11 Steps to Blaze your own Bodacious Path in 2017

““Try to discover
The road to success
And you’ll seek but never find,
But blaze your own path
And the road to success
Will trail right behind.””
— Robert Brault

2017 marks the year of the Fire Phoenix. In some translations it's the Rooster year, but I prefer this much juicier symbolism that brings with it the promise of rebirth and transformation, rising from the ashes.

The Year of the Phoenix in particular is associated with the element of fire, which ignites our creative embers and our stirrings for passion and freedom. It encourages us to emerge and share our deep gifts to meet the world’s deep needs. It reminds us to stay grounded in the heart and make our choices based on the whole of humanity. It stokes us to ACTION, especially in regards to unleashing our WILD in service to the world.

Phoenix is a shameless and brave visionary and its fire brings strength, passion, bravery and leadership -- the four qualities that we all need to embody now more than ever.

The Phoenix is also urging us to RISE & SOAR.

It's time on the individual and global scale. We're being called to break free of what no longer serves us, to step into our soul's purpose and to fully show up in service to why we're here at this most crucial time in human history. And to Sparkle SHAMELESSLY™, of course!

I'm here to help you do just that!

The key is to maintain balance as you charge forward, with a keen sense of awareness for what lies ahead and the direction in which you’re going … as well as taking these 11 necessary steps to blaze your own bodacious path in 2017 (tweet it):

1. Get clear for the New Year

We are starved for depth, meaning and purpose in our consumer-obsessed culture. We have a hard time discerning what would truly bring us happiness with all the marketing and advertising that is literally designed to trick us. Because of this, I like to begin the New Year by getting clear about what I most want to accomplish this year and that can propel me towards a life I would LOVE to be living.

I focus in on how I want to feel (with the help of Danielle Laporte's Desire Map), I ponder what adventures I want to take, I consider what personal development opportunities I want to delight in, and I sit with how I want to deeply connect with those that I hold nearest and dearest. I ask, "what can I give?", focusing in on how I can LOVE more and deliver greater value and service to the world, instead of asking "what can I get?"

The Bottom line: Discover what is of deepest importance to you. (HINT: you will know, for it is what brings you fully alive) Don’t allow yourself to be blind to the things that truly matter to you.(tweet it) A raise at your 80 hr/week job may bring you alive momentarily, but will that feeling last in the long run? Getting another degree and another title to add to your name will exhilarate you in the beginning, but is it truly going to bring you a lasting sense of aliveness? Going to Bali might look spectacular on your social media feed, but is it going to nourish you at the deepest level of your being?

There are two things that we have to examine closely here when deciding. I refer to them as the:

  1. Short-term ego goals: goals that lead to a momentary pleasure or ego high, but don’t last in the long run

  2. Long-term Aliveness goals: goals that will help you to achieve an overall feeling of aliveness in the long run, even if it means giving up a temporary pleasure

Even if you’ve already been throwing some ideas around, whittle your list down to 3 main goals (or what I like to call ALIVENESS ACCELERATORS) to move towards. THREE. That’s it. And make sure that they fall into category #2.: long term aliveness goals. Anything more & you’ll sabotage yourself before you’ve begun.

Once you have your list, write it out on a big sheet of paper and put it up on the wall where you can see it every day (or write it on your bathroom mirror). Make it fun, decorative, juicy, or whatever it takes for you to actually enjoy looking at it daily. I do the same with my Core Desired Feelings from the Desire Map. which you can see to the right ------>

Check in around your 3 ALIVENESS ACCELERATORS at least once a week and see what ACTIONS you can take in the next 7 days to move closer to your goals. Be sure to pack compassion with you for the journey and set small, measurable daily steps (& reward yourself along the way!).

2. Release what no longer serves you

Release rituals have been one of the most powerful ways I have been able to bring healing and transformation into my life over the last 7 years. All you have to do is decide what is no longer serving you and what you are going to commit to let go of from 2016. Write it all down on a piece of paper (or several if you need!) and then consciously release it either through tearing it up into little pieces and throwing it in the toilet or burning it (safely). As you are destroying the old beliefs, ways of being, and the things that are no longer serving you, loudly proclaim “BE GONE!” Repeat any time you are feeling stuck or blocked.

3. Unleash your unique #SOULSPARKLE

Since it's the Year of the Fire Phoenix, we have the ability to tap into the powerful energies around us and allow them to carry us. We merely need to claim that fire power that is ours! Think of it as the unique #SOULSPARKLE that only you can bring and shine in the world, burning BRIGHT. I created a FREE 13 day course to help you begin the journey here: the #SOULSPARKLE Starter Kit

You can also spend time each day generating power from within, focusing on your solar plexus near your belly button. Imagine a fiery yellow sun generating from that point within you like an internal dawn approaching. Imagine it slowly getting bigger and bigger till it entirely consumes you, energizing and warming your entire body. Draw on this internal sun whenever you need energy or personal power. It’s an endless reserve within us all. This exercise is even more powerful if you do it simultaneously with the sun rising in the morning.

4. Choose your theme for the year

As some of you know, I choose an annual theme for the year, especially since choosing a specific focus and intention goes a long way in the sphere of personal development. 2016 asked me to Do What Matters, which was a very humbling process that allowed me to step more fully into sharing my gifts with the world and surrendering to the path that is meant for me instead of being attached to old ways of being.

In keeping with the Year of the Fire Phoenix, my theme for 2017 is ARISE (tweet it). Some others of mine in the past have been: Self Care or Go Nowhere &  Step into the Light .

Here are some ideas to help you choose your own theme.

  • Go through your old journals looking for words & phrases that repeat numerous times

  • Get honest with yourself about where you’re STUCK in your life and choose a theme to help you release from this pattern.

  • Name something you’d like to aspire towards this year

  • Consider a quality you’d like to bring into your life this year

  • Need more guidance? Consider booking a Deep Dive Discovery session with me for the New Year to get clear.

6. Nourish Yourself Deeply

To avoid the tumult of failed resolutions…consider making a commitment to deeply nourish yourself this year instead (i.e. I commit to eating nourishing foods that will best serve my body and work in the world. OR I commit to being generous every week, both with myself and with the people in my immediate circles – as well as strangers). Move towards what FEELS GOOD deep in your bones, what satiates you fully and wholly. Don't settle for scraps: commit to choose the feast. To enhance the experience, you can even create a commitment contract with yourself that you sign and date (preferably with a witness) to stay on course with your path to nourishment. You can refer back to it often to help keep you aligned.

7. Make Growing & Giving a Priority

Growing and giving are two of the main areas in life that bring us the greatest fulfillment and joy. If we’re not growing, we wither and die like anything else in nature. And if we’re not giving, we become hardened and bitter, trapped in the lonely world of separation, self-absorption and ego. So consider making growing and giving priorities this year. Infuse this intention into everything you do. Ask how can I grow? and how can I give? in each situation and begin to look at your days as sacred containers to express your greatness, instead of just another day passing. (Tweet it) Bring ritual and reverence to each task you take on, and make it matter so that you can activate the aliveness that comes from making a contribution.

8. Move towards Authenticity

“Finding the authentic has become the foremost spiritual quest of our time.” – Andrew Potter

The only way to truly be bodacious on your own path is to be authentically and boldly YOU (tweet it). To embody your own delicious spark of uniqueness – the potion that can only be you, the deep gifts only you can give, that unlikely superpower, the living legend within you. And Sparkle SHAMELESSLY™!

Yet we have a fundamental conflict: we all yearn to be seen and recognized for the truth of who we are, yet we’re simultaneously afraid of being judged and rejected. And allowing ourselves to be vulnerable is the only solution. As – Julien Smith cleverly put it, “Vulnerable is the new black.”

How about releasing your feelings of fear and just stepping into the fullness of who you are? How about NOT attempting to compare yourself to others in this world (especially models in magazines, Hollywood actresses, or people in ad campaigns for enhancement products) but instead comparing yourself to your Fabulous Future Self? Then congratulating yourself for the progress you’ve made so far in getting there?

