Ask and You Shall Receive

We are powerful manifestors who create our realities with every thought, belief, intention, and action… whether we are aware of it or not. Sometimes we look at our lives and wonder how we got here. As we evolve through our consciousness, we realize things are not happening to us but rather happening through us. We rise through the understanding that we are not victims of circumstance, but creators of our reality both consciously and subconsciously. Although there are circumstances which we agreed to experience on a soul level prior to this incarnation, we have the ability to heal, transform, and shift many of them.   

A few weeks ago, I had a powerful experience that I will never forget. After a long power yoga class, I went for a hike with a friend in the Pisgah Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. We stopped by the ranger station to get recommendations on a hike that would be challenging. The hike they suggested was five miles and we were told it would take about 2 ½ hours, which could easily be finished before dark.

While deep in a conversation, my friend and I quickly combined our things into one backpack. Because we were mid-story, we were not present with the packing and inadvertently left many things in the car. In fact, all we took with us were two bottles of water each, a bag of snacks, bear spray, a bell, and a cell phone (which was out of service range). All the other things we might need were left in the car (first aid, bug spray, microfiber beach towel, extra clothes, etc.) We were rushing because we were anxious to get started, so we could make it back before sunset.

We were enjoying our hike but the trails were not marked well, the map was not to scale and was hard to read. At some point while we were talking I said, “someday I’d like to camp out under the stars, feel the earth beneath me, and surrounded by the trees.” I also mentioned, I was not sure I’d really do it because of the bears and other critters.

After a few hours of hiking and having difficulty navigating the confusing trails, we decided to head back (it was a few hours before dark). By 7:00pm it seemed we were going the wrong way, so we tried a different trail. The map was not helpful and even with a phone compass, we were lost. We had one hour of day light left and needed to get down to the car quickly. By 7:30pm we still seemed nowhere near the bottom of the mountain and had a decision to make between 1) hiking in the dark with only 40% battery on a phone which could be used as a flashlight, or 2) wait until morning to hike back. We hiked in the dark for a while and realized it was a bad idea. We found a dirt clearing with some spaciousness and a large fallen tree that we could sit against.

We ate snacks for dinner, zipped the bag up and hung it up in a tree far away from where we were camping. We each had about 2/3 a bottle of water, the bear spray, a bell, and a small empty backpack that only one could sit on. I was wearing a light weight tank top and running shorts. My socks and shoes were damp from crossing a creek. He had on a short sleeved t-shirt and shorts. Our beautiful 80 degree day quickly cooled off and the temperature got down to 50 degrees during the night.

We both decided we needed to stay positive and pray. We did not want to inadvertently manifest worst-case scenarios by thinking about or fearing them. We certainly learned a good lesson in preparedness, and even though most of what we needed was in the car, we mentally added to our list for future hikes. We were kind to ourselves and one another. We did not engage in critical self-talk or judgments about how we mispacked or got lost. We had extreme gratitude for the things that were going well. We even found humor in our situation and laughed often.   

Although we were platonic friends, out of survival it was necessary to cuddle, using body heat as an attempt to stay warm. We were still very cold, but with the warmth it calmed down the chattering of our teeth and the shivering of our bodies. Often startled by acorns and branches falling from the trees, we used the flashlight to check for critters. Laying directly on the ground, we became one with the dirt and rocks and used our water bottles as pillows.

After what seemed like the longest night, at 6:30am the sun started to rise and we began our descent down the mountain. We had hiked 6 miles the afternoon/evening the day before and then an additional 4 miles the following morning on zero sleep. With the heater on high, the car ride out of the forest toward home was the best ever! Somehow I knew this was an experience I was meant to have and would never forget. After all, two hours after I said “I’d like to camp someday” we were camping.

Despite the temporary discomforts, I was grateful for all of it. My ability to be present was tested, and I did well. This was an experience that could have created fear, but I was not afraid. I deeply trusted that we were safe and would make it home the next morning without any issues. Food, a shower, and my comfortable bed had never tasted or felt better. As I laid down that day for a nap it felt as if the forest was breathing inside me and that we were truly one. After a long night in the forest it felt like my brain had entrained more deeply to nature. I was also grateful for several powerful downloads received from my guides.

It’s amazing the way our perceptions and experiences reflect back whatever we need to see. This happens through the people in our lives and all that surrounds us. It gives us an opportunity to look within and at our lives, with the ability to self-correct if we don’t like how we are thinking, feeling, or where we are heading. We can choose to see the glass as half empty or half full. Wayne Dyer said, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

If thinking, feeling, and experiencing life as you desire is not happening for you, it may be time to do some inner-work. The common denominator in each of our lives is ourselves… in every relationship (including the most important relationship which is with ourselves), every situation, and every experience. This doesn’t mean that everything will turn into rainbows and unicorns and be magically perfect. However, perfection can be realized in every experience… even in those that are uncomfortable, as opportunities for healing, growth, release, rebirth, or whatever is present and necessary. You are a powerful creator being and have the opportunity to create your life as you choose, from the inside-out. Divine soul, it is time to reclaim your power!