by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Apr 10, 2014 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
Easter can be difficult to celebrate when you are in or recovering from cancer treatment.
It is hard to fake happy after the loss of a lifestyle, friend or family to this disease. But remember, if you are reading this, YOU are a WINNER. Let’s celebrate! Take the first tiny step with a Love Letter to YOU.
Easter is a time of renewal that also manifests in our lives.
A new day is a new beginning, and can often be a dream-come-true.
When was the last time you dreamed of success?
The egg is the Universal Symbol of the promise of the continuation of life. Each day is progress in this life-time. Yet, it is so easy to ignore all the positive things you have accomplished and focus on what still needs to be done to feel fulfilled.
Fulfillment is a mind-set.
Fulfillment is a state of thinking that manifests itself into a state of being—mind over matter. As human beings, we must be in the moment to see our past accomplishments.
Accomplishments are the result of challenges.
During your most trying moments, what was the “cross you had to bear”? Take a second to remember it. Now, focus on how you have risen above it? Next, imagine being handed an ornamental egg painted in your favorite colors. Lift the top of the egg. Peek inside. See the gift left behind by the challenge. This achievement is proof that you are a winner. That egg with it’s gift inside are a promise for a new day. Time for the next step— thanking your Inner-winner.
Focus on rising above the strife in a Love Letter to Yourself.
Writing can help you be in the moment of triumph by putting abstract emotions into concrete words. You will celebrate with your inner-selves; those incredible aspects of yourself that you may not be aware of, but are always there for you. As you write, they will be reading the love letter through the windows of your soul—your eyes.
By focusing on your accomplishments, your mind is set to create more positive results.
Your thoughts and memories can also bring to light your life-purpose and help you stay on the correct path to your Life Destiny.
Here are 5 steps to write your Easter Love Letter to Yourself:
1.)Remember—You may be holding the pen, but Inner Wisdom is guiding the words. Let them flow.
Although a hand written letter may be more therapeutic, a typed one works well, too. The importance is not in HOW you connect with yourself but THAT you connect with yourself.
An Easter Love Letter to You is a simple letter to all the inner aspects of yourself — Inner Wisdom, Inner Knowing, Spirit, God, or the Higher Power of your choice. Your letter can be addressed to any name that resonates with you.
2.) Start with a phrase of gratitude, Mantra, or Blessing at the top of your letter.
Write a phrase or mantra that has power for you. This is your letter heading.
It can be acknowledgment of your Inner Winner. Acknowledging gratitude is one of your most powerful healing and connecting energies. Your mantra/phrase will reflect that principle. If you do not have a personal phrase of gratitude, borrow one that most resonates with you.
3.) Today’s Date –Dating your letter helps ground you in the moment while you visit the past. The past is a great place to visit. But, don’t live there.
4.) Salutation – Dear, your name, or Inner Winner, etc. Address the letter to whomever feels right to you. Imagine sending a private message or group email to all your best friends. This can be one, many, or all your Inner-people who are responsible for helping you succeed.
5.) The Body of the Letter – Write whatever feels right to you. Let it all out, but try to start and end on a positive note. You may want to start with:
“Thank you for all you have done for me.”
6.) Sign your name. Feel free to use a name you can embrace as the new you rather than your given name. The Love Letter is to you. You’ll get it.
If you need more guidance for your letter, use my example of what your Easter Love Letter might look like and fill in the blanks:
“I am grateful for any opportunity to connect with my Inner-winner.”
April, 9 Day, 2014
Dear Inner Winner,
Thank you for all you have done for me.
I remember when ____________________________________
Then you helped me _________________________________
We worked together by _______________________________
Now, these positive things have happened to manifest the promise of a wonderful future ______
Love,
(sign your name) Super Kat
7.) What to do with your Love Letter. You may either save the letter and read it whenever you need to reconnect with your Inner-winner, or you may perform a ritualistic act of sharing.
If you save it, put it in a place that is easily accessible, like your wallet. Take it out and read it when you need it.
Send it to yourself in a personal email, or post it on a blog where your love and gratitude can be shared with many.
Burning is a ritual act of sharing. It uses fire to cleanse away any residual negativity and allows smoke to carry the message of gratitude to your Higher Power. The ashes left behind will be fertile ground for new positive thoughts and deeds just like the mythical bird the Phoenix.
Your letter will be like the egg from mythical Phoenix.
This mythical bird exemplified in the movie Harry Potter, turns to ashes on dying and is reborn from the same ashes. This ability to rise again from ashes implies immortality, just like the love in your letter.
