On Being Embarrassing And Obnoxious
OK, so this is one of those blog posts which looks like self-absorbed drivel until about half way down when I spring the moral of the story on you 
*******
I have been surprised and pleased about the response to the survey I asked readers to do, earlier this week. (Everyone who did the short survey has gone into the draw to win a one-question email reading.)
Altogether, I got several hundred responses. Either that’s several hundred people who would really like to win a reading, or several hundred people who want to give their opinion. Maybe both. I will pick the winner this weekend and announce the winner on the blog on Sunday – that’s New Zealand Sunday, not US Sunday. I will randomly pick a number and ask for the person who most needs a reading to be picked. I have decided to offer the choice of either a 30 minute phone reading for the winner or the email reading, depending on whether you, Mr/Ms Winner, are an email or a talking person.
(If you haven’t done the survey, why not do it? It takes a few minutes and you go in to win a reading.)
Obnoxious comments
I got some lovely comments from readers, clients and former students. Thank you to those who sent kind words via the survey, and spent time writing about what they wish someone would create. I read all the comments and mentally thanked you all.
But because the survey was completely anonymous, I got a few obnoxious comments. I didn’t know who it was, because they didn’t leave their email addresses. Blogging is a funny business, because you put your thoughts out there, and I do that quite candidly, on the psychic profession and on the business of being a human being. Sometimes people can respond negatively and when they do that, they don’t leave their email addresses, I guess because it’s something they definitely wouldn’t say to your face, virtually speaking.
One of the anonymous comments was the following:
(OK, so it wasn’t exactly among the 100% obnoxious comments:)
I enjoyed your blog and subscribed early on, but then when you decided to publish every day, it became too much. Felt like you were trying too hard to “become a blogger,” and for me it really didn’t feel congruous with someone who was truly in tune with their higher nature.
Wowzers.
Either this man thinks professional bloggers and marketers aren’t in tune with their higher nature, or he only reads blogs of people who are 100% in tune with their higher nature – ALL THE TIME. Or maybe he once got it into his head that I was one of those special, enlightened humans and then had his illusions shattered by a blogging faux-pas.
Dear Reader, you will probably, like this man, find something on this blog (and any blog) that will disappoint you, or make you cringe, at some point. Like my attempt to blog more regularly, and set myself blogging and productivity targets. In the article that Mr Anonymous was uindoubtedly referring to, I wrote something like “I want 1000 new subscribers before Christmas and I want to blog everyday to grow this blog!!”
I actually came upon that old article myself, the other day while I was updating some pages and I think I even edited it because I sounded like I was trying too hard. Plus it was a little bit tactless to talk to readers, and refer to them, as if they are numbers on a blog. While talking TO them. Oops. Sorry. People who read this blog are not numbers to me. If they were, I’d write articles for the mainstream psychic community, things that get lots of visitors, like “How to cut all your cords instantly”, “How to always manifest your dreams 100% of the time” or “how to develop your psychic powers in 30 minutes” That’s the kind of stuff people search for, on the internet. I know because I looked into it.
Why I don’t mind the comment (that much)…
These days, when I write or when I live, I don’t mind being cringe-worthy.
I used to be scared of being myself, of offending, and perhaps at one time, I unconsciously wanted everyone to think I had it together all the time, in a serene, spiritual kind of way. That was just what I thought spiritual blogging must be about.
In those days, I didn’t write much at all. If you go through my archives of 2008, you’ll see they are rather sparse.
Now
Now I write freely. I don’t get that much negative feedback but I probably bore a few people and offend a few others.
But I’ve come not to mind so much, when I do get obnoxious or just negative feedback. Because feeling uninhibited when writing is more valuable to me than what people think!
(Maybe you are getting ready to unsubscribe at this point…)
Actually, a few of my old blog posts make ME cringe. If you are a blogger or you write a diary, you might have noticed this phenomenon. You write and say things that sound fine at the time, and then you were listen to yourself six or twelve months later, and you’re embarrassed because you suspect you sound like a prat. We all do that, if we’re growing. I bet Mr Anonymous does that too.
It’s called growth and change (maybe I will find this post in a year’s time and be embarrassed.) I don’t believe it’s called being out of touch with your higher nature. I know plenty of people who I consider to be truly in tune with their higher nature and not many of them are perfect beings who please me 24/7. That’s not what being in tune with your higher nature is, in my opinion.
For me, a big part of being in tune with your higher nature is having the courage and feeling the freedom to be yourself. That leads to self-actualization.
Actually, if I think about, right now I am more interested in self-actualization – happiness and productivity – than I am into enlightenment. Although I think the two must be linked. But I have to admit, I don’t even know what enlightenment would look like, although I can try to imagine.
