What a Year

Sitting in my office after dinner, contemplating whether to dive into some more editing in my book or call it a day. It’s a gorgeous day outside, a beautiful spring evening. 72 degrees F with a slight breeze. I don’t see a cloud in the sky.

I’ve got a background mix of music playing on Spotify, a Sol Rising mix. It’s peaceful, yet moving. It strikes my internal motivation chords with optimism and positivity.

It’s been an incredible year of personal growth. That’s also code for, “it’s been challenging.” It’s all in how you look at it, right? Don’t challenges do just that – challenge us to grow? to rise up?

The details will come, I’ve got a whole ‘nother book to write, hence the sense of urgency I’m maintaining to hunker down and get the edits done for the first one that I’ve been writing since I was reminded to in 2017. It’s like a “30 lessons of 30 years,” concept. Stories, lessons, and personal inquiries for the reader to find the opportunities in their own life to take whatever life has handed – lemons, watermelons, whatever – and make it into something good, constructive, and perhaps even beautiful. The inspiration came to do this back when I was a teenager, and I’m getting real-time encounters with others today confirming that I’m on the right track with getting it done.

Just this morning, I had a conversation with a young man who just recently got his GED at 27 and is now halfway through getting his associate’s degree, headed towards the medical industry to help people. We shared a similar substory from growing up. I applauded him for stepping forward in his life, believing in himself, and working towards the experience he wants to create for his life.

It’s never too late.

I was incredibly grateful to celebrate a year sober recently. A full year of unclouded thinking. That’s where all the recent inner work has come from. I noticed and felt every little smidgen of emotion. It has been beautiful, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ve gotten the chance to meet so many others on a spiritual path, and it has been priceless.

The anniversary of my dad’s passing is this Thursday, and I’m aware of it in my soul. I think of him and use it as a reminder to send love. I also use it as a reminder to love my mom, who is still here on this plane. Mother’s Day is coming up.

Many things aren’t necessarily how I imagined them, and yet, some are. How I feel internally today is what I’ve always hoped I’d experience: peace.