Over the years I have worked diligently at maintaining a sense of balance in my life.  We are all familiar with the word "balance"...and, as we age, we begin to understand that balance is a moving target, based on what is on our plate from day to day, week to week.  How our health is.  How our family's health is.  Work responsibilities.  The list goes on...relative to what you value in your own life.  Some folks value maintaining multiple social relationships, while others value alone-time.  You may like to travel, or use your time-off for a staycation-- to work on a home project or hobby.  The key is that we balance all of our needs-- physical, intellectual, emotional, creative, spiritual, and so on...

I remember back in the late 90s my brother and I were having an email dialogue.  I joked with him, as I recognized that all I had mastered at that stage was balance.  Many of my peers were skyrocketing in their careers, while I chose to stay where I was...for I knew inherently, given my values and personality type, the moment I began to manage people would be the moment I had to give up my music to the degree at which my mind and heart needed to express itself.  And that meant a big part of me would die.  Who knew that 10 years later, after our e-conversation, I would become a certified yoga teacher, where things like balance and self-awareness are essential aims on the yogic path?  That what my heart and soul were guiding me to do led me to where I needed to be.

Wow.  If this has happened in my life, I know it has happened in yours.  Have you ever hit that pause button, come back to the middle, to that state of balance where you can actually hear/listen to your inner truth, and acknowledge where and why you are doing what you are doing?  Put the pieces of your life together? It is one of the most gratifying things in the world.  Understanding self is one of the reasons we are all here...

I'm coming back to the middle with everything else on my plate.  And I have a lot on my plate...several values and needs that if one of them goes unattended, the other parts of me feel uneasy.  Musically, that means I'll be gigging out at a steadier pace, regardless of the season.  What I learned from 2011 and past years was that over-gigging in the spring and summer sent my yoga-self into a tailspin, and I'm done feeling that way.  I lived a fast-paced life for many of my adult years.  And it's time to move forward from living that way, for I learned what I needed to from that experience. 

How about you?  Has your soul been growing, pressing up against your skin from the inside, encouraging you to let go of some of those not-so-important things on your to-do-list?  Are you listening?  Have you observed when it is that you feel balanced, content, and genuinely happy?  Are you feeding those parts of you with consistency?  This is the reason I share my truth with you...because truth feeds truth.  And you living a truthful life matters.  It matters to everyone around you.  For as we live our truth, we encourage others to live theirs, even if and often times when it is different from ours.  It's magical!

My wish is that you continue to uncover, remember, and ignite all of the goodness that lives in you.  Happy journeying!

Until next time...

The sun is shining, and before Rob, Mysti and I venture out on our morning hike, I wanted to sit and write, and share a few thoughts and ideas with you.  Connecting through words is such an accessible form of communication.  It allows me to write as I have the space and time, and you to read and receive when you have the same.  Thank you, technology!

This has been an interesting year for me.  Every year is, however this one seems to have been about purging the old ways that no longer serve the who I am becoming.  Pretty profound ways, as they relate to long-term relationships in my life, such as music, health and family.  While the path of yoga reminds me to evaluate life each step of the way, there is something quite profound about the close of one year that allows us to look back on bigger chunks of time.  And then make sense of it all...

When we accept who we are, what our purpose in life is, and then make it our business to feed this purpose each and every day, which to me is a form of pure love, whether you label it that or not, then we naturally have less time for those things that aren't feeding the mission, the goal, the who we are "now".  It's not that we don't love those things anymore, it simply means that we have already had our time to experience them, and that it's time to move forward to experience growth and evolution.  We have to be where we are, fully, when it is our time to be there.  And when it's time to move on, we must also be willing to travel into the unknown of what's to come. 

Whether we let go of "XYZ" forever, or simply place it on a shelf for an extended period of time, the key here is to acknowledge that we do, in fact, need to tend to something of greater interest or importance to us.  This is what the aging process teaches us.  Time moves us, and we have more things on our plates-- more relationships, more life experiences, more obligations, and all the while we still only have 24 hours in a day.  To add to the mix, the body is aging, and we must keep up with our own health, and this takes energy, time, discipline, and money, too. 

