It's April 11 and this blog was composed March 3, 2014 at 3:45 am and according to my spirit guides it is time to blog and share what an a Empath is....

An Empath feels the emotions of others, and has an affect on them, their emotions and energy. 
A person that is not an Empath has control over the emotional effect and doesn't allow themselves to feel the other persons energy, issues or emotions and sure doesn't feel their pain in their body, and can choose to take into consideration the other persons emotions or pains. They stay in their own bodies. They feel what they feel in their mind, body and soul, but let it go with ease. Where an Empath vibrates outside their body and has the gift (or is it a curse haha) of feeling other's emotions or pains because they usually observe and not absorb, where an Empath absorbs when they really should be observing and not absorbing! This can be very difficult especially if you don't know your body or understand what an Empath is. 
I always say being an Empath makes me the amazing Reader and Healer that I am in my office- but not so amazing at the mall. It's actually over stimulating for me to be at the mall. I actually hate going to the mall. I avoid it if I can. It's funny how you realize things as you get older and learn your body. As a teenager I never wanted to go to the mall. I just didn't like it, but all of my friends frequented the mall often. Now I know why!

A few things I've learned and would like to share...
As an empath it is our job to choose who we surround ourselves with, who we spend our free time with, and who we choose to call friends. 
Just because we have known someone forever or an even harder one is- the people we are related to- Just because we are related to someone doesn't mean we have to spend our free time with them if they aren't making us feel good or happy. Check- If after you're with someone you feel drained, stressed, irritated, annoyed, down or worried about them, you may want to consider shortening your time with that person. 
I'm going to share with you that this has been a hard one for me all of my life. I have had a lot of not so loving, not so caring or helpful family members in my life. But I wouldn't change my past if I could, because it has made me the caring loving sportive strong woman, mother, friend and person that I am today. I treat people the way I want to be treated with love, compassion, empathy and light.

And because I am not selfish
I am a very caring helpful giving person and this my friends has sometimes got me into situations that have caused me some major grief. I mean be a supportive person bring a friend happiness, guidance and pleasure and then in turn if it causes you disappointments, let down and any feelings of regret them that's your body talking to you.
Example that comes forward and I can go back many many years ago before I had a child I used to babysit for friends so that they could go out and go on vacation and have fun or go back to work after having a child. Which was great, right?
They got to go out on the town, go on vacation, cruises, limos or simply go back to work and I got to help, be supportive, love their children, and do things like go to Chuck E Cheese or do art work or just hang out and spend quality time with their children. I love kids so babysitting was always fun for me and still is to this day! 
As an Empath they never really had to ask me because I would offer the second I knew they needed something. Which for them was great-right? But for me.... Not so great! One friend actually had the nerve to say to me, "I didn't ask you-you offered!" As if... ugh! That was the official smack in the face wake up call. .. Because it wasn't a favor if I offered right?

Then I had a child. Most of these people I referred to as friends, that I babysat for frustrated me time and time again, because they weren't so willing to reciprocate the favors. They were married, busy, or just not around anymore. This showed up multiple times throughout my life when I needed a babysitter these friends were not as readily open helpful or even appreciative or wanted to help with babysitting favors with my child as I was with theirs.

It really hurt me and was really hard to understand.

Another example is much later on in life once I graduated from college and actually started working and doing readings I used to read my friends for free all of the time and that had its own set of issues. My definition of a friend is one that is there for your friends through thick and thin. I'd listen to them complain or vent, they'd listen to me vent and complain like we all do but once I started doing readings I would read them for free and provide guidance, messages from their loved ones, or predictions and then everytime they had a dilemma they would call me and I was expected to provide free readings and support like I always did. Because I would just openly offer advice or read them and friends for free in the past. It started to be expected, and this became a drain eventually I had to make changes. 
I mean let's say if I were a nail lady would I be expected to do all of my friends nails for free? No! But because I'm not holding any tools or scissors I don't think they really looked at it as a job or service because I'm just talking right? . . One time probably in 2010 I had an issue where a friend of mine scheduled an appointment to do a (free) reading with me and when I wasn't able to be there right at the time she scheduled she got really nasty with me and that's when I realized something was wrong. It showed me to see that I wasn't having good boundaries. So now I try really hard and I don't read friends for free. They have to pay something. I funny care I if it's $20. Or dinner!

I always prayed that God will help me to have better spiritual boundaries. This has been a huge life lesson that has showed up multiple times over the years and just when I think I have it down someone or something shows up to tests me once again!

