Hi All,

Today, the angels talk about the superpower of focus and how we can practice it to avoid being overwhelmed, anxious, or exhausted empaths! I'll share how it helped me create joy for a five-year-old, and this week saved me from death by cucumber :). Read on, learn, and be amused!  Tips included, as always.

Have a blessed & beautiful week :)
♥ Ann

by Ann Albers in Northern AZ

My dear friends, we love you so very much,

Play a little game with us, dear friends. Think of a lemon. Imagine the texture. Imagine cutting it open and seeing, sensing, or smelling the fresh juice squirt onto your hands. If you are not visual, imagine what you can. Now imagine you cut a slice and bite into it! Imagine the taste. Can you feel the changes in your mouth as you do so? Did you grimace or smile? You never touched a physical lemon. But as you tuned into it with your focus, you felt something in your tangible reality.

Now think of a favorite song from your earlier days—perhaps a childhood favorite, or something you enjoyed when you were a teenager. Trust the first one that comes to mind. Imagine you are listening to it. See if you can remember the words or the tune. Did you dance to it or relax? Go back in time. Recall as much detail as you can. Notice how you feel. You weren't physically listening to the song, but as you tuned into the experience, you may have felt something in your body or emotions. You are creating a physical experience simply through the power of your focus.

Lastly, think of someone you admire, love, or adore. This could be human or animal. Focus for a moment on that being and how much you love them. Focus on the qualities you admire about them. Recall a joyful or funny interaction. Notice how you feel. You are not physically in front of this being, but to the degree you can focus on them, you can feel their energy.

Your power to focus allows you the opportunity to select and sort through all life offers and choose what feels best. Your focus enables you to be the sensitive, empathic souls that you are—to feel, be real, and care—without "taking on," or rather "tuning in" to, all of the energies around you.

What if your television was an empath that hadn't learned to tune? It, like you, has the capacity to receive a vast number of broadcasts. And if it wasn't purposefully tuned into a single station, you would see an unceasing array of images flashing across the screen that would likely make no sense at all.

Similarly, if you have not yet learned to take charge of your focus, you may feel a barrage of frequencies bombarding you. Many of you experience this as unexplained overwhelm, fatigue, or anxiety. You were not intended to receive every broadcast, and you were never expected to be responsive to all who want your attention.

Just as you learned how to operate your remote control, you can learn to manage your focus. Next time you are in public—perhaps at work, school, a class, or even the grocery store—notice what you notice. There are people to see, conversations all around, perhaps music playing in the background, equipment beeping, etc. Most of you already filter out some of these elements. You might not hear the background music, the air conditioning, or the beeping machines.

But as you notice what you notice, you will start to see how you are "tuned" into your world. Perhaps someone is talking loudly or having an argument, and they seem to invade your attention. Perhaps you sense someone who is confused or needs help. Perhaps you feel the agitation of a mom with three unruly kids in front of you, or the stress of a coworker. If you sit in the waiting room of a doctor's office, you may feel the anxiety of those who have come before. Without meaning to, all these beings are broadcasting, and if you're not intentional, you'll be receiving.

Now, in this sea of energies, pick something pleasing to focus on. It may be a song on your phone or a good book you can read. It may be the array of colorful fruits or vegetables in your grocery store. It may be a cheerful person or even the blue sky outside the window. It may be a pleasant thought in your own mind!

See if you can focus on the pleasing person, thought, or thing to the near exclusion of everything else. You may still hear that loud conversation, but as you focus on your pleasing thought or thing, you will notice that the volume of the conversation and any irritation around it diminishes as your pleasant feelings increase.

As simple as it sounds, practicing your power of focus allows you to develop one of your soul's greatest superpowers. When you are sick, you can focus on what comforts you and slowly attune to well-being. When you are sad, you can focus on what soothes you and gradually find your way back to feeling good. When you are overwhelmed, selecting a point of focus allows you to be productive no matter who or what is trying to distract you.

As more souls shift their focus away from what upsets them and toward what pleases them, your world becomes a more pleasing place. As you focus on the news that inspires you, you naturally notice more inspiration. When you focus on what feels good in your life, upsetting circumstances receive less airtime, less energy, and lose their power to upset you.

