8 horrible situations for introverts

1. You have planned an evening alone, and suddenly you`re getting  an unannounced visit

2. The doorbell rings, but you are not expecting anyone..

3. At school your teacher says: Lets go in groups of four!

4. You invited some friends, and they say: Is it ok if I invite some more people?

5. You`re watching a movie or something on TV, and then you phone rings..

6. You meet someone you kind of know, but not really, and have to smalltalk..

7. You`re at a family party, and there are no quiet corners to discover!

8. You`re on your way to the mailbox, you see your neighbour, and its too late to turn around.

Reactivity

This week's theme is reactivity, which in short means that we are in a state where we will only act on the basis of our feelings, and not out of the situation we are in. We only react on the acute and automatic trigger. Before we go any further on this, we must look to our childhood.

When we are children, we are at the mercy of our surroundings. Whether you had caregivers who

drank, struggled with mental illness, had narcissistic tendencies or otherwise was emotionally unavailable to you, whether it was only once or every single time, this will be reflected in your programming. With programming, I mean all those things you were told or learned, either verbally or by observing the environment around you, this will have shaped you  to who you are today with your value system, thoughts and feelings. Whatever you have experienced, not experienced or should have experienced, you have today a number of things that trigger you. Perhaps you can often be extremely angry, have panic attacks or other acute reactions to anything going on around you. These triggers are good indications that there was something in what you just experienced that it is worth taking a closer look at.

When we talk about reactivity, we'll talk about those cases where we instinctively react to what you are experiencing, without taking the experience through the body or mind first. This is comparable to what happens when you put your hand on a hot plate, there is a frequent reflex that makes you quickly pull your hand back without having to think about it first. In this case with the hot plate, this type of reflex is useful, if not vital. This is however not the case when we are talking about reactivity in relation to emotions. Very often we can see this when we react very strongly to a situation that basically is small or trifling. The reason why you reacted to this situation is NEVER that you are being dramatic, or "just want attention" as many like to think. But there was something in this situation that triggered a memory you have. Often it could be a smell or the tone of someone's voice. Maybe it was someone who spoke with a loud and brusque voice that took you unconsciously directly back to childhood, where you in the now acutely react and fire off a series of violent emotions.

When you experience this, it is a unique way for you to stop and find out what really was triggering you and why. Admittedly, it is quite sure that this will be impossible for you to do in the moment, but that in retrospect, when you come to yourself again, can take a closer look at. What happened? What do you think you reacted to? What does the situation reminds you of? What in this situation requires you to take a deeper dive into your being?

Your emotions are never wrong, and can never be exaggerated. Therefore, it is important to address this, not because you reacted to something that you should stop responding to, but because your emotions is trying to tell you that there was something in this situation that you reacted to. Take it seriously and try to be present in the violent emotions instead of either feeling shame or blame others.

If you need help with this prosess you can contact me at www.kristinectora.com

About ghosts and the afterlife

I would like to share my perspectives about  "ghosts" and the afterlife. I often hear about perspectives on this topic that I do not completely agree with, and I feel like many of them often is ruled by fear. One of these fear-based perspectives is that some souls "gets stuck" and that they therefore do not come further. I hear this especially in relation to people who have taken their own lives. In my perspective, and in my meeting with the other side, this is not the case.

I do not think suicide in cosmic perspective is wrong and something that should be shamed.

Nor do I think that the heavenly punishment for this is being caught between two worlds, or going to "hell". And having said that, I've never come close to any kind of hell. The closest thing would be the lower dimensions. The dimension we live in, 3rd Dimension, is the only dimension (that I know of) where someone can physically grab you and keep you somewhere you do not want to be. From 4th Dimension and above, you do not have this physical condition. This means that no one can force you to reside in a place you do not want. Therefore, one can say that life here on earth is the closest to hell you will find. There are beings who do not always carry with them positivity. Our universe is governed by the law of attraction. This means you can not be around something you are not match for! So if you are not match to this you will never experience it. And most of us are not, so panic is unnecessary!

