September: Through Lines and Magic

On the phone this week, a friend asked me about a deeper facet of this 40 for 40 project: “What’s the message your people are sending you?” (disclaimer: it’s about to get heady). 

There is some magic happening behind the scenes of this journey - everything feels perfectly placed, feels fluid, as if you all, unbeknownst to one another, have crafted a special, life-changing journey for this year. From day one, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the metaphysical energy and the through lines - beyond just turning 40 - of this whole endeavor. Here’s what keeps coming up:  

Number One: Growing adoration. For the existing beauty in my own life, but also for all of you. What has been an unexpected surprise is the new layer of fondness I develop, the skips of joy in my heart, as I get to know new sides of you all through these tasks. You’re all such cool people. I am in awe of you. I’m forever grateful to call you my community. 

Number Two: Reflections and new beginnings. A full moon paddle board was the first list item I completed of this project, and what a tone the experience set! September’s full moon is known as the Harvest Moon. The moon rose rich amber over the horizon, covered by a partially cloudy night, beautiful in a way no picture could ever capture (side note: one of my favorite John Mayer songs is about living outside of a 3x5). Spiritually, the Harvest Moon symbolizes abundance, gratitude, and completion. It is the transition from summer to autumn, a period of balance between light and dark, and an invitation for reflection, setting intentions, and letting go of old patterns. If that’s not a symbol for this transition into a new era of my life, I don’t know what is! 

Number Three: Human connection is magic. This weekend, a very dear friend and I checked off hiking Mt. Sanitas to watch the sunrise. After a gorgeous sunrise and nearly an hour of solitude at the summit, we were approached by an older man, Curtis. Curtis was handing out hats - these were not just regular hats. These hats are his personal project to spread random acts of kindness, they represent (per his handmade label) “the spirit of what humans can do to change the world.” These hats catalyze human connection. I’ve always believed that (most) people are in the world doing the best they can with what they’ve got. If your heart is open, if you extend your hand (hat in it or not), if you can meet people where they are, magic happens. My weekly impact calls, attending the Connection Lab, and hiking Sanitas gave me the space to breathe and to feel that again - admittedly, it’s been slow to come back since having children and the pandemic and I missed it. You all have reminded me that humans are magical, connecting with them is magical. Humans and their stories carry boundless beauty. As you move through your week this week, take a moment to sit with my favorite Connection Lab question “how connected do you feel in your life?”. If the answer is “not enough” I encourage you to check in with yourself and also give someone a phone call and say hello. 

Tasks finished this month: 

Full moon paddle boarding

Attend a Connection Lab

Hike Sanitas - summit before sunrise 

1 of 12 monthly date nights 

3 of 50 weekly impact calls