EMPOWER THE CHANGE

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Ghandi

I fought all of my life against complacency. Stagnation leads to deterioration. I've smelled the stench of a stagnant life on myself when after completing graduate school, I settled into a comfortable 9am-5pm job, a TV dinner in the evening and family time on the weekends. I settled for security and retired my dreams. With that choice, a piece of me died as well. My world, which was once blazing with passion, went grey.

I'm not one to tolerate grey for long; I couldn't shake the discomfort. Finally I listened to my body and the message it wanted to deliver, "Be bold! Don't give up on yourself! Believe in you and your noble dreams! Break through complacency! Lean into the challenge because that's where you'll find your alchemy. It is not just your dreams; the dreams of the world are asking to be birthed through you.

Today, I am back. Living intentionally once again. Paving the way for the change I want to see in the world. Bold decisions inevitably surface doubts, fears and criticism - within myself, family members and even close friends. It's never been easy but it always promises to be thrilling, fulfilling, and awe-inspiring.

Before "grey" had set in, my bold life included helping President Obama step into the Whitehouse, staffing his campaign years ago when he was a Senator of Chicago, working on behalf of Universal Health Care until it was signed into law, starting a spiritual community in Chicago, birthing conscious dance events, and creating handfuls of personal development weekends for healing and empowerment. Alive now, I'm once again offering life-enriching events to the community.

My heart-centered ambitions continue to provoke much gut wrenching fear, but I just lean into the fear and refuse to be seduced. The pain of a un-well-lived life is a reality I don't want to sustain anymore. No longer willing to put my dreams to rest for some kind of false sense of safety and comfort, I walk hand in hand with fear, vulnerability, and even ongoing criticism of my ambitions.

The fruits of my intentional living are the feelings I get to embody: fulfilled, ignited, alive, free, content, proud, and hopeful. Most importantly, I am hopeful. I know that our beautiful earth and humanity can evolve mindfully, through love, authenticity and intentionality. I choose to help pave this path, along with the millions who are choosing to live a bold life, each of us contributing to a world made up of wonder, diverse beauty and magic.

Feeling grey lately? Below is a list of 17 goals the United Nations created which, if fulfilled, will lead us into a sustainable world:

The world is asking for your contribution to come through. Create your life - make it a masterful work of art, a movie that's worth watching. And together, let's empower the change we want to see in the world.