She wrote these words for me...

I've always been one to write in the margins of my books, obsessively dog-ear the pages and underline what jumps out at me.

My bookshelf is filled with well-loved books containing old maps of and love notes left behind by former versions of me.

I have friends who cringe at the idea of keeping their books anything less than pristine and easy to pass along.

But I've always been one for a good used book and the treasures that come alive off the page for the now version of me to reconnect with.

I was leafing through one of those very books last night and I came upon a section where the author had left space for the reader to write. 

In this particular passage, the question was, "What is no longer working in your life?"

The late 2013 version of me wrote about how terrified I was to leave my decade-long corporate career. I wrote things like "What do I do about my 401K and health insurance and gym membership?"

These coveted things my company paid and provided for sat alongside the sentence, 

"But then I see Anni and I think I can do anything. ever. And I will face my fears head on for her." 

No part of this journal-style entry had any explicit answers, except the last line, which read, "I'm not 100% certain how to make it all work...but I know right now- it's not working." 

I've learned along the way that sometimes all we need is the courage to get honest about what's not working before we can step into what will work.

And it's our craving to have it all solved and steady that slows down our progress, not our lack of know-how.

That version of me knew something had to change even though I didn't know what or how.

The acknowledgement of that desire is what opened the doorway FOR the opportunities and invitations to present themselves. 

And present themselves they did! 

My life is completely different and everything I wrote down on the pages of that book is now my life experience in an even more expanded capacity than I was able to dream back then.

I see this for you, too.

We are in the middle of the Born For This Challenge experience and it has been incredibly moving.

There are over 1,000 people in the group and the courageous and beautiful shares from everyone has been inspiring beyond belief. 

The team and I have been moved to tears on the daily reading everyone's stories and getting to share in the magnificence your dreams.

This week, more than ever, I have been reminded that our dreams are not a mistake, they are the sacred reminders of our aliveness and the spark of our souls.

And reading these words from the 2013, brings me back to a space of profound gratitude for the dreams that guided me through the uncertainty and the moments of doubt. 

I'm not sure who needed these words this morning, but my hope is that maybe you will be inspired to grab an old book or journal from the shelf to reconnect with a former version of you that dreamt of becoming the YOU that you are today.

With you. Believing in you. Walking with you on this sacred path.

xo