Chasing the Hare

Mr. Gerke made a difference. He was my high school English teacher. One time, he assigned the class a creative writing project and gave us an entire month to complete it. I remember having a great idea on what I would write about, and being extremely excited to do it. But the entire month went by, and when it came time to hand it in, I didn't.

Mr. Gerke came up to me after class and without asking me why I didn't turn it in, he simply said, “Donna, I'm giving you a homework assignment. I want you to go home and write the worst paper you have ever written.” I looked at him bewildered. What did he mean by the worst paper ever? How was I going to do that? And why? Then he made me promise that no matter what, I would turn it in the next day.

So, I went home and proceeded to write what I considered to be a really, bad paper. But still, I remember having thoughts like, “What if this isn't bad enough?” “What do I have to do to make this worse?” and struggling with the assignment. The next day, I begrudgingly passed it in. Mr. Gerke took one look at it and immediately put an A+ at the top of the paper without so much as reading a single sentence. I said to him, “Wait! Aren't you even going to read it? And why are you giving me an A+ on a bad paper?”

Mr Gerke quietly turned to me and said, “Donna, what you need to realize is that your worst, is better than most people’s best. All you need to do, is just turn it in.” I could still cry when I think of that moment.

Mr. Gerke had the wisdom to know that my problem was not that I didn't want to do the work, but that I was afraid to do it. I was afraid of it not being perfect. I would have big ideas in my head, but somehow they never seemed to be as good, once executed. This led me to feel that no matter what I did, it was never as good as the actual idea and therefore always felt that my work was not good enough.

Even then, as a child, I knew I was blessed with great big ideas that were not necessarily coming from me. I knew I was being gifted with them, but with that, came a great responsibility. Somehow, I felt I was failing God by not having the final product match perfectly with the original idea. That’s why I had a problem turning in my homework. It was often more palatable for me to turn in nothing than to turn in something that didn’t rise to the vision.

Mr. Gerke, in his wisdom recognized that I had a typical perfection complex, the need to try to be perfect in everything I did. And by the way, I still do. But, his words to me, still reverberate in my head 35 years later. “Just turn it in.”

Now, when I counsel kids on the weekends who want to go to college, and their parents tell me that their child does the homework, but never turns it in, I think of Mr. Gerke, and how he made a young girl feel seen and understood for the very first time. I tell them this story. I tell them they're good enough just as they are. I tell them to turn it in, no matter what.

I still struggle with following through and completing things, but most of all, about feeling good about the things I do complete. I have come to understand, that our idea of perfection is an elusive counterpart. Like chasing the mechanical hare in a greyhound race, you will never catch up to it, and trying to, will only make you feel worse. Best thing to do is trust that the real assignment is not how good something is, but whether you turned it in at all. Did you show up? Did you say yes? Did you allow the vision to be made real through you? If yes, then you've done your part. Feel good about it.

So, run your race, write your play, sing your song.... Know you are good enough right now. The pursuit of perfection should never be the goal. It's knowing that whatever you do is perfect as it is, and you are perfect and always will be, just as you are.

To The Truth That Sets Us all Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP

Are you wanting to move forward on a dream, or to change something in your life? Do you feel stuck, and know you're in your own way? Let's move that boulder together. Feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation or 20 minute tune-UP! All sessions are conducted by telephone or Skype.

* PS. Thank you, Mr. Gerke. And, sorry for starting this sentence with AND.

                                           Mr Gerke reading my article 

Initiation Into Power

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any." - Alice Walker

Several years ago, I had a horrible nightmare. I've never forgotten it. After it was over, I realized that it was much more than a nightmare, it was a profound spiritual teaching.

In the dream, I saw myself standing in front of my spiritual teacher. In front of me, was a dark threatening force that carried a powerful evil energy that was moving rapidly toward me. All I could feel was sheer terror. I had never felt that kind of terror ever in my waking life. In that moment, I looked behind me to see the terror on my teacher’s face, as well. This is a man of great wisdom and knowledge, a man centered in love and peace. I was shocked to see he was having the same reaction as me. I knew I had no choice but to fight this force. I knew it was up to me.

Suddenly, I gathered all my fear, all my rage, all my anger, and with all my power, I put my hands out in front of me and yelled, “Noooooooooo” at the top of my lungs. This was not a "Nooo" from dread or from a pleading place in me. It was a definitive, declarative and absolute "NO". It was a " No" that was not up for debate. This is what I would describe as taking my power back. The dark force then began to dissipate in front of me and disappear into nothingness.

I looked back at my teacher, and he had a look of awe and respect on his face. Just then, the nightmare began all over again, exactly as it had the first time. It was like being in an instant replay except is was twice as fast. I saw the dark force, I looked behind me to see my teacher’s face in terror, I turned once again towards the force with my hands stretched out in front of me, but this time, I simply said, “No” without any fear, without any anger without any rage. I just said "no". The force once again dissipated in front of me and disappeared.

When I woke up, I felt different. I felt as if I had been initiated into another way of being, one that showed me how powerful I really am, and that nothing and no one had any power over me. I was certainly as powerful as my teacher, and I was more powerful than evil. I would never again have to fight against evil in my life, I could just refuse to give it any power over me. I could stand face-to-face with it, and know it was nothing pretending to be something,

I have understood on a deep level that nothing holds any power over us unless we inadvertently, through fear for example, give our power to it. I have practiced this principle for many years now with my clients who come to me with so-called “terminal” illness, having been told that their illness will decide their fate. My job is to remind them of their own power and that their illness holds no power over them. That is the key to healing. That is the key to freedom. That is the key to true empowerment.

Nothing and no one has any power over us. Our government, our leaders, our laws, nothing. Each of us holds a power equivalent to the entire universe and beyond. When we know that, we will no longer feel powerless to events or people. I believe we are here to remember the power that we hold, and to create fearlessly, knowing that nothing is truly against us, except us, and our own misguided beliefs.

We are more powerful than anything we fear. We are infinitely powerful. We must know that. If we want to access this power and demonstrate it, we can't be willy nilly about it. If you're in fear about something for instance, you've already managed to give some of your power away to it, by pretending it has more power than you.

Think about this for a moment. Everything is energy. When anything is reduced to it's most minute level, all that is left is energy, which never dies. It only changes form. So, if we all draw from the same energy source which is within us and all around us, how could someone have more power than you? They can't. All they can have is more belief in that than you. They might have more determination to use it, than you. But they can't actually have more access or more availability to it.