(A load of people are defintely clicking unsubscribe at this point!…)
Does what I said above make me out of alignment with my higher self? I don’t know. But I feel pretty good, most of the time. I am who I am, right here, right now.
So, if you should come across something that makes you think I’m out of tune with my higher nature and therefore not the real deal, spiritually or psychically or whatever, then you’re probably reading the wrong blog. Go and read the blog of a spiritual luminary. Because I’m a human, not a luminary. Someone you probably won’t like, or agree with, every time I post. And that’s the way it’s gonna be, baby. I hope we can like each other the rest of the time. Or otherwise part ways.
As an interesting aside…
Over the last couple of years, I have got to know a small handful of (by which I mean two) very popular and successful writers and bloggers in person. That was an experience. When I saw something that wasn’t in alignment with the image I had of them, I felt disappointed. Then I realized that was my fault. They never said they were perfect. They just wrote about becoming more effective and happy, so I assumed they had it sorted.
But talking or writing about how to be more effective, happy, healed or spiritually-connected is one thing – actually BEING it is another.
I think that is true of almost all writers, spiritual teachers and bloggers.
(Also, it’s easy to craft a blog post and present your good side. )
None of the people I thought seemed perfect and 100% “sorted” actually were, when I got to know them in person. None of them claimed to be – I just got it into my head that they were.
And likewise, I do not claim to have all of the life areas I write about, perfected. I have even channelled information and articles, that don’t come from human Anna.
So I think we can officially say that this is my spiritual and psychic blog for people who make it up as they go along and learn from mistakes. Like me. You’re in good company.
Thanks for commenting anyway, Mr Anonymous. You gave me something to think about.
In response to some other comments from the survey:
Email readings
I had a number of people bemoaning the fact that I (and other psychics) no longer do email readings (An email reading is a question that you send me, and is answered by email (channelled from your sources of guidance).
A few people even said, scrap all these options, just bring the email readings back!
It seems people love email readings, because they are convenient and you get a written record.
It’s a shame because I hate them.
I love reading for people. But towards the end of offering the email readings, I came to hate putting all the information together on paper (or on Microsoft word) and making it presentable. I like talking to people and getting the response and follow up questions in real time. It’s much more interesting than typing several pages.
Altogether, the Akashic Record readings done by email used to take me between 3 and 4 hours. A phone reading delivers the same information and takes 60-75 minutes. No contest in terms of time efficiency.
Then with an email reading, the client (quite rightly) wants follow-up questions for clarification or further questions. Then there would be more tuning-in time (15 minutes?), followed by typing it out (another 15 minutes?) If the client didn’t quite understand the response, or wanted to clarify, there would be another round of correspondence. Sometimes it would go on for days.
I used to spend the best part of a day on one email reading. It came to the point where I didn’t like doing readings anymore. Then I got rid of the email readings and started enjoying the readings again.
If I brought back email readings, I’d have a longer waiting list, I’d be fed up with my work, and too busy to blog, as I used to be.
(I wonder if that’s also why other professional intuitives get rid of them too.)
On the other hand, phone readings are fab, for me and you. You can ask a question, get a response, ask for clarification, get it and all in 2 minutes instead of 20. Plus we get to talk to one another. So much more fun than typing, in my book.
Courses in Person vs. Online Learning
Do you prefer in-person learning to online learning? I know I prefer online learning.
But some people said that they prefer courses in person, not online or on the phone. So far, almost all of what I’ve learned in the areas of psychic development and healing has not been in person with a teacher, so obviously I’m biased towards distance/correspondence learning, especially with the internet being such a wonderful and available thing.
I will definitely do some workshops later on. I will be in London, UK in January 2011 and may organize a workshop when I’m there. If you live in London and you are interested in attending a psychic development workshop (for beginner-intermediate psychic developers) if I held one, please send me an email via the contact form or via the comments section.
As for the course on being a professional intuitive, when I make it, that will definitely be done at a distance (with phone sessions for mentoring), because it involves a huge amount of information and learning and I feel it is best done over a few months, at your own pace. Sometimes life throws up circumstances that you can’t control, and it’s nice to be able to stop for a break and then come back to an online course, when you’re ready (especially seeing as doing psychic work requires you to be in an emotionally calm space.) Plus, I don’t believe in working around someone else’s schedule, if it doesn’t suit you.
What do you think about what I wrote? Should spiritual bloggers and psychic development teachers be luminaries and ‘have it all together’?
Feel free to be embarrassing or obnoxious** – or neither- in the comments section 
**If you are obnoxious, you have to forfeit your anonymity 
Go from zero to psychic in 13 weeks - Get Anna's intensive course here.
