It was the day after another night of waking up at 3:00 a.m. and not getting back to sleep. I was complaining to my friend and mentor Gemma Halpern about how exhausted and off balance I was. And as always, she gave me a gift of new possibilities.

There’s a blessing, she said, in being awake during the early morning hours. That’s when the intellectual and ego minds of the people around us are asleep. At this time, there’s clear energy for us to be inspired, enlightened, uplifted and clear ourselves about what is most important in our lives.

When Gemma wakes up in the middle of the night, she knows she’s being invited to receive something, and so she opens to receive. Once she addresses what comes up, she can return to bed relaxed and peaceful. “It is all perfect,” she says. “It’s a time to let go and simply enjoy my time up and with my creator.”

I will always remember Gemma’s words to me: “I suspect God has been trying to reach you for many nights... the call is coming in but you keep giving God a busy signal... constantly trying to go back to sleep.”

I’ve known for many years – in theory, not necessarily practice – that the secret to success in life is acceptance. ‘Accept whatever comes up’ has been my beacon. Resistance to things like changing sleep patterns only depletes energy and creates pain. Instead, I can open to possibilities… especially at 3:00 a.m.!

~ Patrice

“It is always with excitement that I wake up in the morning wondering what my intuition will toss up to me, like gifts from the sea. I work with it and rely on it. It's my partner.”

-- Dr. Jonas Salk