Back to the main topic, ghosts and the afterlife. As I mentioned, I do not think, nor have I ever heard about this from my guides or others I have communicated with, that someone can be trapped between life and death. When you encounter a ghost, or have visits from a deceased love one, it does not mean that they have not reached their destination. Certainly, some take longer than others to come "home". But this does not in any way mean that someone is punished or held back. What may happen is that if you die suddenly many may experience that there are different things they're going through, ranging from the learning to understand that they are now dead, or as an adjustment to what they have become. If you are interested in this, I recommend that you read about research on near-death experiences, such as PMH Atwater or others.

Another element I think it is important to address in this context is thought-forms. Often when we find what we call ghosts in the house, this is a thought-form. A thought-form, or an imprint, is an

energy that is left after a person. Often we see this in places where a person has lived for many years. This does not mean that it is the person, or soul, that recur and therefore has not gone further. I think it's important to point out because I feel that many people find it difficult because one can easily imagine that their deceased is stuck. These thought forms are often compounded by fear. Let's take an example. You live in a house where you have repeatedly experienced that doors slam or you hear different sounds. Furthermore you experience over time that these sounds are louder, and you experience the situation as more intense. It is often the case when over time you have given your energy in the form of fear to this thought-form, which means that you keep it in your life.

Step 1 on the road to recovery: Meet your needs!

Most of us suffer every single day. We suffer us through work or school and we suffer our way through our free time. Often, we also use spiritual concepts and ways of thinking in order to remain in this state. We tell ourselves that it`s supposed to be like this. You was born for a reason, and now you have have to suffer yourself through this because you are supposed to learn something. This is what we call "spiritual-bypassing".

You are never supposed to suffer! It is intended that you should get new experiences and perspectives by going through the perhaps painful experiences or events. But there is a big difference between this

and suffering. When we suffer we remain in an uncomfortable and maybe even extremely painful situation over time. We see no end to it, everything is black. And when we are here, the idea that you can "think yourself to feel better" or themes like "that you can create your own life" is experienced just as painful and marketing propaganda!

So what to do? For various reasons you are right now at a point in your life where you no longer know what to do, who you are, or how you can get out of whatever you are in right now. I know a thing or two about this particular condition because I have been visiting it myself many times.

Step number one is to give yourself permission to meet your needs.

Most people who are in this situation is there because they rarely or never meet their needs. To meet your needs is a taboo subject, and something we prefer not to talk about. And I think that's very strange, because we all have needs. Have you ever been thirsty? It is a basic physiological need, and what do we do? Yes, we drink and we are not thirsty anymore. It's not like you're thirsty, and then you go to drink some water, and further can not stop drinking water because you first gave in and now you drink several liters at a time? No, you meet your needs so you do not have that need anymore. And a need that you never meet will never pass by itself. If you feel thirsty, then  you will not stop feeling thirsty before you drink.

One of the greatest needs we have, directly above the physiological basic needs, is the need for security. Both emotional and physiological.

Emotional and physical safety. Chances are good that if you are a match to read this, then this is one

of the big holes in your life. When you were growing up did you feel like you rarely ( or never ) was  emotionally or physically taken care of? Emotional neglect and emotional security Is something I have written about before, so I will not dive any further into this right now.

It is important to me that if you right now feel where you are no longer yourself and you do not know where to go, take a closer look at yourself and your life. Be honest with yourself. What needs do you have that have not been met? Do you find it difficult to figure it out? Ask a friend or someone else if they can help you. This is step 1. We MUST find out where we are, once you know what you've missed then you can move on to step No.. 2 where you meet those needs.

Are you in the Facebook group intuitive development yet?

I feel better when..

The thought behind this topic: “I feel better when”, is that you make your own bank of resources to have at hand for the times when you fall back into those "not so good times".

It works the same way as a “safety list”, which you can read more about on my blog by clicking here

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As a general rule, I really don't like the “positivity” movement, especially in the new-age

community. Some of the reasons for this is that I don't believe, most of the time, that any of your problems or issues, magically will unravel by itself because you force positivity on them. On the contrary, it may be the reason why you suffer in the first place. By this I mean that there is a strong voice in the society at large that we have to be happy and positive, and if you are not, then there is something wrong with you! The fact is though, that everybody have their issues, and when we force positivity on top of that, we first of all feel worse because the underlying pain does not go away. And second, we don't get to dive deep and unravel the root issue that needs your attention, which is essential for healing to take place.

