you will be ok

you'll 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

mixed up

choices

Remember when it was easy
When you didn't even have to think about the next step you were going to take
When it all made sense
The world was in perfect harmony
And you played your part
Everything seemed right
Now here you are
With it all turned upside down
And you aren't sure where to even step next
Your heart torn to shreds
Your soul shattered into pieces
How did you ever end up here
Is it possible to get back to where you were
When it was simple
When life just flowed
When it didn't feel so hard
How did you get here
When did this shift occur
What choice do you make next

seek out the love from within

heart rock

Love is all around
When you open your heart up to it
But first you must start with you
Yes, you
Clear your over scheduled calendar
Take time to nourish your soul
Carve out space to do what you truly want to do
No need to be on anyone else's timeline but your own
This is your one wild and precious life
How are you going to live it?
Where are you going to go?
Who are you going to invite along for the journey?
You do not have to carry all your baggage
You do not have to take everyone with you
Be true to yourself, always
Listen to the voice that speaks from deep within
It is your heart whispering your inner desires
Do not fear the unknown path
You can find your way through any uncharted waters
You are the one holding the pen
You can write your own epic ending
And choose to begin again, anytime you want
Today is the first day of the rest of your life
What next step will you take?

the other side of the mountain

nature

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

natures 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

stand tall and take the risk

take the risk

It was a single moment where nothing changed, yet my entire world shifted.  Yes one single moment can do that.  One single unexpected moment.  Where you simply show up.  You have no grand expectations, hopes or desires.  You are doing what you know needs to be done.  In fact you are mustering up the courage to get it done.  

And then it happens.  A friendly hello, one single smile.  And life as you knew is changed forever. What next step do you take when you don't know where you are going but know you have to go somewhere?  What micro movement helps you figure it out?  What path leads you closest to what your heart desires?

You want to risk it all.  Because this is life, and if you never try you never know.  You have always lived life as a risk taker.  Jumping into the uncharted waters.  There have been times you almost drowned, but you always have found your way back to the top.  You are a stronger swimmer now than you ever were before.  Confident in your strokes.  Ready to jump in head first.  

You understand the enormity of the choices you make.  You know that you are the one carving your own path.  What if you take the risk and it is exactly what your heart desired?  What if you take the risk and it was nothing like you expected?  This is the beauty of risk taking.  The great unknown that lies before you.  You must trust your own heart before you take the leap.  You must be willing to fail.  

And so you risk.  You leap.  You say yes because that is what your heart is calling.  And you end up right here.  Some moments it feels like exactly where you are supposed to be and other times you aren't sure where you even are.  This is life.  An ebb and flow of emotion.  It pushes you to your limits and reminds you of how far you have come.  You must be willing to go all in, always.  You must be willing to let go of expectations and trust that you will end up exactly where you were meant to be.  

So take the leap.  Risk the fall.  And see how high you can fly.