Choose to live life in plain sight this year, even if it means being vulnerable, and move towards authenticity at every turn. Allow yourself to be gigantic & whole, even when it hurts. You are an unlimited being, and it’s only our thoughts and actions that bring on limitation. You weren’t meant to be like anyone else but YOU, and you alone. So rock your realness & SPARKLE! (tweet it)

9. Tap into the inner wisdom of your heart

As Carl Jung said, “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

To stay in balance while blazing your own bodacious path, it’s essential to strengthen your relationship with yourself & to deepen your ability to listen to your inner depths & the wisdom of your heart. It involves clearing away the noise of daily life and your own mind so you can hear your true self. You must take the time to be silent each day and listen to hear the reverberations of the truth, bypassing any ego nonsense.  If it’s only in your head/mind you can rest assured it isn’t your truth, for truth echoes only in the chambers of the heart. (tweet it)  This is a process of befriending your heart and tapping into it to receive the wisdom that has always been yours.  These are some of the most powerful and exacting methods there are for decision making, growth, and healthy change. And YOU get to steer the controls!

Begin to literally ask for Guidance – “What would you have me do, where would you have me go and what would you have me say, and to whom?” – this is a favorite question that I like to ask to receive guidance, from A Course in Miracles.  It can also be as simple as concentrating on a specific situation in your life and asking “Is there anything that I need to know to help this situation to resolve for the highest good of all involved?” You may also speak directly to your Fabulous Future Self, imagining them sitting directly in front of you shining limitless love and acceptance as you ask for guidance.

10. JUST LOVE

LOVE moves everyone. LOVE is the great motivator. LOVE RULES! (tweet it)

But really…our world needs more love. Whenever you can give love, come from a place of love, share love, inspire love, shout love from the rooftops, & just be the presence of love itself. Join the Revolution of LOVE & LIGHT that is upon us.

11. Gather in Beloved Community for healing, strength & support

In these maddening times, we need to lean into Beloved community and each other to help us RISE & SOAR. We're not made to do this alone. We need each other to live into our full (r)evolutionary potential!

I have lots of upcoming opportunities for us to gather both in spiritual community and in sisterhood, with our New Year's MENLA Retreat in upstate New York, the Birthing a Brave New World 3 part ritualistic series, and the #SOULSPARKLE Sanctuary. Join us!

12. Take action starting NOW (Bonus Step!)

in the comments below, put yourself on the hook with what action you'd like to start taking right NOW from the list above and we can help hold you accountable.

It is my sincere hope that these tools and practices will be of great use to you in 2017 and beyond. Regardless, may you have a tremendous start to the New Year blazing your own bodacious trail! I can't wait to see you RISE & SOAR!

Let's Dance!!

You may not know this about me, but I’ve always been a dancer. I started with jazz and tap when I was little and morphed into a high femme raver in high school.  From there, I formed a college Improv dance troupe that performed as part of my architecture thesis, which in turn led to my becoming a NYC Electroclash nightlife dancer, a Zumba enthusiast, and more recently a Daybreaker party crasher. And of course, I still love shaking my ass at home in front of the mirror!

Regardless the form, dance has always been there, in some way, keeping my body moving and reminding me of who I am -- whether it was pulsing to the rhythmic beat of the speakers late into the night or dancing salsa at a Latin club. And now there’s Qoya. It’s founded by the magical Rochelle Schieck on the idea that through movement we remember: we remember we’re WISE, WILD & FREE. It’s the ultimate movement form that has finally brought me back home to my body and connected me firmly to my inner truth. And I can’t wait to share it with you!

Why do I love Qoya? It’s movement with meaning, dance as a form of prayer. It’s profound ritual and sacred space. It’s deep diving into our truth and letting out our authentic expression through the body. It’s beloved community and healing, and most of all it’s an extremely practical and grounding embodiment practice for these troubling times. The best part is, there is no way you can do it wrong, and the way you know you’re doing it right is that it feels good. There’s also a low barrier to entry, meaning no experience is necessary.

I’m thrilled to be offering TWO upcoming opportunities for us to dance together & go deep in the coming month:

The first is a New Years retreat I’ll be co-teaching this winter at MENLA Mountain Retreat & Spa along with Rochelle Schieck, the founder of Qoya; Madeline Giles, the founder of Angelic Breath Healing; and Tami Brunk, who does Shamanic Astrology. I’ll be leading us in Your Soul’s Calling Collage, an elaborate expressive arts ritual to help you call in your vision for 2017 and remember your future. MENLA is holy land that has been blessed by the Dalai Lama, and this weekend retreat will be a magical way to start the New Year! Join us Jan 6 - 8th.

The second is a 3 part ritualistic series to ignite our Divine Feminine Power and Birth a Brave New World together, which I will be co-facilitating with Stephanie Severe. It begins the day after the historic women’s march on January 22nd and ends the day before the Spring Equinox in March. Join us for deep sisterhood, healing and transformation. Think of it as a wild blend of the church you wish you'd always had mixed with the dance party of your dreams. We will come together in an immersive container of transformation to release what’s no longer serving our (r)evolution, access our inner truth, fully move the emotions and energy of these times through our bodies & harness our fierce passion and Divine Feminine power. 

Dance with you soon Beloved!

RUPTURE, RAGE & (R)EVOLUTION: a LOVE story

RUPTURE

This rupture will lead us to rapture, our very lives depend on it. (tweet it)

CALLING ALL CREATORS, DISRUPTORS, HEALERS, SPIRITUAL MISFITS, SACRED REBELS, INDIGO CHILDREN, CLOSET MYSTICS, (R)EVOLUTIONARIES, QUEERS, ARTIVISTS, ACTIVISTS, CHANGE MAKERS, QUEENS, CATALYSTS, WAKENING ONES, & THE PERPETUALLY WILD AT HEART...

It's happening. RUPTURE. It seems that our world is crumbling before our very eyes. But I want to remind us that the Divine is here even in this contentious election, which has brought so much sadness and anxiety to so many. The divisive, polarizing nature of this campaign and its predictably disastrous fallout is our Rock Bottom. We’re hitting it. HARD & FAST, without a seat belt. This is what it had to come to for the shadow of America to fully be seen and exposed, and ultimately for us to be able to move through it and to grow well together again. For us to remember who we really are and to reunite as a great human community and family again. We have been living in a time plagued by small-mindedness, where not enough of us were daring to dream bigger dreams or hold our government to a higher standard. Now that’s all going to change.

In a way, I have to say I am deeply grateful and humbled that this is happening. If this is truly the antidote to the separation that plagues our world and will help us to heal and transform on a global scale, then I say BRING IT ON! It doesn’t mean it’s not going to be painful, even totally gutting at times. But we are resilient Beings, and our courage is needed now more than ever.

They say the brighter the light (of possibility), the darker the shadow. This is what we’re staring directly in the face now. This is how Spirit needed us to fall so we can rise again. This is the event we've been needing to WAKE THE F*$! UP.  This is indeed a Brave New World.

Yes, the old paradigm & story is grasping with its last few dying breaths, as the Divine Feminine is now making its final plan for the rising that has already been well underway -- all moving towards the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible, and a fully EQUAL partnership with the Divine Masculine. A true time of UNITY is upon us: one country, undivided; one planet, protected; one global heart, beating as ONE. But for now, we’re all still suffering from some version of the wounds of separation, regardless if we’re conservative, liberal or otherwise. This deep pain is what’s driving all the violent and cruel actions that are out of alignment with our humanity. And this time of polarizing and Other-izing must come to an end for our survival as a species, to be replaced with the Feminine qualities of compassion, unconditional love, collaboration, openness and more.  

As Lissa Rankin so beautifully put it, “This is not a time to separate into “us” and “them.” We are all equal cells in the human body. We are all motes of consciousness joining together as drops into an ocean on this Planet Earth. If any one cell on this planet is sick, we must heal it.”

But as with all true transformation & healing, it’s probably going to get a little worse before it gets better. The fire is going to get a lot hotter and more intense before it comes to a steady sustainable flame...and it’s going to hurt like hell. But that fierce pain is what’s going to help keep our eyes and our hearts WIDE OPEN as we lead the fierce Love (R)evolution forward, Beloved. That fire is what’s going to help us burn away all that is no longer serving us so that we can arise from the ashes. This is our phoenix moment, our chance to write a new heroic story that serves the greater good of ALL living beings, not just the lucky few. It’s inevitably going to help us turn towards what matters most, and to live lives of great integrity, heart and healing. For it’s the only thing that will pull us through to the other side of this.

