The year was 2008. I was living on my own in an adorable studio apartment. This sacred space held my heart as I began an epic search to unearth who I was and what I stood for. Like so many times in my life, I felt lost in this great big world. The eternal question “why am I here and what is my purpose?” played on repeat in my head.
Read More
Lately I have been swimming in this sea of uncharted waters. There are moments when I feel as if I am drowning. It is like I have forgotten how to swim and need to re-learn each of the strokes. The shore feels incredibly far away and I don't know if I will ever reach it.
The steady crash of the waves has me feeling disoriented as the tide pulls me further out to sea. I am trying to find the strength within me to stay afloat but I am defeated. This beautiful ocean is an incredible life force.
I feel as if I am waiting for my real life to begin. The life I dream of. The one that I scribble about between the pages of my journal. The life that my heart deeply desires. I crave this life and deep in my soul know it is the one I am meant to be living.
Yet here I am in the middle of the ocean, losing site of the horizon. Fearful of swimming to shore because it is a big and bold move forward. In order to swim I need to believe in myself. I need to know that I am deserving of my dreams. That my voice is meant to be heard. That there is room enough in this world for what I want to offer.
I can see it. I can feel it. I know that it is the right direction for me. I just need to be brave enough to leap. I need invest in myself fully. Ditch the "what if it doesn't work out" thoughts and simply see what is possible.
Now more than ever I need to show up for myself. I do not know how many days I have left on this earth. Life can be taken in the blink of any eye. One day we are going about our daily business and the next day we could be gone. And we never know when that day will be. If I continue to delay going after my dreams I may run out of time.
I know I have said it before time and time again, but this moment feels different. This ocean I am swimming in is terrifying and it is forcing me to be brave. I will re-learn how to swim. I will find my way to a new shore and I won't give up even if it takes awhile to get there. Because what I dream of is my destiny and only I can create it.
And so I begin swimming
What if this was it?
What if this was your one chance to take a leap into the great unknown
Open your heart
Live out loud
What if you were brave enough in this moment to take the risk you have always wanted to take
What would you do?
Where would you go?
What one thing would you make happen?
We are always waiting for the perfect moment, perfect opportunity, perfect chance
Yet that perfect time never arrives
You have to take advantage of the moments you have right now
Live with intention
Choose the path you want to go down
You have to take things into your own hands
The time is now
Yes, right now
Take a deep breathe in
Close your eyes
Imagine what your next step will be
Open them up, then go for it
What are you waiting for?
This is it
Your time is now
Live in the moment
And leap into the wild unknown
I reached out to the Love Notes Facebook Community and my friends on facebook asking them what they most need to hear in this moment. The responses were incredible, inspiring, and many of them were exactly what I needed to hear as well. It goes to show you that we are all connected and even when we think we are alone there is someone else out there who is feeling the same way we are.
The images above are the responses. I invite you to pour a cup of tea and take a moment to scroll through. We are each human filled with ebbs and flows of emotions and sometimes we just need to hear that we will be ok.
One of the most magical things about Squam Arts Workshops is gathering on the dock after a day of creating. The dock provides a safe haven to share your stories from the day and do a bit of show and tell on what you created. It is a place where hearts open up, light shines through, and you are seen for exactly who you are. It is a place of love and expansion and one of the best places to gather.
Since it is not possible to gather on the dock every single day Elizabeth Duvivier {founder of Squam} has found a way to bring these conversations and space to wherever it is you are in this moment. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to chat with Elizabeth for her weekly podcast Morning on the Dock. We chat about he Love Notes Postcard Project, writing, running, and navigating the grief after losing my mom last year.
I invite you to grab a cup of tea and settle in for a little bit of heart opening conversation.
What if we gathered
What if you and I were sitting in a circle with others
Talking about our hearts deepest longings and desires
What if we didn't hold back
What if the walls of our hearts came down
And we let it all spill out
Would you feel comfortable enough to open up
Would you trust the circle with your heart
Would you say yes to being together
Are you willing to hold the hearts of others
Do you have it in you to listen deeply
And the ability to hold space for others
This is what circling is all about
I dream of a circle
A soul circle of sorts
Where we gather together
Spill open
Let our hearts unwind and unearth what is below the surface
A circle of trust, love and understanding
A circle of hope
One that truly listens deeply
Will you join me in this circle
Will you gather with me
Hold a strangers hands, offer up a hug
Are you open to sharing your story
Will you spill your heart wide open
Do you believe in trust, friendship, and kinship
Together we can make more magic happen than we can alone
It begins in circle, deep in the soul circle
open your heart & share your story
Hello I'm Jennifer! A writer, podcaster and heart-centered guide. I believe in the power of the written word and am here to guide you in opening your heart.
