Healing My Voice

Meenal has been part of our circle from the beginning.  She has shared openly with us.  She has been authentic.  She has not been perfect in everyone's eyes (including her own), but she has been slowly, gradually transforming toward the pure expression of the essence of Meenal.  Her choices to share her journey publicly have inspired me.  I felt so honored when she accepted my invitation to do a photo session with me to create some new portrait images.  We were both blown away by the experience.

Even just a few weeks later, I continue to be blessed by the unfolding of Meenal's budding butterfly wings.  As the new book release buzz is picking up, I was asked this morning to post on the Healing My Voice forum wall on facebook.  At about the same time I opened an email with a quote in it.  Rather effortlessly, I grabbed that quote, clicked over to the facebook forum page, and wrote this:

"It is uncertainty that creates the space for invention. We must let go, clear the space and leap into the void of not knowing, if we want to discover anything new."
-- Margaret Wheatley
Healing my voice is about discovering that I am an innovator and understanding how that has affected my life.  After feeling disconnected around over 50% of the population my whole life and feeling "different" I grew hesitant to share my truth because so many people didn't understand my vision and my abilities.  I didn't understand that I had a narrow audience and that trying to share my passions with the masses would actually tear me down rather than build me up.  Learning about the social self and the essential self in all of my explorations has been key.  Joining circles, groups, guilds, tribes, and communities of like minded people has been critical in healing my voice.  I am grateful for the learning, the journey, and the connections.
Aho.

Thank you Meenal for being in my life.

Thank you Lindsay, Andreea, Laura, Jill, Sheri, Billy, Michelle, and all of the other deeply caring friends that have been in circle with me and are part of my life.

Thank you those outside this circle who have been a part of my personal growth, expansion, and healing.

There is still a lot ahead.  I couldn't do it without all of you.

Masks, Dreams, and Celebration

"When there is no more separation between 'this' and 'that,' it is called the still-point of the Tao. At the still point in the center of the circle one can see the infinite in all things." 

╭♥╯Chuang-tzu

As we approach the celebration gathering for our circle this coming Sunday, I think about this current group of women who have chosen to participate for the past several months.  I was particularly touched by the sharing about our dreams during out most recent meeting, which unveiled a new level of knowing and support between us.  I noticed a shift.  I noticed a release of something between each of us that moved us closer and at the same time allowed us to let go of attachment to outcome.  It was very subtle.

When we share our dreams, we show people what motivates us.  In a conversation with Sue Bryan last night (Sue is not in our Center Circle at the moment), she said to me, when we are born, we come in with three motives: to pursue our calling (or purpose), to learn and grow, and to connect.  I feel the truth of that in my own experience and I believe that our dream is the way we see that happening for ourselves in our own unique expression.

This Sunday, the ritual we have chosen for our celebration ceremony is a mask ritual.  The point is to use this as a process to really look at what we are letting go of that we have taken on in this life so far that is not serving us and to glue it to that mask.  Then, we also create a mask to represent what we are moving into and toward.  In the ceremony this Sunday we will dance to the music of our choice and take the old mask off and put the new one on.

I hope that each of us will not rush through the still point between that mask and this mask .  I hope that each of us will honor the moment.  I hope that each of us will feel the infinite-ness of our existence and the expansiveness of our being.  I will.  I do.