Are We Living in a Modern Day “The Wizard of Oz”?

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The other day I had an epiphany, we are living in a modern day, The Wizard of Oz.

Let me paint a picture, binging to life the modern day, The Wizard of Oz we are all a part of every single day.   

Social media in all it’s forms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and whatever other means of picture and status sharing is the Land Of Oz, the magical Land of Oz.  A land which the majority of the population is trapped in, whether by choice or social stigma, the Land of Oz has a sense of intrigue from the young to the old!

The question is not “Are you in trapped in Oz?”but “Who are you in Oz?”

Are you Dorothy looking for a home, a sense of belonging?

Does Oz offer a sense of companionship, understanding, comfort, belonging that washes away the overwhelming sense of loneliness that you feel when you aren’t plugged in?

Or are you the Cowardly Lion looking for courage?

Are you battling something that you believe “no one understands” or maybe you are an introvert that finds the interaction on social media to be the equivalent of social interaction or are you simply afraid to show the world who you really are for fear of rejection or another form of “lacking personal power and courage”? Do you find that while in Oz you are able to really be you?

Or are you looking for your heart like the Tin Man looking for his?

This can show up in a couple different ways are you looking to find the love of your life, wondering if you will ever find your soulmate? Or are you looking outside of your current relationship to find someone who fills the void? Maybe you feel unloved in the “real world” but when in Oz it seems as though everyone loves you, which is measurable by likes and comments?

Or are you The Scarecrow looking for his brain?

Are you constantly looking at research, blogs and informational statuses and groups seeking to increase your knowledge?   Are you hungry to learn more and more? Are you looking for confirmation of what you believe, because your close friends and family view you are “weird” or strange for what you believe? Does Oz offer a sense of “acceptance” for what you believe and/or offer you a quick way to learn new information leaving your brain full?

Or are you one of the witches?

This maybe a hard on to admit, but are you The Wicked Witch of the West?

Do you love to cruise around Oz on your broom looking for statuses you don’t agree with, images that bother you, beliefs that conflict yours or other ways you can slip into keyboard warrior mode and unleash all the internal conflict that overwhelms you? Dumping your fury onto others rather than simply dealing with your own “stuff”? Do you look for ways to find fault in others or “point your finger” rather than to take a “look in the mirror”? Is Oz a buffer that softens your own personal pain?

We all want to be the Good Witch or do we?

Are you Glenda The Good Witch always looking to cheer others up, “like” a post just to “like” it, posting something optimistic even though you can’t really see the positive side of the situation?  Have you been through a lot in life and are able to really see life for the blessing it is and want to share your joy with others hoping they will learn the same lesson you have learned? Does staying positive and bringing joy to others warm your soul and Oz is the perfect place to “do good”?

So who are you?

We all fit into one category, where you fit is not the question.   The question is, “Are you are “the Wizard?”

So, are you The Wizard?

In other words, how are you showing up in Oz?

Are you real and authentic you posting raw statuses, images and comments, unadulterated by social acceptance? 

Or are you hiding behind the curtain of social media?

The Wizard had a voice synthesizer to “up his power”, do you post the true you or do you post to build yourself up to who you want to be, much like your computer possesses a “post synthesizer”?

There are a few truths about the Land of Oz:

There is no getting out of Oz, the methods of social media increase daily, you can’t change the growth of social media, you can only change how you show up on social media. 

You play a role in The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy, The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow, and/or one of the witches, Glenda the Good Witch or The Wicked Witch and at different times that role will change.

The world outside of social media is also The Land of Oz for many     people, they are searching both online and in the world for balance.

The only choice you have in Oz is whether or not you are The Wizard.

You get to choose how you show up and whether or not you expose your authentic self and what others see outside the green curtain that is your computer or hand held device.

Whatever it is you seek: love, acceptance, knowledge or other, know that the world is waiting for you to show up!

Someone else may need to hear what you have to say, where you have been, may need the glimpse into your life is brought forth through authenticity, realness and the raw you!

What if we were all more real, more authentic and more raw? Whether everyone is out of our control. 

But, whether or not you are is in your control.

xoxo

8 Ways to Unstuck Yourself

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It’s time to unstuck yourself!

