November's Monthly Check-In
A letter of autumn moments, goal progress, & the power of choice
This post is part of the ‘Monthly Check-In’ project, which acts as a companion piece to my video series on YouTube. If you’re joining in on this project with me, click here for the complete follow-along template.
Happy November!
Greetings from the coast of Maine, where we’ve plunged fully into the autumn season! Normally when this time of year rolls around - precisely at the time when the leaves have almost fully disappeared and the temperatures dip below freezing - I’m usually heading downward toward the seasonal sads. But this year is wildly different from previous ones, and not only is this transition being welcomed in my heart, but I’m quite excited for it. And it isn’t just wishful thinking… I am truly looking forward to cozy season this year, and I owe it all to the shifts that are taking place in my inner world.
Perhaps by turning these monthly check-ins into an openly shared project has something to do with it, given that it’s a creative step I’ve always dreamed of taking, but only recently decided to commit and dive in - regardless of not feeling “ready” yet, whatever that means.
With that, I hope you enjoy this letter of the past month’s reflections, realizations, & moments of divinely ordinary beauty. This month’s companion video can be found at the end of this post, in case you’d like to cozy up with me over the screen for a casual goal-setting chat.
October’s Journal Entries:
You can know that a new and unfamiliar path is “right” for you, while also feeling the resistance of its unknown - the lack of experience of it. Perhaps too often, we give up on exploring what truly is right for us, because we feel that resistance of the unknown, and mistakingly think: “if this was truly right, it would be easier.” But something never becomes easy until is becomes known through experience.
Scarcity can be transformed into the lightness of simplicity, abundance can be honored by intentional choice.
What is required of me to become the person I wish to be? What is required of me to live the life I dream of?
Life gives you more of what you choose. Everything is about choice.
I am never bored, because there’s always something meaningful to work on or explore. I am never lonely, because I am always surrounded by beauty and mystery. I am never angry, because I know it is only a distraction. I am never fearful, because I trust in the truth of my own current experience as exactly as it’s meant to be, and know it is going to change exactly as it is meant to.
The “woo-woo” stuff is right: life flows when the true self aligns… or rather, when the ego aligns to allow the autonomous true self through, into the world. It really is, at its foundation, that simple & straightforward. It just requires both trust & patience.
Our foundational “task” in life is choice, and choice often translates to change:
No matter who you are, no matter what you’re experiencing, you have the choice to make a change - internally or externally.
Here’s a new way to practice: in the midst of strong negative emotion, ask yourself: “What can I focus my attention on instead? What is something new or different I can fully commit to trying?”
Transformation is accessible in each and every moment. A step forward is available to you, here & now.
On lying:
When someone lies about making a change, as a way to avoid responsibility for themselves and continue indulging in negative emotional behavior - for example: “I did try that, and it didn’t work!” (even though they know they didn’t fully commit to it)… This is an act of deep arrogance in two ways:
The person who lies believes you are capable of being misled by them, and that you lack the intelligence to see the truth. This is clear disrespect to you, as an individual.
The person who lies about this is taking credit for the responsibility of choice - of the true courage to change or be changed, which is perhaps the most divine human act, as it consciously surrenders one’s ego to something greater. This is clear disrespect to life itself.
Set boundaries with those who lie to you, and aim to tell the truth for yourself, so you do not miss out on what life has to offer to those who are courageous enough to change.
October Moments:
Some small moments from my life this past month, in all its ordinary joy & beauty!
Embracing this coming month with an intention & reminder:
Something to carry in your pocket this November…
In order to have peace, you must have patience.
In order to have patience, you must have trust.
In order to have trust, you must accept responsibility for yourself.
To be responsible for yourself is to accept your current experience as truth above all else - above all your mind’s wishful thinking, and to consider this experience as something deeply valuable regardless of its temporal nature. To know it is exactly as it is meant to be, and to make the most of it by embracing all its hidden treasures. Only then can you move forward - in trust, in patience, in peace.
We’ll check in again on December 1st, and in the meantime - I’ll be in touch with some regular art newsletters throughout this coming month. Thanks so much for reading, and I wish you the best of luck & fullness of enjoyment in your own current journey :)
As always, I wish you a day filled with peace & wonder! Chat soon!
- Jasmine