Hi All,

Today the angels talk about our up and down cycles. We share some tips about turning the down around more quickly so we can enjoy the higher, happier times again.

Have a blessed & beautiful week :)
♥ Ann

by Ann Albers in CA

My dear friends, we love you so very much,

If you've ever been on a Ferris wheel, you know you will go up and down often quite a few times. You expect these cycles, and you enjoy the whole ride. Likewise, for those of you who like roller coasters, you know you'll go up and down, up and down, up and down. You enjoy the ride. You don't worry about flying up uncontrollably or crashing at the bottom.

In life, however, you have been conditioned very differently. You have been trained to feel wonderful in your up-cycles and not so great in your down-cycles. When your money is increasing or stable, you feel good. When your relationships are blooming or stable, you feel good. When your world seems to be on an "upswing" or stable, you feel good. When things aren't so easy you don't feel so great. You can learn to find good even in the down-cycles, always knowing that an up-cycle is sure to follow if you allow yourself to enjoy the ride.

As we've often said, you do not have to participate in the world's down-cycles. You don't have to fall into despair about the economy if you tune into God's economy, which is always abundant. You don't have to worry about the odds of something terrible happening. You'll have God's odds if you reach for better feelings often! You don't have to feel devastated when someone leaves your life, although in the case of death, grieving is a very normal part of your culture. Instead, you can allow for your feelings, and then allow the normal and natural force of life within to slowly beckon you toward a kinder and happier reality once again.

Love beckons incessantly, so no matter what has inspired or caused a down-cycle, love is waiting to bring you back up. If you've lost money, counting your blessings and being grateful for the abundance within may be the first step on your up-cycle.

If someone has triggered hurt feelings, sometimes anger or upset is the first step on your up-cycle as you search for ways to feel powerful again instead of victimized.

If you've been ill, taking time to care for yourself and relax may be the first step on your up-cycle.

There is a human tendency to want a quick fix when things get tough, and we do understand this. Of course, you want to feel better! However, as we often say through this channel in sessions, "Slower is faster." Focus on the small steps you can take to shift your vibration. Reach for a better feeling. Take a little time to be grateful for what is working. Your kinder, more soothing thoughts will shift your vibration, and little by little, you'll have an easier time maintaining the vibration you want life to match.

You can turn nearly anything around, dear ones, unless you've decided you can't. You can't change the whole world. You can't change the decisions and experiences of others to make yourself more comfortable. However, you can always tend to your own thoughts, your own feelings, and your own vibration. In doing so, you become the one who navigates and steers the direction of your own cycles.

Your down-cycles are not necessary for your growth. God doesn't ever test you. Although you do grow through adversity, you can grow by simply acknowledging your heart and reaching for what feels better and inspires you. You can grow joyfully once you learn to stop resisting your very own heart.

Meanwhile, take the tiny steps to move into an up-cycle if you are down. And if you are already up, revel in it. You need not go down. If you do, remind yourself that it is just a matter of finding a better feeling to start yourself back up again.

God Bless You! We love you so very much.
-- The Angels

Hi Everyone,

I had to laugh at the angels' amusement ride analogy. I used to be crazy in love with roller coasters. I was scared stiff of them until about age twelve when I decided I would like it since all my friends and family did. I was already a freak since I loved those rides that turned you upside down repeatedly. So I got on a roller coaster, surrendered, and let go. I had a blast! Since then, I've been on some wild ones, including rides that take up backward and toss you upside down, whip you around corners, put you through a lot of G's etc.

I finally figured out why I liked these crazy rides so much. For just a few minutes of life, I didn't have to be in control of anything! It was a total and complete surrender to the moment. There wasn't time on the ride to think about past or future. You were going so fast that now was all that mattered! The more I surrendered, the easier and more fun the ride. I bounced all over creation half the time since I'm so short, and the bar rarely touched my legs! It was like flying.

I wish I could say I've navigated the cycles of life as gracefully. Like most of us, I used to revel in the upswings, then beat myself up or blame life for a downswing. Now, not so much. I stay up most of the time now, but when I have a down–swing, I think of it like that roller coaster. "Whee! Whew!!! OMG!" I know I will go up again.

I just had a great visit with my family. However, I did eat a waaay more fat and sugar than I've had in years, and after one particularly large meal, my body screamed for mercy! I ended up with a stomach infection and toughed it out on the last day so I could enjoy time with my family. I knew I'd heal! The next day instead of beating myself up for poor choices, I just threw all the goodness I could into my body, and within two days, I was completely better. I didn't waste time lamenting the fact that I'd sent myself down. I just focused on what would take me back up! Thank goodness. It would have been a long, painful ride had I focused myself into staying down

I've had up-and-down cycles that lasted for years and some that lasted only a few hours. These days the down cycles don't last long. I don't beat myself up for getting in one when I do. I don't wallow around in the "woulda coulda shoulda's" that easily have me focused on a mess instead of being blessed! Instead, I look for a better feeling the minute I notice I don't feel good. It took me a while to believe it really was that simple to turn things around, but it is. The universe doesn't keep score. The angels don't keep score. God doesn't keep score. The minute we give ourselves permission to feel better, they are behind us, cheering us on!

