Today I woke up extra early. I added a full hour to my morning routine dedicated to my most tender creative project, sharing the healing story of my life with Peso.

Why trade in an hour of sleep for an hour dedicated to creativity?

Well, I have a story to tell.

It’s the story of how Peso came into my life and walked by my side while I woke up and learned to heal. How he taught me who I am and how through his life, and especially through his death, I learned to open my heart to all of life.

This is not a story about losing a beloved pet. This is a love story. It’s about love and loss, life and death, vulnerability and bravery — and healing choices.

These things are universal – and sharing with each other how we make sense of what happens to us and how we face these things with courage — is not just valuable – it’s essential to healing ourselves and to healing the world.

And that’s why I’m here. To heal and be healed.

The assignment is clear; share the story. Inspiration even did me the favor of looking me right in the face and saying “This is a BOOK”.

Problem is, I work as a nurse, a yoga teacher, a consultant and I run my own business. I am also dedicated to my practices of meditation, prayer and physical exercise – I don’t exactly have a lot of free time laying around and I have no experience as a writer. Plus, I’m terrified that I won’t do the story justice (which is, of course, the only real problem).

Thankfully, my favorite creative mentor and inspirationist, Elizabeth Gilbert, has taught me that when there is something to create — no one has time, no one feels ready and everyone feels scared. There is no rational reason to create art. But if you are a creator and you are gifted with an assignment from inspiration – it will be draining and painful to not bring the idea to life — and you won’t feel quite fully alive until you do.

So, right now, giving up an hour of sleep to spend time with this story every day is how I am setting fire to my life; burning down the things that hold me back and igniting the things that light me up.

Because I have a story living in my heart that is aching to live in the world – and it’s not going to wait until I am done being scared, have it perfectly figured out or have enough time, money or anything else.

Because I do not believe that we are here to run errands, pay bills and hold things together until we die.

Because I’m pretty sure that creating, connecting and sharing is what being ALIVE is all about.

So — I’ll give up sleep for that any day.

Actually, every day.

GOOD MORNING WORLD!

 

Love,
MF