Leaning on Angels
When Life Is Hard
Earthly life is not for the faint of heart! No matter who you are or what your circumstances, no human is spared pain and challenges as aspects of their journey. It’s simply part of the gig.
But one of the angels’, and especially your guardian angels’, main tasks is to help comfort and guide you through these challenging, painful seasons. When you are feeling scared, sad, defeated, or confused, get in the habit of immediately contacting your guardian angels. They can offer you comfort, wisdom, practical guidance, and in some cases even dramatic intervention.
Make it your default response to reach out to angels when life gets hard. The hard times are always easier to handle with help from the angels.
Let Angels Help You Process
and Move Through Difficult Emotions
There is great spiritual and emotional value is sitting with difficult emotions. However, it can be uncomfortable and painful to allow yourself to feel and examine emotions like sadness and anger. The angels want you to know that you won’t have to sit with these emotions alone—your guardian angels will be right by your side. Also by your side will be a group of healing helper angels who specialize in emotional health. These angels will give you the strength and courage to process your emotions. They will also soothe you along the journey and help you access the information your emotions are trying to convey. (You should never feel shy about seeing a professional counselor for emotional help, too. Many times, angels alone are not enough.)
We tend to avoid our difficult emotions because leaning into them simply doesn’t feel so hot. Sadness breaks our heart, and anger can make us feel frustrated and out of control. But the angels want us to know that feeling all our emotions, even the difficult ones, is an essential part of our human journey. To bury our difficult emotions or distance ourselves from them is like seeing a classic movie but fast-forwarding through all the sad, tense parts. Those sections of the film inform the story and give it depth and meaning. If you don’t watch the whole thing, you won’t really experience the movie at all. If you don’t process your difficult emotions, you aren’t really present for this magnificent movie your soul is starring in! And trust me, it’s a classic.
Not processing difficult emotions can also cause health problems. These emotions become toxic to you emotionally and physically. They might cause or exacerbate illness in your body, and they might stunt your emotional growth and your relationships with others. If you don’t admit to your pain, you cannot seek out real healing from healthcare professionals, loved ones, or even Spirit.
Processing your difficult emotions is the only way to learn the valuable information these emotions are trying to convey. Anger might teach you a lesson about your boundaries—we often discover where our boundaries are when they are crossed. Anger can also teach you what is important to you, where you stand on an ethical situation, and what you want to change about the world. Sadness can teach you how much something or someone means to you. Sadness can let you know when you are off track in your life purpose or when something vital is missing from your life. (If you’re having trouble figuring out the message or messages behind an emotion, ask your angels for help. They will usually give you a sense of the message or whisper the answer into your mind.)
Processing and sitting with difficult emotions can look like: crying, laughing, beating a pillow, doing some type of physical exercise, talking to a loved one about your feelings, talking to a counselor or therapist or life coach, confronting a person who hurt you and expressing your feelings to them (once you have calmed down, and only if the person is safe to confront), holding a ceremony, journaling about your feelings, talking to your angels, taking action steps to change the situation that is upsetting you, or taking some other appropriate form of action. When you make a commitment to feel your difficult emotions and process them, the angels will send you helpful guidance, such as books or movies or people who can offer wisdom. And remember, you can do this at your own pace, the angels want me to tell you. You don’t have to let the feelings completely overwhelm you. You can examine them in short sessions over time until you’ve worked through the meat of the emotion/situation.
If you don’t process and sit with these difficult emotions, it is very hard to move past them. This is one reason people have trouble forgiving. Allowing yourself to feel hurt or angry, confronting the person who upset you, and expressing your emotions in a calm and safe way (if talking to them isn’t safe or isn’t an option, you can always write them a letter and then tear it up), and talking the whole situation through with a loved one or counselor does miraculous things for your ability to forgive.
If feelings of depression or rage seem to linger even after you have tried to process through them, see a healthcare professional. You may be suffering from a chemical imbalance, hormone imbalance, vitamin deficiency, or other medical condition. Or perhaps what is behind the sadness or anger is a larger issue, possibly even dating back to childhood, that will require the help of a healthcare professional to process and heal. Or this might be just a very large wound with a lot of emotional scar tissue that, again, requires a professional’s help. On a personal note, I must admit that I love talk therapy, and have utilized professional counselors and coaches to help me with emotional maintenance. You don’t have to be in a crisis to seek these folks out or benefit from their assistance. And you don’t have to work with a healthcare professional or the angels. You can work with both, and the angels are telling me they “encourage” you to work with both.