That being said, this resource is not for those general times, but as a resource you can use when you feel like there is nothing you can do to help your situation. For those times that you, because of your state, can't seem to be able to focus inward, and you desperately need some release in your situation. When you are in this black hole where you feel like there is no way out, you need to focus your energy on what feels good before you reach that place where we are able to dive deep.

To be prepared for this, I want you to make a side in your journal where you will write 10 
things that usually make you feel a sense of release or that makes you feel better. And in this way, we are armed and ready when the storm hits you, and you no longer can seem to think clearly. Take your list out and select one thing for you to do. ​​​

Example of things for your list:

- Warm shower

- Drinking a cup of coffee

- Talk to someone in particular

- Meditate

etc.

Codependency

Children who have one or more caregivers who are alcoholics, narcissistic or otherwise not emotionally present for the child, so that the child does not feel seen, loved or that someone cares for them, will have difficulty developing a "me". This means that the child will not develop a sense of self. "Who am I?", "what do I like?", "do I have a value?", are my opinions and views valuable? Healthy boundaries and learning to trust others is a part of beginning to trust and establish your own limits in order to know when others steps over your limits. If you grew up with narcissistic parents you have probably never learned that you have your own boundaries. you can say no, you have the right to be angry, and you have value!

Common features for children who develop codependency is that they have parents with unclear communication. This means that the parents generally have a passive aggressive, sarcastic way of communicating. An example of this type of communication may be that the parent answers a question with questions. If you grew up in this kind of dysfunctional family dynamics, you learned early on that asking questions was wrong. You often felt confused about who you are, and if you matter for someone, because you did not learn from your parents that you are a private individual. You rarely or never felt seen as the whole person that you are.

When one grows up in such family dynamics, you may not know that you in an ideal world should have learned tools to develop yourself and your emotions. You ought to have had parents who handled that you were angry at them, and answered you that "I understand that you're mad at me!". Instead you had parents who gave you shame, guilt and asked you to shut up because you were angry. Your parents should have taught you that you have value, not because you got good grades or was beautiful, but because you came into the world as a worthy creature.

When you have developed codependency it will often, in the same way as it is with emotional neglect, be difficult to understand that there was actually neglect that you were exposed to. This is because nothing happened physically with you, giving physical marks on the body. And when you on top of that don't have a healthy relationship with your own emotions, you feel like you can't trust your perspective. This can lead to an even deeper confusion. If you have a feeling that this is you, there are some signs or symptoms in your life you can look for. Are you on a constant quest for love outside yourself? Do you have a greater need than those around you might have for others to validate you? Are you struggling with addiction, whether it is love, food, smoking or drugs in any form? Do you easily feel confused by the people around you, or feel shame over your emotions?

Want to read more about this topic and about growing up with emotional neglect and my 3 steps guide to start your emotional healing? Click here and I will send you the e-book!

Introduction to manifestation

When we talk about manifesting, we refer to the law of attraction, and how you create your own reality. This is a topic many people are interested in, and in my experience is a theme that is easy to misunderstand. Before we start to talk about today's theme, I will first briefly talk about the journey we all take that plays a huge part in the manifestation process.

When we wake up and begin to see that there is something more than what we can see and touch, this is called the first wave of spirituality. We are beginning to see that we create our own reality. This means that you begin to understand that you can work your way through whatever you are struggling with, and you can live a good life after, what perhaps have been many years, without getting the help you needed. You begin to read books by people like Sylvia Browne and John Edward, and you start to get drawn towards people who see what you see. This gives you an introduction of a new world you never knew existed, and that you can not get enough of. Because you start to see that you create your own reality, you begin to focus on being positive, and to spread your positive word to everyone you meet.

But then suddenly you get to a point where your positivity no longer works. You work hard to tell yourself and others that all you have to do is to stay positive. But suddenly you realise that no matter how hard you try, you still struggle. What really happens when you are so keen to be positive on the outside, while what is happening within is not matching up, is that you begin to suppress the negative thoughts you have. A common thought we tell ourselves is "I don't have a reason to feel sad." But what is happening in your subconscious mind is that you repress those aspects of you that are sad, and that are feeling like crap. At this point we learn the healing aspects of ourselves, and the importance of our “darker” side. When we arrive here, the second wave hits you.