Bottom line is Empaths need to surround themselves with like minded people. 
We can't help the world, well I guess we could try, but it would be exhausting. When you feel for someone or you feel another's pain, needs, or emotions and it overwelmed you, consumes your thoughts, or you feel their pain and you worry, that means you may be an Empath. This can be a difficult one for you as it was and is for me, because not everyone feels the emotion of others, plus it's a dog eat dog world. Or is it doggy doggy world? They both get to my point! Not everyone is out to help or even care to help others. Not everyone has that gift of feeling another person's emotions, caring for that person, providing service, offering or volunteering to help or connectors to that feeling that person's needs wants and desires its called an Empath.
It's our job to surround ourselves with like minded people if you pay attention to the qualities of life that those people choose it becomes quite easy to pick out who is and who is not a like-minded person. This like - minded person would have a mindset of what can I do for you in our relationship to help, not what can you do for me in this relationship, being a give-and-take type of relationship. It becomes kind of tricky when you have family or friends that you may known for 25 years but the good news is the more spiritual you become, the closer you get to God or the more you become more in touch with your higher self the harder it is to deal with letting them go, but the easier it is to detect these like-minded people. Because it'll be familiar when you leave these people you'll feel fulfilled you'll feel no drain, no negative emotion, no confusion and most important no shift in your energy. You may feel happy after you interact with them. It's important to checkin how you feel after you're with each and every person you come in contact with. You want to be okay with yourself when you leave and have positive emotions going through your veins maybe feel like you got help and maybe you help them too. Another important thing is not absorbing their pain and most importantly not offering help when they haven't asked for it. 
We have free will and that means we can choose who we surround ourselves with and who we choose to help. Free will to let things go and move on or try to hold on and not suffer because your fighting for what you believe in, all the while hoping that the person will see the light. Just because you realize they need help doesn't mean you fix it, help fix it, or offer to fix it. 
Just accept that people are people and just because we see and know they could make better choices doesn't mean they are ready to see that or accept it. I'm setting it free is something I say often. And really I'm allowing myself to be free to accept what is, when if I don't agree with what it is. 
Another thing that I say is observe but not absorb.
Which brings me to my favorite quote I heard in college, which is on my business card... "The key to happiness is accepting what is." 
This is what it is. So be it!

I'm sending love and light 

This was originally composed on Jan 12, 2014

What is a booking fee? And why?  

A booking fee is a charge for doing an in-office session.  It's cheaper to do a Skype or phone session because you don't pay a booking fee.  And I don't have to pay for office space because I'm working from the comfort of my home while you are in the comfort of yours.  I always say if money is an issue then book a Skype or phone session.  Your session results will be as accurate and clear as an in person session.  I always joke around and say the only difference is you don't get a real hug, you get an electronic hug. LOL  :)

A little history of why I require a booking fee when scheduling an office session with me?

I've been meeting with clients for a very long time and never had an issue but one Saturday morning long ago...I decided to start charging a booking fee because this lady booked an office session with me on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and didn't show up.  I didn't get a call or email to cancel.  She didn't answer her cell phone the three times I attempted to call as I waited on her arrival.  I sat there wondering if she was okay or just decided to sleep in on her Saturday morning like I could have been doing!
It was a very disappointing and frustrating day for me that Saturday morning many months ago.  I mean at that time I was trying to do 2 businesses and I'm a single only parent with health problems with challenges daily.  I work very hard, my child has sports five days a week, sometimes six so for me to crawl out of bed at 730 in the morning on a Saturday morning to take a shower and get myself into the office by nine, I know now is and was asking a lot from my tired disabled self.  Then for her to not even have the common courtesy to call or email or even answer her phone when I called her was just blatantly rude!  As I sat in my office, eyes closed, talking to Spirit asking why... I heard my Angels chime in and say, things happen for a reason...
And that's when the messsage came to me to require a small booking fee to schedule an office session. 
In the.. I don't know, maybe year that I've now been doing this I've had two people schedule a session and no-show.  I know it makes a big difference now when someone doesn't show to their appointment at least I get paid something for the trip into the office.  It's also a little compensation for the fact that another person could have scheduled a session during that time slot, so at least it accommodates my time slightly.

So today I have somebody booked at 2:15 that scheduled her second session with me a couple weeks ago and I called her 3 days ago to confirm because my spidey senses said call her plus I didn't collect a booking fee.  I left her a message but I never heard back from her, and to be honest with all the dealings with my grandmother's funeral yesterday and the viewing the day before and all the preparations and family drama going on around me it never occurred to me that I didn't hear back from her. I do remember her she was a very very nice lady with relationship issues with a motorcycle gang boyfriend. 
So this morning when I realized I never heard back from her I attempted to try to call her again and again left a message, because I have two other people that are trying to get in today and I don't have the time available.  If she isn't coming in I could give that time slot to someone else.
She didn't answer.  I still went to my office because you never know maybe her phone was lost, broken or. .. AND....the result....she didn't show and to this day (March 26, 2014) I have not heard from her.
Given her situation it makes me wonder if she's okay or not?!