Sometimes sadness and anger can linger longer than is useful, even once you have successfully processed through them. If this is the case, the angels are telling me it’s like “residual, old energy” hanging around that needs to be cleared. You can always ask the angels to help lift this emotion from you. Go to a quiet place where you will be alone. Contact an angel (you could ask for one of your guardian angels, an archangel, or one of the healing helper angels that deals with emotions). Then think, “Dear angel, please take away this painful, heavy feeling. Let me experience lightness and joy again.” It is astonishing how quickly an angel can change your mood, and how dramatically your feelings of malaise can turn to delight. (I have experienced this immediately after praying many times.) But remember, if this mood is trying to tell you something, or you have not processed through your feelings yet, an angel will not change it for you.
The angel realm wants you to know that one of the best motivations for processing your difficult emotions is that this will enhance your more pleasurable ones too. When we hold difficult emotions at bay, we begin to numb ourselves to emotions of joy and wonder as well. When you close off your heart to difficult emotions, you will not experience joy and wonder with the same depth and intensity. And the angels want you to feel joy and wonder fully and completely. You deserve it!
Angel Prayer: Healing angels, I want help processing my difficult emotions. Please send me guidance on how I can work on this, and how I can do this in a safe way and in my own time.
Angel Exercise:
Get in Touch with the Emotions of a Heavy Heart
You may have been putting off processing difficult or negative emotions because you are too busy, or because you feel you have to soldier through the challenges you are facing. Perhaps you fear the emotions are so disturbing that you will drown in them, or you think you need to be strong for a loved one. Maybe (this is usually on a subconscious level) you don’t feel you deserve comfort and solace. You might believe these painful emotions will naturally disappear when the situation that instigated them is resolved (in actuality when the painful situation is resolved these emotions often become more intense and nearer the surface, as you now have the time and space to deal with them more fully). Possibly no one has ever taught you the value of processing negative emotions or shown you how to go about doing it.
The angels want you to know it is not only safe to experience these negative emotions, but it is necessary. If you don’t, your heart will become heavy, and it won’t work properly—in an emotional sense. Once you begin to process these emotions you will feel more strength and peace. As you start processing more recent emotions, emotions long buried and never processed, from as far back as childhood, will likely begin to surface. Your guardian angels want you to do this exercise as often as you need, or routinely a few times a year as “heart maintenance.” Your guardian angels are never too busy for you, their number-one project, and delight in standing by you as you perform exercises like this one. Angels love to do work on your heart since your heart is the engine that fuels your compassion, tenderness, and love, and therefore is very closely linked to the angel realm.
It’s best to do this exercise with a journal. Ask yourself the following questions, but first, with all the exercises in this section of the book, say a prayer either aloud or silently that the answers you receive will be from the angel realm and from your higher self, the part of you that is closely connected to Spirit and an eternal wisdom. Try to make your mind very still and calm as you ask yourself these questions, and wait to hear answers. If you have trouble quieting your mind, ask your guardian angels for help. We’re going fishing now, and we don’t want to scare off the best catches with a bunch of chatter! Some of the answers you receive will be things you already know but have been avoiding, and others will be brilliant ideas that come as a total shock to your conscious mind, originating from a place further inside yourself—or straight from your guardian angels.
Place your hand over your heart. Feel the warmth of it through your chest, feel the rhythmic, primal beat of it in your bones. Take a few moments to close your eyes and get in touch with your physical and emotional heart. Once you are grounded in heart energy you might feel more vulnerable, more peaceful, more loving, or more emotional. You should definitely feel a change.
Then ask yourself, “What is weighing heaviest on my heart right now?” Write any answers that come in your journal. If you feel the need to cry or comfort yourself with a hug at any point, stop and do so. Your guardian angels are close by right now, helping you uncover answers, giving you courage, and sending you love. Healing helper angels who specialize in emotional health are probably also present now.
Keep your hand over your heart for all the following questions, and next ask: “What am I afraid of most right now?” Write down the answers in your journal.
Next ask, “What is causing me the most pain and sadness right now?” Write down the answers in your journal.
Next ask, “Why am I resisting the intense emotions I am feeling?” Write down any answers.
Next ask, “What do I use to avoid, bury, or deny my feelings?” Write down any answers.
Next ask, “How am I downplaying the emotions I am feeling either to myself or to those around me?” Write down any answers.
Next ask, “Who am I trying to protect by burying or denying my negative feelings?” Write down any answers.
Next ask, “Is there someone who taught me to bury emotions as a coping mechanism when I was a child or once I became an adult?” Write down any answers.
Next ask, “How can I safely begin to process these emotions?” Write down any answers.
