Write My MAP Reflection: Week 16, Final Reflection

Every year I walk through the live portion of the writing journey in awe. So much happens in the world around us during the time that we set aside to explore, reflect, and write!

The past few years have very much felt like a blur, filled with challenges of all kinds. Some challenges we anticipated, and others that felt as though there had been no warning. In the midst of this chaos, there has been so much opportunity for growth and transformation. Carving out pathways, finding clarity in the noise, noticing the impact that we had already had, and rediscovering the profound impact we can have on the world around us.

As many of you know, this past year I had truly contemplated not creating another live writing journey. Even though many of the practices that we wrote through this year are ones I personally engaged in annually, my mission and purpose needed attention and updates to reflect who I am and what I am about at this stage in my life. And I needed to really wrestle with how I show up in the world as it is these days too. Throughout the past sixteen weeks I have had the opportunity to reconnect with my mission and values through the practices of Write My MAP, and to put my draft plan to the test in real actual life.

In this world that feels an awful lot like a hurricane or a tornado most days, deliberately making a choice to slow down and center and ground has made such a huge difference in the way that I show up. The world often pushes to rush and to go from one thing to the next, overwhelming and shoving us around, so actions don’t feel like choices and are often focused on making it through the moment instead of laying a foundation for an intentional and desired future. Taking periodic time to slow down, ground myself in who I am and why I am here, allowed me to find my footing and gather my thoughts. It allowed me join strength and wisdom to influence the course of current events. This allowed me to turn hope into action. It gave me the opportunity to connect with others in a way that reflected my mission, and to step outside my fears and uncertainty. I still have a lot of work to do, and the world is still a mess, but I feel more anchored and able. And I guess that was the whole point, when I really think about it.

The live portion of Write My MAP may be officially over now, but that doesn’t mean the work has ended…indeed, it has only just begun.

I believe in the eye of the storm
The most important things
Are found in the eye of the storm
Somewhere in the madness
Those spaces that nothing fills
Where stillness and silence reign
When everything settles
Truth
Beauty
Meaning
Perspective
Are revealed
Resolve can take root
And mundane can become extraordinary
Through the pause
The breath
The rest
All things come together
So slow down, take a deep breath
Sit for a moment in the silence and stillness
Breathe in fully, exhale slowly
Allow the silence to become soft
Allow the softness to begin healing
Breathe in softly, exhale slowly
Allow the healing to create fertile ground
Allow the fertile ground to be disrupted and replanted
Allow time to pass by and the truth to be revealed
Breathe in wholly, exhale deeply
Allow the earth to work its magic
Allow new growth to emerge
Breathe in fully, exhale slowly
Slow and pause for a moment
Tenderly noticing what is
Breathe in
Breathe out
Begin

Back in a few weeks with additional thoughts and next steps.