PREPARE for the Chinese New Year – Things to DO THIS WEEK Before February 1, 2022 – Part 3

New Start

I’m always telling you to get rid of things in preparation for A NEW START. This year it is imperative to release as much OLD as possible.

We are leaving the Year of the Ox. We have been carrying the heavy burden of fear, unknown, and unwanted thoughts imposed by others. We are entering the Year of the Water Tiger – a year where we need to be agile and quick!

A few things to RELEASE:Things you don’t use, things you don’t need, thoughts that don’t serve you, and people who don’t support you. That is why I’m spending more time to explain each step PLUS giving you more time in which to accomplish the tasks at hand. I know I need the extra notice; maybe you’ll appreciate it also.

You’ve got ONE WEEK to accomplish as much as you can from this list for the Freshest Start in this powerful and purrr-fect year! Yes, it can be like the BIG CAT it is and purr with a harmony of hope with the right focus at hand. So…

HAVE FUN WITH THIS!

Your “TO DO” List

  1. Clean your home thoroughly – Start at the front door and go through your home cleaning each room and surface. Ideally I’d like you to go through each drawer, closet, cabinet, etc. If you don’t have the time or energy to do all of them, here is a priority list: Bedroom (where you sleep), bathroom (where you take care of your personal self), kitchen (where you nourish yourself), children’s bedrooms (self-care first, then help others), and then common areas (living room, dining room, playroom, hobby room, etc.)

    Clean Your Refrigerator

  2. Clean your refrigerator – Don’t stop at the exterior part of the kitchen like the counter. Go deeper. That refrigerator holds a number of items you no longer want to take with you into the New Year. If you just bought a pound of butter and some eggs, that’s okay to keep; but if you have leftover pizza from 2 weeks ago, out it goes! Wash down the inside. Place some baking soda in it to freshen the smell. Buy some fresh produce, deli items, dairy (if you eat it), meats and seafoods that you are going to prepare for your New Year’s Day Feast (See #9 below).
  3. Pay off your debts (or at least pay off a credit card or two if you can) – The Asian culture states you don’t want to start a New Year encumbered with last year’s debts or energy. In modern times in the US it seems natural to have credit card debts, especially after all the holiday gift-giving and entertainment expenses. It makes it very difficult to attempt this particular “prep” in time for the Western New Year on January 1, so I appreciate buying time until the Chinese New Year. Having mortgages and vehicle payments including the taxes and insurance on these is possibly the only exceptions. Otherwise, attempt to pay off all debts. It took me a number of years to be able to accomplish this. It probably was the biggest “game-changer” to my mindset in life! Can’t pay them off? That’s okay. Start with your smallest debt and pay it off (unless there is one that just feels especially toxic you want to remove from your life sooner!)
  4. Get rid of old emails, catalogs, magazines and newspapers

    Sort through, get rid of, and organize all mail

    To start the New Year you want as little of the old energy from previous years as possible. There needs to be a major shift away from the consciousness of last year. Even though you may not be thinking about what is in that magazine or catalog, it’s affecting your energy. Every time you walk by it or sit looking at your email list (even if you aren’t looking directly at the old email), the object or email is giving off old energy from the past. We want to free ourselves from that stagnant energy!

  5. Go through mail, getting rid of all junk mail, “special” offers, etc. – Some people only go through their mail once or twice a month. If that’s you, change it up this once. Go through everything getting rid of all junk mail, advertisements, or special offers. Again, this is last year’s energy. Pay the bills. Organize your desk and file important documents where they need to be placed. Unless you actually are going to take advantage of a special offer, toss the ad! If you’re going to use the offer, do so before the Chinese New Year!
  6. Plan to have fresh linens to put on your bed on January 31
    Make your bed with fresh linens

    Make your bed with fresh linens

    – When you go to bed on the eve of the Chinese New Year you’ll want to have your bed freshly made with either new linens or freshly washed bedding. You don’t want to bring the energy of last year into your bedroom or dreams for the future. In this way you will wake up in a clean, fresh smelling bed filled with the energy of a New Year and New Decade. I like to add lavender essential oils to my wash for the calming sweet smell it provides.