Next ask, “How can I process these emotions at a pace that feels manageable and safe to me?” Write down any answers.
Next ask, “What lessons do these painful emotions want to teach me about myself, self-care, boundaries, activism, change, life, my relationships, my work, or love?” Write down any answers.
Next ask, “What else does my heart want to express about the pain I am feeling?” Write down any answers.
Finally ask, “What messages does my heart have for me that I have not been willing to hear until now?” Write down any answers.
Angel Exercise:
Gaining Support When the Heart Is Heavy
The second heavy-heart exercise helps you identify ways you can support yourself, and seek support from others, as you process through these painful emotions. The exercise also offers ideas for how you might add a bit of lightness to that heavy heart you’ve been walking around with. Again, this exercise can be done without a journal but it’s helpful to have one.
Angel Exercise:
Angels Can Help Carry Your Heavy Heart
This next exercise is ideal for when you or a loved one is in crisis, and the intense emotions swirling around your little world are not likely to settle down anytime soon. During these periods a heart heavy with negative or difficult emotions needs help simply moving forward through life, one beat at a time.
In a room where you can be alone, close the door and block out noise and get in a comfortable position, either seated on the floor or lying down on a bed or couch. Address the angels out loud in a soft, calm voice: “Angels, I have had so many painful, intense emotions lately that I need your help carrying this heavy heart. I know you are always with me, but I am asking for extra assistance right now. I realize that I am never a burden to you, and that you delight in my call for aid. Give it to me now, and let me feel the benefits of your help immediately.”
The following is a guided meditation. Read a few sentences, and then close your eyes and spend a minute picturing what you have read. When you have spent enough time on that image, open your eyes and move on to the next one:
Meditate for five minutes, or longer if you choose, on these images and the feelings they bring up. You might picture the details of your daily routine at home or at work, floating on your angel feathers. Or picture a stressful situation you’ve been dealing with, now handling it from the soft comfort and support of your bed of angel feathers.
Angel Exercise:
Allow Guardian Angels to
Fill Your Heart with Hope & Love
Now that we have done some work on processing the heavy, painful emotions you have been carrying, there is room in your heart to add even more lightness. Since your heart became heavy with these painful emotions, you might have lost touch with many of the joys and blessings of your daily life, and most probably have lost touch with a sense of hope for the future. As always, your guardian angels can help!
In a room where you can be alone, close the door, and block out noise, get in a comfortable position, either seated on the floor or lying down on a bed or couch.
Address the angels out loud in a soft, calm voice:
“Guardian angels, please reveal the current blessings in my life, from which I may draw pleasure and strength.”
Quietly listen for any answers. These might come to you as thoughts, mental images, feelings, or words spoken into your ear directly from your angels. Once you feel the angels have given you their answers, you might want to record these answers in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, which people or situations in my life should I feel more hopeful about?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, who can I hang out with or talk to on the phone to make me laugh?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, which chores or duties can I take off my plate so that I have more time to play and do activities that make me smile?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, who in my life is stronger than I think?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, what surprising blessings does the near future hold for me?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, what surprising blessings can I look forward to in the distant future?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, how can I find more joy in my daily life?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, what in my life right now should I be celebrating?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Now ask, “Guardian angels, who in my life really believes in me?”
Quietly listen for answers, and record them in your journal.
Epic Challenges
When you experience challenges, it does not mean that God is punishing you, or that your angels have abandoned you. Quite the opposite: Many struggles you face in life are brought to you straight from Spirit, at the exact moment when God and the angels know you are ready to grow and evolve by facing an epic challenge. The fact that you are being challenged only shows the faith that your guardian angels have in your ability to now walk through the fire with grace and courage. You may not feel ready for this epic challenge, and you might even go kicking and screaming at first, before eventually settling into a grudging acceptance of your fate. But your angels know you are ready to summon forth those undiscovered/uncharted parts of yourself that can rise to this occasion and will grow from the experience.
No life is ordinary, or unimportant, thus your existence deserves the same drama, emotion, and adventure as a knight on a quest in an ancient fairy tale. A good story has conflict, and characters that change and evolve—your story is no different (and is the most important story you will ever know or tell). The same precious metal that made up Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, and even Jesus Christ is what your soul was forged in. Yet some of your greatest assets—patience, talent, bravery, activism, leadership, resolve, loyalty, faith, compassion, wisdom—may lie dormant until activated by an epic challenge sent to you from Spirit.
An illness you face could teach you how to heal others. A loss you suffer could make you more compassionate to the suffering of every living creature. An injustice you or a family member endures could inspire you to become a powerful activist. Whether the challenge you face ends up helping you, thousands of strangers, or simply one other person does not matter. The angels want you to always remember that every act of love and kindness, however small, holds within it the power to change the world.
