2/11/2014 1 Comment The Next Generation Non-ProfitEveryone knows non-profits who are stressed to the max, overworked, and underpaid. Inversely, we are now hearing about non-profits whose CEOs are making millions from heading up non-profit organizations. We are different. When I first launched LLP in September of 2012, I was the only one on board helping grieving parents and highly sensitive kids. And it quickly became apparent that if I continued on this route, LLP would be nothing more than a memory very quickly. As a for-profit CEO and a mother of two, it was just too much to handle no matter how much I felt I was being guided to help others. When that imbalance occurs, it's not good for anyone including the folks who are receiving services from an exhausted volunteer who is giving, giving, giving without the balance of receiving. It's a recipe for disaster. I quickly realized that in order to see LLP not only survive but thrive, things needed to change. Of course, I always knew I wanted to work with mental health professionals so we can holistically help the legions of kids who are highly sensitive/intuitive (like my own kids) but it was more than that. It would take money (about $3K) to do what I knew needed to happen which was make it a legal, 501c3 non-profit organization with internal management structure that will move us forward in a balanced way. Thank goodness I had the cash to jump through the necessary legal hoops and set up the company (website, phone, marketing, etc) because many times throughout my adulthood, that kind of money wouldn't have been there or I would have been too nervous to put faith in something that I couldn't see. Since September of 2012, I've seen firsthand how much our services and support are needed. We receive letters from parents begging for help for their kids (and thanking us for helping them in ways Western medicine can't) and from grieving parents who are letting us know that our support is helping them put one foot in front of the other on a daily basis when in the past, the thought of ending their own lives was in the forefront. We know we are needed but we can't do it without YOUR help. In order to give the way all of us do at LLP (from our hearts), we need a balanced "get." It is my hope we are able to raise so much money that we can offer monthly live workshops, one-one-one help, funding for parents struggling to pay for burial services AND be able to fairly compensate our staff who works so hard to make this all a possibility. We want to remain in existence for the long haul and to do it, we need balance. If you've received services from us (free readings, sessions, one-on-one help, etc) please consider making an in-kind donation to help us thrive. All of us working for LLP do so without compensation right now (and are happy to do so for now) but that is not a realistic growth model if we want to keep our organization up and running. We want to provide the best services possible while knowing our staff is not about to jump ship from burn out. We all work full-time jobs on the side in addition to the work we're doing here at LLP. Some of our services, like one-on-one help, we've had to shelf for now because it's too much for us to handle without balance. LLP is a labor of love for all of us but we all understand that balance is needed in order to keep moving forward. From 2012-2013, we helped over 100 grieving parents and over 50 families whose children are highly sensitive and were struggling. There is SOOOO much more we can do with funding. We'd like to raise funds to launch our in person workshops in March! And then again in May on the East Coast. But we can't do it without your help. We'd like to open up more services and support but again, we can't do it without balance. With that said, The Little Light Project has a very generous donor who is willing to MATCH any donations we get from now until March 4, up to $1000! Please donate today so we can do our first free seminar for parents and kids in March! Donate (tax deductible!!) by clicking HERE.... And THANK YOU in advance for your help! *** And don't forget, we are holding a free call-in session tomorrow night for parents whose children are in spirit now. See our FACEBOOK PAGE or front page of our website for call-in details. -- Kiersten Hathcock, Founder
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In today's world of labels and diagnosis, saying you're helping "highly sensitive kids" may seem kinda silly to some. It's not like we're saying we're helping kids with cancer or some other life threatening disease. Why then are we making a big deal about helping highly sensitive kids?