Rupture requires of us DEEP SURRENDER. I'm no stranger to this lately. Over the last two years, I was brought to my knees with sickness to help me clear my vessel and heal so that my greatness and full soul expression could emerge. I faced my own fire. Now I am on my knees for America.

The challenge in this is finding ways to hold steady in our light and the core of our being, standing firmly in who we truly are in the midst of the rupture and descending darkness. The difficulty is in Being LOVE in every moment, even when it might just be easier to call our new president elect an Orange Monster or Cheeto Face. The truth is that he’s still a human being, who is clearly in deep unconscious pain of his own. Every time we fall into a space of negativity, and move away from love, we reinforce the current paradigm.

As Kute Blackson encourages us, “Make a radical commitment to stop indulging in fear, especially your own. It takes the same amount of time to choose love as it does to choose fear.”

Our power in this moment is to stay awake and feel our emotions fully. It’s to stand fiercely in our love in every thought, action, and decision we make. How we live our lives matters, now more than ever. They are our great masterpiece, our opportunity to bring uncompromising beauty to the world. Together we are creating a great cosmic masterpiece. Let’s choose to move forward with our better angels leading the way. To not go into a space of spiritual bypass or numbing out, or reaching for cold comforts like alcohol or food or drugs or even suicide. If you feel yourself slipping, reach out to someone you love who can remind you of who you are. If you don't feel like you have that person in your corner, come to me. I'm here for you, Beloved.

We can't bypass the reality of what is in this very moment. Let's allow ourselves time and space to feel this fully in our bodies. Let's be with the messy and truly complicated emotions that are so essential to being a human on earth at this time, and then get to work. It is a great gift and a tremendous challenge, especially for us lightworkers, sacred rebels and (r)evolutionaries. Let's be gentle with ourselves and know deeply and truly that we are not alone.

Let us remember that enormous waves of unseen possibility arise out of the greatest storms. (tweet it)

Beloveds, this is the time we've been preparing for. All of our deep healing work, self-reflection, copious divination decks, women’s circles & sacred gathering, deep spiritual practice, crystals, and the sometimes-guilty-as-charged-leaning-into-spiritual-materialism-with-your-gorgeous-new-mala-beads. The moment is now to put it all to use, FOR REAL. Dress Rehearsal is over. The Show is on.

RAGE

Our task is to use our righteous rage as kindling to fire us up for the crucial work we have ahead as LOVE & LIGHT workers in the world. (tweet it)

I’ve been sober for over a year now, and Tuesday night was the first time I’ve desperately wanted a drink since I quit.

The day after the election, I woke up after 3 hours sleep to the sobering truth of our new president elect. Upon hearing the news, my body became nauseated and went into shock waves like so many of us. I know I’m not alone in the rollercoaster mix of shock, rage, deep shame, fear, and anxiety, Beloved. I’m feeling you here too.

Yet the core emotion that was bubbling up inside of me was rage, FIERCE RAGE, especially at this blatant display of the deep seated Fear of the Feminine. Fear of seeing a woman in her power. The deep seated disregard for women and their bodies that allows a presidential candidate to admit to sexual assault & still get millions of votes (only reinforcing our already rampant rape culture). And that WOMEN, my American sisters, voted for him no less. Women that have been so brainwashed to undermine their own abilities, power and worth in the world by the very patriarchy and conservative white male populace that just took control of the government. The wool is so thick over their eyes they couldn't see the blatant truth staring right at them. And I don’t blame them in any way. I have deep compassion for them. They just don't know any better. YET.

And not only this, but a presidency that was backed by the KKK and Nazi party? WTMF?!!! Is it not 2016?

A sleeping Giantess was awoken from a deep slumber on Wednesday morning, and man was she PISSED. I was channeling a bit of Goddess Kali after hearing the news, perhaps. Blue head fuming, with blood dripping from an outstretched tongue. And the raging only continued, at the system that is no longer serving us as a whole, at the capitalist machine and unchecked greed for money & power that is eating us alive, at the disastrous impact of unconscious media and reality TV, and on and on. I was like a blazing fire over which someone had poured a bucket of kerosene.

Intuitively, I knew I needed to move my body, I needed to dance it up and out and through my vessel. I needed to feel it fully in every cell, so I could release it. I needed to dance hard and free and as wild as I could. I had to move the energy so it didn’t get trapped, to shake it out like we do in Qoya. I needed to scream and cry and rage, safely.

Luckily, I had tickets to a post-election Daybreaker event starting in an hour, and one of my favorite DJ’s was on deck, Tasha Blank. Music was going to be my antidote in this moment.  So I ran out the door and onto the most somber subway ride I’ve ever taken. Not even after 9/11 was the energy so heavy and dark. It felt like a full circle moment with hate at center stage.

That morning at dawn Tasha reminded me that God is a DJ, and boy is she needed right now. We came, we danced, and we remembered -- who we are, what we stand for and the vision of the world we want to create. Through music and coming together in Beloved Community, we had a deep moment of healing, even in the darkest of times. This video was taken just moments before I was graced with the power of a giant bear hug from the 200 other beautiful souls I danced with that morning.

I am still holding onto that profound gesture of our shared humanity, fiercely, with every ounce of my being. It has been my life raft in this flood of hatred. I’m still savoring the feeling of all that loving energy pulsing through us in that moment, bodies pressed up tight with tears streaming. Basking in feeling the TRUTH of who and what we are. It was deeply profound to revel in our ability to open our hearts just a little bit more even when they're breaking. (tweet it)

When I left that morning, I didn’t realize my heart could break any more than it already had.  But the the levels of cruelty, disconnection, fear, separation and desperation that have taken root in the last 72 hours are utterly soul-crushing and seemingly insurmountable.

From flag burnings to hate crimes to death threats to an increase (ALREADY!) in LGBTQ youth suicides, this has got to stop. We're barely breathing when our hearts are this shut down. 

“Where is the humanity in this,” I thought? “Where is our decency? How have we moved so far from the truth of our oneness and connection with all of Life?”

I have to admit that my own unshakable optimism took a serious hit, but resilient is my middle name.

Yes, there is a time and a place for outrage. We must process it fully and release if from the body. But, we must be mindful to not let the rage get out of control and spin us into a frothy pit of negativity, hatred and despair (fueled by the constant stream of social media drama).

Charles Eisenstein warns us why in his powerful article on Hate, Grief and the New Story: "Anything becomes possible with the collapse of dominant institutions. When the animating force behind these new ideas is hate or fear, all manner of fascistic and totalitarian nightmares can ensue, whether enacted by existing powers or those that arise in revolution against them.”

We need to channel this into righteous rage and use it as kindling to fire us up for the crucial work we have ahead as LOVE & LIGHT workers in the world.

Because of this, I am more fired up now than ever in my mission to help free human spirits that have been marginalized and oppressed to Sparkle SHAMELESSLY™, especially women and the LGBTQ Community. By dismantling old systems, ideas, and ways of being that dim our inner #SOULSPARKLE, promote separateness and limit our full evolutionary potential, I vow to help us release all that no longer serves so that we can create our lives as a great masterpiece for the good of all. By reminding us all of our inherent Divinity within, I’m passionately committed to ending the violence we perpetrate against each other and our own bodies.

It is this fierce light and love that is going to help drive out the darkness…..Each of us bringing our unique radiance and spiritual magnificence forth is going to help heal our world. That is what’s needed now. And I promise to do all I can to serve this effort. To bring education, empowerment, sacred art, beauty, hope, inspiration and of course SPARKLE into the world wherever I can.

And I know I’m not alone.

Not only do I feel this way, but many of my dear friends and fellow spiritual leaders are already banding together, gathering the troops for a massive LOVE offensive, and visioning a new world into being. We’re dreaming bigger dreams so we can end this illusion of separation that has taken over temporary occupancy in our world. (tweet it) We're not going to stand by and let hate poison our nation. We're going to create a force field of love so fierce that nothing will be able to ward it off. A Sacred (R)evolution is upon us at the individual, collective and global level ...Thank Goddess!

