Creating Romantic Abundance in Your Life

Posted on by Tammy

By Amy Leigh Mercree

If you are reading this article, you have access to the Internet and most likely a safe place quiet enough for you to indulge in some reading for entertainment and personal enhancement. You have time to devote to leisure and recreational activities, including reading, which means you are rich compared to much of the world’s population.

We are incredibly abundant in our lives, yet, for many there is an emptiness to be filled. We seek to fill it with romantic love, things and interaction. Some of us search for spiritual connection to fill the emptiness, but many are living with a sense of lack within.

How can we be so abundant, but live in varying states of internal lack?

It has become the norm in society to cultivate cravings and then endeavor to fill them. We need those new skinny jeans for a night out – then we’ll feel beautiful and like we fit in. We have to have those special face cleansing cloths to pamper our skin after a workout – then we will give our face the best and prove to ourselves we are worthy of the very best.

What if we could step outside of the hamster wheel of external validation? What if we could find our worth within? What if we could be filled with the divine power of our own uniqueness? How would our lives change?

Well, we would live from our creative souls and from a sense of sharing and community, and could think in terms of interconnection among all life. And we can start this mindset blooming within our beings now.

Start with a nightly list in your journal of 30 things you are grateful for in your life. Look at how abundant you are! Record each night what you are grateful for, and feel the blessings of your life with your heart. The more attention you place on the positive, the more positive you create in your life. It’s simple, natural law. Your attention creates your reality.

You are also romantically abundant whether you are coupled or single. Take a gratitude inventory of all the love and caring in your life. Do you feel love between you and your sister’s dog? Between you and a close friend? Between you and a coworker? Did you help your mother clean her car? Did you share a smile with a neighbor? Did you snuggle with your boss’s cat when you stopped by to feed her? Did your best friend send you a sweet card? There is love everywhere. There is caring flowing between people, animals and plants all around you. Interconnection is a Web designed to help you experience loving abundance. Let yourself tap into it!

When you choose to experience interconnection and loving abundance, you give your romantic life a boost. When you notice and identify those moments of abundance and express your appreciation and thanks for them, you exponentialize them. You harness the electrical charge and energy they contain, and it infuses your life – including your love life. You can create romantic abundance today by counting your blessings and choosing to experience love and caring each day. Share your love, experience true abundance, and romance will follow.

Amy Leigh Mercree is an expert dating & relationship coach, entrepreneur, adventure guide and internationally acclaimed author of “The Spiritual Girl’s Guide to Dating: Your Enlightened Path to Love, Sex, and Soul Mates.” Visit www.SpiritualGirlsGuide.com for your complete evolved dater’s toolkit, and follow Amy on Twitter: @AmyLeighMercree.

Do You Believe in Love at First Sight?

Posted on by Tammy

By Amy Leigh Mercree

Fairy tales and romantic comedies often tell stories of two people meeting, sharing a look and instantly falling deeply in love for life. These stories ignite our hearts with hope of a love so vast and all encompassing – where we feel like we found our missing piece. Who can forget the much quoted Jerry Maguire line: “You complete me.”

Why does a part of us innately seek completion from another instead of finding it within? Perhaps, we are really seeking the divine outside of ourselves instead of delving into the truth of it being within all along.

That being said, I do believe in love at first sight! I believe in the unexplainable alchemy between souls and in the unknowable, sometimes undefinable, strands that connect us in love to another – whether we just met or have known each other for years.

There is a certain charge that can mean soul level familiarity and oftentimes when we feel it, we know. Frequently, it transcends the romantic connotation of soul mates and delves into the territory of soul friends and soul family. How beautiful is it that we can have soul-deep caring in our lives from not only our romantic partners, but also from close friends and family. We are all abundant of the heart if we choose to let love in.

With love at first sight, besides soul connection personal and chemical compatibility come into instantaneous play. Personal compatibility can be as simple as liking one another and as complex as developing a communication style that resonates with both partners. Sometimes in the first minutes of knowing someone this can click or not. I believe we can sense part of what may come with personal compatibility when we first see a person. In reality, we are all immensely intuitive people and intuition can contribute to our love at first sight experiences.

