Karen Shanley's Blog

“Someday”

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When Life Gives You Pears��� Make a Mess

It���s that time of year again when the kitchen fills with the sights and smells of freshly picked Asian pears. The baskets are overflowing, the counters are covered, and the rhythm of slice, core, and stir sets the pace for the afternoon. There���s something deeply satisfying about the simple ritual of putting up fruit.

This batch of pears will soon become pear butter. I’m thinking maybe some crisps for the next batch. Those make great holiday gifts. But for now, … Read More

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How Can You Have Confidence in Knowing That What You’re Getting is From the Inner Knowing?

Q: For someone to be able to make use of Inner Knowing do they have to have a certain degree of confidence in knowing that what they’re getting is from the Inner Knowing?

Practice is what helps build that confidence and provides validation over time. So it’s duration plus positive experience.

In the beginning, working with the Inner Knowing is like building a muscle. But this is a very different kind of muscle because it’s invisible and the results are, … Read More

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Lasting Love

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How Do You Shape a Life?

I grew up on a farm with a menagerie of animals. I remember being fascinated by watching the farrier who’d come to work on shoeing our horses. He’d stick the horseshoe in the fire, then onto the anvil to strike it with his hammer. Back into the fire, then out again to test its metal���literally. All the while, he’d be hammering it into the shape he needed. It was a precise activity. Not one swing of the hammer was wasted. … Read More

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Trading “Oops” for “Oh!” Play as the Remedy for Fear

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Rhythms of the Season

Twice a day, for the past few weeks, the Canadian Geese have been flying overhead from the fields to the lake and back again, as they work to store up food.

Morning and evening, hundreds of them decorate the sky like fluid strands of necklaces. There are so many of them that I can hear the concussion of their wings beating the air like drums. They honk in chorus, flying in formation, getting ready to sing their way south.

The … Read More

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Spiritual Progress: Moving from Magical Thinking to Mastery

Q: How do you lay the groundwork to live a spiritual life? Are there stages?

How much time do you have? (laughter) Seriously, though, this is a big question. I think we have time for a bird’s-eye view. Let���s use the analogy of progressing through school, where each stage builds on the last, and each one has its own lessons, challenges, and rewards.

Kindergarten: The Magical Thinking Stage

We all begin here. Anything feels possible. We set noble goals: ���I���ll … Read More

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Peace

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Tell the Truth Quick: The Intuitive Person’s Guide to Setting Boundaries

��As sensitive people, you probably know this scenario all too well. You’re constantly absorbing other people’s emotions and then feeling overwhelmed and drained in social situations that others seem to handle with ease. You might even avoid certain places or people because the energy exchange is just too much to handle.

What many don’t realize is that this sensitivity isn’t something to shut down; it’s a gift to manage with proper boundaries. After years of teaching this stuff, I can … Read More

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