So, take a minute out of this busy time before the Easter Holiday to reflect on what you have done to leave a positive foot-print on someone’s heart or in the sands-of-time. Find that hidden gift in the form of an egg-of-love in your mind. Write it in a love letter to YOU because you deserve it.
Then watch for answers and validation from your Inner-winner in your dreams.
by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Mar 18, 2014 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
What do Google+, Spirit Guides & Dreams have in common?
The answer is on my first interview on Google+ posted at the bottom of this article.
Doing a Google+ live show was fun and insightful but required mastering a new learning curve. Learning this new technology is worth your time because it is the new path internet radio is taking. If you are promoting your area of expertise, you may be invited to do a Google+ radio show. Being prepared can help you be successful on many levels.
Host Chris One Feather lead me through the Sacred Dream Doors in my memory that I had no idea existed. He is a master interviewer and wonderful host. And, his co-host Marcella MacArthur has the patience of a saint. She guided me step-by-step through the necessities for a successful Google+ Interview—a platform with which I was unfamiliar.
Riding the new wave of ever-changing technology takes perseverance.
Endeavour to Persevere.
Here are 5 important lessons for a successful interview:
1.) If things don’t go as planned the first time—try and try again. Don’t give up.
2.). Make connections. It is easier to learn a skill from people with the skill.
3.) Keep your sense of humor while learning new technology.
4.) Cutting out the picture of someone’s face from a magazine and taping it beside the camera on your computer will give your eyes a focus point for correct eye contact with your audience.
5.) Speak to the picture as if it were your audience, because on some level it is.
Have you ever watched a Skype interview and it looked like the guest was looking down at the computer the whole time, or their eyes were wandering around the room as if the walls were speaking to them?
That is because they were looking at the host’s face in the bottom corner of the computer. It is natural for our eyes to search for a face to connect with while speaking. You may have also noticed this on Skyped in interviews on the evening news.
Using lesson number five will help alleviate this. And choosing a smiling picture may encourage you to smile on camera as well.
For hosts considering making the switch to Google + , a professional looking interview may require additional lighting and possibly a mounted camera. Here are two tricks that will help with lighting and sound.
1.) Use your phone camera to check lighting.
2.) Use your i-phone ear bud as a microphone to decrease surrounding noise.
Statistics show that video is the blogging and article choice for the future.
Blogs and articles may have a short written introduction and conclusion, but the body of the information source will be video. Many magazines have become multimedia to utilize this new trend.
However, it is important to remember that written information must consist of at least 300 words to attract the attention of search engine spiders. The old rule of an acceptable blog size as 200 words is obsolete. Times are changing.
However, it is reassuring that some written work is required for those of us who are still writers at heart.
Enjoy the show…
Strategies to Contact with Your Spirit Guides Using The Sacred Dream Doors
http://onefeatherjournal.com/the-firekeeper-s-circle.html
by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Mar 11, 2014 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
“The key to beauty is learning something new and then applying it to your life.”
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos/author and 3 time cancer survivor
So, you have a hot date for St. Patrick’s Day.
Great! Now, how do you face the overwhelming challenge of applying your old makeup techniques to your new treatment-face while in therapy? The beauty strategies you previously used went down the drain with your hair. And green, as in how you feel after your chemo, may not be your color of choice right now.
Now what?
How do you play up eyes that lack eyelashes for mascara, accentuate the arches of eyebrows which no longer exist, or find that dewy glow your skin lost during your last therapy? How can you accept a date looking like “death warmed over?” or greener than the holiday beer? Well, if you are reading this Death did not land, and green is a healing , magical color, so keep going. Can you look beautiful during treatment? Yes you can!
Here are 7 tried-and-true make-up tips.
They will help you enjoy an unforgettable St. Patty’s Day by rising above the challenge of beauty during therapy and looking down on the bigger picture of life despite treatment. These tips are easy and quick enough to use even after a long day of therapy, or every day during treatment, and beyond.
You may not look exactly the same way you did befor treatment, because you have survivor-glow, a result off the depth of empathy you have acquired through baptism by ffire. This is part of your new outer glow that is shining from within. You look better than ever before. And your glow cannot be bought in a make-up bottle. It is unique to you and comes from survivor confidence. It is your base. Wear it with pride.
Make-up can be a challenge during many therapies, but especially cancer treatment.
No eyelashes or eyebrows to hold beauty products in place can make you want to give up before you start. But as a three time breast cancer survivor, I learned a trick or two about beauty during treatment. These beauty tips will help you resonate with inner light while you continue to heal.
These techniques can be used with any products including organic cosmetics available in most natural and health food stores and marketplaces. Your skin is a leaving breathing organ, and the first line of defense against disease.