Being stuck is no fun, whether your stuck at a certain weight, stuck at a job you hate, stuck in a relationship, wherever you are stuck being stuck is no fun!

The hard core reality about being stuck is that the only person who can unstuck you is you, which can be a somewhat painful and dreadful epiphany!

Whether you are a free bird feeling caged or a more cautious individual a little more afraid to pull off the ball and chain holding you back, being stuck is no fun and the quicker you get unstuck the better!

Just like anything in life, getting unstuck is a process, a process which can seem daunting but once the tension starts to ease, you get the wind back in your sail and start to cruise you will be thankful you went through the steps to unstuck yourself and you will be in sailing in gratitude!

8 Steps to Unstucking Yourself

  1. Create the time and space to get unstuck.

You didn’t get stuck over night, getting stuck was a process, so is getting unstuck!

Carve out some time, which will vary by situation and individual, for you to really get clear on your current sticky situation! I get that you may be busy, but honestly make it a priority, unless you just LOVE being stuck. 

Create a space that allows you to really dig deep into your heart space with music that inspires you in an environment that allows you to be creative and diffuse some motivational oils like Citrus Bliss, Peppermint, Motivate or my blend, “Get Out of Bed and Get Going” (grapefruit, douglas fir, tangerine and spearmint).

You can choose to write it out, talk it out, think it out, draw it out or whatever suits your style, just get clarity around why you are stuck with the next 7 steps!

2. Commit to completing the process.

It’s human nature to want to run from situations that are painful or stressful, commit to getting yourself unstuck no matter what it takes, how bad it hurts, or how you feel.  All situations have different circumstances that will have an impact on the “unstucking” process, but don’t give up and stay stuck – is that really an option? 

3. Accept the fact you threw down the exact anchor that’s holding you back.

This is probably the hardest part of getting unstuck and why so many people stay stuck for so long.  It’s not easy to admit that you are why you are stuck, you and you alone.  It’s so much easier and definitely more fun to blame someone else but shifting the blame will leave you anchored while everyone else around you sails!

Yes, it is definitely a possibility that someone co-created with you and you got stuck together but to blame him, her or them for the anchor that holds you back is pointless and won’t get you unstuck any quicker.

4. Look at the angles.

Take a good hard look at the situation, viewing it from all angles.  If other individuals are involved acknowledge the part that each of you played in the process and acknowledge all parties for their involvement. 

It’s extremely easy to place blame on others than to assume responsibility for your actions but really no one is keeping you stuck but you!

5. Get clear on how you could have handled yourself or the situation or both differently.

Although painful to acknowledge you could be placed in the exact same situation again and better to be prepared than to end up not only returning to the same spot but stuck there too!

Yes, it happens but it doesn’t have to happen to you.

This is one of the easier steps with hindsight usually being the better vision, but this step can often be accompanied by some heavy emotions so if you are like me grab a box of tissues because you are about to see how your own choices got you where you are today!

6. Make a list of everything you have learned by being stuck, whether positive or negative do a brain dump and get it all out.

Struggles are lessons, just like school lessons they teach you something and just like school you get to decide whether you learn.  The only real difference from school is that there is no teacher to mark your paper and tell you what you should have learned or to prompt you along so that you pass the test.  You are the teacher so get out your red pen and get crystal clear on the lesson plan because this is the test and if you don’t pass this one with flying colors you will see this test again. 

7. Gratitude

Take a look at the list you made in step #6 with all the lessons you have learned and say, “thank you” for the lessons.  It’s so easy to be frustrated when you are stuck casting blame and wondering why me, but once you have liberated yourself spend some time in gratitude.  If you really took the time in step #6 you will have plenty to say thanks about here in step #7.

8. Celebrate.

Congratulations, you set yourself free! Celebrate being unstuck and all that you learned “unstucking” yourself!  If you don’t celebrate your achievements who will?

Relish in the way it feels to have gotten clear and motivated to achieve the outcome you want and deserve! Save this article for a friend or in case you find yourself with an anchor holding you back!

