Welcome to the inside of a quiet moment on Sunday morning. I was about to write in my journal when I got a strong call to write to you as I was integrating the meaning of the cards I pulled this morning from the The Mystics Oracle Deck. This isn’t a post only about Gratitude, Mysticism and the Collective, but rather a bow to how humbling it can be to live in this world. And perhaps, it shall be a call to use our gifts to expand into the light that is our birthright.

Here is the magic I wish to share:

1. You can use gratitude as medicine. Yesterday, as I was hanging laundry for a trip which begins at 2:45am on Monday morning when I had only returned less than 24 hours prior, I felt a sadness run through my body. It was the sadness of leaving combined with fatigue. Instead of fighting it, I paused and let myself feel it. Without consciously shifting out of it, I noticed where it landed in my body. Then I talked to it. And I said, “Yes, I am sad about leaving my husband and son.” And then I thought about where I was going.  I have an affection for the state, and remembered some of the people that I am going to see. One of them is a dear friend. I happen to work with her. I smiled, this I could feel in my heart–it was actually smiling. I get paid to work with someone I love.  And then I thought about several of the other people and realized how I was looking forward to seeing them and laughing with them.  This is the re-frame. It is not shoving down my sadness with gratitude. It is objectively looking at all of it together in one bowl. For more on navigating conflicting emotions, read this post.
2. Magic is accessible to everyone. Today is Pentecost Sunday. Despite the fact that I was raised Catholic, I wasn’t sure what that meant. So I went to my new Episcopal church’s newsletter and clicked on a link where someone told the story behind today’s celebration. Bottom line, the apostles were touched by the Holy Spirit and able to speak in a language or languages understood by all of the diverse cultures in Jerusalem. Magic is like that. When you approach the world with an open heart, there is a translation of your spirit into a universal love. Staying grounded in that love is one of the most powerful tools for thriving. And I promise you that everyday magic will spring forward in some of the most unexpected ways.
3. Boundaries and “no thank you” are the peaceful warriors best allies. Warrior and peace may not seem to go together. However, there’s a force, strength and energy which I find essential to living in the world and navigating immense amounts of pain–my own and that of others. At the same time, there is an art to yielding and allowing what is, to just be. For example, I know that I cannot heal the wound of racism in the U.S., but I can extend kindness equally. And I can speak out in the very moment of witnessing discrimination. I am also incredibly careful about who sits in my inner circle. It’s not about exclusivity, it’s about the boundaries of my heart. It may be open, but there are sentinels guarding the gates. And those individuals are my dearest friends and family. And the sentinels, much like at Buckingham Palace (that’s right, I found a Royal Wedding link), rotate on and off duty as I do for them. There is a space between me and some of my dearest friends right now. It varies whether the space was carved by me or the other or both. I don’t over analyze it. I just allow it to be. That is the yielding required by the peaceful warrior. For when you allow for spaciousness, there is room for growth.  For more on this topic, read Shine the Pot: When to Let Go of Friends (and Family).

That’s all for now. I’m off to church. I am wishing you great happiness today and every day. And when there is despair, talk to it. Allow it. And then go into your medicine bag and find what works for you. Nature takes up a lot of real estate in my bag. Here’s a film I made in the first week of my Mystic Athlete, 80 days of Notes and the Body movement. It includes some of the most beautiful trees I have seen in a while. It also includes the funny story of me running to a plane with my shoes off and the magic of landing in my favorite number over and over and over. To learn more about the Mystic Athlete, visit the previous post.

Mother’s Day is the perfect time for a reset. Some of us feel joy. Most of us feel some sort of grief, loss or disappointment, or at a minimum, conflicting emotions. And some of us feel a blend of all of the above. That’s what it is to be human, isn’t it?

How do we thrive in the midst of so much suffering in the world? How do we also embrace the significant joy that comes our way–whether it’s in the form of a quiet cup of coffee, the wagging tail of a dog or the contentment that springs from appreciating access to clean water and a warm bed (if you are fortunate enough to have both of those)? How do we mother ourselves into whole health?

Here’s the deal:

Join me starting today for 80 days of #NotesAndTheBody as part of the #MysticAthlete movement. Every day until July 31, choose one or more of the following:

1. Some sort of significant exercise as defined by you – think about walking, running, gardening, yoga, Qoya, basketball – whatever.
2. Intentional Rest – be it sitting still for a bit or snuggled and awake or asleep.
3. Write a handwritten note to anyone – and mail it with in four days.

And here’s the thing, it’s hard to miss a day if you manage even a few minutes of rest or sleep because it’s embedded in the concept. That will take us to July 31. And don’t worry if you’re reading this after Mother’s Day. You can join during any point in the journey.

Optional Calls to Action

1. Please share this post and also consider subscribing to my blog at https://rebeccainspiresnow.com/
2. Find a buddy to join you.
3. Follow MysticAthleteTV on YouTube and on Instagram for 60-second videos or sometimes a little longer.
4. Post your #NotesAndTheBody #MysticAthlete actions on social media.
5. Keep your participation private and don’t tell anyone you’re doing it.

Those are the basics. Read no further unless you want more context. You can watch this 1:44 video and/or read on below.

What is a #MysticAthlete ?

I had a “download” — which means a big gift from my muse to write an 8-point Mystic Athlete Manifesto in March of 2017. For more than a year, I tested this approach to thriving with two friends – one in DC and one in London.  While I considered making this a fee-based program, I want to launch it in its FREE form for now. This summer I will be embodying these principles and also focusing heavily on writing and editing the sequel to my novel, The Amazing Adventures of Selma Calderon. Here’s an overview plus I added two more points to the manifesto. It’s a living concept which will evolve over time.

Mystic Athlete: Exploring Your Own Personal Ecosystem to Maximize Health and Joy

The ecology of you —building an ecosystem that supports personal health, wealth, strength and connection to nature and humanity aligned with the divinity of everyday magic.

The Mystic Athlete approach offers a flexible path for health, wealth, connection and everyday magic. We live in a world where societal expectations and the ones we place on ourselves are too much. The pace feels too fast.

Mystic Athletes learn how to take an ecological approach to their lives and prioritize physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. The goal is not balance—it is a mastery of energy and the shifts required for you to enjoy your everyday life, prioritize joy, set intentions and take inspired action so that many of your longings and desires become your reality.

It provides a path to weave together fun, family, friends and money management while prioritizing nature connection, movement, nourishment and creativity.

Mystic Athlete Manifesto

I pledge to:

1. Love up every curve; Wonder at, and embrace my gorgeous belly.

2. Delight in the delicious; Let a healthy bit of sensual pleasure heal me.

3. Cultivate my warrior.

4. Quiet the spirit when the soul is calling.

5. Draw, write and create a life full of color.

6. Dance under wild lights.

7. Listen to my intuitive body and train with all my Mystic power, including relishing rest.

8. Invite and embrace affluence in all its forms.

9. Trust in the journey including the divine detours.

10. Allow, allow and keep allowing – begin a love affair with the act of not knowing.

I hope you enjoy exploring this path with me if you choose to do so. Don’t worry if some of the mystic language prompts a feeling of “I don’t get it” or “that’s too woo woo for me.”  You don’t have to completely get it because part of the mystery or not knowing is inherent in the approach. Also, I MADE IT UP with the help of divine inspiration.

And you are not required to take the pledge – just go forth and

move your body

rest your body

write someone a note and mail it

only if you want to do so.

There’s ZERO pressure. I love those kinds of invitations.

See you out there!