These are a few reasons why I charge a booking fee.  And I notice that people are more responsible when they have a few bucks on the line.  If they're not going to show up then they make sure they cancel or reschedule which allows me to give that time slot to somebody else.  After all I am running a business here. ;)

It's March 26, 2014 and I'm recovering from bronchitis and the flu so I'm trying to catch up and post the 40+ blogs I've entered into my cellular device this year...so here is one and trust me there are many more to come....
Dec 2, 2013 
This is a very sad day for me and the first time in I can't tell you how long that I cried my eyes out!  
I just called my son's doctor, of over 15 years, and found out he retired in July but I never got any notification. 
This news hit me so hard that it was very hard to not break down right that moment.  To add to the blow the receptionist was very curt about it and just expressed no empathy or sympathy at all!  When I said I am completely thrown by this news and asked how come he didn't send out any notices, her response was cold and snotty- she said that he did send out notices and that I wasn't the only one that claimed they didn't get the notice.  I was just in complete shock!  She could have said I'm so sorry you didn't get notified or I'm really sorry and this isn't the first time I've heard from a patient that they didn't get notification or maybe I'm not sure what went wrong, but I really feel for you or something like a human with a heartbeat!!  But noooo! 
I left a message with my contact info for the doctor that shared the office with our Doctor to call me and also left a message for her to pass onto my doctor because she says that he comes by to picks up mail once in awhile.

Update: Since January 
I've written a lot of blogs onto my phone in the last two months because I've been sick and then they didn't make it to the website yet for one reason or another. .. so here is one of those that didn't make it, but made it haha 
To this date March 26th I still haven't heard from either doctor.  I don't want to think negatively, but I don't think my message made it to either doctor - it's just sad how heartless some people really are.  They lack empathy and compassion and is just so confusing to me!

So yesterday I called and the lady I talked to previously claimed that I only left a message for my doctor, but not for the doctor that he shared the office with.  So I left another message.  My spidey senses say that I won't hear back again. .. but I will try to be positive which will be a challenge because I just feel so heartbroken.   After seeing a doctor for over 17 years to just disappear or retire feels like someone died unexpectedly .  I still feel the pain in my heart.  And then I center myself and thank God that I had such an amazing caring man to influence not only my child's life but mine too!  He came into the room just hours after I gave birth and he was such a supportive personl  He will and is missed so deeply!

Hi my name is Peej and I have been blessed with many gifts and what one of my best friend says I have super powers. 
I am a Communication Guidance Healer.  I graduated in 2007 with a Communication Degree, a Liberal Arts Degree, and a Communication Studies Certificate and with honors.  I have facilitated Positive Parenting Classes, Domestic Violence Support, and have volunteered hundreds of hours at my child's schools over the years, as well as have helped bring hundreds, maybe thousands of people guidance and healing to their minds, bodies and souls through Spirit- all of my life.
Plus I've also graduated from the school of hard knocks - and with honors lol jk.

I have been on a spiritual journey most of my adult life to heal my mind, body, and soul .
And in that journey I've learned that one of my gifts is that I am an Empath.
You ask what is an empath?

Have your friends or family ever told you that you are really sensitive?  Do you feel like or actually cry when you watch American Idol? Do you have unexplained pain in your body? Can you feel other people's pain?  Do you always feel the desire to or offer to help?  Do you have a feeling when something bad is going to happen?  Do you have anxiety?
If you answered yes to any of these you too may be an Empath.
Empaths care and worry about everyone and are so very compassionate and are very sensitive.  Sometimes an Empath is more worried about others and how they feel before they are worried about themselves. 
They will give, give, help, care and then at the end of the day they are exhausted.  The will think and feel. .. "I helped, cared and why do I feel like I didn't get the end result I hoped for?" They don't feel good. They may feel drained physically or emotionally.   They help people and then it doesn't turn out.  Especially true when you're in a love relationship with someone that doesn't possess this super power.  
If any of this makes sense then you may be an Empath- I encourage you to continue to read and also read my other blogs on empaths.

