Hope And [Light].

You’ll need coffee shops and sunsets and road trips. Airplanes and passports and new songs and old songs, but people more than anything else. You will need other people and you will need to be that other person to someone else, a living breathing screaming invitation to believe better things.-Jamie Tworkowski

As someone who's mostly a homebody and tends to be a bit shy around new people, I knew I was pushing myself out of my comfort zone a bit.  I can say this: Life is awesome. I'm SO GRATEFUL. I worked hard, I did my best, I gave it my all.  But something in my soul said a big, clear YES to this. I've been craving deep connection, deep listening, friends/peers who just GET me, for a long time. I don't think I quite realized what I've been missing by not having this specific type of community in my life for, well, ever, really.  A gathering around each other in support and deep listening. Laughing and laughing and sharing tons of stories.

I’d love to tat that on my arm,  "I am not a burden."  Yikes, that's as scary to write that here as it was to ask someone to paint it on my arm! But perhaps you can relate to the feeling of wanting to be a little bit invisible, of not wanting to cause a stir, of not wanting to rock the boat or to upset anyone. Yes, can you?

Seeing these words painted on my arm moved me. It woke something up inside of me. I'm NOT a burden. I'm just ME. I have rich experiences to share, and it's ok to share them. I realized I've been playing small by believing what I have to say isn't good enough sometimes and instead staying quiet. It's ok to step into my own bigness and truly OWN that I have something meaningful to contribute to the world.

What I learned this weekend, on a deep and soul-stirring level is this: there's nothing wrong with me, and I'm allowed to let myself off the hook and be gentle with myself. It's ok. The entire weekend felt like a giant exhale and deep sigh of relief in the midst of a loving and supportive dear friends. These are my people. This is connection. Everyone deserves this, no matter what.

I am beginning to understand how to radiate out this connection into the rest of my relationships, including my relationship with myself. We deserve to be seen, to be heard, to be appreciated. We deserve to feel supported and uplifted and held, and we can begin creating that for ourselves, RIGHT THIS MINUTE. 

I've been quietly sitting with all the goodness and light and sense of possibility.  I am so grateful for the connection. I wish this for everyone. I didn't realize how much it was missing from my life until I was invited into it.  

Big love to you, radiating out from me today. May you feel connected + seen + adored, standing up tall in your own light and power!