- Learn to communicate with your spirit guides
- Know your life purpose & soul gifts
- Learn to read auras & know who other people really are
Oh Anna…you’re a lightweight when it comes to Embarrassing and Obnoxious. Visit my FB page sometime…I’ve had ‘em come after me with torches and pitchforks at times.
Unfortunately, there are a LOT of naive people out there who feel that unless you’re constantly radiating “unconditional” love (which I believe does not exist on this planet – that one really had them sharpening their pitchforks!), you’re not enlightened – whatever that means. That term is pretty much self-defined by each of them and thus is actually pretty useless.
So yeah…you do your best and be as much yourself as possible, and you do your best at your work,and if they don’t like it…oh well. I don’t ask if my doctor is a good man – I just want to know that he knows what the hell he’s doing.
There are a lot of “healers” out there for whom the marketing has become the thing. You know the “yummy” and “juicy” ones. It’s a huge pyramid scheme – pretty soon they’ll simply be marketing to one another, LOL. I’ve been able to let go of the anxiety of wanting ever more clients and it’s quite a relief. If they need my kind of help, they’ll find me. I think you’ve pretty much arrived at that point as well. Good for you.
Ummm…are you sure that the negative comments came from a man? Just wondering, because there’s a curious sort of “feminist” (for lack of a better word) element to the spiritual movement nowadays. It’s sometimes disguised behind the idea of “the Divine Feminine” – but it’s self-fulfilling to a great degree. The way spirituality is presented in that tone can be a huge turnoff for a male who’s just awakening…and so they turn away.
Now how’s that for obnoxious?
The thing I love about your blog is your courage to be yourself, an individual that is growing and transforming, and while you don’t have all the answers yet, you are striving to be a better version of you everyday!
Keep doing what you’re doing sunshine!
Anna I love doing email readings lol. I realise it takes more time but in terms of energy I feel more drained doing an hour reading on the phone than an email reading.
I think when we want other people to be role models and leaders and oh so spiritual its because we then get to believe in hope, hope that we too can be like that. I tend to gravitate towards *real* people in the spiritual arena.People who have travelled the same road and learned something along the way.
As a psychic I may not have insight all the time into my own process and journey but that’s no reason not to put it out there.
Kate’s last blog.. Have You Ever Been Fooled By A Man?
I cannot think of anything that would be more in tune with your higher self than you being you. At this point in my life, that is enlightenment. It would be so draining to be on point all the time. I have always felt that while the Tibetan monks, for example, may be incredibly enlightened, that is not something that everyone is going to want to be in order to find the answers they may be looking for. Some people enjoy getting out there, and don’t necessarily wish to meditate their days away.
I enjoy your blogs. To me, you see things from the perspective of the spiritual on a daily basis.
I LOVE this new(er) version of you! Way to call people out and cause them to think more about what YOU have to actually do to do your job. They’re being pretty selfish for only considering it from your point of view.
Anyway, Dahling, (hehe) I think I’d buy anything you churn out (if I don’t know it already) and I’m sure I’m not the only one. You’ve worked hard and have definitely earned people’s trust, respect and admiration. You’re real, you’re honest, you’re funny and you’re GOOD at what you do.
love you!
Hi Michael, I’m not sure who wrote it. I thought it was a man though from how it felt. But maybe I was wrong…doesn’t matter too much I guess
Aida – thanks!!
Kate – so you enjoy doing the email readings, I will have to send clients to you who only want the email readings!
Shanna – thanks for your thoughtful comment. I don’t know what enlightenment is either but I like the idea of it being fully yourself.
Darla – thanks honey! Love you too.
Anna, I loved this post. One of the challenges I faced in creating my intuitive practice and putting it out there on a blog was “how much of my real self (with all my little “sturm und drang”) do I show? Am I being authentic and walking my talk?
You speak to just this issue and I’m with you – I show all the sides of me as I continue to evolve and grow – the part that was sad to donate my smaller clothes because I am no longer even close to that size, the part that realized that I could use my intuitive skills to help realign my eating (but haven’t done so yet) and even the happy happy parts where I’m in the flow. I try to show Lisa, with all her pros and cons so, like you, my readers get to see who I truly am and decide if I’m someone they feel can assist them with their own growth.
Your authenticity comes through in your words and I love that about you.
As an aside, I love doing email readings as well. I started doing them because the Guides love to have their very own transcriber (heh) and it’s easy for me. Phone readings are easier in general and I like connecting with people that way – at this point, I don’t have a preference but like you, that may change in time.
I’m looking forward to reading the results of your survey. The idea for one popped into my head about a day before your email came to me – you are always one (or eleven!) steps ahead of me!