Another example of living in an empathic body is when you watch TV or a movie are you extremely sensitive to the people on the screen?   I mean, I can't watch shows when someone gets hurt, because I actually feel their pain in my body. 
The show that is on in my house a lot is Ridiculousness.  A lot of people laugh and think it's funny, but when someone falls or gets hurt, it's really not funny to an Empath....I see that and I actually feel that person's pain in my body and I feel a sensation in my body.  For me, I feel it in my legs or knees.  It's very difficult for me to watch a person experience pain. Very uncomfortable and gets me agitated. We have a family rule to change the channel when I'm around.  I don't watch those shows. 
And for me- I also feel the pain and a sensation through my body if someone talks about getting hurt or explains how someone they know broke their leg, I don't only hear what they are saying I relate with that person's pain and feel it in my body- literally and can empathize with that person on a higher level.

I always joke around and say that being an Empath makes me the amazing Healer  that I am because I'm sensitive to your energy, your needs, and your pains, but it's NOT so amazing at the mall!  During my high school and younger adult years I never wanted to go to the mall.  It just wasn't a fun thing to do, even today, I honestly dread the mall, it just isn't something I want to do during my free time.  My child had never been to the mall until he was 6 or 7 years old because I hate shopping.  I will go in, go straight to the store I need, purchase and leave! 
I knew I didn't like shopping at the mall, but I was never able to actually articulate this.  After years of learning my body I am now able to put it into words from an emotion and feeling.  I'm overstimulated when I go to places where there are a lot of people, energy or Spirit.

As an Empath it's been my journey to pay attention to things around me and listen to my body and honor and respect my body. 
When someone is mean or rude to me, it is my job to choose to not be in contact with that person.  I will drive ten miles to a store to deal with that nice customer service orientated bank teller that doesn't negatively affect my energy.  I mean let's face it- our surroundings have an effect on us.  Feng Shui originates from the Chinese and is the East, West, North, or South positioning of your home, front door, and furniture.  It is proof that our surrounding have a huge effect on us, and more importantly people in our lives actually have a bigger affect on us.

If I deal with a person at the bank near my home and they are not really warm, helpful or friendly... I may leave there feeling bla! Or even irritated, but then one day I stopped at another bank farther from my home, and they are nice and they put a smile on my face, and also on my heart, trust me- I will drive to the farther bank, because I want to feel that comfort and ease with interaction with others, which makes me feel good.  Meaning didn't affect my mood in a negative way.

Another sign that you may be an Empath is that you hate texting.  Because they rely on feeling as their primary sense to feel and that's pretty close to impossible when you text. 
It can be an horrible experience for an Empath. In talking to my very good friend Lindsay, she gets irritated with her friends because she says that when she reads their text messages she can't get a feeling and always wonders if that the person is mad at her. She reads the text as if they are mad.
I understand texting is quick and easy for some things like "Pick up some milk" or "I'm ready", but now a days people use texting as a way of communicating. 
A perfect example is when someone meets a person on an online dating site, they want to email and text back and forth, but in this circumstance texting isn't good, because there isn't any emotion behind a text.  You can't read them or their energy or hear them or feel them. An Empath wants to talk so that they can feel and through texting there isn't any emotion to feel so it can be very confusing to the mind and emotions.

Another example of an Empath is they always feel other people's pain and want it to stop.  So they will do everything they can do to help so that the pain will stop.  

When someone hurts an Empath the pain is exacerbated.  It becomes excruciating beyond belief.  It is horrible!!  And very difficult to get through or release the imprint it makes.
This is why all body work, energy healing, acupuncture, meditation, massage, physical therapy and love is so important to heal your body.

I am not going to claim I have this down. .. but I will tell you this, I consciously make an effort to be aware of the people I surround myself with and pay attention to those that have an effect on me and trust me people will have an effect and refrain from those how jeopardize my happiness or peace.  I try to turn off that empath, empathy trigger, sense or sensor and only open up or help when I am asked.  The person says Peej can you. .. and they ask which translates to they have come to a conclusion that they want help and most importantly they realize they NEED help and ASK for it! 
If you only get one thing out of this blog, I pick that this piece of advice sink into your mind, body and soul.

The Merriam-Webster online definition states empathic involving, characterized by, or based on empathy
and the Related Words:
feeling, perceptive, sensitive; considerate, gentle,softhearted, tender, tenderhearted, warm, warmhearted;benevolent, benignant, bighearted, charitable, kind,kindhearted, kindly, largehearted, magnanimous;clement, lenient, merciful, tolerant; pitying, ruthful;congenial, cordial, friendly, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, well-disposed; affectionate, loving

And Near Antonyms:  
inconsiderate, insensitive, thoughtless, unthinking; aloof,cool, indifferent, uncaring, uninterested; unaffectionate,unfriendly, unloving; merciless, pitiless, ruthless; bigoted,blinkered, narrow-minded, small-minded; brutal, grim,hard-bitten, hard-boiled, harsh, oppressive, rough,severe, stern, tough, ungentle, unrelenting; abusive,acrimonious, disagreeable, hateful, hostile, ill-natured, ill-tempered, malevolent, malicious, mean, rancorous,spiteful, surly, unkind, virulent

I encourage you to learn about your mind, body and soul.  You could read my other blogs on Empaths and I encourage you to watch my YouTube videos and please feel free to contact me at www.peej.me for guidance.
Thank you and I'm sending you superpower love and light.  Peej xoxo
.

