Dear Karen,

Help. I have a gift store and since last August, the store and my life have both taken a dive. I live in an area that is zoned for mixed commercial and residential use. A club, whose deck is about 20 feet off of my balcony, has changed its format and has 'Rave disco' music playing 6 nights a week. I do not hear any music - just a constant loud and penetrating base beat that hits me in the chest... another neighbor has complained that they felt like they were having a heart attack the first time they heard it. It generally lasts from 9pm until 2am every night except one each week. I am at the point of snapping.

My business requires me to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week most weeks. I am not getting enough sleep. Ear plugs won't work because it is primarily the vibration of the base beat that gets me. Currently our city has no codes to protect me or the other residents of the building from this nightly disruption. I am afraid that my business and my life are on a downward spiral headed toward a terrible crash.

Sincerely and desperately, B.H, USA

Karen's reply:

Uncontrollable external noise in a person's life, in my experience, is symptomatic of internal noise - something inside a person that needs to be heard. After you listen internally (and you may have to go many layers deep to get to this), the external noise situation gets resolved.

Everything you have told me points to the fact that there is something in your life that needs to change but you have not wanted to hear that. We each have a life purpose and if we don't fulfill it our Higher Self will create a way to get our attention so that we have to change. Some people resist this and then the process can be very painful.

I suggest you take a day off - yes, a whole day off! - and do it soon. Go to a place with beautiful scenery and a peaceful atmosphere that you have never been before. Take a notebook and pen with you and some food supplies. Your project for the day is to write about your ideal life.

At the top of a page, put the title: MY IDEAL LIFE. Have the attitude that from this day on you can do anything you choose to do. Then start numbering down the page, and beside each number, describe a different aspect of your ideal life, free from any limitations, financial restrictions, commitments and responsibilities to others. Allow your mind to soar. If you could do anything, go anywhere, be anyone... what would those things be.

This process is likely to bring up emotions. Allow yourself to feel them. Don't suppress them. In feeling them, the stuck energy of your current situation can start to move.

It is wise in times of change to have support while you do this. After all, if you could have made the changes by yourself, you would have already done so! For this I highly recommend rebirthing, and there are many excellent rebirthers in the USA, maybe even close to where you are. If not, you will have to take the longer route and start reading. Having made a start on this personal inner work, Space Clearing your outer environment can then be very helpful.