What you didn’t do then. Dear One, is and will always be so much less significant than what you are doing now.

What if, instead of being discouraged by what is, Dear One, you got excited about what could be?

It’s not about tomorrow, or what’s next, or what was, or what may be.  It is about right now, as it is, in this moment.

In this moment  – you have the ability to make a different choice, to have a different experience, to love a little more, to be a little kinder, to flourish, to be brave, to take a risk, to let it go, to live.  Now, in this moment –  you can choose to be confident – you can choose to take care of yourself – you can choose to impact the lives of others – you can choose to trust and try and trust and try again.  For it is the only thing that is real, Dear One.  Now.

You keep forgetting and we will keep finding ways to remind you that now is the only moment that matters.  When you come to believe this, in your heart and in  your head and in  your soul, then you will be home.  The desire to be anywhere but exactly where you are will dissipate.  All questions will dissolve and you will find peace, contentment and satisfaction right where you are.

It is understandable, Dear One, for you to fear change, for you to be frightened, nervous, or hesitant about the idea of moving from what is known to what is unknown.

But what if we told you that by moving forward, and embracing change, you would actually be doing the exact opposite.

What if we told you that by pursuing your passions, trusting your instincts, taking the leap, and letting change in, you would be stepping back into a very familiar place, a place that is more YOU than any other place could be, a place that is made up of the energy that created you, that you were born into, and have spent all of eternity in.

The truth is, Dear One, that the more you trust yourself, the more you let go, the more you allow yourself to follow your heart and to change, to move from what is known to what is unknown, the more at home you will feel, the more at home you will be.

Celebrate, embrace, and take advantage of the contrasts in your life, Dear One, don’t curse them. They are a gift.

Without them you would have absolutely no way of knowing just how far you’ve come or in which direction you were headed.

Take notice of the hands that you are holding onto, Dear One, the connections that you choose to maintain.

Are they helping you up or holding you down?  Are they pulling you back or encouraging you forward?  Are they leading you in the direction that best serves you or in the direction that best serves them?

If you are not sure, Dear One, let go for a moment or two (or three or four if you need to) and find out.

It’s important that you know.

You can’t force change, Dear One, upon yourself or anyone else.

You (they) will change only when you (they) are inspired to do so. When you (they) believe that doing so will be to your (their) greatest advantage, to your (their) greatest benefit.

That is why people can and do endure the pain, discomfort and great effort that can sometimes accompany change.

Not because it doesn’t scare them, not because they enjoy the challenge, not because it is easy for them, not because they believe that they should, or have something to prove.

They do it, Dear One, because they know that doing so is going to serve them.

Enduring pain and discomfort on an inspired path to change is an empowering and joyful experience. It builds strength, endurance, and confidence.

Enduring pain and discomfort in the name of change when it is forced upon you, by yourself or by someone else, without a solid belief or knowing that it is for your greatest good, is a depleting experience . It only serves to weaken you, frustrate you, discourage you, and contribute to greater imbalance in your life.

That, Dear One, is why you shouldn’t force it.

Don’t worry so much about being judged, Dear One.

Don’t worry so much about what they may think of you.

We wouldn’t even give it a second thought.

We wouldn’t even be a little nervous thinking about what they may think of you.

But what should make you nervous, Dear One, is what you think of you; is your opinion of you.

Because if it’s not good, if it’s not positive, if your opinion of you is not wonderful,  if you can’t see in you even a small spark of the divine, and feel some sense of confidence knowing it is there, then their opinion of you is the least of your troubles.

^

Why bother doing all that you can, Dear One, when you can get by doing just enough?

Why bother doing the right the thing when no one really seems to care or to even be paying attention?

Why bother trusting, and making the harder, braver, more challenging choice when you’ve got something to lose?

Why bother putting in the extra effort to be thoughtful, generous, loving, persistent, patient, forgiving, and kind when it is not requested, required or expected?

Because what you put out into the world, Dear One, is what you get back.

(Although not necessarily from the same energetic pot that you contributed to, so keep your eyes, ears, and heart open, because it could come back to you in any number of surprisingly unexpected ways.)

That’s why.