Peace in Practice
What a year this week has been.
This morning, I am sitting in the mountains above Domincal, Costa Rica, observing the jungle come alive and writing this email. I can hear throaty toucans and chittering mealy amazon parrots, clear antbird whistles and antshrike songs, and even a laughing falcon as it stalks snake prey down below.
I know this because I’ve finally caved and downloaded the Merlin app on my way to becoming a crazy bird lady.
As I started to type, I heard light drumming in the air and looked up to see a hummingbird less than 3 feet away observing me, as I was observing her. She stayed for a few moments, flew away, and then returned to watch me from a different angle before deciding I’m not that sweet and moving on.
The world is simultaneously beautiful and tragic.
It is not lost on me that I’m sending this from a place of privilege in paradise as our regime in the US continues to break national and international laws while committing acts of terrorism and war against our own people and allowing criminals to continue to move unchecked throughout the highest leadership positions in our land.
There is only so much processing and peace we can practice when we are watching our systems further reveal their origins of being built for the privileged, by the privileged.
I’d love to say that there is one answer to fix everything, but I’d be lying. Read any history book going back to the earliest of times and you’ll know that we’ve always relied on systems of power to weaken and control people as a whole.
Power can be enacted from fear, anger, greed, and shame, but it can also come from knowing and trusting ourselves first, and then helping one another in meaningful ways.
I suspect we will continue to have hard weeks ahead of us politically and socially. We will also have our own personal tragedies and triumphs.
I think the biggest challenge will be to BE HERE for it all. To recognize and witness the pain while still noticing and being curious about the wondrous world of which we’re a part.
Here are some practices that have helped me, and my clients, stop the emotional spin cycle and return to themselves so they can be present to take action on the things that count:
Many times, the emotions we are experiencing are compounded. This practice allows us to calm our chaos, nuance our feelings, and identify our traumas and signals so that we can think, act, and feel from a place of peace instead of chaos. Ultimately, this strengthens self-trust, capacity, and resiliency.
Give yourself a break, literally. It’s always good to reflect on who and where are you are right now and slow down before jumping in. This is an abbreviated formula for my self-retreat days that help me understand who I am and what my values are so I can act in alignment. The present predicts the future.
Meditation doesn’t SOLVE the world’s problems, but it does prevent yours from compounding. Our attention is fragmented, and often that fragmentation is what keeps us feeling stuck, depressed, and caught in doom-scrolling instead of being present. Here’s a five minute practice you can use to get started. And for more on this, read this.
None of these practices are “the answer” to what ails us personally and collectively.
However, at the heart of it all, I believe we all want to connect and belong, be loved and safe, and to freely contribute and live their lives with limited suffering and angst.
We can bring more of that into being if we begin inward and practice the peace we profess.
xox,
Michelle
P.S. All my new classes, programming, and coaching slots are beginning at the end of January, but many of them have “early bird” rates for booking. If you feel called to work together, reach out.
P.P.S. My Arcana 2026 class is still open and I have room for a few more folks. If you want to spend a year in community reflecting and learning on the archetypes, psychology, symbolism, and the wheel of life, check it out!
P.P.P.S. I have room for one brand storytelling client in the coming months. If you are looking to refresh your identity, personally and professionally, let’s chat.
4PS. That hummingbird just came around again to say hello. I’m taking it as a sign to remember that wonder and beauty, like everything else, returns.
A very old pic by Jenny McQueen, but felt appropriate for today.
Humanity: first and foremost.
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