“Close some doors. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.” Paulo Coelho
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!
The following words pinpoint exactly what I was feeling this time last year:
I had a corner office my entire tenure with DHS. A beautiful view of the water, yet the window separate me from the world. Towards the last few years, it felt more like a box than a privilege. Now stepping out, there is no box to keep me from the freedom that I so desperately yearned for. I know it will not be easy and perhaps scary, but it is time and here I go! Tomorrow is always a new day, and nothing can keep this girl from walking in the sun. It is time to close that door because it no longer led me anywhere. It actually kept me from getting on with it, whatever it is. I close the door, don’t look back, only to figure out a way to make my dreams a reality and drop the weight of the past that no longer serves me!
MY YEAR IN REVIEW
And WHEW, what a year in review it has been. From the Coldplay concert in August with VIP passes for 12 of my peeps (thanks to Love Button, Sherry and Habib) to moderating a panel after Building the Wall at the Arsht. From S.H.I.N.E. 2017 Dream, Create, Believe to my new Facebook Live/You Tube Channel Manifesting with Meg. From the Bahamas, NYC, Poppiepalooza to El Camino de Santiago in Spain, Seattle, Alaska and back again. This has been quite a year. Talk about stepping outside the box! And what visual beauty below I share with you as evidence of my travels.
NEW OFFICE
MODERATING!
COLDPLAY!
S.H.I.N.E!
SPEAKING
BAHAMAS
LADY D/S.I.S.
LOVE BUTTON GLOBAL
PARKLAND DAY OF LOVE!
T.A.F.I.
NYC
SPAIN
EL CAMINO
COACHING!
LA
HOW MAY I HELP YOU?10 DAYS TO CONNECT
PANEL!
NYC
CONVERSATIONS WITH MEG
SEATTLE, ALASKA & VICTORIA!
SUNRISE OF MY SOUL’S BLISS
To all you courageous warriors who get out of bed each and everyday to face the world once again. All of you who continue to dream in the face of adversity. And to you who are able to find the positive side of any painful learning experience. Believe that you have not lost the childish spirit of your youth. Good news, everything will be alright.
I say this convincingly as I made it through the grieving process after the loss of one of the greatest loves of my life. I have found hope, (Hold On, Pain Ends) despite the failures as I never give up on myself so that I can learn some more. The wound that was once raw and open has healed and I am stronger because of it, guided to a greater existence.
You may ask why I would dare open my heart and soul to share from a place of vulnerability when life is so fragile as it is. Well, it is simple. By sharing what I have learned with those who need the encouragement and support, my life has purpose and from that place I continue to build on the incredible story that I have already written.
And so I boldly embrace the writer that I have become and type out the words, while honoring my path with the intention to inspire and empower others to do the same.
CHAPTER ONE
Who would have thought that I would want to the see the world as magical again. My whole life it has been that way. I have always believed that there is magic for good and that there is magic for bad. There has always been a fine line between the two. I have been told that I need to be more realistic about the path of my life. That I need to be concerned how I will support myself and take care of my responsibilities. That word, responsibilities, has always carried a negative connotation for me. It seems to be a very heavy word, one that has the potential to quash any far flung dream that I may conjure up in my head and my heart.
However, as I get older and reality tends to clash with my fantasyland, I have made the effort to give the word the value it deserves and bring a sense of gratitude to it. Where I once saw responsibilities as a burden, something that gets in the way of my spontaneous nature, I now see it as a unique honor. To have the honor of raising my children and being responsible to them, of caring for my dogs who have always given me unconditional love, and being responsible for my life and the direction that I take it, this excites me.
I thought that this realization came about in 2006. But, in reality it hit me like a brick wall nearly 5 years later when I experienced for the first time in my life the dark night of the soul, I lost my mom. And there is where I lost my way, unbeknownst to me, to lead me on a new journey to find the sunrise of soul’s bliss and become the beautiful butterfly I was always meant to be.
ONE YEAR OUT-WHAT’S NEXT?
I spent today with a dear friend. I am so grateful she called to ask me to join her at a restorative yoga class. It was just what the doctor ordered in that I was recovering from a sinus cold after my trip. All the images from last year popped up on Facebook to remind me how far I have come. All the steps forward I have made. The dreams that have been realized and the ones soon to come true. This door I have opened and this path I have chosen is leading me somewhere, excited to find out where. I most certainly have not wandered perfectly. I am figuring it all out as I go along.
Now armed with two new certificates and proudly embracing the wisdom gained, I share with you the story of the pilgrim that I was told in Spain:
One Day a young pilgrim arrived at a monastery searching for the elderly pilgrim who was the wisest of them all. In spite of his youth, he had already completed the majority of the well-known pilgrimages of the world. He approached the wise man and asked “Master, what must I do to become a true pilgrim?”
The elderly man looked into his eyes and felt great compassion for him, “Son if you truly wish to be an authentic pilgrim, return to your home with your family, your neighbors and your friends and listen to them , serve them, forgive them and love them. Then you will be a true pilgrim. “
I am ready and willing to continue this as part of my journey as a true pilgrim, serve, love, listen, forgive and care for those in my own backyard. What a year it has been! Finally, finishing what was started 12 years ago, I have never been more excited about this part of my life. So grateful that you all have been with me to share the ups and downs, and most of all celebrate coming alive together!
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What a Difference a Year Makes: Life Outside the Box! was originally published on Meg Nocero