(R)EVOLUTION

The simplicity of our purpose now is to be in service to fierce love. (tweet it)

The one thing that is undeniable in all of this is that we have been in a deep slumber globally. There’s a lurking reality that lies just beneath the capitalistic shiny surface veneer of wealth and success... we live in a violent, racist, imperialist, patriarchal, homophobic country that was founded on genocide and slavery.  But luckily there is an awakening that’s happening. A quickening. There is a force field of fierce love & blinding light that’s coming into formation (thanks Beyonce) ;)

For as our brother Martin Luther King, Jr. reminds us, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

And if LOVE & LIGHT is too woo-woo or New Age for you, call it empathy, call it compassion, call it HUMANITY (defined as the quality of being humane, kindness and benevolence.)

Whatever term you choose, the root of this non-violent, Sacred (R)evolution is to allow love to pour into the world through us. It is allowing love to heal the divisions in the world through us. It is allowing our full radiance and inner light to come forth through us. There is no leader who is going to do this for us. We need to remember to empower ourselves and each other. No one else is going to be the presence of love if I'm not, if we’re not, collectively.

Peace geographer, Joshua F.J. Inwood, fortifies this idea in his article Why a Fractured Nation Needs to Remember King's Message of Love, "As outlined by Martin Luther King Jr., the role of love, in engaging individuals and communities in conflict, is crucial today. By recalling King’s vision, I believe, we can have opportunities to build a more inclusive and just community that does not retreat from diversity but draws strength from it."

I ask that you join us, Beloved, regardless of your political leanings, where you live in the world, or what race, nationality or gender you identify as. We’re all in this together. It’s time to step up and serve this Sacred (R)evolution of Love & Light. To evolve into a new species, Homo Luminous, emitting our blinding radiance for the good of all.

As our sister Jacqui Lewis reminded us in Love Now More than Ever, ”We need to dig deep and think right now: What would LOVE do? What would Love say? How would Love organize? How would Love look for allies? How would Love behave toward those who didn’t vote like us?”

Make no mistake, we WILL rise, and we DO have massive amounts of work to do (and mountains ahead to climb in heels and #onfleek) (tweet it)

This is the time for creatives & healers and visionaries to show the way. What I like to call Sacred Artists, (R)evolutionaries and Rebels. We’re warriors of he(art) & spirit here to guide you in the new way to live, love, lead, serve & SPARKLE. We’ll show you how to dream bigger dreams that can transform the very fabric of our society. We’ll show you the power of a force field of LOVE & light instead of hate and fear.  We’ll show you what it really means to be a presence of love and peace and healing in the world. We’ll show you what’s it’s like to exist as a beloved teaching and learning community encouraging full soul expression, moral courage, planetary healing, & collective spiritual awakening amongst its brothers, sisters, queers & otherwise.

We are fearless agents of change, not waiting for a miracle, but turning our love into action today to sculpt the course of history and our world by moving our society away from self-destruction, greed, ignorance and hatred that have led our planet to be polluted with numerous cancers.

We PROVOKE. RISK. STAND UP. STAND OUT. POKE. INNOVATE. DISRUPT. MAKE A RUCKUS. CONNECT with our sacred art that comes in the form of entrepreneurship, sacred work, conscious entertainment & media, social organizations, NFP's, impact investing, unconventional creative endeavors and more. Through these businesses and our lives we are building bridges between the possible and the seemingly impossible.

Join us Beloved! It’s time to Sparkle SHAMELESSLY™ for the good of all!

The Top 15 Essentials for this Sacred (R)evolution a.k.a. what's needed now more than ever:

  • FIERCE LOVE! My friend Meggan Watterson put it so well: “we know how to love larger and louder than any divisions.” This is a time for BIG-hearted living, for Loving fiercely, everywhere, anywhere, anyone, everyday, for sending metta/loving kindness meditation to Trump himself. It’s time to come from a place of deep love even in the darkest of situations and moments, to give hugs to strangers and loved ones and even our perceived enemies. The positive aspects of Kali are needed now - the ferocity of her sword cutting through the bullshit of illusion.

  • Consciousness raising & education- As Albert Einstein taught us, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. “ This is a time for educating. Ourselves. Each other. Our communities. In order to usher humanity away from the old paradigm that is no longer serving, and into the future that awaits this planet. Education on empathy, compassion, spirituality, understanding, radical acceptance and any other tools that can help us to mend the great divide.

  • Beloved Community & Support - This is a time to galvanize and rise up together, to spend time with people you love, to gather with like-minded souls, to join in sacred healing circles, to spend time basking in our oneness and connectedness as a human family. It is a time to practice radical inclusivity, to weave fierce support systems, especially for those individuals that are marginalized. This is a time to surround yourself with others who have walked through deep darkness and know how to get back to the light. Join our #SOULSPARKLE Sanctuary online community for hope, love & encouragement in our troubled world and tools to help transform at the individual, group & global level.

  • Bridge Building through Compassionate inquiry - This is a time to ask, “what is it like to be you?” of everyone you meet as a way of building understanding and empathy. Get out of your bubble and dialogue with Trump supporters, Hillary supporters, Bernie supporters, even those who didn’t vote at all or voted for Mickey Mouse. Deeply listen to them, heart to heart. This is a time to find out where our brothers, sisters and queers are coming from and to walk a mile in their shoes.

  • Solidarity - This is a time to show solidarity to those who are most afraid and fearful for their own lives or those of their families or communities. This is a time to sport symbols that communicate that silently, like wearing a safety pin to show others you’re a safe space for them to land.

  • Political Action - This is a time to engage politically and otherwise, to volunteer your time to the causes you care the most about. Opting out is the same as numbing out. This is a time to get informed, participate in your local government, know your rights, sign petitions, start petitions, and help shape the course of history.

  • Power -This is a time for conscious & spiritually mature people in positions of power and government who are coming from a place of love. This is a time for more women in power, women who have done the deep healing work to own their full worth in the world, those like Marianne Williamson who ran for Congress. This is a time for people power, not allowing ourselves to be blindly led by authority, but standing up for what we believe in so that someone else isn't determining our fate.

  • Hope -This is a time for both Hope and Faith, which is are intricately connected for me. Without having faith in a greater Divine plan that's unfolding, it's hard to have hope. Breakdown has to happen for breakthrough to occur. (tweet it) This is a time when faith & any shreds of hope we can muster will be one of the pale few lights to get us through the dark times ahead.

  • Creative Collaboration This is a time to put our heads together to create innovative solutions for healing and mending the fabric of our society, and meeting the world’s deepest needs. This is a time for global think tanks and meetings of the mind and heart, for artists to wildly create, for poets to remind us of what matters most, and for musicians to move our souls, TOGETHER. Like the incredible group poem below.

  • Deep Nourishment - This is a time for deep and vigilant self care to fortify you for the journey ahead. It’s time for nourishing foods, movement, spiritual practice and prayer, laughter and play, and time with dear ones and family. It’s a time to be vigilant when any urges arise to reach for the cold comforts of alcohol, drugs, sex or overeating instead of being fully present to what is.

  • Bravery - This is a time for bold and brash BRAVERY, to feel the fear and do it anyways, because we can’t not act. We know we’re playing the long game. This is a time to pick yourself. No one else is coming. Don't wait for someone to you permission to finally step into your purpose, power and potential. We are the ones we've been waiting for.

  • Clarity - This is a time for spiritual maturity -- to know who you are and what you stand for from a place of deep heart and integrity and to stand strong in that in all you do, say, and deliver to the world. To engage in personal & spiritual development on a regular basis for the health of our world.

  • Inspiration - This is a time to seek out inspiration that moves you and keeps your spirits high, including books from the greats, like Nelson Mandela, Victor Frankl, Ram Dass and others who’ve been through the darkness and can remind you of the light on the other side.

  • Beauty - "In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent" (Toni Morrison). This is a time for beauty through Art, gestures of human kindness and ritual happenings as a part of our healing process and awakening. Moments of beauty can be a salve for the wounded soul. Check out my gallery for some new shamanic healing art to inspire and bless you.

