This is a transitional period where many are experiencing endings, shedding (or maybe shredding), and releasing. But it is also a period of openings, beginnings, and going through new doors.

After so long of our patterns and routines, of holding it together, and of letting go, the transition to doing something different can be a really odd ask on our body. Even if we really want something new. Even if we’ve been searching for and seeking something new. The action of ‘doing something new’ can bring up fear and resistance.

I remember a season of extreme loneliness in my life. I was going through some internal shifts and had seen friend after friend pull away or disconnect. Looking back, I now know I was going through one of these transitional periods but in the moment, I wondered what was going on, what was wrong with me, and would I ever have deep friendships again. Finding my people, whatever that meant, had become my mantra.

Walking out at the end of an evening class, I was invited to join some folks for pizza and beer but I had something significant due the next morning so I regretfully declined. Besides, the introvert side of me was looking for quiet coffee conversations rather that busy bar scenes. But as I was walking across the parking lot, a thought intersected my busy mind: ‘you’ve been looking for this’. I hustled back and joined the group. Today, I can see the friendships that were began that evening.

The reality is, that if we keep doing the same stuff, we’re likely gonna end up with the same results.

So, how do we begin to move in a new direction?

We quite literally have to do something.

Anything.

But what if we do the wrong thing?

Well, we stop doing that thing and do something else.

Energetically, it is easier to change the direction an object is moving in than it is to move an object from rest. This has to do with inertia and overcoming static friction … and the same is true of us! So, if we make a change and don’t like it, we’ll find it easier to change directions to something we do like than starting from square one.

So, how small can this small thing be? Well, back to the friendship example. I could:

• Write on piece of paper: I am open to new friendships. Stick the paper on my fridge or mirror
• Begin saying hi to people I pass on my walk and compliment them on their dogs
• For a regular event, show up 5-10 minutes early and talk to whoever is there; or, stay 5-10 minutes afterwards

If I want something bigger, I could:

• Sign up for a 4-session class that sounds sorta interesting
• Go to a community event
• Volunteer with a non-profit once a quarter

Have some fun exploring what might be your ‘something/anything’.
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And, if you’re in that place of healing or releasing right now, know that it is also ok to simply ‘be’. If this is you, perhaps your ‘something/anything’ might be to rest or to listen to what your body needs.

In a funk?
Many of us are in a season of inner work. We’re reevaluating beliefs and stories – things our parents taught us, things we learned in school, things we were taught through religion, things we saw in movies or TV.
It sure can feel like a funk.
It is sorta like going through boxes that have been stored in the basement or attic for decades. These boxes are filled with mementos that were important at some time. Opening these boxes may elicit all sorts of feelings ranging from “that makes my heart smile” to “oh my gosh, what was I thinking at the time” to “I have no idea why I saved this”.
These mementos, stories, and beliefs are all part of our identity. I am who I am because of all my experiences up to this point. Some shaped me well, some harmed me, some brought me joy, some brought me grief.
But here’s the thing.
We’re probably not going to take movie star picture we saved when we were 12, frame it, and make it the centerpiece of our home. In fact, many of us will simply gift it to the recycling bin.
In the same way, we get to review the beliefs and the stories we’ve kept. As we do this, we find some to be valuable artifacts worth cleaning and displaying with love. But we also tend a lot of debris that we have simply allowed to keep floating in our energy.
So, time to clean out the boxes.
However, it is important to know that we’re not doing all this just to have a clean basement. We’re reviewing and releasing to have space for our next steps. This is a time of endings so we can have new beginnings. 
This deep internal reflection and heart-cleaning can cause us to feel off-balance and vulnerable (side note, this is often why we are afraid to look in those boxes!). These reflections and experiences can become catalysts for change which are sometimes more existential crisis than incremental.
Be prepared for the big questions to pop up: Who am I? Why am I here?
These aren’t questions with defined answers that stay static over time. We grow into our ‘who’. We grow into our ‘why’.
We experience growing pains – both in the releasing and in the becoming.
Change is hard. And sometimes the easy part is changing ourselves. Sometimes the harder part it is figuring out how and where our new self fits in. That round peg no longer fits in the square hole.
But that’s ok because our lives were never meant to be confined to a little square box.

September is going to be a choppy month. It might feel like the bandaid is getting ripped off, because, well, bandaids are probably going to get ripped off.

Things that we’ve kept under wraps, in the closet, compartmentalized, rationalized, or otherwise ignored have a good chance of coming to the surface this month.

Which is awesome.

And might feel miserable. 

The awesome part is that as these come to the surface, they can (if we don’t fight them) serve as a catalyst for change. We will have the opportunity for deep internal landscape work primarily around beliefs, old stories, emotional wounds, and ingrained narratives.  

This is all identity work – who are we, why are we here, what is our deeper purpose, how do we want to be in this world. There may be significant internal dissonance as these questions arise and they may impact us at the individual, relationship, family, work, and community level. Foundations and safety may feel shaky. You may feel kinda raw.

