Alchemy is the manifestation of energy — aligning life, love and purpose. Ideas are a dime a dozen. Ideas and intentions are wonderful beginnings but they aren’t indicative of success. Gold itself is special, but it’s what you do with it that is magical.
Love is the passion, purpose and drive that makes life — and the work that we do in life — meaningful, exciting and worth the uncertainty of the journey.
Joy is the journey. The journey is the joy.
I absorbed focused determination via osmosis. I saw my parents struggle, save and stretch themselves to accomplish their goals. I worked hard to get straight A’s — until my parents paid me to get a B. True story.
They wanted to teach me to loosen up, to help me chip away my of idea of perfection to allow me to broaden my perspective and alter my perceptions. It worked.
Getting a B in 8th grade gym class was my first practical lesson in consciously seeking life balance. I allowed myself to do something for myself, because it was what I wanted to do, rather than perceived obligations to the system of ‘the way the world works’. I danced the mile, taking my time to chassé and leap instead of running, and it felt great! I realized I didn’t need to fear being inadequate for someone else’s expectations, I could go my own way. I could be me, and it would be okay — better than okay, I would be wholly me and feel joy.
Fear is the enemy of love, for when love is consciously unconditional it makes fears disappear.
Fast-forward to the present, the lesson is still applicable today. Every day, I practice stepping into my fears and watching them disappear. I witness my resistance. It still feels icky and uncomfortable and my body still wants me to avoid it, but I do it anyway. I lean into the love. I ask myself ‘what if [something amazing]?’ and I choose to be a magnet for joy, passion, love and wholeness.
I choose a dynamic life of growth and expansion and I must come at it with courage. I stand up and take steps to do what’s right. I’m practicing and learning and practicing and learning and I’m evolving.
Originally published at medium.com