I'm writing just six days short of Thanksgiving 2013. This year has been transformative in countless expected and unexpected ways. My intention has always been to model personal empowerment and leadership development. In the holistic spiritual realm we do that by knowing who we are: Spirit Embodied, God Incarnate, and living from that Wholehearted Awareness. Praying in that context is simply aligning with the Infinite Presence we are. We're not praying to some Energy outside of us. We're praying from the Energy we are!!! We're acknowledging our Inherent Worthiness!!!!!

In looking back over these last few months I feel it's rather hilarious to experience a vulnerability meltdown in the process of living my highest holiest dreams into expression. Things are happening that I never saw coming and I'm knocked sideways and yet I spoke up. I'm still reeling from what's happened and yet I'll take it one day at a time and one moment at a time when needed so I can respond clearly and act in Integrity. It's what I've always known, done and loved. It takes soooo much Courage to step fully into this model and yet I'm sooo very grateful to stand on my own as I continue to move forward into this Vitalizing Empowering Consciousness.

I want to acknowledge another woman I greatly admire who in no uncertain terms told all the men of her day: "your discouragement is my encouragement." She went on to become one of the greatest orators of her time. This woman is Olympia Brown, a Unitarian minister, the first woman to be ordained in the US and one of the great leaders of the women's suffrage movement. I saw her picture in the current issue of the UU World, the magazine of Unitarian Universalism, and the look of determination on her face made me laugh. I thought, "You go, girl." I definitely wouldn't want to be standing in her way.

I continue to write these articles honoring the heretics and heroes I encounter because their Courage is so vital to a free thinking, progressive worldview. I am continuing my own Journey in being visible in very uncomfortable places where I can build bridges instead of walls. The Himalayas never seemed so high and far away!!!!!

How very surprisingly fascinating that I'm coming back to this article at the tail end of March 2014 realizing I didn't finish this article when I thought I did. How very appropriate. I'm continuing to work through some very painful unanticipated changes that I never saw coming and yet I move forward as the indomitable Spirit I always have been and look forward to where I'll be when October 2014 comes into full view in the present!!! I know a lot of the pain I'm feeling will be resolved before then!!!!

In many ways personally and professionally opportunities abound and I'm so very grateful and appreciative. I'm trusted and respected by a growing legion of people and I am so grateful because we're all growing in amazing ways. It's so important to keep an uplifted attitude no matter what. Focusing on I AM Consciousness always keeps me above the ripple of unexpected changing circumstances so I can keep my eye on the prize. That's how Courage, Faith, Optimism and Confidence and all the gifts of Spirit we are stay visible and working. It's a Journey of unparalleled significance!!!!

I'm heading off to Murfreesboro, TN. on an adventure I know is the continued unfolding of a breakout year for me. I'm going to meet a whole new group of friends. It's also my mother's birthday. What a paradox of feelings as I commemorate the not quite one year anniversary of her death. That reminds me of one of my favorite songs that celebrates the bittersweet aspects of life and my continued awareness of how to gently hold the paradoxes of Life so I'm not flying up and down with the changes. I can simply notice them, feel them, appreciate them, learn from them, give thanks for them, and go forward. I am also so very aware that Mother's Day 2014 falls on the anniversary of mom's death, so what a paradox of emotions that will be. I do not pretend that nothing's happening, that nothing affects me. That's a death knell to Authenticity and Connection.

It's now the end of April 2014. My trip to Murfreesboro was awesome. We had a blast. It's a beautiful area and a powerful paradox in the story of our nation. Murfreesboro is the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. I didn't know that before I went there. The connections I made and the stories I heard are absolutely hauntingly beautiful on one hand and hauntingly sad on the other. I'm holding the paradox!!!

I'm also headlong in the middle of a huge learning curve. Dr. Brene Brown's work is an immeasurable blessing as I continue to sort through the Journey of staying in I AM Consciousness and feeling in no uncertain terms how immediately negative judgmentalness takes me out of I AM Consciousness. When I judge myself or others I am saying I am bad, meaning the entirety of my being is bad. I certainly don't believe that and yet I sure do go to that place when I'm judging myself or anyone else. Just today like never before I recognized what this process means for me. It means I'm way, way out of my comfort zone, that I don't trust myself or the other person in this new space because I feel we have no common ground. I learned anew that I usually leave those spaces ASAP so I don't even give myself the opportunity to work through the situation to a new place. I see very clearly my next spiritual challenge. I know it will be quite a ride. It's not like I haven't been down this road before. I'm just adding a new realm of experiences to unfold and it couldn't be more important to me to act with Integrity, Generosity and Compassion in this arena. I know that tremendous healing is in store and I'm ready to take the Journey yet again into my highest holiest Good. I look forward to what I'll know in October 2014 and who I'll be as a greater and greater Presence of all I AM. I so want to experience the Fullness of this precious Everlasting Presence that I AM and that we all are. It's meant to be a Joy-filled, Uplifting, Inspiring Journey. I'll close this with an Awareness that has blown through as May 2014 comes to an end. What a way to celebrate my birthday and move full throttle into a new year: When we vilify someone/something it is because we've deified someone/something else!!! Wake up call!!! For most people this is a stridently unconscious process and therefore, very threatening to our identity when this identity is challenged. I'm so very grateful for these embodied Awarenesses that bring so much Clarity, Peace, Confidence and Compassion. I'm ready for the ever expanding Limitless Good of my Spirit Identified Life. I'm on the road with you as we keep expanding into and from our Exponential Greatness. I'm committed to Joy!!! Ready? J