Here are a few tips to help you turn any down-cycle upward:

1. Don't focus on the what and why / right and wrong of your feelings

When you've gone down for any reason – be it something simple like a crazy person driving dangerously in front of you or something devastating like losing a loved one, don't focus on why you feel bad. You already know. You were nearly clipped in traffic and could have been in a significant accident. Your loved one passed away suddenly. These things are hard and can hurt beyond words, but you already know why you feel bad. You don't have to explain it to God, your angels, or even your loved ones on earth. You can simply be with yourself as you are and love yourself right now.

I feel upset, and its ok.
I feel sad beyond description, and its ok.
I feel like I'll never get a job again, and that fear is ok.

Of course, you don't want to stay stuck in these painful feelings, but by choosing not to explain them, justify them, or make them wrong, you can simply choose to love yourself now, in the feeling, as you are.

That, in and of itself, is a first step up up.

2. Seek Soothing vs. Sympathy

We're human. It is all too normal to seek sympathy when we're down. It is ok to want a human being to listen compassionately, help, soothe, heal, or comfort you. Those are constructive choices. But when we want to get others to see us as a victim and feel sorry for us, that's when we have to be careful. That's like asking others to help us stay down.

I grew up in a culture of complaints, as many of us did. It was very typical to hear an adult go on about something terrible in a way that elicited sympathy until everyone around was either upset or sad for them. I used to do that too. I'd go on and on to friends or family about how someone did something to me and how life mistreated me, until one day the angels lovingly said to me,

"Ann, do you really want to be the star of your own tragedy?"

Oh my gosh! That knocked me back a bit. Do I really want to be the star of my own tragedy? No!! I wanted to feel better! Yet you wouldn't know it as I continued telling my stories of how a boyfriend cheated on me. I had a very easy time getting people to see me as the star of my own tragedy, and truth be told, I was enjoying the sympathy as they did.

"Poor me," I'd say in a million different ways. "Poor you," those around would echo. I was whirling around in pain, lobbying others to help me stay in it instead of reaching for true healing. That was one of those times when I felt the angels didn't understand being human at all! Later I understood they were trying to keep me from pouring emotional cement around an already painful situation! Yes, life had just dealt a harsh blow, and I later understood how I allowed it, but at that moment, I had a choice. Heal or wallow. I wallowed for about a year until the angels finally got through and helped me truly heal. It was a good lesson.

So while unthinkably painful things do happen, heaven's advice is to reach for better as soon as we can honestly come up for air after the shock or anger wears off. By all means, go for love, support, soothing, help, healing, kindness, and compassion. By all means, vent when you need and cry when you can't do otherwise. But watch that turning point when the raw emotion turns to a story we repeat all too easily – one that makes us feel horrible each time we tell it – one that elicits sympathy.

When you reach that point, it is time to start going for soothing rather than sympathy. A compassionate ear is not someone who will see you as stuck in victimhood but rather someone who knows your strength despite your pain. Someone like that listening to you as you cry can genuinely lift you. Someone who validates your pain will keep you down.

When you are down, and when you reasonably can, try to figure out what you need and ask for it honestly, even if it is just a listening ear or a hug. This way, you keep your vibration in a space open to receiving help rather than (as the great spiritual teacher Carolyn Myss once said) "cashing in on the currency of woundedness."

It takes a little work to notice when you're seeking soothing vs. sympathy, but seeking soothing leads to healing much more quickly.

3. Be gentle with yourself

It is easy to feel good about ourselves when we're going up and wrong when we've gone down. These are just experiences, although some are certainly more fun than others. They don't define us. They aren't who we are. We are pure love in a body having an experience.

God gave Moses a simple name in the desert: "I am who I am," "I am pure being." You are who you are. Your essence is unchangeable. We can have wildly different experiences based on our choices and vibration here on Earth, but these do not change our essential nature. h2O can be water, ice, or steam. It can be a river, a tsunami, a gentle wave, your bath, or your tea, but its essence remains unchanged. Whether we freeze in fear, boil in steamy anger, or flow like a river, we are eternal love.

So go easy on yourself when you're down and know you deserve to feel better. Just reach for the most soothing thought you can find.

The world seems to be on a wild ride right now and has been for some time, so we're all getting more adaptable at riding the waves. Celebrate your ups, and don't beat yourself up during your down cycles. Just start the up-cycle by choosing to be kind to yourself where you're at, and then when you can reach for a little better. You'll be up so much more quickly this way.

Have a blessed and beautiful week :)
Love,
Ann

My garden is in full swing now and over abundance of delicious cilantro which turned into this goodness! It is delicious on salad, chicken or veggies, if you like cilantro! I'm sure you could substitute nearly any herb you like or even a combination!

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.