  • SHAMELESS Sparkle - This is a time to unleash our full radiance, to step into our purpose and most authentic soul expression in the world, to heal our wounds of self worth and evolve for the good of all. Begin the journey today with my new FREE 13 day course, the #SOULSPARKLE Starter Kit

  • DANCING - This is a time for dancing, and other modalities that can help us to stay grounded here on earth and embodied for the journey ahead. I included an inspirational LOVE (R)evolution Playlist for you HERE to get MOVING!

Subway therapy in NYC, A Wall of love, art & inspiration

Subway therapy in NYC, A Wall of love, art & inspiration

Now that I've shared mine, what are the essentials YOU'RE bringing for the journey, Beloved? Please share in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be sending out some clear calls to action (as well as copious beauty, hope and inspiration) for everyone in my community to get on board, step into your full purpose and potential for the good of all, and join the Beloved Community that Dr. King set out to bring about so long ago. Stay tuned and sign up below to join us! We CAN mend our broken Washington D.C. and our world, one loving gesture at a time. Know you’re safe with me till then.

Self-actualization is no longer a luxury, it is an imperative. (tweet it) I’m here to help, with every fiber of my being. It is an honor to serve this collective WAKING UP. It’s time.

Because YOU MATTER! The truth is that we need you now more than ever AND your deepest gifts to help heal our world. We’re counting on you to step up. This is what we’re made for. This is why we chose to be here on earth at this most powerful time in human history. And now IS the time. If you had any doubt before, let it be burned away by the urgency of the situation we now find ourselves in. If you need some inspiration, call on Goddess Kali from above: her presence is here more strongly than ever. And I'm here for you too, Beloved.

Reach out if you need anything at all. Comment below. Share what’s on your heart. Know that I see you. I love you. I honor and value you. I stand for you! And I'm holding you in a warm loving embrace. Remember we will always be #strongertogether.

 

Signing off from the front lines of the Sacred (R)evolution.

 

p.s. If you found this article inspiring, thought provoking or heart opening, please share with the links below! And we'd love to hear from you in the comments!

It's time to Rise & SOAR! Are you with me?

“You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust.
You were born with ideals and dreams.
You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.”
— Jelaludin Rumi

While much of America seems to be getting more and more divisive, I'm going to be holding doors for strangers, letting people cut in front of me in traffic, greeting all I meet, exercising patience with others, and smiling at strangers. I'll do this every time I have the opportunity. I will not stand idly by and let children live in a world where unconditional love is invisible and being rude is acceptable.

Join me in showing love and respect to others. Find your way to swing the pendulum in the direction of love.️ Because today, sadly, hate is gaining ground. Love must begin somewhere and love will overcome hate. Imagine the difference if we each purposefully love a little more. (This is copied and pasted from my friend Gail Larson on Facebook, who got it from another friend. If you agree, you can also copy and paste it to your Facebook page so your friends may read and share it too.)

In other words, when they go low, we go high.

There’s a beautiful story about the Great Bird of Humanity I want to share with you. Imagine a giant graceful eagle flying through the sky, yet one wing is stunted and barely flapping, while the other is pumping furiously, overcompensating for the weakness of the other wing. Instead of flying forward, this bird is spiraling downwards in a circle, stuck in a pattern that isn’t serving its full power and grace. This bird represents the imbalance of the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine in our world. It is wounded, and because of it, all of us are suffering.

I tell you this story because we are at a crucial point in human history, and ALL of our deep gifts are needed to help gracefully usher humanity into the next century and beyond. The world truly is experiencing a global awakening, and more and more people, especially women, are choosing to participate in this renaissance of spirit and substance.

I deeply believe that each and every one of us matters and that we’re here to DO something that matters. We’re all artists in charge of the greatest masterpiece on earth, our LIVES. We all have a Divine Legacy that we’re co-creating each day, all in service to the Great Cosmic Masterpiece. We must each add our unique stroke to this collective masterpiece, or else it will be forever lost.  (tweet it)

At this pivotal moment systems are crumbling, the levels of suffering are becoming nearly insurmountable, and we are deeply submerged in an age of separation. This age of separation is closely related to our alienation from nature, our own bodies and the sacred Feminine. The world is crying out for a balancing of the Masculine and Feminine energies, to heal the Great Bird of Humanity. Until we awaken to our interconnectedness with all beings, until we honor the spirit and Divine spark in all things, and until we act from this higher consciousness, we cannot heal.

“While I believe in the fundamental divinity of human beings, I also recognize that we have embarked on a long sojourn of separation from that divinity, and created a world in which ruthless sociopaths rise to wealth and power.” ”
— Charles Eisenstein, Sacred Economics

The greatest result of this separation has been to sever us from our own souls. We are collectively starving for depth, meaning, and purpose. We have an innate yearning to give our gifts and to be of service to others -- to live into our soul’s purpose -- yet we have had our attention stolen by countless distractions from what matters most. We have had our power pushed down and our greatness repressed.  We want to help, but often fall into the trap of saying to ourselves, “What can I do? I’m just one person.” But as Margaret Mead has said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

The Heartbeat of Our Collective Experience

It’s time that we tap into that urge and inner power to deliver our gifts, so we can rise and soar. This is the heartbeat of the collective experience of being a woman right now. There is an uprising, a swelling, of all that we are and all that we’re meant to become in this lifetime. I know that you all feel it too! There’s a collective rising, facilitated by deep waves of healing, and a multitude of dances with the fire of transformation. We’re clearing away what no longer serves us or the Great Bird of Humanity so that we can soar once again. 

Join me for The World Awakening Summit where I’ll be delving into this along with 26 other experts in the personal development space.

Instead of falling prey to hatred and fear, we RISE UP to embody the values that our nation was founded on. We come from a place of deep heart, integrity and healing in all we do. We use our sacred NO when it’s needed most. NO. Not on my watch will this man become president of the United States. May our collective descent into depravity show us the areas that most need healing, ultimately bringing out our brightest light.

As Conor Friedersdorf said recently, "A bad actor can cause a scandal in any institution. The true test of core soundness or rot is how everyone else reacts to the depravity. Do they reject it or say it isn’t so bad?"

We are instrumental to each other's healing & the greater healing of the world at this time. (tweet it) We are here to serve as intricate mirrors for each other's greatness and brilliant light. We are stronger together, generating and enhancing our energy and social impact. We are being called to stand up and share our full light in service to the world, for struggling souls catch light from other souls that are fully lit up and willing to show it.

The pulse that I sense in and around me is that LOVE is yearning to be the new bottom line in our world.

I sense that the Divine Feminine is ready and deeply yearning for an equal partnership with the Divine Masculine. Here, I'm referring to the Masculine that is supportive, strong and clear, not the destructive patriarchy as represented in figures like our presidential candidate or greedy Wall Street bankers that are destroying our economy. The later is a false form of male power incapable of a true partnership with the empowered women that we are becoming.

Instead, I sense that the world is hungry for an embodied women’s leadership to heal the Great Bird of Humanity for the good of the whole. It’s our responsibility to the collective, for the Good of all, to deliver our deepest gifts. (tweet it) Someone out there needs us. We must live our lives so they can find us.

That’s why I was called to be here today. It’s why I do the work I do each day. And it’s why I’m writing my first ever political blog post. The bottom line...

As Michelle Obama said so fiercely, "We cannot afford to stay home on Election Day." There is only one choice now. Do the right thing. Remember that we're always #strongertogether. There is so much at stake in this election. Get over your frustration and depression and get your pussy (or your ass) to the polls.

I’m with Vogue on this one, "Two words give us hope: Madam President. (tweet it) Women won the vote in 1920. It has taken nearly a century to bring us to the brink of a woman leading our country for the first time. Let’s put this election behind us and become the America we want to be: optimistic, forward-looking, and modern."

In closing, I’ll leave you a message from The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers:

“As you move through these changing times... be easy on yourself and be easy on one another. You are at the beginning of something new. You are learning a new way of being. You will find that you are working less in the yang modes that you are used to. You will stop working so hard at getting from point A to point B the way you have in the past, but instead, will spend more time experiencing yourself in the whole, and your place in it. Instead of traveling to a goal out there, you will voyage deeper into yourself. Your mother’s grandmother knew how to do this. Your ancestors from long ago knew how to do this. They knew the power of the feminine principle... and because you carry their DNA in your body, this wisdom and this way of being is within you. Call on it. Call it up. Invite your ancestors in. As the yang based habits and the decaying institutions on our planet begin to crumble, look up. A breeze is stirring. Feel the sun on your wings.”

