Hi All,

Today, the angels talk about how we can view life's challenges in ways that make them less daunting. This has helped me on so many occasions, I can't even count them. I'll share some thoughts on the subject, a few challenges from this week, and how I moved through them. Tips included!

Have a blessed & beautiful week :)
♥ Ann

by Ann Albers in Phoenix AZ

My dear friends, we love you so very much,

When challenges appear in your life, don't assume you're doing anything wrong. They can appear for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps you had a focus on possible problems and challenges and focused them right into your reality. Perhaps you wanted to overcome some limiting beliefs and created the challenge to help you see your own power and potential.

Perhaps you were around someone else whose drama caught your attention so thoroughly that the chaotic energy found a way into your life. Maybe your willingness to help at all costs has allowed you to be around someone calling for help.

And sometimes, dear friends, things in the material universe break down, people around you have their own issues, and situations in the world unfold that you didn't create. In these cases, your only participation in having these challenges in your life is that your vibration and choices led you to this moment in time—you wanted a car, and cars are not eternal beings! You love your family members and want to be around them, but you don't cause, prevent, or control their choices and issues. You may take a certain route to work because you always do, and even in spite of feeling another way might be better, you stick to your routine and end up in a traffic jam.

Let us remind you once again. You have done nothing wrong.

We implore you not to use life's challenges as a reason to be unloving to yourself, or to assume you are not loved. Before each and every challenge, we are always attempting to guide you on a kinder path. We try to help you select the most reliable products, create convenient times when they're going to have their issues, and help you deal with any challenges that arise. We remind you that no matter how much you love a family member, if they are not kind, there is no requirement to feel responsible for their growth. If there is going to be a traffic jam on your usual route to work, unless there is benefit to your soul being in it, we try to impulse you to choose another plan.

Even if you ignore your guidance, you have done nothing wrong.

In each challenge, there is still opportunity to love, opportunity to grow, and a chance to refocus your thoughts and feelings in order to create something better. You can grow easily through honoring your desires and aligning your energies with what you love, but you—like the butterfly whose struggles to leave the cocoon give it the strength to fly—can also grow through your struggles and challenges.

You can find the strength within. You can turn to the Creator and your angels for assistance and realize how deeply you are loved.

You can practice manifesting a beautiful solution. And you can sometimes reach out for help from other humans and realize the beauty of being part of a greater whole.

Your beliefs will always shape your experience of a challenge. When one arises, do you sigh with disappointment and say, "Here we go again. I never get a break." Dear ones, that may have been your reality, but you can instead say, In each challenge, there is still opportunity to love, opportunity to grow, and a chance to refocus your thoughts and feelings in order to create something better. You can grow easily through honoring your desires and aligning your energies with what you love, but you—like the butterfly whose struggles to leave the cocoon give it the strength to fly—can also grow through your struggles and challenges. This way, instead of beating myself up or feeling at the mercy of life, I'll claim my God-given power and attune to a solution. I've done nothing wrong. I know I'm loved. Dear God, dear angels, I'm ready to receive your help. I'm giving this problem to you."

If you practice the second response, you will find that your challenges cease to be as challenging. As you stop struggling with your struggles, they simply become things to handle. And as you remember that you are loved, worthy, and live in partnership with the force that keeps universes in balance, you will see that you never handle a thing alone... unless you insist on doing so.

Dear ones, there are energies in your universe that have forgotten their connection with Source. In their state of disconnection, they sometimes seek company in their misery. They amplify your own feelings of separation and try to convince you that you must handle life on your own, that you have failed in some capacity, and that you'll never have the life you desire. There is a reason many on your Earth call this energy the "Deceiver" because in its experience of disconnection, it tries to convince you that you too are not connected, that life is not inherently good, and there's no reason to go on. Don't buy the lie.

The sun exists no matter how many clouds obscure it, and the love that exists for you is more radiant and constant than a thousand suns. Creation is good whether or not you can see it in a given moment. You are good, whether or not you feel it in a given moment. The energies that seek to separate would have you think life is terrible, there's something wrong with you, and certainly something wrong with others.

In truth, life is beautiful. Look at the sunrise or sunset. Listen to the birds singing happily. Watch the roses bloom no matter what is going on in your news. Creation is beautiful. And you are good. Even in your upsets, beneath is the love that you are, longing for more, better, kinder realities. And everyone else, no matter how misguided they are in the moment, comes from the same Source. You need not feel "warm and fuzzy" about all circumstances, people, and situations, but you can remind yourself, "The universe loves me. The universe wants to help me find a kinder path. I deserve this love. I don't have to earn it. It is there for me at all times."

We know many of you feel weary from the conflicting energies upon your planet this year. We know that several of you feel discouraged at times and are searching to reconnect with your joy. And yet in all of those challenges, we see the love within you, like a little seed, reaching for the light. And our promise to you is to always tend to that light and help you find that light within.