We can create the world we want to live in, by remembering how powerful we are, and by taking our power back from situations or people we have unconsciously given it away to through fear and false beliefs. There is no limit to what we can do with a mind and heart committed to good and a simple “No” to whatever fear or illusion of powerlessness that presents itself. Once you know how truly powerful you are, there will be no need to fight against anything. You will simply get clear about who you are, what you want, and remember who has the final say, you. 

At this time in humanity, I urge all of us not to give our power away to anything, including situations, a diagnosis or people in so-called "authority" or power positions. It is time to stand in assurance that all is possible with an unshakeable belief in your own ultimate power to create. You are the supreme authority in your life, Create whatever you can imagine, through the power of your belief and being undaunted by anything or anyone outside of you.

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP  

PS. Are you ready to start living the life you deserve but know you must get out of your own way to have it? You don't have to do it alone. Feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840 to set up a free consultation or 20 Minute Tune-UP! All sessions are conducted by telephone and or Skype.

The House That God Bought (Part 1) (What You Believe, Matters)

                                                                 

 

Several years ago, I was working with a client on the law of attraction, teaching her how to manifest the things that she wanted in her life. At the end of one of our sessions, I suggested we put the law to the test. I asked her what she wanted to manifest. I reminded her that the “hows” were not her business, just the “whats”. In other words, her only job at this point was to be clear with the universe about what she wanted, and to stay out of trying to figure out how to make that happen or contemplating how it can’t. After some thought, she clearly stated that she wanted to own her own home. She wanted to live in West Los Angeles in a home she would love, that was in perfect shape, in a good neighborhood and one she could afford.

Just to give you a little background, at the time she was a young woman in her 30s, doing massage therapy on and off, and teaching some yoga classes occasionally. Her income was both sparse and inconsistent. She had no real work history to speak of, her credit score wasn’t stellar and she was self-employed. But you see, Universal law doesn’t care about any of that. It cares about what you really believe, what you say yes to having, and having the faith the size of at least a mustard seed  that you can have it.  Before our session ended that day, I reminded her of that. I said, “Now, get all of your fears, doubts and reasons why you think you can’t have this out-of-the-way, just say yes and let the universe present it to you”. She agreed and I proceeded to pray out-loud on her perfect home, declaring throughout that the Universe was for her, already knew where her perfect home was and how to give it to her.

A month later, she returned for her regular session. She told me she had big news and I should sit down. She proceeded to tell me that a friend of her father’s, who she did not know and had never heard of, had apparently died. She had just found out that this man had left her father a house in West Los Angeles in a beautiful neighborhood, and the house was ready to occupy. Her father already owned a few properties so he decided to give it to her, along with a good sum of money the man had left him, so she could paint it and decorate it the way she would like. The house was fully paid for. There was no mortgage or rent to pay.

God certainly works in mysterious ways, we know that. But did you know that there is a little man who sits at the Universe’s order desk that waits patiently for your order, then once you decide what you want, takes your order and with a little rubber stamp, stamps your request with a “Yes” every single time? Well, it’s true!! More or less, anyway.

The law of the Universe will respond without judgment to what you really want, what you believe you can have and are truly willing to receive. This sounds simplistic and it is. What makes it challenging, is our belief systems. We get in our own way with our over-use of the mind. With our linear limited thinking, we decide that something is impossible, or improbable, or difficult, we don’t deserve it or it’s just not in the cards. We have all kinds of reasons why something can’t happen for us. And unfortunately, the Universe will respond to all of that too. Your beliefs are powerful, and they are either working for you or against you. What’s the order you are actually submitting? Is it, “I CAN have what I want,” or “I CAN'T have what I want”? Are you a YES or are you a NO? Here’s the trick. Say yes, get your negative thoughts out of the way….and then let it happen. 

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,


Donna Gershman ALSP

PS. Are you ready to create something new in your life but aren't seeing the results you would like? Feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation. All sessions are conducted by telephone or Skype.

The Spiritual Truth about Ugly Fighting - Part 2 (Practicing the Art of Healthy Detachment)

Picture a fiery cauldron, not the hellish, scary 'fire and brimstone' kind, but rather a beautiful blazing "furnace-like" fire designed to burn off anything that doesn't serve you. Now, picture it sitting right between you and every person you know. It is there to protect you and to absorb any negative projections that may come your way during a conversation, a disagreement, an ugly fight or even from your own negative self talk. It is your best friend. And like a best friend, it's a good idea not to forget it's there.

About 20 years ago, my partner at the time decided to break up with me by telephone. She launched into an hour long monologue in which she painstakingly described to me, one by one, all of my shameful flaws and character defects. I'm just grateful that she eventually ran out of steam or we might still be on the phone right now! There was so much anger and rage coming off of her, frankly I was surprised the phone didn't catch on fire.

But then I heard my inner voice say to me, "This isn't about you! Just give her the space to talk and be heard. Don't get in the middle of it." She proceeded to call me every name in the book, and I just listened with a sort of healthy sense of detachment, while holding a space of unconditional love for both of us. Everything vile that came out of her mouth, I imagined going into a fiery cauldron and burning off before it could ever touch me. I literally said almost nothing for a full hour as she continued her rant. I just kept hearing my inner voice say to me, "It's not about you! Be there for her right now. Be Available!"

It was an amazing experience. I never got defensive. I never attacked back. I didn't make her wrong. I just listened and didn't take any of it personally. Then suddenly she was done. There was silence on the phone for just a minute when she burst into tears. She said "Oh my God, I am so sorry!!! I have no idea where any of that came from. Oh my God, Oh my God, please forgive me!" She sobbed uncontrollably for several minutes.

Since she had the space to vent without my reacting, she was able to process what she was saying and take responsibility for it. She too realized that it wasn't about me. It was old unhealed wounds of hers that got triggered in our relationship. If I had gotten defensive and made it all about my feelings suddenly, it would have just resulted in more chaos, and misaligned thoughts being met by more misaligned thoughts. I am absolutely sure that both the conversation and relationship would have ended a completely different way had I allowed myself to get in the middle of it and been unavailable to her.

