Take a moment to release yourself from where you've been and let go of whatever may be next.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
And just to let you know,
This one is salty.
I was recently on a road trip with someone I love and trust,
And I was struggling with my professional life,
Feeling thwarted and afraid.
I was the one driving,
And literally as the words,
I feel as if I am on the wrong path,
Came out of my mouth.
A bird flew in front of my car,
And I hit it.
Both of us sat there,
Stunned for a moment.
Then I started to cry,
Because I was sure that was a sign from the universe.
Inhale.
Exhale.
There are a host of reasons I've felt as if I'm on the wrong path lately,
Not the least of which is it seems likely that I might lose my job because of current trends.
At the same time,
I know someone else who maybe will be receiving a half a million dollar grant because of the vital work they are doing in the world.
Let me be clear,
I am beyond thrilled for this person,
Because they work so damn hard,
And the world needs their work to heal.
What I've been wrestling with,
Though,
Is that we hear so much about flow and abundance mindset,
And that can make life difficult.
What do I mean by that?
Well,
We get told this idea again and again,
That if we just do life right,
Everything will flow easily,
And our lives will be charmed.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I hope we all know that there are forces at work in our lives that are beyond our control.
No matter what we do,
No matter how hard we try or how intentional we are,
Our lives can go sideways.
We can lose our job,
Our health,
Our loved ones,
And we don't have to buy into this pernicious idea that if we're just living the life we are meant to,
Then all will be peachy keen.
Can we please,
Please cut ourselves some fucking slack and say shit happens?
Yes,
Shit happens,
And it does not mean you aren't zen enough or good enough to attract abundance into your life.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I believe in trust.
I believe in flow.
I believe in abundance,
And I believe in thinking deeply about who we are and how we want to be in the world.
This is the one life we get,
So doesn't it make sense to live it as fully and intentionally as we can?
One of the ways we can do that is to pay attention.
Where is the flow in our lives?
Where are our gifts that are so easy for us,
We might not even realize they are there?
Doesn't it make sense to lean into those things?
Hell,
Yes.
Inhale.
Exhale.
And this doesn't mean that if you do so,
You are bound to become the next billionaire and be able to build your own spaceship and have a joy ride around the moon.
I think we have to have both.
An honest pragmatism that knows how hard life can be,
How many things are out of our control,
And at the same time to have a wonder,
Full spirit,
Ready to receive whatever gifts might come our way.
Because gifts do come our way.
Flow happens.
Abundance is real.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I don't know what's gonna happen next in my life,
And maybe you don't either.
And yet,
Isn't that why we are here?
Here being intentional together,
Here breathing in and breathing out,
Here practicing being present to what is.
Whether that's a surprising,
Joyful abundance,
Or head down and do what it takes to get through.
Inhale.
Exhale.
No matter what is happening in your life,
Know this.
You are worthy.
You have agency.
You might not get to control everything,
But you can control getting centered and grounded,
Doing the work to notice your patterns,
Your habits,
And getting up and getting out there again and again to live the hell out of this thing we call life.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Live light.
