*I couldn’t have walked 100+ miles across the Irish countryside on pilgrimage without a whole lotta support!*

Have you ever walked into an unfamiliar situation with trepidation?

Maybe it was the first day of a class you’d signed up for, or a social event where you only knew one or two people.

You stick your toes in, edgy with anticipation. Curious. Hopeful.

Sometimes it turns out to be a bust. But other times… those first tentative steps serve as a catalyst, propelling an unforeseen shift in your trajectory.

Can you think of a time like that from your past?

Maybe the class you weren’t so sure about led you down an entirely new career path. Or perhaps you met your future best friend at that fateful party.

Trying something new is risky, no doubt about it. But change and growth rarely occurs unless we’re willing to put ourselves in spaces that are outside our comfort zone.

I’ve been thinking lately about what happens when we walk through strange new doorways, and the magic that’s unleashed when we say yes to possibility.

I’d like to tell you about a couple of mine.

This past weekend, I attended the annual gathering of my coaching community. It’s like Old Home Week for me now, filled with dear friends, inspiring colleagues, and my beloved students.

But it wasn’t always that way. Quite the opposite in fact!

Not so very long ago, I was standing on the outside looking in.

I was longing to belong to something bigger than myself, and had been hitting a whole lot of dead ends in the process!

Five years ago, I signed up to attend this same retreat for the very first time. I secured a room in an Airbnb with some folks I’d only interacted with online, and flew to Los Angeles on instinct.

Feeling more than slightly unhinged, I walked into the opening reception without recognizing a single face in the crowd.

As an introvert, I was intimidated. Nervous. Cringing a little, I wondered what the hell I’d been thinking. Nevertheless, I gathered my courage and stepped forward into that cacophony of unfamiliar voices.

By the end of that weekend, something extraordinary had happened. I could feel my heart cracking all the way open. I was luminous. And in that heart space, new seeds got planted.

Those little seedlings eventually changed the course of my life. (I didn’t know it then, of course. How could I?!)

Over time, I’ve learned more and more about what community really means. I’ve discovered the power of imagining a different future, and finding like-minded people to share those visions with.

I’ve also been initiated into how essential it is to be held by other people as we dream our dreams.

“We aren’t meant to do life alone.”

That’s what the founders of Lumia Coaching have taught me, and I’ve been growing into that truth ever since.

Around that same time back in 2018, I walked into another unfamiliar space.

Tentative and uncertain, I signed up for a funky class being offered at a local yoga studio. It included things like “earth based wisdom” and “shamanic practices.” I wasn’t even sure what any of that MEANT, but something about it just spoke to me.

Nervous as hell, I let my curiosity lead the way. And once again, that first step catapulted me into a whole new existence. I met Heather Cole Gatto, the mentor and guide who would help me to remember skills and gifts deep inside me, buried but not forgotten.

In both cases, my “transformation” didn’t happen all at once.

There was no clap of thunder or bolt of lightning. It was just me, showing up. Listening to my heart’s longing. Opening myself to new people, new points of view, new experiences.

As I’ve stepped more fully this year into the roles of teacher, facilitator and convener, I’ve seen the same thing over and over again.

Regardless of the topic, the feelings are the same.

Whether I’m teaching coaching techniques in a professional development certification program, instructing folks on how to read tarot cards, or leading ritual. The feedback I hear after these experiences is strikingly similar:

“I feel seen.”

“These are my people.”

“This is the feeling of community I’ve been searching for.”

“I don’t want this to end.”

So many of us are longing for deeper connections. For heart-aligned spaces in the company of like-minded others. The pandemic is a contributing factor, for sure. But there’s more to it than that, I think.

We’re finding the places where we belong. And in so doing, we’re remembering the truth of who we are.

Over the past few years, my work has been evolving. While I still offer one on one coaching and mentoring, I’m increasingly being asked to create spaces that foster personal growth, connection and belonging.

THIS is the driving force behind the new course I’m launching in a few weeks: Walking the Celtic Wheel of the Year. It’s an exploration of spiritual identity, yes. But more than that, it’s a homecoming. A place where we can show up each week to nourish our hearts and expand our minds, in community.

If you’re curious, I hope you’ll consider joining me there. It begins October 22nd, and will be offered both online and in person at House of the Faun in Port Townsend.

Let’s face it: this world is a funky place. These are funky times. And my friend, WE are the ones that we’ve been waiting for.

If you want more connection, more inspiration, more joy and a more expansive experience of belonging in this world, you gotta show up.

What doorways are swinging open in front of you right now? I invite you to step into the spaces and places that are calling to you – even if you can’t quite explain why - and open your heart to what comes next.

P.S. If you’re intrigued by the idea of coming home to yourself, cultivating spiritual identity, and exploring ancient wisdom tools… I hope you’ll check out Walking the Wheel. Even if you aren’t quite sure what any of this means.

That’s the point, in a way - this is a time of reclaiming. We’re figuring it out together.

Learn more