There is a clearing. I found it most accidentally, yet I knew somehow that it was waiting for me. The air was crisp and bright where the edge of fall tapped upon summer’s back. I spent the day with the birch tree, gathering her fallen leaves and placing them along her branches’ shadows. One by one,…
Words + Pictures For Your Beautiful Heart
Forever Brilliant (A Poem for Bravery)
If you’ve ever had a dream but been afraid to take action, if you’ve tried and failed before, or if you’ve forgotten who you are inside, this poem is for you. It’s inspired by my own journey through fearing who I am toward deeply knowing and loving that person – and dreaming bravely. I spent a…
The value of experiencing. (And other things my body taught me.)
The salt in the sea, my sweat, and my tears can heal almost anything. There must be an ocean in me. My bones hold their breath for the crack of thunder in a storm. There must be lightning in me. My feet seek winding paths, and my legs ache to run. There must be a…
It’s okay. Be free.
I wrote something last week that got a lot of unexpected attention. Apparently, a lot of people could relate. I want to share it and a little backstory with you in case you can relate, too. This was one of those pieces that popped into my head almost fully formed. It doesn’t often happen like…
Where you are connected to all things, you are perfection.
The voice of your ancestors reverberates in your cells. Hear them, speak them. Oxygen flows through your body. Inhabit your body as freely as it does. Sunlight reflects from your face. Radiate, illuminate. Your hands work with the memory of ancient trees and tools. Go where you are masterful. Do you see it yet?…
In the quiet, from deep within, the answer came to you.
You were born under a meteor shower. Shooting stars raced through the night, sharing their stardust to celebrate your arrival. The sun had not slept at all in anticipation of you. She brought the morning early in honor of your birth. “For love, Child. Love,” she said as she covered the sky in fire and…
Letting go. It’s liberating…and it’s agony.
That ceiling never was high enough to contain all of me, so I tore it down to sleep beneath the stars. Tonight, I will be free. Breathe in. Clarity. Breathe out. Release. Clear away resistance. Celebrate freedom. Leave white space. Reinvent. Grieve. Make peace. This is the art of letting go. Being present, making progress, moving on, getting over…
This is how we nurture the seeds of joy, compassion, and strength.
Right now, you have access to an unlimited supply of peace. The kind of joyful, steady peace you can dip your toes into on a hot summer day. In this moment, you can have the fresh air of freedom, like opening all the windows and letting the light pour in. Whenever you want, you…
Rise Up, Free as a Bird
Last week, I asked our community what we’re practicing. Here’s a glimpse of what you said: Gentleness. Finding peace within so I can approach challenges (a person, a situation, a fear) from a positive place. Not being so hard on myself. Learning that my path is my path is my path. Today: Gratitude. Pausing and…
I’m Happy to Report That Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect
It’s been almost 15 years since I first “got into” inner peace, self-loving, and creativity, but I’m just now getting what that really means. Over the years, I’ve practiced journaling, yoga, and meditation (and mindfulness and gratitude and optimism and self-compassion). I’ve read every kind of self-help book I could find, from positive psychology to…