  7. Get rid of leftovers – Plan your meals the last week before the Chinese New Year so you aren’t wasting food, yet able to finish it up. Food from “last year” has LAST YEAR’S energy. We don’t want to ingest it once the New Year has started. (In addition, go through your spices and other items to check the expiration date. Only keep that which is fresh.)
  8. Plan not to work on February 1. That means no cooking, housework, going into your workplace, etc. – The reason I’m giving you a heads up on all these tasks is to help you start the New Year with GREAT energy. You don’t want to be working all year long. You don’t want to be cooking all year long. Do all the work before the Chinese New Year. Do your cooking ahead and have it in the refrigerator in order to have a feast on New Year’s Day. Just pull things out of the fridge and put them on a table to enjoy. Remember – NO LEFTOVERS! This needs to be freshly prepared items – made the day before – that are not leftovers from previous meals!
  9. Only do on February 1 things you want to do for the next yearFollow Your Soul if knows– The Chinese New Year is a New Beginning, the start of all the things you want in your life! What is it you want in your life?

Today is the day to start doing it. It’s said that whatever you do on Chinese New Year you will do more of it during the coming year. (That’s why #8 above says DO NOT work, etc. unless that is what you want to be doing all year long). Want to walk or hike? Do some photography or journaling? Start a podcast? Read more? Have fun, play, or travel? Spend more time with family/friends? Be inspired or explore spirituality?

I try to do a little of everything I want in life all packed into this one day. It’s one of the most fun days of the year for me filled with the promise of all the things I enjoy: the promise of Good things to come!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!  Happy Chinese New Year!

Blessings,

Linda Lenore

Get Ready for the Year of the Water Tiger! – Part 2

Here it comes! The Chinese or Lunar New Year starts on February 1, 2022

Year of the Water Tiger 2022!

There are a number of things you can do to prepare your home and life for the Chinese New Year in order to have the best energy before it starts on February 1, 2022. Some are Feng Shui principles, while others are from a variety of traditions. I’ve incorporated these myself for 22+ years with amazing results.

family-spring-cleaning-for-lunar-year-spring-clean-up-written-in-chinese-words-on-couplets

Clean Your Home Completely Before the Chinese or Lunar New Year on February 1, 2022

  1. Clean your home thoroughly
  2. Pay off your debts (or at least pay off a credit card or two if you can)
  3. Get rid of emails, catalogs, magazines and newspapers from last year
  4. Go through mail, getting rid of all junk mail, “special” offers, etc.
  5. Plan to have fresh linens to put on your bed on January 31st
  6. Don’t plan to do any work on February 1st – that means no cooking, housework, going into your workplace, etc.
  7. Only do on February 1st things you want to do for the next year (hiking, photography, journal, do a podcast, read a book, play, travel, time with family/friends, have fun, be inspired)
  8. Get rid of leftovers
  9. Clean your refrigerator

Some of these are self-explanatory, yet I like to give you insights to help you get a better grasp on energy and how it works. The my next blog I will have some interesting stories to help you visualize these.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Linda Lenore

Once In Sixty Years Energy! New Year, New Decade, New Start – (Headline from my January 2020 newsletters) – Part 1

“GAME-CHANGING EVENT!  PREPARE FOR CHOICES & DECISIONS” – Part 1

Rat Year 2020 Purple Newsletter

Rat Year 2020 Newsletter Image

This (above and below) is part of what I wrote in my newsletters in early January 2020 before I had heard about COVID – and before we started to experience what COVID would do in, and to, our lives! These thoughts were based on how the “animals” in the Chinese Zodiac affect the energy of the upcoming year, and thus our lives. In hindsight, we can see how these energies played out during the Year of the Metal Rat 2020.

