The Storm

Overnight a storm blew in.

Yesterday, it was sunny and breezy, with blue skies. Today, it is all rain, wind, and low clouds.

Yesterday, everyone was outside and active. Today, everyone is inside and still.

So much happens in the midst of a storm. Blossoms blow off trees preparing the way for new leaves, rain nourishes the thirsty earth, and the air is cleared.

What happens in nature is a picture of what is meant to occur in our own heart and soul.

When the storm blows in, allow it to do its work. 

From Here To There

The trail from here to there always starts with the ground upon which we stand. Sometimes it is the distance that seems insurmountable, and other times the chasm to be crossed appears so deep we can’t imagine finding our way across.

Either way, the only possibility of making our way there begins with our next step.

Onward. 

Together.

Our Own Pace

The Coyote Trail hike left this morning at 6:15. My favorite hike here at the Ranch, and one of the more challenging ones, this morning I was one of about 15 hikers heading out as the sun began to make its way up above the horizon.

About three miles into the hike it felt like I had the entire mountain all to myself. No sight of those ahead of me who were hiking at a faster clip, and no one dogging my steps from behind.

Just me, the mountain, and the heart stopping beauty of her bolder strewn landscape.

Time to think.

Time to reflect.

Time to wonder.

Time to give thanks. 

And, time to listen. 

That is what can happen when we find our own pace. 

Giving in to my ego and trying to keep up with those going faster, or slowing down so as not to leave others behind, would have robbed me of the solitude and silence I so crave. Either would have opened the door to disappointment and resentment. 

Because she had me all to herself, I could hear her as she whispered...

Find your own pace.

I am going to try and remember that. 

Remember

The Ranch is a reminder to trust the wisdom held deep within our bodies. 

Remember who you were before the world told you who you were supposed to be. 

Remember who you are and what you stand for, and never apologize for being true to yourself. 

Remember to trust the voice within. 

Remember to hold on to yourself. 

Remember to care well for yourself. 

Remember your strength. 

Remember that you are never alone. 

Why You're Here

What wants to come into the world through you?

What is waiting to emerge?

What wants to be born through your life?

Whatever it is, that’s why you’re here.

Pilgrim’s Progress

Being a Pilgrim 

To journey without being changed

is to be a nomad. 

To change without journeying  

is to be a chameleon. 

To journey and to be transformed

by the journey

is to be a pilgrim. 

~ Mark Nepo 

Done With The Dig

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of an archeological dig, and have imagined what it must be like to unearth remains that confirm what has, until then, only been suspected. It’s thrilling to envision excavating the one piece that finally connects the dots. To uncover a previously hidden source of information that will advance our understanding of who we are and how we got here.

Having never actually been on a dig, or even visited one, it is easy to romanticize the process, filtering it through cinematic eyes, and imagining myself as the hero who finds the one piece that finally completes the puzzle, and wins the prize. I’m no archeologist, but my guess is that in reality, it must boil down to a lot of slow, careful, methodical work, and the site being excavated still might not yield the hoped for evidence. Which means knowing where to dig matters, as does how long to dig. There will always be one more tiny piece, one more fraction of a bone or shard of a pot to find, but when weighed against the effort and investment to keep digging, will the pay off be worth it?

The same could be said for the excavation of our inner lives. Understanding who we are and how we got here as individuals is some of our most important work. To be done well, it will require some digging, some emotional archeology as my wise spiritual director calls it. Filling in the picture of our past can help us live more fully now, and such work often requires the help of a trained professional to help us understand what we’ve uncovered. This archeology can provide us with the piece that completes our puzzle, bringing us the rewards of compassion and forgiveness, healing and wholeness.

Knowing where to dig and for how long matters here too. There will always be more tiny shreds of evidence of our past to dig up. Knowing when to stop digging up the past and get on with living in the present will make a big difference in the future still ahead of us.

True North

There are such things as magnetic moments. Times when we sense an inner pull, an invitation to step more fully into our lives, calling us to our own true north, that unique, authentic, wholehearted life that is ours, and only ours, to live. 

Magnetic moments ask us to step over the threshold of uncertainty and fear, cross over the border of the familiar and the comfortable, and venture into the unknown. Marking both the ending of what has been, and the beginning of what could be, it is the threshold that bridges the gap. Sometimes that threshold sits beneath a door that opens inward, drawing us deeper into self-knowledge and awareness. This usually requires that we find the courage to look into our shadows, those parts of ourselves that we prefer to ignore or keep hidden, or those issues and relationships that call for our attention, but are painful, or scary to look at. Other times we are invited to venture further out, beyond the boundaries we’ve come to count on. Taking risks, embarking on new work, making important changes, practicing new ways of being in the world.

In case, like me, you didn’t know this, there is a difference between magnetic north and true north. A compass automatically points to magnetic north, which shifts over time, while true north does not change. In order to find true north a compass must be adjusted. Magnetic moments are an alert to adjust our inner compass. In the world of auto-correct, adjustments happen automatically on our devices, but not so in our own lives. Recognizing that magnetic pull, we adjust our inner compass to make sure it is aligned with who we are and what we care about. This adjustment doesn’t keep us safe…It keeps us true.

Magnetic moments are game changers, and the choice is always ours to step over that threshold.

Or not.

Either way the game changes.

This first day of the new year is a chance to adjust our inner compass, allowing it to help us make any necessary course corrections so as to step boldly towards true north. The life that is ours, and only ours, to live. This adjustment won’t keep us safe…it will keep us true.

First light of the first day of a new year.