Heroines with Heart: Amy Miller of True Shining Self
If it's broke, don't fix it. Right? Yeah, sure.But you must admit, there's nothing like a slight tweak or adjustment, a gentle injection of new energy and perspective to breathe life into a well-loved project - to keep it evolving and fresh.
Which is why I've decided to make a few additions, subtractions, mix-ups and switch-ups to the questions I normally ask my Heroines with Heart. It brought a smile to my face when I realised how symbolic it is that Amy Miller, a writer and energy healer over at True Shining Self, was the first lady to love-up these new questions for me. Amy has recently undergone her own gentle switch-up over at her blog, aligning herself more fully with her - true shining self. You know when you can feel someone stepping more fully into themselves? Amy RADIATES that feeling.
You must pop straight over (once you've read her incredibly delightful, thoughtful answers below) and devour her musings. She's marvellous.Enough from me - I hope you enjoy this fun new format and fall in love with the beautiful Amy.
+ Let’s dive straight in. Tell us, what makes up your lifeblood?
Exploring. Expanding horizons. Asking questions. Challenging the norm. Learning. Sharing. Self-expression.
Constantly questioning and pushing boundaries. On the search for truth. Hoping to inspire others to be the best that they can be while I work out what is true for me. It’s all about the journey, not the destination. Roaming free.
My passions? Writing and connecting with Spirit are where I feel ‘at home’, where I feel at ease and where time ticks by. I get lost in these worlds, very easily.
+ Eleanor Roosevelt said, ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ What’s your beautiful dream?
Me, sitting at a huge desk in my beach home overlooking the ocean, a gentle breeze flowing in an open window, a dog at my feet. A pen in my hand, words pouring freely onto a page, sharing spiritual wisdom in the form of a book.It seems such a basic dream but that’s the image that always comes to my mind whenever I’m asked about my dream. It fills me with such peace and joy. As an introvert, it makes me feel safe yet it’s still open enough that it allows me the freedom to explore.
+ What benefits has prioritising a healthy lifestyle had on your life?
Investing in my health is one of my top priorities. When my body and mind are in tune, everything around me flows. I’m happier. I hum on the inside. My skin glows on the outside. I’m more confident. I feel vibrant. Energised. Alive. Connected.
Circle back to 2010 and it was a completely different story. No energy. I looked grey. I was miserable. Everything was a struggle. Depressed and desperately seeking for something to help. It took a chronic illness for me to finally take notice of the abuse I was feeding my body. Negative emotions, bad eating patterns and binge drinking all catching up with me.
Fixing my gut became my priority. A healthy gut equals a healthy body so I work very hard on keeping my digestive system happy. This means probiotics, lots of green veg, low gluten, no dairy, no sugar – it seems strict but whenever I veer of the path of healthy eating, I get sick.
I’ve started ‘intuitive eating’ which basically means I’ll ask my body if it wants the piece of cake/glass of wine/slice of bread and if I get an icky feeling anywhere in my body, I’ll say no (and go find a carrot and some tahini instead – or if there’s no carrot, a big spoonful of tahini!).
Gentle exercise, meditation, naturopathy, acupuncture, energy healing, kinesiology and counselling are also vital to keeping my body and mind happy. I invest in my health and get paid back with vibrancy and ease in return. I now listen to my body, allowing it to guide me. It knows what to do.
+ Exploring, breaking the routine, bending the rules… How do you ensure you maintain an element of playfulness and adventure in your everyday happenings?
Ah ha. THE QUESTION. This for me this is a work in progress. I take life far too seriously.
I know deep down I am a playful and lighthearted person yet years of darkness have hidden this essence deep down. Years of partying, trying to be someone I’m not, trying to please others and compromising to fit in have all put a shadow on the ‘real’ me. It’s like I’ve been living a false life.
My word for 2014 is JOYFUL. Finding joy in every moment of life. Consciously looking for joy so that I ‘learn’ a new behavior, a new way of being. Searching for fun, being open to adventure, allowing myself to play. I hope that by opening myself up to these foreign feelings that they start to become my new existence. Living in the dark is no fun at all.
As I open myself up to this, I hope to be able to add this sentence to the answer in the first question about my lifeblood:
‘All with an undercurrent of living life to it’s fullest. Joy. Fun. Adventure. Play.’
It’s there, I can feel it wanting to come out!