This Thanksgiving was a turning point for me, as I looked back on the richness I have experienced over the years.  Family trips, gatherings, turkey, laughter, over-eating, wine, coffee drinks, board games, etc.  A tradition that our family carried on even after our father passed away.  November 24, 2011...things were different.  My commitment to health, wellness, and balance are of greater importance to me now (yes, cancer has left my body, however my duty to care for body is an ongoing on).  And that means overeating, loud conversation, driving six hours in traffic, etc...those parts of the experiences are not of value to me anymore.  I've already had my share of those things, and a call for peace is much stronger.  Especially since both music and yoga require me to work before and after holidays.  I can't be in the background as a lead singer or a yoga teacher.  I must be present and aware.  Yes, this Thanksgiving, I simply needed time to be in the quiet.  And, Rob, Mysti and I kicked off the holiday season with health and wellness...hiking every day, enveloped by nature's stillness, and quiet evenings on the couch.  There was love, laughter, and even wine...and, through it all, a pulse of serene energy.  The gifts of technology allowed us to connect to our loved ones via phone, email, text and Skype.  We made it all work with our "now". :)

The next two days, I was able to teach yoga from an authentic place-- a joyful heart, a peaceful mind, and a calm tummy, too. :)  I had the foresight and enough experiences to draw from to know that choosing old ways to honor Thanksgiving would have taken me off path...and negatively impacted my students and my own health. 

My commitment and love for this purpose, this work of yoga, which has become a way of life, has changed the way I do many things-- it requires tremendous discipline, and four years into teaching I can now firmly say this: it limits the time I have to socialize, to gig out, and draws me closer to things like self-analysis, daily exercise, conscious eating, stillness, and peace.  The togetherness we experience in each yoga class is so rich, whether I am the student or the teacher.  My values and my work are finally in-synch...now, it's up to me to continue to feed these parts.  What are your values at this stage of life?  And what are you willing to let go of, and more important, welcome in? :)

The price of love is so worth it, and I look back with gratitude for all that I experienced during those more youthful days, and now look ahead with a curious, yet discerning, mind and open heart of what is yet to come.  I am ready!  Are you?

Until next time... ~Janna

Yesterday was a magical and challenging day.  Yep.  It was both things.  Greeted in the morning by an angel-- an earth angel...a stranger who reflected back to me light and love and God, to then move throughout the day to have no choice but to purge a few old ways.  Imagine yourself playing tug-of-war with a rope-- on one end, your former self.  On the other end, your current and future self.  That's what was going on inside...

Future self: "Janna, it's time to let go of XYZ.  It's no longer serving you, and doesn't gel with your family life, your yogic life, or your post-cancer-limited-energy life."

Past self...disguised as current self:  "No way...I can still do this.  I can do all things!"

Future self:  "Um, no you can't.  As soon as you accept this you will feel free."  :)

Sound familiar?

We all go through the push-and-pull in our lives.  As we are younger, we're probably not as aware of the process, because our emotional and psychological development isn't-- and shouldn't be-- what it is in our 40s and beyond.  As we get older, and especially so if we are leading a disciplined life, we are very much aware of what fits and doesn't fit anymore.  Our bodies respond.  Our hearts speak to us.  The question is, are we listening?

What gets challenging for we humans is that we think we only have to release things that we no longer enjoy or like.  This isn't always the case, as we often times must let go of things that we still like at some level.  When we are dealing with habits and beliefs-- intangible "stuff"-- it can get tricky.  It's the same with clothing, shoes, or furniture that we donate.  We've simply "outgrown" whatever it is we need to let go of.   Or there's not enough room in our internal closets.  Our spiritual and emotional selves grow right along with our bodies.  And we have limited space to house these things, much like we do in our homes.  Unless you enjoy clutter?

This morning's song is one from Donna DeLory.  Formerly Madonna's back-up singer, awhile back she traded in her cone-bra and is making a new kind of music.  A blend of western and eastern (Sanskrit) lyrics and melody.  She is singing from her heart.  It's not that she wasn't singing from her heart when she was with Madonna...she's simply growing and evolving. 

As the song opens, she sings..."Lost, criticized. Hard to reach, hard to find.  You will rise, I'll watch you fly.  You will shine, in time.  Bathe in these waters.  Bathe in these waters.  And wash it away..."

You will shine...in time.  You are shining now, at whatever stage of you life you are at!  And if you feel it's time to change and move forward, well, dig up some of your favorite music, sit, listen, and be still.  And then release and...wash it away.

Until next time...