Dear ones, playfully and proactively practice the power of your focus as often as you can. Notice the improvement in your feelings and watch for the improvements in your life. Far from being a silly energetic exercise, it is how you, as souls, knew you could come into this world of contrast, select what you like, and manifest lives that you love.

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

Hi Everyone,

I love watching babies when I'm out and about. They're so in tune. I watch them scan the grocery store or the area around them for things that interest them. They do yoga in their parents' arms, twisting and stretching to reach for whatever they're focused upon. And if they don't want the binky or the bottle, they throw it to the floor. They are masters at tuning into what feels wonderful!

I think we lose a lot of that "natural selection" along the way. We watch others and learn how we should feel, what we should focus on, and how we should react to life. I once took a friend's five-year-old to see Fourth of July fireworks for the first time. Mama was tired, but the little one badly wanted to go. So we hopped in the car, drove to the park, and sat in great anticipation as she quizzed me about what they'd be like. None of my explanations prepared her for the first explosive boom.

Her eyes widened. She put her hands over her ears and looked at me. I could feel her question: "How do I react to this?" I knew in that instant my response would define her relationship to fireworks for years to come. I smiled, oohed, ahhed, and clapped elatedly. She joined me, and for the remainder of the show we gasped, squealed, and clapped in unabashed delight. She practically danced in my lap. Our joy continued to escalate. I don't believe she slept much that night, but oh, what fun we had!

And that focus on a joyful thought set up a pattern that spiraled in so many directions, etching new pathways and patterns in her brain. "The unfamiliar can be fun." "Loud noises are not necessarily scary." "Fireworks are exciting!" "Life is fun with friends who share the joy!" "The Fourth is fun!" A single focused thought of joy attuned her to so much more throughout the years.

We're like that, too. The first time you shift from a bad mood to a pleasing thought, there is a surprising elation. We love our soul's freedom to choose. We love knowing we are not controlled by our circumstances. Possibilities dance around the edges of our minds as we take in the new belief: "I really do create my reality." It takes practice to maintain this sense of empowerment. It is a new paradigm of reality, but it is well worth the effort.

This week, the power of focus saved me again. I buy organic food and wash my produce before eating it. But this particular day, I was in a rush and tossed it in the fridge. Later, I pulled out a cucumber and bit into it. A very loud thought crossed my mind: "You should have washed it." I didn't feel like pulling it out of the ranch dressing I'd drowned it in, so I ate the rest. Within an hour, I felt my throat start to scratch and swell. I didn't pay much attention. I just went to bed thinking I'd sleep off whatever was trying to get me.

I woke up with what I later understood was a full-blown allergic reaction. My throat was nearly swollen shut, my eyes were puffy, and I felt like I had somehow become a bag of marshmallows squashed together under too much pressure! Strangely—or perhaps due to years of practice—I didn't get worked up. My first thought was simply, "Well, this is new."It didn't feel like a cold or a virus. I stopped wondering what it was and shifted my focus instead. I had work in two hours and was determined to feel better by then.

I shut my eyes and focused on a memory of hiking in the woods—how it smelled, looked, and sounded, and most importantly, how alive I felt as I inhaled the forest air. I started to breathe rhythmically, as slowly and deeply as I could manage.

Slowly, the swelling began to decrease. Within twenty minutes, I was able to do my morning yoga, and an hour later, I had only a mild allergic reaction akin to the unpleasant sniffles you get from kicking up dust in the yard. Later, the angels told me there had been chemicals on that particular batch of cucumbers. Whatever it was, it didn't agree with me! And thank God for focus! I don't want my epitaph to read, "She lived. She loved. She died by cucumber!" OMG! Feel free to laugh!

But on a serious note, focus is everything. As I mentioned in previous newsletters, the brilliant, beautiful astronauts who just went to the moon and back are speaking openly about love and joy, unity within diversity, and the power of relationships and working together. They have captivated the attention and focus of thousands worldwide. A new generation of kids is watching, hanging on to every word, and learning positive values. They are inspiring many adults to remember that we must give each other grace in spite of differences and recognize that we're all one crew here upon planet Earth. I have been binge-watching their interviews, thrilled to see the words of the angels coming out of the mouths of humans and shifting the balance of focus on this earth.