We both ended up telling eachother how much we loved each other and drawing closer than we had been for a long time. We decided to end the relationship, but we did so with mutual respect, love and appreciation. We both recognized that it had simply come to it's natural completion.

I learned a few important lessons that day. 1) Listening is healing. 2) Other people's blaming is more about them than you, but it will always present an opportunity for you to grow in compassion and to be your best self. 3) Know who you really are! Otherwise, you'll feel the need to defend against stuff that isn't even yours. It's a waste of your good time and accomplishes nothing.  

Lastly, being truly emotionally available for someone, requires you to listen without taking anything personally...to maintain a healthy detachment so there's a clear space for them to have their feelings and be heard. This is where real healing can take place.

And, if worse comes to worst...get your best friend the fiery cauldron out to protect you, so other people's projections don't bring the fire out in you. This is the one time when "fighting" fire with fire is a good thing!

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,


Donna Gershman ALSP


PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! if you or someone you know needs support in healing any issue, whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation. All sessions are conducted by telephone or Skype.

Birthing an Oak Tree

                

Contained within the acorn is an Oak Tree. What is contained within you?

Recently in a meditation, I asked myself, "Who will I be 10 years from now?" What I was shown amazed me.

I saw myself standing in a large beautiful room, leaning against my desk and having a conversation with someone. I was surely the Donna I know myself to be now, but at the same time I was very different. I was more solid, grounded, and wise. I could see the wisdom in me had grown. There was more clarity, more confidence, and I was a lot more carefree. In essence, I was a more evolved version of myself, because I had less worries, doubts and fears.

It was a vision of me I had actually never caught until that moment, and yet once I saw it, it made perfect sense to me. I know that this vision of me in 10 years, is the me I am becoming, and that the path I am on right now will indeed lead me to being her.

Sometimes, when we envision our lives in the future, we imagine our lives being different; possibly being in a completely different set of circumstances, having a different career or attaining a higher level of success. Maybe we see our relationships being more committed or happier somehow, living in a different place, having more money, more things, more comforts.

But who do you imagine yourself becoming? What qualities can you see giving rise in you? Other than external changes, what will have changed in you? Whatever the answer, this vision is the Oak Tree you're becoming, and rest assured, that Oak Tree lives in you right now.

We are here to recognize our inherent Oak Tree and allow it to be revealed, to know there is always something bigger that is seeking to emerge as us.

Believe it or not, you are always on the right path, no matter what it may look or feel like. All paths lead to the revealing of your Oak Tree, and you have been given eternity to do that. Although you may sometimes feel dissatisfied as an acorn or impatient with yourself for not being the Oak Tree yet, you the Acorn are perfect right now, and all is revealing itself in the perfect way and in the perfect time. Contrary to what you may think, you are not a late bloomer! FYI, There is nothing more painful to the acorn than impatience and self judgment.

We are all becoming an Oak Tree, which is why we're all here, why we're on whatever path we are on, and why we have growing pains. An actual acorn however, never resists becoming the Oak Tree. Although one could imagine that letting go of it's smallness to allow the bigness could be accompanied by some discomfort, the acorn knows the Oak Tree's birth is inevitable and natural.

The trick to allowing this process to unfold with as much grace as possible, is to be your own caring Midwife. Always embrace and reassure the acorn (who you are right now), while allowing the Oak Tree to be birthed as you. Have faith in your path whatever it looks like, and I mean whatever it looks like... and then you will most definitely emerge as the Oak Tree, strong, grounded, sure of who you are, and standing tall.

Don't let the current labor pains of your life distract you from the greater realization of who you really are. Keep your vision riveted on the perfection of the acorn, while acknowledging the Oak Tree you are becoming. Take it from the acorn, there's nothing to gain by being impatient or trying to rush the tree. Instead, why not cut the acorn and Oak Tree some slack...and behold the wonder, beauty and grace of it all, while admitting it takes a lot of courage to birth an Oak Tree.

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP

PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! if you or someone you know needs support in healing any issue, whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation. All sessions are conducted by telephone or Skype.

Falling Down

                                                                

Last year I told you of a story that happened many years ago when I had an accident while getting my oil changed at a new service station. I unwittingly fell down a 15 foot hole and lived to tell about it. I had what I consider to be a spiritual event as I was falling down that hole, that changed the way I thought forever. You can read about it here: http://www.youwillheal.blogspot.com/2009/10/decision-of-your-life.html

But there was a second part of that story I never told you, and that is what happened after I left the station that day and drove off in my car. This part of the story tells of the single biggest miracle I had ever witnessed in my life, until that day.

I drove off in a daze, partly because I had a concussion, and partly because I was confused. “Wow, what  just happened to me God? And why?” were questions taxing my brain. So then I asked God, “So, where do I go now?” and God answered me, “Drive to that children’s hospital that you’ve wanted to volunteer at for the last several months.”

A nurse friend of mine had been encouraging me to put my healing abilities to the test at a local facility where she was working. I hadn’t yet found the courage to actually show up at that point, and here was God telling me, right after falling down a 15ft hole, that I should choose now, as the perfect time to go.  I heard my directive clearly, but I had serious resistance. Before I could put up much of a fight though, God said that if I drove there now, there would be people there who could attend to my injuries, so I listened and headed to this hospital.

Now I should mention, this was not an ordinary acute care hospital with an emergency room. It was a long-term care facility for children with serious medical issues, primarily without insurance of any kind, with no families to speak of, or had been abandoned years before by their families, and who were destined to live their days out with no real quality of life. Not particularly a happy place to visit.

On this particular Saturday, I drove there, parked my car out in front, carefully slid out the driver’s seat, and proceeded to the entrance doors hunched over like a table and covered in blood. Once inside, I was greeted by a nurse who took one look at me and said, “Oh my God, what happened to you? Don’t move! I’ll be right back.” She hurried back within minutes with a gurney and at least 4 other nurses in tow.

Since this was not an acute care hospital, they had no emergency room in which to treat me. Apparently, they were not accustomed to people wandering in off the streets with injuries either, so they wheeled me in front of the nearest nurse’s station and started taking my vitals and tending to my wounds. One woman asked me my name and what I was doing there. I hesitated to tell her that I was there because God told me to come! I was genuinely concerned they might wheel me next to the psychiatric ward. I just avoided answering the question. In truth, I had no idea why I was there. I was just following directions.