Coming off a busy stretch of travel and music, I am reminded of a song that I wrote during my cancer journey called Brand New.  The further away from the experience of healing body and mind and (still) recovering from chemotherapy, the deeper meaning this song has come to have.  While my personal story is one of surviving cancer, yours may be about something else...a death in your family, overcoming addiction, loss of a job, divorce, etc. 

While we are in the midst of the experience itself it may be challenging to see the scope of the metamorphosis that is taking place.  Being a yoga teacher, the daughter of a psychologist, and a woman who has been analyzing self for 22 years now, I consciously blocked off time each day during treatment, after treatment, and still, to process what was happening-- I wanted to be fully present with the situation, as I knew it was life-changing, and had much to teach me. 

I learned to listen to my body, I learned to help heal my body along with western medicine (I was extremely blessed in that my treatment was targeted chemotherapy, specific to the cancer cells in my body), I learned to be present, and most of all, I learned self-acceptance.  I learned to love myself as a bald woman with lower physical energy, no libido (thankfully, temporary!), dedicated to teaching yoga and performing out. Somehow I had the energy for these things, because I knew that they were a byproduct of love, and that they were contributing to my healing.

Spiritually, I witnessed myself blossom into a loving, compassionate, accepting, discerning, aware woman.  In essence, I had to let go of the physical stuff to grow the other parts of me.  It wasn't easy, walking the tightrope of wanting to be like I was while stumbling time and time again, being reminded to let those parts of me go.  Over the past eight months, I have been trying to piece everything back together, striving to become whole. 

I'm 3-1/2 years older since the diagnosis-- and those years in your 40s make a difference.  Especially so after six cycles of R-CHOP, killing your cells and then generating new cells every 21 days.  My body regenerated itself six times over-- something that typically happens in a healthy body, and not all at once, every seven years or so.  Good grief, no wonder why I feel as though I am 80 years old many days.  My body, while new, some days is still very tired from this process. 

Some of you are probably saying, "How does this make you brand new?  You are tired and feel older?"  Because the sense of newness is so much more-- it's my perception of reality vs. illusion, it's the state of joy I feel a little bit each and every day, it's because I have less energy I have come to prioritize my life and how I use the time to feed those parts that perpetuate good health, joy, love, and overall wellness, and mostly, it's been in the letting go of what and who I "should" be, and fully, unabashedly, embracing who I am. 

And I want that for everyone around me who strives to want this for themselves.  I am so blessed to teach yoga and share a genuine passion for truth-seeking, self-care, love (self and others) and compassion (self and others).  And I wouldn't be who I am without having experienced cancer, treatment, and recovery. 

I can only understand my life, and it is in and through sharing and experiential learning where we can encourage one another to find and discover their own way.  To remind you to be who you are and love it.  And this season is such a special one-- rapid change in nature that reflects back, in the immortal words of George Sand, that "it is never too late to be what you might have been."

Until next time...

Well, I've been drawn to write, and so let's see where this blog entry takes us all.  I must confess, I learn as I type, release, and put these thoughts into structure, form.  Thank you for reading along and encouraging me to continue to share.  It really means a great deal to me...

I recently dug-up an old KT Tunstall tune called "Heal Over".  A few of the lyrics reached out to me, in the second verse, and she sings:  "And I don't wanna hear you tell yourself / That these feelings are in the past / You know it doesn't mean they're off the shelf / Because pain is built to last."  This verse struck me because it seems that many people only want to feel the happy thoughts.  That they will go to great lengths to swallow the emotional stuff that isn't "pretty".   To tuck it away.  To keep busy.  What eventually happens, though, is that the ball of pain gets bigger, which means that bigger and taller walls are then built on the inside to keep hiding the pain, to a place of non-feeling.  The price that we pay for tucking the sadness away is that we are fully disengaging from the entire color pallete...the black and white, the greens, the blues, the pinks, the oranges, and the reds.  We're stuck in a sort of gray, just moving along.  I know because I spent about three years in my 30s doing just that... 

As I am returning from a yoga retreat/training in Palm Springs, still downloading all of the nuggets of wisdom, one common thought we yoga teachers shared was that we see a large part of the population simply "going through the motions", unaware of where and what they are doing.  There is a level of numbness out there, and it's as if the pain, or the absence of joy, is what is becoming mainstream.  That we are actually, at large, uncomfortable feeling happiness because it's become so foreign to us.  I need to repeat that:  most people actually feel guilty for feeling joy or happiness because everyone else has found comfort in the state of numbness.  Wow.  Again, I know this, because I experienced it.  And, here's the beauty-- I accept that it was part of my journey to becoming who I am. :)  No regrets! 