Let us show up where we are needed most

On this day of the Scorpio New Moon, during the time of year when the veil is the thinnest and we have deep access to our ancestors, I will be calling on them now, sending prayers for global healing and seeking guidance on how to be the change that we seek in the world and make love the new bottom line, truly.

Scorpio brings the energy of the Phoenix to this New Moon, allowing us to burn away any fragments that remain of the life, patterns and behaviors we wish to leave behind and be reborn from the ashes so that we can rise & SOAR.

I ask you to join me.

Let us pray, meditate and commune with one another in sacred space, to promote an energy shift to heal our Mother Earth, mend the wounds of separation and achieve a universal consciousness toward attaining peace and love for all. Let us show up where we are needed most now: at the polls, in our communities, and out in the world bringing our deepest gifts to help meet the world's deepest needs. Are you with me?

I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!!!

What to do when you find out Marie Antoinette is a distant relative

Marie Antoinette, my distant relative

During my health crisis earlier this year I became increasingly interested in my blood relatives and distant ancestors. An intense yearning grew within me to know where I'd come from in this lifetime, to map where the cells of my sacred vessel had originated, and to trace them back in time over continents and countries. Though I had given thanks and acknowledged my ancestors before in ceremony, and particularly my matriarchal lineage, I was curious to know names and places and spiritual proclivities reaching back. I was keenly aware that the wounds, blessings, celebrations and hardships of our ancestors runs in our blood. It's in our cellular memory. Their stories are woven elegantly into our own. Without them, we would not be here at this greatest time in human history.

So over the course of the year I delved into ancestry records uncovering relatives as far back as the 1600's in Europe and also decided to venture into the world of 23 & Me and do genetic testing. I definitely ended up with lots of information to digest, from Quakers to Shamans to Celtic monks to slave holders to the fact that Marie Antoinette and Luke the Evangelist are distant relatives on my mother's side. Royal blood. Not too surprising to my Queen archetype…. But in the end it helped me to know myself a bit more, and to shine a light on why I'm here now.

Genetic vs. Spiritual ancestors

We all have ancestors -- it's a common thread we all share. It's something we can all relate to, and it's a great starting point to build a spiritual foundation in our lives. It connects us to the fabric of our very existence and brings awareness to the intricacies of what brought us to this threshold in history.

Have you ever stopped to wonder, "How many generations of my ancestors have worked with hope to make my life possible?"

There are also our spiritual kin or ancestors, those mentors, teachers, friends and in my case fellow priestesses, who are near and dear enough to our hearts to also be considered our chosen family. They are the ones who have influenced and shaped us with their wisdom and presence. They have held us in their compassion and closeness when we needed it most. They have shepherded our talents and stood up for our wildness and pure authenticity when no one else would.  Whether they are old Hollywood starlets, transgender luminaries, or radical activists, they have a place here, and deserve to be honored just the same.

Samhain, celebrating Halloween a little differently this year.

Samhain (pronounced (sow-in)), also known as Halloween in our Western culture, is the night when the veil between this world and the Spirit world is thinnest. That means it's an ideal time to connect with our ancestors or anyone who has transitioned from this plane -- not unlike the Mexican Day of the Dead (or Día de los Muertos), which begins on the same day. It's a sacred time to call upon those who came before us and honor their journeys, taking time out to recognize their strength, survival skills, and the choices that brought our own genetic lineage to where it is today -- for without them we wouldn't be here. I knew that I wanted to honor my ancestors in a significant way this year with the work I've been doing. Hence, the Faces of Our Ancestors Retreat that I'm co-facilitating upstate on Halloween weekend (I hope you'll join us! It's going to be epic!).

Make Your Own Ancestral Altar

Day of the Dead (Ancestor) Altar

Day of the Dead (Ancestor) Altar

It's important for our grounding here on earth to be in right relations with our ancestors. This could mean doing healing and forgiveness work if there is unfinished business between you and a deceased family member, or just taking time out to celebrate and honor them.

I've talked about creating your own altar or power place before, but consider making an ancestral altar this Samhain and honoring those who came before you this year -- not only your blood relatives, but anyone who has had a tremendous influence on you and helped to shape you into the Beings you are today. Pictures of your ancestors, objects of remembrance, maps, family heirlooms or anything else that reminds you of your Beloveds can go on the altar. Make it a dedicated space away from the hustle and bustle of your life and visit it regularly. Include a candle and anything else that invokes the sacred for you. Be sure NOT to include any images of living individuals.

Claim Your Birthright

Do you hide part of who you are? Do you look forward to the Halloween tradition of wearing masks and costumes?

This year consider doing it differently. If you can't join us for the retreat, I invite you to create your own sacred experience at home. Begin by lighting a candle at your ancestral altar, then close your eyes and breathe deeply. Think about who you are in the world today and know that everything within you is the sum of all your ancestors. Going thousands of years back, the generations of your ancestors all culminate within you now. Think about your own gifts, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, knowing they all came from an original source. Take this time to honor the ancestors who made it possible for you to be alive today.

Take the time to speak your genealogy that you are aware of as far back as you are able to go. With each name, say a bit about their individual lives as you know them.  A sample:

I am the daughter of Charles Edward who fought in WWII
and lived to share his experience…

Live your Divine Legacy

I deeply believe that we're here to live our lives as a great masterpiece for the good of all, and part of that is living our Divine Legacy. There will never be another one of us. Our ancestors ensured that we would be alive at this time in history. Don't we owe it to them to reach our peak potential in this lifetime?

As we step into our greatness and delivering our gifts in the world, let us call on them for assistance and guidance. As Christine Valters Painter so eloquently suggests, "sometimes we forget this great "cloud of witnesses" and "communion of saints" who travel alongside us through life offering their wisdom through the veil."

They are there for us, just waiting for us to make contact. Allow this Samhain holiday to transform your relationship with your ancestors and fuel your journey in this lifetime.

I invite you to share below how you'll honor your ancestors this season. Include any pics of your altar or ancestors that you'd like to share and how they've helped to shape you into the human you are today!

Scott Dinsmore: Forever living on through his legend...

In honor, memory and celebration of Scott Dinsmore and his beloveds.

I am saddened that this blog is written under such tragic auspices, but as many others have said, it wasn't an option NOT to write something in honor of such an amazing man that I was blessed to know.

Some of you may have heard me talk about Scott Dinsmore, founder of Live Your Legend, in one of my workshops, courses or talks. Or perhaps you've seen his super popular TedX talk. Or likely you know someone who was impacted by his work in the world that helped them to live their passion instead of just going after a paycheck. He was a great inspiration to many and our paths crossed more than once, but the last time was unexpectedly at World Domination Summit in Portland in 2013 just one week before my wedding. For he is no longer with us on this plane.

Scott died at the young age of 33 earlier this month while living his legend, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro as part of a worldwide tour with his wife Chelsea, in a freak rock slide. I found out the news right after it happened, but was honestly too shocked and in disbelief for the long sorrowful days that followed. I leaned into Spirit knowing that there is a greater plan, that Scott did indeed Live His Legend and that he will go down in history as doing such. If anything, it may even strengthen his incredible movement. However, whenever a radiant soul leaves us seemingly too soon, it leaves us rocking and reeling, queasy on the uncertain waters of our world.

Jesus also died at 33 and look at how he impacted the world in that short time…(tweet it)

We can never know when it's our time to leave this plane of existence, but we can live fully in each moment and choose to unleash our full soul expression in the world. None of us are exempt from hardship and suffering. It is an essential and integral part of life. We can go into magical thinking so easily if we're doing 'God's work', our soul work, believing that we're safe. But nobody gets a pass on death. It is the inevitable and mysterious fate that will meet us all.

When those we love and admire leave us too soon, we will inevitably suffer. And all we can do is hold those who were dearest to Scott in our hearts and send them love and strength to get through this incredible heartbreak they're in.

There is no greater reminder to truly LIVE fully, NOW

Though, his early transition does leave me with many questions and ponderings about living our soul path & bringing our full authentic expression to the world, and the grave importance of doing so NOW, not later. Part of me wants to rush out and scream from the rooftops, but I know my body needs quiet, calm and turtle medicine now so I must respect this path while holding the desire to rush into GO BIG or go home with my own soul work in the world.