When you face a challenge, your angels will be there to bring you the opportunities, people, and resources you require. They will also help you activate and bring forth the inner qualities you need, just as Arthur found he had the power to pull a magical sword from a stone, and just as Jesus had the ability to turn water into wine.
Angel Affirmation: When I face an epic challenge, my angels will help me discover the epic courage, grace, ability, and opportunity to rise to the occasion.
The Benefits of Surrender
Your guardian angels want to gently remind you that sometimes attaching to outcome can be the most stressful part of a stressful situation. It’s natural and healthy to have goals, pray for what you want, and put your shoulder to the wheel as you work toward your desires. But when plans don’t turn out as you anticipated, and the outcome of cherished dreams seem uncertain, it’s a sign you need to surrender the situation to Spirit.
There are huge, practical benefits of surrender. First, it’s a relief. Stop strategizing toward a specific outcome. Take the appropriate action steps, mulling over the situation only as much as is productive, and then give your mind a break. Likewise, you need an emotional rest from the yearning you have been feeling for a specific “happy ending.”
Surrendering also allows your angels to better work their magic. Once the mighty human will has been made to heel, you free up mental space for your angels to whisper words of comfort and wisdom into your brain, and for you to recognize and act upon this guidance. These angelic ideas might be key for a kind of happy ending of some sort, even if it’s not the one you previously envisioned. And when you aren’t so emotionally distraught it’s easier for the angels to do healing energy work on you. Just as it’s easier for a doctor to work on a patient who isn’t struggling on the table, so is it easier for angels to work with you when you surrender. Also, once your powerful free will isn’t trying to force a specific outcome, the universe is freed up to bring you a different, often better and more appropriate outcome!
Just because you surrender the outcome of a situation to Spirit, doesn’t mean you stop praying. Instead of praying for exact ways the situation might resolve itself, pray for grace, wisdom, mercy, and miracles. And don’t get too hung up on what those will look like when they appear, or how or when they will come.
Surrendering is an exercise of trust between you and Spirit. You are holding up your end of the bargain by taking action steps to resolve the situation as best you know how and by following the guidance of your guardian angels, but without forcing an outcome or specific set of circumstances and staying open-minded. Spirit and your angels always have your highest good in mind, and will work with you to make your highest good, or highest potential, a reality. Trust your guardian angels right now, as emissaries of Spirit, to shine a light in the darkness, and show you the most advantageous path forward—it may not be the same path you’ve been trodding.
Angel Prayer: Guardian angels, send me mercy, wisdom, grace, and miracles as I surrender the outcome of this situation to Spirit and my highest good.
Angel Exercise:
Forgiveness with the Angel Realm
Angels forgive immediately, completely, and unconditionally. This is not how humans experience forgiveness, and that’s okay. Angels can see all of us: our past wounds, our challenges, our intentions, our full spectrum of emotions regarding a situation, our souls. And angels are telling me that one of the biggest differences between them and us is: Angels “don’t take things personally.” That makes it much easier for angels to forgive us. Angels see humans as children, and like a devoted parent, an angel knows that humans sometimes do things to hurt others simply because we don’t know better. And angels live in heaven, a dimension of love, where forgiveness is much more intrinsic—more “natural,” the angels tell me.
Often humans need a little help forgiving, and we can borrow some angel dust to do so. Other times we may need to accept that forgiveness is not possible, at least not right now. When someone has wounded us or a loved one very deeply, it is best perhaps to work on accepting the wound, and expressing the feelings of sadness, disappointment, and anger that come with it. Once we express and explore our feelings, we can begin to move on from this wound and, if appropriate, the person who hurt us. I believe true forgiveness is not always possible or necessary. Healing, however, is always possible and necessary.
When forgiveness is possible, it’s important not to use it as an excuse to ignore painful feelings, or the wound that caused them. The first step in honestly forgiving someone is expressing your emotions. You must admit and express these emotions to yourself—and preferably to a third party as well, like a therapist or loved one. I think it’s also important to let someone know they hurt you before you can really forgive them. This isn’t always possible (perhaps communicating with them directly would put you or someone else in danger). If the person who hurt you has passed on, you can express your painful emotions to them in a letter or a prayer. They will be listening from heaven, I can assure you of that.