I suppose I'm now far enough removed where I choose to make that conscious decision to look forward, not back, to not give that previous state of being any energy or time, because what we feed grows.  Life has taken me across too many miles since then to turn back to that place.  I much prefer to use my experience for good...to (hopefully) inspire others to embrace their precious lives and all that is.  To find contentment and acceptance with where they are...

If you are feeling stuck or surrounded by this type of stagnant energy, become a leader!  Make a conscious decision to heal your past (sorry, KT, IMHO, while pain may last, we can transform it into an energy that ultimately empowers us), to work through the pain, and to then begin to make choices that feed more positive, uplifting aspects of you.  The things that make you smile, because when we live consciously, we are nourishing ourselves *and* everyone around us at the same time. 

And, guess what?  Even through life's challenges we can find joy, if we choose to see the good around us and in us. :)

That said, if you don't have a trusted friend or life partner, or a thick journal to write in, please seek the help of a professional life coach, therapist, etc., to help you get back on track until you feel comfortable working through life's challenges with some level of comfort.  Something beautiful happens after we work through the pain...we feel immediate release, space, and openness inside, of which only love can then fill.

Until next time...

Every step in life is so important...these aren't mere words.  Each movement, decision we make is tied to our growth, learning and evolution.  Sometimes we move at a turtle's pace, and other times we make big leaps forward.  If you are living with intention, then you will view the moments of stillness as forward movement in themselves.  Because they require us to journey within, to be undistracted by external "stuff".  And for this introvert...that is an exciting place to be.  For the extroverts out there...not so much.  :)

Before I move on, so many folks shake their heads in disbelief that I, Janna, am an introvert.  :)  For everyone's enlightenment, I want to include the definitions for introverted and extroverted personalities...because we introverts are often misunderstood.  Once you know and accept who you are primarily, you can readily see and accept in others who they are.  It's beautiful!  

I have learned that following my dreams and staying connected and true to my core values requires a tremendous amount of downtime so that I can hear my truth.  I only know my truth, as a 45-year old, Lebanese-American married, introverted, yoga-teacher, singer-songwriter woman, whose top value is a state of wholeness.  I speak my truth to you so that you can honor and see yourself with the same level of authenticity.  We have too much dishonesty around us, and it's all-too-easy to talk ourselves out of what is true for us, simply because "everyone else" is doing "x, y, z".   What I have learned over the past 10 years is this:  we become and adapt to the energy and environment around us.  What are you willing or unwilling to "let-in" to your environment?  It is all too easy to get off-track, my friends.  And at this age...time is equal to life.  And I really value my life.  I sure hope you value yours, too. :)

The journey inward actually requires me to fly above myself, to observe "Janna" as if she were not me, so that I may remain objective.  To understand the choices I make, why, make changes, let go, let in, whatever it is that I am tending to at the moment.  Life is constantly moving and flowing, as much as we humans want it to stand still.  Creation of a balanced life requires discipline.  And a balanced life is where I am most joyful and at peace, so it is a discipline well worth the time and effort.  

Do you need to "fly", step away from what you think you should be doing, to see yourself for who you actually are?  Are you willing to pursue your truth with all that you have?  To protect what is important to you?  Do you know what these things are at this stage of your life?  Start small...be a turtle...embrace the process...because there is nothing more gratifying than discovering you.

Until next time...

Janna

So, I'm using another Alanis Morissette lyric this month.  Just because. :)  As I prepare to write each monthly blog, I am guided or drawn to a certain lyric the moment I open up the website editor.  It's not really a planned thing.  I suppose leading up to this moment I'm subconsciously processing the stuff going on in my life, and how I am learning from it.  Those things that require us to hit the pause button.  Because I have been nursing a broken toe these days, and literally stopped in my tracks for awhile, this lyric is perfect...just perfect. :)

I know, I know, most of you are thinking, well to what is the broken toe a consequence of?  It's true...the afternoon I jammed my foot into a stool I was not in a hurry, I was not distracted, I was actually walking down the stairs in a calm manner.  It's quite odd that the pace of my stride would've caused a broken toe, but it did.  Being a student and follower of the 8-limbed path of yoga,  I believe, as do other avid followers of yoga, that everything...and I mean every thing...is here to teach us, to guide us back to our truest nature.  To get us back on track.