Here's why. In many ways, it truly is a matter of life and death for kids who are born with heightened sensitivity/intuitive gifts. We live in a society that is just now starting to honor intuition but we've got a long way to go. Imagine being a little kid who sees spirit or feels things around them but you're told that's all just nonsense and to stop making it up. The child then tries to hide it and enters school only to find they are completely overwhelmed because they are now in a classroom with the energies of 30 other kids all day long. They burst out in class because it all becomes way too overwhelming being that they are like turtles without shells. They become aloof at home after school because they need downtime to decompress but are encouraged by worried, well-intentioned parents that they need to get involved in more stuff after school because they aren't perceived as having social skills. Frustration, sensory overload, and a general lack of confidence in who they are starts to emerge because they've been told in many ways their general nature isn't OK with the rest of the world. They doubt what they feel constantly because they no longer trust their intuition. They become people pleasers just to fit in and get through the days. Or they shut down completely. When you lose faith/trust in your own sense of self because society doesn't feel you fit in, you turn to outside sources to cope. To numb yourself and escape your reality. To dial down your receptors to all things around you. Many highly sensitive/intuitive kids cope by turning to alcohol and drugs. They become depressed which leaves them open to being influenced by energy that isn't good for them on any level. God forbid there's some sort of abuse endured as a child, then you've really got the perfect storm for self destruction and sometimes mass destruction that we've all seen play out too many times lately in the news concerning our schools. We absolutely believe that there are real, chemical mental health disorders and they are to be treated accordingly. What I'm talking about is when so many highly sensitive kids are being labeled with "disorders" because this is the way our system is set up currently, then we've got a crisis on our hands. When will the bullying and child on child violence end? When we as a society stop trying to put every kid in the same box. The children in the world now and those coming into the world are here to help us grow. They're here to help our global consciousness raise to where we value individuality, intuition, and sensitivity. We are working towards coming up with a protocol for helping parents and health professionals distinguish between a mental disorder and high sensitivity. This, among, many other things like teaching our kids how to protect their energy, set energy boundaries, and how to dial down their antennas will help all of our kids (even those not diagnosed with high sensitivity) grow into the secure, confident, intuitive people they were meant to be. We all have these beautiful intuitive gifts. It's time we start honoring them. --Kiersten Hathcock, Founder of The Little Light Project I'm afraid I'm not a good reporter, if the task is to simply report on the events with unbiased views and personal spins. I'm spinning. With that being said, let us begin.
Kiersten and I had the privilege of attending this past Saturday's "The Sedona World Wisdom Days (SWWD)." Sedona World Wisdom Days is a 3 day festival held in Sedona, AZ where like-minded people come together to discuss and expand their own awareness; creativity, culture, education and wellness. This was the first SWWD ever held and the creator of the event, Jerry Giland, was kind enough to offer Kiersten and I press passes. We were guests of the event. We chose to use our passes for Saturday's roster of speakers-- specifically to hear, Pat Solomon, the director of the film "Finding Joe" speak on a panel, Dr. Rajov Parti (speak to his near death experience), AND JEAN HOUSTON. I only say her name in all CAPS as Oprah would announce her. As many of you may know, Kiersten and I have recently been using our Sunday mornings to watch Oprah's network, OWN, and specifically a programing hour called "Super Soul Sundays." Its a fantastic hour of television and one that connects us to a growing mainstream community of spiritually enlightened visionaries, philosophers and, must importantly, doers. Every Sunday, Oprah sits down with one of these types of people in an intimate setting and they talk about their life's work and journey. Some of these people have included Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, and JEAN HOUSTON. Prior to "Super Soul Sunday" I can honestly say that I would have never known who Jean Houston was, but the teacher always comes when the student is ready....no matter what means or vehicle. Thank you Oprah. If you were like me and just getting to know Jean Houston, let me ask that you take the time and research her a bit, her history, and the mark she is making with her legacy. If what you read resonates with you too, go buy her books, watch any media that features her and most important try to see her give a lecture live. This is an experience for the soul. This evening's lecture was based on her latest book, The Wizard of Us, Transformational Lessons From Oz. Similar to the work and teachings of Joseph Campbell (which