The following exercise will engage the angel realm to help you forgive someone who hurt you. (Before performing this exercise, spend some time exploring and expressing your emotions about the person who hurt you and what they did.) For this exercise, choose a person who has recently upset you, or someone you have been trying to forgive, maybe even for years, but just can’t. Focus on one person at a time. You can perform this exercise as often as you want, for as many people as you need help forgiving. You might want to do this exercise with a journal—especially if this is a big wound or a person who is integral to your life—where you can write down and record any insights.
First go into a room where you can be alone and shut a door. Quiet your mind and assume a comfortable position sitting up.
Say the following out loud: Guardian angels and any other angels who are experts at emotional healing and forgiveness, please be with me now as I work to forgive someone who hurt me.
Now state the name of the person you want to forgive (first name is enough), and then recount how this person hurt you.
Now explain to the angels how this incident made you feel. Take your time and explore some of your emotions. If you need to vent or to cry, that’s not only healthy but expressing your emotions around this situation will actually make it easier for you to forgive. Give yourself as much time as you need with this step.
Tell the angels why you are having trouble forgiving this person. (Some reasons might be: You’re still upset by what this person did, or this person never apologized, or you’re afraid if you forgive them this person will only hurt you again, or you’re afraid forgiving them will be like saying what they did was okay.)
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear angels, Why did [name] hurt me? Quiet your mind and be alert to any answers from the angel realm regarding this question. You might hear the answers in your mind, get a gut feeling, have an insightful thought enter your head, see an image that offers answers, or just receive a sudden knowing.
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear Angels, Does [name] realize how badly I was hurt by their actions? Take at least a minute or two to pause, and stay alert to any answers.
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear angels, Does [name] regret hurting me? Take at least a minute or two to pause, and stay alert to any answers.
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear angels, Would [name] take back their hurtful actions if they could? Take at least a minute or two to pause, and stay alert to any answers.
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear angels, why is [name] in my life? Take at least a minute or two to pause, and stay alert to any answers.
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear angels, is it possible that I can forgive [name], yet their role in my life has come to an end and we should part? Take at least a minute or two to pause, and stay alert to any answers.
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear angels, would [name] and I benefit by being in each other’s lives for years to come? Take at least a minute or two to pause, and stay alert to any answers.
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear angels, is there a wound or trauma or mental/emotional condition [name] experienced/experiences that triggered them to hurt me? Take at least a minute or two to pause, and stay alert to any answers.
Ask the angel realm the following: Dear angels, what lessons have I learned from this wound, and/or what blessings in disguise have come from it? Take at least a minute or two to pause, and stay alert to any answers.
Now picture the person who hurt you … as a child. If you know what they looked like as a child, picture them that way now in your mind’s eye. If you didn’t know them as a child or never saw a picture of them from when they were young, imagine what they looked like as a child. See them playing, or being cuddled by one of their parents. See how young they are. How innocent. How trusting. How happy. Recognize that there was once a time in this person’s life when they had, hopefully, not yet been knocked around by the world. Not been lied to or hurt or abused. This is how the angels see them. That innocent, loving child is still inside the person who hurt you, even if this inner child is buried very deep down. Connecting with the inner child of the person who hurt you might help you forgive them.
If forgiveness still feels elusive with this person even after you have completed this exercise, don’t feel guilty and don’t blame yourself. Forgiveness can be very challenging. And the angels tell me that forgiveness does not always happen on this side of the veil—sometimes true forgiveness comes in heaven. The angels were with you during this exercise, and you did everything right. You can try this exercise again in a week or so, focusing on this same person. Or instead of forgiveness, perhaps you need to work on moving on from this wound and possibly even this person. Keep working on expressing your emotions, and nurturing yourself as you do so. Talk to supportive loved ones you trust, and consider seeing a professional therapist too. The angels love and support you, always, whether you are able to forgive or not.
Disappointment Can Be a Sign
of Something Better on Its Way
Your guardian angels know you are disappointed when a major opportunity or job or person or adventure doesn’t work out the way you planned. Your guardian angels want to remind you that no experience is ever wasted. You have learned and gained much from this situation, even if you don’t realize it yet. And those lessons will prepare you for other opportunities and jobs and people and adventures that are more suited to you.
There are treasures awaiting you, many of which were set in motion with the help of your guardian angels before you were born. These divinely orchestrated opportunities and jobs and people and adventures will shine like jewels to you, and will seem as if they were forged in the womb of the universe for you and you alone. That is because they were made for you and you alone. But if the experience you just went through hadn’t ended, it would have kept you from those treasures Spirit has set aside just for you. Try not to blame yourself. Yes, you may have made a few mistakes, but some things were simply not meant to be. Let that knowledge bring you peace.