We encourage you to honor yourself, be kind to yourself, and reach out for help from the heavens anytime, and every time you feel the need. You cannot ask for too much—we are connected to the infinite. You cannot exceed your "tokens" with spirit, for we have unlimited bandwidth and unlimited love. You cannot frustrate us or fall out of grace. We know who you really are, and we love you so much it is hard for you to comprehend.

So when you face your challenges, be they emotional, spiritual, or material, remind yourself, "I have done nothing wrong." And then, dear ones, like a little child, imagine what you want, reach out to the heavens for help, and realize you are never, ever alone, and that joy can be yours even while moving through challenging times.

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

Hi Everyone,

It was a wild week on planet Earth, energetically speaking. I talk to so many people that I get to see patterns. This week, my inbox was filled with people saying the exact same thing. "I do not know how long I can go on like this. I'm exhausted. I've lost my joy." There were a variety of reasons—material challenges, unkind coworkers, family members who were behaving badly, and more. These dear souls had legitimate reasons to feel down, but angels being angels, guided them to find love and peace even in the challenges.

The angels maintain that our exhaustion in challenging times comes less from the challenge and more from thinking exhausting thoughts—feeling unloved, alone, without hope or ideas, blaming ourselves, or finding fault with others. The soul doesn't waste a moment looking for the whys and wherefores of a challenging situation. The moment you encounter a challenge, your soul is exclusively focused on a kind and loving path to the solution. The angels are holding the vision of the healed condition. The Divine guides you on a path of perfection in love and grace.

But being human, these challenges knock us off alignment from our soul's vision. They may temporarily cause us to forget how loved and assisted we are. Old patterns arise. Old fears surface. And before we know it, we are deceived into forgetting that life is good and the universe has a solution for every problem. We are deceived into feeling alone, left to fend for ourselves, and figure it all out. In truth, we are loved beyond reason, guided with grace, and never alone.

When a material or financial challenge seems insurmountable, the soul sees the path to resolve it. I've known people who received unbelievable help when in need—cars being gifted to them, $6K of back taxes paid by a friend of a friend who felt inspired to assist, thousands being given to them when they only asked for a loan. In a space of faith, we open to grace.

When a personal challenge arises—unkind coworkers or angry family members—the angels guide us to disengage, physically if possible, and if not, emotionally. Years ago, they put it this way: "Ann, you don't have to hate the kindergarteners, but there's no need to play with them!" Now, when someone is unkind, I remain quiet, don't take it personally, and get away as soon as possible. If I can't get away, I remind myself, "Not about me," and refrain from engaging. We struggle to do the impossible when we try to create peace with people who don't want peace. The soul says, let them be. But let yourself be too, and free yourself from the drama. You can witness the behaviors, but you don't have to engage..

And in all challenges, there is a human tendency to agonize until we figure out a solution, but the soul says, "Relax. We've got this. You're guided. Enjoy your day until you receive the impulse to act." The more I let go of agonizing over how to resolve a challenge, be it losing my keys, having a huge expense, or dealing with a difficult person, the more quickly the solution comes.

This week, I had more than a few challenges, but they didn't seem so challenging as they once would have. A family member was very upset at the fact that the reflecting pool had been altered in Washington, DC, and was now overgrown with green algae. I grew up in northern VA and remember the beauty of this particular pool, especially at sunset, rippling with reflections of the monuments and glowing with a peaceful beauty. I felt sad about the current situation. Within two days, my own pool was green with algae :)

And while there was a physical cause, of course, the outbreak was completely coincident with the spiritual focus. I wasn't thrilled. It will cost me a lot to remediate. In the past, I would have beaten myself up for not noticing the debris that was growing things, or felt like a victim because I didn't have the time to check it every day. This time, it was just something to handle. I have a very knowledgeable pool person who is as mystical as I am and extremely competent. He has a young family, a heart of gold, and needs the money more than I do since he's just starting his own business. And so I chose to look at the situation as a way to support a beautiful family. What started as a discussion about algae transformed into a deep discussion about how to handle being a deep empath. The kind and cooperative interaction far outweighed the temporary inconvenience and expense. Glass half full... and no algae in the proverbial glass!

The same day, I received guidance to get a tree trimmed before storm season. Thinned out, they weather the winds and stand tall, but heavy with branches and debris, they can fall. It was an expensive endeavor, but necessary. So I gave the expense to God and called the man who handles my trees. It turns out he was going on his first vacation in 30 years, so he got it taken care of quickly before he left. I've known him for over 25 years, so it felt like calling an old friend for help, and I was glad to see him taking care of himself. I have enough work to refill the well, and it felt good to know I was supporting his vacation.