The second wave, or level, of spirituality comes when you notice that positivity lifestyle does not do you any good. It does not work to manifest amazing things when the underlying parts of you struggle. Therefore, it is common at this time that we begin to do the heavy work, such as inner child work, or shadow work. We begin to see that we can work with the painful parts of ourselves, the parts we never before dared to approach. Whether you think these parts of you were shameful or made you a bad person. We suddenly notice the value in these dark valleys and begins the long road to healing our emotions and ours scars.

I hear many people say that they can not attract what they want, and that this is not working for them. But the fact is that you every second of the day attracts what you are a match to. The reason you do not achieve what you want to manifest is not because it is nonsense and does not exist, or that you are the black sheep that this is not working for. It is because your unconscious self and your feelings does not match what you are pretending to be.  It is not thoughts that create manifestations, emotions do. And feelings can not be manipulated into positivity, they are what they are.

why you feel like you haven't been getting better

I think most of us have had this feeling. You feel you're never going to get better, and always will have it exactly as you have it right now. I myself have several times known this feeling. It feels like you're back to square one, and whatever you do or don't do, you feel like you always end up at your starting point. I think of this as one of Mr.anxiety`s faces. He will separate you from the outside world, and you begin to believe that no one really understands you. Nobody have what you have, and most of all, you will never get better. But the truth is that the vast majority will at one time in their life know those feelings and have those thoughts. It is not unusual, and you're going to get better, you actually already have!

I am of the understanding that nothing you experience is random. There are laws of the universe, like the law of attraction, as you probably are aware of. You can not experience anything without being a match to it. We all have one or more themes in our lives. The way I look at it is that when we are young, we experience something that for us at the time is so traumatic that we are unable to move on from this point. If we do not get help, understanding or safety from our surroundings this trauma will not disappear. In other words, until we heal this aspect of us, we'll be a match to situations that continue to take us back to the original trauma. This is obviously very superficially explained. If we stop running from the storm, but rather accepts it and uses the storm to go inward instead, you'll more quickly get you where you want.

A good illustration of how this works is to picture energy as a spiral.

If we look at a spiral and imagine that your themes in life runs like a red thread from the middle, then this creates a picture of  how you will run into the same problem over and over. It's not that you are not getting better or are never going to get better. It`s just simply that there are still aspects of the problems you have not healed.

Finally, I think it also is helpful to have in mind what is the difference between a relapse and to simply just take a step backward. The automatic thoughts I think many of us have when encountering a problem or situation again, or you get a panic attack again after some time away from that feeling, is that now I have a relapse, whereas what you really are having is just a small step  backward. The difference is that if you had a relapse, you would have gone right back to square one. What you forget to think about is that you, since the first time you experienced panic attacks, depression or whatever else, has learned techniques that have helped you to go from there to where you are today. Therefore, it is impossible for you to get a relapse.

6 reasons why you always feel tired.

Do you constantly feel tired and drained of energy? The reasons for this may be many and complex, but you are far from alone in feeling this. The world can be experienced as very challenging for those of us who are sensitive and especially if you might not even really know that you are. It was certainly that way for me. I felt tired of what I perceived as nothing, and no matter how much I rested, I still felt out of it. Here are some of the reasons why you may feel the same way.

1. You are sensitive, this means that you attract others' feelings and energies. When you constantly feel everyone and everything, you will after some time feel exhausted!

2. You never say no. You walk continually in spite of yourself. Maybe you're afraid to miss out, or are afraid of what those around you will think if you say no. Regardless of the cause, it makes you exhausted!

3. You do not take enough time to yourself. We have the belief that it is selfish to take time to ourselves. For you to work in the best possible way, it is extremely important that you take time for yourself and your needs.

4. Chaotic thoughts. You are in your head all the time. You make everything out to be a crisis, and you can`t seem to be able to stop. When you are in this spiral, you are burning all your energy to keep you in your head. Not only do you do everything that is required of you at any time. You also have a full-time job with everything that goes on inside your mind.

