At the beginning of the calendar year, I pull tarot or oracle cards and write myself a message for each month, and this is the message I wrote to myself for February 2024.
Allow stillness to show you the truth of what’s below your emotional depths. Allow the rhythm to carry you towards clarity.
Where are these elusive pockets of stillness? I am on the lookout now, waiting for them to carry me like the wind, gathering maple seeds into mini cyclones and depositing them into the soil.
I await to be swept up and planted.
My 42 birthday approaches (tomorrow), as does the second anniversary of my book Uncovering Intuition being born into the world, the 3rd anniversary of my dog and best friend Teddy passing, one year alcohol-free, and the one-year anniversary of this newsletter — The Electric Curtain. Wow, that's a lot.
I have filled my life with all of the things I promised myself, and it doesn't feel half as scary as I thought it would. There is a difference between getting lost in the chaos of life and allowing the flow to carry you. Sometimes, they overlap, and sometimes, I can not distinguish the difference while I’m in my little cyclone.
Finding the stillness means depositing both feet on the earth and taking stock. Putting my hands on my heart, bowing my head, and asking the Universe, is this what I’m meant to do?
I feel a hand on my shoulder and a burning in my belly that urges me to keep exploring, keep connecting, and let myself be surprised.
My most precious accomplishments are those won behind the scenes. A deeper self-compassion, a more courageous outlook, a willingness to let go and still hope for the best. And deeper still acceptance. Knowing when to let go of hoping for a different outcome and feel the pain of what is, release what could be, and simply hold myself through it.
Everything we let go of makes space for something new. New beginnings require release. As I take stock of a year of living, I notice the shifts that I chose—trading in scrolling Instagram in bed for morning yoga, peaceful days for puppy chaos, and celebratory cocktails for never having a hangover again.
If you want to know if something is holding you back, try giving it up and see how your life changes.
Of course, there are shifts that we don’t choose or expect. Life’s surprises, for better or worse, transform us. Every struggle creates a deeper capacity for love. Through this sacred transformation, we become the strongest version of ourselves.
My children are not really children anymore; they are 17 and 19. I am home and sound asleep on the weekends while they are out driving, or working, or spending time with their friends. Sometimes, it gives me a feeling of falling through the air, groundlessness. I am suspended in the freefall of parental love, looking for something to hold on to.
Rachel reminds me quite often, “They are grown men.” Externally, I nod in agreement, but I am still laughing to myself at what a ridiculous sentiment that is. My mind has not caught up with the reality of time and change, and yet I stretch and pry at progress and frustrate myself at how I wish certain things would move ahead and faster. When will I get there?
The Universe whispers:
What if it’s all there waiting for you at the end of the road? Then, will you relax and enjoy the journey?
I affirm that, yes, I will allow the rhythm of life to carry me toward clarity. Quickly, please? I am only human.
With love,
Sheryl
P.S. In honor of the one-year anniversary of the Electric Curtain, I want to share with you some of my favorite things I wrote last year and invite you to become a paid subscriber if you find value here and want to support my work.
Happy birthday and anniversary 💗 It was an absolutely beautiful share that resonates with me. I am here alongside you in the both-and-allthingsatonce of savoring the process for process's sake, and somewhere within also wanting to reach the dang end. 😜💗🙏
I wish I could share a voice message with you, because of how delightful it was to hear you read this out to me! Sheryl, it has been the privilege of a lifetime to follow you through this newsletter journey here on Substack. Thank you for reminding me to slow down, to be present, and to express gratitude for this wonderful thing we call life. I love you. Happy birthday, and happy anniversary! 🥳🎊🎈🥹💋💗