Love & Liberation       

Every year on my birthday I take inventory of my life, checking in with how I feel mentally, spiritually, emotionally.  Last year I decided I would make 33 all about falling in love with me.  It felt like the ultimate gift to myself and was something I hadn’t fully focused on before.  It was an amazing experience to have this focus for a whole year, and I truly felt a deep, undeniable shift that has brought me more joy, peace, and strength.

For those of you who took my challenge last year and joined me in this lovefest, I’d love to hear how it went for you.  How do you feel after a year of falling in love with the most important person in your life?

I believe that self love is a lifelong practice and that we don’t achieve it and then coast.  We all have ups and downs and times when we lose sight of our commitment to love ourselves completely; that’s part of life and ends up taking us deeper.  We just need to have the strength to come back to it again and again and remember that we deserve our own love.

This year I had the good fortune to celebrate my birthday on the beautiful Greek island of Hydra with some of my favorite people.

Taking inventory, I was full of gratitude for the life I’ve created for myself and my family, and I also felt ready to be guided to what I needed to focus on next in life.  This birthday evaluation was not about checking on my bucket list or even appraising my accomplishments and failures.  Instead it was time to just listen.

So listen to my inner self I did, and she was clear: liberation.  This year is about liberation, freeing myself from internal constructs that no longer serve me, and releasing people and projects that don’t fit my life’s vision and purpose.

I have to admit I’m a little scared.  I’m a natural builder – creating community, businesses, art projects – and I’ve never been great at quitting, especially projects.  But, not everything I start is a great idea (shocking revelation for me – ha!) and letting it go will serve me and the world more than continuing on.

Everything is up for questioning: is this the best thing to serve my purpose and my passion? – tweet it 

Is this thought the best thing to serve my purpose and my passion?

Is this relationship the best thing to serve my purpose and my passion?

Is this project the best thing to serve my purpose and my passion?

It doesn’t mean quitting everything that isn’t perfect in every moment (that would be silly and out of integrity), but rather, working to transform what can be shifted and then releasing what cannot.

What do you think?  You ready to take on this challenge with me?

The first step is to get really clear about what your purpose is and what your passion feels like, and connect to these things so deeply that you can use them as your North Star.

Then ask the questions and do the work.  I’m in it with you and I can hardly wait to see what happens!