But when it comes down to it, there is no greater reminder to truly LIVE fully, here-now-in-this-very-fertile-and-juicy-moment, than death. (tweet it)

We have been given this precious moment, this wild and wondrous life on earth in this most powerful time in human history. The grave question is what are we going to do with the opportunity? How are we going to fill our tiny delicate moments? How are we going to choose to spend our days?

Scott's early transition only heightens my belief in the importance of living into our full soul expression NOW, not later, and truly living our dreams and our legend in this lifetime. Our lives are waiting to become great masterpieces for the good of all. His story begs us to get rid of all that isn't serving us so we can truly be the change we want to see in the world. To dance with resistance and desire and chutzpah and consistency in showing up fully for the party. Not waiting, but boldly going forward with courage and determination.

This is what Sparkling Shamelessly for all to see looks like...

Scott didn't know his time here on this plane was limited, but he DID live every day to the fullest anyways
Scott didn't know that the Mountain he dreamed of climbing would take his life, but he DID possess the fierce courage to climb it anyways.
Scott didn't know that his once little hobby blog, Live Your Legend, would become a global movement, but he DID forge on anyways expressing himself fully and sharing his passion with the world.
Scott didn't know that his own personal legend would live on, but he DID walk his talk everyday anyways

These are all true hallmarks of someone living their greatness each and every day. Won't you live into yours for us?

Jonathan Fields said it best, "He was like a kid on a quest to build the coolest sand castle in the history of all sand castles, and all the world was his sandbox."

Let this be a reminder for us to PLAY each day, to allow ourselves to be lit up by what we love, and to treat life as the precious gift that it is. Each moment is a sacred container that we can choose to fill with our greatness & buried inner gems. (tweet it) Let's light up the world with our own internal acre of diamonds for the good of all. Like Scott, let's build our own sandbox, the sandbox that only we can build. The world is waiting for us dear heart. Let's give em all we've got!

Share the power of Scott's impact

Did Scott impact your life in some way or did hearing his story? Tell us how in the comments below and share it with the world! We'd love to see your sandcastle!

The Great Silent Summer Sabbatical

Earlier this summer I decided to just disappear...

...to quietly go off social media, to unceremoniously stop sending emails, to silently make a new website, and to just get quiet overall and turn inward. I didn't feel the need to make some big announcement or outline my plans and broadcast them. I just simply got quiet. And it was the best gift I ever could have given myself. This healing journey I'm on has required more of me than I ever imagined it could. My strength, my courage, my patience, my humbling, and most of all the transformation of my fear.

My body could no longer handle the pace at which I was living or the choices that I was making. My soul was starving and crying out for attention. So I stopped. I let go. And I had no choice but to say "ok." Lead me. I'll turn the bulldozer off. I'll DO LESS, and BE STILL MORE. I'll make it my new mantra. Instead of pushing, hustling, visioning and scheming I had to humbly put everything on pause and just walk away. And truly take to heart the adage, "if you want to make God laugh, tell her your plans." I had to open to receive what I need most instead. And that was some time to just disappear, without any plans or agenda, just silence…

And a curious thing has happened during this time.

Everything I needed still came to me: opportunities that I would have previously sought out showed up at my doorstep instead and everything FLOWED with ease, almost effortlessly. So I said yes, and thank you, and more please. Like the news of my first RETREAT this fall! Or opportunities for affiliate promotion like my dear friend Jen & her Manifestation Masters Program. Or speaking gigs, like the Sacred Stories Summit. Any of these would have been amazing on their own, but they're just glimpses of the bounty that has arrived. I've super powered my gratitude practice because of this, and also because never knowing how I'm going to feel causes me to REALLY appreciate the days I feel good - and can function almost normally.

There are also opportunities that have crushed my heart to say no to as well, because I just don't have the same bandwidth as before. My yes must now be a screaming HELL YES for me to proceed. There must be total alignment, both internal and external. Though there are a lot more NO's that are happening than I would like, I have to be extra discerning at this time.

This great silent summer sabbatical has brought piercing clarity and discovery, but also deep grief and loss. It's helped me to truly see what's serving me and what's not. And it's forced me to make difficult decisions (like moving, and changing the way I'm working with others and finding a diet and home that truly nurtures me from the inside out). I've been shown in technicolor the old patterns that are still holding on in my life, both behavioral and karmic. It's forced me to look at the choices I've made in my life up until this point (with the help of the Supermoon this weekend) and to take a hard look at my motivations. To see the places where my soul has been buried and bulldozed in favor of ego or unconscious motives.

As Mark Nepo says in his brilliant & poignant book Seven Thousand Ways to Listen, "Unless rooting and opening, unless listening to what is near but beyond us, we will forgo the soul's birthright to blossom." I have been challenged to listen deeply now to that part of me that life is trying to awaken, the soul's intimate yearning.

And so things are going to be changing around here...

...For the better. I wanted you to be the first to know. You can expect not only a new look, but also more of my blazing brave he(art) to shine forth in the months to come, a massive increase in value, a greater level of service, and lots of authentic soul expression, from art to poetry to prose when I am able to give it. Because I am no longer going to hold back. I have been humbled and ravaged and worn down, but it's left me with the sparkling core of what matters most and the work I was put on this earth to do: bringing light & healing to the broken places (and people) in our world.

I want to take the opportunity to tell you now that I am so grateful for you, your support, your love, your courage and your sparkle. I hope you stick around for the ride, dear heart. I promise that it's going to help us all to Sparkle Shamelessly & shake the world together.

We Have an Epidemic on Our Hands...

I am no stranger to feeling unsafe in my own skin.

I’ve personally experienced bullying almost every year of my existence on this earth. At first it was in school, before the Internet really took over and bullies could hide behind a screen and IP address. Whether it was being called a “fatty” (since I grew up as an obese child), or a “freak” (since I used to style myself in outrageous clothes borrowing from my mother’s fab 70’s wardrobe she had abandoned), I was used to the abuse. And this was just the gentle jeering. It happened again as a young adult when I moved to New York and used to go out on the town with my creative partner, all dolled up in our latest self-created avant-garde fashions. We would experience bullying that ranged from laughter and pointing to straight up violence and anger for our difference. Finally, I was jeered at in the queer community for choosing to marry a partner who was a biological male.

For some reason, certain people always make it THEIR concern, the way I appear on the outside and how I carry out the affairs of MY life. 

We live in a country where fat shaming, gender shaming, and generally shaming people for who they truly are runs rampant. We are so busy trying to look like celebrities in the magazines that we’ve forgotten how to show gratitude to our bodies, the beautiful vessels that allow us to walk on the planet. We are so trapped in the illusion of separateness that we miss the basic understanding that I am you and you are me, and that we need this dichotomy to survive and thrive in our world. We have moved so far away from our Oneness that all we see are the blinding dividers of perceived ‘difference.’

Instead, we are busy filling our bodies with metal, needles, rat poison, silicon and more instead of loving them and feeding them nourishing substances that will heal the body naturally. Even the recent lack of indictments in the case of Eric Garner & Mike Brown are a form of body shaming, making black individuals feel less than, unworthy and worst of all UNSAFE in their own skin.

What we HAVE is an epidemic of body shaming, but what we NEED is an epidemic of acceptance. (tweet it) 

We’re taught to stay in our lane, to color in the lines and to do our best to look like everyone else. Just go into any chain store around and you’ll find the same mediocre, styleless clothes reproduced thousands of times over. But I get it. That’s safe. By wearing them, you don’t put yourself at risk to the bullies of the world who haven’t learned the art of acceptance, of self or other. Taking that harder path is painful and often times traumatic, but for me worth the priceless experience of getting to be fully me each day.

But the truth is that we each have a soul expression unique to us: like a snowflake, it is entirely original and impossible to reproduce. Each of us living our truth is needed to complete the intricate web of humanity in which we co-exist. (tweet it)

We are at a time where moving towards acceptance and overcoming our obsession with form is crucial for our survival and health as a species. We must re-learn that it is the formless that matters most: the formless: our Spirit, our comfort in our own skin, that which is immaterial.  What we create with our hands and shape into the reality of the fabric of life, our great work.