by the way she worked with too), she writes of the Hero's Journey, in this case the heroism's journey of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. To give you an idea of the theme of her most recent book and this lecture, allow me to grab from the book cover. "More than magic can be found in Oz. Answer the call to transform your self and your world. The beloved story The Wizard of OZ has the power to reveal the Hero's Journey that awaits each of us. Through a mythic lens, discover how Dorothy 's adventure in a magical land inspires our lives today, offering valuable tools to guide us through our challenging times. Where you will learn to thrive rather than merely to survive. Through interpreting the deeper messages within The Wizard of Oz, visionary leader and teacher Jean Houston leads you along the Hero's Journey that awaits each of us. On this profound adventure of self-discovery and awakened potential, Houston's lessons propel you into greater self-understanding and a connection to the larger world as you explore Oz like never before." Kiersten and I three rows back from her towering presence on the stage. She has a presence indeed. At 77 years old, her body may be slowing but when she is on the stage and speaking, she commands the room. She certainly had my attention and for 2 hours we never unlocked eyes. Maybe that is why my takeaway from our conversation was so personally profound. Just two nights earlier, my family sat around the dinner table celebrating the possibility of what was to come. As many of you may know we have been blessed with some recent news on many fronts including both Mod Mom Furniture and The Little Light Project. It was in the moment of this celebration that my son declared at the table that I was no longer the central character of our family's journey, the lead was now being played by Kiersten, their mom. This comment was accompanied by a "BOOYAH!" from our daughter, Grace. Honestly, this struck my ego for a moment, but not because I actually saw myself as the lead character, but because Noah and Grace both seemed to be saying that they saw me as needing to be the center of our family's focus-- the main character. It wasn't until my time with Jean, that I've come to rationalize my new found family role. As a family, over these last several years, we have been moving from the traditional "black and white" Kansas way of seeing things to our own family's more conscious awakening, the colorful world of Oz. We have all chosen to take the journey with Kiersten, our "Dorothy." But, Kiersten's journey might not have even been possible (or as much fun I'd like to think) had she not had a little dog accompanying her (Sammy), her Scarecrow(me), a Tin Man (Noah), and a Lion(Grace). The fact that The Wizard of OZ is even the "mythic lens" through which Jean chooses to focus a book and subsequent lecture is not without personal synchronicity. At the age of 3, my parents and sister love to remind me that I always wanted to pretend to be "Dor-fey" in our pretend make-believe games. But it even goes further, at the age of 14, I auditioned for my first play, The Wizard of Oz, and won the role of the "Scarecrow." I can honestly say that I don't remember feeling bad or slighted having not been given the lead role of "Dorothy" at his stage of my life. I actually saw the Scarecrow's role being the best for me. He was with Dorothy from the very start of her journey into the unknown, though he didn't think he was smart enough to be. She saw him as a partner on her journey (dare I say her favorite?), they leaned a lot on one another. Their bond was so strong that when he was set on fire by the monkeys, Dorothy risked her own life and saved him by throwing a bucket of water at his burning arm. And, as many of you know, it is in Dorothy's actions (stemming from love) that the same water thrown also hit the Wicked Witch, forever melting her fear-based control on the kingdom. It could therefore be argued that had the Scarecrow not been there, a bucket of water would have never been thrown, but that's ego now talking. Actually, at 14, I would not have seen that at all (it was felt), but I do now. With age, I am coming to understand the Hero's (Heroism's) Journey is not a single person's "top of the marque" path; rather, we are all connected and our true role is to just participate and bring out the best in ourselves and those around us. You may be surprised just where that will take you. As the "Scarecrow," I'm very proud of the learning, work and journey we are taking as a family. As an LLP Board member, I am also proud of the dialogue we are starting and hopeful for the positive change it will bring to our mainstream society. Should you ever feel like giving up, or you see your contribution as being small to LLP or any other mission in your life, please don't. The role you play and the energy you put forth affects EVERYONE within and outside of this organization. Sometimes we play the "lead" and sometimes we play the "supporting role" and that's okay. The important thing is that we just "play." Thank you Jean Houston for bringing it all full circle for me. -- Scott Hathcock, LLP Board Member Scott and I had the pleasure of being able to attend the Sedona World Wisdom Days events on Saturday, January 18th in Sedona, Arizona. MAJOR thanks go out to Jerry Gilden who so kindly supplied