BUT… the prep work is the same for EVERY YEAR. Consider including these tips into your activities and life between now and February 1, 2022 when the Year of the Water Tiger starts!

Transform your life, and the world, by preparing for the Chinese New Year on January 25, 2020. This Chinese New Year is unlike any most people have experienced, unless you are 60+ years old and were old enough to remember, plus aware enough to understand its implications.

The next 10 days as we approach the Year of the Metal Rat I’ll share powerful, and potentially life changing, information in a few newsletters.  I hope you will take these gems, internalize them, and integrate them into your life. As the world becomes more interconnected through Internet energy, it’s imperative for us to become more connected to ALL the energies around us, especially our INNERnet – our inner energies, especially our intuition.

First, why “once in 60 years” you might be asking?

There are 12 animals in the lineup for the Chinese New Year and 5 elements, which equates to this formula of 12 x 5 = 60. The “Rat” is the FIRST of the animals, so it is considered to be a VERY AUSPICIOUS BEGINNING for the next 12 years. In addition, it’s not just a new year, it’s a NEW DECADE!

This is a rare game changer! It’s an EXTREMELY POWERFUL time in our lives. Let’s take full advantage of it!

YOUR INNER WORK

Get Rid of Limiting Beliefs

Unlock and change the pathways in your brain to remove limiting beliefs that are holding you back from your full potential.

1) Out with the Old – that means everything old!

Yes, let go of old items that no longer serve you (more later on this). More important, get rid of old BELIEFS. You want to “leave behind” as much “baggage” from the last decade and 60-year cycle as you can.

(It is even more important to “leave behind” the “baggage” from the last 2 years! The baggage could be FEAR, ANGER, HURT, GRIEF, and so much more!)

2) Focus only on positive, life-enhancing energy!

Instead of a focus on unjust things in our world or negative, judgmental issues, turn your thoughts and words into positive alignment. Rather than getting upset with a political view or action and jumping on the hysterical bandwagon as other people do, find a cause or action you can support – one filled with positive energy where you are helping people.

Negative words and energy block the flow of energy, causing illnesses. Positive energy fills you body with vitality giving you MORE energy.

3) There are incredible opportunities ahead this year, and you’ll need to make quick, informed choices. Don’t let these choices be based on “other people’s thoughts and perspectives.” They need to be YOUR decisions based on information you glean from reliable sources and your intuition. Steer clear of mass consciousness spread by the media. You’re only “feeding the dragon” of FEAR, actually contributing to more of that energy.

Conclusion – Think back to January 2020. Would these tips have helped you navigate what was ahead?

I’ve heard it said that: “Out of chaos order is created.” Is it possible the chaos we have been experiencing since 2020 is trying to create a more balanced order in our world?

I’ll be sharing more from my 2020 newsletters to help you prepare for the New Year. No matter what New Year it is – whether it’s a Western, Chinese, or Lunar New Year – simple preparation steps can help you create better energy for the upcoming year.

“Your Mother Almost Killed Me, Her Best Friend!”

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Why do we do the things we do? Have you ever taken the time to figure out what is behind your actions? What is causing you to do the things you are doing?

Maybe you’ve had a little more time to contemplate your actions since the pandemic. I know I have. Several of the programs I’ve taken have asked me to dig deep to find my WHY! Why I do, or don’t do, certain things.

Many of you know I started delivering dahlias to a memory care facility in town a few months ago. I’ve been posting on Facebook various photos of the dozens of dahlias I deliver each week to them.

The reason “why” I’m doing this started with a phone call back in 1984…

“Your Mother Almost Killed Me, Her Best Friend!” Eleanor said in a raging voice! Eleanor was my mother’s best friend.

That call was the beginning of major change, a turning point in my life – in all our lives!

My mother had moved from Southern California to be close to her grandchildren in Northern California. She lived about a mile away from us, an easy walk for my kids to spend time – lots of time – with their grandma.

