I'm often asked, with hands discretely hidden under the tablecloth or tucked into pockets, "Do you ever see anything bad in the hands?" My answer is always the same: "No." Other hand analysts might disagree, but my philosophy is this: Since you can choose whatever you want to believe, how about believing that everything, and I do mean everything, is an expression of life offering you an opportunity to learn, grow and discover more about your authentic self?

Today, I'm going to focus on three types of markers in the hands and how each offer an opportunity to grow. At first glance, you may want to categorize the marker as "good" or "bad" but that creates opposition and resistance (as well as fear of the "good" or "bad" thing happening/not happening). Basically, what you see is what you CHOOSE to see.

1. Challenge Markers: Effort Leads To Breakthroughs

Let's pull this tooth out first - and quickly. Challenge markers can slow us down, bind us up, and generally present obstacles to goals we are attempting to achieve, whether it be greater health, a new love relationship, or completing a business project.

Horizontal lines on the hand, other than the heart and head lines, present energy obstructions to forward movement. X's, boxes, islands, and grills (these look like tic-tac-toe boxes) are other forms of energy obstruction.

This type of marker is trying to get our attention. "Look over here," it says. If you are aware of this challenge on your life path, you can make accommodations for it. For example, let's say you have a grill under your middle finger on your palm. Grills indicate one foot on the gas and one foot on the break. Underneath the middle finger, this indicates that you may run into contractual challenges, especially with family members. In order to remedy this, be sure to run agreements by your lawyer, discuss all the finer points and make sure both parties understand the agreement before signing it.

These types of markers stretch us in areas where we are not comfortable and hence, either avoid altogether or jump into hastily and have to clean up later. The opportunity here is to face the challenge boldly and gather up the support you need to move through it. You probably won't become a master in this area, but nothing is impossible! Effort leads to breakthroughs.

2. Talent Markers: But Are You Using It?

The only "bad" thing about having a talent is not knowing you have it - or worse, knowing that you have it and deliberately NOT using it! (Happens ALL the time.) Talent markers imply you have a special ability. For example, a ring on the palm, encircling the base of your pointer finger, indicates X-ray vision. It's called Solomon's Ring after wise King Solomon. You can see the BIG picture as well as the power-plays happening behind the scenes, even if you don't know that many details about the situation. The opportunity here, of course, is to use the X-ray vision. If you don't, well, you might find that you are chronic "small thinker" and can't figure out why nothing exciting seems to be happening for you. Dare to dream big.

Three or more talent markers in your hands and you are officially a "Man or Woman of Wisdom."

3. Gift Markers

Gift markers are similar to talent markers in that they confer a special ability upon their owner. However, gift markers carry with them a penalty if you don't use the gift. In other words, if you're using the gift, you're avoiding the penalty. If you're avoiding the gift, you're in the penalty box. Richard Unger has identified 14 gift markers in the hands. Some hands have many gift markers and other hands have none. If you have a gift, the opportunity is to use it and discover that you do, in fact, have quite an ability - perhaps as a healer, speaker, writer, clairvoyant, warrior, or shaman. If you don't use the gift, the penalty creates resistance. The resistance is saying, "Choose another path and use your gift."

No matter what the marker reveals, if you embrace it, you grow and flourish. If you resist it, you struggle unnecessarily. THAT is why there is nothing "bad" in the hands (or in your life!). You can choose to embrace what puts you teetering on the edge of your comfort zone. The alternative to that is stagnation. And that really is "bad."

If you are curious to know what your hands reveal about your challenges, talents and gifts, I challenge you to get your hands read and put your mind at ease. A hand analysis session with me IS an investment. However, I can honestly say that if I had paid $10,000 for my first hand analysis session, it would still be worth every penny because it showed me not only WHO I AM but HOW to ACHIEVE my dreams and live my ideal life. What could be better than that?