Tonight I'd like to share with you an experience from yesterday. Now before we start, this is not about gaining sympathy, this is about proving a point, so please read through to the end.
Yesterday I decided to tidy up my storage shed (I have downsized for now, and leaving everything in storage until I am ready to up-size again). I took down some more stuff, but I had decided to restack it and make it easier to find stuff as well as create a bit more space.
As I arrived there was a removal truck and two burly men offloading it. I grabbed a trolley and headed up in the lift to my floor. Just my luck, they were offloading the contents of that truck into the storage unit opposite mine. I squeezed past and spoke a few moments to the woman standing outside, wearing all white and carrying a clipboard.
'You must be Kerrie', I said shaking her hand before heading into my hidey hole. Surprised, she stared at me questioningly.
'I saw your name on the side of a box downstairs,' I explained with a laugh. 'I'm a writer, I notice things like that!'
Anyway, I spent the best part of an hour lugging my boxes around, dropping heavy ones on top of others and breaking a few things. (I'm not really the most muscle bound person)
All the while, Kerrie, stood outside her 'unit', ticking things off, not lifting a finger (or breaking a fingernail!), while the burly men did the job.
I could hear them from where I was and I admit. more than a few times I felt a little sorry for myself, having no burly men (or women) to call on to help me out. In short, I was feeling unsupported by the Universe.
As I drove home my lower back was aching and I was in a lot of pain, which I could say was from tired back muscles reaching over, under and around with heavy boxes....but was it?
I thought about the feelings I had been experiencing, the emotions and unsupported-ness I had felt and I had an Aha! moment.
I said 'I know that I was feeling as if I was on my own, that a part of me was envious that I didn't have someone to help me with my heavy lifting. I admit that I was feeling sorry for myself and was blaming the Universe for my current situation and having to do things by and for myself...BUT...I acknowledge that this is what has caused this deep seated pain in my lower back. I acknowledge and embrace my emotions and feelings...and now I am ready to let both the emotion and the pain go. And so it is done!'
...and it was!
I was still tired, but the searing and gripping back pain caused by feeling alone in my world diminished. Something to think about isn't it?
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

Tonight I am going to share a personal story with you. As some of you know, almost 5 years ago, my husband Butch passed away (actually it is 4 years, 11 months and 13 hours, but who's counting?!). After he passed I pretty much lost my faith in everything, even Spirit....but at the same time, I desperately wanted to hear from him. He was sending signs and letting me know he was around, but like everyone who loses someone they love deeply, I wanted more. I was also profoundly depressed, so my vibration was so low, him coming to visit me would have been as easy as a plane landing in super thick fog....
So, anyway, a group of us decided to go on a road trip to the Gold Coast to see a highly recommended psychic. It was all going to be very exciting. We were going to stay the night there in a flash hotel, drinking strawberry daiquiris and chilling.
When it was my turn to have a reading one of the first questions I was asked was how long Butch and I had been together. (I have a feeling the first question, which should have got my antenna twitching was whether I was happily married, and I replied 'Well, I would be, but he's no longer here!')
I told her we'd been together just over 25 years, and she  said 'Oh no, only 12 years.'  I told her, 'No, we had definitely been together for over 25 years.'
She looked me in the eye and said 'Yes, but he didn't love you for the last 13!'
Well, I was shaken to the core. I was already depressed, this helped me sink to an all time low. I couldn't ask Butch to confirm or deny, and although she spoke for the best part of an hour, I didn't hear a word she said. All I could do was sit there, stunned, wondering if what she said could possibly be true.
I made light of it when we left, but within the hour, I had become really ill. Every part of me ached, I couldn't stop coughing and sneezing. I wanted to vomit so badly, I didn't think I would make it to the hotel.
We had all had 'interesting' readings, as I found out later, but in my weakened and grieving state, I was susceptible to the words she spoke. I won't go into my emotional, mental and physical state, but I can assure you it was very difficult to do anything except cry (or try not to, in front of anyone else).
This reading had a huge profound effect on me. I felt as if the rug had been pulled out from underneath me and that I had been living a lie for the last 13 years. I inspected every memory from the past and looked for clues or hints that would confirm what the psychic had said.
I became more insular and hid away from everyone, using my subsequent illness as an excuse. I actually felt ashamed, believing the truth had been staring me in the face and I had never noticed it. It took six months before I could even tell my Mum and daughter about what she had said. They both told me that it was a 'crock of shit', because anyone who knew us, knew how amazingly in love we were and how wonderful our love and relationship was....and you know what? Deep down inside, I knew that!
In time, I realised that what my family said was true, that this woman had not spoken my truth, or Butch's. I learned a valuable lesson from this, I learned that words have the power to maim, and sometimes kill. I also learned how not to do a reading. I learned never to allow my emotions to affect what I had to say to anyone, in a reading or in my day to day life.
Now you're probably wondering why I am sharing this story with you. Well, this morning, as I was about to leave for work, a strange thing happened. I tried to turn off my stereo, but the remote wouldn't work. I changed the batteries, still it wouldn't work. I listened to the words of the song, because I knew then that I was receiving a message. The song was 'True Love' and I stood there in my lounge listening to the last half, pushing the 'off' button. The song almost finished, and the radio station changed by itself and another song with a poignant message was playing. I found I could increase or reduce the volume using the remote, I could change the setting to dvd/cd, etc, but I couldn't change anything else (because you just know I had to try...!). The second song finished and my stereo switched off.  Message complete.
As I stood there, I could feel Butch's presence and arms around me, pretty much like in the picture above. What a beautiful way to start my day.....even if my eyes seemed to have developed a leak!
Our loved ones send us messages all the time, in so many ways. Sometimes we need to be open to what they are trying to say. I can't remember the title of the second song, but the words finally put to rights what this woman had incorrectly  told me a couple of years back. If only I had taken more notice then and trusted in what I believed to be true...
If someone does a reading for you, always, always ensure that it resonates. Don't just believe they have the answers just because they can talk to Spirit!
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