5. I should .. You are concerned about everything you should. There is nothing you should! The only thing this does for you is to wear you out.

6. Turbulent world. There is much going on in the world. For me, this showes up as sudden emotions like feeling angry, sad or frustrated without not quite knowing why. The reason for this is that there are powerful energies at work, and if you are sensitive to these, chances are that you pick up this. It is especially important to take into account all of the above to help yourself to get balanced in order to not feel drained and exhausted by all this!

If you want counceling on how to get more energy into your life, you can book a session with me at www.kristinectora.com  or try my Free 10 day email course to feel better 

Do you experience ASMR?

Did you enjoy it when someone combed or played with your hair when you were young, or maybe you still do? Or was it perhaps a teacher who spoke in a way that made you get a good and relaxing feeling? Or maybe you had some friends who were playing with your toys in a specific way and made it so you could sit to observe them for hours and hours? If this applies to you, then there is a great chance that you experienced ASMR, which is short for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.

What is ASMR?

Scientific evidence of exactly what happens in the body when someone

is experiencing ASMR is yet to be conclusive. A big reason for this is that there is still a relatively new phenomenon that is under constant research and testing. What scientists so far may agree to, is that it is amazing how many people who are, independently, talking about this phenomenon in detail similar to each other.

What we "know" about asmr is that it creates a tingeling sensation that starts at the top of your head and follow your spine down and can also go through the arms and legs. There is a feeling of goosebumps, but in a very pleasant way leading to a relaxed and sleepy feeling. The feeling is described by many as a "brain orgasm". Many people use this type of videos for insomnia, meditation or during stressful periods to relax.

Some argue that this is something everyone can experience, and that it's all about finding the right trigger, while others believe that this is something you either have or you do not have. Some also say that ASMR can be linked up to spirituality, in the same way as meditation is linked to spirituality.

There are a range of triggers than can get you this feeling, here are some of them:

• Whispering.
• Soft speaking.
• Accents.
• Nail tapping.
• The sound of wooden blocks or glass together.
• Seeing someone perform an action, such as washing their car or drawing/painting.

Personally, I have experienced ASMR ever since I was quite young, but it was not until a few years ago I came across a youtube video by chance, and realize that this is an actual phenomenon many people experience. For me, these videos were a great help when I was in a period where I was not able to relax, no matter what I did. I could not meditate, whether in silence or using a guided meditation because I had a restlessness in my body that always took over.

If this is a phenomenon you recognize, or want to find out more on, I will recommend some of my favorites that make this type of videos on youtube:

• RelaxingASMR
• Gentlewhispering
• TheWaterWhispers
• WhispersRed

Detachment

Never before has the gap between what's called the “supernatural” and the “natural” been so short. I feel like it is time to close that gap.

Spirituality is referred to as super-natural, like it's something other than natural. It`s something scary that only a handful of people knows. It's a witchcraft, it's ghosts and spells. It's occult, and you're a bit crazy for even believing in that sort of things! If you are a match to read this, chances are big that you are with me and see the silliness in that. For me spirituality is nothing but a natural state. It's not rules, no set paradigms. It's about you and the force that live in you. It's about nature and about finding one's true self. It`s basically what everyone seeks, so why should we pretend like we don't?

To be honest, I starts to tire out to have to explain this over and over to people who just don't see it. To people who let their fears lead them. I believe that's all it is, it's not about some people being too stupid to figure it all out, and that I am this chosen one with all the answers. It's fear, we all have it, and many of us have really felt how fear can manifest in our lives! I believe we have to start listening to the core of us that is pure love, and live from that.

For how long do we continue doing things we hate, and that hurts us on a daily basis, before we stop and see the terrible traps we lay down for ourselves? Most people are in a constant state of hurt. We feel like crap, and like there is no end to it. But what if you always were more than good enough all along? What if all the wisdom that lives within you is exactly what the world lacks? What you know is the last piece of the puzzle for many people!

We have to ask ourselves, what is the real reason behind what I do to myself? What is the real reason behind my anxiety?

