The Audacity to Try
In spite of, and BECAUSE OF, the "powers that be"
I was frozen. The calm before the storm. How could I possibly show up, do anything, with that ferocious cat out there — a Lion of sorts?? He’s knocking shit off of every shelf he can get his claws on, riling up his pride, and growling at the naysayers.
Scary? Maybe before. When I was frozen. But I have thawed. And I am moving. I’m rested and I’m ready. [Make sure to listen to the song “February Seven” by the Avett Brothers — Linked Below]
I move, or try to move, because my mission is bigger than this former kitten.
Sure, he’s a Lion now. With fangs, a mighty roar, and an unmatchable hunting ability.
But I am the Wind.
My scent is progress, masking your path of chaos, derailing your path to destruction.
My movement is change, encouraging a tribe to rise up and surround you.
My effort etches stories of strength into mountainsides and riverbeds, so we leave a mark of peace, love, tranquility, acceptance, belonging, and community for lifetimes beyond lifetimes.
My whispers of encouragement meet the ears of trees, tongues of butterflies, energy fields of bees, consciousness of humans — reminding us that this storm will pass —
This Storm Will Pass.
We protect the vulnerable, building shelters of love and protection, with our hearts and bodies and tools, and, as the storm fades… and the Lion is caged or gone… the Tribe of community will rebuild on the path of light and love.
We tend to the injured. We repair the damage — the cracks, scratches, bitemarks, divots, bullet holes... We repair — and then rebuild.
In the book Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution — Rainn Wilson describes these antiquated, outdated systems — and his suggestion is that we get busy making new systems that make the old ones obsolete. My focus when I read this book was on Healthcare — and the clogs of money and services. But the last 6 months have thrust my attention to causes bigger than Healthcare.
Maybe you need to rest, hibernate, hide, protect your self, your spirit. I did that. I was frozen.
And I am thawing.
While we thaw, get moving, get back on track — though there be lions, tigers, and bears, oh my — we will persist. We again will find the golden path forward. It might not look like it does in the movies. Maybe we head into the woods, stumbling on a clearing where a welcoming, inviting campfire waits for us. Where we’ll regale in the bravery of our confidants, the tenacity of our tribe, where we’ll nourish our spirits in ways new and old.
Let us build campfires and keep showing up.
May we bring our spark, our kindling, our presence.
May we welcome all and be welcomed with open arms, open hearts, open minds.
While I have the audacity to show up again, I’m sending some of that audacity to you.
Take good care.
Love,
Jessie
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This song is “February Seven” by The Avett Brothers. It is my winter song, the thaw of healing, a return to light and movement.
“There’s no falling back to sleep once you’ve wakened from the dream
Now I’m rested and I’m ready… to begin”