+ What’s the best advice you’ve been given - and who gave it to you?
“See the other person’s point of view with compassion” – an oracle card from the ‘Messages from your Angels’ Oracle Card deck.
I know, this seems like a weird one but it’s something that helps me in many areas of my life.
In relationships - putting myself in their shoes. Am I behaving appropriately? Am I treating the people around me with compassion?
When someone irritates or triggers something in me – what is it about my judgement of them that is triggering me? What can I learn about myself from this? While sending them love back of course.
When someone takes their frustration out on me – it’s easy to get caught up in the anger and react but by looking at it from their viewpoint means I don’t take on the nasty energy.
When writing on my blog – focusing on the reader on the other side. What is their point of view? How can my sharing something help them? Aiming to be loving and kind.
FAVOURITE (FAST) FIVE:
What’s your favourite…
1. Travel destination: Italy. I haven’t been but I long to go travel there. It calls me, on a very deep level. I know I’ve been there before, in past lives, and I long to return. One day….hopefully soon. Or Space – how cool would it be to look down on Earth from the Moon!
2. TED talk: Elizabeth Gilbert on genius. Funny. Engaging. Thought provoking.
3. Blog: I love so many! I rarely miss anything by Sarah Wilson though, I love how she pushes boundaries. I especially love her musings from the random things we often take for granted.
4. Breakfast: My protein smoothie: coconut flavoured protein powder, chia seeds, spirulina, maca, rose hip, cinnamon, berries, avocado. This bad boy keeps me going for hours!
5. Quote:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”- Marianne Williamson
+ What role does creativity play in your life and how do you honour it?
Another very interesting question! I am currently in the process of unblocking my creativity (using the Artist’s Way 12 week program). Until recently I didn’t think I had a creative bone in my body but I’ve discovered that we are all creative, we create our reality in every moment.
As a child I steered towards Maths and numbers, sheltered from writing. Yet as I explore my spirituality, the blocks that have stood in the way of me expressing myself creatively are starting to fall away. At the moment, I feel creative when I write. As I explore my creativity, I am excited to see what new avenues open up. I have a feeling music is involved in some way and it excites me that the creative opportunities are endless.
How do I currently honour it? By showing up on the page every day. This means getting up an hour extra in the morning and writing. It also means carrying a notepad with me in my handbag and writing whenever I can. It means connecting to that spark inside of me, not running away from it. Allowing the creativity to flow through me.
+ How has having a blog changed things for you?
Ha ha, what has it not changed would be a better question! Starting a blog has been without a doubt a fast track experience in spiritual growth. There’s no hiding, you bare your soul to the world to judge. It requires commitment, sacrifice, opening yourself up to vulnerability. In short, it changes your life. But for the better. I’m learning so much more about myself and because it’s on a public forum for all to see, it pushes me to grow even more.
There’s a bountiful of people that have come into my life because of my blog. Inspiring, amazing and brave women who I’ve been very lucky to connect with. And the people that reach out to me with kind and appreciative words, that’s the payout. These souls warm my heart.
+ What message does your one-year-from-now-self have for you?
“I’m glad you came to your senses and stopped looking at what others were doing and trying to please everybody. Now you know what you really want. Let’s get to it, have lots of fun and make magic happen.”
+ Can you share with us your secret indulgence?
I could offer something inspiring here but in truth my secret indulgence is reading trashy Paranormal Romance novels. Yep, probably not the best thing to announce but I love escaping into the paranormal world. I wonder what it is about vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and fairies that draws me……perhaps it’s the fairy in me……and who doesn’t love a good love story filled with action and adventure (and dangerous hot men!)
Amy Miller is a Writer, Energy Healer and blogger at True Shining Self, a space designed to encourage people to be true to themselves and live a shiny, wonderful life. Amy is passionate about living the life of her dreams and she hopes that by sharing her journey it will encourage others to live to their full potential and follow what their heart longs for in life too. Her ebook ‘Your Oracle Card Guide: Using Oracle Cards to Receive Guidance, Develop Your Intuition and Find Clarity In Your Life’ is a comprehensive guide on Oracle Cards explaining how to tap into the Universal wisdom and guidance that is available to help live a wonderful life. You can connect with Amy on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google +.
What y'all think?! Like the fresh format or what? And ohmygosh - how adorable is Amy? Where have her wonderful words hit you today?
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