The ever-present, intensely complex world of chemical interaction between people is massively at play in love at first site scenarios. Even from a distance we can imperceptibly smell our chemical compatibility with a potential partner and a complex cacophony of scents and pheromones pull us in or repel us instantly.

But what about the couples who meet virtually first? Do they get the chemical benefit of love at first sight? Answering that question, at this point in time, is 100-percent conjecture. No studies have been done on the topic, but I’ll tell you my observation as a dating and relationship coach for the past 15 years. Sometimes, the chemical becomes the psychic and people receive the same cues at a distance as they do in person. I have heard some pretty amazing stories of the psychic sense of smell affecting romance and attraction across the miles.

The real truth is love, whether at first, second, 200^th sight, is an unstoppable force of nature. Soul connected people magnetize each other at the right times in myriad magnificent ways. Our hearts can be stirred and nourished from within and without, and it is living in true abundance to graciously accept all the beauty that comes our way.

Love at first sight is real, and it happens all the time.

Amy Leigh Mercree is an expert dating & relationship coach, entrepreneur, adventure guide and internationally acclaimed author of “The Spiritual Girl’s Guide to Dating: Your Enlightened Path to Love, Sex, and Soul Mates.” This June, Mercree is teaching “Spiritual Romance: Reawakening the Sacred in Your Love Life,” at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. See more information on the seminar here. And visit her Web site www.spiritualgirlsguide.com for you complete evolved dater’s toolkit!

Three Tips to Bloom Into Love This Spring

Posted on by Tammy

By Amy Leigh Mercree

A strong foundation of self-love and empowerment makes for a life that can blissfully bloom in concert with nature and your heart. This Spring, follow the tips below to get your internal house in order and gently spring clean the old to make room for a new radiant love life. It all starts inside of you!

1. Tend Your Heart. Give your heart the love and caring a master gardener would share with a new garden. Take a realistic internal “temperature” of your heart. Be honest with yourself about how you are feeling. Does your heart still feel bruised from a breakup? Do you feel lonely? Do you feel full of love for everything you encounter? Or maybe all three? Being aware of yourself fosters an inner environment of honesty and acceptance. You have to give yourself this freedom to be truly aware of who you are. An added bonus is you will be less likely to repress and bury your emotions, and therefore more likely to truthfully represent your needs in a relationship. This helps create a real and lasting bond. Whether it is with a romantic partner, friend, or family member.

2. Warm Your Soul. What touches your soul in a deep nourishing way? Sometimes, we aren’t actually sure what reaches us deep in our core and nurtures us. But it’s important we find out. Think of it like the gentle Spring sunshine warming the ground and through this warmth calling forth a seed to sprout and eventually bloom into a gorgeous flower. What fosters your soul’s health and happiness? Maybe it is heart-centered meditation, dance class or time with close friends. It could be getting your hands in the dirt and communing with your herb garden. It may be as simple as believing in yourself. The choice to warm your deepest soul comes from a knowledge that you are important. You matter. Your soul is precious. Nourish it.

3. Blossom at Your Own Perfect Pace. Honor your own perfect timing. Your body, mind, heart and soul are self-correcting and self-regulating. You are precisely programmed to live your best life. Each moment offers you a choice to live from a place of self-honoring and self-love. Through that commitment to yourself, you position your heart to share that same level of caring with the rest of the planet to the best of your ability.

Step into this now by aligning with your best life using a simple statement. Repeat aloud now three times, “Proper Universal Alignment.” Feel your spine align. Feel your being reorganize around this principle. You can trust your own inner sense of timing. You will blossom into the love life you desire or any other state you are aiming for by taking conscious action and trusting the timing of your soul aligned life. The more you choose goodness, love and joy, the more of it you reap each day. You create an endless flow of positivity by making conscious choices and taking conscious action. Especially with your love life, once you have taken the necessary action steps all you can do is trust and have faith in the beautiful perfection of your life.

