I can’t believe how quickly the month of February has gone by. I’ve been working on being my best self for two months now. It’s a journey that has many twists and turns. It’s a journey with both humbling moments and much joy. In processing who I am outside of who others have told me I was and outside of “the boxes” society tries to put us in, I have found that I can open myself up to new opportunities that I had never considered before.  These opportunities have come in the form of what I teach, where I speak, what I read, and what I write. They have come in the form of where I choose to shop or what I choose to eat.

Thanks to a friend’s advice, I’ve eaten raw honey. I’ve hiked new paths. I’ve learned that I like to cook fresh veggies. I’ve discovered flavors of hot tea that I like. I’ve found aromatherapy lotion that makes my hands feel so much better. They are usually so dry all winter. I’ve found new neighborhoods to explore. Last month, I picked up a used book by an author that I had never read before. I’m even starting season three of my podcast soon with a new approach to familiar topics and found new freelance opportunities for writing.

Sometimes in life we have to look for the “newness.” We have to open up to new ways and new possibilities. It’s not that we have to get rid of the old. Many things and many people are worth hanging on to. But we can’t stop growing and learning. We shouldn’t stop exploring and hoping and dreaming. It’s when I explore and grow that I find new joys and new aspects of myself that I had never known before. I rediscover interests and talents that I had packed away years before.

This poem was in my first poetry book and addresses both my personal growth and my spirituality that I explore as I grow. I hope you are “awakening” this year to new opportunities.

In Celebration of Our Awakening

We awaken from our deep slumbers
arising from long winters
which buried us in sorrows and burdens
that froze our soul
and in this season our spirit hibernated
out of the instinct for survival
but now we awaken
and rediscover ourselves—
we find in us a child
celebrating dawn as if it were the first…
we find in us a lover
embracing all things beloved in us and around us…
we find in us a warrior
charging forth with courage
as if no one could stand in our way…
and we discover our roots
which seek out sustenance
as they are caressed by the rich soil
through which they move
and we celebrate our new growth
as we reach up to you, Holy Mother,
and we feel your warming powers
which have awakened us this day.

–Chris Pepple ©2019