While you are hurting over the wound of a major disappointment, be gentle with yourself. It’s not important that you understand exactly why things happened the way they did right now. (I didn’t realize a job I desperately wanted and was denied was wrong for me until something even better came along six months later. And I didn’t realize a relationship I was in that ended was wrong for me until I met my husband a year later.) It is only necessary for you to have faith that you are still on the right path, and that your guardian angels are by your side every moment, loyally standing a 24-hour guard over your existence. Nothing that happens to you escapes their notice. Your guardian angels are always working behind the scenes to bring you closer to your dreams, and to those treasures that were claimed as yours before you were even born.
Angel Affirmation: This disappointment is not the end, and a new beginning custom-made for me is right around the corner.
Changes Big and Small
Change is a reality of life your guardian angels want you to get more comfortable with, because change is the first ingredient in any miracle. Because the angels want you to become a master alchemist, one who can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, it is essential that you find a way to navigate through changes big and small so that your natural fears of change don’t stop you from experiencing all the glittering, gold-dust magic life has to offer.
Ultimately your sense of safety and security should come from your connection to Spirit and the angel realm. All the other details of your life could change in an instant: your friends, your family, your job, your home, your health, your financial situation. The constant is and always will be Spirit, its love for you, and the angels that Spirit sends to watch over you closely every day. The benevolent constancy of Spirit, and the affection and protection of your guardian angels, will never change. Let that unshakable foundation be what grounds you when the future is uncertain, when events leave you blindsided. Let it be what comforts and nurtures you when changes make you feel vulnerable and frightened. Let it be a promise, let it be hope, and let it be the certainty of a safe landing when the topsy-turvy nature of life makes you feel like you’re in a free fall.
But the angels want you to let this foundation of faith be even more. Your guardian angels want you to use your faith to take more risks, to take advantage of new opportunities presented to you. The angels want the assurance of their love and guidance and protection to allow you to proactively make more changes in your life, big and small. Changes that challenge you. Changes that nurture you. Changes that fulfill you. Changes that offer you a different perspective. Changes that bring you more joy. Changes that set you free. Changes that make life feel like an adventure. Changes that help you grow and learn, even if they don’t work out quite the way you planned. Changes that help you help yourself, and changes that enable you to help others. Changes that might feel a little scary, but exciting!
Call on the angels for support when life throws you a cosmic curveball, and for courage to make the changes your heart yearns for.
Angel Prayer: Angels, let me know you are walking beside me through changes both big and small, and help me find the resolve to initiate those changes that will bless my life and expand my world.
Concentrate on the Little Things
When the big things aren’t going your way, concentrate on the little things. Angels love life’s details: lavender eye pillows, essential oil perfume, a framed print from your favorite artist, a hot cup of peppermint tea, soft sheets, a new hairstyle, laughing with a cherished friend, snuggling with a pet or a loved one, a good book. Angels appreciate life’s details because to angels, every inch of the human journey is precious and magical. Not just the big stuff, but the little stuff too.
Angels also know that the big things—building a career, working on a relationship, starting a family, saving money, earning a degree—can be challenging. Big projects can take a long time to pull off. Big projects are roller coasters of wins and losses, peaks and valleys. And there is only so much control we have over the big things in life. Some of these outcomes are in the hands of Spirit, or are at the mercy of people and factors we can’t do much about, like the will of others, the state of the economy, etc. When we get too caught up in our big projects and schemes, or if we’re frustrated that the big things don’t seem to be going our way, stepping back and turning our attention to the little things can be very calming and healing. Just like concentrating on angels is calming and healing, concentrating on the little things is calming and healing.
The details in life are the best way to nurture yourself, period. Think about the nurturing you get from your angels. Sometimes an angel will save your life, get you a job, or help you find a mate. But your need for this kind of dramatic angelic assistance only happens occasionally. More often angels are interacting with you in your everyday life in much less sensational ways—in the details. Angels whisper words of reassurance in your ear. Offer insightful ideas about a work project that just pop into your head. Help you find the words to comfort a friend. Send your favorite song to you on the radio or in a store. When you’re burnt out from working on the big stuff in life, or disappointed because a long-held dream isn’t turning out the way you want, or you’ve just got so many big things in transition in your life that it’s become incredibly stressful, you need to nurture yourself. This is when the little things become like Band-Aids for your soul, dabs of divine salve.