The way I see it, is that the answer is never because “that's just the way it is”, or that you for whatever reason deserve to not be happy. It's about a fear you have. What are you protecting yourself against?

For me personally, one of the biggest fear is to be visible and let people see my true self. It's terrifying to me that you read this and form thoughts about me, which in my head never are good thoughts! Yesterday I got a mail from someone who read my free e-book who had problems with my english. The person said that my english was not good and would be easy for me to correct,  “although perhaps you want to leave them in to increase your authenticity of being Norwegian and an ingenue rather than appearing completely professional.” To be honest, I cried my eyes out that night because the feeling that someone I don't know have thoughts about me felt like an attack, and my worst fears came to life. But after getting support from some fellow entrepreneurs, I started to feel much better. The truth is that I have never written anything because I want you to see my brilliant english, I actually couldn't care less, because I believe that you who read this and get something out if it will not care that my english is what it is. You are in my corner and get what I (and maybe in a terrible way) am trying to say. And that means so much more to me than someone who can't see past my spelling mistakes.

It's time to detach from what the world have put on you to believe about yourself, and be who you are and always supposed to be!

My anxiety journey - From panic to clarity

The second I woke up I felt it. The feeling of the walls crushing in on me. I`m dizzy, my heart is racing, and I can`t formulate a single thought. All I sense is the terrifying feeling of panic and anxiety. I`m closing my eyes, frantically looking for calming thoughts. I know I had some good techniques for this specific occasion, because I have used years practising it. But I can't seem to remember a single thing. It`s all panic,no reason, no logic.

Suddenly there is a helping thought coming through. BREATH! I reassure myself that the only reason why I`m dizzy is because I`m afraid, which causes my breathing to change, which then leads to the feeling of being dizzy and short-breathed. Since I didn't listen the first time, I try to say it once more with a more strict and reassuring voice.

I`m starting with the best technique I know, breathing in through my nose while I count to 4, and out through my mouth. While doing this I keep explaining to myself why I do this. Why it's through my nose and out my mouth, and why I count to 4. I work hard to think logical. I start to breath. In 1-2-3-4 and out 1-2-3-4, in 1-2-3-4 an out 1-2….it's not working. Why doesn't it work? Does this mean that something really is wrong with me this time? Oh my God, there IS something wrong with me! So it`s here i'm going to die..29 and dead from a heart attack. My head fills up with million dark thoughts. I can feel my energy spiraling down, and I suddenly can't remember me feeling anything other than the way I feel now. The thoughts are rushing, my clients will think I `m a fraud, I can't even teach myself how to breath, that's how a terrible coach I am. And i'm fat and ugly, I don't know why, but this for sure has something to do with this!

And then, suddenly a clear thought pierced through my panic. Panic is emotion, and logic don't work on emotion! Suddenly I remembered a deal I made with myself. No more repressing emotion! I have to feel ,and completely be there. So instead of fighting and trying to do all my logical techniques, I began to feel. I close my eyes and I felt into my energy and into my emotions. Without reasoning, and without trying to change my feelings. I just let the feelings come. I felt how my head was full of dark thoughts, and how my head felt full and tight. I felt how it was almost like my body was crushed, like I was lying in a tiny coffin. I completely let myself go and went inside to the scared inner child. And then as magic, my anxiety went away and my body was left with a heavy, calm feeling which made me fall asleep.

The best thing you can do is to turn your face toward the storm and let the storm run you over. This is easy to say, but If you have ever been where I was tonight, you know it is the hardest thing you will ever do!

5 myths about introverts

Here are 5 myths about introverts that I think is interesting!

1

Introverts don't like to talk

This is not right. To be introvert in it self has nothing to do with enjoying to talk or not. But what might be right however, is that introverts don't like shallow talk. Small talk where the point of the conversation is to talk about the weather feels meaningless and uncomfortable. Why can't we talk about what really matters?

2

Introvert and shy is the same thing

No! To be shy and to be introvert is two different types of personality characteristics. To be an introvert person is defined by someone who gets their energy from within and by doing activities alone, such as reading, writing and thinking. To be a shy person is defined by how you deal with unfamiliar and new situations and people. If you are shy, you have a hard time meeting new people and situations. So, you can be shy, you can be an introvert, or you can be a shy introvert. But one has nothing to do with the other.

