Thoughts and Ponderings
The Shift, From Our Heads To Our Hearts

For many of us, the times we are living through are not easy. I’ve certainly had to adjust and change as the world around me has demanded and yet, I’m really excited about being alive to witness the changes we are experiencing. We seem to be leaving a time of “me” and entering a time of “we.” Living more from our emotional brains than from our rational brains. Or, put another way, following where we are heart-led more and more, and less and less from self will. Manifesting what we want doesn’t seem nearly as important as finding our purpose and what we are heart connected to. It was my heart and not my head that led me to start this magazine. I knew very little about publishing when I started. I just knew that I loved connecting people and I wanted to connect the holistic, metaphysical community with those in need of their services. I also hoped to share information on classes and events, and provide articles that readers could connect with and know they’re not alone in their thinking and views. It is a real gift to have found something to do that gives me such a sense of purpose and I never would have done it if I had listened to my head and not my heart.

You see, starting a magazine was the last thing I thought I’d be doing in this lifetime and the judge in my head had a million reasons why I couldn’t do it. And yet, here it is seven years old and still going. It has been an amazingly rich adventure and I’ve loved watching it grow, unfold and become whatever it wanted to be. What I didn’t know about publishing I’ve learned as I’ve needed to know. I just couldn’t let not knowing get in my way – the urge to get the magazine up and going was too great. If I’d spent too much time studying and waiting until I knew enough I’m sure I would have burned out in analysis paralysis. Learning as I went kept me involved and inspired. I trusted a knowing that ideas come from Creation and the knowing how comes from the doing. Honoring the inspirations that I am given by giving them a chance to become reality is a thrill and how my heart draws me forward.

With changing Balanced Life to a quarterly publication came an opportunity to honor another idea that has been sitting waiting to take form: www.ExpandedVisions.com, a website for the promotion of self-published holistic, metaphysical, and motivational Books and their Authors. The site is now online with several inspirational books ready for your perusal. The Self-Published Author seems to be in real need of additional support and promotion, although the site is open to all Authors looking for an additional resource for getting the word out about themselves and their books. I invite you to take a few minutes to visit the site and see if there isn’t a book or two that catches your interest.

As soon as the site for ExpandedVisions was up and we began accepting books, I could see how much of an adventure this new venture was going to be. I’m very impressed with the quality of books that are coming through on so many meaningful topics. I’m also aware of the other services Expanded Visions can expand into. One of those expanded opportunities showed up as we were setting up the Shopping Cart for the site and realized the cart we were using included an affiliate management program. This means we can offer an Affiliate Program to those of you with holistic, metaphysical or like-minded sites by providing you with an ExpandedVisions link to put on your site. Anyone that comes from your site and purchases books at our site, will earn you a commission. If you are not currently on our email list, perhaps you’d like to be. Visit www.balancedlifemagazine.com or www.expandedvisions.com to sign up, as we will be sending out information on the Affiliate Program, upcoming events, as well as eNewsletters.

Let’s stay in touch. Call or email me with ideas you might have for supporting one another through these shifting times. May your summer be full of rich connections and enlightening experiences.

Barbara Williams is the Editor of Balanced Life Magazine and the founder of ExpandedVisions.com. For information on submitting articles for Balanced Life or if you are interested in placing a book on ExpandedVisions, please email or call the number listed below. Barbara is also a Counselor, Hypnotherapist and Toltec Apprentice, offering classes and private sessions for tapping your own inner knowing for guidance and greater self-acceptance. Barbara offers Past Life Regressions for groups and individuals for accessing hidden resources and to gain a deeper sense of purpose. Call (916) 965-7751 or email barbara@balancedlifemagazine.com