Have you read The Secret Language of Dogs by Jocelyn Kessler? We think you should.

From left: Sam Sykora, Kris Cartier, Sylvia Hopkins, Hillary Peacock, and Sarah Cwiertniewicz.

• Albert Einstein ascribed the theory of relativity to a dream he had as a young boy.
• Thomas Edison dreamed of an electricity-powered lamp.
• Dr. Frederick Banting discovered insulin in his dream—and won a Nobel Prize.
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was inspired by her dream/nightmare.
• The Twilight series was dreamed by stay-at-home-mom Stephenie Meyer.

Will you be next on this famous list of dreamers? Forthcoming May 1, 2013 from Conari Press, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.

“Are they standing at the bar, constantly fidgeting, taking up a lot more space than they need, talking at other people, laughing loudly at their own jokes, flipping beer coasters, shuffling their feet, impatiently drumming their fingers on the bar counter?”

If so, they have a FIRE sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius).

“Are they sitting at one of the better tables, studying the menu and their pocket calculator, scarfing down the free nibbles?  Have they put their bag and neatly folded coat on the seat opposite to mark out their territory?”

They have an EARTH sign (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn).

“Are they perched on a bar stool, gabbling into their cell, pecking at their Blackberry, playing advanced Tetris, or just smiling at themselves in the bar mirror?”

They are none other than an AIR sign (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius).

“Are they sitting in the dark, easily defensible booth way off in the corner with their back to the wall and a barricade of some kind in front of them?  Or can you not see anyone who fits their description in the bar?”

They most definitely have a WATER sign (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces).

For more information on compatibility by sign, check out last week’s post.

Also check out: Zodiac in Love and Astrology for Lovers

Tip #1: “Load up on tomatoes. It turns out that tomatoes are high in lycopene, which is an antioxidant that helps you feel alert and energized. Lycopene is present in all forms of tomatoes, but if you get most of your tomato intake from pizza and pasta sauce you may be adding a lot of energy-draining carbohydrates to your diet. So take your tomatoes raw whenever possible.”

Tip #2: “Stretch your armpits. Want to know the oddest place we hold tension? The armpits. When we open and stretch this area, we open the chest, stimulate the lymph glands, and just feel better.”

Tip #3:  “Sniff an orange. Really. When your mental energy is flagging and you must keep on concentrating, sniffing certain smells actually can increase attention. So says the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. Try citrus—an orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit half. Fresh rosemary, jasmine, ginger, eucalyptus, spearmint, or peppermint also work.”

Tip #4: “Consider cordyceps. Cordyceps is a Chinese remedy for fatigue and general rundown feeling. It is actually a fungus that stimulates the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream, giving you an energy surge. It also helps restore the adrenal system. It is available in capsules at health food stores; follow label instructions.”

Now that sounds a lot easier than training for a marathon while on a juice cleanse, doesn’t it?

Forgiving ourselves and others for things that have happened in the past is key to creating a new year filled with more joy.

How can we find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have harmed us?

In Enchanted One: The Portal To Love author Sheila Applegate suggests that True Forgiveness is key to creating a life of love and joy.

In the chapter on Forgiveness Sheila writes,

“Opening to love inevitably brings us to a very powerful understanding of forgiveness. When we truly reach the place of surrendering into Divine love, we begin to understand that everything that has ever occurred has been perfect. We are not victims. No one has ever wronged us. This is hard for us to take in. True forgiveness is not accepting that someone has wronged us and deciding to forget it and move on. True forgiveness is coming to the understanding that everything you have ever faced in life has been a gift of love to bring you closer to your remembrance of One-ness with the Creator. Yes, even the most painful lessons are gifts of love.” (extended excerpt)

As you embrace this new year, you have a choice, and your choice is always the same.

Do you choose to live in a place of Love or Fear?

Take a moment to reflect back on all the wonderful things that happened to you in 2012.

Make a list of all the things that you love about your life in this moment.

Then reflect back on the difficulties you have faced in the past. Allow yourself to feel gratitude that these events have led you to the space you are right now.

If it is difficult to see the beauty in life in this moment, push yourself to find three simple things that you can be grateful for.

Then make your new year’s resolution to do something each day that will support you in finding joy.

Suggestions: Read positive books, listen to enlightened talk radio, play music that you love, reach out to a friends for help.

Tell us: what are you grateful for today? How will you create more joy in 2013?

Share your comments below and to show my appreciation and support I am making this special offer (in addition to the offer below).

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Sheila Applegate

As a clinical therapist, motivational presenter, author & teacher, Sheila’s passion is to provide a forum for people to process emotion & integrate spiritual understanding into their daily lives. Her new book, Enchanted One: The Portal to Love, provides readers with a guide to embracing love in every moment. www.sheilaapplegate.com

In celebration of the release of Enchanted One, Sheila is offering this raffle contest for multiple chances to win one of two Amazon Gift Cards.

“Beyond what we know about the heart, is there anything else we can do to prepare for the ascension and ease our passage through the pole shift? Back when I first began to think about these things, I would have said, “Head for the hills, grow your own food, know where your water is, stock up on plenty of rice and beans, pray hard, and wait it out in a sustainable dwelling.”

Part of me still feels like this is a good idea, but I’ve learned a few thinks in the last four decades, and what I see now is that going up country could be part of it, but because it’s a vibrational shift, where we are at the physical level really doesn’t matter. Moving through it is more about being on the right frequency than it is about being in the right location with all the right stuff. A city dweller with an open heart would have a much easier time moving through this process than a sustainability freak with a defensive attitude.

Regardless of who we are, or where we’re coming from, one way or another all of us will move up to the next grid level. Those of us who aren’t in attunement will die physically and be resurrected in the Fifth World. Through the Law of Resonance, the ones whose hearts are awake and vibrating on the Earth’s new wavelength will ascend right along with the planet. It’s that simple.

As we wait for the Great Mother to deliver herself, the best way to prepare for the shift is to do things that help you remember to go into your heart.”

–from The Weiser Field Guide to Ascension by Cal Garrison