News from Jules | 05.16.2022 | Choose Life
And then she looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and asked as if she was the Universe herself: What are you inviting?
This was the question of the day that the server invited me to ponder as I waited for my “I AM ALIGNED” gluten-free, dairy-free, raw zucchini alfredo bowl lunch at Cafe Gratitude in Kansas City, Mo.
I savored this question as I looked around delighted by everything I laid my eyes on. Everything seemed intentional. Fresh flowers sat on my table next to a carafe of water etched with the word “giving.” How fitting. Bright and open, the restaurant was lit by huge front windows and a massive mirror reflecting the 15-foot brick walls hung with a variety of colorful art and knowing quotes. How life-giving.
“Abundance can be had simply by consciously receiving what has already been given.” —Sufi saying
That’s it. This is what I am inviting.
Consciously receiving the abundance of what is.
Each day, I choose to stop in a place I’ve never been, I search for vegetarian food near me, I pick the first beautiful restaurant or coffee shop that I like, then once I’m there I chat with the employees and often get to know other patrons.
Ease. Adventure. Fun.
Right now, right here.
As I sat there, literally in gratitude, I reflected: This is why I chose to put 96% of my possessions in storage. This is why I chose a new seasonal job at the Omega Institute. This is why I chose a cross-country road trip from Oregon to New York.
As Matthew McConaughey said in the audiobook of his memoir Greenlights which I listened to throughout my first two days on the road:
Simplify. Focus. Conserve to liberate. Alright, alright, alright.
Road tripping is like backpacking. Only bring the essentials. Constantly observe the emerging need, such as gas, water, food, bathroom, rest, shelter, shower, and laundry, in that order of priority, then notice an immediate opportunity. Follow your inner compass.
And then it is as if the Universe opens itself wide open to you.
As if everything is alive. Because it is.
As if everything has energy. Because it does.
James Redfield’s allegorical story, The Celestine Prophecy, teaches deep truths about relating openly and honestly with others, and in this rapport, we find an exchange of energy.
Because “whenever people cross our paths, there is always a message for us,” wrote Redfield.
“The more we appreciate their wholeness, their inner beauty, the more the energy glows into them, and naturally, the more that flows into us.”
For instance:
Last Tuesday when I pulled out my iPhone to capture my beautiful farm-to-table beet salad lunch from the Manzanita Market in Taos, N.M. and the woman next to me offered to take a photo. Greenlight, McConaughey would say. The photo led to mutual compliments which led to an hour-long conversation about our respective life’s work, our opportunities, our struggles, our interests, and our hopes. Once I was on the road, I received a sweet text with contact info from my new “soul sister.”
Or last Friday when I got back into my parked car after my delicious lunch in Kansas City, Mo., and immediately heard, then saw, my driver’s side mirror crack as another car drove by too closely. The driver pulled over, so we could take photos and exchange insurance information. During the drive to St. Louis, I located a replacement mirror at a nearby Volkswagen dealership before they closed for the weekend, then used YouTube to fix it and was immediately reimbursed by the driver via Venmo the next day. Easy peasy. A “red light” turned green.
These experiences didn’t just happen. There was a series of choices in each exchange. Actions, as well as energy, that feel revitalizing or draining.
We chose to stay aligned with what is or resist it. We stay the course or go astray.
This is what happens when we listen and receive with our whole spirit, not just our ears or eyes.
Since I finally read The Celestine Prophecy in the fall of 2021—becoming the latest of the books that changed my life—the insights keep echoing in my heart. I have been practicing ever since.
When I first read it, I thought the message was literal. I listened more intently, shared openly, and asked more questions, so others could provide some bit of information or knowledge that I needed.
But, I’ve started to notice that the “message” often isn’t actual words or thoughts or gestures. It is simply energy—whether life-giving or draining.
Danger, fear, worry, anger, hurt, exertion are draining.
Delight, fun, awe, hope, love, ease are life-giving.
What is “life-giving”? It’s the pure joy I feel every time I blow bubbles into the wind. And see the twinkle in others’ eyes—of all ages—as they catch a glimpse of wonder at the colorful orbs of light.
For me, this message or “good vibes,” continually aligns me to my path forward. And buoys my faith to just follow.
I’m believing more and more that the “messengers” aren’t just people, but plants and animals and weather and places, and more.
That they all have messages for us.
May you notice what you’re inviting this week.
Love,
Jules
P.S. If you’re curious to follow along in real-time, check out my OR > NY highlight on Instagram.