Good Morning Goddesses,

Although the new year is filled with tremendous possibility, I’ve been feeling this trepidation engaging my goals and getting a jump start on all that I want to create this year. I think I may have discovered another aspect of my shadow…Sloth!! It’s silly really, because if I look at my life and ask most of the people I know, they would talk about my work ethic and how hard I am willing to work for a project or goal (right everyone?? ;) ). But when I look at my personal goals, I can’t help but feel like I don’t waaaaannnnnnnaaaa. I feel like I just want to be there already, without the work it might take to get there!

And then I was thinking this morning – if who we are as individuals is simply a sum of our life’s experience plus maybe a little genetics, then why do I seem to be in such a rush to get “there”? As if “there” is any place but death, you know? Because once I get to the “there” that’s in my head right now, I’m going to have a new “there” that I want to get to and we really never get to the ultimate “there” until we die since we are all unfinished journeys – so what am I rushing to get “there” for? If poof I’m “there” without the work it would be like getting a diploma without attending any classes or taking any tests – that’s part of the diploma, those experiences. And since we’re in the school of life and our experiences, our failures, our successes, the people we meet, the opportunities we’re presented – that’s the coursework, the tuition that we all need to pay. Aladdin had a genie, but needed to “pay” for his wishes in the long run –pretending to be someone he wasn’t almost cost him what he wanted the most.

What if we were already “there”? Whole and perfect in the moment, everything that you need, you already possess and our movement forward wasn’t a chore or hard work, but actually an adventure – because who knows who you’re going to meet and what you’re going to experience…And maybe that piece of shadow I saw isn’t really sloth, but just another face of fear – of failure, of the unknown, of not being good enough, of people figuring out that I don’t have it together!!

So I have two challenges for you today – one is the creative project that I promised and one is a pair of sunglasses – well, not really, I just love the metaphor of the idea of perspective being like a pair of sunglasses – or how you view the world.

So on to the challenges:

Patty’s Challenges:

1. Every person that you meet or every event or circumstance that you are involved in (waiting in line at the post office, getting stuck in the airport, etc…) ask the question: “What’s the opportunity that this is”

2. Creative Project:

The ritual suggestion for Innana is a meditation “Journey to Meet Your Shadow”. Do the meditation. The project is to incorporate or welcome your shadow (or the many aspects of your shadow) into your life. I’ve included several different ideas on how you could do that below – feel free to choose the one you feel most comfortable with (or least comfortable!) or do them all!

1. Create a visual showing either a realistic view of your shadow from your meditation or something symbolic representing the feelings that your shadow embodies.
2. Write a poem
3. Write a dialogue between you and your shadow and “act it out” in front of the mirror taking on both you and your shadow.

Note about the creative project: Creativity was never a “talent” I felt like I was born with, but getting in touch with my creative voice was so empowering for me. I feel like creativity is similar to meditation and when you are creating, you are actually connected to the flow of the universe and result of your creation can also be very revealing.

If you need clarity on the project or have any questions, please email me and ask!

Enjoy!

Love to you,

Patty