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?

Our systems -- physical, mental, emotional, logistical, relational -- are being taxed to constantly reconfigure themselves. And the go-to practices you generally turn toward to fill your well may feel like they're just not working like they normally would.

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).

What if the more you practice hanging with the discomfort of the I-don't-know-ness rather than trying to distract yourself from it or solve your way out of it, the more strength and trust that you can handle whatever life throws at you you'll start to own within yourself?

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.

"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 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.

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?

Keeping an open heart in this world isn't for the faint of heart.

Staying as open as possible while simultaneously protecting our energy and soft spots when appropriate. Riding out the open and closed phases of the heart.

And the reality is, the heart does open and close. Rhythmically. Naturally.

Our work is to let ourselves feel life in its insanely wide spectrum as best we're able.

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!!"

Yes, long-held beliefs have layers. But if you chip away steadily and with heart-centered intention, you'll get to their core, and you'll uncover what's actually always been true: That you are 100% whole. That there is nothing you need "out there" that you don't already have "in here." That you are fully capable of giving and receiving love. And that you are worthy of love. Right. Now.

Boldness stirs the fear pot. Going against the grain takes guts. Rocking the boat...well...rocks the boat. And yes, that can all be uncomfortable. But aren't you already uncomfortable not speaking up and not going for what you really want in your life?

Last weekend I got to visit the 9/11 Museum in New York. And about 15 steps into the building, huge wet tears started rolling down my face. I was hit with this visceral sadness of "Oh my God, this is humanity."

Acknowledging and accepting our emotions is very different than indulging or dwelling in them. The more fully and honestly you let yourself feel whatever you're feeling right now, the less you'll have to play clean-up down the road. There are no emotions you're not allowed to feel.

The more you let it all hang out there, the more fear melts away and connections bloom. Once you reveal your deepest, darkest secrets and see you don't actually die from doing so, you're free. No more hiding and no more shame required to try to protect those vulnerable parts.

In hindsight, it seems a little crazy that I couldn't see where all this was heading given all the synchronistic arrivals of one "just what I needed at the perfect moment" circumstance after another in those years.

But that's how it is. We're ready for what we're ready for when we're ready for it.