This week I share some of the challenges that I have experienced that I will say are 'soft lessons'. Because I know that adversity is there to teach me, I do not need my world to shatter to extract so much to help me on my path of understanding myself and my journey. I know that everything is happening FOR me and I am looking for the ways my experiences and my emotions are teaching me.
Facing judgement from being in a police blotter and recording a spiritual podcast are very different.... but experiencing a soft lesson in a higher state of consciousness still produced more fruit of understanding.
Looking for a community to grow in? Join me in Derick Grant's DGmindset Consciousness Evolution Community
Connect with me on Socia - Instagram and TikTok
This week I share some of the challenges that I have experienced that I will say are 'soft lessons'. Because I know that adversity is there to teach me, I do not need my world to shatter to extract so much to help me on my path of understanding myself and my journey. I know that everything is happening FOR me and I am looking for the ways my experiences and my emotions are teaching me.
Facing judgement from being in a police blotter and recording a spiritual podcast are very different.... but experiencing a soft lesson in a higher state of consciousness still produced more fruit of understanding.
Looking for a community to grow in? Join me in Derick Grant's DGmindset Consciousness Evolution Community
Connect with me on Socia - Instagram and TikTok
(0:00) Rise and shine, everybody. It's time to wake up with Susan. (0:05) Spiritual awakening can be a beautiful, messy, and sometimes lonely journey.(0:09) So let's do it together. I'm your host, Susan Sutherland. (0:14) I'm an intuitive healer and spiritual mentor.We are all called to rise up above our conditioning (0:21) and limiting beliefs and shine our light on ourselves and others. So let's get to it. (0:29) Hi family, thanks for joining me today.Today, I'm going to talk about life's lessons and how (0:34) you can experience them in different octaves. Octaves is how Paul Selig's guides refer to (0:44) kind of your journey up the vibration scale, the map of consciousness to the upper room, (0:51) which would be Christ consciousness. And when you reside in the upper room, (0:55) you don't experience lessons from a fear-based thought system because (1:00) fear-based thought system doesn't live in the upper room.That is not where Christ consciousness (1:05) is. However, we have to work our way up this. It's David R. Hawkins' map of consciousness, (1:13) which puts a frequency to common, what we think of as emotions, but they're really (1:20) a place of being.You can be peace, which means you are vibrating at the level of peace. You're (1:30) vibrating at the level of love, of fear, of guilt, of shame. And so as we experience our lessons, (1:38) they show up for us differently dependent on the level of consciousness that we currently are at.(1:46) And I'll give you some examples because it doesn't matter where you are on this journey. (1:55) Your lessons are still coming. You are still going to experience lessons.They're just going (2:00) to show up differently. And showing up differently doesn't mean they're less valuable. So I'll tell (2:09) you how I'm experiencing these because it's been a really profound week for me.(2:18) When I'm going through something, it is it's like getting pinged by, you know, a hundred different (2:24) ping pong balls. Like, do you see this and this and this and this until I really sit with the (2:30) information and take on what I'm supposed to be getting. And this week, this past week for me, (2:37) has been about judgment, which has actually made this podcast really hard to sit down and record (2:43) because I'm really, um, I've taken on, taken this on.So, um, this, this fear of judgment, this, (2:53) this like sitting and knowing, um, that I'm being judged, but having to process that and then still (3:00) move through it, which is what I have to do. And so here I sit, but I'm just keeping it real for you (3:07) that it doesn't matter what I say on here. I'm still, I'm still going through the process too.(3:13) It just shows up differently. Um, as I do the work, it doesn't mean I'm not learning from it. (3:19) It doesn't mean I'm not struggling with it.It means it shows up differently. So this is what (3:25) I'm talking about. So I made a little video where when you are clanking the low keys, it is like you (3:32) are residing in the lower, the lower frequency, which is where guilt and shame and fear reside.