Wrap It Up and Rip In to It: a Birthday Process

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Birthdays are interesting, they vary by culture, society, family tradition and personal meaning.  The pivotal birthdays always tend to mean more: entering double digits, becoming a teenager, legal permission to drive, drinking age, voting, 30, 40, 50, and 60.  Outside of the “special birthdays” it becomes a personal preference for what birthday holds a significant meaning just like all events in life you get to give them meaning.

I can’t lie I loved turning thirteen and emerging out of the cocoon of childhood and spreading my wings as a teen, although having a strict father meant my aged changing more than my freedom!

My sixteenth birthday was super exciting and landed me at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to receive my driver’s license, it also meant I got keys and a car.  It was also the day I was employed without pay by my parents as a chauffeur to my three younger siblings!

My eighteenth birthday meant I could vote, but I had two years until the next Presidential election so it was more of a verbal title that collected dust on the shelf for a few years, but it definitely felt cool knowing I could vote and fight for my country in war.

My twenty-first birthday meant cutting up my fake ID (sorry dad) and heading back to the DMV to get my “Over 21” ID. 

Since turning twenty-one, I can’t say that any birthday really had the esteem of 13, 16, 18 or 21 but turning 36 years old this year is going to slam the those four out of the park!  I will never forget the excitement of my thirteenth, 16th,18th and 21st birthdays but my thirty-sixth is a birthday that I have decided has special meaning. 

Don’t get me wrong they were four amazing birthdays, collectively they were a grand slam, each signifying each as a home run year, but they packed a certain hype that was created by tradition, society, cultural and family where my 36th birthday is personal. 

This is my year…I finally get “it” whatever it is and my 36th year is my year!

I can’t help but wonder what birthdays and new years would be like if we all began to look at them outside of traditions and Hallmark celebrations and gave them a deep and personal meaning.

This year I went through what I call “The Wrap it up and Rip in to it Process” closing up my 35th year and preparing for my 36th!

First, I grabbed a new journal which is a pale pink leather journal that says “DREAM BIG LIVE BIG” in gold lament writing that I love!!! 

Inside on the first few pages, I wrote a few quotes and verses that I love that really stir my soul to have at hand when I need inspiration, support, uplifting and more! And left a few pages blank to add to as I feel inspired.

About page five I wrote “The Wrap it up and Rip in to it Process: Sending off 35 and Saying Hello to 36 on December 11, 2015 “. 

Then I wrote a column of “thank you” all the way to the bottom of the page.  Next to each “Thank you” I wrote down all the experiences I gave a “positive” and “negative” meaning to that happened in my 35th year. I used my “gratitude journal” which I keep to reflect back over the last year.

Gratitude in the positive is always an easy one where finding gratitude in the “negative” can be a difficult  but once you shift your thoughts around an experience you shift the experience.  Some of the experiences were harder to shift than others but I have no desire to be anchored by any negative experience, so I’m always more than willing to go through the pain to get to the good stuff!

Then I made a “More of List” with all the stuff I want more of in my 36th year at the top of the list was joy, which has lead me to theme my 36th year, Submerge my Soul in Joy!

Lastly, I set my goals for my 36th year, leaving space to add as the year progresses!

“The Wrap it up and Rip in to it Process” is definitely a new tradition for me and one I cannot recommend enough for anyone wanting to shift into the next year more empowered!

xx DRM

Aha Moments on Wholeness

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About fourteen years ago, I had my first “aha” moment as it pertained to my health, my eyes were opened to the power of the human body to self heal & self regulate and the concept of Innate Intelligence. That day I realized the power of chiropractic and the importance of having a nervous system free of interference as well as the devastating affects of stress on the human body.

I can remember that day like yesterday, I can remember the feeling of frustration for not having been told my body’s design & purpose but I also felt a sense of hope that washed over me knowing that health, healing and happiness were well within my reach.

That day marked a pivotal day in my life and I began my journey into understanding my human body and gaining more understanding as to how I could empower my body and unveiling my birthright of true health, healing & happiness!

I believe true wellness is wholeness, a balance in the seven aspects of life: physical, chemical, familial, spiritual, finances, thought, emotion & environment. I do not believe in one-sided wellness for the sum is greater than any individual part.