3

Introverts can fix themselves and become extroverts

Again, Introverts and extroverts are two personality characteristics. One is not better than the other, it's simply just a part of two different personality structures! Introversion is in no way something that should be fixed! It`s not a disease, and it has nothing to do with you being broken!

4

Introverts are not social, and don't like to be with other people.

Introverts can be social, just like extroverts can. The difference though, is that as an introvert you have a need for deeper conversations and quiet time. You get more easily overwhelmed by sounds and surroundings which might lead to you leaving earlier. But that has nothing to do with you liking to be social or not!

5

Introverts are more negative and lazy

I think the reason for this myth is that introverts tend to need their space and to do quiet activities such as reading and thinking. And like I mentioned in the myth number 4, introverts tend to leave the party first, if we want to show up at all! For some people this might translate to being negative and lazy, but it's not true!

5 signs your third eye is opening

First of all, what is the third eye?

When I talk about the third eye, I refer to your third eye chakra. Also called the inner eye, or  the pineal gland. In Ancient Egypt this part of you was called "the seat of the soul".  You may have heard a clairvoyant or intuitive say they see something that you might not see, in most cases this is not about what we see physically, but we see it through our third eye. When we develop our intuition, we open up the third eye, and when we do this we normally experience some symptoms. Here  are 5 of them:

1. Reinforced senses - clairvoyance
You begin to sense things you might not have noticed before. This causes you to think deeper, and you realize that what you can see and feel is just a fraction of what exists. You may also begin to know and feel into other people's emotions, and this can often be perceived as difficult, as most people you meet at any time experience a lot of feelings.
2. Synchronizations
You begin to notice synchronizations, and get drawn to become familiar with the law of attraction. You begin to see that people and situations you meet on your way posess a common theme that are a match to your situation right now. The longer you're going on your journey by opening the third eye, the faster synchronization happens. Suddenly you are at a point where you manifest wonderful things, and likewise, suddenly manifesting the opposite( not so good things).
3. Questioning everything.
 You start to question everything you've ever thought and learned. You begin to see that the reality you once knew does not exist, and this opens up new paradigms, new experiences and new ways of thinking.
4. More concerned with health than before.
 You start to get a different view of health than you previously had. You begin to acquire a mode of thought that is all about "eat to live", oppose to "live to eat". Not because you suddenly force yourself to it, but because you naturally begin to yearn for cleaner and greener food.
5. You experience ascension symptoms. 
 This means that you begin to assume a higher frequency than the one you previously had, it means that you may experience some symptoms that could be not so pleasing. These symptoms include headaches, ringing in the ears, fatigue, anxiety and anxiety symptoms (especially if you've been struggling with this earlier in your life) and you can easily become overstimulated and need more alone time than before.

When equality goes too far

We live in a world that is very concerned with equality. Everyone should have equal opportunity, everyone should have equal rights, but at what point does equality become discriminatory and misunderstood? In keeping with the theme of diversity in school I want to  write about my perspective on this area both as a Special Educator, and based on personal experience with the school system.

I dare say that the school, in general, are made on extroverted privilege. Shouldn't it rather be so that professionals and other responsible adults start to see the kids for who they are, and offer teaching on their premises`, instead of directing all attention to what they think is a negative aspect of you? For that is precisely what happens when you say to an introvert, you must talk more and be more active in class. It interprets by the child as a message from someone the child looks up to that you are not good enough as you are.

Inclusion is an important topic in the special education field, and in society in general. The problem is, as I see it, that inclusion and equality are often put together and sometimes misunderstood, perhaps especially in school situations. In order for everyone to have equal opportunities it isn't so that everyone must also have equal resources and equal learning.

There are many levels of this, and of course it all completely depends on the individual person and situation. I want to focus on two different, extremely, wide groups. One is the group with disabilities who for various reasons will always be long behind, if we talk in terms of normality and deviance in the school system. The second group I want to address is the quiet students, a group that is close to my heart.

