Focus on Focus

The gift of teaToday I wanted to share something I think has been lost, or possibly was never found in western cultureThere is something that shifts in our energy when we stop and stay in one place I’m not talking about our home, or our careerSomething more simple and yet so much more foundational A cup of tea…The unspoken words in a cup of teaThe way it says do not rush offThe way it says you are welcome to stay The way it says pause while it coolsThere is something that changes us when we spend time with others without expectation or something that needs to be accomplished 

What does it mean to treat someone like gods guest in your life?Today I want to introduce you to Gizem, a human that is like sunshine and the sea all wrapped up in one. She is one that does not hide her joy, one that will treat you a part of her joy, and one that I have truly enjoyed sharing time and making memories with.We chat about what it is to be defined by multiple parts of ourselves, to not be confined by one aspect of what we do or who we are, to not let fear hold you back from living, or becoming who you are meant to be, an the deep joy in the nowShe shares the value in the connection and bonds with those in her life, how those connections are not always a requirement when we meet others, and how there is so much beauty in sharing space and learning from others even to simply experience them for a time. How life allows us the chance to know ourselves more deeply because of others and how we can learn to celebrate what exists in another and see it as joy to pursue our own ability as wellWe chat about how perfectionism can cause us to, demand it all be perfect, and how we get to live more fully and more freely when it is not the main objective of our actionsGizem is someone I have laughed a lot with, smiled, swam with, had conversations with, and learned to paint with; she is someone who reminds me to find the childlike joy of discovering what it is to pause and do something that inspires us, and someone I am honored to share with you So tune in today and meet Gizem, and maybe you too might find the urge to sit by the sea and paintAnd to you Gizem thank you, thank you for sharing your joy, your painting, your smiles and your choice to treat me as your own guest, it is a joy for me to share time with you and to see all the choices you have made in life that have led you to be who you are today 

What responsibility do you have to understand someone else?Today I want to introduce you to Riam, this human with a profound ability to absorb and learn, and an even more tangible ability to let life give her permission to be lived on her own terms; she is someone who shows up for her friends and will often make you laugh We chat about what it means to be human, to learn to live with regret, to make choices and let our actions understand consequence and outcome, how she bases so often a decision on what comes after instead of what is right now She shares how she wishes life came with a guidebook, how grief compounded can be too much because it never really leaves us, and how forgiveness has shifted from obligation to character in her life We chat about what it means to step into your own choices and not what is expected, the reality of hope, how it is not a given in everyone’s life, and how addiction humbles when we choose to heal Riam is to me like a little sister that is somehow a bit cooler than me, one that might make me roll my eyes with what comes out of her mouth in one breath and learn from her in the next So tune in and meet this human, one that values humanity and will remind you how real and ok it is to live the life in front of you and learn it as you go And to you Riam thank you, thank you for sharing your time, your thoughts, your honesty and openness, and the way it makes my day when we have our little chats together 

I've never been one to be summed up in a word. life has changed, feels like an understatement sometimes. I'm not the most public with my life even though I share a lot I hold the parts that are dear to me. Yet these are thoughts I hope speak to you as theyhave to me, thoughts I hope help you define yourself with confidence and peace 

Do you think it’s ok to let your heart lead you? Not just in the day to day, but in the big things?Today I want to introduce you to Nicoletta, I’m growing in the belief that life brings into ours exactly who we need in any given chapter, and this beautiful human is one of such a soulNicoletta is one allowing life to be what it is meant to, in being present, in allowing joy to be found in the simple moments, in the way she values depth and relationship over fleeting points of contact, and I’m so honored to share a small part of the woman I got to meet with you We chat about what it means to hold a view point that maybe doesn’t align with others, to be the “odd one out,” what it looks like to lead with emotion and empathy, and to listen when your heart tells you to stay somewhere it feels wholeShe shares how life has led her to different parts of the world, how home is not a place but with those she loves, what it means to go when you are ready, and to allow yourself to settle in how failure changes when we see it through the strength we gain when we rise from itWe chat about independence, how it is so much more than finances and says so much about how you have come to accept your own company and ability, how purpose is an ever expanding goal we get to accomplish, and how respect for others would change the worldNicoletta is a truly precious human, one I am so grateful to have met and be seen by, she is a human that will remind you how truly lovely this life gets to be and how possible it is to live one you love So tune in and meet Nicoletta and learn why her smile and joy made my days these past couple weeksAnd to you Nicoletta thank you, thank you for sharing time with me, for sharing your joy, your smile, and your choice to see me and remind me how much strength exists within us, you are a treasure and I am so honored to get to know you. See you soon and wishing you all the best in this beautiful life 

