Every now and then I see someone who inspires me toward the best version of myself. One day in college I remember seeing a young woman walking down the street as I drove by the campus. I can't recall what she looked like, but I can tell you that she emanated inner peace. During that time I had more inner conflict than peace, and the impact that she had on me was astounding. In just 20 seconds - the amount of time it took to drive by - I knew she had something that I needed.

It happened again today. Earlier I had an interaction with someone that knocked the wind out of me. You know the kind that hits so hard that it takes a long time to get your breath back? Well, it was that and more. If there's such thing as past lives (and I'm pretty sure that's the case:) then today's incident reached back many lifetimes to expose a very old wound.

I was so flooded with emotion that I wasn't being productive at anything, so I went for a long walk. I decided to go by my favorite house - you may remember me describing it in a prior blog - smooth, white stucco with a water fountain in the front yard, amidst dark stones covered in red wild flowers... It just so happens that the owner was working in her garage. She, like her house, emanated creativity, divine order and health. Without my even saying hello (she was busy), I walked by and caught a big big dose of her balanced energy. So much so that I came home, cleaned my house and did some other things in order to regain my balance.

I share this as a reminder that energy is contagious and you never know who your presence is going to inspire. There is now research showing that we catch happiness from others - even more so than frustration or anger. And I'd be willing to bet that the same is true for inner peace, joy and the other positive emotions. For me, this is just one more reason for impeccable self care. If there is any cell in your body that believes loving yourself is selfish, let it be known that we affect others by our presence alone.

For some time I've been working on a book called, Portals of Peace: Healing the World One Person at a Time. The book was inspired by an image that came to me of one person after another opening up from the inside, light streaming from them into the world.

What has become increasingly clear over the past several years is that the majority of us - good people, loving people, religious and non-religious - have divided psyches due to continuously suppressing emotions and aspects of ourselves that we don't like. This inner division is projected onto the world as outer division and conflict.

As we claim and integrate our suppressed selves, we can't help but channel light - it naturally flows forth from a clear vessel. The beauty is that inner peace precedes world peace, so it truly is a win/win.

I know that those of you following this blog (200-300 views a week) are committed to being a light in the world, so I wanted to share what's coming. There's some momentum toward integration right now and each one of us who courageously reclaims that which is buried within dramatically affects the healing of the collective psyche. It is this - a healed collective psyche - that translates into a more peaceful world.

Yesterday I was on a business owners teleconference and one of the coaches, Molly Luffy, was talking about authenticity as it relates to success. She said, "Flaunt your quirks!" I had to laugh out loud, because I'm in total agreement. If you read The Energy Cure, you'll remember the part about how we are all quirky when really being ourselves.

In this culture of over-socialization and over-homogenization, there's a lot of pressure to fit into a certain mold. Trying to be like others is such a trap! What is ideal really? One of my favorite people in the whole world has a nice, round booty (you know who you are girl). She likes to sing the song, "baby got back," and where clothing that accentuates this lovely feature. Because of this, she's hot!

As spirit flows through your body it produces a completely unique and un-replicable essence. It is impossible to reject a part of oneself without diluting your essence. I'm still working on embracing my quirks - my over-analyzing mind, roundish hips, and the tendency to do whatever I want - but the better I get at celebrating my quirkiness, the more spirited I become.

I encourage you to look for people in your life who flaunt their quirks - let's make them our role models. And once you find them, flaunt your own!

By the way, I'd love to hear what you're quirks are and celebrate them with you:)