There had been a recent change in her behavior. My mother was having trouble balancing her checkbook. That was back in the days when we didn’t have computers, just calculators. This situation was unusual, but I didn’t give it much thought.

Eleanor had flown from Los Angeles to San Jose to visit. They both were looking forward to seeing each other. They had been best friends since they met in grammar school, nearly 60 years earlier.

It was late afternoon when I got this disturbing call.

“Linda, you can’t let your mother drive anymore!!! You have to take the keys away from her! She ran several RED LIGHTS! She didn’t stop at any “STOP” signs or signals! A car just missed hitting us! We were almost killed! She could have killed someone – anyone – a child!

It took this drastic event for me to grasp something more was happening to my mom – something more than not being able to balance a checkbook.

My mother was suffering from a rare disease known as Jakob-Creutzfeldt Disease, at least that is what it was called back in 1984. (It is now called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease). It is a rapidly progressive disease that causes dementia, muscular weakness, and ultimately death, which in her case was less than 18 months from the first signs until her agonizing death.

I was ill-equipped to handle this situation. Only a month earlier I had major emergency surgery and lost an enormous amount of blood. The doctors were not able to continue a blood transfusion due to a severe allergic reaction I had when they first started. I almost died. I was weak, foggy-headed, and barely able to walk around my own house much less care for my mom.

Finding a “home” for her was an exhausting, difficult process. There were numerous “nursing home scandals” happening in our area at the time. I visited all within a 25-mile radius of our home and they were horrific!

Ultimately, I chose a nursing home that cared for patients with dementia. Alzheimer’s was not being addressed yet. Boy, have we come a long way – thank goodness!

What I discovered in that process was actually Feng Shui principles although I had never heard of Feng Shui at the time. It took years for me to learn and understand Feng Shui, which is how the built environment affects every aspect of our life.

A key take-away when visiting and interviewing the various nursing homes was how they felt. How they made me feel. How it made the staff feel.

The one I chose was one that felt “like home.” It had children close by it (a preschool next door) with the sound of children laughing and playing; there were a few cats and small dogs on the premises; and flowers. Lots of flowers! Some growing in a garden, some cut flowers throughout the facility, and even flower wallpaper.

This story is my WHY to many things I do in life!

 

WHY I want to spend time with family.

WHY I want to create spaces with good energy.

WHY I love to play in my garden.

WHY I love to grow flowers and share them.

WHY I know what to look for in a care facility – any health care facility, especially memory care.

WHY I know that flowers mean the world to those with dementia.

WHY I know that flowers mean the world to those who work in a memory care facilities.

WHY flowers bring JOY to those who give, receive, and see flowers!

They even bring tears of joy to those who see me deliver the flowers each week. This includes the smile and, “No problem!” comment I received from the male FedEx driver whose truck I momentarily blocked while delivering last week’s 7-dozen blooms!

Why are you doing the things you are doing? What is your deepest WHY in life?

Please share with me in an email, on Facebook, or in a personal note.

Blessings,

Linda Lenore



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“Love-On-Your-Home” Is Self-Love: Flowers

Alstroemeria & RED Mini-Carnations

Most of you don’t know that in a previous life I worked in a florist shop. It was during an extremely challenging time in my life. My son, Jeff, had gone to the Emergency Room at the local hospital all three days over the Labor Day weekend, each day with a severe headache. With a different doctor each day, it was a nurse that had been there everyday who finally insisted they do a CAT scan, only to find the root problem was a blood clot requiring surgery. Unfortunately Jeff died a few months later. The flower shoppe played a major role in my grieving, and ultimately my healing, from this traumatic even

To this day, several of the lessons I learned while under the tutelage of a wise British woman, Irene, and her talented floral-creator daughter, Adele, have contributed to my respect for, love of, and craving for flowers both inside and outside my home. The hospital where Jeff was born, and ultimately died, was just 3 blocks from this shop.