Let the bounty and beauty of Spring inspire your life to be gently nurtured and bloom forth into bliss this year by choosing to tend your heart, warm your soul, and blossom at your own perfect pace.

Amy Leigh Mercree is an expert dating & relationship coach, entrepreneur, adventure guide and internationally acclaimed author of “The Spiritual Girl’s Guide to Dating: Your Enlightened Path to Love, Sex, and Soul Mates.” This June, Mercree is teaching “Spiritual Romance: Reawakening the Sacred in Your Love Life,” at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. See more information on the seminar here. And visit her Web site www.spiritualgirlsguide.com for you complete evolved dater’s toolkit!

Where in the World Is My Soul Mate?

Posted on by Tammy

By Amy Leigh Mercree

Single, spiritual, kind, caring, evolved, trustworthy, fun – those were some of the qualities I searched for in a potential partner. After 14 years of searching, I was tired. My search yielded plenty of guys who had some of those qualities, but not my guy. Not my true love and true partner.

So… I took a dating sabbatical. For one year, I focused on me. What did I want to do? How did I want to live? Complete autonomy. And I loved it. I truly did. Sure, sometimes I felt lonely, but I am blessed with amazing friends and family so it was always short lived.

The most powerful thing I did during that time was regularly infuse my being with pure white light. Life force. My health flourished. My creativity bloomed. Everything raised in vibratory frequency, and I was as patient as I could be.

Then one night I dreamed of a man made of the same pure white light. I knew it was him. I went to work clearing any old issues, healed family relationships that needed it, and when he arrived, I was ready.

Being proactive and doing all of the healing and preparing is crucial, but the one thing we can’t consciously manipulate is timing. Timing is divine. It springs from universal energy and is self-regulating and self-correcting. For people looking for deep, spiritual love that is 100 percent honoring, the timing must be right.

Here are three tips to help divine timing along:

1.Raise Your Vibration
The more clear and bright your vibratory frequency, the more easily you will draw in other high-vibe people, including your partner. Plus, with clarity and a radiant light shining from you, your intentions will be much more clear to the universe. Then you can take action to bring them to reality.

Exercise: The Waving White Sheet
Here is a quick and easy way to raise your vibration: Sit with your eyes closed and breathe deeply. Envision a sheet of pure, bright, white light. Watch it wave in a gentle unseen breeze. Draw the sheet forth into the room before you. See it shine brightly. Raise your hands and say aloud to the sheet: “You are joy and light.” Watch it wave with its new vibratory flavor. Now, draw it into your body and feel it wave through you. Sit with that and when you are ready, allow it to assimilate into your bodily tissue, bones, and systems.

2.Be Sacred
You are sacred! The sooner you integrate that truth into your being, the sooner you will experience deep, soul mate love with an evolved and conscious partner. You must see yourself as sacred and your partner as sacred to have a truly healthy, spiritual partnership. Sacred means special, precious and a treasure of true beauty. It is not meant here religiously. Your evolved, true love must see him or herself as sacred and you as sacred. This is the foundation for deep, satisfying, soul mate love. Embrace it and don’t settle for anything less!

Exercise: Simple Sacredness Activity
Create a poster that says: “I am sacred.” Decorate it with things you love and that represent you. If you love music, put pictures of notes and sheet music. Use your favorite colors and textures and create a representation of your wonderfulness. Hang this poster over you bed and each morning and night say aloud, “I am sacred.” Program your cells with that truth. Notice how you feel when you say it. Integrate that feeling into your daily life.

3. Soul Mates are All Around
Don’t miss the soul mates all around you! Be present to your life and all of the beauty already within it. See your many soul mates: your best friend, certain family members, even people you work with. Soul mates are people we have an instant affinity for and an effortless connection blooms easily. Count your blessings every day and be truly grateful for the soul mates you have. That primes the pump for divine timing combined with action steps to deliver your true love, exactly on time.

