Dear Reader,

Yesterday, Facebook reminded me that three years ago, I walked away from a job I had held for fifteen years. I didn’t have another position lined up. I didn’t have a plan of any kind. What I had was an insistent whisper from within that grew louder each day: "It’s time to go."

If you have taken any leap like this, I raise a glass to you. Much larger transitions exist, I know - like leaving a partnership, a homeland. Yet, at the time, choosing myself proved difficult.

...Align, and the Path Finds You.

Of course I was scared, full of self-doubt and guilt, listening to the shoulds - all of which still rear their ugly heads from time to time.

Everything in our culture tells us to cling to certainty, to security. Our ego wants us to stick with the status quo. But when we disregard our inner knowing, we lose touch with, and trust in, ourselves. I had done this for years, and it became a fate worse than any discomfort and uncertainty that the unknown might bring.

Refusing to leap means we stay in fear, we stay in shoes that are too small and cause us pain. One day, I decided to trust that the only way forward was to honor myself and go barefoot into the grass.

That day was not marked with a farewell. There was no going-away party, no teary goodbyes. I celebrated myself alone with a fun drink at Nancy Chang's. With a deep inhale and a deep exhale, I raised a glass to myself.

Finally, I can look back through the many moments of resistance and give myself credit for this moment of radical (some would say irrational) self-trust. With each new breath and with each new choice, I braved playing with the universe to co-create a new reality. And it has led me here - to work that aligns with my heart and gifts, to a life that feels more spacious and true. I acknowledge my privilege and the loving support of my partner in life, Luke.

Again, if you have taken a leap, I raise a glass to you for your courage. If you are enduring because you feel you you have no choice right now, I see you and honor you for that too.

But, if you are currently standing at the edge of your own unknown or staying in something that no longer fits, please remember that honoring yourself and what's true for you is never the wrong choice. Trust your inner voice and knowing. Sometimes we have to step off the path we are on to find greater authenticity and to take flight.

It doesn't happen all at once, but there is new found freedom - and a gradual trusting that the heart and the still voice within will eventually lead the way.

As always, journaling is a tool for listening to yourself. So, I offer these prompts for reflection...

• What does “living in alignment” mean to you—what does it feel like? Who are you when you are in alignment?
• How can you acknowledge and celebrate the ways you've honored your truth in life thus far?
• What parts of life feel heavy, draining, or forced right now?
• Where in your life do you feel most alive, present, and at ease?
• What is the quiet voice inside of you saying lately—and how are you responding to it?
• What are you holding onto out of fear, security, or habit, rather than true alignment?
• If you trusted yourself completely, what choice or step would you make today?

Looking back, I can see that the leap I took three years ago wasn’t just about leaving a job. It was about creating a more intentional life where trust and listening to the whispers became the foundation of each day including space to breathe, time to turn inward, and practices that center the self again and again.

Every gathering I have designed has been birthed from that moment of walking away—from the desire to build spaces where we can pause together, feel supported, and remember that we are never alone in navigating this wild ride.

Our upcoming retreat, Coming Home Mind, Body, and Spirit, is one of those spaces. Together we’ll take a pause from the noise of daily life in a circle of nurturing and intentional connection. If your heart is whispering that it’s time for some relaxation and self-discovery, I would love to welcome you.

If you don't have time for a full weekend, consider a mini-retreat. Our next one is garden themed and on August 30th, 1-4 p.m. Learn more here.

And if you need some immediate relaxation and reflection, I offer you my Mindful Awakening Gift Set of 4 guided meditations and journal prompts: please find them here.

As always, sending you love and light on your path,

Jess