Believe it or not I tend to be a serious person. I’m up in my head thinking a lot. Often I’m so focused on living a meaningful life that I forget to have fun.
Yes, I can get goofy and silly. (Such as my “hilarious” dad jokes that Rachael rolls her eyes at / I’m becoming fairly infamous for in our community). Often the people who love me remind me to lighten up and have some fun which is much appreciated. But I’m aware that it takes quite a bit of work for me to remember on my own.
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It was a lightbulb moment. I’m making coffee in the morning in a pour over rather than a french-press.
I received the pour over equipment as a Hannukah gift over a month ago and it just sat on a shelf. I wasn’t ready to change.
I had my method, my system, my way of doing things. I clung to it as part of my routine and ritual. Maybe there was a better way, but it didn’t matter to me, because I had MY way.
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Ultimately, a leap of faith is required at some point to test the waters. We have to take a risk and trust that we can handle what unfolds and navigate the outcomes of being vulnerability. Under most circumstances, we’re pleasantly surprised. Vulnerability and openness is disarming. Some people may be befuddled and uncomfortable and not know how to relate. Awkwardness might show its face. But most of the time, people open up in response to openness, they soften in response to softness, and they connect to invitation for connection…
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The Dance of Discomfort and Vulnerability
This one is tricky. Even when you’ve done the internal work, even when you intellectually know that no harm can come to you from opening up and sharing, there is a certain amount of discomfort associated with bearing your heart to another…
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There's a way to live life with intimacy, with direct contact with our experiences. Living in this way brings a richness to life. We also gain a deep knowing of the beauty of being. Intimacy penetrates the veils that come between us and reality and liberates us from much friction in our lives. But living with such openness can be difficult. We must feel everything more deeply, including our pain.
I haven't perfected this way of living, but I’m constantly striving. And I've caught many a glimpse into what's possible. It's an ongoing practice that requires presence and openness. And openness means vulnerability…
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The cool sleek hardwood floor brace my feet as I stand amongst a mixture of friends, acquaintances, and strangers while a flood of tears stream down my face. My chest heaving, my crying audible, and I’m navigating a flood of thoughts while trying to stay present with the emotions flowing through me. I’m at the Avalon ballroom at the end of Movement Mass, and Rising Appalachia is singing “Bright Morning Stars” through the sound system.
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