Spring is here, and seasonal being that I am, I find myself in a personal state of rebirth. And circumstances aligning as they are, I am even planning a visit to my childhood home of Dallas, Texas. And there is nothing like going home to kick-start some internal reverie.

All of these factors are contributing to my more-than-usual introspective state. I have been reflecting on what I believe. What is it that I know to be true for me?

I realize that there is truth, and then there is Truth. Like a kid with a marble in my hand, I am rolling around in my psyche that which I call my personal truth. These personal truths may dovetail or parallel with some of the great cosmic Truths, but this is more about who I am at this stage of my journey and point in my life.

I have been around the block enough to know that truth is relative. We see with our eyes, but our perceptual fields may be distorted by fear, history, denial and even a kind of hysterical blindness.

But to get to our personal truths, we have to get clear on what we think, feel and believe.

This makes me think of one of my doctoral program professors, a very wise woman who said power is knowing what you think. I found her concept wildly profound; I was giddy with this realization. How true! It all seemed so obvious. If I knew what I thought, I could take a stand, speak my mind and be grounded in my certainty and conviction. Yahoo, I was on my way. All I needed to do was further define my thinking.

This thinking led me to my emotions, always a bellwether marker for me. In fact, one of my learning styles includes getting irritated and cranky with a concept as I digest what is true for me. I concluded that a better definition might be: Power is knowing what you think and what you feel.

And where does belief fit in? From my perspective, belief holds both thought and emotion; it also has an element of faith in it. And faith, as we all know, is very individual; it can be blind, cross-eyed, near-sighted, far-sighted or even eyes-wide-open.

So, what does form my thinking? What resonates in my heart? And what do I believe?

In my Catholic grade school, we memorized "The Apostle's Creed," a prayer that listed all the fact-filled ingredients of the Catholic faith. It was a reassuring prayer to recite, but the words did not necessarily imbue my being with any real glow, except when we got to the phrase "the communion of the saints." Those words I believed; I felt; I knew to be true to the core of my being. There is an invisible realm of spiritual allies, be they saints, ancestors, angels or guides, that are here to help us along our paths.

I have come to believe that all things are possible, and miracles do happen. We are all fractals of the divine; we are all masters in training.

And we are all connected; we are tethered to an energetic grid, or what earth scientist Gregg Braden calls "the divine matrix." Everything is energy, and everything responds to energy, be it the subtle energy of intention to the quantum energy of creation. The world is thrumming with energy and filled with symbolic guideposts.

From my life experiences, I have come to embrace the fact that there are no accidents; everything happens for a reason. The reasons may not be visible to the human eye; they might be part of a larger tapestry of confluent forces and intersecting energies. Yet, it all unfolds in perfect timing — nothing happens a minute sooner or a minute later.

My work has taught me much. I have learned that unconditional acceptance leads to unconditional love and that creates space for healing. Love, kindness and compassion are powerful tools; they open hearts, shift energies and create pockets of peace and calm.

Furthermore, I believe that we are our own best authorities, and we do well when we trust our own good instincts, whether we call it the "little voice within," our gut, our dream messages or our intuition.

I know, without a doubt, that we have to feel to heal; laughter is good medicine; a good night's sleep and a decent meal can work wonders; and, every once in a while, a good snit clears the air.

I have learned the hard way that every time I am angry, I am going to learn something new - usually about my limited vision. And I am still surprised by the eye-welling force I feel when I am awash in deep feelings of gratitude.

I have been with and without, up and down, back and forth, and, unequivocally, I know for sure that my soul requires regular doses of silence and beauty.

I know that what I write today will change and evolve over time. We human beings are not static; we are dynamic, pulsating bodies of energy. What were truths, with or without the capital "T," yesterday may be something quite different tomorrow.

I am happy to know what I think, feel and believe. I am even happier to know that with experience, I have become more accepting, less judgmental and, dare I say it, even more expansive in my thinking. All to the good. Who knows what I will learn tomorrow?

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Dr. Adele Ryan McDowell, Ph.D., is a psychologist, empath and shaman who likes looking at life with the big viewfinder. Her email address is {email ARMCDOWELL@aol.com}ARMCDOWELL@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2008 by Adele Ryan McDowell.