us with free passes after seeing our Little Light Project website. Scott and I arrived in time to grab some lunch in picturesque Sedona and attend three sessions being held on Saturday: Elevating Consciousness Through Film: A Panel Discussion, Near Death Experiences, and An Evening with Jean Houston. I wanted to share major takeaways we gleaned from each session and some thoughts in general on the state of the "consciousness" movement. Let's jump right in.... Elevating Consciousness Through Film: A Panel Discussion A spirited conversation with some of the premiere filmmakers in the conscious film media arts. Panel included Betsy Chasse (What the Bleep Do We Know), Sebastian Siegel (Awakening World), Austin Vickers (The People V. The State of Illusion) Pat Soloman (Finding Joe), Paul Perry (Afterlife), Ben Fama Jr. (A Virus Called Fear), Richard Cohn (owner, Beyond Words Publishing and distributor/publisher of "The Secret") The major takeaways from this panel, for us, had a lot to do with the filmmakers talking about trying to reach more of a mass market with their films. This is something we draw parallels to in our work because many parents immediately think "woo woo, hippie, gypsy/psychic" when you talk about intuitive receptivity and alternative treatment methods for children who are diagnosed with neurological disorders such as anxiety disorder. Now, back to the films. By calling them "conscious" films (a term that implies all other films aren't "conscious") it in some ways does a disservice to them and their plight to reach people who don't typically watch films with such labels. But the argument, and rightly so, is that we humans need labels to help us put things in a framework. And many movie theaters and book stores need categories as well. But if you don't fit into one squarely, they don't know where to put you and you stand the chance of not getting exposure at all because they can't peg you. Another important takeaway is that, in the culture of free free free, many of the filmmakers talk about the "conscious" community still wanting to get lots of stuff for free. But in order to make these movies that do help expand our collective consciousness, they need money to make them. Each filmmaker urged us to buy the films or go see them in theaters that way more can be made. We can relate because we founded LLP in order to provide free services to families in need; however, to effectively run the organization and offer in-person services, we need folks to donate to help us do just that. If you haven't seen, some of the films listed above, check them out online! Next up was.... Near Death Experiences with Dr. Rajiv Parti In his speech, Dr. Parti describes his near death experience during an emergency surgery for severe infection. IN his NDE, he visited both a heaven and what he perceived as a hell. His encounter with the "Light Being" totally transformed his life. Bringing back a message of hope and healing, he often says, "You don't have to endure a NDE to have benefits of one." His talk includes his message of "forgive quickly, love passionately, and heal easily." As an intuitive, I have to say, I was feeling what I call confirmation chills, the entire time Dr. Parti was speaking. We were both so moved by his authenticity and his transparency regarding his life prior to his NDE. He admitted to living a life solely about himself and "keeping up the with Jones'." He even openly talked about abuse he suffered as a child (verbal and physical) by his father and that he verbally abused his children, recognizing it as a cycle. The main takeaway we gleaned from his talk was how someone who was rooted in medicine (anesthesiologist) was transformed by his NDE which was so vivid that he literally came back from it a different person. He let go of selfish ego ways, downsized in every way from what he called "a Hummer life to a hybrid life" getting rid of lavish cars, homes, and collections of things that once unsuccessfully served to fill the hole he felt in his soul. He recalled in his NDE visiting with his father in spirit in a very dark place and feeling all of the pain he had caused others during his life review rather than experiencing it from his point of view. He also recalled being shown past lives, one in particular, where he was an opium farmer and became dependent on opium which then was brought into this lifetime for him and contributed to his addition to pain killers. His perspective change healed him and brought him back from the brink of death as he was told he would be coming back as a different person because he had more work to do. But the focus would be on giving, not receiving. He says he is much happier and clearly much healthier having experienced a second chance at life and that perspective change was truly all that occurred. He has a book coming out soon so we will keep you posted. He's the real deal and I have no doubt, will help many people find their center and purpose in the coming years. Believe it or not, I was just introduced to Jean and her visionary work through Super Soul Sunday on OWN a week and a half ago. Then, as synchronicity would have it, we ended up getting free passes to World Widsom and she was a keynote speaker! AMAZING how the Universe works. Never thought I'd go from seeing her on TV to meeting her in less than two weeks. :) And last but certainly not least...