For me it’s a deep relationship with God, regular chiropractic check ups, proper nutrition, plenty of water, movement, deep and meaningful relationships, financial balance, positive thought and daily use of essential oils.

doTERRA essential oils are an amazing tool to help balance all areas of life facilitating the body to remain in homeostasis/balance allowing health, happiness, and healing to innately occur, as it’s designed to do so.

I truly believe that these gifts of the earth are vitally important in every home because “life happens” and it is better to be prepared for it to happen,  but also because they are an important daily habit for individuals seeking a “wholeness lifestyle”.
xx DRM

 

Human Body Users Manual

What if your birth included a “Human Body User’s Manual”?

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The pursuit of Health, Healing & Happiness; begins with Education, Empowerment & Execution.

Dr. Martha Nessler

What if your birth included a “Human Body User’s Manual”?

There is a significant lack of education on the human body and it’s function…I can’t help but think how this would all be different if we came with a user’s manual!

Although it’s likely that the majority of people wouldn’t take the time to use the manual anyway!

The “Human Body User’s Manual” would have to be an easy read, simplified and digestable. 

Congratulations! You have been given a beautiful gift, a human body. 

It is important to realize you can not make any returns  or exchanges on your human body and that you were created exactly as you were to be created, your Creator made sure of that.

Now that you have your human body it is imperative that you understand you are responsible for the love, care, and attention needed by your human body; the upkeep of your human body is solely your responsibility.

You are responsible for the amount of love and respect your human body receives, do not expect others to love  and respcect your human body the same as you love and respect your human body. 

Knowing this truth, it is important to take into consideration anything and everything that is recommended to you about your human body before you make decisions considering your human body. 

Remember, you only get one human body and there is a strict no return and  no exchange policy. 

Everyday Function:

Your human body possess an innate intelligence and is self-governing & self-healing.

Innate Intelligence assures your heart will beat, your lungs will breathe, your food will be digested, your legs will move your body, your fingers will type, and all other internal and external function is under the control of the central nervous system; similar to universal intelligence assuring the sun will rise and set, your internal functions will occur. 

The central nervous system is the master system and directs all other functions of the human body, it is wise to have your nervous system assessed regularly to assure all messages are being relayed from the nervous system.  It is important to know that stress impairs the function of the nervous system and effects the human body’s ability to self-govern and self-heal.  There are seven areas of stress that have an effect of the function of your human body: chemical, physical, emotional, familial, financial, spiritual, and environmental.

Stress comes in two forms eustress or good stress and distress or negative stress. 

The human body will send you signals when it is in a state of stress or dis-ease whether it is eustress or distress.  These signals come in the form of, but not limited to: diarrhea, aching head, sore muscles, constipation, palpitations, or other maladies and it is imperative that you acknowledge the signal and seek immediate balance.  These signals are the number one communication your human body has with you, please do not “shut them off” instead “balance them”.

The truth about stress is some of it is within your control and other stress is beyond your control–do your best to not contribute to the interruption of your human body’s function via unnecessary stressors.

Everyday Maintenance:

Body Fuel:

You are responsible for what you put into your human body, the fuels you put into your body will determine the function you will receive from your body; “organic fuel” is recommend for enhanced performance.  Your human body is organic within nature and utilizes “organic material” fuel, which is why consuming “whole foods” is the best fuel for your body.  You are not “man made” and “man made fuel” may impair function.

Organic fuel is a term for all the fuel that comes from the earth and when “organic”, “grass fed”, and/or “natural”  can be used, do so, it is the purest form of fuel.

Body Function:

Your are responsible for all your human parts both inside and outside, remember the internal function is governed by Innate Intelligence but, you are still in charge of any interference and maintaining integrity. 

Your human body needs to be kept moving … motion is life.  The more you keep your body moving early on the more your body will move later.  The limbs of the human body require motion externally to stay lubricated internally.   Your thoughts control your reality, keeping positive and motivating thoughts will empower and inspire your human body to function better, think of it as fuel for the mind.

Dis-Ease and Emergency Management:

In the case of dis-ease or even disease it is important to remember “there are no returns or replacements” it’s easy to forget when adrenaline is rushing and your human body is in “flight or fight” mode and trying to save your life.   Even in an emergency, do your best to stay in control of your human body and seek to become properly balanced.