I fear the fragility of life is something we won’t always believe inOur mortality and faliability I believe are what make our existence precious I worry we will lose sight of what it is to fail and try againTo not give up even when everything in and around us feels it is the only option I fear we will lose our will and our perserverence because there seems to be another path…..That water and words written will no longer be lifelines to our bodies and our souls….I fear we will allow our pursuit of knowledge and greatness to overtake our ability to exist That knowing another will cease to be enough not because we do not know its powerBut because we have not accepted it as our only path forward I fear we will lose more than we will gain in the name of ease In the name of perfection At the cost of humanity 

Have you ever felt like life asked you to start over again?Today I want to introduce you to Varty, a human that has and continues to press forward, to find the motivation that exists within, to be a student and to share what she knows with others I’ve known Varty for some years now, and as life would have it we were both finally in the same place in the world, getting to sit down and share a coffee and meet in person was a sweet surprise for me, and even more getting to share a bit of her with youWe chat about what it means to be patient, not just in the waiting, but more so in the reaching of the goals we have for our own lives, how time and again we can find ourselves back at the base of Maslow pyramid, and how each time it leads us to choose to again begin She shares about her culture, how the absence of home continues to be a part of her journey, how often what is known of her country is only what the media determines bowls weight and how much beauty and diversity is missed We chat about the treasure na shot in friends that show up for us, that are the family we need in our lives, and how richness is so much more who than how much Varty is a human that holds a deep and valuable place in this world, one that reminds us to move forward, to cheer yourself on, to be proud of how we hold on to our sanity no matter what life throws at us So tune in today and meet Varty, and learn what it is to know a human that smiles, presses on, and reminds you how ok it is to human And to you Varty thank you, thank you for the reminder to value the strength we have to begin again, for sharing your time, your smile, and the honor of knowing you, you are a beautiful human and one I am so grateful life brought into mine 

Will the world go before you?Will it be here to watch you pass onWill it hold your body as it turns back to earthOr will it pass you by?Will it be consumed by the fire of all our eyes chose to look away fromWill the mountains crumble and the sea fade…Will we look on…Still full of lifeAs our home passes onWith no one to hold its ashes once it burns… And no where left for us to call home 

How well do you know you? Today I want to introduce you to Lizette, this conversation was one that felt like home to me, settled, affirming of what life is meant to be, connected with someone the way I believe we get to be when we are open to ourselves first and then another Lizette is a human who has learned to value her intuition, her joy in the simple things, and her path to continue allowing life to build who she is becoming, what it means to end things well, and what it is to allow yourself to learn and unlearn who you are We chat about how independence is a gift but one we find out of necessity at times, how being around those that calm your nervous system is worth more than we can imagine, and how speaking fear in a safe place changes its impact on us She shares how leaving her home country allows her to build, to define home as more than one place, and how time alone is a treasure and yet so is community I sat next to Lizette and felt instantly like I was working beside an old friend, we shared an afternoon chatting and working, its connections like these that feel so impactful and so important to who life leads us to be, conversations that continue to be an honor for me to share with youSo tune in today and meet Lizette, a human that will remind you how much value is found in knowing yourself, your path, your joy, and how connection deepens with others when it deepens within us first And to you Lizette thank you, thank you for the shared space, for your openness, your wholeness in which you show up and have reminded me to do the same, you are a woman I am honored to have met and will hold with so much value our time together 

what draws your focus and what distracts from it?