
Replacing effort and trying
with releasing and allowing.
Engaging discipline.
Acknowledging capacity.
Values aligned.
Curiously listening.
Intuitively informed.
Soft not weak.
Strong not righteous.
Clear and present.

Replacing effort and trying
with releasing and allowing.
Engaging discipline.
Acknowledging capacity.
Values aligned.
Curiously listening.
Intuitively informed.
Soft not weak.
Strong not righteous.
Clear and present.

Where does it end,
the light from the sun
the light of the moon,
the dark of the shadows
the vastness of the sky,
cold of winter,
unfurling of spring?
Where is the line
that separates joy
from sorrow,
excitement
from fear?
What fills the space between earth and sky?
Is it my heart?
My body?
My breath?
In my mind I struggle
to find a separation,
an either or,
a division,
a moment,
where one exists without the other.
I cannot
and therefore
I cannot regret.
I cannot long.
I cannot judge,
right or wrong.
I cannot reject sorrow
or long for joy.
I cannot suffer in darkness or immerse myself fully in light.
I am made of it all.
It is all in me.
Or is none of it?
I am the space that fills
the space between.
I am the end of light,
the beginning of dark.
I am all of the joy and filled with sorrow.
I am the convergence of earth and sky.
I am the meeting place for it all.
I am the “and.”

Standing out
Breaking through
Rising up
Getting messy
Making choices
Accepting consequences
Humbly confident
Unconditionally vulnerable
More freedom
More joy
More love
Giving
Receiving
Most authentically me.

Even in my darkest moments,
My most intense forms of suffering,
I find flickering deep within an ember of hope, a knowing that this is temporary,
a moment of exploration and learning.
Pain is informative and a reminder that there is the opposite – great peace, ease, harmony, and joy – just around the corner,
riding in valiantly on the next breath,
to remind me that I am just as much that as anything else.

Say I love you like a cat,
I trust you like a baby,
I believe in you like a tree,
I know your greatness like a dolphin.
Unleash your heart and
speak your truth…
not your prerogative,
not your thoughts,
nor needs.
Go within and beyond.
Authentic.
Whole.
Honest.
Because the gurgling that arises from your throat in the form of words is but a practiced screening of the vibrational current of your true voice within.
Sit in the silence, until it no longer feels uncomfortable,
until you can speak and listen from that space of clarity,
love,
and peace.
Know that I hear what you say long before the words are formed.

Stand in your joy!
Exude love,
kindness,
generosity.
Not because they will gain you respect
or stature
or power
or success.
But because that is who you are,
and you deserve to walk into every room before you,
swinging that door open with healthy arrogance,
ready to share your grace and goodness,
just as you are,
with those fortunate enough to be in your presence.

My old, worn out shoes,
so familiar,
form to fit my imperfect feet,
adapted over time to accommodate my lopsided gate,
carrying me faithfully in my uneven stride.
There comes that time that those beloved companions have served their purpose,
worn out in functionality,
poised for retirement.
In come the replacements,
stiff,
awkward,
shifting,
adjusting.
Blisters making way for bliss – forging new connections for movement and growth.

Thinking…thinking….thinking….
No room for the heart to heal.
The cast iron vault concealing deep and splintering wounds too fragile to expose.
Can the world handle the explosion?
Is it ready for the imprisoned love and joy to be released?
Will critical thoughts, past hurts, and fear prevent the unleashing?
Oh, to find creativity again…
For creativity to find me.
Touching once more vitality,
vibrancy,
and free expression.
All that is left to do is to
Feel…feel…feel…

This newness thrills and enlivens me,
as the old ways woo me with protection and predictability.
It’s exhausting,
at times,
this dance!
Leaving it all behind too quickly there is no room to pause,
to catch my breath,
to reset.
Slowing too much
makes it difficult to find a rhythm in the steps.
and so I spin
and twirl
and feel my breath and body
slightly losing control,
occasionally stepping out of sequence,
joyfully embracing the imperfection,
and that’s when I know
I’m doing it right.

Finding the balance between expressing and encroaching,
between stepping back and leaning in.
There are moments to blend
and times to expand.
Expressing one’s colors
requires softness and boldness,
the ability to complement and hold up another and still stand fully on your own.
Today, will it be accent or statement?
There are places to be both.