It’s Saturday night, 1 AM and I can’t sleep.

(Trigger warning) The story of this woman keeps playing in my mind.

Coming so soon on the heels of the massacre in Newtown; I’m wracked with grief.

My heart is cracked wide open.  As it should be.  I hope the day will never come where I am not touched by these stories.

My heart is filled with grief and a renewed sense of purpose.  Stories like these are why I do the work that I do.

There is so much more to be done in the world, so much to be done outside of this site and blog, but here is a first step:

Join the movement.  Become a sacred activist by opening your heart and feeling compassion for yourself and for others. Become one less voice of violence in this world. (Click here to tweet this).

Sacred activism in action looks different for each of us.

For some it means taking part in protests in the streets.  For some it means limiting your exposure to news like this so you can keep your heart tender for those closest to you who can benefit from your love and care.

Whatever sacred activism looks like for you, know that each step you take toward tenderness, compassion and authentic connection matters.

Hi there.

Can we talk?

There’s been something simmering, boiling, knocking and rumbling around in my heart for awhile now.   Now is the time to let you know….

I’m not an expert.

Sure, I’ve got this blog.  And I’ve got some things to say.  (A LOT of things).  And I have stories to share about how I made it to this side of my particular mountain.  But I’m not an expert.

I think the conventional wisdom among web marketers is that I’m not supposed to tell you that.  Eh.  I’ve never been a fan of walking someone else’s path.  Besides, something feels icky about sitting at my desk, acting as though I know the 4 steps you need to take to make it to the other side of your own mountain.

I’m a believer.

I believe in the power of compassion, safety and community.  I believe that you know what tools you need to climb over your mountain, and, as luck would have it, most of those tools are hanging right on your tool belt.   I believe that when you feel safe enough, when you have the compassion you need, you’ll be able to see what a brilliant mountain climber you are.

So why am I here?

Turns out that I’ve been gifted with massive amounts of compassion and a knack for seeing the best in people.  It’s a gift that used to get me into trouble, and now is one of my favorite strengths.  So now I’m here, sitting by this virtual road, doling out compassion to mountain climbers who need a refill.

Your turn.

Why are you here?  What mountain are you climbing?  Where would you go if you had the support you needed? 

Uncontainable Living – The practice of getting out of your own way long enough to allow your true Self to emerge.

Allow her to speak her wisdom without fear.  Allow her to do her work.  We need you to let yourself out into this world.

Your true self is full of life and vitality.  It’s irrepressible, strong, and compelling.  It’s beautiful.  It’s enough.

In a past post, I originally wrote “You are perfect.”  Which, as we all know, actually isn’t true.  It’s one of those phrases that must have seemed profound the first time it was said, but these days it’s completely hollow.  When I’m not thinking, I’ll repeat it to myself and others; each time, the phrase lands with a clunky thud.

You aren’t perfect.  And neither am I.  So when I hear the words you are perfect, I get lost in the impossibility of it all and I miss the point.  I think whoever launched the phrase actually meant to say

Forget perfect.

Yup, forget it.  No one actually wants to be perfect.  At least not at first, not in their first few years in the world.  They want to be loved.  Held.  Accepted.  Known.  Take a few minutes and watch how a baby occupies her time.  She explores the world, tries out her limbs and make tons of “mistakes” without a care.

That is, until we teach her that you can only be loved, held, accepted and known if you are perfect.  Then her pure need to be loved is disfigured:

I want to be loved.  To be loved, I must be perfect.

What’s your version of that internal mantra?  I want to be loved. To be loved, I must be _______.

What would your life look like if you no longer had to work for love?

You are enough.  You deserve to be seen, loved, held and accepted.  You deserve to be affirmed by others, but most importantly, by yourself.

So you can stop striving. You can stop pouring your precious energy into working for things that are already yours to claim.

You can rest, you can relax, you can breath.

Underneath the fog of societal pressures calling you to work harder, to be more, to beat yourself into perfection…

You must remember.

You are already enough.  Yes, as you are right now.  Yeah, I know it’s easy to forget this, since there’s always someone trying to convince you otherwise, but check in with that big “S” Self inside of you who knows this to be true.  No need to believe me, ask Her.   

God (The Universe, whatever you call it) is conspiring in your favor.  Destroy the myth that we’re all alone in this world. God/the Universe wants to help you remember your awesome, perfect nature. Why?  Because no one else can replicate your voice and you have something to say that we all need to hear.

Your task is to re-discover your true self.

Not the self that your mom gave you when you were six.  Honor her experience but put it back on the shelf; that was her truth.  Go ahead and let go of the one the school bully tried to force on you in high school too.  You can just throw that one away.  And, if you need to, throw away this blog post.  You have my permission.

But whatever you do, re-discover who you are.  How do you like to spend your time?  What motivates you to get up early in the morning and work your ass off late into the evening?  What makes you laugh and laugh and laugh?  What makes you feel like you’re home?

The seeds for the uncontainable, passion-filled, life you’re meant to live are waiting there.  Deep inside your inspiring, perfect Self.