I am currently lying beneath a tree, soaking up the beautiful afternoon sun. Above me, I see clear blue skies and bits of sunshine playfully peeking around the green treetops. I can feel a cool breeze on my face and hear birds singing in the distance.
About a year ago, I decided I was going to sit under more trees.
Why? you might wonder.
Because: I have learned that the only way to make meaningful decisions in any way about life is to be quiet and listen. And what better place to be quiet and take it all in than under a tree? Something about being in nature speaks directly to my soul and calms my thoughts so I can more clearly hear where I am being guided.
So this is how I started this particular journey – one day, underneath one tree.
It was one of the first of many steps I’ve taken (and am still taking) to embrace changes in my life and make sure I am following my own authentic path. I am prioritizing myself and mindfully choosing to be guided by my heart and what I know to be true. When I am faced with an opportunity to make a decision based on fear or love, I will chose love.
Choosing love isn’t always as easy or obvious as it may sound, so I am actively developing strategies to help guide me along the way. I know I have to be quiet – to calm my inner chatter and instead listen from the depths within me, to hear my own inner truth rather than be swayed by outside forces.
And while this all started with making time to sit beneath a tree, it doesn’t stop there.
Each day, I set aside time to meditate – time I can spend simultaneously alone and with a higher consciousness from the Divine realm. The teachers who come to me from this space assume various forms, from wisdom from my higher self to spiritual guides to angels. I am making time to listen closely to what is being said and feel the Divine nudges to find my soul’s path.
In doing all of these things, ultimately I am choosing to be fully present, which has also led me to give up many of my vices. I realized that things like alcohol, unhealthy foods, and an excessive work ethic were numbing my mind and rendering me unable to really listen and focus. (Note: distractions/vices are different for everyone and I am in no way suggesting that everyone follow my exact path – this is just what’s working for me.)
I am spending each day trying to be present in the moment, learning more about what mindfulness means and how it can impact my life, work, and relationships. I often catch myself worrying about something in the past or future. But I am patient with myself and gently bring my awareness back to the present moment, even if the present is not a happy place for me to be. Whether I am experiencing sadness, fear, joy, or pain, I choose to be present.
I am waking up to my life’s purpose.
I have always known I was meant to help and serve others; I am a natural giver. It’s the reason that I am a lawyer; I fight for the underdog, for the injured and voiceless wronged. I have always been a “different” kind of lawyer – my clients are not cases to me, they are friends that I seek to know.
I now know that I am meant to give more – to help others find their own authentic truth, voice, and purpose. I am beginning by sharing my own story, the fears and love, ups and downs, to show how we can come to our truth.
This year, I started the Live Braver community, which is all about choosing love over fear in our life story. I began doing individual and group coaching to help others find and stay on their life’s path and experience their own awakenings. I am using my years of training in the study of human behavior to help people identify fears and limiting beliefs so they can remove the blocks that prevent them from living authentically.
I am studying and mastering knowledge of the flow of energy in our lives – these studies have taken me from learning about yoga to how to clear and open chakras, and most recently to a Reiki certification I am working on in order to use energy for healing.
There are definitely more changes to come. I hope you will join me on this incredible journey – there are always more trees to discover and no time like the present.