It is advised that you seek and utilize “organic and natural solutions” first and that you have your nervous system assessed by a healthcare professional, such as a chiropractor to assure that there is no interference with your Innate Intelligence.

In case of an extreme emergency, when your human body is in danger, it is important to have council pre-established so that you have someone who can help to make decisions for you and your human body.   It is advised to establish your “council” in advance and making sure they to understand the importance of education, empowerment, and execution and have a fundamental belief in a human’s right to Health, Happiness, and Healing.

Do remember that your human body was created with intention and came with all necessary parts and organic chemicals, it is not lacking.

If it is recommended that you remove a piece of your human body, it is your responsibility to gather all necessary knowledge and to ask a plethora of questions and assure that you have exhausted all possible “natural solutions” because you cannot just go buy a spare part.  Additionally, it is extremely important to realize that if in the event of an emergency, removal of a component of your human body such as an organ becomes necessary in order to sustain life, then certain and necessary modifications will need to occur because every aspect of the human body is important!

If you are recommended a “man made chemical” for your organic function please realize that it is your responsibility to assure that you have learned what the chemical is for, why you need it, long term side effects, and any other information as it pertains to the “man made chemical” and it is advised that you seek “natural solutions” when possible. 

MOST IMPORTANT PLEASE remember:  you are solely responsible for you human body and there is a strictly no returns, no exchanges policy!

“The time has come for individuals to take back the reigns of health care and steer their individual journey to Health, Happiness, and Healing”. 

Take Back the Reigns to H H & H

But, in order to achieve the three H’s: Health, Happiness, & Healing, individual’s need the three E’s: Education, Empowerment, & Execution; this manual is a MUST READ.  The three E’s: Education, Empowerment, and Execution are crucial in the pursuit of Health, Happiness, & Healing!  The truth is there is a major lack of Education and Empowerment, which diminishes the likelihood of execution; it’s difficult to execute that which you do not know or without the power to know you can.

The shift begins with you, by …

 asking more questions,

doing your research,

 and then making an informed  and educated decisions.

“The pursuit of Health, Healing & Happiness begins with Education, Empowerment & Execution.”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5

A Legacy Never Dies

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The hardest part about living on the other side of world…is living on the other side of the world.

Since Friday, I have resisted the tug on my heart strings to board a plane and head to La Grange, Illinois to look into my grandmother’s (Maudie) eyes one last time and whisper, I love you.

My Maudie is the most beautiful woman, inside and out, she is elegant and poised, love emanates from her very being, and her piercing blue eyes warm your soul, simply stated, she is Love.

My grandmother has always had a special place in my heart, not only because she is my grandmother, but because she my is maternal connection on this world to my mother who passed when I was two years-old.

Yesterday, I received a call that Maudie had passed on to finish her earthly journey and continue her journey with God.

Of her life and her love, I would say,

I was truly blessed to have known and to have been loved by such a beautiful, God-fearing woman.

I love you, Maudie, Thank you for the legacy.  It is through you and Pop Pop that I have truly learned the art and importance of loving and being loved.

In 1996, my grandmother blessed each of her grandchildren and her husband with a hardbound copy of her memoirs, A Glimpse Into My Life.

A Glimpse Into My Life, is a irreplaceable, invaluable book filled with wisdom, history, and love – written in my grandmother’s handwriting – it’s something felt rather than to be expressed.

In her honor, I will share some of her words and wisdom, it is my wish that her life inspires others as it has inspired me, although she has passed her legacy lives on.

A Glimpse Into My Life, by Jean Condon Murphy

The inscription is simple yet profound,

            To Martha with Love,  Maudie

            -isolated moments of recognition-

The pages in this book are written randomly, not in any particular order. It is just remembering – “thinking back”, and passing it on.

The inscription is this book sums up her memoirs in a proverbial nutshell, isolated moments of recognition in no particular order, filled with wisdom that comes with living.

Saturday, I picked up A Glimpse Into My Life to feel connected to my Maudie in spirit, to lessen the distance.