An Evening with Jean Houston Jean Houston, PhD, is a renowned teacher, philosopher, and scholar and was one of the creators of the human potential movement. With a remarkable list of colleagues and mentors that include Aldous Huxley, Joseph Campbell, Helen Keller, and Buckminster Fuller, Houston shares her profound wisdom through engaging, firsthand accounts. This will be hard to condense what we felt were takeaways from her keynote because there were so many! Scott will be sharing his take on Jean's presentation and how it resonated with him so I'll be brief with a few that truly hit home for me. Jean first and foremost talked about NOW being the time of major conscious change. We are truly at the point right now and our ancestors and loved ones in spirit are cheering us on. In order to move forward collectively, we must be courageous and listen to our "entelechy," i.e. our intuition/higher self, to find the answers to what we are here to do. We are shifting to a balanced partnership of male and female energy and truly learning (through modern day scientific research on meditation/brain development) that we are on the verge of "an evolutionary jump time where we are reworking landscapes of the mind which result in deeper consciousness." The thoughts we feed ourselves (our internal voice) create a magnet energetically. If you are feeding yourself with negative self talk, energetically, this what you will attract. If you are feeding yourself thoughts of self love, conversely, this is the energy you will attract. Ultimately, we have to truly recognize that we have the power to create the life we want and we've had it all along, as Jean points out in her book, "The Wizard of Us." We chose to come into the world at this time because it is like no other time in history. I wholeheartedly believe this as well. Compassion and courage are at the core for all of us. Courage to do what your heart knows is part of your mission/purpose in life and compassion for yourself and others during your journey. Another point that truly hit home for me was when she talked about creating communities of learning and sharing comprised of many different viewpoints that do not require money and that do not honor the "GURU." The guru -- this is something we still see quite a bit in the "New Age" movement. When you are discovering your innate gifts and power, you naturally feel drawn to teachers who will help you do just that. But the danger lies in giving all your power over to said teachers/gurus and not honoring what feels intuitively right for YOU. It is critical to hear different points of view but only take in what truly resonates with you and leave the rest. Only YOU can know what's best for you. We are implementing this type of structure and openness within LLP as everyone involved believes there's not one way to do x, y and z. As Jean says, we are all as different as snowflakes. We, at LLP, will offer lots of options and viewpoints from many different backgrounds, religions, spiritual experiences, and medical fields that way we're always learning and expanding and you have the opportunity to take what feels right to you. All three sessions were enlightening and touching for both of us and we took away so much amazing insight that will help us as we develop our programs at LLP. We are very grateful for the experience and opportunity to learn and grow and hope you enjoyed reading about our day in Sedona! --- Kiersten, Founder of The Little Light Project 12/19/2013 2 Comments Religion and SpiritualitySince becoming open about my heightened sensitivities and helping grieving parents find answers to questions about their children in spirit, I've been asked many times, "So do you believe in God?" I absolutely believe in God. And Jesus. And Allah. And Archangels. And Atheism, believe it or not. I believe in everything. My heightened sensitivities have only strengthened my belief that we are here on earth as souls living human experiences for learning and growth. Earth school, if you will. And religion, for those who are guided to it and want it, provides a framework of sorts on how to tap into that spiritual side and connect with the divine within. The divine within is the spark we all possess known as intuition and we access it through many means, such as meditation, prayer, stillness, compassion, and love. I believe that when you pass on, whatever you believe you will see will be what you see when you cross into the light. The beautiful prophets and spiritual leaders of our world have, throughout history, been preaching and sharing a common message. That love is what matters. So when you pass, I believe that if you expect to be greeted by Jesus, you will be! If you expect to see Mary, you will. Your loved ones who have passed on will be there as well. Practicing a religion that resonates with you is a blessing. And believing that there is nothing beyond physical life is also a blessing as it is your chosen experience to learn and grow from in this lifetime. I personally believe that we live on in spirit and as a wise man I know just recently wrote, "...as I have gotten older, I realize that death is only a bridge for the soul to change vehicles." I have seen the hand of God in everything in my life and most especially over the past two years in unbelievable events that have taken place. I believe with my heart that we have a whole spiritual team around us that we can't see made up of guides, angels, and loved ones who have passed on. I believe