Take care of your skin and it will take care of you.
1.) Your face is already dry from medications, long hours in over air-conditioned hospitals, and dehydrating treatment so you may choose to avoid face powder. It has a tendency to settle into cracks and, yes, crevices; the result of skin cell moisture loss.
2.) Use brown eyeliner to define your eyes and a lighter taupe eye shadow, applied with a small brush, to create your eye brows. Large crayon eyeliner pencils are more moisturizing than powder, and easier to handle if your fingers are swollen, numb or tingling from neuropathy, the temporary condition of some chemo-therapies. If power is still your tool of choice, wet the brush with water, dip it into the powder and then apply it to the eye area. It will keep less powder from irritating your eye’s dehydrate mucus membranes, and also “set it”— hold your make-up in place so that it does not travel into your tear ducts or the corners of your eyes.
3.) Keep your cosmetics to a bare minimum and use tons of moisturizer. A drop of liquid make-up mixed with moisturizer creates a beautiful healthy glow. A drop of moisturizer mixed with cream blush, and applied to the apples of your cheeks will make you the apple of his eye. It will give you just the right amount of color to make you look naturally healthy. A fail-safe way to apply blush is to smile and your “apples” will stand up and wave.
4.) Pink stick or gel blush on your cheeks, forehead and chin can give you a sun-kissed radiance no matter what skin tone you have. Use colors that are close to your own natural skin tones.
5.) Sprayed your face with an atomizer of water to set your make-up. Small cans of Evian spray are available in department stores, or make your own “spritzer” by filling a spray bottle with purified water. Use it throughout the day to feel refreshed and to maintain that youth-dew-splendor.
6.) Lipstick or clear gloss finishes a healthy look, and moisturizes your lips. There are many long lasting lipsticks on the market from which to choose. Once applied, you won’t need a touch-up, even after eating. That little bit of color on your face can make such a difference.
7.) There is no make-up that can brighten your face like a smile. Beauty is only skin deep but your smile comes from the soul. Practice smiling in the mirror for ‘muscle memory’ and used it whenever you feel like a wet noodle. It will change more than your looks. It will change the vibration around you by pulling it into a higher healing frequency. Higher vibrational frequencies attract higher vibrations. So vibrate away and draw the best to you.
Don’t be surprised if your laughter attracts attention. A nurse may bring someone just starting their journey of healing over to you with the words, “Look at her, she’s glowing. See, it’s not so bad.” Your luminosity is a beacon of light to others still searching in the darkness of crisis. Share your survivor tips with them. Increase your healing light by giving it away. This will make you even more beautiful—from the inside out. It is also a great way to do two powerful things at once; pay it forward to those still in need, and give back to the universe. And, it is a way to acquire the luck of the Irish.
Sharing joy is universally empowering. The universe is always aware.
Laughter and smiles go together like peanut and butter, and both are contagious. They are something you want to catch and give to patients who have a lowered resistance during treatment. Laughter raises all vibrational levels within ear-shot, and gives you an inner-radiance that shines through to the world with the message, “I’m still here. I’m more than a survivor. I’m a Thriver!” So, give someone a smile, and laugh ‘till it heals with confidence, while you are on your Saint Patrick’s Day date. And remember, the Leprechauns are watching.
Do you hear those tiny bells of laughter? They sound like the fluttering rainbow colored wings of a beautiful butterfly, or grasshoppers communicating by rubbing their long green legs together. Don’t be fooled. It’s the daytime disguise of the leprechauns.
‘Tis the wee-folk.
They love a good joke, and the brave who look Fear in the eye and laugh at it, sending it scurrying back to the dark corners of the earth. Leprechauns are the tiny party-animals of the enchantment realms. Do you see the green dust floating on the breeze? There is love and magic in the air.
So while you are on your date, make a wish, and perhaps seal it with a kiss?
This article is from Kathleen’s book SURVIVING CANCERLAND: Intuitive Aspects of Healing
Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos is a three-time breast cancer survivor whose dreams diagnosed cancer missed by the medical community. Shesurvived stage-4 cancer & penned SURVIVING CANCERLAND: Intuitive Aspects of Healing. Understanding dreams allows her to thrive & be of service to others in crisis. Kat taught Special Education & Psychology at University of South Florida. She’s a Radio Host, Inspirational Speaker, R.A Bloch Cancer Foundation Hotline Counselor, Q&A cancer & dream columnist, & contributor to OM Times and heath magazines. She’s been featured on Radio, TV, in magazines & News Papers. Learn more @ http://www.survivingcancerland.com/ http://accessyourinnerguide.com/
by Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos | Feb 3, 2014 | Access Your Inner Guide, Uncategorized
“The key to beauty is learning something new and then applying it to your life.”