So here’s where it gets good. There was a moment when all the nurses working on me, left me alone telling me they would be right back. There I was laying on this gurney staring up at the ceiling tiles and fluorescent lights when suddenly God says to me, “Okay, now get up and walk down the hall until you get to the last door on your right.” So I did. I shuffled down the hall, entered the room to find three little girls in three adjacent beds. I wandered over to the third bed furthest away from the door and closest to the window facing the courtyard.

There was a small red headed young girl about 5 years old laying in the bed staring with fixed eyes out the window. I stood by her bed and at first said nothing. Then I was moved to speak. First, I said to her that I was really upset. That I had wanted to come there to pray with them but now I was there in pain. I told her how I had just 30 minutes earlier, fallen down a hole and had hurt myself badly and was frankly really angry about it now. Just then, the little girl turns her head toward me, smiles and puts out her hand for me to hold. I held her hand for a moment thinking this had to be the sweetest little girl to do such a thing.

Then all of a sudden I hear loud urgent voices coming in our direction, “Where is she? Where did she go?” One of the nurses enters the room, sees me, and says accusingly, “What are you doing in here?” She grabs my arm and drags me back to the awaiting gurney at the nurse’s station. I laid back down and said to the nurse, “That little girl was so sweet to me. She looked at me so caringly and held my hand, what a sweetie.” She says to me dismissively, “What? That did not happen.” I said, “What do you mean it didn’t happen? Yes, it did.” 

Then the head nurse who had been standing behind the nurse’s station and listening quietly says, “I’ll be right back” and disappears. She returned a few moments later visibly shaken. She asks me almost suspiciously, “Excuse me, what did you say to her?” So I say, “I don’t know, I just told her that I was upset, that I had fallen down a hole and I was mad about it.” At that moment, the nurse softened her defenses and almost in disbelief says, “Oh my God. That child has been in a catatonic state for nearly 3 years now. She hasn’t moved a muscle or responded to anything in all that time. I just checked in on her. She's responding.” She paused for a moment as if she was putting the pieces of a puzzle together in her head. “She was brought in here as a toddler. Her mother threw her down a set of stairs. She’s been completely non-responsive ever since, until just now”.

Her name was Heather. That’s all I know. She was 5 at the time. I heard later that she was released from that facility not long after to go live with a relative. She would be 20 years old now.

God most certainly works in mysterious ways, and I don’t claim to always understand those ways. My best estimation of what happened was that Heather had been thrown down a set of stairs by the person who was the closest to her, her mother. She was pre-language at the time and had no way to process mentally or emotionally such a betrayal. She retreated back into herself; the only place she felt safe. Somehow when I came along, and told her that I had fallen down too and was really angry about it, it unlocked her from her self-imposed isolation and helped her identify with her own pain.

I continued to visit this facility every Saturday over the next month. This was the first of several miracles that took place there over a short period of time. Interestingly, my injuries only lasted long enough to serve for this event.  I had absolutely no visible bruises or marks on my body the very next day.

I’m still not sure why this happened to me, except I can tell you that falling down that hole that day most definitely changed my life and firmly put me on the path to being a healer. I am constantly reminded though that God can only work through an open heart and an open mind, and that all things are possible in God. Your only qualification to facilitate a miracle either for yourself or another is to be open and willing, and get all sense of limitations out of the way. No other qualifications, skills, experience, or credentials are needed. We all have the equal ability to be used by God in such ways. Today could be your day!

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP

PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing any issue, whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation.

Free 20 Minute Spiritual Tune-UP with Donna!

______________________________________________________________



"I had my 20 minute Tune-Up with Donna Gershman. Wow, she knew in a few minutes the core of my troubles, and now I feel free of it. She showed me how to think in a different way about my health issues. To think what God would think. Thank you Donna. I have learned the lesson!" E.B. The Netherlands

What Is New Thought? - The first 15 minutes

This is a short piece from a documentary by Jon Miller called, "What is New Thought?" that describes perfectly the roots of the work that Donna does in the field of New Thought.

The Spiritual Truth about Ugly Fighting - Part 1 (Practicing the Art of Being Wrong)

Twenty-five years ago, a friend of mine sat me down on a curb and said the ugliest thing she could ever possibly say to me. At least, that’s how I felt about it at the time. It was heinous really, horribly painful and yes…. I took it deeply personally.  I couldn’t believe anyone who claimed to love me, would ever say something like that…especially to my face! I mean, couldn’t she have the common decency to keep her feelings to herself? Better yet, why wasn’t she like the other people in my life who just distanced themselves from me quietly,  and then disappeared out of my life forever leaving me to wonder why? I was used to that. What I wasn’t used to was having someone tell me to my face how they felt…to tell me their truth, no matter how ugly it sounded, no matter how I would feel or react. When I think about it now, it was a pure act of bravery on her part.

That day, that conversation changed me. It hurt so badly I could hardly breathe, but in the midst of my pain I heard something. I heard that there was a gift in this for me….and if I could hear what she was saying just beyond the blame and judgment, (my own and hers) I would find it.

Then, the gift was made apparent: She was telling me the truth….Yikes.

I am no shrinking flower. You should know that about me. I don’t take things lying down normally. If I feel scorned you will know about it, especially back in those days. So, this is what she was up against. She had to look me in the eye, knowing this conversation was probably not going to go well, and tell me anyway.  

To this day, I will always appreciate the fact that instead of giving up on me, she fought for me. She gave me the benefit of the doubt, believed I was worth it, and risked everything to tell me her truth in the face of serious backlash.

I learned that day that sometimes you have to be willing to be wrong to be ultimately happy. I could have defended my position, made her wrong, fought back just to be “right” and to feel better temporarily, but something inside me decided to yield instead, to take in what she said however clumsily articulated, and to hear the truth of it.

After many years of practicing, I am now proud to tell you I am mastering the art of being wrong! And I am a much better person for it.

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP

PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing any issue, whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation.

Greater Things Than These

                                                               
This is a hard blog to write. I’ve been sitting on this one for a while. I just have to be honest about it, I’ve been a little afraid to write it. You see, in telling this particular story, it means I have to come clean on a few things; things I’ve been afraid to tell the world. It’s never my intention to offend anyone, but I’m afraid this blog may do just that. I have come to the conclusion, however, that I must tell my truth regardless of how others may view it. So here it goes, come what may.

