moving beyond

Making your way through this journey called life can feel hard at times.  There are moments of pure joy and elation and other times when you feel as if you cannot pick yourself up the floor.  And then there are those moments when you are floating in the space between.  Blindly going through life.  Moving from one thing to the next without truly feeling or experiencing it.  

How do we move deeper into the moment?

Each day I wake up and follow my morning routine.  I drive the same way to work.  Go in and out of the same doors.  See the same people and have similar conversations.  Every Monday we ask what the other has done over the weekend.  Every Friday we talk about what we are going to do with our time away from the office.  I eat a lot of the same meals.  Go to bed around the same time.  

I feel as if I am living my life on autopilot.  

How can I break this cycle?  Do I need a monumental change or can small things shake it up?  I want to feel this life more deeply.  Be present in the moment and take in experiences and interactions I am having.  I do not want to just have a conversation with you about the weather.  I want to get to know you more deeply and I also want you to get to know me.  

We have to be willing to show up and share our stories.  Letting your guard down invites others in.  When you show up and allow yourself to be seen you give others the permission to do the same.  This is where connection blooms.  This is what takes us off autopilot.  

You don't have to move to a new place to experience new things.  You my just have to take a new route home.  There is a world out there right around your block that you have never experienced.  Go ahead and explore it.  What is there might change you.  You never know until you give it at try.

We get comfortable in life.  We know what to expect.  We know where to go.  But in order to grow and develop we have to move past that comfort.  We have to do something that scares us.  It is going beyond this fear that forever changes us.  

What one thing can you do today to take you out of your routine.  To push you to connect with someone new, nature, yourself?  How can you challenge yourself to go beyond?  

This is your one wild and precious life. Live it wide open.  Explore.  Grow.  Expand. 

seeking out where you belong

When you are quiet and still, where does you heart tell you were to go?  If you listened deeply and trusted your gut, what is the next step you would take?  Why do you continue to stand still?

You travel the same exact roads every single day.  Going in the same doors, seeing the same people, having similar conversations.  There is a new season to stand in, but everything feels like a carbon copy of the previous day.  You are traveling blindly through life.  Wanting to experience the full expanse the universe has to offer, but feeling stagnant in where you are.  Are you tied down to this particular location.  What is holding you back from taking the leap?  What is keeping you here?  

These four walls seem small.  You want to EXPLORE, EXPAND, BECOME.  How do you do that when everything feels the same? 

You long to be near water, in a small bicycle friendly community.  Where you can walk or ride you bike to work.  Where people gather on front porches, say hello to one another, and enjoy deep conversation.   You want to feel a part of something.  Have a place where individuals gather.  You want to be integrated into the community.  How do you get to this magical place your heart desires?  How do you navigate your way into the deep unknown?

Love, compassion, kindness, exploration, community, nature, fresh air, a soft spot to land, friendship, laughter, grace, health, wealth, smiles, support.  The space you dream of encompasses all of this and more.  How do you unearth it?

How do you find where you belong?

sacred moments

I crave moments over possessions.  Tiny pockets of time where connection runs deep.  My heart opens up and a lasting memory is created.  This is more important to me than fancy shoes or an expensive vacation.  The best moments occur through a shared experience.  

Randomly finding a beautiful spot along side of a pond and spending all day there chatting and laughing.  

Coffee talk chats

Long walks

Getting lost in the woods

These precious moments fill my heart.  It is what gives purpose and meaning to my life.  Yes, nice things are well, nice.  But for me they are not a necessity.  I need the basics for survival.  Not the fanciest car, biggest house, or most expensive piece of jewelry.  

"I'm just searching for moments"  (One Week)

I crave living simply.  Letting go of material things.  Carving out time for adventure.  Taking a chance to connect.  Pushing myself out my comfort zone.  

I want to sit side by side and hear what is in your heart.  I want to hold hands, hug deeply, see you as you are.  I want to spend time together and learn all about your story.  As human beings we need one another.  We crave connection.  We aren't meant to go at it alone.  

So join me for a walk. Tell me what it is that lights you up.  What is your favorite memory? What do you hope to achieve?  How can we connect more deeply?  Together lets create sacred moments of love and joy.  

you will be ok

You will be ok
Just keep putting one foot in front of the other
Know that you have the inner strength to find your way
You may feel lost
But your heart will guide you
Take a moment to get quiet
Listen deeply
Do not fear the answers you are hearing
Lean into them
Trust your gut
You are strong enough to navigate your own path
Reach out your hand to others
Invite them in
Let them know they aren't alone
You can accomplish so much more together
Yes, there is uncertainty in this moment
But that will not last forever
Live bravely
Show your confidence
Do not be afraid to fail
You will pick up the pieces
You will find your way
You will be ok

the other side of the mountain

And just like that your world shifted.  You didn't even realize it was happening yet you were the one putting in the hard work to make it so.  You carved out your own destiny.  This is what you've been dreaming of.  What you've been planning and scheming for.  You knew it wasn't going to happen overnight.  You knew you had to keep showing up.  And so you did.  One foot in front of the other.  Leaning in deep.  Following the conversations of your heart.  Never giving up on yourself.  

And here you are.  Standing on the other side of the mountain on the verge of that monumental shift.  Everything feels the same.  Yet it also feels different.  You are not the person you were when you began this journey.  You have grown leaps and bounds.  You have fallen down more times than you can count.  And yet, you have picked yourself back up again.  You stand with your shoulders back.  Your head held high.  You know that your scars are proof of where you have been and what you have overcome and so you do not hide them.  It hasn't all been sunshine.  There are many days when you were standing in the dark alone.  

And yet you found your way.  To this moment.  You created this.  You pushed yourself past your comfort zone and took time to listen to your heart.  You made mistakes, lots of them.  Yet you also made incredible decisions that propelled you forward.  You know that there is an ebb and flow to life and you allowed yourself to flow through and not fight the current.  

If only you could see how far you have come.  If only you could see yourself through my eyes.  You are a beacon of light and hope.  You nurture others, tending to their hearts, encouraging them to step forward.  You bring with you grace and gratitude.  You open up your heart and invite others in.  Challenges drive you.  You rise up.  Time and time again you rise up.  

And here you are.  In this moment.  Ready for whatever is next.  Your heart is open.  Your smile is wide.  You have arrived.  Yet you also know there is more work to be done and so you step forward.  

encounters with beauty

Do not forget where you came from
How you have been tended to along the way
Your roots run deep
Many people have become intertwined within you
The brief encounters
Fleeting moments
A smile shared with a strange
Deep conversations held around the fire of life
Side splitting laughter
A long embrace
A friendly hello
All of these moments leave a mark
They help to guide us along on our journey
Do not forget that you are where you are today
Because of where you stood yesterday
Each interaction cracks us open a little bit more
Connects us to the earth
And brings us deeper to knowing ourselves
Give thanks to those who have held your hand
Reached out to you
Listened when you hurt
And giggled with you in the rain
Life is beautiful when shared with each other

Written in 2011