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Katie Kramer, RN/Life Coach/Author
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Pay It Forward...and Watch Magic Unfold!

3/14/2017

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As a voracious reader, I have a stack of books at my bedside at all times, ready for my nightly ritual of reading before sleep. And because I'm a self-help junkie, most of my books are about improving my life, which provides great fodder for my client's lives.

I'm particularly fond of books like The Secret, along with its precursor, Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting--both which use practical exercises to convince us (skeptics) that we really are being looked after, loved, and taken care of.

And that we really are cosmic magnets who can manifest anything we want.

Recently, I ran across another similar set of books by Pam Grout, and was instantly hooked. I wanted to try some of the exercises she outlines because it's fun AND because I'm skeptical by nature. 

A bit of back story: it is not lost on me that magic happens to me all the time. Really. In many different forms, since I was a kid. It's comical sometimes because my "luck" and good fortune are very prolific.

You'd think I'd be a seasoned believer by now, but I'm not. 

Sadly, I remain a skeptic about getting things that I really, really want. I receive free coffee and win raffles so often that they no longer surprise me.

But when it comes to what I long for, can I count on receiving those things, too? 


In E-cubed, Grout shared a story about running around a large city with her daughter, leaving five dollar bills for people to find. She then challenged her readers to do the same, AND to expect some form of universal response within 72 hours.

So at the end of my vacation last week, I took her up on the challenge.

On March 7th, I posted this on Facebook:

"I paid it forward today and was privileged to see the results. I was nearly in tears watching how it lit up her face; how she took a picture of her surprise; and how she kept staring and smiling. I was thrilled she had no idea who it was from."

The weird part is, I'd been led by my intuition to pay it forward to that particular empty seat. And when a woman sat down, she was told by the guy in charge that she was in the wrong seat. Undeterred, she said she'd been told to sit there by another personnel member.

Funny how magic works.

A mere 3 days later, I posted this:


"Money has been floating around me for weeks: free hotel stays; rebate checks in the mail; a hefty raise at work; gifts of coffee, a ferry ride, and Tony Robbins tickets; and a tax return that is just enough to pay off some debt!"
Do I think there is a correlation between paying it forward and receiving so much in return? You bet I do!

And do you know what the most surprising thing is?

Much of this monetary reward happened in just ONE WEEK!

And here's another piece of magic to add:

When I purchased Pam's first book of the series, E-squared, I kept its sequel on my Amazon wish list to purchase at a later date.

Last week when I visited a used book store on an island that is only accessible by ferry, the first book I saw was a brand-new copy of E-cubed. It was sitting on the shelf in such a way that it was impossible for me not to spot it. The clincher? It cost just 8 bucks!


You guys, this is what magic looks like.

It feels like a giddy high.

And if often seems impossible. 

But it is oh, sooooo fun to play! 

Do you recognize magic when it happens? 

Be on the look-out for it, because it's everywhere. You just have to be open to the possibility that it's real.

Then expect it to show up in some mysterious fashion. I say "mysterious" because it rarely shows up how we think it ought to.

I could've expected blessings in the form of bills; what I received was a big cosmic payback in the form of experiences, treats, dates, discounts, fun, and yes, some cash, too!

If you don't believe me, try paying it forward with a kind gesture, a free coffee, or anything you feel compelled to offer
.

Then watch your life explode with a magical high-five! 

 
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Make An Impact

10/25/2016

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Happy Grati-Tuesday, friends!  

I tend to have spiritual connections with many people in my life. I have predicted events, I've "seen" people in their struggles (even as they live cross-country), and I've energetically picked up when someone's in need of assistance.

How could I know that she needed a phone call? Did I really "see" him on my porch, reaching out to me? Was that a real voice I heard, or just my imagination?


After many weird and wild events over most of my life, I've learned not to question any of it anymore.

I just roll with it... 

So it shouldn't be a surprise when I have a kindred experience with new people, but it always leaves me speechless.

But when Jeff entered my life, I was not prepared for how he would leave an indelible mark on me.

Our connection was immediate and our conversations were deep, yet playful. You wouldn't have known that I had only been in his company for a total of 9 hours. But in that short time, I learned more about him than I'd learned about other men whom I'd known for months, some even years.