On June 20th of this year, I experienced an undeniable miracle. Now, many of you know that in my line of work as a healer, I often experience miracles, and I haven’t been shy about sharing those with you. But this one is different. This one has had a profound effect on me and has changed me forever.

So here’s where I have to come clean. One hour before this miracle took place, I had a conversation with Jesus. (To my Jewish family and friends, you may want to sit down for the rest of this). Here’s the back story:

I consider Jesus to be my teacher; my main inspiration as a healer.

However, for most of my life I didn’t even believe Jesus was real. He was like a fictional character that someone came up with to help teach parables through.  In my mind, he never existed. In growing up Jewish, there seemed to be so much taboo around the name Jesus that it seemed  safer just to stay away from the subject altogether.  As I got older, I found I would cringe every time I heard the word “Jesus”. It just made me uncomfortable. When I was at Agape, which is a trans-denominational Spiritual Center, every time I would hear them refer to Jesus the Christ, I felt like there was a conspiracy to turn me Christian, and I would freak a little.

But one day, about 15 years ago, all that changed. I had my first encounter with Jesus.

He literally just showed up. One day, I was alone in my friend’s living room waiting for her so we could go to lunch. Suddenly, something came over me…..out of nowhere. It was a tidal wave of Love that was so big, it consumed me. There was simply no room for anything else to exist…and the love was personal, it was for ME. It had a name tag attached to it too…I knew exactly whose love it was. There was no thinking necessary. It was clear. It was Jesus.

Jesus simply said to me, “I know you don’t believe in me, and that’s ok. I just wanted you to know that I love you.” And that was it. The love permeated me for several minutes and then it was gone…but it’s something I will never ever forget. What struck me was that he asked me for nothing. He didn’t say I had to believe in him. He didn’t ask me to change my life, nothing. He just wanted me to know that he loved me; his love was truly unconditional.

After that, there was no debating that he was real for me. I went on an immediate exploration to find anything that Jesus had actually said while he was here. I wasn’t interested in other people’s interpretations of what he said. I wanted to hear exactly what his words were. There were two things that I found that he said that really impacted me. First he said “It is done unto you as you believe” which seemed to me, the greatest secret to how things work, why things happen, and how to change them.

Secondly, and this is what inspired me to be a healer, he said “Greater things than these ye shall do”. He was referring to the many miracles that he performed while here.  This leads me to the miracle I experienced on June 20^th. I bet you thought I would never get around to telling you.

So, that morning I was reflecting on my clients and how far I felt they had all come. This was an interesting revelation of sorts for me. I almost never take a retrospective look like this. I’m usually just focused on what’s in front of me.  At the same time, I felt a momentary frustration and decided to talk to Jesus, who I lovingly refer to now as my Brother.  I said to Jesus, “Well, I’m grateful all my clients are doing well, but Jesus you said, ’Greater things than these shall I do’, like greater than raise the dead and heal the blind! This is what you said, and that’s what I want. I want to maintain that kind of Consciousness, so that healings take place instantly. After all Jesus, you never said ‘pick up your bed and walk’… AND come back in two weeks so I can make sure you’re still alive. Your healings took place instantly. There was no waiting involved. This is what I want.”  My words to Jesus that morning are now haunting me.

One hour later, I was walking my little 7 lb. dog Max on our cul-de-sac, where I walk him several times a day. Just at that moment, one of my neighbors accidentally left their front door open and their 50 lb. Boxer charged out of their house and attacked Max before we could see it coming. It happened so fast, there was no time to react. I couldn’t get to my dog fast enough. The boxer had Max in his jaws and I saw him crunch down on his head. My dog went limp and it was all over. My mind could not fully comprehend what was happening. I knew my dog was dead, but a bigger part of me was not having it.

I heard the words loudly in my head that I tell my clients every day. “God is FOR you! There is nothing against you! There is no death in God!” Suddenly, everything came to a standstill. It was like I stepped out of time completely. What was seemingly impossible became possible. The next thing I knew, I had my hands in the jaw of the Boxer and I pried her mouth open. My dog’s body fell into my arms. In a flash, I remember seeing the boxer’s face looking at me, as if she had no idea what had just happened.

I ran back to my house with my dog in my arms. There were no signs of life. One part of me had no idea what to do. Our veterinarian was not close by. I had no idea where there was an emergency hospital to take him. If I had been judging by the appearances, I would have just brought him inside my house, laid him down somewhere and cried. But there was this other part of me that was more in charge. It was telling me what to do. It said, “Get in the car” so I did. I backed out of my driveway with Max still on my lap. I knew I could not take my hands off of him. Just then, my neighbor Joe saw me. He later told me he saw blood all over my face and that’s why he stopped me. He asked what happened and if I wanted him to drive. He took my place behind the wheel as I held Max in the passenger’s seat. I still had no idea where to go, but Spirit kept talking to me, all the while Joe kept asking me, “which way?” I would chime in “take a left, take a right”…like I knew where we were going. In the meantime, I was praying like a fiend over Max who had not moved in several minutes. His eyes had become cloudy and he was clearly not in his body. My mind would not let me accept what seemed obvious. I just kept praying over him and saying things like, “get back in your body! You’re not going today!” along with everything I knew about God. “God is right where you are, Max. God is in every cell of your body. God is your life….” And so on. In between declarations, I would look up and say to Joe, “get in the left lane, pass that car, take a left here”, not knowing where we were headed until we got there. Just as we pulled into an emergency animal hospital, Max came back into his body and began to breathe again. He had been gone for several minutes, the entire time it took for us to find this place that God directed me to.

Without going into every detail, I can tell you that every moment was orchestrated from “on high”, as we say at Agape. God was in charge. I felt it. I felt inwardly connected, guided, directed, and informed in every moment. I might not have known what was coming, but I knew that all was well. There were times, in fact that I noticed I was being “more dramatic” than my inner directives were calling for. I guess I thought drama seemed appropriate given the outer circumstances. But somewhere inside of me, despite the obvious challenges of what I was moving through, despite the workings of my “need to know and understand everything” mind, despite my tendency to entertain doubt at times, there was a strong and palpable TRUTH inviting me to know it.

Today, Max is fully recovered… with the exception of losing his sight in his left eye. The irony of that has not escaped me.

