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?”

Answer: How many psychics does it take to completely confuse you and cause you to stop in your tracks? Why don’t psychics agree on what’s going to happen to someone? How are you supposed to know what to do if your psychics don’t all agree? Here’s my advice:

Stop giving your power away!!

Never give your power to a psychic (or anyone else for that matter). Going to a professional intuitive to get insight, wisdom and information isn’t a bad thing as long as you remember that your fate and your path are entirely your responsibility. Go to a psychic for information and options, but not for a prediction.

Most trajectories can be changed, so if a psychic tells you something WILL happen, whether it actually DOES happen is largely determined by how close the incident is to happening and how many other free willed people are involved.

For example, during readings with my client I have sometimes seen a pregnancy that is occurring right at that moment. Sometimes even my clients don’t yet know they are pregnant.

During other readings I will see a major health crisis that is about to hit someone hard and be life-threatening. I can see that with certainty because it is in progress.

I can tell if someone you’ve just started dating is a good match for you. I can tell if someone you’ve been married to for 20 years is still a good match or not.

I can tell if you are in a financial crisis and how to get out of it, but I can’t tell you if you’re going to win the lottery or what numbers to play.

If an 18 year old student asks me what his career path is GOING to be, I will see options, not certainties. When this student asks about career paths, I might see 10 different options. However, what makes a reading valuable is that I can also see which options lead to happiness, fulfillment, and purpose, and I can tell a client how to get onto that path and make it a success. Will they then go out and choose that path and be a success? That’s up to them, not me.

A psychic cannot make you walk your path, she can only hand you the map with a circled destination. It’s up to you to decide you’ll walk the path, to gear up appropriately, and not to get distracted along the way.

So if you ask 5 different psychics what’s going to happen to your love life they should tell you how to obtain the relationship that is best for you, or they should tell you why you’re not a vibrational match for a relationship at this point in time. They should give you insight and information.

But receiving an actual prediction sounds amazing doesn’t it? “On Sunday, March 11, at the local Starbucks you will run into Mr. Right! He’ll be tall, dark, and handsome, and holding a soy latte. Go get him, Tiger!” But when a psychic does that, she is doing a horrible disservice to her clients. She is robbing them of their power. What if Mr. Right comes along sooner and you’re not looking for him? What if on March 11 your handy dandy soul mate gets into a car accident and doesn’t get to Starbucks in time? Is it over for you?

Your spirit guides are always working on your behalf to urge, guide, and nudge circumstances and people into position, but it’s not a science. Free will can screw up even the most well-planned “chance” meeting. A psychic is tuning in to your guides to relay some information that might help this chance meeting take place. So a psychic can be very valuable to help you avoid wasting time, effort, and energy (and sometimes money) doing something that does not lead to a desired outcome.

The best approach to use with a psychic is not to ask her what’s going to happen, but to instead ask, “What do my guides most need me to know to help me on my path?” That’s the question I ask people’s guides during a reading. That’s the one that gives my client the most powerful answer.

If you absolutely need to know what’s going to happen every single day of your life then you’re letting life own you. You have free will and you can make your own destiny.

And to answer the original question most succinctly, the reason that multiple psychics don’t give the exact same predictions is because they are choosing one path and presenting it like it’s the only path. It sounds cool, but it’s not the best way to present information.

Find a psychic who empowers you and helps you navigate the path, not one who wants to strip you of your power.