Based on an email exchange we'd developed during the previous few weeks, we met for lunch, which happened to turn into a full and eventful day. He was vulnerable, kind, and compassionate. He teared up when he recounted having to fire an employee in his previous high-powered job, and later cried while describing how his brother's brain cancer was devastating his family.

I knew I was drawn to him on some whacky spiritual plane, but I had no idea how that would play out.

Despite never seeing him again, he came to mind several times over several months. About six months after we'd met, I decided to reach out with a text. I was following what felt right--to reach out, in concern, because something about him kept calling out to me.

Nothing ever came back.

A few weeks ago I was visiting my brothers-in-law in Austin when the subject of Jeff came up. Having previously lived in Texas before moving to Seattle, it felt natural to talk about him. Upon my return home, I decided to look him up.

It took a second and third glance at my computer screen before I realized that I'd stumbled upon his obituary.

The date of his death was months before, when I'd reached out with my text.

Jeff impacted me deeply and I knew it the moment it happened. I didn't know why, and I had no foresight about how our connection would play out (or not). I just knew that I'd been spiritually and profoundly touched. 

His passing has taught me that we never know how, where, or when we may leave an impression on others, so never underestimate your impact in the world.

Be bold, be brave, speak up, be yourself.


You won't be able to predict who may benefit from you showing up, but the world will be changed because you did.    
 
Namaste.
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When Love Shows Up Unexpectedly

10/4/2016

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I was recounting a story to a friend over dinner last night when I was surprisingly overcome by tears. Had I not been in a restaurant, I may have gone full-tilt into sobbing.

But let me explain...

When my life exploded twenty years ago, I was thrown into a familiar position of having to take care of everything on my own. While it was sad and difficult to contemplate losing my marriage and possibly my family, I was already adept at pulling up my boot straps and summoning myself forward, alone.

But this time, I didn't have to. And last night's emotional response to my own story brought up overwhelming feelings of gratitude for the love I received way back when I needed it most.

Especially unexpected love. 

It was just hours after my life-as-I-knew-it crumbled when my younger brother-in-law called to inform me of his flight information for the following day. He was on his way to my house.

Puzzled, I asked why. "Because you need me," he answered, confidently.

"I do?" was the only question I knew to ask. After all, I couldn't fathom asking anyone to fly several states away, while taking time off from work and their lives, to come to my aid.

This was my life that caved, so it was my job to pick up the pieces, wasn't it?

But this time, it wasn't.

In fact, when my brother-in-law arrived, he immediately got my then-husband out of the house (when I could not) and cooked, took care of my three kiddos under five, and kept an eye on me. He was taking over where his brother had bailed, all because he knew I needed it.

A week later when he had to leave, I was once again overwhelmed to learn that his older brother and partner were already en route, driving several states away to pick up where his sibling had left off. They, too, stayed another week as I began to slowly come out of my fog.

While the story may have been sad and difficult at one time in my life, it's also an old story, so I can usually tell it without any emotion.

But love, when it shows up unexpectedly, is timeless.

And the love that showed up twenty years ago left me stunned. Retelling it today often stirs tears of slap-happy, I-can't-believe-they-did-that gratitude.

I was blessed to have had those men carrying me when I could not hold it together on my own. And I was grateful that my soon-to-be ex-family didn't know the meaning of "ex". Instead, they chose to do the right thing.

They did for me what I could not do for myself. But more importantly, they did it when I didn't even know I needed it.

I never did lose them; in fact, I just returned from a weekend with two of them. They have become my forever family--the brother and partner of my ex-husband (whom I no longer have much contact with), and I am grateful for them, still.

Getting choked-up over love that remains bountiful two decades later is beautiful, overwhelming, and powerful.

Who are you grateful for, and how has love unexpectedly touched you?



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    Author

    After being raised in the mid-west, I migrated south for high school (with a year in Brazil) and college, and ventured west for a long marriage (and later, divorce)...and eventually landed in the northwest--my real home. Sigh. 

    I am a Teacher, Healer, Single Mother, Nurse, Coach, Columnist, Artist, Author, Traveler, Motivator...eager to share myself with you. 

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