So while nearly every sensitive person I've talked to this year is feeling some overwhelm, exhaustion, or anxiety simply due to the intensity of the energies vying for our attention, we can still pick and choose what we focus upon—and it will make a beautiful impact on the quality of our lives.

Here are some ways you can develop your superpower of focusing:

1.  Practice

At least once a day, no matter where you are, scan your environment for something that pleases you. Focus on it and what you like about it. See if you can notice all the qualities that delight you. If you look at the sky, admire the blue, the clouds, the expansiveness, and the way it makes you feel. If your attention strays, bring it back and try again. Over time, this will become very easy, and you will reach very deep states of consciousness through intense focus. It just takes practice.

Abraham-Hicks, the channel who brought the Law of Attraction into mass consciousness, says it takes about 68 seconds for a new thought to start creating a new reality. I suspect it has something to do with how the brain rewires!

In any case, choosing to focus on something you like for even a minute or two will prove to you that you can change both your thoughts and feelings.


2. Find Your Happy Thoughts

As a child, I loved the Disney film, Peter Pan. He knew the secret to life. Happy thoughts lifted you and made you fly! I spent a lot of time thinking happy thoughts and waiting to float, and while that never quite worked out physically, I did learn through trial and error that I could change my focus.

It is useful to have some thoughts in reserve that bring a smile to your heart. When times are tough, take a mental vacation. Go to your happy place, think your happy thoughts, and give yourself the grace of escaping whatever "reality" is showing you in the moment.

When you elevate yourself with anything, your new vibration elevates everything.

3. Focus on What Is Good in the People Around You

When I was a young engineer, one of my bosses told me I'd make a great systems engineer. That position involved oversight and a great deal of responsibility. I hadn't seen myself as capable of that until he expressed confidence in me. The path I walked was deeply influenced by his ability to see more in me than I saw in myself.

When we focus on the best in people, we feel better. It doesn't mean we don't see the rest. It simply means we want to feel good. And if we must be around them, it pays to focus on the best.

The bonus is that your focus will either help them bring their best to the surface more often, or they'll eventually leave you alone due to vibrational incompatibility!

I love a good sheet pan dinner. If you're vegetarian skip the meat and add more vegies :)

Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25–30 minutes

Chicken
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and black pepper

Pistachio Crust
• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Zest of 1 lemon

Dijon Coating
• 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Greek yogurt (helps keep breasts juicy)
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Vegetables
• 1 zucchini, sliced into thick half moons
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• Optional: 1 can artichoke hearts, drained

For Roasting
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper

Finishing
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• Fresh parsley or dill
• Lemon wedges

Optional Add-ons:
• kalamata olives
• cooked chick peas
• baby spinach

Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or lightly oil it.

If the chicken breasts are very thick, slice horizontally into thinner cutlets or pound gently to even thickness. Aim for roughly 3/4–1 inch thick. Pat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Let sit while preparing everything else.

For the pistachio crust, [ulse together in a food processor: pistachios, parmesan, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and lemon zest - until crumbly and coarse. Texture not powder! IF you don't have a food processor, put them in a zip bag and crush with a rolling pin.

For the Dijon Mixture, whisk together the Dijon, olive oil, Greek yogurt,, honey, garlic, lemon juice

Next, toss vegetables with the olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper, and spread across the sheet pan. If adding artichokes, scatter them around too.

Brush chicken generously with Dijon mixture. Press pistachio mixture onto the top side of each breast. Place chicken on top of the vegetables.

Bake for about 20–25 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F, the pistachio crust is golden, and the veggies are tender. For extra browning you can broil 1-2 min at the end but watch it closely so you don't burn it.

Right before serving, sprinkle with feta, parsley and/or dill and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top of it.

If you like you can add any or all of these at the end - kalamata olives, cooked chick peas, or baby spinach. Great with rice, quinoa, or pita bread.