Let’s begin with. . .
Pleasure.
Pleasure is a powerful guide. I reject notions that have us continuously putting off feeling amazing for some never arriving future. The time for pleasure is now. This life. This body. To be clear, when I say Pleasure, I’m not talking transient pleasures that leave us feeling less satisfied, addicted, ever craving more while feeling less. I’m talking about the deep sustaining pleasure that comes from knowing who you are, your place in the world, and delighting from being alive. Everything from the simple pleasure of the first ray of spring sunshine on your face to the life long pleasure that comes from being fully in sync with your body, your desires, and feeling empowered to follow your truest path.
Curiosity.
Curiosity is life! Curiosity is the built in resiliency we have to shame and separation that each of us has living inside of us right now. The more we understand why we do what we do, or why we are where we are, the more we can enjoy everything more fully and completely - or change it into something new. But first, we need to be curious. Why are we how we are? Why do we think we want what we don’t have and have what we don’t want? Why do our expectations lead us astray? Within the idea of curiosity is our ability to notice, contemplate, and appreciate.
Expansion.
There is so much life around us just waiting to be lived. Once we get curious about the world around and within us - seeking sustaining pleasures in all experiences - the world begins to fully unfold around us in new and surprising ways. Offering us new things to get curious about - new people to connect with - new situations arising for us live through, delight in, and get curious about. Our bodies become full of wonder. The human who we’ve been living with and looking at for years continues to surprise us. And we can meet all of it with grace and ease - knowing that the universe is forever unfolding and expanding.
Trust.
There is nothing within us to be afraid of. The more fully we cultivate our inner trust, the more we can build resiliency that helps us ride out everything that this crazy world throws our way. We begin to listen to and trust our intuition. Our resiliency and inner trust helps us make better choices, hold firm boundaries in our dealings with others, without feeling shut off or shut down. We feel less lonely because we’re so deeply and healthily attached to ourselves. We can feel always held by ourselves - without pushing people away, or clinging to them for safety.
Vulnerability.
So often the path to true intimacy is with wise vulnerability. Repair can never fully happen without it, and repair is always necessary at some point. It’s vulnerability that allows us to ask for forgiveness. It’s vulnerability that allows us to forgive. It’s there when we ask for what we truly want. It comes back when we listen to someone share their deepest truth. It makes us afraid when things are so wonderful we think we might burst - and often it is the path back when we’ve felt too separate for too long.