A New Beginning

Last year when I was beginning to take my first steps after a breakup and into a cross-country move my friend said to me, “Sometimes you have to break your own heart to set yourself free.” That could not have been more true for me at that moment. The changes I was making felt overwhelming — tectonic shifts in the foundation of my life. Everything I had known for so long was becoming undone.

What got me through it was a small voice inside that said, “You will survive this.” That little bit of faith that made me believe that I could create a life that felt exciting and hopeful again.

I’m not going to say it was easy or that the next day, or even now, I feel like I am living out my destiny, or something as epic as that. Some days are really hard and I miss the people and the experiences that I left behind.

But, one thing I know for sure is that I will never regret making a decision that brought me back to this place of possibility again.

Whatever you may be going through, however dark and uncertain, just know that there can be light at the end of the tunnel.

As my mom always says, “You are stronger than you know…and sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith.”

She Let Go

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go. She didn’t search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go. She didn’t journal about it. She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go.

She didn’t analyze whether she should let go. She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn’t call the prayer line. She didn’t utter one word. She just let go.

No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad. It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.

– Safire Rose

The Hardest Year

As this year inches towards its close, I want to take some time to reflect. I can honestly say that I’ve never been as challenged as I was in 2016. Everything that I thought I was certain about in life was pulled out from underneath me. On the last day of March, I was struck by a drunk driver and it kind of turned my world upside down (or right side up) depending on your perspective.

Up until that point I had been running on fumes in my relationship, my career, my friendships, ignoring my own needs and what needed healing. Sometimes dropping out of the day-to-day striving can feel like the scariest thing because it takes courage to really take stock of our lives and acknowledge what might need to be changed, especially if it’s something really big.

That car accident may have seemed like a burden at the time on top of everything I had going on, but looking back, I really see it as a blessing in disguise. It gave me the wakeup call I needed to make some major life changes that I’m not sure I would have made otherwise. Who knows how much longer I would have stayed on that track if not for something unexpected knocking me (literally) off of it?

As 2016 comes to a close I just thank God for all of the silver linings. Going through major heartbreak and uncertainty can certainly take its toll but it also creates this beautiful space for love to come in. I’ve never felt closer to my family and friends. They have been my rock and it is really their strength that has renewed my faith and made me excited for what lies ahead. As the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I’ve never felt as strong as I do today.

Whatever you may be going through right now, I’m here to tell you that your burdens are your greatest blessings in this life and there is light up ahead. You just have to keep waking up, staying grateful for what you have, and always in search of the silver lining.

Wishing every single one of you joy, peace, and light in the coming year!

Maryn-Sig