It may not be easy, but there is the opportunity to really shed a lot of things that we’ve been carrying around that no longer serve us.

What will help?

Our energy is going to feel pretty scattered so activities that bring our energy back into our centers and/or ground us will be really helpful. Mindful movements such as yoga, qigong, or tai chi. Meditations. Getting out into nature, under some trees, or near water. 

Set and write out specific intentions. While it might be hard to know exactly what sorts of things will release, setting intentions such as ‘I am open to allowing things to surface so they can be released with ease’ or ‘I am ready to release old stories and beliefs that no longer serve me’ will reduce some of the speed bumps that sometimes come up with identity work. Writing these down helps us to embody them. Sticking them on a wall, mirror, or fridge reminds of us our intention.  

It might be a good couple of weeks to take some additional time with considering decisions and actions. There might be feelings of intensity and urgency which can push us to make decisions without considering all of the options or impacts. Take your time and pull in some trusted folks for additional perspective if possible. 
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Finally, be gentle with yourself and be gentle with others. 

Many times we long for others to change. Other times, we fear that others will change. The reality is that we cannot change another, nor can we prevent them from changing.

People around us change. All the time. In big ways and little ways.

For many, there is tremendous transformation taking place. Sometimes this change is thrust upon them through loss, a bad diagnosis, or downsizing. Others initiate change by examining their beliefs, relationships, and the systems they live within.

Many people change quietly, over time by repeatedly building on small decisions. Some choose to allow the news to make them more fearful. More locks on the door. More hypervigilance. Others choose to try something new, create a daily practice, and connect to others who share this interest.

Sometimes in change, people can become deeply wrapped around more volatile emotions. They get riled up about (insert any hot-button issue) and they try to get the rest of us riled up too but it is often all angst with no action. These folks are in change mode also. They are using external triggers to explore their own internal landscape, especially their emotions. Angst is both the entry key and the lighter fluid on their internal flame. The unpredictability, combustibility, and pressure to join them can make it challenging or undesirable to be around their energy.

How do we come to terms with the person who has changed or is in change mode? Sometimes this is easy because their changes align with our personal path. This expands our common language and shared values making it easy to connect. For others, we struggle with their changes. Their path is quite different from ours. We may not understand their path, we may dislike their path, or we may wish we could take their path but are afraid to. 

Part of the answer is to hold relationships sacredly with respect and honor, but lightly without clinging or binding. Each of us is likely to continue to change. However, we typically do not change at the same time, in ways that are comfortable for everyone, or even by staying on the same path. These are why we may naturally fade in an out of each others’ lives. 

Honoring our path and another’s path sometimes means letting those paths move in different directions. 
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Holding these shifts without judgment allows us to be curious about the changes in someone’s life and path. Interestingly this often allows us to be more curious about the changes in our own life.

The news has been pretty busy recently with things being revealed in governments, leaders, and systems. While some had been suspected, the emerging hard reality is beginning to shake some foundations. There’s a sharp spikey darkness that is becoming harder and harder to ignore. The term ‘disclosure’ got tossed around a lot in relation to the release of the UFO files, however disclosure actually has much more to do with revealing the oftentimes ‘shadowy’ operations behind the curtain and how these impact our day-to-day life.
 
This same ‘disclosure’ energy is also playing out with each of us an individual way. We’re coming face-to-face with our own beliefs and the shadows within ourselves and our relationships. Some of these are also pretty sharp and spikey. Right now, there’s a whole lot of us feeling like life is messy and hard. 
 
There is decidedly a wave of ancestral healing that is occurring across our planet. It isn’t new; it has been occurring across the world in various spaces and peoples for a while and will continue for another several years at least. But what is new is how widespread this is across the world right now. 
 
Exploring our individual and ancestral heritage often brings grief and sadness. The grief from the land which was forced to hold the space for human atrocities. The sadness over what might have been. The trauma that gets passed down the generations through epigenetics. 
 
Within all of this mess however is the opportunity for us to consider how we wish to be, how we wish our world to be, and the future we wish to create. With the ancestral clearing also comes an opening of ancestral power. How will we use it?
 
Are we ok with shadowy hidden agendas in our systems that create divisiveness, marginalize groups and individuals, restrict freedom, and continue to damage the planet? More people are beginning to step out of line, pushing against rules and systems that no longer seem to make sense and pushing for more whole and interconnected ways of being.
 
Are we ok with shadowy passive aggressive, codependent, conflict in our relationships that creates shame/blame and generational trauma? Relationships are falling apart at epic rates. However, there’s also epic rates of new relationships, different kinds of relationships, and newfound comfort with being alone. Many are finding their ‘people’; not echo chambers, but others who are doing the hard work of developing emotional intelligence and creating microcosms of community.  
 
Finally, and most importantly, are we ok with shadowy parts of ourselves that we have kept hidden, preferring instead to focus on the need for others to change before we step into our purpose and authentic self? Or are we ready to step into the freedom and authentic power of who we came here to be?