Clean water & no leaves

I quickly discovered the circle of life played out in this arena.Plus during the two months before his death, Jeff delivered flowers to unsuspecting souls whose eyes lit up and smiles unfurled as he handed bouquets, plants and a few stuffed animals to celebrate, delight and heal bodies, minds and spirits. (He also received tips from many, which helped him purchase a remote control car he assembled before his death.)

 

What I learned in the flower shoppe:

  • When there is a death, there is usually a birth within a 24-hour period.
  • Always start with a good foundation – a clean vase – washed with soap and water, or possibly bleach.
  • Use the food packet – the packets you get contain sugar (nutrients), an acidifier (to maintain the water’s pH level so flowers can soak up the water), and bleach to kill any bacteria.
  • Give the stems a fresh cut since exposure to air seals the stem.
  • Cut the stem at an angle for more surface area to drink up more water.
  • Be sure to remove all leaves that will be in the water because the leaves rot and often are the carrier of diseases.
  • Check the water level daily. Keep the arrangement out of the sun or direct heat to prolong their beauty.

RED Mini-carnations

Yesterday my husband said how much he appreciated I “beautified” our home with flowers. First, I found that surprising because in 28 years he has never made a statement along those lines. Second, as I was removing the 4-week-old blooms from the dining room table vase, he started asking more questions about the new flowers I had purchased. Why did I use bleach to clean the vase? Why do I remove the bottom leaves? Why do I cut the stem at an angle?

As I was putting these beautiful Alstroemeria buds in the vase, he asked, “Will those buds open?” With a smile I said, “Yes, by tomorrow they will be open.”  And because they are buds, they will last 2-4 weeks. With delight in my heart from his awareness of this ritual I do, I was overjoyed I had been able to find one bouquet of RED mini-carnations to add to the arrangement. Since it’s only about a week after Valentine’s Day, finding anything RED is very unusual. 

This is a way I “Love-On-My-Home” as well as giving myself “Self-Love.” Go get some flowers for your home and your heart! Then, please share it here!

 

Double Eagles Create Eagle Heart: A Valentine’s Day Full of Love

Inspired at Valentine’s Day 2012, this piece by First Nation artist Roy Henry Vickers depicts two Eagles and a heart connection.

Some pieces of art really move me. They touch me deep in my soul. This is one such piece. Created by Roy Henry Vickers, a First Nation artist in the Tofino area of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, it spoke to my heart in April 2016. Little did I know the impact it would have on my life.

Vickers says of this piece he created: “Eagle Heart is another one of those magic, inspired creations that comes along one day. This one came thinking of Valentine’s Day 2012, and it was inspired by commen

Two Bald Eagles Who Have Mated for Life. Symbols of Spiritual Soul Mates

ts from fans about a Valentine design that I had created.”

He continues by sharing this: “Eagles mate for life and are a symbol of vision. The courtship and mating ritual of eagles is breathtaking when you see them lock talons high in the sky and spin to the earth in this incredible  aerial dance. They eventually separate to rise to greater heights and do this dance all over again. These were the thoughts that inspired this creation. I wanted something different for a Valentine’s image this year and out of this desire came: EAGLE HEART.”

I purchased this piece as a symbol of the deep love I share with my Soul Mate, Hilory. We have gone through many health challenges together, some were supposed to end in death. We celebrate 28 years together this year.

The surprising thing is a move we did last year to the Pacific Northwest. In 2016 we still planned to live in California all our lives. Yet, shortly thereafter, life circumstances changed. We decided to move. Now at the waters edge of Dungeness Bay across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Vancouver Island, Canada, and Victoria Harbour, we have these incredible Bald Eagles as our neighbors.

Today, Valentine’s Day 2019, two Bald Eagles landed in a tree outside our bedroom window. Perched together, they posed for an hour for me while I talked to them.

Images are powerful. They connect deep to your soul, moving you towards their reality. What are the images surrounding you? What are they telling you? Are they really what you want? Now is a good time to analyze each piece of art. Make sure they are setting the intentions to manifest your heart’s desire.