In a recent blog post I outlined Five Tips to Help Consciously Embrace Those Pivotal Moments in Life.  In that post I discussed a profound pivotal moment in my life that sent me on a journey of exploration and mastery that led to my life as a Spiritual Seer, Teacher and Author.

In today’s post I would like to expand on that discussion by sharing with you an excerpt from a conversation - an interview –  I had with Mr. Bill Berry, Jr.  Bill is the Publisher and CEO of aaduna and a member of the Rockford Kingsley’s Advisory Board.  This interview was published on the Rockford Kingsley website in 2012.
Interview With Sheila Applegate 
bill berry, jr.

Mr. bill berry, jr.

bill:
Sheila Applegate, I have been looking forward to “turning the tables” on you since our conversation, a few months ago, on your radio program, “Enchanted One,” which can be heard on Wednesdays from 1:30 – 2 PM CST on the Co-Creator Radio Network (www.co-creatornetwork.com). [Did you like that promo? lol] You are an accomplished therapist, author, spiritual seer, and dear friend though that loving friend status will not protect you from any probing or critical questions! Let’s get started…describe your childhood, and what major events influenced where you steered your life as a high school and/or college student?

Sheila:
Thank you Bill~ It was so much fun to have you as a guest on my radio show and I am looking forward to this chance to have you take the lead … so bring it on!

As you know, everything in life unfolds perfectly which means my childhood was a weaving together of all the experiences that I would need to become the Spiritual Teacher and Author that I am today.

I would say that the most defining event in my early years was the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. I was a SU [Syracuse University] exchange Student in London the semester leading up to that tragedy. Many of my friends and most of my fellow students were on the plane that went down just before Christmas.

My first experience in England had been several years earlier through a High School exchange program. I now understand that the family I stayed with in High School is part of my soul family. As a result, we experienced an instant recognition, love and sisterhood. Because the Browns felt like family to me, I decided to stay through the holiday and spend Christmas with them. This choice in essence saved my life as it kept me from being on the flight home with the other SU students.

I can still vividly recall the moment I heard about the bombing of Flight 103. Then later, when my family from the states called to read me the list that named the people who had gone down with the flight … as I heard name after name … face after face flashed through my memory as my brain tried to fathom the depth of loss. This was the breaking open of my heart and a journey into grief that would, with time, act as a gateway to my understanding of Spirit, Life After Death and My Oneness with All That Is.

I was the only Social Work Student to return from England and with that, I felt an added sense of responsibility. Why had my life been spared? I said earlier that this was a defining moment for me on many levels. On the most basic, I understood the value of the moment and the uncertainty of life. I committed both to living life to its fullest and to serving others. A few weeks later, while attending a memorial service for my friend Lindsey in Baltimore I had my first experience of communicating with Spirit. I was staying with Lindsey’s family. They of course were anxious to hear about the last six months of her life as back then overseas communication was limited so they knew very little about her last moments on earth. After an evening of sharing memories with them… being in a sense the voice of their daughter/sister, I said good night. Shortly after sliding into the bed, in that dreamy state just before sleep, I was startled by a vision of Lindsey sitting on the bed with me. This was my first experience seeing and hearing a loved one after death. I was of course a bit uneasy at first but her love and friendship soothed me. She shared with me a message she needed her family to hear and in the morning I told her family about the experience. They were both open and grateful to hear of her peace. This pivotal moment sent me on a journey of exploration and mastery that led to my life as a Spiritual Seer,  Teacher and Author.

bill:
I suspect the emotional toll was quite significant during this time and family and friends rallied to support you. However, did these early experiences of “cheating death” and being in the presence of an apparition frighten you and cause you to worry about your mental health? You re-tell these stories with a serenity and acceptance, and if you were at that psychological level then, what inner reserves did you draw on? In addition, how did these events and your spirit of responsibility move you into your early career choices?

Sheila:
That is an interesting question; actually, it is interesting to think of my answer. I never did question my mental health after seeing the vision of Lindsey. I think on some level I entered this lifetime with such a strong connection to spirit that I had an innate ability to process the experience. When I spoke with Lindsey’s mother the next morning she accepted the vision as a gift and also felt her daughter’s spirit around her. Perhaps that is in part why I am so passionate about normalizing communication with the spirit world now. I saw from that early age what a powerful gift it was to help people process the loss of their loved ones, resolve unfinished issues and begin new relationships in spirit. I believe that the ability to see, hear and feel beyond the physical is normal and that all humans have this ability. Often fear and misinformation keep people from opening to their own innate gifts and abilities. This is where I come in, I love to teach people how to both normalize and master the process of communicating with Spirit.

I really have not thought much about these earlier days and how they affected my career path but in retrospect, I do believe that they helped to awaken within me the remembrance of my soul purpose. I was already on a career path of helping people embrace emotions and I had a deep spiritual connection and inner awareness throughout my childhood. Perhaps this incident simply fueled what was already in motion.

For more of this interview visit Rockford Kingsley, Ltd.

To view Syracuse University’s tribute to those whose lives were lost during this tragic event, visit the Syracuse University Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives

Tell us, was there a pivotal moment in YOUR life that made a difference in who you are today?  Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Sheila Applegate

 

As a clinical therapist, motivational presenter, author & teacher, Sheila’s passion is to provide a forum for people to process emotion & integrate spiritual understanding into their daily lives. Her new book, Enchanted One: The Portal to Love, provides readers with a guide to embracing love in every moment. “Moving into a harmonic union between your heart and mind allows you to embrace life to its fullest.

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