“When you know what you want to do, how do you move from knowledge to action? Even though the path feels totally right, how can you be sure?”

As long as you are excited by the path, as long as the path continues to pull you happily along, as long as you continue to make progress on the path, you can be sure that you are on the right path.

While there is no guarantee of success in any of life’s endeavors, excitement and that sense of it feeling totally right, are signs from your higher self and your spirit guides that the path is important, has merit, and will fulfill you.

When the path feels wrong, it means you’ve taken a misstep. Stand still, take stock, and figure out how to get back on the path. You may need to back up a step. You’ll know you’ve rediscovered the path when the excitement builds up again.

If you can jump right to taking action on the new path, do so. If you need to make preparations first, make preparations. The path will wait for you. It’s okay to make logical preparations, which can help ensure a smooth sail on the new path.

For example, if this new path involves a career change, you may need to make sure you’ve got enough education, finances, and skills in order to make the leap. That’s alright. Do what’s necessary to get walking on your new path. If you can leave your current job right now and start a new one, do it. If you can’t, don’t sweat the wait. Use the time to build up momentum like a race car driver revving his engine at the starting line. When the starting gun goes off, you’ll rocket out of the gate.

But you’re asking the right question. Excitement is the best clue you can get. No one can guarantee success, but your excitement is the gas in the tank. Follow your bliss.

I responded back to him and we went back and forth a bit and I decided that other people probably have the same question, so I’m going to share.

First of all, it is true that before you incarnate you select your parents. But before that happens, you figure out what your intention is for this life. You decide what you want to experience. And then you go about finding a family that will give you the best chance of experiencing what you want to experience.

Yes, sometimes the family happens to be poor. And yes, sometimes the family happens to be rich. Usually that is not a deciding factor for a soul before it incarnates because while you are in the ether you remember, realize and know that money is man-made and is simply a by-product of an earthly incarnation.

More important than money, however, is whether or not your chosen family will be able to help you accomplish your intention.

When I told him this, he came back with, “But life is so hard for some. Who would ever choose to have a hard life?”

Why don’t marathon runners simply get in a car and drive to the finish line? Because they like to run, they want the challenge, they want to see if they can run a marathon.

Why don’t hikers just get in a helicopter and soar to the top of the mountain in minutes instead of climbing for hours or even days to get to the top? Because hikers want to hike, they enjoy the journey, the struggle, the challenge.

Imagine if you were playing a video game. You make your character and hit “start” and when you pop into the town as your character someone comes along and says, “Here is 1 billion gold pieces, here is a level 80 sword, and here is an infinite supply of food and healing potions. Have fun!” Boring! You want to go questing. You want to see what your character is capable of.

There’s no doubt that some people have it very rough on this earth. Maybe they’re here to test humanity’s compassion. Maybe they’re here because they love a challenge. Maybe they’re here to overcome adversity, rise to the top, and make things better for those back at home.

As for disabled folks… some of them know they will be disabled before they incarnate and some don’t. Remember that free will trumps everything once you incarnate. By your actions or the actions of others, your beautiful, easy, rich life can become hell, and your poor, miserable existence can become heavenly.

The secret is your attitude. If you read my last article, A Good Cup of Soup, you’ll see that a very financially poor man is one of the wealthiest people I’ve ever met. And we all know about rich people who kill themselves because they don’t carry internal happiness.

Ultimately, your life circumstances are defined by your attitude. No matter what circumstances you’re in when you arrive, you can change them completely if you desire it strongly enough. There are thousands of examples of people who have.

I don’t know if the guy who emailed me will accept what I’ve told him, but that’s his choice too. No matter where you think you are, you can think your way out of your situation. It’s all about attitude.

And when you cross over and go back to the ether, your compadres will clap you on the back and say, “Well done! I thought you were a goner there a few times, but you pulled through. You were magnificent!”

And you’ll smile, knowing that although the journey was hard, it tested you and you prevailed. And you’ll say, “Damn straight! Now when can I make another character and go back and play?”

Is there a question you’ve always want to ask me?

Do you want to know why we incarnate? How to transition to a more fulfilling career? How to meditate? How to talk to your loved ones on the other side?

Now’s your chance to ask.

Join me live on March 9, 2013 at 9:00am Pacific time for an online event. This will be an Ask Erin style Q & A teleseminar. By computer or phone, you will be able to ask questions and hear me answer dozens of questions for everyone.

Plus, as a bonus, I’ll randomly select one lucky registrant who will receive a free 15-minute reading with me. You don’t have to be on the call to win, but you do have to be registered.

If you can’t make the call, no worries, all registrants will receive a recording of the call when it’s over. But if you do attend, I just might answer your question!

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Great question Beth, and it’s an important distinction to make because you don’t want to ignore important signs that you’re on the wrong path, while at the same time you don’t want to give up on a dream if something negative happens.