There are no coincidences in life, I opened her book to page ninety-six, the insert on her mother, my great grandmother, Kathleen Victoria Fagan Condon.

Maudie spoke of her mother’s spirit, her love, her belief in God that strengthened her, her losses, her joys, what she brought to this world, and her passing.

Maudie shared the deep pain and sadness she felt that she was not physically with her mother, a pain I currently can relate to with my physical distance from her.

She then went on to say:

I think of my mother often. I also think about loneliness – how the body perhaps is not aching, but certainly the spirit is…

Her words are profound and they are exactly why I picked up A Glimpse Into My Life, my spirit yearned to feel that connection.

I learned early on it is possible to feel someone who is not physically present if you allow yourself to connect emotionally and spiritually – reading her memoirs allowed me to really feel her.

She continued on about my great grandmother’s legacy,

And she left a legacy…

It is good to have dreams – consider your skills and talents and use them wisely and well – be able to love, and to laugh above all, to serve with joy – to look forward to each tomorrow and never, never to despair.

It’s like my grandmother wrote her own epitaph, as she wrote this for her mother – these words sum up Maudie’s legacy, a legacy that is beautiful, eloquent, emanating in love and service.

I love you, Maudie…

            Your Legacy Lives on.

 

 

Is it possible to regret what you have done, yet not regret who you are?

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Is it possible to regret what you have done, yet not regret who you are?

Or by regretting what you have done are you regretting who you have become?

It is inevitable that throughout life, most, if not all, individuals will have one experience or more that leaves them asking internal questions such as, “What was I thinking?” or “Why did I do that?” or “I can’t believe I thought that was a good idea!”

The interesting paradox in life is all that we have done in the past creates who we are today in the present, yet so many people live in regret over what has happened in the past.

I have definitely had my share of experiences that were unpleasant and at the time I felt extreme sadness or regret in regards to the event, but there is a difference between experiencing regret and allowing regret to minimize your experience.

There was a time when I didn’t understand that both what had happened to me and that I had done, positive or negative, depending on how I perceived it; molded who I was today.

Once I was able to understand that every event I had experienced, whether I was actively or inactively involved, had a direct influence and contributed to my existence and my self-evolution.photo

By realizing each event plays an integral role in one’s journey, allows gratitude for all experiences, regardless of perception, because each event plays an integral role in one’s evolution as a human being.  It is imperative that individual’s acknowledge where they have been and what they have done reveal who an individual is today.

Exhausted from living in regret? You are not alone.

You are simple shift in perspective away from setting yourself free and releasing the weight of sadness that only anchors us to perceived negative experiences, freeing yourself to fully live.

Shift your perspective and watch your existence elevate with these easy steps:

Change the meaning of the event for YOU.

It is important to understand that YOU give meaning to all your experiences; they are not negative or positive until you decide their meaning in regards to your perception of the experience. YOU and you alone decide whether an experience is positive or negative.

It’s okay if your perception varies from others involved in the same situation.

It is possible that two people can have the same event happen at the same time, same place, same environment, and have a different perceived outcome.

Live in gratitude for all your experiences, while you were creating them they were simultaneously creating you – molding you.

Simply shift your perceived outcome of the event(s) from negative to positive – how can something that has contributed to your existence be negative?

Every event that has happened to you over the course of time has contributed to the individual you are today, without all that YOU have been through YOU would not be you!

Replace regret with content, “I am content with what has happened”, relish in the knowing that all events have propelled you to your current position in life – embrace gratitude.

Don’t let past experiences paralyze you, free yourself of regret and allow them to propel you.

It is common that individuals allow events to paralyze them, rather than embracing the experience and allowing it to propel them and enhance their human expression and existence.

There is a misconception that only the positive experiences in life propel us and mold us, shockingly, if it is allowed the negative experiences often have the greatest ability to enhance human existence.

Shift your perspective – shift your life!

When force is applied to matter it either molds it or breaks it, the same is true of each and every event in your life, they will mold you or break you – be putty in God’s hand and allow Him to mold you!

Enhancing Life Expression,

Dr. Martha Nessler@drmarthanessler

www.drmarthanessler.com