9-16-23 Here are some lessons I learned from the summer:

I injured a rib and movement, especially hiking, caused my heart rate to accelerate, which then caused my mind to go to some dark rabbit holes. AND, every single time I went to my heart and breathed into Love, as I’ve trained myself to do, my body ailments somewhat eased and my mind anxieties quieted down. Every single time. I was also reminded that it’s appropriate, from a heart space, to mourn what seems like aging body failures and give myself compassion for the sometimes-crazy ways in which my brain responds to that. I always have a choice and I can always change my reality.

I have an abundance of nature-awe-moments because I cultivate that. When I am in nature, I spend a lot of it in silence so I can hear what the Life around me is saying. My silence doesn’t mean I am busy thinking about stuff; that would also prevent me from seeing what’s going on around me that most people miss. Instead, I walk with softer eyes that are tuned into a different frequency than the “normal” busy, faster, not-really-present energy that’s so prevalent in our world. Then I’m creating a reservoir to draw from when the environment and the world feels harsher to deal with. Joy is always available to me because I’ve cultivated that knowing and it lives right inside of me.

As usual, this summer there have been many moments of reflection and feelings of deep gratitude for my very blessed life during my silent hikes. But I have also shed a lot more tears this summer, even as I found myself in the midst of a beautiful scene, whether immersed in the embrace of water, or expanding my perspectives from a peak view, or celebrating life in the color glory of the flowers. As I’ve mentioned in recent writings, I have a dear friend going through a journey with cancer. It’s very strange that we spend most of our lives ignoring the fact of how fleeting life is, and therefore, we waste so many of our precious moments. I’m guessing that many of you can relate to how different things seem and feel when the awareness of our mortality touches us when someone close to us is struggling to stay alive or perhaps has given up the struggle. Our hearts crack wide open as we experience everything so much more deeply. One gift of that is, very often, we realize that so much of what we carry around and surround ourselves with is bullshit and unimportant, and we can let it all go.

For myself, I have worked hard to remember that I don’t want to waste any of this life, and that’s where all the motivation for all my self-work comes from. Valuing my life in more of my moments also fuels my mission to share whatever I can to inspire you and others to do that work, too.

If not now, when? What I do matters, what you do matters, and it all builds heart reservoir for the planet, and that really matters. Today is a good day...and I make it so!