An hour later, I called a dear family member who, uncharacteristically, was in tears. They were facing more medical challenges and possibly another trip to the hospital. I couldn't change the circumstances, but I could listen with compassion, hold space with love, and uplift and encourage them with gentle humor. We all know how unthinkably hard it is to watch someone we love in pain, but what saves me every time is reminding myself that the universe wants to honor their wishes for well-being, and if I hold my focus there, I can assist.

It didn't end there. I had to do some physical labor that I wasn't accustomed to and woke up in pain the next day. That was new. It was a workday. So I sat, breathed, and received love and healing energy from spirit, napped in between clients, and by the afternoon, the love was flowing so strongly that the pain disappeared. It was one of the fastest turnarounds I've experienced to date.

Any one of these things might have caused undue drama in my past, but now they're just part of life. I don't waste my time trying to figure out how to avoid them in the future. I focus on the loving solution, the help that is available, and how much we are loved. And then I "delegate up," giving the problem to God and the angels.

There are, of course, much bigger challenges. I know people whose kids live in a war-torn area and made frequent trips to the bomb shelter. That would unsettle most of us. For the kids, it was no big deal, just a temporary interruption in their day. They sailed through a tense period on Earth with utmost grace. I know so many people who have lost loved ones, often under unthinkably challenging circumstances, and yet the willingness to honor themselves through their grief and reach for the one in spirit creates a path of beauty and ultimate partnership with spirit. After 30 years of helping people through all their life's challenges, I've seen people evolve from anguish to empowerment so many times.

So when the challenges come, here are a few ways to avoid struggling with the struggles and to sail through them with grace, guidance, and even joy.

1.  Focus forward

Instead of making yourself wrong or obsessing about why, how, and who led to this challenge, focus forward. Stop the shame-and-blame game and focus on how the evolution of a solution will feel.

Imagine you are on the other side of this challenge. How do you feel there?

Remind yourself, "The Creator of universes knows how to help and guide me." And then sit, breathe, receive, as if you know you are worthy of love and assistance.

Act when guided.

Think of it this way. If a bad program began to play on your television, you could sit there and watch it while obsessing about how it got there, how you accidentally selected that station, or who changed the selection on the remote. Better, you could just change the channel.

The quicker we change the channel off any angst about the problem and toward the feel of a future solution, the quicker the solution can come.

2. Don't Be Deceived

Our programming often tells us lies about the situation. You may be deceived into thinking it is going to ruin your life or your day. You may be deceived into thinking it can mess up your future, or will never get any better.<br /><br />

Meanwhile, the Divine whispers, "I love you. I've got your back. We've got this." That is truth.

There are energies that will amplify your fears and try to deceive you into thinking you are alone, the problem cannot be handled, or that it defines your future. Those are lies.

The truth is that you are never alone, there is a solution for every challenge, and your future can be bright.

3. Feel Your Feelings, But Don't Stay Stuck

It is a typical human response to be upset, frustrated, or disappointed in the face of a challenge. It's OK to feel that way. Better than stuffing it. But you can hand your feelings up to the heavens instead of staying stuck in them.

My process of feeling and healing goes something like this, "Angels, I'm going to burn your ears for a moment! Get out the composter!"

Then I rant, rave, and burn off the steam until I'm done. Like a little child who needs a good cry in the arms of someone who loves them, we can have our so-called negative feelings in the arms of the comforting Divine. It always feels better to move through feelings instead of stuffing them or pretending not to have them.

4. Give Yourself Permission to Let Go

Go In some cases, we hang onto our challenges by trying to make an unpleasant situation better. We try to change the dynamic with others who don't want to change. And we feel like we've missed something or failed when we can't get them to change. In truth, another's path or choices are not up to us, even in our desire for better.

Instead, let go. Let others be who they want to be, and focus on being kind to yourself.

The angels have often said, "Ann, you can't make bad food taste good, and you can't make bad behavior feel good. Don't bother, turn away!"

The first time they said this, it was a revelation. Permission to be upset? Permission to just let go? I didn't have to fix the situation with the wounded soul who was attacking me? "No," they responded. "Let go." And so I did, and the attacks stopped. I no longer cared. This person no longer got the temporary high that came from aiming their pain at me.

I was, as I now like to say, "country-song-done" with that behavior, as in "Don't like it. Won't like it. Can't fix it. DONE." It felt amazing! Permission to stop trying to fix the unfixable. Permission to change the channel and let the bad program run without a viewer! Permission to be free and happy, even if this other soul was miserably upset that they couldn't control me. It changed my life and how I view unkind people. Now I have compassion for their pain, but no longer take it on. "Not my circus. Not my monkeys!" as the saying goes :)

I love a good asian salad and this one has a great ginger dressing too! Check it out here on Love and Lemons site :)

They make great gluten-free rice ramen noodle now too. Costco usually carries them. Light and delicious!