Concentrating on the little things is more manageable and gives us back a sense of control. Little things give us a break from the headache of big projects. Little things allow us to lavish ourselves with pleasure and comfort, which gives us back our sense of gratitude. If you’ve been throwing your hands up in the air over a big project, or tossing and turning at night worrying about your future, treat yourself to a latte. Schedule a massage. Go to the store and get the ingredients for your favorite dinner. Put a little bit of money aside every week in a jar. Take a twenty-minute walk in nature. Watch a favorite funny movie. Clean out a closet. Make a phone call you’ve been putting off. Research a new hobby. Start a journal. Schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider to have your vitamin, mineral, and hormone levels checked. Take a cooking class. Organize a photo album. Clean your desk. Buy some comfy new socks. Pick one or two pieces in your wardrobe that have been bugging you and update them. Get a free makeover at the makeup counter. Take yourself out to breakfast and sit and linger at the table over the Sunday paper and a cup of coffee. Get dessert. Paint your nails. Sit down with a child or mentee and share with them one of your greatest life lessons. Teach a dog a trick. Plan a close-to-home, cheap weekend getaway with your partner or a friend. Give someone flowers. Give yourself flowers! Give someone a card and inside write down everything you love about them. Watch the sunset. Start a daily fifteen-minute meditation practice. Take a yoga class. Book an Angel Reading with me. Whatever you do, do something little. Do a bunch of little things.
Thinking about the big stuff too much can make life feel heavy. Spending time on the details brings a sense of lightness back, like floating through life on angels’ wings. The angels want you to remember that there is nothing insignificant about this earthly journey you’re on. Spirit is in every detail, and when you concentrate on those details they illuminate your life as much or even more than all those big, bright stars you’ve been chasing.
Angel Affirmation: I pay close attention to the little things, for the magic and wonder of the universe is revealed to me in the tiniest details of daily life.
Angel Exercise:
Dedicate Your Day to Someone Who Has Passed On
This angel exercise is intended to ground you in the everyday pleasures of being alive. The angel realm wants you to be more present in your life, to recognize and savor every detail. Often your guardian angels will send you signs and messages meant to wake you up to the joy and meaning in the present moment, like playing your favorite song on the radio, orchestrating an afternoon off when you are overworked, or encouraging a child or pet in your life to give you an unexpected hug or kiss. Likewise, the angels will help you make the following exercise special and memorable.
First, pick someone who has passed on to dedicate your day to. I find this exercise most powerful when I dedicate my day to someone who has passed away young, whether they passed as a child or an adult in their prime. Dedicating your day to these folks reminds you how grateful you are to simply be alive. It can also be inspiring to pick someone who had a real passion for life and found joy easily. You can pick someone you knew, like a close friend or family member, or someone you heard about in the news who touched your heart. Another benefit of this exercise is it can make you feel closer to a deceased loved one, if that is whom you choose to dedicate your day to.
Next, start the day by formally dedicating it to the person who passed on. This should be done with some degree of sacredness and ritual, although the dedication doesn’t have to be lengthy or involved. A simple prayer, or a note written down in your journal, will suffice. This makes an impression not only on you but gets the attention of your dedicatee in the Spirit world. (Don’t worry, though, angels are expert messengers and will make sure your dedicatee knows they are being honored by you that day!) Include the angel realm in this dedication, asking that your guardian angels help you make this day extra special by sending you surprise blessings and experiences that will delight and inspire both you and the person you are dedicating your day to on the other side. (This really works! Be certain to note these angel gifts at the end of the day in your journal.)
Now, from the moment you step outside your door in the morning or start moving through your day in your home, imagine everything you do from the perspective of the person who has passed on, who would probably be thrilled and excited to have one more day on earth even though they are happy and at peace in heaven. Ordinary activities like eating a bowl of oatmeal with honey take on a sensual decadence. And even routine chores like showering or cleaning the kitchen start to illicit a feeling of gratitude. A hug from a coworker or loved one, a smile from a stranger, a puppy jumping on your leg can suddenly seem like mini miracles.
If you are dedicating your day to a child who has passed on, see the world through the wonder and curiosity and delight of a child’s eyes. If you dedicate your day to a relative or friend who has passed, perform some of the activities you know they would enjoy so you feel closer to your departed loved one.
And here’s the best part: As you go about your day, make sure to imagine how much the person you dedicated your day to would enjoy these moments. Because … guess what? They are enjoying them! They’re watching your day unfold, right along with you, from heaven.
When You’re Afraid,
Angels Are Closer than Ever
It is tempting to think that Spirit has abandoned us when our lives turn upside down, but the truth is that when you are afraid, your angels are closer to you than ever. You may not be able to see them, but angels are all around you when you are going through times of crisis and challenge. When the future seems uncertain and the present feels unstable, knowing that angels are near can keep you calm. And when you can get a grip on your fear, when you feel grounded and secure, you will make better decisions because you will no longer be making decisions from a place of terror and desperation, but from the knowledge that you are supported by Spirit. The angels are showing me that when you are in crisis and overwhelmed by fear, it’s like an alarm is sounded at a fire station. Your own angels jump into action: sliding down poles, gathering hoses, and racing to where you are so they can help put out the inferno.
