My Reading

[Andrew Michaels]

Hey guys. I just wanted to post about my email reading with Erin, as I know I would have enjoyed reading what others thought before I decided to spend the money. And to tell you the truth, the email hit me like a smack to the face, and I figure that it'd be good to sort out my thoughts here.

I won't talk about some of the more personal elements, but Erin certainly painted a rosy hued future for me, one that took my breath away when I first read it. It just seemed to strike a certain cord of rightness. In some cobwebbed portion of my mind, I could almost swear that I'd seen the same picture before, like it was some half forgotten memory.

I'm graduating college after next semester, and I was inquiring about what I should do. I've got quite a few interests which I could possibly turn into professions, and I wanted some advice as to what avenues I should pursue.

I included the ones that I was really considering, and almost as an afterthought, tacked on newspaper reporting. I've spend a bit of time doing internships at two different papers in two states, and have had a tremendous amount of success for someone who had no previous interest or experience in the field, as well a ton of positive feedback from my editors. I even managed to get one of my stories, written for a local paper, cited on on NPR and in the Washington post.

However, reporting is a tremendous amount of work for very little pay, and I had almost discounted the possibility of using it as any anything more than an opportunity to gain experience, or perhaps as a stepping stone to a career in writing.
Apparently, the spirits don't want me to ignore the obvious road signs of success. They want me to pursue reporting. Erin said that I will advance quickly after a period of learning the ropes.

They told me to go out to the southwest, which I've been dreaming about doing for some time now. I'm a fan of the sun, you see. Arizona or Nevada certainly do sound tempting.

On the other hand, the reading has brought up all kinds of questions, which I suppose I'll get no answers to.

For one, I had fully intended to spend a long period of time backpacking abroad upon graduation (Actually, Erin pinpointed the exact amount of time I imagined doing it- one year). I've been imagining it for the past several months. I've told my parents and friends that I would be going, and everything seemed to be lining up for me to have a great trip.

The spirits apparently also don't want me to travel. They've specifically asked me not to, actually, telling me that it would be a mistake, and that they've got work that they want me to do.

To tell you the truth, I'm pretty tempted to say no on this one. I really do want to travel. And I feel that I need a break after all these years of work. Plus, I just think it would be a fantastic experience. It seems like now is the only chance I'll ever get to do it, and I'm kind of annoyed that I'm being told not to. I'm not sure that I could ever really forgive myself if I don't get to see some of these places and things I want to see.

Erin did say that free will trumps my guides though, so I suppose that's something.

There are other elements. While I certainly like the idea of the house and my future wife, though I love kids, I was surprised to hear Erin describe me as holding my daughter in my arms. I've never really felt like I wanted kids.

And also, all my my newspaper job opportunities and contacts are in the north east. How am I going to get anything up and going out west.
But then the guides also told me not to "Go with the flow. Be careful about trying to control outcomes. Your boat is already aligned in the right direction so don't fight the current."

And such job objections really just seem like minor potholes and whining.

So maybe I just need to stop worrying and let for things to fall in line.

I just hope there's big detour sign coming up before graduation, cause otherwise, I think a plane is calling my name.

And if I do choose to defy this advise, does it mess everything else up? If my boat is aligned with a current, can I go astray?

However, all that aside, I consider my reading very worthwhile. I'm very skeptical by nature, but over the past few years have had more and more reason to believe in spiritual possibilities. And while a part of me wants to read through the email and discount it as lucky guesses and such, I've actually come to believe that Erin is communicating with my guides. I would whole heartedly suggest that you consider a reading. All you've got to lose is money.

P.S. If Erin is reading this, Michaels is actually not the last name used for the reading. Michael is my middle name, and I've used it as a sort of pen name.

[Jill]

Interesting! Keep us informed on what you decide and how it turns out.

[Naomi Matalon]

Good for you, Andrew -- your reading sounds exciting! I remember reading somewhere on Erin's site that she's particularly good at helping people sort out various options, so you must have been an ideal client -- someone who has ideas about what he wants but could use some guidance to make a decision.

It sounds like you have a talent for journalism but didn't see it as a 'practical' career option; perhaps this will give you the encouragement to venture forth in this field. There are people who make it, why not you? As for your travel plans, you certainly are free to go ahead with them (it's not like you got a warning of grave danger or something like that), but it sounds like your sense of urgency is mainly based on the fear that you won't get another chance to go on an extended backpacking tour. Have you considered the possibility that you might wind up with a career which allows the freedom for such travels, say, if you were an independent journalist? And while it may seem counterintuitive to move away from your local contacts, they may know about people and opportunities in the Southwest, and besides, you've already shown that you can begin building a network. With regard to future fatherhood, I wouldn't worry too much about it -- if you're graduating at or near the traditional age, you may have decades to make such decisions, and people's feelings about reproducing can change quite a bit. Good luck to you!

[Gecka]

Originally Posted by Andrew Michaels

To tell you the truth, I'm pretty tempted to say no on this one. I really do want to travel.
...
Erin did say that free will trumps my guides though, so I suppose that's something.
...
And if I do choose to defy this advise, does it mess everything else up? If my boat is aligned with a current, can I go astray?

I feel the same way too, wondering whether to follow the advice. My reading freaked me out quite a bit. I wish that I had a rosy, happy ending of a reading. My guides said that if I stay with my current boyfriend of 3+ years that it will end in heartbreak and that I'm heading down a dark path with him. That I'm with the wrong man and in the wrong profession.

So ya, you're not the only one caught up in the conundrum of what to do.