insight arising

Almost seven months ago, I left my job to live a  Year of Dana  to focus on the practice of generosity. It's time to check-in and reflect on what the journey has brought so far!  At the start of this path, I had no idea how things would look. While I committed myself to some intentions and practices, I really wanted to open myself up to the possibility of every day (a very new and uncomfortable way of being for me). As COVID hit, many asked, "Oh no, how will this affect your time off?" In some ways, the pandemic forced me to surrender fully to this openness, because my usual need to control process and outcomes has been useless in this new world. I have learned so so much about myself and the way of the universe during this time period. At this juncture, I feel rested, renewed, and fully capable. My inner fire is burning fiercely.  This beautiful graphic, curated by my dear sister Christine Pham, captures the key elements of my dana journey so far. Below, I offe...

I am learning that a big part of my heart's work is cultivating deeper patience. My heart's been aching deeply, restless yet hopeful in her longing. Author and poet Alex Elle writes "as we wait for the downpour to cease and new light to emerge, patience is our best and dearest friend." I noticed recently that I've overlooked the potential for friendship with patience. My struggle with befriending patience is rooted in my desire to secure love, to know certainty, to get things done, and to be efficient. But these are fear based desires of the egoic mind. Feeling impatient can come from things not happening in expected, linear ways. As humans, we don't acknowledge enough that sometimes to take steps forward, we have to pause, slow down, or even take steps backwards or sideways. Not practicing patience imprisons our mind in its stories, keeps us from possibility, and takes us away from trusting our inner knowing.  Learning more about patience as one of the param...

Sometimes, we're fortunate enough to cross paths with a song that reaches deeply into our soul to simply remind us of who we are, when we aren't seen by others, or when we, ourselves, forget. Thanks MaMuse for widening my heart with this one.  Pearls by MaMuse  To the west, to the east Above are flying south, the geese North is there on the breath of the wind Changing form And a tender heart Can build a solid shell Into the seas where The current swells Waiting to be carried By the waves of the Coming storm And the waves rose higher Than the day did And the fear Penetrates the sun, but A calmness brings a longing Calmness brings a longing Longing to return We are pearls We are pearls Born little grains of sand We are pearls We are pearls Born little grains of sand Washed up on dry land Trying to find our way Back to water And we are here to love Not to behave, ivory refugees On the banks of change Learning to shine, Shine and let it go So we can hold it back Or let it flow Ea...