I first experienced how angels can calm intense fear, and how they are more present than ever during times of crisis, thirteen years ago when my health started to fail. It seemed like one thing after another: stomach problems, hormone imbalances, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, low thyroid, heavy-metal toxicity. I was able to keep working and lead a somewhat normal life, but there were a couple of particularly low points, and a few healing crises. Twice I experienced bottoms where I doubted if I could go on, and during both of these periods I felt absolute terror, on a level I have never encountered before or since. It felt actually terrifying and very unsafe to be in my own body.
The first time I doubted if I could go on living with my condition was around the time I fell ill, and the experience helped solidify my faith—I finally had to simply look up at the sky and say, “Help!” I began praying and journaling to Spirit in a way that I hadn’t since I was a teenager. The connection I made to Spirit and the angels, and the signs and guidance I received from them, was what gave me the courage to walk through that specific crisis with my body in a way that was—most of the time—calm and confident. Once I felt Spirit’s presence so strongly, it was hard for me to go into the fear of my illness. It was hard to feel anything but safe, no matter the current circumstances of my health. I learned quickly that Spirit was, in my time of need, closer to me than ever, and the guidance Spirit gave me was clearer than ever. This is something phenomenal about crisis: You will start to receive guidance from your angels that is so obvious, so dramatic, so loud, that you’ll almost want to look up and say, “I get it! I hear you!” The reason you don’t have to let fear overwhelm you in a crisis is because Spirit ramps up its care and attention toward you during these moments.
My second major crossroads in my healing journey (more than ten years ago) was different, mainly because I was already grounded in my faith. Yes, I was still terrified—but only initially. It didn’t take long for me to remember the lesson my illness had already taught me—Spirit and the angels were closer than ever. Naturally I had days where I felt scared, cried, or became depressed. Days where I was angry at Spirit and questioned why this was happening to me. But much more often I was able to look at the experience almost as a treasure hunt or game, wondering what new opportunity to heal or learn Spirit would send me that day. Would one of my doctors have a new suggestion about a supplement I could try or a test we could run? Would a friend recommend a book about diet or meditation or self-care? Would I overhear a conversation at my local food co-op that might have some special meaning for me? Would Spirit speak to me through the advice of a loved one? How would I feel Spirit with me when I walked in nature—in the reflection of the moon? In the sound of the wind through the trees? In the face of a child passing by? Just like my last major crisis with my health, I felt the presence of Spirit more strongly than ever. Synchronicities and guidance came down the wire constantly. It didn’t take long for me to start trusting that Spirit would send me everything I needed to get through this phase of my life. When fear flared up, my relationship with Spirit helped extinguish the flames relatively quickly.
During both of these health crises, I made some bad choices, cost myself some time, cost myself some money, made things way more difficult than they had to be, didn’t nurture myself enough, alienated people, occasionally wallowed in self-pity. In short, it was no picnic! But without my faith that Spirit was right beside me on my journey, I wouldn’t have just made mistakes. The fear of my situation would have crippled me. Without a trust in Spirit, I don’t know if I ever would have healed. If I had, it would have taken me so much longer and been so much harder. That’s because with the reassurance of Spirit’s presence keeping my fear in check, I was freed up to pay attention to and act on all the guidance I was being given about how to heal and manage my condition.
I’m sharing this personal story because I think it illustrates the benefits of leaning on your angels in times of fear. And by telling you this story I’m letting you know that, like everyone, I have been in the trenches. When I say that staying close to your angels, reminding yourself of their presence, and watching out for their guidance will help you keep fear in check—and even help you move more quickly and easily through a crisis—I am saying this from firsthand experience.
With the help of many people I did eventually heal most of the conditions I suffered from, and have felt absolutely fantastic and full of energy for the past five years. I still manage my testy tummy, get my hormones and thyroid checked regularly, and stay on a strict regime of supplements and a special diet. My healing journey started fifteen years ago, and it continues today. Whenever I feel fear overwhelm me, I think of my angels.
The angels are showing me an image of glowing white shields. The angels are telling me that during times of fear and crisis they surround you like shields, protecting you, and allowing you, a soulful warrior, to safely forge ahead.
Angel Affirmation: Spirit does not abandon me during crisis. When I am scared, my angels are closer than ever. I watch for their guidance and comfort.