Amy Leigh Mercree is an expert dating & relationship coach, entrepreneur, adventure guide and internationally acclaimed author of “The Spiritual Girl’s Guide to Dating: Your Enlightened Path to Love, Sex, and Soul Mates.” This June, Mercree is teaching “Spiritual Romance: Reawakening the Sacred in Your Love Life,” at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. See more information on the seminar here. And visit her Web site www.spiritualgirlsguide.com for you complete evolved dater’s toolkit!

A Life-Changing Valentine’s Day Reboot

Posted on by Tammy

By Amy Leigh Mercree

I’m sure you’ve heard all of the varying opinions on V-Day: consumerism gone mad, schmaltzy holiday for romantics, obligatory flowers and chocolates day, and even an exciting chance to spend time with the one you love. What if we let those opinions float to the side and chose to completely reboot our lives this Valentine’s Day? What if we did a total Valentine’s Day Reboot?

This February, let’s do a complete 180! Let’s reclaim Valentine’s Day as a true celebration of love in all of its forms. Cause as the saying goes, “Love is all around us.” Make a commitment today to see and experience love at least once per hour. Try it for a day. Notice the love with which a co-worker holds the door for you with a smile. Notice the love between the couple in the car next to you that kisses at the stoplight. Notice people connecting with each other. Notice caring in action all around. Put your focus on love and change your life. I dare you.

Look for the truth and authenticity in love. Judgments aren’t truths. Self consciousness is not truth. Wanting to act and appear a certain way because of social decorum is not necessarily truth. These are all born of fear and insecurity. Fear is the opposite of love, and you can flip your fears on their head and turn them into love. Insecurity is being scared of your authentic self. It is the belief that your true, authentic self is not as magnificent as it actually is. Flip that insecurity on its head and do something totally gutsy, totally loving and feel the relief in that. Share your true feelings. Express your love for family, friends, pets and life.

Let life revive you with spiritual and emotional CPR this month. Sometimes people come into your life for just that reason. We meet those soul-connected people at the perfect times. Whether it’s the friend who you get together with who renewed your faith in the opposite gender because he is decent and kind, or she honest and caring. Or it is the boss who believes in you and gives you a chance to leap into the big leagues because of your creativity. It could even be the loving dog who snuggles you and licks your face because she is so happy to see you every single time you come home.

We’re emotional beings. When we embrace this we can open to deeper experiences of love and connection and literally enhance our quality of life. Our connections and the love they are made of may even be part of why we are here. These connections might help us solve our existential crises, and learn to be present to the amazing blessing of being here on Earth among billions of our other souls as an interconnected web of love — because in the end we are all one. And what if Valentine’s Day could be about that – about love and its endless expression?

What better way to celebrate authentic love than to give it? Make a list of five ways you can share your love with others today. The more you give, the more love flows back to you. The more you share, the more you reap. The more you choose to live love, the better and more pleasurable life you will lead. Try it today. And ruminate (wink) on these words to start your reboot:

Love came,

and became like blood in my body.

It rushed through my veins and

encircled my heart.

Everywhere I looked,

I saw one thing.

Love’s name written

on my limbs,

on my left palm,

on my forehead,

on the back of my neck,

on my right big toe…

Oh, my friend,

all that you see of me

is just a shell,

and the rest belongs to love.

Rumi poem from Shahram Shiva’s book

Hush Don’t Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems of Rumi

(Jain Publishing)

Amy Leigh Mercree is an expert dating & relationship coach, entrepreneur, adventure guide and author of “The Spiritual Girl’s Guide to Dating: Your Enlightened Path to Love, Sex, and Soul Mates.” Visit her adventure travel site, www.LoveSeaVacations.com for eco & dolphin travel fun and visit www.SpiritualGirlsGuide.com for your complete conscious dater’s toolkit.

