I invite you to come and sit beside me. Together let’s navigate everything that is unfolding in your heart. The happiness, the pain, the deep unknowing. There is no need to cast judgment. Let’s simply recognize what is there.
Read MoreRecently in northern New Jersey there had been a lot of rainy days that kept me within the four walls of my home. I didn’t have the motivation to head out the door to my favorite stomping grounds to work; the local coffee shop, the library, and the park. I ended up staying hunkered inside and quickly fell down the rabbit hole of darkness.
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When you do not know where to turn
Look for the light
The one that guides you
When everything else is dark
It lives and breathes deep in your heart
You are the one who knows where you need to go
Get quiet and listen
Trust your inner compass
Do not be swayed by others expectations of you
Trek down the path that your heart desires
Explore
Unearth
Take bold moves forward
You got this
You are your own beacon of light
Remember this always
Listen to your inner voice
Give yourself space to breath
Travel your own course
Be proud
Stand tall
Do not let others bring you down
One small step at a time
Just keep moving in the direction you desire
As you do this
Your light will shine brighter
Shine on, shine on
You are larger than the circle that surrounds you
Your friends, family members, co-workers
The barista at your local coffee shop
The cashier you chat with each time you go to the grocery store
Your mailman
Your yoga teacher
Your librarian
All of these people surround you
Creating the daily world you live in
The one you hold close
The one you know like the back of your hand
But beyond that circle there is a world of people ready to great you
Looking forward to meeting you
Wanting to lend a helping hand
The passenger next to you on the plane who opens his heart
The women hosting running retreats in Oregon
The man sitting in front of you at both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox's games
The friendly voice answering all your health insurance questions
The waitress at the airport lounge
The author who's book you stumbled on
Yes, there is so much more out there than the circle you are surrounded by
You are bigger than your circle
Your heart is capable of stretching wider than you think it can
You can expand
You can grow
You can invite others in
Do not be fearful of what is beyond your comfort zone
Allow yourself space to open up
Smile at strangers
Begin conversations
Know that anything is possible
When you are willing to take a chance
Take the chance to expand your circle
And allow yourself space to shine
And the day came when you had to look at yourself in the mirror and say:
Because as the old adage goes you must love yourself first.
As I sat alone in my studio apartment admits the carnage of relationships past I knew I had yet to fully love myself. In fact I didn't even know who this girl looking back at me in the mirror was. I followed along with what others wanted to do. I kept my opinions to myself. I stayed quiet. I chose being alone over going out.
I was hesitant in my own footing. Unsure of who I was and what moved me. This was no way to live. But when you are deep in it you don't know that. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, moving through life blindly.
After he left everything changed. The chains that were holding me down were no longer and I needed to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do. When you are faced with nothing but yourself you learn a lot about who you are.
I jumped in head first on a mission to get to know what ignited my spark. I didn't know where I was going, or what I was doing. All I knew was that it was time to save my own life.
As I unearthed who I was I saw that I actually loved the person that was hidden underneath. I had a voice to offer. Opinions, inspiration, kindness. There was so much that I didn't know was there and I knew it was going to be a long journey to find her. I was in it for the long haul.
I love who I am. The writer, the dreamer, the hopeful spirit who is always seeking out the good in others. I love bringing people in close and learning about who they are and what moves them. I love the adventure of life. You never know what the next turn will bring. I love the opportunity to explore my own path and unearth my own way forward.
Love is something that happens only when you are open enough to let it in. When you spend the time to discover what is true, what is real, what is raw. Love must be nourished and tended to.
I now know how important self love is. I must love the person looking back at me in the mirror. I need to cherish her with my whole heart and be her biggest supporter. No one will ever believe in me, unless I believe in myself.
I stand here today sure of who I am. I am ready to take on anything that comes my way. I am not afraid of a challenge. I know it takes work to make things happen. Knowing who I am, I know what I am capable of.
I stand here with a heart full of love. For the person I am and the person I am destine to grow into.
What is it you love most about YOU? How do you shine brightly in this world?
And the day came when you had to say yes
When you knew you weren't 100% ready,
but you also knew you never would be
You were as prepared as you could
And you were ready to take the leap
So you said YES!
Leaping into the unknown
Unsure of what it would bring
But feeling so strongly in your gut
that this is where you needed to be
You followed your heart and bravely stepped forward
There was no fanfare
There was no big celebration
It was a micro movement that shifted everything inside you
Saying yes opened up your heart
And let you start believing in yourself again
Others didn't notice the shift
It was going to take time
Mountains needed to be climbed
New terrain was going to be trekked over
You would fall down more times than you could count
Yet each time you got back up you were stronger
Standing taller, reaching further than you ever thought
You were navigating your own path
Carving out your own destiny
Finding your own way home
What you felt on the inside began to shine on the outside
You attracted like minded individuals to you
There they stood, cheering you on
Your open heart and brave soul inspired others
As you took the reigns and made your dreams come true
And now you can't imagine living on the sidelines
You are deep on the path, always looking for new adventures
You know the feat that comes with saying YES, and you still have it
but you also know the joy and brilliance that opens up when you do
So you take the risk
You are a beacon of light
You cast hope and inspiration out into this world
You know that you have to live out loud
And each day you prepare yourself to do just that
Your shining light helps others to shine
Keep bravely stepping forward
Keep taking the long way home and enjoying the view
Keep asking questions
and challenging what does not sit right with you
Keep connecting and learning from others
This is your one precious life, keep saying YES to it!
open your heart & share your story
Hello I'm Jennifer! A writer, podcaster and heart-centered guide. I believe in the power of the written word and am here to guide you in opening your heart.