Kathleen O’Keefe- Kanavos/author and cancer survivor
So, you have a hot date for St. Valentine’s Day. Great! Now, how do you face the overwhelming challenge of applying your old makeup techniques to your new treatment-face while in therapy? The beauty strategies you previously used went down the drain with your hair.
Now what?
How do you play up eyes that lack eyelashes for mascara, accentuate the arches of eyebrows which no longer exist, or find that dewy glow your skin lost during your last therapy? How can you accept a date looking like “death warmed over?” Well, if you are reading this Death did not land, so keep going. Can you look beautiful during treatment? Yes you can!
Here are 7 tried-and-true make-up tips.
They will help you enjoy an unforgettable Valentine’s Day by rising above the challenge of beauty during treatment and looking down on the big picture of life despite treatment. These tips are easy and quick enough to use for your date after a long day of therapy, every day during treatment, and beyond. You may never look exactly the same because you will look better.
Make-up can be a challenge during many therapies, but especially cancer treatment.
No eyelashes or eyebrows to hold beauty products in place can make you want to give up before you start. But as a three time breast cancer survivor, I learned a trick or two about beauty during treatment. These beauty tips will help you glow while you heal.
These techniques can be used with any products including organic ones available in most natural and health food stores and marketplaces.
1.)Your face is already dry from medications, long hours in over air-conditioned hospitals, and dehydrating treatment so you may choose to avoid face powder. It has a tendency to settle into cracks and, yes, crevices; the result of skin cell moisture loss.
2.)Use brown eyeliner to define your eyes and a lighter taupe eye shadow, applied with a small brush, to create eye brows. Large crayon eyeliner pencils are more moisturizing than powder, and easier to handle if your fingers are swollen, numb or tingling from neuropathy, a temporary condition of some chemotherapies. If power is still your tool of choice, wet the brush with water, dip it into the powder and then apply it to the eye area. It will keep less powder from irritating your eye’s dehydrate mucus membranes, and “set it”— hold your make-up in place.
3.)Keep your cosmetics to a bare minimum and use tons of moisturizer. A drop of liquid make-up mixed with moisturizer creates a healthy glow. A drop of moisturizer mixed with cream blush, and applied to the apples of your cheeks will make you the apple of his eye. It will give you just the right amount of color to make you look naturally healthy. A fail-safe way to apply blush is to smile and your “apples” will stand out.
4.)Pink stick or gel blush on your cheeks, forehead and chin can give you a sun-kissed glow no matter what skin tone you have. Use colors that are close to your own natural skin tones.
5.)Sprayed your face with an atomizer of water to set your make-up. Small cans of Evian spray are available in department stores, or make your own “spritzer” by filling a spray bottle with purified water. Use it throughout the day to feel refreshed and to maintain that youthful dewy-glow.
6.)Lipstick or clear gloss finishes a healthy look, and moisturizes your lips. There are many long lasting lipsticks on the market from which to choose. Once applied, you won’t need a touch-up, even after eating. That little bit of color on your face can make such a difference.
7.)There is no make-up that can brighten your face like a smile. Beauty is only skin deep but your smile comes from the soul. Practiced smiling in the mirror for ‘muscle memory’ and used it whenever you feel like a wet noodle. It will change more than your looks. It will change the vibration around you by pulling it into a higher healing frequency.
Don’t be surprised if your laughter attracts attention. A nurse may bring someone just starting their journey of healing over to you with the words, “Look at her, she’s glowing. See, it’s not so bad.” Your glow is a beacon of light to others still searching in the darkness of crisis. Share your tips with them. Increase your healing light by giving it away. This will make you even more beautiful—from the inside out. It is also a great way to do two powerful things at once; pay it forward to those still in need, and give back to the universe.
Sharing joy is universally empowering.
Laughter and smiles go together like peanut and butter, and both are contagious. They are something you want to catch and give to patients who have a lowered resistance during treatment. Laughter raises all vibrational levels within ear-shot, and gives you an inner-glow that shines through to the world with the message, “I’m still here. I’m more than a survivor. I’m a Thriver!” So give someone a smile, & laugh ‘till it heals with confidence, while you are on your Valentine’s Day date. And remember, Cupid is watching.
Watch for part two of this article series, A Valentine Date During Treatment: How to Make Sussessful Dinner Plans During Uncertain Times.
This information is from Kathleen’s book SURVIVING CANERLAND: Intuitive Aspects of Healing.