Every day I remind him that he has no limitations in God and that God is seeing clearly through him…. My guess is though, that it is not Max that needs reminding at all. This part of the lesson plan, “to heal the blind” I am still working on.

I feel as though I have been initiated into another level as a healer. It is humbling.

I know that the power that came through me that day that declared the experience I was choosing to have, and denied any other, and the conviction of my mind and words, ultimately created the outcome that I experienced. Somehow, I leaned into all I knew about God, and was able to take an experience that was scary, horrifying and negative and stand in a place of “knowing the good” and insist on it. I will be forever grateful for the inner guidance (God’s clear direction) that supported me in being able to do that.

“It is done unto you as you believe” and “greater things than these ye shall do” are words that invite us to challenge ourselves to become more than we ever imagined possible. Jesus wasn’t just speaking to the healers when he spoke these words. He was speaking to all of us, beckoning us to go beyond our fear based linear minds, to know how powerful we truly are, and to use our minds to create the “Good” we seek to experience, as well as truly deserve.

As dramatic as this may sound, it is important to understand that YOU are MORE powerful than any challenging human experience you may be having. If the experience has you in a whirlwind, then the tail is wagging the dog, so to speak. You have given your power away to the circumstance. However, if in a moment of real clarity, you decide to allow a different experience more to your liking, then, and only then, will you be standing in your true power in God. In the midst of any challenging situation, there is a good that is waiting for you to claim. You have the power to do that.

To the Truth that sets us All Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP

PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing any issue, whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation.

When I was 11

When I was 11 years old, I had a dream that changed my life. I heard a voice say to me, “I am going to tell you the secret to all life, and when you wake up in the morning, you will not remember what it is, and you will spend many years searching for it”

Then I remember the voice telling me what the secret was and my response to it being “Oh my God, I knew it, I knew it!!!!!” It was so simple…the kind of thing that’s right in front of your face, but you just don’t see it.

The next morning I woke up and couldn’t remember what it was, just that it was simple. The voice was right. I searched and searched for many years, and then one day, I remembered. It just sort of dawned on me as if it had been there all along; hidden in plain view. The answer was LOVE.

Several years later when I was 24, I went backpacking in Europe. One night, while at a youth Hostel in Switzerland, I was talking with a friend when the evening bell rang signaling it was time for lights out.  We weren’t the slightest bit tired so we decided to move our conversation into the ladies room, the only place available to talk. I remember our conversation getting deeper and deeper until finally she told me a story about a dream she had had when she was 11. A voice spoke to her and said “I am going to tell you the secret to all life, and when you wake up in the morning, you will not remember what it is and you will spend many years searching for it”. I bet you can guess the rest. She had had the same exact experience as me, word for word. 

I then told her of my story. We were so astonished; we sat there in silence for the rest of the night.

I never knew what to make of it all, really. Why was I given the secret? Why was she given it? How many others were?  Over the years though, I feel I may have missed the greater point, LOVE.

I ask myself now, “What did I learn from all that? How did it change my life, or has it?” I wonder if I have made real use of the information given to me. The only conclusion that I can draw, is that every issue that has ever plagued me could have been resolved a lot easier if I had really taken heed of the lesson; that Love is the secret to all life; so simple and yet so allusive.

I believe the #1 cause of most issues we deal with on a daily basis could be traced back to our inability to truly appreciate ourselves on every level of our being; to accept ourselves completely without judgment and to genuinely love ourselves as we are, right now….not after we figure it all out or become our ultimate vision of ourselves. If the answer to all life is Love, then most of our human problems are due to the lack of it! Not from the outer world, but from own our inner one.

Ironically, if you ask someone if they love themselves, they will probably say “yes”. Then ask them if they are happy with who they are, with the way their lives look, with the choices they have made. Ask them how much time they take for themselves, or whether they are eating healthy foods, taking care of their bodies, and spending ample time to rest and rejuvenate. Are they expressing their feelings in a healing way? Are they following their passion? Do they trust themselves? The answers to these questions are illuminating as to whether someone actually loves themselves or if they just “think” they do.

If I’m honest with myself, I’m sure I love my dog, better than me. I can’t look at him without smiling. I love being with him, never get bored with him or even mad at him. If he ever does something I don’t like, I forgive him easily. I always see the best in him, and would go to the ends of the earth for him. I love him unconditionally, and yet I’m still trying to figure out how to love ME that well.

Just for a moment, bring to mind someone you really love. It could be a family member, a spouse, a friend, a teacher, a beloved pet, anyone at all. Now, feel the feelings of love you have for them. Feel how strong they are. Feel the gratitude you have for knowing them, for being in their lives. Feel how good it feels, just to Love. That energy you are feeling is healing. It can heal anything within you and it can heal others. Now ask yourself, “Is this the energy you feel toward yourself?” Do you feel this same kind of love, gratitude, and appreciation for yourself? Do you feel the same desire to be there for yourself no matter what, and to support yourself the same way you would for someone you love?

The secret to all life is Love, and yet at best, most of us are practicing “conditional loving”. Sometimes, we find reasons why it’s ok to love ourselves, and other times we find reasons why it’s not, and we do the same with other people. They have to earn our Love. We have to decide we like them first, trust them and understand them, before we feel it’s safe to love them. We love them "conditionally".

With ourselves, we have to be perfect, make perfect choices, look perfect, have our life look perfect, get treated perfectly by everyone else, etc…and then we’ll love ourselves "conditionally", until something falls out of place and we withhold our love again.

Take that Love energy that you feel for others, and direct some towards yourself right now, unconditionally, and you will begin to heal yourself, your life and be able to truly love those around you. 

Imagine a world, where we all loved ourselves and each other, without reason and just because.

I believe this is the First and Final Frontier for us all; what we have been charged with, and what we are here to learn.

The answer to all life, is LOVE, and the Love within you, is enough to change the world.

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman, ALSP

PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing any issue, whether it be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com, or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation.

Why Are You Here?

Have you ever really wondered why you're here on planet Earth?  What is your purpose for being here?  Was it just a random act that led you to be here right now at this time on the planet?  Other than the obvious explanation that your parents created you, why else are you here?  What are you here to do? What are you here to learn?  What are you here to bring?  These are some deep questions, right? And yet, without the answers, you could spend a lot of time spinning your wheels, and a lot of time unsatisfied.