(3:40) And when you are in that octave, your experience comes through ways of shame and guilt and fear. (3:50) When you are, when you are in fear, you are cultivating more fear. And as you move up the (3:57) scale to acceptance, your experiences look different.They just look different. And as you (4:04) move up into the high notes, even a low note, even a low note in a high octave is still a high note. (4:12) It is not, it is not the same as experiencing something in a really low vibration.However, (4:22) I will tell you that the reflection gained is different because your level of awareness and (4:28) consciousness is different. You are able to extract just as much information out of it because (4:35) you had moved out of that victim consciousness, where it's like, oh gosh, everything is terrible. (4:41) Why is this happening to me too? Okay.This happened for me because I am supposed to (4:49) gain information from this situation. So when you move into that, you don't need (4:56) the whole world to fall apart. You need gentle nudges to be like, okay, let me see what I'm (5:04) supposed to learn from this situation.There is something here for me. I'm going, I'm going to (5:09) figure this out. And so as you move up, the lessons feel softer, but it doesn't mean you (5:16) are learning less.All right. So I'll give you some examples because this is what's been going on in (5:24) my world this week. Actually, a couple of weeks ago, I'll tell you about an experience.I went to (5:31) our high school basketball game. It was a conference final and my guides had told me the (5:39) day before that the following day would be a lesson, a lessons day. Like really pay attention (5:44) because tomorrow there's some, there's some nuggets for you.And so I ended up, it was a (5:51) busy day and I decided to schedule my groceries to be delivered. And I will tell you that most of the (5:57) time, things go pretty seamlessly for me. I expect them to, and they do.Everything just (6:04) works out. And I ended up having just, I ended up having this mess of a grocery delivery where I (6:10) ended up having to go back to the store to pick up bags that they forgot that I had paid for. And (6:16) while I was there, I realized that some of the things they said were not in stock were in stock.(6:22) And it just ended up being a frustration that I don't often experience in my world anymore. (6:28) So I got to reflect back a little bit on like, I am feeling impatient and frustration. (6:37) And then that showed me that I needed to dig, dig deep into some times that I had not released or (6:45) acknowledged that I was feeling impatient and frustrated.So that was, that was a little bit (6:50) of work to do. But then I went to the high school basketball game and we were playing in the (6:58) conference final. And it was a really good game, but I'm telling you the, the referee, one in (7:07) particular, seemed dead set against us winning the game.It felt so unfair and it felt like we were (7:18) being cheated. Like our poor boys are playing against another team that is good and probably (7:24) an average of a foot taller than them. And we're playing against a referee who is calling the game (7:32) really poorly and really unfairly.And I, I just paid attention to the game as a fan. (7:41) But in the, the following morning, when I was reflecting like on the day, knowing that the day (7:47) was meant to provide lessons to me, I started journaling about my little Instacart order. (7:55) But when I got to the game, it was, it was really bringing up feelings of feeling powerless (8:03) that I couldn't do anything.There's nothing you can do to change the course (8:10) when something's being cheated, when it, when things are unfair, I felt powerless and I felt (8:14) cheated. And in my journaling and in my automatic writing, it came through that those were feelings (8:22) that I had when my mom was diagnosed. My mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer when I was 17 (8:31) and died seven months later.And I have done a lot of work on grief and about missing her, (8:40) but I don't think I had ever realized that I had a trapped emotion of feeling cheated (8:46) and powerless in that, in that time of my life. And that's what needed to come through. (8:53) And I needed a basketball game to bring that out of me because I would never just be sitting (8:59) journaling going, when have I felt cheated? But it required this lesson and, and for me to really (9:06) know that a lesson was to be brought to me, for me to, to say, what am I feeling in this moment? (9:14) How am I feeling? And I was feeling cheated and powerless.And I needed that to come up (9:21) so that I could bear witness to it and release it. Because that had been in there for now, gosh, (9:28) over 25 years that I've been carrying around that feeling. And so the lesson came to me in a very (9:36) soft way.I was a witness of a basketball game, but because of my consciousness level and because (9:43) I know that when I'm feeling these extreme emotions, they are meant to call my attention (9:49) to something more. I didn't need something extreme. I didn't need an extreme case of being (9:57) cheated again to have that brought out of me.I needed a soft lesson. I didn't have a player in (10:03) the game. I had a cheerleader, but I was a passionate fan that felt really sorry for these (10:10) boys because I couldn't help them.And I saw that they were being cheated. But what I really needed (10:16) was just to reflect on the times that I had felt that way too. So that's what I mean by a soft (10:23) lesson.So then the following week I had two friends and a husband who came to me to say (10:33) others had spoken to them about me, about what I'm doing and kind of casting, not kind of, (10:41) casting judgment on what I'm doing and expressing judgment for how I'm putting myself out there, (10:49) probably what I believe, how I'm sharing. And I get a lot of positive feedback. I am (10:57) super grateful for the DMs I receive and for the text messages I receive that are encouraging.