When a negative event happens that seems to slow you down from achieving your goals you have to stop, take stock, and check in to make sure you’re still on the right path. The way you do this is simple. Think about the path you’re on and the goal you’re trying to achieve. Does the goal still excite you? What happens in your body when you think of the goal? Do you feel energized or deflated? Do you feel desire and wanting, or do you feel drudgery, obligation, or annoyance?

If you’re still excited, and you still feel desire and wanting of this goal or this path, then you are still on the right path and the negative event was just a bump. Take a look at what happened, however, and see if your guides are trying to get you to adjust your trajectory. Sometimes accidents happen and it’s not your guides trying to warn you. So you really need to look at the negative event and figure out if you’re being asked to alter course or if it’s just some turbulence on the road to your goal.

If you tuned in and felt obligation or drudgery, and you no longer feel excited about your goal, then it’s quite possible the negative event was designed to encourage you to see that. Being persistent and persevering are great if you’re still on a desired path, and overcoming obstacles is part of the deal. But if you don’t even want to get where you’re going then your guides are going to throw all kinds of events in your path to get you to stop.

The right road will have bumps; it won’t always be smooth. Check in with your body and your thoughts, and you’ll know if the path is still right for you or wrong. The hard part is admitting you don’t want the goal you thought you did, but the sooner you can see the truth, the sooner you will get to a path that is right for you.

Answer: Ideally, any intuitive reading, no matter how it is conducted, or what tools are used, will include some information that can be used to validate your connection to spirit.

In other words, something should come through that you don’t know but that your sitter does. That will confirm for both of you that are connected to spirit.

Subsequent information that comes through can then be trusted.

It’s really important to make sure you put yourself at a high vibration before you tune in and conduct a reading, as it is possible to make contact with lower vibrational beings who don’t have you or your sitter’s best interest at heart.

As for being beneficial, a reading should empower, inspire, and motivate your client. You are there to provide a map of the trail they are traversing through life. If all you’re picking up are the dangers and pitfalls near your client’s path, then go deeper and find out from their guides what your client needs to do to get away from the danger and start moving in a healthy, safe, happier direction.

Good luck!

Answer: To date I’ve done more than 2,000 readings for my clients, and I’ve certainly had my fair share of interesting readings. Due to confidentiality, I’m not at liberty to discuss the specifics of readings I’ve done, but I can share the generalities.

One of the more intense readings I’ve done was for a client who said, as soon as we got on the phone, “You’ve got 30 minutes to convince me not to kill the local priest. Go.” I’m happy to report his guides were successful in helping him see why that was a bad idea. I go into every call without judgment, and I trust the guides will tell my client what they most need to know. That day that client heard what he needed to hear, and found another way to deal with a very emotionally charged situation.

One of the more novel readings I’ve done was for a man who wanted to interview a deceased person for a biography he was writing about that person. I really wasn’t sure I could do it. So I had to have the client ask questions only he knew the answer to so we could be sure I was properly connected to the real personality. Once we did that, he went ahead and asked the dead person to answer some questions for the biography. It was unreal, but enough validation came through for us both to trust the information that was coming through.

I read for people who are on the verge of suicide. Those calls have a certain urgency to them. I’ve had clients tell me that I’m the last phone call they will make before they end their lives. No pressure, right? But one really stands out for me. A gal called me from Asia. She was very matter of fact when she said, “This Friday I will end my life. I’ve made arrangements in my will and left money for my family to contact you when I’m gone. I just wanted to make you aware of this so when they contact you, you will know it’s for me.” I was really taken aback. No one has ever come to me so determined before. Definitely my most difficult case. I spent several sessions with that client helping her to understand that her life had value and getting her to talk to her family now while she was alive instead of later after death.

As for celebrities… I’ve read for some well known people. Authors, personal development experts, people on tv shows, CEOs, millionaires, and politicians. One of the more interesting readings was for the drummer of a well known rock band. He even asked me out on a date before the call was over. However there were certain things that came up in his reading that made me extremely reticent to even meet him in person.

People ask me if I’ve ever considered using my intuitive abilities to help the police find missing people. Yes! In fact, I have done this several times. I’m just sworn to secrecy and not allowed to discuss the details. The police apparently don’t like it if the public knows that they sometimes use psychics to solve cases. I have been successful to varying degrees in all the cases I’ve been consulted on. I have found dead bodies from hundreds of miles away, and helped detectives piece together a crime scene without ever stepping foot in the same city where the crime was committed. I’ve also helped the FBI piece together intel and help convict criminals in two very high profile cases. I’d love to do more of this work, but it’s hard to get into. Usually it’s the family that approaches me, not the authorities. It’s extremely rewarding though.

