THE GIFT OF DISCOMFORT

The past two weeks have been peculiar. Difficult. One of those time periods in which it seems impossible to catch a break. One of those times in which the events seem so staged I am sure there is a message that I'm just not getting. The highlights included my grand baby getting very sick on the last day of our 3 day holiday trip, then her dad had a turn at the puke all night Bizarre,  my younger daughter went to the ER with a combo of the flu and a bug, my heat stopped working properly, the temperature dropped, my other daughter developed an ugly painful sinus infection, I got food poisoning, so it was my turn in the Puke Parade (I'm still a little queasy, truth be told), then Izzy started teething working on her 4 year molars, and finally, the freezer quit. Yeah. The freezer and the living room were both 56 degrees. And I was saying WTF???

Sooooo, my daughter and her family fled my house to stay at a hotel, and get warm. And recover. And I have now had 2 days of silence, in which I got to rest and recover as well. The furnace and freezer have been dealt with. 

The profound nature of the physical, mental and emotional discomfort startled me into thinking in a new way  and unlike any other year in which I have planned, created lists, made vision boards and all that happy crap, instead, in the blessed silence, I asked myself a different question.  If I were to purge (I know, right?) what was not working for me, what was keeping me from feeling as inspired, happy, connected as I could feel.. what would I do or not do?   

I just sat with that. Got excited. Became frightened. Instead of logical clear cut answers, images came, unbidden, saw myself laughing,  thinner, dancing on a beach..I saw friends I know and faces I do not recognize. I felt myself stirring, feeling as alive and on the edge of something as I have ever been. Realized how and where I have been playing it 'safe' and not playing full out. I  had glimpses of travel, writing, singing, giving up my life as I know it to be. Visions of being a one woman traveling story-teller, dream developer, midwife between worlds. And I want to follow that vision. It feels right, feels like a beacon signaling me to step forward.
The shit-show was a gift. It got my attention.

Yesterday, the synchronicities kicked in.   I got a phone call from a dear friend, talked about a book he recently wrote with the help of his deceased wife.  Had a client after that who, at the end of our session which was a very conventional conversation about communicating with grown kids about family issues, told me that he kept having thoughts of me traveling the country like a gypsy palm reader, but instead of telling fortunes, I 'did what I do' connecting people.  My goosebumps got goosebumps. Then, I Skyped with a friend in Canada, and we immediately fell into a deep conversation speculating about deep subconscious connections people share, experiences with the dead, dreams that have profound impact, the inter-connectedness of life.  We said that when thinking from this larger place, this deeper place of connection, we make better choices, solver for bigger problems, and are more inclined to be responsive, rather than reactive with others.

After the call, I realized that I had been heading into the year dragging the same old conversations about creating workshops, working with clients and generally fitting the more edgy aspects of my life into a package that works as a Radically Honesty but still somewhat conventional Life Coach.

I'm done  doing that. You can count on me to stir the pot more vigorously than I ever have before. I am going to go deeper to bring the edgy, the mysterious, the awe inspiring and the wonderful magic of everyday life back into our awareness and our conversations. I'm not sure yet what that looks like for me, but if you see me driving across the country and you wave, I promise I'll share a story or a song with you. 

I think that we- all of us, are being pushed by life right now, by the weather, the political climate and the fortunate movement towards Honesty that is rattling our personal and collective cages. In that discomfort, find your light. Find that which makes you feel most yourself, connected to others and the world most profoundly, and start unhooking from whatever is in the way of that.  I imagine that this is what conscious evolution looks like. And I am here to help you on your journey, even as I am on my own.


Happiness, healing, stability, love,  peace...these things are all about cultivating those connections. That Connection is what I wish for you in this New Year.

Bright Blessings

Raven