Self-Nurturing: The Key to Holiday Harmony

Posted on by Tammy

By Amy Leigh Mercree

For many of us, snow is falling and holiday cheer abounds, but what do you do if the season of celebration leaves you feeling flat and empty? Does the thought of more small talk at parties, and finding a New Year’s Eve date make you cringe and want to hibernate? You’re not alone! If you asked your friends their real feelings about this season some people would express emotions of obligation and wariness at the busy schedule, often imposed by well-meaning family and friends.

So how can we find a balance this season and give ourselves the message that we are worth having an enjoyable, joyful, relaxing time – and also take action to make that happen? A few simple changes in thinking and a couple self-nurturing actions will make a massive difference in your experience of the holidays.

First, ask yourself, “What does the holiday season mean to me?” Really delve into that. It might mean time off from work where you want to relax and have fun. It might signify spiritual renewal or have poignant religious significance for you.

Next ask yourself, “What holiday rituals are fun and meaningful for me?” This could be when just your immediate family lights the menorah together or decorates the tree. It could also be the couple hours you set aside to go surfing before family celebrations begin. Look at what part of those experiences really fuels you and prioritize that in your plans.

Lastly, ask yourself, “What do I wish I could do?” Go to Tahiti? Hibernate in a bubble bath with a romance series? Play touch football with my most relaxed friends? Go out for sushi? While you might not have the time or money for a Tahiti trip this year, you could set that as a five- or 10-year goal, and you could certainly carve out the time for bubble baths, a football game or sushi if you made your enjoyment a priority.

Why should your enjoyment a priority? Because you are an amazing, sacred, beautiful treasure just as you are! And you matter.

You must be the one to assert your importance in your life. It is important that you have fun. It is important that you are rejuvenated. It is important you get to relax this season if that is what you need.

Dating and Love
Everyone wants to throw dating in the mix at holiday time. You will see messages all over the media this season of mistletoe, romantic snow covered moments, and the mythical kiss at the stroke of midnight from fairy tales being enacted on New Year’s Eve. The reality of holiday time is many people are harried and rushed and trying to find meaning amid a storm of consumerism. So what if you just choose to be open to the heart energy that does get stoked at this time of year? What if you just let that flame warm you and allowed life to bring you whatever is for your highest good? How would that feel? Would that ease a pressure within?

If family members ask you about your love life, what if you said, “I am blissfully in love with myself, thank you for asking,” with a huge smile on your face?

Here is my “Survival Kit For the Holidays.” Do these things and you will be relaxed, centered, and happy this season!

1) Be kind. Firstly, to yourself. No negative self-talk, no admonishments for forgetting to send out cards. Just kindness in everything you say to yourself. And be kind to others 100-percent of the time Even when you are in the slowest line on the planet at the grocery store, practice serenity and be kind to the cashier instead of impatient and grouchy.

2) Open your heart to love. And that is it. Have no expectation about dates and such this time of year. Just give yourself a pass. Simply open your heart to the love from your nieces, nephews, pets, friends and grandma, and focus relentlessly on that love. Share your love. Say, “I love you,” to every family member and friend this season and deliver the words with a big hug and watch people soften and tension ease before your eyes.

3) Create and uphold at least two self-nurturing rituals on crucial days in your season. For example, for many years I have had a delicious Christmas morning breakfast in bed. When I was single, I would get up and make my waffles with berries and cream, and then bring them back to bed on a pretty tray that morning before turning the ringer on the phone back on. Now that I’m married I do the same thing, but my husband gets to enjoy the breakfast in bed too! You could have a favorite Christmas movie you wrap presents to on Christmas Eve while enjoying hot chocolate after giving yourself a peppermint oil foot massage. Or a home spa day on December 26th that is non-negotiable. You get the idea!

You have the power to nurture yourself, care for yourself, and through that focus, open your heart to real love. Then you will find yourself spiritually dating!

Happy season of self nurturing!

Amy Leigh Mercree is the author of “The Spiritual Girl’s Guide to Dating: Your Enlightened Path to Love, Sex, & Soul Mates,” a Spiritual Dating & Relationship Coach, and a Medical Intuitive. For more fun articles and her dating advice column visit her blog and website:www.spiritualgirlsguide.com.