July’s theme is “Manifestation.”

I’m ready for a new chapter in my life. I’m ready to put the past in the rear view mirror and wish it well as I look forward to new experiences. I’m ready to discover more of what I’m capable of and what resonates with me on a personal and soulful level. I’m ready to transform.

Oftentimes, when I think about the concept of manifestation, I get caught up in listing what I want to happen in my life: find a job / career I’m passionate about; revise my novel and begin the search for an agent to get it published; begin writing my second novel and complete 30 pages a week; save money for that Subaru Outback I’ve always wanted. And the list goes on and on. And while all of these dreams and visions are very valid and mean something to me, I sense that whenever I get caught up in my list of demands, I’m missing a crucial step in the manifestation process.

Yesterday evening, I led the first of 5 online book club meetings through Weaverville Yoga Studio in Weaverville, North Carolina. The entire hour was magical. I led 11 of us through meditation, discussion questions, and anecdotes and personal stories over a deeply meaningful book, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The hour felt so in alignment with my mission statement and philosophy here on Dear Heart Art and with my skills as an educator. After we all said our goodbyes and I ended the meeting, I checked in what was going on with me. My whole body was singing. All of my nervous energy leading up to the 7:30 p.m. start time was now transformed into electric joy in my heart and stomach. I realized that’s the feeling of being in alignment with one’s purpose, or as Joseph Campbell called it “following your bliss.”

I was having fun helping guide people through their thought processes as we all stepped into the online classroom to learn new concepts, unlearn old thought patterns, and learn from and share with each other. That part of this new chapter in my life is about embracing my passion for mindfulness, for community-based learning, for creatively expressing my own thoughts and feelings through various media and platforms.

I’m sensing my way through this concept, but it feels to me that being open to the moment while being in alignment with your own truth builds trust that all aspects of your life are unfolding naturally. Surrendering to what is as opposed to trying to control what isn’t allows you to begin dreaming and speaking and working towards what could be.

I’m ready to manifest the next chapter, whatever that may be. . .