Thank you everyone for all of the wonderful reviews on Yelp!!!  (Even if Yelp has filtered half of them :(   that's a whole "other" blog for another day hahah!!

I feel very blessed to be a Spiritual Healer and enjoy what gifts God has blessed me, my body & soul with, and the ability of being able to help, guide & inspire, and meet so many wonderful and amazing people!  I work with Spirit, which means I hear, feel and see Spirit.  I don't use cards or ask any questions- like what is your birthday or what questions do you have today!  I say,"Sit down, shut up, and put your seat bealt on!"  with a smile and chuckle of course! LOL  and then I channel the messages I hear, feel and see!  Nine times out of ten you won't have questions when I'm done with you! ha
 
Reading reviews to me, is great to hear, and to see how I helped and how they felt and feel, but I love reviews because they really help explain to everyone (that don't know me-) how I read and that I am the "real deal" and not a gypsy fake!! LOL!  So thank you again it really really helps! 

When I feel into Spirit right now, I keep hearing "self care."  Listening to our bodies and giving ourselves that extra time to heal.
We're still in this energy shift and it takes a lot out of empaths, sensitives and light workers.. 
If you're tired, then sleep a little longer. If we notice we feel like crap after we hang out with a friend or family member, then notice and avoid that person especially when you're not in the best health, your senses are heightened- that's when you want to listen to your intuition and senses and avoid that person, for a while, until you're in a healthier space.
And the first step to listening to your own intuition is to acknowledge and honor your higher self.
Remember you are the driver of your vehicle.  Life is about listening to yourself, your higher self, and how you feel and if it doesn't feel good-then don't do it!! If you're tired - Rest! Take a nap! Call in sick...because it can wait!!
AND this is about choosing to NOT beat ourselves up over not meeting our own expectations or ideas on how we think it should have or could have been.  This is sometimes hard, because we hold ourselves responsible for the ideas we draw up in our minds; which usually is the perfect outcome, or the highest success, and when we don't achieve that high(est) marker we disappoint ourselves.  That's when the self talk or bla bla bla negative chatter comes in, and we can beat ourselves up, internally!.
The bla bla bla self talk, negative, demanding little voice in your head, or on your shoulder.  
You just have to turn your head to the right and say to that little voice in your head, "shut up!!"

You need to remove yourself from the energy of it, which isn't easy, especially the first few times you- and I'm not going to use the word "try" because we are going to "do" this, not try this, from now on!!  (there is no coincidence that you are reading this, there aren't any coincidences.  I believe, feel, and know things happen for a reason.  We may not understand that reason at the time, but trust me, its all part of our paths.)

This is really about listening to your inner voice.  When you have to make a decision, really feel into the energy around when to say yes, and when to say no.  Especially when you are tired or sick.
Ask yourself- am I taking on too much?
An example that comes to mind, is around self help, healing or any series or class around bettering ourselves that requires you to sign up, and attend.  Anything that requires you, not just to physically show up for, but even if its done through email or internet, at your own pace.  You have to ask yourself, am I ready to start another series or class.  And the answer may be yes, but then you need to do a check-in and ask what other things have I started that have not been completed yet...and if I sign up to do this new thing, will it be safe, will I be able to complete the other commitments?  Will I have the time?  Can I afford it?  A lot of times it sounds good at the time, especially around self help classes and then what happens is you don't complete any of them, because you are overwhelmed with too many of them at one time.  Too much at one time.  And then you hear that little voice in the background with the negative talk about yourself and why you... Bla bla... And you should have... Bla bla bla.  I have too many...bla bla  
You're familiar with that little voice in your head that I'm speaking of! 

So the message is - listen to your body and the messages it sends to your head, and pay attention to how you feel and allow yourself to heal... (hey that rhymes ha!

If you're not feeling good, allow your body the down time it needs, to heal, and completely heal, and remember our bodies will talk to us so pay attention!  This also gets easier when you meditate daily.  (even if its 5 minutes a day!)  And lastly, surround yourself with people that add (de)light to your life.

Sending love and light,
Peej
www.peej.me