On day one of my first college math class, the professor spoke in shorthand with students seated up front. As he expanded the equation on the chalkboard behind him, they nodded and made notes.
In the back row, the befuddled among us murmured about dropping.
At the university center, I stood in line to find another course.
“What you need is Physics for Poets.”
The class wasn’t really called that, but the name captured the vibe. It would explain how the world worked to folks like me who needed a good story to understand it all.
Those concepts helped me realize my impact on everything around me. One raindrop falls on the surface of a pond, forming a concentric ring that ripples out, altering the whole. We are all interconnected. Nature, the universe, our tiny selves.
Even if we think no one can tell what’s going on inside us, our thoughts and actions affect everyone and everything around us. It’s all energy.
As another year draws to a close, I think about the concentric circles I have created with my one raindrop.
My own ripple effect has expanded into communities of writers, coaches, therapists, yogis, and friends, co-creating a beautiful kind of expansion for all of us. For me, a go-it-aloner, this feels like a pivotal moment.
With a small drop of my own truth, here’s what happened.
- A sister coach and I are connected to the point where we have similar dreams. It’s the wildest thing you ever heard. You actually won’t hear about it because Vegas rules are in place.
- In a recent writing class,* the prompts served the work of my soul so precisely it’s downright spooky. Stories that would have folks clutching their pearls all over the suburbs emerged. The writers were unbothered and shared their own toe-curling tales. The more we allowed, the deeper the truth we alchemized together. The experience was extraordinary.
- At our annual holiday celebration, my oldest friends and I started a new tradition to show up with a BIG question to ask. Learning more of their stories made it my favorite holiday together ever.
- My husband and I are endeavoring to know more about one other too—26 years and counting—with a talented therapist and coach. We haven’t been this present with each other since I don’t know when.
- I am having ALL the fun in Natalie Miller’s group. On the Winter Solstice, we created a ritual to call in our deepest desire for the coming year. I actually didn’t know about the materials we were supposed to bring but I had a handful of crushed juniper in my backpack, some sweet almond oil and a nearby candle with just enough fire left to get the job done. I’m sure it worked.
- And finally, Tantra Yoga. What could I possibly say that could explain what is happening there. I’ll have to gbty.
The net effect has me feeling sparkly. I do not take my good fortune for granted.
With all of this self-discovery business, a brilliant writer friend reminded me of the privilege of privacy. The concentric circles of safety I have cultivated around me make my personal evolution possible.
During these final days of Hanukkah, I am thinking about Hannah, sister of the Maccabees who stood up to protect her sisters.** She was the only one willing to disrupt a system that lead to the triumph of light over darkness. She dared to speak the truth and started a rebellion.
So. I propose we cultivate a willingness to speak truth in the new year. Maybe give folks a bit more credit for being able to handle it. Perhaps our hesitation is more about trying to protect ourselves from vulnerability than anything else.
With our privilege, we can create the conditions necessary for truth to be accessible to those who have no access to it because it threatens their safety.
Happy New Year.
Elizabeth
Writing Prompt: How safe do you feel sharing your truth? How does it compare to past versions of you? What is your willingness to tell the truth in the future?
*https://www.corporealwriting.com/current-offerings-sign-up
** https://blog.nli.org.il/en/hoi_hannah_hasmonean/
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