(11:06) And it doesn't mean that these little times of feeling judged, which came, I'm telling you, (11:14) they came within 24 hours, three different people had told me that I am being judged by others. (11:23) I know that that's a lesson for me. I know that that's a lesson for me.It doesn't mean it doesn't (11:31) hurt. It doesn't mean that today's podcast is not the hardest for me to record because I have that (11:37) feeling, that knowing of being judged. But I remember reading in Jay Shetty's book about (11:46) trees that are grown in a biosphere and they get to a certain height and then they just topple over.(11:54) And it's because without wind, they don't have strong enough roots to maintain them. So I do (12:03) understand that I am meant to hear this. I was meant to hear from each of them.It was meant to (12:12) be stacked messages for me because I need the wind. I need to grow my roots and become stronger. To (12:21) know that what I'm doing, I am so sure of that if you're not sure of it, I'll still do it.That I (12:29) feel good enough about the message I'm sharing and what I believe that I'll continue to move forward. (12:37) But I need the strengthening. I need my roots to get stronger.And although I will say that good (12:47) feedback is a great motivator. It is a great motivator. It doesn't challenge me in the same (12:54) way that criticism does.Gosh, I even logged on when I share the podcast on Instagram on my stories. (13:03) I can provide a link to the podcast. And so I have to go on and get the link to the new episode.And (13:10) when I did this week, somebody had left me a one star rating. No review or feedback, just one star (13:18) because it is that bad y'all. And it's a spiritual podcast.So I would imagine if you (13:26) hear that maybe something would resonate a little bit to where I could move up to the like (13:33) maybe average stars for you to bother to leave me a review. So I just assume that was a person (13:40) that I know that just doesn't approve of what I'm doing or wanted to give me a little kick. (13:47) But it conveniently came at the same time of all of this other judgment because I'm meant to (13:54) experience the wind.I'm growing roots. And so I won't lie and say that this wasn't a challenge (14:01) for me. Of course it was.I felt really judged and and I put a lot of effort into this podcast. (14:09) It doesn't make a penny and it cost me money to use the application which I record on. It costs (14:15) money to host the podcast and so I do it as a service as something I love and as a healing (14:22) journey for myself.But I do want people to like it. I do want it to be well received and so it (14:30) was a kick in the gut. Now let me tell you a little something.That's a soft lesson. Somebody (14:38) leaving you a one star review and you having to deal with that is a soft lesson. I have also (14:44) experienced judgment and having to face scrutiny by being in a police blotter.When I was I guess (14:53) I was 16 years old and man I was cheeky. I knew everything. I was goodness I was a handful.But (15:04) I was in a grocery store with my boyfriend at the time and we were getting a balloon and a card for (15:13) a friend of mine who had mono. I waited at the little it was it was almost like a hostess stand (15:21) but that's where they had the helium balloons for you to wait there and get a new helium balloon (15:29) blown up for you. Nobody came over and we waited for a long time and I think I asked somebody for (15:36) help and nobody came over.You know it wasn't their job so they said they'd send somebody over (15:42) and nobody came over and so eventually I left a quarter on the host it's not a hostess stand but (15:49) on the helium balloon stand I left a quarter and I took one of the pre-blown up balloons. They just (15:55) weren't blown up enough. I wanted a new one but I gave up and I took a get well balloon and I left (16:01) a quarter and my boyfriend and I walked out and by the time we got to the car there was the the (16:09) in-house grocery store policeman because I'd stolen the balloon and I told him I was like well (16:15) I have a feeling that the balloon cost a quarter and the rest is for service and I left a quarter (16:22) on the stand.Well do you know how well received that is by a police officer? I'm going to go and (16:28) tell you not very. So did he take the twenty dollars that I was offering him for this balloon? (16:35) No. Did he give me time to call my parents to let them know that I was now going to court (16:44) for shoplifting? Yes he did.Did I tell them? No. I went to my room. I got home (16:50) and I went to my room and I bawled for hours.I could not believe I had done this. (16:58) I couldn't believe I had gotten caught doing this perhaps because I had done worse things (17:04) and not gotten caught for them. So this seemed minute and now they're about to call the cops are (17:13) calling my parents.So fortunately I had cried for so long that they thought maybe I had been (17:22) sexually abused maybe something far worse had happened to where I think they were actually (17:28) relieved when the cop called and told them what I had done and they knew what a little sarcastic (17:35) B.I. was so this felt very in line with with my kind of behavior. However, the following Saturday (17:42) it was in the newspaper. It was in the newspaper and then I ended up not being on in the National (17:50) Honor Society because I had been arrested for shoplifting and so I'm telling you as far as (17:57) lessons in judgment go, lessons in being judged for your actions, being scrutinized for what you do, (18:06) getting a one-star review on a spiritual podcast is a soft lesson.It is a it is a low note (18:14) and a high octave. But what did I learn from the police blotter? I don't think much because (18:23) after I endured it I continue to make now that I'm reflecting back as a grown woman (18:30) very questionable decisions that maybe I didn't get caught doing but probably should have and (18:39) this lesson because I know they're showing up for me because I know that there's a reflection (18:48) that I need to do in these situations. I have garnered so much information not only about (18:57) really understanding my why and strengthening those roots and letting them dig deeper and get stronger (19:07) with every passing comment or judgment that's made to me or someone else.That is strengthening my (19:14) roots but it's also really allowed me to bear witness to my judgment of others and you guys (19:24) it's there and I can see back I mean even just a few years ago I know a girl who (19:32) is promoting some kind of holistic product and she makes videos about it and I remember even like (19:41) texting her video to a friend of mine and we would snicker about it and do I know people are doing (19:49) that with mine? Of course I do because I did it to somebody else like I showed me what happens. (19:59) When you put yourself out there she's just trying to promote a holistic business of wellness. I (20:11) was doing well at it and when she found holistic medicine she ended up going she's doing something (20:18) to promote wellness and I was making fun of her.I was sending out her her little videos (20:26) and snickering with a friend of mine. So do I know people are doing that about me and can I say but (20:34) I'm just trying to promote positivity and connection and belief that that you are divine (20:43) and limitless? Yes that's what I'm trying to do. Do I know that people are still judging me for it? (20:50) Yes because I was that person.I know full well that that's what happens and as my consciousness (20:59) evolves I would not do that to somebody else but I know that that was part of my growth too (21:06) was seeing people and and questioning what they're doing and making fun of them for it. (21:13) I also had this massive realization this week DG Mindset does a YouTube live. It's like a little (21:22) TV show on YouTube and I think it's on Wednesdays but I happened to see it this week and it was such (21:30) an aha moment for me when he was speaking to somebody else.He has call-in guests and he was (21:36) speaking to somebody else about a relationship that she is struggling with and he reminded us (21:44) that we seek the people who are providing what we don't have right and so if you cannot cook (21:53) you seek someone who can and as he's talking in his break it down so simply so profoundly (22:02) sort of a way I had such an aha moment that my judgment of Mark for his love of money (22:11) for his love of things should bear witness to me that I don't appreciate them enough that he has (22:20) called me easy come easy go with things before and I saw it as not attachment non-attachment (22:28) I think it should be but what it should be maybe is not appreciation that I don't care for them (22:35) enough that I'm not mindful enough with money and so where I have found judgment in him as you know (22:44) because I've talked about it on many episodes his love of things his love of money and and I (22:52) almost took like a higher road of feeling like somehow because I don't have that I don't guess (23:01) I felt like it was a superior because I just felt like he was working on a different lesson (23:07) than I am but what he's reflecting to me is that I don't have those things I mean I can't tell you (23:15) what we're subscribed to my kids probably have every streaming we we might have multiple accounts (23:23) because I'm not attentive enough and I never thought about it like that I have never (23:30) really witnessed my judgment as a reflection back to me of what I need to work on because I saw it (23:39) as well I don't have those