What Are You Leaving Behind?

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I write to understand myself.

It’s the kind of writing I almost never share publicly. It’s messy and vulnerable. And almost always, I don’t look at it again! I just tuck it away somewhere like a message in a bottle for someone else to find when I’m gone.

I used to write free form, in the manner taught by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way — a book I’ve shared often with my clients and friends.

She calls this kind of free flow writing, The Morning Pages. It’s deceivingly simple and over time, quietly transformative.

I write every single morning, but for years now, I do so in response to a prompt. Most of us spend the first half of our life looking for answers. It’s only the gained wisdom from our second half that allows us to understand that it’s actually questions that matter the most.

Powerful questions lead to powerful insights.

Insights, not information, lead to transformation.

Quite accidentally, yesterday morning I found one of those messages in a bottle — a written reflection from many years ago in response to the following question:

Q: Where have I left? And where am I arriving?

Me:

I have left the “Waiting Place”.

Waiting to be taken care of.

Waiting for that spectacular love — the one and only to sweep me away.

Waiting for validation from my parents.

Waiting for a final and obvious way to prove that I’m a good girl.

Waiting for a body that’s forever different from the one in the mirror.

I have left the “Waiting Place” behind and am arriving at a warm, magical and sometimes spooky place called, “My Home”.

“My Home” is a place of magic! It’s spacious and generous enough to hold my blue collar body, my wild soul, and my endlessly curious mind all at once.

“My Home” is so gracious that it can also hold the hearts and souls of all my guests, with no limits.

My body too, is a guest in this house of spirit, soul and magic — the most cherished and honored guest who is welcome to stay as long as it wants.

There is only one house rule that must be observed and respected if one is to enjoy the benefits of making this home a resting place.

The Rule is written and shared again and again, lest I forget the agreement that keeps me in this place of Love.

It says, “Slow Down”.

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I’m not exactly sure when I wrote these words, but in retrospect, I recognize how they’ve guided me to a new way of living.

Tell me, “Where have you left? Where are you arriving?”

Your response will be the compass that leads to your next level of self growth.

If you’d like to explore your inner landscape through responding to powerful questions and prompts, reach out and I’ll share my favorite ones with you.