Mia for over three years. She has come to complete our family and heal us all. The three losses we had between her and Zack were tremendous to go through. I will write more about them and the feelings around them at a later time.

I wake up at 3 am to nurse my baby and I just stare at her in awe and gratitude. I thank her for coming all the time. I knew that there was someone who was supposed to be part of our family and here she is.

We are all in love

She is wonderful. Her brothers adore her; they are constantly kissing her, holding her, singing to her and so on.

Her dad is totally smitten by her. We haven’t heard that high-pitched voice from my husband ever and he really can’t seem to talk to her in any other tone.

I am beyond gone into her and the boys. I feel so complete and content. I am hardly ever content and my husband would totally agree with that. I’m always moving and working towards something better. Mia has given me the contentment that I usually lack.

Releasing the fear

The reason I stopped writing the blog a few months ago was because I was in a constant state of fear. I realize now that getting pregnant again was one of the bravest things I have ever done. Every day of Mia’s pregnancy I worried that I would lose her.

I knew I was pregnant on Thanksgiving. I was carrying a tray of melted chocolate covered fruit and the smell of it was making me want to gag. I came home and took a pregnancy test right away. A really faint line showed up indicating I was indeed pregnant. I cried and begged God for a good outcome. I went to bed every night of my pregnancy thanking God for one more day of being pregnant and asking for a wonderful outcome. I got my wish! aMy prayers were heard and answered.

My job now is to release all the fear and worry that I know I’ve stored in my cells these past few years. The drama is over and I am thrilled.

Your thoughts … I’d love to hear them

You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook marysalfi.com


I’m going to shred zucchini from our garden to make bread before my baby wakes up!

Mary