So get over your tendency to shame yourself (and others) and start focusing on YOUR gifts instead. Why you’re here at this most crucial time in human history. It’s time to unleash your true self!

Let’s end this epidemic of shaming together!

Action Steps for greater acceptance in our world:

Immediate Actions You Can Take For Social Good & World Change

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay

It was a true honor to participate in the Social Good Summit LIVE this past weekend in NYC. Hosted by Mashable, the UN Foundation, Ericsson and more, it was the first event of its kind: an epic 3-day global conversation with participants from more than 163 countries, including over 200 meetups all focusing on how to use technology for social good and world change.  Film company One Day on Earth even set up a studio in the art gallery of the 92Y, splicing videos from various countries in real time to accompany the heavy hitting lineup of global leaders, visionaries, artists, celebrities and more.  Overall, the common goal at the Summit was to shorten the distance between identifying the world’s problems and implementing creative solutions for sustainable change.

What was clear is that a great many people are moving more towards their heart centers & embracing radical empathy. They WANT to do GOOD! They just need the tools, platforms, connections & buttons to click in order to do so.  There are those individuals that are still in ‘professional denial,’ though, fueled by the industries that want to keep the status quo – and they continue to destroy our planet and the reality of a sustainable future in the process. Don’t be one of them! Below are some highlights from the Summit & ways that you can easily get involved. The idea is to not just uplevel your own life, but the life of all beings in our global village. Geographical divides are no longer a barrier to unified action. With technology and social media, anything is possible!  And as Maggie Fox from @ClimateReality stated, “You’ve got your Time, your Dime & your Voice. Use all three all the time.”

Climate Change

Social movements are essential for political change and climate change is still the #1 issue facing our planet today. The cases of extreme weather and its effects are all around: natural disasters, rampant storms, flocks of birds falling out of the sky dead & everything you see around you each day. If things don’t change, our species could be extinct in 200 years. Increase the noise around the country about climate change. Learn the realities of “Dirty Weather’ that is being caused by all forms of unrenewable energy.

Actions you can take today

Modern Day Slavery

We just passed the 150 anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, where we truly became a free country & stated that slavery would no longer exist. But the reality is that there are more slaves in the world NOW than there were in 1862. Transnational organized crime brings in 820 BILLION DOLLARS each year, with human trafficking pulling in 32 BILLION of that total.  Slave labor & human trafficking are a global dilemma. These horrible practices have permeated every continent and could even be in our neighborhood, but we often fail to see them.

Actions you can take today

Poverty

“Every country can develop. Every country can end poverty.” – Jim Yong Kim @Worldbank (click to TWEET)

Mobile devices are one of the top 5 advances in the world to lift us out of poverty. Technology is helping to foster equality.  Through companies like mPowering, women and young mothers in developing countries are using cellphones to empower themselves (see more at their web site, http://mpowering.org/) . The potential of every young girl needs to be realized in our world.

Actions you can take today

  • Enter the mWomen design challenge to benefit and break down barriers for millions of poor and marginalized women (www.designchallenge.mwomen.org)

  • Join the @Worldbank campaign #Whatwillittake to end poverty and boost prosperity. Send ideas via Twitter. Help bend the arc of history to end poverty much sooner than predicted.

Foster Peace

“Over 1.5 Trillion is spent on armaments right now & 700 Billion for military, yet only 300 Billion on peace.” @JeffDSachs

You must connect with people and their stories so you can relate on a heart level. We all have hopes, desires, dreams aspirations, loves. Open your eyes to what’s going on right in front of you. Your empathy and connection will grow. You can’t forget to see yourself in others.

Love grows. It’s a commodity that expands once you start to use it. @ForrestWhitaker(click to tweet) – Artist and UNESCO Goodwill ambassador

“Together we can solve the problems and educate the world.”

Actions you can take today

Youth Education

There are 61 Million kids not in school around the world. Every youth in the world should have access to the same learning materials. The Global Give Back Circle, sponsored by the Gates Foundation, is helping to bridge the occupation gap and give youth in developing countries access to learning opportunities.

Pregnancy and childbirth is the #1 cause of death in teenage girls around the world, largely due to lack of knowledge & access to education. Child marriage is also an issue. Allowing a girl to learn about her health and wellbeing can change the future of our globe.

Actions you can take today

  • Follow and engage with @10x10act, an engine to educate girls throughout the world with a full-length film coming soon.

  • Support the Connect to Learn program as part of Ericsson’s sustainability initiatives.

  • Be the spark of change for a youth. Visit www.giveforyouth.org

Empowering Women & Girls

When you see how a country is treating their women and girls, you’ll know how likely they are to prosper.” Holly Gordon of @10x10act (click to tweet)

There are 600 Million adolescent girls globally. A large majority of those girls is seen as a liability and not an asset. Healing gender roles is one issue, but if you start with educating, empowering and connecting girls it will serve the future overall by providing stronger families, communities and a planet. There’s a huge value proposition at the end. Educating & empowering girls & women sets off a ripple effect. When you’re helping one woman, you’re helping every woman.

“We also need enlightened men around us to change the discourse.” @AmericaFerrera @ONECampaign

Actions you can take today

  • Engage with The ONE Campaign supporting economic empowerment for women

  • Tell a girl in your community or family about GirlUp – a “for girls, by girls” organization that’s part of the UN Foundation

  • Message from the teen advisor for GirlUp – @SofiaCSnyc “Help my generation find their voice and use it so we can create huge change.”

  • Developing countries like Honduras want more collaboration than charity. How can you help generate collaboration?

Child Mortality

19,000 Children are dying a day.  Join the www.apromiserenewed.org campaign, whose goal is to reduce child deaths worldwide.  146 countries have already committed to helping every child have a 5th birthday.

There is also the issue of Stunting, which afflicts over 160million children. When you go without proper nutrition before the age of two your brain can’t develop, and these children don’t have a chance of reaching their full potential.

Actions you can take today

Nutrition

1 Billion people in our world today are hungry. 2 billion people are malnourished. Poverty, lack of access & deficient knowledge are just a few of the causes.

Actions you can take today

Obesity

Today’s children are the 1st generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

Ironically, as middle and low-income countries become more economically developed, we’re increasing our mortality rates thanks to modern “conveniences.”  Technology can enable the solution, along with making physical activity a priority on a social level.

“The next generation should demand the ability to reach their full potential. Greatness can be found at every level of the human spirit.” – Charles Denson @Nike #move

[youtube]http://youtu.be/JGskDRV4t0g[/youtube]

Actions you can take today

  • Make sure you (and your friends, family, and colleagues) engage in 60 min of physical activity a day and begin teaching the value of being active.

  • Inspire others to #move

Global Health: Fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

One death is too many. The love of human[ity], us caring about each other makes all the difference @jimmy_wales(click to tweet)

@globalfundnews is working on an incredible campaign called #thebigpush to help end deaths from these three diseases.

Actions you can take today

  • Become part of the Big Push – Click HERE to visit the site, donate & post your picture to join the ranks of people globally

Spirituality in the Digital Age

“Action without love is irrelevant.” @DeepakChopra (click to tweet)

Social Media is influencing the brain and our evolution, raising human to a critical mass. We must think wisely of how we will use it. Social networks regulate the energy of the Universe and are spurring the evolution of the human identity into a global identity. We are laying the foundation for a global brain.  Technology is our creation. Let’s use our creation to bring about healing. At-one-ment. We are not just connected, we’re inseparable. Let’s help everyone increase their capacity for happiness and wellbeing.

Actions you can take today

  • Ask yourself. What kind of world do I want to live in? How can I make that happen?

Take ACTion

This is just the tip of a massive iceberg, but it’s never too late to join the action & help change the world. The key is to not get overwhelmed. Empathize and prioritize.  Advocacy starts at home – do what you can from where you are. Amplify your voice. Connect your brain to your heart. Utilize your creativity to change lives. Think of happiness and wellbeing for ALL instead of just 1%. Get out what you want to say and create a call to action.  Generate conversations. Take leadership. Engage in thoughtful empathy. The world needs you. NOW.

“Give me 1000 inspired people and we can change the world.” – Paull Young @Charitywater (click to tweet)

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