Caught in the Crossfire
Posted by Intuition Girl
Are you part of the “Sandwich Generation“? This particular age group (ranging between 40 to 60) often finds themselves caring for both an 
aging parent and a child (and sometimes grandchildren, too). It is not that humans are not capable of multitasking and caring for those they love; but all too often, we as adults become caught in the crossfire of what Associate Medical Editor of the Mayo Clinic, Edward T. Creagan, M.D. refers to as the “perfect storm”. If you are one of these individuals, you know exactly to what he is referring. You are struggling with your own emotional, physical, mental and spiritual needs whilst at the same time trying to fill your immediate family’s individual needs as well as caring for your aging parents. It can become quite the task just waking in the morning to take your drive to work while all this chaos is happening in your life. Whew! By day’s end, you are ready to pack a suit case and run away to some deserted island. You are not alone.
Maybe the senior in your life depends entirely upon you, but there are ways to help alleviate some of the stress that being a “sandwich” child brings. Between work, the kids, (and the grandkids), your spouse, your household, and your parent(s), you may feel like you are simply running around in circles with no end in sight. The first step to relieving stress is to eliminate those items on your list that are unnecessary for you to do. For instance, if you are taking on extra projects at work that are not required of you, perhaps you need to pull back the reins on those. Or if you are the only one doing the family shopping, perhaps you can have your adult children pick up grocery items needed in the household.
What are you doing for you? Remember, it is important to care for yourself first. If you are caring for everyone else and not tending to your personal needs, you will find yourself in a world of hurt. When you are a sandwich child, you tend to neglect your physical issues, emotional stresses, and other relationship challenges. If you feel like you are carrying the weight of the world upon your shoulders, then you must make it a point to give yourself some “me-time”. It is not selfish to take time for yourself to get a massage or simply curl up on the sofa with a good book. Meditation or deep-breathing exercises would be helpful as well helping you to center yourself and regain lost balance in your life.
Additionally, there is some positive news. Now may be the time to research senior co-housing. Today, more and more independent seniors are turning to one another to meet each others’ needs. One case that is becoming a strong trend in these United States is that of co-housing like “real-life Golden Girls“, Nancy McPhaul and Nancy Fairbanks out of Saratoga Springs, NY. As aging adults still choose to be independent, many are like Ms. McPhaul and Ms. Fairbanks, who have elected to share expenses and enjoying each other’s company in the same home. It saves money and enables each to help one another without the physical assistance of their adult children or grandchildren. This would be an admirable and cost-effective opportunity to help mom or dad still maintain independence without making them feel unwanted or uncared for. I know it is a challenging situation, but if you involve your parent in the decision-making of these options, it will help alleviate both yours and his (or her) stresses and fears.
There are also senior home service centers that will pitch in to assist when you cannot. They offer transportation, medicine reminders, assisted living services, and so much more. The nice aspect of these service providers is that you can acquire their help as often or as little as necessary. Remember, you are not abandoning your parents, you are helping them.
In the end, you need to create time for yourself so that you can begin living a joy-filled life and still love and care for those around you without running yourself down in the act of doing so.
Joan Marie – your Intuition Girl
© Caught in the Crossfire – 2013
By Joan Marie the Gift, Intuition Girl
Inspirational Message – Let’s talk money
Posted by Intuition Girl
Money is just a relationship on yourself.
In order to succeed in this world, you need to tap into your own imagination and creativity.
Learn more about Psychic Medium Joan Marie Whelan — Intuition Counselor and Intuition Coaching Specialist
http://www.joanmariewhelan.com/
http://www.intuitiongirl.com/
Planet X, the Mayan Calendar and You
Posted by Intuition Girl
Another day older, another day wiser! Pinch yourself because you have clearly made it beyond the wildly-branded doomsday (of December 21, 2012)! Over the past years, groups of people from around the globe were anticipating one or two catastrophic events to unfold: The collision of Earth with Planet Nibiru – the infamous “Planet X“; and the end of the world as interpreted by some translations of the ancient Mayan Calendar. Truth be told, there are many counterproductive new age movements that cater to those seeking some form of spiritual and/or emotional understanding or personal healing.
The Trap
It is easy to dupe individuals into becoming cult followers through campaigns of fear and paranoia. It has been a common tactic used throughout the ages to control the masses by some “leaders”. Heaven’s Gate founder, Marshall Applewhite used such fear tactics to attract potential followers to his cult group. As you may be aware, self-prophesying can lead to lethal consequences – as was the case in 1997 when he and his band of soul seekers performed mass suicides. The same holds true during the time of Haley’s Comet (in 1910). People worked themselves up mostly because of the fear from an implied calamitous Earth strike.
In the book, The Copycat Effect, the author Loren Coleman writes, “When Halley’s Comet made its closest approach to the earth in 1910, several people killed themselves out of contagious fear and panic.” In hindsight, did the comet itself invoke mass suicides? No. In truth, self-fulfilling prophecy has created and continues to create the most dire circumstances, and sometimes even deadly outcomes.
Even author Mark Twain was snared in his own self-fulfilling prophecy. In 1909, Twain wrote: “It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don’t go out with Halley’s Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: ‘Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.’ ” Twain died exactly one day after the comet’s appearance in 1910.
The Release
Tom Peters, prolific writer said, “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.” While you are thinking about this profound statement, I want you to question yourself on the belief systems that have molded you and those which you have established for yourself (in your life). If you are like most people, you choose to put yourself into one of two roles: A) Follower or B) Leader. There is no in-between. Either you lead, follow or get out of the way. Which role do you choose for your life path?
Since you are a spiritual being, your life force dictates the power that you have and that which you create for yourself. Remember, you have the freewill to choose and build your own destiny. Mother Teresa is noted as saying, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.” As much positive that Mother Teresa contributed to society, she, too had her moments of weakness. We all do. However, when you choose to use your good judgment and common sense, you find that bogeyman tactics will begin to fall to the wayside. Stop putting an emphasis on self-fulfilling prophecy and the paranoia of the world, and start putting more focus on all that you are capable of creating and contributing to your life, your environment and the community in which you live. By all means, create a productive self-fulfilling prophecy. Like, “I am going to succeed at fill in the blank,” or “I am going to be healthy, prosperous and happy.”
Will catastrophic events still happen? Count on it. Throughout the centuries, this old Earth and civilization has endured a barrage of happenings including great floods, famines, wars, hurricanes, hailstorms, tornados, mass killings, earthquakes, volcanoes, and yes, even comet strikes. It is the new millennium, and we are still here. Breathe. Tomorrow is another day. How you choose to live today, the belief systems in which you invest your energies, and the choices you make to create your own destiny are ultimately what will dictate your personal outcome in life.
Joan Marie – your Intuition Girl
© Planet X, the Mayan Calendar and You- 2013
By Joan Marie the Gift, Intuition Girl