Lets talk about comfort zones tonight. I'm going to tell you a little story... (surprise, surprise! Not!) I have a favourite pair of boots that I wear every time I go anywhere. They are comfortable, easy to put on and extremely versatile. Of course I have had them a few years now, so they are no longer on the market anymore. Even though they are falling apart, I haven't been able to replace them. I wear my boots when I massage, heal, work, party, visit, shop...well, you get the general idea...
I would go to the shops to find a new pair, but they never looked as good as my old faithfuls, and I was sure they wouldn't be as comfy. After all, it had taken years to wear these ones in, did I really want to go through all that again?
Tonight I was out shopping and saw a shelf of boots in a shop I don't usually frequent. I had a half-hearted look, but dismissed them all. The person I was shopping with, pulled some down and insisted I try a pair on. None of them looked like the ones I was wearing...I wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to even consider these ones, they were so radically different.
My friend insisted I try a pair on....and Oh My Goodness, all I can say is that it was just like stepping into a cloud!
I hadn't noticed how, over the years, my trusty boots had lost any kind of support and comfort.
And thats how it is with our comfort zones. We get so used to being in them, we sometimes don't see how awkward, uncomfortable or un-stimulating they are. We just go about our days, believing we are in the best 'zone', the one that best suits us or our needs, and we sometimes refuse to look around for anything better...but oh, when we do....we find out we can be just as, if not more comfortable on the outside of that zone we have hidden away in for so long.
..as for my new boots...they have pride of place by the door, ready for the morning...looking forward to my feet being in their new comfort zone.... ( I thanked my old boots for the amazing job they had done to get me thus far, telling them it was time I moved on without them...)
As I drove home, I thought about all the times I could have moved into a different kind of comfort, but I didn't because I wanted to stick with what was familiar...so I'm sharing this with you, so you can ponder about your own comfort zones and whether it's time you 'stepped out' as well. xx

For quite some time I have been getting nudges to write a book by Spirit. I had already begun one, which I was halfway through, when the nudges started turning into jostling and then full out jostling.
In June I went to visit my Mum and I told her that I felt I really needed to pause on the other book briefly so I could start writing this one. She asked why I was resisting writing the new one. I didn't really have a valid reason...don't you hate it when that happens?!
On the flight home, I pulled out the huge notebook I take everywhere, and began rapidly writing. The passenger next to me made a comment about how fast I was writing. It was almost as if my fingers had a life of their own, as the pages filled in a short space of time. After two hours, I put the pen down, knowing that , apart from a little proof reading and editing, the first part of my book was complete.
That same passenger turned to me and said 'As you wrote that, I was reminded of a song my Mum used to sing "I'm going to write the story of my life".'
I looked at him and said 'Well, that's pretty close. It's the story of 'our' life.' As I said that, I knew I had the name for my book.
This book will be written in separate 'parts', which eventually, will combine to create the 'whole story'. Each section will cover a different aspect of our lives, life plans, why we are here, karma, dis-ease and problems within our energy fields as well as what happens when we pass over. Of course this is only my perception, opinion and belief. I don't expect everyone or in fact, anyone to agree with me. What I do expect is that this book will create a question, discussion as well as being thought provoking.
If you purchase the first part, you will be notified when Part 2 is finished and given the option of buying it for AUD $2.00 as well.
If there are any changes to Part 1, ever, you will receive an updated copy by email at no extra charge.
When the book is complete, if you have purchased every 'Part', you will receive the whole merged e-book for free, in the format of your choice.
To purchase Part 1, please visit the Contact Cherie page. The details are at the bottom of the page.
with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx

Today I was talking to someone about a decision they were struggling with. They were in love with someone, but that person was moving to another state and they weren't sure whether they should go along. This person did lots of logical analysis telling me all the reasons it wouldn't work and perhaps they should just stay put, and...see what developed....This is how our conversation went:
Me: So if you don't go, will you regret it?
Them: Well, yes. But what if it doesn't work out?
Me: What is the absolute worst thing that could happen?
Them: I could end up in a strange place with no friends.
Me: So have you made friends where you live now? What is the difference between making friends here or there?
Them: Hmm, well I have a family member I need to be around. I can't let them down.
Me: If that family member had a chance to do what you are doing, would they stay there for you, so they wouldn't let you down? ...just asking... I love asking the 'hard' questions!
Them: Well, I guess I needed someone to ask me probing questions, to help me get things in perspective.
Me: Life is full of opportunities. Some work. Some don't. There are no guarantees in life. So, ask yourself: 'In 20 years time, will I be living in regret or will I be happy with the choices I've made.' You are young. Even if you are stuck there for a year or four, it's only a small dent in your life span...and think of the wonderful experiences you can have there that you can't have right where you are now!
This was followed by a huge explanation of how the current plans this person had might not be compatible with the move, for a variety of reasons...and then they mentioned the 's' word....
Me: Are you trying to convince me or you?
Them: Me.... I'm 'scared' it might not work out. I need to stop thinking and let whatever happens happens.
Me: Yes, you are over-thinking, trying to be logical and rationalise and analyse. Just 'be'!
Them: And if it's meant to be, it will be!
Okay, so this wasn't quite what I had meant, so I decided to try my favourite ploy for helping people to recognise what they really want to do, but they are so busy focusing on what could go wrong, they can't 'hear' it.
Me: Okay, so think of the very worst thing that has ever happened to you. Where do you feel it? What does it feel like?
Them: My Heart? Like something's consuming it.. Like being breathless?
Me: Now think of the best thing. How does it feel and where?
Them: My heart and my tummy. Like everything is floating.
Me: Now think of the person you love. Which feeling do you get?
Them: The second one, because they are one of the best things that's happened to me!
I won't mention that I jokingly suggested meeting me was probably THE best thing in their life!
Me: Okay, so now think about moving.
Them: It scares me...instead of butterflies, it feels like rocks in my belly.
Me: Now think about staying right here.
Them: I don't know, I suppose I feel neutral...flat.
Me: Now think about not ever 'hooking up' with them again.
Them: Sad.
Me: Where?
Them: My heart.
Me: Now think about being with them/married.
Them: Butterflies and happiness..
Me: Where?
Them: My heart and my tummy again.
Me: So, can you see the pattern here? Your body will never lie to you. The bad and the good feelings are your true barometer. All else is fear. Fear isn't real. It's something we create so we don't have to leave our comfort zone.
Silence
Me: Gotcha!
This person came up with a viable solution that would enable them to test the waters and re-organise their life to incorporate this big change. As they told me their new 'plan', I couldn't help thinking: 'This person has gone from a place of fear and indecision to talking like someone without regrets! How awesome is that?!

How often do we feel the fear and believe doing nothing is what we really want to do? How often do we listen to the rocks in our stomach instead of the butterflies in our heart?
When we align with our emotions/true feelings, we are able to work out what we are creating with fear, and what is our true course.

Remember fear is what we create to avoid stepping out of our comfort zone...it isn't truth....it is our imagination taking flight. Lets bring it back down to earth, so we can realise our truth and our desired path.

with love, respect and integrity
Cherie xx