From Minnesota to Michael… & Back to Minnesota: Part I

Minnesota – my roots, my home, the place where it all began. From Minnesota to Michael…

Though it’s been 26 years since I left my beloved lake and family in Minnesota to follow my heart’s call to California, it never ceases to amaze me how, in June of every year, there seems to be this intense, primal and somewhat unconscious pull in my soul to go back home… to experience the energy of the lake and the land of my home state, as well as to connect with my family and friends. It is deep and it is important, I realize now. Especially this most recent annual summer trip.

To be honest, I didn’t think I would be heading back this summer for varying reasons, but it was a few weeks ago that I began looking at flights, just toying with the idea. Before I knew it, I bought a ticket (free on miles! Yay! That’s always a nice surprise) for July 22-July 28th. The impetus for my decision was a get together of some high school classmates, but what ended up presenting itself on this trip quickly showed me there was a much bigger and deeper reason for my venture home.

I will be honest, the last few months have been a little rough for me and I admit, my emotional core had been rattled. I knew from the very moment that I began writing and sharing the very personal and vulnerable Michael Jackson story of my life (Michael Jackson: The Man in Our Mirror, A Reflection of Our Collective Soul) that the road wasn’t going to be all rosy. You don’t just write about one of the biggest souls to walk the planet, and a highly controversial one to boot, without expecting some form of backlash or… something. I knew it was a part of the journey and as my writing coach, Jean-Noel, told me from the very beginning, “You have to write from your heart… with total honesty, otherwise don’t bother writing it at all.” Hence, I followed suit. What would be the point of anything less? Besides, artists like Michael don’t hold back their expression nor their gifts. They put their hearts and souls out there with the risk of not being liked and yet, it’s what they are called to do.

I get it. Totally get it. More than I ever have.

I wrote and shared my book because I felt my soul’s call to do so… as well as Michael’s STRONG urging and undeniable push. For those who have read my story, you know I wanted to “bail out” and was ready to before Michael “stepped in” and said no. “But I like my ‘simple and anonymous’ life,” I told myself. I was perfectly content to keep my story to myself and those close to me; I didn’t need to share it with the world!

Hmmm…  I knew there was no getting out of it. Michael wouldn’t let me.

So… what’s my point? In late May/early June, I had my first “critics” express their dislike for me and my book. Of course, I knew there would be some, as that is a part of the journey, but interestingly enough, I was expecting more of the “non-MJ fans” who still see Michael as a pedophile to be the ones, especially when I made reference to the similarities of Michael’s life with Jesus. Again, all are just my observations that I openly shared in my book. Lo and behold, however, my critics were a small group of MJ fans who didn’t seem to like my perspectives in seeing Michael’s life (and his humanness) in the context of the ego and spirit of the soul… something that is a part all of us — Michael included — ALL for the profound purpose of him serving as the mirror that would reflect our issues of being human BACK to us, so that maybe we can heal the separation in our hearts, and in turn, heal the world.

I admit, for a reason I don’t exactly know, let these fans who seem to have appointed themselves as the “MJ authorities,” get to me — to get under my skin, bring up feelings of doubting myself and shake my confidence about my own story and experience. Huh? Who are they? How did that happen? How did I let that happen?

I am reminded of the quote by Elenore Roosevelt, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

Yes, I am human with an ego like everyone else and the ego loves for us to doubt ourselves and be fearful because when we’re in this state, we’re not in our heart and definitely not in our power. Our inner light starts to dim just a little bit and it’s easy to retreat back into our protected comfort zone. I admit, this is what happened to me in June. I was ready to walk away from my book and it’s message. I even thought to myself, It’s fine…  I did what I was supposed to do. I wrote the book. It’s out there in the world. I did my job. Time to move on… next!

Well, that’s when things in me started to wreak havoc. One day while stretching a client and doing nothing different than I do everyday with my clients, in an instant, my low back spasmed. Instant pain. Oooooh, this was familiar. It happened to me in 2002 – a time when there was a LOT of shifting going on in my life. Lots of changes. My foundation was shaken. It was a profound spiritual journey to work my way through that pain (months!) and awaken to it’s deeper meaning and heal myself. So here it was, happening to me, again. Hmmm…  what was this about now?

What I have learned over my many years in the health & fitness field, as well as in my own wellness and spiritual journey, is that nothing happens without a reason, and the body is our messenger. I have studied and worked with the chakras, the energy/emotional centers of our being and I knew that issues with low back and hips have to do with one’s grounding and foundation. It can be from a fear of moving forward in our life, or feeling disconnected from our center, our family, our roots, the planet, etc.