According to Professor Emeritus Edvard Befring at the University of Oslo, the current school has neglected learning. By this he means that one has too narrow a conception of what learning is. Today's school is almost exclusively concerned with skill learning and cognitive learning. But for instance attitude and moral teaching is as important, if not more, important in many areas. This means among other things that to acquire the means capacity for self-regulation which inter alia means that one learns to take responsibility for their own resources, thus mobilizing forces. For many of the children who fall far behind in the school system, either due to decreased abilities or other reasons, there will always be so that they will remain far behind no matter how much they struggle. The good news though, is that many studies have shown that it takes so little to change the child's entire life. The keywords are positive focus and  to find a field of expertise. By field of expertise, it means that you find a field in which the student has talent and get motivation from, such as in music or sports. It is also important for all children, regardless of their functionality, to experience symmetrical communication, ie the need to communicate with children in a similar situation as them self (Befring 2008). I've been lucky enough to have witnessed this on several occasions in which children for long periods have not received the help they are entitled to, so to witness enormous changes in all areas when the special education resources are inserted. It is often the small changes that make up a big difference both socially, physically and psychologically.

The second group I mentioned earlier is the quiet kids. The children who internalize. The reason why this group is close to my heart is because I am myself in this group, and it was often hard in school. We as professionals and other responsible adults must see the importance of being sensitive to world experience of the child. Often it feels like society in general has a subconscious opposition to the quiet childrens, that they must be helped to become extroverted and to be equal to the others in the class who have no trouble raising their hand. I'm talking about are those who by nature is internalized, introverted. Maybe they are highly sensitive, and perhaps thrive in their own company. For these children school life can be difficult to deal with.

My journey to overcome my anxiety. | Goal: mountain hiking alone |

I want to start to share some more personal experiences. The reason for this is that I strongly believe in openness and authenticity. One theme that I'm very passionate about is openness about mental illness. By being open and honest about some of my difficulties in life I hope to reach you who also struggle with something similar. It's better to struggle together than alone :)

The story I wanted to share with you today is linked to my panic anxiety and agoraphobia. I am scared of walking alone, and it does not really matter much where. If I walk in my neighborhood, the forest or city, usually my anxiety symptoms are the same. It`s hard to say exactly why, but some of the reasons is that I`m scared that I will get dizzy and faint, or get so sick that I`m not able to get home. I'm also scared of what other people might think about me.

So here are my story about reaching one of my goals right now:

view from my hike

We have a cabin on a mountain in Norway, and behind this cabin there are endless hiking possibilities. One of my goals was to be able to walk alone up to the first of the tops behind this cabin. Last summer my anxiety was so bad that I did not go further than a couple of steps before I felt all those terrifying anxiety symptoms, and my head got filled up with hundreds of chaotic thoughts. It feels so bad when you suffer from paralyzing anxiety, but even worse when all those judging thoughts comes about how pathetic and what a failure I am for not even being able to go on a small hike.

The last 6 months I have really worked on exposing myself to this particular anxiety. How I specifically do this is for a later time. So when we this weekend went to the cabin I felt for the first time that I was ready to try out my goal. Hike to the first top! Keep in mind that we do not talk about mount everest here, it's only a 30 minutes walk all together, but for me it feels like an impossible thing to do on my own! The terrain is rugged, so you have to be focused - or in my head: not get dizzy and not be able to get anywhere. And there are no roads, so if something did happen to me, my husband can't come and get me. In my head this transfers to certain suicide!

On our way home

With my goal strong in mind I embarked on my journey with my dog, Luna. I don't know what made my pulse the highest, all my terrifying thoughts, or the fact that it's steep uphill all the way. But it actually went ok! I went to the top and took my time enjoying the view! It actually went so good that the next day, I went there one more time, but this time I kept going and found a new path further down the mountain! All alone!

It might look like a small goal, but for me in my situation this was a very proud moment, and it showed me that all my hard work and all my hard times paid off!

What is your big goal?

If you want to read more about my anxiety and what I do to overcome it, here are some blog suggestions:

9 tips for tough times:

http://kristinectora.blogspot.no/2016/05/9-tips-for-tough-times.html

And

My turning point

http://kristinectora.blogspot.no/2016/05/my-turning-point.html