things I don't have this big craving for things I I don't see it that (23:48) way so I don't have that lesson oh no girl you were missing the lesson you were totally missing (23:55) the lesson that is there that is being reflected back to you every day he is doing things because (24:03) you're not doing enough of them and so I am challenged now to find where I'm not appreciating (24:11) our things enough or being attentive enough to the money that we have I mean this week I was (24:19) thinking about how nice it was to hire somebody give them work to put my videos together because (24:27) it's time consuming for me and quite honestly I have no skills at doing it at all but imagine just (24:35) being able to provide content and have some having somebody put together videos or even I've (24:41) talked about having somebody edit the podcast and I don't pay for that even though it's time consuming (24:46) because it would cost money and the podcast doesn't make money well I'm sure money is sitting (24:52) out there that if I were actually attentive to where our money is going to pay better attention (25:00) to how we are consuming or any of these things to dial it in that money would be there but because (25:10) I was busy just seeing it as his journey and not part of mine I haven't I haven't even thought that (25:20) yes I could just you know really dial in our finances and then I would have the money to (25:26) expand my business without it being a a negative impact on our family to be in service so you guys (25:36) I'm telling you that's what I got from a one star review and so as you move up the octave (25:44) and you start learning that everything that you experience is there for you to gain information (25:52) about yourself you can extract so much information from life's little tiny lessons it does not have (26:02) to be a hurricane for you to grow your roots for you to strengthen your resilience for you to (26:10) discover who you are when you start acknowledging that a little interaction in a grocery store (26:17) or with a co-worker is meant to reflect something back to you you get to extract all of this (26:26) information without your whole life being turned upside down because I'm going to go and tell you (26:32) this has been much more enjoyable to reflect in not that it's easy because it's still hard it is (26:39) still hard for me to face this judgment but the amount that I have gained from it has been more (26:46) significant than an experience in which my whole life was turned upside down with this whole (26:55) shoplifting situation and I didn't gain as much from it so as you as you change your frequency (27:04) it is because you are able to gain more information from softer lessons and so I definitely (27:10) think we need to have an episode about raising your vibration because it is an important part (27:18) of life I feel like there are there are several ways to raise your vibration one is releasing (27:26) all of the the shoulds and the expectations and the attachment to the past and who you were and (27:34) just saying that's that's who you were but there are also ways to to really raise your vibration (27:40) by doing things so part of it is remembering your divine nature releasing who you who you were I (27:48) guess forgiving or accepting or embracing and loving all versions of yourself but there are (27:53) also other ways to raise your vibration so we're going to talk about those another day but I hope (27:59) as you experience your day if you find something that provides you extra emotion extra impact (28:07) there's there's something that you're feeling heated about allow yourself to process it to live (28:13) in that moment and don't reflect back until the following day or maybe the day after that and say (28:21) all right what was I feeling and where are the other times I have felt that emotion what is trying (28:29) to be shown to me it has come up in a new way like the cheating and the the feeling powerless (28:37) that came up in a new way for me because there's an old experience that I needed to bring light to (28:45) I needed to allow those feelings of feeling cheated and powerless because I didn't at the (28:51) time I didn't have the understanding of how to experience that emotion and to to sit with it I (29:02) turned to all different avenues to process my mother's sickness and death and none of (29:07) them were healthy but I've allowed myself to go back and process through the ones that I knew (29:15) the the grief and the sorrow I've processed those and I feel really comfortable that those are not (29:21) residing in my energetic body but what I still had was this feeling of cheated being cheated (29:28) and powerless and that needed to be reflected to me in a new way to allow me to go back to that (29:35) to to bear witness and to honor it and to release it so however you experience this day know that (29:43) anything that is in contrast or conflict is there for you nothing's happening to you it is your (29:51) lesson to extract the information and the good news is the universe will write