Ongoing pandemic or not, we still have so much control over where we place our intention and our attention. What are you pointing yours toward as we move into this (symbolic but as meaningful as we decide it to be) fresh start of the new year?

So now here we are. Each of us in our own family units, our own communities, this country, and the world, together in this same wild situation. Reminded every day – every moment, in fact - how inextricably interwoven our cells and well-being and lives as beings on this planet are.

This path of spiritual/personal growth is rife with paradox. Things that appear on the surface to be contradictory but upon deeper exploration reveal themselves as deep Truth (capital T).

We can't tap into our most essentially creative power or the flow of abundance when we're rushing forward.

Our fullest power and potential are only available when we're firmly grounded in this present moment. 

It takes deep courage to allow ourselves to be transformed despite the discomfort that's a necessary part of the process.

It takes courage to take committed action steps in the direction of the life we want to create day after day after day even when we're not sure if "it's working" yet.

When we really do trust the process and lean into earnest inner inquiry with curiosity rather than judgment, we arrive at insights we never could have conjured up with our logical minds alone. The deepest wisdom arises from stillness, not from doing; from being, not from thinking.

How do we lean into uncomfortable realities in a way that's both useful to the world and feels manageable to us?

How do we let our hearts be touched by life without our bodies and minds getting so overwhelmed that they shut down?

"I love the thing that I most wish had not happened." Talk about fierce acceptance.

And that's what we're doing with all this awareness cultivation. We're learning to create more space to help us accept whatever "is" in our lives. The pleasant, the unpleasant, and everything in between.

The pathway to joy flows through self-responsibility.

While yes, we don’t get to control how we feel in every moment, the more we choose to take control of our capacity for conscious choice, the more joy and abundance tend to start to open up for us.

The more we strive for perfection, the less worthy we feel.

The antidote to the thankless, life-force-depleting, never-ending perfectionism cycle is simple. It's the deep-in-your-bones trust that: You are enough.

The thing you no longer need is taking up the space of something you really want.

Life can't bring you more good stuff if the "OK" stuff — or worse — is blocking the door.

It's never too late to start cultivating a new level of kindness toward ourselves. Self-compassion practice is where we can begin.

What might shift for you if you were to act as if everything your heart most desires is already on its way? If you could relax and trust that you're right on track, how would you use this down time to weed your garden and prep the soil for the sweet new things about to blossom? What happens when you stop waiting and start preparing?

We stay quiet because we fear if we put words to the things we fear most about ourselves, it will confirm that they're true. Paradoxically, the reality is the moment we share our secret shame - our monster in the closet - someone else inevitably chimes in with "Oh my God, you too? I thought it was just me!!"

Two antidotes to suffering:

1) Keep your eyes on your own paper (or yoga mat). 2) Let yourself let go of things you can't control.

That's how a life of following your intuition — or following the bread crumbs, as I like to think of it — is.

You might not understand why you've been called to do the thing you feel called to do, but you do it anyway because it just feels right.

It's only in hindsight that you see how it all connects.

It's true; as your mindfulness muscle is just starting to grow, it can make you feel more in your head than ever. You're suddenly paying attention to everything, so it can feel like things are even crazier than before.

But the reality is, your mind was just as wild before. It's just that you're finally noticing it.

Appropriate guilt is a useful call to action. It's a flare going off to call your attention to an area where you might want to alter your behavior to get back on track toward being the kind of person you want to be and living more in alignment with your values.

You don't have to believe it fully for the seeds of possibility to start to germinate.

You just have to keep the door of possibility open, and acknowledge that even slightest sliver of what's possible.

Then keep opening the door a little more and a little more, and the universe will start to open the door in equal measure.

Whether you write it all down or not, trust this: You'll receive the lessons you're meant to receive in your life no matter what. So you can relax and let the process unfold without worrying whether you've captured every detail. The core essence will leave its mark in the perfect way for you.