Still I Rise

Breathe in, just breathe.

Breathe out – but it’s a shallow breath. 

A shade of darkness cascades over my soul.

Eyes closed. Chest tight. Fists clenched.

Drowning in the sorrow.

A mix of fear and ache – am I a human hurricane?

Harbouring the hurt. Sinking in the suffering.

Silence isn’t quiet.

Just breathe.

Be still my dear.

Come as you are,

and just breathe.


Support systems need support systems.

As I sat in my space writing this evening and questioning how to properly articulate my thoughts and feelings, this first message came through from a dear friend. Immediately I was reminded of all the loving messages I’ve received.

"Thank you for being a light in this world. I love you Anna. You mean the world to me"

Words matter

You matter

"You don't want to thank me. I care about you. So just let me know if you need me in anyway. Stay strong and don't forget to smile every once in awhile"

Goodness matters

"You are my person. So grateful for my home team. Thank you for being my rock. Ilysm"

Kindness matters

"You're simply amazing with a huge heart and are not afraid to show it. You are loved and have a genuinely beautiful soul. It will all come together"
"I have full faith that someday soon you will be the person we all see you as"

Taking the time to tell or remind someone that you appreciate, love, admire, are inspired by or thinking of them matters

Words matter

You matter

Goodness matters

Kindness matters

“You never know what someone else is going through”

"Daily reminder that I love you and I miss you"
"Just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you"

We are living in an incredibly vulnerable time. Please do not apologize for feeling the feels or being open, honest and raw in your conversations about it. Do not feel as if it isn’t alright to not be completely terrified or filled with grief.

But please in a time when we cannot see our loved ones the way we yearn, hug them or hold them tight; at a time when joy might feel depleted –  use the intense power of dialogue. It replenishes the soul and restores hope. 

"I needed to tell u again ur amazing for everything u do !! Love it and appreciate it !! You are amazing !!"

Words matter

You matter

"When I read, and reread your beautiful message, it reminds me of just how caring, considerate and deep you are. Having you in my life is a gift"

Thank you, thank you, thank you. To the ones who listen, who understand, who console.

Each and every one of you are the light in my life and for that I am ineffably filled with gratitude. Your presence has shifted my life for the better, in good times and in bad. 

Thank you for helping to calm my storms. 

Kindness is a universal language. Be kind to one another. Be grateful and keep spreading joy.

TOGETHER, WE WILL RISE.

Be still my dear.

Come as you are,

and just breathe.

Sending my love and light to you all

Head up, heart strong

Magic

You don’t have to fear the darkness

Light yourself up

a flickering flame

in the home of your own soul.

And don’t you allow your heart to crack

at the hands of others

bitter words,

cold actions,

silence.

Toughen your exterior

heighten your criteria.

Not everyone should be 

granted access to your energy.

You are as pure as they come

so fuck the masses.

Cultivate your own chaos

rather than carrying the

weight of others.

You mustn’t lose

your madness,

baby   –

you are magic.

Architects

“The core of who you are as a person I believe is permanent, a foundation built throughout the early years of your life. The good stuff however – kindness, selflessness, drive, reason and understanding, all come later. How you choose to decorate who you are is entirely up to you. So be creative.”

-Beau Taplin // The Architect

I’m here. I’m ready. Journeying freely throughout each given day.

The art of reflection is a beautiful practice.  It is a way to remind myself where I have been and the direction in which I want to set foot in. I encourage you to reflect, too.

This time of year I find myself especially focused on reflecting. For me, it is the perfect opportunity to step back and understand the complexities and simplicities of my trials and my successes over the past year. Often times we are so caught up in whatever is in front of us that we fail to make sense of it all. We are never going to be able to get closure, answers or understanding of everything that we experience + that is alright. Some experiences are meant to be a simple encounter at that. To distinguish the difference, I ask myself, “is it going to matter a year from now?”

I lead with my heart, but I will never stop questioning. My passion and desires are rooted deeply in my pursuit for growth. I want my soul to be fierce and free while simultaneously allowing myself to explore the truth that lies within my life. To successfully do this, I focus on three things: understanding myself wholly, journeying presently and being mindful of the key people in my life at each given time.

I want my soul to dance. I will move to the rhythm of love, compassion, understanding and open + honest communication. 

Open and honest communication allows me to diminish distance between myself and others. I am able to effectively convey my thoughts and feelings to both myself and the key people in my life.  I have said it before and I will say it again, my heart thrives on open outpours of love. I love my family who strengthen my heart. I love the one who puts a smile on my face as we grow separately, together. I love my friends and my deep connections with others. I am grateful for the ability to radiate the sensations that these relationships generate in my life.

We are the architects of our lives. Let’s commit. Let’s commit to seeking and pursuing our purposes and our truths genuinely, lovingly and with good intent. The time is now.

May you become everything and more. 

Pilot.

The chronicles of a mind that never stops wandering.

What does that mean? Where am I going with this?

Well, I don’t really know either. What I do know is that I have the inability to shut my mind off. I mean really, this brain of mine never stops wandering. I think, I write, I think, I write. But I never write on paper, I never write online (until now). The writing has always been composed in my mind, where is was stored and locked away. But as a twenty-something, what good is that? Why not share the chronicles of this busy, wandering mind of mine? So that is precisely what I am going to do. I will share with all of you, the craziness of what it is that is going on in my head which is both a blessing and a curse.

My aspiration of one day being able to truly take my thoughts and compose a beautiful piece of literature has to start somewhere. So today, it will start here.