So there you have it. Just a day in the life of your average intuitive counselor. One of the reasons I now train others to become professional intuitives is because of all the good I know we can put into the world. If you are an intuitive, don’t be afraid of your abilities. Embrace them. Train yourself or train with me. Help others. It’s awesome!

Answer: It can be super frustrating to desire to connect with a specific deceased relative and they never seem to show up to the party.

I recall reading for a gal and her dad was coming through really strongly. He told me his name, gave her some validation, and we were off and running. My client said, “Yeah, that’s my dad. He comes to every reading. He’s around all the time.” Meanwhile, she was frustrated because she also wanted to hear from her mother who never seemed to come through.

Why do some spirits always show up and others never come? There could be several reasons.

First, the deceased person may not want to come through. For whatever reason, they may simply not desire to communicate. That doesn’t mean they hate you. That doesn’t mean they can’t come through. That doesn’t mean they aren’t watching over you. Perhaps they don’t want to interfere in the course of your life. Perhaps they trust that you can get along without their guidance or interruption.

Second, the deceased person may not be able to come through. Deceased people don’t get to the other side suddenly able to speak energetically to a living person. It takes energy and finesse to communicate with the living. Your deceased loved one may not have figured it out yet. Give them time.

Third, the deceased may have disconnected. Some people cross over and are fully engaged with their new existence in the ether. They disconnect their energy from their old life and are simply done. They turn their attention in an entirely new direction. Don’t be insulted. You’ll understand when you reach the ether yourself that sometimes you stay emotionally connected with the living and sometimes you don’t.

Fourth, the deceased may be there but no one is hearing them. Sometimes the dead are jumping up and down around us, trying to get our attention, but we don’t detect them. It’s not easy. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Sometimes the medium is unable to get the right frequency. Sometimes the dead person is not transmitting in a way that the medium can pick up. If the medium is very clairsentient but the dead person is transmitting in a clairvoyant way, then the medium may be unable to detect the presence of the dead person. Keep trying with different mediums, or keep trying on your own.

I know it can feel very sad if you’re trying to get closure or reconnect with a loved one and they don’t seem to be there, but you don’t want to expend so much energy trying to communicate with a deceased loved one that you stop living your own life. This is why it’s vitally important to tell your loved ones how much you love them while they are still here.

In the meantime, send love to your dearly departed. They will receive it. Take comfort in knowing they are alright and that you’ll see them again when you reach the other side.

Answer: In my best Morpheus voice, “Do you think that’s air you’re breathing? Hmm.” Time does not exist over there the way it does over here. Likewise, beings of the caliber you’re talking about can absolutely put their consciousness in more than one place at the same time.

It would be difficult to explain or understand how this works from our current physicality/density, but trust me, angels and other beings are more than capable of interacting with and assisting throngs of people at the same time.

Like I’ve mentioned in other posts, this life experience you’re having is more illusion than real. And the people you see wandering around the streets, are more you than not you. What’s really awesome is that you have unlimited access to anything and everything because you are All.

Most people spend their entire lives in a state of disconnection from their Source, but luckily we are still connected even when we forget that connection.

Answer: I don’t know anything about DNA activation. But I can give you a general answer about how to determine if something is legitimate.

First, the reviews are helpful. If you trust the reviews posted on someone’s site, that’s a good start.

Second, I would try to find someone who has had the procedure done and get a personal testimonial from them, ask them questions, etc. Try to find at least 3 people.

Third, make sure it’s something you really want to get. Make sure the outcome is something you are really seeking. Some people go to psychics for a mediumship reading. Bad idea. Go to someone who specializes in what you need done.

Fourth, talk to the practitioner, ask your questions and share your concerns or if the person is too busy, look for a FAQ on their site.

Fifth, ask your gut. Does the person seem legit? Does their website look professional? Do they have any certifications or are they accredited? Have they written a book?

And lastly, make sure that after the procedure you’re going to actually notice or feel a difference. You don’t want to buy snake oil. Is there some measureable way to determine if you got what you paid for?

Good luck!

Answer: If a deceased person is coming to you in your dream and showing you what really happened to them the day they passed away you should pay careful attention, as it could very well be true.

First you need to determine if you are really having communication with a deceased loved one.

Next, does their version seem plausible? If so, you’re probably get correct information.

Lastly, you may need to act on the information you get. Especially if the person was murdered or if there were extenuating circumstances. Sometimes spirits reveal they committed suicide when it really seemed like an accident. And sometimes the reverse is true.

Spirits who are not at rest or who have unfinished business or who are seeking justice will often send dreams to their loved ones in an attempt to notify them of the truth. So definitely pay attention and take those dreams seriously.

I’ve had several personal experiences and professional experiences where new information came through that turned out to be correct once tracked down and investigated. So it’s definitely possible, and in many cases, likely.