Ironically, while this was going on, I was having an ongoing Facebook conversation with a woman from Germany I had previously not known… a woman who reached out to me on her own accord a few months ago because of… Michael Jackson. ????  What? Long story short… this woman is a psychic/medium. She does this professionally. She hadn’t read my book but Michael led her to my book’s FB page. She shared her story about Michael… that she wasn’t necessarily a fan when he was alive. She liked his music, but didn’t pay much attention to him, until…  he reached out to her a couple of years ago, to her astonished surprise.

As a professional medium, this is what she does… she connects with those on the “other side”; it’s a gift she has had since she was little. She says it is commonplace for her to do this, but never did she ever expect Michael Jackson come to HER! She doubted herself for a long time because she couldn’t believe it could really be him, yet she was contacting me because he urged her to! What? She said he needed me to know some things about his life, but more importantly at the moment, he needed her to help me get back in my center… to get me back into my power and get me back on track with him and the message of my book. Whaaaaaaaaaaa???? She said he was telling her it was “imperative.”

Ok… I’m listening… again.

Fast forward to Minnesota and trip back home that I think is about attending my high school class mate’s get together on the lake. Well… it was about that, but it was about so much more than I would’ve never imagined and now that I am on the other side of it, back in my center and power, I am once again, blown away and humbled. This journey with Michael Jackson (whether in the body or not) continues…

My family is amazing. On Friday night (July 24), my aunt Shirl and uncle Mudis had a barbecue so we (me, my aunts and uncles and cousins) could all get together and have some stupid laughs, which is what we do and we do it well!  Haha! Nothing like a dose of some good ole family stupidity and humor to remind you of where you come from!  It makes me smile and laugh just thinking of it. My family is nuts in the best, most complimentary, hilarious way! I am so blessed to have them in my life. Truly.

So, as we are all sitting in the lawn chairs in a circle in the front yard, yakking and laughing, my cousin, Jamie, says to me, “So Lis… do you have any updates on the Michael Jackson story these days?” (They know the whole story… some have read my book, some not, but they know anyway because I have shared all the stories with them over the years and they come to expect the Michael stories! In essence, MJ has become a part of our family. It’s funny, I always felt he would meet my family – my aunts and uncles and cousins – one day. I just didn’t realize it would be in spirit, but he definitely shows up to them too. He loves their silliness and love of music! )

Anyway… I take a deep breath and proceed to share with them all that I had been experiencing in the last few months… everything… me falling from my center, my back issues and the connection to the chakras, and of course, the intriguing and unreal story of the German psychic who contacts me by the strong nudging of MJ saying she needs to help me get back on point and to his book!

They all look at me with their mouths open in disbelief (yet not), as my uncle Max says, “Lisa, everyone knows my extent of reading is limited to Field & Stream, but I read your book in two days and the one thing I got out of it was that EVERYTHING happens for a reason and there is a reason you are here with us right now! You needed to connect with your roots. We are your strength, your foundation, your support. We are your family. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of your book. It’s YOUR story.”

When Max was saying goodbye to me that night, he hugged me with the biggest and most meaningful hug I ever got from him and he said, “Do you feel the strength I’m giving back to you?! Here it is.”

Whoa. Tears. With that I felt my whole family holding me up, so to speak. Yes, I had fallen a bit, something they said they weren’t used to seeing. Not to say I had never “fallen.” Oh my God… I’ve fallen many times in my life, but maybe I had kept to myself and did what we all are “trained” to do… put on the public face and say all is ok, even if we don’t feel so inside. On this night, I pondered for a moment of whether or not I would tell them the whole deep, vulnerable story that I had been experiencing in these last few months, but something inside me said, yes… do it.

I did.

What I have learned not only from this experience, but in other times when I’ve dared to be vulnerable and to let others in is that it opens up others to their own vulnerability… but it also does something powerful… it allows others to rise to the occasion and be strong for YOU! My family has always seen me as the “strong” one… the one who did what they couldn’t do (according to them) and that is leave my home and everything I knew and loved and venture into the unknown. I know they admire me for that and that is special to me, but what is even more special is how in sharing my “not so confident self” this trip home, it allowed them to step up and be STRONG for me! And I could feel it in every cell of my being. It was powerful and connected us even deeper in our hearts.

Hmmm…  pretty amazing.

So… this is the end of Part I of my trip to Minnesota. There is so much yet to tell — with the most incredible and surreal “Michael story” yet to come!  He sure is magical and knows how to get his point across!!!!

Stay tuned for Part II…

A typical scene… it’s actually a picture of the farm my grandma grew up on.

Ah, the dramatics of the lake… beautiful!

A late night thunder and lightening storm in the distance rolling in over the lake. I LOVE thunder and lightening storms at night!

Pure fun on “my” lake with dear friends!

From Minnesota to Michael… and back to Minnesota… the journey continues.

With love, always,

Lisa

Book website: www.maninourmirror.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Jackson-Mirror-Reflection-Collective/dp/0991492706

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/maninourmirror?ref=hl