After two days vascillating between giddy laughter and crying my eyes out (those pain meds were strong!)  I came back to center.  That state of balance where I can listen, understand, and receive clarity.  And it was then I realized that breaking my toe was actually a good thing.  I had been taking on too many things, and forgetting to let stuff go from my very full plate.

Back in January I broke my ring finger, which caused me to cancel a few shows, as I couldn't play guitar for awhile.  Now in July, while I was forced to cancel two shows because I was unable to hold any weight on my foot at all (and highly-medicated!), the physical limitation is really surrounding my yoga practice, as a teacher and a student.  I've had to sub-out many of the classes that require the constant demonstration of the postures.  This evaluation led to a big a-ha moment for me.  As with the January incident, my life had gotten out of balance...way out of balance.  And it was time to re-assess things. 

Thank you, consequence...thank you, broken toe!! :)  I am listening!

It is impossible to accurately understand our lives when we are in constant motion, a state of always doing.  We actually need to block ample time throughout our lives to simply be so that we can see where we are, what direction we are heading, and how we plan to get there.  As much as we hope for quick fixes, I've come to understand there are no shortcuts.  If we believe in God, Divine, Supreme Being-- a universal force beyond ourselves...whatever you choose to label that energy as-- then we must believe that everything that is happening around us is really about keeping us aligned to fulfill our unique purpose in this world.  What we are here to accomplish.  And then keeping that piece of our lives in-check with the rest of it, and what we value.  And that is personal...only you know what is important to you. 

Whatever it is that you are working toward or on in your life, I hope that you find your clarity and understanding, whether through the challenges that you are facing, through the lives and experiences of your friends, through sacred texts, or journaling, or over a glass of wine on your front porch.  Whatever rocks your world.  You are in the driver's seat, my friend.  And there are times when the car is in first gear, other times when life's demands take it up to fifth gear, and then moments where we must pull over and put the car in park.  The key is to be exactly where you are while you are there, that when circumstance changes the pace of things, to flow with the new direction.  To let go of resistance.  To understand that "it" is happening to teach you. 

May you understand that your life is perfect just the way it is.  Each day, each breath, each moment, is remarkable.  And so are you...

Until next time... 

I love the summer season.  It offers me many opportunities to share the gift of music throughout the region.  It's hard to describe the feeling of peace I feel in my heart, mind, and soul after a show...I think Alanis' line from "Hand in Pocket" describes it best, hence the title of this blog.  I'm high, but I'm grounded.  Yeah!

It's interesting, because last week during the yoga classes I taught, we focused on the importance of remaining grounded.  Especially around the full moon and her energy.  In general, though, especially for we creative types, we must stay rooted in order to realize our vision, our dreams.  On one hand, we have the potential to tap into that collective unconscious and see the world from above, and on the other hand, we can have the propensity to stay up there and not come down.  In which case, the vision never gets to be born through us. 

The deeper our roots, the higher we can actually go.  Maslow spoke of this in his heirarchy of needs, as well.  It's pretty hard to think of anything beyond survival if the base needs are not being met.  In yoga, the chakra system is very similar to this paradigm.  We have the root chakra all the way up to the crown chakra.  We must keep all parts of self aligned and balanced to continue to grow and evolve.

As we age, and the deeper we go into our life's purpose, our true work, the greater the need for balance, groundedness, and ultimately expansion.  Late nights on the town are not a frequent part of my life anymore, because I simply *love* mornings...the untaintedness, the rawness and purity.  Like, early mornings (6AM).  Of course, I'm speaking as an almost-45-year old woman, who has celebrated and enjoyed so many nights out on the town already. :) At some point, to move forward, we have to let go, or at least begin to moderate fun with the other aspects of our lives.  The development of we humans changes dramatically after 40. If we choose, and if we are listening...

So let's bring this back to you, in the context of your life, and what you value.  Even if you are much younger than me, there may be a message in here for you.  What is your vision? What motivates you? How can you begin to incorporate your dreams into your reality?  And, what are you willing to let go of to find true inner happiness?

"Cause what it all comes down to, is that no one's really got it figured out just yet.  I've got one hand in my pocket, and the other one is...."  The other one is what?

