After the last couple of years so many things happened. Many were not good at all. Far to much system overload, to much pain, to much loss. I was never a great empath, but I always absorbed and felt more than many others. Intuitive? Who knows. Easy to talk to? Who cares. Personal sheilds, like steel, at least I thought they were. Now at last I have began to realize that it is all still there. I just had to step back, breathe, and learn to live again. It is possible to shut yourself and lock yourself inside a hard shell. It is much eaiser to get there than it is to get out. It does feel like a breathe of fresh air to finally open, accept, sort, and yes throw up the steel sheild if necessary !

Blessings all

I can relate to your words so well. I too can very easily "tap" myself into how others are feeling quite well, but sometimes, I find that I am so busy worrying about how everyone else is feeling that I forget to remember how *I* feel. Take time for youself hun...shields or not, you deserve it.

We all have alot of the same issues.

I don't like using sheilds myself, unless an absolute must. I use filters. It lets in life, while bufferig it to a level I can handle.

Sheilding for long periods of time is too much liek being in a coffin. Feeling dead, lifeless, cut off, shut off, and isolated, adn not even the dead feel that dead.

I feel ya Sundown!

I have my shields at the ready, but usually just have filters up, just to be a little cautious. It seems down here in LA, we need to be a little more wary...lol..

I think you are doing the perfect thing at the perfect time. All things happen for a reason....and isn't it glorious when we have those precious moments of clarity??

It is so nice to see that we all are having alot of the same issues and feelings right now...it just clarifies and makes clear that we are doing what is right for our own Souls.

Keep singing your own song, Sundown, for it is beautiful indeed!

Blessings Bright and Dark,

And when it becomes too much to bear, you always have that shell at the ready to hide back in for a spell, until you are sound enough once again, to climb back out of it, and face life once again.

I think the hardest part is finding the front door to begin with. Because once you figure out you can leave your shell, and return to it if needed, and leave it again, it gives you a freedom, a sense of security you never had before.

You have been handed the key to your shell, use it freely.

Thanks so much to all of you for you insight and compassion. The internal hard shell used to be impervious from childhood on through most of my adult years. Finally cracked it, but I can still patch the cracks and crawl back in. But that will never happen to that degree again. Filters work well most of the time. Leaving the situation is usually better than full sheilds if that is possible.
The main point is that I finally admitted to self that I was in a not so good place. Self admission is the first step to healing. Laughter, smiling, and joy in the simple things in life are the greatest healing potion available .

Blessings all,

Well said Sundown

Sundown, there is a real magic in the words that you say. By allowing yourself the freedom to become who you need to be to be happy, serene and loving to yourself is a huge step, and not always an easy one. I am still working on aspects of that myself, and probably always will be. Society can be so cruel with its dogma. And those around us can be even harder on us it seems. But in the end they end up helping us to l;earn much more about ourselves than we could ever imagine....Soul Lessons indeed...

Step lightly my dear, and I look foward to eharing about your life's adventures and the wonderful discoveries that await you in your new found joy in life and the simple things. They are indeed much more powerful than we can realize. And not only that, everywhere we look...amazing isn't it?

I hope to chat with you again soon, by the way....it was a joy to meet you the other day!

I have a piece of wood that I found in Rocky Moutnain National Park in 2002, I have never found the time or the creative ability to do anything with it, but I know it will speak to you....if you would like, I would be honored if you could craft something for me out of it....it would be a staff, and is made out of aspen. Let me know, you know how to reach me...

Take care!

Blessings Bright and Dark,

— CoyoteMoon

I've always called it Turtle Wax! Sometimes, it's nice to have an extra can of it around, just in case...

aa) Just looked here in the work shop, got turtle wax, turtle wax chrome polish, gold wax, minwax paste wax, and could probably find more ppr( . I don't think I mentioned that I have been accused of being full o' B/S whether I am up or down. LOL.

But seriously at my age I have been up and down so many times I can't count them. No matter how down I will always get back up. Looking back what is interesting is that the trigger to really want to get back up is alway different. The method of acheivement is basically the same. Being proactive instead of reactive. That may be a bit to simply stated but is the best way I can think of saying it.

Blessed Be and to all a wonderful yule season.

L.E. I will be in touch, I would be honored to make something of the aspen for you. And having met you only makes it that much easier.