When my friend, Elaine Hamilton (www.soulcarehouse.com), told me she got a “tap on the shoulder” and a voice said to her: “It’s time to be as big as you actually are, as free as you actually are,” we decided we had to talk through this together! (I mean, that’s kind of a major line, right!?!)

So we talked, and our conversation became Episode 21 of my podcast: As Big As You Are; As Free As You Are.

What I didn’t entirely expect when Elaine and I sat down to record this episode was the emphasis and focus on “flow” that emerged. 

I am someone who “tries really hard” and can even hustle my work into existence. But I realize that I don’t want to live that way, and I don’t want to create that way. I want my words and my work to come from a space that I’ve been invited into, a joining that is more than just me.

To recap, stepping into flow is . . .

• Leaving our heads (which is typically the space where we are trying to think ourselves into or out of an invitation), dropping down into our hearts, and opening up to a small next step. 
• Understanding that even when we are on the “right track,” we will still experience vulnerability and our next steps will likely require courage.
• Entering into a space within ourselves that is open to invitation, faraway things, joining the Spirit in the work that needs to happen inside of us.
• Connecting with our true self – our own process of healing and wholeness, our true desires, our own generosity in our work.
• Not allowing ego and false self to run the show.
• Experiencing energy as we take each small step.

Each time we make decisions about our lives, our relationships, our work from a safe distance, we are not really allowing space for flow to happen. As I mentioned on the socials this week, “You cannot stand at a safe distance from your own life and figure everything out. Sometimes you have to wade in.” 

Writing has taught me this over and over again. You can plan and strategize and organize for a long time. But at some point, you have to actually write. You have to wade into the murky waters and see where they flow. 

This truth shows up everywhere in life. You can draw out and plan a garden, but at some point, you have to get your hands in the dirt. You can think through whether or not you want to date someone, but at some point, you will likely have to take a risk. You can learn all you want about God, but at some point, you will need to actually pray. At some point, you have to put your toe in the water.

I hope this episode helps you do just that, my loves.

Also, here are a few things I referenced in the episode:

I mention a Rainer Maria Rilke quote that talks about “waiting for faraway things.” I first found the line in Ulrich Bear’s The Poet’s Guide to Life: The Wisdom of Rilke (page 45). I discuss the concept more in “Held,” chapter 2 of my book Begin Again.

I also referenced my book, Brazen, and the idea that word brazen means “unashamed, unapologetic.” That book is my treatise on owning your voice, rediscovering those parts of you that have gone missing or dormant, and allowing your desires to emerge from hiding. 

Another resource that I did not mention in the episode but that I have returned to over and over again is The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner. What a beautiful guide to helping us come home to ourselves. I consider this brief but poignant book a MUST READ.  

Love upon love,

Leeana