Is Anybody Out There?

I've been writing this blog for quite some time now it all began when I wanted to keep in touch with the many folks who are seasonal visitors to the desert, as well as to stay connected to my circle of people in other places such as Europe and Australia. My "Thought of the Week" was inspired by those asking for what I was teaching on a weekly basis and to reach out to them via cyber space. They wanted to stay connected to what I had been sharing during our time together. And so was born the weekly e-newsletter and associated blog.

Since beginning this outward communication, I had no other intent than to have one more avenue in which to share my experience and knowledge with people who have crossed my path. I write, my husband Ed edits and I hit the "send" button out into the vast unknown. I have little to no idea who will open the newsletter, what they'll read or if anything will actually resonate. It's as though I take a leap of faith each week that perhaps what I have written might make a difference to someone else.

What continually drops my jaw is when I hear a story about what I've written and how it impacted someone else. Sometimes I feel as though I'm writing and sending thoughts into an abyss, wondering "is anybody out there?". It truly is a practice of trusting an inner voice and then letting it all go. The simple act of writing regularly is a spiritual practice unto itself. If nobody ever replied or commented, it is still a way in which I delve into my soul, look for the weekly lesson and offer my voice as an expression of my own individual journey.  For someone who likes to feel a sense of control, this is definitely a practice of surrender.

It blows me away when people say "I look forward to your blog/newsletter every week", or "I felt like what you wrote was directed precisely to what was happening with me". I feel immense gratification every time I hear one of these stories as the expectation I hold is that I write and let go...so when something comes back, it's a joyful moment of surprise!

It's the same for offering teachings at charitable events. My experience through the Off the Mat fundraising year and through Poses on Paseo/Poses For the People have been personally satisfying as I feel that one way for me to be of service is to teach from my experience in the hope of raising funds and awareness. Recently, I had two stories of people who had crossed my path this way. These were people I didn't meet directly during those events but who came to offer their support and energy to a cause. Additionally, they started receiving my weekly e-newsletter, have followed various happenings and writings and are now undertaking my Yoga Teacher Training through Desert Yoga Therapy!

My point of all of this is not to boast about what I'm doing but to be reminded of the impact we can have through what we are doing. All of these are examples of me just putting it out there and letting go. My intention is to offer whatever I have through my heart with authenticity and passion. My lesson has been that as I stay true to that, I might just be surprised by the incredibly powerful impact one action may have acting as a catalyst for another action to be ignited.

My thought for the week is to put it out there...whatever "it" may be and do so from that inner realm of your soul. It's speaking to us constantly and if we can get quiet and listen, we are empowered to spread whatever it is that we have to offer.

Trust and offer it up. As I'm learning, the answer to my question, "is anybody out there?", is YES!