It's important to know why you're here.  It's important to know what your gifts are. And most importantly, it's important that you're in alignment with your purpose, that you’re living your purpose. How do you know when you’re in alignment with your purpose, and how do you know when you're not?

It's simple. Are you fulfilled or aren’t you? Are you living a life that reflects all of the goodness that you are? Have you exceeded your wildest expectations of yourself? Are you a shining example of wholeness on planet Earth? Do you genuinely feel good about your life? Do you genuinely feel good about you? Are you fulfilled?

Or……

Are you going to a J-O-B every day, coming home, exhausted, just to pay the bills, and do it all over again tomorrow? Are you in a relationship that is painful, but have resigned yourself to being in it because the alternatives seem overwhelming? Does your body seem to be breaking down a little bit more and more all the time? Are you sick, in physical pain, emotional pain, unhappy, unsatisfied, and feel stuck? Have you given up on your dreams or worse yet, never attempted to pursue them? Do you feel blasé at best, or lack enthusiasm for your future? If so, then chances are you’ve strayed from your lesson plan a bit…and it may be time for an intervention.

In the end, the only thing that matters is how YOU feel about YOU. That’s it.

Did you accomplish what you were here to do? Did you become the person you were always meant to be? Did you love you?

When you are in alignment with your life's purpose, when you know who you are and what you're here to do, and when you take steps towards that vision, your life begins to fall into place, in a way that is most satisfying to you.  You start to live your dreams.

Unfortunately, until you are willing to move towards your vision, you will continue to spin your wheels, and feel unsatisfied with yourself and your life.  The key to being in alignment with your purpose is pure, unadulterated willingness. You have to really want it. You have to be willing to risk for it.  You have to be willing to do things differently.  You have to be willing to change. You can't fake willingness, when you do, it's simply “resistance” dressed up in disguise.

Today, search your soul.  What would you need to do differently to be in alignment with your deepest heart's desires? What would you need to let go of?  What would you need to embrace about yourself?  Even if you're not willing right now to make the changes, find the willingness to be willing. That's a good start, and really all you need, to take tiny steps forward towards being in alignment.  After all, that's what you're here to do, live your purpose and be fulfilled. The story ends well, that starts with willingness.

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman, ALSP

PS. You can heal and you don’t have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing an issue whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation. 

Sometimes, It Doesn't Have to Make Sense!

I can be stubborn. (Stop laughing!) And, I'm not afraid to admit it. Sometimes it works for me, and unfortunately, sometimes it gets in my way. On one occasion this past fall, it almost led me to make a really poor decision. The worst part is, I would never have known what a poor decision it was, or what I would have missed out on, had I made it.


So, here's the problem: My head. 
I think too much. I analyze. I try and figure everything out. I line up all my ducks. I make my pluses and minuses list. I go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until I'm exhausted, and sometimes I even avoid making a decision and let the chips fall where they may, and consider that my decision. You see, things have to make sense to me. If they don't make sense, if I don't see how everything is going to work, I get "Yes" phobic.


In September, when I least expected it, certainly wasn't looking for it, and didn't want it, a dog came into my life....and let me just say for the record, I was NOT ready!!!! I did NOT want to be tied down!!! I did NOT want to lose my freedom!!! I did NOT want to take care of anyone else!!! I did NOT want to clean up poopie messes, go to the vet, find people to babysit, feel guilty when I have to leave him alone for the day, overnight with someone, or God forbid have to get coverage for an entire week if I travel.


I did NOT want to face decisions regarding vaccination, heart worm or worry about deer ticks. Did I mention that I was NOT ready??? Oh yeah, while we're on the subject, I did NOT want to love something so much again, like my last dog Scruffy and have to watch him get old, sick and die. No, I did NOT want to re-live the pain of letting go of something I loved, all too soon.


So, there I was....with all my reasons why I wasn't ready...which no one blamed me for...after all, all my reasons were reasonable; they made perfect sense. So then, why on God's green earth did I say yes???? Why did I agree to go see that little ball of fluff in the first place? And why oh why, did I agree to take him home and care for him til death do us part?


It's simple...my heart screwed up my plan. I picked him up, he melted in my arms, the rest is history. He was mine.


Seven months later, I can't imagine my life without Max. When I think back to how sure I was about NOT being ready, all I can do is laugh and Thank God I let my heart open again, just in the nick of time.


Love is a risk, isn't it? But let's face it, the payoff is big! So can be the payoff for saying "Yes", when all your "reasons" point to NO. Sometimes, it doesn't have to make sense.


The truth is, the greatest things that have ever happened to me, happened only after I got out of my own way, when I said YES, even though I was scared to, and when I trusted in something bigger than all my reasons.


I have learned that every decision we make is made from either Faith or from Fear, and that it's okay to be afraid, as long as I do it anyway.....

I wish you the many blessings that come, with decisions made from Faith!


To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,


Donna Gershman ALSP


PS. You can heal, and you don't have to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing an issue, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840 for a free telephone consultation.

Getting Out of Here Alive

Lately, I seem to be preoccupied with the subject of death.

(....What did she just say???? Did she just say the "D" word?)
Okay, hear me out...

Look, I realize that death is not everyone's favorite subject....and it's certainly not mine, but it's on my mind a lot these days. Maybe it's because I lost a friend recently, or because this past year I had a close call myself, or maybe because I am dangerously approaching the big 5-0. I'm not sure, but the thing that I am realizing more than anything, is that I have spent most of my life dodging the subject. I don't want to think about it, face it, and least of all, embrace it. That would be like a direct invitation to the grim reaper, himself. I will have no part of it! I will get out of here alive, if it's the last thing I do!!! In fact, I have decided to skirt death altogether. Who's with me?

The truth is though, I'm just plain tired of running from it, avoiding it at all cost, resisting it, worrying, obsessing, freaking, negotiating, bargaining, bartering, being a good little girl, and all the other things I do to fend it off. Let's face it, it takes a lot of energy, energy I could be using for something more inspired.

Maybe it's just time to stop running....to accept it, to look death straight into it's little beedie eyes and say,
"I surrender, take me already!" It would probably be a welcomed relief from all these "death deferring" antics of mine. Who knows, maybe then I can really begin to live.

I don't know about you, but a lot of what has scared me about death is not knowing what's going to happen.
Wait....isn't that the SAME EXACT reason I have for every fear of mine?