My momma always said, “you can’t please all the people all the time”. For the few obnoxious comments you received, I’m sure you received tons of positive ones. If people don’t enjoy your blog, they always have the option of not reading, right?
As for blogging being contrary to your “higher nature”, what if part of your higher nature is to help others through your writing and self-expression? I know that once I started discovering Spirit and my “gift”, I searched the ‘net far and wide for others who have gone through your experience … and landed here. I really enjoy your articles and they are helping me feel that I’m not a freak. Ha ha. So can’t that be your higher self helping a stranger?
Lastly, you may be highly spiritual but you’re also a human being. And human beings have things they enjoy doing which bring them pleasure. Writing and helping others are obviously things you enjoy doing. What’s wrong with that?
So plesae write as often and as much as you want! I’ll be reading.
Anna,
I have to say that it’s simply a joy to read your blog. Your authenticity shines brightly – and draws me right to you. I too think that there is no greater service to our Higher Selves than authentic self-expression – in all areas of our lives.
To expect you to have all of the answers speaks more to your reader’s expectations, issues and lessons than it does to you – who is courageously putting forth an authentic portrait of where you are – in this moment. I applaud your efforts to stay in that place of authenticity – which includes ups, downs, successes and “failures” of the human experience. Isn’t that what it all boils down to anyway – LIVING this experience to the fullest to gain a greater understanding of our Soul’s divinity? What an opportunity we have here!
I love your off the cuff comments and sarcastic wit! I love that you’re willing to offer your expertise without claiming to have ALL of the answers. I love that you’re willing to share your experience to those of us who wish to walk in your footsteps, with our own twist(ed?) experience. In short, I love who you are – and thank you for sharing your most authentic self with us!
Blessings!
Sooooo well said Sue. I totally agree about being authentic in the moment. Keeping it real. Readers who expect more of Anna than they do of themselves are not being authentic.
Hey Anna, there’s a good reason why I still read your blog and not many others that I used to. At any given time in our lives, we attract people who are vibrationally matched to us, and repell the ones who don’t. You will get new subscribers and you will lose some, and I think that’s actually a very good thing, because it just means your audience is shifting and moulding just as you are. I just love that you’re still you, and not some luminary.
Anna
You are correct; Mr. anonymous is not, because the really significant question here is quality of your articles not quantity.
If he receives a touch from your articles he should be pleased and grateful to get one each week or each day.
If he does not like them, then he should not read them at all.
Your reply is 100% correct in the materialistic plane.
But KINDNESS is missing in all your words, when you refer to the MAN, as if he was guilty of something else, much, much more serious. Is he?
Can we know why you are so angry with MAN?
Alfredo
Alfredo – Sorry, but your comment is total projection. Anger was not something I felt towards this person. Amusement yes. Surprise yes, anger no.
I express myself in a feisty way at times, but it ain’t unkind. If you are offended by it or don’t like someone expressing their opinions firmly in a respectful way, then you’re reading the wrong blog.
By the way…
I welcome commenters Alfredo, I really do. But with all due respect, I am wondering what you get out of your comments here.
The majority of what you contribute is an objection to something that isn’t there, or a tantrum about my wording (along with demands that I change it!)
So, I won’t be spending any more time arguing or trying to explain myself to someone who rarely connects with (or understands) what I am communicating here
That’s me being kind to myself. And honest with you. If your definition of kindness is something other than what I’m doing here, then our values are indeed very different.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you! So glad this spoke to you. I enjoy reading
about all your sides too.
Interesting that you enjoy email readings too. I just assumed that other psychics must dislike doing them as much as I do!
Fellforit,
Your momma was so right! And you are right, the ratio of negative to positive comments is something like 50:1
Sue, thank you for your lovely comment, I sure appreciate it.
Hi Irene! What you said is true…people do follow any blog or website partly because they are in a similar place or on the same path…and it’s good for an audience to change over time with the writer. There are many blogs I don’t resonate with, but instead of continually leaving negative comments telling the writer so, I think it’s important to go and find the ones that do resonate with you. After all, we are all on different paths. Thanks for your comment!!
Hi, Anna–
Well I have to say in response to Mr. Anonymous that I regularly wish that there were *more* blog posts here, not less! I was so excited when you re-vamped your site and check back often for more posts. Seems strange to me to be complaining about *too many* free, amazing spiritual tips!
Kate D
Kate D – Thank you for your encouraging comment
So glad you enjoy my blog.
Belatedly reading this and nodding all the way through! Authenticity definitely gets the thumbs up from me and I love the fact that you are so open – it’s hugely reassuring (just like this article). Thank you. Catrionaxx
I like confessing and it has helped me tremendously over the past few years, so I decided to give back made up my own website about it.