LEMME TELL YA

Virgos like to be supporting actors. We enjoy being backstage (unless you’re Beyonce) where the view is better, back where we can see everything and we don’t have to be full-blown participants in the drama of life. We’re looking for patterns, seeing signs, and every once in awhile, closing our eyes, taking a deep breath and stepping into the limelight. I don’t intend to share much of ‘me’ on here, but since it IS my birthday tomorrow, here are some of the main themes and lessons of my 31st year:

Stepping outside your comfort zone is great, but once you’ve hit your thirties, it’s ok to enjoy your comfort zone a little.

Honestly, even an overachieving b*tch (it me) needs to take a break. At some point around hitting thirty (and like, no judgment if this isn’t the case for you) you start making enough money and feel comfortable career wise (Saturn returns, baby!). Relax 💆‍♀

And then, if you’re anything like me, you’ll shift your attention to the freaking MEANING of your life.

And there’s no damn bank account for that, let me tell you. You start to wonder - am I a first world problem? Is my existence choking the earth? Is my complacency about poverty and politics basically how the world got so fucked up in the first place? I’m a professional _____ …but what do I DO? How do I serve humanity? What is my MISSION?

First of all, breathe.

Second of all, stop. Enjoy the present moment. Your joy is radical. You’ve earned your peace.

And finally, read on to my last point.

Your thoughts mirror your actions. Meditation works.

Meditation is a form of prayer. Prayer is a form of meditation. There are loads of resources on meditation, and the meditation app space is crazy right now (maybe even oversaturated). If you’re ready to start meditating, the right way to do so will appear in your life. For me, it happened on a silent retreat in Bali, after I had been reading Sufi texts.

I just started repeating “AL-LAH-HU” silently. And then magic happened. It felt like I was watching a sunrise with my eyes closed.

I’ve begun to study Sufism with others and we gather to talk and chant. I also participated in an abundance whatsapp group challenge that featured daily Deepak Chopra meditations and journal exercises, and saw some surreal results for both myself and fellow members.*

There is no substitute for action.

Your thoughts might be powerful, but it’s your actions really have the potential to affect others and the world we live in. On my birthday this year, I tried to set the tone for the rest of the year — I volunteered, raised money for a charity, and spent time with family. Sometimes I wish I were a policymaker, because that’s where we can really enact change, I think. My thirties have been shifting so that it’s less about me and more about the world I hope to leave behind for future generations. Here’s to a lifetime of selflessness. end scene

*I’m happy to tell you more about what happened during the abundance challenge if you message me privately!