This has me thinking: Maybe I do know how it's all going to end. Maybe I can deal with the idea of death, the same way I deal with everything else in my Life.

When a situation presents itself to me, first, I ACCEPT what IS.

Then I TRUST what IS.....

(in other words, I trust that what IS, is not happening for no reason at all, and is not meant to be a punishment, but rather happening by Divine Purpose.)

Next, I EMBRACE the idea that what IS, is actually good, and is for me.

(so, I don't  need to resist what IS, because that just leads to more pain).

Finally, I OPEN to seeing the gift in what IS.

This formula has helped me through many events in my life, that at first seemed like insurmountable challenges, with the result being Grace and Ease versus suffering and struggle.

Of course, death seems like a pretty sizable challenge. Not your everyday variety of letting go, is it?
But, I'm pretty sure that's why it comes last.....

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP

PS. You can heal, and you don't need to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing a physical, emotional or spiritual issue, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840.

Grace Lives Here

In my home in California, I have a painting with three words on it; "Grace lives here". It's one of my favorite pieces of art. It was painted by a dear friend of mine and fellow practitioner, Stephanie Dawn.

When I first started my practice, I hung it in my office where I saw clients, so that I would always be reminded that "I, of my own self do nothing", and that I could lean into the quality of Grace for anything I might need.

The Dictionary defines Grace as;

The freely given, unmerited favor and love of God, and/or the Spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.

Although the word is often associated with Christian faiths, I believe that Grace is a Spiritual Quality inherent to us all that is available to us 24/7.

It's often implied that Grace is a quality that comes and goes, sometimes with us and other times not. For instance, it's operating when we are in God's "good" Grace and not operating when we "fall" out of Grace. I would venture to say that if you believe in a punishing/rewarding God, one that shows favor to you sometimes, and withdraws it other times, then you would also experience Grace that way.

We might even think of Grace as a single, isolated event that occurs. For instance, when we experience something falling into place easily, we might associate it with Grace. On the other hand, when we aren't experiencing Grace, it is when things feel difficult and challenging or even a struggle. You might wonder, where's the Grace then? Where's God then?

What if we take God out of the equation completely? Is Grace available to those who do not believe in God? Or is that an exclusive experience reserved only for those who believe?

I think of Grace as the Divine perfection and order of the Universe, always happening whether we're aware of it or not. For me personally, the goal is to become more aware of it...to see its mark on all things and all experiences. Imagine looking for the Grace and expecting it? Imagine knowing that Grace is happening right now...

How would you then perceive whatever is occurring?

If you can accept the quality of Grace in your life as a constant, then you can experience it that way, in every moment.

How is Grace operating in your life right now?

When things appear challenging, are you willing to turn your attention to the Grace that is available? If you can welcome Grace into your moment by moment awareness, then you too will know that "Grace Lives Here."

The other day, in the midst of a particular challenge, a long florescent light bulb fell out of my closet and hit me squarely in the head. "Where's the Grace now, right?"

I stopped for a moment and realized that the "light" was literally hitting me over the head, trying to get my attention. It was time to turn towards it!!!

Even in your darkest hour, Grace is always happening. Don't let a single moment go by without noticing it, and being Grateful for its constant support in your life.

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP

PS. You can heal, and you don't need to do it alone!  If you or someone you know needs support in healing any physical, emotional or spiritual issue, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840.

We Will Remember, Susan.

You may have noticed that many of my blogs are written on airplanes. This one is no exception. This time I am on my way to Los Angeles to attend the memorial service of my friend, Susan J. Paul. Today, I am moved to tell you about her.

I met Susan about 7 years ago when she came to sing at my Spiritual Center for the first time. She floored us with an original song of hers entitled, “My Soul Sings Out”. The congregation went nuts for her, giving her a rousing ovation that seemed to last forever. It wasn’t hard to see she was special.

Susan passed away July 19th at the age of 48. In the years that I knew her, she taught me many things. She embodied the Spirit of creativity like no one I had ever known. She oozed creativity. Not only did she think outside the box, she had no box at all. To be in her company was to be in the company of greatness. I don’t say this lightly.

And yet, in all honesty, at times I found myself in judgment of her life. I wanted her to sing more, get “out there” more, share her gifts with the world more. In my mind, she wasn’t always “doing” enough! It was selfish of me, really. I wanted the world to know her, and to be blessed by her gifts, especially her music.

Since her passing, there has been an outpouring of love from people all over, expressing their deep appreciation for how she touched their lives. Several have spoken of her big smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the many happy memories they shared, and the joy they felt when they were with her. Interestingly, no one has spoken of bullet points on her resume. They speak of who she was and how she made them feel.

Susan was in deed a sweet soul. She never had an unkind word for anyone, and even in the midst of her own challenges, she always took an interest in others, often lending an ear and offering kind and encouraging words.

I now know, if Susan had never written or sung a single song, if she had never painted any of her amazing works of art, she would still have lead a completely successful life because she was truly the embodiment of Love.

To her family and friends following her progress on her “Caring Bridge” page, Susan’s final message was simply, “Love”. That’s what she stood for, that’s who she was, and that’s what she gave so freely.

What she accomplished in her life or what she didn’t somehow has less significance to me now. What really mattered all along was the love she brought and left behind for us.

I could never forget my friend Susan J. Paul. Her love is engraved in my heart forever.

For the rest of us still here, I wish us all the realization that what we do on this earth, or what we don’t do, matters much less than who we are, and how we touch the lives of those around us.

I’m convinced that the most successful we will ever be in this life, is when our hearts are open wide and we allow ourselves to be the generous givers and receivers of love, we were always meant to be.

Susan has taught me since her passing, to let my heart and the love I share be my single greatest legacy on planet earth. Without that, what I do and what I accomplish matters not. Mother Teresa once said, "If it's not done with great love, it doesn't count".

I wish you all an open heart with which to Love and Be Loved. This is all you will ever need to truly be successful in this life.

To The Truth That Sets Us All Free,

Donna Gershman ALSP

PS. I have included a link to a YouTube video tribute to Susan. If you are interested in her music, you may find it on iTunes or through http://www.rembarecords.com/

PSS. You can heal, and you don't need to do it alone! If you or someone you know needs support in healing a disease, illness, chronic condition, injury or pain, please feel free to email me at youwillheal@aol.com or contact my office at (818)904-6840