My wish for you is that you continue to share with the world all of your beauty, your gifts, and allow others around you to do the same.  Remember, when we live our truth, we inspire others to do the same.

Until next time...

I have been feeling a strong push to move forward since April...right around the full moon.  And tonight, another full moon awaits us.  Her energy is encouraging, and strong.  Whether you believe in the energy that the universe shines down on us or not, maybe you've been aware that this time, this season, is calling on us all to make progress.  And, often times, this progress is a result of challenge, pain, fear *and* hope, wonder, and faith.  That's right, it's all of it.  It's time for we as a people to acknowledge that life is all things.  And that we must stop blaming, and use our precious, vital energy to love ourselves and those around us...

We are all imperfect.  Once we embrace this truth, we can begin to accept ourselves "as-is", put energy into growing and enhancing what we can in our lives, and then release the stuff that doesn't serve us anymore. 

As we accept ourselves, something magical happens...we begin to truly love ourselves.  Unconditional love for self.  We must start here before we can expect others to love us as we are. 

When we discover love for self, we then begin to see others with a loving heart.  With compassion.  For we have accepted our own imperfections, our own struggles, our own truth, and realize that everyone else is struggling, too.  We are all sharing the human experience...taking unique paths to get "there".  

So, just for today, do something for YOU.  When you catch yourself about to vent or complain or blame, instead, do something that makes you happy.  Go for a walk around the block.  Listen to your favorite song.  Close the office door and play air guitar.  Try something new.  Feed that part of you...because really, in the end, when we complain or blame, it stems from a feeling of lack.  Counter the hunger by nourishing; take control of your own happiness.  It really is that simple, and that difficult. :)

I hope you are able to"love the one you're with" everyday.  That means, you.

Until next time...

Mysti and I just returned from taking a stroll around a community pond.  Midway through our walk it began to pour down rain.  My instinct was to start running, but quickly decided to let Mysti take the lead.  With tail wagging and mouth smiling, witnessing that Mysti was in her now and fully enjoying it, we simply walked at our normal pace, and thoroughly enjoyed getting drenched!

While the transition into spring has been a beautiful mix of excitement, contentment, struggle, introspection, and sadness, and as I realized how wet we actually were, I felt a wave of relief, as if the last bits of the past ten years were being washed away, out of me, off of me.  I felt free, for I've been working on some of these cobwebs for a couple years now.  To my surprise, out came a big, belly laugh, and melodic singing.  Mysti responded to my happiness by galloping. :)

The last ten years...what's Janna talking about?  Well, I subscribe to the belief  that life happens in ten year cycles.  And I have experienced that the shift actually starts at the seven year mark.  Ten years ago this weekend (4/22-4/23) was the last time I saw my father before his stroke and brain hemorrhage.  And on April 28, 2001, he passed away.  I can't remember if it was the 26th or the 27th when he actually had his stroke, but we rushed up to PA in the middle of the night to go to the hospital to be by his side.  I knew the moment we got the call his death was imminent.

Death is part of life, and it's a sad part of life. It's the flip-side to joy, and I had a lot of joy growing up as my father's daughter.  It only makes sense that his death would be profound, and it was the first time (I was 34 at the time) that I felt real sorrow.  That deep, pit, hollow, holy-crap-what-is this feeling...you know what I'm talking about if you have experienced the loss of a parent, or someone close to you.

And as I scan back on these past ten years...WOW.  It's so much, it's overwhelming, all the growth and experience that has transpired.  And from 40-44, even moreso.  Every year seems to count after 40, and this is something you won't understand until you cross the line into this rich decade. (Enjoy the 20s/30s while you are there, with all of the confusion and the excitement and the abundant energy...I sure did!)

I'm letting go of a persona that no longer fits me, which means that a huge part of me is dying, too.  I'm de-weeding my internal self, my garden, so that I can create space for a  much larger part of me that is ready to bloom.  She needs more space, less clutter.  I think it was this part of my future self that was actually singing in the rain this morning.  She's been waiting for this moment.

I hope that you, too, are honoring both the sadness and excitement of life.  That in the letting go, in the space that you give yourself-- even though it may hurt to release the familiar-- you see your potential, the road ahead, and begin to walk toward those new, yet-to-be-explored parts of you.

Peace to you on this gentle, rainy day.  Until next time...