For so many of us, this has been a year filled with grief, shock and shattered hearts.
Here in the United States, we’ve watched in horror as immigrant parents- desperately seeking a better life- were torn away from their children at borders. We’ve weathered one of the most devastating hurricane seasons in history, with ten major storms and a total of $33.3 billion in damage. Every morning we brace ourselves for the latest onslaught of terrible news: school shootings, wild fires consuming homes, scandal after scandal in D.C., hate crimes.
And of course, on top of everything erupting in the news, we’ve all had our own personal challenges too.
Break ups. Divorce. Custody battles. Unemployment. Debt. Cancer. Mental health challenges. Children. Life. Often, especially for women, the simple act of walking down the street to buy groceries can be an exhausting journey filled with catcalls and unease. The tension in our lives has been building.
It’s hard to be a human being in this world.
So, what do we “do” with all this pain- with all this suffering, disappointment and injustice?
Essentially, we have two options.
We can contract. We can curl into a tight ball, close our eyes, hide from the world, and numb out the world with food, drugs, alcohol, Netflix or mindless scrolling through social media on our iPhones.
Or we can do the opposite. We can choose to expand. We can write, paint, sing, connect, launch ourselves, speak our truths, run for offices, and stand up for our beliefs. We can take our broken hearts and make them into beautiful works of art.
Every time you decide, “Today, I’m going to make something…” that is an incredible act of devotion and courage.
And I believe it is how we can begin to transform our lives. Making that choice to be a conscious creator, instead of just letting life come at you takes great courage.
I’ve made this compilation from some of my amazing students working to expand and push through the heaviness of their lives. I’m so proud. You’ve all “dug deep” and taken the pieces of your broken hearts… and you’ve made so much beautiful art.
This is a spotlight on you:
One student of mine had a spouse pass away from breast cancer, and he had a dream of building a farm here in Minnesota. He has already purchased the land, and his chickens are already laying their first round of eggs THIS WEEK! (Amazing job, dude)
Another one of my students recently survived a divorce, continued to raise her wonderful sons and leapt into building her own successful yoga studio!
I’ve seen young people aspire to be great artists, that didn’t think they could do it. So they worked together to create a beautiful piece of art. (I just dedicated an entire wall at The Soulful Journey® Wellness Center to showcase their art)
Another student is a reiki healer, and has taken the leap to expand his client base and has created an amazing year!
I’ve seen non-profit organizations receive incredible donations that they never thought were possible, like $20,000 worth of socks to donate this week (wow… that’s a lot of socks!)
I’ve seen a couple I’ve been working with go from being on the brink of divorce, to healing a relationship.
A group of friends recently launched themselves into owning a brand new food truck in the Twin Cities! (I might be one of those lucky business partners lol)
And so many more beautiful victories to celebrate…
Our journey is an unfolding piece of art.
As long as you’re moving forward and trying, the only mistake in your life would be to stop.
Just keep going.
Love & Light,
Soulaire