that if I'm ever in a situation that makes me frightened, I can call on Archangel Michael and I will be comforted and protected. I believe that Jesus, Mary, Kuan Yin, and many others all help children who have crossed. I believe that other children already in spirit help to comfort and cross children who have recently transitioned. But you don't have to believe any of that, and it's more than OK. I sincerely hope that as we grow and evolve as a whole, we will continue to tap into what our souls already know. That we are here to experience love and that no matter what you believe, you are "right." Fearing what we don't know and haven't experienced is human nature but I believe we are moving in a direction that truly honors all the different pathways one can take to tap into our spiritual sides. And from where I'm sitting, is what believing in God is all about. -- Kiersten 12/10/2013 3 Comments Recognizing Signs from SpiritI woke up thinking about my friends and family who are in spirit now. I miss them and with the holidays around the bend, as you all know first hand, it's especially hard. Like anyone who has lost a loved one, I want to know they are still with me. Personally, until I finally realized I was highly intuitive about four years ago, I would wish for signs from them that they were still near but then never really pay attention. Thinking back, it was probably because I didn't know what to look for. I was always expecting a scene from a movie like the one in "Ghost" where Patrick Swayze shows up in full body image in front of Demi Moore. I never put together that all that time they WERE giving me signs, I just wasn't recognizing them as signs because they were subtle. So this holiday season and beyond, feel confident knowing that if you ask for signs, you'll get them. But they may look more like the ones listed below than any scene from any movie featuring ghosts. :) Signs that your loved ones are near you, helping guide you through life (and the holidays!)
I hope these signs help you to know your loved ones are with you now and always. While I've seen spirit do some amazing things like fill in a hole with dirt, turn the TV on and off (there's that electricity thing again!), move objects, show themselves in full form, it's the small signs that are the ones to look out for. You are being loved and guided more than you know. You'll start to notice all these little signs are actually great BIG signs that you are definitely not alone in your journey. Much love to all of you this holiday season, Kiersten Founder/President of The Little Light Project 12/9/2013 0 Comments Share LLP and Be Entered to Win!Easy Steps for Sharing the LLP Love!
Thank you for helping us spread the word that we can help! www.littlelightproject.com www.facebook.com/thelittlelightproject Twitter: littlelightp UPDATE on 12/1: Due to illness, we had to reschedule and will be posting the new date very soon! Thanks for your patience!
Open to all parents whose children are in spirit now. When: November 25 at 7:30pmCST-9:00pmCST Where: Call in Number: 1-443-453-0034 (CODE: 560888) We will introduce Sarah Dillon, Intuitive Medium, and talk about 5 WAYS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR INTUITIVE SENSES & CONNECT WITH SPIRIT from 7:30-8:00pm. From 8pm-9pm, Sarah will be passing messages from loved ones in spirit to parents on the call. Call in right at 7:30pm as we only have slots for 1000 callers! www.facebook.com/thelittlelightproject Sarah Dillon, a mom of two from Superior, Wisconsin, is a sought after spiritual healer with an amazing gift of mediumship. She gives so much to our organization and we are so fortunate to have Sarah on board! You will be hard pressed to meet an intuitive as down-to-earth and heart-centered. If you are a parent who has lost a child and you have been thinking about reaching out to a medium but all of the "psychic woo woo" stuff makes you uneasy, please consider calling in for this special FREE event. One of Sarah's clients writes..... MaryAnn K., Niles, IL- "My hour reading with Sarah was more spiritually uplifting than the years of going to church on Sundays. It was a reaffirmation of my belief in a higher being, in my case, God. It put me at peace to know that my loved ones that are deceased are at peace and are watching over me and my children. The night before our first reading I had made a list of all the people that I wanted to hear from and in the order that I wanted to receive their messages. (Just in case I ran out of time) Amazingly, that was exactly the order that I received their messages. I can only hope that everyone has an experience like mine." 9/27/2013 0 Comments Raising Funds for the 1st LLP Workshop for Grieving Parents! We need your help!LLP was founded as a non-profit to ensure that participants do not have to pay for workshops, readings, etc. With that said, we rely on your generous donations in order to provide these services and keep the Little Light Project up and running.
Please consider donating to our organization! No amount is too small! We are currently planning for our first Workshop for Grieving Parents in the Chicago, IL area but without funding, we simply can't make it happen. Parents will learn/explore:
Thanks so much for your support! |
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CategoriesAll Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivor Highly Sensitive KIds Archives
September 2017
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